SUMMER was done; autumn itself was far spent, and once more near the suburbs of a pretty and fashionable seaside town the Wandering Minstrels had pitched their camp.
The dear old life by the dear old sea had commenced again, and Peggy and Johnnie were very happy; so, too, was white-faced wee Willie, while as for the giant—well, nothing ever put him out.
Father Fitzroy was jolly enough also, because he was drawing good houses with his new play, and selling many flutes2. What more could heart of wanderers wish? Ah! well, nobody ever is altogether content in this world, and there were times when Fitzroy thought his life had been almost thrown away, and that he might be better off than he now found himself—lessee of the “Lyceum,” for instance. But better days might even be in store for Fitzroy. So he lit another huge{121} cigar, and took up a new flute1 to see if he could improve it.
There were woods all round this seaside town, more romantic even than the forests about Bootle-super-Mare, because there were hills and rocks in them, and a rushing river and a waterfall. Although there were but few leaves now on the trees, and winds tossed the branches to and fro, it was pleasant to walk on the silent turf beneath, or to climb the cliffs and gather the last wild-flowers of the year.
Peggy was more often alone than with Johnnie Fitzroy during these rambles3. She never asked him to come, and he was a strange and wayward boy, who never made up his mind to do anything until the last moment.
The sea was usually more sullen4 in temper now, yet Peggy loved it in its every mood, and liked to lie on the shingle5 and watch its waves chasing each other shorewards, erecting6 their white manes and spending their wild-beast fury on the beach. They sang a song that was eternal, and it was that eternal song she liked to lie and listen to.
Was Peggy becoming a dreamer of dreams as she lay by the seashore, the blood-hound{122} by her side ever watchful7, the chameleon8 on her wrist or shoulder? I could not say for certain, but I know she sometimes wondered what her future life might be. There were people who lived in great mansions9 like that of the snowy-haired lady she had met that day in the park, and who, simply because they have money, must be happy, because they can go where they like, and do what they like—theirs surely must be life in a sort of fairyland—the fairyland of wealth and greatness! Was she herself longing10 for an existence like this, and if ever it came to her, would she not look back to the days that had been so happy, in woods and wilds, with Kammie, with Ralph, and—well, and with Johnnie?
She used to return in the autumn twilight11, coming back to camp through the town itself, with its clean and beautiful streets, and with everywhere around her signs of a life in which she mingled12 not, and about which she knew little or nothing.
The evenings were colder now, for it was the month of September, and while stars were becoming visible in the blue-green of the east, and struggling with the dying glow of the twilight, lights sprang up in the houses{123} and villas13 she passed by, and as people at this seaside resort seldom drew their blinds down, Peggy, though by no means inquisitive14, could not help having a peep inside, and a glimpse of the happiness and cosiness15 of many a family circle. The crimson16 or blue hall-lights looked very pretty, she thought. How big and rich-like even the great hall-mats, and the clean, shining linoleum17! Here was a pretty cottage, and its snug18 drawing-room, and white-haired gentleman quietly reading in an easy-chair, his wife knitting by the fire, a cat and dog on the hearth-rug. A peaceful scene! And Peggy sighed, she knew not why. She would have liked just such a father and mother as that to tuck her up in bed of a winter’s night, in a room with a real fire in a real pretty grate, and pictures on the walls—to tuck her nicely up, and then, perhaps, sing soft, sweet lullabies to her till she glided19 away into the land of dreams.
Here is a party in a parlour not quite so pleasant. Yet the room is beautiful, and the ladies and gentlemen who stand around the table playing ping-pong are well-dressed, and all look happy and gay. And here again she paused a minute, to gaze into a room in which{124} were five or six fair-haired and pretty young children, each engaged in some parlour game, a big black cat right in the centre of the table, and a hobby-horse in one corner of the room—it was as good as a pantomime. Then came a great house with great windows, brilliantly lighted with flittering balls of electric lamps. It was a hotel dining-room, and those were the guests all sitting at the dozens of tables, looking like kings and queens. Waiters bringing silver trays glided hither and thither20, and on the snow-white table-cloth lay silver and gold dishes, and sparkling glasses, and flowers of every hue21. Peggy sighed again, but could not even yet say why she did so.
She turned and came slowly back. But she increased her speed when she came in sight of her own little cosy22 camp, the tent lit up and as white as linen23, the lights streaming from the caravan24 windows. She sighed no longer.
One night, when everybody was out of the camp, save old Molly and herself, Peggy sat at the tent table. And Peggy felt very sad, for Kammie, her weird25, old-world pet, had been ailing26 for weeks, and had got thinner and thinner, and colder and colder. He had{125} taken no food, and when placed on the grass he hardly moved. Indeed, when laid on his side he scarcely cared to wriggle27 into a more comfortable position. He was on his little branch of wood, and had gone to sleep with one arm raised, which he did not seem to have the strength to take down again.
Peggy had been sitting in the tent for hours watching him. She did not even want to play. Presently she got up, and, followed by Ralph, walked down the winding28 pathway that led from the sea-road and shingle to the camp. She leaned over the gate, and as she did so noticed a figure advancing. She was a little timid, but Ralph gave voice at once to a welcoming bay, and sprang forward to place two friendly paws on Johnnie’s shoulder.
“Oh, Johnnie,” she said, when he got close to her; “poor Kammie.”
“Not dead?”
“No; maybe not dead, but I’m sure he is going home.”
Johnnie and she covered the cage up that night. They could not bear to see their favourite so very white and with so little colour in his tail.{126}
Next morning the change came. Kammie was dead in reality now. The wonderful circular, brown, wrinkled eyelids30 that had always been a bonnie brown were black. The sides only of the body were jet black, every other part pale, white almost as snow, only about the gills a sunset glow of red. The tail was speckled yellow and gray.
Yes, Kammie was beautiful in Death. Stiff and stark31 he lay in state all that day, and on the morning after, they placed him in a little coffin32 of cardboard, and he was laid to rest in a grave that Willie had made in a distant corner of the field. And they planted a flower to mark the spot.
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1
flute
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| n.长笛；v.吹笛 | |
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2
flutes
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| 长笛( flute的名词复数 )； 细长香槟杯（形似长笛） | |
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3
rambles
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| （无目的地）漫游( ramble的第三人称单数 )； （喻）漫谈； 扯淡； 长篇大论 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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shingle
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| n.木瓦板；小招牌(尤指医生或律师挂的营业招牌)；v.用木瓦板盖（屋顶）；把（女子头发）剪短 | |
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erecting
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| v.使直立，竖起( erect的现在分词 )；建立 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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chameleon
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| n.变色龙，蜥蜴；善变之人 | |
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9
mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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12
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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villas
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| 别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅 | |
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inquisitive
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| adj.求知欲强的，好奇的，好寻根究底的 | |
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15
cosiness
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| n.舒适，安逸 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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linoleum
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| n.油布，油毯 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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19
glided
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| v.滑动( glide的过去式和过去分词 )；掠过；（鸟或飞机 ） 滑翔 | |
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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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hue
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| n.色度；色调；样子 | |
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22
cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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23
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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24
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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26
ailing
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| v.生病 | |
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27
wriggle
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| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
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winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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29
sob
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| n.空间轨道的轰炸机；呜咽，哭泣 | |
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30
eyelids
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| n.眼睑( eyelid的名词复数 )；眼睛也不眨一下；不露声色；面不改色 | |
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stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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