the stokesley secret-第40章

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

David　was　as　nearly　crying　as　ever　he　was；　as　he　was　forced　to　follow　her　out　of　the　shop。　　Those　tools　were　so　charming；　his　fingers　tingled　to　be　hammering；　sawing；　boring　holes。　　Had　he　lost　the　chance　for　that　poor　blunt　knife？　　Must　he　wait　a　whole　fortnight　for　another　sixpence；　and　find　the　delicious　tool…chest　gone？

〃Dear　Davie；　I　am　very　sorry；〃　said　Christabel　when　they　were　in　the　street。

〃That　nasty　knife！〃　cried　David。

〃It　is　not　the　knife；　Davie；〃　said　she；　〃but　that　I　want　to　thinkI　want　you　to　thinkwhy　these　ten　shillings　must　have　been　sent。〃

〃Because　we　lost　the　money　for　the　pig；〃　said　David。　　〃But　Kattern　Hill　fair　is　over；　and　I　don't　want　a　pig　now；　I　do　want　the　gimlet　to　make　holes〃

〃Yes；　David；　but　you　know　what　was　saved　for　the　pig　came　from　all　of　you；　you　would　have　had　no　right　to　spend　it　on　anything　else；　unless　they　all　had　consented。〃

〃This　is　my　very　own；〃　said　David；　〃it　was　sent　to　memyselfme。〃

〃So　it　seems　now；　but　just　suppose　you　were　to　have　a　letter　to　say　that　someonepoor　Hal　himself；　perhapsor　Papahad　sent　ten　shillings　to　make　up　the　money　for　the　pig；　and　directed　it　to　you　because　you　cared　so　much；　would　it　not　be　a　shame　to　have　spent　the　money　upon　yourself？〃

〃Then　they　should　not　have　sent　it　without　saying；〃　said　David。

Miss　Fosbrook　thought　the　same；　when　she　saw　how　hard　the　trial　was　to　the　little　boy；　but　she　hoped　she　was　taking　the　kindest　course；　as　she　said；　〃Now；　David；　in　nine　days　time；　if　you　are　good；　you　will　have　had　another　sixpence。　　I　see　no　chance　of　the　tools　being　sold；　or　if　they　are；　I　could　send　for　such　a　box　from　London。　　By　that　time；　perhaps；　something　will　have　happened　to　show　who　sent　the　money；　and　why。〃

〃And　if　it　is　all　for　myself；　I　may　have　the　tools！〃　cried　David。

〃You　shall　have　them；　if　you　really　think　it　is　right；　when　Monday　week　comes。〃



CHAPTER　XVI。



Ideas　were　slow　in　both　entering　or　dying　out　of　David's　mind；　but　while　there　they　reigned　supreme。　　Carpentry　had　come　in　as　the　pig　had　gone　out；　and　with　the　more　force；　because　a　new　window　was　being　put　into　Mamma's　room；　and　George　Bowles　was　there；　with　all　his　delightful　tools；　letting　the　little　boys　amuse　themselves　therewith；　till　they　had　hardly　three　sound　fingers　between　them；　and　Nurse　Freeman；　when　she　dressed　their　wounds；　could　not　think　what　was　the　use　of　a　lady　if　she　could　not　keep　the　children　from　hurting　themselves；　but　Miss　Fosbrook　thought　that　it　was　better　that　boys　should　get　a　few　cuts　and　bruises　than　that　they　should　be　timid　and　unhandy。

One　evening；　all　the　party　walked　to　carry　to　Hannah　Higgins's　little　girl　a　pinafore　that　Annie　had　been　making。　　She　was　a　nice；　tidy　woman；　but　there　was　little　furniture　in　her　house；　and　she　looked　very　poor。　　The　garden　was　large；　and　in　pretty　good　order；　and　there　was　an　empty　pig…sty；　into　which　Annie　peeped　significantly。

〃No；　Miss　Annie；　we　haven't　no　pig；〃　said　Mrs。　Higgins。　　〃Ben　says；　says　he；　'Mother；　when　I'm　taken　on　for　carter　boy；　see　if　I　don't　get　you　a　nice　little　pig；　as　will　eat　the　garden　stuff；　and　pay　the　rent。'

〃Oh；　but〃　began　Annie；　and　there　she　came　to　a　sudden　stop。

〃Is　he　likely　soon　to　be　a　carter　boy？〃　asked　Miss　Fosbrook。

〃No；　Ma'am；　he　is　but　ten　years　old；　and　they　don't　often　take　them　on　under　twelve；　but　he　is　a　good　boy　to　his　mother；　and　a　terrible　one　for　leasing。〃

Miss　Fosbrook　was　obliged　to　have　it　explained　to　her　that　〃leasing〃　meant　gleaning；　and　she　saw　the　grand　pile　of　small　neat　bundles　of　wheat　put　out　to　dry　on　the　sunny　side　of　the　house。

〃O　Davie！〃　cried　Annie；　as　soon　as　they　were　outside　the　gate；　〃sha'n't　we　get　the　pig　for　Hannah？〃

〃It　is　my　money；　not　yours；　I　shall　do　what　I　please　with　it；〃　said　David；　rather　crossly。

Miss　Fosbrook　pulled　Annie　back；　and　desired　her　to　let　David　alone；　herself　wondering　what　would　be　the　effect　of　what　he　had　seen。

He　had　been　eager　to　do　good　to　Hannah　when　no　desire　of　his　own　stood　in　the　way；　but　a　formed　wish　had　arisen　in　his　mind；　and　he　loved　himself　better　than　Hannah。　　Christabel　dreaded　the　clearing…up　of　the　secret　of　the　post…office　order；　lest　he　should　be　proved　to　love　himself　more　than　right　and　justice。

There　were　not　many　letters　from　the　absent　pair　of　sisters；　they　seemed　to　be　much　too　busy　and　happy　to　write；　and　appeared　to　be　〃seeing　everything；〃　and　to　be　only　just　able　to　put　down　the　names　of　the　wonders。　　The　chief　of　all；　however；　was　that　kind　Mrs。　Penrose　had　actually　taken　them　to　Portsmouth　for　a　couple　of　nights；　to　see　the　Ramilies；　in　which　she　was　going　to　remain　till　it　sailed。　They　had　sat　in　the　Admiral's　cabin；　and　had　slept　upon　〃dear　little　sofas；〃　where　they　wished　they　always　slept；　they　had　been　in　Papa's　cabin；　which　was　half　filled　up　with　a　great　gun；　that　can　only　be　fired　out　at　the　window　（scratched　out；　and　〃port…hole〃　put　in。）

〃Oh；　how　delightful！　　I　wish　I　had　a　big　gun　in　my　room！〃　cried　Johnnie。

And　they　had　seen　Sam's　chest；　and　Sam　did　look　so　nice　in　his　uniform；　and　he　had　dined　with　them　every　day。　　They　had　dined　late；　with　the　grown…up　people；　and　the　Admiral　was　so　kind；　only　rather　funny。

Annie　wished　she　were　as　old　as　Bessie；　as　much　as　John　wished　to　have　a　gun　filling　up　his　whole　bed…room。

The　next　day；　their　Papa　had　taken　them　into　the　country　to　see　Lady　Seabury；　Bessie's　godmother；　a　very　old　lady　indeed；　older　than　Grandmamma；　and　who　could　not　move　out　of　her　chair。　　〃She　gave　me〃　wrote　Bessie。　　There　again　something　had　been　scratched　out；　and　〃a　kiss〃　written　overhead。

That　something　was　quite　a　long　word；　but　it　had　been　very　completely　blotted　out；　not　like　the　〃window；〃　which　had　only　a　couple　of　cross　bars；　through　which　it　could　be　plainly　read；　but　there　had　plainly　been　first　an　attempt　at　smearing　it　out　with　the　finger；　and　that　not　succeeding；　an　immense　shiny　black　mess；　like　the　black　shade　of　a　chafer　grub；　had　been　put　down　on　it；　and　had　come　off　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　sheet。

What　could　the　word　be？　　Annie　and　David　were　both　sure　they　could　read　the　lines　through　all　the　blot。　　The　first　letter　was　certainly　S。

〃But；〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook；　〃do　you　think　it　is　quite　honourable　to　try　to　read　what　Bessie　did　not　mean　us　to　see？〃

They　did　not　quite　enter　into　this；　but　they　left　off　trying。

〃Mamma　had　been　out　in　the　carriage　several　times；　and　they　were　all　coming　home　on　Saturday　week〃that　was　the　best　news　of　all〃and　then　we　have　a　secret　too　for　Miss　Fosbrook。〃

David　said　he　was　tired　of　secrets；　and　would　not　guess。　　Annie　guessed　a　great　deal；　but　Miss　Fosbrook　thought　more　about　the　word　she　would　not　try　to　read。　　She　began　to　have　a　strong　suspicion　from　whom　the　post…office　order　had　come；　and　was　the　more　uneasy　about　the　spending　of　David's　half　sovereign；　but　she　durst　say　nothing；　for　she　knew　it　could　do　no　good　if　he　felt　himself　compelled　against　his　own　will；　and　she　saw　that　he　was　full　of　thought。

One　day　the　lawn　had　been　mown；　and　the　children　where　all　very　busy　wheeling　their　little　barrows；　and　loading　them　with　the　short　grass；　David　was　with　them　at　first；　but　when　Purday　left　off　work；　he　marched　after　the　old　man　in　his　grave　deliberate　way；　and　was　seen　no　more　till　nearly　tea…time；　when　he　walked　into　the　school…room　with　a　very　set　look　upon　his　solemn　face；　and　sat　himself　down　cross…legged　on　the　locker；　with　a　sigh　that　seemed　to　come　out　of　the　very　depths　of　his　heart。

〃What's　the　matter；　David？〃

He　made　no　answer；　and　Miss　Fosbrook　let　him　alone；　but　Annie　presently　bounced　in；　crying　out；　〃Davie；　Davie！　where　were　you？　we　have　been　hunting　for　you　everywhere！　　Where　did　you　go？〃

〃I　went　with　Purday。〃

〃What；　to　milk　the　cows？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　then？〃

〃I　went　with　him　to　Farmer　Long's；　to　see　his　little　Chinese　pigs。〃

〃And　you　have　bought　one！　　O　Davie！〃

〃Purday　is　to　ask　the　farmer　about　the　price　to…morrow　morning；　because　he　wasn't　at　home。〃

〃Then　you　won't　get　the　carpenter's　tools？〃　said　Annie。

〃No；〃　said　David；　〃Purday　said　tools　that　they　make　for　little　boys　never　will　cut。