the little white bird-第35节

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garments　he　wore　before　he　became　a　clown。　　You　can't　think　how

absurd　he　looked　in　them。　　But　David　didn't　laugh。



Suddenly　Joey　was　standing　beside　us；　it　could　not　have　been　more

sudden　though　he　had　come　from　beneath　the　table；　and　he　was

wearing　his　pantomime　clothes　（which　he　told　us　afterward　were

the　only　clothes　he　had）　and　his　red　and　white　face　was　so　funny

that　David　made　gurgling　sounds；　which　were　his　laugh　trying　to

force　a　passage。



I　introduced　David；　who　offered　his　hand　stiffly；　but　Joey；

instead　of　taking　it；　put　out　his　tongue　and　waggled　it；　and　this

was　so　droll　that　David　had　again　to　save　himself　by　clapping　his

hand　over　his　mouth。　　Joey　thought　he　had　toothache；　so　I

explained　what　it　really　meant；　and　then　Joey　said；　〃Oh；　I　shall

soon　make　him　laugh；〃　whereupon　the　following　conversation　took

place　between　them：



〃No；　you　sha'n't；〃　said　David　doggedly。



〃Yes；　I　shall。〃



〃No；　you　sha'n't　not。〃



〃Yes；　I　shall　so。〃



〃Sha'n't；　sha'n't；　sha'n't。〃



〃Shall；　shall；　shall。〃



〃You　shut　up。〃



〃You're　another。〃



By　this　time　Joey　was　in　a　frightful　way　（because　he　saw　he　was

getting　the　worst　of　it）；　and　he　boasted　that　he　had　David's

laugh　in　his　pocket；　and　David　challenged　him　to　produce　it；　and

Joey　searched　his　pockets　and　brought　out　the　most　unexpected

articles；　including　a　duck　and　a　bunch　of　carrots；　and　you　could

see　by　his　manner　that　the　simple　soul　thought　these　were　things

which　all　boys　carried　loose　in　their　pockets。



I　daresay　David　would　have　had　to　laugh　in　the　end；　had　there　not

been　a　half…gnawed　sausage　in　one　of　the　pockets；　and　the　sight

of　it　reminded　him　so　cruelly　of　the　poor　dog's　fate　that　he

howled；　and　Joey's　heart　was　touched　at　last；　and　he　also　wept；

but　he　wiped　his　eyes　with　the　duck。



It　was　at　this　touching　moment　that　the　pantaloon　hobbled　in；

also　dressed　as　we　had　seen　him　last；　and　carrying；

unfortunately；　a　trayful　of　sausages；　which　at　once　increased　the

general　gloom；　for　he　announced；　in　his　squeaky　voice；　that　they

were　the　very　sausages　that　had　lately　been　the　dog。



Then　Joey　seemed　to　have　a　great　idea；　and　his　excitement　was　so

impressive　that　we　stood　gazing　at　him。　　First；　he　counted　the

sausages；　and　said　that　they　were　two　short；　and　he　found　the

missing　two　up　the　pantaloon's　sleeve。　　Then　he　ran　out　of　the

room　and　came　back　with　the　sausage…machine；　and　what　do　you

think　he　did？　　He　put　all　the　sausages　into　the　end　of　the

machine　that　they　had　issued　from；　and　turned　the　handle

backward；　and　then　out　came　the　dog　at　the　other　end！



Can　you　picture　the　joy　of　David？



He　clasped　the　dear　little　terrier　in　his　arms；　and　then　we

noticed　that　there　was　a　sausage　adhering　to　its　tail。　　The

pantaloon　said　we　must　have　put　in　a　sausage　too　many；　but　Joey

said　the　machine　had　not　worked　quite　smoothly　and　that　he　feared

this　sausage　was　the　dog's　bark；　which　distressed　David；　for　he

saw　how　awkward　it　must　be　to　a　dog　to　have　its　bark　outside；　and

we　were　considering　what　should　be　done　when　the　dog　closed　the

discussion　by　swallowing　the　sausage。



After　that；　David　had　the　most　hilarious　hour　of　his　life；

entering　into　the　childish　pleasures　of　this　family　as　heartily

as　if　he　had　been　brought　up　on　sausages；　and　knocking　the

pantaloon　down　repeatedly。　　You　must　not　think　that　he　did　this

viciously；　he　did　it　to　please　the　old　gentleman；　who　begged　him

to　do　it；　and　always　shook　hands　warmly　and　said　〃Thank　you；〃

when　he　had　done　it。　　They　are　quite　a　simple　people。



Joey　called　David　and　me　〃Sonny；〃　and　asked　David；　who　addressed

him　as　〃Mr。　Clown；〃　to　call　him　Joey。　　He　also　told　us　that　the

pantaloon's　name　was　old　Joey；　and　the　columbine's　Josy；　and　the

harlequin's　Joeykin。



We　were　sorry　to　hear　that　old　Joey　gave　him　a　good　deal　of

trouble。　　This　was　because　his　memory　is　so　bad　that　he　often

forgets　whether　it　is　your　head　or　your　feet　you　should　stand　on；

and　he　usually　begins　the　day　by　standing　on　the　end　that　happens

to　get　out　of　bed　first。　　Thus　he　requires　constant　watching；　and

the　worst　of　it　is；　you　dare　not　draw　attention　to　his　mistake；

he　is　so　shrinkingly　sensitive　about　it。　　No　sooner　had　Joey　told

us　this　than　the　poor　old　fellow　began　to　turn　upside　down　and

stood　on　his　head；　but　we　pretended　not　to　notice；　and　talked

about　the　weather　until　he　came　to。



Josy　and　Joeykin；　all　skirts　and　spangles；　were　with　us　by　this

time；　for　they　had　been　invited　to　tea。　　They　came　in　dancing；

and　danced　off　and　on　most　of　the　time。　　Even　in　the　middle　of

what　they　were　saying　they　would　begin　to　flutter；　it　was　not　so

much　that　they　meant　to　dance　as　that　the　slightest　thing　set

them　going；　such　as　sitting　in　a　draught；　and　David　found　he

could　blow　them　about　the　room　like　pieces　of　paper。　　You　could

see　by　the　shortness　of　Josy's　dress　that　she　was　very　young

indeed；　and　at　first　this　made　him　shy；　as　he　always　is　when

introduced　formally　to　little　girls；　and　he　stood　sucking　his

thumb；　and　so　did　she；　but　soon　the　stiffness　wore　off　and　they

sat　together　on　the　sofa；　holding　each　other's　hands。



All　this　time　the　harlequin　was　rotating　like　a　beautiful　fish；

and　David　requested　him　to　jump　through　the　wall；　at　which　he　is

such　an　adept；　and　first　he　said　he　would；　and　then　he　said

better　not；　for　the　last　time　he　did　it　the　people　in　the　next

house　had　made　such　a　fuss。　　David　had　to　admit　that　it　must　be

rather　startling　to　the　people　on　the　other　side　of　the　wall；　but

he　was　sorry。



By　this　time　tea　was　ready；　and　Josy；　who　poured　out；　remembered

to　ask　if　you　took　milk　with　just　one　drop　of　tea　in　it；　exactly

as　her　mother　would　have　asked。　　There　was　nothing　to　eat；　of

course；　except　sausages；　but　what　a　number　of　them　there　were！

hundreds　at　least；　strings　of　sausages；　and　every　now　and　then

Joey　jumped　up　and　played　skipping　rope　with　them。　　David　had

been　taught　not　to　look　greedy；　even　though　he　felt　greedy；　and

he　was　shocked　to　see　the　way　in　which　Joey　and　old　Joey　and　even

Josy　eyed　the　sausages　they　had　given　him。　　Soon　Josy　developed

nobler　feelings；　for　she　and　Joeykin　suddenly　fell　madly　in　love

with　each　other　across　the　table；　but　unaffected　by　this　pretty

picture；　Joey　continued　to　put　whole　sausages　in　his　mouth　at　a

time；　and　then　rubbed　himself　a　little　lower　down；　while　old　Joey

secreted　them　about　his　person；　and　when　David　wasn't　looking

they　both　pounced　on　his　sausages；　and　yet　as　they　gobbled　they

were　constantly　running　to　the　top　of　the　stair　and　screaming　to

the　servant　to　bring　up　more　sausages。



You　could　see　that　Joey　（if　you　caught　him　with　his　hand　in　your

plate）　was　a　bit　ashamed　of　himself；　and　he　admitted　to　us　that

sausages　were　a　passion　with　him。



He　said　he　had　never　once　in　his　life　had　a　sufficient　number　of

sausages。　　They　had　maddened　him　since　he　was　the　smallest　boy。

He　told　us　how；　even　in　those　days；　his　mother　had　feared　for

him；　though　fond　of　a　sausage　herself；　how　he　had　bought　a

sausage　with　his　first　penny；　and　hoped　to　buy　one　with　his　last

（if　they　could　not　be　got　in　any　other　way）；　and　that　he　always

slept　with　a　string　of　them　beneath　his　pillow。



While　he　was　giving　us　these　confidences；　unfortunately；　his　eyes

came　to　rest；　at　first　accidentally；　then　wistfully；　then　with　a

horrid　gleam　in　them；　on　the　little　dog；　which　was　fooling　about

on　the　top　of　the　sausage…machine；　and　his　hands　went　out　toward

it　convulsively；　whereat　David；　in　sudden　fear；　seized　the　dog　in

one　arm　and　gallantly　clenched　his　other　fist；　and　then　Joey

begged　his　pardon　and　burst　into　tears；　each　one　of　which　he

flung　against　the　wall；　where　it　exploded　with　a　bang。



David　refused　to　pardon　him　unless　he　promised　on　wood　never　to

look　in　that　way　at　the　dog　again；　but　Joey　said　promises　were

nothing　to　him　when　he　was　short　of　sausages；　and　so　his　wisest

course　would　be　to　present　the　dog　to　David。　　Oh；　the　joy　of

David　when　he　understood　that　the　little　dog　he　had　saved　was　his

very　own！　　I　can　tell　you　he　was　now　in　a　hurry　to　be　off　before

Joey　had　time　to　change　his　mind。



〃All　I　ask　of　you；〃　Joey　said　with　a　break　in　his　voice；　〃is　to

call　him　after　me；　and　always　to　give　him　a　sausage；　sonny；　of　a

Saturday　night。〃



There　was　a　quiet　dignity　about　Joey　at　the　end；　which　showed

that　he　might　have　risen　to　high　distinction　but　for　his　fatal

passion。



The　last　we　saw　of　him　was　from　the　street。　　He　was　waving　his

tongue　at　us　in　his　attractive；　foolish　way；　and　Josy　was　poised

on　Joeykin's　hand　like　a　butterfly　that　had　alighted　on　a　flower。

We　could　not　exactly　see　old　Joey；　but　we　saw　his　feet；　and　so

feared　the　worst。　　Of　course　they　are　not　everything　they　should

be；　but　one　can't　help　liking　them。





XXIII



Pilkington's



On　attaining　the　age　of　eight；　or　thereabout；　chi