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第15节

jeremy-第15节

小说: jeremy 字数: 每页4000字

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it very much。 And I'll give her that chocolate that Mr。 Jellybrand
sent us。 There's still some; although it's rather damp now; I
expect。〃

〃How silly you are!〃 said Helen scornfully。 〃Of course; Mother will
give her anything she wants。〃

〃It isn't silly;〃 said Jeremy。 〃Perhaps she'll want more than she
really wants。 I often do。〃

〃Oh; you!〃 said Helen。

〃And if for ever so long;〃 said Jeremy; 〃she hasn't had enough to
eat; she'll want twice as big meals now as other peopleto make
up。〃

〃Mother says we've got to remember she's a lady;〃 said Helen。

〃What's the difference;〃 asked Jeremy; 〃between a lady and not a
lady?〃

〃Oh; you are!〃 said Helen。 〃Why; Aunt Amy's a lady; and Rose isn't。〃

〃Rose is nicer;〃 said Jeremy。

Miss Jones had; I am sorry to say; lied to Mrs。 Cole in one
particular。 She had told her that 〃she had had to do with children
all her life;〃 the fact being that on several occasions some little
cousins had come to stay with herself and her brother。 On these
occasions the little cousins had been so paralysed with terror that
discipline had not been difficult。 It was from these experiences
that Miss Jones flattered herself that 〃she understood children。〃

So audacious a self…confidence is doomed to invite the scornful
punishment of the gods。

Miss Jones arrived upon a wet January afternoon; one of those
Glebeshire days when the town sinks into a bath of mud and mist and
all the pipes run water and the eaves drip and horses splash and
only ducks are happy。 Out of a blurred lamp…lit dusk stumbled Miss
Jones's cab; and out of a blurred unlit cab stumbled Miss Jones。

As she stood in the hall trying to look warm and amiable; Mrs。
Cole's heart forsook her。 On that earlier day of her visit Miss
Jones had looked possible; sitting up in Mrs。 Cole's drawing…room;
smiling her brightest; because she so desperately needed the
situation; and wearing her best dress。 Now she was all in pieces;
she had had to leave her little village early in the morning to
catch the village bus; she had waited at wayside stations; as in
Glebeshire only one can wait; the world had dripped upon her head
and spattered upon her legs。 She had neuralgia and a pain in her
back; she had worn her older dress because; upon such a day; it
would not do to travel in her best; and then; as a climax to
everything; she had left her umbrella in the train。 How she could do
such a thing upon such a day! Her memory was not her strongest
point; poor lady; and it was a good umbrella; and she could not
afford to buy another。 Perhaps they would find it for her; but it
was very unlikely。

She had had it for a number of years。

She was a little woman; all skin and bone; with dried withered
cheeks; a large brown nose and protruding ears。 Her face had formed
severe lines in self…defence against her brother; but her eyes were
mild; and when she smiled her mouth was rather pleasantly pathetic。

〃Oh; she'll never do;〃 thought Mrs。 Cole; as she looked at her
dripping in the hall。

〃I can't think how I forgot it; said the poor lady; her mind fixed
upon her umbrella。 〃They said that perhaps they would find it for
me; but there was a man in my carriage; I remember; who will most
certainly have taken itand it was a nice one with a silver
handle。〃

〃Never mind;〃 said Mrs。 Cole cheerfully; 〃I'm sure they'll find it。
You must come up to the nurseryor the schoolroom I suppose we must
call it now; there's a lovely fire there; and we'll both have tea
with the children to…day; so as to feel at home; all of us; as
quickly as possible。〃

What Miss Jones wanted was to lie down on a bed in a dark room and
try and conquer her neuralgia。 The thought of a lighted nursery
filled her with dismay。 However; first impressions are so important。
She pulled herself together。

The children had heard the arrival; they waited in a bunch by the
fire; their eyes partly fixed on the door; partly on the strawberry
jam that they were allowed to…day as a treat in the new governess's
honour。 Hamlet; his eyes and ears also upon the door; expecting
perhaps a rat; perhaps Aunt Amy; sat in front of the group; its
bodyguard。

〃She's in the hall;〃 said Helen; 〃and now Mother's saying: 'Do take
off your things。 You must be wet;' and now she's saying: 'You'll
like to see the children; I expect;' and now〃

There they were; standing in the doorway; Mrs。 Cole and Miss Jones。
There followed a dismal pause。 The children had not expected anyone
so old and so ugly as Miss Jones。 Hamlet did not barknothing
occurred。

At last Mrs。 Cole said: 〃Now; children; come and say; 'How do you
do?' to Miss Jones。 This is Helen; our eldestthis Maryand this
Jeremy。〃

Miss Jones did a dreadful thing。 In her eagerness to be pleasant and
friendly she kissed the girls; and then; before anyone could stop
her; kissed Jeremy。 He took it like a man; never turning his head
nor wiping his mouth with his hand afterwards; but she might have
seen in his eyes; had she looked; what he felt about it。

She said: 〃I hope we shall be happy together; dears。〃

The children said nothing; and presently they all sat down to tea。




II


It was unfortunate that there was so little precedent on both sides。
Miss Jones had never been a governess before and the children had
never had one。 Of course; many mistakes were made。 Miss Jones had
had a true admiration for what she used to call 〃her brother's
indomitable spirit;〃 her name for his selfishness and bad temper。
She was herself neither selfish nor bad…tempered; but she was
ignorant; nervous; over…anxious; and desperately afraid of losing
her situation。 She had during so many years lived without affection
that the wells of it had dried up within her; and now; without being
at all a bad old lady; she was simply preoccupied with the business
of managing her neuralgia; living on nothing a week; and building to
her deceased brother's memory a monument; of heroic character and
self…sacrifice。 She was short…sighted and had a perpetual cold; she
was forgetful and careless。 She had; nevertheless; a real knowledge
of many things; a warm heart somewhere could she be encouraged to
look for it again; and a sense of humour buried deep beneath her
cares and preoccupations。 There were many worse persons in the world
than Miss Jones。 But; most unfortunately; her love for her brother's
memory led her to resolve on what she called 〃firmness。〃 Mrs。 Cole
had told her that Jeremy was 〃getting too much〃 for his nurse; she
approached Jeremy with exactly the tremors and quaking boldness that
she would have summoned to her aid before a bull loose in a field。
She really did look frightening with her large spectacles on the end
of her large nose; her mouth firmly set; and a ruler in her hand。 〃I
insist on absolute obedience;〃 was her motto。 Jeremy looked at her
but said no word。 It was made clear to them all that the new regime
was to be far other than the earlier nursery one。 There were to be
regular lesson hoursnine to twelve and four to five。 A neat piece
of white paper was fastened to the wall with 〃Monday: Geography 9…
10; Arithmetic 10…11;〃 and so on。 A careful graduation of
punishments was instituted; copies to he written so many times;
standing on a chair; three strokes on the hand with a ruler; and;
worst of all; standing in the corner wearing a paper Dunce's cap。
(This last she had read of in books。) At first Jeremy had every
intention of behaving well; in spite of that unfortunate embrace。 He
was proud of his advance in life; he was no longer a baby; the
nursery was now a schoolroom; he stayed up an hour later at night;
he was to be allowed twopence a week pocket…money; his whole social
status had risen。 He began to read for pleasure; and discovered that
it was easier than he had expected; so that he passed quite quickly
through 〃Lottie's Visit to Grandmama〃 into 〃Stumps〃 and out again in
〃Jackanapes。〃 He heard some elder say that the road to a large
fortune lay through 〃Sums;〃 and; although this seemed to him an
extremely mysterious statement; he determined to give the theory a
chance。 In fact; he sat down the first day at the schoolroom table;
Mary and Helen on each side of him; and Miss Jones facing them; with
fine resolves and high ambitions。 Before him lay a pure white page;
and at the head of this the noble words in a running hand: 〃Slow and
steady wins the race。〃 He grasped his pencil; and Miss Jones; eager
to lose no time in asserting her authority; cried: 〃But that's not
the way to hold your pencil; Jeremy; your thumb so; your finger so。〃
He scowled and found that lifting his thumb over the pencil was as
difficult as lifting Hamlet over a gate。 He made a bold attempt; but
the pencil refused to move。

〃Can't hold it that way;〃 he said。

〃You must never say 'can't;' Jeremy;〃 remarked Miss Jones。 〃There
isn't such a word。〃

〃Oh; yes;〃 said Mary eagerly; 〃there is; I've seen it in books。〃

〃You musn't contradict; Mary;〃 said Miss Jones。 〃I only meant that
you must behave as though there isn't; because nothing is impossible
to one who truly tries。〃

〃My pencil waggles this way;〃 said Jeremy politely。 〃I think I'll
hold it the old way; please。〃

〃There's

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