brother jacob-第3章

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

immediately　desistedanother　resource　having　occurred　to　him。



〃Mother！　zinnies！〃　exclaimed　the　innocent　Jacob。　　Then；　looking　at

David；　he　said；　interrogatively；　〃Box？〃



〃Hush！　hush！〃　said　David；　summoning　all　his　ingenuity　in　this　severe

strait。　　〃See；　Jacob！〃　　He　took　the　tin　box　from　his　brother's　hand；

and　emptied　it　of　the　lozenges；　returning　half　of　them　to　Jacob；　but

secretly　keeping　the　rest　in　his　own　hand。　　Then　he　held　out　the

empty　box；　and　said；　〃Here's　the　box；　Jacob！　　The　box　for　the

guineas！〃　gently　sweeping　them　from　Jacob's　palm　into　the　box。



This　procedure　was　not　objectionable　to　Jacob；　on　the　contrary；　the

guineas　clinked　so　pleasantly　as　they　fell；　that　he　wished　for　a

repetition　of　the　sound；　and　seizing　the　box；　began　to　rattle　it

very　gleefully。　　David；　seizing　the　opportunity；　deposited　his

reserve　of　lozenges　in　the　ground　and　hastily　swept　some　earth　over

them。　　〃Look；　Jacob！〃　he　said；　at　last。　　Jacob　paused　from　his

clinking；　and　looked　into　the　hole；　while　David　began　to　scratch

away　the　earth；　as　if　in　doubtful　expectation。　　When　the　lozenges

were　laid　bare；　he　took　them　out　one　by　one；　and　gave　them　to　Jacob。

〃Hush！〃　he　said；　in　a　loud　whisper；　〃Tell　nobodyall　for　Jacob

hushshsh！　　Put　guineas　in　the　holethey'll　come　out　like　this！〃

To　make　the　lesson　more　complete；　he　took　a　guinea；　and　lowering　it

into　the　hole；　said；　〃Put　in　SO。〃　　Then；　as　he　took　the　last　lozenge

out；　he　said；　〃Come　out　SO；〃　and　put　the　lozenge　into　Jacob's

hospitable　mouth。



Jacob　turned　his　head　on　one　side；　looked　first　at　his　brother　and

then　at　the　hole；　like　a　reflective　monkey；　and；　finally；　laid　the

box　of　guineas　in　the　hole　with　much　decision。　　David　made　haste　to

add　every　one　of　the　stray　coins；　put　on　the　lid；　and　covered　it

well　with　earth；　saying　in　his　meet　coaxing　tone　…



〃Take　'm　out　to…morrow；　Jacob；　all　for　Jacob！　　Hushshsh！〃



Jacob；　to　whom　this　once　indifferent　brother　had　all　at　once　become

a　sort　of　sweet…tasted　fetish；　stroked　David's　best　coat　with　his

adhesive　fingers；　and　then　hugged　him　with　an　accompaniment　of　that

mingled　chuckling　and　gurgling　by　which　he　was　accustomed　to　express

the　milder　passions。　　But　if　he　had　chosen　to　bite　a　small　morsel

out　of　his　beneficent　brother's　cheek；　David　would　have　been　obliged

to　bear　it。



And　here　I　must　pause；　to　point　out　to　you　the　short…sightedness　of

human　contrivance。　　This　ingenious　young　man；　Mr。　David　Faux；

thought　he　had　achieved　a　triumph　of　cunning　when　he　had　associated

himself　in　his　brother's　rudimentary　mind　with　the　flavour　of　yellow

lozenges。　　But　he　had　yet　to　learn　that　it　is　a　dreadful　thing　to

make　an　idiot　fond　of　you；　when　you　yourself　are　not　of　an

affectionate　disposition：　　especially　an　idiot　with　a　pitchfork

obviously　a　difficult　friend　to　shake　off　by　rough　usage。



It　may　seem　to　you　rather　a　blundering　contrivance　for　a　clever

young　man　to　bury　the　guineas。　　But；　if　everything　had　turned　out　as

David　had　calculated；　you　would　have　seen　that　his　plan　was　worthy

of　his　talents。　　The　guineas　would　have　lain　safely　in　the　earth

while　the　theft　was　discovered；　and　David；　with　the　calm　of

conscious　innocence；　would　have　lingered　at　home；　reluctant　to　say

good…bye　to　his　dear　mother　while　she　was　in　grief　about　her

guineas；　till　at　length；　on　the　eve　of　his　departure；　he　would　have

disinterred　them　in　the　strictest　privacy；　and　carried　them　on　his

own　person　without　inconvenience。　　But　David；　you　perceive；　had

reckoned　without　his　host；　or；　to　speak　more　precisely；　without　his

idiot　brotheran　item　of　so　uncertain　and　fluctuating　a　character；

that　I　doubt　whether　he　would　not　have　puzzled　the　astute　heroes　of

M。　de　Balzac；　whose　foresight　is　so　remarkably　at　home　in　the

future。



It　was　clear　to　David　now　that　he　had　only　one　alternative　before

him：　　he　must　either　renounce　the　guineas；　by　quietly　putting　them

back　in　his　mother's　drawer　（a　course　not　unattended　with

difficulty）；　or　he　must　leave　more　than　a　suspicion　behind　him；　by

departing　early　the　next　morning　without　giving　notice；　and　with　the

guineas　in　his　pocket。　　For　if　he　gave　notice　that　he　was　going；　his

mother；　he　knew；　would　insist　on　fetching　from　her　box　of　guineas

the　three　she　had　always　promised　him　as　his　share；　indeed；　in　his

original　plan；　he　had　counted　on　this　as　a　means　by　which　the　theft

would　be　discovered　under　circumstances　that　would　themselves　speak

for　his　innocence；　but　now；　as　I　need　hardly　explain；　that　well…

combined　plan　was　completely　frustrated。　　Even　if　David　could　have

bribed　Jacob　with　perpetual　lozenges；　an　idiot's　secrecy　is　itself

betrayal。　　He　dared　not　even　go　to　tea　at　Mr。　Lunn's；　for　in　that

case　he　would　have　lost　sight　of　Jacob；　who；　in　his　impatience　for

the　crop　of　lozenges；　might　scratch　up　the　box　again　while　he　was

absent；　and　carry　it　homedepriving　him　at　once　of　reputation　and

guineas。　　No！　he　must　think　of　nothing　all　the　rest　of　this　day；　but

of　coaxing　Jacob　and　keeping　him　out　of　mischief。　　It　was　a

fatiguing　and　anxious　evening　to　David；　nevertheless；　he　dared　not

go　to　sleep　without　tying　a　piece　of　string　to　his　thumb　and　great

toe；　to　secure　his　frequent　waking；　for　he　meant　to　be　up　with　the

first　peep　of　dawn；　and　be　far　out　of　reach　before　breakfast…time。

His　father；　he　thought；　would　certainly　cut　him　off　with　a　shilling；

but　what　then？　　Such　a　striking　young　man　as　he　would　be　sure　to　be

well　received　in　the　West　Indies：　　in　foreign　countries　there　are

always　openingseven　for　cats。　　It　was　probable　that　some　Princess

Yarico　would　want　him　to　marry　her；　and　make　him　presents　of　very

large　jewels　beforehand；　after　which；　he　needn't　marry　her　unless　he

liked。　　David　had　made　up　his　mind　not　to　steal　any　more；　even　from

people　who　were　fond　of　him：　　it　was　an　unpleasant　way　of　making

your　fortune　in　a　world　where　you　were　likely　to　surprised　in　the

act　by　brothers。　　Such　alarms　did　not　agree　with　David's

constitution；　and　he　had　felt　so　much　nausea　this　evening　that　no

doubt　his　liver　was　affected。　　Besides；　he　would　have　been　greatly

hurt　not　to　be　thought　well　of　in　the　world：　　he　always　meant　to

make　a　figure；　and　be　thought　worthy　of　the　best　seats　and　the　best

morsels。



Ruminating　to　this　effect　on　the　brilliant　future　in　reserve　for

him；　David　by　the　help　of　his　check…string　kept　himself　on　the　alert

to　seize　the　time　of　earliest　dawn　for　his　rising　and　departure。

His　brothers；　of　course；　were　early　risers；　but　he　should　anticipate

them　by　at　least　an　hour　and　a　half；　and　the　little　room　which　he

had　to　himself　as　only　an　occasional　visitor；　had　its　window　over

the　horse…block；　so　that　he　could　slip　out　through　the　window

without　the　least　difficulty。　　Jacob；　the　horrible　Jacob；　had　an

awkward　trick　of　getting　up　before　everybody　else；　to　stem　his

hunger　by　emptying　the　milk…bowl　that　was　〃duly　set〃　for　him；　but　of

late　he　had　taken　to　sleeping　in　the　hay…loft；　and　if　he　came　into

the　house；　it　would　be　on　the　opposite　side　to　that　from　which　David

was　making　his　exit。　　There　was　no　need　to　think　of　Jacob；　yet　David

was　liberal　enough　to　bestow　a　curse　on　himit　was　the　only　thing

he　ever　did　bestow　gratuitously。　　His　small　bundle　of　clothes　was

ready　packed；　and　he　was　soon　treading　lightly　on　the　steps　of　the

horse…block；　soon　walking　at　a　smart　pace　across　the　fields　towards

the　thicket。　　It　would　take　him　no　more　than　two　minutes　to　get　out

the　box；　he　could　make　out　the　tree　it　was　under　by　the　pale　strip

where　the　bark　was　off；　although　the　dawning　light　was　rather　dimmer

in　the　thicket。　　But　what；　in　the　name　ofburnt　pastrywas　that

large　body　with　a　staff　planted　beside　it；　close　at　the　foot　of　the

ash…tree？　　David　paused；　not　to　make　up　his　mind　as　to　the　nature　of

the　apparitionhe　had　not　the　happiness　of　doubting　for　a　moment

that　the　staff　was　Jacob's　p