登陆注册
4606900000151

第151章

A curse on you! You who have five senses may be wicked at your pleasure; we who have four, and want the most important, are to live and be moral on our affliction. The true charity and justice of rich to poor, all the world over!'

He paused a moment when he had said these words, and caught the sound of money, jingling in her hand.

'Well?' he cried, quickly resuming his former manner. 'That should lead to something. The point, widow?'

'First answer me one question,' she replied. 'You say he is close at hand. Has he left London?'

'Being close at hand, widow, it would seem he has,' returned the blind man.

'I mean, for good? You know that.'

'Yes, for good. The truth is, widow, that his making a longer stay there might have had disagreeable consequences. He has come away for that reason.'

'Listen,' said the widow, telling some money out, upon a bench beside them. 'Count.'

'Six,' said the blind man, listening attentively. 'Any more?'

'They are the savings,' she answered, 'of five years. Six guineas.'

He put out his hand for one of the coins; felt it carefully, put it between his teeth, rung it on the bench; and nodded to her to proceed.

'These have been scraped together and laid by, lest sickness or death should separate my son and me. They have been purchased at the price of much hunger, hard labour, and want of rest. If you CAN take them--do--on condition that you leave this place upon the instant, and enter no more into that room, where he sits now, expecting your return.'

'Six guineas,' said the blind man, shaking his head, 'though of the fullest weight that were ever coined, fall very far short of twenty pounds, widow.'

'For such a sum, as you know, I must write to a distant part of the country. To do that, and receive an answer, I must have time.'

'Two days?' said Stagg.

'More.'

'Four days?'

'A week. Return on this day week, at the same hour, but not to the house. Wait at the corner of the lane.'

'Of course,' said the blind man, with a crafty look, 'I shall find you there?'

'Where else can I take refuge? Is it not enough that you have made a beggar of me, and that I have sacrificed my whole store, so hardly earned, to preserve this home?'

'Humph!' said the blind man, after some consideration. 'Set me with my face towards the point you speak of, and in the middle of the road. Is this the spot?'

'It is.'

'On this day week at sunset. And think of him within doors.--For the present, good night.'

She made him no answer, nor did he stop for any. He went slowly away, turning his head from time to time, and stopping to listen, as if he were curious to know whether he was watched by any one.

The shadows of night were closing fast around, and he was soon lost in the gloom. It was not, however, until she had traversed the lane from end to end, and made sure that he was gone, that she re-

entered the cottage, and hurriedly barred the door and window.

'Mother!' said Barnaby. 'What is the matter? Where is the blind man?'

'He is gone.'

'Gone!' he cried, starting up. 'I must have more talk with him.

Which way did he take?'

'I don't know,' she answered, folding her arms about him. 'You must not go out to-night. There are ghosts and dreams abroad.'

'Ay?' said Barnaby, in a frightened whisper.

'It is not safe to stir. We must leave this place to-morrow.'

'This place! This cottage--and the little garden, mother!'

'Yes! To-morrow morning at sunrise. We must travel to London;

lose ourselves in that wide place--there would be some trace of us in any other town--then travel on again, and find some new abode.'

Little persuasion was required to reconcile Barnaby to anything that promised change. In another minute, he was wild with delight;

in another, full of grief at the prospect of parting with his friends the dogs; in another, wild again; then he was fearful of what she had said to prevent his wandering abroad that night, and full of terrors and strange questions. His light-heartedness in the end surmounted all his other feelings, and lying down in his clothes to the end that he might be ready on the morrow, he soon fell fast asleep before the poor turf fire.

His mother did not close her eyes, but sat beside him, watching.

Every breath of wind sounded in her ears like that dreaded footstep at the door, or like that hand upon the latch, and made the calm summer night, a night of horror. At length the welcome day appeared. When she had made the little preparations which were needful for their journey, and had prayed upon her knees with many tears, she roused Barnaby, who jumped up gaily at her summons.

His clothes were few enough, and to carry Grip was a labour of love. As the sun shed his earliest beams upon the earth, they closed the door of their deserted home, and turned away. The sky was blue and bright. The air was fresh and filled with a thousand perfumes. Barnaby looked upward, and laughed with all his heart.

But it was a day he usually devoted to a long ramble, and one of the dogs--the ugliest of them all--came bounding up, and jumping round him in the fulness of his joy. He had to bid him go back in a surly tone, and his heart smote him while he did so. The dog retreated; turned with a half-incredulous, half-imploring look;

came a little back; and stopped.

It was the last appeal of an old companion and a faithful friend--

cast off. Barnaby could bear no more, and as he shook his head and waved his playmate home, he burst into tears.

'Oh mother, mother, how mournful he will be when he scratches at the door, and finds it always shut!'

There was such a sense of home in the thought, that though her own eyes overflowed she would not have obliterated the recollection of it, either from her own mind or from his, for the wealth of the whole wide world.

同类推荐
  • 兵典

    兵典

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 南亭词话

    南亭词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金箓祈祷午朝仪

    金箓祈祷午朝仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • East Lynne

    East Lynne

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 仙杂记

    仙杂记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 绝地之旅

    绝地之旅

    “我是个贼,偷得不仅是古墓里的明器,还有你的心。”“我是个男人,我必须面对生死抉择,所以,你去死吧。”“拥有超高智商的舟山部落,本小姐一定要弄到他们的基因。”三个人一台戏,在皖南冰窟,淮南鬼谷,柳州棺材铺,湖北凤凰山,云南瓜子岭,云台大舟山,绝境之地,冒险之旅,欢迎收看。
  • 王府下堂妻:盲妃难再娶

    王府下堂妻:盲妃难再娶

    昭明王爷娶亲,新娘竟是一个瞎子。这个瞎子的来头可不小,是相国府的嫡出千金——姜向染。不过,那王爷貌似待她不好,娶了别人还将王妃气走了。后来,瞎子不瞎了,被王爷追了回去,锁在府中宠上了天。还差点连王爷也不想做了,要跑去江南与她开医馆。不知道是个怎样厉害的王妃?不知道是个什么样不靠谱的王爷?还是那首《佳人曲》唱的好:“宁不知倾城与倾国?佳人难再得。”
  • 古龙经典:七种武器(全集)

    古龙经典:七种武器(全集)

    《七种武器》中登场的经典人物:白玉京、袁紫霞、秋凤梧、高立、双双、段玉、华华凤、萧少英、葛停香、丁喜、小马、杨峥、狄青麟、朱五太爷、柳长街、龙五七个不平凡的人。七种不可思议的武器。七段完全独立的故事。真正的胜利,并不是你能用武器夺取的。无论多锋利的剑,也比不上那动人的一笑;无论多可怕的武器,也比不上人类的信心。此外……一个人只要有勇气去冒险,天下就绝没有不能解决的事!
  • 无尽世界我为王

    无尽世界我为王

    一个从天而降的手机,一段段瑰丽神奇的历程,从武侠到仙侠,从魔法到科技,从水蓝星到宇宙······无尽世界任我行,宇宙洪荒我为王。穿越不是目的,咱们滴目标,是星辰大海。
  • 纨绔郡主桃花劫

    纨绔郡主桃花劫

    她一朝魂穿,阴差阳错的成为了青龙国帝都的第一纨绔女——宁玉珑小郡主。作为宁王府唯一的嫡女,集万千宠爱于一身。整个青龙国帝都敢招惹她的人屈指可数。有青龙国皇后的亲姑姑,有玄武国女将的奶奶,有朱雀国摄政王的娘亲,有......在这开挂般的背景下,她的人生走向又会如何呢?
  • 美男,我来也:小小皇妃

    美男,我来也:小小皇妃

    她是东方的族长魔女,狡诈,腹黑,邪恶。一朝穿越到了古代谭竹国,成为了某人的皇后。看到了某人不屑的眼神后。她也不由气的直磨牙,心中恨恨道:不就是娶我当皇后嘛?老娘我还不乐意呢!不过,以后皇宫少了一只猫;少了一只狗;嘿咻中,榻上多了一条蛇。虽然这些都是我做的,但我是不会承认的……【天十更】虫子信誉,有保障,请放心包养!【本故事纯属虚构】
  • 无上劫尊

    无上劫尊

    一梦是念,一梦是劫,一梦永生!一个本是一念所化的少年,又如何踏上永生之途?
  • 凰女妖娆:盛宠逆天王妃

    凰女妖娆:盛宠逆天王妃

    她是上古神兽凤凰的转世,虫窟中百毒噬心凡体变毒体,火山熔岩的侵蚀毒体变神体。驭兽?斗气?自然元素?看她信手拈来!他是杀伐果断的王爷,唯独对她绝宠一世,绝处逢生洗髓逆天,霸气狂妄神魔皆诛!为了她,神挡杀神,佛挡灭佛!凤凰涅槃,浴火重生,凤凰觉醒,她们又该掀起怎样的篇章?
  • 青玉录

    青玉录

    男主步千影为江湖盗圣,一步千影轻功独步天下,虽为盗其人为侠义之士,一把隐月剑在手,单枪皮马上太白,盗出至宝沉渊剑,独战太白四老,大胜而归,重此闻名天下,女主白芷柔为天香派第十八代真传圣女,美貌倾国,背负青玉檀木琴,唤为墨情,擅长琴音杀人,医术高超,有妙手回春之术,在18岁那天被师傅派出下山历练,途中遇到中毒的步千影将其救下,被步千影拜为尊师,俩人虽为师徒但根本就不像师徒,在慢慢的相处过程中,白芷柔对步千影渐渐的产生了不一样的感情
  • 长野起风了

    长野起风了

    宫崎骏的《起风了》说到:起风了唯有努力生存!这一路上走走停停,顺着少年漂流的痕迹,从前想象这世间,现在走在这世间,不敢回看,却又万般留恋!纵有疾风起,人生不言弃。随笔杂言,分享与你。