the little white bird-第32部分

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forgets　whether　it　is　your　head　or　your　feet　you　should　stand　on；

and　he　usually　begins　the　day　by　standing　on　the　end　that　happens

to　get　out　of　bed　first。　　Thus　he　requires　constant　watching；　and

the　worst　of　it　is；　you　dare　not　draw　attention　to　his　mistake；

he　is　so　shrinkingly　sensitive　about　it。　　No　sooner　had　Joey　told

us　this　than　the　poor　old　fellow　began　to　turn　upside　down　and

stood　on　his　head；　but　we　pretended　not　to　notice；　and　talked

about　the　weather　until　he　came　to。



Josy　and　Joeykin；　all　skirts　and　spangles；　were　with　us　by　this

time；　for　they　had　been　invited　to　tea。　　They　came　in　dancing；

and　danced　off　and　on　most　of　the　time。　　Even　in　the　middle　of

what　they　were　saying　they　would　begin　to　flutter；　it　was　not　so

much　that　they　meant　to　dance　as　that　the　slightest　thing　set

them　going；　such　as　sitting　in　a　draught；　and　David　found　he

could　blow　them　about　the　room　like　pieces　of　paper。　　You　could

see　by　the　shortness　of　Josy's　dress　that　she　was　very　young

indeed；　and　at　first　this　made　him　shy；　as　he　always　is　when

introduced　formally　to　little　girls；　and　he　stood　sucking　his

thumb；　and　so　did　she；　but　soon　the　stiffness　wore　off　and　they

sat　together　on　the　sofa；　holding　each　other's　hands。



All　this　time　the　harlequin　was　rotating　like　a　beautiful　fish；

and　David　requested　him　to　jump　through　the　wall；　at　which　he　is

such　an　adept；　and　first　he　said　he　would；　and　then　he　said

better　not；　for　the　last　time　he　did　it　the　people　in　the　next

house　had　made　such　a　fuss。　　David　had　to　admit　that　it　must　be

rather　startling　to　the　people　on　the　other　side　of　the　wall；　but

he　was　sorry。



By　this　time　tea　was　ready；　and　Josy；　who　poured　out；　remembered

to　ask　if　you　took　milk　with　just　one　drop　of　tea　in　it；　exactly

as　her　mother　would　have　asked。　　There　was　nothing　to　eat；　of

course；　except　sausages；　but　what　a　number　of　them　there　were！

hundreds　at　least；　strings　of　sausages；　and　every　now　and　then

Joey　jumped　up　and　played　skipping　rope　with　them。　　David　had

been　taught　not　to　look　greedy；　even　though　he　felt　greedy；　and

he　was　shocked　to　see　the　way　in　which　Joey　and　old　Joey　and　even

Josy　eyed　the　sausages　they　had　given　him。　　Soon　Josy　developed

nobler　feelings；　for　she　and　Joeykin　suddenly　fell　madly　in　love

with　each　other　across　the　table；　but　unaffected　by　this　pretty

picture；　Joey　continued　to　put　whole　sausages　in　his　mouth　at　a

time；　and　then　rubbed　himself　a　little　lower　down；　while　old　Joey

secreted　them　about　his　person；　and　when　David　wasn't　looking

they　both　pounced　on　his　sausages；　and　yet　as　they　gobbled　they

were　constantly　running　to　the　top　of　the　stair　and　screaming　to

the　servant　to　bring　up　more　sausages。



You　could　see　that　Joey　（if　you　caught　him　with　his　hand　in　your

plate）　was　a　bit　ashamed　of　himself；　and　he　admitted　to　us　that

sausages　were　a　passion　with　him。



He　said　he　had　never　once　in　his　life　had　a　sufficient　number　of

sausages。　　They　had　maddened　him　since　he　was　the　smallest　boy。

He　told　us　how；　even　in　those　days；　his　mother　had　feared　for

him；　though　fond　of　a　sausage　herself；　how　he　had　bought　a

sausage　with　his　first　penny；　and　hoped　to　buy　one　with　his　last

（if　they　could　not　be　got　in　any　other　way）；　and　that　he　always

slept　with　a　string　of　them　beneath　his　pillow。



While　he　was　giving　us　these　confidences；　unfortunately；　his　eyes

came　to　rest；　at　first　accidentally；　then　wistfully；　then　with　a

horrid　gleam　in　them；　on　the　little　dog；　which　was　fooling　about

on　the　top　of　the　sausage…machine；　and　his　hands　went　out　toward

it　convulsively；　whereat　David；　in　sudden　fear；　seized　the　dog　in

one　arm　and　gallantly　clenched　his　other　fist；　and　then　Joey

begged　his　pardon　and　burst　into　tears；　each　one　of　which　he

flung　against　the　wall；　where　it　exploded　with　a　bang。



David　refused　to　pardon　him　unless　he　promised　on　wood　never　to

look　in　that　way　at　the　dog　again；　but　Joey　said　promises　were

nothing　to　him　when　he　was　short　of　sausages；　and　so　his　wisest

course　would　be　to　present　the　dog　to　David。　　Oh；　the　joy　of

David　when　he　understood　that　the　little　dog　he　had　saved　was　his

very　own！　　I　can　tell　you　he　was　now　in　a　hurry　to　be　off　before

Joey　had　time　to　change　his　mind。



〃All　I　ask　of　you；〃　Joey　said　with　a　break　in　his　voice；　〃is　to

call　him　after　me；　and　always　to　give　him　a　sausage；　sonny；　of　a

Saturday　night。〃



There　was　a　quiet　dignity　about　Joey　at　the　end；　which　showed

that　he　might　have　risen　to　high　distinction　but　for　his　fatal

passion。



The　last　we　saw　of　him　was　from　the　street。　　He　was　waving　his

tongue　at　us　in　his　attractive；　foolish　way；　and　Josy　was　poised

on　Joeykin's　hand　like　a　butterfly　that　had　alighted　on　a　flower。

We　could　not　exactly　see　old　Joey；　but　we　saw　his　feet；　and　so

feared　the　worst。　　Of　course　they　are　not　everything　they　should

be；　but　one　can't　help　liking　them。





XXIII



Pilkington's



On　attaining　the　age　of　eight；　or　thereabout；　children　fly　away

from　the　Gardens；　and　never　come　back。　　When　next　you　meet　them

they　are　ladies　and　gentlemen　holding　up　their　umbrellas　to　hail

a　hansom。



Where　the　girls　go　to　I　know　not；　to　some　private　place；　I

suppose；　to　put　up　their　hair；　but　the　boys　have　gone　to

Pilkington's。　　He　is　a　man　with　a　cane。　　You　may　not　go　to

Pilkington's　in　knickerbockers　made　by　your　mother；　make　she　ever

so　artfully。　　They　must　be　real　knickerbockers。　　It　is　his　stern

rule。　　Hence　the　fearful　fascination　of　Pilkington's。



He　may　be　conceived　as　one　who；　baiting　his　hook　with　real

knickerbockers；　fishes　all　day　in　the　Gardens；　which　are　to　him

but　a　pool　swarming　with　small　fry。



Abhorred　shade！　　I　know　not　what　manner　of　man　thou　art　in　the

flesh；　sir；　but　figure　thee　bearded　and　blackavised；　and　of　a

lean　tortuous　habit　of　body；　that　moves　ever　with　a　swish。　　Every

morning；　I　swear；　thou　readest　avidly　the　list　of　male　births　in

thy　paper；　and　then　are　thy　hands　rubbed　gloatingly　the　one　upon

the　other。　　'Tis　fear　of　thee　and　thy　gown　and　thy　cane；　which

are　part　of　thee；　that　makes　the　fairies　to　hide　by　day；　wert

thou　to　linger　but　once　among　their　haunts　between　the　hours　of

Lock…out　and　Open　Gates　there　would　be　left　not　one　single　gentle

place　in　all　the　Gardens。　　The　little　people　would　flit。　　How

much　wiser　they　than　the　small　boys　who　swim　glamoured　to　thy

crafty　hook。　Thou　devastator　of　the　Gardens；　I　know　thee；

Pilkington。



I　first　heard　of　Pilkington　from　David；　who　had　it　from　Oliver

Bailey。



This　Oliver　Bailey　was　one　of　the　most　dashing　figures　in　the

Gardens；　and　without　apparent　effort　was　daily　drawing　nearer　the

completion　of　his　seventh　year　at　a　time　when　David　seemed　unable

to　get　beyond　half…past　five。　　I　have　to　speak　of　him　in　the　past

tense；　for　gone　is　Oliver　from　the　Gardens　（gone　to　Pilkington's）

but　he　is　still　a　name　among　us；　and　some　lordly　deeds　are

remembered　of　him；　as　that　his　father　shaved　twice　a　day。　　Oliver

himself　was　all　on　that　scale。



His　not　ignoble　ambition　seems　always　to　have　been　to　be　wrecked

upon　an　island；　indeed　I　am　told　that　he　mentioned　it

insinuatingly　in　his　prayers；　and　it　was　perhaps　inevitable　that

a　boy　with　such　an　outlook　should　fascinate　David。　　I　am　proud；

therefore；　to　be　able　to　state　on　wood　that　it　was　Oliver　himself

who　made　the　overture。



On　first　hearing；　from　some　satellite　of　Oliver's；　of　Wrecked

Islands；　as　they　are　called　in　the　Gardens；　David　said　wistfully

that　he　supposed　you　needed　to　be　very　very　good　before　you　had

any　chance　of　being　wrecked；　and　the　remark　was　conveyed　to

Oliver；　on　whom　it　made　an　uncomfortable　impression。　　For　a　time

he　tried　to　evade　it；　but　ultimately　David　was　presented　to　him

and　invited　gloomily　to　say　it　again。　　The　upshot　was　that　Oliver

advertised　the　Gardens　of　his　intention　to　be　good　until　he　was

eight；　and　if　he　had　not　been　wrecked　by　that　time；　to　be　as

jolly　bad　as　a　boy　could　be。　　He　was　naturally　so　bad　that　at　the

Kindergarten　Academy；　when　the　mistress　ordered　whoever　had　done

the　last　naughty　deed　to　step　forward；　Oliver's　custom　had　been

to　step　forward；　not　necessarily　because　he　had　done　it；　but

because　he　presumed　he　very　likely　had。



The　friendship　of　the　two　dated　from　this　time；　and　at　first　I

thought　Oliver　discovered　generosity　in　hasting　to　David　as　to　an

equal；　he　also　walked　hand　in　hand　with　him；　and　even　reproved

him　for　delinquencies　like　a　loving　elder　brother。　　But　'tis　a

gray　world　even　in　the　Gardens；　for　I　found　that　a　new

arrangement　had　been　made　which　reduced　Oliver　to　life…size。　　He

had　wearied　of　well…doing；　and　passed　it　on；　so　to　speak；　to　his

friend。　　In　other　words；　on　David　now　devolved　the　task　of　being

good　until　he　was　eight；　while　Oliver　clung　to　him　so　closely

that　the　one　could　not　be　wrecked　without　the　other。



When　this　was　made　known　to　me　it　was　already　too　late　to　break

the　spell　of　Oliver；　David　was　top…heavy　with　pride　in　him；　and；

faith；　I　began　to　find　myself　very　much　in　the　cold；　for　Oliver

was　frankly　bored　by　me　and　even　David　seemed　to　think　it　would

be　convenient　if　I　went　and　sat　with　Irene。　　Am　I　affecting　to

laugh？　I　was　really　distressed　and　lonely；　and　rather　bitter；　and

how　humble　I　became。　　Sometimes　when　the　dog　Joey　is　unable；　by

frisking；　to　induce　Porthos　to　play　with　him；　he　stands　on　his

hind　legs　and　begs　it　of　him；　and　I　do　believe　I　was　sometimes　as

humble　as　Joey。　　Then　David　would　insist　on　my　being　suffered　to

join　them；　but　it　was　plain　that　he　had　no　real　occasion　for　me。



It　was　an　unheroic　trouble；　and　I　despised　myself。　　For　years　I

had　been　fighting　Mary　for　David；　and　had　not　wholly　failed

though　she　was　advantaged　by　the　accident　of　relationship；　was　I

now　to　be　knocked　out　so　easily　by　a　seven　year　old？　　I

reconsidered　my　weapons；　and　I　fought　Oliver　and　beat　him。　

Figu