‘I don’t think there’s hardly a chance of his really losing it, but carriers are under great temptation to pretend they lose things, no doubt,’ said Mrs Nubbles apprehensively9, in reference to the first point.
‘No doubt about it,’ returned Kit, with a serious look; ‘upon my word, mother, I don’t think it was right to trust it to itself. Somebody ought to have gone with it, I’m afraid.’
‘We can’t help it now,’ said his mother; ‘but it was foolish and wrong. People oughtn’t to be tempted10.’
Kit inwardly resolved that he would never tempt8 a carrier any more, save with an empty box; and having formed this Christian11 determination, he turned his thoughts to the second question.
‘YOU know you must keep up your spirits, mother, and not be lonesome because I’m not at home. I shall very often be able to look in when I come into town I dare say, and I shall send you a letter sometimes, and when the quarter comes round, I can get a holiday of course; and then see if we don’t take little Jacob to the play, and let him know what oysters12 means.’
‘I hope plays mayn’t be sinful, Kit, but I’m a’most afraid,’ said Mrs Nubbles.
‘I know who has been putting that in your head,’ rejoined her son disconsolately13; ‘that’s Little Bethel again. Now I say, mother, pray don’t take to going there regularly, for if I was to see your good-humoured face that has always made home cheerful, turned into a grievous one, and the baby trained to look grievous too, and to call itself a young sinner (bless its heart) and a child of the devil (which is calling its dead father names); if I was to see this, and see little Jacob looking grievous likewise, I should so take it to heart that I’m sure I should go and list for a soldier, and run my head on purpose against the first cannon-ball I saw coming my way.’
‘Oh, Kit, don’t talk like that.’
‘I would, indeed, mother, and unless you want to make me feel very wretched and uncomfortable, you’ll keep that bow on your bonnet14, which you’d more than half a mind to pull off last week. Can you suppose there’s any harm in looking as cheerful and being as cheerful as our poor circumstances will permit? Do I see anything in the way I’m made, which calls upon me to be a snivelling, solemn, whispering chap, sneaking15 about as if I couldn’t help it, and expressing myself in a most unpleasant snuffle? on the contrary, don’t I see every reason why I shouldn’t? just hear this! Ha ha ha! An’t that as nat’ral as walking, and as good for the health? Ha ha ha! An’t that as nat’ral as a sheep’s bleating16, or a pig’s grunting17, or a horse’s neighing, or a bird’s singing? Ha ha ha! Isn’t it, mother?’
There was something contagious18 in Kit’s laugh, for his mother, who had looked grave before, first subsided19 into a smile, and then fell to joining in it heartily20, which occasioned Kit to say that he knew it was natural, and to laugh the more. Kit and his mother, laughing together in a pretty loud key, woke the baby, who, finding that there was something very jovial21 and agreeable in progress, was no sooner in its mother’s arms than it began to kick and laugh, most vigorously. This new illustration of his argument so tickled22 Kit, that he fell backward in his chair in a state of exhaustion23, pointing at the baby and shaking his sides till he rocked again. After recovering twice or thrice, and as often relapsing, he wiped his eyes and said grace; and a very cheerful meal their scanty24 supper was.
With more kisses, and hugs, and tears, than many young gentlemen who start upon their travels, and leave well-stocked homes behind them, would deem within the bounds of probability (if matter so low could be herein set down), Kit left the house at an early hour next morning, and set out to walk to Finchley; feeling a sufficient pride in his appearance to have warranted his excommunication from Little Bethel from that time forth25, if he had ever been one of that mournful congregation.
Lest anybody should feel a curiosity to know how Kit was clad, it may be briefly26 remarked that he wore no livery, but was dressed in a coat of pepper-and-salt with waistcoat of canary colour, and nether27 garments of iron-grey; besides these glories, he shone in the lustre28 of a new pair of boots and an extremely stiff and shiny hat, which on being struck anywhere with the knuckles29, sounded like a drum. And in this attire30, rather wondering that he attracted so little attention, and attributing the circumstance to the insensibility of those who got up early, he made his way towards Abel Cottage.
Without encountering any more remarkable31 adventure on the road, than meeting a lad in a brimless hat, the exact counterpart of his old one, on whom he bestowed32 half the sixpence he possessed33, Kit arrived in course of time at the carrier’s house, where, to the lasting34 honour of human nature, he found the box in safety. Receiving from the wife of this immaculate man, a direction to Mr Garland’s, he took the box upon his shoulder and repaired thither35 directly.
To be sure, it was a beautiful little cottage with a thatched roof and little spires36 at the gable-ends, and pieces of stained glass in some of the windows, almost as large as pocket-books. On one side of the house was a little stable, just the size for the pony37, with a little room over it, just the size for Kit. White curtains were fluttering, and birds in cages that looked as bright as if they were made of gold, were singing at the windows; plants were arranged on either side of the path, and clustered about the door; and the garden was bright with flowers in full bloom, which shed a sweet odour all round, and had a charming and elegant appearance. Everything within the house and without, seemed to be the perfection of neatness and order. In the garden there was not a weed to be seen, and to judge from some dapper gardening-tools, a basket, and a pair of gloves which were lying in one of the walks, old Mr Garland had been at work in it that very morning.
Kit looked about him, and admired, and looked again, and this a great many times before he could make up his mind to turn his head another way and ring the bell. There was abundance of time to look about him again though, when he had rung it, for nobody came, so after ringing it twice or thrice he sat down upon his box, and waited.
He rang the bell a great many times, and yet nobody came. But at last, as he was sitting upon the box thinking about giants’ castles, and princesses tied up to pegs38 by the hair of their heads, and dragons bursting out from behind gates, and other incidents of the like nature, common in story-books to youths of low degree on their first visit to strange houses, the door was gently opened, and a little servant-girl, very tidy, modest, and demure39, but very pretty too, appeared. ‘I suppose you’re Christopher,sir,’ said the servant-girl.
Kit got off the box, and said yes, he was.
‘I’m afraid you’ve rung a good many times perhaps,’ she rejoined, ‘but we couldn’t hear you, because we’ve been catching40 the pony.’
Kit rather wondered what this meant, but as he couldn’t stop there, asking questions, he shouldered the box again and followed the girl into the hall, where through a back-door he descried41 Mr Garland leading Whisker in triumph up the garden, after that self-willed pony had (as he afterwards learned) dodged42 the family round a small paddock in the rear, for one hour and three quarters.
The old gentleman received him very kindly43 and so did the old lady, whose previous good opinion of him was greatly enhanced by his wiping his boots on the mat until the soles of his feet burnt again. He was then taken into the parlour to be inspected in his new clothes; and when he had been surveyed several times, and had afforded by his appearance unlimited44 satisfaction, he was taken into the stable (where the pony received him with uncommon45 complaisance); and thence into the little chamber46 he had already observed, which was very clean and comfortable: and thence into the garden, in which the old gentleman told him he would be taught to employ himself, and where he told him, besides, what great things he meant to do to make him comfortable, and happy, if he found he deserved it. All these kindnesses, Kit acknowledged with various expressions of gratitude47, and so many touches of the new hat, that the brim suffered considerably48. When the old gentleman had said all he had to say in the way of promise and advice, and Kit had said all he had to say in the way of assurance and thankfulness, he was handed over again to the old lady, who, summoning the little servant-girl (whose name was Barbara) instructed her to take him down stairs and give him something to eat and drink, after his walk.
Down stairs, therefore, Kit went; and at the bottom of the stairs there was such a kitchen as was never before seen or heard of out of a toy-shop window, with everything in it as bright and glowing, and as precisely49 ordered too, as Barbara herself. And in this kitchen, Kit sat himself down at a table as white as a tablecloth50, to eat cold meat, and drink small ale, and use his knife and fork the more awkwardly, because there was an unknown Barbara looking on and observing him.
It did not appear, however, that there was anything remarkably51 tremendous about this strange Barbara, who having lived a very quiet life, blushed very much and was quite as embarrassed and uncertain what she ought to say or do, as Kit could possibly be. When he had sat for some little time, attentive52 to the ticking of the sober clock, he ventured to glance curiously53 at the dresser, and there, among the plates and dishes, were Barbara’s little work-box with a sliding lid to shut in the balls of cotton, and Barbara’s prayer-book, and Barbara’s hymn-book, and Barbara’s Bible. Barbara’s little looking-glass hung in a good light near the window, and Barbara’s bonnet was on a nail behind the door. From all these mute signs and tokens of her presence, he naturally glanced at Barbara herself, who sat as mute as they, shelling peas into a dish; and just when Kit was looking at her eyelashes and wondering — quite in the simplicity54 of his heart — what colour her eyes might be, it perversely55 happened that Barbara raised her head a little to look at him, when both pair of eyes were hastily withdrawn56, and Kit leant over his plate, and Barbara over her pea-shells, each in extreme confusion at having been detected by the other.
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1
kit
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| n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物 | |
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outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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feign
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| vt.假装，佯作 | |
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secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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7
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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8
tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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12
oysters
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| 牡蛎( oyster的名词复数 ) | |
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disconsolately
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| adv.悲伤地，愁闷地；哭丧着脸 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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15
sneaking
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| a.秘密的，不公开的 | |
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16
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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17
grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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contagious
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| adj.传染性的，有感染力的 | |
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19
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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21
jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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23
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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24
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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nether
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| adj.下部的，下面的；n.阴间；下层社会 | |
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28
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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29
knuckles
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| n.（指人）指关节( knuckle的名词复数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝v.（指人）指关节( knuckle的第三人称单数 )；（指动物）膝关节，踝 | |
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30
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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32
bestowed
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| 赠给，授予( bestow的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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34
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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36
spires
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| n.（教堂的） 塔尖，尖顶( spire的名词复数 ) | |
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37
pony
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| adj.小型的；n.小马 | |
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38
pegs
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| n.衣夹( peg的名词复数 )；挂钉；系帐篷的桩；弦钮v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的第三人称单数 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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39
demure
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| adj.严肃的；端庄的 | |
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40
catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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41
descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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42
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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43
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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44
unlimited
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| adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的 | |
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45
uncommon
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| adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的 | |
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46
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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47
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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48
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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49
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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50
tablecloth
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| n.桌布，台布 | |
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51
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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52
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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53
curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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54
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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55
perversely
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| adv. 倔强地 | |
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56
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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