WELL, when they was all gone the king he asks Mary Jane how they was off for spare rooms, and she said she had one spare room, which would do for Uncle William, and she'd give her own room to Uncle Harvey, which was a little bigger, and she would turn into the room with her sisters and sleep on a cot; and up garret was a little cubby, with a pallet in it. The king said the cubby would do for his valley -- meaning me.
So Mary Jane took us up, and she showed them their rooms, which was plain but nice. She said she'd have her frocks and a lot of other traps took out of her room if they was in Uncle Harvey's way, but he said they warn't. The frocks was hung along the wall, and before them was a curtain made out of calico that hung down to the floor. There was an old hair trunk in one corner, and a guitar-box in another, and all sorts of little knickknacks and jimcracks around, like girls brisken up a room with. The king said it was all the more homely1 and more pleasanter for these fixings, and so don't disturb them. The duke's room was pretty small, but plenty good enough, and so was my cubby.
That night they had a big supper, and all them men and women was there, and I stood behind the king and the duke's chairs and waited on them, and the niggers waited on the rest. Mary Jane she set at the head of the table, with Susan alongside of her, and said how bad the biscuits was, and how mean the preserves was, and how ornery and tough the fried chickens was -- and all that kind of rot, the way women always do for to force out compliments; and the people all knowed everything was tiptop, and said so -- said "How DO you get biscuits to brown so nice?" and "Where, for the land's sake, DID you get these amaz'n pickles2?" and all that kind of humbug3 talky-talk, just the way people always does at a supper, you know.
And when it was all done me and the hare-lip had supper in the kitchen off of the leavings, whilst the others was helping4 the niggers clean up the things. The hare-lip she got to pumping me about England, and blest if I didn't think the ice was getting mighty5 thin sometimes. She says:
"Did you ever see the king?"
"Who? William Fourth? Well, I bet I have -- he goes to our church." I knowed he was dead years ago, but I never let on. So when I says he goes to our church, she says:
"What -- regular?"
"Yes -- regular. His pew's right over opposite ourn -- on t'other side the pulpit."
"I thought he lived in London?"
"Well, he does. Where WOULD he live?"
"But I thought YOU lived in Sheffield?"
I see I was up a stump6. I had to let on to get choked with a chicken bone, so as to get time to think how to get down again. Then I says:
"I mean he goes to our church regular when he's in Sheffield. That's only in the summer time, when he comes there to take the sea baths."
"Why, how you talk -- Sheffield ain't on the sea."
"Well, who said it was?"
"Why, you did."
"I DIDN'T nuther."
"You did!"
"I didn't."
"You did."
"I never said nothing of the kind."
"Well, what DID you say, then?"
"Said he come to take the sea BATHS -- that's what I said."
"Well, then, how's he going to take the sea baths if it ain't on the sea?"
"Looky here," I says; "did you ever see any Congress-water?"
"Yes."
"Well, did you have to go to Congress to get it?"
"Why, no."
"Well, neither does William Fourth have to go to the sea to get a sea bath."
"How does he get it, then?"
"Gets it the way people down here gets Congresswater -- in barrels. There in the palace at Sheffield they've got furnaces, and he wants his water hot. They can't bile that amount of water away off there at the sea. They haven't got no conveniences for it."
"Oh, I see, now. You might a said that in the first place and saved time."
When she said that I see I was out of the woods again, and so I was comfortable and glad. Next, she says:
"Do you go to church, too?"
"Yes -- regular."
"Where do you set?"
"Why, in our pew."
"WHOSE pew?"
"Why, OURN -- your Uncle Harvey's."
"His'n? What does HE want with a pew?"
"Wants it to set in. What did you RECKON he wanted with it?"
"Why, I thought he'd be in the pulpit."
Rot him, I forgot he was a preacher. I see I was up a stump again, so I played another chicken bone and got another think. Then I says:
"Blame it, do you suppose there ain't but one preacher to a church?"
"Why, what do they want with more?"
"What! -- to preach before a king? I never did see such a girl as you. They don't have no less than seventeen."
"Seventeen! My land! Why, I wouldn't set out such a string as that, not if I NEVER got to glory. It must take 'em a week."
"Shucks, they don't ALL of 'em preach the same day -- only ONE of 'em."
"Well, then, what does the rest of 'em do?"
"Oh, nothing much. Loll around, pass the plate -- and one thing or another. But mainly they don't do nothing."
"Well, then, what are they FOR?"
"Why, they're for STYLE. Don't you know nothing?"
"Well, I don't WANT to know no such foolishness as that. How is servants treated in England? Do they treat 'em better 'n we treat our niggers?"
"NO! A servant ain't nobody there. They treat them worse than dogs."
"Don't they give 'em holidays, the way we do, Christmas and New Year's week, and Fourth of July?"
"Oh, just listen! A body could tell YOU hain't ever been to England by that. Why, Hare-l -- why, Joanna, they never see a holiday from year's end to year's end; never go to the circus, nor theater, nor nigger shows, nor nowheres."
"Nor church?"
"Nor church."
"But YOU always went to church."
Well, I was gone up again. I forgot I was the old man's servant. But next minute I whirled in on a kind of an explanation how a valley was different from a common servant and HAD to go to church whether he wanted to or not, and set with the family, on account of its being the law. But I didn't do it pretty good, and when I got done I see she warn't satisfied. She says:
"Honest injun, now, hain't you been telling me a lot of lies?"
"Honest injun," says I.
"None of it at all?"
"None of it at all. Not a lie in it," says I.
"Lay your hand on this book and say it."
I see it warn't nothing but a dictionary, so I laid my hand on it and said it. So then she looked a little better satisfied, and says:
"Well, then, I'll believe some of it; but I hope to gracious if I'll believe the rest."
"What is it you won't believe, Joe?" says Mary Jane, stepping in with Susan behind her. "It ain't right nor kind for you to talk so to him, and him a stranger and so far from his people. How would you like to be treated so?"
"That's always your way, Maim7 -- always sailing in to help somebody before they're hurt. I hain't done nothing to him. He's told some stretchers, I reckon, and I said I wouldn't swallow it all; and that's every bit and grain I DID say. I reckon he can stand a little thing like that, can't he?"
"I don't care whether 'twas little or whether 'twas big; he's here in our house and a stranger, and it wasn't good of you to say it. If you was in his place it would make you feel ashamed; and so you oughtn't to say a thing to another person that will make THEM feel ashamed."
"Why, Maim, he said --"
"It don't make no difference what he SAID -- that ain't the thing. The thing is for you to treat him KIND, and not be saying things to make him remember he ain't in his own country and amongst his own folks."
I says to myself, THIS is a girl that I'm letting that old reptle rob her of her money!
Then Susan SHE waltzed in; and if you'll believe me, she did give Hare-lip hark from the tomb!
Says I to myself, and this is ANOTHER one that I'm letting him rob her of her money!
Then Mary Jane she took another inning, and went in sweet and lovely again -- which was her way; but when she got done there warn't hardly anything left o' poor Hare-lip. So she hollered.
"All right, then," says the other girls; "you just ask his pardon."
She done it, too; and she done it beautiful. She done it so beautiful it was good to hear; and I wished I could tell her a thousand lies, so she could do it again.
I says to myself, this is ANOTHER one that I'm letting him rob her of her money. And when she got through they all jest laid theirselves out to make me feel at home and know I was amongst friends. I felt so ornery and low down and mean that I says to myself, my mind's made up; I'll hive that money for them or bust8.
So then I lit out -- for bed, I said, meaning some time or another. When I got by myself I went to thinking the thing over. I says to myself, shall I go to that doctor, private, and blow on these frauds? No -- that won't do. He might tell who told him; then the king and the duke would make it warm for me. Shall I go, private, and tell Mary Jane? No -- I dasn't do it. Her face would give them a hint, sure; they've got the money, and they'd slide right out and get away with it. If she was to fetch in help I'd get mixed up in the business before it was done with, I judge. No; there ain't no good way but one. I got to steal that money, somehow; and I got to steal it some way that they won't suspicion that I done it. They've got a good thing here, and they ain't a-going to leave till they've played this family and this town for all they're worth, so I'll find a chance time enough. I'll steal it and hide it; and by and by, when I'm away down the river, I'll write a letter and tell Mary Jane where it's hid. But I better hive it tonight if I can, because the doctor maybe hasn't let up as much as he lets on he has; he might scare them out of here yet.
So, thinks I, I'll go and search them rooms. Upstairs the hall was dark, but I found the duke's room, and started to paw around it with my hands; but I recollected9 it wouldn't be much like the king to let anybody else take care of that money but his own self; so then I went to his room and begun to paw around there. But I see I couldn't do nothing without a candle, and I dasn't light one, of course. So I judged I'd got to do the other thing -- lay for them and eavesdrop10. About that time I hears their footsteps coming, and was going to skip under the bed; I reached for it, but it wasn't where I thought it would be; but I touched the curtain that hid Mary Jane's frocks, so I jumped in behind that and snuggled in amongst the gowns, and stood there perfectly11 still.
They come in and shut the door; and the first thing the duke done was to get down and look under the bed. Then I was glad I hadn't found the bed when I wanted it. And yet, you know, it's kind of natural to hide under the bed when you are up to anything private. They sets down then, and the king says:
"Well, what is it? And cut it middlin' short, because it's better for us to be down there a-whoopin' up the mournin' than up here givin' 'em a chance to talk us over."
"Well, this is it, Capet. I ain't easy; I ain't comfortable. That doctor lays on my mind. I wanted to know your plans. I've got a notion, and I think it's a sound one."
"What is it, duke?"
"That we better glide12 out of this before three in the morning, and clip it down the river with what we've got. Specially13, seeing we got it so easy -- GIVEN back to us, flung at our heads, as you may say, when of course we allowed to have to steal it back. I'm for knocking off and lighting14 out."
That made me feel pretty bad. About an hour or two ago it would a been a little different, but now it made me feel bad and disappointed, The king rips out and says:
"What! And not sell out the rest o' the property? March off like a passel of fools and leave eight or nine thous'n' dollars' worth o' property layin' around jest sufferin' to be scooped15 in? -- and all good, salable16 stuff, too."
The duke he grumbled17; said the bag of gold was enough, and he didn't want to go no deeper -- didn't want to rob a lot of orphans18 of EVERYTHING they had.
"Why, how you talk!" says the king. "We sha'n't rob 'em of nothing at all but jest this money. The people that BUYS the property is the suff'rers; because as soon 's it's found out 'at we didn't own it -- which won't be long after we've slid -- the sale won't be valid19, and it 'll all go back to the estate. These yer orphans 'll git their house back agin, and that's enough for THEM; they're young and spry, and k'n easy earn a livin'. THEY ain't a-goin to suffer. Why, jest think -- there's thous'n's and thous'n's that ain't nigh so well off. Bless you, THEY ain't got noth'n' to complain of."
Well, the king he talked him blind; so at last he give in, and said all right, but said he believed it was blamed foolishness to stay, and that doctor hanging over them. But the king says:
"Cuss the doctor! What do we k'yer for HIM? Hain't we got all the fools in town on our side? And ain't that a big enough majority in any town?"
So they got ready to go down stairs again. The duke says:
"I don't think we put that money in a good place."
That cheered me up. I'd begun to think I warn't going to get a hint of no kind to help me. The king says:
"Why?"
"Because Mary Jane 'll be in mourning from this out; and first you know the nigger that does up the rooms will get an order to box these duds up and put 'em away; and do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow some of it?"
"Your head's level agin, duke," says the king; and he comes a-fumbling under the curtain two or three foot from where I was. I stuck tight to the wall and kept mighty still, though quivery; and I wondered what them fellows would say to me if they catched me; and I tried to think what I'd better do if they did catch me. But the king he got the bag before I could think more than about a half a thought, and he never suspicioned I was around. They took and shoved the bag through a rip in the straw tick that was under the feather-bed, and crammed20 it in a foot or two amongst the straw and said it was all right now, because a nigger only makes up the feather-bed, and don't turn over the straw tick only about twice a year, and so it warn't in no danger of getting stole now.
But I knowed better. I had it out of there before they was half-way down stairs. I groped along up to my cubby, and hid it there till I could get a chance to do better. I judged I better hide it outside of the house somewheres, because if they missed it they would give the house a good ransacking21: I knowed that very well. Then I turned in, with my clothes all on; but I couldn't a gone to sleep if I'd a wanted to, I was in such a sweat to get through with the business. By and by I heard the king and the duke come up; so I rolled off my pallet and laid with my chin at the top of my ladder, and waited to see if anything was going to happen. But nothing did.
So I held on till all the late sounds had quit and the early ones hadn't begun yet; and then I slipped down the ladder.
我偷出了国王骗来的钱。
人全走了，国王向玛丽·简她们有什么多余房间没。她说有间空房，可以让威廉叔叔住；她愿意把自己的卧室让给哈维伯伯，她那间略微大点，她去妹妹的房里睡，睡在折叠床上。顶楼有间房子，搭着一张小铺，国王说小屋叫他的跟班住--说的是我。
玛丽·简领我们上楼，给我们看了房间，尽管朴素但是整洁。她说，她的衣服与其他东西要是碍哈维伯伯的事，她就拿出去。不过他说不碍事。衣服顺墙挂着，前面挡着一层花布帘子，直垂到地面。有一只旧箱子放在墙一角，另一个墙角放个吉他盒，四处都摆着各式各样的小玩意儿小摆设，像女孩子平时装饰房间那样。国王说这些摆设让他更觉得像是回到了家，也更加有趣儿，所以都不必动。公爵的房间很小，可也够好了，我的小屋也是。
那天晚上，他们吃了一顿丰盛的晚宴，所有的男男女女都在一块儿吃，我站在国王和公爵的椅子后面伺奉他们，黑奴伺候别人。玛丽·简坐在上首，苏珊紧挨着她坐，她说软饼如何难吃，果酱多么不可口，炸鸡又是怎样腻人又咬不动，全都这一套废话。女人总是这样说，为的是引人家讲些恭维话。吃饭的人都知道各样做得都呱呱叫，也就是：" 你怎么把软饼烤得这么焦黄好看呢？""天哪，如此好吃的泡菜你是打哪儿弄来的？"类似的敷衍应酬的鬼话。人们吃晚饭总这样，你知道。大家都吃完了，我和豁嘴到厨房里去吃剩饭，其他人全帮着黑奴收拾东西。豁嘴使劲儿地盘问我英国的事情，有时候真叫我如履薄冰，生怕露馅儿。她问："你见过国王吗？""谁？威廉四世吗？嗨，当然见过，他去我们教堂。" 我知道他多年前就死了，可我不露出来。因此，我说他去我们教堂时，她就问："什么，常去吗？""对，常去。他在教堂的座位跟我们的座儿正对着--隔着讲坛。""他也住在伦敦吧？""他是住伦敦。他（还会）在哪儿？""可是（你）住在设菲尔德吧"我知道我说露了。我只好装做让鸡骨头卡住了，来缓点儿时间考虑考虑如何下台。后来我说："我是说他在设菲尔德的时候，常去我们教堂。那只有在夏天，他来这里洗海水浴的时候。""咦，你说什么呀--设菲尔德可不在海边。""啊，谁说过它在啦？""咦，你说过呀。""我（没说），没说。""你说啦！""我没说。""你说了。""我可从来没说过这种话。""好吧，那，你究竟说过什么？""说他来洗海水浴呀，这才是我说过的话。""那就对啦！要它不靠大海，他怎么会洗海水浴？""听着，"我说，" 你见过国会矿泉水吗？""见过。""好啦，难到你非得去国会才可以弄到它吗？""当然不是。""那好，威廉四世也不是非得去大海边才会洗到海水浴。""那，他怎么洗呢？""就像这里的人弄国会泉水一样--拿桶。在设菲尔德王宫里，他们自备火炉，他想让水加热了洗。在海边那么老远的地方，他们可不能把那么多的水烧热。他们没烧水的那种设备。""噢，这下我懂了。你要一开始这么说，那就省时间了。"她说这话的时候，我明白我已经摆脱了窘境，因此，我很舒服，也很高兴。接着，她问："你也上教堂吗？""去，经常去。""你坐在哪儿呢？""嗨，会在我们的座儿上啊。""谁的座儿？""我们的呀，你哈维伯伯的。""他的？他要座儿干嘛用？""要座儿坐呀。你说他要座儿干嘛？""哎，我还觉得他会在讲坛上呢。"糟糕，我忘了他是个牧师。我知道我又说露了，于是，我又假让鸡骨头卡住了，好再想一想。然后我说："真扫兴，你以为一个教堂只有一个牧师吗？""咦，牧师多了有什么用？""什么用！--在国王面前讲道啊！我们没看到过你这号女孩儿。他们有不下17 个牧师。""17 个！我的主啊！唉，我可不愿意听那么长的布道，就算永远升不了天国也不。他们还不得讲一星期吗？""废话，他们不是都在同一天讲道，每回只有一个。""那样的话，剩下的牧师干什么？""噢，没多少事干。随意转转，递递教会里的奉献盘--还有些杂七杂八的事。只是平常什么也不干。""那样的话，要他们干什么？""嗨，装装门面。只是你连这个都不知道吗？""嗯，我可不想知道这些蠢事。英国人待仆人怎么样？比我们待黑奴好吗？""一点儿也不好！一个仆人在那里根本不算人。他们待他们简直还不如对一只狗那么好。""他们不给他们放假吗？跟我们一样，圣诞节，新年放假一星期，还有7 月4 日国庆节。""啊，听着！就凭这个人家就知道你没去过英国。喂，豁呃--喂，乔安娜，一年到头，他们从没有假期；从来不看马戏，从不去戏院，从不看黑人演出，从不去任何地方。""也从来不去教堂？""从来不去。""可你总去教堂啊？"好家伙，我又给问住啦。我忘了我是那帮家伙的仆人。不过一分钟，我来了个脑筋急转弯，思索到了一个理由，解释一个跟班与普通仆人有何差异，不管他想不想去，他都得去教堂，和全家人坐在一起，因为这是法律。不过我解释得不够漂亮，我说完之后，能看得出她不满意。她说道："现在，说老实话，你是不是一直对我撒谎？""全是老实话。" 我说。
"没有丝毫谎话？""没有一点谎话。我说的话一句都没撒谎。" 我说。
"把你的手搁在这一本书上，再说一遍。"我一看那仅仅一本词典，我就把手按在上面发了誓。这样，她好像稍微有些满意，说："好啦，我相信你说的一些话；可天哪，我还是难以全部相信。""你不信什么，乔？"玛丽·简说话间走了进来，后边跟着苏珊。" 你对他那样说话不合适，也不礼貌，他是个生人，离亲人又那样远。人家要这么待你，你高兴吗？""你老是这样，玛姆。人家还没受委屈你就神气十足地先帮他们。我对他没啥不好。我看他是对我讲了些谎话，我说我不能全信，我只说了这几句话。我想这点小事他还是能受得了的，是吧？""我不管事情是大还是小，他这是住在我们家，在这儿又是初来乍到，你那样说总应该算不得体，要是换了你是他，那会让你觉得难为情的；所以，叫他觉得难为情的话，你就不该说。""哎呀，玛姆，他说..""他说什么也没关系，问题的关键不在这儿。关键是你待他要友好，一切能叫他想到他这不是在自己国家，不是在自己亲人身边的话，都不要提。"我心想，这就是那个我眼瞅着那个老坏蛋把她的钱抢走的好姑娘！
接着，苏珊开始插话。如果你们能信我的话，她是真的把豁嘴给痛骂了一顿！
我又在心里想，这也是个好姑娘，我也眼看着他抢走她的钱不闻不问！
后来，玛丽·简又数落她一阵，接着又柔声细语安抚一番--这就是她历来的作风--她说完以后，可怜的豁嘴再无话可说。所以，她哇哇哭了起来。
"好啦，"那两个姑娘说，" 你就请他原谅吧。"她照办了。她话说得相当漂亮，真可以称得上悦耳动听；我倒情愿对她撒一千次谎，好让她能再给我说那种漂亮话，请求我原谅。
我心中又想，这又是一个她的钱被抢走却又不管的好姑娘。当她给我道完了歉，她们都想尽办法让我心里舒服，叫我觉得这是处在朋友当中。我觉得自己又卑鄙又下作又无耻又丢脸，因此我打定主意，要替她们拿到那笔钱，豁出命也得干。后来，我就出去了，我说是去睡觉，实际上则是不定哪会儿睡。当只有我一个人的时候，我就把这件事反复想了个遍。我对自己说，我是不是偷偷地跑去找那个医生，拆穿这个骗局呢？不行！那么做行不通。他或者会说出来是谁告诉他的；然后，国王和公爵就会狠狠收拾我。我是不是悄悄地告诉玛丽·简呢？不行，我可不敢那么做。她的脸色肯定能露出来让他们看出破绽；他们已经拿到了钱，他们会马上溜出来携款潜逃。如果她去找人帮忙，那么等不到把事情办完，我看我就得被卷进去。不行，没别的路好走，只有一个办法行得通。不管采取什么办法，我都必须偷出那笔钱，还得让他们不会怀疑到是我干的。他们在这儿有好事儿做，他们不把这一家人和这镇上的人骗个够是不会走的，所以我会有足够的机会。我要拿到钱，将它藏好，过一阵儿，当我顺着大河走远了，我就写一封信告诉玛丽·简钱藏在什么地方。不过，我有机会，最好今晚就下手，因为那个医生可能不会像他装的那样真撒手不管，他还没准能把他们给吓跑。
所以，我想，我这就去搜搜他们的房间。楼上的走廓十分黑，但是我找到了公爵的房间，并开始用手到处挨着摸索，可是我想起来了，国王是不大会让别的人来保管那些钱的，除非是他自己管，因此，我到了他房间里开始来回摸索。可我发现，没有蜡烛，我休想找到，我当然又不敢点蜡烛。所以，我想好了，我得用另一个方法--藏着等他们，偷听。正在这时，我听见他们的脚步声过来了，我就想钻到床底下，我伸手摸床，可是，床不在我想的地方，手却碰到了玛丽遮衣服的窗帘，我急忙跳进去躲在后面，在长衣服之中藏好身，静静地站在那里。他们进来关上门，公爵做的第一件事就是弯下腰看看床底。这时我很高兴，觉得也很侥幸。还有，你知道吧，当你想偷偷地做事儿时，自然而然地会想到躲在床下。他们坐下，然后，国王说："唉，怎么着？我正说着话你给打断了，毕竟在下面多让大家讲些哀伤悼念的话，总比我们上来给他们机会议论我们好一点。""啊，是这样，陛下。我心里实在没底，我不踏实。那个医生令我感到不安。我想知道你的打算。我有一个办法，我觉得还是挺不错的。
"什么办法呀，公爵？""那就是我们最好在凌晨三点以前打这儿偷偷溜出去，带上我们已经到手的钱顺着大河猛跑。尤其是这份钱得来的太容易了--人家给了我们，这可以说是从天上掉进嘴里的馅饼，我们本来以为自然是要偷回来的。我主张赶早收场，尽快逃走。"这可把我急坏了。如果在大约两个小时前，还或许会有所区别，可现在却令我焦急又失望。国王狠狠咒了一句，说道："什么！不把其余的产业全部卖完？像一对傻瓜一样走开却把只要伸伸手就可以捞到的值**千块的产业丢下不要？--那可都是极好的买卖。"公爵嘟囔着，说那袋金币已经足够了，他不想走得太远，不想把一群孤儿所有的一切全抢光。
"嗨，你说的什么话！" 国王说，" 除了这笔钱，我们一丝都没抢她们的。买产业的人才是受害者；因为一旦他们发现我们不是产业的所有者--那不会在我们偷跑后太久的--交易也就不可能生效，全都会物归原主。这些孤女又可以收回她们的房子，那就够用了，她们年轻，又有力气，容易挣钱活命。她们不会受苦的。唉，想想吧，成千上万的人都没她们日子好过。天地良心，她们可真没有什么可抱怨的。"这样，国王把他说蒙了，所以她终于决定让步了。他说那好吧，但是他还说他相信再留在这儿简直是愚蠢到了顶点，那个医生始终盯着他们。可国王说："医生算什么东西！我们理他干吗？难道我们没有把镇上全部的傻瓜都赢到我们这边吗？在哪个镇上这不都是绝大多数吗？"因此，他们准备再度回到楼下去。公爵说："我看我们放钱的地方不怎么妥当。"这句话让我高兴不已。我本来想不出一点办法来帮助自己。国王说："为什么？""因为玛丽·简以后要穿孝衣，你知道她肯定会先吩咐打扫房间的那个黑奴把这些衣服装进箱子里收拾起来，你说说看到一个黑人碰到这些钱能不顺手借点儿花花吗？""你的脑筋又清楚啦，公爵，"国王说，他走过来在布帘子下面乱摸，离我只有两三英尺远。我紧贴着墙，尽管吓得直想打颤，可还是憋住气一动不动，我不知道这两个家伙如果抓住我会对我怎样，我使劲儿想，要是他们真的抓住我，我得怎么做。不过，我还没来得及把这个念头动到一半，国王就摸到了那个袋子，他一点儿不会怀疑我在他身边。他们拿过钱袋，把它推进羽绒褥垫子下面那个草垫儿中的一个裂口里，又往里塞了大约一两英尺远。他们说这回可稳当啦，因为黑奴只整理羽绒褥垫子，而草垫儿一年也不过才翻晒两回，这么一来就没有被偷走的危险。
但是，我比他们知道得更清楚。他们下楼没走到一半，我就把它偷出来了。我摸索着爬进了我的小阁楼，先藏在那里，等有机会再找更好的地方。我觉得最好是把它藏到这座房子以外的什么地方，因为他们只要发现钱不见了，肯定会彻底搜查这座房子。我十分清楚这一点。然后，我上床睡觉，没脱衣服，不过，我就是想睡也睡不着，我很紧张，一直想着该怎么来办好这件事。后来，我听到国王和公爵上楼了，我打铺上滚下来，把下巴靠在梯子顶上，等着看是否会有什么事。可是，什么事也没有。
因此，我就始终坚持着，等到深夜里一切声音都停止了，清晨的动静都还不曾开始，我这才悄悄地下了梯子。
收听单词发音 |
1
homely
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| adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的 | |
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pickles
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| n.腌菜( pickle的名词复数 )；处于困境；遇到麻烦；菜酱 | |
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humbug
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| n.花招，谎话，欺骗 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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maim
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| v.使残废，使不能工作，使伤残 | |
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bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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recollected
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| adj.冷静的；镇定的；被回忆起的；沉思默想的v.记起，想起( recollect的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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eavesdrop
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| v.偷听，倾听 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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15
scooped
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| v.抢先报道( scoop的过去式和过去分词 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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salable
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| adj.有销路的，适销的 | |
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grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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18
orphans
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| 孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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valid
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| adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的 | |
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20
crammed
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| adj.塞满的，挤满的；大口地吃；快速贪婪地吃v.把…塞满；填入；临时抱佛脚( cram的过去式) | |
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ransacking
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| v.彻底搜查( ransack的现在分词 )；抢劫，掠夺 | |
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