jeremy-第20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！


will　take　me　after　I've　been　such　a　failure。〃

The　colour　stole　into　his　cheeks。　He　was　immensely　proud。　No　grown…
up　person　had　ever　before　spoken　to　him　as　though　he　was　himself　a
grown…up　personalways　laughing　at　him　like　Uncle　Samuel；　or
talking　down　to　him　like　Aunt　Amy；　or　despising　him　like　Mr。
Jellybrand。　But　Miss　Jones　appealed　to　him　simply　as　one　grown…up　to
another。　Unfortunately　he　did　not　in　the　least　know　what　to　say。　The
only　thing　he　could　think　of　at　the　moment　was：　〃You　can　have　my
handkerchief；　if　you　like。　It's　pretty　clean〃

But　she　went　on：　〃If　my　brother　had　been　alive　he　would　have　advised
me。　He　was　a　splendid　man。　He　rowed　in　his　college　boat　when　he　was
at　Cambridge；　but　that；　of　course；　was　forty　years　ago。　He　could
keep　children　in　order。　I　thought　it　would　be　so　easy。　Perhaps　if　my
health　had　been　better　it　wouldn't　have　been　so　hard。〃

〃Do　your　pains　come　often？〃　asked　Jeremy。

〃Yes。　They're　very　bad。〃

〃I　have　them；　too；〃　said　Jeremy。　〃It's　generally；　I　expect；　because
I　eat　too　muchat　least；　the　Jampot　used　to　say　so。　They're　in　my
head　sometimes；　too。　And　then　I'm　really　sick。　Do　you　feel　sick？〃

Miss　Jones　began　to　pull　herself　together。　She　wiped　her　eyes　and
patted　her　hair。

〃It's　my　neuralgia；〃　she　said　again。　〃It's　from　my　eyes　partly；　I
expect。〃

〃It's　better　to　be　sick；〃　continued　Jeremy；　〃if　you　can　be〃

She　flung　him　then　a　desperate　look；　as　though　she　were　really　an
animal　at　bay。

〃You　see；　I　can't　go　away；〃　she　said。　〃I've　nowhere　to　go　to。　I've
no　friends；　nor　relations；　and　no　one　will　take　me　for　their
children；　if　Mrs。　Cole　says　I　can't　keep　order。〃

〃Then　I　suppose　you'd　go　to　the　workhouse；〃　continued　Jeremy；
pursuing　her　case　with　excited　interest。　〃That's　what　the　Jampot
always　used　to　say；　that　one　day　she'd　end　in　the　workhouse；　and
that's　a　horrible　place；　SHE　said；　where　there　was　nothing　but
porridge　to　eat；　and　sometimes　they　took　all　your　clothes　off　and
scrubbed　your　back　with　that　hard　yellow　soap　they　wash　Hamlet
with。〃

His　eyes　grew　wide　with　the　horrible　picture。

〃Oh；　Miss　Jones；　you　mustn't　go　there！〃

〃Would　you　mind；〃　she　said；　〃just　getting　me　some　water　from　thejug
over　there？　　There's　a　glass　there。〃

Still　proud　of　the　level　to　which　he　had　been　raised；　but　puzzled
beyond　any　words　as　to　this　new　realisation　of　Miss　Jones；　he
fetched　her　the　water；　then；　standing　quite　close　to　her；　he　said：

〃You　must　stay　with　us；　always。〃

She　looked　up　at　him；　and　they　exchanged　a　glance。

With　that　glance　Miss　Jones　learnt　more　about　children　than　she　had
ever　learnt　beforemore；　indeed；　than　most　people　learn　in　all
their　mortal　lives。

〃I　can't　stay；〃　she　said；　and　she　even　smiled　a　little；　〃if　you're
always　naughty。〃

〃We　won't　be　naughty　any　more。〃　He　sighed。　〃It　was　great　fun；　of
course；　but　we　won't　do　it　any　more。　We　never　knew　you　minded。〃

〃Never　knew　I　minded？〃

〃At　least；　we　never　thought　about　you　at　all。　Helen　did　sometimes。
She　said　you　had　a　headache　when　you　were　very　yellow　in　the
morning；　but　I　said　it　was　only　because　you　were　old。　But　we'll　be
good　now。　I'll　tell　them　too〃

Then　he　added：　〃But　you　won't　go　away　now　even　if　we're　not　always
good？　We　won't　always　be；　I　suppose；　and　I'm　going　to　school　in
September；　and　it　will　be　better　then；　I　expect。　I'm　too　old；
really；　to　learn　with　girls　now。〃

She　wanted　terribly　to　kiss　him；　and；　had　she　done　so；　the　whole
good　work　of　the　last　quarter　of　an　hour　would　have　been　undone。　He
was　aware　of　her　temptation；　he　felt　it　in　the　air。　She　saw　the
warning　in　his　eyes。　The　moment　passed。

〃You　won't　go　away；　will　you？〃　he　said　again。

〃Not　if　you're　good；〃　she　said。




IV


Half　an　hour　later；　when　Mary　and　Helen　returned　from　their　walk；
they　were　addressed　by　Jeremy。

〃She　was　crying　because　we'd　been　so　naughty；　and　she　had　pains　in
her　head；　and　her　brother　was　dead。　Her　brother　was　very　strong；　and
he　used　to　row　in　a　boat　forty　years　ago。　She　told　me　all　about　it；
just　as　though　I'd　been　Aunt　Amy　or　Mother。　And　she　says　that　if　we
go　on　being　naughty　she'll　go　away；　and　no　one　else　will　have　her；
because　they'll　hear　about　our　having　been　naughty。　And　I　told　her
about　the　workhouse　and　the　porridge　and　the　yellow　soap　that　the
Jampot　told　us　of；　and　it　would　be　awful　if　she　went　there　because
of　us；　wouldn't　it？〃

〃Awful；〃　said　Mary。

But　Helen　said：　〃She　wouldn't　go　there。　She'd　take　a　little　house；
like　Miss　Dobell；　and　have　tea…parties　on　Thursdayssomewhere　near
the　Cathedral。〃

〃No；　she　wouldn't！〃　said　Jeremy　excitedly。　〃How　could　she　take　a
little　house　if　she　hadn't　any　money？　She　told　me　she　hadn't；　and　no
friends；　nor　nobody；　and　she　cried　like　anything〃　He　paused　for
breath；　then　concluded：　〃So　we've　got　to　be　good　now；　and　learn
sums；　and　not　make　her　jump。　Really　and　truly；　we　must。〃

〃I　always　thought　you　were　very　silly　to　make　so　much　noise；〃　said
Helen　in　a　superior　fashion。　〃You　and　Marybabies！〃

〃We're　not　babies；〃　shouted　Jeremy。

〃Yes；　you　are。〃

〃No；　we're　not。〃

Miss　Jones　was　no　longer　the　subject　of　the　conversation。

That　same　day　it　happened　that　rumours　were　brought　to　Mrs。　Cole
through　Rose；　the　housemaid；　or　some　other　medium　for　the　first
time；　of　Miss　Jones's　incapacity。

That　evening　Jeremy　was　spending　his　last　half…hour　before　bedtime
in　his　mother's　room　happily　in　a　corner　with　his　toy　village。　He
suddenly　heard　his　mother　say　to　Aunt　Amy：

〃I'm　afraid　Miss　Jones　won't　do。　I　thought　she　was　managing　the
children；　but　now　I　hear　that　she　can't　keep　order　at　all。　I'm
sorryit's　so　difficult　to　get　anyone。〃

Jeremy　sprang　up　from　the　floor；　startling　the　ladies；　who　had
forgotten　that　he　was　there。

〃She's　all　right；〃　he　cried。　〃Really　she　is；　Mother。　We're　going　to
be　as　good　as　anything；　really　we　are。　You　won't　send　her　away；　will
you？？

〃My　dear　Jeremy；〃　his　mother　said；　〃I'd　forgotten　you　were　there。
Rose　says　you　don't　do　anything　Miss　Jones　tells　you。〃

〃Rose　is　silly；〃　he　answered。　〃She　doesn't　know　anything　about　it。
But　you　will　keep　her；　won't　you；　Mother？〃

〃I　don't　knowif　she　can't　manage　you〃

〃But　she　can　manage　us。　We'll　be　good　as　anything；　I　promise。　You
will　keep　her；　won't　you；　Mother？〃

〃Really；　Jeremy；〃　said　Aunt　Amy；　〃to　bother　your　mother　so！　And　it's
nearly　time　you　went　to　bed。〃

He　brushed　her　aside。　〃You　will　keep　her；　Mother；　won't　you　？〃

〃It　depends；　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Cole；　laughing。　〃You　see〃

〃Nowe'll　be　bad　with　everyone　else；〃　he　cried。　〃We　will；　really
everyone　else。　And　we'll　be　good　with　Miss　Jones。〃

〃Well；　so　long　as　you're　good；　dear；〃　she　said。　〃I'd　no　idea　you
liked　her　so　much。〃

〃Oh；　she's　all　right；〃　he　said。　〃But　it　isn't　that〃　Then　he
stopped；　he　couldn't　explainespecially　with　that　idiot　Aunt　Amy
there；　who'd　only　laugh　at　him；　or　kiss　him；　or　something　else
horrible。

Afterwards；　as　he　went　slowly　up　to　bed；　he　stopped　for　a　moment　in
the　dark　passage　thinking。　The　whole　house　was　silent　about　him；
only　the　clocks　whispering。

What　a　tiresome　bother　Aunt　Amy　was！　How　he　wished　that　she　were
dead！　And　what　a　bore　it　would　be　being　good　now　with　Miss　Jones。　At
the　same　time；　the　renewed　consciousness　of　her　personal　drama　most
strangely　moved　himher　brother　who　rowed；　her　neuralgia；　her　lack
of　relations。　Perhaps　Aunt　Amy　also　had　an　exciting　history！　Perhaps
she　also　cried！

The　world　seemed　to　be　suddenly　filled　with　pressing；　thronging
figures；　all　with　businesses　of　their　own。

It　was　very　odd。

He　pushed　back　the　schoolroom　door　and　blinked　at　the　sudden　light。




CHAPTER　V

THE　SEA…CAPTAIN


I


Very　few　matter…of…fact　citizens　of　the　present…day　world　will
understand　the　part　that　the　sea　used　to　play　in　our　young　lives
thirty　years　ago　in　Polchester。

It　is　very　easy　to　look　at　the　map　and　say　that　the　sea　is　a
considerable　distance　from　Polchester；　and　that　even　if　you　stood　on
the　highest　ridge　of　the　highest　cornfield　above　the　town　you　would
not　be　able　to　catch　the　faintest　glimpse　of　it。　That　may　be　true；
although　I　myself　can　never　be　completely　assured；　possessing　so
vividly　as　I　do　a　memory