the little white bird-第37节

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〃Rather！〃　said　David。



〃I　cooked　it；〃　said　Oliver。



〃It　was　served　up　on　toast；〃　I　reminded　them。



〃I　toasted　it；〃　said　David。



〃Toast　from　the　bread…fruit…tree；〃　I　said；　〃which　（as　you　both

remarked　simultaneously）　bears　two　and　sometimes　three　crops　in　a

year；　and　also　affords　a　serviceable　gum　for　the　pitching　of

canoes。〃



〃I　pitched　mine　best；〃　said　Oliver。



〃I　pitched　mine　farthest；〃　said　David。



〃And　when　I　had　finished　my　repast；〃　said　I；　〃you　amazed　me　by

handing　me　a　cigar　from　the　tobacco…plant。〃



〃I　handed　it；〃　said　Oliver。



〃I　snicked　off　the　end；〃　said　David。



〃And　then；〃　said　I；　〃you　gave　me　a　light。〃



〃Which　of　us？〃　they　cried　together。



〃Both　of　you；〃　I　said。　　〃Never　shall　I　forget　my　amazement　when　I

saw　you　get　that　light　by　rubbing　two　sticks　together。〃



At　this　they　waggled　their　heads。　　〃You　couldn't　have　done　it！〃

said　David。



〃No；　David；〃　I　admitted；　〃I　can't　do　it；　but　of　course　I　know

that　all　wrecked　boys　do　it　quite　easily。　　Show　me　how　you　did

it。〃



But　after　consulting　apart　they　agreed　not　to　show　me。　　I　was　not

shown　everything。



David　was　now　firmly　convinced　that　he　had　once　been　wrecked　on

an　island；　while　Oliver　passed　his　days　in　dubiety。　　They　used　to

argue　it　out　together　and　among　their　friends。　　As　I　unfolded　the

story　Oliver　listened　with　an　open　knife　in　his　hand；　and　David

who　was　not　allowed　to　have　a　knife　wore　a　pirate…string　round

his　waist。　　Irene　in　her　usual　interfering　way　objected　to　this

bauble　and　dropped　disparaging　remarks　about　wrecked　islands

which　were　little　to　her　credit。　　I　was　for　defying　her；　but

David；　who　had　the　knack　of　women；　knew　a　better　way；　he　craftily

proposed　that　we　〃should　let　Irene　in；〃　in　short；　should　wreck

her；　and　though　I　objected；　she　proved　a　great　success　and

recognised　the　yucca　filamentosa　by　its　long　narrow　leaves　the

very　day　she　joined　us。　Thereafter　we　had　no　more　scoffing　from

Irene；　who　listened　to　the　story　as　hotly　as　anybody。



This　encouraged　us　in　time　to　let　in　David's　father　and　mother；

though　they　never　knew　it　unless　he　told　them；　as　I　have　no　doubt

he　did。　　They　were　admitted　primarily　to　gratify　David；　who　was

very　soft…hearted　and　knew　that　while　he　was　on　the　island　they

must　be　missing　him　very　much　at　home。　　So　we　let　them　in；　and

there　was　no　part　of　the　story　he　liked　better　than　that　which

told　of　the　joyous　meeting。　　We　were　in　need　of　another　woman　at

any　rate；　someone　more　romantic　looking　than　Irene；　and　Mary；　I

can　assure　her　now；　had　a　busy　time　of　it。　　She　was　constantly

being　carried　off　by　cannibals；　and　David　became　quite　an　adept

at　plucking　her　from　the　very　pot　itself　and　springing　from　cliff

to　cliff　with　his　lovely　burden　in　his　arms。　　There　was　seldom　a

Saturday　in　which　David　did　not　kill　his　man。



I　shall　now　provide　the　proof　that　David　believed　it　all　to　be　as

true　as　true。　　It　was　told　me　by　Oliver；　who　had　it　from　our　hero

himself。　　I　had　described　to　them　how　the　savages　had　tattooed

David's　father；　and　Oliver　informed　me　that　one　night　shortly

afterward　David　was　discovered　softly　lifting　the　blankets　off

his　father's　legs　to　have　a　look　at　the　birds　and　reptiles　etched

thereon。



Thus　many　months　passed　with　no　word　of　Pilkington；　and　you　may

be　asking　where　he　was　all　this　time。　　Ah；　my　friends；　he　was

very　busy　fishing；　though　I　was　as　yet　unaware　of　his　existence。　

Most　suddenly　I　heard　the　whirr　of　his　hated　reel；　as　he　struck　a

fish。　I　remember　that　grim　day　with　painful　vividness；　it　was　a

wet　day；　indeed　I　think　it　has　rained　for　me　more　or　less　ever

since。　　As　soon　as　they　joined　me　I　saw　from　the　manner　of　the

two　boys　that　they　had　something　to　communicate。　　Oliver　nudged

David　and　retired　a　few　paces；　whereupon　David　said　to　me

solemnly；



〃Oliver　is　going　to　Pilkington's。〃



I　immediately　perceived　that　it　was　some　school；　but　so　little

did　I　understand　the　import　of　David's　remark　that　I　called　out

jocularly；　〃I　hope　he　won't　swish　you；　Oliver。〃



Evidently　I　had　pained　both　of　them；　for　they　exchanged　glances

and　retired　for　consultation　behind　a　tree；　whence　David　returned

to　say　with　emphasis；



〃He　has　two　jackets　and　two　shirts　and　two　knickerbockers；　all

real　ones。〃



〃Well　done；　Oliver！〃　said　I；　but　it　was　the　wrong　thing　again；

and　once　more　they　disappeared　behind　the　tree。　　Evidently　they

decided　that　the　time　for　plain　speaking　was　come；　for　now　David

announced　bluntly：



〃He　wants　you　not　to　call　him　Oliver　any　longer。〃



〃What　shall　I　call　him？〃



〃Bailey。〃



〃But　why？〃



〃He's　going　to　Pilkington's。　　And　he　can't　play　with　us　any　more

after　next　Saturday。〃



〃Why　not？〃



〃He's　going　to　Pilkington's。〃



So　now　I　knew　the　law　about　the　thing；　and　we　moved　on　together；

Oliver　stretching　himself　consciously；　and　methought　that　even

David　walked　with　a　sedater　air。



〃David；〃　said　I；　with　a　sinking；　〃are　you　going　to　Pilkington's？〃



〃When　I　am　eight；〃　he　replied。



〃And　sha'n't　I　call　you　David　then；　and　won't　you　play　with　me　in

the　Gardens　any　more？〃



He　looked　at　Bailey；　and　Bailey　signalled　him　to　be　firm。



〃Oh；　no；〃　said　David　cheerily。



Thus　sharply　did　I　learn　how　much　longer　I　was　to　have　of　him。

Strange　that　a　little　boy　can　give　so　much　pain。　　I　dropped　his

hand　and　walked　on　in　silence；　and　presently　I　did　my　most

churlish　to　hurt　him　by　ending　the　story　abruptly　in　a　very　cruel

way。　　〃Ten　years　have　elapsed；〃　said　I；　〃since　I　last　spoke；　and

our　two　heroes；　now　gay　young　men；　are　revisiting　the　wrecked

island　of　their　childhood。　　'Did　we　wreck　ourselves；'　said　one；

'or　was　there　someone　to　help　us？'　　And　the　other　who　was　the

younger；　replied；　'I　think　there　was　someone　to　help　us；　a　man

with　a　dog。　　I　think　he　used　to　tell　me　stories　in　the　Kensington

Gardens；　but　I　forget　all　about　him；　I　don't　remember　even　his

name。'〃



This　tame　ending　bored　Bailey；　and　he　drifted　away　from　us；　but

David　still　walked　by　my　side；　and　he　was　grown　so　quiet　that　I

knew　a　storm　was　brewing。　　Suddenly　he　flashed　lightning　on　me。

〃It's　not　true；〃　he　cried；　〃it's　a　lie！〃　　He　gripped　my　hand。　　〃I

sha'n't　never　forget　you；　father。〃



Strange　that　a　little　boy　can　give　so　much　pleasure。



Yet　I　could　go　on。　　〃You　will　forget；　David；　but　there　was　once　a

boy　who　would　have　remembered。〃



〃Timothy？〃　said　he　at　once。　　He　thinks　Timothy　was　a　real　boy；

and　is　very　jealous　of　him。　　He　turned　his　back　to　me；　and　stood

alone　and　wept　passionately；　while　I　waited　for　him。　　You　may　be

sure　I　begged　his　pardon；　and　made　it　all　right　with　him；　and　had

him　laughing　and　happy　again　before　I　let　him　go。　　But

nevertheless　what　I　said　was　true。　　David　is　not　my　boy；　and　he

will　forget。　But　Timothy　would　have　remembered。





XXIV



Barbara



Another　shock　was　waiting　for　me　farther　down　the　story。



For　we　had　resumed　our　adventures；　though　we　seldom　saw　Bailey

now。　　At　long　intervals　we　met　him　on　our　way　to　or　from　the

Gardens；　and；　if　there　was　none　from　Pilkington's　to　mark　him；

methought　he　looked　at　us　somewhat　longingly；　as　if　beneath　his

real　knickerbockers　a　morsel　of　the　egg…shell　still　adhered。

Otherwise　he　gave　David　a　not　unfriendly　kick　in　passing；　and

called　him　〃youngster。〃　　That　was　about　all。



When　Oliver　disappeared　from　the　life　of　the　Gardens　we　had

lofted　him　out　of　the　story；　and　did　very　well　without　him；

extending　our　operations　to　the　mainland；　where　they　were　on　so

vast　a　scale　that　we　were　rapidly　depopulating　the　earth。　　And

then　said　David　one　day；



〃Shall　we　let　Barbara　in？〃



We　had　occasionally　considered　the　giving　of　Bailey's　place　to

some　other　child　of　the　Gardens；　divers　of　David's　year　having

sought　election；　even　with　bribes；　but　Barbara　was　new　to　me。



〃Who　is　she？〃　I　asked。



〃She's　my　sister。〃



You　may　imagine　how　I　gaped。



〃She　hasn't　come　yet；〃　David　said　lightly；　〃but　she's　coming。〃







I　was　shocked；　not　perhaps　so　much　shocked　as　disillusioned；　for

though　I　had　always　suspicioned　Mary　A　as　one　who　harboured　the

craziest　ambitions　when　she　looked　most　humble；　of　such

presumption　as　this　I　had　never　thought　her　capable。



I　wandered　across　the　Broad　Walk　to　have　a　look　at　Irene；　and　she

was　wearing　an　unmistakable　air。　　It　set　me　reflecting　about

Mary's　husband　and　his　manner　the　last　time　we　met；　for　though　I

have　had　no　opportunity　to　say　so；　we　still　meet　now　and　again；

and　he　has　even　dined　with　me　at　the　club。　　On　these　occasions

the　subject　of　Timothy　is　barred；　and　if　by　any　unfortunate

accident　Mary's　name　is　mentioned；　we　immediately　look　opposite

ways　and　a　silence　follows；　in　which　I　feel　sure　he　is　smiling；

and　wonder　what　the　deuce　he　is　smiling　at。　　I　remembered　now

that　I　had　last　seen　him　when　I　was　dining　with　him　at　his　club