Parsons PleasureWord下载.docx

Parsons PleasureWord下载.docx

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Hetookonehandoffthewheelandlithimselfacigarette.Thebestthingnow,hetoldhimself,wouldbetomakeforthetopofBrillHill.Hecouldseeitabouthalfamileahead.AndthatmustbethevillageofBrill,thatclusterofcottagesamongthetreesrightontheverysummit.Excel¬

lent.NotmanyofhisSundaysectionshadaniceelevationlikethattoworkfrom.

Hedroveupthehillandstoppedthecarjustshortofthesummitontheoutskirtsofthevillage.Thenhegotoutandlookedaround.Downbelow,thecountrysidewasspreadoutbeforehimlikeahugegreencarpet.Hecouldseeformiles.Itwasperfect.Hetookapadandpencilfromhispocket,leanedagainstthebackofthecar,andallowedhispractisedeyetotravelslowlyoverthelandscape.

Hecouldseeonemediumfarmhouseoverontheright,backinthefields,withatrackleadingtoitfromtheroad.Therewasanotherlargeronebeyondit.TherewasahousesurroundedbytallelmsthatlookedasthoughitmightbeaQueenAnne,andthereweretwolikelyfarmsawayoverontheleft.Fiveplacesinall,Thatwasaboutthelotinthisdirection.

MrBoggisdrewaroughsketchonhispadshowingthepositionofeachsothathe'

dbeabletofindthemeasilywhenhewasdownbelow,thenhegotbackintothecaranddroveupthroughthevillagetotheothersideofthehill.FromtherehespottedsixmorepossiblesfivefarmsandonebigwhiteGeorgianhouse.HestudiedtheGeorgianhousethroughhisbinoculars.Ithadacleanprosperouslook,andthegardenwaswellordered.Thatwasapity.Heruleditoutimmediately.Therewasnopointincallingontheprosperous.

Inthissquarethen,inthissectionthereweretenpossiblesinall.Tenwasanicenumber,MrBoggistoldhimself.Justtherightamountforaleisurelyafternoon'

swork.Whattimewasitnow?

Twelveo'

clock.HewouldhavelikedapintofbeerinthepubbeforehestartedbutonSundaystheydidn'

topenuntilone.Verywell,hewouldhaveitlater.Heglancedatthenotesonhispad.HedecidedtotaketheQueenAnnefirst,thehousewiththeelms.Ithadlookednicelydilapidatedthroughthebinoculars.Thepeopletherecouldprobablydowithsomemoney.HewasalwaysluckywithQueenAnnes,anyway.MrBoggisclimbedbackintothecar,releasedthehandbrake,andbegancruisingslowlydownthehillwithouttheengine.

ApartfromthefactthathewasatthismomentdisguisedintheuniformofaclergymantherewasnothingverysinisteraboutMrCyrilBoggis.Bytradehewasadealerinantiquefurniture,withhisownshopandshowroomintheKing'

sRoad,Chelsea.Hispremiseswerenotlarge,andgenerallyhedidn'

tdoagreatdealofbusiness,butbecausehealwaysboughtcheap,veryverycheap,andsoldveryverydear,hemanagedtomakequiteatidylittleincomeeveryyear.Hewasatalentedsalesmanandwhenbuyingorsellingapiecehecouldslidesmoothlyintowhichevermoodsuitedtheclientbest.Hecouldbecomegraveandcharmingfortheagedobsequiousfortherich,soberforthegodly,master¬

fulfortheweak,mischievousforthewidow,archandsaucyforthespinster.Hewaswellawareofhisgift,usingitshamelesslyoneverypossibleoccasion;

andoften,attheendofanunusuallygoodperformance,itwasasmuchashecoulddotopreventhimselffromturningasideandtakingabowortwoasthethunderingapplauseoftheaudiencewentrollingthroughthetheatre.

Inspiteofthisratherclownishqualityofhis,MrBoggiswasnotafool.InfactitwassaidofhimbysomethatheprobablyknewasmuchaboutFrench,EnglishandItalianfurnitureasanyoneelseinLondon.Healsohadsurprisinglygoodtaste,andhewasquicktorecogniseandrejectanungracefuldesign,how¬

evergenuinethearticlemightbe.Hisreallove,naturally,wasfortheworkofthegreateighteenthcenturyEnglishdesigners,Ince,Mayhew,Chippendale,RobertAdamsManwaringInigoJones,Hepplewhite,KentJohnsonGeorgeSmithLockSheraton,andtherestofthembutevenwiththeseheoccasionallydrewtheline.Herefusedforexample,toallowasinglepiecefromChippen¬

dale'

sChineseorGothicperiodtocomeintohisshowroomandthesamewastrueofsomeoftheheavierItaliandesignsofRobertAdam.

Duringthepastfewyears,MrBoggishadachievedconsider¬

ablefameamonghisfriendsinthetradebyhisabilitytoproduceunusualandoftenquiterareitemswithastonishingregularity.Apparent¬

lythemanhadasourceofsupplythatwasalmostinexhaustible,asortofprivatewarehouse,anditseemedthatallhehadtodowastodriveouttoitonceaweekandhelphimself.Whenevertheyaskedhimwherehegotthestuff,hewouldsmileknowinglyandwinkandmurmursomethingaboutalittlesecret.

TheideabehindMrBoggis'

slittlesecretwasasimpleone,andithadcometohimasaresultofsomethingthathadhap¬

penedonacertainSundayafternoonnearlynineyearsbefore,whilehewasdrivinginthecountry.

Hehadgoneoutinthemorningtovisithisoldmother,wholivedinSeveno¬

aks,andonthewaybackthefan-beltonhiscarhadbroken,causingtheenginetooverheatandthewatertoboilaway.Hehadgotoutofthecarandwalkedtothenearesthouse,asmallishfarmbuildingaboutfiftyyardsofftheroadandhadaskedthewomanwhoansweredthedoorifhecouldpleasehaveajugofwater.

Whilehewaswaitingforhertofetchit,hehappenedtoglanceinthroughthedoortotheli¬

vingroomandthere,notfiveyardsfromwherehewasstanding,hespottedsomethingthatmadehimsoexcitedthesweatbegantocomeoutalloverthetopofhishead.Itwasalargeoakarmchairofatypethathehadonlyseenoncebeforeinhislife.Eacharmaswellasthepanelattheback,wassupportedbyarowofeightbeautifullyturnedspindles.Thebackpanelitselfwasdecoratedbyaninlayofthemostdelicatefloraldesign,andtheheadofaduckwascarvedtoliealonghalfthelengthofeitherarm.GoodGodhethought.Thisthingislatefifteenthcentury!

Hepokedhisheadinfurtherthroughthedoor,andthere,byheavens,wasanotherofthemontheothersideofthefire¬

place!

Hecouldn'

tbesure,buttwochairslikethatmustbeworthatleastathousandpoundsupinLondon.Andoh,whatbeautiestheywere!

WhenthewomanreturnedMrBoggisintrodu¬

cedhimselfandstraightawayaskedifshewouldliketosellherchairs.

Dearme,shesaid.Butwhyonearthshouldshewanttosellherchairs?

Noreasonatall,exceptthathemightbewillingtogiveheraprettyniceprice.

Andhowmuchwouldhegive?

Theyweredefinitelynotforsale,butjustoutofcuriosity,justforfun,youknow,howmuchwouldhegive?

Thirtyfivepounds.

Howmuch?

Dearme,thirtyfivepounds.Well,well,thatwasveryinterest¬

ing.She'

dalwaysthoughttheywerevaluable.Theywereveryold.Theywereverycomfortabletoo.Shecouldn'

tpossiblydowithoutthem,notpossibly.No,theywerenotforsalebutthankyouverymuchallthesame.

Theyweren'

treallysoveryoldMrBoggistoldher,andtheywouldn'

tbeatalleasytosell,butitjusthappenedthathehadaclientwhoratherlikedthatsortofthing.Maybehecouldgoupanothertwopoundscallitthirtyse¬

ven.Howaboutthat?

Theybargainedforhalfanhour,andofcourseintheendMrBoggisgotthechairsandagreedtopayhersomethinglessthanatwentiethoftheirvalue.

Thatevening,drivingbacktoLondoninhisoldstationwagonwiththetwofabulouschairstuckedawaysnuglyinthebackMrBoggishadsuddenlybeenstruckbywhatseemedtohimtobeamostremarkableidea.

‘Lookhere’,hesaid.‘Ifthereisgoodstuffinonefarmhouse,thenwhynotinothers?

’Whyshouldn'

thesearchforit?

Whyshouldn'

thecombthecountryside?

HecoulddoitonSundays.Inthatway,itwouldn'

tinterferewithhisworkatall.HeneverknewwhattodowithhisSundays.

SoMrBoggisboughtmaps,largescalemapsofallthecoun¬

tiesaroundLondon,andwithafinepenhedividedeachofthemupintoaseriesofsquares.Eachofthesesquarescoveredanactualareaoffivemilesbyfive,whichwasaboutasmuchterritory,heestimatedashecouldcopewithonasingleSunday,werehetocombitthoroughly.Hedidn'

twantthetownsandthevillages.Itwasthecomparativelyisolatedplaces,thelargefarm¬

housesandtheratherdilapidatedcountrymansions,thathewaslookingforandinthisway,ifhedidonesquareeachSunday,fiftytwosquaresayear,hewouldgraduallycovereveryfarmandeverycountryhouseinthehomecounties.

Butobviouslytherewasabitmoretoitthanthat.Countryfolkareasuspici¬

ouslotSoaretheimpoverishedrich.Youcan'

tgoaboutringingtheirbellsandexpectingthemtoshowyouaroundtheirhousesjustfortheasking,becausetheywon'

tdoit.Thatwayyouwouldnevergetbeyondthefrontdoor.Howthenwashetogainadmittance?

Perhapsitwouldbebestifhedidn'

tletthemknowhewasadealeratall.Hecouldbethetelephoneman,theplumber,thegasinspector.Hecouldevenbeaclergy¬

man....'

Fromthispointon,thewholeschemebegantotakeonamorepracticalaspect.MrBoggisorderedalargequantityofsuperiorcardsonwhichthefollowinglegendwasengraved:

THEREVEREND

CYRILWINNINGTONBOGGIS

PresidentoftheSocietyforthePreserva¬

ti¬

onof¬

RareFurniture.Inassocia¬

ti