登陆注册
5393100000006

第6章

"Then," interrupted Mrs. Fursey, in the voice of many generations, "you shouldn't think. London," continued the good dame, her experience no doubt suggesting that the shortest road to peace would be through my understanding of this matter, "is a big town, and you go there in a train. Some time--soon now--your father will write to your mother that everything is ready. Then you and your mother and your aunt will leave this place and go to London, and I shall be rid of you."

"And shan't we come back here ever any more?"

"Never again."

"And I'll never play in the garden again, never go down to the pebble-ridge to tea, or to Jacob's tower?"

"Never again." I think Mrs. Fursey took a pleasure in the phrase. It sounded, as she said it, like something out of the prayer-book.

"And I'll never see Anna, or Tom Pinfold, or old Yeo, or Pincher, or you, ever any more?" In this moment of the crumbling from under me of all my footholds I would have clung even to that dry tuft, Mrs. Fursey herself.

"Never any more. You'll go away and begin an entirely new life. And I do hope, Master Paul," added Mrs. Fursey, piously, "it may be a better one. That you will make up your mind to--"

But Mrs. Fursey's well-meant exhortations, whatever they may have been, fell upon deaf ears. Here was I face to face with yet another problem. This life into which I had fallen: it was understandable!

One went away, leaving the pleasant places that one knew, never to return to them. One left one's labour and one's play to enter upon a new existence in a strange land. One parted from the friends one had always known, one saw them never again. Life was indeed a strange thing; and, would a body comprehend it, then must a body sit staring into the fire, thinking very hard, unheedful of all idle chatter.

That night, when my mother came to kiss me good-night, I turned my face to the wall and pretended to be asleep, for children as well as grown-ups have their foolish moods; but when I felt the soft curls brush my cheek, my pride gave way, and clasping my arms about her neck, and drawing her face still closer down to mine; I voiced the question that all the evening had been knocking at my heart:

"I suppose you couldn't send me back now, could you? You see, you've had me so long."

"Send you back?"

"Yes. I'd be too big for the stork to carry now, wouldn't I?"

My mother knelt down beside the bed so that her face and mine were on a level, and looking into her eyes, the fear that had been haunting me fell from me.

"Who has been talking foolishly to a foolish little boy?" asked my mother, keeping my arms still clasped about her neck.

"Oh, nurse and I were discussing things, you know," I answered, "and she said you could have done without me. Somehow, I did not mind repeating the words now; clearly it could have been but Mrs. Fursey's fun.

My mother drew me closer to her.

"And what made her think that?"

"Well, you see," I replied, "I came at a very awkward time, didn't I; when you had a lot of other troubles."

My mother laughed, but the next moment looked grave again.

"I did not know you thought about such things," she said; "we must be more together, you and I, Paul, and you shall tell me all you think, because nurse does not quite understand you. It is true what she said about the trouble; it came just at that time. But I could not have done without you. I was very unhappy, and you were sent to comfort me and help me to bear it." I liked this explanation better.

"Then it was lucky, your having me?" I said. Again my mother laughed, and again there followed that graver look upon her childish face.

"Will you remember what I am going to say?" She spoke so earnestly that I, wriggling into a sitting posture, became earnest also.

"I'll try," I answered; "but I ain't got a very good memory, have I?"

"Not very," smiled my mother; "but if you think about it a good deal it will not leave you. When you are a good boy, and later on, when you are a good man, then I am the luckiest little mother in all the world. And every time you fail, that means bad luck for me. You will remember that after I'm gone, when you are a big man, won't you, Paul?"

So, both of us quite serious, I promised; and though I smile now when I remember, seeing before me those two earnest, childish faces, yet I think, however little success it may be I have to boast of, it would perhaps have been still less had I entirely forgotten.

From that day my mother waxes in my memory; Mrs. Fursey, of the many promontories, waning. There were sunny mornings in the neglected garden, where the leaves played round us while we worked and read; twilight evenings in the window seat where, half hidden by the dark red curtains, we would talk in whispers, why I know not, of good men and noble women, ogres, fairies, saints and demons; they were pleasant days.

Possibly our curriculum lacked method; maybe it was too varied and extensive for my age, in consequence of which chronology became confused within my brain, and fact and fiction more confounded than has usually been considered permissible, even in history. I saw Aphrodite, ready armed and risen from the sea, move with stately grace to meet King Canute, who, throned upon the sand, bade her come no further lest she should wet his feet. In forest glade I saw King Rufus fall from a poisoned arrow shot by Robin Hood; but thanks to sweet Queen Eleanor, who sucked the poison from his wound, I knew he lived. Oliver Cromwell, having killed King Charles, married his widow, and was in turn stabbed by Hamlet. Ulysses, in the Argo, it was fixed upon my mind, had discovered America. Romulus and Remus had slain the wolf and rescued Little Red Riding Hood. Good King Arthur, for letting the cakes burn, had been murdered by his uncle in the Tower of London. Prometheus, bound to the Rock, had been saved by good St. George. Paris had given the apple to William Tell. What matter! the information was there. It needed rearranging, that was all.

同类推荐
  • Sonnets from the Portuguese

    Sonnets from the Portuguese

    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。
  • 三家医案合刻

    三家医案合刻

    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。
  • 知医必辨

    知医必辨

    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。
  • 相贝经

    相贝经

    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。
  • 南部新书

    南部新书

    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
  • 狐歌

    狐歌

    古有九天仙女下凡尘,今有妖族美女降人间。情场上波澜起伏,商场中纵横跌宕,战场上风起云涌。道高一尺,魔高一丈,卿本佳人,奈何为妖……奇谋巧计,商踪谍影,修真斗法,都市绝恋,尽在狐歌……
  • 动力之王

    动力之王

    被大宇宙的意志给踢回了过去的陈耕,故事再次开始。………………………………新书《现代手艺人》已经上传,还请兄弟们多多支持,点击、收藏、推荐……兄弟们千万别客气。兄弟们,千年新建了一个书友裙,裙号是263,739,462。欢迎大家来侃大山
  • 略授三归五八戒并菩萨戒

    略授三归五八戒并菩萨戒

    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。
  • 中国顶级CEO的商道真经

    中国顶级CEO的商道真经

    “国力的较量在于企业,企业的较量在于企业家的核心理念”。正是基于这样的观点,我们希望能将中国顶级CEO的经商智慧和人格品质传承下去。不仅鼓励更多的人学习企业家那种做人做事的方式,还要帮助更多的创业者、企业家了解、探索科学、实用的经营管理模式,让更多的人有机会加入到他们的行列中。
  • 提高青少年思考能力的35种方法

    提高青少年思考能力的35种方法

    思维决定着一个人的行为,决定着一个人的学习、工作和处世的态度,决定着一个人的前途和命运,决定着你我的成败!本书结合现实生活,向青少年朋友介绍了35种实用的思维方法,通过科学的分析和生动的故事案例,帮你解读思维的本质,让正确的思维方法为你的学习、工作和生活导航。
  • 大佬偏要持靓行凶

    大佬偏要持靓行凶

    “叮,您的沙雕系统已上线。”自从易昭绑定系统后,就开启了反派boss的逆袭之路。管它恶毒黑莲花还是圣母白莲花,没有一顿友好关怀不能解决的。#霸气易总在线虐渣,专治各种不服#直到碰上某只小东西——妖孽混血美人将她拥入怀里,“我只在乎你。”清隽小少爷软乎乎地靠过来,软着声音撒娇,“最喜欢你啦~”民国乱世中,狠戾肃杀的军阀长官为她俯首称臣。“从此刻起,我属于你。”小仙女瓷白脸颊染上绯色,咬着唇小声否认:“我没有害羞……”大佬接二连三翻车,一次又一次的被扑倒。什么温软乖巧的小甜甜?都是骗人的!!这明明就是个纯种狼崽子。易昭:“……”欺骗感情。伤心。但为时已晚,小狼崽已经吃摸干净了,大佬只能独自承受这份痛苦。#自己养的崽,跪着也要宠下去QAQ#
  • 培根论人生

    培根论人生

    培根一生留下了多部著作,最为读者熟知的就是这部《培根论人生》。400年来,这部哲理散文经典一直畅销全世界,早已“震撼了那些震撼世界的人们”。《培根论人生》的内容贵在其角度的不同,其中探讨的,有很多都是关于健康、完善、和谐的人生的认识及其建立的根基。其中有知识的内容,也有价值观和信念的取向。
  • 独统中宫

    独统中宫

    前世她是雇佣杀手,一朝穿越却成武国皇后,用愚昧遮挡一身傲骨,用懒散掩盖一身潇洒,本是想用一生看一场宫廷大戏,却终未逃脱政治的枷锁,她用平定江山当作筹码,只为换取一生自由翱翔,不想他不守诺言,灭了她满门。原谅我寒儿,他未曾求人,为留她,他万般恳求。南又寒持剑落地,划下一道长长的剑痕,当心空无一物,它便无边无涯,从此恩断义绝,你我天各一方。感情会有些曲折,过程有点虐心,结局一对一!!作者是个笨蛋,简介从来简短。『非小白文!』宫斗,姐妹斗,兄弟斗,父女斗,夫妻斗,字里行间诙谐搞笑,故事情节跌宕起伏。
  • 佛说最上秘密那拏天经

    佛说最上秘密那拏天经

    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。
  • 曲波的心事

    曲波的心事

    早餐老婆特意煮了鸡蛋,曲波平时不咋喜欢吃鸡蛋,尤其是煮鸡蛋,可是看老婆一本正经地把鸡蛋端上来,觉得过生日也该应应景,就拿起来一个。老婆让他把鸡蛋放在餐桌上,用手按着往前滚动,说是滚滚运气。曲波觉得自己这一阵子确实不大顺利,要是真能转转运气也不错,就照着做了。