black beauty-第29部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



in　one　of　the　West　End　Squares。　　We　set　them　down　at　nine　o'clock；

and　were　told　to　come　again　at　eleven；　〃but；〃　said　one；

〃as　it　is　a　card　party；　you　may　have　to　wait　a　few　minutes；

but　don't　be　late。〃



As　the　clock　struck　eleven　we　were　at　the　door；　for　Jerry　was

always　punctual。　　The　clock　chimed　the　quarters；　one；　two；　three；

and　then　struck　twelve；　but　the　door　did　not　open。



The　wind　had　been　very　changeable；　with　squalls　of　rain　during　the　day；

but　now　it　came　on　sharp；　driving　sleet；　which　seemed　to　come

all　the　way　round；　it　was　very　cold；　and　there　was　no　shelter。

Jerry　got　off　his　box　and　came　and　pulled　one　of　my　cloths　a　little　more

over　my　neck；　then　he　took　a　turn　or　two　up　and　down；　stamping　his　feet；

then　he　began　to　beat　his　arms；　but　that　set　him　off　coughing；　so　he　opened

the　cab　door　and　sat　at　the　bottom　with　his　feet　on　the　pavement；

and　was　a　little　sheltered。　　Still　the　clock　chimed　the　quarters；

and　no　one　came。　　At　half…past　twelve　he　rang　the　bell　and　asked　the　servant

if　he　would　be　wanted　that　night。



〃Oh；　yes；　you'll　be　wanted　safe　enough；〃　said　the　man；　〃you　must　not　go；

it　will　soon　be　over；〃　and　again　Jerry　sat　down；　but　his　voice　was　so　hoarse

I　could　hardly　hear　him。



At　a　quarter　past　one　the　door　opened；　and　the　two　gentlemen　came　out；

they　got　into　the　cab　without　a　word；　and　told　Jerry　where　to　drive；

that　was　nearly　two　miles。　　My　legs　were　numb　with　cold；　and　I　thought

I　should　have　stumbled。　　When　the　men　got　out　they　never　said　they　were　sorry

to　have　kept　us　waiting　so　long；　but　were　angry　at　the　charge；　however；

as　Jerry　never　charged　more　than　was　his　due；　so　he　never　took　less；

and　they　had　to　pay　for　the　two　hours　and　a　quarter　waiting；

but　it　was　hard…earned　money　to　Jerry。



At　last　we　got　home；　he　could　hardly　speak；　and　his　cough　was　dreadful。

Polly　asked　no　questions；　but　opened　the　door　and　held　the　lantern　for　him。



〃Can't　I　do　something？〃　she　said。



〃Yes；　get　Jack　something　warm；　and　then　boil　me　some　gruel。〃



This　was　said　in　a　hoarse　whisper；　he　could　hardly　get　his　breath；

but　he　gave　me　a　rub…down　as　usual；　and　even　went　up　into　the　hayloft

for　an　extra　bundle　of　straw　for　my　bed。　　Polly　brought　me　a　warm　mash

that　made　me　comfortable；　and　then　they　locked　the　door。



It　was　late　the　next　morning　before　any　one　came；　and　then　it　was　only　Harry。

He　cleaned　us　and　fed　us；　and　swept　out　the　stalls；　then　he　put　the　straw

back　again　as　if　it　was　Sunday。　　He　was　very　still；　and　neither　whistled

nor　sang。　　At　noon　he　came　again　and　gave　us　our　food　and　water；

this　time　Dolly　came　with　him；　she　was　crying；　and　I　could　gather

from　what　they　said　that　Jerry　was　dangerously　ill；　and　the　doctor　said

it　was　a　bad　case。　　So　two　days　passed；　and　there　was　great　trouble　indoors。

We　only　saw　Harry；　and　sometimes　Dolly。　　I　think　she　came　for　company；

for　Polly　was　always　with　Jerry；　and　he　had　to　be　kept　very　quiet。



On　the　third　day；　while　Harry　was　in　the　stable；　a　tap　came　at　the　door；

and　Governor　Grant　came　in。



〃I　wouldn't　go　to　the　house；　my　boy；〃　he　said；　〃but　I　want　to　know

how　your　father　is。〃



〃He　is　very　bad；〃　said　Harry；　〃he　can't　be　much　worse；

they　call　it　‘bronchitis'；　the　doctor　thinks　it　will　turn

one　way　or　another　to…night。〃



〃That's　bad；　very　bad；〃　said　Grant；　shaking　his　head；

〃I　know　two　men　who　died　of　that　last　week；　it　takes　'em　off　in　no　time；

but　while　there's　life　there's　hope；　so　you　must　keep　up　your　spirits。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Harry　quickly；　〃and　the　doctor　said　that　father　had

a　better　chance　than　most　men；　because　he　didn't　drink。　　He　said　yesterday

the　fever　was　so　high　that　if　father　had　been　a　drinking　man　it　would　have

burned　him　up　like　a　piece　of　paper；　but　I　believe　he　thinks

he　will　get　over　it；　don't　you　think　he　will；　Mr。　Grant？〃



The　governor　looked　puzzled。



〃If　there's　any　rule　that　good　men　should　get　over　these　things；

I'm　sure　he　will；　my　boy；　he's　the　best　man　I　know。

I'll　look　in　early　to…morrow。〃



Early　next　morning　he　was　there。



〃Well？〃　said　he。



〃Father　is　better；〃　said　Harry。　　〃Mother　hopes　he　will　get　over　it。〃



〃Thank　God！〃　said　the　governor；　〃and　now　you　must　keep　him　warm；

and　keep　his　mind　easy；　and　that　brings　me　to　the　horses；

you　see　Jack　will　be　all　the　better　for　the　rest　of　a　week　or　two

in　a　warm　stable；　and　you　can　easily　take　him　a　turn　up　and　down　the　street

to　stretch　his　legs；　but　this　young　one；　if　he　does　not　get　work；

he　will　soon　be　all　up　on　end；　as　you　may　say；　and　will　be　rather　too　much

for　you；　and　when　he　does　go　out　there'll　be　an　accident。〃



〃It　is　like　that　now；〃　said　Harry。　　〃I　have　kept　him　short　of　corn；

but　he's　so　full　of　spirit　I　don't　know　what　to　do　with　him。〃



〃Just　so；〃　said　Grant。　　〃Now　look　here；　will　you　tell　your　mother

that　if　she　is　agreeable　I　will　come　for　him　every　day　till　something

is　arranged；　and　take　him　for　a　good　spell　of　work；　and　whatever　he　earns；

I'll　bring　your　mother　half　of　it；　and　that　will　help　with　the　horses'　feed。

Your　father　is　in　a　good　club；　I　know；　but　that　won't　keep　the　horses；

and　they'll　be　eating　their　heads　off　all　this　time；　I'll　come　at　noon

and　hear　what　she　says；〃　and　without　waiting　for　Harry's　thanks　he　was　gone。



At　noon　I　think　he　went　and　saw　Polly；　for　he　and　Harry

came　to　the　stable　together；　harnessed　Hotspur；　and　took　him　out。



For　a　week　or　more　he　came　for　Hotspur；　and　when　Harry　thanked　him

or　said　anything　about　his　kindness；　he　laughed　it　off；　saying　it　was　all

good　luck　for　him；　for　his　horses　were　wanting　a　little　rest

which　they　would　not　otherwise　have　had。



Jerry　grew　better　steadily；　but　the　doctor　said　that　he　must　never　go　back

to　the　cab　work　again　if　he　wished　to　be　an　old　man。　　The　children　had

many　consultations　together　about　what　father　and　mother　would　do；

and　how　they　could　help　to　earn　money。



One　afternoon　Hotspur　was　brought　in　very　wet　and　dirty。



〃The　streets　are　nothing　but　slush；〃　said　the　governor；

〃it　will　give　you　a　good　warming；　my　boy；　to　get　him　clean　and　dry。〃



〃All　right；　governor；〃　said　Harry；　〃I　shall　not　leave　him　till　he　is；

you　know　I　have　been　trained　by　my　father。〃



〃I　wish　all　the　boys　had　been　trained　like　you；〃　said　the　governor。



While　Harry　was　sponging　off　the　mud　from　Hotspur's　body　and　legs

Dolly　came　in；　looking　very　full　of　something。



〃Who　lives　at　Fairstowe；　Harry？　　Mother　has　got　a　letter　from　Fairstowe；

she　seemed　so　glad；　and　ran　upstairs　to　father　with　it。〃



〃Don't　you　know？　　Why；　it　is　the　name　of　Mrs。　Fowler's　place　

mother's　old　mistress；　you　know　　the　lady　that　father　met　last　summer；

who　sent　you　and　me　five　shillings　each。〃



〃Oh！　Mrs。　Fowler。　　Of　course；　I　know　all　about　her。　　I　wonder　what

she　is　writing　to　mother　about。〃



〃Mother　wrote　to　her　last　week；〃　said　Harry；　〃you　know　she　told　father

if　ever　he　gave　up　the　cab　work　she　would　like　to　know。

I　wonder　what　she　says；　run　in　and　see；　Dolly。〃



Harry　scrubbed　away　at　Hotspur　with　a　huish！　huish！　like　any　old　hostler。

In　a　few　minutes　Dolly　came　dancing　into　the　stable。



〃Oh！　Harry；　there　never　was　anything　so　beautiful；　Mrs。　Fowler　says

we　are　all　to　go　and　live　near　her。　　There　is　a　cottage　now　empty

that　will　just　suit　us；　with　a　garden　and　a　henhouse；　and　apple…trees；

and　everything！　and　her　coachman　is　going　away　in　the　spring；　and　then

she　will　want　father　in　his　place；　and　there　are　good　families　round；

where　you　can　get　a　place　in　the　garden　or　the　stable；　or　as　a　page…boy；

and　there's　a　good　school　for　me；　and　mother　is　laughing　and　crying　by　turns；

and　father　does　look　so　happy！〃



〃That's　uncommon　jolly；〃　said　Harry；　〃and　just　the　right　thing；　I　should　say；

it　will　suit　father　and　mother　both；　but　I　don't　intend　to　be　a　page…boy

with　tight　clothes　and　rows　of　buttons。　　I'll　be　a　groom　or　a　gardener。〃



It　was　quickly　settled　that　as　soon　as　Jerry　was　well　enough

they　should　remove　to　the　country；　and　that　the　cab　and　horses

should　be　sold　as　soon　as　possible。



This　was　heavy　news　for　me；　for　I　was　not　young　now；　and　could　not　look

for　any　improvement　in　my　condition。　　Since　I　left　Birtwick　I　had　never　been

so　happy　as　with　my　dear　master　Jerry；　but　three　years　of　cab　work；

even　under　the　best　conditions；　will　tell　on　one's　strength；

and　I　felt　that　I　was　not　the　horse　that　I　had　been。



Grant　said　at　once　that　he　would　take　Hotspur；　and　there　were

men　on　the　stand　who　would　have　bought　me；　but　Jerry　said　I　should　not　go

to　cab　work　again　with　just　anybody；　and　the　governor　promised

to　find　a　place　for　me　where　I　should　be　comfortable。



The　day　came　for　going　away。　　Jerry　had　not　been　allowed　to　go　out　yet；

and　I　never　saw　him　after　that　New　Year's　eve。　　Polly　and　the　children　came

to　bid　me　good…by。　　〃Poor　old　Jack！　dear　old　Jack！　　I　wish　we　could

take　you　with　us；〃　she　said；　and　then　laying　her　hand　on　my　mane

she　put　her　face　close　to　my　neck　and　kissed　me。　　Dolly　was　crying

and　kissed　me　too。　　Harry　stroked　me　a　great　deal；　but　said　nothing；

only　he　seemed　very　sad；　and　so　I　was　led　away　to　my　new　place。













　　　　　　　　　　Part　IV













46　　　　　　Jakes　and　the　Lady







I　was　sold　to　a　corn　dealer　and　baker；　whom　Jerry　knew；　and　with　him

he　thought　I　should　have　good　food　and　fair　work。　　In　the　first

he　was　quite　right；　and　if　my　master　had　always　been　on　the　premises

I　do　not　think　I　should　have　been　overloaded；　but　there　was　a　foreman

who　was　always　hurrying　and　driving　every　one；　and　frequently

when　I　had　quite　a　full　load　he　would　order　something　else　to　be　taken　on。

My　carter；　whose　name　was　Jakes；　often　said　it　was　more　than　I　ought　to　take；

but　the　other　always　overruled　him。　　〃'Twas　no　use　going　twice

when　once　would　do；　and　he　chose　to　get　business　forward。〃



Jakes；　like　the　other　carters；　always　had　the　check…r