the story of the treasure seekers-第14部分

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

but　Alice　liked　it　because　of　looking　at　the　hats　and　bonnets；　and

at　last　the　door　opened；　and　the　boy　said　…



'Mr　Rosenbaum　will　see　you；'　so　we　wiped　our　feet　on　the　mat；　which

said　so；　and　we　went　up　stairs　with　soft　carpets　and　into　a　room。　

It　was　a　beautiful　room。　　I　wished　then　we　had　put　on　our　best

things；　or　at　least　washed　a　little。　　But　it　was　too　late　now。



The　room　had　velvet　curtains　and　a　soft；　soft　carpet；　and　it　was

full　of　the　most　splendid　things。　　Black　and　gold　cabinets；　and

china；　and　statues；　and　pictures。　　There　was　a　picture　of　a　cabbage

and　a　pheasant　and　a　dead　hare　that　was　just　like　life；　and　I　would

have　given　worlds　to　have　it　for　my　own。　　The　fur　was　so　natural　I

should　never　have　been　tired　of　looking　at　it；　but　Alice　liked　the

one　of　the　girl　with　the　broken　jug　best。　　Then　besides　the

pictures　there　were　clocks　and　candlesticks　and　vases；　and　gilt

looking…glasses；　and　boxes　of　cigars　and　scent　and　things　littered

all　over　the　chairs　and　tables。　　It　was　a　wonderful　place；　and　in

the　middle　of　all　the　splendour　was　a　little　old　gentleman　with　a

very　long　black　coat　and　a　very　long　white　beard　and　a　hookey　nose

…　like　a　falcon。　　And　he　put　on　a　pair　of　gold　spectacles　and

looked　at　us　as　if　he　knew　exactly　how　much　our　clothes　were　worth。



And　then；　while　we　elder　ones　were　thinking　how　to　begin；　for　we

had　all　said　'Good　morning'　as　we　came　in；　of　course；　H。　O。　began

before　we　could　stop　him。　　He　said：



'Are　you　the　G。　B。？'



'The　what？'　said　the　little　old　gentleman。



'The　G。　B。；'　said　H。　O。；　and　I　winked　at　him　to　shut　up；　but　he

didn't　see　me；　and　the　G。　B。　did。　　He　waved　his　hand　at　me　to　shut

up；　so　I　had　to；　and　H。　O。　went　on　…　'It　stands　for　Generous

Benefactor。'



The　old　gentleman　frowned。　　Then　he　said；　'Your　Father　sent　you

here；　I　suppose？'



'No　he　didn't；'　said　Dicky。　　'Why　did　you　think　so？'



The　old　gentleman　held　out　the　card；　and　I　explained　that　we　took

that　because　Father's　name　happens　to　be　the　same　as　Dicky's。　

'Doesn't　he　know　you've　come？'

'No；'　said　Alice；　'we　shan't　tell　him　till　we've　got　the

partnership；　because　his　own　business　worries　him　a　good　deal　and

we　don't　want　to　bother　him　with　ours　till　it's　settled；　and　then

we　shall　give　him　half　our　share。'



The　old　gentleman　took　off　his　spectacles　and　rumpled　his　hair　with

his　hands；　then　he　said；　'Then　what　did　you　come　for？'



'We　saw　your　advertisement；'　Dicky　said；　'and　we　want　a　hundred

pounds　on　our　note　of　hand；　and　my　sister　came　so　that　there　should

be　both　kinds　of　us；　and　we　want　it　to　buy　a　partnership　with　in

the　lucrative　business　for　sale　of　useful　patent。　　No　personal

attendance　necessary。'



'I　don't　think　I　quite　follow　you；'　said　the　G。　B。　'But　one　thing

I　should　like　settled　before　entering　more　fully　into　the　matter：

why　did　you　call　me　Generous　Benefactor？'



'Well；　you　see；'　said　Alice；　smiling　at　him　to　show　she　wasn't

frightened；　though　I　know　really　she　was；　awfully；　'we　thought　it

was　so　very　kind　of　you　to　try　to　find　out　the　poor　people　who　want

money　and　to　help　them　and　lend　them　your　money。'



'Hum！'　said　the　G。　B。　'Sit　down。'



He　cleared　the　clocks　and　vases　and　candlesticks　off　some　of　the

chairs；　and　we　sat　down。　　The　chairs　were　velvety；　with　gilt　legs。　

It　was　like　a　king's　palace。



'Now；'　he　said；　'you　ought　to　be　at　school；　instead　of　thinking

about　money。　　Why　aren't　you？'



We　told　him　that　we　should　go　to　school　again　when　Father　could

manage　it；　but　meantime　we　wanted　to　do　something　to　restore　the

fallen　fortunes　of　the　House　of　Bastable。　　And　we　said　we　thought

the　lucrative　patent　would　be　a　very　good　thing。　　He　asked　a　lot　of

questions；　and　we　told　him　everything　we　didn't　think　Father　would

mind　our　telling；　and　at　last　he　said　…



'You　wish　to　borrow　money。　　When　will　you　repay　it？'



'As　soon　as　we've　got　it；　of　course；'　Dicky　said。



Then　the　G。　B。　said　to　Oswald；　'You　seem　the　eldest；'　but　I

explained　to　him　that　it　was　Dicky's　idea；　so　my　being　eldest

didn't　matter。　　Then　he　said　to　Dicky　…　'You　are　a　minor；　I

presume？'



Dicky　said　he　wasn't　yet；　but　he　had　thought　of　being　a　mining

engineer　some　day；　and　going　to　Klondike。



'Minor；　not　miner；'　said　the　G。　B。　'I　mean　you're　not　of　age？'



'I　shall　be　in　ten　years；　though；'　said　Dicky。

'Then　you　might　repudiate　the　loan；'　said　the　G。　B。；　and　Dicky　said

'What？'



Of　course　he　ought　to　have　said　'I　beg　your　pardon。　　I　didn't　quite

catch　what　you　said'　…　that　is　what　Oswald　would　have　said。　　It　is

more　polite　than　'What。'



'Repudiate　the　loan；'　the　G。　B　…　repeated。　　'I　mean　you　might　say

you　would　not　pay　me　back　the　money；　and　the　law　could　not　compel

you　to　do　so。'



'Oh；　well；　if　you　think　we're　such　sneaks；'　said　Dicky；　and　he　got

up　off　his　chair。　　But　the　G。　B。　said；　'Sit　down；　sit　down；　I　was

only　joking。'



Then　he　talked　some　more；　and　at　last　he　said　…　'I　don't　advise　you

to　enter　into　that　partnership。　　It's　a　swindle。　　Many

advertisements　are。　　And　I　have　not　a　hundred　pounds　by　me　to…day

to　lend　you。　　But　I　will　lend　you　a　pound；　and　you　can　spend　it　as

you　like。　　And　when　you　are　twenty…one　you　shall　pay　me　back。'



'I　shall　pay　you　back　long　before　that；'　said　Dicky。　　'Thanks；

awfully！　　And　what　about　the　note　of　hand？'



'Oh；'　said　the　G。　B。；　'I'll　trust　to　your　honour。　　Between

gentlemen；　you　know　…　and　ladies'　…　he　made　a　beautiful　bow　to

Alice　…'a　word　is　as　good　as　a　bond。'



Then　he　took　out　a　sovereign；　and　held　it　in　his　hand　while　he

talked　to　us。　　He　gave　us　a　lot　of　good　advice　about　not　going　into

business　too　young；　and　about　doing　our　lessons　…　just　swatting　a

bit；　on　our　own　hook；　so　as　not　to　be　put　in　a　low　form　when　we

went　back　to　school。　　And　all　the　time　he　was　stroking　the

sovereign　and　looking　at　it　as　if　he　thought　it　very　beautiful。　

And　so　it　was；　for　it　was　a　new　one。　　Then　at　last　he　held　it　out

to　Dicky；　and　when　Dicky　put　out　his　hand　for　it　the　G。　B。　suddenly

put　the　sovereign　back　in　his　pocket。



'No；'　he　said；　'I　won't　give　you　the　sovereign。　　I'll　give　you

fifteen　shillings；　and　this　nice　bottle　of　scent。　　It's　worth　far

more　than　the　five　shillings　I'm　charging　you　for　it。　　And；　when

you　can；　you　shall　pay　me　back　the　pound；　and　sixty　per　cent

interest　…　sixty　per　cent；　sixty　per　cent。'



'What's　that？'　said　H。　O。



The　G。　B。　said　he'd　tell　us　that　when　we　paid　back　the　sovereign；

but　sixty　per　cent　was　nothing　to　be　afraid　of。　　He　gave　Dicky　the

money。　　And　the　boy　was　made　to　call　a　cab；　and　the　G。　B。　put　us　in

and　shook　hands　with　us　all；　and　asked　Alice　to　give　him　a　kiss；　so

she　did；　and　H。　O。　would　do　it　too；　though　his　face　was　dirtier

than　ever。　　The　G。　B。　paid　the　cabman　and　told　him　what　station　to

go　to；　and　so　we　went　home。



That　evening　Father　had　a　letter　by　the　seven…o'clock　post。　　And

when　he　had　read　it　he　came　up　into　the　nursery。　　He　did　not　look

quite　so　unhappy　as　usual；　but　he　looked　grave。



'You've　been　to　Mr　Rosenbaum's；'　he　said。



So　we　told　him　all　about　it。　　It　took　a　long　time；　and　Father　sat

in　the　armchair。　　It　was　jolly。　　He　doesn't　often　come　and　talk　to

us　now。　　He　has　to　spend　all　his　time　thinking　about　his　business。　

And　when　we'd　told　him　all　about　it　he　said　…



'You　haven't　done　any　harm　this　time；　children；　rather　good　than

harm；　indeed。　　Mr　Rosenbaum　has　written　me　a　very　kind　letter。'



'Is　he　a　friend　of　yours；　Father？'　Oswald　asked。

'He　is　an　acquaintance；'　said　my　father；　frowning　a　little；　'we

have　done　some　business　together。　　And　this　letter　…'　he　stopped

and　then　said：　'No；　you　didn't　do　any　harm　to…day；　but　I　want　you

for　the　future　not　to　do　anything　so　serious　as　to　try　to　buy　a

partnership　without　consulting　me；　that's　all。　　I　don't　want　to

interfere　with　your　plays　and　pleasures；　but　you　will　consult　me

about　business　matters；　won't　you？'



Of　course　we　said　we　should　be　delighted；　but　then　Alice；　who　was

sitting　on　his　knee；　said；　'We　didn't　like　to　bother　you。'



Father　said；　'I　haven't　much　time　to　be　with　you；　for　my　business

takes　most　of　my　time。　　It　is　an　anxious　business　…　but　I　can't

bear　to　think　of　your　being　left　all　alone　like　this。'



He　looked　so　sad　we　all　said　we　liked　being　alone。　　And　then　he

looked　sadder　than　ever。



Then　Alice　said；　'We　don't　mean　that　exactly；　Father。　　It　is　rather

lonely　sometimes；　since　Mother　died。'　　Then　we　were　all　quiet　a

little　while。　　Father　stayed　with　us　till　we　went　to　bed；　and　when

he　said　good　night　he　looked　quite　cheerful。　　So　we　told　him　so；

and　he　said　…　'Well；　the　fact　is；　that　letter　took　a　weight　off　my

mind。'　　I　can't　think　what　he　meant　…　but　I　am　sure　the　G。　B。　would

be　pleased　if　he　could　know　he　had　taken　a　weight　off　somebody's

mind。　　He　is　that　sort　of　man；　I　think。



We　gave　the　scent　to　Dora。　　It　is　not　quite　such　good　scent　as　we

thought　it　would　be；　but　we　had　fifteen　shillings　…　and　they　were

all　good；　so　is　the　G。　B。



And　until　those　fifteen　shillings　were　spent　we　felt　almost　as

jolly　as　though　our　fortunes　had　been　properly　restored。　　You　do

not　notice　your　general　fortune　so　much；　as　long　as　you　have　money

in　your　pocket。　　This　is　why　so　many　children　with　regular

pocket…money　have　never　felt　it　their　duty　to　seek　for　treasure。　

So；　perhaps；　our　not　having　pocket…money　was　a　blessing　in

disguise。　　But　the　disguise　was　quite　impenetrable；　like　the

villains'　in　the　books；　and　it　seemed　still　more　so　when　the

fifteen　shillings　were　all　spent。　　Then　at　last　the　others　agreed

to　let　Oswald　try　his　way　of　seeking　for　treasure；　but　they　were

not　at　all　keen　about　it；　and　many　a　boy　less　firm　than　Oswald

would　have　chucked　the　whole　thing。　　But　Oswald　knew　that　a　hero

must　rely　on　himself　alone。