just david(公正的大卫)-第29节
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thinking to bringthat。〃 Then； with a quick change of manner； she cried：
〃Come； come； suppose we don't worry any more about MY hours。 Let's
think of yours。 Tell me； what have you been doing since I saw you last？
Perhaps you have been again toto see Mr。 Jack； for instance。〃
〃I have； but I saw Jill mostly； till the last。〃 David hesitated； then he
blurted it out： 〃Lady of the Roses； do you know about the gate and the
footbridge？〃
Miss Holbrook looked up quickly。
〃Knowwhat； David？〃
〃Know about themthat they're there？〃
〃Whyyes； of course； at least； I suppose you mean the footbridge that
crosses the little stream at the foot of the hill over there。〃
〃That's the one。〃 Again David hesitated； and again he blurted out the
burden of his thoughts。 〃Lady of the Roses； did you evercross that
bridge？〃
Miss Holbrook stirred uneasily。
〃Notrecently。〃
〃But you don't MIND folks crossing it？〃
〃Certainly notif they wish to。〃
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〃There！ I knew 't wasn't your blame； 〃 triumphed David。
〃MY blame！〃
〃Yes； that Mr。 Jack wouldn't let Jill come across； you know。 He called
her back when she'd got halfway over once。〃 Miss Holbrook's face
changed color。
〃But I do object；〃 she cried sharply； 〃to their crossing it when they
DON'T want to！ Don't forget that； please。〃
〃But Jill did want to。〃
〃How about her brotherdid he want her to？〃
〃Nno。〃
〃Very well； then。 I didn't； either。〃
David frowned。 Never had he seen his beloved Lady of the Roses look
like this before。 He was reminded of what Jill had said about Jack： 〃His
face was all stern and white； and his lips snapped tight shut after every
word。〃 So； too； looked Miss Holbrook's face； so； too； had her lips snapped
tight shut after her last words。 David could not understand it。 He said
nothing more； however； but； as was usually the case when he was
perplexed； he picked up his violin and began to play。 And as he played；
there gradually came to Miss Holbrook's eyes a softer light； and to her lips
lines less tightly drawn。 Neither the footbridge nor Mr。 Jack； however； was
mentioned again that afternoon。
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CHAPTER XVII
〃THE PRINCESS AND THE
PAUPER〃
It was in the early twilight that Mr。 Jack told the story。 He； Jill； and
David were on the veranda； as usual watching the towers of Sunnycrest
turn from gold to silver as the sun dropped behind the hills。 It was Jill who
had asked for the story。
〃About fairies and princesses； you know；〃 she had ordered。
〃But how will David like that？〃 Mr。 Jack had demurred。 〃Maybe he
doesn't care for fairies and princesses。〃
〃I read one once about a prince't was 'The Prince and the Pauper；' and
I liked that；〃 averred David stoutly。
Mr。 Jack smiled； then his brows drew together in a frown。 His eyes
were moodily fixed on the towers。
〃Hm…m； well；〃 he said； 〃I might； I suppose； tell you a story about a
PRINCESS anda Pauper。 Iknow one well enough。〃
〃Good！then tell it；〃 cried both Jill and David。 And Mr。 Jack began his
story。
〃She was not always a Princess； and he was not always a Pauper；and
that's where the story came in； I suppose；〃 sighed the man。 〃She was just a
girl； once； and he was a boy； and they played together andliked each
other。 He lived in a little house on a hill。〃
〃Like this？〃 demanded Jill。
〃Eh？ Oheryes； SOMETHING like this；〃 returned Mr。 Jack； with an
odd half…smile。 〃And she lived in another bit of a house in a town far away
from the boy。〃
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〃Then how could they play together？〃 questioned David。
〃They couldn't； ALWAYS。 It was only summers when she came to
visit in the boy's town。 She was very near him then； for the old aunt whom
she visited lived in a big stone house with towers； on another hill； in plain
sight from the boy's home。〃
〃Towers like thosewhere the Lady of the Roses lives？〃 asked David。
〃Eh？ What？ Oheryes；〃 murmured Mr。 Jack。 〃We'll say the towers
were something like those over there。〃 He paused； then went on musingly：
〃The girl used to signal； sometimes； from one of the tower windows。 One
wave of the handkerchief meant； 'I'm coming； over'； two waves； with a
little pause between； meant； 'You are to come over here。' So the boy used
to wait always； after that first wave to see if another followed； so that he
might know whether he were to be host or guest that day。 The waves
always came at eight o'clock in the morning； and very eagerly the boy
used to watch for them all through the summer when the girl was there。〃
〃Did they always come； every morning？〃 Asked Jill。
〃No； sometimes the girl had other things to do。 Her aunt would want
her to go somewhere with her； or other cousins were expected whom the
girl must entertain； and she knew the boy did not like other guests to be
there when he was； so she never asked him to come over at such times。 On
such occasions she did sometimes run up to the tower at eight o'clock and
wave three times； and that meant； 'Dead Day。' So the boy； after all； never
drew a real breath of relief until he made sure that no dreaded third wave
was to follow the one or the two。〃
〃Seems to me；〃 observed David； 〃that all this was sort of one…sided。
Didn't the boy say anything？〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 smiled Mr。 Jack。 〃But the boy did not have any tower to
wave from； you must remember。 He had only the little piazza on his tiny
bit of a house。 But he rigged up a pole； and he asked his mother to make
him two little flags； a red and a blue one。 The red meant 'All right'； and the
blue meant 'Got to work'； and these he used to run up on his pole in
answer to her waving 'I'm coming over；' or 'You are to come over here。' So；
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you see； occasionally it was the boy who had to bring the 'Dead Day；' as
there were times when he had to work。 And； by the way； perhaps you
would be interested to know that after a while he thought up a third flag to
answer her three waves。 He found an old black silk handkerchief of his
father's； and he made that into a flag。 He told the girl it meant 'I'm
heartbroken；' and he said it was a sign of the deepest mourning。 The girl
laughed and tipped her head saucily to one side； and said； 'Pooh！ as if you
really cared！' But the boy stoutly maintained his position； and it was that；
perhaps； which made her play the little joke one day。
〃The boy was fourteen that summer； and the girl thirteen。 They had
begun their signals years before； but they had not had the black one so
long。 On this day that I tell you of； the girl waved three waves； which
meant； 'Dead Day；' you remember； and watched until the boy had hoisted
his black flag which said； 'I'm heart…broken；' in response。 Then； as fast as
her mischievous little feet could carry her； she raced down one hill and
across to the other。 Very stealthily she advanced till she found the boy bent
over a puzzle on the back stoop； andand he was whistling merrily。
〃How she teased him then！ How she taunted him with 'Heart…broken；
indeedand whistling like that！' In vain he blushed and stammered； and
protested that his whistling was only to keep up his spirits。 The girl only
laughed and tossed her yellow curls； then she hunted till she found some
little jingling bells； and these she tied to the black badge of mourning and
pulled it high up on the flagpole。 The next instant she was off with a run
and a skip； and a saucy wave of her hand； and the boy was left all alone
with an hour's work ahead of him to untie the knots from his desecrated
badge of mourning。
〃And yet they were wonderfully good friendsthis boy and girl。 From
