the stokesley secret-第39章

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rave　looks；　or　words　sharper　than　usual；　come　from　illness　or　anxiety　or　sorrow；　and　it　is　the　only　way　to　save　great　grief　and　self…reproach　to　give　one's　own　faults　the　blame；　and　try　to　be　as　unobtrusive　and　obliging　as　possible。〃

〃And　I　am　older　now；　and　can　understand；〃　said　Bessie；　〃but　then；　it　is　Susie　that　is　right　hand；　and　does　everything。〃

〃There's　plenty　in　your　own　line；　Bessieplenty　of　little　kindly　services　that　are　very　cheering；　and　above　all〃

〃What？〃

〃Attending　to　your　Mamma's　troubles　will　drive　away　your　own　grievances。　　Only　I　will　not　talk　to　you　any　more　now；　for　I　want　you　to　go　to　sleep；　if　you　lie　awake；　you　will　be　tired　to…morrow；　and　that　will　incline　you　to　be　fretful。〃

〃Fretful　to…morrow！〃

Bessie　could　not　believe　it　possible；　and　indeed　Miss　Fosbrook　did　not　think　the　chance　great；　as　long　as　there　was　amusement　and　excitement。　　The　danger　would　be　in　the　waitings　and　disappointments　that　will　often　occur；　even　in　the　height　of　enjoyable　schemes。

It　would　take　too　long　to　tell　of　all　the　good…byes。　　The　children　old　enough　to　enter　into　the　parting　were　setting　off　too；　and　Miss　Fosbrook　felt　more　for　the　little　ones　than　they　did　for　themselves；　as　they　watched　their　father　and　uncle　and　two　sisters　into　the　gig；　and　the　boys　into　the　cart；　with　Purday　to　drive　them　and　the　boxes；　Sam　sitting　on　his　father's　old　midshipman's　chest；　trying；　as　well　as　the　jolting　would　let　him；　to　con　over　that　troublesome　Thirty…　fifth　Proposition；　which　nine　times　repetition　to　Miss　Fosbrook　had　failed　to　put　into　his　head。

Johnnie　and　Annie　wished　themselves　going　to　sea；　or　to　London；　or　anywhere；　rather　than　having　the　full　force　of　Miss　Fosbrook　on　their　lessons！　　She　did　not　make　them　do　more；　but　she　took　the　opportunity　of　making　everything　be　done　thoroughly；　and；　as　they　thought；　bothered　them　frightfully　about　pronouncing　their　words　in　reading；　and　holding　their　pens　when　they　wrote。　　After　a　little　while；　however；　they　found　that　really　their　hands　were　much　less　tired；　and　their　lines　much　smoother　and　more　slanting；　than　when　they　crooked　their　fingers　close　down　over　the　ink。　　Absolutely　they　began　to　know　the　pleasure　of　doing　something　well；　and　they　felt　so　comfortable；　that　they　were　wonderfully　good；　and　the　pig　fund　might　have　had　a　chance；　but　David　did　not　seem　to　think　of　reviving　it。　　Perhaps　his　great　vehemence　had　tired　itself　out；　and　maybe　he　was　ashamed　of　the　great　disturbance　he　had　made　and　all　that　had　come　upon　Henry；　and　did　not　wish　to　think　of　it　again；　for　St。　Katherine's　fair…day　passed　over　without　a　word　of　the　pig。

The　young　ladies　were　not　great　letter…writers；　and　all　that　was　known　of　them　was　that　Mamma　was　better；　they　had　been　to　the　Zoological　Gardens　and　the　hyena　was　so　funny；　and　Mrs。　Penrose　was　so　nice。　　Then　that　Papa　and　Sam　were　gone　to　Portsmouth；　and　that　they　had　telegraphed　that　Sam　had　succeeded。

If　it　had　been　her　own　brother；　Miss　Fosbrook　could　not　have　been　much　happier；　and　in　honour　of　it　she　and　the　three　children　all　went　to　drink　tea　in　the　wilderness；　walking　in　procession；　each　with　a　flag　in　hand；　painted　by　her　for　the　occasion。

Three　days　after；　when　the　post　came　in；　there　was　a　letter　directed　to　Master　David　Douglas　Merrifield；　Stokesley　House；　Bonchamp。　　It　was　a　great　wonder；　for　David　was　not　baby　enough；　nor　near　enough　to　the　youngest；　to　get　letters　as　a　pet；　nor　was　he　old　enough　to　be　written　to　like　an　elder　one。　　He　spelt　the　address　all　over　before　he　made　up　his　mind　to　open　it；　and　then　exclaimed；　〃But　it　is　not　a　letter！　　It's　green！〃

〃It　is　a　post…office　order；　Davie；〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook。　　〃Let　me　look。　　Yes；　for　ten　shillings。　　Write　your　name　there；　and　if　we　take　it　to　the　post…office　at　Bonchamp；　they　will　give　you　ten　shillings。〃

〃Ten　shillings！　　Oh；　Davie！〃　cried　Johnnie；　〃I　wish　it　was　to　me！〃

〃It　just　makes　up　for　what　Hal　took；　and　more　too；〃　said　Annie。　〃Where　can　it　come　from；　Davie？〃

〃From　the　Queen；〃　said　Davie　composedly；　〃the　Queen　always　does　justice。〃

Miss　Fosbrook　was　quite　sorry　to　confess；　for　truth's　sake；　that　she　did　not　think　the　Queen　could　have　heard　of　the　loss　of　the　pig　fund；　and　that　it　was　more　likely　to　be　from　someone　who　wished　to　make　up　for　the　disasterwho　could　it　be？　　She　looked　at　the　round　stamp　upon　the　green…lettered　paper；　and　read　〃Portsmouth。〃　　Could　it　be　from　Papa？　　Then　she　looked　at　the　cover；　but　it　was　not　a　bit　like　the　Captain's　writing；　it　was　pretty；　lady…like；　clear…looking　hand…　writing；　and　puzzled　her　a　great　deal　more。　　If　the　children　had　once　had　a　secret　of　their　own；　there　was　a　very　considerable　one　to　puzzle　them　now；　and　they　could　hardly　believe　that　Miss　Fosbrook　knew　nothing　about　it；　any　more　than　themselves。

So　restless　and　puzzled　were　they；　that　she　thought　they　would　never　be　able　to　settle　quietly　to　their　lessons；　and　that　it　would　save　idleness　if　she　walked　with　them　at　once　to　Bonchamp　to　get　the　money。　　It　was　two　miles；　but　all　three　were　stout　walkers；　and　they　were　delighted　to　go；　indeed；　they　would　have　fancied　that　someone　else　might　run　away　with　the　ten　shillings　if　they　had　not　made　haste　to　secure　it。　　So　〃David　Douglas　Merrifield〃　was　written；　with　much　difficulty　to　make　it　small　enough；　in　the　very　best　and　roundest　hand。　　The　boys　were　put　into　clean　blouses；　Annie's　striped　cotton　came　to　light；　and　off　set　the　party　through　the　lanes；　each　with　sixpence　in　their　hand；　for　it　was　poor　fun　to　go　to　Bonchamp；　unless　one　had　something　to　spend　there。　　David　wanted　a　knife；　Johnnie　wanted　a　whip；　Annie　nothing　in　particular；　only　to　go　into　a　shop；　and　buyshe　didn't　know　what。

But　the　wonderful　affair　at　the　post…office　must　have　the　first　turn；　and　very　grand　did　David　feel　as　the　clerk　peeped　out　from　his　little　hole；　and　looked　amused　and　gracious　as　the　little　boy　stood　on　tiptoe　to　give　in　his　green　paper。

〃Will　you　have　it　in　gold　or　silver；　Sir？〃　he　asked。

〃In　gold；　please；〃　said　David。

It　was　something　to　have　a　bit　of　gold　in　one's　possession　for　the　first　time　in　one's　life；　and　David　felt　as　if　he　had　grown　an　inch　taller；　and　were　as　good　as　six　years　old；　as　he　walked　away　with　the　half　sovereign　squeezed　into　his　hot　little　palm。

The　toy…shop　was　at　the　end　of　the　street；　and　in　they　went；　Johnnie　to　try　all　the　whistles　in　the　handles　of　the　whips；　and　be　much　disgusted　that　all　that　had　a　real　sound　lash　cost　a　shilling；　David　to　open　and　shut　the　sixpenny　knives　with　the　gravity　of　a　judge　examining　their　blades；　and　Annie　to　gape　about；　and　ask　the　price　of　everything；　after　the　tiresome　fashion　of　people；　old　or　young；　when　they　come　out　bent　on　spending；　but　without　any　aim　or　object。　However；　Annie　was　kind；　if　she　were　silly；　and　she　was　very　fond　of　Johnnie；　so　it　ended；　after　a　little　whispering；　in　her　sixpence　being　added　to　his；　to　buy　a　real　good　whip；　such　as　would　crack；　and　not　come　to　pieces。

Just　then；　what　should　the　children　espy；　but　a　nice　firm　deal　box；　containing　a　little　saw；　a　little　plane；　a　hammer；　a　gimlet；　a　chisel；　and　sundry　different　sizes　of　nails。　　Was　there　ever　anything　so　delightful；　especially　to　David；　who　loved　nothing　so　well　as　running　after　George　Bowles　the　carpenter；　and　handling　his　tools。　What　was　the　price　of　them？

Just　ten　shillings　and　sixpence。　　They　were　very　cheap；　the　woman　of　the　toy…shop　said。　　They　had　been　ordered　by　an　old　lady　at　her　grandson's　entreaty；　but　afterwards　a　misgiving　had　seized　her　that　the　young　gentleman　would　cut　his　fingers；　and　she　would　not　take　them。

〃Miss　Fosbrook；〃　whispered　David；　〃may　I　give　back　the　knife？　then　I　could　buy　it。〃

〃You　have　bought　and　paid　for　it；〃　said　Christabel。

〃Somebody　else　will　buy　the　box；〃　said　David　wistfully。

Miss　Fosbrook；　within　herself；　thought　this　unlikely；　for　nobody　went　to　Bonchamp　for　costly　shopping；　and　she　saw　that　the　woman　would　gladly　have　had　the　knife　back；　if　she　could　have　sold　the　tool…box；　which；　even　at　this　reduced　price；　was　much　too　dear　for　the　little　boys　who　frequented　the　shop。

〃Come　away　now；　my　dear；〃　she　said　decidedly。　　〃No；　another　time；　thank　you。〃

David　was　as　nearly　crying　as　ever　he