brother jacob-第2章

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would　have　been　more　agreeable　to　his　feelings。　　Nevertheless；　to　an

active　mind　like　David's；　ingenuity　is　not　without　its　pleasures：

it　was　rather　an　interesting　occupation　to　become　stealthily

acquainted　with　the　wards　of　his　mother's　simple　key　（not　in　the

least　like　Chubb's　patent）；　and　to　get　one　that　would　do　its　work

equally　well；　and　also　to　arrange　a　little　drama　by　which　he　would

escape　suspicion；　and　run　no　risk　of　forfeiting　the　prospective

hundred　at　his　father's　death；　which　would　be　convenient　in　the

improbable　case　of　his　NOT　making　a　large　fortune　in　the　〃Indies。〃



First；　he　spoke　freely　of　his　intention　to　start　shortly　for

Liverpool　and　take　ship　for　America；　a　resolution　which　cost　his

good　mother　some　pain；　for；　after　Jacob　the　idiot；　there　was　not　one

of　her　sons　to　whom　her　heart　clung　more　than　to　her　youngest…born；

David。　　Next；　it　appeared　to　him　that　Sunday　afternoon；　when

everybody　was　gone　to　church　except　Jacob　and　the　cowboy；　was　so

singularly　favourable　an　opportunity　for　sons　who　wanted　to

appropriate　their　mothers'　guineas；　that　he　half　thought　it　must

have　been　kindly　intended　by　Providence　for　such　purposes。

Especially　the　third　Sunday　in　Lent；　because　Jacob　had　been　out　on

one　of　his　occasional　wanderings　for　the　last　two　days；　and　David；

being　a　timid　young　man；　had　a　considerable　dread　and　hatred　of

Jacob；　as　of　a　large　personage　who　went　about　habitually　with　a

pitchfork　in　his　hand。



Nothing　could　be　easier；　then；　than　for　David　on　this　Sunday

afternoon　to　decline　going　to　church；　on　the　ground　that　he　was

going　to　tea　at　Mr。　Lunn's；　whose　pretty　daughter　Sally　had　been　an

early　flame　of　his；　and；　when　the　church…goers　were　at　a　safe

distance；　to　abstract　the　guineas　from　their　wooden　box　and　slip

them　into　a　small　canvas　bagnothing　easier　than　to　call　to　the

cowboy　that　he　was　going；　and　tell　him　to　keep　an　eye　on　the　house

for　fear　of　Sunday　tramps。　　David　thought　it　would　be　easy；　too；　to

get　to　a　small　thicket　and　bury　his　bag　in　a　hole　he　had　already

made　and　covered　up　under　the　roots　of　an　old　hollow　ash；　and　he

had；　in　fact；　found　the　hole　without　a　moment's　difficulty；　had

uncovered　it；　and　was　about　gently　to　drop　the　bag　into　it；　when　the

sound　of　a　large　body　rustling　towards　him　with　something　like　a

bellow　was　such　a　surprise　to　David；　who；　as　a　gentleman　gifted　with

much　contrivance；　was　naturally　only　prepared　for　what　he　expected；

that　instead　of　dropping　the　bag　gently　he　let　it　fall　so　as　to　make

it　untwist　and　vomit　forth　the　shining　guineas。　　In　the　same　moment

he　looked　up　and　saw　his　dear　brother　Jacob　close　upon　him；　holding

the　pitchfork　so　that　the　bright　smooth　prongs　were　a　yard　in

advance　of　his　own　body；　and　about　a　foot　off　David's。　　（A　learned

friend；　to　whom　I　once　narrated　this　history；　observed　that　it　was

David's　guilt　which　made　these　prongs　formidable；　and　that　the　〃mens

nil　conscia　sibi〃　strips　a　pitchfork　of　all　terrors。　　I　thought　this

idea　so　valuable；　that　I　obtained　his　leave　to　use　it　on　condition

of　suppressing　his　name。）　　Nevertheless；　David　did　not　entirely　lose

his　presence　of　mind；　for　in　that　case　he　would　have　sunk　on　the

earth　or　started　backward；　whereas　he　kept　his　ground　and　smiled　at

Jacob；　who　nodded　his　head　up　and　down；　and　said；　〃Hoich；　Zavy！〃　in

a　painfully　equivocal　manner。　　David's　heart　was　beating　audibly；

and　if　he　had　had　any　lips　they　would　have　been　pale；　but　his　mental

activity；　instead　of　being　paralysed；　was　stimulated。　　While　he　was

inwardly　praying　（he　always　prayed　when　he　was　much　frightened）

〃Oh；　save　me　this　once；　and　I'll　never　get　into　danger　again！〃he

was　thrusting　his　hand　into　his　pocket　in　search　of　a　box　of　yellow

lozenges；　which　he　had　brought　with　him　from　Brigford　among　other

delicacies　of　the　same　portable　kind；　as　a　means　of　conciliating

proud　beauty；　and　more　particularly　the　beauty　of　Miss　Sarah　Lunn。

Not　one　of　these　delicacies　had　he　ever　offered　to　poor　Jacob；　for

David　was　not　a　young　man　to　waste　his　jujubes　and　barley…sugar　in

giving　pleasure　to　people　from　whom　he　expected　nothing。　　But　an

idiot　with　equivocal　intentions　and　a　pitchfork　is　as　well　worth

flattering　and　cajoling　as　if　he　were　Louis　Napoleon。　　So　David；

with　a　promptitude　equal　to　the　occasion；　drew　out　his　box　of　yellow

lozenges；　lifted　the　lid；　and　performed　a　pantomime　with　his　mouth

and　fingers；　which　was　meant　to　imply　that　he　was　delighted　to　see

his　dear　brother　Jacob；　and　seized　the　opportunity　of　making　him　a

small　present；　which　he　would　find　particularly　agreeable　to　the

taste。　　Jacob；　you　understand；　was　not　an　intense　idiot；　but　within

a　certain　limited　range　knew　how　to　choose　the　good　and　reject　the

evil：　　he　took　one　lozenge；　by　way　of　test；　and　sucked　it　as　if　he

had　been　a　philosopher；　then；　in　as　great　an　ecstacy　at　its　new　and

complex　savour　as　Caliban　at　the　taste　of　Trinculo's　wine；　chuckled

and　stroked　this　suddenly　beneficent　brother；　and　held　out　his　hand

for　more；　for；　except　in　fits　of　anger；　Jacob　was　not　ferocious　or

needlessly　predatory。　　David's　courage　half　returned；　and　he　left

off　praying；　pouring　a　dozen　lozenges　into　Jacob's　palm；　and　trying

to　look　very　fond　of　him。　　He　congratulated　himself　that　he　had

formed　the　plan　of　going　to　see　Miss　Sally　Lunn　this　afternoon；　and

that；　as　a　consequence；　he　had　brought　with　him　these　propitiatory

delicacies：　　he　was　certainly　a　lucky　fellow；　indeed；　it　was　always

likely　Providence　should　be　fonder　of　him　than　of　other　apprentices；

and　since　he　WAS　to　be　interrupted；　why；　an　idiot　was　preferable　to

any　other　sort　of　witness。　　For　the　first　time　in　his　life；　David

thought　he　saw　the　advantage　of　idiots。



As　for　Jacob；　he　had　thrust　his　pitchfork　into　the　ground；　and　had

thrown　himself　down　beside　it；　in　thorough　abandonment　to　the

unprecedented　pleasure　of　having　five　lozenges　in　his　mouth　at　once；

blinking　meanwhile；　and　making　inarticulate　sounds　of　gustative

content。　　He　had　not　yet　given　any　sign　of　noticing　the　guineas；　but

in　seating　himself　he　had　laid　his　broad　right　hand　on　them；　and

unconsciously　kept　it　in　that　position；　absorbed　in　the　sensations

of　his　palate。　　If　he　could　only　be　kept　so　occupied　with　the

lozenges　as　not　to　see　the　guineas　before　David　could　manage　to

cover　them！　　That　was　David's　best　hope　of　safety；　for　Jacob　knew

his　mother's　guineas；　it　had　been　part　of　their　common　experience　as

boys　to　be　allowed　to　look　at　these　handsome　coins；　and　rattle　them

in　their　box　on　high　days　and　holidays；　and　among　all　Jacob's　narrow

experiences　as　to　money；　this　was　likely　to　be　the　most　memorable。



〃Here；　Jacob；〃　said　David；　in　an　insinuating　tone；　handing　the　box

to　him；　〃I'll　give　'em　all　to　you。　　Run！make　haste！else

somebody'll　come　and　take　'em。〃



David；　not　having　studied　the　psychology　of　idiots；　was　not　aware

that　they　are　not　to　be　wrought　upon　by　imaginative　fears。　　Jacob

took　the　box　with　his　left　hand；　but　saw　no　necessity　for　running

away。　　Was　ever　a　promising　young　man　wishing　to　lay　the　foundation

of　his　fortune　by　appropriating　his　mother's　guineas　obstructed　by

such　a　day…mare　as　this？　　But　the　moment　must　come　when　Jacob　would

move　his　right　hand　to　draw　off　the　lid　of　the　tin　box；　and　then

David　would　sweep　the　guineas　into　the　hole　with　the　utmost　address

and　swiftness；　and　immediately　seat　himself　upon　them。　　Ah；　no！

It's　of　no　use　to　have　foresight　when　you　are　dealing　with　an　idiot：

he　is　not　to　be　calculated　upon。　　Jacob's　right　hand　was　given　to

vague　clutching　and　throwing；　it　suddenly　clutched　the　guineas　as　if

they　had　been　so　many　pebbles；　and　was　raised　in　an　attitude　which

promised　to　scatter　them　like　seed　over　a　distant　bramble；　when；

from　some　prompting　or　otherprobably　of　an　unwonted　sensationit

paused；　descended　to　Jacob's　knee；　and　opened　slowly　under　the

inspection　of　Jacob's　dull　eyes。　　David　began　to　pray　again；　but

immediately　d