the story of the treasure seekers-第13部分

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out　any　of　the　things　because　he　cannot　spell。　　He　says　he　can；　but

it　takes　him　such　a　long　time　he　might　just　as　well　not　be　able。　

There　are　one　or　two　things　more。　　I　am　sick　of　it；　but　Dora　says

she　will　write　them　in。



Legal　answer　wanted。　　A　quantity　of　excellent　string　is　offered　if

you　know　whether　there　really　is　a　law　passed　about　not　buying

gunpowder　under　thirteen。

DICKY。



The　price　of　this　paper　is　one　shilling　each；　and　sixpence　extra

for　the　picture　of　the　Malabar　going　down　with　all　hands。　　If　we

sell　one　hundred　copies　we　will　write　another　paper。









And　so　we　would　have　done；　but　we　never　did。　　Albert…next…door's

uncle　gave　us　two　shillings；　that　was　all。　　You　can't　restore

fallen　fortunes　with　two　shillings！







CHAPTER　9

THE　G。　B。





Being　editors　is　not　the　best　way　to　wealth。　　We　all　feel　this　now；

and　highwaymen　are　not　respected　any　more　like　they　used　to　be。



I　am　sure　we　had　tried　our　best　to　restore　our　fallen　fortunes。　　We

felt　their　fall　very　much；　because　we　knew　the　Bastables　had　been

rich　once。　　Dora　and　Oswald　can　remember　when　Father　was　always

bringing　nice　things　home　from　London；　and　there　used　to　be　turkeys

and　geese　and　wine　and　cigars　come　by　the　carrier　at

Christmas…time；　and　boxes　of　candied　fruit　and　French　plums　in

ornamental　boxes　with　silk　and　velvet　and　gilding　on　them。　　They

were　called　prunes；　but　the　prunes　you　buy　at　the　grocer's　are

quite　different。　　But　now　there　is　seldom　anything　nice　brought

from　London；　and　the　turkey　and　the　prune　people　have　forgotten

Father's　address。



'How　can　we　restore　those　beastly　fallen　fortunes？'　said　Oswald。　

'We've　tried　digging　and　writing　and　princesses　and　being　editors。'



'And　being　bandits；'　said　H。　O。



'When　did　you　try　that？'　asked　Dora　quickly。　　'You　know　I　told　you

it　was　wrong。'



'It　wasn't　wrong　the　way　we　did　it；'　said　Alice；　quicker　still；

before　Oswald　could　say；　'Who　asked　you　to　tell　us　anything　about

it？'　which　would　have　been　rude；　and　he　is　glad　he　didn't。　　'We

only　caught　Albert…next…door。'



'Oh；　Albert…next…door！'　said　Dora　contemptuously；　and　I　felt　more

comfortable；　for　even　after　I　didn't　say；　'Who　asked　you；　and

cetera；'　I　was　afraid　Dora　was　going　to　come　the　good　elder　sister

over　us。　　She　does　that　a　jolly　sight　too　often。



Dicky　looked　up　from　the　paper　he　was　reading　and　said；　'This

sounds　likely；'　and　he　read　out　…





l100　secures　partnership　in　lucrative　business　for　sale　of　useful

patent。　　l10　weekly。　　No　personal　attendance　necessary。　　Jobbins；

300；　Old　Street　Road。





'I　wish　we　could　secure　that　partnership；'　said　Oswald。　　He　is

twelve；　and　a　very　thoughtful　boy　for　his　age。



Alice　looked　up　from　her　painting。　　She　was　trying　to　paint　a　fairy

queen's　frock　with　green　bice；　and　it　wouldn't　rub。　　There　is

something　funny　about　green　bice。　　It　never　will　rub　off；　no　matter

how　expensive　your　paintbox　is　…　and　even　boiling　water　is　very

little　use。



She　said；　'Bother　the　bice！　　And；　Oswald；　it's　no　use　thinking

about　that。　　Where　are　we　to　get　a　hundred　pounds？'



'Ten　pounds　a　week　is　five　pounds　to　us；'　Oswald　went　on　…　he　had

done　the　sum　in　his　head　while　Alice　was　talking　…　'because

partnership　means　halves。　　It　would　be　l5。'



Noel　sat　sucking　his　pencil　…　he　had　been　writing　poetry　as　usual。　

I　saw　the　first　two　lines　…





I　wonder　why　Green　Bice

Is　never　very　nice。





Suddenly　he　said；　'I　wish　a　fairy　would　come　down　the　chimney　and

drop　a　jewel　on　the　table　…　a　jewel　worth　just　a　hundred　pounds。'



'She　might　as　well　give　you　the　hundred　pounds　while　she　was　about

it；'　said　Dora。



'Or　while　she　was　about　it　she　might　as　well　give　us　five　pounds　a

week；'　said　Alice。　　'Or　fifty；'　said　I。　　'Or　five　hundred；'　said

Dicky。



I　saw　H。　O。　open　his　mouth；　and　I　knew　he　was　going　to　say；　'Or

five　thousand；'　so　I　said：



'Well；　she　won't　give　us　fivepence；　but　if　you'd　only　do　as　I　am

always　saying；　and　rescue　a　wealthy　old　gentleman　from　deadly　peril

he　would　give　us　a　pot　of　money；　and　we　could　have　the　partnership

and　five　pounds　a　week。　　Five　pounds　a　week　would　buy　a　great　many

things。'



Then　Dicky　said；　'Why　shouldn't　we　borrow　it？'　　So　we　said；　'Who

from？'　and　then　he　read　this　out　of　the　paper　…





MONEY　PRIVATELY　WITHOUT　FEEs



THE　BOND　STREET　BANK



Manager；　Z。　　Rosenbaum。



Advances　cash　from　l20　to　l10；000　on　ladies'　or　gentlemen's　note　of

hand　alone；　without　security。　　No　fees。　　No　inquiries。　　Absolute

privacy　guaranteed。





'What　does　it　all　mean？'　asked　H。　O。



'It　means　that　there　is　a　kind　gentleman　who　has　a　lot　of　money；

and　he　doesn't　know　enough　poor　people　to　help；　so　he　puts　it　in

the　paper　that　he　will　help　them；　by　lending　them　his　money　…

that's　it；　isn't　it；　Dicky？'



Dora　explained　this　and　Dicky　said；　'Yes。'　　And　H。　O。　said　he　was

a　Generous　Benefactor；　like　in　Miss　Edgeworth。　　Then　Noel　wanted　to

know　what　a　note　of　hand　was；　and　Dicky　knew　that；　because　he　had

read　it　in　a　book；　and　it　was　just　a　letter　saying　you　will　pay　the

money　when　you　can；　and　signed　with　your　name。



'No　inquiries！'　said　Alice。　　'Oh　…　Dicky　…　do　you　think　he　would？'



'Yes；　I　think　so；'　said　Dicky。　　'I　wonder　Father　doesn't　go　to　this

kind　gentleman。　　I've　seen　his　name　before　on　a　circular　in

Father's　study。'



'Perhaps　he　has。'　　said　Dora。



But　the　rest　of　us　were　sure　he　hadn't；　because；　of　course；　if　he

had；　there　would　have　been　more　money　to　buy　nice　things。　　just

then　Pincher　jumped　up　and　knocked　over　the　painting…water。　　He　is

a　very　careless　dog。　　I　wonder　why　painting…water　is　always　such　an

ugly　colour？　　Dora　ran　for　a　duster　to　wipe　it　up；　and　H。　O。

dropped　drops　of　the　water　on　his　hands　and　said　he　had　got　the

plague。　　So　we　played　at　the　plague　for　a　bit；　and　I　was　an　Arab

physician　with　a　bath…towel　turban；　and　cured　the　plague　with　magic

acid…drops。　　After　that　it　was　time　for　dinner；　and　after　dinner　we

talked　it　all　over　and　settled　that　we　would　go　and　see　the

Generous　Benefactor　the　very　next　day。　　But　we　thought　perhaps　the

G。　B。　…　it　is　short　for　Generous　Benefactor　…　would　not　like　it　if

there　were　so　many　of　us。　　I　have　often　noticed　that　it　is　the

worst　of　our　being　six　…　people　think　six　a　great　many；　when　it's

children。　　That　sentence　looks　wrong　somehow。　　I　mean　they　don't

mind　six　pairs　of　boots；　or　six　pounds　of　apples；　or　six　oranges；

especially　in　equations；　but　they　seem　to　think　you　ought　not　to

have　five　brothers　and　sisters。　　Of　course　Dicky　was　to　go；　because

it　was　his　idea。　　Dora　had　to　go　to　Blackheath　to　see　an　old　lady；

a　friend　of　Father's；　so　she　couldn't　go。　　Alice　said　she　ought　to

go；　because　it　said；　'Ladies　and　gentlemen；'　and　perhaps　the　G。　B。

wouldn't　let　us　have　the　money　unless　there　were　both　kinds　of　us。



H。　O。　said　Alice　wasn't　a　lady；　and　she　said　he　wasn't　going；

anyway。　　Then　he　called　her　a　disagreeable　cat；　and　she　began　to

cry。



But　Oswald　always　tries　to　make　up　quarrels；　so　he　said　…



'You're　little　sillies；　both　of　you！'



And　Dora　said；　'Don't　cry；　Alice；　he　only　meant　you　weren't　a

grown…up　lady。'

Then　H。　O。　said；　'What　else　did　you　think　I　meant；　Disagreeable？'



So　Dicky　said；　'Don't　be　disagreeable　yourself；　H。　O。　Let　her　alone

and　say　you're　sorry；　or　I'll　jolly　well　make　you！'



So　H。　O。　said　he　was　sorry。　　Then　Alice　kissed　him　and　said　she　was

sorry　too；　and　after　that　H。　O。　gave　her　a　hug；　and　said；　'Now　I'm

really　and　truly　sorry；'　So　it　was　all　right。



Noel　went　the　last　time　any　of　us　went　to　London；　so　he　was　out　of

it；　and　Dora　said　she　would　take　him　to　Blackheath　if　we'd　take　H。

O。　So　as　there'd　been　a　little　disagreeableness　we　thought　it　was

better　to　take　him；　and　we　did。　　At　first　we　thought　we'd　tear　our

oldest　things　a　bit　more；　and　put　some　patches　of　different　colours

on　them；　to　show　the　G。　B。　how　much　we　wanted　money。　　But　Dora　said

that　would　be　a　sort　of　cheating；　pretending　we　were　poorer　than　we

are。　　And　Dora　is　right　sometimes；　though　she　is　our　elder　sister。　

Then　we　thought　we'd　better　wear　our　best　things；　so　that　the　G。　B。

might　see　we　weren't　so　very　poor　that　he　couldn't　trust　us　to　pay

his　money　back　when　we　had　it。　　But　Dora　said　that　would　be　wrong

too。　　So　it　came　to　our　being　quite　honest；　as　Dora　said；　and　going

just　as　we　were；　without　even　washing　our　faces　and　hands；　but　when

I　looked　at　H。　O。　in　the　train　I　wished　we　had　not　been　quite　so

particularly　honest。



Every　one　who　reads　this　knows　what　it　is　like　to　go　in　the　train；

so　I　shall　not　tell　about　it　…　though　it　was　rather　fun；　especially

the　part　where　the　guard　came　for　the　tickets　at　Waterloo；　and　H。

O。　was　under　the　seat　and　pretended　to　be　a　dog　without　a　ticket。　

We　went　to　Charing　Cross；　and　we　just　went　round　to　Whitehall　to

see　the　soldiers　and　then　by　St　James's　for　the　same　reason　…　and

when　we'd　looked　in　the　shops　a　bit　we　got　to　Brook　Street；　Bond

Street。　　It　was　a　brass　plate　on　a　door　next　to　a　shop　…　a　very

grand　place；　where　they　sold　bonnets　and　hats　…　all　very　bright　and

smart；　and　no　tickets　on　them　to　tell　you　the　price。　　We　rang　a

bell　and　a　boy　opened　the　door　and　we　asked　for　Mr　Rosenbaum。　　The

boy　was　not　polite；　he　did　not　ask　us　in。　　So　then　Dicky　gave　him

his　visiting　card；　it　was　one　of　Father's　really；　but　the　name　is

the　same；　Mr　Richard　Bastable；　and　we　others　wrote　our　names

underneath。　　I　happened　to　have　a　piece　of　pink　chalk　in　my　pocket

and　we　wrote　them　with　that。



Then　the　boy　shut　the　door　in　our　faces　and　we　waited　on　the　step。　

But　presently　he　came　down　and　asked　our　business。　　So　Dicky　said

…



'Money　advanced；　young　shaver！　and　don't　be　all　day　about　it！'



And　then　he　made　us　wait　again；　till　I　was　quite　stiff　in　my　legs；

but　Alice　liked　it　because　of　loo