jeremy-第36章

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she　were　dressed　up　for　a　play；　came　urging　them　to　hurry；　〃because
Father　was　waiting。〃　Then　Hamlet　tied　himself　and　his　〃lead〃　round
the　leg　of　the　table；　then　Mary　said　in　her　most　tiresome　manner；
apropos　of　nothing　at　all；　〃You　do　love　me；　Jeremy；　don't　you？〃　just
at　the　moment　when　he　was　trying　to　unlace　Hamlet；　and　her　lip　began
to　tremble　when　he　said；　〃Oh；　don't　bother；〃　so　that　he　was
compelled　to　add　〃Of　course　I　do〃；　then　Father　came　running　up　the
stairs　with　〃Really；　this　is　too　disgraceful。　We　shall　miss　that
train！〃

Then　Uncle　Samuel　appeared；　looking　so　queer　that　Jeremy　was
compelled　to　stare　at　him。　Jeremy　had　seen　very　little　of　Uncle
Samuel　during　these　last　months。　He　had　hoped；　after　that　wonderful
adventure　of　the　Christmas　Pantomime；　that　they　were　going　to　be
friends；　but　it　had　not　been　so。　He　had　been　away　somewhere；　in　some
strange　place；　painting；　and　then；　on　his　return；　he　had　hid　himself
and　his　odd　affairs　away　in　some　corner　of　the　house　where　no　one
saw　him。　He　had　had　his　life　and　Jeremy　had　had　his。

Nevertheless　Jeremy　was　delighted　to　see　him。　It　would　be　fun　to
have　him　at　Cow　Farm　with　his　squashy　brown　hat；　his　fat　cheeks；　his
blue　painting　smock；　and　his　short　legs　with　huge　boots。　He　was
different；　in　some　way；　from　all　the　rest　of　the　world；　and　Jeremy；
even　at　that　early　stage　of　his　education；　already　perceived　that　he
could　learn　more　from　Uncle　Samuel　than　from　any　other　member　of　the
family。

Now　he　put　his　head　in　through　the　door　and　said：　〃Well；　you　kids；
aren't　you　ready？　It's　time！〃　Then；　seeing　Miss　Jones；　he　said：
〃Good　morning；〃　and　bolted　like　a　rabbit。　Even　then　Jeremy　noticed
that　he　had　paint　on　his　fingers；　and　that　two　of　his　waistcoat
buttons　were　unfastened。

Then　down　in　the　hall　what　confusion　there　was！　Boxes　here；　there
and　everywhere。　Mother；　Father；　Aunt　Amy；　Uncle　Samuel；　and；　most
interesting　of　all；　Barbara　and　the　new　nurse。　The　new　nurse　was
called　Mrs。　Pateham；　and　she　was　stout；　red…cheeked；　and　smiling。
The　bundle　in　white　called　Barbara　was；　most　happily；　sleeping；　but
Hamlet　barked　at　Mrs。　Pateham；　and　that　woke　Barbara；　who　began　to
cry。　Then　Collins　came　in　with　his　coat　off；　and　the　muscles
swelling　on　his　shoulders；　and　handled　the　boxes　as　though　they　were
paper；　and　the　cook；　and　Rose；　and　William；　the　handy…boy；　and　old
Jordan；　the　gardener；　and　Mrs。　Preston；　a　lady　from　two　doors　down；
who　sometimes　came　in　to　help；　all　began　to　bob　and　smile；　and
Father　said：　〃Now；　my　dear。　Now；　my　dear；〃　and　Hamlet　wound　himself
and　his　lead　round　everything　that　he　could　see；　and　Helen　fussed
and　said：　〃Now；　Jeremy；〃　and　Miss　Jones　said：　〃Now；　children；〃　and
last　of　all　Collins　said：　〃Now；　mum；　now；　sir；〃　and　then　they　all
were　bundled　into　the　bus；　with　the　cart　and　the　luggage　coming
along　behind。

The　drive　through　the　streets　was；　of　course；　as　lovely　as　it　could
be；　not　in　the　least　because　anyone　could　see　anythingthat　was
hindered　by　the　fact　that　the　windows　of　the　bus　were　so　old　that
they　were　crusted　with　a　kind　of　glassy　mildew；　and　no　amount　of
rubbing　on　the　window…　panes　provided　one　with　a　viewbut　because
the　inside　of　the　bus　was　inevitably　connected　with　adventure
partly　through　its　motion；　partly　through　its　noise；　and　partly
through　its　lovely　smell。　These　were；　of　course；　Jeremy's　views；　and
it　can't　definitely　be　asserted　that　all　grown…up　people　shared
them。　But　whenever　Jeremy　had　ridden　in　that　bus　he　had　always　been
on　his　way　to　something　delightful。　The　motion；　therefore；　rejoiced
his　heart；　although　the　violence　of　it　was　such　that　everyone　was
thrown　against　everyone　else；　so　that　Uncle　Samuel　was　suddenly
hurled　against　the　bonnet　of　Miss　Jones；　and　Helen　struck　Aunt　Amy
in　the　chest；　and　Jeremy　himself　dived　into　his　sister　Barbara。　As
to　the　smell；　it　was　that　lovely　well…known　one　that　has　in　it　mice
and　straw；　wet　umbrellas　and　whisky；　goloshes　and　candle…grease；
dust　and　green　paint！　Jeremy　loved　it；　and　sniffed　on　this　occasion
so　often　that　Miss　Jones　told　him　to　blow　his　nose。　As　to　the　noise；
who　is　there　who　does　not　remember　that　rattle　and　clatter；　that
sudden；　deafening　report　as　of　the　firing　of　a　hundred　firearms；　the
sudden　pause　when　every　bolt　and　bar　and　hinge　sighs　and　moans　like
the　wind　or　a　stormy　sea；　and　then　that　sudden　scream　of　the
clattering　windows；　when　it　is　as　though　a　frenzied　cook；　having
received　notice　to　leave；　was　breaking　every　scrap　of　china　in　the
kitchen？　〃Who　does　not　know　that　last　maddened　roar　as　the　vehicle
stumbles　across　the　last　piece　of　cobbled　roada　roar　that　drowns；
with　a　savage　and　determined　triumph；　all　those　last　directions　not
to　forget　this；　that；　and　the　other；　all　those　inquiries　as　to
whether　this；　that；　and　the　other　had　been　remembered？　Cobbles　are
gone　now；　and　old　buses　sleep　in　deserted　courts；　and　Collins；　alas；
is　not。　His　youngest　son　has　a　motor…garage；　and　Polchester　has
asphaltsic　transit　gloria；　mundi。

Jeremy；　clutching　his　green　box　with　one　hand　and　Hamlet's　lead　with
the　other；　was　in　an　ecstasy　of　happiness。　The　louder　the　noise；　the
rocking　motion；　the　stronger　the　smell；　the　better。　〃Isn't　it
lovely？〃　he　murmured　to　Miss　Jones　during　one　of　the　pauses。

It　may　be　that　it　was　at　this　moment　that　Uncle　Samuel　finally　made
up　his　mind　about　Jeremy。　In　spite　of　his　dislike；　even　hatred　of
children；　he　had　been　coming　slowly；　during　the　last　two　years；　to
an　affection　for；　and　interest　in；　his　nephew　that　was　something
quite　new　to　his　cynical；　egoistic　nature。　It　had　leapt　into
activity　at　Christmas　time；　then　had　died　again。　Now　as；　flung　first
into　his　sister's　bony　arms；　then　on　to　the　terrified　spectacles　of
his　niece　Mary；　he　tried　to　recover　himself；　he　was　caught　and　held
by　that　picture　of　his　small　nephew；　seated；　solid　and　square；　in
his　blue　sailor　suit；　his　bare　knees　swinging；　his　hand　clutching
his　precious　box　with　an　energy　that　defied　Fate　itself　to　take　it
from　him；　his　mouth　set；　his　eyes　staring；　radiant　with　joy；　in
front　of　him。

On　arrival　at　the　station　it　was　found　that　the　one　o'clock　to
Liskane　was　〃just　about　due；〃　so　that　there　was　no　time　to　be　lost。
They　had　to　rush　along　under　the　great　iron　dome；　passing　by　the
main　line；　disregarding　the　tempestuous　express　from　Truxe　that　drew
up；　as　it　were　disdainfully；　just　as　they　passed；　and　finding　the
modest　side　line　to　Liskane　and　St。　Lowe。　Here　there　was　every　kind
of　excitement　for　Jeremy。　Anyone　who　has　any　kind　of　passion　for
observation　must　have　discovered　long　ago　that　a　side　line　has　ever
so　much　more　charm　and　appeal　about　it　than　a　main　line。　A　main　line
is　scornful　of　the　station　in　whose　heart　it　consents　for　a　moment
to　linger；　its　eyes　are　staring　forward　towards　the　vast　cities　who
are　impatiently　awaiting　it；　but　a　side　line　has　its　very　home　here。
So　much　gossip　passes　from　day　to　day　above　its　rails　（and　gossip
that　has　for　its　circumference　five　green　fields；　a　country　road；
and　a　babbling　brook）；　that　it　knows　all　its　passengers　by　heart。

To　the　people　who　travel　on　a　side　line；　the　train　itself　is　still
something　of　a　wonder。　How　much　more　was　that　true　thirty　years　ago。
On　this　especial　line　there　were　only　two　stations…Liskane　and　St。
Lowe；　and；　of　a　certainty；　these　stations　would　not　even　now　be　in
existence　were　it　not　that　St。　Lowe　was　a　fishing　centre　of　very
great　importance。　The　little　district　that　comprehended　St。　Lowe；
Garth　in　Roselands；　Stoep　in　Roselands；　Lucent…　Polwint；　Rafiel；　and
all　the　smaller　hamlets　around　them；　was　fed　by　this　line；　but；　even
so；　the　little　train　was　never　crowded。　Tourists　did　not；　and　even
now　do　not；　go　to　Polwint　and　St。　Lowe　because　〃they　smell　so
fishy；〃　nor　to　Rafield　〃because　it's　too　far　from　the　railway；〃　nor
to　the　Roseland　valleys　〃because　there's　nothing　to　see　there。〃；　May
these　reasons　hold　good　for　many　years　to　come！

Today　there　were　three　farmers　in　brown　leggings；　with　pipes；　and
thick　knotted　walking…sticks；　two　or　three　women　with　baskets；　and　a
child　or　so；　and　an　amiable；　absent…　minded　clergyman　in　a　black
cloth　so　faded　that　it　was　now　green；　reading