the little white bird-第39节

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said　severely。　　（I　always　say　that。）



It　ended　on　the　coast　of　Patagonia；　whither　we　had　gone　to　shoot

the　great　Sloth；　known　to　be　the　largest　of　animals；　though　we

found　his　size　to　have　been　under…estimated。　　David；　his　father

and　I　had　flung　our　limbs　upon　the　beach　and　were　having　a　last

pipe　before　turning　in；　while　Mary；　attired　in　barbaric

splendour；　sang　and　danced　before　us。　　It　was　a　lovely　evening；

and　we　lolled　manlike；　gazing；　well…content；　at　the　pretty

creature。



The　night　was　absolutely　still　save　for　the　roaring　of　the　Sloths

in　the　distance。



By…and…by　Irene　came　to　the　entrance　of　our　cave；　where　by　the

light　of　her　torch　we　could　see　her　exploring　a　shark　that　had

been　harpooned　by　David　earlier　in　the　day。



Everything　conduced　to　repose；　and　a　feeling　of　gentle　peace

crept　over　us；　from　which　we　were　roused　by　a　shrill　cry。　　It　was

uttered　by　Irene；　who　came　speeding　to　us；　bearing　certain

articles；　a　watch；　a　pair　of　boots；　a　newspaper；　which　she　had

discovered　in　the　interior　of　the　shark。　　What　was　our　surprise

to　find　in　the　newspaper　intelligence　of　the　utmost　importance　to

all　of　us。　　It　was　nothing　less　than　this；　the　birth　of　a　new

baby　in　London　to　Mary。



How　strange　a　method　had　Solomon　chosen　of　sending　us　the　news。



The　bald　announcement　at　once　plunged　us　into　a　fever　of

excitement；　and　next　morning　we　set　sail　for　England。　　Soon　we

came　within　sight　of　the　white　cliffs　of　Albion。　　Mary　could　not

sit　down　for　a　moment；　so　hot　was　she　to　see　her　child。　　She

paced　the　deck　in　uncontrollable　agitation。



〃So　did　I！〃　cried　David；　when　I　had　reached　this　point　in　the

story。



On　arriving　at　the　docks　we　immediately　hailed　a　cab。



〃Never；　David；〃　I　said；　〃shall　I　forget　your　mother's　excitement。

She　kept　putting　her　head　out　of　the　window　and　calling　to　the

cabby　to　go　quicker；　quicker。　　How　he　lashed　his　horse！　　At　last

he　drew　up　at　your　house；　and　then　your　mother；　springing　out；

flew　up　the　steps　and　beat　with　her　hands　upon　the　door。〃



David　was　quite　carried　away　by　the　reality　of　it。　　〃Father　has

the　key！〃　he　screamed。



〃He　opened　the　door；〃　I　said　grandly；　〃and　your　mother　rushed　in；

and　next　moment　her　Benjamin　was　in　her　arms。〃



There　was　a　pause。



〃Barbara；〃　corrected　David。



〃Benjamin；〃　said　I　doggedly。



〃Is　that　a　girl's　name？〃



〃No；　it's　a　boy's　name。〃



〃But　mother　wants　a　girl；〃　he　said；　very　much　shaken。



〃Just　like　her　presumption；〃　I　replied　testily。　　〃It　is　to　be　a

boy；　David；　and　you　can　tell　her　I　said　so。〃



He　was　in　a　deplorable　but　most　unselfish　state　of　mind。　　A　boy

would　have　suited　him　quite　well；　but　he　put　self　aside

altogether　and　was　pertinaciously　solicitous　that　Mary　should　be

given　her　fancy。



〃Barbara；〃　he　repeatedly　implored　me。



〃Benjamin；〃　I　replied　firmly。



For　long　I　was　obdurate；　but　the　time　was　summer；　and　at　last　I

agreed　to　play　him　for　it；　a　two…innings　match。　　If　he　won　it　was

to　be　a　girl；　and　if　I　won　it　was　to　be　a　boy。





XXV



The　Cricket　Match



I　think　there　has　not　been　so　much　on　a　cricket　match　since　the

day　when　Sir　Horace　Mann　walked　about　Broad　Ha'penny　agitatedly

cutting　down　the　daisies　with　his　stick。　　And；　be　it　remembered；

the　heroes　of　Hambledon　played　for　money　and　renown　only；　while

David　was　champion　of　a　lady。　　A　lady！　　May　we　not　prettily　say

of　two　ladies？　　There　were　no　spectators　of　our　contest　except

now　and　again　some　loiterer　in　the　Gardens　who　little　thought

what　was　the　stake　for　which　we　played；　but　cannot　we　conceive

Barbara　standing　at　the　ropes　and　agitatedly　cutting　down　the

daisies　every　time　David　missed　the　ball？　　I　tell　you；　this　was

the　historic　match　of　the　Gardens。



David　wanted　to　play　on　a　pitch　near　the　Round　Pond　with　which　he

is　familiar；　but　this　would　have　placed　me　at　a　disadvantage；　so

I　insisted　on　unaccustomed　ground；　and　we　finally　pitched　stumps

in　the　Figs。　　We　could　not　exactly　pitch　stumps；　for　they　are

forbidden　in　the　Gardens；　but　there　are　trees　here　and　there

which　have　chalk…marks　on　them　throughout　the　summer；　and　when

you　take　up　your　position　with　a　bat　near　one　of　these　you　have

really　pitched　stumps。　　The　tree　we　selected　is　a　ragged　yew

which　consists　of　a　broken　trunk　and　one　branch；　and　I　viewed　the

ground　with　secret　satisfaction；　for　it　falls　slightly　at　about

four　yards'　distance　from　the　tree；　and　this　exactly　suits　my

style　of　bowling。



I　won　the　toss　and　after　examining　the　wicket　decided　to　take

first　knock。　　As　a　rule　when　we　play　the　wit　at　first　flows　free；

but　on　this　occasion　I　strode　to　the　crease　in　an　almost　eerie

silence。　　David　had　taken　off　his　blouse　and　rolled　up　his　shirt…

sleeves；　and　his　teeth　were　set；　so　I　knew　he　would　begin　by

sending　me　down　some　fast　ones。



His　delivery　is　underarm　and　not　inelegant；　but　he　sometimes

tries　a　round…arm　ball；　which　I　have　seen　double　up　the　fielder

at　square　leg。　　He　has　not　a　good　length；　but　he　varies　his

action　bewilderingly；　and　has　one　especially　teasing　ball　which

falls　from　the　branches　just　as　you　have　stepped　out　of　your

ground　to　look　for　it。　　It　was　not；　however；　with　his　teaser　that

he　bowled　me　that　day。　　I　had　notched　a　three　and　two　singles；

when　he　sent　me　down　a　medium　to　fast　which　got　me　in　two　minds

and　I　played　back　to　it　too　late。　　Now；　I　am　seldom　out　on　a

really　grassy　wicket　for　such　a　meagre　score；　and　as　David　and　I

changed　places　without　a　word；　there　was　a　cheery　look　on　his

face　that　I　found　very　galling。　　He　ran　in　to　my　second　ball　and

cut　it　neatly　to　the　on　for　a　single；　and　off　my　fifth　and　sixth

he　had　two　pretty　drives　for　three；　both　behind　the　wicket。　

This；　however；　as　I　hoped；　proved　the　undoing　of　him；　for　he　now

hit　out　confidently　at　everything；　and　with　his　score　at　nine　I

beat　him　with　my　shooter。



The　look　was　now　on　my　face。



I　opened　my　second　innings　by　treating　him　with　uncommon　respect；

for　I　knew　that　his　little　arm　soon　tired　if　he　was　unsuccessful；

and　then　when　he　sent　me　loose　ones　I　banged　him　to　the　railings。

What　cared　I　though　David's　lips　were　twitching。



When　he　ultimately　got　past　my　defence；　with　a　jumpy　one　which

broke　awkwardly　from　the　off；　I　had　fetched　twenty…three　so　that

he　needed　twenty　to　win；　a　longer　hand　than　he　had　ever　yet　made。

As　I　gave　him　the　bat　he　looked　brave；　but　something　wet　fell　on

my　hand；　and　then　a　sudden　fear　seized　me　lest　David　should　not

win。



At　the　very　outset；　however；　he　seemed　to　master　the　bowling；　and

soon　fetched　about　ten　runs　in　a　classic　manner。　　Then　I　tossed

him　a　Yorker　which　he　missed　and　it　went　off　at　a　tangent　as　soon

as　it　had　reached　the　tree。　　〃Not　out；〃　I　cried　hastily；　for　the

face　he　turned　to　me　was　terrible。



Soon　thereafter　another　incident　happened；　which　I　shall　always

recall　with　pleasure。　　He　had　caught　the　ball　too　high　on　the

bat；　and　I　just　missed　the　catch。　　〃Dash　it　all！〃　said　I

irritably；　and　was　about　to　resume　bowling；　when　I　noticed　that

he　was　unhappy。　He　hesitated；　took　up　his　position　at　the　wicket；

and　then　came　to　me　manfully。　　〃I　am　a　cad；〃　he　said　in　distress；

〃for　when　the　ball　was　in　the　air　I　prayed。〃　　He　had　prayed　that

I　should　miss　the　catch；　and　as　I　think　I　have　already　told　you；

it　is　considered　unfair　in　the　Gardens　to　pray　for　victory。



My　splendid　David！　　He　has　the　faults　of　other　little　boys；　but

he　has　a　noble　sense　of　fairness。　　〃We　shall　call　it　a　no…ball；

David；〃　I　said　gravely。



I　suppose　the　suspense　of　the　reader　is　now　painful；　and

therefore　I　shall　say　at　once　that　David　won　the　match　with　two

lovely　fours；　the　one　over　my　head　and　the　other　to　leg　all　along

the　ground。　　When　I　came　back　from　fielding　this　last　ball　I

found　him　embracing　his　bat；　and　to　my　sour　congratulations　he

could　at　first　reply　only　with　hysterical　sounds。　　But　soon　he

was　pelting　home　to　his　mother　with　the　glorious　news。



And　that　is　how　we　let　Barbara　in。





XXVI



The　Dedication



It　was　only　yesterday　afternoon；　dear　reader；　exactly　three　weeks

after　the　birth　of　Barbara；　that　I　finished　the　book；　and　even

then　it　was　not　quite　finished；　for　there　remained　the

dedication；　at　which　I　set　to　elatedly。　　I　think　I　have　never

enjoyed　myself　more；　indeed；　it　is　my　opinion　that　I　wrote　the

book　as　an　excuse　for　writing　the　dedication。



〃Madam〃　（I　wrote　wittily）；　〃I　have　no　desire　to　exult　over　you；

yet　I　should　show　a　lamentable　obtuseness　to　the　irony　of　things

were　I　not　to　dedicate　this　little　work　to　you。　　For　its

inception　was　yours；　and　in　your　more　ambitious　days　you　thought

to　write　the　tale　of　the　little　white　bird　yourself。　　Why　you　so

early　deserted　the　nest　is　not　for　me　to　inquire。　　It　now　appears

that　you　were　otherwise　occupied。　　In　fine；　madam；　you　chose　the

lower　road；　and　contented　yourself　with　obtaini