The Willows and Beyond Read Online Free PDF

reached Toad Hall by now at the speed it was going! Concentrate on … drat!”
    The diversion caused by Master Toad had quite distracted the normally masterful Rat, and but for Nephew’s liberal use of a boathook, and the Mole’s dabbling with an oar, they would certainly have hit the bank rather harder than they did.
    “Humph!” exclaimed the Rat, getting them back on course. “No more conversation amongst the crew, if you don’t mind!”

    “Uncle, did you see?” whispered Nephew a little later. The Mole nodded with resignation, and told Nephew to say no more about it, the Rat was already in a bad enough mood as it was.
    Of course he had seen, seen all too clearly: a gentleman of large and stocky build in the front passenger seat of the motor-car, gagged and bound. And in the rear two more, clearly dealt with in the same way While in the driver’s seat, scarf flying, laughing and behaving in a manner that was entirely reprehensible, was a toad who looked very much as Toad used to look in days gone by, when he was enjoying himself at other people’s expense.

    “But, Pater,” which is what Master Toad called his guardian when he knew he had gone too far and felt that a show of respect might not go amiss, “had you only told me that the gentleman who claimed to be in your employ had been sent by you to Dover to see me safely home, and not to abduct me and demand a large ransom for my safe return, which is the impression he very soon gave, then of course I would not have treated him as I did.
    “But I must say that my suspicions regarding his claim to be a former policeman of considerable experience were very amply confirmed when he allowed himself to be bound with his own handcuffs and gagged with his own handkerchief I know how you detest constables, along with lawyers, churchmen and others who generally seek to curb our liberties, and I could not imagine for one moment you would employ one, let alone three. Really I cannot be blamed for anything that happened!”

    Toad did not for one moment believe a word of this nonsense, but then the ex-constable had not made his case easier by being duped by a mere youth. Toad knew perfectly well that he would have tried the same trick, and that he would have felt as smug as Master Toad now looked if he had pulled it off.
    Yet Toad was not entirely down-hearted by the nature of his ward’s arrival, for whatever the rights and wrongs of the affair it gave him an early opportunity to lay down the law regarding duties and responsibilities, much as he had outlined them to the Mole some weeks before. To his surprise and relief Master Toad did not raise any objections, rather the opposite in fact, for he claimed to be very eager to get on with some schoolwork, and overjoyed to have a timetable to follow, and strict meal times to observe.
    “I am in need of improvement,” said Master Toad piously, “for I ‘ave wasted my schooldays in laziness and foolishness and now I must work and be good.”
    Toad could scarcely believe his ears — indeed he did not believe his ears, and concluded that far from knocking some sense into the youth, the Grand Tour had encouraged him towards a high level of accomplishment in acting, which might, if all else failed, help Master Toad find ready employment upon the stage.
    “When did you come to realize the errors of your ways?” asked the suspicious Toad.
    “It was when I was in Rome at confession after ‘oly Communion in St Paul’s Cathedral. I see a light, I hear a voice saying, ‘Henri, be good, study ‘ard,’ and I confess my sins to the padre.”
    “St Paul’s you say?” said Toad evenly.
    “Exactement!” came the reply, and the over-confident embellishment gave the game away, “I ‘ave seen the name upon a board outside: ‘St Paul’s, the Pope’s Own Church.’ ‘Ave you been to Rome, Monsieur Toad?”
    “As a matter of fact, I have — my father sent me at about your age, for much the same reason, and with about the