the stokesley secret-第12章

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；　that　some　great　praise　or　reward　is　due　to　them？

Let　us　see　whether　anyone　in　Stokesley　school…room　was　making　a　conscience　of　the　day's　tasks。　　It　is　not　of　much　use　to　ask　for　any　at　present　in　Johnnienot　for　a　whole　week；　as　Annie　would　declare；　he　does　not　know　his　single　Latin　declension；　his　spelling；　is　all　abroad；　his　geography　wild；　yet　though　turned　back　once；　he　misses　the　fine　by　just　saying　his　lessons　passably　the　last　time。　　They　perhaps　ought；　in　strict　justice；　to　have　been　sent　back；　but　Miss　Fosbrook　was　very　glad　to　be　saved　the　uproar　that　would　have　ensued；　and　almost　wondered　whether　she　were　not　timidly　merciful　to　the　horrible　copy　and　the　greasy　slate。　　But　Johnnie　had　no　fine；　and　was　as　proud　of　it　as　if　he　had　been　a　good　boy。　　〃She　hadn't　caught　him　out；〃　he　said；　as　if　his　kind　governess　had　been　his　enemy。

As　to　Annie；　her　French　verbs　were　always　dreadful　things　to　hear；　and　the　little　merry　face；　usually　so　bright；　used　to　grow　quite　deplorable　with　the　trouble　she　took　not　to　use　her　mind。　　Using　her　memory　was　bad　enough；　but　saying　things　by　heart　was　an　affliction　she　was　used　to；　and　it　was　very　shocking　of　Miss　Fosbrook　to　require　her　to　find　out　HOW　many　years　Richard　II。　had　reigned；　if　he　began　in　1377　and　ended　in　1399。　　Susan　prompted　her；　however；　so　she　really　got　a　triumph　over　Miss　Fosbrook；　and　was　quite　saved　from　thinking。　　Oh；　but　the　teasing　woman！　she　silenced　Susan；　and　would　have　this　poor　injured　Annie　tell　how　old　the　tiresome　man　was。　〃Began　to　reign　at　eleven　years　old；　dethroned　after　twenty…two　years；　how　old　was　he？〃　　Annie　found　bursting　out　crying　easier　than　thinking；　and　then　they　all　cried　out；　〃O　Nanny；　the　pig！〃　and　Miss　Fosbrook　had　the　barbarity　to　call　that　FOOLISH　crying！　　What　might　one　cry　for；　if　not　at　being　asked　how　old　Richard　II。　was？　　If　the　fine　must　be　paid；　there　was　no　use　in　stopping；　so　Annie　howled　till　Miss　Fosbrook　turned　her　out　to　finish　on　the　stairs；　and　as　Nurse　Freeman　was　out　with　the　little　ones；　there　was　no　one　to　comfort　her；　so　she　cried　till　she　was　tired；　and　when　the　noise　ceased；　Susan　was　allowed　to　come　and　coax　her；　and　fetch　her　back　to　go　on　with　her　copy；　as　soon　as　her　hand　was　steady　enough。　　She　felt　very　foolish　by　this　time；　and　thought　David　eyed　her　rather　angrily　and　contemptuously；　so　she　crept　quietly　to　her　corner；　and　felt　sad　and　low…spirited　all　the　rest　of　the　morning。　　Now　that　thirty…three　had　come　into　her　head；　it　seemed　so　stupid　not　to　have　thought　of　it　in　time；　and　then　she　would　have　saved　her　farthing；　and　her　eyes　would　not　have　been　so　hot。

Maybe；　too；　Susan's　French　phrases　would　not　have　been　turned　back。　Miss　Fosbrook　would　have　given　a　great　deal　not　to　have　been　obliged　to　do　it；　but　she　had　prompted　flagrantly　already；　and　a　teacher　is　obliged　to　have　a　conscience　quite　as　much　as　a　scholar；　so　the　book　was　given　back；　and　Susan　spent　twelve　minutes　in　see…sawing　herself；　and　going　over　the　sentences　in　a　rapid　whispering　gabble；　a　serious　worry　to　the　governess　in　listening　to　Bessie's　practising　and　David's　reading；　but　she　thought　it　would　be　a　hardship　to　be　forbidden　to　learn　in　her　own　way　at　that　moment；　and　forbore。　　David　was　interrupted　in　his　〃Little　Arthur's　History；〃　and　looked　rather　cross　about　it；　for　Susan　to　try　again。　　She　made　all　the　same　blundersand　more　too！　　Back　again！　　Poor　Susie！　　Once；　twice；　thrice；　has　she　read　those　stupid　words　over；　and　knows　less　of　them　than　before。　　Davy's　loud　voice　will　go　into　her　understanding　instead　of　those　French　phrases。　　She　looks　up　in　dull　stupefaction。

William　Rufus　is　disposed　of；　and　David；　as　grave　as　a　judge；　is　taking　up　his　slate；　looking　a　little　fussed　because　there　is　a　scratch　in　the　corner。　　〃Well；　Susan；〃　says　Miss　Fosbrook。

Susan　jumps　up　in　desperation；　and　puts　her　hands　behind　her。　　Oh　dear！　oh　dear！　all　that　the　gentlemen　on　a　journey　were　saying　to　one　another　has　gone　clean　out　of　her　head！

She　cannot　recollect　the　three　first　words。　　She　only　remembers　that　this　is　the　third　time；　and　another　farthing　is　gone！　　She　stands　and　stares。

〃Susan；〃　says　Miss　Fosbrook　severely；　〃you　never　tried　to　learn　this。〃

Susan　gives　a　little　gasp；　and　Elizabeth；　who　has　said　her　French　without　a　blunder；　puts　in　an　unnecessary　and　not　very　sisterly　word：　〃Susan　never　will　learn　her　French。〃

Susan's　honest　eyes　fill　with　tears；　but　she　gulps　them　back。　　She　will　not　cry　away　another　farthing；　but　she　does　feel　it　very　cross　in　Bessie；　and　she　is　universally　miserable。

Christabel　feels　heated；　wearied；　and　provoked；　and　as　if　she　were　fast　losing　her　own　temper；　and　that　made　her　resolve　on　mercy。

〃Susie；〃　she　said　with　an　effort；　〃run　twice　to　the　great　lime…tree　and　back。　　Then　take　the　book　into　my　room；　read　this　over　three　times；　and　we　will　try　again。〃

Susan　looked　surprised；　but　she　obeyed；　came　back；　and　repeated　the　phrases　better　than　she　had　ever　said　French　before。　　She　was　absolutely　surprised　and　highly　pleased；　and　she　finished　off　her　other　lessons　swimmingly；　but　oh；　she　was　glad　to　be　rid　of　them！　Yes；　they　were　off　her　mind；　and　so　she　deserved　that　they　should　be！　She　flew　away　to　the　nursery；　and　little　Sarah　was　soon　crowing　in　her　arms。

Elizabeth？　　Not　a　blunder　in　French　verbs　or　geographyvery　tidy　copy。　　French　reading　good；　English　equally　so；　only　it　ended　in　a　pout；　because　there　was　not　time　for　her　to　go　on　to　see　what　became　of　Carthage；　and　she　was　a　most　intolerable　time　in　learning　her　poetry　out　of　the　book　of　Readings；　or　rather　she　much　preferred　reading　the　verses　in　other　parts　of　the　book　to　getting　perfect　in　her　lesson；　and　then　being　obliged　to　turn　her　mind　to　arithmetic。　Miss　Fosbrook　called　her　three　times；　and　at　last　she　turned　round　peevishly　at　being　interrupted　in　the　middle　of　the　〃Friar　of　Orders　Gray；〃　and　repeated　her　twenty　lines　of　Cowper's　〃Winter's　Walk〃　in　a　doleful　whine；　though　without　a　blunder。

It　was　one　of　the　horrible　novelties　that　Miss　Fosbrook　was　bringing　in；　that　she　expected　people　to　understand　their　sums　as　well　as　work　them。　　She　gave　much　shorter　ones；　to　be　sure；　than　Mamma；　who　did　sometimes　set　a　long　multiplication　sum　of　such　a　huge　size；　that　it　looked　as　if　it　were　meant　to　keep　the　victim　out　of　the　way；　but　who　would　not　prefer　casting　up　any　length　of　figures；　to　being　required　to　explain　the　meaning　of　〃carrying〃？

Really；　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　pig；　that　shocking　question　might　have　led　to　a　mutiny　in　the　school…room。　　When　it　was　bad　enough　to　do　the　thing；　how　could　anyone　ask　what　was　meant　by　the　operation；　and　why　it　was　performed？

What　did　Bessie　do　when　her　sum　was　being　overlooked？　　Miss　Fosbrook　read　on：　　〃4　from　8；　4；　7　from　1how's　this；　Bessie？　　7　from　10　are…　…〃

〃3；　and　1　are　4；〃　dolorously；　as　her　3　was　changed。

〃Now　then；　what　next？〃

〃Carry　one。〃

〃What　did　I　tell　you　was　meant　by　carry　one？〃

〃The　tens；〃　said　Bessie；　not　in　the　least　thinking　〃the　tens〃　had　anything　to　do　with　the　matter；　but　only　that　she　had　heard　something　about　them；　and　could　thus　get　rid　of　the　subject。

〃Now；　Bessie；　what　tens　can　you　possibly　mean？　　Think　a　little。〃

〃I'm　sure　you　said　tens　once；〃　said　injured　innocence。

〃That　was　in　an　addition　sum。　　See；　here　it　is　quite　different。　　I　told　you。〃

Bessie　put　on　a　vacant　stare。　　She　was　not　going　to　attend　to　what　she　did　not　like。

Miss　Fosbrook　saw　the　face。　　She　absolutely　shrank　from　provoking　another　fit　of　crying；　and　went　quickly　through　the　explanation。　　She　saw　that　her　words　might　as　well　have　been　spoken　to　the　slate。　Bessie　neither　listened　nor　took　them　in。　　Not　all　her　love　for　her　dear　Christabel　Angela　could　stir　her　up　to　make　one　effort　contrary　to　her　inclinations。　　The　slate　was　given　back　to　her；　she　wiped　out　the　sum　in　a　pet；　and　ran　away。

Miss　Fosbrook　turned　round；　David；　whose　lessons　had　been　perfectly　repeated　an　hour　ago；　was　sitting　cross…legged　in　the　window；　with　his　slate　and　pencil；　and　a　basket　of　bricks；　his　great　delight；　which　he　was　placing　in　rows。

〃Miss　Fosbrook；〃　said　he；　〃isn't　this　it？　　Twelve　bricks；　take　away　those　seven；　thenl；　2；　3；　4；　5the　twelve　is　only　5：　　the　10　is