our aunt-第2章

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　　　　〃All　malice；　and　not　a　bit　of　truth　in　it；〃　said　our　aunt。

　　　　The　painter；　who　wanted　to　get　to　Paradise；　had　to　go　up　a

staircase　which　he　had　himself　painted；　but　which　no　man　could

mount。　That　was　to　expiate　his　sins　against　perspective。　All　the

plants　and　buildings；　which　the　property…man　had　placed；　with　infinite

pains；　in　countries　to　which　they　did　not　belong；　the　poor　fellow

was　obliged　to　put　in　their　right　places　before　cockcrow；　if　he　wanted

to　get　into　Paradise。　Let　Herr　Fabs　see　how　he　would　get　in　himself；

but　what　he　said　of　the　performers；　tragedians　and　comedians；

singers　and　dancers；　that　was　the　most　rascally　of　all。　Mr。　Fabs；

indeed！…　Flabs！　He　did　not　deserve　to　be　admitted　at　all；　and　our　aunt

would　not　soil　her　lips　with　what　he　said。　And　he　said；　did　Flabs；

that　the　whole　was　written　down；　and　it　should　be　printed　when　he

was　dead　and　buried；　but　not　before；　for　he　would　not　risk　having

his　arms　and　legs　broken。

　　　　Once　our　aunt　had　been　in　fear　and　trembling　in　her　temple　of

happiness；　the　theatre。　It　was　on　a　winter　day；　one　of　those　days　in

which　one　has　a　couple　of　hours　of　daylight；　with　a　gray　sky。　It　was

terribly　cold　and　snowy；　but　aunt　must　go　to　the　theatre。　A　little

opera　and　a　great　ballet　were　performed；　and　a　prologue　and　an

epilogue　into　the　bargain；　and　that　would　last　till　late　at　night。　Our

aunt　must　needs　go；　so　she　borrowed　a　pair　of　fur　boots　of　her　lodger…

boots　with　fur　inside　and　out；　and　which　reached　far　up　her　legs。

　　　　She　got　to　the　theatre；　and　to　her　box；　the　boots　were　warm；　and

she　kept　them　on。　Suddenly　there　was　a　cry　of　〃Fire！〃　Smoke　was　coming

from　one　of　the　side　scenes；　and　streamed　down　from　the　flies；　and

there　was　a　terrible　panic。　The　people　came　rushing　out；　and　our

aunt　was　the　last　in　the　box；　〃on　the　second　tier；　left…hand　side；　for

from　there　the　scenery　looks　best；〃　she　used　to　say。　〃The　scenes　are

always　arranged　that　they　look　best　from　the　King's　side。〃　Aunt　wanted

to　come　out；　but　the　people　before　her；　in　their　fright　and

heedlessness；　slammed　the　door　of　the　box；　and　there　sat　our　aunt；　and

couldn't　get　out；　and　couldn't　get　in；　that　is　to　say；　she　couldn't

get　into　the　next　box；　for　the　partition　was　too　high　for　her。　She

called　out；　and　no　one　heard　her；　she　looked　down　into　the　tier　of

boxes　below　her；　and　it　was　empty；　and　low；　and　looked　quite　near；　and

aunt　in　her　terror　felt　quite　young　and　light。　She　thought　of

jumping　down；　and　had　got　one　leg　over　the　partition；　the　other

resting　on　the　bench。　There　she　sat　astride；　as　if　on　horseback；

well　wrapped　up　in　her　flowered　cloak　with　one　leg　hanging　out…　a

leg　in　a　tremendous　fur　boot。　That　was　a　sight　to　behold；　and　when

it　was　beheld；　our　aunt　was　heard　too；　and　was　saved　from　burning；　for

the　theatre　was　not　burned　down。

　　　　That　was　the　most　memorable　evening　of　her　life；　and　she　was

glad　that　she　could　not　see　herself；　for　she　would　have　died　with

confusion。

　　　　Her　benefactor　in　the　machinery　department；　Herr　Sivertsen；

visited　her　every　Sunday；　but　it　was　a　long　time　from　Sunday　to

Sunday。　In　the　latter　time；　therefore；　she　used　to　have　in　a　little

child　〃for　the　scraps；〃　that　is　to　say；　to　eat　up　the　remains　of　the

dinner。　It　was　a　child　employed　in　the　ballet；　one　that　certainly

wanted　feeding。　The　little　one　used　to　appear；　sometimes　as　an　elf；

sometimes　as　a　page；　the　most　difficult　part　she　had　to　play　was　the

lion's　hind　leg　in　the　〃Magic　Flute；〃　but　as　she　grew　larger　she　could

represent　the　fore…feet　of　the　lion。　She　certainly　only　got　half　a

guilder　for　that；　whereas　the　hind　legs　were　paid　for　with　a　whole

guilder；　but　then　she　had　to　walk　bent；　and　to　do　without　fresh　air。

〃That　was　all　very　interesting　to　hear；〃　said　our　aunt。

　　　　She　deserved　to　live　as　long　as　the　theatre　stood；　but　she　could

not　last　so　long；　and　she　did　not　die　in　the　theatre；　but

respectably　in　her　bed。　Her　last　words　were；　moreover；　not　without

meaning。　She　asked；

　　　　〃What　will　the　play　be　to…morrow？〃

　　　　At　her　death　she　left　about　five　hundred　dollars。　We　presume

this　from　the　interest；　which　came　to　twenty　dollars。　This　our　aunt

had　destined　as　a　legacy　for　a　worthy　old　spinster　who　had　no　friends；

it　was　to　be　devoted　to　a　yearly　subscription　for　a　place　in　the

second　tier；　on　the　left　side；　for　the　Saturday　evening；　〃for　on

that　evening　two　pieces　were　always　given；〃　it　said　in　the　will；　and

the　only　condition　laid　upon　the　person　who　enjoyed　the　legacy　was；

that　she　should　think；　every　Saturday　evening；　of　our　aunt；　who　was

lying　in　her　grave。

　　　　This　was　our　aunt's　religion。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

。