five children and it-第6部分

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have　thought　they　could　have　more　than　a　half…crown　each　at　the

outside。　　The　haze　of　heat；　the　blue　of　the　wood　smoke；　made　a　sort

of　dim　misty　cloud　over　the　red　roofs　of　the　village。　　The　four　sat

down　heavily　on　the　first　bench　they　came　to…　It　happened　to　be

outside　the　Blue　Boar　Inn。



It　was　decided　that　Cyril　should　go　into　the　Blue　Boar　and　ask　for

ginger…beer；　because；　as　Anthea　said；　'It　is　not　wrong　for　men　to

go　into　public　houses；　only　for　children。　　And　Cyril　is　nearer　to

being　a　man　than　us；　because　he　is　the　eldest。'　　So　he　went。　　The

others　sat　in　the　sun　and　waited。



'Oh；　hats；　how　hot　it　is！'　said　Robert。　　'Dogs　put　their　tongues

out　when　they're　hot；　I　wonder　if　it　would　cool　us　at　all　to　put

out　ours？'



'We　might　try；'Jane　said；　and　they　all　put　their　tongues　out　as　far

as　ever　they　could　go；　so　that　it　quite　stretched　their　throats；

but　it　only　seemed　to　make　them　thirstier　than　ever；　besides

annoying　everyone　who　went　by。　　So　they　took　their　tongues　in

again；　just　as　Cyril　came　back　with　the　ginger…beer。



'I　had　to　pay　for　it　out　of　my　own　two…and…sevenpence；　though；　that

I　was　going　to　buy　rabbits　with；'　he　said。　　'They　wouldn't　change

the　gold。　　And　when　I　pulled　out　a　handful　the　man　just　laughed　and

said　it　was　card…counters。　　And　I　got　some　sponge…cakes　too；　out　of

a　glass　jar　on　the　bar…counter。　　And　some　biscuits　with　caraways

in。'



The　sponge…cakes　were　both　soft　and　dry　and　the　biscuits　were　dry

too；　and　yet　soft；　which　biscuits　ought　not　to　be。　　But　the

ginger…beer　made　up　for　everything。



'It's　my　turn　now　to　try　to　buy　something　with　the　money；'　Anthea

said；　'I'm　next　eldest。　　Where　is　the　pony…cart　kept？'



It　was　at　The　Chequers；　and　Anthea　went　in　the　back　way　to　the

yard；　because　they　all　knew　that　little　girls　ought　not　to　go　into

the　bars　of　public…houses。　　She　came　out；　as　she　herself　said；

'pleased　but　not　proud'。



'He'll　be　ready　in　a　brace　of　shakes；　he　says；'　she　remarked；　'and

he's　to　have　one　sovereign　…　or　whatever　it　is　…　to　drive　us　in　to

Rochester　and　back；　besides　waiting　there　till　we've　got　everything

we　want。　　I　think　I　managed　very　well。'



'You　think　yourself　jolly　clever；　I　daresay；'　said　Cyril　moodily。　

'How　did　you　do　it？'



'I　wasn't　jolly　clever　enough　to　go　taking　handfuls　of　money　out　of

my　pocket；　to　make　it　seem　cheap；　anyway；'　she　retorted。　　'I　just

found　a　young　man　doing　something　to　a　horse's　leg　with　a　sponge

and　a　pail。　　And　I　held　out　one　sovereign；　and　I　said；　〃Do　you　know

what　this　is？〃　He　said；　〃No；〃　and　he'd　call　his　father。　　And　the

old　man　came；　and　he　said　it　was　a　spade　guinea；　and　he　said　was　it

my　own　to　do　as　I　liked　with；　and　I　said　〃Yes〃；　and　I　asked　about

the　pony…cart；　and　I　said　he　could　have　the　guinea　if　he'd　drive　us

in　to　Rochester。　　And　his　name　is　S。　　Crispin。　　And　he　said；　〃Right

oh〃。'



It　was　a　new　sensation　to　be　driven　in　a　smart　pony…trap　along

pretty　country　roads；　it　was　very　pleasant　too　（which　is　not　always

the　case　with　new　sensations）；　quite　apart　from　the　beautiful　plans

of　spending　the　money　which　each　child　made　as　they　went　along；

silently　of　course　and　quite　to　itself；　for　they　felt　it　would

never　have　done　to　let　the　old　innkeeper　hear　them　talk　in　the

affluent　sort　of　way　they　were　thinking。　　The　old　man　put　them　down

by　the　bridge　at　their　request。



'If　you　were　going　to　buy　a　carriage　and　horses；　where　would　you

go？'　asked　Cyril；　as　if　he　were　only　asking　for　the　sake　of

something　to　say。



'Billy　Peasemarsh；　at　the　Saracen's　Head；'　said　the　old　man

promptly。　　'Though　all　forbid　I　should　recommend　any　man　where　it's

a　question　of　horses；　no　more　than　I'd　take　anybody　else's

recommending　if　I　was　a…buying　one。　　But　if　your　pa's　thinking　of

a　turnout　of　any　sort；　there　ain't　a　straighter　man　in　Rochester；

nor　a　civiller　spoken；　than　Billy；　though　I　says　it。'



'Thank　you；'　said　Cyril。　　'The　Saracen's　Head。'



And　now　the　children　began　to　see　one　of　the　laws　of　nature　turn

upside　down　and　stand　on　its　head　like　an　acrobat。　　Any　grown…up

persons　would　tell　you　that　money　is　hard　to　get　and　easy　to　spend。　

But　the　fairy　money　had　been　easy　to　get；　and　spending　it　was　not

only　hard；　it　was　almost　impossible。　　The　tradespeople　of　Rochester

seemed　to　shrink；　to　a　trades…person；　from　the　glittering　fairy

gold　（'furrin　money'　they　called　it；　for　the　most　part）。　　To　begin

with；　Anthea；　who　had　had　the　misfortune　to　sit　on　her　hat　earlier

in　the　day；　wished　to　buy　another。　　She　chose　a　very　beautiful　one；

trimmed　with　pink　roses　and　the　blue　breasts　of　peacocks。　　It　was

marked　in　the　window；　'Paris　Model；　three　guineas'。



'I'm　glad；'　she　said；　'because；　if　it　says　guineas；　it　means

guineas；　and　not　sovereigns；　which　we　haven't　got。'



But　when　she　took　three　of　the　spade　guineas　in　her　hand；　which　was

by　this　time　rather　dirty　owing　to　her　not　having　put　on　gloves

before　going　to　the　gravel…pit；　the　black…silk　young　lady　in　the

shop　looked　very　hard　at　her；　and　went　and　whispered　something　to

an　older　and　uglier　lady；　also　in　black　silk；　and　then　they　gave

her　back　the　money　and　said　it　was　not　current　coin。



'It's　good　money；'　said　Anthea；　'and　it's　my　own。'



'I　daresay；'　said　the　lady；　'but　it's　not　the　kind　of　money　that's

fashionable　now；　and　we　don't　care　about　taking　it。'



'I　believe　they　think　we've　stolen　it；'　said　Anthea；　rejoining　the

others　in　the　street；　'if　we　had　gloves　they　wouldn't　think　we　were

so　dishonest。　　It's　my　hands　being　so　dirty　fills　their　minds　with

doubts。'



So　they　chose　a　humble　shop；　and　the　girls　bought　cotton　gloves；

the　kind　at　sixpence　three…farthings；　but　when　they　offered　a

guinea　the　woman　looked　at　it　through　her　spectacles　and　said　she

had　no　change；　so　the　gloves　had　to　be　paid　for　out　of　Cyril's

two…and…sevenpence　that　he　meant　to　buy　rabbits　with；　and　so　had

the　green　imitation　crocodile…skin　purse　at　ninepence…halfpenny

which　had　been　bought　at　the　same　time。　　They　tried　several　more

shops；　the　kinds　where　you　buy　toys　and　scent；　and　silk

handkerchiefs　and　books；　and　fancy　boxes　of　stationery；　and

photographs　of　objects　of　interest　in　the　vicinity。　　But　nobody

cared　to　change　a　guinea　that　day　in　Rochester；　and　as　they　went

from　shop　to　shop　they　got　dirtier　and　dirtier；　and　their　hair　got

more　and　more　untidy；　and　Jane　slipped　and　fell　down　on　a　part　of

the　road　where　a　water…cart　had　just　gone　by。　　Also　they　got　very

hungry；　but　they　found　no　one　would　give　them　anything　to　eat　for

their　guineas。　　After　trying　two　pastrycooks　in　vain；　they　became

so　hungry；　perhaps　from　the　smell　of　the　cake　in　the　shops；　as

Cyril　suggested；　that　they　formed　a　plan　of　campaign　in　whispers

and　carried　it　out　in　desperation。　　They　marched　into　a　third

pastrycook's　…　Beale　his　name　was　…　and　before　the　people　behind

the　counter　could　interfere　each　child　had　seized　three　new　penny

buns；　clapped　the　three　together　between　its　dirty　hands；　and　taken

a　big　bite　out　of　the　triple　sandwich。　　Then　they　stood　at　bay；

with　the　twelve　buns　in　their　hands　and　their　mouths　very　full

indeed。　　The　shocked　pastrycook　bounded　round　the　corner。



'Here；'　said　Cyril；　speaking　as　distinctly　as　he　could；　and　holding

out　the　guinea　he　got　ready　before　entering　the　shop；　'pay　yourself

out　of　that。'



Mr　Beale　snatched　the　coin；　bit　it；　and　put　it　in　his　pocket。



'Off　you　go；'　he　said；　brief　and　stern　like　the　man　in　the　song。



'But　the　change？'　said　Anthea；　who　had　a　saving　mind。



'Change！'　said　the　man。　　'I'll　change　you！　　Hout　you　goes；　and　you

may　think　yourselves　lucky　I　don't　send　for　the　police　to　find　out

where　you　got　it！'



In　the　Castle　Gardens　the　millionaires　finished　the　buns；　and

though　the　curranty　softness　of　these　were　delicious；　and　acted

like　a　charm　in　raising　the　spirits　of　the　party；　yet　even　the

stoutest　heart　quailed　at　the　thought　of　venturing　to　sound　Mr

Billy　Peasemarsh　at　the　Saracen's　Head　on　the　subject　of　a　horse

and　carriage。　　The　boys　would　have　given　up　the　idea；　but　Jane　was

always　a　hopeful　child；　and　Anthea　generally　an　obstinate　one；　and

their　earnestness　prevailed。



The　whole　party；　by　this　time　indescribably　dirty；　therefore　betook

itself　to　the　Saracen's　Head。　　The　yard…method　of　attack　having

been　successful　at　The　Chequers　was　tried　again　here。　　Mr

Peasemarsh　was　in　the　yard；　and　Robert　opened　the　business　in　these

terms　…



'They　tell　me　you　have　a　lot　of　horses　and　carriages　to　sell。'　　It

had　been　agreed　that　Robert　should　be　spokesman；　because　in　books

it　is　always　the　gentlemen　who　buy　horses；　and　not　ladies；　and

Cyril　had　had　his　go　at　the　Blue　Boar。



'They　tell　you　true；　young　man；'　said　Mr　Peasemarsh。　　He　was　a　long

lean　man；　with　very　blue　eyes　and　a　tight　mouth　and　narrow　lips。



'We　should　like　to　buy　some；　please；'　said　Robert　politely。



'I　daresay　you　would。'



'Will　you　show　us　a　few；　please？　　To　choose　from。'

'Who　are　you　a…kiddin　of？'　inquired　Mr　Billy　Peasemarsh。　　'Was　you

sent　here　of　a　message？'



'I　tell　you；'　said　Robert；　'we　want　to　buy　some　horses　and

carriages；　and　a　man　told　us　you　were　straight　and　civil　spoken；

but　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　he　was　mistaken。'



'Upon　my　sacred！'　said　Mr　Peasemarsh。　　'Shall　I　trot　the　whole

stable　out　for　your　Honour's　worship　to　see？　　Or　shall　I　send　round

to　the　Bishop's　to　see　if　he's　a　nag　or　two　to　dispose　of？'



'Please　do；'　said　Robert；　'if　it's　not　too　much　trouble。　　It　would

be　very　kind　of　you。'



Mr　Peasemarsh　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　laughed；　and　they

did　not　like　the　way　he　did　it。　　Then　he　shouted　'Willum！'



A　stooping　ostler　appeared　in　a　stable　door。



'Here；　Willum；　come　and　look　at　this　'ere　young　dook！　　Wants　to　buy

the　whole　stud；　lock；　stock；　and　bar'l。　　And　ain't　got　tuppence　in

his　pocket　to　bless　hisself　with；　I'll　go　bail！'