the life and perambulations of a mouse-第17节

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r　evil　consequences。

'I　think；　my　dear；'　said　he；　turning　to　his　wife；　'I　have　heard　you　mention　a　person　who　you　were　acquainted　with　when　a　girl；　who　at　last　was　hanged　for　stealing；　I　think；　was　not　she？'　　'No；'　replied　the　lady；　'she　was　not　hanged；　she　was　transported　for　one…and…twenty　years。'　　'Pray；　madam；　how　transported？　what　is　that？'　inquired　one　of　the　children。　　'People；　my　dear；'　resumed　the　lady；　'are　transported　when　they　have　committed　crimes；　which；　according　to　the　laws　of　our　land；　are　not　thought　quite　wicked　enough　to　be　hanged　for；　but　still　too　bad　to　suffer　them　to　continue　amongst　other　people。　　So；　instead　of　hanging　them；　the　judge　orders　that　they　shall　be　sent　on　board　a　ship；　built　on　purpose　to　hold　naughty　people；　and　carried　away　from　all　their　friends；　a　great　many　miles　distant；　commonly　to　America；　where　they　are　sold　as　slaves；　to　work　very　hard　for　as　many　years　as　they　are　transported　for。　　And　the　person　your　papa　mentioned　was　sold　for　twenty…one　years；　but　she　died　before　that　time　was　out；　as　most　of　them　do：　　they　are　generally　used　very　cruelly；　and　work　very　hard；　and　besides；　the　heat　of　the　climate　seldom　agrees　with　anybody　who　has　been　used　to　live　in　England；　and　so　they　generally　die　before　their　time　is　expired；　and　never　have　an　opportunity　of　seeing　their　friends　any　more；　after　they　are　once　sent　away。　　How　should　any　of　you；　my　dears；　like　to　be　sent　away　from　your　papa　and　me；　and　your　brothers　and　sisters；　and　uncles　and　aunts；　and　all　your　friends；　and　never）　never　see　us　any　more；　and　only　keep　company　with　naughty；　cross；　wicked　people；　and　labour　very　hard；　and　suffer　a　great　deal　of　sickness；　and　such　a　number　of　different　hardships；　you　cannot　imagine？　　Only　think　how　shocking　it　must　be！　How　should　you　like　it？'　　'Oh'；　not　at　all；　not　at　all；'　was　echoed　from　everyone　in　the　room。

'But　such；'　rejoined　their　mother；　'is　the　punishment　naughty　people　have；　and　such　was　the　punishment　the　person　your　papa　spoke　of　had；　who；　when　she　was　young；　no　more　expected　to　come　to　such　an　end　than　any　of　you　do。　　I　was　very　well　acquainted　with　her；　and　often　used　to　play　with　her；　and　she　（like　the　boy　Frank　has　been　talking　of）　used　to　think　it　a　mark　of　cleverness　to　be　able　to　deceive；　and　for　the　sake　of　winning　the　game　she　was　engaged　in；　would　not　scruple　committing　any　little　unfair　action；　which　would　give　her　the　advantage。

'I　remember　one　time；　at　such　a　trifling　game　as　pushpin；　she　gave　me　a　very　bad　opinion　of　her；　for　I　observed；　instead　of　pushing　the　pin　as　she　ought　to　do；　she　would　try　to　lift　it　up　with　her　finger　a　little；　to　make　it　cross　over　the　other。

'And　when　we　were　all　at　cards；　she　would　peep；　to　find　out　the　pictured　ones；　that　she　might　have　them　in　her　own　hand。

'And　when　we　played　at　any　game　which　had　forfeits；　she　would　try；　by　different　little　artifices；　to　steal　back　her　own　before　the　time　of　crying　them　came；　or；　if　she　was　the　person　who　was　to　cry　them；　as　you　call　it；　she　would　endeavour　to　see　whose　came　next；　that　she　might　order　the　penalty　accordingly。

'Or　if　we　were　playing　at　hide　and　seek；　she　would　put　what　we　had　to　hide　either　in　her　own　pocket；　or　throw　it　into　the　fire；　so　that　it　would　be　impossible　to　find　it；　and　then；　after　making　her　companions　hunt　for　it　for　an　hour；　till　their　patience　was　quite　tired；　and　they　gave　out；　she　would　burst　out　in　a　loud　laugh！　and　say　she　only　did　it　for　fun。　　But；　for　my　part；　I　never　could　see　any　joke　in　such　kind　of　things：　　the　meanness；　the　baseness；　the　dish　on　our；　which　attended　it　always；　in　my　opinion；　took　off　all　degree　of　cleverness；　or　pleasure　from　such　actions。

'There　was　another　of　her　sly　tricks　which　I　forgot　to　mention；　and　that　was；　if　at　tea；　or　any　other　time；　she　got　first　to　the　plate　of　cake　or　bread；　she　would　place　the　piece　she　liked　best　where　she　thought　it　would　come　to　her　turn　to　have　it：　　or　if　at　breakfast　she　saw　her　sisters'　basin　have　the　under　crust　in　it；　and　they　happened　not　to　be　by；　or　to　see　her；　she　would　take　it　out；　and　put　her　own；　which　she　happened　not　to　like　so　well；　in　the　stead。

'Only　think；　my　dears；　what　frightful；　sly；　naughty　tricks　to　be　guilty　of！　　And　from　practising　these；　which　she　said　there　was　no　harm　in；　and　she　only　did　them　in　play；　and　for　a　bit　of　fun；　at　last　she　came；　by　degrees；　to　be　guilty　of　greater。　　She　two　or　three　different　times；　when　she　was　not　seen；　stole　things　out　of　shops；　and　one　day；　when　she　was　upon　a　visit；　and　thought　she　could　do　it　cleverly；　without　being　discovered；　put　a　couple　of　table　spoons　into　her　pocket。　　The　footman　who　was　waiting　happened　to　see　her；　but　fearing　to　give　offence；　he　took　no　notice　of　it　till　after　she　was　gone　home；　when　he　told　his　master；　who；　justly　provoked　at　being　so　ill…treated；　by　a　person　to　whom　he　had　shown　every　civility；　went　after　her；　called　in　her　own　two　maids；　and　his　footman；　as　witnesses；　and　then　insisted　upon　examining　her　pockets；　where　he　indeed　found　his　own　two　spoons。　　He　then　sent　for　proper　officers　to　secure　her；　had　her　taken　into　custody；　and　for　that　offence　it　was　that　she　was　transported。

'Thus；　my　dear　children；　you　see　the　shocking　consequence　of　ever　suffering　such　vile　habits　to　grow　upon　us；　and　I　hope　the　example　of　this　unhappy　woman　（which　I　assure　you　is　a　true　story）　will　be　sufficient　to　warn　you　for　ever；　for　a　single　time；　being　guilty　of　so　detestable　a　crime；　lest　you　should；　like　her；　by　degrees　come　to　experience　her　fatal　punishment。'

Just　as　the　lady　said　these　words　a　bell　rang；　and　all　getting　up　together；　they　went　out　of　the　room；　the　young　one　calling　out；　'To　dinner！　to　dinner！　to　dinner！　here　we　all　go　to　dinner！'

And　I　will　seek　for　one　too；　said　I　to　myself；　（creeping　out　as　soon　as　I　found　I　was　alone）　for　I　feel　very　faint　and　hungry。　　I　looked　and　looked　about　a　long　while；　for　I　could　move　but　slow；　on　account　of　the　bruises　I　had　received　in　the　shoe。　　At　last　under　the　table；　round　which　the　family　had　been　sitting；　I　found　a　pincushion；　which；　being　stuffed　with　bran；　afforded　me　enough　to　satisfy　my　hunger；　but　was　excessively　dry　and　unsavoury；　yet；　bad　as　it　was；　I　was　obliged　to　be　content　at　that　time　with　it；　and　had　nearly　done　eating　when　the　door　opened；　and　in　ran　two　or　three　of　the　children。　　Frightened　out　of　my　senses　almost；　I　had　just　time　to　escape　down　a　little　hole　in　the　floor；　made　by　one　of　the　knots　in　the　wood　slipping　out；　and　there　I　heard　one　of　the　girls　exclaim

'O　dear！　who　now　has　cut　my　pincushion？　it　was　you　did　it；　Tom。'　　'No；　indeed　I　did　not；'　replied　he。　　'Then　it　was　you；　Mary。'　　'No；　I　know　nothing　of　it；'　answered　she。　　'Then　it　was　you；　Hetty。'　　'That　I　am　sure　it　was　not；'　said　she；　'I　am　sure；　I　am　certain　it　was　not　me；　I　am　positive　it　was　not。'　　'Ah；'　replied　the　other；　'I　dare　say　it　was。'　　'Yes；　I　think　it　is　most　likely；'　said　Mary。　　'And　so　do　I　too；'　said　Tom。　　'And　pray　why　do　you　all　think　so？'　inquired　Hetty；　in　an　angry　tone。　　'Because；'　said　the　owner　of　the　pincushion；　'you　are　the　only　one　who　ever　tells　fibs；　you　told　a　story；　you　know；　about　the　fruit；　you　told　a　story　too　about　the　currant　jelly；　and　about　putting　your　fingers　in　the　butter；　at　breakfast；　and　therefore　there　is　a　very　great　reason　why　we　should　suspect　you　more　than　anybody　else。'　　'But　I　am　sure；'　said　she；　bursting　into　tears；　'I　am　very　sure　I　have　not　meddled　with　it。'　　'I　do　not　at　all　know　that；'　replied　the　other；　'and　I　do　think　it　was　you；　for　I　am　certain　if　any　one　else　had　done　it　they　would　not　deny　it；　and　it　could　not　come　into　this　condition　by　itself；　somebody　must　have　done　it；　and　I　dare　say　it　was　you；　so　say　no　more　about　it。'

Here　the　dispute　was　interrupted　by　somebody　calling　them　out　of　the　room；　and　I　could　not　help　making　some　reflections　on　what　had　passed。　　How　dreadful　a　crime；　thought　I；　is　lying　and　falsity；　to　what　sad　mortifications　does　it　subject　the　person　who　is　ever　wicked　enough　to　commit　it；　and　how　does　it　expose　them　to　the　contempt　of　everyone；　and　make　them　to　be　suspected　of　faults　they　are　even　perfectly　free　from。　　Little　Hetty　now　is　innocent；　with　respect　to　the　pincushion　with　which　her　sister　charges　her；　as　any　of　the　others；　yet；　because　she　has　before　forfeited　her　honour；　she　can　gain　no　credit：　　no　one　believes　what　she　says；　she　is　thought　to　be　guilty　of　the　double　fault　of　spoiling　the　pincushion；　and　what　is　still　worse；　of　lying　to　conceal　it；　whilst　the　other　children　are　at　once　believed；　and　their　words　depended　upon。

Surely；　surely；　thought　I；　if　people　would　but　reflect　upon　the　contempt；　the　shame；　and　the　difficulties　which　lies　expose　them　to；　they　would　never　be　guilty　of　so　terrible　a　vice；　which　subjects　them　to　the　scorn　of　all　they　converse　with；　and　renders　them　at　all　times　suspected；　even　though　they　should；　as　in　the　case　of　Hetty；　really　speak　the　truth。　　Such　were　my　reflections　upon　falsehood；　nor　could　I　help　altogether　blaming　the　owner　of　the　pincushion　for　her　hasty　judgment　relating　to　it。　　Somebody；　she　was　certain；　must　have　done　it；　it　was　impossible　it　could　come　so　by　itself。　　That；　to　be　sure；　was　very　true；　but　then　she　never　recollected　th