the stokesley secret-第37章

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David's　place　proved　to　be　in　among　his　likenesses；　the　cabbages；　immediately　in　front　of　the　summer…house。　　There　he　lay　flat　on　the　very　wet　mould；　among　the　stout　cabbages；　all　of　which　had　a　bead　of　wet　in　every　wrinkle　of　their　great　leaves；　so　that　when　Susan　had　at　length　spied　him；　and　he　came　plunging　out；　his　brown…hollandto　say　nothing　of　his　kneeswas　in　a　state　that　would　have　caused　most　mammas　to　send　him　to　be　instantly　undressed；　but　nobody　even　saw　it；　and　he　charged　instantly　towards　the　door　of　the　summer…house；　not　pursuing　anyone　in　particular；　but　cutting　all　off　from　their　retreat。　　He　slipped　aside；　however；　and　let　all　the　lesser　game　pass　by　uncaught；　his　soul　soared　higher　than　even　Uncle　John；　who　looked　on　exceedingly　amused　at　the　small　man's　stratagem；　and　at　the　long　dodging　that　took　place　between　him　and　his　father；　the　quick　lithe　Captain　skipping　hither　and　thither；　and　trying　to　pop　in　one　side　while　his　enemy　was　on　the　other；　and　the　square；　determined；　little；　puffing；　panting　boy；　guarding　his　door；　hands　on　knees；　ever　ready　for　a　dart　wherever　the　attempt　was　made。　　The　whole　party　in　the　home　nearly　went　into　fits　at　the　fun；　and　at　the　droll　remarks　Uncle　John　made　at　this　hare　and　tortoise　spectacle；　till　at　last　either　the　Captain　gave　in；　or　Davie　made　a　cleverer　attack　than　ever；　for　with　a　great　shout　he　flew　upon　Papa；　and　held　him　fast　by　the　legs。　Everyone　shrieked　with　delight；　Papa　hid　in　such　clever　places；　and　when　found；　he　roared　so　splendidly；　that　it　struck　the　little　ones　with　terror；　and　did　the　hearts　of　the　elders　good；　to　hear　him；　indeed；　the　greatest　ambition　Johnnie　entertained　was　to　roar　like　Papa。　　Then　he　could　make　his　voice　sound　as　if　out　of　any　place　he　chose；　so　that　no　one　could　guess　by　his　〃whoop〃　where　to　look　for　him；　and　this　time　it　seemed　to　be　quite　out　at　the　other　end　of　the　kitchen…garden；　where　they　were　all　looking；　when　another　〃whoop〃　came　apparently　down　from　Sam's　pear…tree　on　the　lawn；　and　while　they　were　peeping　up　into　it；　〃whoop〃　re…echoed　from　the　stables！　　At　last；　as　Annie　was　gazing　up　and　round　as　if　she　even　thought　it　as　well　to　look　right　into　the　sky　for　Papa；　she　suddenly　beheld　the　two　merriest　eyes　in　the　world；　on　the　roof　of　the　summer…house　itself。　He　had　been　lying　there　on　the　thatch；　watching　at　his　ease　all　the　wanderings　of　the　seekers；　and　uttering　those　wonderful　whoops　to　bewilder　them。

〃I　spy！　　I　spy！〃　shrieked　Annie；　flying　in；　even　while　her　father　sprang　to　the　ground；　and　with　Davie's　manoeuvre　on　a　larger　scale；　seemed　to　be　taking　his　choice　of　all　the　fugitives　rushing　up　from　all　parts。

One　elder　boy；　and　one　younger；　he　was　hunting　down　the　gooseberry…　path；　when　just　as　he　was　about　to　pounce　on　the　former；　he　said　that　it　was　not　Sam；　stood　still；　and　folded　his　arms。　　A　shriek　made　him　look　round；　little　David　stood　sobbing　and　crying　piteously。

〃Davie！　what；　Davie！　　What　is　it；　my　man？　　Where　are　you　hurt！〃

〃No；　no！　　I'm　not　hurt！　　Catch　Hal；　Papa。〃

〃No；　David。　　I　do　not　play　with　boys　that　act　like　Henry。〃

〃Speak　to　him；　Papa；　oh；　speak！〃

〃I　shall；　before　I　go；〃　said　the　Captain　gravely。

〃Now；　now！　　Papa。　　Oh；　do！　　I　did　want　him　to　be　punished；　but　not　like　this。〃

〃No；　David。　　If　he　can　expect　to　play　with　me；　and　be　treated　like　the　others；　he　is　not　in　the　state　to　receive　forgiveness。　　There；　have　done　crying；　let　us　go　on　with　the　game。〃

But　David　could　not　go　on　playing；　he　was　too　unhappy。　　Not　to　be　forgiven；　even　if　punished；　seemed　to　him　too　dreadful　to　happen　to　anyone；　and　he　thought　that　he　had　brought　it　all　on　Henry　by　his　letter　of　accusation。　　Tardily　and　dolefully　he　crept　into　the　house；　and　Miss　Fosbrook　met　him；　looking　so　woe…begone；　that　she　too　thought　he　had　hurt　himself。　　She　took　him；　dirt　and　all；　on　her　lap；　and　there　he　sobbed　out　that　Papa　wouldn't　speak　to　Hal；　and　it　was　very　dreadful；　and　he　wished　there　were　no　such　things　as　pigs；　or　money；　or　secrets；　they　only　made　people　miserable！

〃Dear　Davie；　they　only　make　people　miserable　when　they　care　too　much　about　them。　　Papa　will　forgive　Hal　before　he　goes　away；　I　am　sure；　only　he　is　making　him　sorry　first；　that　he　may　never　do　such　a　thing　again。〃

〃I　don't　like　it。〃　　And　David　cried　sadly；　perhaps　because　partly　he　was　tired　with　having　been　on　his　legs　more　than　usual　that　day；　but　his　good　and　loving　little　self　was　come　home　again。　　He　at　least　had　forgiven　his　brother　the　wrong　done　to　himself；　and　there　was　no　hanging　back　that　night　from　the　fulness　of　prayer；　no；　he　rather　felt　that　he　had　been　unkind；　and　the　last　thing　heard　of　him　that　night　was；　that　as　Sam　and　Hal　were　coming　up…stairs　to　bed；　a　little　white　figure　stood　on　the　top　of　the　stairs；　and　a　small　voice　said；　〃Hal；　please　kiss　me！　　I　am　so　sorry　I　told　Papa　about〃

〃There；　hold　your　tongue；〃　said　Hal；　cutting　him　short　with　the　desired　kiss；　〃if　you　hadn't　told；　someone　else　would。〃

But　long　after　Sam　was　asleep；　Hal　was　wetting　his　pillow　through　with　tears。



CHAPTER　XV。



Still　the　silence　lasted。　　Henry　had　tried　at　first　to　persuade　himself　that　it　was　only　by　chance　that　he　never　heard　his　own　name　from　lips　that　used　to　call　it　more　often　than　any　other。　　Indeed；　he　was　so　much　used　to　favour；　that　it　needed　all　the　awe…struck　pity　of　the　rest　to　prove　to　him　its　withdrawal；　and　he　was　so　much　in　the　habit　of　thrusting　himself　before　Samuel；　that　even　the　sight　and　sound　of　the　First　Book　of　Euclid；　all　day　long；　failed　to　convince　him　that　his　brother　could　be　preferred；　above　all；　as　Nurse　Freeman　had　been　collecting　his　clean　shirts　as　well　as　Sam's；　and　all　the　portmanteaus　and　trunks　in　the　house　had　been　hunted　out　of　the　roof。　Once；　either　the　spirit　of　imitation；　or　his　usual　desire　of　showing　himself　off；　made　him　break　in　when　Sam　was　knitting　his　brows　frightfully　over　a　sum　in　proportion。　　Hal　could　do　it　in　no　time！

So　he　did；　but　he　put　the　third　term　first；　and　multiplied　the　hours　into　the　minutes；　instead　of　reducing　them　to　the　same　denomination；　so　that　he　made　out　that　twenty…five　men　would　take　longer　to　cut　a　field　of　grass　than　three；　and　then　could　not　see　that　he　was　wrong；　but　Miss　Fosbrook　and　Sam　both　looked　so　much　grieved　for　him；　that　a　start　of　fright　went　through　him。

Some　minds　really　do　not　understand　a　fault　till　they　see　it　severely　visited；　and　〃at　least〃　and　〃couldn't　help〃　had　so　blinded　Henry's　eyes　that　he　had　thought　himself　more　unlucky　than　to　blame；　till　his　father's　manner　forced　it　on　him　that　he　had　done　something　dreadful。　Vaguely　afraid；　he　hung　about；　looking　so　wretched　that　he　was　a　piteous　sight；　and　it　cut　his　father　to　the　heart　to　spend　such　a　last　day　together。　　Mayhap　the　Captain　could　hardly　have　held　out　all　that　second　day；　if　he　had　not　passed　his　word　to　his　brother。

The　travellers　were　to　set　off　at　six　in　the　morning；　to　meet　the　earliest　train：　　and　it　was　not　till　nine　o'clock　at　night；　when　the　four　elder　ones　said　good…night；　that　the　Captain；　following　them　out　of　the　room；　laid　his　hand　on　Henry　as　the　others　went　up…stairs；　and　said；　〃Henry；　have　you　nothing　to　say　to　me？〃

Henry　leant　against　the　baluster　and　sobbed；　not　knowing　what　else　to　do。

〃You　can't　be　more　grieved　than　I　am　to　have　such　a　last　day　together；〃　said　his　father；　laying　his　hand　on　the　yellow　head；　〃but　I　can't　help　it；　you　see。　　If　you　will　do　such　things；　it　is　my　duty　to　make　you　repent　of　them。〃

Hal　threw　himself　almost　double　over　the　rail；　and　something　was　heard　about　〃sorry；〃　and　〃never。〃

〃Poor　little　lad！〃　said　his　father　aloud　to　himself；　〃he　is　cut　up　enough　now；　but　how　am　I　to　know　if　his　sorrow　is　good　for　anything？〃

〃O　Papa！　　I'll　never　do　such　a　thing　again！〃

〃I　wish　I　knew　that；　Hal；〃　said　the　Captain；　sitting　down　on　the　stairs；　and　taking　him　between　his　knees。　　〃There；　let　us　talk　it　over　together。　　I　don't　suppose　you　expected　to　steal　and　deceive　when　you　got　up　in　the　morning。〃

〃Oh　no；　no！〃

〃Go　back　to　the　beginning。　　See　how　you　came　to　this。〃

As　he　waited　for　an　answer；　Hal　mumbled　out　after　some　time；　〃You　said　we　need　not　go　to　church　on　a　week…day。〃

〃Well；　what　of　that？〃

〃I