the story of the treasure seekers-第17部分

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



Dicky　said　his　was　simply　beastly；　and　Alice　said　Noel　could　taste

next　if　he　liked。



Noel　said　it　was　the　golden　wine　of　the　gods；　but　he　had　to　put　his

handkerchief　up　to　his　mouth　all　the　same；　and　I　saw　the　face　he

made。



Then　H。　O。　had　his；　and　he　spat　it　out　in　the　fire；　which　was　very

rude　and　nasty；　and　we　told　him　so。



Then　it　was　Alice's　turn。　　She　said；　'Only　half　a　tea…spoonful　for

me；　Dora。　　We　mustn't　use　it　all　up。'　　And　she　tasted　it　and　said

nothing。



Then　Dicky　said：　'Look　here；　I　chuck　this。　　I'm　not　going　to　hawk

round　such　beastly　stuff。　　Any　one　who　likes　can　have　the　bottle。　

Quis？'



And　Alice　got　out　'Ego'　before　the　rest　of　us。　　Then　she　said；　'I

know　what's　the　matter　with　it。　　It　wants　sugar。'



And　at　once　we　all　saw　that　that　was　all　there　was　the　matter　with

the　stuff。　　So　we　got　two　lumps　of　sugar　and　crushed　it　on　the

floor　with　one　of　the　big　wooden　bricks　till　it　was　powdery；　and

mixed　it　with　some　of　the　wine　up　to　the　tablespoon　mark；　and　it

was　quite　different；　and　not　nearly　so　nasty。



'You　see　it's　all　right　when　you　get　used　to　it；'　Dicky　said。　　I

think　he　was　sorry　he　had　said　'Quis？'　in　such　a　hurry。



'Of　course；'　Alice　said；　'it's　rather　dusty。　　We　must　crush　the

sugar　carefully　in　clean　paper　before　we　put　it　in　the　bottle。'



Dora　said　she　was　afraid　it　would　be　cheating　to　make　one　bottle

nicer　than　what　people　would　get　when　they　ordered　a　dozen　bottles；

but　Alice　said　Dora　always　made　a　fuss　about　everything；　and　really

it　would　be　quite　honest。



'You　see；'　she　said；　'I　shall　just　tell　them；　quite　truthfully；

what　we　have　done　to　it；　and　when　their　dozens　come　they　can　do　it

for　themselves。'



So　then　we　crushed　eight　more　lumps；　very　cleanly　and　carefully

between　newspapers；　and　shook　it　up　well　in　the　bottle；　and　corked

it　up　with　a　screw　of　paper；　brown　and　not　news；　for　fear　of　the

poisonous　printing　ink　getting　wet　and　dripping　down　into　the　wine

and　killing　people。　　We　made　Pincher　have　a　taste；　and　he　sneezed

for　ever　so　long；　and　after　that　he　used　to　go　under　the　sofa

whenever　we　showed　him　the　bottle。



Then　we　asked　Alice　who　she　would　try　and　sell　it　to。　　She　said：　'I

shall　ask　everybody　who　comes　to　the　house。　　And　while　we　are　doing

that；　we　can　be　thinking　of　outside　people　to　take　it　to。　　We　must

be　careful：　there's　not　much　more　than　half　of　it　left；　even

counting　the　sugar。'



We　did　not　wish　to　tell　Eliza　…　I　don't　know　why。　　And　she　opened

the　door　very　quickly　that　day；　so　that　the　Taxes　and　a　man　who

came　to　our　house　by　mistake　for　next　door　got　away　before　Alice

had　a　chance　to　try　them　with　the　Castilian　Amoroso。　　But　about

five　Eliza　slipped　out　for　half　an　hour　to　see　a　friend　who　was

making　her　a　hat　for　Sunday；　and　while　she　was　gone　there　was　a

knock。　　Alice　went；　and　we　looked　over　the　banisters。　　When　she

opened　the　door；　she　said　at　once；　'Will　you　walk　in；　please？'

The　person　at　the　door　said；　'I　called　to　see　your　Pa；　miss。　　Is　he

at　home？'



Alice　said　again；　'Will　you　walk　in；　please？'



Then　the　person　…　it　sounded　like　a　man　…　said；　'He　is　in；　then？'



But　Alice　only　kept　on　saying；　'Will　you　walk　in；　please？'　so　at

last　the　man　did；　rubbing　his　boots　very　loudly　on　the　mat。



Then　Alice　shut　the　front　door；　and　we　saw　that　it　was　the　butcher；

with　an　envelope　in　his　hand。　　He　was　not　dressed　in　blue；　like

when　he　is　cutting　up　the　sheep　and　things　in　the　shop；　and　he　wore

knickerbockers。　　Alice　says　he　came　on　a　bicycle。　　She　led　the　way

into　the　dining…room；　where　the　Castilian　Amoroso　bottle　and　the

medicine　glass　were　standIng　on　the　table　all　ready。



The　others　stayed　on　the　stairs；　but　Oswald　crept　down　and　looked

through　the　door…crack。



'Please　sit　down；'　said　Alice　quite　calmly；　though　she　told　me

afterwards　I　had　no　idea　how　silly　she　felt。　　And　the　butcher　sat

down。　　Then　Alice　stood　quite　still　and　said　nothing；　but　she

fiddled　with　the　medicine　glass　and　put　the　screw　of　brown　paper

straight　in　the　Castilian　bottle。



'Will　you　tell　your　Pa　I'd　like　a　word　with　him？'　the　butcher　said；

when　he　got　tired　of　saying　nothing。



'He'll　be　in　very　soon；　I　think；'　Alice　said。



And　then　she　stood　still　again　and　said　nothing。　　It　was　beginning

to　look　very　idiotic　of　her；　and　H。　O。　laughed。　　I　went　back　and

cuffed　him　for　it　quite　quietly；　and　I　don't　think　the　butcher

heard。



But　Alice　did；　and　it　roused　her　from　her　stupor。　　She　spoke

suddenly；　very　fast　indeed　…　so　fast　that　I　knew　she　had　made　up

what　she　was　going　to　say　before。　　She　had　got　most　of　it　out　of

the　circular。



She　said；　'I　want　to　call　your　attention　to　a　sample　of　sherry　wine

I　have　here。　　It　is　called　Castilian　something　or　other；　and　at　the

price　it　is　unequalled　for　flavour　and　bouquet。'



The　butcher　said；　'Well　…　I　never！'



And　Alice　went　on；　'Would　you　like　to　taste　it？'



'Thank　you　very　much；　I'm　sure；　miss；'　said　the　butcher。　



Alice　poured　some　out。



The　butcher　tasted　a　very　little。　　He　licked　his　lips；　and　we

thought　he　was　going　to　say　how　good　it　was。　　But　he　did　not。　　He

put　down　the　medicine　glass　with　nearly　all　the　stuff　left　in　it

（we　put　it　back　in　the　bottle　afterwards　to　save　waste）　and　said；

'Excuse　me；　miss；　but　isn't　it　a　little　sweet？　…　for　sherry　I

mean？'



'The　real　isn't；'　said　Alice。　　'If　you　order　a　dozen　it　will　come

quite　different　to　that　…　we　like　it　best　with　sugar。　　I　wish　you

would　order　some。'　　The　butcher　asked　why。



Alice　did　not　speak　for　a　minute；　and　then　she　said　…



'I　don't　mind　telling　you：　you　are　in　business　yourself；　aren't

you？　　We　are　trying　to　get　people　to　buy　it；　because　we　shall　have

two　shillings　for　every　dozen　we　can　make　any　one　buy。　　It's　called

a　purr　something。'



'A　percentage。　　Yes；　I　see；'　said　the　butcher；　looking　at　the　hole

in　the　carpet。



'You　see　there　are　reasons；　Alice　went　on；　'why　we　want　to　make　our

fortunes　as　quickly　as　we　can。'



'Quite　so；'　said　the　butcher；　and　he　looked　at　the　place　where　the

paper　is　coming　off　the　wall。



'And　this　seems　a　good　way；'　Alice　went　on。　　'We　paid　two　shillings

for　the　sample　and　instructions；　and　it　says　you　can　make　two

pounds　a　week　easily　in　your　leisure　time。'



'I'm　sure　I　hope　you　may；　miss；'　said　the　butcher。　　And　Alice　said

again　would　he　buy　some？



'Sherry　is　my　favourite　wine；'　he　said。　　Alice　asked　him　to　have

some　more　to　drink。



'No；　thank　you；　miss；'　he　said；　'it's　my　favourite　wine；　but　it

doesn't　agree　with　me；　not　the　least　bit。　　But　I've　an　uncle　drinks

it。　　Suppose　I　ordered　him　half　a　dozen　for　a　Christmas　present？

Well；　miss；　here's　the　shilling　commission；　anyway；'　and　he　pulled

out　a　handful　of　money　and　gave　her　the　shilling。



'But　I　thought　the　wine　people　paid　that；'　Alice　said。



But　the　butcher　said　not　on　half…dozens　they　didn't。　　Then　he　said

he　didn't　think　he'd　wait　any　longer　for　Father　…　but　would　Alice

ask　Father　to　write　him？



Alice　offered　him　the　sherry　again；　but　he　said　something　about

'Not　for　worlds！'　…　and　then　she　let　him　out　and　came　back　to　us

with　the　shilling；　and　said；　'How's　that？'



And　we　said　'Ai。'



And　all　the　evening　we　talked　of　our　fortune　that　we　had　begun　to

make。



Nobody　came　next　day；　but　the　day　after　a　lady　came　to　ask　for

money　to　build　an　orphanage　for　the　children　of　dead　sailors。　　And

we　saw　her。　　I　went　in　with　Alice。　　And　when　we　had　explained　to

her　that　we　had　only　a　shilling　and　we　wanted　it　for　something

else；　Alice　suddenly　said；　'Would　you　like　some　wine？'



And　the　lady　said；　'Thank　you　very　much；'　but　she　looked　surprised。



She　was　not　a　young　lady；　and　she　had　a　mantle　with　beads；　and　the

beads　had　come　off　in　places　…　leaving　a　browny　braid　showing；　and

she　had　printed　papers　about　the　dead　sailors　in　a　sealskin　bag；

and　the　seal　had　come　off　in　places；　leaving　the　skin　bare。

We　gave　her　a　tablespoonful　of　the　wine　in　a　proper　wine…glass　out

of　the　sideboard；　because　she　was　a　lady。　　And　when　she　had　tasted

it　she　got　up　in　a　very　great　hurry；　and　shook　out　her　dress　and

snapped　her　bag　shut；　and　said；　'You　naughty；　wicked　children！　

What　do　you　mean　by　playing　a　trick　like　this？　　You　ought　to　be

ashamed　of　yourselves！　　I　shall　write　to　your　Mamma　about　it。　　You

dreadful　little　girl！　…　you　might　have　poisoned　me。　　But　your

Mamma。。。'



Then　Alice　said；　'I'm　very　sorry；　the　butcher　liked　it；　only　he

said　it　was　sweet。　　And　please　don't　write　to　Mother。　　It　makes

Father　so　unhappy　when　letters　come　for　her！'　…　and　Alice　was　very

near　crying。



'What　do　you　mean；　you　silly　child？'　said　the　lady；　looking　quite

bright　and　interested。　　'Why　doesn't　your　Father　like　your　Mother

to　have　letters　…　eh？'



And　Alice　said；　'Oh；　you　。。。　　！'and　began　to　cry；　and　bolted　out　of

the　room。



Then　I　said；　'Our　Mother　is　dead；　and　will　you　please　go　away　now？'



The　lady　looked　at　me　a　minute；　and　then　she　looked　quite

different；　and　she　said；　'I'm　very　sorry。　　I　didn't　know。　　Never

mind　about　the　wine。　　I　daresay　your　little　sister　meant　it

kindly。'　　And　she　looked　round　the　room　just　like　the　butcher　had

done。　　Then　she　said　again；　'I　didn't　know　…　I'm　very　sorry。　　。　　。'



So　I　said；　'Don't　mention　it；'　and　shook　hands　with　her；　and　let

her　out。　　Of　course　we　couldn't　have　asked　her　to　buy　the　wine

after　what　she'd　said。　　But　I　think　she　was　not　a　bad　sort　of

person。　　I　do　like　a　person　to　say　they're　sorry　when　they　ought　to

be　…　especially　a　grown…up。　　They　do　it　so　seldom。　　I　suppose

that's　why　we　think　so　much　of　it。



But　Alice　and　I　didn't　feel　jolly　for　ever　so　long　afterwards。　　And

when　I　went　back　into　the　dining…room　I　saw　how　different　it　was

from　when　Mother　was　here；　and　we　are　different；　and　F