the fatal boots-第8节

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tens　of　thousands　in　this　world；　dear　children；　who　would　count　our

poverty　riches。〃　　And　with　this　she　kissed　my　two　sisters；　who

began　to　blubber；　as　girls　always　will　do；　and　threw　their　arms

round　her　neck；　and　then　round　my　neck；　until　I　was　half　stifled

with　their　embraces；　and　slobbered　all　over　with　their　tears。



〃Dearest　mamma；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　very　glad　to　see　the　noble　manner　in

which　you　bear　your　loss；　and　more　still　to　know　that　you　are　so

rich　as　to　be　able　to　put　up　with　it。〃　　The　fact　was；　I　really

thought　the　old　lady　had　got　a　private　hoard　of　her　own；　as　many　of

them　havea　thousand　pounds　or　so　in　a　stocking。　　Had　she　put　by

thirty　pounds　a　year；　as　well　she　might；　for　the　thirty　years　of

her　marriage；　there　would　have　been　nine　hundred　pounds　clear；　and

no　mistake。　　But　still　I　was　angry　to　think　that　any　such　paltry

concealment　had　been　practisedconcealment　too　of　MY　money；　so　I

turned　on　her　pretty　sharply；　and　continued　my　speech。　　〃You　say；

Ma'am；　that　you　are　rich；　and　that　Pump　and　Aldgate's　failure　has

no　effect　upon　you。　　I　am　very　happy　to　hear　you　say　so；　Ma'am

very　happy　that　you　ARE　rich；　and　I　should　like　to　know　where　your

property；　my　father's　property；　for　you　had　none　of　your　own；I

should　like　to　know　where　this　money　liesWHERE　YOU　HAVE　CONCEALED

IT；　Ma'am；　and；　permit　me　to　say；　that　when　I　agreed　to　board　you

and　my　two　sisters　for　eighty　pounds　a　year；　I　did　not　know　that

you　had　OTHER　resources　than　those　mentioned　in　my　blessed　father's

will。〃



This　I　said　to　her　because　I　hated　the　meanness　of　concealment；　not

because　I　lost　by　the　bargain　of　boarding　them：　for　the　three　poor

things　did　not　eat　much　more　than　sparrows：　and　I've　often　since

calculated　that　I　had　a　clear　twenty　pounds　a　year　profit　out　of

them。



Mamma　and　the　girls　looked　quite　astonished　when　I　made　the　speech。

〃What　does　he　mean？〃　said　Lucy　to　Eliza。



Mamma　repeated　the　question。　　〃My　beloved　Robert；　what　concealment

are　you　talking　of？〃



〃I　am　talking　of　concealed　property；　Ma'am；〃　says　I　sternly。



〃And　do　youwhatcan　youdo　you　really　suppose　that　I　have

concealedany　of　that　blessed　sa…a…a…aint's　prop…op…op…operty？〃

screams　out　mamma。　　〃Robert；〃　says　she〃Bob；　my　own　darling　boy

my　fondest；　best　beloved；　now　HE　is　gone〃　（meaning　my　late

governormore　tears）〃you　don't；　you　cannot　fancy　that　your　own

mother；　who　bore　you；　and　nursed　you；　and　wept　for　you；　and　would

give　her　all　to　save　you　from　a　moment's　harmyou　don't　suppose

that　she　would　che…e…e…eat　you！〃　　And　here　she　gave　a　louder

screech　than　ever；　and　flung　back　on　the　sofa；　and　one　of　my

sisters　went　and　tumbled　into　her　arms；　and　t'other　went　round；　and

the　kissing　and　slobbering　scene　went　on　again；　only　I　was　left

out；　thank　goodness。　　I　hate　such　sentimentality。



〃CHE…E…E…EAT　ME；〃　says　I；　mocking　her。　　〃What　do　you　mean；　then；　by

saying　you're　so　rich？　　Say；　have　you　got　money；　or　have　you　not？〃

（And　I　rapped　out　a　good　number　of　oaths；　too；　which　I　don't　put　in

here；　but　I　was　in　a　dreadful　fury；　that's　the　fact。）



〃So　help　me　heaven；〃　says　mamma；　in　answer；　going　down　on　her　knees

and　smacking　her　two　hands；　〃I　have　but　a　Queen　Anne's　guinea　in

the　whole　of　this　wicked　world。〃



〃Then　what；　Madam；　induces　you　to　tell　these　absurd　stories　to　me；

and　to　talk　about　your　riches；　when　you　know　that　you　and　your

daughters　are　beggars；　Ma'amBEGGARS？〃



〃My　dearest　boy；　have　we　not　got　the　house；　and　the　furniture；　and

a　hundred　a　year　still；　and　have　you　not　great　talents；　which　will

make　all　our　fortunes？〃　says　Mrs。　Stubbs；　getting　up　off　her　knees；

and　making　believe　to　smile　as　she　clawed　hold　of　my　hand　and

kissed　it。



This　was　TOO　cool。　　〃YOU　have　got　a　hundred　a　year；　Ma'am；〃　says　I

〃YOU　have　got　a　house？　　Upon　my　soul　and　honor　this　is　the　first　I

ever　heard　of　it；　and　I'll　tell　you　what；　Ma'am；〃　says　I　（and　it

cut　her　PRETTY　SHARPLY　too）：　〃as　you've　got　it；　YOU'D　BETTER　GO　AND

LIVE　IN　IT。　　I've　got　quite　enough　to　do　with　my　own　house；　and

every　penny　of　my　own　income。〃



Upon　this　speech　the　old　lady　said　nothing；　but　she　gave　a　screech

loud　enough　to　be　heard　from　here　to　York；　and　down　she　fell

kicking　and　struggling　in　a　regular　fit。



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I　did　not　see　Mrs。　Stubbs　for　some　days　after　this；　and　the　girls

used　to　come　down　to　meals；　and　never　speak；　going　up　again　and

stopping　with　their　mother。　　At　last；　one　day；　both　of　them　came　in

very　solemn　to　my　study；　and　Eliza；　the　eldest；　said；　〃Robert；

mamma　has　paid　you　our　board　up　to　Michaelmas。〃



〃She　has；〃　says　I；　for　I　always　took　precious　good　care　to　have　it

in　advance。



〃She　says；　Robert；　That　on　Michaelmas　daywe'llwe'll　go　away；

Robert。〃



〃Oh；　she's　going　to　her　own　house；　is　she；　Lizzy？　　Very　good。

She'll　want　the　furniture；　I　suppose；　and　that　she　may　have　too；

for　I'm　going　to　sell　the　place　myself。〃　　And　so　THAT　matter　was

settled。



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On　Michaelmas　dayand　during　these　two　months　I　hadn't；　I　do

believe；　seen　my　mother　twice　（once；　about　two　o'clock　in　the

morning；　I　woke　and　found　her　sobbing　over　my　bed）on　Michaelmas…

day　morning；　Eliza　comes　to　me　and　says；　〃ROBERT；　THEY　WILL　COME

AND　FETCH　US　AT　SIX　THIS　EVENING。〃　　Well；　as　this　was　the　last　day；

I　went　and　got　the　best　goose　I　could　find　（I　don't　think　I　ever

saw　a　primer；　or　ate　more　hearty　myself）；　and　had　it　roasted　at

three；　with　a　good　pudding　afterwards；　and　a　glorious　bowl　of

punch。　　〃Here's　a　health　to　you；　dear　girls；〃　says　I；　〃and　you；　Ma；

and　good　luck　to　all　three；　and　as　you've　not　eaten　a　morsel；　I

hope　you　won't　object　to　a　glass　of　punch。　　It's　the　old　stuff；　you

know；　Ma'am；　that　that　Waters　sent　to　my　father　fifteen　years　ago。〃



Six　o'clock　came；　and　with　it　came　a　fine　barouche。　　As　I　live；

Captain　Waters　was　on　the　box　（it　was　his　coach）；　that　old　thief；

Bates；　jumped　out；　entered　my　house；　and　before　I　could　say　Jack

Robinson；　whipped　off　mamma　to　the　carriage：　the　girls　followed；

just　giving　me　a　hasty　shake　of　the　hand；　and　as　mamma　was　helped

in；　Mary　Waters；　who　was　sitting　inside；　flung　her　arms　round　her；

and　then　round　the　girls；　and　the　Doctor；　who　acted　footman；　jumped

on　the　box；　and　off　they　went；　taking　no　more　notice　of　ME　than　if

I'd　been　a　nonentity。



Here's　a　picture　of　the　whole　business：Mamma　and　Miss　Waters　are

sitting　kissing　each　other　in　the　carriage；　with　the　two　girls　in

the　back　seat：　Waters　is　driving　（a　precious　bad　driver　he　is　too）；

and　I'm　standing　at　the　garden　door；　and　whistling。　　That　old　fool

Mary　Malowney　is　crying　behind　the　garden　gate：　she　went　off　next

day　along　with　the　furniture；　and　I　to　get　into　that　precious

scrape　which　I　shall　mention　next。





SEPTEMBER。PLUCKING　A　GOOSE。





After　my　papa's　death；　as　he　left　me　no　money；　and　only　a　little

land；　I　put　my　estate　into　an　auctioneer's　hands；　and　determined　to

amuse　my　solitude　with　a　trip　to　some　of　our　fashionable　watering…

places。　　My　house　was　now　a　desert　to　me。　　I　need　not　say　how　the

departure　of　my　dear　parent；　and　her　children；　left　me　sad　and

lonely。



Well；　I　had　a　little　ready　money；　and；　for　the　estate；　expected　a

couple　of　thousand　pounds。　　I　had　a　good　military…looking　person：

for　though　I　had　absolutely　cut　the　old　North　Bungays　（indeed；

after　my　affair　with　Waters；　Colonel　Craw　hinted　to　me；　in　the　most

friendly　manner；　that　I　had　better　resign）though　I　had　left　the

army；　I　still　retained　the　rank　of　Captain；　knowing　the　advantages

attendant　upon　that　title　in　a　watering…place　tour。



Captain　Stubbs　became　a　great　dandy　at　Cheltenham；　Harrogate；　Bath；

Leamington；　and　other　places。　　I　was　a　good　whist　and　billiard

player；　so　much　so；　that　in　many　of　these　towns；　the　people　used　to

refuse；　at　last；　to　play　with　me；　knowing　how　far　I　was　their

superior。　　Fancy　my　surprise；　about　five　years　after　the　Portsmouth

affair；　when　strolling　one　day　up　the　High　Street；　in　Leamington；

my　eyes　lighted　upon　a　young　man；　whom　I　remembered　in　a　certain

butcher's　yard；　and　elsewhereno　other；　in　fact；　than　Dobble。　　He；

too；　was　dressed　en　militaire；　with　a　frogged　coat　and　spurs；　and

was　walking　with　a　showy…looking；　Jewish…faced；　black…haired　lady；

glittering　with　chains　and　rings；　with　a　green　bonnet　and　a　bird…

of…Paradisea　lilac　shawl；　a　yellow　gown；　pink　silk　stockings；　and

light…blue　shoes。　　Three　children；　and　a　handsome　footman；　were

walking　behind　her；　and　the　party；　not　seeing　me；　entered　the

〃Royal　Hotel〃　together。



I　was　known　myself　at　the　〃Royal；〃　and　calling　one　of　the　waiters；

learned　the　names　of　the　lady　and　gentleman。　　He　was　Captain

Dobble；　the　son　of　the　rich　army…clothier；　Dobble　（Dobble；　Hobble

and　Co。　of　Pall　Mall）；the　lady　was　a　Mrs。　Manasseh；　widow　of　an

American　Jew；　living　quietly　at　Leamington　with　her　child