five children and it-第7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！



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

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



Willum's　eyes　followed　his　master's　pointing　thumb　with

contemptuous　interest。



'Do　'e；　for　sure？'　he　said。



But　Robert　spoke；　though　both　the　girls　were　now　pulling　at　his

jacket　and　begging　him　to　'come　along'。　　He　spoke；　and　he　was　very

angry；　he　said：



'I'm　not　a　young　duke；　and　I　never　pretended　to　be。　　And　as　for

tuppence　…　what　do　you　call　this？'　　And　before　the　others　could

stop　him　he　had　pulled　out　two　fat　handfuls　of　shining　guineas；　and

held　them　out　for　Mr　Peasemarsh　to　look　at。　　He　did　look。　　He

snatched　one　up　in　his　finger　and　thumb。　　He　bit　it；　and　Jane

expected　him　to　say；　'The　best　horse　in　my　stables　is　at　your

service。'　　But　the　others　knew　better。　　Still　it　was　a　blow；　even

to　the　most　desponding；　when　he　said　shortly：



'Willum；　shut　the　yard　doors；'　and　Willum　grinned　and　went　to　shut

them。



'Good…afternoon；'　said　Robert　hastily；　'we　shan't　buy　any　of　your

horses　now；　whatever　you　say；　and　I　hope　it'll　be　a　lesson　to　you。'　

He　had　seen　a　little　side　gate　open；　and　was　moving　towards　it　as

he　spoke。　　But　Billy　Peasemarsh　put　himself　in　the　way。



'Not　so　fast；　you　young　off…scouring！'　he　said。　　'Willum；　fetch　the

pleece。'



Willum　went。　　The　children　stood　huddled　together　like　frightened

sheep；　and　Mr　Peasemarsh　spoke　to　them　till　the　pleece　arrived。　　He

said　many　things。　　Among　other　things　he　said：



'Nice　lot　you　are；　aren't　you；　coming　tempting　honest　men　with　your

guineas！'



'They　ARE　our　guineas；'　said　Cyril　boldly。



'Oh；　of　course　we　don't　know　all　about　that；　no　more　we　don't　…　oh

no　…　course　not！　　And　dragging　little　gells　into　it；　too。　　'Ere　…

I'll　let　the　gells　go　if　you'll　come　along　to　the　pleece　quiet。'



'We　won't　be　let　go；'　said　Jane　heroically；　'not　without　the　boys。　

It's　our　money　just　as　much　as　theirs；　you　wicked　old　man。'



'Where'd　you　get　it；　then？'　said　the　man；　softening　slightly；　which

was　not　at　all　what　the　boys　expected　when　Jane　began　to　call

names。



Jane　cast　a　silent　glance　of　agony　at　the　others。



'Lost　your　tongue；　eh？　　Got　it　fast　enough　when　it's　for　calling

names　with。　　Come；　speak　up！　　Where'd　you　get　it？'



'Out　of　the　gravel…pit；'　said　truthful　Jane。



'Next　article；'　said　the　man。



'I　tell　you　we　did；'　Jane　said。　　'There's　a　fairy　there　…　all　over

brown　fur　…　with　ears　like　a　bat's　and　eyes　like　a　snail's；　and　he

gives　you　a　wish　a　day；　and　they　all　come　true。'



'Touched　in　the　head；　eh？'　said　the　man　in　a　low　voice；　'all　the

more　shame　to　you　boys　dragging　the　poor　afflicted　child　into　your

sinful　burglaries。'



'She's　not　mad；　it's　true；'　said　Anthea；　'there　is　a　fairy。　　If　I

ever　see　him　again　I'll　wish　for　something　for　you；　at　least　I

would　if　vengeance　wasn't　wicked　…　so　there！'



'Lor'　lumme；'　said　Billy　Peasemarsh；　'if　there　ain't　another　on

'em！'



And　now　Willum　came　…back　with　a　spiteful　grin　on　his　face；　and　at

his　back　a　policeman；　with　whom　Mr　Peasemarsh　spoke　long　in　a

hoarse　earnest　whisper。



'I　daresay　you're　right；'　said　the　policeman　at　last。　　'Anyway；

I'll　take　'em　up　on　a　charge　of　unlawful　possession；　pending

inquiries。　　And　the　magistrate　will　deal　with　the　case。　　Send　the

afflicted　ones　to　a　home；　as　likely　as　not；　and　the　boys　to　a

reformatory。　　Now　then；　come　along；　youngsters！　　No　use　making　a

fuss。　　You　bring　the　gells　along；　Mr　Peasemarsh；　sir；　and　I'll

shepherd　the　boys。'



Speechless　with　rage　and　horror；　the　four　children　were　driven

along　the　streets　of　Rochester。　　Tears　of　anger　and　shame　blinded

them；　so　that　when　Robert　ran　right　into　a　passer…by　he　did　not

recognize　her　till　a　wellknown　voice　said；　'Well；　if　ever　I　did！

Oh；　Master　Robert；　whatever　have　you　been　a　doing　of　now？'　　And

another　voice；　quite　as　well　known；　said；　'Panty；　want　go　own

Panty！'



They　had　run　into　Martha　and　the　baby！



Martha　behaved　admirably。　　She　refused　to　believe　a　word　of　the

policeman's　story；　or　of　Mr　Peasemarsh's　either；　even　when　they

made　Robert　turn　out　his　pockets　in　an　archway　and　show　the

guineas。



'I　don't　see　nothing；'　she　said。　　'You've　gone　out　of　your　senses；

you　two！　　There　ain't　any　gold　there　…　only　the　poor　child's　hands；

all　over　crock　and　dirt；　and　like　the　very　chimbley。　　Oh；　that　I

should　ever　see　the　day！'



And　the　children　thought　this　very　noble　of　Martha；　even　if　rather

wicked；　till　they　remembered　how　the　Fairy　had　promised　that　the

servants　should　never　notice　any　of　the　fairy　gifts。　　So　of　course

Martha　couldn't　see　the　gold；　and　so　was　only　speaking　the　truth；

and　that　was　quite　right；　of　course；　but　not　extra　noble。



It　was　getting　dusk　when　they　reached　the　police…station。　　The

policeman　told　his　tale　to　an　inspector；　who　sat　in　a　large　bare

room　with　a　thing　like　a　clumsy　nursery…fender　at　one　end　to　put

prisoners　in。　　Robert　wondered　whether　it　was　a　cell　or　a　dock。



'Produce　the　coins；　officer；'　said　the　inspector。



'Turn　out　your　pockets；'　said　the　constable。



Cyril　desperately　plunged　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　stood　still　a

moment；　and　then　began　to　laugh　…　an　odd　sort　of　laugh　that　hurt；

and　that　felt　much　more　like　crying。　　His　pockets　were　empty。　　So

were　the　pockets　of　the　others。　　For　of　course　at　sunset　all　the

fairy　gold　had　vanished　away。



'Turn　out　your　pockets；　and　stop　that　noise；'　said　the　inspector。



Cyril　turned　out　his　pockets；　every　one　of　the　nine　which　enriched

his　Norfolk　suit。　　And　every　pocket　was　empty。



'Well！'　said　the　inspector。



'I　don't　know　how　they　done　it　…　artful　little　beggars！　　They

walked　in　front　of　me　the　'ole　way；　so　as　for　me　to　keep　my　eye　on

them　and　not　to　attract　a　crowd　and　obstruct　the　traffic。'



'It's　very　remarkable；'　said　the　inspector；　frowning。



'If　you've　quite　done　a…browbeating　of　the　innocent　children；'　said

Martha；　'I'll　hire　a　private　carriage　and　we'll　drive　home　to　their

papa's　mansion。　　You'll　hear　about　this　again；　young　man！　…　I　told

you　they　hadn't　got　any　gold；　when　you　were　pretending　to　see　it　in

their　poor　helpless　hands。　　It's　early　in　the　day　for　a　constable

on　duty　not　to　be　able　to　trust　his　own　eyes。　　As　to　the　other　one；

the　less　said　the　better；　he　keeps　the　Saracen's　Head；　and　he　knows

best　what　his　liquor's　like。'



'Take　them　away；　for　goodness'　sake；'　said　the　inspector　crossly。　

But　as　they　left　the　police…station　he　said；　'Now　then！'　to　the

policeman　and　Mr　Pease…　marsh；　and　he　said　it　twenty　times　as

crossly　as　he　had　spoken　to　Martha。





Martha　was　as　good　as　her　word。　　She　took　them　home　in　a　very　grand

carriage；　because　the　carrier's　cart　was　gone；　and；　though　she　had

stood　by　them　so　nobly　with　the　police；　she　was　so　angry　with　them

as　soon　as　they　were　alone　for　'trapseing　into　Rochester　by

themselves'；　that　none　of　them　dared　to　mention　the　old　man　with

the　pony…cart　from　the　village　who　was　waiting　for　them　in

Rochester。　　And　so；　after　one　day　of　boundless　wealth；　the　children

found　themselves　sent　to　bed　in　deep　disgrace；　and　only　enriched　by

two　pairs　of　cotton　gloves；　dirty　inside　because　of　the　state　of

the　hands　they　had　been　put　on　to　cover；　an　imitation

crocodile…skin　purse；　and　twelve　penny　buns　long　since　digested。



The　thing　that　troubled　them　most　was　the　fear　that　the　old

gentleman's　guinea　might　have　disappeared　at　sunset　with　all　the

rest；　so　they　went　down　to　the　village　next　day　to　apologize　for

not　meeting　him　in　Rochester；　and　to　see。　　They　found　him　very

friendly。　　The　guinea　had　NOT　disappeared；　and　he　had　bored　a　hole

in　it　and　hung　it　on　his　watch…chain。　　As　for　the　guinea　the　baker

took；　the　children　felt　they　could　not　care　whether　it　had　vanished

or　not；　which　was　not　perhaps　very　honest；　but　on　the　other　hand

was　not　wholly　unnatural。　　But　afterwards　this　preyed　on　Anthea's

mind；　and　at　last　she　secretly　sent　twelve　stamps　by　post　to　'Mr

Beale；　Baker；　Rochester'。　　Inside　she　wrote；　'To　pay　for　the　buns。'　

I　hope　the　guinea　did　disappear；　for　that　pastrycook　was　really　not

at　all　a　nice　man；　and；　besides；　penny　buns　are　seven　for　sixpence

in　all　really　respectable　shops。







CHAPTER　3

BEING　WANTED





The　morning　after　the　children　had　been　the　possessors　of　boundless

wealth；　and　had　been　unable　to　buy　anything　really　useful　or

enjoyable　with　it；　except　two　pairs　of　cotton　gloves；　twelve　penny

buns；　an　imitation　crocodile…skin　purse；　and　a　ride　in　a　pony…cart；

they　awoke　without　any　of　the　enthusiastic　happiness　which　they　had

felt　on　the　previous　day　when　they　remembered　how　they　had　had　the

luck　to　find　a　Psammead；　or　Sand…fairy；　and　to　receive　its　promise

to　grant　them　a　new　wish　every　day。　　For　now　they　had　had　two

wishes；　Beauty　and　Wealth；　and　neither　had　exactly　made　them　happy。　

But　the　happening　of　strange　things；　even　if　they　are　not

completely　pleasant　things；　is　more　amusing　than　those　times　when

nothing　happens　but　meals；　and　they　are　not　always　completely

pleasant；　especially　on　the　days　when　it　is　cold　mutton　or　hash。



There　was　no　chance　of　talking　things　over　before　breakfast；

because　everyone　overslept　itself；　as　it　happened；　and　it　needed　a

vigorous　and　determined　struggle　to　get　dressed　so　as　to　be　only

ten　minutes　late　for　breakfast。　　During　this　meal　some　efforts　were

made　to　deal　with　the　question　of　the　Psammead　in　an　impartial

spirit；　but　it　is　very　difficult　to　discuss　anything　thoroughly　and

at　the　same　time　to　attend　faithfully　to　your　baby　brother's

breakfast　needs。　　The　Baby　was　particularly　lively　that　morning。　

He　not　only　wriggled　his　body　through　the　bar　of　his　high　chair；

and　hung　by　his　head；　choking　and　purple；　but　he　collared　a

tablespoon　with　desperate　suddenness；　hit　Cyril　heavily　on　the　head

with　it；　and　then　cried　because　it　was　taken　away　fro