登陆注册
4619000000061

第61章 GAMMER GUETON'S NEEDLE.(1)

Slowly and lost in gloomy thought, John Heywood walked toward his lodgings. These lodgings were situated in the second or inner court of the vast palace of Whitehall, in that wing of the castle which contained the apartments of all the higher officers of the royal household, and so those of the court-jesters also; for the king's fool was at that period a very important and respectable personage, who occupied a rank equal to that of a gentleman of the royal bed-chamber.

John Heywood had just crossed this second courtyard, when all at once loud, wrangling voices, and the clear, peculiar ring of a box on the ear, startled him out of his meditations. He stopped and listened. His face, before so serious, had now reassumed its usual merry and shrewd expression; his large eyes again glittered with humor and mischief. "There again verily is my sweet, charming housekeeper, Gammer Gurton," said John Heywood, laughing; "and she no doubt is quarrelling again with my excellent servant, that poor, long-legged, blear-eyed Hodge. Ah! ha! Yesterday I surprised her as she applied a kiss to him, at which he made as doleful a face as if a bee had stung him. To-day I hear how she is boxing his ears. He is perhaps now laughing at it, and thinks it is a rose-leaf which cools his cheek. That Hodge is such a queer bird! But we will at once see what there is to-day, and what farce is being performed now."He crept softly up-stairs, and, opening the door of his room, closed it again behind him quickly and gently. Gammer Gurton, who was in the room adjoining, had heard nothing, seen nothing; and had the heavens come tumbling down at that moment, she would have scarcely noticed it; for she had eyes and sense only for this long, lank lackey who stood before her shaking with fear, and staring at her out of his great bluish-white eyes. Her whole soul lay in her tongue; and her tongue ran as fast as a will-wheel, and with the force of thunder. How, then, could Gammer Gurton well have time and ears to hear her master, who had softly entered his chamber and slyly crept to the door, only half closed, which separated his room from that of the housekeeper?" How!" screamed Gammer Gurtoh, "you silly raga muffin, you wish to make me believe that it was the cat that ran away with my sewing-needle, as if my sewing-needle were a mouse and smelt of bacon, you stupid, blear-eyed fool!""Ah, you call me a fool," cried Hodge, with a laugh, which caused his mouth to describe a graceful line across his face from ear to ear; "you call me a fool, and that is a great honor for me, for then I am a servant worthy of my master. And as to being blear-eyed, that must be caused by the simple fact that I have nothing all day long before my eyes but you, Gammer Gurton--you, with your face like a full moon--you, sailing through the room like a frigate, and with your grappling-irons, your hands, smashing to pieces everything except your own looking-glass.""You shall pay me for that, you double-faced, thread-bare lout!"screamed Gammer Gurton, as she rushed on Hodge with clenched fist.

But John Heywood's cunning servant had anticipated this; he had already slipped under the large table which stood in the middle of the room. As the housekeeper now made a plunge to drag him out of his extemporary fortress, he gave her such a hearty pinch on the leg, that she sprang back with a scream, and sank, wholly overcome by the pain, into the huge, leather-covered elbow-chair which was near her workstand at the window.

"You are a monster, Hodge," groaned she, exhausted--" a heartless, horrible monster. You have stolen my sewing-needle--you only. For you knew very well that it was my last one, and that, if I have not that, I must go at once to the shopkeeper to buy some needles. And that is just what you want, you weathercock, you. You only want me to go out, that you may have an opportunity to play with Tib.""Tib? Who is Tib?" asked Hodge as he stretched out his long neck from under the table, and stared at Gammer Gurton with well-assumed astonishment.

同类推荐
  • 巩氏族谱

    巩氏族谱

    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。
  • 国初礼贤录

    国初礼贤录

    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。
  • Magic and Real Detectives

    Magic and Real Detectives

    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。
  • 蓬莱山西灶还丹歌

    蓬莱山西灶还丹歌

    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。
  • 菩萨内习六波罗蜜经

    菩萨内习六波罗蜜经

    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
  • 绿野仙踪

    绿野仙踪

    原本生活在堪萨斯州的小姑娘多萝茜和小狗托托,突然被一阵威力无比的龙卷风吹到了异国他乡——奥芝国。多萝茜渴望回到家乡,回到疼她爱她的爱姆婶婶和亨利叔叔身边。为此她想尽了办法,遇到种种惊险,经历了无数磨难。
  • 新世纪诗典(第五季)

    新世纪诗典(第五季)

    “新世纪诗典”是诗人伊沙开设的微博(微信)诗歌荐评,每日推荐一首优秀原创诗歌,也因此每年集成一本《新世纪诗典》,此为第五本。不以姿态、立场、资历、辈分取舍作品,只以作品质量为唯一评价标准,《新世纪诗典》是新世纪以来中国诗歌的集体呈现,它记录时代的声音,展示国人的生存,传递诗人的情感。伊沙的编选不含门户之见,具有一种无所不包的大气象,他对每首诗所作的精彩点评加在一起也可看做是对中国当下诗坛所做的一次整体性观察和评价。
  • 钦定胜朝殉节诸臣录

    钦定胜朝殉节诸臣录

    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。
  • 耻言

    耻言

    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。
  • 坏小子修真记

    坏小子修真记

    都说“穿越者牛B不解释”,可是许天穿越之后,不但不牛B,还是一个傻子。一个傻子也就罢了,至少有一个威吓四方的爹罩着吧,至少有爹好办事啊。可是他的爹竟然只是一个小村长的酒鬼,一个酒鬼也就罢了,至少也要有一个什么金手指之类的,可是他却忘记自己是一个穿越过的人,完全融入到这个社会。什么萝莉、御姐的,和自己通通都没有关系。好不容易将院长的宝贝给吸收了,结果还被发现,不但宝贝被封印,连他自身也被封印。这世上好像所有倒霉的事情都被他遇到,而这个傻子,却在某一天发生了变化……(新人新书需要大家的支持,求推荐、点击、收藏,在这里先谢过啦~)
  • 风水无双

    风水无双

    别看那恶名昭著的赤川左将军与当朝宁华侯互相掐架了几十年,其实他们两个私下却是私交甚好,直到某日,左将军于大庭广众之下将其挂到城墙上,两个人之间的关系就开始迅速恶化。终于,在宁华侯机智(厚颜无耻)的计策中,左将军华丽丽的落入法网。
  • 掌控你人生的命脉玄机:命运

    掌控你人生的命脉玄机:命运

    有人说“命由天定,听天由命”,有人说“命运完全由自己掌控”。曾为上百家企业制定过产品营销战略,提供市场分析报告的著名管理与营销咨询专家——高朋,从“命运由自己掌控”的角度分析命运,同时也给想要改变命运的人们提供了指导。在本书中,他采集了数以百万计的调查样本,通过对人们命运各关口的观察,首次提出“命运指数”概念,运用独特的“命运系统”理论,从格局、选择、机遇、情商、目标和实干这些方面对人们提出了实践性极强的命运力提升指导,旨在帮助不同阶层的人洞悉人生命脉玄机,改变自己的命运。
  • 这个异界果然有问题

    这个异界果然有问题

    两个宅男变身游戏角色开始了艰难的异界生活,可惜这个异界对穿越者的态度极其不友好,于是两位主人公只能低调生存,顺便找穿越者同伴。
  • 王俊凯之我们说好不分离

    王俊凯之我们说好不分离

    【全书免费】他俩是青梅竹马,还定着婚。因为两家的世交被送到了一个别墅中,那时两人已经上了高中。因为两人对彼此没有好感,都打算等到18岁之后解除婚约,可不知道为什么,王俊凯竟然慢慢的喜欢上了她,而她也知道自己喜欢上了王俊凯。接着,她却出了意外。。。。
  • 吉天行

    吉天行

    命运的主角是自己抒写的传奇,面对强大的对手自己也是对手的强大