the stokesley secret-第8章

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　David　had　not　been　going；　which　made　him　think　it　a　disgrace。　So；　in　the　most　independent　manner　be　put　on　his　hat；　and　was　marching　off；　when　Miss　Fosbrook　stood　in　front　of　him；　and　ordered　him　back。

He　repeated；　〃I'm　going　to　church。〃　　It　was　plain　enough　that　he　had　heard　what　those　boys　had　said　about　not　submitting。

〃Church　is　not　the　place　to　go　to　in　a　fit　of　wilfulness；　Johnnie；〃　she　said；　and　his　sisters　broke　out；　〃O　Johnnie！〃　but　the　naughty　boy；　fancying；　perhaps；　that　want　of　time　would　lead　to　his　getting　his　own　way；　marched　on；　sticking　up　his　toes　very　high　in　the　air。

Hal　laughed。

〃Johnnie；　Johnnie　dear；〃　entreated　Susan；　〃what　would　Mamma　say？〃

John　would　not　hear；　and　walked　on。

〃John；〃　said　Miss　Fosbrook；　〃if　you　do　not　come　back　directly；　I　must　carry　you。〃

She　had　measured　her　strength　with　his：　　he　was　only　eight　years　old；　and　she　believed　that　she　could　carry　him；　but　he　heard　the　church…　bells　ringing；　and　thought　he　should　have　his　way。

She　laid　hold　of　him；　and　he　began　fighting　and　kicking；　in　stout　shoes；　whose　thumps　were　no　joke。　　She　held　fast；　but　she　felt　frightened；　and　doubtful　of　the　issue　of　the　struggle；　and　again　there　was　Hal　laughing。

〃For…shame；　Henry！〃　burst　out　Sam；　and　the　same　moment　those　two　feet　were　secured；　and　John　was　a　prisoner。　　Miss　Fosbrook　called　out　to　the　rest　to　go　on　to　church；　and　she　and　Sam　dragged　the　boy　up　to　the　nursery；　and　shut　him　in　there；　roaring　passionately。

Nurse　Freeman；　knowing　nothing　about　it；　could　not　believe　but　that　the　stranger　lady　had　made　her　child　naughty；　and　said　something　about　their　Mamma　letting　him　go　to　church；　and　〃when　the　child　wished　to　go　to　church；　it　seemed　strange　he　should　not。〃

Miss　Fosbrook　would　not　defend　herself；　for　she　was　in　great　haste；　but　Sam　exclaimed；　〃Stuff！　he　was　as　naughty　as　could　be　all　this　morning；　and　only　wanted　to　go　now　because　he　was　told　not。〃

Johnnie　bellowed　out　something　else；　but　Miss　Fosbrook　would　not　let　Sam　go　on；　she　touched　his　arm；　and　drew　him　off　with　her；　he　exclaiming；　〃Foolish　old　Freeman！　she　will　pet　and　spoil　him　all　church…time；　till　he　is　worse　than　ever。〃

It　was　lucky　for　her　that　she　was　too　much　hurried　to　dwell　on　this　vexation；　she　almost　ran　to　save　herself　from　being　late；　and　scarcely　heard　Sam's　mutterings　about　wishing　to　break　Martin　Greville's　head。

〃You　need　not　hurry　so　much；〃　he　said；　〃there's　a　shorter　cut；　only　I　suppose　you　can't　get　through　a　gap。〃

〃Can't　I？〃　she　laughed；　and　he　led　her　on　straight　through　the　Short…　horns。　　Some　of　them　looked　at　her　more　than　she　fancied；　but　she　knew　she　might　give　up　all　hopes　of　Sam　if　he　detected　her　fears。　Then　came　the　gap；　where　a　tree　had　been　cut　down　in　the　hedge；　and　such　a　jump　down　from　it！　　But　she　gathered　up　her　muslin；　and　made　her　leap　so　gallantly；　that　the　boy　cried；

〃Hurrah！　well　done！〃　and　came　and　walked　close　to　her；　saying　confidentially；　〃I　say；　do　you　think　we　shall　ever　do　the　pig？〃

〃I　am　sure　it　might　be　done。　　If　you　are　likely　to　do　it　you　must　know　better　than　I。〃

〃I　don't　know　that　I　much　care　about　it。　　It　will　be　rather　a　bother；　only　now　we　have　said　it；　I　shall　hate　it　if　we　don't　do　it。〃

〃I　think　the　pleasure　of　giving　it　will　be　a　delightful　reward　for　a　little　self…command。〃

〃Only　Hal　and　the　girls　will　make　such　a　work　about　it。　　I'm　glad；　after　all；　that　Bessie　has　nothing　to　do　with　it；　or　she　would　want　to　dress　it　up　in　flowers　and　ribbons。　　Ha…ha！　　But　what　a　little　crab　it　is！〃

〃Don't　be　too　sure　of　that。　　People　may　have　other　designs。〃

〃Bessie's　can't　be　anything　but　trumpery。〃

〃Sometimes　present　trumpery　is　a　step　to　something　better。　　'A　was　an　Archer'　is　not　very　wise；　but　it　is　the　road　to　readingand　even　if　it　were　not　so；　Sam；　it　is　not　right　to　shame　people　into　giving；　for　what　is　not　bestowed　for　the　true　reasons；　does　no　good　to　giver　nor　to　receiver。

Sam　looked　up　with　a　frown　of　attention；　as　if　he　were　trying　to　take　in　the　new　light；　but　he　did　take　it　in；　and　smacking　his　hands　together　with　a　noise　like　a　pistol…shot；　said；　〃Ay；　that's　it！　　We　don't　want　what　is　grudged。〃

Miss　Fosbrook　thought　of　words　that　would　another　time　be　more　familiar　to　Sam。　　〃Not　grudgingly；　nor　of　necessity；　for　God　loveth　a　cheerful　giver。〃

What　she　said　was；　〃You　see；　if　you　plague　Bessie　too　much；　to　make　her　like　ourselves；　when　she　is　really　so　different；　you　are　driving　her　to　the　shamming　you　despise　so　much。〃

〃But　ought　not　she　to　be　cured　of　being　silly？〃

〃When　we　have　quite　made　up　our　minds　upon　what　silliness　is。　　There；　the　bell　has　stopped。〃



CHAPTER　IV。



The　most　part　of　church…time　Johnnie　was　eating　Nurse　Freeman's　plum…　cake。　　Perhaps　this　did　not　make　him　any　easier　in　the　conscience；　but　he　had　a　very　unlucky　sentiment；　that　as　he　was　already　naughty　and　in　disgrace；　it　was　of　no　use　to　take　the　trouble　of　being　good　till　he　could　make　a　fresh　beginning；　and　after　what　the　Grevilles　had　said；　he　did　not　think　that　would　be　till　Papa　and　Mamma　came　home；　he　did　not　at　all　mean　to　give　in　to　a　girl　that　was　not　even　twenty。　　So　he　would　not　turn　to　the　only　wise　thing　he　could　have　done；　the　learning　of　his　Collect；　but　he　teased　Nurse　out　of　more　cake　and　more；　and　got　what　play　he　could　out　of　little　George；　and　that　was　not　much；　for　Johnnie　was　not　in　a　temper　to　be　pleasant　with　a　little　one。

Coming　home　from　church；　Collects　were　to　be　learnt　and　said　before　tea：　　but　Hal；　after　glancing　over　his　own；　took　up　his　cap　and　said；　〃Come　along；　Sam；　Purday　will　be　feeding　the　pigs；　I　want　to　choose　the　size　of　ours。〃

〃I've　not　done；〃　said　Sam。

〃Papa　never　said　we　were　to　say　them　to　Miss　Fosbrook。〃

〃He　meant　it　though；〃　was　all　Sam's　answer。　　〃Don't　hinder　me。〃

〃Well；　I've　no　notion　of　being　bound　by　what　people　mean；〃　continued　Hal；　and　no　one　could　imagine　the　torment　he　made　himself；　neither　going　nor　staying；　arguing　the　matter　with　his　elder　brother；　as　if　Sam's　coming　would　justify　him；　and　interrupting　everyone；　till　at　last　Miss　Fosbrook　gathered　all　her　spirit；　and　ordered　him　either　to　sit　down　and　learn　properly　at　once；　or　to　go　quite　away。　　She　was　very　much　vexed；　for　Henry　had　been　the　most　obliging　and　good…　natured　of　all　at　first；　and　likely　to　be　fond　of　her；　but　such　a　great　talker　could　not　fail　to　be　weak；　and　his　vanity　had　been　set　against　her。　　He　looked　saucy　at　first；　and　much　inclined　to　resist；　if　he　had　seen　any　sympathy　for　him　in　Sam　he　might　have　done　so；　but　Miss　Fosbrook's　steady　eye　was　too　much　for　him；　so　he　saved　his　dignity；　as　he　thought；　by　exclaiming；　〃I'm　sure　I　don't　want　to　stay　in　this　stuffy　hole　with　such　a　set　of　owls；　I　shall　go　to　Purday。〃　And　off　he　marched。

The　others　stayed；　and　said　their　Collects　and　Catechism　very　respectably；　all　but　John；　who　had　not　learned　the　Collect　at　all；　and　was　sent　into　another　room　to　finish　it；　to　which　he　made　no　resistance；　he　had　had　enough　of　actual　fighting　with　Miss　Fosbrook。

Then　she　offered　to　read　a　story　to　the　others；　but　she　found　that　this　was　distasteful　even　to　her　friend　Sam；　he　thought　it　stupid　to　be　read　to；　and　said　he　should　see　after　Hal；　David　trotted　after　him；　and　Susan　and　Anne　repaired　to　the　nursery　to　play　with　the　little　ones　and　the　baby。　　She　minded　it　the　less；　as　they　all　had　some　purpose；　but　she　had　already　been　vexed　to　find　that　all　but　Davy　preferred　the　most　arrant　vacant　idleness　to　anything　rational。　To　be　sure；　Susan　sometimes；　Bessie　and　Hal　always；　would　read　any　book　that　made　no　pretensions　to　be　instructive；　but　even　a　fact　about　a　lion　or　an　elephant　made　them　detect　wisdom　in　disguise；　and　throw　it　aside。　　She　thought；　however；　she　would　make　the　most　of　Bessie；　and　asked　whether　she　would　like　to　hear　reading；　or　read　to　herself。

〃To　myself；〃　said　Bessie；　and　there　was　a　silence；　while　Miss　Fosbrook；　glad　of　the　quiet；　began　reading　her　Christian　Year。　Presently　she　heard　a　voice　so　low　that　it　seemed　at　a　distance　and　it　made　her　start；　for　it　was　saying　〃Christabel！〃　then　she　almost　laughed；　for　it　seemed　to　have　been　an　audacious　experiment；　to　judge　by　little　Elizabeth's　scared　looks　and　the　glow　on　her　che