the stokesley secret-第16章

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right　and　generous　to　abstain　from　sweets　with　this　end　in　view；　but　it　was　wrong　to　be　rude　and　unthankful　to　the　sister　who　meant　all　so　kindly；　and　was　the　most　unselfish　of　all。　　She　turned　round　to　Elizabeth　with　the　kind　offer　of　the　dainty　she　had　not　even　tasted　herself；　but　was　not　more　graciously　treated。

〃How　can　you；　Susie？　it　is　all　pulled　about　with　your　fingers。〃

This　was　a　matter　on　which　the　Misses　and　Masters　Merrifield　were　not　wont　to　be　particular；　and　with　one　of　the　teasing　laughs　that　Bessie　hated；　Sam　exclaimed　as　Susan　turned　to　him；　〃Yes；　thank　you；　Sukey；　_I_　don't　mind　finger　sauce；〃　but　not　before　John　was　stretching　out　a　hand　glazed　with　sugar；　and　calling　out；　〃Oh；　give　it　to　me！〃　and　as　it　disappeared　in　his　brother's　mouth；　he　burst　out　angrily；　〃How　cross；　Sam！　　You　did　that　on　purpose！〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Sam；　〃I　did；　for　though　pigs　on　four　legs　are　all　very　well；　I　don't　like　pigs　on　two。〃

〃Here；　Jackie；　never　mind；〃　said　Susan；　seeing　him　about　to　begin　to　cry；　and　offering　him　her　last　sugar…plum。

〃I　don't　want　sugar…plums；　I　want　barley…sugar；〃　said　John　devouring　it　nevertheless。

〃I　haven't　one　bit　more；〃　said　Susan　regretfully。

〃Have　you　had　any　yourself；　Susan？〃　asked　Sam。

〃No；　but　I　didn't　want　any。〃

〃Oh　then；　here　Susie；　I　always　keep　a　reserve；〃　said　Henry。　　〃No；　no；　not　you；　Jack；　I　don't　feed　little　pigs；　whatever　Susie　does。〃

And　in　spite　of　Susan；　both　the　elder　brothers　set　on　John；　teasing　him　about　his　greediness；　till　he　burst　out　crying；　and　ran　away　to　the　nursery。　　Miss　Fosbrook　hated　the　teasing；　but　she　thought　it　served　John　so　rightly；　that　she　would　not　save　him　from　it；　and　she　only　interfered　to　remind　the　others　that　their　fingers　would　bring　them　in　for　fines　unless　they　were　washed　before　tea。

〃And　how　much　have　you　spent？〃　reproachfully　asked　that　rigid　young　judge；　David；　but　all　the　answer　he　got　was　a　pull　by　the　hair　from　Hal；　and　〃Hollo；　young　one！　am　I　to　give　my　accounts　to　you？〃

David　gravely　put　up　his　hand　and　smoothed　his　ruffled　locks；　repeating；　in　his　manful　way；　〃I　want　to　know　what　you　have　left　for　the　pig？〃

Whereupon　Hal　laid　hold　of　him；　pulled　him　off　the　locker；　and　rolled　him　about　on　the　floor　like　a　puppy　dog；　crying；　〃I'll　tell　you　what；　if　you　make　such　a　work　about　it；　I'll　spend　all　my　allowance；　and　not　subscribe　at　all。〃

〃Sam！〃　cried　the　tormented　David；　and　〃Sam！〃　cried　the　governess；　really　afraid　the　little　boy　would　be　hurt；　but　Sam　only　stood　laughing　with　his　back　to　the　shutter；　and　Christabel　herself　hurried　to　the　rescue；　to　pick　Henry　off　his　victim；　holding　an　arm　tight；　while　the　child　got　up；　and　ran　away　to　get　his　hair　re…brushed　for　tea。

〃Now；　Hal；　you　might　have　hurt　him；〃　argued　the　governess。

〃Very　good　thing　for　him　too；〃　said　the　brothers　with　one　voice。

She　was　very　much　shocked；　but　when　she　thought　it　over　she　perceived　that　though　Hal　might　be　to　blame；　yet　in　the　long　run　even　this　rough　discipline　might　be　more　useful　to　her　dear　little　David　than　being　allowed　to　take　upon　him　with　his　elder　brothers；　and　grow　conceited　and　interfering。

Miss　Fosbrook　was　not　surprised　when；　next　morning；　a　frightful　bellowing　was　heard　instead　of　Johnnie　being　seen；　and　she　learnt　that　Master　John　was　in　the　hands　of　Nurse　Freeman；　who　was　administering　to　him　a　dose　in　consequence　of　his　having　been　greatly　indisposed　all　night。　　It　must　be　confessed　that　Christabel　was　not　very　sorry　to　hear　it；　nor　that　Nurse　would　keep　him　to　herself　all　day；　for　bad　company　as　Johnnie　had　been　on　the　week…days；　he　had　been　worse　on　the　Sunday。

And　when　John　came　out　on　Monday；　he　looked　like　a　different　boy；　he　had　lost　his　fractious；　rebellious　look；　he　spoke　as　civilly　as　could　be　expected　of　a　small　Merrifield；　and　showed　no　signs　of　being　set　against　his　lessons。　　To　be　sure　it　was　a　bad　way　of　spending　a　Sunday；　to　be　laid　up　with　ailments　brought　on　by　over…eating；　but　even　this　was　better　than　spending　it；　like　the　former　one；　in　wilful　misbehaviour；　and　John；　who　knew　that　Papa；　Mamma；　brothers；　and　sisters　all　alike　detested　and　despised　real　greediness；　had　been　heartily　ashamed　of　himself；　both　for　this　and　his　forfeits。　　A　new　week　was　a　new　starting…point；　and　he　meant　to　spend　this　one　well。　For　indeed　it　is　one　of　the　blessings　of　our　lives　that　we　have　so　many　stagesdays；　weeks；　years；　and　the　likefrom　each　of　which　we　may　make　fresh　starts；　feel　old　things　left　behind；　and　go　on　to　lead　a　new　life。

Besides；　Johnnie　was　quite　well　now；　and　perhaps　no　child；　so　well　brought　up；　could　have　been　so　constantly　naughty　the　whole　week　without　some　degree　of　ailment；　suspected　neither　by　himself　nor　others。　　For　this　is　one　of　our　real　troubles；　when　either　young　or　old；　that　sometimes　there　is　a　feeling　of　discomfort　and　vexation　about　us　that；　without　knowing　why；　makes　everything　go　amiss；　causes　everybody　else　to　appear　cross；　and　all　tasks；　all　orders；　all　misadventures；　to　become　great　grievances。　　Grown…up　people　feel　this　as　well　as　children；　but　they　have　gone　through　it　often　enough　to　know　what　is　the　matter；　and　they　have；　or　ought　to　have；　more　self…　command。　　But　children　have　yet　to　learn　by　experience　that　the　outer　things　are　not　harder　and　more　untoward；　so　much　as　that　they　themselves　are　out　of　sorts。　　This　is　poor　comfort；　and　certainly　it　is　dangerous　to　say　to　ourselves　that　being　poorly　is　any　excuse　for　letting　ourselves　be　cross；　or　for　not　doing　our　best。　　If　Mrs。　Merrifield　had　thought　so；　what　miserable　lives　her　husband　and　children　would　have　led！　　No；　the　way　to　use　the　certain　fact　that　the　state　of　our　bodies　affects　our　tempers　and　spirits；　is　to　say　to　ourselves；　〃Well；　if　this　person　or　this　thing　do　seem　disagreeable；　or　if　this　work；　or　even　this　little　bit　of　obedience；　be　very　tiresome；　perhaps　it　may　really　be　only　a　fancy　of　mine；　and　if　I　go　to　it　with　a　good　will；　I　may　work　off　the　notion；〃　or；　〃Perhaps　I　am　cross　to…day；　let　me　take　good　care　how　I　answer。〃　　And　a　little　prayer　in　our　hearts　will　be　the　best　help　of　all。　　Self…command　and　goodness　will　not　come　by　nature　as　we　grow　up；　but　we　must　work　for　them　in　childhood。

When　the　Monday　allowances　were　brought　out；　and　the　pig's　chance　inquired　into；　David　alone　produced　his　whole　sum；　untouched　by　forfeiture　or　waste；　and　dropped　it　into　〃Toby　Fillpot。〃　　Elizabeth　had　her　entire　sixpence；　but　a　penny　had　been　spent　on　a　letter　to　Mamma；　and　she　gave　but　one　to　the　fund；　in　spite　of　the　black　looks　she　met　from　David。　　Sam　had　lost　a　farthing　by　the　shower；　and　had　likewise　bought　a　queen's　head；　to　write　to　his　father。　　The　rest；　fourpence…three　farthings；　he　paid　over。　　Poor　Johnnie！　his　last　week's　naughtiness　had　exceeded　his　power　of　paying　fines；　and　a　halfpenny　was　subtracted　from　this　week's　threepence；　while　the　Gibraltar　man　had　consumed　all　that　fines　had　spared　to　little　Annie；　had　left　Susan　only　threepence；　and　Henry　but　twopence…halfpenny。　This；　with　twopence　that　Miss　Fosbrook　had　found　in　her　travelling…　bag；　made　one　shilling　and　fourpence…farthinga　very　poor　collection　for　one　week。　　David　was　quite　melancholy。

〃Never　mind；〃　said　Henry；　〃Mr。　Carey's　brother；　the　Colonel；　is　coming　to　stay　here　the　last　week　in　July；　and　he　gives　us　boys　half…　a…sovereign　each；　so　that　we　might　buy　a　stunning　pig　all　ourselves　twice　over。〃

〃Always？　　He　never　did　so　but　once；〃　said　Sam。

〃That　was　the　only　time　he　saw　us；　though；〃　said　Hal；　〃and　we　were　quite　little　boys　then。　　I'll　tell　you　what；　Sam；　he'll　give　us　each　a　sovereign　this　time；　and　then　I'll　buy　a　bow　and　arrows。〃

〃Stuff！〃　said　Sam。　　〃I　hope　he　won't。〃

〃Why　not？〃

〃I　hate　it！　　I　hate　saying　thank　you；　I　shall　get　out　of　the　way；　if　I　can。〃

〃Sam　has　no　manners！〃　said　Hal；　turning　round　to　Miss　Fosbrook。　　〃To　think　that　he　had　rather　go　without　a　sovereign　or　two　than　say　thank　you！〃

〃I'M　too　much　of　a　gentleman　to　lay　myself　out　for　presents！〃　retorted　Samuel；　and　the　two　boys　fell　on　each　other；　buffeting　one　another；　all　in　good　part　on　Sam's　side；　though　there　was　some　temper　and　annoyance　on　Henry's。

When　Sam　was　out　of　hearing；　Hal　discoursed　very　grandly　on　the　sovereign　he　inte