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第16节

jeremy-第16节

小说: jeremy 字数: 每页4000字

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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 only one way of doing anything;〃 said Miss Jones; 〃and
that's the right way。〃

〃This is the right way for me;〃 said Jeremy。

〃If I say it's not the right way〃

〃But it waggles;〃 cried Jeremy。

The discussion was interrupted by a cry from Helen。

〃Oh; do look; Miss Jones; Hamlet's got your spectacle… case。 He
thinks it's a mouse。〃

There followed general confusion。 Miss Jones jumped up; and; with
little cries of distress; pursued Hamlet; who hastened into his
favourite corner and began to worry the spectacle…case; with one eye
on Miss Jones and one on his spoils。

Jeremy hurried up crying: 〃Put it down; Hamlet; naughty dog; naughty
dog;〃 and Mary and Helen laughed with frantic delight。

At last Miss Jones; her face red and her hair in disorder; rescued
her property and returned to the table; Hamlet meanwhile wagging his
tail; panting and watching for a further game。

〃I can't possibly;〃 said Miss Jones; 〃allow that dog in here during
lesson hours。 It's impossible。〃

〃Oh; but Miss Jones〃 began Jeremy。

〃Not one word;〃 said she; 〃let us have no more of this。 Lead him
from the room; Jeremy!〃

〃But; Miss Jones; he must be here。 He's learning too。 In a day or
two he'll be as good as anything; really he will。 He's so
intelligent。 He really thought it was his to play with; and he did
give it up; didn't he; as soon as I said〃

〃Enough;〃 said Miss Jones; 〃I will listen to no more。 I say he is
not to remain〃

〃But if I promise〃 said Jeremy。

Then Miss Jones made a bad mistake。 Wearied of the argument; wishing
to continue the lesson; and hoping perhaps to please her tormentors;
she said meekly:

〃Well; if he really is good; perhaps〃

From that instant her doom was sealed。 The children exchanged a
glance of realisation。 Jeremy smiled。 The lesson was continued。 What
possessed Jeremy now? What possesses any child; naturally perhaps;
of a kindly and even sentimental nature at the sight of something
helpless and in its power? Is there any cruelty in after life like
the cruelty of a small boy; and is there anything more powerful;
more unreasoning; and more malicious than the calculating tortures
that small children devise for those weaker than themselves? Jeremy
was possessed with a new power。

It was something almost abstract in its manifestations; it was
something indecent; sinister; secret; foreign to his whole nature
felt by him now for the first time; unanalysed; of course; but
belonging; had he known it; to that world of which afterwards he was
often to catch glimpses; that world of shining white faces in dark
streets; of muffled cries from shuttered windows; of muttered
exclamations; half caught; half understood。 He was never again to be
quite free from the neighbourhood of that half…world; he would never
be quite sure of his dominance of it until he died。

He had never felt anything like this power before。 With the Jampot
his relations had been quite simple; he had been rebellious;
naughty; disobedient; and had been punished; and there was an end。
Now there was a game like tracking Red Indians in the prairie or
tigers in the jungle。

He watched Miss Jones and discovered many things about her。 He
discovered that when she made mistakes in the things that she taught
them she was afraid to confess to her mistakes; and so made them
worse and worse。 He discovered that she was very nervous; and that a
sudden noise made her jump and turn white and put her hand to her
heart。 He discovered that she would punish him and then try to
please him by saying he need not finish his punishment。 He
discovered that she would lose things; like her spectacles; her
handkerchief; or her purse; and then be afraid to confess that she
had lost them and endeavour to proceed without them。 He discovered
that she hated to hit him on the hand with a ruler (he scarcely felt
the strokes)。 He discovered that when his mother or father was in
the room she was terrified lest he should misbehave。

He discovered that she was despised by the servants; who quite
openly insulted her。

All these things fed his sense of power。 He did not consider her a
human being at all; she was simply something upon which he could
exercise his ingenuity and cleverness。 Mary followed him in whatever
he did; Helen pretended to be superior; but was not。 Yes; Miss Jones
was in the hands of her tormentors; and there was no escape for her。

Surely it must have been some outside power that drove Jeremy on。
The children called it 〃teasing Miss Jones;〃 and the aboriginal
savagery in their behaviour was as unconscious as their daily speech
or fashion of eating their foodsome instinct inherited; perhaps;
from the days when the gentleman with the biggest muscles extracted
for his daily amusement the teeth and nails of his less happily
muscular friends。

There were many games to be played with Miss Jones。 She always began
her morning with a fine show of authority; accumulated; perhaps;
during hours of Spartan resolution whilst the rest of the household
slept。 〃To…morrow I'll see that they do what I tell them〃

〃Now; children;〃 she would say; 〃I'm determined to stand no nonsense
this morning。 Get out your copy books。〃 Five minutes later would
begin: 〃Oh; Miss Jones; I can't write with this pencil。 May I find a
better one?〃 Granted permission; Mary's head and large spectacles
would disappear inside the schoolroom cupboard。 Soon Jeremy would
say very politely: 〃Miss Jones; I think I know where it is。 May I
help her to find it?〃 Then Jeremy's head would disappear。 There
would follow giggles; whispers; again giggles; then from the
cupboard a book tumbles; then another; then another。 Then Miss Jones
would say: 〃Now; Jeremy; come back to the table。 You've had quite
enough time〃 interrupted by a perfect avalanche of books。 Mary
crying:

〃Oh; Jeremy!〃 Jeremy crying: 〃I didn't; it was you!〃 Miss Jones:
〃Now; children〃

Then Jeremy; very politely:

〃Please; Miss Jones; may I help Mary to pick the books up? There are
rather a lot。〃 Then; both on their knees; more whispers and giggles。
Miss Jones; her voice trembling: 〃Children; I really insist〃 And
more books dropped; and more whispers and more protests; and so on
ad infinitum。 A beautiful game to be played all the morning。

Or there was the game of Not Hearing。 Miss Jones would say: 〃And
twice two are four。〃 Mary would repeat loudly: 〃And twice two is
five〃

〃Four; Mary。〃

〃Oh; I thought you said five。〃

And then a second later Jeremy would ask:

〃Did you say four or five; Miss Jones?〃

〃I told Mary I said four〃

〃Oh; I've written fiveand now it's all wrong。 Didn't you write
five; Mary?〃

〃Yes; I've written five。 You did say four; didn't you; Miss Jones?〃

〃Yesyes。 And three makes〃

〃What did you say made five?〃 asked Jeremy。

〃I didn't say five。 I said four。 Twice two。〃

〃Is that as well as 'add three;' Miss Jones? I've got twice two; and
then add three; and then twice two〃

〃No; no。 I was only telling Jeremy〃

〃Please; Miss Jones; would you mind beginning again〃

This is a very unpleasant game for a lady with neuralgia。

Or there is the game of Making a Noise。 At this game; without any
earlier training or practice; Jeremy was a perfect master。 The three
children would be sitting there very; very quiet; learning the first
verse of 〃Tiger; Tiger; burning bright〃 A very gentle creaking
sound would break the stillnessa creaking sound that can be made;
if you are clever; by rubbing a boot against a boot。 It would not
come regularly; but once; twice; thrice; a pause; and then once;
twice and another pause。

〃Who's making a noise?〃

Dead silence。 A very long pause; and then it would begin again。

〃That noise must cease; I say。 Jeremy; what are you doing?〃

He would lift to her then eyes full of meekness and love。

〃Nothing; Miss Jones。〃

Soon it would begin again。 Miss Jones would be silent this time; and
then Mary would speak。

〃Please; would you ask Jeremy not to rub his boots together? I can't
learn my verse〃

〃I didn't know I was;〃 says Jeremy。

Then it would begin again。 Jeremy would say:

〃Please; may I take my boots off?〃

〃Take your boots off? Why?〃

〃They will rub together; and I can't stop them; because I don't know
when I do it; and it is hard for Mary〃

〃Of course not! I never heard of such a thing! Next time you do it
you must stand on your chair。〃

Soon Jeremy is standing on his chair。 Soon his poetry book drops
with a terrible crash to the ground; and five million pins stab Miss
Jones's heart。 With white face and trembling hands; she says:

〃Go and stand in the corner; Jeremy! I shall have to speak to your
mother!〃

He goes; grinning at Mary; and stands there knowing that his victim
is watching the door in an agony lest Mrs。 Cole should suddenly come
in and inquire what Jeremy had done; and that so the whole story of
his insubordination be revealed and Miss Jones lose her situation
for incapacity。

How did he discover this final weakness of Miss Jones? No one told
him; but he knew; and; as the days passed; rejoiced in 

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