WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:09.880 Part one of Lady into Fox. This is a LibriVox recording. 2 00:00:10.839 --> 00:00:15.839 All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more 3 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:24.440 information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording 4 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:36.960 by Tony Addison. Lady into Fox by David Garnet. Wonderful 5 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:42.600 or supernatural events are not so uncommon. Rather, they are 6 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:47.320 irregular in their incidents. Thus there may be not one 7 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:51.079 marble to speak of in a century, and then often 8 00:00:51.240 --> 00:00:55.719 en up comes a plentiful crop of them. Monsters of 9 00:00:55.799 --> 00:01:00.880 all sorts swarm suddenly upon the earth from its plays 10 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:06.760 in the sky, eclipses frightened nature, meteors fall in rain, 11 00:01:07.560 --> 00:01:13.920 while mermaids and sirens beguile, and sea serpents engulp every 12 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:22.719 passing ship, and terrible cataclysms beset humanity. But the strange 13 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:31.480 event which I shall hear relate came alone, unsupported, without companions, 14 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:36.719 into a hostile world, and for that very reason claim 15 00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:42.359 little of the general attention of mankind. For the sudden 16 00:01:42.599 --> 00:01:49.280 changing of Missus Tebrick into a vixen is an established 17 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:53.159 fact for which we may attempt to account for as 18 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:59.519 we will. Certainly it is in the explanation of the fact, 19 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:05.280 and the reconciling of it with our general notions, that 20 00:02:05.359 --> 00:02:10.560 we shall find most difficulty, and not in accepting but 21 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:15.680 true a story which is so fully proved, and that 22 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:21.080 not by one witness, but by a dozen, all respectable, 23 00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:29.599 and with no possibility of collusion between them. But here 24 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:34.719 I will confine myself to an exact narrative of the 25 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:39.360 event and all that followed on it. Yet I would 26 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:43.879 not dissuade any of my readers from attempting an explanation 27 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:50.159 of this seeming miracle, because up to that none has 28 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:57.840 been found which is entirely satisfactory. What adds to the difficulty, 29 00:02:57.879 --> 00:03:02.759 to my mind, is that the metamorphosis occurred when missus 30 00:03:02.800 --> 00:03:07.439 Tebrick was a full grown woman, and that it happened suddenly, 31 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:12.479 in so short a space of time. The sprouting of 32 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:17.759 a tale, the gradual extension of hair or over the body, 33 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:23.199 the slow change of the whole anatomy by a process 34 00:03:23.319 --> 00:03:28.280 of growth. Though it would have been monstrous, it would 35 00:03:28.360 --> 00:03:33.599 not have been so difficult to reconcile to our ordinary conceptions, 36 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:39.960 particularly had it happened in a young child. But here 37 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:46.120 we have something very different. A grown lady is chained 38 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:51.439 straightway into a fox. There is no explaining that a 39 00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:57.439 way by any natural philosophy. The materialism of our age 40 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:03.560 will not help us here. It is indeed a miracle, 41 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:09.439 something from outside our world altogether, an event which we 42 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:13.680 would willingly accept if we were to meet it, invested 43 00:04:13.759 --> 00:04:18.720 with the authority of divine revelation in the scriptures, but 44 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:22.920 which we are not prepared to encounter almost in our time, 45 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:31.040 happening in Oxfordshire amongst our neighbors. The only things which 46 00:04:31.079 --> 00:04:35.519 go any way towards an explanation of it are but 47 00:04:35.720 --> 00:04:40.000 guess work. And I give them more because I would 48 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:43.560 not conceal anything than because I think they are of 49 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:52.879 any work. Missus Debrigg's maiden name was certainly Fox, and 50 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:57.720 it is possible that such a miracle happening before the 51 00:04:57.839 --> 00:05:01.560 family may have gained their name as a soubriquet. On 52 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:06.480 that account. They were an ancient family and have had 53 00:05:06.519 --> 00:05:11.160 their seat at Tangley Hall time out of mind. It 54 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.959 is also true that there was a half tame fox 55 00:05:15.560 --> 00:05:19.199 once upon a time, chained up at Tangley Hall in 56 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:24.519 the inner Yard, and I have heard many speculative wise 57 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:28.879 acres in the public houses turn that to great account, 58 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:33.079 though they could not but admit that there was never 59 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:40.360 one there in miss Sylvia's time. At first I was 60 00:05:40.399 --> 00:05:46.600 inclined to think that Sylvia Fox, having once hunted when 61 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:49.560 she was a child of ten, and having been blooded, 62 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:55.560 might furnish more of an explanation. It seemed she took 63 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:59.720 great fright or disgusted at it, and vomited after it 64 00:05:59.800 --> 00:06:03.879 was done. But now I do not see that it 65 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:08.079 has much bearing on the miracle itself, even though we 66 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:11.920 know that after that she always spoke of the poor 67 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:16.439 foxes when a hunt was stirring, and never rode to 68 00:06:16.519 --> 00:06:20.959 hounds till after her marriage, when her husband persuaded her 69 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:26.639 to it. She was married in the year eighteen seventy 70 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:31.879 nine to mister Richard de Brigg after a short courtship, 71 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:37.040 and went to live after their honeymoon at Rylands near Stokoe, 72 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:43.040 Oxon one point, indeed, I have not been able to ascertain, 73 00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:48.800 and that is how they first became acquainted. Tangley Hall 74 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:55.319 is over thirty miles from Stoco and is extremely remote. Indeed, 75 00:06:55.399 --> 00:06:58.360 to this day there is no proper road to it, 76 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:01.920 which is all the more more remarkable, as it is 77 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:06.800 the principal and indeed the only manor house for several 78 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:12.040 miles round. Whether it was from a chance meeting on 79 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:18.800 the roads, or less romantic, but more probable by mister 80 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:24.079 Tubrick becoming acquainted with her uncle, a minor cannon at Oxford, 81 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:30.360 and then being invited by him to visit Tangleyhame, it 82 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:36.160 is impossible to say, but however they became acquainted. The 83 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:40.560 marriage was a very happy one. The bride was in 84 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:46.720 her twenty third year. She was small, with remarkably small 85 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:51.120 hands and feet. It is perhaps worth noting that there 86 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:56.120 was nothing at all foxy or vixenish in her appearance. 87 00:07:57.319 --> 00:08:01.399 On the contrary, she was a more than ordinarily beautiful 88 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:06.680 and agreeable woman. Her eyes were of a clear hazel, 89 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:13.000 but exceptionally brilliant, her hair dark with a shade of 90 00:08:13.079 --> 00:08:18.079 red in it, her skin brownish, with a few dark 91 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:24.720 freckles and little moles. In manner, she was reserved almost 92 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:30.120 to shyness, but perfectly self possessed and perfectly well bred. 93 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:35.399 She had been strictly brought up by a woman of 94 00:08:35.559 --> 00:08:41.240 excellent principles and considerable attainments, who died a year or 95 00:08:41.240 --> 00:08:46.320 so before the marriage, and owing to the circumstance that 96 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:50.000 her mother had been dead many years, and her father 97 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:54.559 bedridden and not altogether rational for a little while before 98 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:59.559 his death. They had few visitors but her uncle. He 99 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:02.639 often stopped with them a month or two at a stretch, 100 00:09:03.399 --> 00:09:07.480 particularly in winter, as he was fond of shooting snipe, 101 00:09:08.120 --> 00:09:12.399 which are plunktiful in the valley there. That she did 102 00:09:12.440 --> 00:09:16.200 not grow up a country Heyden is to be explained 103 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:19.919 by the strictness of her governess and the influence of 104 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:24.799 her uncle. But perhaps a living in so wild a 105 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:31.080 place gave her some disposition to wildness, even in spite 106 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:37.480 of her religious upbringing. Her old nurse said Miss Sylvia 107 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:42.720 was always a little wild at heart, though if this 108 00:09:42.960 --> 00:09:47.200 was true, it was never seen by anyone else except 109 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:51.840 her husband. On one of the first days of the 110 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:58.320 year eighteen eighty, in the early afternoon, husband and wife 111 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:01.840 went for a walk in the cops on the little 112 00:10:01.919 --> 00:10:06.679 hill above Ryland's. They were still at this time like 113 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:11.919 lovers in their behavior, and were always together. While they 114 00:10:11.960 --> 00:10:15.840 were walking, they heard the hounds, and later the huntsman's 115 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:20.639 horn in the distance. Mister to Brick had persuaded her 116 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.720 to hunt on boxing dead, but with great difficulty, and 117 00:10:24.840 --> 00:10:28.879 she had not enjoyed it, though of hacking, she was 118 00:10:28.960 --> 00:10:34.320 fond enough hearing the hunt, Mister to Brick quickened his 119 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:38.000 pace so as to reach the edge of the cops, 120 00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:40.759 where they might get a good view of the hounds 121 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:44.639 if they came that way. His wife hung back, and he, 122 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:49.720 holding her hand, began almost to drag her. Before they 123 00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:53.320 gained the edge of the cops. She suddenly snatched her 124 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:57.960 hand away from his very violently, and cried out, so 125 00:10:58.080 --> 00:11:02.679 that he instantly turned his head where his wife had 126 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:07.559 been a moment before, was a small fox of a 127 00:11:07.559 --> 00:11:14.519 buried bright dread. It looked at him very beseechingly, advanced 128 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:17.639 towards him a pace or two, and he saw at 129 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:20.960 once that his wife was looking at him from the 130 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:25.639 animal's eyes. You may well think if he were aghast, 131 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:29.519 and so maybe was his lady at finding herself in 132 00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:33.360 that shape. So they did nothing for nearly half an 133 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:39.080 hour but stare at each other, he bewildered, she asking 134 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:42.879 him with her eyes as if indeed she spoke to him, 135 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:47.320 what am I now become? Have pity on me, husband, 136 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:51.519 Have pity on me, for I am your wife. So 137 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:55.440 that with his gazing on her, and knowing her well 138 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:59.679 even in such a shape, yet asking himself, but ever 139 00:11:59.720 --> 00:12:03.279 in mind, can it be she am? I? Not dreaming? 140 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:09.399 And her beseeching and hastily fawning on him, and seeming 141 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:13.120 to tell him that it was she. Indeed, they came 142 00:12:13.279 --> 00:12:16.840 at last together, and he took her in his arms. 143 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:21.159 She lay very close to him, nestling under his coat, 144 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:25.120 and fell to licking his face, but never taking her 145 00:12:25.159 --> 00:12:30.240 eyes from his. The husband, all this while kept turning 146 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:33.600 the thing in his head and gazing on her, But 147 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:36.600 he could make no sense of what had happened, but 148 00:12:36.799 --> 00:12:39.879 only comforted himself with the hope that this was but 149 00:12:40.039 --> 00:12:44.240 a momentary change, and that presently she would turn back 150 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:47.200 again into the white that was one flesh with him. 151 00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:52.200 One fancy that came to him, because he was so 152 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:55.480 much more like a lover than a husband, was that 153 00:12:55.559 --> 00:13:00.559 it was his fault, and this because if anything dreadful happened, 154 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:05.039 he could never blame her but himself for it. So 155 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:08.919 they passed a good while till at last the tears 156 00:13:08.960 --> 00:13:13.120 welled up in the poor fox's eyes, and she began weeping, 157 00:13:13.360 --> 00:13:17.000 but quite in silence, and she trembled too, as if 158 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:19.879 she were in a fever. At this he could not 159 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:23.399 contain his own tears, but sat down on the ground 160 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:27.159 and sobbed for a great while, but between his sobs 161 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:29.879 kissing her quite as if she had been a woman, 162 00:13:30.440 --> 00:13:33.480 and not caring in his grief that he was kissing 163 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:38.080 a fox on the muzzle. They sat thus till it 164 00:13:38.200 --> 00:13:42.399 was getting near dusk, when he recollected himself, and the 165 00:13:42.440 --> 00:13:46.000 next thing was that he must somehow hide her and 166 00:13:46.120 --> 00:13:49.720 then bring her home. He waited till it was quite 167 00:13:49.799 --> 00:13:52.679 dark that he might the better bring her into her 168 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:57.759 own house without being seen, and buttoned her inside his topcoat, 169 00:13:57.879 --> 00:14:02.000 nake even in his passion, tearing open his waistcoat and 170 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:05.120 his shirt, that she might lie the closer to his heart. 171 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:09.600 For when we are overcome with the greatest sorrow, we 172 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:13.320 act not like men or women, but like children, whose 173 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:17.080 comfort in all their troubles is to press themselves against 174 00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:20.679 their mother's breast, or, if she be not there, to 175 00:14:20.759 --> 00:14:26.120 hold each other tight in one another's arms. When it 176 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:30.879 was dark, he brought her in with infinite precautions, yet 177 00:14:30.919 --> 00:14:34.159 not without the dog stunting her utter, which nothing could 178 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:38.679 moderate their clamort. Having got her into the house. The 179 00:14:38.720 --> 00:14:41.120 next thing he thought of was to hide her from 180 00:14:41.159 --> 00:14:45.000 the servants. He carried her to the bedroom in his arms, 181 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:49.919 and then went downstairs again. Mister tu Brick had three 182 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:54.200 servants living in the house, the cook, the parlor maid, 183 00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:57.919 and an old woman who had been his wife's nurse. 184 00:14:59.080 --> 00:15:02.840 Besides these woman, there was a groom or a gardener, 185 00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:07.279 whichever you choose to call him, who was a single man, 186 00:15:07.840 --> 00:15:11.720 and so lived out a lodging with a laboring family 187 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:19.000 about half a mile awb Mister Brick, going downstairs, pitched 188 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:24.120 upon the parlor maid. Janet says he missuster Brick and 189 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:27.559 I have had some bad news, and missuster Brick was 190 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:31.600 called away instantly to London and left this afternoon, and 191 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:34.519 I am staying tonight to put our affairs in order. 192 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:37.679 We are shutting up the house, and I must give 193 00:15:37.720 --> 00:15:41.120 you and missus Brandt a month's wages and ask you 194 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:45.679 to leave tomorrow morning at seven o'clock. We shall probably 195 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:47.919 go away to the continent, and I do not know 196 00:15:48.360 --> 00:15:52.279 when we shall come back. Please tell the others, and 197 00:15:52.399 --> 00:15:54.840 now get me my tea and bring it into my 198 00:15:54.879 --> 00:15:59.720 study on a tray. Janet said nothing, for she was 199 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:04.600 a shy girl, particularly before gentlemen. But when she entered 200 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:08.320 the kitchen, mister to Brick heard a sudden burst of 201 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:14.840 conversation with many exclamations from the cook. When she came 202 00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:19.519 back with his teeth, mister Brick said, I shall not 203 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:24.320 require you upstairs, pack your own things, and tell James 204 00:16:24.320 --> 00:16:26.559 to have the wagonete ready for you by seven o'clock 205 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:29.919 tomorrow morning to take you to the station. I am 206 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:32.759 busy now, but I will see you again before you go. 207 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:38.639 When she had gone, mister to Brick took the tray upstairs. 208 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:42.240 For the first moment he thought the room was empty 209 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:44.879 and his vixen got away, for he could see no 210 00:16:45.080 --> 00:16:49.120 sign of for anywhere. But after a moment he saw 211 00:16:49.159 --> 00:16:51.679 something stirring in a corner of the room, and then 212 00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:56.840 behold she came forth, dragging her dressing gown into which 213 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:01.279 she had somehow struggled. This must surely have been a 214 00:17:01.279 --> 00:17:06.359 comical sight. But poor mister Tubrick was altogether too distressed 215 00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:10.400 then or at any time afterwards, to divert himself at 216 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:17.240 such ludicrous scenes. He only called to her softly, Sylvia, Sylvia, 217 00:17:17.319 --> 00:17:20.880 what do you do there? And then in a moment 218 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:24.680 saw for himself what she would be at, and began 219 00:17:24.839 --> 00:17:28.440 once more to blame himself heartily, because he had not 220 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:31.119 guessed that his wife would not like to go naked, 221 00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:36.240 notwithstanding the shape she was in. Nothing would satisfy him 222 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:40.480 then till he had clothed her suitably, bringing her dresses 223 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:43.799 from the wardrobe for her to choose, but as might 224 00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:46.640 have been expected, they were too big for her nap. 225 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:50.799 But at last he picked out a little dressing jacket 226 00:17:51.160 --> 00:17:54.480 that she was fond of wearing sometimes in the mornings. 227 00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:58.559 It was made of a flowered silk, trimmed with lace, 228 00:17:59.160 --> 00:18:01.960 and the sleeve short enough to sit very well on 229 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:06.400 her neck. While he tied the ribbons, his poor lady 230 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:10.799 thanked him with gentle looks, and not without some modesty 231 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:15.000 and confusion. He propped her up in an armchair with 232 00:18:15.079 --> 00:18:20.119 some cushions, and they took tea together, she very delicately 233 00:18:20.599 --> 00:18:24.519 drinking from a saucer and taking bread and butter from 234 00:18:24.519 --> 00:18:29.200 his hands. All this showed him also he thought that 235 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:33.000 his wife was still herself. There was so little wildness 236 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:38.079 in her demeanor, and so much delicacy and decency, especially 237 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:40.880 in her not wishing to run naked, that he was 238 00:18:41.039 --> 00:18:44.240 very much comforted, and began to fancy they could be 239 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:48.039 happy enough if they could escape the world and live 240 00:18:48.200 --> 00:18:54.359 always alone. From this too sanguine dream, he was aroused 241 00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:57.839 by hearing the gardener speaking to the dogs, trying to 242 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:00.799 quiet them. For ever since he had come in with 243 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:05.240 his vixen, they had been whining, barking, and growling, and 244 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:08.640 all as he knew, because there was a fox within 245 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:12.960 doors and they would kill it. He started up now, 246 00:19:13.559 --> 00:19:16.279 calling to the gardener that he would come down to 247 00:19:16.359 --> 00:19:19.440 the dogs himself to quiet them, and bade the man 248 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:22.640 go indoors again and leave it to him. All this 249 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:26.599 he said in a dry, compelling kind of voice, which 250 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:29.119 made the fellow do as he was bid, though it 251 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:33.359 was against his will, for he was curious. Mister Tubrick 252 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:37.359 went downstairs, and taking his gun from the rack, loaded 253 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.920 it and went out into the yard. Now there were 254 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:45.079 two dogs, one a handsome Irish setter that was his 255 00:19:45.119 --> 00:19:48.240 wife's dog. She had brought it with her from Tangley 256 00:19:48.279 --> 00:19:51.960 Hall on our marriage. The other was an old fox 257 00:19:52.039 --> 00:19:55.519 turrier called Nully that he had had ten years or more. 258 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:00.000 When he came out into the yard, both dogs salute 259 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:02.960 to him by barking and whining twice as much as 260 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:06.680 they did before, the setter jumping up and down at 261 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:10.519 the end of his chain in a frenzy, and Nelly shivering, 262 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:14.119 wagging her tail and looking first at her master and 263 00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:17.319 then at the house door, where she could smile the fox. 264 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:21.720 Right enough, there was a bright moon so that mister 265 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:26.319 to Brick could see the dogs as clearly as could be. First, 266 00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:29.759 he shot his wife's seta dead, and then looked about 267 00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:32.960 him for Nellie to give her the other barrel, but 268 00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:37.640 he could see her nowhere. The bitch was clean gone till. 269 00:20:37.720 --> 00:20:40.640 Looking to see how she had broken her chain, he 270 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:42.960 found her lying hid in the back of her kennel, 271 00:20:43.880 --> 00:20:47.160 but that trick did not save herb for mister to Brick, 272 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:50.079 after trying to pull her out by her chain and 273 00:20:50.119 --> 00:20:54.559 finding it useless, she would not come, thrust the muzzle 274 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:57.759 of his gun into the kennel, pressed it into her body, 275 00:20:57.799 --> 00:21:02.640 and so shut her awards striking a match. He looked 276 00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:06.279 in the turt to make certain she was dead. Then 277 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:10.200 leaving the dogs as they were chained up, mister t 278 00:21:10.319 --> 00:21:14.359 Brick went indoors again and found the gardener, who had 279 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:18.000 not yet gone home, gave him a month's wages in 280 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:21.039 lieu of notice, and told him he had a job 281 00:21:21.079 --> 00:21:24.279 for him yet to bury the two dogs, and that 282 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:27.839 he should do it that same night. But by all 283 00:21:27.880 --> 00:21:31.519 this going on with so much strangeness and authority on 284 00:21:31.599 --> 00:21:35.319 his part, as it seemed to them, the servants were 285 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:38.759 much troubled. Hearing the shots. While he was out in 286 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:42.279 the yard, his wife's old nurse or nanny, ran up 287 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:45.000 to the bedroom, though she had no business there, and 288 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:48.480 so opening the door, saw the poor fox, dressed in 289 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:52.200 my lady's little jacket, lying back in the cushions, and 290 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:54.880 in such a reverie of woe that she heard nothing. 291 00:21:56.039 --> 00:21:59.160 Old Nanny, though she was not expecting to find a 292 00:21:59.240 --> 00:22:02.119 mistress there, having been told that she was gone that 293 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:06.960 afternoon to London, knew her instantly and cried out, oh, 294 00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:10.519 my poor precious, oh poor miss Sylvia, what dreadful change 295 00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:14.400 is this. Then, seeing her mistress start and look at her, 296 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:18.079 she cried out, but never fear, my darling, it will 297 00:22:18.079 --> 00:22:20.640 all come right. Your old nanny knows you it will 298 00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:24.000 all come right in the end. But though she said this, 299 00:22:24.640 --> 00:22:27.400 she did not care to look again, and kept her 300 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:30.559 eyes turned away, so as not to meet the foxy 301 00:22:30.640 --> 00:22:33.519 slut ones of her mistress, for that was too much 302 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:37.400 for her. So she hurried out soon fearing to be 303 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:40.880 found there by mister de Brigg, and who knows, perhaps 304 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:45.480 shot like the dogs, for knowing the secret, mister de 305 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:48.920 brig had all this time gone about paying off his 306 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:52.240 servants and shooting his dogs as if he were in 307 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:56.160 a dream. Now he fortified himself with two or three 308 00:22:56.200 --> 00:23:00.400 glasses of strong whisky and went to bed, taking his 309 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:05.599 vixen into his arms, where he slept soundly. Whether she 310 00:23:05.720 --> 00:23:09.400 did or not is more than I or anybody else 311 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:22.920 can say. And of Part one, Part two of Lady 312 00:23:23.079 --> 00:23:29.799 into Fox by David Garnet. This libribox recording is in 313 00:23:29.880 --> 00:23:37.759 the public domain. Recording by Tony Addison. In the morning, 314 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:42.319 when he woke up, they had the place to themselves, 315 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:47.480 for on his instructions, the servants had all left, first 316 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:52.359 thing Janet and the cook to Oxford, where they would 317 00:23:52.400 --> 00:23:56.960 try and find new places, and Nanny going back to 318 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:00.559 the cottage near Tangley where her son lived, who was 319 00:24:00.599 --> 00:24:06.440 the pigment that So with that morning there began what 320 00:24:06.640 --> 00:24:10.400 was now to be their ordinary life together. He would 321 00:24:10.440 --> 00:24:13.880 get up when it was broad Dad, and first thing, 322 00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:19.200 light the fire downstairs and cook the breakfast, then brush 323 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:24.119 his wife, sponge her with a damp sponge, then brush 324 00:24:24.200 --> 00:24:29.519 her again, in all this using scent very freely to 325 00:24:29.759 --> 00:24:35.480 hide somewhat her rank odor. When she was dressed, he 326 00:24:35.640 --> 00:24:40.039 carried her downstairs and they had their breakfast together, she 327 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:43.799 sitting up to table with him, drinking her saucer of 328 00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:48.160 tea and taking her food from his fingers, or at 329 00:24:48.200 --> 00:24:52.559 any rate, being fed by him. She was still fond 330 00:24:52.720 --> 00:24:55.119 of the same food that she had been used to 331 00:24:55.240 --> 00:25:00.799 before her transformation, A lightly boiled egg or slice of ham, 332 00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:05.119 a piece of buttered toast, or two with a little 333 00:25:05.200 --> 00:25:10.119 quints and apple. Jan While I am on the subject 334 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:15.519 of her food, I should say that reading in the Encyclopedia, 335 00:25:16.519 --> 00:25:20.839 he found that foxes on the continent are inordinately fond 336 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:26.079 of grapes, and that during the autumn season they abandon 337 00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:30.960 their ordinary diet for them, and then grow exceedingly fat 338 00:25:31.240 --> 00:25:37.480 and lose their offensive odor. This appetite for grapes is 339 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:41.960 so well confirmed by Esop and by passages in the scriptures, 340 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:45.279 that it is strange mister Tebrick should not have known 341 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:49.799 it After reading this account, he wrote to London for 342 00:25:49.880 --> 00:25:52.640 a basket of grapes to be posted to him twice 343 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:56.440 a week, and was rejoiced to find that the account 344 00:25:56.519 --> 00:26:00.920 in the encyclopedia was true. In the moment. Most important 345 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:07.839 of these particulars, his vixen relished them exceedingly and seemed 346 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:11.960 never to tire of them, so that he increased his order, 347 00:26:12.720 --> 00:26:17.319 first from one pound to three pounds, and afterwards to five. 348 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:23.920 Her odor abated so much by this means that he 349 00:26:24.079 --> 00:26:27.440 came not to notice it at all, except sometimes in 350 00:26:27.519 --> 00:26:32.279 the mornings before her to alect. What helped most to 351 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:35.599 make living with her bearable for him was that she 352 00:26:35.799 --> 00:26:40.240 understood him perfectly, yes, every word he said, and though 353 00:26:40.279 --> 00:26:44.440 she was dumb, she expressed herself very fluently by looks 354 00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:49.920 and signs, though never by the voice. Thus he frequently 355 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.319 conversed with her, telling her all his thoughts and hiding 356 00:26:54.519 --> 00:26:58.680 nothing from her, and this the more readily because he 357 00:26:58.759 --> 00:27:01.680 was very quick to catch her meaning and her answers. 358 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:06.960 Posse pus, he would say to her, for calling her 359 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:11.480 that had been a habit with him, always sweet puss. 360 00:27:12.000 --> 00:27:14.799 Some men would pity me living alone here with you, 361 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:18.720 after what has happened. But I would not change places 362 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:22.079 while you were living with any man for the whole world. 363 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:25.240 Though you are a fox, I would rather live with 364 00:27:25.279 --> 00:27:28.880 you than any woman. I swear I would, and that 365 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:33.920 too if you were changed to anything. But then, catching 366 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:37.880 her grave love, he would say, do you think I 367 00:27:37.960 --> 00:27:40.759 jest on these things, my dear? I do not. I 368 00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:43.200 swear to you, my darling, that all my life I 369 00:27:43.240 --> 00:27:46.319 will be true to you, will be faithful, will respect 370 00:27:46.400 --> 00:27:49.519 and reverence you, who are my wife. And I will 371 00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:52.559 do that not because of any hope that God in 372 00:27:52.640 --> 00:27:56.359 his mercy will seek but to restore your shape, but 373 00:27:56.480 --> 00:28:00.000 solely because I love you. However you may be changed, 374 00:28:00.839 --> 00:28:06.839 my love is not. Then anyone seeing them would have 375 00:28:06.960 --> 00:28:11.240 sworn that they were lovers. So passionately did each look 376 00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:16.960 on the other. Often he would swear to her that 377 00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:20.480 the devil might have power to work some miracles, but 378 00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:23.240 that he would find it beyond him to change his 379 00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:29.400 love for her. These a passionate speeches, however, they might 380 00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:33.000 have struck his wife in an ordinary web, and now 381 00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:37.039 seemed to be her chief comfort. She would come to him, 382 00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:40.680 put her pour in his hand, and look at him 383 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:45.839 with sparkling eyes shining with joy and gratitude, would pant 384 00:28:45.960 --> 00:28:51.640 with eagerness, jump at him and lick his face. Now 385 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:54.759 he had many little things which busied him in the house, 386 00:28:55.640 --> 00:28:59.880 getting his meals, setting the room straight, making the bed, 387 00:29:00.079 --> 00:29:04.440 and so forth. When he was doing this housework, it 388 00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:08.680 was comical to watch his vixen. Often she was, as 389 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:13.400 it were, beside herself with vexation and distress to see 390 00:29:13.480 --> 00:29:16.400 him in his clumsy way doing what she could have 391 00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:21.640 done so much better had she been able. Then forgetful 392 00:29:21.720 --> 00:29:25.000 of the decency under decorum which she had at first 393 00:29:25.079 --> 00:29:29.200 imposed upon herself, never to run upon all fours, she 394 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:33.000 followed him everywhere, and if he did one thing wrong, 395 00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:35.960 she stopped him and showed him the way of it. 396 00:29:37.240 --> 00:29:39.839 When he had forgot the hour for his meal, she 397 00:29:39.880 --> 00:29:42.799 would come and tug his sleeve and tell him, as 398 00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:47.119 if she spoke, husband, are we to have no luncheon 399 00:29:47.160 --> 00:29:53.640 to day? This womanliness in her never failed to delight him, 400 00:29:54.240 --> 00:29:57.920 for it showed she was still his wife, buried as 401 00:29:57.960 --> 00:30:00.799 it were, in the carcass of a beast, but with 402 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:05.880 a woman's soul. This encouraged him so much that he 403 00:30:05.960 --> 00:30:09.759 debated with himself whether he should not read aloud to her, 404 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:15.599 as he often not done formerly. At last, since he 405 00:30:15.640 --> 00:30:19.039 could find no reason against it, he went to the 406 00:30:19.079 --> 00:30:23.599 shelf and fetched down a volume of the history of 407 00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:27.720 Clarissa Harlowe, which he had begun to read aloud to 408 00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:31.640 her a few weeks before. He opened the volume where 409 00:30:31.680 --> 00:30:35.720 he had left up with Lovelace's letter, after he had 410 00:30:35.759 --> 00:30:41.720 spent the night waiting fruitlessly in the copse. Good God, 411 00:30:42.039 --> 00:30:45.519 what is now to become of me? My feet been 412 00:30:45.640 --> 00:30:50.519 numbed by midnight wanderings through the heaviest dews that ever fell, 413 00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:55.039 my wig and my linen dripping with the hoar wroth 414 00:30:55.119 --> 00:31:03.599 dissolving on them day but just breaking a while he read, 415 00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:08.079 he was conscious of holding her attention. Then, after a 416 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:12.559 few pages, the story claimed all his so that he 417 00:31:12.640 --> 00:31:15.279 read on for about half an hour without looking at her. 418 00:31:16.319 --> 00:31:19.079 When he did so, he saw that she was not 419 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:25.039 listening to him, but was watching something with strange eagerness. 420 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:30.559 Such a fixed intent look was on her face that 421 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:35.200 he was alarmed and sought the cause of it. Presently 422 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:38.480 he found that her gaze was fixed on the movements 423 00:31:38.519 --> 00:31:42.839 of her pet, dub, which was in its cage hanging 424 00:31:43.119 --> 00:31:49.839 in the window. He spoke to her, but she seemed displeased, 425 00:31:50.720 --> 00:31:55.799 so he laid Clarissa Harlowe aside. Nor did he ever 426 00:31:55.920 --> 00:32:01.599 repeat the experiment of reading to her. Yet that same evening, 427 00:32:02.319 --> 00:32:05.039 as he happened to be looking through his writing table 428 00:32:05.119 --> 00:32:09.079 drawer with Puss beside him looking over his elbow, she 429 00:32:09.279 --> 00:32:13.039 spied a pack of cards, and then he was forced 430 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:15.839 to pick them out to please her, then draw them 431 00:32:15.880 --> 00:32:20.640 from their case. At last, trying first one thing then another, 432 00:32:21.440 --> 00:32:23.920 he found that what she was after was to play 433 00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:28.240 pquet with him. They had some difficulty at first in 434 00:32:28.359 --> 00:32:31.559 contriving for her to hold her cards and then to 435 00:32:31.599 --> 00:32:35.759 play them, but this was at last overcome by his 436 00:32:35.839 --> 00:32:39.640 stacking them for her on a sloping board, after which 437 00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:42.759 she could flip them out very neatly with her claws, 438 00:32:43.079 --> 00:32:46.680 as she wanted to play them. When they had overcome 439 00:32:46.759 --> 00:32:51.240 this trouble, they played three games, and most heartily she 440 00:32:51.319 --> 00:32:55.559 seemed to enjoy them. Moreover, she won all three of them. 441 00:32:56.720 --> 00:33:00.720 After this they often played a quiet game of peace together, 442 00:33:01.079 --> 00:33:05.279 and cribbage too. I should say that in marking the 443 00:33:05.359 --> 00:33:09.400 points at cribbage on the board he always moved her 444 00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:13.079 pegs for her as well. As his own, for she 445 00:33:13.160 --> 00:33:15.720 could not handle them or set them in the holes. 446 00:33:17.519 --> 00:33:22.039 The weather, which had been damp and misty with frequent 447 00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:26.880 downpours of rain, improved very much in the following week, and, 448 00:33:27.079 --> 00:33:30.799 as often happens in January, there were several days with 449 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:34.680 the sun shining, no wind, and light frosts at night, 450 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:39.200 these frosts becoming more intense as the days went on 451 00:33:40.160 --> 00:33:43.720 till by and by they began to think of snow. 452 00:33:45.319 --> 00:33:49.119 With this spell of fine weather, it was but natural 453 00:33:49.799 --> 00:33:53.160 that mister Tubrick should think of taking his vixen out 454 00:33:53.160 --> 00:33:57.720 of doors. This was something he had not yet done, 455 00:33:58.039 --> 00:34:00.920 both because of the damp, rainy weather up till then, 456 00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:04.720 and because the mere notion of taking her out filled 457 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:09.920 him with alarm. Indeed, he had so many apprehensions beforehand 458 00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:14.639 that at one time he resolved totally against it, for 459 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:17.880 his mind was filled not only with the fear that 460 00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:20.599 she might escape from him and run away, which he 461 00:34:20.679 --> 00:34:25.719 knew was groundless, but with more irrational visions such as 462 00:34:25.800 --> 00:34:30.840 wandering curs, traps, gins, spring guns, besides a dread of 463 00:34:30.920 --> 00:34:35.239 being seen with her by the neighborhood. At last, however, 464 00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:39.480 he resolved on it, and all the more, as his 465 00:34:39.599 --> 00:34:44.280 vixen kept asking him in the gentlest way, might she 466 00:34:44.440 --> 00:34:49.119 not go out into the garden. Yet she always listened 467 00:34:49.480 --> 00:34:52.760 very submissively when he told her that he was afraid 468 00:34:52.920 --> 00:34:56.440 if they were seen together, it would excite the curiosity 469 00:34:56.559 --> 00:35:01.079 of their neighbors. Besides this, he often told her of 470 00:35:01.159 --> 00:35:05.119 his spears were her on account of dogs. But one 471 00:35:05.199 --> 00:35:09.280 day she answered this by leading him into the hall 472 00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:15.800 and pointing boldly to his gun. After this he resolved 473 00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:22.079 to take her, though with full precautions. That is, he 474 00:35:22.159 --> 00:35:25.760 left the house door open, so that in case of need, 475 00:35:26.239 --> 00:35:29.360 she could beat a swift retreat. Then he took his 476 00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:32.920 gun under his arm, and lastly he had her well 477 00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:35.920 wrapped up in a little fur jacket, lest she should 478 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:40.320 take cold. He would have carried her too, but that 479 00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:44.599 she delicately disengaged herself from his arms and looked at 480 00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:48.480 him very expressively, to say that she would go by herself, 481 00:35:49.599 --> 00:35:53.239 for already her first horror of being seen to go 482 00:35:53.360 --> 00:35:57.199 upon all fours was worn off, a reasoning no doubt 483 00:35:57.320 --> 00:36:00.719 upon it, that either she must resign herself to go 484 00:36:00.840 --> 00:36:04.360 that way, or else stay bedridden all the rest of 485 00:36:04.360 --> 00:36:09.760 her life. Her joy at going into the garden was inexpressible. 486 00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:15.039 First she ran this way, then that, though keeping always 487 00:36:15.079 --> 00:36:19.360 close to him, looking very sharply, with ears cocked forward, 488 00:36:19.719 --> 00:36:23.000 first at one thing, then another, and then up to 489 00:36:23.119 --> 00:36:27.519 catch his eye. For some time, indeed, she was almost 490 00:36:27.599 --> 00:36:31.920 dancing with delight, running round him, then forward a yard 491 00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:35.639 or to it, then back to him, and gamboling beside 492 00:36:35.719 --> 00:36:39.079 him as they went round the garden. But in spite 493 00:36:39.079 --> 00:36:43.480 of her joy, she was full of fear. At every noise, 494 00:36:44.039 --> 00:36:47.760 a cow lowing, a cock crowing, or a plant man 495 00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:52.440 in the distance halloaing to scare the rooks. She started, 496 00:36:53.199 --> 00:36:57.760 her ears pricked to catch the sound, her muzzle wrinkled up, 497 00:36:58.000 --> 00:37:01.039 and her nose twitched, and she would then press us 498 00:37:01.119 --> 00:37:05.559 up against his legs. They walked round the garden and 499 00:37:05.719 --> 00:37:10.239 down to the pond, where there were ornamental waterfowl teal 500 00:37:10.760 --> 00:37:16.719 widgeon and mandarin ducks, and seeing these again gave her 501 00:37:16.920 --> 00:37:21.679 great pleasure. They had always been her favorites, and now 502 00:37:21.760 --> 00:37:25.400 she was so overjoyed to see them that she behaved 503 00:37:25.440 --> 00:37:30.000 with very little of her usual self restraint. First she 504 00:37:30.119 --> 00:37:33.960 stared at them, then, bouncing up to her husband's knee, 505 00:37:34.639 --> 00:37:39.039 sought to kindle an equal excitement in his mind. Whilst 506 00:37:39.039 --> 00:37:42.239 she rested her paws on his knee, she turned her 507 00:37:42.239 --> 00:37:45.800 head again and again towards the ducks, as though she 508 00:37:45.840 --> 00:37:48.920 could not take her eyes up them, and then ran 509 00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:53.039 down before him to the water's edge. But her appearance 510 00:37:53.079 --> 00:37:57.880 through the ducks into the utmost degree of consternation those 511 00:37:57.920 --> 00:38:01.239 on shore or near the bank. Swam or flew to 512 00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:04.519 the center of the pond, and there huddled in a bunch, 513 00:38:05.360 --> 00:38:09.480 and then swimming round and around there began such a 514 00:38:09.559 --> 00:38:14.159 quacking that mister to Brick was nearly deafened. As I 515 00:38:14.239 --> 00:38:18.599 have before said, nothing in the ludicrous way that arose 516 00:38:18.679 --> 00:38:22.400 out of the metamorphosis of his wife, and such incidents 517 00:38:22.440 --> 00:38:25.920 were plentiful, ever stood a chance of being smiled at 518 00:38:25.960 --> 00:38:31.320 by him. So in this case too, For realizing that 519 00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:35.000 the silly ducks fought his wife a fox indeed, and 520 00:38:35.079 --> 00:38:39.599 were alarmed on that account, he found painful that spectacle, 521 00:38:39.800 --> 00:38:44.519 which to others might have been amusing. Not so his vixen, 522 00:38:45.119 --> 00:38:49.000 who appeared, if anything, more pleased than ever when she 523 00:38:49.079 --> 00:38:52.400 saw in what commotion she had set them, and began 524 00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:56.480 cutting a thousand pretty capers. Though at first he called 525 00:38:56.519 --> 00:38:59.519 to her to come back and walk another wed. Mister 526 00:38:59.559 --> 00:39:02.639 to Brick was overborne by her pleasure and sat down 527 00:39:03.159 --> 00:39:06.320 while she frisked around him, happier far than he had 528 00:39:06.400 --> 00:39:09.920 seen her ever since the change. First she ran up 529 00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:12.920 to him in a laughing way, all smiles, and then 530 00:39:13.039 --> 00:39:16.679 ran down again to the water's edge, and began frisking 531 00:39:16.880 --> 00:39:21.360 and quollicking, chasing her own brush, dancing on her hind 532 00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:25.000 legs even and rolling on the ground. Then fell to 533 00:39:25.119 --> 00:39:29.320 running in circles, but all this without paying any heed 534 00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:33.880 to the ducks. But they, with their necks trained out 535 00:39:34.039 --> 00:39:37.320 or pointing one word, swam to and fro in the 536 00:39:37.360 --> 00:39:41.039 middle of the pond, never stopping their quack quack quack, 537 00:39:41.519 --> 00:39:46.400 and keeping time, too, for they all quacked in chorus. Presently, 538 00:39:46.960 --> 00:39:50.519 she came further away from the pond, and he, thinking 539 00:39:50.599 --> 00:39:54.280 they had had enough of this sort of entertainment, laid 540 00:39:54.400 --> 00:39:58.760 hold of her and said to her, come, Sylvia, my dear, 541 00:39:59.239 --> 00:40:02.599 it is growing cold, and it is time we went indoors. 542 00:40:03.280 --> 00:40:05.360 I am sure taking the air has done you a 543 00:40:05.400 --> 00:40:08.039 world of good, but we must not linger any more. 544 00:40:09.360 --> 00:40:12.760 She appeared then to agree with him, though she threw 545 00:40:13.119 --> 00:40:16.440 half a glance over her shoulder at the ducks, and 546 00:40:16.559 --> 00:40:21.800 they both walked soberly enough towards the house. When they 547 00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:25.639 had gone about half way, she suddenly slipped round and 548 00:40:25.800 --> 00:40:29.400 was off. He turned quickly and saw the ducks had 549 00:40:29.440 --> 00:40:33.079 been following them, so she drove them before her back 550 00:40:33.199 --> 00:40:36.400 into the pond, the ducks running in terror from her 551 00:40:36.480 --> 00:40:40.000 with their wings spread, and she not pressing them, for 552 00:40:40.119 --> 00:40:43.039 he saw that had she been so minded, she could 553 00:40:43.119 --> 00:40:46.880 have caught two or three of the nearest. Then, with 554 00:40:47.000 --> 00:40:50.800 her brush waving above her, she came gamboling back downs 555 00:40:50.840 --> 00:40:55.039 so playfully that he stroked her indulgently, though he was 556 00:40:55.079 --> 00:40:58.880 first vexed and then rather puzzled that his wife should 557 00:40:58.920 --> 00:41:03.239 amuse herself with so pranks. But when they got within doors, 558 00:41:03.679 --> 00:41:06.519 he picked her up in his arms, kissed her, and 559 00:41:06.760 --> 00:41:10.559 spoke to her, so be it, what a light hearted, 560 00:41:10.719 --> 00:41:14.719 childish creature you are. Your courage, and the misfortune shall 561 00:41:14.760 --> 00:41:17.559 be a lesson to me, But I cannot bear to 562 00:41:17.599 --> 00:41:22.000 see it here. The tears stood suddenly in his eyes, 563 00:41:22.559 --> 00:41:26.000 and he lay down upon the ottoman and wept, paying 564 00:41:26.119 --> 00:41:30.199 no heed to her, until presently he was aroused by 565 00:41:30.239 --> 00:41:34.840 her licking his cheek and his ear. After tea. She 566 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:37.880 led him to the drawing room and scratched at the 567 00:41:37.960 --> 00:41:40.719 door till he opened it, for this was part of 568 00:41:40.760 --> 00:41:44.199 the house which he had shut up, thinking three or 569 00:41:44.239 --> 00:41:47.400 four rooms enough for them now, and to save the 570 00:41:47.519 --> 00:41:51.760 dusting of it. Then it seemed she would have him 571 00:41:51.760 --> 00:41:55.920 play to her on the Pianofortead. She led him to it. Nay, 572 00:41:56.159 --> 00:41:58.920 what is more, she would as so pick out the 573 00:41:59.000 --> 00:42:02.599 music he was to play. First it was a fugue 574 00:42:02.599 --> 00:42:08.880 of handles, then one of Mendelssohn's songs without words, and 575 00:42:08.920 --> 00:42:13.599 then the Diver, and then music from Gilbert and Sullivan. 576 00:42:14.599 --> 00:42:18.360 But each piece of music she picked out was gayer 577 00:42:18.400 --> 00:42:23.840 than the last one. Thus they sat happily and grossed 578 00:42:23.840 --> 00:42:27.639 for perhaps an hour in the candlelight, until the extreme 579 00:42:27.800 --> 00:42:32.000 cold in that unwarmed room stopped his playing and drove 580 00:42:32.039 --> 00:42:37.079 them downstairs to the fire. Thus did she admirably comfort 581 00:42:37.079 --> 00:42:50.360 her husband when he was dispirited and of Part two 582 00:42:50.639 --> 00:42:57.400 Part three of A Lady into Fox by David Garnet. 583 00:42:58.880 --> 00:43:05.639 This LibriVox recording he's in the public domain recording by 584 00:43:05.840 --> 00:43:12.960 Tony Addison. Yet next morning, when he woke, he was 585 00:43:13.039 --> 00:43:15.320 distressed when he found that she was not in the 586 00:43:15.360 --> 00:43:18.760 bed with him, but was lying curled up at the 587 00:43:18.760 --> 00:43:23.559 foot of it, cheering breakfast. She hardly listened when he spoke, 588 00:43:23.719 --> 00:43:29.519 and then impatiently, but sat staring at the dove. Mister 589 00:43:29.599 --> 00:43:33.440 Tebrick sat silently looking out of window for some time. 590 00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:37.480 Then he took out his pocket book. In it there 591 00:43:37.519 --> 00:43:40.559 was a photograph of his wife, taken soon after their wedding. 592 00:43:41.639 --> 00:43:45.960 Now he gazed and gazed upon those familiar features. And 593 00:43:46.119 --> 00:43:49.239 now he lifted his head and looked at the animal 594 00:43:49.320 --> 00:43:55.360 before him. He laughed, then, bitterly, the first and last time, 595 00:43:55.480 --> 00:43:59.119 for that matter, that mister de Brick ever laughed at 596 00:43:59.119 --> 00:44:04.320 his wife's transfer formation, for he was not very humorous, 597 00:44:04.920 --> 00:44:09.519 but this laugh was sour and painful to him. Then 598 00:44:09.559 --> 00:44:13.719 he tore up the purtograph into little pieces and scattered 599 00:44:13.719 --> 00:44:19.480 them out of the window, saying to himself, memories will 600 00:44:19.480 --> 00:44:25.679 not help me here, And turning to the vixen, he 601 00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:29.039 saw that she was still staring at the cage bird, 602 00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:34.360 and as he looked, he saw her lick her chops. 603 00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:38.440 He took the bird into the next room. Then, acting 604 00:44:38.679 --> 00:44:42.440 suddenly upon the impulse, he opened the cage door and 605 00:44:42.519 --> 00:44:47.639 set it free, saying, as he did. So, go, poor bird, 606 00:44:48.280 --> 00:44:51.800 fly from this wretched house. While you still remember your 607 00:44:51.840 --> 00:44:55.800 mistress who fed you from her curled lips. You are 608 00:44:55.840 --> 00:45:00.559 not a fit plate thing for her neck. Farewell, poor bird, well, 609 00:45:00.840 --> 00:45:07.480 unless he added with a melancholy smile, you return with 610 00:45:07.599 --> 00:45:15.840 good tidings like Noah's dove. But poor gentleman, his troubles 611 00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:20.039 were not over yet, And indeed one may say that 612 00:45:20.159 --> 00:45:24.320 he ran to meet them by his constant, supposing that 613 00:45:24.440 --> 00:45:27.280 his lady should still be the same to a tittle 614 00:45:27.360 --> 00:45:29.639 in her behavior now that she was changed into a 615 00:45:32.280 --> 00:45:38.519 without making any unwarrantable suppositions as to her soul or 616 00:45:38.519 --> 00:45:42.000 what had now become of it, though we could find 617 00:45:42.159 --> 00:45:45.159 a good deal to the purpose on that point in 618 00:45:45.280 --> 00:45:51.320 the system of Paracelsus, let us consider only how much 619 00:45:51.400 --> 00:45:55.880 the change in her body must need affect her ordinary conduct, 620 00:45:57.000 --> 00:46:01.159 so that before we judge too harshly of this unfortunate lady, 621 00:46:02.119 --> 00:46:06.639 we must reflect upon the physical necessities and infirmities and 622 00:46:06.840 --> 00:46:11.519 appetites of her new condition, And we must magnify the 623 00:46:11.559 --> 00:46:17.800 fortitude of her mind, which enabled her to behave with decorum, cleanliness, 624 00:46:17.800 --> 00:46:23.840 and decency in spite of her new situation. Thus she 625 00:46:24.000 --> 00:46:27.119 might have been expected to befoul her room. Yet never 626 00:46:27.199 --> 00:46:31.280 could anyone, whether man or beast, have shown more nicety 627 00:46:31.360 --> 00:46:36.119 in such matters. But at luncheon mister Tubrick helped her 628 00:46:36.119 --> 00:46:38.960 to a wing of chicken, and, leaving the room for 629 00:46:39.000 --> 00:46:41.800 a minute to fetch some water, which she had forgot, 630 00:46:42.519 --> 00:46:45.639 found her at his return on the table, cunching the 631 00:46:45.760 --> 00:46:50.400 very bones. He stood silent, dismayed, and wounded to the 632 00:46:50.519 --> 00:46:54.440 heart at this sight. For we must observe that this 633 00:46:54.679 --> 00:46:59.119 unfortunate husband thought always of his vixen as that gentle 634 00:46:59.280 --> 00:47:03.400 and delicate woman she had lately been, so that whenever 635 00:47:03.480 --> 00:47:07.119 his vixen's conduct went beyond that which she expected in 636 00:47:07.159 --> 00:47:10.360 his wife, he was, as it were, cut to the quick, 637 00:47:11.079 --> 00:47:13.559 and no kind of agony could be greater to him 638 00:47:14.199 --> 00:47:18.320 than to see her thus forget herself. On this account, 639 00:47:18.960 --> 00:47:22.599 it may indeed be regretted that Missus de Brigg had 640 00:47:22.639 --> 00:47:27.079 been so exactly well bred, and in particular that her 641 00:47:27.199 --> 00:47:32.400 table manners had always been scrupulous. Had she been in 642 00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:36.599 the habit like a continental princess, I have dined with 643 00:47:37.320 --> 00:47:40.119 of taking her leg of chicken by the drumstick and 644 00:47:40.239 --> 00:47:43.679 gnawing the flesh it had been far better for him now, 645 00:47:44.800 --> 00:47:48.880 But as her manners had been perfect, so the lapse 646 00:47:48.960 --> 00:47:53.880 of them was proportionately painful to him. Thus in this 647 00:47:54.039 --> 00:47:58.280 instance he stood, as it were, in silent agony till 648 00:47:58.320 --> 00:48:01.639 she had finished her hideous cunching of the chicken bones, 649 00:48:02.079 --> 00:48:06.480 and had devoured every scrap. Then he spoke to her, gently, 650 00:48:07.239 --> 00:48:10.920 taking her on to his knee, stroking her furt, and 651 00:48:10.960 --> 00:48:15.760 fed her with a few grapes, saying to her, serviet, sylviet, 652 00:48:15.920 --> 00:48:19.199 is it so hard for you? Try and remember the past, 653 00:48:19.280 --> 00:48:22.320 my darling, and by living with me we will quite 654 00:48:22.360 --> 00:48:25.639 forget that you are no longer a woman. Surely this 655 00:48:25.719 --> 00:48:29.719 affliction will pass soon as suddenly as it came, and 656 00:48:29.800 --> 00:48:33.960 it will all seem to us like an evil dream. Yet, 657 00:48:34.000 --> 00:48:37.960 though she appeared perfectly sensible of his words, and gave 658 00:48:38.039 --> 00:48:43.239 him sorrowful and penitent looks like her old self, that 659 00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:47.760 same afternoon, on taking her out, he had all the 660 00:48:47.840 --> 00:48:51.159 difficulty in the world to keep her from going near 661 00:48:51.199 --> 00:48:56.159 the ducks. There came to him then a thought that 662 00:48:56.360 --> 00:49:00.199 was very disagreeable to him, namely that he dared not 663 00:49:00.239 --> 00:49:02.880 trust his wife alone with any bird, or she would 664 00:49:02.960 --> 00:49:06.320 kill it. And this was the more shocking to him 665 00:49:06.360 --> 00:49:09.440 to think of, since it meant that he dares not 666 00:49:09.480 --> 00:49:12.599 trust her as much as a dog, even for we 667 00:49:12.719 --> 00:49:17.039 may trust dogs who are familiars with all the household pets. 668 00:49:17.440 --> 00:49:21.119 Nay more, we can put them upon trust with anything 669 00:49:21.679 --> 00:49:24.360 and know they will not touch it, not even if 670 00:49:24.400 --> 00:49:27.639 they be starving. But things were come to such a 671 00:49:27.719 --> 00:49:30.559 pass with his vixen that he dared not in his 672 00:49:30.719 --> 00:49:34.199 heart trust her at all. Yet she was still, in 673 00:49:34.280 --> 00:49:38.039 many ways so much more woman than fox, that he 674 00:49:38.079 --> 00:49:41.079 could talk to her on any subject, and she would 675 00:49:41.159 --> 00:49:45.440 understand him better, far than the Oriental women who are 676 00:49:45.519 --> 00:49:50.119 kept in subjection can ever understand their masters unless they 677 00:49:50.199 --> 00:49:56.239 converse on the most trifling household topics. Thus she understood 678 00:49:56.360 --> 00:50:02.280 extremely well the importance and duties of religion. She would 679 00:50:02.280 --> 00:50:05.679 listen with approval in the evening when he said the 680 00:50:05.760 --> 00:50:12.280 Lord's Prayer, and was rigid in her observance of the Sabbath. Indeed, 681 00:50:12.880 --> 00:50:18.119 the next day, being Sunday, he, thinking no harm, proposed 682 00:50:18.159 --> 00:50:22.400 their usual game of piquet, but no, she would not play. 683 00:50:23.599 --> 00:50:28.079 Mister Tubrick, not understanding at first what she meant, though 684 00:50:28.079 --> 00:50:31.360 he was usually very quick with her, he proposed it 685 00:50:31.440 --> 00:50:36.039 to her again, which she again refused, and this time, 686 00:50:36.079 --> 00:50:39.320 to show her meaning, made the sign of the Cross 687 00:50:39.320 --> 00:50:44.559 with her poor. This exceedingly rejoiced and comforted him in 688 00:50:44.639 --> 00:50:49.559 his distress. He begged her pardon, and fervently thanked God 689 00:50:49.840 --> 00:50:52.840 for having so good a wife, who, in spite of 690 00:50:52.960 --> 00:50:55.639 all knew more of her duty to God than he did. 691 00:50:56.719 --> 00:51:00.320 But here I must warn the reader from in Wring 692 00:51:00.360 --> 00:51:03.559 that she was a papist, because she then made the 693 00:51:03.719 --> 00:51:08.199 sign of the Cross. She made that sign, to my thinking, 694 00:51:08.920 --> 00:51:13.079 only on compulsion, because she could not express herself except 695 00:51:13.119 --> 00:51:16.320 in that way. For she had been brought up as 696 00:51:16.360 --> 00:51:20.199 a true Protestant, and that she still was one is 697 00:51:20.280 --> 00:51:23.960 confirmed by her objection to cards, which would have been 698 00:51:24.159 --> 00:51:29.079 less than nothing to her had she been a papist. Yet, 699 00:51:29.320 --> 00:51:33.320 that evening, taking her into the drawing room so that 700 00:51:33.400 --> 00:51:36.800 he might play her some sacred music, he found her, 701 00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:40.719 after some time, cowering away from him in the farthest 702 00:51:40.719 --> 00:51:44.440 corner of the room, her ears flattened back, and an 703 00:51:44.440 --> 00:51:48.159 expression of the greatest anguish in her eyes. When he 704 00:51:48.199 --> 00:51:51.880 spoke to her, she licked his hand, but remained shivering 705 00:51:51.920 --> 00:51:54.599 for a long time at his feet, and showed the 706 00:51:54.679 --> 00:51:57.920 clearest symptoms of terror if he so much as moved 707 00:51:57.960 --> 00:52:03.199 towards the piano. Seeing this, and recollecting, how ill the 708 00:52:03.239 --> 00:52:06.719 ears of a dog can bear with our music, and 709 00:52:06.800 --> 00:52:10.480 how this dislike might be expected to be even greater 710 00:52:10.559 --> 00:52:14.039 in a fox, all of whose senses are more acute 711 00:52:14.280 --> 00:52:18.960 from being a wild creature. A recollecting this, he closed 712 00:52:18.960 --> 00:52:23.119 the piano, and, taking her in his arms, locked up 713 00:52:23.159 --> 00:52:27.280 the room and never went into it again. He could 714 00:52:27.320 --> 00:52:30.679 not help marveling, though, since it was but two days 715 00:52:31.079 --> 00:52:34.280 after she had herself led him there and even picked 716 00:52:34.320 --> 00:52:37.400 out for him to play and sing those pieces which 717 00:52:37.400 --> 00:52:42.039 were her favorites. That night, she would not sleep with them, 718 00:52:42.400 --> 00:52:45.079 neither in the bed nor on it, so that he 719 00:52:45.239 --> 00:52:47.239 was forced to let her curll us up up on 720 00:52:47.320 --> 00:52:50.840 the floor, but neither would she sleep there. For several 721 00:52:50.920 --> 00:52:54.880 times she woke him by trotting around the room, and once, 722 00:52:55.360 --> 00:52:58.000 when he had got sound asleep, by springing on the 723 00:52:58.039 --> 00:53:01.239 bed and then off it. He woke with a violent 724 00:53:01.320 --> 00:53:05.480 start and cried out, but got no answer either, except 725 00:53:05.639 --> 00:53:10.039 hearing her trotting ground and round the room. Presently, he 726 00:53:10.079 --> 00:53:13.719 imagined to himself that she must want something, and so 727 00:53:13.880 --> 00:53:17.039 fetches her food and water, but she never so much 728 00:53:17.079 --> 00:53:20.079 as looks at it, but still goes on her rounds 729 00:53:20.559 --> 00:53:24.199 every now and then, scratching at the door. Though he 730 00:53:24.280 --> 00:53:27.840 spoke to her, calling her by her name, she would 731 00:53:27.880 --> 00:53:31.079 pay no heed to him or else, only for the moment. 732 00:53:31.960 --> 00:53:34.760 At last he gave her up and said to her plainly, 733 00:53:35.519 --> 00:53:38.239 the fit is on you now, Sylvia, to be a fox. 734 00:53:38.840 --> 00:53:41.719 But I shall keep you close, and in the morning 735 00:53:41.880 --> 00:53:45.800 you will recollect yourself and thank me for having kept you. Now. 736 00:53:47.239 --> 00:53:51.119 So he lay down again, but not to sleep, only 737 00:53:51.159 --> 00:53:54.239 to listen to his wife running about the room and 738 00:53:54.360 --> 00:53:57.800 trying to get out of it. Thus he spent what 739 00:53:58.079 --> 00:54:02.639 was perhaps the most miserable night of his existence. In 740 00:54:02.719 --> 00:54:06.440 the morning, she was still restless and was reluctant to 741 00:54:06.519 --> 00:54:10.000 let him wash and brush her, and appeared to dislike 742 00:54:10.119 --> 00:54:13.719 being scented, but as it were, to bear with it 743 00:54:13.760 --> 00:54:18.360 for his sake. Ordinarily she had taken the greatest pleasure 744 00:54:18.480 --> 00:54:23.000 imaginable in her toilette, so that on this account added 745 00:54:23.039 --> 00:54:28.400 to his sleepless night, mister Tubrick was utterly dejected, and 746 00:54:28.639 --> 00:54:31.920 it was then that he resolved to put a project 747 00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:35.719 into execution that would show him. So he thought whether 748 00:54:35.760 --> 00:54:38.840 he had a wife or only a wild vixen in 749 00:54:38.920 --> 00:54:42.719 his house. But yet he was comforted that she bore 750 00:54:42.760 --> 00:54:46.480 it all with him, though so restlessly that he did 751 00:54:46.480 --> 00:54:50.360 not spare her, calling her a bad wild fox, and 752 00:54:50.440 --> 00:54:54.400 then speaking to her in this manner, Are you not ashamed, 753 00:54:54.559 --> 00:54:58.519 Soviet to be such a madcap, such a wicked Heyden? 754 00:54:59.239 --> 00:55:03.719 You who particular in dress? I see it was all vanity. 755 00:55:04.360 --> 00:55:07.760 Now you have not your former advantages, who think nothing 756 00:55:07.840 --> 00:55:12.239 of decency. His words had some effect with her too, 757 00:55:12.880 --> 00:55:15.639 and with himself, so that by the time he had 758 00:55:15.679 --> 00:55:19.000 finished dressing her, they were both in the lowest status, 759 00:55:19.039 --> 00:55:24.559 spirits imaginable, and neither of them far from tears. Breakfast 760 00:55:24.719 --> 00:55:28.519 she took soberly enough, and after that he went about 761 00:55:28.599 --> 00:55:32.800 getting his experiment ready, which was this. In the garden, 762 00:55:33.400 --> 00:55:37.559 he gathered together a nosegay of snowdrops, those being all 763 00:55:37.599 --> 00:55:40.960 the flowers he could find, and then, going into the 764 00:55:41.039 --> 00:55:45.199 village of Stoccoe, bought a Dutch rabbit, that is, a 765 00:55:45.239 --> 00:55:48.519 black and white one from a man there who kept them. 766 00:55:49.920 --> 00:55:53.519 When he got back, he took her flowers and at 767 00:55:53.559 --> 00:55:56.880 the same time set down the basket with a rabbit 768 00:55:56.960 --> 00:56:02.519 in it, with the lid open. Then he called to her, Sylvia, 769 00:56:03.199 --> 00:56:08.039 I have brought some flowers for you. Look the first snowdrops. 770 00:56:08.760 --> 00:56:13.239 At this, she ran up, very prettily, and never giving 771 00:56:13.320 --> 00:56:16.199 as much as one glance at the rabbit, which had 772 00:56:16.199 --> 00:56:19.320 hopped out of its basket. She began to thank him 773 00:56:19.360 --> 00:56:25.320 for the flowers. Indeed, she seemed indefatigable in showing her gratitude. 774 00:56:25.679 --> 00:56:29.159 Smelt them, stood a little way off looking at them, 775 00:56:29.760 --> 00:56:34.719 then thanked him again, mister Tubrick, And this was all 776 00:56:34.800 --> 00:56:38.920 part of his plan. Then took a pause and went 777 00:56:39.000 --> 00:56:42.320 to find some water for them, but left the flowers 778 00:56:42.360 --> 00:56:47.519 beside her. He stepped away five minutes, timing it by 779 00:56:47.519 --> 00:56:52.119 his watch and listening very intently, but never heard the 780 00:56:52.199 --> 00:56:56.400 rabbit squeak. Yet when he went in, what a horrid 781 00:56:56.440 --> 00:57:00.280 shambles were spread before his eyes. Blood on the up it, 782 00:57:00.760 --> 00:57:04.639 blood on the arm chairs, and antimacasses, even a little 783 00:57:04.679 --> 00:57:07.920 blood spurted on to the wall. And what was worse, 784 00:57:08.559 --> 00:57:11.920 missus de Brick tearing and growling over a piece of 785 00:57:11.960 --> 00:57:14.840 the skin and the legs, for she had eaten up 786 00:57:14.880 --> 00:57:18.679 all the rest of it. The poor gentleman was so 787 00:57:18.880 --> 00:57:21.559 heart broken over this that he was like to have 788 00:57:21.639 --> 00:57:24.960 done himself an injury, and that one moment thought of 789 00:57:25.000 --> 00:57:30.280 getting his gun to have shot himself and his vixen too. Indeed, 790 00:57:30.360 --> 00:57:33.480 the extremity of his grief was such that it served 791 00:57:33.559 --> 00:57:36.760 him a very good turn, for he was so entirely 792 00:57:36.880 --> 00:57:39.960 unmanned by it that for some time he could do 793 00:57:40.079 --> 00:57:43.159 nothing but weep, and fell into a chair with his 794 00:57:43.280 --> 00:57:47.079 head in his hands, and so kept weeping and groaning. 795 00:57:48.320 --> 00:57:51.559 After he had been some little while employed in this 796 00:57:51.679 --> 00:57:56.280 dismal way, his vixen, who had by this time bolted 797 00:57:56.360 --> 00:58:01.960 down the rabbit's skin, head, ears and all, came to him, and, 798 00:58:02.039 --> 00:58:05.719 putting her paws on his knees, thrust her long muzzle 799 00:58:05.800 --> 00:58:10.880 into his face and began looking him. But he, looking 800 00:58:10.920 --> 00:58:14.599 at her now with different eyes, and seeing her jaws 801 00:58:14.639 --> 00:58:18.239 still sprinkled with fresh blood and her claws full of 802 00:58:18.280 --> 00:58:22.559 the rabbit's fleck, would have none of it. But though 803 00:58:22.599 --> 00:58:25.519 he beat her up four or five times, even to 804 00:58:25.599 --> 00:58:29.519 giving her blows and kicks, she still came back to him, 805 00:58:29.920 --> 00:58:33.960 crawling on her belly and imploring his forgiveness with wide open, 806 00:58:34.159 --> 00:58:38.840 sorrowful eyes. Before he had made this rash experiment of 807 00:58:38.960 --> 00:58:42.320 the rabbit and the flowers, he had promised himself that 808 00:58:42.400 --> 00:58:44.719 if she failed in it, he would have no more 809 00:58:44.760 --> 00:58:47.719 feeling or compassion for her than if she were, in 810 00:58:47.800 --> 00:58:52.000 truth a wild vixen out of the woods. This resolution, 811 00:58:52.679 --> 00:58:55.000 though the reasons were, it, had seemed to him so 812 00:58:55.239 --> 00:58:59.280 very plain before, he now found more difficult to carry 813 00:58:59.280 --> 00:59:02.880 out than to side on a plumb. After cursing it 814 00:59:03.199 --> 00:59:06.280 and beating it up upwards of half an hour, he 815 00:59:06.360 --> 00:59:09.400 admitted to himself that he still did care for her, 816 00:59:09.920 --> 00:59:13.679 and even loved her dearly, in spite of all whatever 817 00:59:13.800 --> 00:59:18.280 pretense he affected towards her. When he had acknowledged this, 818 00:59:18.559 --> 00:59:21.239 he looked up at her and met her eyes fixed 819 00:59:21.320 --> 00:59:28.480 upon him, and held out his arms to her, and said, oh, Soviet, Soviet, 820 00:59:29.199 --> 00:59:31.840 would you had never done this? Would I had never 821 00:59:31.960 --> 00:59:35.639 tempted you in a fatal hour? Does not this butchery 822 00:59:35.639 --> 00:59:39.880 and eating of raw meat and rabbitspur disgust you? Are 823 00:59:39.920 --> 00:59:42.000 you a monster in your soul as well as in 824 00:59:42.079 --> 00:59:45.519 your body? Have you forgotten what it is to be 825 00:59:45.559 --> 00:59:51.719 a woman? Meanwhile, with every word of his she crawled 826 00:59:51.840 --> 00:59:55.480 a step nearer on her belly, and at flask climbed 827 00:59:55.639 --> 01:00:00.400 sorrowfully into his arms. His words, then, seeing to take 828 01:00:00.440 --> 01:00:03.480 effect on her, and her eyes filled with tears, and 829 01:00:03.559 --> 01:00:07.400 she wept most penitently in his arms, and her body 830 01:00:07.440 --> 01:00:10.440 shook with her sobs, as if her heart were breaking. 831 01:00:11.679 --> 01:00:15.440 This sorrow of hers gave him the strangest mixture of 832 01:00:15.519 --> 01:00:18.559 pain and joyed that he had ever known, for his 833 01:00:18.679 --> 01:00:21.480 love for her returning with a rush. He could not 834 01:00:21.639 --> 01:00:24.920 bear to witness her pain, and yet must take pleasure 835 01:00:24.960 --> 01:00:27.440 in it, as it fed his hopes of her one 836 01:00:27.559 --> 01:00:31.719 day returning to be a woman. So the more anguish 837 01:00:31.880 --> 01:00:36.440 of shame his vixen underwent, the greater his hopes rose, 838 01:00:37.079 --> 01:00:41.480 till his love and pity for her increasing equally. He 839 01:00:41.679 --> 01:00:43.800 was almost wishing her to be nothing more than a 840 01:00:43.840 --> 01:00:47.840 mere fox, than to suffer so much by being half human. 841 01:00:49.159 --> 01:00:52.639 At last, he looked about him, somewhat dazed with so 842 01:00:52.760 --> 01:00:56.320 much weeping, then set his vixen down on the ottoman 843 01:00:56.960 --> 01:00:59.880 and began to clean up the room with a heavy heart. 844 01:01:00.400 --> 01:01:03.440 He fetched a pail of water and washed out all 845 01:01:03.480 --> 01:01:08.360 the stains of blood, gathered up the two antimacasses, and 846 01:01:08.480 --> 01:01:12.360 fetched clean ones from the other rooms. While he went 847 01:01:12.400 --> 01:01:16.440 about this work, his vixen sat and watched him very 848 01:01:16.480 --> 01:01:20.760 contritely with a nose between her two front paws, And 849 01:01:20.840 --> 01:01:24.719 when he had done, he brought in some luncheon for himself, 850 01:01:25.519 --> 01:01:29.639 though it was already late, but none for her, she 851 01:01:29.920 --> 01:01:34.519 having lately so infamously feasted. But water he gave her, 852 01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:39.679 and a bunch of grapes. Afterwards, she led him to 853 01:01:39.800 --> 01:01:43.559 the small tortoiseshell cabinet and would have him open it. 854 01:01:44.519 --> 01:01:48.360 When he had done so, she motioned to the portable 855 01:01:48.440 --> 01:01:54.119 stereoscope which lay inside. Mister Tebrick instantly fell in with 856 01:01:54.199 --> 01:01:58.159 her wish, and after a few trials, adjusted it to 857 01:01:58.239 --> 01:02:02.599 her vision. They spent the rest of the afternoon together 858 01:02:03.400 --> 01:02:06.199 very happily, looking through the collection of views which he 859 01:02:06.239 --> 01:02:12.800 had purchased of Italy, Spain and Scotland. This diversion gave 860 01:02:12.880 --> 01:02:18.000 a great apparent pleasure and afforded him considerable comfort. But 861 01:02:18.159 --> 01:02:21.000 that night he could not prevail upon her to sleep 862 01:02:21.039 --> 01:02:24.199 in bed with him, and finally allowed her to sleep 863 01:02:24.239 --> 01:02:27.199 on a mat beside the bed, where he could stretch 864 01:02:27.280 --> 01:02:31.079 down and touch it. So they passed the night with 865 01:02:31.199 --> 01:02:44.400 his hand upon her head. End of Part three, Part four, 866 01:02:44.679 --> 01:02:52.440 Our Lady into Fox by David Garnet. This sleeprivox recording 867 01:02:52.760 --> 01:03:00.559 is in the public domain recording by Tony Addison. The 868 01:03:00.719 --> 01:03:04.599 next morning he had more of a struggle than ever 869 01:03:04.719 --> 01:03:09.719 to wash and dress her. Indeed, at one time nothing 870 01:03:09.800 --> 01:03:13.360 but holding her by the scruff prevented her from getting 871 01:03:13.400 --> 01:03:17.039 away from him. But at last he achieved his object, 872 01:03:17.199 --> 01:03:23.320 and she was washed, brushed, scented, and dressed, although to 873 01:03:23.400 --> 01:03:27.920 be sure, the sleept him better pleased than her, for 874 01:03:28.079 --> 01:03:34.199 she regarded her silk jacket with disfavor. Still at breakfast 875 01:03:34.760 --> 01:03:38.880 she was well mannered, though a trifle hasty with her food. 876 01:03:40.079 --> 01:03:43.760 Then his difficulties with her began, for she would go at, 877 01:03:44.400 --> 01:03:47.199 but as he had his housework to do, he could 878 01:03:47.280 --> 01:03:51.360 not allow it. He brought her picture books to divert her, 879 01:03:52.199 --> 01:03:55.119 but she would have none of them, but stayed at 880 01:03:55.159 --> 01:03:59.800 the door, scratching it with her claws industriously till she 881 01:04:00.199 --> 01:04:05.400 worn away the paint. At first, he tried coaxing her 882 01:04:05.920 --> 01:04:10.440 and wheedling, gave her cards to play Patience, and so on, 883 01:04:11.559 --> 01:04:15.679 but finding nothing would distract her from going out, his 884 01:04:15.880 --> 01:04:19.840 temper began to rise, and he told her plainly that 885 01:04:20.000 --> 01:04:23.239 she must wait his pleasure, and that he had as 886 01:04:23.360 --> 01:04:28.840 much natural obstinacy as she had. But to all that 887 01:04:28.960 --> 01:04:34.239 he said, she paid no heed whatever, but only scratched 888 01:04:34.280 --> 01:04:39.599 the ardor. Thus he let her continue until luncheon, when 889 01:04:39.679 --> 01:04:42.559 she would not set up or eat off a plate, 890 01:04:43.400 --> 01:04:47.039 but first was forgetting on to the table, and when 891 01:04:47.079 --> 01:04:51.519 that was prevented, snatched her meat and ate it under 892 01:04:51.519 --> 01:04:56.239 the table. To all his rebukes, she turned a death 893 01:04:56.400 --> 01:05:00.320 or sullen ear. And so they each finished them meal, 894 01:05:00.559 --> 01:05:04.519 eating little either of them. But till she would sit 895 01:05:04.599 --> 01:05:08.159 at table, he would give her no more, and his 896 01:05:08.320 --> 01:05:13.880 vexation had taken away his own appetite. In the afternoon 897 01:05:14.320 --> 01:05:17.199 he took her out for her airing in the garden. 898 01:05:18.760 --> 01:05:23.760 She made no pretense now of enjoying the first snowdrops 899 01:05:23.880 --> 01:05:27.400 or the view from the terrace. No, there was only 900 01:05:27.480 --> 01:05:30.920 one thing for her now, the ducks, and she was 901 01:05:31.039 --> 01:05:35.039 off to them before he could stop her. Luckily, they 902 01:05:35.079 --> 01:05:38.360 were all swimming when she got there, for a stream 903 01:05:38.639 --> 01:05:42.039 running into the pond on the far side. It was 904 01:05:42.079 --> 01:05:46.320 not frozen there. When he had got down to the pond, 905 01:05:46.880 --> 01:05:50.039 she ran out onto the ice, which would not pare 906 01:05:50.119 --> 01:05:53.280 his weight. And though he called her and begged her 907 01:05:53.280 --> 01:05:56.519 to come back, she would not heed him, but stayed 908 01:05:56.599 --> 01:06:00.519 frisking about getting as near the ducks as she dead, 909 01:06:01.320 --> 01:06:07.199 but being circumspect in venturing on to the thin ice, Presently, 910 01:06:07.360 --> 01:06:11.440 she turned on herself and began tearing off her clothes, 911 01:06:11.880 --> 01:06:15.519 and at last, by biting, got off her little jacket, 912 01:06:15.840 --> 01:06:18.960 and taking it in her mouth, stupped it into a 913 01:06:19.039 --> 01:06:21.519 hole in the ice, where he could not get it. 914 01:06:22.639 --> 01:06:26.639 Then she ran hither and thither, a star naked vixen, 915 01:06:27.400 --> 01:06:30.519 And without giving a glance to her poor husband, who 916 01:06:30.559 --> 01:06:34.880 stood silently now upon the bank, with despair and terror 917 01:06:35.000 --> 01:06:39.159 settled in his mind, she let him stay there most 918 01:06:39.159 --> 01:06:42.679 of the afternoon, till he was chilled through and through 919 01:06:43.199 --> 01:06:47.719 and worn out with watching her. At last he reflected 920 01:06:48.199 --> 01:06:51.400 how she had just stripped herself, and how in the 921 01:06:51.480 --> 01:06:56.320 morning she struggled against being dressed, And he thought perhaps 922 01:06:56.880 --> 01:06:59.519 he was too strict with her, and if he let 923 01:06:59.519 --> 01:07:02.440 her have her own way, they could manage to be 924 01:07:02.559 --> 01:07:06.360 happy somehow together, even if she did eat up the floor, 925 01:07:07.519 --> 01:07:11.159 So he called out to her, then, Sylvia, come now, 926 01:07:11.199 --> 01:07:14.159 be good. You sha'n't wear any more clothes if you 927 01:07:14.239 --> 01:07:17.320 don't want to, and you needn't sit at table neither. 928 01:07:17.440 --> 01:07:20.079 I promise you shall do as you like in that, 929 01:07:20.800 --> 01:07:23.480 but you must give up one thing, and that is 930 01:07:23.599 --> 01:07:26.400 you must stay with me and not go out alone, 931 01:07:26.440 --> 01:07:29.920 for that's dangerous. If any dog came on you, he 932 01:07:29.960 --> 01:07:35.280 would kill you. Directly he had finished speaking, she came 933 01:07:35.360 --> 01:07:39.960 to him joyously began fawning on him and prancing round him, 934 01:07:40.719 --> 01:07:43.320 so that, in spite of his vexation with her and 935 01:07:43.519 --> 01:07:48.719 being cold, he could not help stroking her. Oh, Sylvie, 936 01:07:49.039 --> 01:07:52.519 are you not wilful and cunning? I see you glory 937 01:07:52.519 --> 01:07:55.840 in being so. But I shall not reproach you, but 938 01:07:55.920 --> 01:07:58.440 shall stick to my side of the bargain, and you 939 01:07:58.559 --> 01:08:02.519 must stick to yours. He built a big fire when 940 01:08:02.519 --> 01:08:05.280 he came back to the house, and took a glass 941 01:08:05.280 --> 01:08:09.440 of der spirits, also to warm himself up, for he 942 01:08:09.559 --> 01:08:13.960 was chilled to the very bone. Then, after they had dinner, 943 01:08:14.400 --> 01:08:18.479 to cheer himself, he took another glass, and then another, 944 01:08:19.479 --> 01:08:22.399 and so on till he was very merry. He thought, 945 01:08:24.279 --> 01:08:28.239 then he would play with his vixen, she encouraging him 946 01:08:28.680 --> 01:08:33.399 with her pretty spotiveness. He got up to catchure them, and, 947 01:08:33.520 --> 01:08:37.439 finding himself unsteady on his legs, he went down onto 948 01:08:37.479 --> 01:08:41.119 all fours. The long and the short of it is 949 01:08:41.760 --> 01:08:45.760 that by drinking he drowned all his sorrow, and then 950 01:08:45.880 --> 01:08:49.039 would be a beast too, like his wife, though she 951 01:08:49.239 --> 01:08:51.359 was warm through no fault of her own, and could 952 01:08:51.359 --> 01:08:55.239 not help it. To what lengths he went then in 953 01:08:55.319 --> 01:08:59.279 that drunken humor, I shall not offend my readers by relating, 954 01:09:00.039 --> 01:09:03.439 shall only say that he was so drunk and Scottish 955 01:09:04.079 --> 01:09:07.119 that he had a very imperfect recollection of what had 956 01:09:07.199 --> 01:09:11.560 passed when he woke the next morning. There is no 957 01:09:11.680 --> 01:09:15.159 exception to the rule that if a man drink heavily 958 01:09:15.199 --> 01:09:18.800 at night, the next morning will show the other side 959 01:09:18.840 --> 01:09:23.239 to his nature. Thus with mister Tubrick. For as he 960 01:09:23.319 --> 01:09:26.680 had been beastly, merry and a very dar devil the 961 01:09:26.800 --> 01:09:32.279 night before, so on his awakening was he ashamed, melancholy, 962 01:09:32.800 --> 01:09:37.119 and a true penitent before his creator. The first thing 963 01:09:37.199 --> 01:09:40.039 he did when he came to himself was to call 964 01:09:40.119 --> 01:09:43.079 out to God to forgive him for his sin. Then 965 01:09:43.119 --> 01:09:46.520 he fell into earnest prayer, and continued so for half 966 01:09:46.560 --> 01:09:50.119 an hour upon his knees. Then he got up and dressed, 967 01:09:50.680 --> 01:09:53.680 but continued very melancholy for the whole of the morning. 968 01:09:54.840 --> 01:09:58.520 Being in this mood, you may imagine it hurt him 969 01:09:58.560 --> 01:10:02.279 to see his wife running about naked, But he reflected 970 01:10:02.840 --> 01:10:06.880 it would be a bad reformation that began with breaking faith. 971 01:10:07.840 --> 01:10:11.000 He had made a bargain, and he would stick to it, 972 01:10:11.680 --> 01:10:16.079 And so he let her be, though sorely against his will, 973 01:10:17.560 --> 01:10:21.680 for the same reason, that is, because he would stick 974 01:10:21.720 --> 01:10:24.960 to his side of the bargain. He did not require 975 01:10:24.960 --> 01:10:27.920 her to sit up at table, but gave her her 976 01:10:27.920 --> 01:10:31.880 breakfast on the dish in the corner where to tell 977 01:10:31.920 --> 01:10:35.760 the truth. She, on her side, ate it all up 978 01:10:35.800 --> 01:10:40.920 with great daintiness and propriety. Nor did she make any 979 01:10:40.960 --> 01:10:44.239 attempt to go out of doors that morning, but lay 980 01:10:44.319 --> 01:10:49.239 cled up in an armchair before the fire, dozing. After lunch, 981 01:10:49.479 --> 01:10:52.399 he took her out, and she never so much as 982 01:10:52.479 --> 01:10:55.760 offered to go near the ducks, but running before him, 983 01:10:56.439 --> 01:10:59.960 led him on to take her a longer walk there 984 01:11:00.239 --> 01:11:03.199 he consented to do, very much to her joy and delight. 985 01:11:04.159 --> 01:11:07.760 He took her through the fields by the most unfrequented ways, 986 01:11:08.319 --> 01:11:12.159 being much alarmed lest they should be seen by anyone. 987 01:11:12.279 --> 01:11:15.840 But by good luck they walked above four miles across 988 01:11:15.920 --> 01:11:21.760 country and saw nobody all the way. His wife kept 989 01:11:21.880 --> 01:11:24.720 running on ahead of him, and then back to him 990 01:11:24.720 --> 01:11:28.600 to lick his hand and so on, and appeared delighted 991 01:11:28.760 --> 01:11:34.159 at taking exercise. And though they startled two or three 992 01:11:34.199 --> 01:11:37.199 rabbits and a hurt in the course of their walk, 993 01:11:37.800 --> 01:11:41.359 she never attempted to go after them, only giving them 994 01:11:41.359 --> 01:11:44.760 a look and then looking back to him, laughing at him, 995 01:11:45.119 --> 01:11:48.000 as it were for his warning cry of puss, come 996 01:11:48.119 --> 01:11:53.199 in no nonsense, nag. Just when they got home and 997 01:11:53.319 --> 01:11:56.560 were going into the porch, they came face to face 998 01:11:56.680 --> 01:12:01.119 with an old woman. Mister Tabrick stopped shut in consternation 999 01:12:01.720 --> 01:12:04.800 and looked about for his vixen, but she had run 1000 01:12:04.840 --> 01:12:09.119 forward without any shyness to greet her. Then he recognized 1001 01:12:09.119 --> 01:12:14.680 the intruder. It was his wife's old nurse. What are 1002 01:12:14.680 --> 01:12:19.159 you doing here, missus Cork, he asked her. Missus Cork 1003 01:12:19.399 --> 01:12:24.239 answered him in these words, poor thing, poor miss Sylvia. 1004 01:12:25.000 --> 01:12:27.039 It is a shame to let her run about like 1005 01:12:27.079 --> 01:12:29.720 a dog. It is a shame, and your own wife too. 1006 01:12:30.520 --> 01:12:33.720 But whatsoever, she looks like. You should trust her the 1007 01:12:33.760 --> 01:12:37.039 same as ever. If you do, she'll do her best 1008 01:12:37.079 --> 01:12:39.000 to be a good wife to you. If you don't, 1009 01:12:39.520 --> 01:12:42.319 I shouldn't wonder if she did turn into a proper box. 1010 01:12:42.760 --> 01:12:45.479 I saw her, sir, before I left, and I've had 1011 01:12:45.560 --> 01:12:48.960 no peace of mind. I couldn't sleep thinking of her. 1012 01:12:49.479 --> 01:12:51.840 So I've come back to look after her as I 1013 01:12:51.880 --> 01:12:55.520 have done all her life. Said, And she stooped down 1014 01:12:56.119 --> 01:13:00.640 and took Missus de Brigg by the poor to Brick 1015 01:13:00.800 --> 01:13:04.439 unlocked the door, and they went in. When missus Cork 1016 01:13:04.560 --> 01:13:09.279 saw the house, she exclaimed again and again the place 1017 01:13:09.439 --> 01:13:13.399 was a pigstyed. They couldn't live like that. A gentleman 1018 01:13:13.560 --> 01:13:16.640 must have somebody to look after him. She would do it. 1019 01:13:17.239 --> 01:13:21.119 He could just her with the secret. Had the old 1020 01:13:21.159 --> 01:13:24.359 woman come the day before, it is like clear enough 1021 01:13:24.399 --> 01:13:27.439 that mister de Brick would have sent her backing. But 1022 01:13:27.560 --> 01:13:30.520 the voice of conscience being woken in him by his 1023 01:13:30.680 --> 01:13:34.640 drunkenness of the night before, he was heartily ashamed of 1024 01:13:34.680 --> 01:13:39.479 his own management of the business. Moreover, the old woman's 1025 01:13:39.560 --> 01:13:42.279 words that it was a shame to let her run 1026 01:13:42.319 --> 01:13:47.640 about like a dog moved him exceedingly. Being in this mood. 1027 01:13:48.159 --> 01:13:52.439 The truth is he welcomed her. But we may conclude 1028 01:13:53.000 --> 01:13:56.000 that missus Brick was as sorry to see her old 1029 01:13:56.079 --> 01:14:00.359 nanny as her husband was glad if we can consider 1030 01:14:00.720 --> 01:14:03.279 that she had been brought up strictly by her when 1031 01:14:03.279 --> 01:14:06.600 she was a child and was now again in her power, 1032 01:14:07.159 --> 01:14:09.880 and that her old nurse could never be satisfied with 1033 01:14:09.960 --> 01:14:13.359 her now whatever she did, but would always think her 1034 01:14:13.479 --> 01:14:16.920 wicked to be a fox at all, there seems good 1035 01:14:17.000 --> 01:14:21.239 reason for her dislike. And it is possible too that 1036 01:14:21.319 --> 01:14:23.640 there may have been another cause as well, and that 1037 01:14:23.880 --> 01:14:27.640 is jealousy. We know her husband was always trying to 1038 01:14:27.680 --> 01:14:30.279 bring her back to be a woman, or at any rate, 1039 01:14:30.359 --> 01:14:33.279 to get her to act like one. May she not 1040 01:14:33.399 --> 01:14:35.680 have been hoping to get him to be like a 1041 01:14:35.720 --> 01:14:39.359 beast himself, or to act like one. May she not 1042 01:14:39.439 --> 01:14:43.000 have thought it easier to change him thus than ever 1043 01:14:43.079 --> 01:14:47.119 to change herself back into being a woman. If we 1044 01:14:47.279 --> 01:14:50.000 think that she had had a success of this kind 1045 01:14:50.159 --> 01:14:53.640 only the night before, when he got drunk, can we 1046 01:14:53.720 --> 01:14:57.520 not conclude that this was indeed the case? And then 1047 01:14:57.560 --> 01:15:01.000 we have another good reason why the poor lady should 1048 01:15:01.119 --> 01:15:06.640 hate to see her old nurse. It is certain that 1049 01:15:06.680 --> 01:15:10.600 whatever hopes mister to Brick had of missus Cork affecting 1050 01:15:10.640 --> 01:15:15.680 his wife for the better were disappointed. She grew steadily wilder, 1051 01:15:16.319 --> 01:15:19.800 and after a few days so intractable with her that 1052 01:15:19.880 --> 01:15:23.079 mister to Brick again took her under his complete control. 1053 01:15:24.479 --> 01:15:28.279 The first morning, missus Cork made her a new jacket, 1054 01:15:28.920 --> 01:15:31.720 cutting down the sleeves of a blue silk one of 1055 01:15:31.760 --> 01:15:36.079 Missus de Brick's and trimming it with Swan's dam and 1056 01:15:36.239 --> 01:15:39.560 directly she had altered it, put it on her mistress, 1057 01:15:40.079 --> 01:15:43.239 and fetching a mirror would have her admired the fit 1058 01:15:43.319 --> 01:15:46.960 of it. All the time she waited on Missus de Brick, 1059 01:15:47.560 --> 01:15:50.159 the old woman talked to her as though she were 1060 01:15:50.159 --> 01:15:54.760 a baby, and treated her as such, never thinking perhaps 1061 01:15:55.239 --> 01:15:57.560 that she was either the one thing or the other, 1062 01:15:58.439 --> 01:16:02.119 that is, either a lady to whom she owed respect 1063 01:16:02.680 --> 01:16:06.920 and who had rational powers exceeding her own, or else 1064 01:16:07.039 --> 01:16:11.960 a wild creature on whom words were wasted. But though 1065 01:16:12.000 --> 01:16:16.880 at first she submitted passively, Missus de Brick only waited 1066 01:16:16.920 --> 01:16:19.720 for her nanny's back to be turned, to tear up 1067 01:16:19.760 --> 01:16:23.359 a pretty piece of handiwork into shreds, and then ran 1068 01:16:23.600 --> 01:16:27.800 gaily about waving her brush with only a few ribbons 1069 01:16:27.920 --> 01:16:32.920 still hanging from her neck. So it was time after 1070 01:16:33.039 --> 01:16:36.800 time for the old woman was used to having her 1071 01:16:36.880 --> 01:16:41.680 own way until Missus Cork would I think have tried 1072 01:16:41.720 --> 01:16:45.000 punishing her if she had not been afraid of Missus 1073 01:16:45.039 --> 01:16:49.039 de Brick's rows of white teeth, which she often showed at, 1074 01:16:49.199 --> 01:16:53.960 then laughing afterwards, as if to say it was only plague. 1075 01:16:55.279 --> 01:16:58.319 Not content with tearing up the dresses that were putted 1076 01:16:58.399 --> 01:17:03.039 on her. One day, Sylvia slipped upstairs to her wardrobe 1077 01:17:03.399 --> 01:17:06.760 and tore down all her old dresses and made havoc 1078 01:17:06.840 --> 01:17:10.920 with them, not sparing her wedding dress either, but tearing 1079 01:17:11.079 --> 01:17:14.159 and ripping them all up, so that there was hardly 1080 01:17:14.199 --> 01:17:17.439 a shred or rag left pickin up the dresser dolling. 1081 01:17:18.720 --> 01:17:21.960 On this, mister t Brigg, who had let the old 1082 01:17:22.000 --> 01:17:24.960 woman have most of her management to see what she 1083 01:17:25.000 --> 01:17:28.520 could make of her, took her back under his own control. 1084 01:17:29.720 --> 01:17:33.239 He was sorry enough now that Missus Cork had disappointed 1085 01:17:33.279 --> 01:17:35.319 him in the hopes he had had of her, to 1086 01:17:35.399 --> 01:17:39.159 have the old woman, as it were, on his hands too. 1087 01:17:39.359 --> 01:17:41.760 She could be useful enough in many ways to him 1088 01:17:42.199 --> 01:17:46.079 by doing the housework, the cooking and mending. But still 1089 01:17:46.119 --> 01:17:49.279 he was anxious since his secret was in her keeping, 1090 01:17:49.880 --> 01:17:52.039 and the more now that she had tried her hand 1091 01:17:52.079 --> 01:17:55.560 with his wife and failed, for he saw that Vanity 1092 01:17:55.600 --> 01:17:58.079 had kept her mouth shut if she had won over 1093 01:17:58.159 --> 01:18:01.000 her mistress to better ways, and her love for her 1094 01:18:01.279 --> 01:18:03.399 would have grown by getting her own way with her. 1095 01:18:04.239 --> 01:18:07.319 But now that she had failed, she bore her mistress 1096 01:18:07.359 --> 01:18:10.319 a grudge for not being won over, or at the 1097 01:18:10.359 --> 01:18:13.520 best was become indifferent to the business, so that she 1098 01:18:13.600 --> 01:18:18.199 might very readily blab. For the moment, all mister de 1099 01:18:18.279 --> 01:18:21.680 Brigg could do was to keep her from going into Stokoe, 1100 01:18:21.680 --> 01:18:25.159 to the village, where she would meet all her old cronies, 1101 01:18:25.600 --> 01:18:28.000 and where there was certain to be any number of 1102 01:18:28.039 --> 01:18:31.760 inquiries about what was going on at Ryland's and so on. 1103 01:18:32.720 --> 01:18:35.520 But as he saw that it was clearly beyond his power, 1104 01:18:35.880 --> 01:18:39.359 however vigilant he might be to watch over the old 1105 01:18:39.399 --> 01:18:42.920 woman and his wife and to prevent anyone from meeting 1106 01:18:42.960 --> 01:18:46.119 with either of them, he began to consider what he 1107 01:18:46.159 --> 01:18:49.880 could best do. Since he had sent away his servants 1108 01:18:49.880 --> 01:18:53.359 and the gardener giving out a story of having received 1109 01:18:53.359 --> 01:18:56.640 bad news, and his wife going away to London, where 1110 01:18:56.640 --> 01:19:00.000 he would join her there, probably going out of England, 1111 01:19:00.000 --> 01:19:03.600 and so on, he knew well enough that there would 1112 01:19:03.600 --> 01:19:06.760 be a great deal of talk in the neighborhood, and 1113 01:19:06.840 --> 01:19:09.880 as he had now stayed on contrary to what he 1114 01:19:09.920 --> 01:19:14.439 had said, they would be further rumor. Indeed, had he 1115 01:19:14.520 --> 01:19:17.399 known it, there was a story already going round the 1116 01:19:17.439 --> 01:19:20.720 country that his wife would run away with Major Solmes, 1117 01:19:21.239 --> 01:19:23.880 and that he was gone mad with grief, that he 1118 01:19:23.920 --> 01:19:27.199 had shot his dogs and his horses and shut himself 1119 01:19:27.279 --> 01:19:30.760 up alone in the house and would speak with no one. 1120 01:19:30.800 --> 01:19:34.199 This story was made up by his neighbors, not because 1121 01:19:34.239 --> 01:19:38.720 they were fancible or wanted to deceive, but, like most 1122 01:19:38.760 --> 01:19:42.399 tittle tattle, to fill a gap, as few liked to 1123 01:19:42.439 --> 01:19:47.159 confess ignorance. And if people are asked about such or 1124 01:19:47.199 --> 01:19:50.600 such a man, they must have something to say, or 1125 01:19:50.640 --> 01:19:54.239 they suffer in everybody's opinion, or set down as dull 1126 01:19:54.840 --> 01:19:58.680 or out of the swim. In this way, I met 1127 01:19:58.720 --> 01:20:02.640 not long ago someone who, after talking some little while 1128 01:20:03.119 --> 01:20:06.159 and not knowing me or who I was, had told 1129 01:20:06.159 --> 01:20:10.000 me that David Garnett was dead and died of being 1130 01:20:10.039 --> 01:20:13.840 bitten by a cat after he had tormented it. He 1131 01:20:13.880 --> 01:20:17.199 had long grown a nuisance to his friends, as an 1132 01:20:17.199 --> 01:20:20.680 exorbitant sponge upon them, and the world was well rid 1133 01:20:20.720 --> 01:20:25.199 of him. Hearing this story of myself diverted me at 1134 01:20:25.199 --> 01:20:28.279 the time, but I fully believe it has served me 1135 01:20:28.439 --> 01:20:31.920 in good stead since, for it set me on my guard, 1136 01:20:32.479 --> 01:20:36.319 as perhaps nothing else would have done against accepting for 1137 01:20:36.439 --> 01:20:40.520 true all floating rumor and village gossip, so that now 1138 01:20:41.039 --> 01:20:44.439 I am, by second nature a true skeptic, and scarce 1139 01:20:44.479 --> 01:20:49.840 to believe anything unless the evidence for it is conclusive. Indeed, 1140 01:20:50.439 --> 01:20:52.199 I could never have got to the bottom of this 1141 01:20:52.359 --> 01:20:55.600 history if I had believed one tenth part of what 1142 01:20:55.720 --> 01:20:58.520 I was told. There was so much of it that 1143 01:20:58.720 --> 01:21:03.760 was either manifest be false and absurd, or else contradictory 1144 01:21:03.880 --> 01:21:08.199 to the ascertained facts. It is therefore only the bare 1145 01:21:08.319 --> 01:21:11.000 bones of the story which you will find written here, 1146 01:21:11.640 --> 01:21:15.760 For I have rejected all the flowery embroiderers, which would 1147 01:21:15.800 --> 01:21:19.920 be entertaining reading enough, I dare say for some. But 1148 01:21:20.239 --> 01:21:22.640 if there be any doubt of the truth of a thing, 1149 01:21:23.279 --> 01:21:26.680 it is poor sort of entertainment to read about, in 1150 01:21:26.760 --> 01:21:39.920 my opinion. End of Part four, Part five of Lady 1151 01:21:40.119 --> 01:21:47.239 into Fox by David Garnett. This LibriVox recording is in 1152 01:21:47.279 --> 01:21:55.000 the public domain recording by Tony Addison. To get back 1153 01:21:55.039 --> 01:22:01.680 to our story, mister Tubrick having said that how much 1154 01:22:01.760 --> 01:22:04.640 the appetite of his neighbors would be whetted to find 1155 01:22:04.680 --> 01:22:08.199 out the mystery by his remaining in that part of 1156 01:22:08.239 --> 01:22:12.079 the country, determined that the best thing he could do 1157 01:22:12.279 --> 01:22:17.119 was to remove. After some time turning the thing over 1158 01:22:17.199 --> 01:22:20.720 in his mind, he decided that no place would be 1159 01:22:20.800 --> 01:22:25.680 so good for his purpose as Old Nanny's cottage. It 1160 01:22:25.880 --> 01:22:29.920 was thirty miles away from Stokok, which in the country 1161 01:22:30.479 --> 01:22:33.560 means as far as Timbuctoo does to us in London. 1162 01:22:34.680 --> 01:22:38.880 Then it was near Tangley, and his lady, having known 1163 01:22:38.920 --> 01:22:42.560 it from her childhood, would feel at home there. And 1164 01:22:42.720 --> 01:22:47.319 also it was utterly remote, there being no village near 1165 01:22:47.399 --> 01:22:51.880 it or manor house other than Tangley Hall, which was 1166 01:22:52.000 --> 01:22:56.479 now untenanted for the greater part of the year. Nor 1167 01:22:56.520 --> 01:23:00.520 did it mean imparting his secret to others. There was 1168 01:23:00.640 --> 01:23:05.399 only Missus Cork's son, a widower, who, being out at 1169 01:23:05.439 --> 01:23:09.600 work all day, would be easily outwitted, the more so 1170 01:23:10.000 --> 01:23:13.319 as he was stone deaf and of a slow and 1171 01:23:13.600 --> 01:23:18.840 saturnine disposition. To be sure that there was little poly 1172 01:23:19.760 --> 01:23:24.560 Missus Cork's granddaughter, but either mister t Brick forgot her 1173 01:23:24.560 --> 01:23:29.520 altogether or else reckoned her as a mere baby and 1174 01:23:29.680 --> 01:23:34.560 not to be thought of as a danger. He talked 1175 01:23:34.560 --> 01:23:38.960 the thing over with Missus Kor, and they decided upon 1176 01:23:39.039 --> 01:23:43.439 it out of hand. The truth is, the old woman 1177 01:23:43.600 --> 01:23:47.039 was beginning to regret that her love and her curiosity 1178 01:23:47.560 --> 01:23:51.399 had ever brought her back to Ryland's, since so far 1179 01:23:52.079 --> 01:23:56.039 she had got much work and little credit by it. 1180 01:23:57.479 --> 01:24:02.159 When it was settled, mister Brick disposed of the remaining 1181 01:24:02.239 --> 01:24:05.920 business he had at Rylands in the afternoon, and that 1182 01:24:06.359 --> 01:24:09.760 was cheaply putting out his wife's riding horse into the 1183 01:24:09.840 --> 01:24:14.279 keeping of a farmer nearby, for he thought he would 1184 01:24:14.359 --> 01:24:17.880 drive over with his own horse and the other spare 1185 01:24:17.920 --> 01:24:23.800 horse tandem in the dog cart. The next morning, they 1186 01:24:23.840 --> 01:24:28.640 locked up the house and they departed, having first secured 1187 01:24:28.760 --> 01:24:33.159 Missus de Brigg in a large wicker hamper where she 1188 01:24:33.239 --> 01:24:38.920 would be tolerably comfortable. This was for safety, for in 1189 01:24:39.000 --> 01:24:42.960 the agitation of driving she might jump out, and on 1190 01:24:43.039 --> 01:24:46.840 the other hand, if a dog scented her and she 1191 01:24:46.960 --> 01:24:51.239 were loose, she might be in danger of her life. 1192 01:24:51.640 --> 01:24:54.520 Mister de Brick drove with the hamper beside him on 1193 01:24:54.560 --> 01:24:58.319 the front seat, and spoke to her gently very often. 1194 01:24:59.800 --> 01:25:02.960 She he was overcome by the excitement of the journey, 1195 01:25:03.560 --> 01:25:07.279 and kept poking her nose first through one crevice, then 1196 01:25:07.359 --> 01:25:12.000 through another, turning and twisting the whole time and peeping 1197 01:25:12.079 --> 01:25:15.880 out to see what they were passing. It was a 1198 01:25:15.920 --> 01:25:20.479 bitterly cold dead and when they had gone about fifteen miles, 1199 01:25:21.119 --> 01:25:23.920 they drew up by the roadside to rest the horses 1200 01:25:24.359 --> 01:25:27.800 and have their own luncheon. For he dared not stop 1201 01:25:27.840 --> 01:25:32.760 at an inn. He knew that any living creature in 1202 01:25:32.800 --> 01:25:36.399 a hamper, even if it be only an old fowl, 1203 01:25:36.800 --> 01:25:42.039 always draws attention. There would be several loafers, most likely, 1204 01:25:42.479 --> 01:25:44.720 who would notice that he had a fox with him, 1205 01:25:45.479 --> 01:25:47.880 And even if he left the hamper in the cart, 1206 01:25:48.359 --> 01:25:50.920 the dog at the inn would be sure to sniff 1207 01:25:50.920 --> 01:25:55.720 out her scent. So not to take any chances, he 1208 01:25:55.880 --> 01:25:58.760 drew up at the side of the road and arrested that. 1209 01:25:59.680 --> 01:26:03.880 Though it was freezing hard and a northeast wind howling, 1210 01:26:05.520 --> 01:26:10.039 he took down his precious hamper, unharnessed his two horses, 1211 01:26:10.720 --> 01:26:15.199 covered them with rugs, and gave them their corn. Then 1212 01:26:15.239 --> 01:26:19.000 he opened the basket and let his wife out. She 1213 01:26:19.199 --> 01:26:23.119 was quite beside herself with joy, running hither and thither, 1214 01:26:23.800 --> 01:26:27.560 bouncing up on him, looking about her, and even rolling 1215 01:26:27.640 --> 01:26:31.239 over on the ground. Mister to Brick took this to 1216 01:26:31.359 --> 01:26:35.159 mean that she was glad at making this journey, and 1217 01:26:35.319 --> 01:26:40.399 rejoiced equally with her. As for missus Cork, she sat 1218 01:26:40.479 --> 01:26:43.159 motionless on the back seat of the dog cart, while 1219 01:26:43.159 --> 01:26:47.600 wrapped up, eating her sandwiches, but would not speak a word. 1220 01:26:49.000 --> 01:26:52.239 When they had stayed there half an hour, mister to 1221 01:26:52.319 --> 01:26:56.039 Brick harnessed the horses again, though he was so cold 1222 01:26:56.239 --> 01:26:59.880 he could scarcely buckle the straps and put his vicksen 1223 01:26:59.880 --> 01:27:03.560 in her basket, But seeing that she wanted to look 1224 01:27:03.560 --> 01:27:06.880 about her, he let her tear away the osiers with 1225 01:27:06.960 --> 01:27:09.880 her teeth till she had made a hole big enough 1226 01:27:09.920 --> 01:27:13.319 for her to put her head out of. They drove 1227 01:27:13.399 --> 01:27:16.680 on again, and then the snow began to come down, 1228 01:27:16.720 --> 01:27:19.760 and that in earnest, so that he began to be 1229 01:27:19.840 --> 01:27:23.840 afraid they would never cover the ground. But just after 1230 01:27:23.840 --> 01:27:27.439 the nightfall they got in, and he was content to leave, 1231 01:27:27.640 --> 01:27:33.000 unharnessing the horses and baiting them to Simon, missus Cork's son. 1232 01:27:34.640 --> 01:27:37.560 His vixen was tired by then as well as he, 1233 01:27:38.159 --> 01:27:42.239 and they stept together, he in the bed and she 1234 01:27:42.680 --> 01:27:49.760 under it very contentedly. The next morning he looked about 1235 01:27:49.800 --> 01:27:52.560 him at the place and found the thing there that 1236 01:27:52.640 --> 01:27:56.560 he most wanted, and that was a little walled in 1237 01:27:56.760 --> 01:28:00.600 garden where his wife could run in freedom and yet 1238 01:28:00.640 --> 01:28:05.880 be in safety. After they had had breakfast, she was 1239 01:28:06.039 --> 01:28:09.800 wild to go out into the snow, so they went 1240 01:28:09.880 --> 01:28:13.319 out together. And he had never seen such a mad 1241 01:28:13.439 --> 01:28:17.439 creature in all this life as his wife was them, 1242 01:28:18.319 --> 01:28:22.079 For she ran to and fro as if she were crazy, 1243 01:28:23.079 --> 01:28:26.039 biting at the snow and rolling in it, and round 1244 01:28:26.079 --> 01:28:29.800 and round in circles, and rushed back at him fiercely, 1245 01:28:29.920 --> 01:28:33.119 as if she meant to bite him. He joined her 1246 01:28:33.159 --> 01:28:37.119 in the frolic and began snowballing her till she was 1247 01:28:37.239 --> 01:28:40.000 so wild that it was all he could do to 1248 01:28:40.079 --> 01:28:45.159 quiet her again and bring her in doors for luncheon. Indeed, 1249 01:28:45.640 --> 01:28:49.399 with her gambolings she trapped the whole garden over with 1250 01:28:49.439 --> 01:28:52.560 her feet. He could see where she had rolled in 1251 01:28:52.640 --> 01:28:56.439 the snow and where she had danced in it, and 1252 01:28:56.520 --> 01:28:59.119 looking at those prints of her feet as they went 1253 01:28:59.199 --> 01:29:04.680 in made his heart ache. He knew not why they 1254 01:29:04.800 --> 01:29:08.399 passed the first day at Old Nanny's cottage happily enough, 1255 01:29:08.960 --> 01:29:13.279 without their usual bickerings, and this because of the novelty 1256 01:29:13.319 --> 01:29:17.720 of the snow which had diverted them in the afternoon. 1257 01:29:18.520 --> 01:29:21.920 He first showed his wife to little Polly, who eyed 1258 01:29:21.960 --> 01:29:26.359 her very curiously, but hung back shyly and seemed a 1259 01:29:26.359 --> 01:29:30.279 good deal afraid of the fox. But mister Tobrick took 1260 01:29:30.359 --> 01:29:34.279 up a book and let them get acquainted by themselves, 1261 01:29:34.760 --> 01:29:38.640 and presently, looking up, saw that they had come together, 1262 01:29:39.359 --> 01:29:43.199 and Polly was stroking his wife, patting her and running 1263 01:29:43.199 --> 01:29:47.600 her fingers through her fer Presently she began talking to 1264 01:29:47.680 --> 01:29:50.880 the fox, and then brought her dollin to show her, 1265 01:29:51.600 --> 01:29:54.920 so that very soon they were very good playmates together. 1266 01:29:56.319 --> 01:30:00.439 Watching the two gave mister to Brick great delight, and 1267 01:30:00.520 --> 01:30:04.279 in particular when he noticed that there was something very 1268 01:30:04.359 --> 01:30:09.119 motherly in his vixen. She was indeed far above the 1269 01:30:09.279 --> 01:30:14.960 child in intelligence, and restrained herself too from any hasty action. 1270 01:30:16.199 --> 01:30:20.159 But while she seemed to wait on Polly's pleasure, yet 1271 01:30:20.239 --> 01:30:23.000 she managed to give a twist to the game. Whatever 1272 01:30:23.079 --> 01:30:26.920 it was that never failed to delight the little girl. 1273 01:30:28.159 --> 01:30:31.760 In short, in a very little while, Polly was so 1274 01:30:31.960 --> 01:30:35.159 taken with her new playmate that she cried when she 1275 01:30:35.239 --> 01:30:38.560 was parted from her, and wanted her always with her. 1276 01:30:39.760 --> 01:30:44.560 This disposition of Missus de Brigg's made Missus Cork more 1277 01:30:44.600 --> 01:30:48.479 agreeable than she had been lately, either to the husband 1278 01:30:49.039 --> 01:30:54.600 or the wife. Three days after they had come to 1279 01:30:54.680 --> 01:30:58.239 the cottage, the weather changed, and they woke up one 1280 01:30:58.279 --> 01:31:01.079 morning to find the snow gone, and the wind in 1281 01:31:01.119 --> 01:31:04.640 the south, and the sun shining, so that it was 1282 01:31:04.800 --> 01:31:09.439 like the first beginning of spring. Mister Tubrick let his 1283 01:31:09.600 --> 01:31:14.000 vixen out into the garden after breakfast, stayed with her awhile, 1284 01:31:14.520 --> 01:31:18.159 and then went indoors to write some letters. When he 1285 01:31:18.199 --> 01:31:21.479 got out again, he could see no sign of her anywhere, 1286 01:31:22.079 --> 01:31:25.640 so that he ran about bewildered, calling to her. At 1287 01:31:25.720 --> 01:31:28.399 last he spied a mound of fresh earth by the 1288 01:31:28.479 --> 01:31:32.119 wall in one corner of the garden, and running thither, 1289 01:31:32.600 --> 01:31:35.720 found that there was a hole freshly dug, seeming to 1290 01:31:35.760 --> 01:31:39.119 go under the wall. On this he ran out of 1291 01:31:39.159 --> 01:31:41.520 the garden quickly till he came to the other side 1292 01:31:41.560 --> 01:31:44.560 of the wall. But there was no hole there, so 1293 01:31:44.680 --> 01:31:48.399 he concluded that she was not yet got through, so 1294 01:31:48.520 --> 01:31:51.800 it proved to be for reaching down into the hole, 1295 01:31:51.880 --> 01:31:54.680 he felt her brush with his hand and could hear 1296 01:31:54.720 --> 01:31:59.279 her distinctly working away with her claws. He called to 1297 01:31:59.359 --> 01:32:04.760 her then, saying Sylvia, Sylvia, why do you do this? 1298 01:32:05.399 --> 01:32:07.840 How are you trying to escape from me? I am 1299 01:32:07.880 --> 01:32:10.920 your husband, and if I keep you confined, it is 1300 01:32:10.960 --> 01:32:13.800 to protect you, not to let you run into danger. 1301 01:32:14.439 --> 01:32:16.640 Show me how I can make you happy, and I 1302 01:32:16.680 --> 01:32:19.279 will do it, But do not try to escape from me. 1303 01:32:19.479 --> 01:32:22.720 I love you, Sylvia. Is it because of that that 1304 01:32:22.800 --> 01:32:25.039 you want to fly from me to go into the 1305 01:32:25.119 --> 01:32:28.159 world where you will be in danger of your life always? 1306 01:32:28.880 --> 01:32:31.640 There are dogs everywhere, and they all would kill you 1307 01:32:31.840 --> 01:32:35.720 if it were not for me. Come out, Sylvia, Come out. 1308 01:32:37.479 --> 01:32:41.159 But Sylvia would not listen to him, so we waited 1309 01:32:41.199 --> 01:32:44.720 there silent. Then he spoke to her in a different way, 1310 01:32:45.439 --> 01:32:48.840 asking her had she forgot the bargain she made with 1311 01:32:48.960 --> 01:32:52.119 him that she would not go out alone, But now, 1312 01:32:52.680 --> 01:32:55.520 when she had all the liberty of a garden to herself, 1313 01:32:56.079 --> 01:32:59.920 would she wantonly break her word? And he asked her 1314 01:33:00.239 --> 01:33:03.720 were they not married, and had she not always found 1315 01:33:03.760 --> 01:33:07.399 him a good husband to her? But she heeded this 1316 01:33:07.680 --> 01:33:12.000 neither until presently, his temper getting somewhat out of hand, 1317 01:33:12.520 --> 01:33:16.359 he cursed her obstinacy and told her if she would 1318 01:33:16.399 --> 01:33:19.800 be a damned box, she was welcomed to it. For 1319 01:33:19.920 --> 01:33:23.239 his part, he could get his own way. She had 1320 01:33:23.279 --> 01:33:26.880 not escaped yet, He would dig her out, for he 1321 01:33:26.920 --> 01:33:30.000 still had time, and if she struggled, put her in 1322 01:33:30.039 --> 01:33:35.720 a bag. These words brought her forth instantly, and she 1323 01:33:35.800 --> 01:33:39.319 looked at him with as much astonishment as if she 1324 01:33:39.399 --> 01:33:43.039 knew not what could have made him angry. Yes, she 1325 01:33:43.239 --> 01:33:46.479 even fawned on him, but in a good natured kind 1326 01:33:46.520 --> 01:33:49.159 of way, as if she were a very good wife, 1327 01:33:49.520 --> 01:33:55.000 putting up wonderfully with her husband's temper. These heirs of 1328 01:33:55.039 --> 01:33:59.880 hers made the poor gentleman so simple was he repent 1329 01:34:00.119 --> 01:34:04.720 his outburst and feel most ashamed. But for all that, 1330 01:34:05.399 --> 01:34:08.000 when she was out of the hole, he filled it 1331 01:34:08.119 --> 01:34:11.439 up with great stones and beat them in with a crowbar, 1332 01:34:12.039 --> 01:34:15.119 so she should find her work at that point harder 1333 01:34:15.159 --> 01:34:18.279 than before, if she was tempted to begin it again. 1334 01:34:19.960 --> 01:34:23.479 In the afternoon, he let her go again into the garden, 1335 01:34:24.199 --> 01:34:26.720 but sent little Polly with her to keep her company. 1336 01:34:28.039 --> 01:34:32.039 But presently, on looking out, he saw his vixen had 1337 01:34:32.119 --> 01:34:35.000 climbed up into the limbs of an old pear tree, 1338 01:34:35.359 --> 01:34:38.359 and was looking over the wall, and was not so 1339 01:34:38.560 --> 01:34:41.479 far from it, but she might jump over it if 1340 01:34:41.520 --> 01:34:45.560 she could get a little further. Mister t Brick ran 1341 01:34:45.640 --> 01:34:48.439 out into the garden as quick as he could, and 1342 01:34:48.520 --> 01:34:51.600 when his wife saw him, it seemed she was startled 1343 01:34:51.880 --> 01:34:54.520 and made a full spring at the wall, so that 1344 01:34:54.600 --> 01:34:57.399 she missed reaching it, and fell back heavily to the 1345 01:34:57.399 --> 01:35:01.680 ground and lay there insensible. When mister t Brick got 1346 01:35:01.800 --> 01:35:04.640 up to her, he found her head was twisted under 1347 01:35:04.640 --> 01:35:07.880 her by her fall, and the neck seemed to be broken. 1348 01:35:09.279 --> 01:35:11.800 The shock was so great to him that for some 1349 01:35:11.960 --> 01:35:14.960 time he could not do anything but knelt beside her, 1350 01:35:15.279 --> 01:35:19.039 turning her limp body stupidly in his hands. At length, 1351 01:35:19.359 --> 01:35:22.800 he recognized that she was indeed dead, and, beginning to 1352 01:35:22.880 --> 01:35:27.199 consider what dreadful afflictions God had visited him with, he 1353 01:35:27.279 --> 01:35:31.039 blasphemed horribly and called on God to strike him dead 1354 01:35:31.399 --> 01:35:35.079 and give his wife back to him. Is it not enough, 1355 01:35:35.560 --> 01:35:40.600 he cried, adding a foul, blasphemous oath, that you should 1356 01:35:40.680 --> 01:35:43.439 rob me of my dear wife, making her a fox. 1357 01:35:44.000 --> 01:35:46.159 But now you must rob me of that fox too, 1358 01:35:46.760 --> 01:35:49.960 that hath been my only solace and comfort in this affliction. 1359 01:35:51.319 --> 01:35:55.479 Then he burst into tears and began wringing his hands, 1360 01:35:55.920 --> 01:35:59.279 and continued there in such an extremity of grief for 1361 01:35:59.359 --> 01:36:03.159 half an hour that he cared nothing, neither what he 1362 01:36:03.279 --> 01:36:06.239 was doing nor what would become of him in the future, 1363 01:36:06.920 --> 01:36:10.239 but only knew that his life was ended now, and 1364 01:36:10.319 --> 01:36:12.640 he would not live any longer than he could help. 1365 01:36:14.000 --> 01:36:18.840 All this while the little girl Polly stood by, first staring, 1366 01:36:19.399 --> 01:36:23.439 then asking him what had happened, and lastly crying with fear. 1367 01:36:24.279 --> 01:36:27.640 But he never heeded her, nor looked at her, but 1368 01:36:27.760 --> 01:36:32.319 only tore his head, sometimes shouted at God, or shook 1369 01:36:32.359 --> 01:36:37.119 his best at Heaven. So in a fright, Polly opened 1370 01:36:37.119 --> 01:36:41.319 the door and ran out of the garden. At length, 1371 01:36:42.039 --> 01:36:46.960 worn out, and as it were, all numb with his loss, 1372 01:36:47.000 --> 01:36:50.920 mister Turbrick got up and went within doors, leaving his 1373 01:36:51.079 --> 01:36:56.159 dear fox lying near where she had fallen. He stayed 1374 01:36:56.279 --> 01:37:00.199 indoors only two minutes, and then came out again again, 1375 01:37:00.279 --> 01:37:03.119 with a razor in his hand, intending to cut his 1376 01:37:03.279 --> 01:37:06.560 own throat, for he was out of his senses in 1377 01:37:06.680 --> 01:37:11.119 this first paroxysm of grief, but his vixen was gone, 1378 01:37:11.720 --> 01:37:14.760 at which he looked about for a moment, bewildered and 1379 01:37:14.840 --> 01:37:18.720 then enraged, thinking that somebody must have taken the body. 1380 01:37:19.880 --> 01:37:23.319 The door of the garden being opened, he ran straight 1381 01:37:23.399 --> 01:37:27.239 through it. Now, this door, which had been left ajar 1382 01:37:27.359 --> 01:37:30.640 by Polly when she ran up, opened into a little 1383 01:37:30.680 --> 01:37:34.520 courtyard where the fowls were shut in at night. The 1384 01:37:34.560 --> 01:37:38.600 woodhouse and the privy also stood There. On the far 1385 01:37:38.760 --> 01:37:41.760 side of it from the garden gate were two large 1386 01:37:41.800 --> 01:37:45.399 wooden doors, big enough when open to let a cart enter, 1387 01:37:46.000 --> 01:37:48.920 and high enough to keep a man from looking over 1388 01:37:49.079 --> 01:37:54.319 into the yard. When mister Tubrick got into the yard, 1389 01:37:54.880 --> 01:37:58.199 he found his vixen leaping up at these doors, and 1390 01:37:58.319 --> 01:38:01.520 wild with turret, but as lively as ever he saw 1391 01:38:01.560 --> 01:38:04.359 her in his life. He ran up to her, but 1392 01:38:04.520 --> 01:38:07.760 she shrank away from him and would baner dodged him too, 1393 01:38:08.079 --> 01:38:11.079 but he caught hold of her. She bared her teeth 1394 01:38:11.119 --> 01:38:13.920 at him, but he paid no heed to that, only 1395 01:38:13.960 --> 01:38:16.439 picked her straight up into his arms and took her 1396 01:38:16.479 --> 01:38:20.399 so indoors. Yet all the while he could scarce believe 1397 01:38:20.439 --> 01:38:23.239 his eyes to see her living, and felt her all 1398 01:38:23.279 --> 01:38:26.079 over very carefully to find if she had not some 1399 01:38:26.239 --> 01:38:31.760 bones broken. But no, he could find none. Indeed, it 1400 01:38:31.920 --> 01:38:36.359 was some hours before this poor silly gentleman began to 1401 01:38:36.399 --> 01:38:40.720 suspect the truth which was that his vixen had practiced 1402 01:38:40.800 --> 01:38:44.199 a deception upon him, and all the time he was 1403 01:38:44.279 --> 01:38:49.000 bemoaning his loss in such heartrending terms, she was only 1404 01:38:49.079 --> 01:38:53.439 shamming death to run away directly. She was able if 1405 01:38:53.479 --> 01:38:56.279 it had not been that the yard gates were shut, 1406 01:38:56.760 --> 01:39:00.000 which was a mere chance. She had got her liberty 1407 01:39:00.279 --> 01:39:03.800 by that trick. And that this was only a trick 1408 01:39:03.840 --> 01:39:07.319 of hers to sham dead was plain when he had 1409 01:39:07.319 --> 01:39:11.439 thought it over. Indeed, it is an old and time 1410 01:39:11.479 --> 01:39:14.880 honored trick of the fox. It is in Esop, and 1411 01:39:15.000 --> 01:39:19.399 a hundred other writers have confirmed it since. But so 1412 01:39:19.680 --> 01:39:23.279 thoroughly had he been deceived by her that at first 1413 01:39:23.600 --> 01:39:26.239 he was as much overcome with joy at his wife's 1414 01:39:26.239 --> 01:39:29.359 still being alive as he had been with grief a 1415 01:39:29.359 --> 01:39:33.600 little while before, thinking her dead. He took her in 1416 01:39:33.680 --> 01:39:37.359 his arms, hugging her to him and thanking God a 1417 01:39:37.479 --> 01:39:42.520 dozen times for her preservation. But his kissing and fondling 1418 01:39:42.560 --> 01:39:46.039 her had very little effect now, for she did not 1419 01:39:46.279 --> 01:39:50.880 answer him by licking or soft looks, but stayed huddled 1420 01:39:51.000 --> 01:39:54.439 up and sullen, with her hair bristling on her neck 1421 01:39:54.880 --> 01:39:58.319 and her ears laid back. Every time he touched her. 1422 01:39:59.479 --> 01:40:02.800 At he thought this might be because he had touched 1423 01:40:02.840 --> 01:40:06.640 some broken bone or tender place where she had been hurt. 1424 01:40:07.079 --> 01:40:10.960 But at last the truth came to him. Thus he 1425 01:40:11.119 --> 01:40:14.560 was again to suffer. And though the pain of knowing 1426 01:40:14.600 --> 01:40:17.760 her treachery to him was nothing to the grief of 1427 01:40:17.800 --> 01:40:23.640 losing her, yet it was more insidious and lasting. At first. 1428 01:40:24.000 --> 01:40:29.079 From a mere nothing, this pain grew gradually until it 1429 01:40:29.239 --> 01:40:32.800 was a torture to him. If he had been one 1430 01:40:32.840 --> 01:40:37.079 of your stock ordinary husbands, such a one who by 1431 01:40:37.199 --> 01:40:41.039 experience has learnt never to inquire too closely into his 1432 01:40:41.079 --> 01:40:45.319 wife's doings, her comings, or goings, and never to ask 1433 01:40:45.399 --> 01:40:48.760 her how she has spent the day, for fear he 1434 01:40:48.800 --> 01:40:51.920 should be made the more of a fool. Had missed 1435 01:40:51.920 --> 01:40:54.880 her to break been such a one, he had been luckier, 1436 01:40:55.319 --> 01:40:58.800 and his pain would have been almost nothing. But you 1437 01:40:58.920 --> 01:41:02.520 must consider that he had never been deceived once by 1438 01:41:02.560 --> 01:41:05.800 his wife in the course of their married life. No, 1439 01:41:06.720 --> 01:41:09.640 she had never told him as much as one white lie, 1440 01:41:09.960 --> 01:41:14.920 but had always been frank, open and ingenuous, as if 1441 01:41:14.960 --> 01:41:19.600 she and her husband were not husband and wife, or 1442 01:41:20.000 --> 01:41:25.079 indeed of opposite sexes. Yet we must rate him as 1443 01:41:25.279 --> 01:41:30.079 very foolish that living thus with the fox, which beast 1444 01:41:30.439 --> 01:41:34.840 has the same reputation for deceitfulness, crowd and cunning in 1445 01:41:35.000 --> 01:41:39.840 all countries, all ages, and amongst all races of mankind. 1446 01:41:40.600 --> 01:41:44.159 He should expect this fox to be as candid and 1447 01:41:44.319 --> 01:41:48.079 honest with him in all things as the country girl 1448 01:41:48.119 --> 01:41:53.880 he had married. His wife's sullenness and bad temper continued 1449 01:41:53.920 --> 01:41:57.199 that day, for she cowered away from him and hid 1450 01:41:57.359 --> 01:42:00.319 under the sofa. Nor could he persuade her to come 1451 01:42:00.359 --> 01:42:03.920 out from there, even when it was her dinner time. 1452 01:42:04.199 --> 01:42:09.079 She stayed, refusing resolutely to be tempted out with food, 1453 01:42:09.840 --> 01:42:13.319 and lying so quiet that he heard nothing from her 1454 01:42:13.359 --> 01:42:17.640 for hours. At night, he carried her up to the bedroom, 1455 01:42:18.199 --> 01:42:21.520 but she was still sullen and refused to eat a morsel, 1456 01:42:22.119 --> 01:42:25.760 though she drank a little water during the night when 1457 01:42:25.800 --> 01:42:37.960 she fancied he was asleep and of Part five, Part 1458 01:42:38.159 --> 01:42:45.520 six of Lady into Fox by David Garnet. This LibriVox 1459 01:42:45.600 --> 01:42:51.560 recording is in the public domain recording by Tony Addison. 1460 01:42:54.399 --> 01:42:58.560 The next morning was the same, and by now mister 1461 01:42:58.640 --> 01:43:04.560 Tubrick had been through all the agonies of wounded self esteem, disillusionment, 1462 01:43:04.880 --> 01:43:10.359 and despair that a man can suffer, but though his 1463 01:43:10.640 --> 01:43:15.239 emotions rose up in his heart and nearly stifled him, 1464 01:43:16.239 --> 01:43:20.039 he showed no sign of them to her. Neither did 1465 01:43:20.079 --> 01:43:25.720 he abate one jot his tenderness and consideration for his vixen. 1466 01:43:27.199 --> 01:43:31.800 At breakfast he tempted her with a freshly killed young bullet. 1467 01:43:32.960 --> 01:43:37.119 It hurt him to make this advance to her, for 1468 01:43:37.399 --> 01:43:42.520 hitherto he had kept her strictly uncooked meats. But the 1469 01:43:42.560 --> 01:43:46.479 pain of seeing her refuse it was harder still for 1470 01:43:46.600 --> 01:43:51.840 him to bear. Added to this was now an anxiety 1471 01:43:52.199 --> 01:43:55.840 lest she should stop herself to death rather than stay 1472 01:43:55.880 --> 01:44:00.399 with him any longer. All that morning he kept her close, 1473 01:44:01.119 --> 01:44:04.159 but in the afternoon let her loose again in the garden, 1474 01:44:05.000 --> 01:44:07.760 after he had locked the pear tree so that she 1475 01:44:07.840 --> 01:44:12.920 could not repeat her performance of climbing, But seeing how 1476 01:44:13.000 --> 01:44:17.960 disgustedly she looked while he was by, never offering to 1477 01:44:18.079 --> 01:44:21.520 run or to play as she was used, but only 1478 01:44:21.640 --> 01:44:25.439 standing stuck still with her tail between her legs, her 1479 01:44:25.479 --> 01:44:31.279 ears flattened, and the hair bristling on her shoulders. Seeing this, 1480 01:44:31.960 --> 01:44:36.880 he left her to herself out of mere humanity. When 1481 01:44:36.920 --> 01:44:39.840 he came out after half an hour, he found that 1482 01:44:39.920 --> 01:44:43.159 she was gone, but there was a fair sized hole 1483 01:44:43.199 --> 01:44:47.079 by the wall, and she just buried all but her brush, 1484 01:44:47.600 --> 01:44:52.119 digging desperately to get under the wall and make her escape. 1485 01:44:52.359 --> 01:44:54.920 He ran up to the hall and put his arm 1486 01:44:54.960 --> 01:44:58.159 in after her and called her to come out, but 1487 01:44:58.239 --> 01:45:02.039 she would not, so at first he began pulling around 1488 01:45:02.039 --> 01:45:06.680 by the shoulder, then his hold slipping by the hind legs. 1489 01:45:07.199 --> 01:45:10.119 As soon as he had drawn her forth, she whipped 1490 01:45:10.199 --> 01:45:13.560 round and snapped at his hand and bit it through 1491 01:45:13.600 --> 01:45:17.359 near the joint of the thumb, but let it go instantly. 1492 01:45:18.800 --> 01:45:22.640 They stayed there for a minute, facing each other, he 1493 01:45:22.920 --> 01:45:27.199 on his knees and she facing him, the picture of 1494 01:45:27.399 --> 01:45:33.279 unrepentant wickedness and fury. Being thus on his knees, mister 1495 01:45:33.319 --> 01:45:37.199 Tubrick was down on her level very nearly, and her 1496 01:45:37.279 --> 01:45:42.439 muzzle was thrust almost into his face. Her ears lay 1497 01:45:42.520 --> 01:45:46.000 flat on her head, her gums were bared in a 1498 01:45:46.079 --> 01:45:51.760 silent snarl, and all her beautiful teeth threatening him that 1499 01:45:51.920 --> 01:45:56.840 she would bite him again. Her back, too was half arched, 1500 01:45:57.520 --> 01:46:02.359 all her hair bristling, and her rush held drooping. But 1501 01:46:02.520 --> 01:46:06.399 it was her eyes that held his, with their slip pupils, 1502 01:46:06.439 --> 01:46:12.319 looking at him with savage desperation and rage. The blood 1503 01:46:12.399 --> 01:46:16.319 ran very freely from his hand, but he never noticed 1504 01:46:16.359 --> 01:46:19.520 that or the pain of it either, for all his 1505 01:46:19.760 --> 01:46:26.199 thoughts were for his wife. What is this, Soviet? He said, 1506 01:46:26.439 --> 01:46:31.760 very quietly, what is this? Why are you so savage? Now? 1507 01:46:32.479 --> 01:46:35.560 If I stand between you and your freedom, it is 1508 01:46:35.640 --> 01:46:38.800 because I love you? Is it such a torment to 1509 01:46:38.840 --> 01:46:45.680 be with me? But Soviet never stirred a muscle. You 1510 01:46:45.720 --> 01:46:48.640 would not do this if you are not in anguish, 1511 01:46:48.760 --> 01:46:52.359 poor beast, you want your freedom. I cannot keep you. 1512 01:46:53.239 --> 01:46:56.079 I cannot hold you to vows made when you were 1513 01:46:56.079 --> 01:47:02.079 a woman. Why you have forgotten who I am. The 1514 01:47:02.279 --> 01:47:07.119 tears then began running down his cheeks. He sobbed and 1515 01:47:07.239 --> 01:47:11.760 said to her, go, I shall not keep you, poor beast, 1516 01:47:11.840 --> 01:47:14.640 poor beast, I love you, I love you. Go if 1517 01:47:14.680 --> 01:47:17.439 you want to, but if you remember me, come back. 1518 01:47:17.560 --> 01:47:20.199 I shall never keep you against your will. Go go, 1519 01:47:20.359 --> 01:47:25.640 but kiss me now. He leaned forward then and put 1520 01:47:25.720 --> 01:47:30.000 his lips to her snarling fangs. But though she kept snarling, 1521 01:47:30.520 --> 01:47:34.079 she did not bite him. Then he got up quickly 1522 01:47:34.199 --> 01:47:37.119 and went to the door of the garden that opened 1523 01:47:37.199 --> 01:47:41.439 into a little paddock against a wood. When he opened it, 1524 01:47:42.079 --> 01:47:45.239 she went through it like an arrow crusted the paddock 1525 01:47:45.359 --> 01:47:47.960 like a puff of smoke, and in a moment was 1526 01:47:48.039 --> 01:47:53.640 gone from his sight. Then, suddenly finding himself alone, mister 1527 01:47:53.720 --> 01:47:56.840 t Brick came, as it were, to himself, and ran 1528 01:47:56.960 --> 01:47:59.840 after her, calling her by name and shouting to her. 1529 01:48:00.479 --> 01:48:03.359 And so went plunging into the wood and through it 1530 01:48:03.560 --> 01:48:08.800 for about a mile, running almost blindly. At last, when 1531 01:48:08.800 --> 01:48:11.960 he was worn out, he sat down, seeing that she 1532 01:48:12.039 --> 01:48:15.239 had gone beyond recover it, and it was already night. 1533 01:48:16.279 --> 01:48:22.359 Then rising, he walked slowly homewards, wearied and spent in spirit. 1534 01:48:24.039 --> 01:48:26.880 As he went, he bound up his hand that was 1535 01:48:26.920 --> 01:48:31.920 still running with blood. His coat was torn, his hat lost, 1536 01:48:32.319 --> 01:48:36.720 and his face scratched right across with briars. Now in 1537 01:48:36.880 --> 01:48:41.039 cold blood, he began to reflect on what he had done, 1538 01:48:41.319 --> 01:48:44.960 and to repent bitterly. Having set his wife free, he 1539 01:48:45.039 --> 01:48:48.760 had betrayed her, so that now from his act she 1540 01:48:48.920 --> 01:48:51.800 must lead the life of a wild fox for ever, 1541 01:48:52.640 --> 01:48:57.159 and must undergo all the riggers and hardships of the climate, 1542 01:48:57.920 --> 01:49:02.960 and all the hazards of a hunted creature. When mister 1543 01:49:03.039 --> 01:49:06.439 t Brick got back to the cottage, he found missus 1544 01:49:06.439 --> 01:49:09.960 Cork was sitting up for him. It was already late. 1545 01:49:11.680 --> 01:49:14.800 What have you done with missus? To brick, sir, I'm 1546 01:49:14.800 --> 01:49:17.079 mister and I missed you, and I have not known 1547 01:49:17.119 --> 01:49:20.560 what to do, expecting something dreadful that happened. I have 1548 01:49:20.680 --> 01:49:23.439 been sitting up for you half the night. And where 1549 01:49:23.520 --> 01:49:28.119 is she now, sir? She accosted him so vigorously that 1550 01:49:28.279 --> 01:49:32.159 mister de Brick stood silent at length. He said, I 1551 01:49:32.239 --> 01:49:36.560 have let her go. She has run away. Poor miss Solviet, 1552 01:49:37.119 --> 01:49:40.800 cried the old woman, poor creature. You ought to be ashamed, sir, 1553 01:49:41.159 --> 01:49:44.319 let her go. Indeed, poor lady, is that the way 1554 01:49:44.359 --> 01:49:46.920 for her husband to talk? It is a disgrace, but 1555 01:49:47.079 --> 01:49:51.000 I saw it coming from the first. The old woman 1556 01:49:51.199 --> 01:49:54.960 was white with furyed. She did not mind what she said, 1557 01:49:55.640 --> 01:49:59.000 but mister de Brick was not listening to her. At 1558 01:49:59.079 --> 01:50:01.560 last he looked at her and saw that she had 1559 01:50:01.640 --> 01:50:04.399 just begun to cry. So he went out of the 1560 01:50:04.479 --> 01:50:07.199 room and up to bed and lay down as he 1561 01:50:07.399 --> 01:50:11.560 was in his clothes, utterly exhausted and felling to a 1562 01:50:11.640 --> 01:50:15.239 dog sleep, starting up every now and then with horror, 1563 01:50:15.760 --> 01:50:19.640 and then falling back with fatigue. It was late when 1564 01:50:19.680 --> 01:50:23.199 he woke up, but cold and roared, and he fell 1565 01:50:23.359 --> 01:50:27.479 cramped in all his limbs. As he lay, he heard 1566 01:50:27.479 --> 01:50:31.399 again the noise which had woken him, the chotting of 1567 01:50:31.560 --> 01:50:35.840 several horses, and the voices of men riding by the house. 1568 01:50:37.000 --> 01:50:39.600 Mister de Brick jumped up and ran to the window, 1569 01:50:40.199 --> 01:50:42.880 and then looked at and the first thing that he 1570 01:50:43.000 --> 01:50:47.159 saw was a gentleman in a pink coat riding at 1571 01:50:47.159 --> 01:50:51.760 a walk down the lane. At this sight, mister to 1572 01:50:51.880 --> 01:50:55.680 Brick waited no longer, but, pulling on his boots in 1573 01:50:55.800 --> 01:50:59.680 mad haste, ran out instantly, meaning to say that they 1574 01:50:59.720 --> 01:51:03.479 must not hunt, and how his wife was escaped and 1575 01:51:03.560 --> 01:51:08.239 they might kill her. But when he found himself outside 1576 01:51:08.279 --> 01:51:12.840 the cottage, words failed him, and fury took possession of him, 1577 01:51:13.239 --> 01:51:16.199 so that he could only cry out, how dare you 1578 01:51:16.800 --> 01:51:21.439 you dumn blackguard? And so with a stick in his hand, 1579 01:51:21.960 --> 01:51:24.960 he threw himself on the gentleman in the pink coat, 1580 01:51:25.560 --> 01:51:29.760 and seized his horse's rein, and catching the gentleman by 1581 01:51:29.800 --> 01:51:34.600 the leg, was trying to throw him. But really it 1582 01:51:34.720 --> 01:51:39.199 is impossible to say what mister Tubrick intended by his behavior, 1583 01:51:39.760 --> 01:51:43.399 or what he would have done for the gentleman, finding 1584 01:51:43.479 --> 01:51:49.520 himself suddenly assaulted in so unexpected a fashion by so strange. 1585 01:51:49.880 --> 01:51:55.319 A tousled and disheveled figure clubbed his hunting crop and 1586 01:51:55.479 --> 01:51:58.039 dealt him a blow on the temple, so that he 1587 01:51:58.119 --> 01:52:03.520 fell insensible. Another gentleman rode up at this moment, and 1588 01:52:03.640 --> 01:52:07.039 they were civil enough to dismount and carry mister to 1589 01:52:07.119 --> 01:52:10.680 Brick into the cottage, where they were met by old Nanny, 1590 01:52:11.159 --> 01:52:15.279 who kept bringing her hands and told them mister to 1591 01:52:15.359 --> 01:52:18.239 Brick's wife had run away, and she was a vixen, 1592 01:52:18.720 --> 01:52:20.760 and that was the cause that mister de Brick had 1593 01:52:20.800 --> 01:52:25.039 run out and assaulted them. The two gentlemen could not 1594 01:52:25.239 --> 01:52:29.880 help laughing at this, and mounting their horses, rode on 1595 01:52:30.039 --> 01:52:34.600 without delay, after telling each other that mister to Brigg, 1596 01:52:35.000 --> 01:52:38.840 whoever he was, who, was certainly a madman, and the 1597 01:52:38.920 --> 01:52:44.199 old woman seemed as mad as her master. This story, however, 1598 01:52:44.760 --> 01:52:48.039 went the rounds of the gentry in those parts, and 1599 01:52:48.199 --> 01:52:53.479 perfectly confirmed every one in their previous opinion, namely that 1600 01:52:53.520 --> 01:52:56.800 mister to Brick was mad and his wife had run 1601 01:52:56.840 --> 01:53:00.800 away from him. The part about her being a vixen 1602 01:53:01.640 --> 01:53:04.680 was laughed at by the few that heard it, but 1603 01:53:04.960 --> 01:53:08.560 was soon left out as immaterial to the story, and 1604 01:53:08.800 --> 01:53:14.279 incredible in itself, though afterwards it came to be remembered 1605 01:53:14.920 --> 01:53:21.439 and its significance to be understood. When mister Tubrigg came 1606 01:53:21.520 --> 01:53:25.600 to himself, it was past noon, and his head was 1607 01:53:25.680 --> 01:53:29.319 aching so painfully that he could only call to mind 1608 01:53:29.399 --> 01:53:34.159 in a confused way what had happened. However, he sent 1609 01:53:34.239 --> 01:53:37.479 off missus Cook's son directly on one of his horses, 1610 01:53:37.520 --> 01:53:41.800 to inquire about the hunt. At the same time he 1611 01:53:41.840 --> 01:53:44.800 gave orders to Old Nanny that she was to put 1612 01:53:44.840 --> 01:53:48.159 out food and water for her mistress, on the chance 1613 01:53:48.239 --> 01:53:52.439 that she might yet be in the neighborhood. By nightfall, 1614 01:53:53.159 --> 01:53:55.800 Simon was back with the news that the hunt had 1615 01:53:55.800 --> 01:53:59.199 had a very long run, but had lost one fox. 1616 01:53:59.600 --> 01:54:03.920 Then drawing a covert had chopped an old dog fox, 1617 01:54:04.520 --> 01:54:09.680 and so ended the day's sport. This put mister Tebrick 1618 01:54:09.880 --> 01:54:13.000 in some hopes again, and he arose at once from 1619 01:54:13.039 --> 01:54:15.880 his bed and went out to the wood and began 1620 01:54:16.000 --> 01:54:21.000 calling his wife, but was overcome with faintness and lay down, 1621 01:54:21.600 --> 01:54:26.600 and so passed the night in the open from mere weakness. 1622 01:54:26.640 --> 01:54:29.640 In the morning he got back again to the cottage, 1623 01:54:30.119 --> 01:54:32.600 but he had taken a chill and so had to 1624 01:54:32.680 --> 01:54:36.159 keep his bed for three or four days. After all 1625 01:54:36.239 --> 01:54:39.680 this time he had food put out for her every night, 1626 01:54:40.520 --> 01:54:42.840 but though rats came to it and ate of it, 1627 01:54:43.640 --> 01:54:48.199 there were never any prints of a fox. At last, 1628 01:54:48.600 --> 01:54:52.960 his anxiety began working another wad. That is, he came 1629 01:54:53.000 --> 01:54:56.079 to think it possible that his vixen would have gone 1630 01:54:56.119 --> 01:54:59.439 back to Stokoe. So he had his horses harnessed in 1631 01:54:59.479 --> 01:55:02.640 the dog ca and brought to the door, and then 1632 01:55:02.760 --> 01:55:05.920 drove over to Rylands, though we were still in a 1633 01:55:05.960 --> 01:55:10.359 fever and with a heavy cold upon him. After that 1634 01:55:11.079 --> 01:55:15.680 he lived always solitary, keeping away from his follows, and 1635 01:55:15.800 --> 01:55:20.439 only seeing one man called Ascut, who had been brought 1636 01:55:20.520 --> 01:55:24.479 up a jockey at Wantage, but was grown too big 1637 01:55:24.560 --> 01:55:29.000 for his profession. He mounted this loping follow on one 1638 01:55:29.039 --> 01:55:32.359 of his horses three days a week, and had him 1639 01:55:32.399 --> 01:55:35.800 follow the hunt and report to him whenever they killed. 1640 01:55:36.279 --> 01:55:38.800 And if he could view the fox, so much the better. 1641 01:55:39.560 --> 01:55:42.720 And then he made him describe it minutely, so we 1642 01:55:42.760 --> 01:55:46.399 should know if it were his Sylviet. But he dared 1643 01:55:46.439 --> 01:55:50.239 not trust himself to go himself, lest his passion should 1644 01:55:50.279 --> 01:55:55.079 master him and he might commit a murder. Every time 1645 01:55:55.159 --> 01:55:58.039 there was a hunt in the neighborhood. He set the 1646 01:55:58.079 --> 01:56:01.800 gates wide open at Ryland's and the house doors also, 1647 01:56:02.520 --> 01:56:06.000 and taking his gun, stood sentinel in the hope that 1648 01:56:06.079 --> 01:56:08.720 his wife would run in if she were pressed by 1649 01:56:08.720 --> 01:56:12.720 the hands, and so he could save her. But only 1650 01:56:12.800 --> 01:56:17.359 once aunt came near, when two foxhounds that had lost 1651 01:56:17.399 --> 01:56:20.720 the main pack strayed on to his land, and he 1652 01:56:20.800 --> 01:56:26.800 shot them instantly and buried them afterwards himself. It was 1653 01:56:26.880 --> 01:56:29.840 not long now to the end of the season, as 1654 01:56:29.880 --> 01:56:32.960 it was the middle of March. But living as he 1655 01:56:33.039 --> 01:56:37.119 did at this time, mister Tebrigg grew more and more 1656 01:56:37.680 --> 01:56:42.439 to be a true misanthrope. He denied admittance to any 1657 01:56:42.479 --> 01:56:46.000 that came to visit him, and rarely showed himself to 1658 01:56:46.079 --> 01:56:50.039 his fellows, but went out cheaply in the early mornings 1659 01:56:50.359 --> 01:56:53.760 before people were about, in the hope of seeing his 1660 01:56:53.920 --> 01:56:59.399 beloved fox. Indeed, it was only this hope that he 1661 01:56:59.439 --> 01:57:03.439 would see again that kept him alive, for he had 1662 01:57:03.520 --> 01:57:06.880 become so careless of his own comfort in every way 1663 01:57:07.640 --> 01:57:11.239 that he very seldom at a proper meal, taking no 1664 01:57:11.399 --> 01:57:13.760 more than a crust of bread with a morsel of 1665 01:57:13.880 --> 01:57:18.640 cheese in the whole day, though sometimes he would drink 1666 01:57:18.840 --> 01:57:21.720 half a bottle of whiskey to drown his sorrow, and 1667 01:57:21.800 --> 01:57:25.279 to get off to sleep. For sleep fled from him, 1668 01:57:25.880 --> 01:57:29.239 and no sooner did he begin dozing, but he awoke 1669 01:57:29.319 --> 01:57:33.840 with a start, thinking he had hurt something. He let 1670 01:57:33.840 --> 01:57:37.279 his beard grow too, and though he had always been 1671 01:57:37.560 --> 01:57:41.680 very particular in his person before, he now was utterly 1672 01:57:41.720 --> 01:57:45.279 careless of it. Gave up washing himself a week or 1673 01:57:45.279 --> 01:57:48.479 two at a stretch, and if there was dirt under 1674 01:57:48.520 --> 01:57:55.000 his fingernails, let it stay there. All this disorder fed 1675 01:57:55.119 --> 01:57:59.039 a malignant pleasure in him, for by now he had 1676 01:57:59.039 --> 01:58:02.960 come to hate his men, and was embittered against all 1677 01:58:03.199 --> 01:58:08.640 human decences under Korum. For strange to tell, he never 1678 01:58:08.760 --> 01:58:13.279 once in these months regretted his dear wife, whom he 1679 01:58:13.359 --> 01:58:18.000 had so much loved. No, all that he grieved for 1680 01:58:18.279 --> 01:58:22.680 now was his departed vixen. He was haunted all this 1681 01:58:22.880 --> 01:58:27.079 time not by the memory of a sweet and gentle woman, 1682 01:58:27.840 --> 01:58:31.359 but by the recollection of an animal. A beast. It 1683 01:58:31.479 --> 01:58:34.760 is true that could sit at table and play pique 1684 01:58:34.880 --> 01:58:38.439 when it would, But for all that nothing really but 1685 01:58:38.520 --> 01:58:43.399 a wild beast. His one hope now was the recovery 1686 01:58:43.399 --> 01:58:49.159 of this beast, and of this he dreamed continually. Likewise, 1687 01:58:49.239 --> 01:58:53.359 both waking and sleeping, he was visited by visions of her, 1688 01:58:53.960 --> 01:58:58.319 Her masts, her full white tag, brushed white throat, and 1689 01:58:58.439 --> 01:59:03.279 the thick fur in her ears all haunted him. Every 1690 01:59:03.319 --> 01:59:07.239 one of her foxy ways was now so absolutely precious 1691 01:59:07.279 --> 01:59:10.079 to him that I believe that if he had known 1692 01:59:10.119 --> 01:59:13.399 for certain she was dead, and had thoughts of marrying 1693 01:59:13.439 --> 01:59:16.479 a second time, he would never have been happy with 1694 01:59:16.560 --> 01:59:21.199 a woman. No, Indeed, he would have been more tempted 1695 01:59:21.560 --> 01:59:24.800 to get himself at tame fox, and would have counted 1696 01:59:24.840 --> 01:59:28.600 that as good a marriage as he could make. Yet 1697 01:59:28.600 --> 01:59:32.600 this all proceeded, one may say, from a passion and 1698 01:59:32.680 --> 01:59:36.239 a true conjugal fidelity, that it would be hard to 1699 01:59:36.279 --> 01:59:39.800 find matched in this world. And though we may think 1700 01:59:39.880 --> 01:59:43.760 him a fool, almost a madman, we must, when we 1701 01:59:43.760 --> 01:59:48.680 look closer, find much to respect in his extraordinary devotion. 1702 01:59:49.920 --> 01:59:53.319 How different indeed was he from those who, if their 1703 01:59:53.359 --> 01:59:56.920 wives go mad, shut them in mad houses and give 1704 01:59:57.000 --> 02:00:02.319 themselves up to concubinage. And nay, what is more, there 1705 02:00:02.319 --> 02:00:07.039 are many who extenuate such conduct too. But mister Tubrick 1706 02:00:07.520 --> 02:00:10.880 was of a very different temper. And though his wife 1707 02:00:10.960 --> 02:00:14.319 was now nothing but a hunted beast, cared for no 1708 02:00:14.399 --> 02:00:19.119 one in the world but heard but this devouring love 1709 02:00:19.399 --> 02:00:23.760 ate into him like a consumption, so that, by sleepless 1710 02:00:23.880 --> 02:00:27.640 nights and not caring for his person, in a few 1711 02:00:27.720 --> 02:00:31.159 months he was worn to the shadow of himself. His 1712 02:00:31.359 --> 02:00:35.920 cheeks were sunk in, his eyes hollow but excessively brilliant, 1713 02:00:36.560 --> 02:00:40.520 and his whole body had lost flesh, so that looking 1714 02:00:40.560 --> 02:00:43.880 at him, the wonder was that he was still alive. 1715 02:00:45.319 --> 02:00:48.439 Now that the hunting season was over, he had less 1716 02:00:48.479 --> 02:00:52.399 anxiety for her. Yet even so he was not positive 1717 02:00:52.439 --> 02:00:55.439 that the hands had not got her. For between the 1718 02:00:55.520 --> 02:00:58.319 time of his setting her free and the end of 1719 02:00:58.359 --> 02:01:02.439 the hunting season just up Easter, there were but three 1720 02:01:02.600 --> 02:01:07.359 vixens killed near Of those three, one was a half 1721 02:01:07.479 --> 02:01:11.399 blind or war eyed, and one was a very gray, 1722 02:01:11.640 --> 02:01:16.199 dull colored beast. The third answered more to the description 1723 02:01:16.279 --> 02:01:19.600 of his wife, but that it had not much black 1724 02:01:19.680 --> 02:01:23.920 on the legs, whereas in her the blackness of the 1725 02:01:24.039 --> 02:01:28.319 legs was very plain to be noticed. But yet his 1726 02:01:28.479 --> 02:01:31.600 fear made him think that perhaps she had got mired 1727 02:01:31.720 --> 02:01:35.880 in running, and the legs, being muddied, were not remarked 1728 02:01:35.920 --> 02:01:40.800 on as black. One morning, the first week in May, 1729 02:01:41.079 --> 02:01:44.319 about four o'clock, when he was out waiting in the 1730 02:01:44.359 --> 02:01:47.520 little cups, he sat down for a while on a 1731 02:01:47.560 --> 02:01:50.920 tree stump, and when he looked up, saw a fox 1732 02:01:51.000 --> 02:01:55.319 coming towards him over the plowed field. It was carrying 1733 02:01:55.359 --> 02:01:58.680 a hare over its shoulder, so that it was nearly 1734 02:01:58.720 --> 02:02:02.319 all hidden from him. At last, when it was not 1735 02:02:02.439 --> 02:02:06.640 twenty yards from him, it crossed over, going into the cubs. 1736 02:02:06.920 --> 02:02:10.199 When mister to Brick stood up and cried out, Sylvia, Sylvia, 1737 02:02:10.359 --> 02:02:13.640 is it you? The fox dropped the hair out of 1738 02:02:13.760 --> 02:02:17.479 his mouth and stood looking at him. And then our 1739 02:02:17.560 --> 02:02:20.720 gentleman saw at the first glance that this was not 1740 02:02:20.880 --> 02:02:25.119 his wife. For whereas missus de Brick had been a 1741 02:02:25.239 --> 02:02:30.920 very bright red, this was a swarthy, a duller beast. Altogether. Moreover, 1742 02:02:31.199 --> 02:02:34.439 it was a good deal larger and higher at the shoulder, 1743 02:02:34.880 --> 02:02:38.000 and had a great white tag to his brush. But 1744 02:02:38.039 --> 02:02:41.760 the fox, after the first instant, did not stand for 1745 02:02:41.840 --> 02:02:44.720 his portrait, you may be sure, but picked up his 1746 02:02:44.800 --> 02:02:48.479 hair and made off like an arrow. Then mister t 1747 02:02:48.600 --> 02:02:52.399 Brick cried out to himself, indeed, I am crazy now. 1748 02:02:53.199 --> 02:02:55.760 My affliction has made me lose what little reason I 1749 02:02:55.840 --> 02:02:59.560 ever had here am I taking every box I see 1750 02:02:59.600 --> 02:03:02.840 to be my wife. My neighbors call me a madman, 1751 02:03:03.199 --> 02:03:05.680 and now I see that they are right. Look at 1752 02:03:05.680 --> 02:03:08.680 me now, Oh God, how foul a creature I am. 1753 02:03:08.720 --> 02:03:11.520 I hate my fellows, and thin and wasted by this 1754 02:03:11.640 --> 02:03:15.399 consuming passion. My reason is gone, and I feed myself 1755 02:03:15.439 --> 02:03:19.239 on dreams. Recall me to my duty, Bring me back 1756 02:03:19.279 --> 02:03:23.079 to decency. Let me not become a beast likewise, but 1757 02:03:23.239 --> 02:03:27.479 restore me and forgive me O my Lord. With that, 1758 02:03:27.680 --> 02:03:31.640 he burst into scolding tears and knelt down and prayed, 1759 02:03:32.159 --> 02:03:35.319 a thing he had not done for many weeks. When 1760 02:03:35.359 --> 02:03:39.800 he rose up, he walked back, feeling giddy and exceedingly weak, 1761 02:03:40.319 --> 02:03:43.840 but with a contrite heart, and then washed himself thoroughly 1762 02:03:44.199 --> 02:03:48.439 and changed his clothes. But his weakness increasing, he lay 1763 02:03:48.560 --> 02:03:51.439 down for the rest of the day, but read in 1764 02:03:51.479 --> 02:03:57.680 the Book of Job and was much comforted and of 1765 02:03:57.840 --> 02:04:10.159 Part six Part seven of Lady Interfox by David Garnet. 1766 02:04:11.279 --> 02:04:16.479 This librevox recording is in the public domain recording by 1767 02:04:16.600 --> 02:04:23.239 Tony Addison. For several days after this he lived very soberly, 1768 02:04:23.920 --> 02:04:28.560 for his weakness continued, but every day he read in 1769 02:04:28.640 --> 02:04:33.279 the Bible and prayed earnestly, so that his resolution was 1770 02:04:33.399 --> 02:04:37.640 so much strengthened that he determined to overcome his police 1771 02:04:37.800 --> 02:04:41.119 or his passion, if he could, and at any rate, 1772 02:04:41.680 --> 02:04:46.399 to live the rest of his life very religiously. So 1773 02:04:46.600 --> 02:04:50.399 strong was this desiring him to amend his ways, that 1774 02:04:50.520 --> 02:04:53.680 he considered if he should not go to spread the 1775 02:04:53.720 --> 02:04:58.199 gospel abroad for the Bible society, and so spent the 1776 02:04:58.239 --> 02:05:03.000 rest of his days. Indeed, he began a letter to 1777 02:05:03.079 --> 02:05:06.199 his wife's uncle, the Cannon, and he was writing this 1778 02:05:06.720 --> 02:05:11.159 when he was startled by hearing a fox bark. Yet 1779 02:05:11.279 --> 02:05:14.760 so great was this new turn he had taken that 1780 02:05:14.840 --> 02:05:17.239 he did not rush out at once, as he would 1781 02:05:17.239 --> 02:05:21.800 have done before, but stayed where he was and finished 1782 02:05:22.000 --> 02:05:27.079 his letter. Afterwards, he said to himself that it was 1783 02:05:27.159 --> 02:05:30.119 only a wild fox and sent by the devil to 1784 02:05:30.159 --> 02:05:33.520 mock him, and that madness lay that way if he 1785 02:05:33.520 --> 02:05:38.000 should listen. But on the other hand, he could not 1786 02:05:38.159 --> 02:05:41.159 deny to himself that it might have been his wife, 1787 02:05:41.680 --> 02:05:45.720 and that he ought to welcome the prodigal. Thus he 1788 02:05:45.880 --> 02:05:49.840 was torn between these two thoughts, neither of which did 1789 02:05:49.880 --> 02:05:55.159 he completely believe. He stayed thus, tormented with doubts and 1790 02:05:55.279 --> 02:06:01.159 fears all night. The next morning, he woke suddenly with 1791 02:06:01.319 --> 02:06:04.680 a start, and on the instant heard a fox bark 1792 02:06:04.840 --> 02:06:09.079 once more. At that, he pulled on his clothes and 1793 02:06:09.239 --> 02:06:11.399 ran out as fast as he could to the garden gate. 1794 02:06:12.479 --> 02:06:16.359 The sun was not yet high, the dew thick everywhere, 1795 02:06:16.960 --> 02:06:19.680 and for a minute or two ever, a thing was 1796 02:06:19.880 --> 02:06:24.720 very silent. He looked about him eagerly, but could see 1797 02:06:24.760 --> 02:06:30.319 no fox. Yet there was already joy in his heart. Then, 1798 02:06:30.760 --> 02:06:33.640 while he looked up and down the road, he saw 1799 02:06:33.720 --> 02:06:37.960 his vixen step out of the cops about thirty yards away. 1800 02:06:38.920 --> 02:06:44.920 He called to her at once, my dearest wife, Oh Sylvia, 1801 02:06:45.359 --> 02:06:48.560 you are come back. And at the sound of his 1802 02:06:48.720 --> 02:06:52.359 voice he saw her wag her tail, which set his 1803 02:06:52.520 --> 02:06:56.800 last dad's address. But then, though he called her again, 1804 02:06:57.640 --> 02:07:00.359 she stepped into the cops once more, though she looked 1805 02:07:00.359 --> 02:07:04.159 back at him over her shoulder as she went. At this, 1806 02:07:04.439 --> 02:07:08.039 he ran after her, but softly and not too fast 1807 02:07:08.439 --> 02:07:11.880 lest he should frighten her away, and then looked about 1808 02:07:11.880 --> 02:07:14.880 her again and called to her. When he saw her 1809 02:07:14.920 --> 02:07:19.159 among the trees, still keeping her distance from him. He 1810 02:07:19.199 --> 02:07:23.119 followed her then, and as he approached so she retreated 1811 02:07:23.199 --> 02:07:27.960 from him. Yet always looking back at him. Several times 1812 02:07:28.239 --> 02:07:31.600 he followed after her through the underwood at the side 1813 02:07:31.640 --> 02:07:35.840 of the hill, when suddenly she disappeared from his sight 1814 02:07:36.399 --> 02:07:40.560 behind some bracken. When he got there, he could see 1815 02:07:40.600 --> 02:07:44.479 her nowhere, but looking about him, found a fox's earth, 1816 02:07:44.760 --> 02:07:47.239 but so well hidden that he might have passed it 1817 02:07:47.279 --> 02:07:50.319 by a thousand times and would never have found it. 1818 02:07:50.640 --> 02:07:53.399 And as she had made particular search at that spot. 1819 02:07:54.439 --> 02:07:57.840 But now though he went on his hands and knees, 1820 02:07:58.319 --> 02:08:01.319 he could see nothing of his vex, so that he 1821 02:08:01.399 --> 02:08:07.319 waited a little while wondering. Presently, he heard a noise 1822 02:08:07.479 --> 02:08:11.800 of something moving in the earth, and so waited silently, 1823 02:08:12.840 --> 02:08:17.920 then saw something which pushed itself into sight. It was 1824 02:08:18.039 --> 02:08:22.720 a small, stooty black beast, like a puppy. There came 1825 02:08:22.800 --> 02:08:27.159 another behind it, then another, and so on till there 1826 02:08:27.159 --> 02:08:32.199 were five of them. Lastly there came his vixen, pushing 1827 02:08:32.199 --> 02:08:35.680 her litter before her, And while he looked at hers silently, 1828 02:08:36.359 --> 02:08:40.800 a prey to his confused and unhappy emotions, he saw 1829 02:08:40.840 --> 02:08:45.039 that her eyes were shining with pride and happiness. She 1830 02:08:45.119 --> 02:08:47.760 picked up one of her youngsters then in her mouth, 1831 02:08:48.479 --> 02:08:50.920 and brought it to him, and laid it in front 1832 02:08:50.960 --> 02:08:54.319 of him, and then looked up at him, very excited, 1833 02:08:54.840 --> 02:08:58.840 or so it seemed. Mister Tubrick took the cub in 1834 02:08:58.840 --> 02:09:02.239 his hands, stroked it, and put it against his cheek. 1835 02:09:03.119 --> 02:09:06.199 It was a little followed with a smutty face and paws, 1836 02:09:06.840 --> 02:09:11.640 with staring, vacant eyes of a brilliant electric blue, and 1837 02:09:11.800 --> 02:09:15.640 a little tail like a carrot. When he was put down, 1838 02:09:16.279 --> 02:09:19.199 he took a step towards his mother, and then sat 1839 02:09:19.279 --> 02:09:24.000 down very comically. Mister Tubrick looked at his wife again 1840 02:09:24.239 --> 02:09:28.880 and spoke to her, calling her a good creature. Already 1841 02:09:29.159 --> 02:09:33.159 he was resigned, and now indeed, for the first time 1842 02:09:33.680 --> 02:09:37.439 he thoroughly understood what had happened to her, and how 1843 02:09:37.520 --> 02:09:41.600 far apart they were now. But looking first at one cub, 1844 02:09:42.079 --> 02:09:45.960 then at another, and having them sprawling over his lap, 1845 02:09:46.560 --> 02:09:51.079 he forgot himself only watching the pretty scene and taking 1846 02:09:51.119 --> 02:09:54.840 pleasure in it. Now and then he would stroke his 1847 02:09:55.000 --> 02:09:58.960 vixen and kiss it, liberties which she freely allowed him. 1848 02:10:00.159 --> 02:10:03.520 Marveled more than ever now at her beauty, for her 1849 02:10:03.640 --> 02:10:07.279 gentleness with the cubs, and the extreme delight she took 1850 02:10:07.319 --> 02:10:10.359 in them seemed to him then to make her more 1851 02:10:10.399 --> 02:10:15.079 lovely than before. Thus, lying amongst them at the mouth 1852 02:10:15.119 --> 02:10:19.560 of the earth, he idled away the whole of the morning. 1853 02:10:21.399 --> 02:10:26.000 First he would play with one, then with another, rolling 1854 02:10:26.039 --> 02:10:29.479 them over and tickling them. But they were too young 1855 02:10:29.640 --> 02:10:32.760 yet to lend themselves to any other more active sport 1856 02:10:32.840 --> 02:10:36.760 than this. Every now and then he would stroke his 1857 02:10:36.920 --> 02:10:40.079 vixen or look at it, And thus the time slept 1858 02:10:40.119 --> 02:10:43.720 away quite fast, and he was surprised when she gathered 1859 02:10:43.720 --> 02:10:48.079 her cubs together and pushed them before her into the earth, then, 1860 02:10:48.159 --> 02:10:52.479 coming back to him once or twice, very humanly bid 1861 02:10:52.600 --> 02:10:56.199 him good bye, and that she hoped she would see 1862 02:10:56.279 --> 02:10:59.359 him soon again. Now he had found out the way. 1863 02:11:01.039 --> 02:11:05.359 So admirably did she express her meaning that it would 1864 02:11:05.399 --> 02:11:08.680 have been superfluous for her to have spoken had she 1865 02:11:08.760 --> 02:11:13.000 been able. And mister t Brigg, who was used to her, 1866 02:11:13.680 --> 02:11:17.520 got up at once and went home. But now that 1867 02:11:17.600 --> 02:11:20.880 he was alone, all the feelings which he had not 1868 02:11:20.960 --> 02:11:23.920 troubled himself with when he was withered, but had, as 1869 02:11:23.960 --> 02:11:27.640 it were, put a side till after his innocent pleasures 1870 02:11:27.680 --> 02:11:32.319 were over all these came swarming back to assail him 1871 02:11:32.840 --> 02:11:39.079 in a hundred tormenting ways. Firstly, he asked himself was 1872 02:11:39.199 --> 02:11:43.359 not his wife unfaithful to him. Had she not prostituted 1873 02:11:43.399 --> 02:11:47.039 herself to a beast, could he still love her after that? 1874 02:11:48.279 --> 02:11:50.520 But this did not trouble him so much as it 1875 02:11:50.600 --> 02:11:55.479 might have done, for now he was convinced inwardly that 1876 02:11:55.560 --> 02:11:59.000 she could no longer, in fairness, be judged as a woman, 1877 02:11:59.439 --> 02:12:03.399 but as a fox only. And as a fox she 1878 02:12:03.479 --> 02:12:07.159 had done no more than other foxes. Indeed, in having 1879 02:12:07.279 --> 02:12:10.800 cubs and tending them with love, she had done well. 1880 02:12:12.640 --> 02:12:16.199 Whether in this conclusion mister t Brick was in the 1881 02:12:16.279 --> 02:12:19.479 right or not is not for us here to consider. 1882 02:12:20.640 --> 02:12:23.960 But I would only say to those who would censure 1883 02:12:24.039 --> 02:12:27.880 him for a too lenient view of the religious side 1884 02:12:27.880 --> 02:12:31.000 of the matter, that we have not seen the thing 1885 02:12:31.199 --> 02:12:35.119 as he did, and perhaps if it were displayed before 1886 02:12:35.159 --> 02:12:38.920 our eyes, we might be led to the same conclusions. 1887 02:12:39.880 --> 02:12:44.000 This was, however, not a tenth part of the trouble 1888 02:12:44.359 --> 02:12:48.840 in which mister to Brick found himself, For he asked himself, also, 1889 02:12:50.039 --> 02:12:54.479 was he not jealous? And looking into his heart, he 1890 02:12:54.520 --> 02:12:57.640 found that he was indeed jealous, yes, and angry too, 1891 02:12:58.319 --> 02:13:01.279 that now he must share his bixs and with wild foxes. 1892 02:13:02.319 --> 02:13:06.039 Then he questioned himself if it were not dishonorable to 1893 02:13:06.119 --> 02:13:09.920 do so, and whether he should not utterly forget her 1894 02:13:10.439 --> 02:13:14.600 and follow his original intention of retiring from the world 1895 02:13:14.720 --> 02:13:19.359 and see her no more. Thus he tormented himself for 1896 02:13:19.439 --> 02:13:22.920 the rest of that day, and by evening he had 1897 02:13:22.960 --> 02:13:27.159 resolved never to see her again. But in the middle 1898 02:13:27.199 --> 02:13:30.479 of the night he woke up with his head very clear, 1899 02:13:31.119 --> 02:13:35.119 and said to himself in wonder, am I not a madman? 1900 02:13:36.000 --> 02:13:40.880 I torment myself foolishly with fantastic notions? Can a man 1901 02:13:41.119 --> 02:13:44.439 have his honor solid by a beast? I am a man. 1902 02:13:44.800 --> 02:13:49.560 I am immeasurably superior to the animals. Can my dignity 1903 02:13:49.640 --> 02:13:53.600 allow of my being jealous of a beast? A thousand times? 1904 02:13:53.720 --> 02:13:57.760 No were I to lust after a vixen I were 1905 02:13:57.800 --> 02:14:02.039 a criminal. Indeed, I can be happy in seeing my vixen, 1906 02:14:02.079 --> 02:14:04.600 for I love her, But she does right to be 1907 02:14:04.640 --> 02:14:09.239 happy according to the laws of her being. Lastly, he 1908 02:14:09.359 --> 02:14:12.560 said to himself, what was he felt the truth of 1909 02:14:12.600 --> 02:14:16.399 this whole matter? When I am with her, I am happy. 1910 02:14:17.359 --> 02:14:21.279 But now I distort what is simple and drive myself 1911 02:14:21.319 --> 02:14:26.520 crazy with false reasoning upon it. Yet, before he stepped again, 1912 02:14:26.680 --> 02:14:30.000 he prayed, But though he had thought first to pray 1913 02:14:30.039 --> 02:14:34.279 for guidance. In reality, he prayed only that on the 1914 02:14:34.359 --> 02:14:38.079 morrow he would see his vixen again, and that God 1915 02:14:38.119 --> 02:14:41.399 would preserve her and her cubs too from all dangers, 1916 02:14:41.880 --> 02:14:44.720 and would allow him to see them often, so that 1917 02:14:44.760 --> 02:14:47.279 he might come to love them for her sake, as 1918 02:14:47.279 --> 02:14:49.920 if he were their father, and that if this were 1919 02:14:49.960 --> 02:14:53.720 a sin, he might be forgiven, for he sinned in ignorance. 1920 02:14:54.880 --> 02:14:58.520 The next day or two he saw Vixen and cubs again, 1921 02:14:59.399 --> 02:15:03.359 though his busin were cut shorter, and these visits gave 1922 02:15:03.439 --> 02:15:07.359 him such an innocent pleasure that very soon his notions 1923 02:15:07.399 --> 02:15:11.880 of honor, duty, and so on were entirely forgotten, and 1924 02:15:11.960 --> 02:15:17.560 his jealousy lulled asleep. One day he tried taking with 1925 02:15:17.680 --> 02:15:21.840 him the studioscope and a pack of cards. But though 1926 02:15:22.039 --> 02:15:26.319 his Sylviet was affectionate and amiable enough to let him 1927 02:15:26.319 --> 02:15:29.960 put the stuioscope over her muzzle, yet she would not 1928 02:15:30.039 --> 02:15:33.039 look through it, but kept turning her head to licky 1929 02:15:33.039 --> 02:15:36.319 his hand, and it was plain to him that now 1930 02:15:36.359 --> 02:15:39.960 she had quite forgotten the use of the instrument. It 1931 02:15:40.119 --> 02:15:43.880 was the same too with the cards, for with them 1932 02:15:44.199 --> 02:15:48.000 she was pleased enough. But only delighting to bite at 1933 02:15:48.039 --> 02:15:51.920 them and put them about with her paws, and never 1934 02:15:52.000 --> 02:15:56.359 considering for a moment whether they were diamonds or clubs, 1935 02:15:56.479 --> 02:16:00.640 or hearts or spades, or whether the card an ace 1936 02:16:00.840 --> 02:16:05.079 or not. So it was evident that she had forgotten 1937 02:16:05.119 --> 02:16:10.760 the nature of cards too. Thereafter he only brought them 1938 02:16:10.880 --> 02:16:16.479 things which he could better enjoy, that is, sugar, grapes, raisins, 1939 02:16:16.680 --> 02:16:21.399 and butcher's meat. By and by, as the summer wore on, 1940 02:16:22.239 --> 02:16:25.720 the cubs came to know him, and he then so 1941 02:16:25.880 --> 02:16:29.239 that he was able to tell them easily apart. And 1942 02:16:29.279 --> 02:16:35.120 then he christened them. For this purpose, he brought a 1943 02:16:35.159 --> 02:16:39.200 little bowl of water a sprinkled them as if in baptism, 1944 02:16:40.079 --> 02:16:44.000 and told them he was their godfather, and gave each 1945 02:16:44.040 --> 02:16:50.639 of them a name, calling them Sorrel, Casper, Selwyn, esther 1946 02:16:51.360 --> 02:16:58.639 and Angellicut. The Sorrel was a clumsy little beast, of 1947 02:16:58.719 --> 02:17:04.559 a cheery and indeed puppyish disposition. Casper was fierce the 1948 02:17:04.680 --> 02:17:07.639 largest of the five. Even in his play, he would 1949 02:17:07.719 --> 02:17:11.600 always bite and gave his godfather many a sharp nip 1950 02:17:11.639 --> 02:17:16.280 as time went on. Esther Oa was of a dark complexion, 1951 02:17:16.799 --> 02:17:22.600 a true brunette, and very sturdy, Angelica the brightest red 1952 02:17:23.040 --> 02:17:27.120 and the most exactly like her mother, while Sulwyn was 1953 02:17:27.159 --> 02:17:32.040 the smallest cub of a very praying, inquisitive and cunning temper, 1954 02:17:32.639 --> 02:17:38.799 but delicate and undersized. Thus mister Tebrick had a whole 1955 02:17:38.879 --> 02:17:42.959 family now to occupy him, and indeed it came to 1956 02:17:43.040 --> 02:17:46.719 love them with very much of a father's love and partiality. 1957 02:17:47.920 --> 02:17:52.399 His favorite was Angelica, who reminded him so much of 1958 02:17:52.440 --> 02:17:56.760 her mother in her pretty ways, because of a gentleness 1959 02:17:57.000 --> 02:17:59.920 which was lacking in the others, even in their play. 1960 02:18:01.040 --> 02:18:05.239 After her in his affections came Selwyn, whom he soon 1961 02:18:05.360 --> 02:18:09.559 saw was the most intelligent of the whole litter. Indeed, 1962 02:18:10.120 --> 02:18:12.440 he was so much more quick witted than the rest 1963 02:18:12.879 --> 02:18:16.360 that mister de Brick was led into speculating as to 1964 02:18:16.399 --> 02:18:20.159 whether he had not inherited something of the human from 1965 02:18:20.200 --> 02:18:25.079 his damn. Thus, very early he learnt to know his 1966 02:18:25.239 --> 02:18:28.479 name and would come when he was called. And what 1967 02:18:28.680 --> 02:18:31.879 was stranger still, he learned the names of his brothers 1968 02:18:31.959 --> 02:18:36.520 and sisters before they came to do so themselves. Besides 1969 02:18:36.559 --> 02:18:40.799 all this, he was something of a young philosopher, for 1970 02:18:40.920 --> 02:18:44.600 though his brother Kasper tyrannized over him. He put up 1971 02:18:44.639 --> 02:18:49.280 with it all with an unruffled temper. He was not, however, 1972 02:18:49.799 --> 02:18:54.479 above playing tricks on the others, and wondered when mister 1973 02:18:54.520 --> 02:18:58.120 t Brick was by, he made believe that there was 1974 02:18:58.159 --> 02:19:01.760 a mouse in a hole some little way off. Very 1975 02:19:01.799 --> 02:19:05.959 soon he was joined by Sorrow, and presently by Kasper 1976 02:19:06.120 --> 02:19:10.040 and Esther. When he had got them all digging, it 1977 02:19:10.200 --> 02:19:13.079 was easy for him to step away, And then he 1978 02:19:13.159 --> 02:19:16.559 came to his godfather with a sly look, sat down 1979 02:19:16.600 --> 02:19:20.399 before him and smiled, and then jerked his head over 1980 02:19:20.520 --> 02:19:24.760 towards the others, and smiled again, and wrinkled his brows, 1981 02:19:25.280 --> 02:19:28.200 so that mister de Brick knew as well as if 1982 02:19:28.200 --> 02:19:31.680 he had spoken, that the youngster was saying, have I 1983 02:19:31.760 --> 02:19:35.559 not made fools of them all? He was the only 1984 02:19:35.639 --> 02:19:39.200 one that was curious about mister t Brick. He made 1985 02:19:39.280 --> 02:19:41.760 him take out his watch, put his ear to it, 1986 02:19:42.280 --> 02:19:47.239 considered it, and wrinkled up his brows in perplexity. On 1987 02:19:47.360 --> 02:19:50.760 the next visit it was the same thing. He must 1988 02:19:50.760 --> 02:19:54.040 see the watch again and again think over it. But 1989 02:19:54.239 --> 02:19:57.879 clever as he was, little Selwyn could never understand it. 1990 02:19:58.440 --> 02:20:01.680 And if his mother remembered any thing about watches. It 1991 02:20:01.840 --> 02:20:05.120 was a subject which she never attempted to explain to 1992 02:20:05.200 --> 02:20:09.840 her children. One day, mister to Brick left the earth 1993 02:20:09.879 --> 02:20:12.799 as usual and ran down the slope to the road, 1994 02:20:13.479 --> 02:20:16.120 when he was surprised to find a carriage waiting before 1995 02:20:16.120 --> 02:20:19.440 his house and a coachman walking about near his gate. 1996 02:20:20.399 --> 02:20:23.559 Mister de Brick went in and found that his visitor 1997 02:20:23.639 --> 02:20:28.440 was waiting for him. It was his wife's uncle. They 1998 02:20:28.479 --> 02:20:33.120 shook hands, though the Reverend canon Fox did not recognize 1999 02:20:33.159 --> 02:20:37.079 him immediately, and mister to Brick led him into the house. 2000 02:20:38.159 --> 02:20:41.479 The clergyman looked about him a good deal at the 2001 02:20:41.600 --> 02:20:45.479 dirty and disorderly rooms, and when mister to Brick took 2002 02:20:45.520 --> 02:20:48.639 him into the drawing room, it was evident that it 2003 02:20:48.680 --> 02:20:52.360 had been unused for several months. The dust lay so 2004 02:20:52.479 --> 02:20:58.280 thickly on all the furniture. After some conversation on indifferent topics, 2005 02:20:58.879 --> 02:21:02.280 canon Fox said to him, I have called really to 2006 02:21:02.319 --> 02:21:06.360 ask about my niece. Mister de Brick was silent for 2007 02:21:06.440 --> 02:21:11.280 some time, and then said, she is quite happy now. Ah. Indeed, 2008 02:21:11.959 --> 02:21:15.360 I have heard she is not living with you any longer. No, 2009 02:21:15.680 --> 02:21:18.079 she is not living with me. She is not far away. 2010 02:21:18.360 --> 02:21:21.879 I see her every day. Now, indeed, where does she 2011 02:21:21.959 --> 02:21:25.760 live in the woods with her children? I ought to 2012 02:21:25.760 --> 02:21:27.760 tell you that she has changed her shape. She is 2013 02:21:27.799 --> 02:21:32.920 a fox. The Reverend Canon Fox got up. He was alarmed, 2014 02:21:33.479 --> 02:21:37.639 and everything mister Brick said confirmed what he had been 2015 02:21:37.719 --> 02:21:41.440 led to expect he would find at Ryland's. When he 2016 02:21:41.559 --> 02:21:45.799 was outside, however, he asked, mister de Brigg, you don't 2017 02:21:45.799 --> 02:21:50.319 have many visitors now, eh No, I never see anyone 2018 02:21:50.360 --> 02:21:52.639 if I can avoid it. You are the first person 2019 02:21:52.680 --> 02:21:56.479 I've spoken to for months. Quite right, too, my dear Bollow, 2020 02:21:56.520 --> 02:22:00.600 I quite understand in the circumstances. Then the cleric shook 2021 02:22:00.639 --> 02:22:03.799 him by the hand, got into his carriage and drove away. 2022 02:22:04.639 --> 02:22:07.319 At any rate, He said to himself, there will be 2023 02:22:07.360 --> 02:22:12.239 no scandal. He was relieved also because mister to Brick 2024 02:22:12.319 --> 02:22:16.440 had said nothing about going abroad to disseminate the gospel. 2025 02:22:17.360 --> 02:22:20.520 Canon Fox had been alarmed by the letter, had not 2026 02:22:20.760 --> 02:22:23.799 answered it, and thought that it was always better to 2027 02:22:23.879 --> 02:22:27.680 let things be and never to refer to anything unpleasant. 2028 02:22:28.520 --> 02:22:31.200 He did not at all want to recommend mister to 2029 02:22:31.280 --> 02:22:35.200 Brick to the Bible Society. If he were mad, his 2030 02:22:35.399 --> 02:22:41.239 eccentricities would never be noticed. At Stokoe, besides that mister 2031 02:22:41.280 --> 02:22:45.040 de Brick had said he was happy. He was sorry 2032 02:22:45.040 --> 02:22:48.120 for mister Brick too, and he said to himself that 2033 02:22:48.200 --> 02:22:52.079 the queer girl, his niece, must have married him, because 2034 02:22:52.120 --> 02:22:55.399 he was the first man she had met. He reflected 2035 02:22:55.520 --> 02:22:58.399 also that he was never likely to see her again, 2036 02:22:58.479 --> 02:23:01.799 and said a lad when he had driven some little way. 2037 02:23:03.120 --> 02:23:09.239 Not an affectionate disposition, then to his coachman, no, that's 2038 02:23:09.280 --> 02:23:14.879 all right, drive on, Hopkins. When mister Tebrick was alone, 2039 02:23:15.639 --> 02:23:20.559 he rejoiced exceedingly. In his solitary life. He understood, or 2040 02:23:20.600 --> 02:23:23.879 so he fancied, what it was to be happy, and 2041 02:23:23.920 --> 02:23:27.799 that he had found complete happiness now, living from day 2042 02:23:27.840 --> 02:23:32.799 to day, careless of the future, surrounded every morning by 2043 02:23:32.879 --> 02:23:37.319 playful and affectionate little creatures whom he loved tenderly, and 2044 02:23:37.440 --> 02:23:41.520 sitting beside their mother, whose simple happiness was the source 2045 02:23:41.559 --> 02:23:47.079 of his own. True happiness, he said to himself, is 2046 02:23:47.120 --> 02:23:50.239 to be found in bestowing love. There is no such 2047 02:23:50.280 --> 02:23:53.360 happiness as that of the mother for her babe, and 2048 02:23:53.520 --> 02:23:56.399 as I have attained it in mind for my vixen 2049 02:23:56.559 --> 02:24:02.879 and her children. With these feelings, he waited impatiently for 2050 02:24:02.959 --> 02:24:05.799 the hour on the morrow when he might hasten to 2051 02:24:05.879 --> 02:24:10.200 them once more, When, however, he had toiled up the 2052 02:24:10.280 --> 02:24:14.920 hillside to the earth, taking infinite precaution not to tread 2053 02:24:14.959 --> 02:24:18.159 down the bracken or make a beaten path which might 2054 02:24:18.280 --> 02:24:21.719 lead others to that secret spot, he bound, to his 2055 02:24:21.840 --> 02:24:25.639 surprise that Solvia was not there, and that there were 2056 02:24:25.680 --> 02:24:28.879 no cubs to be seen either. He called to them, 2057 02:24:29.319 --> 02:24:32.600 but it was in vain, and at last he laid 2058 02:24:32.680 --> 02:24:37.079 himself on the mossy bank beside the earth and waited. 2059 02:24:38.879 --> 02:24:50.239 And of Part seven, Part eight of Lady into Fox 2060 02:24:50.479 --> 02:24:55.440 by David Garnet. This LibriVox recording is in the public 2061 02:24:55.520 --> 02:25:03.239 domain recording by Tony Addison. For a long while, as 2062 02:25:03.280 --> 02:25:06.799 it seemed to him, he lay very still with closed eyes, 2063 02:25:07.319 --> 02:25:10.559 straining his ears to hear every rustle among the leaves, 2064 02:25:11.040 --> 02:25:13.559 or any sound that might be the cub stirring in 2065 02:25:13.600 --> 02:25:17.639 the earth. At last he must have dropped asleep, for 2066 02:25:17.719 --> 02:25:22.000 he woke suddenly, with all his senses alert, and opening 2067 02:25:22.040 --> 02:25:25.600 his eyes, found a full grown fox within six feet 2068 02:25:25.600 --> 02:25:28.879 of him, sitting on its haunches like a dog and 2069 02:25:29.040 --> 02:25:33.799 watching his face with curiosity. Mister de Brick saw instantly 2070 02:25:34.000 --> 02:25:37.559 that it was not Soviet when he moved, the fox 2071 02:25:37.600 --> 02:25:41.639 got up and shifted his eyes, but still stood his ground, 2072 02:25:42.280 --> 02:25:45.440 and mister de Brick recognized him then, for the dog 2073 02:25:45.559 --> 02:25:49.360 fox he had seen once before, carrying a head. It 2074 02:25:49.559 --> 02:25:52.760 was the same dark beast with a large white tug 2075 02:25:52.879 --> 02:25:56.719 to his brush. Now the secret was out, and mister 2076 02:25:56.719 --> 02:26:00.559 de Brick could see his rival before him. Here was 2077 02:26:00.600 --> 02:26:04.159 the real father of his godchildren, who could be certain 2078 02:26:04.200 --> 02:26:08.399 of their taking after him and leading over again his 2079 02:26:08.639 --> 02:26:13.040 wild and rakish life. Mister to Brick stared for a 2080 02:26:13.120 --> 02:26:16.840 long time of the handsome rogue, who glanced back at 2081 02:26:16.879 --> 02:26:21.319 him with distrust and watchfulness patent in his face, but 2082 02:26:21.399 --> 02:26:25.159 not with that defiance too, And it seemed to mister 2083 02:26:25.239 --> 02:26:28.639 Tabrick as if there was also a touch of cynical 2084 02:26:28.799 --> 02:26:33.000 humor in his look, as if he said, by Dad, 2085 02:26:33.639 --> 02:26:39.159 we two have been strangely brought together. And to the man, 2086 02:26:39.399 --> 02:26:43.479 at any rate, it seemed strange that they were thus linked, 2087 02:26:44.000 --> 02:26:46.920 And he wondered if the love his rival there bare 2088 02:26:47.040 --> 02:26:50.239 to his vixen and his cubs were the same thing 2089 02:26:50.440 --> 02:26:53.879 in kind as his own. We would both of us 2090 02:26:53.920 --> 02:26:57.399 give our lives for theirs, he said to himself, as 2091 02:26:57.399 --> 02:27:00.479 he reasoned upon it, we both of us are happy 2092 02:27:00.559 --> 02:27:04.600 cheaply in their company. What pride this follow must feel 2093 02:27:04.920 --> 02:27:08.760 to have such a wife and such children taking after him? 2094 02:27:08.959 --> 02:27:11.879 And has he not reason for his pride? He lives 2095 02:27:11.920 --> 02:27:15.239 in a world where he is beset with a thousand dangers. 2096 02:27:15.799 --> 02:27:18.920 For half the year he is hunted every where, dogs 2097 02:27:18.959 --> 02:27:22.000 pursue him, men lay chaps with him, or menace him. 2098 02:27:22.440 --> 02:27:26.520 He owes nothing to another, but he did not speak, 2099 02:27:27.280 --> 02:27:31.319 knowing that his words would only alarm the fox. Then 2100 02:27:31.559 --> 02:27:34.479 in a few minutes he saw the dog fox look 2101 02:27:34.559 --> 02:27:38.319 over his shoulder, and then he trotted off, as likely 2102 02:27:38.440 --> 02:27:41.600 as a gossamer veil blown in the wind. And in 2103 02:27:41.639 --> 02:27:44.799 a minute or two more back he comes, with his 2104 02:27:44.920 --> 02:27:49.040 vixen and the cubs all around him. Seeing the dog 2105 02:27:49.159 --> 02:27:52.959 fox thus surrounded by vixen and cubs was too much 2106 02:27:53.000 --> 02:27:56.879 for mister Tubrick. In spite of all his philosophy, A 2107 02:27:56.920 --> 02:28:00.760 pang of jealousy shot through him. He could see that 2108 02:28:00.840 --> 02:28:04.040 Sylvia had been hunting with her cubs, and also that 2109 02:28:04.120 --> 02:28:06.920 she had forgotten that he would come that morning, for 2110 02:28:07.120 --> 02:28:10.159 she started when she saw him, and though she callously 2111 02:28:10.200 --> 02:28:13.040 licked his hand, he could see that her thoughts were 2112 02:28:13.040 --> 02:28:17.120 not with him. Very soon she led her cubs into 2113 02:28:17.159 --> 02:28:21.079 the earth. The dog fox had vanished, and mister Tubrick 2114 02:28:21.280 --> 02:28:26.600 was again alone. He did not wait longer, but went home. 2115 02:28:28.120 --> 02:28:31.520 Now was his peace of mind all gone, The happiness 2116 02:28:31.600 --> 02:28:34.440 which he had flattered himself the night before. He knew 2117 02:28:34.559 --> 02:28:37.559 so well her to enjoy. It seemed now but a 2118 02:28:37.600 --> 02:28:41.879 fool's paradise in which she had been living a hundred times. 2119 02:28:41.879 --> 02:28:46.440 This poor gentleman bit his lip, drew down his trbous brows, 2120 02:28:46.760 --> 02:28:51.239 and stamped his foot, and cursed himself bitterly or coldest 2121 02:28:51.319 --> 02:28:55.639 lady bitch. He could not forgive himself neither that he 2122 02:28:55.680 --> 02:28:58.920 had not thought of the damned dog fox before, but 2123 02:28:59.079 --> 02:29:02.079 all the while had let the cubs frisk round him, 2124 02:29:02.120 --> 02:29:04.520 each one a proof that a dog box had been 2125 02:29:04.559 --> 02:29:08.760 at work with his vixen. Yes, jealousy was now in 2126 02:29:08.840 --> 02:29:12.360 the wind, and every circumstance which had been a reason 2127 02:29:12.440 --> 02:29:16.120 for his felicity the night before, was now turned into 2128 02:29:16.159 --> 02:29:20.840 a monstrous feature of his nightmare. With all this, mister 2129 02:29:20.879 --> 02:29:23.879 to Brick so worked upon himself that for the time 2130 02:29:23.959 --> 02:29:27.879 being he had lost his reason. Black was white and 2131 02:29:28.040 --> 02:29:31.360 white black, And he was resolved that on the morrow 2132 02:29:31.959 --> 02:29:36.319 he would dig the wild brooder boxes out and shoot them, 2133 02:29:36.639 --> 02:29:41.440 and so free himself at last from this hellish plague. 2134 02:29:42.120 --> 02:29:45.159 All that night he was in this mood and in agony, 2135 02:29:45.879 --> 02:29:48.040 as if he had broken in the crown of a 2136 02:29:48.120 --> 02:29:52.120 tooth and bitten on the nerve. But as all things 2137 02:29:52.159 --> 02:29:55.600 will have an ending, so at last mister t Brick, 2138 02:29:56.159 --> 02:30:02.040 worn out and wearied by this loathed passion jealousy, fell 2139 02:30:02.159 --> 02:30:09.000 into an uneasy, untormented sleep. After an hour or two, 2140 02:30:09.520 --> 02:30:14.879 the procession of confused and jumbled images which first assailed 2141 02:30:14.959 --> 02:30:20.520 him passed away and subsided into one clear and powerful dream. 2142 02:30:21.879 --> 02:30:24.799 His wife was with him, in her own proper shape, 2143 02:30:25.520 --> 02:30:28.799 walking as they had been on that fatal day before 2144 02:30:28.840 --> 02:30:34.079 her transformation. Yet she was changed to for in her 2145 02:30:34.159 --> 02:30:39.079 face there were visible tokens of unhappiness, her face swollen 2146 02:30:39.159 --> 02:30:44.239 with crying, pale and downcast, her hair hanging in disorder, 2147 02:30:45.000 --> 02:30:49.000 her damp hands wringing a small handkerchief into a bow, 2148 02:30:49.959 --> 02:30:53.760 her whole body shaken with sobs, and an air of 2149 02:30:53.959 --> 02:30:59.399 long neglect about her person. Between her sobs, she was 2150 02:30:59.440 --> 02:31:03.040 confessing to him some crime which she had committed. But 2151 02:31:03.120 --> 02:31:06.200 he did not catch the broken words, nor did he 2152 02:31:06.239 --> 02:31:09.760 wish to hear them, for he was dull by his sorrow. 2153 02:31:11.000 --> 02:31:14.479 So they continued walking together in sadness, as it were, 2154 02:31:14.559 --> 02:31:19.319 forever here, with his arm about her waist, she turning 2155 02:31:19.360 --> 02:31:22.840 her head to him and often casting her eyes down 2156 02:31:22.959 --> 02:31:27.760 in distress. At last they sat down, and he spoke, saying, 2157 02:31:28.920 --> 02:31:31.719 I know they are not my children, but I shall 2158 02:31:31.719 --> 02:31:35.200 not use them barbarously. Because of that you are still 2159 02:31:35.280 --> 02:31:38.799 my wife. I swear to you they shall never be neglected. 2160 02:31:39.479 --> 02:31:43.799 I will pay for their education. Then he began turning 2161 02:31:43.879 --> 02:31:47.600 over the names of schools in his mind. Eaton would 2162 02:31:47.680 --> 02:31:51.840 not do, nor Harrow, nor Winchester, nor Rugby. But he 2163 02:31:51.879 --> 02:31:54.520 could not tell why these schools would not do for 2164 02:31:54.600 --> 02:31:58.600 these children of hers. He only knew that every school 2165 02:31:58.639 --> 02:32:03.200 he thought of what impossible, But surely one could be found. 2166 02:32:04.280 --> 02:32:07.799 So turning over the names of schools, he sat for 2167 02:32:07.879 --> 02:32:11.799 a long while, holding his dear wife's hand, till at length, 2168 02:32:12.120 --> 02:32:15.479 still weeping. She got up and went away, And then 2169 02:32:15.520 --> 02:32:19.239 slowly he awoke. But even when he had opened his 2170 02:32:19.399 --> 02:32:23.639 eyes and looked about him, he was thinking of schools, 2171 02:32:23.719 --> 02:32:26.399 saying to himself that he must send them to a 2172 02:32:26.479 --> 02:32:31.239 private academy, or even at the worst engaged a tutor. Why, yes, 2173 02:32:31.760 --> 02:32:34.399 he said to himself, putting one put out of bed. 2174 02:32:34.799 --> 02:32:37.680 That is what it must be, a tutor. Though even 2175 02:32:37.799 --> 02:32:42.840 then there will be a difficulty. At first at those words, 2176 02:32:42.879 --> 02:32:47.360 he wondered what difficulty there would be, and recollected that 2177 02:32:47.399 --> 02:32:53.879 they were not ordinary children. No, they were foxes, mere foxes. 2178 02:32:55.440 --> 02:32:59.040 When poor mister Tubrigg had remembered this, he was, as 2179 02:32:59.079 --> 02:33:03.200 it were, dazed or stunned by the fact, and for 2180 02:33:03.239 --> 02:33:07.280 a long time he could understand nothing, but at last 2181 02:33:07.360 --> 02:33:11.680 burst into a flood of tears, compassionating them and himself too. 2182 02:33:12.879 --> 02:33:16.719 The awfulness of the fact itself that his dear wife 2183 02:33:17.000 --> 02:33:20.760 should have foxes instead of children filled him with an 2184 02:33:20.840 --> 02:33:25.239 agony of pity, and at them. When he recollected the 2185 02:33:25.319 --> 02:33:29.200 cause of their being foxes, that is that his wife 2186 02:33:29.280 --> 02:33:32.760 was a fox also, his tears broke out, and knew 2187 02:33:33.239 --> 02:33:36.360 and he could bear it no longer, but began calling 2188 02:33:36.440 --> 02:33:39.479 out in his anguish, and beat his head once or 2189 02:33:39.520 --> 02:33:42.680 twice against the wall, and then cast himself down on 2190 02:33:42.760 --> 02:33:46.799 his bed again, and wept and wept, sometimes tearing the 2191 02:33:46.879 --> 02:33:50.760 sheets asunder with his teeth the whole of that day, 2192 02:33:51.360 --> 02:33:53.280 For he was not to go to the earth till 2193 02:33:53.319 --> 02:33:58.440 evening he went about sorrowfully, torn by true pity for 2194 02:33:58.559 --> 02:34:02.920 his poor vixen and her chair children. At last, when 2195 02:34:02.959 --> 02:34:06.239 the time came, he went again up to the earth, 2196 02:34:06.600 --> 02:34:10.520 which he found deserted. But hearing his voice, out came Esther. 2197 02:34:11.440 --> 02:34:14.399 But though he called the others by their names, there 2198 02:34:14.479 --> 02:34:18.159 was no answer, and something in the way the cub 2199 02:34:18.239 --> 02:34:22.959 greeted him made him fancy she was indeed alone. She 2200 02:34:23.079 --> 02:34:26.719 was truly rejoiced to see him, and scrambled up into 2201 02:34:26.760 --> 02:34:31.120 his arms and thence to his shoulder, kissing him, which 2202 02:34:31.159 --> 02:34:35.799 was unusual in her, though natural enough in her sister Angelicate. 2203 02:34:37.040 --> 02:34:40.479 He sat down a little way from the earth, fondling her, 2204 02:34:41.040 --> 02:34:43.239 and fed her with some fish she had brought by 2205 02:34:43.280 --> 02:34:47.760 her mother, which she ate so ravenously that he concluded 2206 02:34:47.959 --> 02:34:50.799 she must have been sure to food that day, and 2207 02:34:50.959 --> 02:34:55.559 probably alone for some time. At last, while he was 2208 02:34:55.600 --> 02:35:00.440 sitting there, Esther pricked up, her ears started up, and 2209 02:35:00.559 --> 02:35:03.680 presently mister to Brigg saw his vixen come towards them. 2210 02:35:04.760 --> 02:35:09.239 She greeted him very affectionately, but it was plain had 2211 02:35:09.280 --> 02:35:12.959 not much time to spare, for she soon started back 2212 02:35:13.000 --> 02:35:16.239 when she had come with Esther at her side. When 2213 02:35:16.239 --> 02:35:19.440 they had gone about a rod, the cub hung back 2214 02:35:19.840 --> 02:35:23.040 and kept stopping and looking back to the earth, and 2215 02:35:23.159 --> 02:35:26.559 at last turned and ran back home. But her mother 2216 02:35:26.719 --> 02:35:30.079 was not to be fobbed opso, for she quickly overtook 2217 02:35:30.120 --> 02:35:33.319 her child, and, gripping her by the scrub, began to 2218 02:35:33.440 --> 02:35:37.920 drag her along with her. Mister to Brigg, seeing then 2219 02:35:38.159 --> 02:35:42.559 how mutters stood, spoke to her, telling her he would 2220 02:35:42.639 --> 02:35:46.959 carry esther if she would lead. So after a little 2221 02:35:46.959 --> 02:35:50.920 while Sylvia gave her over, and then they set out 2222 02:35:51.040 --> 02:35:55.479 on their strange journey. Sylvia went running on a little 2223 02:35:55.479 --> 02:35:59.760 before while mister to Brigg followed after, with Esther in 2224 02:35:59.799 --> 02:36:05.319 his arms, whimpering and struggling now to be free. And indeed, 2225 02:36:06.000 --> 02:36:09.200 once she gave him a nip with her teeth, this 2226 02:36:09.399 --> 02:36:12.079 was not so strange a thing to him now, and 2227 02:36:12.200 --> 02:36:15.040 he knew the remedy for it, which is much the 2228 02:36:15.079 --> 02:36:18.600 same as with others whose tempers run too high, that 2229 02:36:18.840 --> 02:36:22.639 is a taste of it themselves. Mister to Brick shook 2230 02:36:22.680 --> 02:36:26.239 her and gave her a smart little cup, after which 2231 02:36:26.399 --> 02:36:31.159 though she sulked, she stopped her biting. They went thus 2232 02:36:31.319 --> 02:36:35.360 above a mile, circling his house, and crossing the highway 2233 02:36:36.000 --> 02:36:39.479 until they gained a small cupboard that lay with some 2234 02:36:39.600 --> 02:36:43.840 waste fields adjacent to it. And by this time it 2235 02:36:44.000 --> 02:36:46.559 was so dark that it was all mister to Brick 2236 02:36:46.600 --> 02:36:49.239 could do to pick his wed, for it was not 2237 02:36:49.479 --> 02:36:53.120 always easy for him to follow where his vixen bound 2238 02:36:53.120 --> 02:36:56.719 a big enough row for herself. But at length they 2239 02:36:56.799 --> 02:37:01.000 came to another earth, and by the starlight, mister de 2240 02:37:01.079 --> 02:37:04.559 Brigg could just make out the other cubs skylarking in 2241 02:37:04.639 --> 02:37:09.280 the shadows. Now he was tired, but he was happy 2242 02:37:09.920 --> 02:37:14.479 and laughed softly for joy. And presently his vixen, coming 2243 02:37:14.559 --> 02:37:17.799 to him, put her feet upon his shoulders as he 2244 02:37:17.879 --> 02:37:21.280 sat on the ground, and licked him. And he kissed 2245 02:37:21.280 --> 02:37:25.120 her back on the muzzle, and gathered her in his arms, 2246 02:37:25.239 --> 02:37:28.440 and rolled her in his jacket, and then laughed and 2247 02:37:28.559 --> 02:37:32.920 wept by turns in the excess of his joy. All 2248 02:37:32.959 --> 02:37:37.319 his jealousies of the night before were forgotten. Now, all 2249 02:37:37.360 --> 02:37:40.559 his desperate sorrow of the morning, and the horror of 2250 02:37:40.639 --> 02:37:45.000 his dream were gone. What if they were foxes? Mister 2251 02:37:45.079 --> 02:37:48.280 de Brigg found that he could be happy with them. 2252 02:37:48.719 --> 02:37:51.319 As the weather was hot, he lay out there all 2253 02:37:51.360 --> 02:37:54.520 the night first playing hide and seek with them in 2254 02:37:54.559 --> 02:38:00.079 the dark, tilt, missing his vixen, and the cubs proving obstreperous, 2255 02:38:00.440 --> 02:38:04.559 he lay down and was soon asleep. He was woken 2256 02:38:04.639 --> 02:38:08.000 up soon after dawn by one of the cubs tugging 2257 02:38:08.040 --> 02:38:12.000 at his shoelaces in play. When he sat up, he 2258 02:38:12.040 --> 02:38:14.360 saw two of the cubs standing near him on their 2259 02:38:14.440 --> 02:38:18.440 hind legs, rustling with each other. The other two were 2260 02:38:18.479 --> 02:38:22.200 playing hide and seek round a tree trunk. And now 2261 02:38:22.399 --> 02:38:26.120 Angelica let go his neceays and came romping into his 2262 02:38:26.360 --> 02:38:29.479 arms to kiss him and say good morning to him, 2263 02:38:30.520 --> 02:38:34.559 then worrying the points of his waistcoat a little shyly 2264 02:38:35.239 --> 02:38:40.000 after the warmth of his embrace. That moment of awakening 2265 02:38:40.280 --> 02:38:43.719 was very sweet to him. The freshness of the morning, 2266 02:38:44.319 --> 02:38:48.159 the scent of everything, of the day's rebirth, the first 2267 02:38:48.239 --> 02:38:50.799 beams of the sun upon a tree top near it, 2268 02:38:51.559 --> 02:38:56.959 and a pigeon rising into the air suddenly all delighted him. 2269 02:38:57.520 --> 02:38:59.959 Even the rough scent of the body of the cubin 2270 02:39:00.120 --> 02:39:06.239 his arms seemed to him delicious. At that moment, all 2271 02:39:06.440 --> 02:39:11.319 human customs and institutions seemed to him nothing but folly, 2272 02:39:12.000 --> 02:39:15.559 For said he, I would exchange all my life as 2273 02:39:15.600 --> 02:39:18.959 a man for my happiness now, and even now I 2274 02:39:19.040 --> 02:39:23.239 retain almost all of the ridiculous conceptions of a man. 2275 02:39:24.000 --> 02:39:27.280 The beasts are happier, and I will deserve that happiness 2276 02:39:27.360 --> 02:39:30.879 is best I can. After he had looked at the 2277 02:39:30.959 --> 02:39:36.559 cubs playing merrily, how with soft stuff one would creep 2278 02:39:36.600 --> 02:39:40.360 behind another to bounce out and startle him. A thought 2279 02:39:40.479 --> 02:39:44.360 came into mister Tebrick's head, and that was that these 2280 02:39:44.399 --> 02:39:49.479 cubs were innocent. They were a stainless snow. They could 2281 02:39:49.520 --> 02:39:53.280 not send, for God had created them to be thus, 2282 02:39:53.760 --> 02:39:57.559 and they could break none of his commandments. And he 2283 02:39:57.719 --> 02:40:01.760 fancied also that men say and because they cannot be 2284 02:40:02.079 --> 02:40:06.680 as the animals. Presently, he got up, full of happiness, 2285 02:40:07.360 --> 02:40:10.879 and began making his way home, when suddenly he came 2286 02:40:10.959 --> 02:40:14.360 to a full stop and asked himself, what is going 2287 02:40:14.360 --> 02:40:19.959 to happen to them? This question rooted him stockishly and 2288 02:40:20.000 --> 02:40:23.000 a cold and deadly feared, as if he had seen 2289 02:40:23.040 --> 02:40:26.559 a snake before him. At last, he shook his head 2290 02:40:26.879 --> 02:40:31.440 and hurried on his path. I indeed, what would become 2291 02:40:31.479 --> 02:40:35.479 of his vixen and her children? This thought put him 2292 02:40:35.520 --> 02:40:38.600 into such a fever of apprehension that he did his 2293 02:40:38.680 --> 02:40:41.600 best not to think of it anymore, But yet it 2294 02:40:41.680 --> 02:40:44.600 stayed with him all that day and for weeks after, 2295 02:40:45.159 --> 02:40:47.799 at the back of his mind, so that he was 2296 02:40:47.840 --> 02:40:51.079 not careless in his happiness as before, but as it were, 2297 02:40:51.799 --> 02:40:56.639 trying continually to escape his own thoughts. This made him 2298 02:40:56.719 --> 02:40:59.639 also anxious to pass all the time he could with 2299 02:40:59.760 --> 02:41:03.959 his dear Soviet, and therefore he began going out to 2300 02:41:04.000 --> 02:41:06.879 them for more of the daytime, and then he would 2301 02:41:06.920 --> 02:41:09.760 sleep the night in the woods, also as he had 2302 02:41:09.799 --> 02:41:14.120 done that night. And so he passed several weeks owner 2303 02:41:14.159 --> 02:41:17.799 returning to his house occasionally to get himself a fresh 2304 02:41:17.840 --> 02:41:21.639 provision of food. But after a week or ten days 2305 02:41:21.680 --> 02:41:24.959 at the new Earth, both his vixen and the cubs 2306 02:41:25.040 --> 02:41:28.639 too got a new habit of roaming for a long 2307 02:41:28.840 --> 02:41:32.920 while back, as he knew his vixen had been lying 2308 02:41:32.959 --> 02:41:36.120 out alone most of the day, and now the cubs 2309 02:41:36.120 --> 02:41:40.120 were all for doing the same thing. The earth, in short, 2310 02:41:40.479 --> 02:41:44.600 had served its purpose and was now distasteful to them, 2311 02:41:44.840 --> 02:41:48.000 and they would not enter it unless pressed with fear. 2312 02:41:49.319 --> 02:41:52.719 This new manner of their lives was an added grief 2313 02:41:52.799 --> 02:41:56.520 to mister Tubrick, for sometimes he missed them for hours together, 2314 02:41:57.239 --> 02:42:00.360 or for the whole day even, and not knowing where 2315 02:42:00.399 --> 02:42:04.159 they might be, was lonely and anxious. Yet his Sylvia 2316 02:42:04.280 --> 02:42:07.959 was thoughtful for him too, and would often send Angelicate 2317 02:42:08.520 --> 02:42:10.840 or another of the cubs to petch him to their 2318 02:42:10.840 --> 02:42:14.600 new lad or come herself if she could spare the time. 2319 02:42:15.600 --> 02:42:18.719 For now they were all perfectly accustomed to his presence 2320 02:42:19.360 --> 02:42:22.319 and had come to look on him as their natural companion. 2321 02:42:23.239 --> 02:42:26.440 And although he was in many ways irksome to them 2322 02:42:26.799 --> 02:42:31.079 by scaring rabbits, yet they always rejoiced to see him 2323 02:42:31.520 --> 02:42:35.680 when they had been parted from him. This friendliness of 2324 02:42:35.719 --> 02:42:39.319 theirs was, you may be sure, the source of most 2325 02:42:39.360 --> 02:42:44.239 of mister Tebrick's happiness at this time. Indeed, he lived 2326 02:42:44.319 --> 02:42:47.639 now for nothing but his foxes. His love for is 2327 02:42:47.799 --> 02:42:53.159 Rixen had extended itself insensibly to include her cubs, and 2328 02:42:53.319 --> 02:42:57.040 these were now his daily playmates, so that he knew 2329 02:42:57.079 --> 02:42:59.799 them as well as if they had been his own children. 2330 02:43:00.840 --> 02:43:05.840 With Selwyn and Angelica, indeed, he was always happy, and 2331 02:43:05.920 --> 02:43:09.239 they never so much as when they were with him. 2332 02:43:09.920 --> 02:43:13.120 He was not stoop in his behavior, either, but had 2333 02:43:13.200 --> 02:43:16.799 learnt by this time as much from his boxes as 2334 02:43:16.840 --> 02:43:21.159 they had from him. Indeed, never was there a more 2335 02:43:21.239 --> 02:43:25.840 curious alliance than this, or one with stronger effects upon 2336 02:43:25.959 --> 02:43:30.799 both of the parties. Mister Tubrick now could follow after 2337 02:43:30.879 --> 02:43:34.559 them anywhere, and keep up with them too, and could 2338 02:43:34.559 --> 02:43:38.600 go through a wood as silently as a deer. He 2339 02:43:38.719 --> 02:43:42.319 learned to conceal himself if ever a laborer passed by, 2340 02:43:42.799 --> 02:43:46.120 so that he was rarely seen, and never but once 2341 02:43:46.360 --> 02:43:50.200 in their company. But what was most strange of all, 2342 02:43:51.079 --> 02:43:54.120 he had got a way of going doubled up, often 2343 02:43:54.239 --> 02:43:57.719 almost on all fours, with his hands touching the ground 2344 02:43:57.799 --> 02:44:00.959 every now and then, particularly when he went up hill. 2345 02:44:02.200 --> 02:44:06.120 He hunted with them too, sometimes cheaply by coming up 2346 02:44:06.159 --> 02:44:10.159 and scaring rabbits towards where the cubs lay, ambushed so 2347 02:44:10.200 --> 02:44:13.920 that the bunnies ran straight into their jaws. He was 2348 02:44:14.040 --> 02:44:17.520 useful to them in other ways, climbing up and robbing 2349 02:44:17.600 --> 02:44:22.159 pigeons nests for the eggs, which they relished exceedingly, or 2350 02:44:22.200 --> 02:44:26.280 by occasionally dispatching a hedgehog for them, so they did 2351 02:44:26.319 --> 02:44:30.000 not get the prickles in their mouths. But while on 2352 02:44:30.040 --> 02:44:34.680 his part he thus altered his conduct, they on their side, 2353 02:44:35.079 --> 02:44:39.000 were not behindhand, but learned a dozen human tricks from 2354 02:44:39.040 --> 02:44:45.879 him that are ordinarily wanting in Reynard's education. One evening 2355 02:44:46.520 --> 02:44:49.079 he went to a cottager who had a row of 2356 02:44:49.159 --> 02:44:53.280 skeps and bought one of them, just as it was 2357 02:44:53.680 --> 02:44:57.559 after the man had smothered the bees. This he carried 2358 02:44:57.559 --> 02:45:00.959 to the foxes, that they might taste the honey, for 2359 02:45:01.079 --> 02:45:04.399 he had seen them dig out wild bees nests often enough. 2360 02:45:05.399 --> 02:45:10.479 The skeepful was indeed a wonderful feast for them. They 2361 02:45:10.520 --> 02:45:14.799 bit greedily into the heavy scented comb. Their jaws were 2362 02:45:14.920 --> 02:45:18.719 drowned in the sticky blood of sweetness, and they gorged 2363 02:45:18.760 --> 02:45:22.719 themselves on it without restraint. When they had crunched up 2364 02:45:22.760 --> 02:45:26.280 the last morsel, they tore the skeep in pieces, and 2365 02:45:26.360 --> 02:45:31.639 for hours afterwards they were happily employed in licking themselves clean. 2366 02:45:33.280 --> 02:45:36.879 That night he slept near their lad, but they left 2367 02:45:36.920 --> 02:45:40.040 him and went hunting. In the morning, when he woke, 2368 02:45:40.559 --> 02:45:42.879 he was quite numb with cold and faint with hunger. 2369 02:45:43.719 --> 02:45:47.079 A white nest hung over everything, and the wood smelt 2370 02:45:47.079 --> 02:45:51.319 of autumn. He got up and stretched his cramped limbs, 2371 02:45:51.760 --> 02:45:56.840 and then walked homewards. The summer was over, and mister 2372 02:45:56.920 --> 02:45:59.479 Tubrick noticed this now for the first time. It was 2373 02:45:59.520 --> 02:46:03.799 a stunner. He reflected that the cubs were past growing up. 2374 02:46:04.319 --> 02:46:07.559 They were boxes at all points, And yet when he 2375 02:46:07.600 --> 02:46:10.760 thought of the time when they had been sooti and 2376 02:46:10.879 --> 02:46:15.920 had blue eyes, it seemed to him only yesterday. From 2377 02:46:15.959 --> 02:46:19.799 that he passed to thinking of the future, asking himself, 2378 02:46:19.959 --> 02:46:23.200 as he had done once before, what would become of 2379 02:46:23.239 --> 02:46:27.639 his vixen and her children before the winter. He must 2380 02:46:27.639 --> 02:46:31.559 tempt them into the security of his garden and fortify 2381 02:46:31.600 --> 02:46:35.879 it against all the dangers that threatened them. But though 2382 02:46:35.879 --> 02:46:39.520 we tried to allay his fear with such resolutions, he 2383 02:46:39.639 --> 02:46:43.360 remained uneasy all that day. When he went out to 2384 02:46:43.440 --> 02:46:47.479 them that afternoon, he found only his wife Sylvia there, 2385 02:46:48.159 --> 02:46:51.520 and it was plain to him that she too was alarmed. 2386 02:46:51.559 --> 02:46:55.559 But alas poor creature, she could tell him nothing, only 2387 02:46:55.559 --> 02:46:58.840 lick his hands and face, and turn about, pricking her 2388 02:46:58.879 --> 02:47:04.040 ears at every so And where are your children, Sylvia? 2389 02:47:04.239 --> 02:47:08.360 He asked her several times, but she was impatient of 2390 02:47:08.440 --> 02:47:13.239 his questions, but at last sprang into his arms, flattened 2391 02:47:13.239 --> 02:47:17.120 herself upon his breast, and kissed him gently, so that 2392 02:47:17.200 --> 02:47:21.360 when they departed, his heart was lighter, because he knew 2393 02:47:21.399 --> 02:47:26.079 that she still loved him. That night he slept indoors, 2394 02:47:26.920 --> 02:47:30.120 but in the morning early he was awoken by the 2395 02:47:30.200 --> 02:47:34.120 sound of trotting horses, and running to the window saw 2396 02:47:34.159 --> 02:47:38.280 a farmer riding by, very sprucely dressed. Could they be 2397 02:47:38.360 --> 02:47:42.879 hunting so soon, he wondered, but presently reassured himself that 2398 02:47:43.000 --> 02:47:46.239 he could not be a hunt. Already he heard no 2399 02:47:46.360 --> 02:47:50.159 other sound till eleven o'clock in the morning, when suddenly 2400 02:47:50.680 --> 02:47:54.000 there was the clamor of hounds giving tongue, and not 2401 02:47:54.159 --> 02:47:58.079 so far off neither. At this mister t Brick ran 2402 02:47:58.159 --> 02:48:01.399 out of his house, distracted, and set open the gates 2403 02:48:01.399 --> 02:48:04.879 of his garden, but with iron bars and wire at 2404 02:48:04.879 --> 02:48:08.719 the top so the huntsmen could not follow. There was 2405 02:48:08.840 --> 02:48:12.760 silence again. It seems the fox must have turned away, 2406 02:48:13.360 --> 02:48:16.680 for there was no other sound of the hunt. Mister 2407 02:48:16.719 --> 02:48:19.959 to Brigg was now like one helpless with beer. He 2408 02:48:20.120 --> 02:48:23.360 dared not go out. It could not stay still at home. 2409 02:48:24.200 --> 02:48:26.799 There was nothing that he could do, yet he would 2410 02:48:26.799 --> 02:48:30.799 not admit this, so he busied himself in making holes 2411 02:48:30.879 --> 02:48:34.760 in the hedges so that Sylvia or her cubs could 2412 02:48:34.920 --> 02:48:38.840 enter from whatever side she came. At last, he forced 2413 02:48:38.920 --> 02:48:42.760 himself to go indoors and sit down and drink some tea. 2414 02:48:43.520 --> 02:48:47.000 While he was there, he fancied he heard the hounds again. 2415 02:48:47.799 --> 02:48:50.559 It was but a faint, ghostly echo of their music. 2416 02:48:51.159 --> 02:48:53.440 Yet when he ran out of the house, it was 2417 02:48:53.520 --> 02:48:57.639 already close at hand. In the cops above. Now it 2418 02:48:57.920 --> 02:49:02.200 was that poor mister Brick made his great mistake. For, 2419 02:49:02.319 --> 02:49:06.239 hearing the hounds almost outside the gate, he ran to 2420 02:49:06.280 --> 02:49:09.879 meet them, whereas rightly he should have run back to 2421 02:49:09.920 --> 02:49:13.200 the house. As soon as he reached the gate, he 2422 02:49:13.239 --> 02:49:17.840 saw his wife Sylvia, coming towards him, but very tired 2423 02:49:17.879 --> 02:49:21.600 with running, and just upon the hounds. The horror of 2424 02:49:21.680 --> 02:49:25.520 that sight pierced him forever afterwards. He was haunted by 2425 02:49:25.520 --> 02:49:29.639 those hounds, their eagerness, their desperate efforts to gain on her, 2426 02:49:29.959 --> 02:49:33.159 and their blind lust burg came at odd moments to 2427 02:49:33.239 --> 02:49:37.040 frighten him all his life. Now he should have run back, 2428 02:49:37.399 --> 02:49:40.639 though it was already late, but instead he cried out 2429 02:49:40.680 --> 02:49:43.879 to her, and she ran straight through the open gate 2430 02:49:43.920 --> 02:49:47.559 to him. What followed was all over in a flash, 2431 02:49:47.799 --> 02:49:51.719 but it was seen by many witnesses. The side of 2432 02:49:51.799 --> 02:49:55.200 mister de Brick's garden there is bounded by a wall 2433 02:49:55.280 --> 02:49:58.719 about six feet high. And curving round so that the 2434 02:49:58.799 --> 02:50:02.840 huntsman could see over this wall inside. One of them 2435 02:50:02.920 --> 02:50:06.159 indeed put his horse at it very boldly, which was 2436 02:50:06.239 --> 02:50:09.600 risking his neck, And although we got over safe, was 2437 02:50:09.639 --> 02:50:13.600 too late to be of much assistance his brixen and 2438 02:50:13.680 --> 02:50:17.959 at one sprung into mister Brick's arms, and before we 2439 02:50:18.000 --> 02:50:21.159 could turn back, the hounds were upon them and had 2440 02:50:21.159 --> 02:50:24.680 pulled them down. Then at that moment there was a 2441 02:50:24.719 --> 02:50:28.000 scream of despair heard by all the field that had 2442 02:50:28.000 --> 02:50:31.399 come up, which they declared afterwards was more like a 2443 02:50:31.440 --> 02:50:34.600 woman's voice than a man's. But yet there was no 2444 02:50:34.840 --> 02:50:38.479 clear proof whether it was mister Tubrick or his wife, 2445 02:50:38.760 --> 02:50:43.440 who had suddenly regained her voice. When the huntsman who 2446 02:50:43.520 --> 02:50:46.239 had let the wall got to them and had whipped 2447 02:50:46.280 --> 02:50:49.600 up the hounds, mister to Brick had been terribly muled 2448 02:50:50.000 --> 02:50:53.840 and was bleeding from twenty wounds. As for his rixen, 2449 02:50:53.920 --> 02:50:57.000 she was dead, though we were still clasping her dead 2450 02:50:57.040 --> 02:51:01.159 body in his arms. Mister Brick was carried into the 2451 02:51:01.159 --> 02:51:05.120 house at once and assistants sent for, But there was 2452 02:51:05.159 --> 02:51:07.760 no doubt now about his neighbors being in the right 2453 02:51:08.319 --> 02:51:12.000 when they called him mad. For a long while, his 2454 02:51:12.159 --> 02:51:16.040 life was dispared up, but at last he rallied, and 2455 02:51:16.120 --> 02:51:19.000 in the end he recovered his reason and lived to 2456 02:51:19.040 --> 02:51:23.239 be a great age. For that matter, he is still 2457 02:51:23.280 --> 02:51:31.639 alive and of Part eight and of Lady into Fox 2458 02:51:32.399 --> 02:51:33.719 by David Garnett,