the water-babies-第3节

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〃Then　don't　ask　me　any　questions　till　thou　hast；　for　I　am　a　man　of　honour。〃

And　at　that　they　both　laughed　again；　and　thought　it　a　very　good　joke。

And　by　this　time　they　were　come　up　to　the　great　iron　gates　in　front　of　the　house；　and　Tom　stared　through　them　at　the　rhododendrons　and　azaleas；　which　were　all　in　flower；　and　then　at　the　house　itself；　and　wondered　how　many　chimneys　there　were　in　it；　and　how　long　ago　it　was　built；　and　what　was　the　man's　name　that　built　it；　and　whether　he　got　much　money　for　his　job？

These　last　were　very　difficult　questions　to　answer。　　For　Harthover　had　been　built　at　ninety　different　times；　and　in　nineteen　different　styles；　and　looked　as　if　somebody　had　built　a　whole　street　of　houses　of　every　imaginable　shape；　and　then　stirred　them　together　with　a　spoon。


For　the　attics　were　Anglo…Saxon。　The　third　door　Norman。　The　second　Cinque…cento。　The　first…floor　Elizabethan。　The　right　wing　Pure　Doric。　The　centre　Early　English；　with　a　huge　portico　copied　from　the　Parthenon。　The　left　wing　pure　Boeotian；　which　the　country　folk　admired　most　of　all；　became　it　was　just　like　the　new　barracks　in　the　town；　only　three　times　as　big。　The　grand　staircase　was　copied　from　the　Catacombs　at　Rome。　The　back　staircase　from　the　Tajmahal　at　Agra。　　This　was　built　by　Sir　John's　great…great…great…uncle；　who　won；　in　Lord　Clive's　Indian　Wars；　plenty　of　money；　plenty　of　wounds；　and　no　more　taste　than　his　betters。　The　cellars　were　copied　from　the　caves　of　Elephanta。　The　offices　from　the　Pavilion　at　Brighton。


And　the　rest　from　nothing　in　heaven；　or　earth；　or　under　the　earth。

So　that　Harthover　House　was　a　great　puzzle　to　antiquarians；　and　a　thorough　Naboth's　vineyard　to　critics；　and　architects；　and　all　persons　who　like　meddling　with　other　men's　business；　and　spending　other　men's　money。　　So　they　were　all　setting　upon　poor　Sir　John；　year　after　year；　and　trying　to　talk　him　into　spending　a　hundred　thousand　pounds　or　so；　in　building；　to　please　them　and　not　himself。　But　he　always　put　them　off；　like　a　canny　North…countryman　as　he　was。　　One　wanted　him　to　build　a　Gothic　house；　but　he　said　he　was　no　Goth；　and　another　to　build　an　Elizabethan；　but　he　said　he　lived　under　good　Queen　Victoria；　and　not　good　Queen　Bess；　and　another　was　bold　enough　to　tell　him　that　his　house　was　ugly；　but　he　said　he　lived　inside　it；　and　not　outside；　and　another；　that　there　was　no　unity　in　it；　but　he　said　that　that　was　just　why　he　liked　the　old　place。　　For　he　liked　to　see　how　each　Sir　John；　and　Sir　Hugh；　and　Sir　Ralph；　and　Sir　Randal；　had　left　his　mark　upon　the　place；　each　after　his　own　taste；　and　he　had　no　more　notion　of　disturbing　his　ancestors'　work　than　of　disturbing　their　graves。　　For　now　the　house　looked　like　a　real　live　house；　that　had　a　history；　and　had　grown　and　grown　as　the　world　grew；　and　that　it　was　only　an　upstart　fellow　who　did　not　know　who　his　own　grandfather　was；　who　would　change　it　for　some　spick　and　span　new　Gothic　or　Elizabethan　thing；　which　looked　as　if　it　bad　been　all　spawned　in　a　night；　as　mushrooms　are。　From　which　you　may　collect　（if　you　have　wit　enough）　that　Sir　John　was　a　very　sound…headed；　sound…hearted　squire；　and　just　the　man　to　keep　the　country　side　in　order；　and　show　good　sport　with　his　hounds。

But　Tom　and　his　master　did　not　go　in　through　the　great　iron　gates；　as　if　they　had　been　Dukes　or　Bishops；　but　round　the　back　way；　and　a　very　long　way　round　it　was；　and　into　a　little　back…door；　where　the　ash…boy　let　them　in；　yawning　horribly；　and　then　in　a　passage　the　housekeeper　met　them；　in　such　a　flowered　chintz　dressing…gown；　that　Tom　mistook　her　for　My　Lady　herself；　and　she　gave　Grimes　solemn　orders　about　〃You　will　take　care　of　this；　and　take　care　of　that；〃　as　if　he　was　going　up　the　chimneys；　and　not　Tom。　　And　Grimes　listened；　and　said　every　now　and　then；　under　his　voice；　〃You'll　mind　that；　you　little　beggar？〃　and　Tom　did　mind；　all　at　least　that　he　could。　　And　then　the　housekeeper　turned　them　into　a　grand　room；　all　covered　up　in　sheets　of　brown　paper；　and　bade　them　begin；　in　a　lofty　and　tremendous　voice；　and　so　after　a　whimper　or　two；　and　a　kick　from　his　master；　into　the　grate　Tom　went；　and　up　the　chimney；　while　a　housemaid　stayed　in　the　room　to　watch　the　furniture；　to　whom　Mr。　Grimes　paid　many　playful　and　chivalrous　compliments；　but　met　with　very　slight　encouragement　in　return。

How　many　chimneys　Tom　swept　I　cannot　say；　but　he　swept　so　many　that　he　got　quite　tired；　and　puzzled　too；　for　they　were　not　like　the　town　flues　to　which　he　was　accustomed；　but　such　as　you　would　find　…　if　you　would　only　get　up　them　and　look；　which　perhaps　you　would　not　like　to　do　…　in　old　country…houses；　large　and　crooked　chimneys；　which　had　been　altered　again　and　again；　till　they　ran　one　into　another；　anastomosing　（as　Professor　Owen　would　say）　considerably。　So　Tom　fairly　lost　his　way　in　them；　not　that　he　cared　much　for　that；　though　he　was　in　pitchy　darkness；　for　he　was　as　much　at　home　in　a　chimney　as　a　mole　is　underground；　but　at　last；　coming　down　as　he　thought　the　right　chimney；　he　came　down　the　wrong　one；　and　found　himself　standing　on　the　hearthrug　in　a　room　the　like　of　which　he　had　never　seen　before。

Tom　had　never　seen　the　like。　　He　had　never　been　in　gentlefolks'　rooms　but　when　the　carpets　were　all　up；　and　the　curtains　down；　and　the　furniture　huddled　together　under　a　cloth；　and　the　pictures　covered　with　aprons　and　dusters；　and　he　had　often　enough　wondered　what　the　rooms　were　like　when　they　were　all　ready　for　the　quality　to　sit　in。　　And　now　he　saw；　and　he　thought　the　sight　very　pretty。

The　room　was　all　dressed　in　white；　…　white　window…curtains；　white　bed…curtains；　white　furniture；　and　white　walls；　with　just　a　few　lines　of　pink　here　and　there。　　The　carpet　was　all　over　gay　little　flowers；　and　the　walls　were　hung　with　pictures　in　gilt　frames；　which　amused　Tom　very　much。　　There　were　pictures　of　ladies　and　gentlemen；　and　pictures　of　horses　and　dogs。　　The　horses　he　liked；　but　the　dogs　he　did　not　care　for　much；　for　there　were　no　bull…dogs　among　them；　not　even　a　terrier。　　But　the　two　pictures　which　took　his　fancy　most　were；　one　a　man　in　long　garments；　with　little　children　and　their　mothers　round　him；　who　was　laying　his　hand　upon　the　children's　heads。　　That　was　a　very　pretty　picture；　Tom　thought；　to　hang　in　a　lady's　room。　　For　he　could　see　that　it　was　a　lady's　room　by　the　dresses　which　lay　about。

The　other　picture　was　that　of　a　man　nailed　to　a　cross；　which　surprised　Tom　much。　　He　fancied　that　he　had　seen　something　like　it　in　a　shop…window。　　But　why　was　it　there？　　〃Poor　man；〃　thought　Tom；　〃and　he　looks　so　kind　and　quiet。　　But　why　should　the　lady　have　such　a　sad　picture　as　that　in　her　room？　　Perhaps　it　was　some　kinsman　of　hers；　who　had　been　murdered　by　the　savages　in　foreign　parts；　and　she　kept　it　there　for　a　remembrance。〃　　And　Tom　felt　sad；　and　awed；　and　turned　to　look　at　something　else。

The　next　thing　he　saw；　and　that　too　puzzled　him；　was　a　washing…　stand；　with　ewers　and　basins；　and　soap　and　brushes；　and　towels；　and　a　large　bath　full　of　clean　water　…　what　a　heap　of　things　all　for　washing！　　〃She　must　be　a　very　dirty　lady；〃　thought　Tom；　〃by　my　master's　rule；　to　want　as　much　scrubbing　as　all　that。　　But　she　must　be　very　cunning　to　put　the　dirt　out　of　the　way　so　well　afterwards；　for　I　don't　see　a　speck　about　the　room；　not　even　on　the　very　towels。〃

And　then；　looking　toward　the　bed；　he　saw　that　dirty　lady；　and　held　his　breath　with　astonishment。

Under　the　snow…white　coverlet；　upon　the　snow…white　pillow；　lay　the　most　beautiful　little　girl　that　Tom　had　ever　seen。　　Her　cheeks　were　almost　as　white　as　the　pillow；　and　her　hair　was　like　threads　of　gold　spread　all　about　over　the　bed。　　She　might　have　been　as　old　as　Tom；　or　maybe　a　year　or　two　older；　but　Tom　did　not　think　of　that。　He　thought　only　of　her　delicate　skin　and　golden　hair；　and　wondered　whether　she　was　a　real　live　person；　or　one　of　the　wax　dolls　he　had　seen　in　the　shops。　　But　when　he　saw　her　breathe；　he　made　up　his　mind　that　she　was　alive；　and　stood　staring　at　her；　as　if　she　had　been　an　angel　out　of　heaven。

No。　　She　cannot　be　dirty。　　She　never　could　have　been　dirty；　thought　Tom　to　himself。　　And　then　he　thought；　〃And　are　all　people　like　that　when　they　are　washed？〃　　And　he　looked　at　his　own　wrist；　and　tried　to　rub　the　soot　off；　and　wondered　whether　it　ever　would　come　off。　〃Certainly　I　should　look　much　prettier　then；　if　I　grew　at　all　like　her。〃

And　looking　round；　he　suddenly　saw；　standing　close　to　him；　a　little　ugly；　black；　ragged　figure；　with　bleared　eyes　and　grinning　white　teeth。　　He　turned　on　it　angrily。　　What　did　such　a　little　black　ape　want　in　that　sweet　young　lady's　room？　　And　behold；　it　was　himself；　reflected　in　a　great　mirror；　the　like　of　which　Tom　had　never　seen　before。

And　Tom；　for　the　first　time　in　his　life；　found　out　that　he　was　dirty；　and　burst　into　tears　with　shame　and　anger；　and　turned　to　sneak　up　the　chimney　again　and　hide；　and　upset　the　fender　and　threw　the　fire…irons　down；　with　a　noise　as　of　ten　thousand　tin　kettles　tied　to　ten　thousand　mad　dogs'　tails。

Up　jumped　the　little　white　lady　in　her　bed；　and；　seeing　Tom；　screamed　as　shrill　as　any　peacock。　　In　rushed　a　stout　old　nurse　from　the　next　room；　and　seeing　Tom　likewise；　made　up　her　mind　that　he　had　come　to　rob；　plunder；　destroy；　and　burn；