the story of the treasure seekers-第29部分

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took　us　in。　　It　was　a　lovely　hall；　with　bear　and　tiger　skins　on　the

floor；　and　a　big　clock　with　the　faces　of　the　sun　and　moon　dodging

out　when　it　was　day　or　night；　and　Father　Time　with　a　scythe　coming

out　at　the　hours；　and　the　name　on　it　was　'Flint。　　Ashford。　　1776'；

and　there　was　a　fox　eating　a　stuffed　duck　in　a　glass　case；　and

horns　of　stags　and　other　animals　over　the　doors。



'We'll　just　come　into　my　study　first；'　said　the　Uncle；　'and　wish

each　other　a　Merry　Christmas。'　　So　then　we　knew　he　wasn't　the

butler；　but　it　must　be　his　own　house；　for　only　the　master　of　the

house　has　a　study。



His　study　was　not　much　like　Father's。　　It　had　hardly　any　books；　but

swords　and　guns　and　newspapers　and　a　great　many　boots；　and　boxes

half　unpacked；　with　more　Indian　things　bulging　out　of　them。



We　gave　him　our　presents　and　he　was　awfully　pleased。　　Then　he　gave

us　his　Christmas　presents。　　You　must　be　tired　of　hearing　about

presents；　but　I　must　remark　that　all　the　Uncle's　presents　were

watches；　there　was　a　watch　for　each　of　us；　with　our　names　engraved

inside；　all　silver　except　H。　O。's；　and　that　was　a　Waterbury；　'To

match　his　boots；'　the　Uncle　said。　　I　don't　know　what　he　meant。



Then　the　Uncle　looked　at　Father；　and　Father　said；　'You　tell　them；

sir。'



So　the　Uncle　coughed　and　stood　up　and　made　a　speech。　　He　said　…



'Ladies　and　gentlemen；　we　are　met　together　to　discuss　an　important

subject　which　has　for　some

weeks　engrossed　the　attention　of　the　honourable　member　opposite　and

myself。'



I　said；　'Hear；　hear；'　and　Alice　whispered；　'What　happened　to　the

guinea…pig？'　　Of　course　you　know　the　answer　to　that。



The　Uncle　went　on　…



'I　am　going　to　live　in　this　house；　and　as　it's　rather　big　for　me；

your　Father　has　agreed　that　he　and　you　shall　come　and　live　with　me。



And　so；　if　you're　agreeable；　we're　all　going　to　live　here　together；

and；　please　God；　it'll　be　a　happy　home　for　us　all。　　Eh！　…　what？'



He　blew　his　nose　and　kissed　us　all　round。　　As　it　was　Christmas　I

did　not　mind；　though　I　am　much　too　old　for　it　on　other　dates。　　Then

he　said；　'Thank　you　all　very　much　for　your　presents；　but　I've　got

a　present　here　I　value　more　than　anything　else　I　have。'



I　thought　it　was　not　quite　polite　of　him　to　say　so；　till　I　saw　that

what　he　valued　so　much　was　a　threepenny…bit　on　his　watch…chain；

and；　of　course；　I　saw　it　must　be　the　one　we　had　given　him。



He　said；　'You　children　gave　me　that　when　you　thought　I　was　the　poor

Indian；　and　I'll　keep　it　as　long　as　I　live。　　And　I've　asked　some

friends　to　help　us　to　be　jolly；　for　this　is　our　house…warming。　　Eh！

…　what？'



Then　he　shook　Father　by　the　hand；　and　they　blew　their　noses；　and

then　Father　said；　'Your　Uncle　has　been　most　kind　…　most　…'



But　Uncle　interrupted　by　saying；　'Now；　Dick；　no　nonsense！'

Then　H。　O。　said；　'Then　you're　not　poor　at　all？'　as　if　he　were　very

disappointed。

The　Uncle　replied；　'I　have　enough　for　my　simple　wants；　thank　you；

H。　O。；　and　your　Father's　business　will　provide　him　with　enough　for

yours。　　Eh！　…　what？'



Then　we　all　went　down　and　looked　at　the　fox　thoroughly；　and　made

the　Uncle　take　the　glass　off　so　that　we　could　see　it　all　round　and

then　the　Uncle　took　us　all　over　the　house；　which　is　the　most

comfortable　one　I　have　ever　been　in。　　There　is　a　beautiful　portrait

of　Mother　in　Father's　sitting…room。　　The　Uncle　must　be　very　rich

indeed。　　This　ending　is　like　what　happens　in　Dickens's　books；　but

I　think　it　was　much　jollier　to　happen　like　a　book；　and　it　shows

what　a　nice　man　the　Uncle　is；　the　way　he　did　it　all。



Think　how　flat　it　would　have　been　if　the　Uncle　had　said；　when　we

first　offered　him　the　one　and　threepence　farthing；　'Oh；　I　don't

want　your　dirty　one　and　three…pence！　　I'm　very　rich　indeed。'　

Instead　of　which　he　saved　up　the　news　of　his　wealth　till　Christmas；

and　then　told　us　all　in　one　glorious　burst。　　Besides；　I　can't　help

it　if　it　is　like　Dickens；　because　it　happens　this　way。　　Real　life

is　often　something　like　books。



Presently；　when　we　had　seen　the　house；　we　were　taken　into　the

drawing…room；　and　there　was　Mrs　Leslie；　who　gave　us　the　shillings

and　wished　us　good　hunting；　and　Lord　Tottenham；　and

Albert…next…door's　Uncle　…　and　Albert…next…door；　and　his　Mother

（I'm　not　very　fond　of　her）；　and　best　of　all　our　own　Robber　and　his

two　kids；　and　our　Robber　had　a　new　suit　on。　　The　Uncle　told　us　he

had　asked　the　people　who　had　been　kind　to　us；　and　Noel　said；　'Where

is　my　noble　editor　that　I　wrote　the　poetry　to？'



The　Uncle　said　he　had　not　had　the　courage　to　ask　a　strange　editor

to　dinner；　but　Lord　Tottenham　was　an　old　friend　of　Uncle's；　and　he

had　introduced　Uncle　to　Mrs　Leslie；　and　that　was　how　he　had　the

pride　and　pleasure　of　welcoming　her　to　our　house…warming。　　And　he

made　her　a　bow　like　you　see　on　a　Christmas　card。



Then　Alice　asked；　'What　about　Mr　Rosenbaum？　　He　was　kind；　it　would

have　been　a　pleasant　surprise　for　him。'



But　everybody　laughed；　and　Uncle　said　…



'Your　father　has　paid　him　the　sovereign　he　lent　you。　　I　don't　think

he　could　have　borne　another　pleasant　surprise。'



And　I　said　there　was　the　butcher；　and　he　was　really　kind；　but　they

only　laughed；　and　Father　said　you　could　not　ask　all　your　business

friends　to　a　private　dinner。



Then　it　was　dinner…time；　and　we　thought　of　Uncle's　talk　about　cold

mutton　and　rice。　　But　it　was　a　beautiful　dinner；　and　I　never　saw

such　a　dessert！　　We　had　ours　on　plates　to　take　away　into　another

sitting…room；　which　was　much　jollier　than　sitting　round　the　table

with　the　grown…ups。　　But　the　Robber's　kids　stayed　with　their

Father。　　They　were　very　shy　and　frightened；　and　said　hardly

anything；　but　looked　all　about　with　very　bright　eyes。　　H。　O。

thought　they　were　like　white　mice；　but　afterwards　we　got　to　know

them　very　well；　and　in　the　end　they　were　not　so　mousy。　　And　there

is　a　good　deal　of　interesting　stuff　to　tell　about　them；　but　I　shall

put　all　that　in　another　book；　for　there　is　no　room　for　it　in　this

one。　　We　played　desert　islands　all　the　afternoon　and　drank　Uncle's

health　in　ginger　wine。　　It　was　H。　O。　that　upset　his　over　Alice's

green　silk　dress；　and　she　never　even　rowed　him。　　Brothers　ought　not

to　have　favourites；　and　Oswald　would　never　be　so　mean　as　to　have　a

favourite　sister；　or；　if　he　had；　wild　horses　should　not　make　him

tell　who　it　was。



And　now　we　are　to　go　on　living　in　the　big　house　on　the　Heath；　and

it　is　very　jolly。



Mrs　Leslie　often　comes　to　see　us；　and　our　own　Robber　and

Albert…next…door's　uncle。　　The　Indian　Uncle　likes　him　because　he

has　been　in　India　too　and　is　brown；　but　our　Uncle　does　not　like

Albert…next…door。　　He　says　he　is　a　muff。　　And　I　am　to　go　to　Rugby；

and　so　are　Noel　and　H。　O。；　and　perhaps　to　Balliol　afterwards。　

Balliol　is　my　Father's　college。　　It　has　two　separate　coats　of　arms；

which　many　other　colleges　are　not　allowed。　　Noel　is　going　to　be　a

poet　and　Dicky　wants　to　go　into　Father's　business。



The　Uncle　is　a　real　good　old　sort；　and　just　think；　we　should　never

have　found　him　if　we　hadn't　made　up　our　minds　to　be　Treasure

Seekers！　　Noel　made　a　poem　about　it　…





Lo！　the　poor　Indian　from　lands　afar；

Comes　where　the　treasure　seekers　are；

We　looked　for　treasure；　but　we　find

The　best　treasure　of　all　is　the　Uncle　good　and　kind。





I　thought　it　was　rather　rot；　but　Alice　would　show　it　to　the　Uncle；

and　he　liked　it　very　much。　　He　kissed　Alice　and　he　smacked　Noel　on

the　back；　and　he　said；　'I　don't　think　I've　done　so　badly　either；　if

you　come　to　that；　though　I　was　never　a　regular　professional

treasure　seeker。　　Eh！　…　what？'











End