brother jacob-第12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！





Mr。　Palfrey　was　present；　and　also　had　his　eye　on　Freely。　　It　is

difficult　for　a　man　to　believe　in　the　advantage　of　a　truth　which

will　disclose　him　to　have　been　a　liar。　　In　this　critical　moment；

David　shrank　from　this　immediate　disgrace　in　the　eyes　of　his　future

father…in…law。



〃Mr。　Prettyman；〃　he　said；　〃I　take　your　observations　as　an　insult。

I've　no　reason　to　be　otherwise　than　proud　of　my　own　flesh　and　blood。

If　this　poor　man　was　my　brother　more　than　all　men　are；　I　should　say

so。〃



A　tall　figure　darkened　the　door；　and　David；　lifting　his　eyes　in　that

direction；　saw　his　eldest　brother；　Jonathan；　on　the　door…sill。



〃I'll　stay　wi'　Zavy；〃　shouted　Jacob；　as　he；　too；　caught　sight　of　his

eldest　brother；　and；　running　behind　the　counter；　he　clutched　David

hard。



〃What；　he　IS　here？〃　said　Jonathan　Faux；　coming　forward。　　〃My　mother

would　have　no　nay；　as　he'd　been　away　so　long；　but　I　must　see　after

him。　　And　it　struck　me　he　was　very　like　come　after　you；　because　we'd

been　talking　of　you　o'　late；　and　where　you　lived。〃



David　saw　there　was　no　escape；　he　smiled　a　ghastly　smile。



〃What！　is　this　a　relation　of　yours；　sir？〃　said　Mr。　Palfrey　to

Jonathan。



〃Aye；　it's　my　innicent　of　a　brother；　sure　enough；〃　said　honest

Jonathan。　　〃A　fine　trouble　and　cost　he　is　to　us；　in　th'　eating　and

other　things；　but　we　must　bear　what's　laid　on　us。〃



〃And　your　name's　Freely；　is　it？〃　said　Mr。　Prettyman。



〃Nay；　nay；　my　name's　Faux；　I　know　nothing　o'　Freelys；〃　said

Jonathan；　curtly。　　〃Come；〃　he　added；　turning　to　David；　〃I　must　take

some　news　to　mother　about　Jacob。　　Shall　I　take　him　with　me；　or　will

you　undertake　to　send　him　back？〃



〃Take　him；　if　you　can　make　him　loose　his　hold　of　me；〃　said　David；

feebly。



〃Is　this　gentleman　here　in　the　confectionery　line　your　brother；

then；　sir？〃　said　Mr。　Prettyman；　feeling　that　it　was　an　occasion　on

which　format　language　must　be　used。



〃I　don't　want　to　own　him；〃　said　Jonathan；　unable　to　resist　a

movement　of　indignation　that　had　never　been　allowed　to　satisfy

itself。　　〃He　ran　away　from　home　with　good　reasons　in　his　pocket

years　ago：　　he　didn't　want　to　be　owned　again；　I　reckon。〃



Mr。　Palfrey　left　the　shop；　he　felt　his　own　pride　too　severely

wounded　by　the　sense　that　he　had　let　himself　be　fooled；　to　feel

curiosity　for　further　details。　　The　most　pressing　business　was　to　go

home　and　tell　his　daughter　that　Freely　was　a　poor　sneak；　probably　a

rascal；　and　that　her　engagement　was　broken　off。



Mr。　Prettyman　stayed；　with　some　internal　self…gratulation　that　HE

had　never　given　in　to　Freely；　and　that　Mr。　Chaloner　would　see　now

what　sort　of　fellow　it　was　that　he　had　put　over　the　heads　of　older

parishioners。　　He　considered　it　due　from　him　（Mr。　Prettyman）　that；

for　the　interests　of　the　parish；　he　should　know　all　that　was　to　be

known　about　this　〃interloper。〃　　Grimworth　would　have　people　coming

from　Botany　Bay　to　settle　in　it；　if　things　went　on　in　this　way。



It　soon　appeared　that　Jacob　could　not　be　made　to　quit　his　dear

brother　David　except　by　force。　　He　understood；　with　a　clearness

equal　to　that　of　the　most　intelligent　mind；　that　Jonathan　would　take

him　back　to　skimmed　milk；　apple…dumpling；　broad　beans；　and　pork。

And　he　had　found　a　paradise　in　his　brother's　shop。　　It　was　a

difficult　matter　to　use　force　with　Jacob；　for　he　wore　heavy　nailed

boots；　and　if　his　pitchfork　had　been　mastered；　he　would　have

resorted　without　hesitation　to　kicks。　　Nothing　short　of　using　guile

to　bind　him　hand　and　foot　would　have　made　all　parties　safe。



〃Let　him　stay；〃　said　David；　with　desperate　resignation；　frightened

above　all　things　at　the　idea　of　further　disturbances　in　his　shop；

which　would　make　his　exposure　all　the　more　conspicuous。　　〃YOU　go

away　again；　and　to…morrow　I　can；　perhaps；　get　him　to　go　to　Gilsbrook

with　me。　　He'll　follow　me　fast　enough；　I　daresay；〃　he　added；　with　a

half…groan。



〃Very　well；〃　said　Jonathan；　gruffly。　　〃I　don't　see　why　YOU　shouldn't

have　some　trouble　and　expense　with　him　as　well　as　the　rest　of　us。

But　mind　you　bring　him　back　safe　and　soon；　else　mother'll　never

rest。〃



On　this　arrangement　being　concluded；　Mr。　Prettyman　begged　Mr。

Jonathan　Faux　to　go　and　take　a　snack　with　him；　an　invitation　which

was　quite　acceptable；　and　as　honest　Jonathan　had　nothing　to　be

ashamed　of；　it　is　probable　that　he　was　very　frank　in　his

communications　to　the　civil　draper；　who；　pursuing　the　benefit　of　the

parish；　hastened　to　make　all　the　information　he　could　gather　about

Freely　common　parochial　property。　　You　may　imagine　that　the　meeting

of　the　Club　at　the　Woolpack　that　evening　was　unusually　lively。

Every　member　was　anxious　to　prove　that　he　had　never　liked　Freely；　as

he　called　himself。　　Faux　was　his　name；　was　it？　　Fox　would　have　been

more　suitable。　　The　majority　expressed　a　desire　to　see　him　hooted

out　of　the　town。



Mr。　Freely　did　not　venture　over　his　door…sill　that　day；　for　he　knew

Jacob　would　keep　at　his　side；　and　there　was　every　probability　that

they　would　have　a　train　of　juvenile　followers。　　He　sent　to　engage

the　Woolpack　gig　for　an　early　hour　the　next　morning；　but　this　order

was　not　kept　religiously　a　secret　by　the　landlord。　　Mr。　Freely　was

informed　that　he　could　not　have　the　gig　till　seven；　and　the

Grimworth　people　were　early　risers。　　Perhaps　they　were　more　alert

than　usual　on　this　particular　morning；　for　when　Jacob；　with　a　bag　of

sweets　in　his　hand；　was　induced　to　mount　the　gig　with　his　brother

David；　the　inhabitants　of　the　market…place　were　looking　out　of　their

doors　and　windows；　and　at　the　turning　of　the　street　there　was　even　a

muster　of　apprentices　and　schoolboys；　who　shouted　as　they　passed　in

what　Jacob　took　to　be　a　very　merry　and　friendly　way；　nodding　and

grinning　in　return。　　〃Huzzay；　David　Faux！　how's　your　uncle？〃　was

their　morning's　greeting。　　Like　other　pointed　things；　it　was　not

altogether　impromptu。



Even　this　public　derision　was　not　so　crushing　to　David　as　the

horrible　thought　that　though　he　might　succeed　now　in　getting　Jacob

home　again　there　would　never　be　any　security　against　his　coming

back；　like　a　wasp　to　the　honey…pot。　　As　long　as　David　lived　at

Grimworth；　Jacob's　return　would　be　hanging　over　him。　　But　could　he

go　on　living　at　Grimworthan　object　of　ridicule；　discarded　by　the

Palfreys；　after　having　revelled　in　the　consciousness　that　he　was　an

envied　and　prosperous　confectioner？　　David　liked　to　be　envied；　he

minded　less　about　being　loved。



His　doubts　on　this　point　were　soon　settled。　　The　mind　of　Grimworth

became　obstinately　set　against　him　and　his　viands；　and　the　new

school　being　finished；　the　eating…room　was　closed。　　If　there　had

been　no　other　reason；　sympathy　with　the　Palfreys；　that　respectable

family　who　had　lived　in　the　parish　time　out　of　mind；　would　have

determined　all　well…to…do　people　to　decline　Freely's　goods。

Besides；　he　had　absconded　with　his　mother's　guineas：　　who　knew　what

else　he　had　done；　in　Jamaica　or　elsewhere；　before　he　came　to

Grimworth；　worming　himself　into　families　under　false　pretences？

Females　shuddered。　　Dreadful　suspicions　gathered　round　him：　　his

green　eyes；　his　bow…legs　had　a　criminal　aspect。　　The　rector　disliked

the　sight　of　a　man　who　had　imposed　upon　him；　and　all　boys　who　could

not　afford　to　purchase；　hooted　〃David　Faux〃　as　they　passed　his　shop。

Certainly　no　man　now　would　pay　anything　for　the　〃goodwill〃　of　Mr。

Freely's　business；　and　he　would　be　obliged　to　quit　it　without　a

peculium　so　desirable　towards　defraying　the　expense　of　moving。



In　a　few　months　the　shop　in　the　marketplace　was　again　to　let；　and

Mr。　David　Faux；　alias　Mr。　Edward　Freely；　had　gonenobody　at

Grimworth　knew　whither。　　In　this　way　the　demoralization　of　Grimworth

women　was　checked。　　Young　Mrs。　Steene　renewed　her　efforts　to　make

light　mince…pies；　and　having　at　last　made　a　batch　so　excellent　that

Mr。　Steene　looked　at　her　with　complacency　as　he　ate　them；　and　said

they　were　the　best　he　had　ever　eaten　in　his　life；　she　thought　less