jeremy-第12章
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II
I pass swiftly over Christmas Eve； Christmas Day； and the day after；
although I should like to linger upon these sumptuous dates。 Jeremy
had a sumptuous time； Hamlet had a sumptuous time （a whole sugar
rat； plates and plates of bones； and a shoe of Aunt Amy's）； Mary and
Helen had sumptuous times in their own feminine fashion。
Upon the evening of Christmas Eve； when the earth was snow…lit； and
the street…lamps sparkled with crystals； and the rime on the
doorsteps crackled beneath one's feet； Jeremy accompanied his mother
on a present…leaving expedition。 The excitement of that！ The
wonderful shapes and sizes of the parcels； the mysterious streets；
the door… handles and the door…bells； the glittering stars； the
maidservants； the sense of the lighted house； as though vou opened a
box full of excitements and then hurriedly shut the lid down again。
Jeremy trembled and shook； not with cold； but with exalting；
completely satisfying happiness。
There followed the Stocking； the Waits； the Carols； the Turkey； the
Christmas Cake； the Tree； the Presents； Snapdragon； Bed。 。 。 There
followed Headache； Ill… temper； Smacking of Mary； Afternoon Walk；
Good Temper again； Complete Weariness； Hamlet sick on the Golden
Cockatoos； Hamlet Beaten； Five minutes with Mother downstairs； Bed。
。 。 Christmas was over。
From that moment of the passing of Boxing Day it was simply the
counting of the minutes to 〃Dick Whittington。〃 Six days from Boxing
Day。 Say you slept from eight to seveneleven hours； that left
thirteen hours； six thirteen hours was； so Helen said； seventy…
eight。 Seventy…eight hours； and Sunday twice as long as the other
days； and that made thirteen more； ninety…one； said Helen； her nose
in the air。
The week dragged along； very difficult work for everybody； and even
Hamlet felt the excitement and watched his corner with the Jampot's
sewing machine in it with more quivering intensity than ever。 The
Day Before The Day arrived； the evening before The Day； the last
supper before The Day； the last bed before The Day。 。 。 Suddenly；
like a Jack…in…the…Box； The Day itself。
Then the awful thing happened。
Jeremy awoke to the consciousness that something terrific was about
to occur。 He lay for a minute thinkingthen he was up； running
about the nursery floor as though he were a young man in Mr。
Rossetti's poetry shouting： 〃Helen！ Mary！ Mary！ Helen！ 。 。 。 It's
Dick Whittington！ Dick Whittington！〃
On such occasions he lost entirely his natural reserve and caution。
He dressed with immense speed； as though that would hasten the
coming of the evening。 He ran into the nursery； carrying the black
tie that went under his sailor…collar。
He held it out to the Jampot； who eyed him with disfavour。 She was
leaving them all in a week and was a strange confusion of sentiment
and bad temper； love and hatred； wounded pride and injured dignity。
〃Nurse。 Please。 Fasten it；〃 he said impatiently。
〃And that's not the way to speak； Master Jeremy； and well you know
it；〃 she said。 〃'Ave you cleaned your teeth？〃
〃Yes；〃 he answered without hesitation。 It was not until the word was
spoken that he realised that he had not。 He flushed。 The Jampot eyed
him with a sudden sharp suspicion。 He was then and ever afterwards a
very bad hand at a lie。 。 。
He would have taken the word back； he wanted to take it backbut
something held him as though a stronger than he had placed his hand
over his mouth。 His face flamed。
〃You've truly cleaned them？〃 she said。
〃Yes； truly；〃 he answered； his eyes on the ground。 Never was there a
more obvious liar in all the world。
She said no more； he moved to the fireplace。 His joy was gone。 There
was a cold clammy sensation about his heart。 Slowly； very slowly；
the consciousness stole upon him that he was a liar。 He had not
thought it a lie when he had first spoken； now he knew。
Still there was time。 Had he turned round and spoken； all might
still have been well。 But now obstinacy held him。 He was not going
to give the Jampot an opportunity for triumphing over him。 After
all； he would clean them so soon as she went to brush Helen's hair。
In a moment what he had said would be true。
But he was miserable。 Hamlet came up from the nether regions where
he had spent the night； showing his teeth； wagging his tail； and
even rolling on the cockatoos。 Jeremy paid no attention。 The weight
in his heart grew heavier and heavier。 He watched； from under his
eyelids； the Jampot。 In a moment she must go into Helen's room。 But
she did not。 She stayed for a little arranging the things on the
breakfast…tablethen suddenly； without a word； she turned into
Jeremy's bedchamber。 His heart began to hammer。 There was an awful
pause； he heard from miles away Mary's voice： 〃Do do that button；
Helen； I can't get it！〃 and Helen's 〃Oh； bother！〃
Then； like Judgment； the Jampot appeared again。 She stood in the
doorway； looking across at him。
〃You 'ave not cleaned your teeth； Master Jeremy；〃 she said。 〃The
glass isn't touched； nor your toothbrush。 。 。 You wicked； wicked
boy。 So it's a liar you've become； added on to all your other
wickedness。〃
〃I forgot；〃 he muttered sullenly。 〃I thought I had。〃
She smiled the smile of approaching triumph。
〃No； you did not；〃 she said。 〃You knew you'd told a lie。 It was in
your face。 All of a pieceall of a piece。〃
The way she said this； like a pirate counting over his captured
treasure； was enraging。 Jeremy could feel the wild fury at himself；
at her； at the stupid blunder of the whole business rising to his
throat。
〃If you think I'm going to let this pass you're making a mighty
mistake；〃 she continued； 〃which I wouldn't do not if you paid me all
the gold in the kingdom。 I mayn't be good enough to keep my place
and look after such as you； but anyways I'm able to stop your lying
for another week or two。 I know my duty even though there's them as
thinks I don't。〃
She positively snorted； and the excitement of her own vindication
and the just condemnation of Jeremy was such that her hands
trembled。
〃I don't care what you do；〃 Jeremy shouted。 〃You can tell anyone you
like。 I don't care what you do。 You're a beastly woman。〃
She turned upon him； her face purple。 〃That's enough； Master
Jeremy；〃 she said； her voice low and trembling。 〃I'm not here to be
called names by such as you。 You'll be sorry for this before you're
much older。 。 。 。 You see。〃
There was then an awful and sickly pause。 Jeremy seemed to himself
to be sinking lower and lower into a damp clammy depth of
degradation。 What must this world be that it could change itself so
instantly from a place of gay and happy pleasure into a dim groping
room of punishment and dismay？
His feelings were utterly confused。 He supposed that he was terribly
wicked。 But he did not feel wicked。 He only felt miserable； sick and
defiant。 Mary and Helen came in； their eyes open to a crisis； their
bodies tuned sympathetically to the atmosphere of sin and crime that
they discerned around them。
Then Mr。 Cole came in as was his daily habitfor a moment before
his breakfast。
〃Well； here are you all；〃 he cried。 〃Ready for to…night？ No
breakfast yet？ Why； now 。 。 。 ？〃
Then perceiving； as all practised fathers instantly must； that the
atmosphere was sinful； he changed his voice to that of the
Children's Sunday Afternoon Servicea voice well known in his
family。
〃Please； sir；〃 began the Jampot； 〃I'm sorry to 'ave to tell you；
sir； that Master Jeremy's not been at all good this morning。〃
〃Well； Jeremy；〃 he said； turning to his son； 〃what is it？〃
Jeremy's face； raised to his father's； was hard and set and sullen。
〃I've told a lie；〃 he said； 〃I said I'd cleaned my teeth when I
hadn't。 Nurse went and looked； and then I called her a beastly
woman。〃
The Jampot's face expressed a grieved and at the same time
triumphant confirmation of this。
〃You told a lie？〃 Mr。 Cole's voice was full of a lingering sorrow。
〃Yes；〃 said Jeremy。
〃Are you sorry？〃
〃I'm sorry that I told a lie； but I'm not sorry I called Nurse a
beastly woman。〃
〃Jeremy！〃
〃No； I'm not。 She is a beastly woman。〃
Mr。 Cole was always at a loss when anyone defied him；
