jeremy-第50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！


invasion　by　the　seafaring　element　of　the　County。　All　the　little
country　ports　and　harbours　poured　out　their　fishermen　and　sailors；
who　came　walking；　driving；　singing；　laughing；　swearing；　they　filled
the　streets；　and　went　peering；　like　the　wildest　of　ancient　Picts；
into　the　mysterious　beauties　of　the　Cathedral；　and　late　at　night；
when　the　town　should　have　slept；　arm　in　arm　they　went　roaring　past
the　dark　windows；　singing　their　songs；　stamping　their　feet；　and
every　once　and　again　ringing　a　decent　door…bell　for　their　amusement。
It　was　very　seldom　that　any　harm　was　done。　Once　a　serious　fire　broke
out　amongst　the　old　wooden　houses　down　on　the　river；　and　some　of
them　were　burnt　to　the　ground；　a　fate　that　no　one　deplored；　once　a
sailor　was　murdered　in　a　drunken　squabble　at　〃The　Dog　and　Pilchard；〃
the　wildest　of　the　riverside　hostelries；　and　once　a　Canon　was　caught
and　stripped　and　ducked　in　the　waters　of　the　Pol　by　a　mob　who
resented　his　gentle　appeals　that　they　should　try　to　prefer　lemonade
to　gin；　but　these　were　the　only　three　catastrophes　in　all　the
history　of　the　fair。

During　the　fair　week　the　town　sniffed　of　the　seaof　lobster　and
seaweed　and　tar　and　brineand　all　the　tales　of　the　sea　that　have
ever　been　told　by　man　were　told　during　these　days　in　Polchester。

The　decent　people　kept　their　doors　locked；　their　children　at　home；
and　their　valuables　in　the　family　safe。　No　upper　class　child　in
Polchester　so　much　as　saw　the　outside　of　a　gipsy　van。　The　Dean's
Ernest　was　accustomed　to　boast　that　he　had　once　been　given　a　ride　by
a　gipsy　on　a　donkey；　when　his　nurse　was　not　looking；　but　no　one
credited　the　story；　and　the　details　with　which　he　supported　it　were
feeble　and　unconvincing。　The　Polchester　children　in　general　were
told　that　〃they　would　be　stolen　by　the　gipsies　if　they　weren't
careful；〃　and；　although　some　of　them　in　extreme　moments　of　rebellion
and　depression　felt　that　the　life　of　adventure　thus　offered　to　them；
might；　after　all；　be　more　agreeable　than　the　dreary　realism　of　their
natural　days；　the　warning　may　be　said　to　have　been　effective。

No　family　in　Polchester　was　guarded　more　carefully　in　this　matter　of
the　Pauper's　Fair　than　the　Cole　family。　Mr。　Cole　had　an　absolute
horror　of　the　fair。　Sailors　and　gipsies　were　to　him　the　sign　and
seal　of　utter　damnation；　and　although　he　tried；　as　a　Christian
clergyman；　to　believe　that　they　deserved　pity　because　of　the
disadvantages　under　which　they　had　from　the　first　laboured；　he
confessed　to　his　intimate　friends　that　he　saw　very　little　hope　for
them　either　in　this　world　or　the　next。　Jeremy；　Helen　and　Mary　were；
during　Fair　Week；　kept　severely　within　doors；　their　exercise　had　to
be　taken　in　the　Cole　garden；　and　the　farthest　that　they　poked　their
noses　into　the　town　was　their　visit　to　St。　John's　on　Sunday　morning。
Except　on　one　famous　occasion。　The　Fair　Week　of　Jeremy's　fifth　year
saw　him　writhing　under　a　terrible　attack　of　toothache；　which　became；
after　two　agonised　nights；　such　a　torment　and　distress　to　the　whole
household　that　he　had　to　be　conveyed　to　the　house　of　Mr。　Pilter；　who
had　his　torture…　chamber　at　No。　3　Market　Square。　It　is　true　that
Jeremy　was　conveyed　thither　in　a　cab；　and　that　his　pain　and　his
darkened　windows　prevented　him　from　seeing　very　much　of　the　gay
world；　nevertheless；　in　spite　of　the　Jampot；　who　guarded　him　like　a
dragon；　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　flags；　a　gleaming　brass　band　and　a
Punch　and　Judy　show；　and　he　heard　the　trumpets　and　the　drum；　and　the
shouts　of　excited　little　boys；　and　the　blowing　of　the　Punch　and　Judy
pipes；　and　he　smelt　roasting　chestnuts；　bad　tobacco；　and　beer　and
gin。　He　returned；　young　as　he　was；　and　reduced　to　a　corpse…like
condition　by　the　rough　but　kindly　intentioned　services　of　Mr。
Pilter；　with　the　picture　of　a　hysterical；　abandoned　world　clearly
imprinted　upon　his　brain。

〃I　want　to　go；〃　he　said　to　the　Jampot。

〃You　can't；〃　said　she。

〃I　will　when　I'm　six；〃　said　he。

〃You　won't；〃　said　she。

〃I　will　when　I'm　seven；〃　said　he。

〃You　won't；〃　said　she。

〃I　will　when　I'm　eight；〃　he　answered。

〃Oh；　give　over；　do；　Master　Jeremy；〃　said　she。　And　now　he　was　eight；
very　nearly　nine；　and　going　to　school　in　a　fortnight。　There　seemed
to　be　a　touch　of　destiny　about　his　prophecy。




II


He　had　no　intention　of　disobedience。　Had　he　been　once　definitely
told　by　someone　in　authority　that　he　was　not　to　go　to　the　fair　he
would　not　have　dreamt　of　going。　He　had　no　intention　of　disobedience…
…but　he　had　returned　from　the　Cow　Farm　holiday　in　a　strange
condition　of　mind。

He　had　found　there　this　summer　more　freedom　than　he　had　been　ever
allowed　in　his　life　before；　and　it　had　been　freedom　that　had　come；
not　so　much　from　any　change　of　rules；　but　rather　from　his　own
attitude　to　the　familysimply　he　had　wanted　to　do　certain　things；
and　he　had　done　them　and　the　family　had　stood　aside。　He　began　to　be
aware　that　he　had　only　to　push　and　things　gave　waya　dangerous
knowledge；　and　its　coming　marks　a　period　in　one's　life。

He　seemed；　too；　during　this　summer；　to　have　left　his　sisters
definitely　behind　him　and　to　stand　much　more　alone　than　he　had　done
before。　The　only　person　in　his　world　whom　he　felt　that　he　would　like
to　know　better　was　Uncle　Samuel；　and　that　argued；　on　his　part；　a
certain　tendency　towards　rebellion　and　individuality。　He　was　no
longer　rude　to　Aunt　'Amy；　although　he　hated　her　just　as　he　had
always　done。　She　did　not　seem　any　longer　a　question　that　mattered。
His　attitude　to　his　whole　family　now　was　independent。

Indeed；　he　was；　in　reality；　now　beginning　to　live　his　independent
life。　He　was　perhaps　very　young　to　be　sent　off　to　school　by　himself；
although　in　those　days　for　a　boy　of　eight　to　be　plunged　without　any
help　but　a　friendly　word　of　warning　into　the　stormy　seas　of　private
school　life　was　common　enoughnevertheless；　his　father；　conscious
that　the　child's　life　had　been　hitherto　spent　almost　entirely　among
women；　sent　him　every　morning　during　these　last　weeks　at　home　down
to　the　Curate　of　St。　Martin's…in…　the…Market　to　learn　a　few　words　of
Latin；　an　easy　sum　or　two；　and　the　rudiments　of　spelling。　This　young
curate；　the　Rev。　Wilfred　Somerset；　recently　of　Emmanuel　College；
Cambridge；　had　but　two　ideas　in　his　headthe　noble　game　of　cricket
and　the　jolly　qualities　of　Mr。　Surtees's　novels。　He　was　stout　and
strong；　red…faced；　and　thick　in　the　leg；　always　smoking　a　largo
black…looking　pipe；　and　wearing　trousers　very　short　and　tight。　He
did　not　strike　Jeremy　with　fear；　but　he　was；　nevertheless；　an
influence。　Jeremy；　apparently；　amused　him　intensely。　He　would　roar
with　laughter　at　nothing　at　all；　smack　his　thigh　and　shout；　〃Good
for　you；　young　'un；〃　whatever　that　might　mean；　and　Jeremy；　gazing　at
him；　at　his　pipe　and　his　trousers；　liking　him　rather；　but　not
sufficiently　in　awe　to　be　really　impressed；　would　ask　him　questions
that　seemed　to　him　perfectly　simple　and　natural；　but　that；
nevertheless；　amused　the　Rev。　Wilfred　so　fundamentally　that　he　was
unable　to　give　them　an　intelligible　answer。

Undoubtedly　this　encouraged　Jeremy's　independence。

He　walked　to　and　fro　the　curate's　lodging　by　himself；　and　was　able
to　observe　many　interesting　things　on　the　way。　Sometimes；　late　in
the　afternoon；　he　would　have　some　lesson　that　he　must　take　to　his
master　who；　as　he　lodged　at　the　bottom　of　Orange　Street；　was　a　very
safe　and　steady　distance　from　the　Coles。

Of　course　Aunt　Amy　objected。

〃You　allow　Jeremy；　all　by　himself；　into　the　street　at　night；　and
he's　only　eight。　Really；　you're　too　strange！〃

〃Well；　in　the　first　place；〃　said　Mrs。　Cole；　mildly；　〃it　isn't
nightit's　afternoon；　in　the　second　place；　it　is　only　just　down
the　street；　and　Jeremy's　most　obedient　always；　as　you　know；　Amy。〃

〃I'm　sure　that　Mr。　Somerset　is　wild；〃　said　Aunt　Amy。

〃My　dear　Amy；　why'？〃

〃You've　only　got　to　look　at　his　face。　It's　'flashy。'　That's　what　I
call　it。〃

〃Oh；　that　isn't　the　sort　of　man　who'll　do　Jeremy　harm；〃　said　Mrs。
Cole；　with　a　mother's　wisdom。

Certainly；　he　did　Jeremy　no　harm　at　all；　he　taught　him　nothing；　not
even　〃mensa；〃　and　how　to　spell　〃receive〃　and　〃apple。〃　The　only　thing
he　did　was　to　encourage　Jeremy's　independence；　and　this　was　done；　in
the　fi