the stokesley secret-第41章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃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。〃

〃So　you　told　Purday　all　about　it？〃

David　nodded　his　head。

〃Oh；　do　tell　me　what　Purday　said！〃　continued　Annie。

〃It's　nothing　to　you；〃　said　David　bluntly。　　But　by　and　by；　when　John　came　in；　and　a　few　more　questions　were　asked；　David　let　out　that　Purday　had　said；　〃Well；　he　thought　sure　enough　if　the　money　was　sent　to　Master　David　for　that　intent；　he　did　not　ought　to　spend　it　no　other　ways；　and　whether　or　not；　Hannah　Higgins　was　a　deserving　woman；　and　Master　Davie　didn't　know　what　it　was　like　never　to　have　a　bit　of　bacon　ne'er　a　Sunday　in　the　winter。　　He　couldn't　say　but　it　was　hard　that　those　poor　folks　should　get　nothing　but　bread　and　cabbages　from　week's　end　to　week's　end；　just　that　Master　Davie　might　spoil　bits　of　deal　board　with　making　chips　of　them。〃

And　when　David　was　sure　he　shouldn't　spoil　his　wood；　Purday　had　told　him　that　them　toy…shop　young　gentleman's　tools　were　made　to　sell；　and　not　made　to　cut。　　Best　save　up　his　money；　and　buy　one　real　man's　tool　after　another；　and　then　he'd　get　a　set　equal　to　George　Bowles's　in　time！

Though　so　young；　David　was　long…sighted　and　patient　enough　to　see　the　sense　of　this；　and　had　already　made　up　his　mind　that　he　would　begin　with　a　gimlet。　　And　though　he　did　not　say　so；　and　the　first　resolution　had　cost　a　very　tough　struggle；　his　heart　seemed　to　have　freed　itself　in　that　one　great　sigh；　and　he　was　at　peace　with　himself。

Miss　Fosbrook　was　very　glad　he　had　gone　to　so　wise　and　good　an　adviser　as　Purday；　and　was　almost　as　happy　as　David　himself。　　She　gave　him　and　John　leave　to　go　with　Purday　the　next　day　to　bargain　for　the　pig；　as　David　was　very　anxious　for　one　in　especial；　whose　face　he　said　was　so　jolly　fat；　and　it　was　grand　to　see　the　two　little　boys　consequentially　walking　on　either　aide　of　Purday；　who　had　put　on　his　whitest　round　frock　for　the　great　occasion。

Farmer　Long　was　at　home；　he　came　out　and　did　the　honours　of　his　ten　little　pigs；　and　when　he　found　which　was　David's　favourite；　he　declared　that　it　was　the　best　of　the　lot；　and　laughed　till　David　blushed；　at　the　young　gentleman's　having　got　such　an　eye　for　a　pig。　〃It　was　a　regular　little　Trudgeon；〃　said　Purday；　（meaning　perhaps　a　Trojan；）　and　it　was　worth　at　least　twelve　shillings；　but　the　farmer　in　his　good…nature　declared　that　little　Master　should　have　it　for　the　ten；　as　it　was　for　a　present。　　Hannah's　boy　was　working　for　him；　and　was　a　right　good　lad；　and　he　would　give　him　some　straw　for　the　pig's　bed　when　he　went　home　at　night。　　Then　he　took　the　two　boys　into　the　parlour；　and　while　Purday　had　a　glass　of　beer　in　the　kitchen；　Mrs。　Long　gave　each　of　them　a　big　slice　of　plum…cake；　and　wanted　very　much　to　have　given　them　some　wine；　but　that　they　knew　they　must　not　have；　and　she　inquired　after　their　Mamma　and　Papa；　and　made　them　so　much　of　visitors；　that　David　was　terribly　shy；　and　very　glad　when　it　was　over；　though　John　liked　it；　and　talked　fast。

As　to　the　giving　the　pig；　that　was　a　serious　business；　and　David　felt　hot　and　shy；　and　wanted　to　get　it　over　as　soon　as　possible　without　a　fuss。

So　he　bolted　into　Mrs。　Higgins's　cottage；　put　his　hands　behind　his　back；　and　spoke　thus：…　〃Please；　Mrs。　Higgins；　put　your　pig…sty　in　order！　　We've　all　done　itat　least　they　all　wanted　toand　a　green　order　came　down　in　a　letterand　we've　bought　the　pig；　and　Ben　will　drive　it　home　when　he　comes　from　work！〃

And　then；　as　if　he　had　been　in　a　great　fright；　he　ran　away；　while　Johnnie　stayed；　and；　when　Hannah　understood；　received　so　many　curtsies；　and　listened　to　so　much　pleasure；　that　he　could　hardly　think　of　anything　else；　and　felt　very　glad　that　SOME　pence　of　his　had　been　in　Toby　Fillpot。

Annie　said　that　it　was　not　fair　that　she　had　not　been　at　the　giving　the　pig；　and　Miss　Fosbrook　was　a　little　disappointed　too；　but　then　it　was　much　better　that　David　should　not　want　to　make　a　display；　so　she　would　not　complain；　and　comforted　Annie　by　putting　her　in　mind　that　they　could　go　and　see　the　little　pig　in　his　new　quarters。

A　few　days　more；　and　the　carriage　was　driving　up　to　the　door　with　dear　Mamma　in　it；　andwhy；　there　were　three　little　girls；　not　two！　One　look；　and　the　colour　came　into　Christabel's　face。　　It　was　her　youngest　little　sister；　Dora；　who　sat　beside　Bessie！　　Mrs。　Merrifield　had　gone　to　see　Mrs。　Fosbrook；　and　ask　if　she　could　take　anything　for　her　to　her　daughter；　and　she　had　been　so　much　shocked　at　the　sight　of　the　little　pale　London　faces；　that　she　had　begged　leave　to　take　home　one　of　the　children　to　spend　a　month　with　her　sister　at　Stokesley；　since　Miss　Fosbrook　could　not　be　spared　to　go　home　at　present。　　Was　not　that　a　secret　for　Christabel？　　How　these　two　sisters　did　hug　each　other！

But　the　Stokesley　secrets　have　lasted　long　enough；　and　there　is　no　time　to　tell　of　the　happy　days　of　Dora's　visit；　and　the　good　care　that　Johnnie　took　of　her　whenever　she　went　out；　and　of　her　pretty　quiet　ways　that　made　Bessie　take　her　for　her　dearest　of　friends。　　And　still　less　can　be　told　of　the　smooth；　peaceful；　free　spirit　that　seemed　to　have　come　home　with　Mamma；　even　though　she　was　still　able　to　do　little　among　the　children；　for　the　very　having　her　in　the　house　appeared　to　keep　things　from　going　wrong。

One　thing　must　be　told；　however；　and　that　is；　that　when　Annie　told　all　the　wonderful　story　of　the　post…office　order　and　the　Chinese　pig；　Bessie　grew　redder　and　redder　in　the　face；　and　Susan　squeezed　both　her　hands　tight　together；　and　said　〃May　I　tell；　Bessie！〃







End