登陆注册
5391200000028

第28章

'But how did you come to be locked up in the church-tower?' asked the Vicar.

'We went up,' said Robert slowly, 'and we were tired, and we all went to sleep, and when we woke up we found the door was locked, so we yelled.'

'I should think you did!' said the Vicar's wife. 'Frightening everybody out of their wits like this! You ought to be ashamed of yourselves.'

'We are,' said Jane gently.

'But who locked the door?' asked the Vicar.

'I don't know at all,' said Robert, with perfect truth. 'Do please send us home.'

'Well, really,' said the Vicar, 'I suppose we'd better. Andrew, put the horse to, and you can take them home.'

'Not alone, I don't,' said Andrew to himself.

'And,' the Vicar went on, 'let this be a lesson to you ...' He went on talking, and the children listened miserably. But the keeper was not listening. He was looking at the unfortunate Cyril.

He knew all about poachers of course, so he knew how people look when they're hiding something. The Vicar had just got to the part about trying to grow up to be a blessing to your parents, and not a trouble and a disgrace, when the keeper suddenly said:

'Arst him what he's got there under his jacket'; and Cyril knew that concealment was at an end. So he stood up, and squared his shoulders and tried to look noble, like the boys in books that no one can look in the face of and doubt that they come of brave and noble families and will be faithful to the death, and he pulled out the soda-water syphon and said:

'Well, there you are, then.'

There was a silence. Cyril went on - there was nothing else for it:

'Yes, we took this out of your larder, and some chicken and tongue and bread. We were very hungry, and we didn't take the custard or jam. We only took bread and meat and water - and we couldn't help its being the soda kind -just the necessaries of life; and we left half-a-crown to pay for it, and we left a letter. And we're very sorry. And my father will pay a fine or anything you like, but don't send us to prison. Mother would be so vexed. You know what you said about not being a disgrace. Well, don't you go and do it to us - that's all! We're as sorry as we can be. There!'

'However did you get up to the larder window?' said Mrs Vicar.

'I can't tell you that,' said Cyril firmly.

'Is this the whole truth you've been telling me?' asked the clergyman.

'No,' answered Jane suddenly; 'it's all true, but it's not the whole truth. We can't tell you that. It's no good asking. Oh, do forgive us and take us home!' She ran to the Vicar's wife and threw her arms round her. The Vicar's wife put her arms round Jane, and the keeper whispered behind his hand to the Vicar:

'They're all right, sir - I expect it's a pal they're standing by.

Someone put 'em up to it, and they won't peach. Game little kids.'

'Tell me,' said the Vicar kindly, 'are you screening someone else?

Had anyone else anything to do with this?'

'Yes,' said Anthea, thinking of the Psammead; 'but it wasn't their fault.'

'Very well, my dears,' said the Vicar, 'then let's say no more about it. Only just tell us why you wrote such an odd letter.'

'I don't know,' said Cyril. 'You see, Anthea wrote it in such a hurry, and it really didn't seem like stealing then. But afterwards, when we found we couldn't get down off the church-tower, it seemed just exactly like it. We are all very sorry -'

'Say no more about it,' said the Vicar's wife; 'but another time just think before you take other people's tongues. Now - some cake and milk before you go home?'

When Andrew came to say that the horse was put to, and was he expected to be led alone into the trap that he had plainly seen from the first, he found the children eating cake and drinking milk and laughing at the Vicar's jokes. Jane was sitting on the Vicar's wife's lap.

So you see they got off better than they deserved.

The gamekeeper, who was the cook's cousin, asked leave to drive home with them, and Andrew was only too glad to have someone to protect him from the trap he was so certain of.

When the wagonette reached their own house, between the chalk-quarry and the gravel-pit, the children were very sleepy, but they felt that they and the keeper were friends for life.

Andrew dumped the children down at the iron gate without a word.

'You get along home,' said the Vicarage cook's cousin, who was a gamekeeper. 'I'll get me home on Shanks' mare.'

So Andrew had to drive off alone, which he did not like at all, and it was the keeper that was cousin to the Vicarage cook who went with the children to the door, and, when they had been swept to bed in a whirlwind of reproaches, remained to explain to Martha and the cook and the housemaid exactly what had happened. He explained so well that Martha was quite amiable the next morning.

After that he often used to come over and see Martha; and in the end - but that is another story, as dear Mr Kipling says.

Martha was obliged to stick to what she had said the night before about keeping the children indoors the next day for a punishment.

But she wasn't at all snarky about it, and agreed to let Robert go out for half an hour to get something he particularly wanted.

This, of course, was the day's wish.

Robert rushed to the gravel-pit, found the Psammead, and presently wished for - But that, too, is another story.

同类推荐
  • 包公案之百家公案

    包公案之百家公案

    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。
  • 王明阳集

    王明阳集

    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。
  • 苏州竹庵衍禅师语录

    苏州竹庵衍禅师语录

    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。
  • APHORISMS

    APHORISMS

    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。
  • 台海见闻录

    台海见闻录

    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。
热门推荐
  • 王心斋语

    王心斋语

    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。
  • 顾南寻她意

    顾南寻她意

    (全文完)他说过,无论天涯海角,他都会找到她,余生的种种,他会陪她一起度过。只是,这是场一梦南柯,还是只会变成回忆?都说遗忘是最大的悲哀,与他来说确实场爱的救赎。“知意,我只求,我这一生能好好的陪在你的身边,其他的,我真的什么都不求。”他常常对她说这句话,可同时却又在向他一步一步接近,她总会有种错觉,在遗忘又再次爱上的同时,她总是会觉得惶恐。只是或许,此生,他们根本就不应该相遇。
  • 慈明瑞象灯仪

    慈明瑞象灯仪

    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。
  • 只有你的晚安

    只有你的晚安

    情不知何所起,两人情窦初开,在最要命的时刻谈了一场并不是很唯美,但是很甜蜜的恋爱,男孩许诺一生,女孩内心许诺一辈子……………情不知何所终,一生喜乐平安是女孩给男孩的,男孩给女孩的是沉默…………青春真的很要命
  • 许你行路不孤单

    许你行路不孤单

    他是个出身草根的屌丝,名副其实的穷孩子,遇到她的那一天,命运开始悄然改变。他被官二代抢了初恋,又被富二代报复,唯一的幸运是她出现了,并点亮了他的人生。从高考到读博,逆袭之路几多艰难,他们互相陪伴,一起成长,留下不可替代的爱的踪迹,牵手书写一生幸福的定义。十年前:“我没有出生在罗马,是上天不屑一顾的弃儿。”十年后:“我确定我是上天的宠儿,它什么都不肯给我,只是让我遇到了你,从此逆天改命,共创奇迹。”行路难,行路难,我会许你行路不孤单。
  • 冷月凄然似君心

    冷月凄然似君心

    他是她暗恋多年的姐夫,堂堂当朝三皇子;她一片痴心,终于与他修成正果;新婚之夜,百般缠绵,她将真心尽赋予他;却没想到,从头至尾,她只是他报夺妻之仇的一枚棋子;她的美梦原来是他精心布置的陷阱;为救族人,她进宫沦为皇上的玩物……多年后,他和她再度相遇,是她的福气还是灾难?
  • 独宠代嫁王妃

    独宠代嫁王妃

    她,林静儿!名扬天下的静水医仙,依居柔然,万民敬仰!却生性恣意洒脱!随心所欲做自己喜欢的事!什么世俗礼教?什么三纲五常?自己开心才最重要!隐去绝世的容颜,也只因不愿做那貌美却薄命的红颜绝世!他,慕容烨!名震宇内的不败战神,十年沙场,叱咤风云!终灭七国,一统天下!却传言,他貌比恶鬼,其丑无比!残虐暴戾,生饮人血!不近女色!尤其厌恶女子的接近!世间女子无不避之如洪水猛兽!那一日,云山深处,丛林幽幽!他被骷髅教数百杀手围攻!本可凭一己之力荡平黑衣人!却不想体内的寒毒突然发作,身负重伤,命悬一线!她,却如零落凡尘的九天玄女般自万仞绝壁凌空而下,仅凭一支娇娆桃枝,诛杀所有骷髅教众!短暂的邂逅,转瞬话别离!却将一种名为爱恋的情愫悄然种下!百花宴上,一道圣旨,他与右相之女柳凝嫣婚事落定!却是落花无意,流水无心!各有算计!她只想做太子妃!而他,只想娶那个淡若烟月,恣意洒脱的女子!为偿前债,静儿欣然决定代替柳凝嫣嫁与世间女子皆避而远之的陵王!貌比恶鬼,其丑无比?静儿微微撇了撇嘴,容貌美丑不过是一幅皮相罢了!残虐暴戾,生饮人血?切!凭着本姑娘的身手还用担心会被人觅食了不成?不近女色,厌恶女子?那不更好!当个挂名王妃,清闲度日,逍遥快活,岂不妙哉?待哪日休书到手,她便可以挥一挥手,不带走一片云彩!洞房再见,他的面具取下,她的容颜转变,他们,都没有认出对方!可是,精明睿智如他,又岂会被一副面容迷了眼?她的容貌可以改变,可是,她那淡然随意,恣意慵懒的气质却改不了!那双自初见时,便深深烙印在心底的秋水明眸不会变!那股似桃之娇娆,似兰之清遐的气息不会变!原来,他魂牵梦绕的女子,竟一直在他的身边?还是他的王妃?还有比这更幸福的事么?不过,既然她冒名代嫁,他也不愿拆穿她!如今她已经在他的身边了,他唯一要做的便是宠她爱她护她便好!于是,世间纷传,陵王不仅相貌绝世,风华无双,而且情深温柔,宠妻无度!世间女子无不望之心叹!太子妃梦碎成空,柳凝嫣亦被陵王风姿所迷,竟无耻反诬静儿瞒天过海,阴谋代嫁!静儿懒懒的撇了撇嘴,本姑娘人也嫁了,心也动了,他,只能是本姑娘的!你就别想了!不然——红唇轻勾,慵懒一笑,敢窥视本姑娘东西的人,都已经去排队投胎了!
  • 靓女的礼仪与魅力修养(女性生活百宝箱)

    靓女的礼仪与魅力修养(女性生活百宝箱)

    女性是我们这个世界上最美丽最有滋味的景致。每一个女人都是一道风景,每一个女人都有自己独特的香氛,漂亮的、能干的、聪明的、温柔的、风情的、个性的、幽默的……但却只有一种女人的风景和香氛持久而迷人,那就是魅力女人。
  • 园笔乘

    园笔乘

    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。
  • 看那咸鱼翻身了

    看那咸鱼翻身了

    一条咸鱼,到底会成咸鱼呢还是咸鱼呢。(本人是新人,随便写的,各位不愉快的请随便意)