the fatal boots-第3章

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a　shilling　to　the　good　and　grateful　little　boy　who　had　given　me　the

waistcoat！



〃What　waistcoat　is　it；〃　says　the　Doctor　to　me；　〃and　who　gave　it　to

you？〃



〃Bunting　gave　it　me；　sir；〃　says　I。



〃Call　Bunting！〃　and　up　the　little　ungrateful　chap　came。　　Would　you

believe　it；　he　burst　into　tears；told　that　the　waistcoat　had　been

given　him　by　his　mother；　and　that　he　had　been　forced　to　give　it

for　a　debt　to　Copper…Merchant；　as　the　nasty　little　blackguard

called　me？　　He　then　said　how；　for　three…halfpence；　he　had　been

compelled　to　pay　me　three　shillings　（the　sneak！　as　if　he　had　been

OBLIGED　to　borrow　the　three…halfpence！）how　all　the　other　boys

had　been　swindled　（swindled！）　by　me　in　like　manner；and　how；

with　only　twelve　shillings；　I　had　managed　to　scrape　together　four

guineas。　。　。　。　。



My　courage　almost　fails　me　as　I　describe　the　shameful　scene　that

followed。　　The　boys　were　called　in；　my　own　little　account…book　was

dragged　out　of　my　cupboard；　to　prove　how　much　I　had　received　from

each；　and　every　farthing　of　my　money　was　paid　back　to　them。　　The

tyrant　took　the　thirty　shillings　that　my　dear　parents　had　given　me；

and　said　he　should　put　them　into　the　poor…box　at　church；　and；　after

having　made　a　long　discourse　to　the　boys　about　meanness　and　usury；

he　said；　〃Take　off　your　coat；　Mr。　Stubbs；　and　restore　Bunting　his

waistcoat。〃　　I　did；　and　stood　without　coat　and　waistcoat　in　the

midst　of　the　nasty　grinning　boys。　　I　was　going　to　put　on　my　coat；



〃Stop！〃　says　he。　　〃TAKE　DOWN　HIS　BREECHES！〃



Ruthless；　brutal　villain！　　Sam　Hopkins；　the　biggest　boy；　took　them

downhorsed　meand　I　WAS　FLOGGED；　SIR：　yes；　flogged！　　O　revenge！

I；　Robert　Stubbs；　who　had　done　nothing　but　what　was　right；　was

brutally　flogged　at　ten　years　of　age！Though　February　was　the

shortest　month；　I　remembered　it　long。





MARCH。SHOWERY。





When　my　mamma　heard　of　the　treatment　of　her　darling　she　was　for

bringing　an　action　against　the　schoolmaster；　or　else　for　tearing

his　eyes　out　（when；　dear　soul！　she　would　not　have　torn　the　eyes　out

of　a　flea；　had　it　been　her　own　injury）；　and；　at　the　very　least；　for

having　me　removed　from　the　school　where　I　had　been　so　shamefully

treated。　　But　papa　was　stern　for　once；　and　vowed　that　I　had　been

served　quite　right；　declared　that　I　should　not　be　removed　from

school；　and　sent　old　Swishtail　a　brace　of　pheasants　for　what　he

called　his　kindness　to　me。　　Of　these　the　old　gentleman　invited　me

to　partake；　and　made　a　very　queer　speech　at　dinner；　as　he　was

cutting　them　up；　about　the　excellence　of　my　parents；　and　his　own

determination　to　be　KINDER　STILL　to　me；　if　ever　I　ventured　on　such

practices　again。　　So　I　was　obliged　to　give　up　my　old　trade　of

lending：　for　the　Doctor　declared　that　any　boy　who　borrowed　should

be　flogged；　and　any　one　who　PAID　should　be　flogged　twice　as　much。

There　was　no　standing　against　such　a　prohibition　as　this；　and　my

little　commerce　was　ruined。



I　was　not　very　high　in　the　school：　not　having　been　able　to　get

farther　than　that　dreadful　Propria　quae　maribus　in　the　Latin

grammar；　of　which；　though　I　have　it　by　heart　even　now；　I　never

could　understand　a　syllable：　but；　on　account　of　my　size；　my　age；

and　the　prayers　of　my　mother；　was　allowed　to　have　the　privilege　of

the　bigger　boys；　and　on　holidays　to　walk　about　in　the　town。　　Great

dandies　we　were；　too；　when　we　thus　went　out。　　I　recollect　my

costume　very　well：　a　thunder…and…lightning　coat；　a　white　waistcoat

embroidered　neatly　at　the　pockets；　a　lace　frill；　a　pair　of　knee…

breeches；　and　elegant　white　cotton　or　silk　stockings。　　This　did

very　well；　but　still　I　was　dissatisfied：　I　wanted　A　PAIR　OF　BOOTS。

Three　boys　in　the　school　had　bootsI　was　mad　to　have　them　too。



But　my　papa；　when　I　wrote　to　him；　would　not　hear　of　it；　and　three

pounds；　the　price　of　a　pair；　was　too　large　a　sum　for　my　mother　to

take　from　the　housekeeping；　or　for　me　to　pay；　in　the　present

impoverished　state　of　my　exchequer；　but　the　desire　for　the　boots

was　so　strong；　that　have　them　I　must　at　any　rate。



There　was　a　German　bootmaker　who　had　just　set　up　in　OUR　town　in

those　days；　who　afterwards　made　his　fortune　in　London。　　I

determined　to　have　the　boots　from　him；　and　did　not　despair；　before

the　end　of　a　year　or　two；　either　to　leave　the　school；　when　I　should

not　mind　his　dunning　me；　or　to　screw　the　money　from　mamma；　and　so

pay　him。



So　I　called　upon　this　manStiffelkind　was　his　nameand　he　took　my

measure　for　a　pair。



〃You　are　a　vary　yong　gentleman　to　wear　dop…boots；〃　said　the

shoemaker。



〃I　suppose；　fellow；〃　says　I；　〃that　is　my　business　and　not　yours。

Either　make　the　boots　or　notbut　when　you　speak　to　a　man　of　my

rank；　speak　respectfully！〃　　And　I　poured　out　a　number　of　oaths；　in

order　to　impress　him　with　a　notion　of　my　respectability。



They　had　the　desired　effect。　　〃Stay；　sir；〃　says　he。　　〃I　have　a　nice

littel　pair　of　dop…boots　dat　I　tink　will　jost　do　for　you。〃　　And　he

produced；　sure　enough；　the　most　elegant　things　I　ever　saw。　　〃Day

were　made；〃　said　he；　〃for　de　Honorable　Mr。　Stiffney；　of　de　Gards；

but　were　too　small。〃



〃Ah；　indeed！〃　said　I。　　〃Stiffney　is　a　relation　of　mine。　　And　what；

you　scoundrel；　will　you　have　the　impudence　to　ask　for　these

things？〃　　He　replied；　〃Three　pounds。〃



〃Well；〃　said　I；　〃they　are　confoundedly　dear；　but；　as　you　will　have

a　long　time　to　wait　for　your　money；　why；　I　shall　have　my　revenge

you　see。　　The　man　looked　alarmed；　and　began　a　speech：　〃Sare；I

cannot　let　dem　go　vidout〃but　a　bright　thought　struck　me；　and　I

interrupted〃Sir！　don't　sir　me。　　Take　off　the　boots；　fellow；　and；

hark　ye；　when　you　speak　to　a　nobleman；　don't　saySir。〃



〃A　hundert　tousand　pardons；　my　lort；〃　says　he：　〃if　I　had　known　you

were　a　lort；　I　vood　never　have　called　youSir。　　Vat　name　shall　I

put　down　in　my　books？〃



〃Name？oh！　why；　Lord　Cornwallis；　to　be　sure；〃　said　I；　as　I　walked

off　in　the　boots。



〃And　vat　shall　I　do　vid　my　lort's　shoes？〃



〃Keep　them　until　I　send　for　them；〃　said　I。　　And；　giving　him　a

patronizing　bow；　I　walked　out　of　the　shop；　as　the　German　tied　up　my

shoes　in　paper。



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



This　story　I　would　not　have　told；　but　that　my　whole　life　turned

upon　these　accursed　boots。　　I　walked　back　to　school　as　proud　as　a

peacock；　and　easily　succeeded　in　satisfying　the　boys　as　to　the

manner　in　which　I　came　by　my　new　ornaments。



Well；　one　fatal　Monday　morningthe　blackest　of　all　black…Mondays

that　ever　I　knewas　we　were　all　of　us　playing　between　school…

hours；　I　saw　a　posse　of　boys　round　a　stranger；　who　seemed　to　be

looking　out　for　one　of　us。　　A　sudden　trembling　seized　meI　knew　it

was　Stiffelkind。　　What　had　brought　him　here？　　He　talked　loud；　and

seemed　angry。　　So　I　rushed　into　the　school…room；　and　burying　my

head　between　my　hands；　began　reading　for　dear　life。



〃I　vant　Lort　Cornvallis；〃　said　the　horrid　bootmaker。　　〃His　lortship

belongs；　I　know；　to　dis　honorable　school；　for　I　saw　him　vid　de　boys

at　chorch　yesterday。〃



〃Lord　who？〃



〃Vy；　Lort　Cornvallis　to　be　surea　very　fat　yong　nobeman；　vid　red

hair：　he　squints　a　little；　and　svears　dreadfully。〃



〃There's　no　Lord　Cornvallis　here；〃　said　one；　and　there　was　a　pause。



〃Stop！　I　have　it；〃　says　that　odious　Bunting。　　〃IT　MUST　BE　STUBBS！〃

And　〃Stubbs！　Stubbs！〃　every　one　cried　out；　while　I　was　so　busy　at

my　book　as　not　to　hear　a　word。



At　last；　two　of　the　biggest　chaps　rushed　into　the　schoolroom；　and

seizing　each　an　arm；　run　me　into　the　playgroundbolt　up　against

the　shoemaker。



〃Dis　is　my　man。　　I　beg　your　lortship's　pardon；〃　says　he；　〃I　have

brought　your　lortship's　shoes；　vich　you　left。　　See；　dey　have　been

in　dis　parcel　ever　since　you　vent　avay　in　my　boots。〃



〃Shoes；　fellow！〃　says　I。　　〃I　never　saw　your　face　before！〃　　For　I

knew　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　brazening　it　out。　　〃Upon　the

honor　of　a　gentleman！〃　said　I；　turning　round　to　the　boys。　　They

hesitated；　and　if　the　trick　had　turned　in　my　favor；　fi