the story of the treasure seekers-第16部分

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'Dora　displayed　considerable　common　sense；'　said　Lord　Tottenham；

and　he　let　Noel　go。　　And　Alice　put　her　arm　round　Noel　and　tried　to

cheer　him　up；　but　he　was　all　trembly；　and　as　white　as　paper。　　Then

Lord　Tottenham　said　…



'Will　you　give　me　your　word　of　honour　not　to　try　to　escape？'



So　we　said　we　would。



'Then　follow　me；'　he　said；　and　led　the　way　to　a　bench。　　We　all

followed；　and　Pincher　too；　with　his　tail　between　his　legs　…　he　knew

something　was　wrong。　　Then　Lord　Tottenham　sat　down；　and　he　made

Oswald　and　Dicky　and　H。　O。　stand　in　front　of　him；　but　he　let　Alice

and　NoEl　sit　down。　　And　he　said　…



'You　set　your　dog　on　me；　and　you　tried　to　make　me　believe　you　were

saving　me　from　it。　　And　you　would　have　taken　my　half…sovereign。　

Such　conduct　is　most　…　No　…　you　shall　tell　me　what　it　is；　sir；　and

speak　the　truth。'



So　I　had　to　say　it　was　most　ungentlemanly；　but　I　said　I　hadn't　been

going　to　take　the　half…sovereign。



'Then　what　did　you　do　it　for？'　he　asked。　　'The　truth；　mind。'



So　I　said；　'I　see　now　it　was　very　silly；　and　Dora　said　it　was

wrong；　but　it　didn't　seem　so　till　we　did　it。　　We　wanted　to　restore

the　fallen　fortunes　of　our　house；　and　in　the　books　if　you　rescue　an

old　gentleman　from　deadly　peril；　he　brings　you　up　as　his　own　son　…

or　if　you　prefer　to　be　your　father's　son；　he　starts　you　in

business；　so　that　you　end　in　wealthy　affluence；　and　there　wasn't

any　deadly　peril；　so　we　made　Pincher　into　one　…　and　so　…'　I　was　so

ashamed　I　couldn't　go　on；　for　it　did　seem　an　awfully　mean　thing。　

Lord　Tottenham　said　…



'A　very　nice　way　to　make　your　fortune　…　by　deceit　and　trickery。　　I

have　a　horror　of　dogs。　　If　I'd　been　a　weak　man　the　shock　might　have

killed　me。　　What　do　you　think　of　yourselves；　eh？'



We　were　all　crying　except　Oswald；　and　the　others　say　he　was；　and

Lord　Tottenham　went　on　…　'Well；　well；　I　see　you're　sorry。　　Let　this

be　a　lesson　to　you；　and　we'll　say　no　more　about　it。　　I'm　an　old　man

now；　but　I　was　young　once。'



Then　Alice　slid　along　the　bench　close　to　him；　and　put　her　hand　on

his　arm：　her　fingers　were　pink　through　the　holes　in　her　woolly

gloves；　and　said；　'I　think　you're　very　good　to　forgive　us；　and　we

are　really　very；　very　sorry。　　But　we　wanted　to　be　like　the　children

in　the　books　…　only　we　never　have　the　chances　they　have。　

Everything　they　do　turns　out　all　right。　　But　we　are　sorry；　very；

very。　　And　I　know　Oswald　wasn't　going　to　take　the　half…sovereign。　

Directly　you　said　that　about　a　tip　from　an　old　boy　I　began　to　feel

bad　inside；　and　I　whispered　to　H。　O。　that　I　wished　we　hadn't。'



Then　Lord　Tottenham　stood　up；　and　he　looked　like　the　Death　of

Nelson；　for　he　is　clean　shaved　and　it　is　a　good　face；　and　he

said　…



'Always　remember　never　to　do　a　dishonourable　thing；　for　money　or

for　anything　else　in　the　world。'



And　we　promised　we　would　remember。　　Then　he　took　off　his　hat；　and

we　took　off　ours；　and　he　went　away；　and　we　went　home。　　I　never　felt

so　cheap　in　all　my　life！　　Dora　said；　'I　told　you　so；'　but　we　didn't

mind　even　that　so　much；　though　it　was　indeed　hard　to　bear。　　It　was

what　Lord　Tottenham　had　said　about　ungentlemanly。　　We　didn't　go　on

to　the　Heath　for　a　week　after　that；　but　at　last　we　all　went；　and　we

waited　for　him　by　the　bench。　　When　he　came　along　Alice　said；

'Please；　Lord　Tottenham；　we　have　not　been　on　the　Heath　for　a　week；

to　be　a　punishment　because　you　let　us　off。　　And　we　have　brought　you

a　present　each　if　you　will　take　them　to　show　you　are　willing　to

make　it　up。'



He　sat　down　on　the　bench；　and　we　gave　him　our　presents。　　Oswald

gave　him　a　sixpenny　compass　…　he　bought　it　with　my　own　money　on

purpose　to　give　him。　　Oswald　always　buys　useful　presents。　　The

needle　would　not　move　after　I'd　had　it　a　day　or　two；　but　Lord

Tottenham　used　to　be　an　admiral；　so　he　will　be　able　to　make　that　go

all　right。　　Alice　had　made　him　a　shaving…case；　with　a　rose　worked

on　it。　　And　H。　O。　gave　him　his　knife　…　the　same　one　he　once　cut　all

the　buttons　off　his　best　suit　with。　　Dicky　gave　him　his　prize；

Naval　Heroes；　because　it　was　the　best　thing　he　had；　and　Noel　gave

him　a　piece　of　poetry　he　had　made　himself…





When　sin　and　shame　bow　down　the　brow

Then　people　feel　just　like　we　do　now。

We　are　so　sorry　with　grief　and　pain

We　never　will　be　so　ungentlemanly　again。





Lord　Tottenham　seemed　very　pleased。　　He　thanked　us；　and　talked　to

us　for　a　bit；　and　when　he　said　good…bye　he　said　…



'All's　fair　weather　now；　mates；'　and　shook　hands。



And　whenever　we　meet　him　he　nods　to　us；　and　if　the　girls　are　with

us　he　takes　off　his　hat；　so　he　can't　really　be　going　on　thinking　us

ungentlemanly　now。







CHAPTER　11

CASTILIAN　AMOROSO







One　day　when　we　suddenly　found　that　we　had　half　a　crown　we　decided

that　we　really　ought　to　try　Dicky's　way　of　restoring　our　fallen

fortunes　while　yet　the　deed　was　in　our　power。　　Because　it　might

easily　have　happened　to　us　never　to　have　half　a　crown　again。　　So　we

decided　to　dally　no　longer　with　being　journalists　and　bandits　and

things　like　them；　but　to　send　for　sample　and　instructions　how　to

earn　two　pounds　a　week　each　in　our　spare　time。　　We　had　seen　the

advertisement　in　the　paper；　and　we　had　always　wanted　to　do　it；　but

we　had　never　had　the　money　to　spare　before；　somehow。　　The

advertisement　says：　'Any　lady　or　gentleman　can　easily　earn　two

pounds　a　week　in　their　spare　time。　　Sample　and　instructions；　two

shillings。　　Packed　free　from　observation。'　　A　good　deal　of　the

half…crown　was　Dora's。　　It　came　from　her　godmother；　but　she　said

she　would　not　mind　letting　Dicky　have　it　if　he　would　pay　her　back

before　Christmas；　and　if　we　were　sure　it　was　right　to　try　to　make

our　fortune　that　way。　　Of　course　that　was　quite　easy；　because　out

of　two　pounds　a　week　in　your　spare　time　you　can　easily　pay　all　your

debts；　and　have　almost　as　much　left　as　you　began　with；　and　as　to

the　right　we　told　her　to　dry　up。



Dicky　had　always　thought　that　this　was　really　the　best　way　to

restore　our　fallen　fortunes；　and　we　were　glad　that　now　he　had　a

chance　of　trying　because　of　course　we　wanted　the　two　pounds　a　week

each；　and　besides；　we　were　rather　tired　of　Dicky's　always　saying；

when　our　ways　didn't　turn　out　well；　'Why　don't　you　try　the　sample

and　instructions　about　our　spare　time？'



When　we　found　out　about　our　half…crown　we　got　the　paper。　　NoEl　was

playing　admirals　in　it；　but　he　had　made　the　cocked　hat　without

tearing　the　paper；　and　we　found　the　advertisement；　and　it　said　just

the　same　as　ever。　　So　we　got　a　two…shilling　postal　order　and　a

stamp；　and　what　was　left　of　the　money　it　was　agreed　we　would　spend

in　ginger…beer　to　drink　success　to　trade。



We　got　some　nice　paper　out　of　Father's　study；　and　Dicky　wrote　the

letter；　and　we　put　in　the　money　and　put　on　the　stamp；　and　made　H。

O。　post　it。　　Then　we　drank　the　ginger…beer；　and　then　we　waited　for

the　sample　and　instructions。　　It　seemed　a　long　time　coming；　and　the

postman　got　quite　tired　of　us　running　out　and　stopping　him　in　the

street　to　ask　if　it　had　come。



But　on　the　third　morning　it　came。　　It　was　quite　a　large　parcel；　and

it　was　packed；　as　the　advertisement　said　it　would　be；　'free　from

observation。'　　That　means　it　was　in　a　box；　and　inside　the　box　was

some　stiff　browny　cardboard；　crinkled　like　the　galvanized　iron　on

the　tops　of　chicken…houses；　and　inside　that　was　a　lot　of　paper；

some　of　it　printed　and　some　scrappy；　and　in　the　very　middle　of　it

all　a　bottle；　not　very　large；　and　black；　and　sealed　on　the　top　of

the　cork　with　yellow　sealing…wax。



We　looked　at　it　as　it　lay　on　the　nursery　table；　and　while　all　the

others　grabbed　at　the　papers　to　see　what　the　printing　said；　Oswald

went　to　look　for　the　corkscrew；　so　as　to　see　what　was　inside　the

bottle。　　He　found　the　corkscrew　in　the　dresser　drawer　…　it　always

gets　there；　though　it　is　supposed　to　be　in　the　sideboard　drawer　in

the　dining…room　…　and　when　he　got　back　the　others　had　read　most　of

the　printed　papers。



'I　don't　think　it's　much　good；　and　I　don't　think　it's　quite　nice　to

sell　wine；'　Dora　said　'and　besides；　it's　not　easy　to　suddenly　begin

to　sell　things　when　you　aren't　used　to　it。'



'I　don't　know；'　said　Alice；　'I　believe　I　could。'　　They　all　looked

rather　down　in　the　mouth；　though；　and　Oswald　asked　how　you　were　to

make　your　two　pounds　a　week。



'Why；　you've　got　to　get　people　to　taste　that　stuff　in　the　bottle。　

It's　sherry　…　Castilian　Amoroso　its　name　is　…　and　then　you　get　them

to　buy　it；　and　then　you　write　to　the　people　and　tell　them　the　other

people　want　the　wine；　and　then　for　every　dozen　you　sell　you　get　two

shillings　from　the　wine　people；　so　if　you　sell　twenty　dozen　a　week

you　get　your　two　pounds。　　I　don't　think　we　shall　sell　as　much　as

that；'　said　Dicky。



'We　might　not　the　first　week；'　Alice　said；　'but　when　people　found

out　how　nice　it　was；　they　would　want　more　and　more。　　And　if　we　only

got　ten　shillings　a　week　it　would　be　something　to　begin　with；

wouldn't　it？'



Oswald　said　he　should　jolly　well　think　it　would；　and　then　Dicky

took　the　cork　out　with　the　corkscrew。　　The　cork　broke　a　good　deal；

and　some　of　the　bits　went　into　the　bottle。　　Dora　got　the　medicine

glass　that　has　the　teaspoons　and　tablespoons　marked　on　it；　and　we

agreed　to　have　a　teaspoonful　each；　to　see　what　it　was　like。



'No　one　must　have　more　than　that；'　Dora　said；　'however　nice　it　is。'



Dora　behaved　rather　as　if　it　were　her　bottle。　　I　suppose　it　was；

because　she　had　lent　the　money　for　it。



Then　she　measured　Out　the　teaspoonful；　and　she　had　first　go；

because　of　being　the　eldest。　　We　asked　at　once　what　it　was　like；

but　Dora　could　not　speak　just　then。



Then　she　said；　'It's　like　the　tonic　Noel　had　in　the　spring；　but

perhaps　sherry　ought　to　be　like　that。'



Then　it　was　Oswald's　turn。　　He　thought　it　was　very　burny；　but　he

said　nothing。　　He　wanted　to　see　first　what　the　others　would　say。



Dicky　said　his　was　simply　beastly；　and　Ali