the little white bird-第36节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！







XXIII



Pilkington's



On　attaining　the　age　of　eight；　or　thereabout；　children　fly　away

from　the　Gardens；　and　never　come　back。　　When　next　you　meet　them

they　are　ladies　and　gentlemen　holding　up　their　umbrellas　to　hail

a　hansom。



Where　the　girls　go　to　I　know　not；　to　some　private　place；　I

suppose；　to　put　up　their　hair；　but　the　boys　have　gone　to

Pilkington's。　　He　is　a　man　with　a　cane。　　You　may　not　go　to

Pilkington's　in　knickerbockers　made　by　your　mother；　make　she　ever

so　artfully。　　They　must　be　real　knickerbockers。　　It　is　his　stern

rule。　　Hence　the　fearful　fascination　of　Pilkington's。



He　may　be　conceived　as　one　who；　baiting　his　hook　with　real

knickerbockers；　fishes　all　day　in　the　Gardens；　which　are　to　him

but　a　pool　swarming　with　small　fry。



Abhorred　shade！　　I　know　not　what　manner　of　man　thou　art　in　the

flesh；　sir；　but　figure　thee　bearded　and　blackavised；　and　of　a

lean　tortuous　habit　of　body；　that　moves　ever　with　a　swish。　　Every

morning；　I　swear；　thou　readest　avidly　the　list　of　male　births　in

thy　paper；　and　then　are　thy　hands　rubbed　gloatingly　the　one　upon

the　other。　　'Tis　fear　of　thee　and　thy　gown　and　thy　cane；　which

are　part　of　thee；　that　makes　the　fairies　to　hide　by　day；　wert

thou　to　linger　but　once　among　their　haunts　between　the　hours　of

Lock…out　and　Open　Gates　there　would　be　left　not　one　single　gentle

place　in　all　the　Gardens。　　The　little　people　would　flit。　　How

much　wiser　they　than　the　small　boys　who　swim　glamoured　to　thy

crafty　hook。　Thou　devastator　of　the　Gardens；　I　know　thee；

Pilkington。



I　first　heard　of　Pilkington　from　David；　who　had　it　from　Oliver

Bailey。



This　Oliver　Bailey　was　one　of　the　most　dashing　figures　in　the

Gardens；　and　without　apparent　effort　was　daily　drawing　nearer　the

completion　of　his　seventh　year　at　a　time　when　David　seemed　unable

to　get　beyond　half…past　five。　　I　have　to　speak　of　him　in　the　past

tense；　for　gone　is　Oliver　from　the　Gardens　（gone　to　Pilkington's）

but　he　is　still　a　name　among　us；　and　some　lordly　deeds　are

remembered　of　him；　as　that　his　father　shaved　twice　a　day。　　Oliver

himself　was　all　on　that　scale。



His　not　ignoble　ambition　seems　always　to　have　been　to　be　wrecked

upon　an　island；　indeed　I　am　told　that　he　mentioned　it

insinuatingly　in　his　prayers；　and　it　was　perhaps　inevitable　that

a　boy　with　such　an　outlook　should　fascinate　David。　　I　am　proud；

therefore；　to　be　able　to　state　on　wood　that　it　was　Oliver　himself

who　made　the　overture。



On　first　hearing；　from　some　satellite　of　Oliver's；　of　Wrecked

Islands；　as　they　are　called　in　the　Gardens；　David　said　wistfully

that　he　supposed　you　needed　to　be　very　very　good　before　you　had

any　chance　of　being　wrecked；　and　the　remark　was　conveyed　to

Oliver；　on　whom　it　made　an　uncomfortable　impression。　　For　a　time

he　tried　to　evade　it；　but　ultimately　David　was　presented　to　him

and　invited　gloomily　to　say　it　again。　　The　upshot　was　that　Oliver

advertised　the　Gardens　of　his　intention　to　be　good　until　he　was

eight；　and　if　he　had　not　been　wrecked　by　that　time；　to　be　as

jolly　bad　as　a　boy　could　be。　　He　was　naturally　so　bad　that　at　the

Kindergarten　Academy；　when　the　mistress　ordered　whoever　had　done

the　last　naughty　deed　to　step　forward；　Oliver's　custom　had　been

to　step　forward；　not　necessarily　because　he　had　done　it；　but

because　he　presumed　he　very　likely　had。



The　friendship　of　the　two　dated　from　this　time；　and　at　first　I

thought　Oliver　discovered　generosity　in　hasting　to　David　as　to　an

equal；　he　also　walked　hand　in　hand　with　him；　and　even　reproved

him　for　delinquencies　like　a　loving　elder　brother。　　But　'tis　a

gray　world　even　in　the　Gardens；　for　I　found　that　a　new

arrangement　had　been　made　which　reduced　Oliver　to　life…size。　　He

had　wearied　of　well…doing；　and　passed　it　on；　so　to　speak；　to　his

friend。　　In　other　words；　on　David　now　devolved　the　task　of　being

good　until　he　was　eight；　while　Oliver　clung　to　him　so　closely

that　the　one　could　not　be　wrecked　without　the　other。



When　this　was　made　known　to　me　it　was　already　too　late　to　break

the　spell　of　Oliver；　David　was　top…heavy　with　pride　in　him；　and；

faith；　I　began　to　find　myself　very　much　in　the　cold；　for　Oliver

was　frankly　bored　by　me　and　even　David　seemed　to　think　it　would

be　convenient　if　I　went　and　sat　with　Irene。　　Am　I　affecting　to

laugh？　I　was　really　distressed　and　lonely；　and　rather　bitter；　and

how　humble　I　became。　　Sometimes　when　the　dog　Joey　is　unable；　by

frisking；　to　induce　Porthos　to　play　with　him；　he　stands　on　his

hind　legs　and　begs　it　of　him；　and　I　do　believe　I　was　sometimes　as

humble　as　Joey。　　Then　David　would　insist　on　my　being　suffered　to

join　them；　but　it　was　plain　that　he　had　no　real　occasion　for　me。



It　was　an　unheroic　trouble；　and　I　despised　myself。　　For　years　I

had　been　fighting　Mary　for　David；　and　had　not　wholly　failed

though　she　was　advantaged　by　the　accident　of　relationship；　was　I

now　to　be　knocked　out　so　easily　by　a　seven　year　old？　　I

reconsidered　my　weapons；　and　I　fought　Oliver　and　beat　him。　

Figure　to　yourself　those　two　boys　become　as　faithful　to　me　as　my

coat…tails。



With　wrecked　islands　I　did　it。　　I　began　in　the　most　unpretentious

way　by　telling　them　a　story　which　might　last　an　hour；　and

favoured　by　many　an　unexpected　wind　it　lasted　eighteen　months。　

It　started　as　the　wreck　of　the　simple　Swiss　family　who　looked　up

and　saw　the　butter　tree；　but　soon　a　glorious　inspiration　of　the

night　turned　it　into　the　wreck　of　David　A　and　Oliver　Bailey。　

At　first　it　was　what　they　were　to　do　when　they　were　wrecked；　but

imperceptibly　it　became　what　they　had　done。　　I　spent　much　of　my

time　staring　reflectively　at　the　titles　of　the　boys'　stories　in

the　booksellers'　windows；　whistling　for　a　breeze；　so　to　say；　for

I　found　that　the　titles　were　even　more　helpful　than　the　stories。　

We　wrecked　everybody　of　note；　including　all　Homer's　most　taking

characters　and　the　hero　of　Paradise　Lost。　　But　we　suffered　them

not　to　land。　　We　stripped　them　of　what　we　wanted　and　left　them　to

wander　the　high　seas　naked　of　adventure。　　And　all　this　was　merely

the　beginning。



By　this　time　I　had　been　cast　upon　the　island。　　It　was　not　my　own

proposal；　but　David　knew　my　wishes；　and　he　made　it　all　right　for

me　with　Oliver。　　They　found　me　among　the　breakers　with　a　large

dog；　which　had　kept　me　afloat　throughout　that　terrible　night。　　I

was　the　sole　survivor　of　the　ill…fated　Anna　Pink。　　So　exhausted

was　I　that　they　had　to　carry　me　to　their　hut；　and　great　was　my

gratitude　when　on　opening　my　eyes；　I　found　myself　in　that

romantic　edifice　instead　of　in　Davy　Jones's　locker。　　As　we　walked

in　the　Gardens　I　told　them　of　the　hut　they　had　built；　and　they

were　inflated　but　not　surprised。　　On　the　other　hand　they　looked

for　surprise　from　me。



〃Did　we　tell　you　about　the　turtle　we　turned　on　its　back？〃　asked

Oliver；　reverting　to　deeds　of　theirs　of　which　I　had　previously

told　them。



〃You　did。〃



〃Who　turned　it？〃　demanded　David；　not　as　one　who　needed

information　but　after　the　manner　of　a　schoolmaster。



〃It　was　turned；〃　I　said；　〃by　David　A；　the　younger　of　the　two

youths。〃



〃Who　made　the　monkeys　fling　cocoa…nuts　at　him？〃　asked　the　older

of　the　two　youths。



〃Oliver　Bailey；〃　I　replied。



〃Was　it　Oliver；〃　asked　David　sharply；　〃that　found　the　cocoa…nut…

tree　first？〃



〃On　the　contrary；〃　I　answered；　〃it　was　first　observed　by　David；

who　immediately　climbed　it；　remarking；　'This　is　certainly　the

cocos…nucifera；　for；　see；　dear　Oliver；　the　slender　columns

supporting　the　crown　of　leaves　which　fall　with　a　grace　that　no

art　can　imitate。'〃



〃That's　what　I　said；〃　remarked　David　with　a　wave　of　his　hand。



〃I　said　things　like　that；　too；〃　Oliver　insisted。



〃No；　you　didn't　then；〃　said　David。



〃Yes；　I　did　so。〃



〃No；　you　didn't　so。〃



〃Shut　up。〃



〃Well；　then；　let's　hear　one　you　said。〃



Oliver　looked　appealingly　at　me。　　〃The　following；〃　I　announced；

〃is　one　that　Oliver　said：　'Truly　dear　comrade；　though　the　perils

of　these　happenings　are　great；　and　our　privations　calculated　to

break　the　stoutest　heart；　yet　to　be　rewarded　by　such　fair　sights

I　would　endure　still　greater　trials　and　still　rejoice　even　as　the

bird　on　yonder　bough。'〃



〃That's　one　I　said！〃　crowed　Oliver。



〃I　shot　the　bird；〃　said　David　instantly。



〃What　bird？〃



〃The　yonder　bird。〃



〃No；　you　didn't。〃



〃Did　I　not　shoot　the　bird？〃



〃It　was　David　who　shot　the　bird；〃　I　said；　〃but　it　was　Oliver　who

saw　by　its　multi…coloured　plumage　that　it　was　one　of　the

Psittacidae；　an　excellent　substitute　for　partridge。〃



〃You　didn't　see　that；〃　said　Oliver；　rather　swollen。



〃Yes；　I　did。〃



〃What　did　you　see？〃



〃I　saw　that。〃



〃What？〃



〃You　shut　up。〃



〃David　shot　it；〃　I　summed　up；　〃and　Oliver　knew　its　name；　but　I

ate　it。　　Do　you　remember　how　hungry　I　was？〃



〃Rather！〃　said　David。



〃I　cooked　it；〃　said　Oliver。



〃It　was　served　up　on　toast；〃　I　reminded