penrod-第14部分

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〃Where　are　you？〃　shouted　Mr。　Williams；　his　roving　glance

searching　ambient　heights。　　Another　low…spirited　yodel　reaching

his　ear；　he　perceived　the　head　and　shoulders　of　his　friend

projecting　above　the　roofridge　of　the　stable。　　The　rest　of

Penrod's　body　was　concealed　from　view；　reposing　upon　the　opposite

slant　of　the　gable　and　precariously　secured　by　the　crooking　of

his　elbows　over　the　ridge。



〃Yay！　　What　you　doin'　up　there？〃



〃Nothin'。〃



〃You　better　be　careful！〃　Sam　called。　　〃You'll　slide　off　and

fall　down　in　the　alley　if　you　don't　look　out。　　I　come　pert'　near

it　last　time　we　was　up　there。　　Come　on　down！　　Ain't　you　goin'　to

the　cotillon？〃



Penrod　made　no　reply。　　Sam　came　nearer。



〃Say；〃　he　called　up　in　a　guarded　voice；　〃I　went　to　our

telephone　a　while　ago　and　ast　him　how　he　was　feelin'；　and　he　said

he　felt　fine！〃



〃So　did　I；〃　said　Penrod。　　〃He　told　me　he　felt　bully！〃



Sam　thrust　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　brooded。　　The　opening

of　the　kitchen　door　caused　a　diversion。　　It　was　Della。



〃Mister　Penrod；〃　she　bellowed　forthwith；　〃come　ahn　down　fr'm

up　there！　　Y'r　mamma's　at　the　dancin'　class　waitin'　fer　ye；　an'

she's　telephoned　me　they're　goin'　to　beginan'　what's　the　matter

with　ye？　　Come　ahn　down　fr'm　up　there！〃



〃Come　on！〃　urged　Sam。　　〃We'll　be　late。　　There　go　Maurice　and

Marjorie　now。〃



A　glittering　car　spun　by；　disclosing　briefly　a　genre　picture

of　Marjorie　Jones　in　pink；　supporting　a　monstrous　sheaf　of

American　Beauty　roses。　　Maurice；　sitting　shining　and　joyous

beside　her；　saw　both　boys　and　waved　them　a　hearty　greeting　as　the

car　turned　the　corner。



Penrod　uttered　some　muffled　words　and　then　waved　both　arms

either　in　response　or　as　an　expression　of　his　condition　of　mind；

it　may　have　been　a　gesture　of　despair。　　How　much　intention　there

was　in　this　actobviously　so　rash；　considering　the　position　he

occupiedit　is　impossible　to　say。　　Undeniably　there　must　remain

a　suspicion　of　deliberate　purpose。



Della　screamed　and　Sam　shouted。　　Penrod　had　disappeared　from

view。



The　delayed　dance　was　about　to　begin　a　most　uneven　cotillon

when　Samuel　Williams　arrived。



Mrs。　Schofield　hurriedly　left　the　ballroom；　while　Miss

Rennsdale；　flushing　with　sudden　happiness；　curtsied　profoundly　to

Professor　Bartet　and　obtained　his　attention。



〃I　have　telled　you　fifty　times；〃　he　informed　her　passionately

ere　she　spoke；　〃I　cannot　make　no　such　changes。　　If　your　partner

comes　you　have　to　dance　with　him。　　You　are　going　to　drive　me

crazy；　sure！　　What　is　it？　　What　now？　　What　you　want？〃



The　damsel　curtsied　again　and　handed　him　the　following

communication；　addressed　to　herself：





〃Dear　madam　Please　excuse　me　from　dancing　the　cotilon　with

you　this　afternoon　as　I　have　fell　off　the　barn　

〃Sincerly　yours

〃PENROD　SCHOFIELD。〃





　

CHAPTER　XV

THE　TWO　FAMILIES



Penrod　entered　the　schoolroom；　Monday　picturesquely　leaning　upon

a　man's　cane　shortened　to　support　a　cripple　approaching　the　age

of　twelve。　　He　arrived　about　twenty　minutes　late；　limping　deeply；

his　brave　young　mouth　drawn　with　pain；　and　the　sensation　he

created　must　have　been　a　solace　to　him；　the　only　possible

criticism　of　this　entrance　being　that　it　was　just　a　shade　too

heroic。　　Perhaps　for　that　reason　it　failed　to　stagger　Miss

Spence；　a　woman　so　saturated　with　suspicion　that　she　penalized

Penrod　for　tardiness　as　promptly　and　as　coldly　as　if　he　had　been

a　mere；　ordinary；　unmutilated　boy。　　Nor　would　she

entertain　any　discussion　of　the　justice　of　her　ruling。　　It

seemed；　almost；　that　she　feared　to　argue　with　him。



However；　the　distinction　of　cane　and　limp　remained　to　him；

consolations　which　he　protracted　far　into　the　weekuntil

Thursday　evening；　in　fact；　when　Mr。　Schofield；　observing　from　a

window　his　son's　pursuit　of　Duke　round　and　round　the　backyard；

confiscated　the　cane；　with　the　promise　that　it　should　not　remain

idle　if　he　saw　Penrod　limping　again。　　Thus；　succeeding　a

depressing　Friday；　another　Saturday　brought　the　necessity　for　new

inventions。



It　was　a　scented　morning　in　apple…blossom　time。　　At　about　ten

of　the　clock　Penrod　emerged　hastily　from　the　kitchen　door。　　His

pockets　bulged　abnormally；　so　did　his　checks；　and　he　swallowed

with　difficulty。　　A　threatening　mop；　wielded　by　a　cooklike　arm　in

a　checkered　sleeve；　followed　him　through　the　doorway；　and　he　was

preceded　by　a　small；　hurried；　wistful　dog　with　a　warm　doughnut　in

his　mouth。　　The　kitchen　door　slammed　petulantly；　enclosing　the

sore　voice　of　Della；　whereupon　Penrod　and　Duke　seated　themselves

upon　the　pleasant　sward　and　immediately　consumed　the　spoils　of

their　raid。



From　the　cross…street　which　formed　the　side　boundary　of　the

Schofields'　ample　yard　came　a　jingle　of　harness　and　the　cadenced

clatter　of　a　pair　of　trotting　horses；　and　Penrod；　looking　up；

beheld　the　passing　of　a　fat　acquaintance；　torpid　amid　the

conservative　splendours　of　a　rather　old…fashioned　victoria。　

This　was　Roderick　Magsworth　Bitts；　Junior；　a　fellow　sufferer　at

the　Friday　Afternoon　Dancing　Class；　but　otherwise　not　often　a

companion：　a　home…sheltered　lad；　tutored　privately　and　preserved

against　the　coarsening　influences　of　rude　comradeship　and

miscellaneous　information。　　Heavily　overgrown　in　all　physical

dimensions；　virtuous；　and　placid；　this　cloistered　mutton　was

wholly　uninteresting　to　Penrod　Schofield。　　Nevertheless；　Roderick

Magsworth　Bitts；　Junior；　was　a　personage　on　account　of　the

importance　of　the　Magsworth　Bitts　family；　and　it　was　Penrod's

destiny　to　increase　Roderick's　celebrity　far；　far　beyond　its

present　aristocratic　limitations。



The　Magsworth　Bittses　were　important　because　they　were

impressive；　there　was　no　other　reason。　　And　they　were　impressive

because　they　believed　themselves　important。　　The　adults　of　the

family　were　impregnably　formal；　they　dressed　with　reticent

elegance；　and　wore　the　same　nose　and　the　same　expressionan

expression　which　indicated　that　they　knew　something　exquisite　and

sacred　which　other　people　could　never　know。　　Other　people；　in

their　presence；　were　apt　to　feel　mysteriously　ignoble　and　to

become　secretly　uneasy　about　ancestors；　gloves；　and

pronunciation。　　The　Magsworth　Bitts　manner　was　withholding　and

reserved；　though　sometimes　gracious；　granting　small　smiles　as

great　favours　and　giving　off　a　chilling　kind　of　preciousness。　

Naturally；　when　any　citizen　of　the　community　did　anything

unconventional　or　improper；　or　made　a　mistake；　or　had　a　relative

who　went　wrong；　that　citizen's　first　and　worst　fear　was　that　the

Magsworth　Bittses　would　hear　of　it。　　In　fact；　this　painful　family

had　for　years　terrorized　the　community；　though　the　community　had

never　realized　that　it　was　terrorized；　and　invariably　spoke　of

the　family　as　the　〃most　charming　circle　in　town。〃　　By　common

consent；　Mrs。　Roderick　Magsworth　Bitts　officiated　as　the　supreme

model　as　well　as　critic…in…chief　of　morals　and　deportment　for　all

the　unlucky　people　prosperous　enough　to　be　elevated　to　her

acquaintance。



Magsworth　was　the　important　part　of　the　name。　　Mrs。　Roderick

Magsworth　Bitts　was　a　Magsworth　born；　herself；　and　the　Magsworth

crest　decorated　not　only　Mrs。　Magsworth　Bitts'　note…paper　but　was

on　the　china；　on　the　table　linen；　on　the　chimney…pieces；　on　the

opaque　glass　of　the　front　door；　on　the　victoria；　and　on　the

harness；　though　omitted　from　the　garden…hose　and　the　lawn…mower。



Naturally；　no　sensible　person　dreamed　of　connecting　that

illustrious　crest　with　the　unfortunate　and　notorious　Rena

Magsworth　whose　name　had　grown　week　by　week　into　larger　and

larger　type　upon　the　front　pages　of　newspapers；　owing　to　the

gradually　increasing　public　and　official　belief　that　she　had

poisoned　a　family　of　eight。　　However；　the　statement　that　no

sensible　person　could　have　connected　the　Magsworth　Bitts

family　with　the　arsenical　Rena　takes　no　account　of　Penrod

Schofield。



Penrod　never　missed　a　murder；　a　hanging　or　an　electrocution

in　the　newspapers；　he　knew　almost　as　much　about　Rena　Magsworth　as

her　jurymen　did；　though　they　sat　in　a　court…room　two　hundred

miles　away；　and　he　had　it　in　mindso　frank　he　wasto　ask

Roderick　Magsworth　Bitts；　Junior；　if　the　murderess　happened　to　be

a　relative。



The　present　encounter；　being　merely　one　of　apathetic

greeting；　did　not　afford　the　opportunity。　　Penrod　took　off　his

cap；　and　Roderick；　seated　between　his　mother　and　one　of　his

grown…up　sisters；　nodded　sluggishly；　but　neither　Mrs。　Magsworth

Bitts　nor　her　daughter　acknowledged　the　salutation　of　the　boy　in

the　yard。　　They　disapproved　of　him　as　a　person　of　little

consequence；　and　that　little；　bad。　　Snubbed；　Penrod　thoughtfully

restored　his　cap　to　his　head。　　A　boy　can　be　cut　as　effectually　as

a　man；　and　this　one　was　chilled　to　a　low　temperature。　　He

wondered　if　they　despised　him　because　they　had　seen　a　last

fragment　of　doughnut　in　his　hand；　then　he　thought　that　perhaps　it

was　Duke　who　had　disgraced　him。　　Duke　was　certainly　no

fashionable　looking　dog。



The　resilient　spirits　of　youth；　however；　presently　revived；

and　discovering　a　spider　upon　one　knee　and　a　beetle

simultaneously　upon　the　other；　Penrod　forgot　Mrs。　Roderick

Magsworth　Bitts　in　the　course　of　some　experiments　infringing　upon

the　domain　of　Doctor　Carrel。　　Penrod's　effortswith　the　aid

of　a　pinto　effect　a　transference　of　living　organism　were

unsuccessful；　but　he　convinced　himself　forever　that　a　spider

cannot　walk　with　a　beetle's　legs。　　Della　then　enhanced　zoological

interest　by　depositing　upon　the　back　porch　a　large　rat…trap　from

the　cellar；　the　prison　of　four　live　rats　awaiting　execution。



Penrod　at　once　took　possession；　retiring　to　the　empty　stable；

where　he　installed　the　rats　in　a　small　wooden　box　with　a　sheet　of

broken　window…glassheld　down　by　a　brickbatover　the　top。　　Thus

the　symptoms　of　their　agitation；　when　the　box　was　shaken　or

hammered　upon；　could　be　studied　at　leisure。　　Altogether　thi