the story of the treasure seekers-第21部分

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and　he　said；　'You　know　I　promised　to　take　you　all　to　the

pantomime？'



So　we　said；　'Yes；'　and　knew　but　too　well　that　now　he　wasn't　going

to。　　Then　he　went　on　…



'Well；　I　will　take　you　if　you　like；　or　I　will　take　Noel　to　the　sea

for　a　week　to　cure　his　cold。　　Which　is　it　to　be？'



Of　course　he　knew　we　should　say；　'Take　Noel'　and　we　did；　but　Dicky

told　me　afterwards　he　thought　it　was　hard　on　H。　O。



Albert's　uncle　stayed　till　Eliza　came　in；　and　then　he　said　good

night　in　a　way　that　showed　us　that　all　was　forgiven　and　forgotten。



And　we　went　to　bed。　　It　must　have　been　the　middle　of　the　night　when

Oswald　woke　up　suddenly；　and　there　was　Alice　with　her　teeth

chattering；　shaking　him　to　wake　him。



'Oh；　Oswald！'　she　said；　'I　am　so　unhappy。　　Suppose　I　should　die　in

the　night！'



Oswald　told　her　to　go　to　bed　and　not　gas。　　But　she　said；　'I　must

tell　you；　I　wish　I'd　told　Albert's　uncle。　　I'm　a　thief；　and　if　I

die　to…night　I　know　where　thieves　go　to。'　　So　Oswald　saw　it　was　no

good　and　he　sat　up　in　bed　and　said　…　'Go　ahead。'　　So　Alice　stood

shivering　and　said　…　'I　hadn't　enough　money　for　the　telegram；　so　I

took　the　bad　sixpence　out　of　the　exchequer。　　And　I　paid　for　it　with

that　and　the　fivepence　I　had。　　And　I　wouldn't　tell　you；　because　if

you'd　stopped　me　doing　it　I　couldn't　have　borne　it；　and　if　you'd

helped　me　you'd　have　been　a　thief　too。　　Oh；　what　shall　I　do？'



Oswald　thought　a　minute；　and　then　he　said　…



'You'd　better　have　told　me。　　But　I　think　it　will　be　all　right　if　we

pay　it　back。　　Go　to　bed。　　Cross　with　you？　　No；　stupid！　　Only

another　time　you'd　better　not　keep　secrets。'



So　she　kissed　Oswald；　and　he　let　her；　and　she　went　back　to　bed。



The　next　day　Albert's　uncle　took　Noel　away；　before　Oswald　had　time

to　persuade　Alice　that　we　ought　to　tell　him　about　the　sixpence。　

Alice　was　very　unhappy；　but　not　so　much　as　in　the　night：　you　can　be

very　miserable　in　the　night　if　you　have　done　anything　wrong　and　you

happen　to　be　awake。　　I　know　this　for　a　fact。



None　of　us　had　any　money　except　Eliza；　and　she　wouldn't　give　us　any

unless　we　said　what　for；　and　of　course　we　could　not　do　that　because

of　the　honour　of　the　family。　　And　Oswald　was　anxious　to　get　the

sixpence　to　give　to　the　telegraph　people　because　he　feared　that　the

badness　of　that　sixpence　might　have　been　found　out；　and　that　the

police　might　come　for　Alice　at　any　moment。　　I　don't　think　I　ever

had　such　an　unhappy　day。　　Of　course　we　could　have　written　to

Albert's　uncle；　but　it　would　have　taken　a　long　time；　and　every

moment　of　delay　added　to　Alice's　danger。　　We　thought　and　thought；

but　we　couldn't　think　of　any　way　to　get　that　sixpence。　　It　seems　a

small　sum；　but　you　see　Alice's　liberty　depended　on　it。　　It　was

quite　late　in　the　afternoon　when　I　met　Mrs　Leslie　on　the　Parade。　

She　had　a　brown　fur　coat　and　a　lot　of　yellow　flowers　in　her　hands。　

She　stopped　to　speak　to　me；　and　asked　me　how　the　Poet　was。　　I　told

her　he　had　a　cold；　and　I　wondered　whether　she　would　lend　me

sixpence　if　I　asked　her；　but　I　could　not　make　up　my　mind　how　to

begin　to　say　it。　　It　is　a　hard　thing　to　say　…　much　harder　than　you

would　think。　　She　talked　to　me　for　a　bit；　and　then　she　suddenly　got

into　a　cab；　and　said　…



'I'd　no　idea　it　was　so　late；'　and　told　the　man　where　to　go。　　And

just　as　she　started　she　shoved　the　yellow　flowers　through　the

window　and　said；　'For　the　sick　poet；　with　my　love；'　and　was　driven

off。



Gentle　reader；　I　will　not　conceal　from　you　what　Oswald　did。　　He

knew　all　about　not　disgracing　the　family；　and　he　did　not　like　doing

what　I　am　going　to　say：　and　they　were　really　Noel's　flowers；　only

he　could　not　have　sent　them　to　Hastings；　and　Oswald　knew　he　would

say　'Yes'　if　Oswald　asked　him。　　Oswald　sacrificed　his　family　pride

because　of　his　little　sister's　danger。　　I　do　not　say　he　was　a　noble

boy　…　I　just　tell　you　what　he　did；　and　you　can　decide　for　yourself

about　the　nobleness。



He　put　on　his　oldest　clothes　…　they're　much　older　than　any　you

would　think　he　had　if　you　saw　him　when　he　was　tidy　…　and　he　took

those　yellow　chrysanthemums　and　he　walked　with　them　to　Greenwich

Station　and　waited　for　the　trains　bringing　people　from　London。　　He

sold　those　flowers　in　penny　bunches　and　got　tenpence。　　Then　he　went

to　the　telegraph　office　at　Lewisham；　and　said　to　the　lady　there：



'A　little　girl　gave　you　a　bad　sixpence　yesterday。　　Here　are　six

good　pennies。'



The　lady　said　she　had　not　noticed　it；　and　never　mind；　but　Oswald

knew　that　'Honesty　is　the　best　Policy'；　and　he　refused　to　take　back

the　pennies。　　So　at　last　she　said　she　should　put　them　in　the　plate

on　Sunday。　　She　is　a　very　nice　lady。　　I　like　the　way　she　does　her

hair。



Then　Oswald　went　home　to　Alice　and　told　her；　and　she　hugged　him；

and　said　he　was　a　dear；　good；　kind　boy；　and　he　said　'Oh；　it's　all

right。'



We　bought　peppermint　bullseyes　with　the　fourpence　I　had　over；　and

the　others　wanted　to　know　where　we　got　the　money；　but　we　would　not

tell。



Only　afterwards　when　Noel　came　home　we　told　him；　because　they　were

his　flowers；　and　he　said　it　was　quite　right。　　He　made　some　poetry

about　it。　　I　only　remember　one　bit　of　it。





The　noble　youth　of　high　degree

Consents　to　play　a　menial　part；

All　for　his　sister　Alice's　sake；

Who　was　so　dear　to　his　faithful　heart。





But　Oswald　himself　has　never　bragged　about　it。　　We　got　no　treasure

out　of　this；　unless　you　count　the　peppermint　bullseyes。







CHAPTER　13

THE　ROBBER　AND　THE　BURGLAR





A　day　or　two　after　Noel　came　back　from　Hastings　there　was　snow；　it

was　jolly。　　And　we　cleared　it　off　the　path。　　A　man　to　do　it　is

sixpence　at　least；　and　you　should　always　save　when　you　can。　　A

penny　saved　is　a　penny　earned。　　And　then　we　thought　it　would　be

nice　to　clear　it　off　the　top　of　the　portico；　where　it　lies　so

thick；　and　the　edges　as　if　they　had　been　cut　with　a　knife。　　And

just　as　we　had　got　out　of　the　landing…window　on　to　the　portico；　the

Water　Rates　came　up　the　path　with　his　book　that　he　tears　the　thing

out　of　that　says　how　much　you　have　got　to　pay；　and　the　little

ink…bottle　hung　on　to　his　buttonhole　in　case　you　should　pay　him。　

Father　says　the　Water　Rates　is　a　sensible　man；　and　knows　it　is

always　well　to　be　prepared　for　whatever　happens；　however　unlikely。　

Alice　said　afterwards　that　she　rather　liked　the　Water　Rates；

really；　and　Noel　said　he　had　a　face　like　a　good　vizier；　or　the　man

who　rewards　the　honest　boy　for　restoring　the　purse；　but　we　did　not

think　about　these　things　at　the　time；　and　as　the　Water　Rates　came

up　the　steps；　we　shovelled　down　a　great　square　slab　of　snow　like　an

avalanche　…　and　it　fell　right　on　his　head　。　　Two　of　us　thought　of

it　at　the　same　moment；　so　it　was　quite　a　large　avalanche。　　And　when

the　Water　Rates　had　shaken　himself　he　rang　the　bell。　　It　was

Saturday；　and　Father　was　at　home。　　We　know　now　that　it　is　very

wrong　and　ungentlemanly　to　shovel　snow　off　porticoes　on　to　the

Water　Rates；　or　any　other　person；　and　we　hope　he　did　not　catch　a

cold；　and　we　are　very　sorry。　　We　apologized　to　the　Water　Rates　when

Father　told　us　to。　　We　were　all　sent　to　bed　for　it。



We　all　deserved　the　punishment；　because　the　others　would　have

shovelled　down　snow　just　as　we　did　if　they'd　thought　of　it　…　only

they　are　not　so　quick　at　thinking　of　things　as　we　are。　　And　even

quite　wrong　things　sometimes　lead　to　adventures；　as　every　one　knows

who　has　ever　read　about　pirates　or　highwaymen。



Eliza　hates　us　to　be　sent　to　bed　early；　because　it　means　her　having

to　bring　meals　up；　and　it　means　lighting　the　fire　in　Noel's　room

ever　so　much　earlier　than　usual。　　He　had　to　have　a　fire　because　he

still　had　a　bit　of　a　cold。　　But　this　particular　day　we　got　Eliza

into　a　good　temper　by　giving　her　a　horrid　brooch　with　pretending

amethysts　in　it；　that　an　aunt　once　gave　to　Alice；　so　Eliza　brought

up　an　extra　scuttle　of　coals；　and　when　the　greengrocer　came　with

the　potatoes　（he　is　always　late　on　Saturdays）　she　got　some

chestnuts　from　him。　　So　that　when　we　heard　Father　go　out　after　his

dinner；　there　was　a　jolly　fire　in　Noel's　room；　and　we　were　able　to

go　in　and　be　Red　Indians　in　blankets　most　comfortably。　　Eliza　had

gone　out；　she　says　she　gets　things　cheaper　on　Saturday　nights。　　She

has　a　great　friend；　who　sells　fish　at　a　shop；　and　he　is　very

generous；　and　lets　her　have　herrings　for　less　than　half　the　natural

price。



So　we　were　all　alone　in　the　house；　Pincher　was　out　with　Eliza；　and

we　talked　about　robbers。　　And　Dora　thought　it　would　be　a　dreadful

trade；　but　Dicky　said　…



'I　think　it　would　be　very　interesting。　　And　you　would　only　rob　rich

people；　and　be　very　generous　to　the　poor　and　needy；　like　Claude

Duval。'

Dora　said；　'It　is　wrong　to　be　a　robber。'



'Yes；'　said　Alice；　'you　would　never　know　a　happy　hour。　　Think　of

trying　to　sleep　with　the　stolen　jewels　under　your　bed；　and

remembering　all　the　quantities　of　policemen　and　detectives　that

there　are　in　the　world！'



'There　are　ways　of　being　robbers　that　are　not　wrong；'　said　Noel；

'if　you　can　rob　a　robber　it　is　a　right　act。'



'But　you　can't；'　said　Dora；　'he　is　too　clever；　and　besides；　it's

wrong　anyway。'



'Yes　you　can；　and　it　isn't；　and　murdering　him　with　boiling　oil　is

a　right　act；　too；　so　there！'　said　Noel。　　'What　about　Ali　Baba？　　Now

then！'　　And　we　felt　it　was　a　score　for　NoEl。



'What　would　you　do　if　there　was　a　robber？'　said　Alice。



H。　O。　said　he　would　kill　him　with　boiling　oil；　but　Alice　explained

that　she　meant　a　real　robber　…　now　…　this　minute　…　in　the　house。



Oswald　and　Dicky　did　not　say；　but　Noel　said　he　thought　it　would

only　be　fair　to　ask　the　robber　quite　politely　and　quietly　to　go

away；　and　then　if　he　didn't　you　could　deal　with　him。



Now　what　I　am　going　to　tell　you　is　a　very　strange　and　wonderful

thing；　and　I　hope　you　will　be　able　to　believe　it。　　I　should　not；　if

a　boy　told　me；　unless　I　knew　him　to　be　a　man　of　honour；　and　perhaps

not　th