penrod-第19部分

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The　two　boys　rose；　upon　command；　descended　the　ladder　after

Mr。　Schofield；　bringing　Duke　with　them；　and　stood　before　the

authors　of　their　being；　who　bent　upon　them　sinister　and

threatening　brows。　　With　hanging　heads　and　despondent

countenances；　each　still　ornamented　with　a　moustache　and　an

imperial；　Penrod　and　Sam　awaited　sentence。



This　is　a　boy's　lot：　anything　he　does；　anything　whatever；　may

afterward　turn　out　to　have　been　a　crimehe　never　knows。



And　punishment　and　clemency　are　alike　inexplicable。



Mr。　Williams　took　his　son　by　the　ear。



〃You　march　home！〃　he　commanded。



Sam　marched；　not　looking　back；　and　his　father　followed　the

small　figure　implacably。



〃You　goin'　to　whip　me？〃　quavered　Penrod；　alone　with　Justice。



〃Wash　your　face　at　that　hydrant；〃　said　his　father　sternly。



About　fifteen　minutes　later；　Penrod；　hurriedly　entering　the

corner　drug　store；　two　blocks　distant；　was　astonished　to　perceive

a　familiar　form　at　the　soda　counter。



〃Yay；　Penrod；〃　said　Sam　Williams。　　〃Want　some　sody？　　Come　on。



He　didn't　lick　me。　　He　didn't　do　anything　to　me　at　all。　　He　gave

me　a　quarter。〃



〃So'd　mine；〃　said　Penrod。







CHAPTER　XVIII

MUSIC



Boyhood　is　the　longest　time　in　life　for　a　boy。　　The　last　term　of

the　school…year　is　made　of　decades；　not　of　weeks；　and　living

through　them　is　like　waiting　for　the　millennium。　　But　they　do

pass；　somehow；　and　at　last　there　came　a　day　when　Penrod　was　one

of　a　group　that　capered　out　from　the　gravelled　yard　of　〃Ward

School；　Nomber　Seventh；〃　carolling　a　leave…taking　of　the

institution；　of　their　instructress；　and　not　even　forgetting　Mr。

Capps；　the　janitor。

　

　　　〃Good…bye；　teacher！　　Good…bye；　school！

　　　　Good…bye；　Cappsie；　dern　ole　fool！〃



Penrod　sang　the　loudest。　　For　every　boy；　there　is　an　age　when

he　〃finds　his　voice。〃　　Penrod's　had　not　〃changed；〃　but　he　had

found　it。　　Inevitably　that　thing　had　come　upon　his　family　and　the

neighbours；　and　his　father；　a　somewhat　dyspeptic　man；　quoted

frequently　the　expressive　words　of　the　〃Lady　of　Shalott；〃　but

there　were　others　whose　sufferings　were　as　poignant。



Vacation…time　warmed　the　young　of　the　world　to　pleasant

languor；　and　a　morning　came　that　was　like　a　brightly　coloured

picture　in　a　child's　fairy　story。　　Miss　Margaret　Schofield；

reclining　in　a　hammock　upon　the　front　porch；　was　beautiful　in　the

eyes　of　a　newly　made　senior；　well　favoured　and　in　fair　raiment；

beside　her。　　A　guitar　rested　lightly　upon　his　knee；　and　he　was

trying　to　playa　matter　of　some　difficulty；　as　the　floor　of　the

porch　also　seemed　inclined　to　be　musical。　　From　directly　under

his　feet　came　a　voice　of　song；　shrill；　loud；　incredibly　piercing

and　incredibly　flat；　dwelling　upon　each　syllable　with

incomprehensible　reluctance　to　leave　it。



　　　　〃I　have　lands　and　earthly　pow…wur。

　　　　I'd　give　all　for　a　now…wur；

　　　　Whi…ilst　setting　at　MY…Y…Y　dear　old　mother's　knee…ee；

　　　　So…o…o　rem…mem…bur　whilst　you're　young〃



Miss　Schofield　stamped　heartily　upon　the　musical　floor。



〃It's　Penrod；〃　she　explained。　　〃The　lattice　at　the　end　of　the

porch　is　loose；　and　he　crawls　under　and　comes　out　all　bugs。　

He's　been　having　a　dreadful　singing　fit　latelyrunning　away　to

picture　shows　and　vaudeville；　I　suppose。〃



Mr。　Robert　Williams　looked　upon　her　yearningly。　　He　touched　a

thrilling　chord　on　his　guitar　and　leaned　nearer。　　〃But　you　said

you　have　missed　me；〃　he　began。　　I〃



The　voice　of　Penrod　drowned　all　other　sounds。



　　　　〃So…o…o　rem…mem…bur；　whi…i…ilst　you're　young；

　　　　That　the　day…a…ys　to　you　will　come；

　　　　When　you're　o…o…old　and　only　in　the　way；

　　　　Do　not　scoff　at　them　BEE…cause〃



〃PENROD！〃　Miss　Schofield　stamped　again。



〃You　DID　say　you'd　missed　me；〃　said　Mr。　Robert　Williams；

seizing　hurriedly　upon　the　silence。　　〃Didn't　you　say〃



A　livelier　tune　rose　upward。



　　〃Oh；　you　talk　about　your　fascinating　beauties；

　　　Of　your　dem…O…zells；　your　belles；

　　But　the　littil　dame　I　met；　while　in　the　city；

　　　　She's　par　excellaws　the　queen　of　all　the　swells。

　　She's　sweeter　far〃



Margaret　rose　and　jumped　up　and　down　repeatedly　in　a　well…

calculated　area；　whereupon　the　voice　of　Penrod　cried　chokedly；

〃QUIT　that！〃　and　there　were　subterranean　coughings　and

sneezings。



〃You　want　to　choke　a　person　to　death？〃　he　inquired　severely；

appearing　at　the　end　of　the　porch；　a　cobweb　upon　his　brow。　　And；

continuing；　he　put　into　practice　a　newly　acquired　phrase；

〃You　better　learn　to　be　more　considerick　of　other　people's

comfort。〃



Slowly　and　grievedly　he　withdrew；　passed　to　the　sunny　side　of

the　house；　reclined　in　the　warm　grass　beside　his　wistful　Duke；

and　presently　sang　again。



　　〃She's　sweeter　far　than　the　flower　I　named　her　after；　

　　　　　And　the　memery　of　her　smile　it　haunts　me　YET！

　　When　in　after　years　the　moon　is　soffly　beamun'

　　　　　And　at　eve　I　smell　the　smell　of　mignonette

　　I　will　re…CALL　that〃



〃Pen…ROD！〃



Mr。　Schofield　appeared　at　an　open　window　upstairs；　a　book　in

his　hand。



〃Stop　it！〃　he　commanded。　　〃Can't　I　stay　home　with　a　headache

ONE　morning　from　the　office　without　having　to　listen　toI

never　DID　hear　such　squawking！〃　　He　retired　from　the　window；

having　too　impulsively　called　upon　his　Maker。　　Penrod；　shocked

and　injured；　entered　the　house；　but　presently　his　voice　was　again

audible　as　far　as　the　front　porch。　　He　was　holding　converse　with

his　mother；　somewhere　in　the　interior。



〃Well；　what　of　it？　　Sam　Williams　told　me　his　mother　said　if

Bob　ever　did　think　of　getting　married　to　Margaret；　his　mother

said　she'd　like　to　know　what　in　the　name　o'　goodness　they　expect

to〃



Bang！　　Margaret　thought　it　better　to　close　the　front　door。



The　next　minute　Penrod　opened　it。　　〃I　suppose　you　want　the

whole　family　to　get　a　sunstroke；〃　he　said　reprovingly。　　〃Keepin'

every　breath　of　air　out　o'　the　house　on　a　day　like　this！〃



And　he　sat　down　implacably　in　the　doorway。



The　serious　poetry　of　all　languages　has　omitted　the　little

brother；　and　yet　he　is　one　of　the　great　trials　of　lovethe

immemorial　burden　of　courtship。　　Tragedy　should　have　found　place

for　him；　but　he　has　been　left　to　the　haphazard　vignettist　of　Grub

Street。　　He　is　the　grave　and　real　menace　of　lovers；　his　head　is

sacred　and　terrible；　his　power　illimitable。　　There　is　one　way

only　oneto　deal　with　him；　but　Robert　Williams；　having　a　brother

of　Penrod's　age；　understood　that　way。



Robert　had　one　dollar　in　the　world。　　He　gave　it　to　Penrod

immediately。



Enslaved　forever；　the　new　Rockefeller　rose　and　went　forth

upon　the　highway；　an　overflowing　heart　bursting　the　floodgates　of

song。



〃In　her　eyes　the　light　of　love　was　soffly　gleamun'；

　　　So　sweetlay；

　　　So　neatlay。

On　the　banks　the　moon's　soff　light　was　brightly　streamun'；

　　　Words　of　love　I　then　spoke　TO　her。

　　　She　was　purest　of　the　PEW…er：

‘Littil　sweetheart；　do　not　sigh；

Do　not　weep　and　do　not　cry。

I　will　build　a　littil　cottige　just　for　yew…EW…EW　and　I。'〃



In　fairness；　it　must　be　called　to　mind　that　boys　older　than

Penrod　have　these　wellings　of　pent　melody；　a　wife　can　never　tell

when　she　is　to　undergo　a　musical　morning；　and　even　the　golden

wedding　brings　her　no　security；　a　man　of　ninety　is　liable　to

bust…loose　in　song；　any　time。



Invalids　murmured　pitifully　as　Penrod　came　within　hearing；

and　people　trying　to　think　cursed　the　day　that　they　were　born；

when　he　went　shrilling　by。　　His　hands　in　his　pockets；　his　shining

face　uplifted　to　the　sky　of　June；　he　passed　down　the　street；

singing　his　way　into　the　heart's　deepest　hatred　of　all　who　heard

him。



　〃One　evuning　I　was　sturow…ling

　　　　Midst　the　city　of　the　DEAD；

　I　viewed　where　all　a…round　me

　　　　Their　PEACE…full　graves　was　SPREAD。

　But　that　which　touched　me　mostlay〃



He　had　reached　his　journey's　end；　a　junk…dealer's　shop

wherein　lay　the　long…desired　treasure　of　his　soulan　accordion

which　might　have　possessed　a　high　quality　of　interest　for　an

antiquarian；　being　unquestionably　a　ruin；　beautiful　in　decay；　and

quite　beyond　the　sacrilegious　reach　of　the　restorer。　　But　it　was

still　able　to　disgorge　soundsloud；　strange；　compelling　sounds；

which　could　be　heard　for　a　remarkable　distance　in　all　directions；

and　it　had　one　rich　calf…like　tone　that　had　gone　to　Penrod's

heart。　　He　obtained　the　instrument　for　twenty…two　cents；　a

price　long　since　agreed　upon　with　the　junk…dealer；　who

falsely　claimed　a　loss　of　profit；　Shylock　that　he　was！　　He　had

found　the　wreck　in　an　alley。



With　this　purchase　suspended　from　his　shoulder　by　a　faded

green　cord；　Penrod　set　out　in　a　somewhat　homeward　direction；　but

not　by　the　route　he　had　just　travelled；　though　his　motive　for　the

change　was　not　humanitarian。　　It　was　his　desire　to　display

himself　thus　troubadouring　to　the　gaze　of　Marjorie　Jones。　

Heralding　his　advance　by　continuous　experiments　in　the　music　of

the　future；　he　pranced　upon　his　blithesome　way；　the　faithful　Duke

at　his　heels。　　（It　was　easier　for　Duke　than　it　would　have　been

for　a　younger　dog；　because；　with　advancing　age；　he　had　begun　to

grow　a　little　deaf。）



Turning　the　corner　nearest　to　the　glamoured　mansion　of　the

Joneses；　the　boy　jongleur　came　suddenly　face　to　face　with

Marjorie；　and；　in　the　delicious　surprise　of　the　encounter；　ceased

to　play；　his　hands；　in　agitation；　falling　from　the　instrument。



Bareheaded；　the　sunshine　glorious　upon　her　amber　curls；

Marjorie　was　strolling　hand…in…hand　with　her　baby　brother；

Mitchell；　four　years　old。　　She　wore　pink　that　dayunforgettable

pink；　with　a　broad；　black　patent…leather　belt；　shimmering

reflections　dancing　upon　its　surface。　　How　beautiful　she　was！　

How　sacred　the　sweet　little　baby　brother；　whose　privilege　it　was

to　cling　to　that　small　hand；　delicately　powdered　with　freckles。



〃Hello；　Marjorie；〃　said　Penrod；　affecting　carelessness。



〃Hello！〃　said　Marjorie；　with　unexpected　cordiality。　　　She

bent　over　her　bab