just david(公正的大卫)-第24章
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Miss Holbrook stirred uneasily。
〃Notrecently。〃
〃But you don't MIND folks crossing it？〃
〃Certainly notif they wish to。〃
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〃There！ I knew 't wasn't your blame； 〃 triumphed David。
〃MY blame！〃
〃Yes； that Mr。 Jack wouldn't let Jill come across； you know。 He called
her back when she'd got halfway over once。〃 Miss Holbrook's face
changed color。
〃But I do object；〃 she cried sharply； 〃to their crossing it when they
DON'T want to！ Don't forget that； please。〃
〃But Jill did want to。〃
〃How about her brotherdid he want her to？〃
〃Nno。〃
〃Very well； then。 I didn't； either。〃
David frowned。 Never had he seen his beloved Lady of the Roses look
like this before。 He was reminded of what Jill had said about Jack： 〃His
face was all stern and white； and his lips snapped tight shut after every
word。〃 So； too； looked Miss Holbrook's face； so； too； had her lips snapped
tight shut after her last words。 David could not understand it。 He said
nothing more； however； but； as was usually the case when he was
perplexed； he picked up his violin and began to play。 And as he played；
there gradually came to Miss Holbrook's eyes a softer light； and to her lips
lines less tightly drawn。 Neither the footbridge nor Mr。 Jack； however； was
mentioned again that afternoon。
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CHAPTER XVII
〃THE PRINCESS AND THE
PAUPER〃
It was in the early twilight that Mr。 Jack told the story。 He； Jill； and
David were on the veranda； as usual watching the towers of Sunnycrest
turn from gold to silver as the sun dropped behind the hills。 It was Jill who
had asked for the story。
〃About fairies and princesses； you know；〃 she had ordered。
〃But how will David like that？〃 Mr。 Jack had demurred。 〃Maybe he
doesn't care for fairies and princesses。〃
〃I read one once about a prince't was 'The Prince and the Pauper；' and
I liked that；〃 averred David stoutly。
Mr。 Jack smiled； then his brows drew together in a frown。 His eyes
were moodily fixed on the towers。
〃Hm…m； well；〃 he said； 〃I might； I suppose； tell you a story about a
PRINCESS anda Pauper。 Iknow one well enough。〃
〃Good！then tell it；〃 cried both Jill and David。 And Mr。 Jack began his
story。
〃She was not always a Princess； and he was not always a Pauper；and
that's where the story came in； I suppose；〃 sighed the man。 〃She was just a
girl； once； and he was a boy； and they played together andliked each
other。 He lived in a little house on a hill。〃
〃Like this？〃 demanded Jill。
〃Eh？ Oheryes； SOMETHING like this；〃 returned Mr。 Jack； with an
odd half…smile。 〃And she lived in another bit of a house in a town far away
from the boy。〃
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〃Then how could they play together？〃 questioned David。
〃They couldn't； ALWAYS。 It was only summers when she came to
visit in the boy's town。 She was very near him then； for the old aunt whom
she visited lived in a big stone house with towers； on another hill； in plain
sight from the boy's home。〃
〃Towers like thosewhere the Lady of the Roses lives？〃 asked David。
〃Eh？ What？ Oheryes；〃 murmured Mr。 Jack。 〃We'll say the towers
were something like those over there。〃 He paused； then went on musingly：
〃The girl used to signal； sometimes； from one of the tower windows。 One
wave of the handkerchief meant； 'I'm coming； over'； two waves； with a
little pause between； meant； 'You are to come over here。' So the boy used
to wait always； after that first wave to see if another followed； so that he
might know whether he were to be host or guest that day。 The waves
always came at eight o'clock in the morning； and very eagerly the boy
used to watch for them all through the summer when the girl was there。〃
〃Did they always come； every morning？〃 Asked Jill。
〃No； sometimes the girl had other things to do。 Her aunt would want
her to go somewhere with her； or other cousins were expected whom the
girl must entertain； and she knew the boy did not like other guests to be
there when he was； so she never asked him to come over at such times。 On
such occasions she did sometimes run up to the tower at eight o'clock and
wave three times； and that meant； 'Dead Day。' So the boy； after all； never
drew a real breath of relief until he made sure that no dreaded third wave
was to follow the one or the two。〃
〃Seems to me；〃 observed David； 〃that all this was sort of one…sided。
Didn't the boy say anything？〃
〃Oh； yes；〃 smiled Mr。 Jack。 〃But the boy did not have any tower to
wave from； you must remember。 He had only the little piazza on his tiny
bit of a house。 But he rigged up a pole； and he asked his mother to make
him two little flags； a red and a blue one。 The red meant 'All right'； and the
blue meant 'Got to work'； and these he used to run up on his pole in
answer to her waving 'I'm coming over；' or 'You are to come over here。' So；
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you see； occasionally it was the boy who had to bring the 'Dead Day；' as
there were times when he had to work。 And； by the way； perhaps you
would be interested to know that after a while he thought up a third flag to
answer her three waves。 He found an old black silk handkerchief of his
father's； and he made that into a flag。 He told the girl it meant 'I'm
heartbroken；' and he said it was a sign of the deepest mourning。 The girl
laughed and tipped her head saucily to one side； and said； 'Pooh！ as if you
really cared！' But the boy stoutly maintained his position； and it was that；
perhaps； which made her play the little joke one day。
〃The boy was fourteen that summer； and the girl thirteen。 They had
begun their signals years before； but they had not had the black one so
long。 On this day that I tell you of； the girl waved three waves； which
meant； 'Dead Day；' you remember； and watched until the boy had hoisted
his black flag which said； 'I'm heart…broken；' in response。 Then； as fast as
her mischievous little feet could carry her； she raced down one hill and
across to the other。 Very stealthily she advanced till she found the boy bent
over a puzzle on the back stoop； andand he was whistling merrily。
〃How she teased him then！ How she taunted him with 'Heart…broken；
indeedand whistling like that！' In vain he blushed and stammered； and
protested that his whistling was only to keep up his spirits。 The girl only
laughed and tossed her yellow curls； then she hunted till she found some
little jingling bells； and these she tied to the black badge of mourning and
pulled it high up on the flagpole。 The next instant she was off with a run
and a skip； and a saucy wave of her hand； and the boy was left all alone
with an hour's work ahead of him to untie the knots from his desecrated
badge of mourning。
〃And yet they were wonderfully good friendsthis boy and girl。 From
the very first； when they were seven and eight； they had said that they
would marry each other when they grew up； and always they spoke of it as
the expected thing； and laid many happy plans for the time when it should
come。 To be sure； as they grew older； it was not mentioned quite so often；
perhaps； but the boy at least thoughtif he thought of it allthat that was
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only because it was already so well understood。〃
〃What did the girl think？〃 It was Jill who asked the question。
〃Eh？ The girl？ Oh；〃 answered Mr。 Jack； a little bitterly； 〃I'm afraid I
don't know exactly what the girl did think； butit was n't that； anyhow
that is； judging from what followed。〃
〃What did follow？〃
〃Well； to begin with； the old aunt died。 The girl was sixteen then。 It
was in the winter that this happened； and the girl was far away at school。
She came to the funeral； however； but the boy did not see her； save in the
distance； and then he hardly knew her； so strange did she look in her black
dress and hat。 She was there only two days； and though he gazed wistfully
up at the gray tower； he knew well enough that of course she could not
wave to him at such a time as that。 Yet he had hopedalmost believed that
she would wave two waves that last day； and let him go over to see her。
〃But she didn't wave； and he didn't go over。 She went away。 And then
the town learned a wonderful thing。 The old lady； her aunt； who had been
considered just fairly rich； turned out to be the possessor of almost
fabulous wealth； owing to her great holdings of stock in a Western gold
mine which had suddenly struck it rich。 And to the girl she willed it all。 It
was then； of course； that the girl became the Princess； but the boy did not
realize thatjust then。 To him she was still 'the girl。'
〃For three years he did not see her。 She was at school； or traveling
abroad； he heard。 He； too； had been away to school； and was； indeed； just
ready to enter college。 Then； that summer； he heard that she was coming to
the old home； and his heart sang within him。 Remember； to him she was
still the girl。 He knew； of course； that she was not the LITTLE girl who
had promised to marry him。 But he was sure she was the merry comrade；
the true…hearted young girl who used to smile frankly into his eyes； and
whom he was now to win for his wife。 You see he had forgottenquite
forgotten about the Princess and the money。 Such a foolish； foolish boy as
he was！
〃So he got out his flags gleefully； and one day； when his mother wasn't
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