penrod-第33部分

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forty…four；　and　of　sixty…nine。　　But；　like　twelve；　seven　is　an

honourable　age；　and　the　ambition　to　attain　it　is　laudable。　

People　look　forward　to　being　seven。　　Similarly；　twenty　is　worthy；

and　so；　arbitrarily；　is　twenty…one；　forty…five　has　great

solidity；　seventy　is　most　commendable　and　each　year　thereafter　an

increasing　honour。　　Thirteen　is　embarrassed　by　the　beginnings　of

a　new　colthood；　the　child　becomes　a　youth。　　But　twelve　is　the

very　top　of　boyhood。



Dressing；　that　morning；　Penrod　felt　that　the　world　was

changed　from　the　world　of　yesterday。　　For　one　thing；　he　seemed　to

own　more　of　it；　this　day　was　HIS　day。　　And　it　was　a　day　worth

owning；　the　midsummer　sunshine；　pouring　gold　through　his　window；

came　from　a　cool　sky；　and　a　breeze　moved　pleasantly　in　his　hair

as　he　leaned　from　the　sill　to　watch　the　tribe　of　clattering

blackbirds　take　wing；　following　their　leader　from　the　trees　in

the　yard　to　the　day's　work　in　the　open　country。　　The　blackbirds

were　his；　as　the　sunshine　and　the　breeze　were　his；　for　they

all　belonged　to　the　day　which　was　his　birthday　and　therefore　most

surely　his。　　Pride　suffused　him：　he　was　twelve！



His　father　and　his　mother　and　Margaret　seemed　to　understand

the　difference　between　to…day　and　yesterday。　　They　were　at　the

table　when　he　descended；　and　they　gave　him　a　greeting　which　of

itself　marked　the　milestone。　　Habitually；　his　entrance　into　a

room　where　his　elders　sat　brought　a　cloud　of　apprehension：　they

were　prone　to　look　up　in　pathetic　expectancy；　as　if　their　thought

was；　〃What　new　awfulness　is　he　going　to　start　NOW？〃　　But　this

morning　they　laughed；　his　mother　rose　and　kissed　him　twelve

times；　so　did　Margaret；　and　his　father　shouted；　〃Well；　well！　

How's　the　MAN？〃



Then　his　mother　gave　him　a　Bible　and　〃The　Vicar　of

Wakefield〃；　Margaret　gave　him　a　pair　of　silver…mounted　hair

brushes；　and　his　father　gave　him　a　〃Pocket　Atlas〃　and　a　small

compass。



〃And　now；　Penrod；〃　said　his　mother；　after　breakfast；　〃I'm

going　to　take　you　out　in　the　country　to　pay　your　birthday

respects　to　Aunt　Sarah　Crim。〃



Aunt　Sarah　Crim；　Penrod's　great…aunt；　was　his　oldest　living

relative。　　She　was　ninety；　and　when　Mrs。　Schofield　and　Penrod

alighted　from　a　carriage　at　her　gate　they　found　her　digging　with

a　spade　in　the　garden。



〃I'm　glad　you　brought　him；〃　she　said；　desisting　from

labour。　　〃Jinny's　baking　a　cake　I'm　going　to　send　for　his

birthday　party。　　Bring　him　in　the　house。　　I've　got　something　for

him。〃



She　led　the　way　to　her　〃sitting…room；〃　which　had　a　pleasant

smell；　unlike　any　other　smell；　and；　opening　the　drawer　of　a

shining　old　what…not；　took　therefrom　a　boy's　〃sling…shot；〃　made

of　a　forked　stick；　two　strips　of　rubber　and　a　bit　of　leather。



〃This　isn't　for　you；〃　she　said；　placing　it　in　Penrod's　eager

hand。　　〃No。　　It　would　break　all　to　pieces　the　first　time　you

tried　to　shoot　it；　because　it　is　thirty…five　years　old。　　I　want

to　send　it　back　to　your　father。　　I　think　it's　time。　　You　give　it

to　him　from　me；　and　tell　him　I　say　I　believe　I　can　trust　him　with

it　now。　　I　took　it　away　from　him　thirty…five　years　ago；　one　day

after　he'd　killed　my　best　hen　with　it；　accidentally；　and　broken　a

glass　pitcher　on　the　back　porch　with　itaccidentally。　　He

doesn't　look　like　a　person　who's　ever　done　things　of　that　sort；

and　I　suppose　he's　forgotten　it　so　well　that　he　believes　he　never

DID；　but　if　you　give　it　to　him　from　me　I　think　he'll

remember。　　You　look　like　him；　Penrod。　　He　was　anything　but　a

handsome　boy。〃



After　this　final　bit　of　reminiscenceprobably　designed　to　be

repeated　to　Mr。　Schofieldshe　disappeared　in　the　direction　of

the　kitchen；　and　returned　with　a　pitcher　of　lemonade　and　a　blue

china　dish　sweetly　freighted　with　flat　ginger　cookies　of　a

composition　that　was　her　own　secret。　　Then；　having　set　this

collation　before　her　guests；　she　presented　Penrod　with　a　superb；

intricate；　and　very　modern　machine　of　destructive　capacities

almost　limitless。　　She　called　it　a　pocket…knife。



〃I　suppose　you'll　do　something　horrible　with　it；〃　she　said；

composedly。　　〃I　hear　you　do　that　with　everything；　anyhow；　so　you

might　as　well　do　it　with　this；　and　have　more　fun　out　of　it。　　They

tell　me　you're　the　Worst　Boy　in　Town。〃



〃Oh；　Aunt　Sarah！〃　Mrs。　Schofield　lifted　a　protesting　hand。



〃Nonsense！〃　said　Mrs。　Crim。



〃But　on　his　birthday！〃



〃That's　the　time　to　say　it。　　Penrod；　aren't　you　the　Worst　Boy

in　Town？〃



Penrod；　gazing　fondly　upon　his　knife　and　eating　cookies

rapidly；　answered　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　absently；　〃Yes'm。〃



〃Certainly！〃　said　Mrs。　Crim。　　〃Once　you　accept　a　thing　about

yourself　as　established　and　settled；　it's　all　right。　　Nobody

minds。　　Boys　are　just　people；　really。〃



〃No；　no！〃　Mrs。　Schofield　cried；　involuntarily。



〃Yes；　they　are；〃　returned　Aunt　Sarah。　　〃Only　they're　not

quite　so　awful；　because　they　haven't　learned　to　cover　themselves

all　over　with　little　pretences。　　When　Penrod　grows　up　he'll　be

just　the　same　as　he　is　now；　except　that　whenever　he　does

what　he　wants　to　do　he'll　tell　himself　and　other　people　a

little　story　about　it　to　make　his　reason　for　doing　it　seem　nice

and　pretty　and　noble。〃



〃No；　I　won't！〃　said　Penrod　suddenly。



〃There's　one　cookie　left；〃　observed　Aunt　Sarah。　　〃Are　you

going　to　eat　it？〃



〃Well；〃　said　her　great…nephew；　thoughtfully；　〃I　guess　I

better。〃



〃Why？〃　asked　the　old　lady。　　〃Why　do　you　guess　you'd

‘better'？〃



〃Well；〃　said　Penrod；　with　a　full　mouth；　〃it　might　get　all

dried　up　if　nobody　took　it；　and　get　thrown　out　and　wasted。〃



〃You're　beginning　finely；〃　Mrs。　Crim　remarked。　　〃A　year　ago

you'd　have　taken　the　cookie　without　the　same　sense　of　thrift。〃



〃Ma'am？〃



〃Nothing。　　I　see　that　you're　twelve　years　old；　that's　all。　

There　are　more　cookies；　Penrod。〃　　She　went　away；　returning　with　a

fresh　supply　and　the　observation；　〃Of　course；　you'll　be　sick

before　the　day's　over；　you　might　as　well　get　a　good　start。〃



Mrs。　Schofield　looked　thoughtful。　　〃Aunt　Sarah；〃　she

ventured；　〃don't　you　really　think　we　improve　as　we　get　older？〃



〃Meaning；〃　said　the　old　lady；　〃that　Penrod　hasn't　much　chance

to　escape　the　penitentiary　if　he　doesn't？　　Well；　we　do　learn　to

restrain　ourselves　in　some　things；　and　there　are　people　who

really　want　someone　else　to　take　the　last　cookie；　though

they　aren't　very　common。　　But　it's　all　right；　the　world　seems　to

be　getting　on。〃　　She　gazed　whimsically　upon　her　great…nephew　and

added；　〃Of　course；　when　you　watch　a　boy　and　think　about　him；　it

doesn't　seem　to　be　getting　on　very　fast。〃



Penrod　moved　uneasily　in　his　chair；　he　was　conscious　that　he

was　her　topic　but　unable　to　make　out　whether　or　not　her

observations　were　complimentary；　he　inclined　to　think　they　were

not。　　Mrs。　Crim　settled　the　question　for　him。



〃I　suppose　Penrod　is　regarded　as　the　neighbourhood　curse？〃



〃Oh；　no；〃　cried　Mrs。　Schofield。　　〃He〃



〃I　dare　say　the　neighbours　are　right；〃　continued　the　old　lady

placidly。　　〃He's　had　to　repeat　the　history　of　the　race　and　go

through　all　the　stages　from　the　primordial　to　barbarism。　　You

don't　expect　boys　to　be　civilized；　do　you？〃



〃Well；　I〃



〃You　might　as　well　expect　eggs　to　crow。　　No；　you've　got　to

take　boys　as　they　are；　and　learn　to　know　them　as　they　are。〃



〃Naturally；　Aunt　Sarah；〃　said　Mrs。　Schofield；　〃I　KNOW

Penrod。〃



Aunt　Sarah　laughed　heartily。　　〃Do　you　think　his　father　knows

him；　too？〃



〃Of　course；　men　are　different；〃　Mrs。　Schofield　returned；

apologetically。　　〃But　a　mother　knows〃



〃Penrod；〃　said　Aunt　Sarah；　solemnly；　〃does　your　father

understand　you？〃



〃Ma'am？〃



〃About　as　much　as　he'd　understand　Sitting　Bull！〃　she　laughed。



〃And　I'll　tell　you　what　your　mother　thinks　you　are；　Penrod。　　Her

real　belief　is　that　you're　a　novice　in　a　convent。〃



〃Ma'am？〃



〃Aunt　Sarah！〃



〃I　know　she　thinks　that；　because　whenever　you　don't　behave

like　a　novice　she's　disappointed　in　you。　　And　your　father　really

believes　that　you're　a　decorous；　well…trained　young　business　man；

and　whenever　you　don't　live　up　to　that　standard　you　get　on　his

nerves　and　he　thinks　you　need　a　walloping。　　I'm　sure　a　day　very

seldom　passes　without　their　both　saying　they　don't　know　what　on

earth　to　do　with　you。　　Does　whipping　do　you　any　good；　Penrod？〃



〃Ma'am？〃



〃Go　on　and　finish　the　lemonade；　there's　about　glassful　left。　

Oh；　take　it；　take　it；　and　don't　say　why！　　Of　COURSE　you're　a

little　pig。〃



Penrod　laughed　gratefully；　his　eyes　fixed　upon　her　over　the

rim　of　his　uptilted　glass。



〃Fill　yourself　up　uncomfortably；〃　said　the　old　lady。　　〃You're

twelve　years　old；　and　you　ought　to　be　happyif　you　aren't

anything　else。　　It's　taken　over　nineteen　hundred　years　of

Christianity　and　some　hundreds　of　thousands　of　years　of　other

things　to　produce　you；　and　there　you　sit！〃



〃Ma'am？〃



〃It'll　be　your　turn　to　struggle　and　muss　things　up；　for　the

betterment　of　posterity；　soon　enough；〃　said　Aunt　Sarah　Crim。　

〃Drink　your　lemonade！〃

　

　

CHAPTER　XXIX　

FANCHON



〃Aunt　Sarah's　a　funny　old　lady；〃　Penrod　observed；　on　the　way　back

to　the　town。　　〃What's　she　want　me　to　give　papa　this　old　sling

for？　　Last　thing　she　said　was　to　be　sure　not　to　forget　to　give　it

to　him。　　HE　don't　want　it；　and　she　said；　herself；　it　ain't

any　good。　　She's　older　than　you　or　papa；　isn't　she？〃



〃About　fifty　years　older；〃　answered　Mrs。　Schofield；　turning

upon　him　a　stare　of　perplexity。　　〃Don't　cut　into　the　leather　with

your　new　knife；　dear；　the　livery　man　might　ask　us　to　pay　if　

No。　　I　wouldn't　scrape　the　paint　off；　eithernor　whittle

your　shoe　with　it。　　COULDN'T　you　put　it　up　until　we　get

home？〃



〃We　goin'　straight　home？〃



〃No。　　We're　going　to　stop　at　Mrs。　Gelbraith's　and　ask　a

strange　little　girl　to　come　to　your　party；　this　afternoon。〃



〃Who？〃



〃Her　name　is　Fanchon。　　She's　Mrs。　Gelbraith's　little　niece。〃



〃What　makes　her　so