the story of the treasure seekers-第19部分

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half　bad　with　sugar　in　it。'



Father　said　no；　he　didn't　think　clergymen　could　afford　such

expensive　wine；　and　he　said　he　would　like　to　taste　it。　　So　we　gave

him　what　there　was　left；　for　we　had　decided　coming　home　that　we

would　give　up　trying　for　the　two　pounds　a　week　in　our　spare　time。



Father　tasted　it；　and　then　he　acted　just　as　H。　O。　had　done　when　he

had　his　teaspoonful；　but　of　course　we　did　not　say　anything。　　Then

he　laughed　till　I　thought　he　would　never　stop。



I　think　it　was　the　sherry；　because　I　am　sure　I　have　read　somewhere

about　'wine　that　maketh　glad　the　heart　of　man'。　　He　had　only　a　very

little；　which　shows　that　it　was　a　good　after…dinner　wine；

stimulating；　and　yet　。。。　　I　forget　the　rest。



But　when　he　had　done　laughing　he　said；　'It's　all　right；　kids。　　Only

don't　do　it　again。　　The　wine　trade　is　overcrowded；　and　besides；　I

thought　you　promised　to　consult　me　before　going　into　business？'



'Before　buying　one　I　thought　you　meant；'　said　Dicky。　　'This　was

only　on　commission。'　　And　Father　laughed　again。　　I　am　glad　we　got

the　Castilian　Amoroso；　because　it　did　really　cheer　Father　up；　and

you　cannot　always　do　that；　however　hard　you　try；　even　if　you　make

jokes；　or　give　him　a　comic　paper。







CHAPTER　12

THE　NOBLENESS　OF　OSWALD





The　part　about　his　nobleness　only　comes　at　the　end；　but　you　would

not　understand　it　unless　you　knew　how　it　began。　　It　began；　like

nearly　everything　about　that　time；　with　treasure…seeking。



Of　course　as　soon　as　we　had　promised　to　consult　my　Father　about

business　matters　we　all　gave　up　wanting　to　go　into　business。　　I

don't　know　how　it　is；　but　having　to　consult　about　a　thing　with

grown…up　people；　even　the　bravest　and　the　best；　seems　to　make　the

thing　not　worth　doing　afterwards。



We　don't　mind　Albert's　uncle　chipping　in　sometimes　when　the　thing's

going　on；　but　we　are　glad　he　never　asked　us　to　promise　to　consult

him　about　anything。　　Yet　Oswald　saw　that　my　Father　was　quite　right；

and　I　daresay　if　we　had　had　that　hundred　pounds　we　should　have

spent　it　on　the　share　in　that　lucrative　business　for　the　sale　of

useful　patent；　and　then　found　out　afterwards　that　we　should　have

done　better　to　spend　the　money　in　some　other　way。　　My　Father　says

so；　and　he　ought　to　know。　　We　had　several　ideas　about　that　time；

but　having　so　little　chink　always　stood　in　the　way。



This　was　the　case　with　H。　O。's　idea　of　setting　up　a　coconut…shy　on

this　side　of　the　Heath；　where　there　are　none　generally。　　We　had　no

sticks　or　wooden　balls；　and　the　greengrocer　said　he　could　not　book

so　many　as　twelve　dozen　coconuts　without　Mr　Bastable's　written

order。　　And　as　we　did　not　wish　to　consult　my　Father　it　was　decided

to　drop　it。　　And　when　Alice　dressed　up　Pincher　in　some　of　the

dolls'　clothes　and　we　made　up　our　minds　to　take　him　round　with　an

organ　as　soon　as　we　had　taught　him　to　dance；　we　were　stopped　at

once　by　Dicky's　remembering　how　he　had　once　heard　that　an　organ

cost　seven　hundred　pounds。　　Of　course　this　was　the　big　church　kind；

but　even　the　ones　on　three　legs　can't　be　got　for

one…and…sevenpence；　which　was　all　we　had　when　we　first　thought　of

it。　　So　we　gave　that　up　too。



It　was　a　wet　day；　I　remember；　and　mutton　hash　for　dinner　…　very

tough　with　pale　gravy　with　lumps　in　it。　　I　think　the　others　would

have　left　a　good　deal　on　the　sides　of　their　plates；　although　they

know　better；　only　Oswald　said　it　was　a　savoury　stew　made　of　the　red

deer　that　Edward　shot。　　So　then　we　were　the　Children　of　the　New

Forest；　and　the　mutton　tasted　much　better。　　No　one　in　the　New

Forest　minds　venison　being　tough　and　the　gravy　pale。



Then　after　dinner　we　let　the　girls　have　a　dolls'　tea…party；　on

condition　they　didn't　expect　us　boys　to　wash　up；　and　it　was　when　we

were　drinking　the　last　of　the　liquorice　water　out　of　the　little

cups　that　Dicky　said　…



'This　reminds　me。'



So　we　said；　'What　of？'



Dicky　answered　us　at　once；　though　his　mouth　was　full　of　bread　with

liquorice　stuck　in　it　to　look　like　cake。　　You　should　not　speak　with

your　mouth　full；　even　to　your　own　relations；　and　you　shouldn't　wipe

your　mouth　on　the　back　of　your　hand；　but　on　your　handkerchief；　if

you　have　one。　　Dicky　did　not　do　this。　　He　said　…



'Why；　you　remember　when　we　first　began　about　treasure…seeking；　I

said　I　had　thought　of　something；　only　I　could　not　tell　you　because

I　hadn't　finished　thinking　about　it。'



We　said　'Yes。'



'Well；　this　liquorice　water　…'



'Tea；'　said　Alice　softly。



'Well；　tea　then　…　made　me　think。'　　He　was　going　on　to　say　what　it

made　him　think；　but　Noel　interrupted　and　cried　out；　'I　say；　let's

finish　off　this　old　tea…party　and　have　a　council　of　war。'



So　we　got　out　the　flags　and　the　wooden　sword　and　the　drum；　and

Oswald　beat　it　while　the　girls　washed　up；　till　Eliza　came　up　to　say

she　had　the　jumping　toothache；　and　the　noise　went　through　her　like

a　knife。　　So　of　course　Oswald　left　off　at　once。　　When　you　are

polite　to　Oswald　he　never　refuses　to　grant　your　requests。



When　we　were　all　dressed　up　we　sat　down　round　the　camp　fire；　and

Dicky　began　again。



'Every　one　in　the　world　wants　money。　　Some　people　get　it。　　The

people　who　get　it　are　the　ones　who　see　things。　　I　have　seen　one

thing。'



Dicky　stopped　and　smoked　the　pipe　of　peace。　　It　is　the　pipe　we　did

bubbles　with　in　the　summer；　and　somehow　it　has　not　got　broken　yet。　

We　put　tea…leaves　in　it　for　the　pipe　of　peace；　but　the　girls　are

not　allowed　to　have　any。　　It　is　not　right　to　let　girls　smoke。　　They

get　to　think　too　much　of　themselves　if　you　let　them　do　everything

the　same　as　men。　　Oswald　said；　'Out　with　it。'



'I　see　that　glass　bottles　only　cost　a　penny。　　H。　O。；　if　you　dare　to

snigger　I'll　send　you　round　selling　old　bottles；　and　you　shan't

have　any　sweets　except　out　of　the　money　you　get　for　them。　　And　the

same　with　you；　Noel。'



'NoEl　wasn't　sniggering；'　said　Alice　in　a　hurry；　'it　is　only　his

taking　so　much　interest　in　what　you　were　saying　makes　him　look　like

that。　　Be　quiet；　H。　O。；　and　don't　you　make　faces；　either。　　Do　go

on；　Dicky　dear。'



So　Dicky　went　on。



'There　must　be　hundreds　of　millions　of　bottles　of　medicines　sold

every　year。　　Because　all　the　different　medicines　say；　〃Thousands　of

cures　daily；〃　and　if　you　only　take　that　as　two　thousand；　which　it

must　be；　at　least；　it　mounts　up。　　And　the　people　who　sell　them　must

make　a　great　deal　of　money　by　them　because　they　are　nearly　always

two…and…　ninepence　the　bottle；　and　three…and…six　for　one　nearly

double　the　size。　　Now　the　bottles；　as　I　was　saying；　don't　cost

anything　like　that。'



'It's　the　medicine　costs　the　money；'　said　Dora；　'look　how　expensive

jujubes　are　at　the　chemist's；　and　peppermints　too。'



'That's　only　because　they're　nice；'　Dicky　explained；　'nasty　things

are　not　so　dear。　　Look　what　a　lot　of　brimstone　you　get　for　a　penny；

and　the　same　with　alum。　　We　would　not　put　the　nice　kinds　of

chemist's　things　in　our　medicine。'



Then　he　went　on　to　tell　us　that　when　we　had　invented　our　medicine

we　would　write　and　tell　the　editor　about　it；　and　he　would　put　it　in

the　paper；　and　then　people　would　send　their　two…and…ninepence　and

three…and…six　for　the　bottle　nearly　double　the　size；　and　then　when

the　medicine　had　cured　them　they　would　write　to　the　paper　and　their

letters　would　be　printed；　saying　how　they　had　been　suffering　for

years；　and　never　thought　to　get　about　again；　but　thanks　to　the

blessing　of　our　ointment　…'



Dora　interrupted　and　said；　'Not　ointment　…　it's　so　messy。'　　And

Alice　thought　so　too。　　And　Dicky　said　he　did　not　mean　it；　he　was

quite　decided　to　let　it　be　in　bottles。　　So　now　it　was　all　settled；

and　we　did　not　see　at　the　time　that　this　would　be　a　sort　of　going

into　business；　but　afterwards　when　Albert's　uncle　showed　us　we　saw

it；　and　we　were　sorry。　　We　only　had　to　invent　the　medicine。　　You

might　think　that　was　easy；　because　of　the　number　of　them　you　see

every　day　in　the　paper；　but　it　is　much　harder　than　you　think。　

First　we　had　to　decide　what　sort　of　illness　we　should　like　to　cure；

and　a　'heated　discussion　ensued'；　like　in　Parliament。



Dora　wanted　it　to　be　something　to　make　the　complexion　of　dazzling

fairness；　but　we　remembered　how　her　face　came　all　red　and　rough

when　she　used　the　Rosabella　soap　that　was　advertised　to　make　the

darkest　complexion　fair　as　the　lily；　and　she　agreed　that　perhaps　it

was　better　not。　　Noel　wanted　to　make　the　medicine　first　and　then

find　out　what　it　would　cure；　but　Dicky　thought　not；　because　there

are　so　many　more　medicines　than　there　are　things　the　matter　with

us；　so　it　would　be　easier　to　choose　the　disease　first。

Oswald　would　have　liked　wounds。　　I　still　think　it　was　a　good　idea；

but　Dicky　said；　'Who　has　wounds；　especially　now　there　aren't　any

wars？　　We　shouldn't　sell　a　bottle　a　day！'　　So　Oswald　gave　in

because　he　knows　what　manners　are；　and　it　was　Dicky's　idea。　　H。　O。

wanted　a　cure　for　the　uncomfortable　feeling　that　they　give　you

powders　for；　but　we　explained　to　him　that　grown…up　people　do　not

have　this　feeling；　however　much　they　eat；　and　he　agreed。　　Dicky

said　he　did　not　care　a　straw　what　the　loathsome　disease　was；　as

long　as　we　hurried　up　and　settled　on　something。　　Then　Alice　said　…



'It　ought　to　be　something　very　common；　and　only　one　thing。　　Not　the

pains　in　the　back　and　all　the　hundreds　of　things　the　people　have　in

somebody's　syrup。　　What's　the　commonest　thing　of　all？'



And　at　once　we　said；　'Colds。'



So　that　was　settled。



Then　we　wrote　a　label　to　go　on　the　bottle。　　When　it　was　written　it

would　not　go　on　the　vinegar　bottle　that　we　had　got；　but　we　knew　it

would　go　small　when　it　was　printed。　　It　was　like　this：





BASTABLE'S



CERTAIN　CURE　FOR　COLDS　Coughs；　Asthma；　Shortness　of　Breath；　and　all

infections　of　the　Chest



One　dose　gives　immediate　relief

It　will　cure　your　cold　in　one　bottle

Especially　the　larger　size　at　3s。　　6d。



Order　at　once　of　the　Makers

To　preven