jeremy-第10章

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truly　original　appearance。　His　beard　afforded　him　the　air　of　an
ambassador；　and　his　grave；　melancholy　eyes　the　absorbed
introspection　of　a　Spanish　hidalgo；　his　tail；　however；　in　its
upright；　stumpy　jocularity；　betrayed　his　dignity。

〃There　he　is；〃　said　Jeremy；　with　a　glance　half　of　terror；　half　of
delight；　at　the　Jampot。　〃Isn't　he　lovely？〃

〃Lovely。　My　word！〃　Uncle　Samuel's　smile　broadened。　〃He's　about　the
most　hideous　mongrel　it's　ever　been　my　lot　to　set　eyes　on。　But　he
has　his　points。　He　despises　you　all；　I'm　glad　to　see。〃

Jeremy；　as　usual　with　Uncle　Samuel；　was　uncertain　as　to　his
sincerity。

〃He　looks　a　bit　funny　just　now；〃　he　explained。　〃He's　been　drying　on
the　rug。　He'll　be　all　right　soon。　He　wanted　to　bite　Mr。　Jellybrand。
It　was　funny。　Mr。　Jellybrand　was　frightened　as　anything。〃

〃Yes；　that　must　have　been　delightful；〃　agreed　Uncle　Samuel。　〃What's
his　name？〃

〃We　haven't　given　him　one　yet。　Wouldn't　you　think　of　one；　Uncle
Samuel？〃

The　uncle　considered　the　dog。　The　dog；　with　grave　and　scornful　eyes；
considered　the　uncle。

〃Well；　if　you　really　ask　me；〃　said　that　gentleman；　〃if　you　name　him
by　his　character　I　should　say　Hamlet　would　be　as　good　as　anything。〃

〃What's　Hamlet？〃　asked　Jeremy。

〃He　isn't　anything　just　now。　But　he　was　a　prince　who　Was　unhappy
because　he　thought　so　much　about　himself。〃

〃Hamlet'11　do；〃　said　Jeremy　comfortably。　〃I've　never　heard　of　a　dog
called　that；　but　it's　easy　to　say。〃

〃Well；　I　must　go；〃　said　Uncle　Samuel；　making　one　of　his　usual　sudden
departures。　〃Glad　to　have　seen　the　animal。　Good…bye。〃

He　vanished。

〃Hamlet；〃　repeated　Jeremy　thoughtfully。　〃I　wonder　whether　he'll　like
that…〃

His　attention；　however；　was　caught　by　the　Jampot's　sudden　outburst。

〃All　of　them；〃　she　cried；　〃supporting　you　in　your　wickedness　and
disobedience。　I　won't　'ave　it　nor　endure　it　not　a　minute　longer。
They　can　'ave　my　notice　this　moment；　and　I　won't　take　it　back；　not
if　they　ask　me　on　their　bended　knees　…　no；　I　won't　…　and　that's
straight。〃

For　an　instant　she　frowned　upon　them　all　…　then　she　was　gone；　the
door　banging　after　her。

They　gazed　at　one　another。

There　was　a　dreadful　silence。　Once　Mary　whispered：　〃Suppose　she
really　does。〃

Hamlet　only　was　unmoved。

Ten　minutes　later；　Rose；　the　housemaid；　entered　with　the　tea…things。
For　a　little　she　was　silent。　Then　the　three　faces　raised　to　hers
compelled　her　confidence。

〃Nurse　has　been　and　given　notice；〃　she　said；　〃and　the　Missis　has
taken　it。　She's　going　at　the　end　of　the　month。　She's　crying　now　in
the　kitchen。〃

They　were　alone　again。　Mary　and　Helen　looked　at　Jeremy　as　though
waiting　to　follow　his　lead。　He　did　not　know　what　to　say。　There　was
Tragedy；　there　was　Victory；　there　was　Remorse；　there　was　Triumph。　He
was　sorry；　he　was　glad。　His　eyes　fell　upon　Hamlet；　who　was　now
stretched　out　upon　the　rug；　his　nose　between　his　paws；　fast　asleep。

Then　he　looked　at　his　sisters。

〃Well；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃it's　awfully　nice　to　have　a　doganyway。〃

Such　is　the　true　and　faithful　account　of　Hamlet's　entrance　into　the
train　of　the　Coles。




CHAPTER　III

CHRISTMAS　PANTOMIME


I


I　am　sometimes　inclined　to　wonder　whether；　in　very　truth；　those
Polchester　Christmases　of　nearly　thirty　years　ago　were　so　marvellous
as　now　in　retrospect　they　seem。　I　can　give　details　of　those
splendours；　facts　and　figures；　that　to　the　onlooker　are　less　than
nothing　at　alla　sugar　elephant　in　a　stocking；　a　box　of　pencils　on
a　Christmas　tree；　〃Hark；　the　Herald　Angels。　。　。〃　at　three　in　the
morning　below　one's　window；　a　lighted　plum…　pudding；　a　postman　four
hours　late；　his　back　bent　with　bursting　parcels。　And　it　is　something
furtherbehind　the　sugar　cherries　and　the　paper　caps　and　the
lighted　treethat　remains　to　give　magic　to　those　days；　a　sense　of
expectancy；　a　sense　of　richness；　a　sense　of　worship；　a　visit　from
the　Three　Kings　who　have　so　seldom　come　to　visit　one　since。

That　Christmas　of　Jeremy's　ninth　year　was　one　of　the　best　that　he
ever　had；　it　was　perhaps　the　last　of　the　MAGICAL　Christmases。　After
this　he　was　to　know　too　much；　was　to　see　Father　Christmas　vanish
before　a　sum　in　arithmetic；　and　a　stocking　change　into　something
that　〃boys　who　go　to　school　never　have〃the　last　of　the　Christmases
of　divine　magic；　when　the　snow　fell　and　the　waits　sang　and　the
stockings　were　filled　and　the　turkey　fattened　and　the　candles　blazed
and　the　holly　crackled　by　the　will　of　God　rather　than　the　power　of
man。　It　would　be　many　years　before　he　would　realise　that；　after　all；
in　those　early　days　he　had　been　right。　。　。

A　very　fat　book　could　be　written　about　all　that　had　happened　during
that　wonderful　Christmas；　how　Hamlet　the　Dog　caught　a　rat　to　his　own
immense　surprise；　how　the　Coles'　Christmas　dinner　was　followed　by　a
play　acted　with　complete　success　by　the　junior　members　of　the
family；　and　it　was　only　Mr。　Jellybrand　the　curate　who　disapproved；
how　Aunt　Amy　had　a　new　dress　in　which；　by　general　consent；　she
looked　ridiculous；　how　Mary；　owing　to　the　foolish　kindness　of　Mrs。
Bartholomew；　the　Precentor's　wife；　was　introduced　to　the　works　of
Charlotte　Mary　Yonge　and　became　quite　impossible　in　consequence；　how
Miss　Maple　had　a　children's　party　at　which　there　was　nothing　to　eat；
so　that　all　the　children　cried　with　disappointment；　and　one　small
boy　（the　youngest　son　of　the　Precentor）　actually　bit　Miss　Maple；　how
for　two　whole　days　it　really　seemed　that　there　would　be　skating　on
The　Pool；　and　everyone　bought　skates；　and　then；　of　course；　the　ice
broke；　and　so　on；　and　so　on。　。　。　there　is　no　end　to　the　dramatic
incidents　of　that　great　sensational　time。

The　theme　that　I　sing；　however；　is　Jeremy's　Progress；　and　although
even　Hamlet's　catching　of　a　rat　influenced　his　development；　there
was　one　incident　of　this　Christmas　that　stands　out　and　away　from　all
the　others；　an　affair　that　he　will　never　all　his　days　forget；　and
that　even　now；　at　this　distance　of　time　and　experience；　causes　his
heart　to　beat　roughly　with　the　remembered　excitement　and　pleasure。

Several　weeks　before　Christmas　there　appeared　upon　the　town　walls
and　hoardings　the　pictured　announcements　of　the　approaching　visit　to
Polchester　of　Denny's　Great　Christmas　Pantomime　〃Dick　Whittington。〃
Boxing　Night　was　to　see　the　first　performance　at　our　Assembly　Rooms；
and　during　every　afternoon　and　evening　of　the　next　three　weeks　this
performance　was　to　be　repeated。

A　pantomime　had；　I　believe；　never　visited　our　town　before；　there
had；　of　course；　for　many　years　been　the　Great　Christmas　Pantomime　at
the　Theatre　Royal；　Drymouth；　but　in　those　days　trains　were　not　easy；
and　if　you　wished　to　attend　an　afternoon　performance　at　the　Drymouth
Theatre　you　must　rise　very　early　in　the　morning　by　the　candle…light
and　return　late　in　the　evening；　with　the　cab　forgetting　to　meet　you
at　the　station　as　commanded；　and　the　long　walk　up　Orange　Street；　and
a　headache　and　a　bad　temper　next　day。

It　happened　naturally　then　that　the　majority　of　the　Polchester
children　had　never　set　their　inquisitive　noses　within　the　doors　of　a
theatre；　and　although　the　two　eldest　daughters　of　the　Dean；　aged　ten
and　eleven；　had　been　once　to　London　and　to　Drury　Lane　Theatre；　their
sense　of　glory　and　distinction　so　clouded　their　powers　of　accuracy
and　clarity　that　we　were　no　nearer；　by　their　help　and　authority；　to
the　understanding　of　what　a　pantomime　might　really　be。

I　can　myself　recall　the　glory　of　those　〃Dick　Whittington〃　pictures。
Just　above　Martin's　the　pastry…cook's　（where　they　sold　lemon
biscuits）；　near　the　Cathedral；　there　was　a　big　wooden　hoarding；　and
on　to　this　was　pasted　a　marvellous　representation　of　Dick　and　his
Cat　dining　with　the　King　of　the　Zanzibar　Islands。　The　King；　a
Mulatto；　sat　with　his　court　in　a　hall　with　golden　pillars；　and　the
rats　were　to　be　seen　flying　in　a　confused　flood　towards　the　golden
gates；　whilst　Dick；　in　red　plush　and　diamond　buckles；　stood　in
dignified　majesty；　the　Cat　at　his　side。　There　was　another　wonderful
picture　of　Dick　asleep　at　the　Cross　Roads；　fairies　watching　over
him；　and　London　Town　in　a　lighted　purple　distanceand　another　of
the　streets　of　Old　London　with　a　comic　fat　serving　man；　diamond…
paned　windows；　cobblestones