the stokesley secret-第2章

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〃I　suppose；〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook；　〃the　pig　would　live　on　her　garden…　stuff；　her　cabbage…leaves　and　potato…skins；　and　that　when　he　was　fat　she　would　sell　him；　and　pay　the　rent　with　the　money。　　Am　I　right；　Sam？　you　know　I　am　a　Cockney。〃

〃You　could　not　be　more　right　if　you　were　a　Hampshire　beg；〃　said　Sam。　〃Jack　Higgins　was　her　husband's　name；　and　a　famous　fellow　he　was；　he　once　rigged　a　little　boat　for　me。〃

〃And　he　sailed　with　Papa　once；　long　ago；〃　added　Susan；　to　which　Sam　rejoined；

〃More　fool　he　to　go　into　the　merchant　service　and　get　drowned；　with　nothing　for　his　widow　to　live　upon。〃

〃I　say；〃　cried　Hal；　〃why　shouldn't　we　give　her　a　pig？〃

〃Oh；　do！〃　earnestly　exclaimed　David。

〃I'll　catch　one；〃　broke　from　John　and　Annie　at　once；　〃such　lots　as　there　are　in　the　yard！〃

〃You　would　catch　it；　I　believe；〃　said　Sam　disdainfully；　while　Susan　explained；

〃No；　those　are　Papa's　pigs。　　Purday　would　not　let　you　give　them　away。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　Henry；　〃that　was　only　those　little　geese。　　I　meant　to　make　a　subscription　among　ourselves；　and　give　her　the　pig；　and　won't　she　be　surprised！〃

〃Oh！　yes；　yes；〃　shouted　the　children；　〃let's　do　it　all　ourselves！〃

〃I've　got　one…and…threepence；　and　sixpence　next　Saturday；〃　cried　Hal。

〃And　I've　eightpence；〃　quoth　Annie。

〃And　I've　a　whole　shilling；〃　said　David。

〃I've　fourpence；〃　said　Johnnie。

〃I've　not　much；　I'm　afraid；〃　said　Susan；　feeling　in　her　pocket；　with　rather　black　looks。

〃Oh！〃　said　Sam；　〃everybody　knows　simple　Sukey　never　has　a　farthing　in　her　pocket　by　any　chance！〃

〃Yes；　but　I　have；　Sam；〃　and　with　an　air　of　great　triumph；　Susan　held　up　three…halfpence；　whereat　all　the　party　screamed　with　laughter。

〃Well；　but　Bessie　always　has　lots！　　She's　as　rich　as　a　little　Jew。　Come；　Bet；　Elizabeth；　Elspeth；　Betsy；　and　Bess；　what　will　you　give？　what　have　you　got？〃and　one　hand　came　on　her　shoulder；　and　another　on　her　arm　but　she　shook　herself　free；　and　answered　rather　crossly；

〃Don'tI　can'tI've　got　something　else　to　do　with　my　money。〃

〃Oh！　you　little　stingy　avaricious　crab！〃　was　the　outcry　beginning；　but　Miss　Fosbrook　stopped　it　before　Elizabeth　had　time　to　make　the　angry　answer　that　was　rising　on　her　lips。

〃No；　my　dears；　you　must　not　tease　her。　　Each　of　you　has　a　full　right　to　use　your　own　money　as　you　may　think　best；　and　it　is　not　right　to　force　gifts　in　this　manner。〃

〃She's　a　little　affected　pussy…cat；〃　said　Hal；　much　annoyed；　〃I　know　what　she　wants　it　forto　buy　herself　a　ridiculous　parasol　like　Ida　Greville；　when　she　would　see　poor　Hannah　Higgins　starving　at　her　feet。〃

Elizabeth　bit　her　lip；　and　tossed　up　her　head；　the　tears　were　in　her　eyes；　but　she　made　no　answer。

〃Come；　never　mind；〃　said　Sam；　〃she's　as　obstinate　as　a　male　when　she　gets　a　thing　into　her　head。　　Let's　see　what　we've　got　without　her。　I've　only　sevenpence：　　worse　luck　that　I　bought　ball　of　string　yesterday。〃

The　addition　amounted　to　three　shillings　and　elevenpence　halfpenny：　a　sum　which　looked　so　mighty　when　spread　out；　chiefly　in　coppers；　on　the　window…seat；　that　Annie　and　David　looked　on　it　as　capable　of　buying　any　amount　of　swine；　but　Sam　looked　rather　blank　at　it；　and　gazing　up　and　down；　said；　〃But　what　does　a　pig　cost？〃

〃Miss　Fosbrook；　what　does　a　pig　cost？〃

Miss　Fosbrook　shook　her　head　and　laughed；　saying　that　she　knew　much　less　of　pigs　than　they　did；　and　Susan　exclaiming；　〃There's　Purday　in　the　court；〃　they　all　tumbled　to　the　window；　one　upon　the　top　of　the　other。

The　window　was　a　large　heavily…framed　sash；　with　a　deep　window…seat；　and　a　narrow　ledge　within　the　sillas　if　made　on　purpose；　the　first　for　the　knees　the　second　for　the　elbows　of　the　gazers　therefrom。

As　to　the　view；　it　was　into　a　walled　kitchen　court；　some　high　chestnut　and　lime　trees　just　looking　over　the　grey　roofs　of　the　offices。　　On　the　ground　lay　a　big　black　Newfoundland　dog；　and　a　couple　of　graceful　greyhounds；　one　of　them　gnawing　a　bone；　cunningly　watched　by　a　keen…looking　raven；　with　his　head　on　one　side；　while　peeping　out　from　the　bars　of　the　bottle…rack　was　the　demure　face　of　the　sandy　cat；　on　the　watch　for　either　bones　or　sparrows。

A　stout；　stumpy；　shrewd…looking　labourer；　in　a　short　round　frock；　high　buskins；　an　old　wide…awake；　short　curly　hair；　and　a　very　large　nose；　stood　in　front　of　the　dairy　door；　mixing　a　mess　of　warm　milk　for　the　young　calves。

〃Purday！　　Master　Purday！〃　roared　nearly　the　whole　young　population　above；　but　he　was　so　intent　on　his　mixture；　that　he　went　on　as　if　he　were　deaf；　till　a　second　explosion　of　〃Purday！　　Purday！　　I　say！〃　made　him　turn　up　his　face　in　an　odd　half…awake　kind　of　manner。

〃Purday；　what's　the　price　of　a　pig？〃　and；　〃What　does　a　pig　cost；　Purday？〃

〃What　d'ye　all　holler　at　once　for？　　A　body　can't　hear　a　word；〃　was　all　the　answer　they　got；　whereupon　they　all　started　together　again；　and　Purday　went　on　with　his　mixture　as　if　they　had　been　so　many　hens　cackling。

Then　Sam　got　up　his　breath　again　and　called　alone；　〃Purday！〃　and　Hal　and　Susan　by　pats　and　pinches　strangled　the　like　outcry　from　Annie　and　John；　so　as　to　leave　the　field　clear　for　the　great　question；　〃Purday；　what　does　a　pig　cost？〃

〃More　than　your　voices　up　there；　sir；〃　growled　Purday；　making　some　laugh；　but　Henry　cried　impatiently；

〃Now；　Purday；　we　really　do　want　to　know　what　is　the　price　of　pigs。〃

〃They　was　high　last　market；〃　began　Purday。

〃I　don't　care　if　they　were　high　or　low；〃　said　Hal；　〃I　want　to　know　what　money　they　cost。〃

〃Different　pigs　cost　different　prices；〃　quoth　the　oracle；　so　sententiously；　that　Miss　Fosbrook's　shoulders　shook　with　laughing　as　she　stood　a　little　in　the　background　of　the　eager　heap　in　the　window。

〃A　nice　little　pig；　such　as　you'd　give〃

〃Hush；　hush；　Hal；　it's　a　secret；〃　cried　Susan。

〃A　pretty　sort　of　secretknown　to　eight　already；　and　bawled　out　all　over　the　yard；〃　said　Sam。

〃But　don't　tell　him　what　it's　for；　you　can　ask　him　without　that。〃

〃A　nice　little　young　pig；〃　said　Sam；　〃such　as　you'd　keep　all　the　summer；　and　fat　in　the　winter。〃

〃Mind；　it　ain't　for　you；　Purday；〃　cried　Hal。

〃Never　fear　my　being　disappointed；　sir；〃　said　the　free…spoken　Purday；　with　a　twinkle　of　his　eye；　which　Hal　understood　so　well　that　he　burst　out；

〃Ah！　you　think　I　can　never　do　what　I　say　I　will；　but　you'll　see；　Purday；　if　we　don't　give　a　pig　to〃

He　was　screamed　at；　and　pulled　into　order　and　silence；　ere　the　words；　〃Hannah　Higgins〃　had　quite　come　out；　and　Sam　repeated　his　question。

〃Well；〃　said　Purday　at　last；　〃if　pigs　was　reasonable；　you　might　get　a　nice　little　one　to　fat；　at　Kattern　Hill　fair；　somewhere　about　ten　shillings；　or　maybe　twelvesometimes　more；　sometimes　less。〃

〃Ten　shillings！〃　　The　community　stood　round　and　looked　at　one　another　at　the　notion　of　such　an　awful　sum；　but　Hal　was　the　first　to　cast　a　ray　of　hope　on　the　gloom。　　〃Kattern　Hill　fair　ain't　till　Midsummer；　and　perhaps　Grandmamma　will　send　us　some　money　before　that。　　If　anybody's　birthday　was　but　coming！〃

〃Better　save　it　out　of　our　allowance；〃　said　Sam。　　〃How　long　is　it　to　the　fair？〃

Miss　Fosbrook's　pocket…book　declared　it　to　be　four　weeks。

〃Well；　then；〃　said　Hal；　〃we　three　big　ones　have　sixpence　a　week　each；　that's　six　shillings；　leaving　out　stingy　Bess；　and　the　little　ones　threepence；　that's　three　times　three　is　nine；　and　three　times　nine　is　thirty…six；　that's　three　shillings；　and　six　is　nine；　and　very　near　four　is　fourteen。　　We　shall　do　the　pig　yet。〃

〃Yes；　Hal；　but　if　pigs　are　reasonable；　I　am　afraid　three　times　nine　never　yet　were　so　much　so　as　to　make　thirty…six；〃　objected　Miss　Fosbrook。

Sam　whistled。

〃Twenty…seventhat's　three　and　twopenceit's　all　the　same；〃　said　Hal；　then　at　the　scream　of　the　rest；　〃at　least　two　and　threepence。　Well；　any　way　there's　plenty　for　piggy…wiggy；　and　it　shall　be　a　jolly　secret　to　delight　Hannah　Higgins；　and　surprise　Papa　and　Mamma：　hurrah！〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Sam；　〃but　then　nobody　must　have　any　fines。〃

〃Ay；　and　Sue　must　keep　her　money。　　That　will　be　a　wonder！〃　shouted　Harry。

〃Well；　I'll　try；〃　said　Susan。　　〃I'll　try　not　to　have　a　single　fine；　and　I'll　not　buy　a　single　lump　of　sugar…candy；　for　I　do　want　poor　Hannah　to　have　her　pig。〃

〃And　so　will　we！〃　cried　the　younger　ones　with　one　voice。

〃Only；〃　added　Susan；　〃I　must