stories by english authors in germany(旅德英国作家的故事)-第8章
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faded face； and she exclaimed：
〃Truide！〃
Truide； for it was she； looked up in startled surprise。
〃I did not know； or I would not have come in； Koosje；〃 she said；
humbly； 〃for I treated you very badly。〃
〃Ve…ry bad…ly；〃 returned Koosje； emphatically。 〃Then where is Jan？〃
〃Dead！〃 murmured Truide； sadly。
〃Dead！ soah； well！ I suppose I must do something for you。 Here
Yanke！〃 opening the door and calling； 〃Yanke！〃
〃/Je； jevrouw/；〃 a voice cried； in reply。
The next moment a maid came running into the shop。
〃Take these people into the kitchen and give them something to eat。
Put them by the stove while you prepare it。 There is some soup and that
smoked ham we had for /koffy/。 Then come here and take my place for a
while。〃
〃/Je； jevrouw/；〃 said Yanke； disappearing again； followed by Truide
and her children。
Then Koosje sat down again； and began to think。
〃I said；〃 she mused； presently； 〃/that/ night that the next time I fell
over a bundle I'd leave it where I found it。 Ah； well！ I'm not a barbarian； I
couldn't do that。 I never thought； though； it would be Truide。〃
〃/Hi； jevrouw/；〃 was called from the inner room。
〃/Je； mynheer/；〃 jumping up and going to her customers。
She attended to their wants； and presently bowed them out。
〃I never thought it would be Truide；〃 she repeated to herself； as she
closed the door behind the last of the gay uniforms and jingling scabbards。
〃And Jan is deadah； well！〃
Then she went into the kitchen； where the miserable childrengirls
both of them； and pretty had they been clean and less forlornly clad were
playing about the stove。
〃So Jan is dead；〃 began Koosje； seating herself。
〃Yes； Jan is dead；〃 Truide answered。
〃And he left you nothing？〃 Koosje asked。
〃We had had nothing for a long time；〃 Truide replied； in her sad；
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crushed voice。 〃We didn't get on very well； he soon got tired of me。〃
〃That was a weakness of his；〃 remarked Koosje； drily。
〃We lost five little ones； one after another；〃 Truide continued。 〃And
Jan was fond of them； and somehow it seemed to sour him。 As for me； I
was sorry enough at the time； Heaven knows； but it was as well。 But Jan
said it seemed as if a curse had fallen upon us； he began to wish you back
again； and to blame me for having come between you。 And then he took to
/genever/； and then to wish for something stronger； so at last every stiver
went for absinthe； and once or twice he beat me； and then he died。〃
〃Just as well；〃 muttered Koosje； under her breath。
〃It is very good of you to have fed and warmed us；〃 Truide went on； in
her faint； complaining tones。 〃Many a one would have let me starve； and I
should have deserved it。 It is very good of you and we are grateful； but 'tis
time we were going； Koosje and Mina；〃 then added； with a shake of her
head； 〃but I don't know where。〃
〃Oh； you'd better stay；〃 said Koosje； hurriedly。 〃I live in this big house
by myself； and I dare say you'll be more useful in the shop than Yankeif
your tongue is as glib as it used to be； that is。 You know some English； too；
don't you？〃
〃A little；〃 Truide answered； eagerly。
〃And after all；〃 Koosje said； philosophically； shrugging her shoulders；
〃you saved me from the beatings and the starvings and the rest。 I owe you
something for that。 Why； if it hadn't been for you I should have been silly
enough to have married him。〃
And then she went back to her shop； saying to herself：
〃The professor said it was a blessing in disguise； God sends all our
trials to work some great purpose。 Yes； that was what he said； and he knew
most things。 Just think if I were trailing about now with those two little
ones； with nothing to look back to but a schnapps…drinking husband who
beat me！ Ah； well； well！ things are best as they are。 I don't know that I
ought not to be very much obliged to herand she'll be very useful in the
shop。〃
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STORIES
A DOG OF FLANDERS
by OUIDA
Nello and Patrasche were left all alone in the world。
They were friends in a friendship closer than brotherhood。 Nello was a
little Ardennois； Patrasche was a big Fleming。 They were both of the same
age by length of years； yet one was still young； and the other was already
old。 They had dwelt together almost all their days； both were orphaned
and destitute； and owed their lives to the same hand。 It had been the
beginning of the tie between them；their first bond of sympathy；and it
had strengthened day by day； and had grown with their growth； firm and
indissoluble； until they loved one another very greatly。
Their home was a little hut on the edge of a little villagea Flemish
village a league from Antwerp； set amidst flat breadths of pasture and
corn…lands； with long lines of poplars and of alders bending in the breeze
on the edge of the great canal which ran through it。 It had about a score of
houses and homesteads； with shutters of bright green or sky blue； and
roofs rose red or black and white； and walls whitewashed until they shone
in the sun like snow。 In the centre of the village stood a windmill； placed
on a little moss…grown slope； it was a landmark to all the level country
round。 It had once been painted scarlet； sails and all； but that had been in
its infancy； half a century or more earlier； when it had ground wheat for
the soldiers of Napoleon； and it was now a ruddy brown； tanned by wind
and weather。 It went queerly by fits and starts； as though rheumatic and
stiff in the joints from age； but it served the whole neighborhood； which
would have thought it almost as impious to carry grain elsewhere as to
attend any other religious service than the mass that was performed at the
altar of the little old gray church； with its conical steeple； which stood
opposite to it； and whose single bell rang morning； noon； and night with
that strange； subdued； hollow sadness which every bell that hangs in the
Low Countries seems to gain as an integral part of its melody。
Within sound of the little melancholy clock almost from their birth
upward； they had dwelt together； Nello and Patrasche； in the little hut on
the edge of the village； with the cathedral spire of Antwerp rising in the
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northeast； beyond the great green plain of seeding grass and spreading
corn that stretched away from them like a tideless； changeless sea。 It was
the hut of a very old man； of a very poor man of old Jehan Daas； who in
his time had been a soldier； and who remembered the wars that had
trampled the country as oxen tread down the furrows； and who had
brought from his service nothing except a wound； which had made him a
cripple。
When old Jehan Daas had reached his full eighty； his daughter had
died in the Ardennes； hard by Stavelot； and had left him in legacy her two…
year…old son。 The old man could ill contrive to support himself； but he
took up the additional burden uncomplainingly； and it soon became
welcome and precious to him。 Little Nello； which was but a pet diminutive
for Nicolas； throve with him； and the old man and the little child lived in
the poor little hut contentedly。
It was a very humble little mud hut indeed； but it was clean and white
as a sea…shell； and stood in a small plot of garden ground that yielded
beans and herbs and pumpkins。 They were very poor； terribly poor； many
a day they had nothing at all to eat。 They never by any chance had enough；
to have had enough to eat would have been to have reached paradise at
once。 But the old man was very gentle and good to the boy； and the boy
was a beautiful； innocent； truthful； tender… natured creature； and they were
happy on a crust and a few leaves of cabbage； and asked no more of earth
or heavensave indeed that Patrasche should be always with them； since
without Patrasche where would they have been？
For Patrasche was their alpha and omega； their treasury and granary；
their store of gold and wand of wealth； their bread…winner and minister；
their only friend and comforter。 Patrasche dead or gone from them； they
must have laid themselves down and died likewise。 Patrasche was body；
brains； hands； head； and feet to both of them； Patrasche was their very life；
their very soul。 For Jehan Daas was old and a cripple； and Nello was but a
child； and Patrasche was their dog。
A dog of Flandersyellow of hide； large of head and limb； with wolf…
like ears that stood erect； and legs bowed and feet widened in the muscular
development wrought in his breed by many generations of hard service。
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Patrasche came of a race which had toiled hard and cruelly from sire to
son in Flanders many a centuryslaves of slaves； dogs of the people；
beasts of the shafts and the harness； creatures that lived straining their
sinews in the gall of the cart； and died breaking their hearts on the flints of
the streets。
Patrasche had been born of parents who had labored hard all their days
over the sharp…set stones of the various cities and the long； shadowless；
weary roads of the two Flanders and of Brabant。 He had been born to no
other heritage than those of pain and of toil。 He had been fed on curses and
baptized with blows。 Why not？ It was a Christian country； and Patrasche
was but a dog。 Before he was fully grown he had known the bitter gall of
the cart and the collar。 Before he had entered his thirteenth month he had
become the property of a hardware dealer； who was accustomed to wander
over the land north and south； from the blue sea to the green mountains。
They sold him for a small pric
