the little white bird-第4节

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have　plenty　of　water　in　it；　'cos　if　I　had　to　lean　down　too　far　I

might　fall　in　and　be　drownded。〃



〃Am　I　not　to　drop　the　letter；　David？　　Think　of　your　poor　mother

without　her　boy！〃



It　affected　him；　but　he　bore　up。　　When　she　was　asleep；　he　said；

he　would　hop　on　to　the　frilly　things　of　her　night…gown　and　peck

at　her　mouth。



〃And　then　she　would　wake　up；　David；　and　find　that　she　had　only　a

bird　instead　of　a　boy。〃



This　shock　to　Mary　was　more　than　he　could　endure。　　〃You　can　drop

it；〃　he　said　with　a　sigh。　　So　I　dropped　the　letter；　as　I　think　I

have　already　mentioned；　and　that　is　how　it　all　began。





III



Her　Marriage；　Her　Clothes；　Her　Appetite；　and　an　Inventory　of　Her

Furniture



A　week　or　two　after　I　dropped　the　letter　I　was　in　a　hansom　on　my

way　to　certain　barracks　when　loud　above　the　city's　roar　I　heard

that　accursed　haw…haw…haw；　and　there　they　were；　the　two　of　them；

just　coming　out　of　a　shop　where　you　may　obtain　pianos　on　the　hire

system。　　I　had　the　merest　glimpse　of　them；　but　there　was　an

extraordinary　rapture　on　her　face；　and　his　head　was　thrown

proudly　back；　and　all　because　they　had　been　ordering　a　piano　on

the　hire　system。



So　they　were　to　be　married　directly。　　It　was　all　rather

contemptible；　but　I　passed　on　tolerantly；　for　it　is　only　when　she

is　unhappy　that　this　woman　disturbs　me；　owing　to　a　clever　way　she

has　at　such　times　of　looking　more　fragile　than　she　really　is。



When　next　I　saw　them；　they　were　gazing　greedily　into　the　window

of　the　sixpenny…halfpenny　shop；　which　is　one　of　the　most

deliciously　dramatic　spots　in　London。　　Mary　was　taking　notes

feverishly　on　a　slip　of　paper　while　he　did　the　adding　up；　and　in

the　end　they　went　away　gloomily　without　buying　anything。　　I　was

in　high　feather。　〃Match　abandoned；　ma'am；〃　I　said　to　myself；

〃outlook　hopeless；　another　visit　to　the　Governesses'　Agency

inevitable；　can't　marry　for　want　of　a　kitchen　shovel。〃　　But　I　was

imperfectly　acquainted　with　the　lady。



A　few　days　afterward　I　found　myself　walking　behind　her。　　There　is

something　artful　about　her　skirts　by　which　I　always　know　her；

though　I　can't　say　what　it　is。　　She　was　carrying　an　enormous

parcel　that　might　have　been　a　bird…cage　wrapped　in　brown　paper；

and　she　took　it　into　a　bric…a…brac　shop　and　came　out　without　it。

She　then　ran　rather　than　walked　in　the　direction　of　the　sixpenny…

halfpenny　shop。　　Now　mystery　of　any　kind　is　detestable　to　me；　and

I　went　into　the　bric…a…brac　shop；　ostensibly　to　look　at　the

cracked　china；　and　there；　still　on　the　counter；　with　the　wrapping

torn　off　it；　was　the　article　Mary　had　sold　in　order　to　furnish　on

the　proceeds。　　What　do　you　think　it　was？　　It　was　a　wonderful

doll's　house；　with　dolls　at　tea　downstairs　and　dolls　going　to　bed

upstairs；　and　a　doll　showing　a　doll　out　at　the　front　door。　

Loving　lips　had　long　ago　licked　most　of　the　paint　off；　but

otherwise　the　thing　was　in　admirable　preservation；　obviously　the

joy　of　Mary's　childhood；　it　had　now　been　sold　by　her　that　she

might　get　married。



〃Lately　purchased　by　us；〃　said　the　shopwoman；　seeing　me　look　at

the　toy；　〃from　a　lady　who　has　no　further　use　for　it。〃



I　think　I　have　seldom　been　more　indignant　with　Mary。　　I　bought

the　doll's　house；　and　as　they　knew　the　lady's　address　（it　was　at

this　shop　that　I　first　learned　her　name）　I　instructed　them　to

send　it　back　to　her　with　the　following　letter；　which　I　wrote　in

the　shop：　〃Dear　madam；　don't　be　ridiculous。　　You　will　certainly

have　further　use　for　this。　　I　am；　etc。；　the　Man　Who　Dropped　the

Letter。〃



It　pained　me　afterward；　but　too　late　to　rescind　the　order；　to

reflect　that　I　had　sent　her　a　wedding　present；　and　when　next　I

saw　her　she　had　been　married　for　some　months。　　The　time　was　nine

o'clock　of　a　November　evening；　and　we　were　in　a　street　of　shops

that　has　not　in　twenty　years　decided　whether　to　be　genteel　or

frankly　vulgar；　here　it　minces　in　the　fashion；　but　take　a　step

onward　and　its　tongue　is　in　the　cup　of　the　ice…cream　man。　　I

usually　rush　this　street；　which　is　not　far　from　my　rooms；　with

the　glass　down；　but　to…night　I　was　walking。　　Mary　was　in　front　of

me；　leaning　in　a　somewhat　foolish　way　on　the　haw…er；　and　they

were　chatting　excitedly。　　She　seemed　to　be　remonstrating　with　him

for　going　forward；　yet　more　than　half　admiring　him　for　not

turning　back；　and　I　wondered　why。



And　after　all　what　was　it　that　Mary　and　her　painter　had　come　out

to　do？　　To　buy　two　pork　chops。　　On　my　honour。　　She　had　been

trying　to　persuade　him；　I　decided；　that　they　were　living　too

lavishly。　That　was　why　she　sought　to　draw　him　back。　　But　in　her

heart　she　loves　audacity；　and　that　is　why　she　admired　him　for

pressing　forward。



No　sooner　had　they　bought　the　chops　than　they　scurried　away　like

two　gleeful　children　to　cook　them。　　I　followed；　hoping　to　trace

them　to　their　home；　but　they　soon　out…distanced　me；　and　that

night　I　composed　the　following　aphorism：　It　is　idle　to　attempt　to

overtake　a　pretty　young　woman　carrying　pork　chops。　　I　was　now

determined　to　be　done　with　her。　　First；　however；　to　find　out

their　abode；　which　was　probably　within　easy　distance　of　the　shop。

　I　even　conceived　them　lured　into　taking　their　house　by　the

advertisement；　〃Conveniently　situated　for　the　Pork　Emporium。〃



Well；　one　daynow　this　really　is　romantic　and　I　am　rather　proud

of　it。　　My　chambers　are　on　the　second　floor；　and　are　backed　by　an

anxiously　polite　street　between　which　and　mine　are　little　yards

called；　I　think；　gardens。　　They　are　so　small　that　if　you　have　the

tree　your　neighbour　has　the　shade　from　it。　　I　was　looking　out　at

my　back　window　on　the　day　we　have　come　to　when　whom　did　I　see　but

the　whilom　nursery　governess　sitting　on　a　chair　in　one　of　these

gardens。　　I　put　up　my　eye…glass　to　make　sure；　and　undoubtedly　it

was　she。　　But　she　sat　there　doing　nothing；　which　was　by　no　means

my　conception　of　the　jade；　so　I　brought　a　fieldglass　to　bear　and

discovered　that　the　object　was　merely　a　lady's　jacket。　　It　hung

on　the　back　of　a　kitchen　chair；　seemed　to　be　a　furry　thing；　and；

I　must　suppose；　was　suspended　there　for　an　airing。



I　was　chagrined；　and　then　I　insisted　stoutly　with　myself　that；　as

it　was　not　Mary；　it　must　be　Mary's　jacket。　　I　had　never　seen　her

wear　such　a　jacket；　mind　you；　yet　I　was　confident；　I　can't　tell

why。　　Do　clothes　absorb　a　little　of　the　character　of　their

wearer；　so　that　I　recognised　this　jacket　by　a　certain　coquetry？　

If　she　has　a　way　with　her　skirts　that　always　advertises　me　of　her

presence；　quite　possibly　she　is　as　cunning　with　jackets。　　Or

perhaps　she　is　her　own　seamstress；　and　puts　in　little　tucks　of

herself。



Figure　it　what　you　please；　but　I　beg　to　inform　you　that　I　put　on

my　hat　and　five　minutes　afterward　saw　Mary　and　her　husband　emerge

from　the　house　to　which　I　had　calculated　that　garden　belonged。

Now　am　I　clever；　or　am　I　not？



When　they　had　left　the　street　I　examined　the　house　leisurely；　and

a　droll　house　it　is。　　Seen　from　the　front　it　appears　to　consist

of　a　door　and　a　window；　though　above　them　the　trained　eye　may

detect　another　window；　the　air…hole　of　some　apartment　which　it

would　be　just　like　Mary's　grandiloquence　to　call　her　bedroom。　

The　houses　on　each　side　of　this　bandbox　are　tall；　and　I

discovered　later　that　it　had　once　been　an　open　passage　to　the

back　gardens。　　The　story　and　a　half　of　which　it　consists　had　been

knocked　up　cheaply；　by　carpenters　I　should　say　rather　than

masons；　and　the　general　effect　is　of　a　brightly　coloured　van　that

has　stuck　for　ever　on　its　way　through　the　passage。



The　low　houses　of　London　look　so　much　more　homely　than　the　tall

ones　that　I　never　pass　them　without　dropping　a　blessing　on　their

builders；　but　this　house　was　ridiculous；　indeed　it　did　not　call

itself　a　house；　for　over　the　door　was　a　board　with　the

inscription　〃This　space　to　be　sold；〃　and　I　remembered；　as　I　rang

the　bell；　that　this　notice　had　been　up　for　years。　　On　avowing

that　I　wanted　a　space；　I　was　admitted　by　an　elderly；　somewhat

dejected　looking　female；　whose　fine　figure　was　not　on　scale　with

her　surroundings。　Perhaps　my　face　said　so；　for　her　first　remark

was　explanatory。



〃They　get　me　cheap；〃　she　said；　〃because　I　drink。〃



I　bowed；　and　we　passed　on　to　the　drawing…room。　　I　forget　whether

I　have　described　Mary's　personal　appearance；　but　if　so　you　have　a

picture　of　that　sunny　drawing…room。　　My　first　reflection　was；　How

can　she　have　found　the　money　to　pay　for　it　all！　which　is　always

your　first　reflection　when　you　see　Mary　herself　a…tripping　down

the　street。



I　have　no　space　（in　that　little　room）　to　catalogue　all　the　whim…

whams　with　which　she　had　made　it　beautiful；　from　the　hand…sewn

bell…rope　which　pulled　no　bell　to　the　hand…painted　cigar…box　that

contained　no　cigars。　　The　floor　was　of　a　delicious　green　with

exquisite　oriental　rugs；　green　and　white；　I　think；　was　the　lady's

scheme　of　colour；　something　cool；　you　observe；　to　keep　the　sun

under。　　The　win