jeremy-第31章

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from　a　fiddle。　This　individual　held　in　one　hand　a　black　tin　cup；　and
at　his　side　crouched　a　mongrel　terrier；　whose　beaten　and　dishevelled
appearance　created　at　once　hopes　in　the　breast　of　the　flamboyant
Hamlet。　This　couple　were　posted　just　outside　Mr。　Poole's　second…hand
bookshop；　close　to　the　〃2d。〃　box；　and　for　a　moment　Jeremy　was
enthralled。　He　wanted　to　give　the　hero　his　week's　penny；　and　upon
finding　that　his　week's　penny　was　not；　owing　to　sweet　purchases　on
the　previous　day；　he　began　elaborate　bargainings　with　Miss　Jones　as
to　the　forestalling　of　future　pennies。　Meanwhile；　Hamlet　leapt；　with
every　sign　of　joyful　expectation；　upon　the　pauper　dog；　the　blind
sailor　began　to　hit　wildly　about　with　his　stick；　Mr。　Poole's　〃2d。〃
box　was　upset；　and　the　sailor's　black　patch　fell　off；　revealing　him
as　the　possessor　of　two　beautiful　eyes；　just　like　any　other
gentleman；　and　a　fine；　vigorous　stock　of　the　best　Glebeshire
profanities。　Mr。　Poole；　an　irascible　old　man；　himself　came　out；　a
policeman　approached；　two　old　ladies　from　the　Close；　well　known　to
Jeremy；　were　shocked　by　the　tramp；　and　the　Cathedral　bell；　as　though
it　had　just　awoken　up　to　its　real　responsibilities；　suddenly　began
to　ring。

All　this　was；　of　course；　delightful　to　Jeremy；　and　offered　so　many
possible　veins　of　interest　that　he　could　have　stayed　there　for
hours。　He　wanted　very　badly　to　ask　the　sailor　why　he　covered　up　a
perfectly　wholesome　eye　with　a　black　patch；　and　he　would　have　liked
to　see　what　Hamlet　could　do　in　the　direction　of　eating　up　the
scattered　remnants　of　Mr。　Poole's　〃2d。〃　box；　but　he　was　dragged　away
by　the　agitated　hand　of　Miss　Jones；　having　to　console　himself
finally　with　a　wink　from　the　august　policeman；　who；　known　throughout
Polchester　as　Tom　Noddy；　was　a　kindly　soul　and　liked　gentlemanly
little　boys；　but　persecuted　the　street　sort。

For　a　moment　this　exciting　adventure　carried　him　away；　and　he　even
listened　for　a　minute　or　two　to　Mary；　who；　seizing　her　opportunity；
began　hurriedly：　〃Once　upon　a　time　there　lived　a　sailor；　very　thin；
and　he　never　washed；　and　he　had　a　dog　and　a　violin〃　But　soon　he
remembered；　and　sighed　and　said：　〃Oh；　bother；　Mary！〃　and　then　walked
on　by　himself。　And　still；　all　through　that　hot　afternoon；　when　even
the　Rope　Walk　did　not　offer　any　shade；　and　when　the　Pol　was　of　so
clear　a　colour　that　you　could　see　trout　and　emerald　stones　and
golden　sand　as　under　glass；　and　when　Hamlet　was　compelled　to　run
ahead　and　find　a　piece　of　shade　and　lie　there　stretched；　panting；
with　his　tongue　out；　until　they　came　up　to　himeven　all　these　signs
of　a　true　and　marvellous　summer　did　not　relieve　Jeremy　of　his
burden。　Something　horrible　was　going　to　happen。　He　knew　it　with　such
certainty　that　he　wondered　how　Mary　and　Helen　could　be　so　gaily
light…　hearted；　and　despised　them　for　their　carelessness。　This　was
connected　in　some　way　with　the　hot　weather；　he　felt　as　though；　were
a　cold　breeze　suddenly　to　come；　and　rain　to　fall；　he　would　be　happy
again。　There　had　been　once　a　boy；　older　than　he；　called　Jimmy　Bain；
a　fat；　plump　boy；　who　had　lived　next　door　to　the　Coles。　Whenever　he
had　the　opportunity　he　bullied　Jeremy；　pinching　his　arms；　putting
pins　into　his　legs；　and　shouting　suddenly　into　his　ears。　Jeremy；　who
had　feared　Johnny　Bain；　had　always　〃felt〃　the　stout　youth's　arrival
before　he　appeared。　The　sky　had　seemed　to　darken；　the　air　to
thicken；　the　birds　to　gather　in　the　〃rooky〃　wood。

He　had　trembled　and　shaken；　his　teeth　had　chattered　and　his　throat
grown　dry　for　no　reason　at　all。　As　he　had　once　felt　about　Johnny
Bain　so　now　he　felt　about　life　in　general。　Something　horrible　was
going　to　happen。　。　。。　Something　to　do　with　Mother。　。　。。　As　he　came
up　the　road　to　their　house　his　heart　beat　so　that　he　could　not　hear
his　own　steps。




II


They　entered　the　house；　and　at　once　even　Mary；　preoccupied　as　she
was　with　her　story　about　the　sailor；　noticed　that　something　was
wrong。

〃Rose！　Rose！〃　she　called　out　loudly。

〃Hush！〃　said　Miss　Jones。　〃You　must　be　quiet；　dear。〃

〃Why？〃　said　Mary。　〃I　want　Rose　to〃

〃Your　mother　isn't　at　all　well；　dear。　I〃

And　she　was　interrupted　by　Rose；　who；　coming　suddenly　downstairs；
with　a　face　very　different　from　her　usual　cheerful　one；　said
something　to　Miss　Jones　in　a　low　voice。

Miss　Jones　gave　a　little　cry：　〃So　soon？　。　。　。　A　girl。　。　。　。〃　And
then　added：　〃How　is　she　？〃

Then　Rose　said　something　more；　which　the　children　could　not　catch；
and　vanished。

〃Very　quietly；　children；〃　said　Miss　Jones；　in　a　voice　that　trembled；
〃and　you　mustn't　leave　the　schoolroom　till　I　tell　you。　Your　mother
〃　She　broke　off　as　though　she　were　afraid　of　showing　emotion。

〃What　is　it？〃　said　Jeremy　in　a　voice　that　seemed　new　to　them　all
older；　more　resolute；　strangely　challenging　for　so　small　a　boy。

〃Your　mother's　very　ill；　Jeremy；　dear。　You　must　be　a　very　good　boy；
and　help　your　sisters。〃

〃Mightn't　I　go　for　just　a　minute？〃

〃No；　certainly　not。〃

They　all　went　upstairs。　Then；　in　the　schoolroom；　Miss　Jones　said　an
amazing　thing。　She　said：

〃I　must　tell　you　all；　children；　that　you've　got　a　new　little
sister。〃

〃A　new　sister！〃　screamed　Mary。

Helen　said：　〃Oh；　Miss　Jones！〃

Jeremy　said：　〃What　did　she　come　for　just　now；　when　Mother　is　ill？〃

〃God　wanted　her　to　come；　dear；〃　said　Miss　Jones。　〃You　must　all　be
very　kind　to　her；　and　do　all　you　can〃

She　was　interrupted　by　a　torrent　of　questions　from　the　two　girls。
What　was　she　like？　What　was　her　name？　Could　she　walk？　Where　did　she
come　from？　Did　Father　and　Mother　find　her　in　Drymouth？　And　so　on。
Jeremy　was　silent。　At　last　he　said：　〃We　don't　want　any　more　girls
here。〃

〃Better　than　having　another　boy；〃　said　Helen。

But　he　would　not　take　up　the　challenge。　He　sat　on　his　favourite　seat
on　the　window…ledge；　dragged　up　a　reluctant　Hamlet　to　sit　with　him；
and　gazed　out　down　into　the　garden　that　was　misty　now　in　the　evening
golden　light；　the　trees　and　the　soil　black　beneath　the　gold；　the
rooks　slowly　swinging　across　the　sty　above　the　farther　side　of　the
road。　Hamlet　wriggled。　He　always　detested　that　he　should　be　cuddled；
and　he　would　press　first　with　one　leg；　then　with　another；　against
Jeremy's　coat；　then　he　would　lie　dead　for　a　moment；　suddenly
springing；　with　his　head　up；　in　the　hope　that　the　surprise　would
free　him；　then　he　would　turn　into　a　snake；　twisting　his　body　under
Jeremy's　arm；　and　dropping　with　a　flop　on　to　the　floor。　All　these
manoeuvres　to…day　availed　him　nothing；　Jeremy　held　his　neck　in　a
vice；　and　dug　his　fingers　well　into　the　skin。　Hamlet　whined；　then
lay　still；　and；　in　the　midst　of　indignant　reflections　against　the
imbecile　tyrannies　of　man；　fell；　to　his　own　surprise；　asleep。

Jeremy　sat　there　whilst　the　dusk　fell　and　all　the　beautiful　lights
were　drawn　from　the　sky　and　the　rooks　went　to　bed。　Rose　came　to　draw
the　curtains；　and　then　he　left　his　window…seat；　dragged　out　his　toy
village　and　pretended　to　play　with　it。　He　looked　at　his　sisters。
They　seemed　quite　tranquil。　Helen　was　sewing；　and　Mary　deep　in　〃The
Pillars　of　the　House。〃　The　clock　ticked。　Hamlet；　lost　in　sleep；
snored　and　sputtered；　the　whole　world　pursued　its　ordinary　way。　Only
in　himself　something　was　changed；　he　was　unhappy；　and　he　could　not
account　for　his　unhappiness。　It　should　have　been　because　his　mother
was　ill；　and　yet　she　had　been　ill　before；　and　he　had　been　only
disturbed　for　a　moment。　After　all；　grown…up　people　always　got　well。
There　had　been　Aunt　Amy；　who　had　had　measles；　and　the　wife　of　the
Dean；　who　had　had　something；　and　even　the　Bishop　once。　。　。　But　now
he　was　frightened。　There　was　some　perception；　coming　to　him　now　for
the　first　time　in　his　life；　that　this　world　was　not　absolutely
stablethat　people　left　it；　people　came　into　it；　that　there　was
change　and　danger　and　something　stronger。　。　。　。　Gradually　this
perception　was　approaching　him　as　though　it　had　been　some　dark
figure　who　had　entered　the　house；　and　now；　with　muffled　step　and
veiled　face；　was　slowly　climbing　the　stairs　towards　him。　He　only
knew　that　his　mother　could　not　go；　she　could　not　go。　She　was　part　of
his　life；　and　she　would　always　be　so。　Why；　now；　when　he　thought　of
it；　he　could　do　nothing　without　his　mother；　every