The Willows and Beyond Read Free Page B

a journey to the Town was never to his taste, particularly on so promising a day as this and with the River’s warning of yesterday still so much on his mind.
    “It will take me a good deal more than a day to get there in my boat,” said the Rat, “for I shall have to row all the way There’s nothing for it but to borrow Toad’s motor-launch.”
    Having escorted the postman to the Iron Bridge and said their farewells, and with the collection card carefully stowed away in Rat’s inside pocket, they marched purposefully up to Toad Hall to see if they might borrow Toad’s launch for the day.
    It had been some time since any of them had seen Toad. They found him in the great hall by his front door studying a good many packing cases of all shapes and sizes of which he had evidently recently taken delivery. They all had upon them the imprint of the Town’s best-known emporium for the better classes and, stencilled in black, the words: IMMEDIATE DELIVERY.
    Toad’s greeting, normally so effusive and generous-hearted, was on this occasion subdued. He was sitting in a chair, eyeing the cases as if he were summoning up the energy and courage to open them.
    “O, hub!” he said in a preoccupied way.

    “Anything we can help with, old fellow?” offered the practical Rat.
    “I am afraid not,” said Toad.
    “Is this, perhaps, some new equipment for your home?” suggested the Mole, his curiosity getting the better of him.
    “My home? No,” muttered Toad, “nor even for me.” Then he rose up, paced about, sighed a good deal and said, “But what’s the use of talking to you fellows, who have no real responsibilities except towards yourselves, whereas I have parental duties to consider, and much else to worry about? Now what can I do for you?”
    It was plain that Toad did not wish to be pressed further, so the Rat quickly explained why they so much needed to borrow his launch. Toad was only too happy to oblige, for whatever else one might say about Toad of Toad Hall, he was never mean with his possessions. But as for going with them..
    “Much as I would like to, you fellows really must try to understand that I have a good deal to attend to today, and much to worry about, so very much! You go off and have a good time, but if you have a moment to spare a thought for me, please do so. You see, in addition to this delivery I have to deal with, he’s coming home today”
    “Ah!” exclaimed the Mole. “I quite forgot; so he is.”
    “Who?” enquired the puzzled Rat.
    “Master Toad,” said the Mole quietly.
    “Ah! Yes, well, we’d best be on our way” said the Rat hastily, adding with not entirely convincing regret, “but you’re definitely not able to come with us?”
    “You’ll just have to do your very best to have a good time without me,” said Toad, showing them out onto the terrace. “You know where my craft is, Ratty, and how it works, just as well as I do; better in fact! Now off you go, for I have so much to do!”
    With that he dashed inside as the others made their way down to his boat-house. In no time at all the Rat had the motor-launch out on the River, and had turned it expertly upstream towards the Town; while behind them, though the River Bank was aflame with autumn sun, the River itself was still and sombre, its surface seeming already to reflect the dark hues of approaching winter.

 

    II
    Master Toad

    What so preoccupied Toad that day was the same matter that had preoccupied him daily and weekly in the years since he had assumed guardianship of his distant relative, the Count d’Albert-Chapelle, and accepted the spoilt youth into his house and home.
    The once carefree Toad, who for most of his life had only himself to think about, was now in a nearly constant state of worry and concern about his youthful kin, whose return from a Grand Tour of the Continent was expected at any moment.
    He was no longer called “The Count” along the River Bank, however, except occasionally by Toad when