the story of the treasure seekers-第24部分

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And　that　burglar　had　the　cheek　to　put　his　head　in　at　the　window　and

say；　'I'll　give　yer　love　to　the　kids　and　the　missis'　…　and　he　was

off　like　winking；　and　there　were　Alice　and　Dora　trying　to　pick　up

our　robber；　and　asking　him　whether　he　was　hurt；　and　where。　　He

wasn't　hurt　at　all；　except　a　lump　at　the　back　of　his　head。　　And　he

got　up；　and　we　dusted　the　kitchen　floor　off　him。　　Eliza　is　a　dirty

girl。



Then　he　said；　'Let's　put　up　the　shutters。　　It　never　rains　but　it

pours。　　Now　you've　had　two　burglars　I　daresay　you'll　have　twenty。'　

So　we　put　up　the　shutters；　which　Eliza　has　strict　orders　to　do

before　she　goes　out；　only　she　never　does；　and　we　went　back　to

Father's　study；　and　the　robber　said；　'What　a　night　we　are　having！'

and　put　his　boots　back　in　the　fender　to　go　on　steaming；　and　then　we

all　talked　at　once。　　It　was　the　most　wonderful　adventure　we　ever

had；　though　it　wasn't　treasure…seeking　…　at　least　not　ours。　　I

suppose　it　was　the　burglar's　treasure…seeking；　but　he　didn't　get

much　…　and　our　robber　said　he　didn't　believe　a　word　about　those

kids　that　were　so　like　Alice　and　me。



And　then　there　was　the　click　of　the　gate；　and　we　said；　'Here's

Father；'　and　the　robber　said；　'And　now　for　the　police。'



Then　we　all　jumped　up。　　We　did　like　him　so　much；　and　it　seemed　so

unfair　that　he　should　be　sent　to　prison；　and　the　horrid；　lumping

big　burglar　not。



And　Alice　said；　'Oh；　no　…　run！　　Dicky　will　let　you　out　at　the　back

door。　　Oh；　do　go；　go　now。'



And　we　all　said；　'Yes；　go；'　and　pulled　him　towards　the　door；　and

gave　him　his　hat　and　stick　and　the　things　out　of　his　pockets。



But　Father's　latchkey　was　in　the　door；　and　it　was　too　late。



Father　came　in　quickly；　purring　with　the　cold；　and　began　to　say；

'It's　all　right；　Foulkes；　I've　got　…'　And　then　he　stopped　short　and

stared　at　us。　　Then　he　said；　in　the　voice　we　all　hate；　'Children；

what　is　the　meaning　of　all　this？'　　And　for　a　minute　nobody　spoke。



Then　my　Father　said；　'Foulkes；　I　must　really　apologize　for　these

very　naughty　…'

And　then　our　robber　rubbed　his　hands　and　laughed；　and　cried　out：



'You're　mistaken；　my　dear　sir；　I'm　not　Foulkes；　I'm　a　robber；

captured　by　these　young　people　in　the　most　gallant　manner。　　〃Hands

up；　surrender；　or　I　fire；〃　and　all　the　rest　of　it。　　My　word；

Bastable；　but　you've　got　some　kids　worth　having！　　I　wish　my　Denny

had　their　pluck。'



Then　we　began　to　understand；　and　it　was　like　being　knocked　down；　it

was　so　sudden。　　And　our　robber　told　us　he　wasn't　a　robber　after

all。　　He　was　only　an　old　college　friend　of　my　Father's；　and　he　had

come　after　dinner；　when　Father　was　just　trying　to　mend　the　lock　H。

O。　had　broken；　to　ask　Father　to　get　him　a　letter　to　a　doctor　about

his　little　boy　Denny；　who　was　ill。　　And　Father　had　gone　over　the

Heath　to　Vanbrugh　Park　to　see　some　rich　people　he　knows　and　get　the

letter。　　And　he　had　left　Mr　Foulkes　to　wait　till　he　came　back；

because　it　was　important　to　know　at　once　whether　Father　could　get

the　letter；　and　if　he　couldn't　Mr　Foulkes　would　have　had　to　try

some　one　else　directly。



We　were　dumb　with　amazement。



Our　robber　told　my　Father　about　the　other　burglar；　and　said　he　was

sorry　he'd　let　him　escape；　but　my　Father　said；　'Oh；　it's　all　right：

poor　beggar；　if　he　really　had　kids　at　home：　you　never　can　tell　…

forgive　us　our　debts；　don't　you　know；　but　tell　me　about　the　first

business。　　It　must　have　been　moderately　entertaining。'



Then　our　robber　told　my　Father　how　I　had　rushed　into　the　room　with

a　pistol；　crying　out　。。。　　but　you　know　all　about　that。　　And　he　laid

it　on　so　thick　and　fat　about　plucky　young…uns；　and　chips　of　old

blocks；　and　things　like　that；　that　I　felt　I　was　purple　with　shame；

even　under　the　blanket。　　So　I　swallowed　that　thing　that　tries　to

prevent　you　speaking　when　you　ought　to；　and　I　said；　'Look　here；

Father；　I　didn't　really　think　there　was　any　one　in　the　study。　　We

thought　it　was　a　cat　at　first；　and　then　I　thought　there　was　no　one

there；　and　I　was　just　larking。　　And　when　I　said　surrender　and　all

that；　it　was　just　the　game；　don't　you　know？'



Then　our　robber　said；　'Yes；　old　chap；　but　when　you　found　there

really　was　some　one　there；　you　dropped　the　pistol　and　bunked；

didn't　you；　eh？'



And　I　said；　'No；　I　thought；　〃Hullo！　here's　a　robber！　　Well；　it's

all　up；　I　suppose；　but　I　may　as　well　hold　on　and　see　what

happens。〃'



And　I　was　glad　I'd　owned　up；　for　Father　slapped　me　on　the　back；　and

said　I　was　a　young　brick；　and　our　robber　said　I　was　no　funk　anyway；

and　though　I　got　very　hot　under　the　blanket　I　liked　it；　and　I

explained　that　the　others　would　have　done　the　same　if　they　had

thought　of　it。



Then　Father　got　up　some　more　beer；　and　laughed　about　Dora's

responsibility；　and　he　got　out　a　box　of　figs　he　had　bought　for　us；

only　he　hadn't　given　it　to　us　because　of　the　Water　Rates；　and　Eliza

came　in　and　brought　up　the　bread　and　cheese；　and　what　there　was

left　of　the　neck　of　mutton　…　cold　wreck　of　mutton；　Father　called　it

…　and　we　had　a　feast　…　like　a　picnic　…　all　sitting　anywhere；　and

eating　with　our　fingers。　　It　was　prime。　　We　sat　up　till　past　twelve

o'clock；　and　I　never　felt　so　pleased　to　think　I　was　not　born　a

girl。　　It　was　hard　on　the　others；　they　would　have　done　just　the

same　if　they'd　thought　of　it。　　But　it　does　make　you　feel　jolly　when

your　pater　says　you're　a　young　brick！



When　Mr　Foulkes　was　going；　he　said　to　Alice；　'Good…bye；　Hardy。'



And　Alice　understood；　of　course；　and　kissed　him　as　hard　as　she

could。



And　she　said；　'I　wanted　to；　when　you　said　no　one　kissed　you　when

you　left　off　being　a　pirate。'　　And　he　said；　'I　know　you　did；　my

dear。'　　And　Dora　kissed　him　too；　and　said；　'I　suppose　none　of　these

tales　were　true？'



And　our　robber　just　said；　'I　tried　to　play　the　part　properly；　my

dear。'



And　he　jolly　well　did　play　it；　and　no　mistake。　　We　have　often　seen

him　since；　and　his　boy　Denny；　and　his　girl　Daisy；　but　that　comes　in

another　story。



And　if　any　of　you　kids　who　read　this　ever　had　two　such　adventures

in　one　night　you　can　just　write　and　tell　me。　　That's　all。







CHAPTER　14

THE　DIVINING…ROD





You　have　no　idea　how　uncomfortable　the　house　was　on　the　day　when　we

sought　for　gold　with　the　divining…rod。　　It　was　like　a

spring…cleaning　in　the　winter…time。　　All　the　carpets　were　up；

because　Father　had　told　Eliza　to　make　the　place　decent　as　there　was

a　gentleman　coming　to　dinner　the　next　day。　　So　she　got　in　a

charwoman；　and　they　slopped　water　about；　and　left　brooms　and

brushes　on　the　stairs　for　people　to　tumble　over。　　H。　O。　got　a　big

bump　on　his　head　in　that　way；　and　when　he　said　it　was　too　bad；

Eliza　said　he　should　keep　in　the　nursery　then；　and　not　be　where

he'd　no　business。　　We　bandaged　his　head　with　a　towel；　and　then　he

stopped　crying　and　played　at　being　England's　wounded　hero　dying　in

the　cockpit；　while　every　man　was　doing　his　duty；　as　the　hero　had

told　them　to；　and　Alice　was　Hardy；　and　I　was　the　doctor；　and　the

others　were　the　crew。　　Playing　at　Hardy　made　us　think　of　our　own

dear　robber；　and　we　wished　he　was　there；　and　wondered　if　we　should

ever　see　him　any　more。



We　were　rather　astonished　at　Father's　having　anyone　to　dinner；

because　now　he　never　seems　to　think　of　anything　but　business。　

Before　Mother　died　people　often　came　to　dinner；　and　Father's

business　did　not　take　up　so　much　of　his　time　and　was　not　the　bother

it　is　now。　　And　we　used　to　see　who　could　go　furthest　down　in　our

nightgowns　and　get　nice　things　to　eat；　without　being　seen；　out　of

the　dishes　as　they　came　out　of　the　dining…room。　　Eliza　can't　cook

very　nice　things。　　She　told　Father　she　was　a　good　plain　cook；　but

he　says　it　was　a　fancy　portrait。　　We　stayed　in　the　nursery　till　the

charwoman　came　in　and　told　us　to　be　off　…　she　was　going　to　make　one

job　of　it；　and　have　our　carpet　up　as　well　as　all　the　others；　now

the　man　was　here　to　beat　them。　　It　came　up；　and　it　was　very　dusty

…　and　under　it　we　found　my　threepenny…bit　that　I　lost　ages　ago；

which　shows　what　Eliza　is。　　H。　O。　had　got　tired　of　being　the

wounded　hero；　and　Dicky　was　so　tired　of　doing　nothing　that　Dora

said　she　knew　he'd　begin　to　tease　Noel　in　a　minute；　then　of　course

Dicky　said　he　wasn't　going　to　tease　anybody　…　he　was　going　out　to

the　Heath。　　He　said　he'd　heard　that　nagging　women　drove　a　man　from

his　home；　and　now　he　found　it　was　quite　true。　　Oswald　always　tries

to　be　a　peacemaker；　so　he　told　Dicky　to　shut　up　and　not　make　an　ass

of　himself。　　And　Alice　said；　'Well；　Dora　began　…　And　Dora　tossed

her　chin　up　and　said　it　wasn't　any　business　of　Oswald's　any　way；

and　no　one　asked　Alice's　opinion。　　So　we　all　felt　very

uncomfortable　till　NoEl　said；　'Don't　let's　quarrel　about　nothing。　

You　know　let　dogs　delight　…　and　I　made　up　another　piece　while　you

were　talking　…





Quarrelling　is　an　evil　thing；

It　fills　with　gall　life's　cup；

For　when　once　you　begin

It　takes　such　a　long　time　to　make　it　up。'





We　all　laughed　then　and　stopped　jawing　at　each　other。　　Noel　is　very

funny　with　his　poetry。　　But　that　piece　happened　to　come　out　quite

true。　　You　begin　to　quarrel　and　then　you　can't　stop；　often；　long

before　the　others　are　ready　to　cry　and　make　it　up；　I　see　how　silly

it　is；　and　I　want　to　laugh；　but　it　doesn't　do　to　say　so　…　for　it

only　makes　the　others　crosser　than　they　were　before。　　I　wonder　why

that　is？



Alice　said　Noel　ought　to　be　poet　laureate；　and　she　actually　went

out　in　the　cold　and　got　some　laurel　leaves　…　the　spotted　kind　…　out

of　the　garden；　and　Dora　made　a　crown　and　we　put　it　on　him。　　He　was

quite　pleased；　but　the　leaves　made　a　mess；　and　Eliza　said；　'Don't。'



I　believe　that's　a　word　grown…ups　use　more　than　any　other。　　Then

suddenly　Alice　thought　of　that　old　idea　of　hers　for　finding

treasure；　and　she　said　…　'Do　let's　try　the　divining…rod。'



So　Oswald　said；　'Fair　priestess；　we　do　greatly　desire　to　find　gold

beneath　our　land；　therefore　we　pray　thee　practise　w