按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
laughing； though he wished to make it a serious affair。 〃You know；
Larkins； I have given out that such things are not to be。 It is a
melancholy fact。〃
〃Ay； so you must make an example of me！〃 said Larkins； pretending to
look resigned。 〃Better call all the fellows together； hadn't you；
and make it more effective？ It would be grateful to one's feelings；
you know； and June；〃 added he； with a ridiculous confidential air；
〃if you'll only lay it on soft； I'll take care it makes noise enough。
Great cry； little wool； you know。〃
〃Come with me；〃 said Norman。 〃I'll take care you are example enough。
What did you give for those articles？〃
〃Fifteen…pence halfpenny。 Rascally dear； isn't it？ but the old
rogue makes one pay double for the risk！ You are making his fortune；
you have raised his prices fourfold。〃
〃I'll take care of that。〃
〃Why； where are you taking me？ Back to him？〃
〃I am going to gratify your wish to be an example。〃
〃A gibbet！ a gibbet〃 cried Larkins。 〃I'm to be turned off on the
spot where the crime took placea warning to all beholders。 Only
let me send home for old Neptune's chain； if you please； sirif you
hang me in the combined watch…chains of the school； I fear they would
give way and defeat the purposes of justice。〃
They were by this time at the bridge。 〃Come in；〃 said Norman to his
follower； as he crossed the entrance of the little shop； the first
time he had ever been there。 A little cringing shrivelled old man
stood up in astonishment。
〃Mr。 May！ can I have the pleasure； sir？〃
〃Mr。 Ballhatchet； you know that it is contrary to the rules that
there should be any traffic with the school without special
permission？〃
〃Yes； sirjust nothing； sironly when the young gentlemen come
here； sirI'm an old man； sir； and I don't like not to oblige a
young gentleman； sir；〃 pleaded the old man； in a great fright。
〃Very likely；〃 said Norman； 〃but I am come to give you fair notice。
I am not going to allow the boys here to be continually smuggling
spirits into the school。〃
〃Spirits！ bless you； sir； I never thought of no sich a thing！ 'Tis
nothing in life but ginger…beervery cooling drink； sir； of my
wife's making she had the receipt from her grandmother up in
Leicestershire。 Won't you taste a bottle； sir？〃 and he hastily made
a cork bounce； and poured it out。
That； of course； was genuine； but Norman was 〃up to him；〃 in
schoolboy phrase。
〃Give me yours； Larkins。〃
No pop ensued。 Larkins； enjoying the detection； put his hands on his
knees and looked wickedly up in the old man's face to see what was
coming。
〃Bless me！ it is a little flat。 I wonder how that happened？ I'll be
most happy to change it； sir。 Wife！ what's the meaning of Mr。
Larkins's ginger…pop being so flat？〃
〃It is very curious ginger…beer indeed； Mr。 Ballhatchet；〃 said
Norman； 〃and since it is liable to have such strange properties； I
cannot allow it to be used any more at the school。〃
〃Very well； sir…as you please； sir。 You are the first gentleman as
has objected； sir。〃
〃And； once for all； I give you warning；〃 added Norman； 〃that if I
have reason to believe you have been obliging the young gentlemen；
the magistrates and the trustees of the road shall certainly hear of
it。〃
〃You would not hurt a poor man； sir； as is drove to ityou as has
such a name for goodness！〃
〃I have given you warning；〃 said Norman。 〃The next time I find any of
your bottles in the school fields； your licence goes。 Now； there are
your goods。 Give Mr。 Larkins back the fifteen…pence。 I wonder you
are not ashamed of such a charge！〃
Having extracted the money； Norman turned to leave the shop。
Larkins； triumphant； 〃Ha！ there's Harrison！〃 as the tutor rode by；
and they touched their caps。 〃How he stared！ My eyes！ June； you'll
be had up for dealing with old Ball！〃 and he went into an ecstasy of
laughing。 〃You've settled him； I believe。 Well； is justice
satisfied？〃
〃It would be no use thrashing you；〃 said Norman； laughing； as he
leaned against the parapet of the bridge； and pinched the boy's ear。
〃There's nothing to be got out of you but chaff。〃
Larkins was charmed with the compliment。
〃But I'll tell you what； Larkins； I can't think how a fellow like you
can go and give in to these sneaking； underhand tricks that make you
ashamed to look one in the face。〃
〃It is only for the fun of it。〃
〃Well； I wish you would find your fun some other way。 Come； Larkins；
recollect yourself a littleyou have a home not so far off。 How do
you think your father and mother would fancy seeing you reading the
book you had yesterday； or coming out of Ballhatchet's with a bottle
of spirits； called by a false name？〃
Larkins pinched his fingers； home was a string that could touch him；
but it seemed beneath him to own it。 At that moment a carriage
approached； the boy's whole face lighted up； and he jumped forward。
〃Our own！〃 he cried。 〃There she is！〃
She was； of course； his mother； and Norman； though turning hastily
away that his presence might prove no restraint； saw the boy fly over
the door of the open carriage； and could have sobbed at the thought
of what that meeting was。
〃Who was that with you？〃 asked Mrs。 Larkins； when she had obtained
leave to have her boy with her； while she did her shopping。
〃That was May senior； our dux。〃
〃Was it？ I am very glad you should be with him； my dear George。
He is very kind to you； I hope？〃
〃He is a jolly good fellow；〃 said Larkins sincerely； though by no
means troubling himself as to the appropriateness of the eulogy； nor
thinking it necessary to explain to his mother the terms of the
conversation。
It was not fruitless； Larkins did avoid mischief when it was not
extremely inviting； was more amenable to May senior； and having been
put in mind by him of his home； was not ashamed to bring the thought
to the aid of his eyes； when； on Sunday； during a long sermon of Mr。
Ramsden's； he knew that Axworthy was making the grimace which
irresistibly incited him to make a still finer one。
And Ballhatchet was so much convinced of 〃that there young May〃 being
in earnest； that he assured his persuasive customers that it was as
much as his licence was worth to supply them。
Evil and insubordination were more easily kept under than Norman had
expected； when he first made up his mind to the struggle。 Firmness
had so far carried the day； and the power of manful assertion of the
right had been proved； contrary to Cheviot's parting auguries； that
he would only make himself disliked； and do no good。
The whole of the school was extremely excited this summer by a
proceeding of Mr。 Tomkins； the brewer； who suddenly closed up the
footway called Randall's Alley； declaring that there was no right of
passage through a certain field at the back of his brewery。 Not only
the school； but the town was indignant； and the Mays especially so。
It had been the doctor's way to school forty years ago； and there
were recollections connected with it that made him regard it with
personal affection。 Norman； too； could not bear to lose it； he had
not entirely conquered his reluctance to pass that spot in the High
Street； and the loss of the alley would be a positive deprivation to
him。 Almost every native of Stoneborough felt strongly the
encroachment of the brewer； and the boys； of course； carried the
sentiment to exaggeration。
The propensity to public speaking perhaps added to the excitement；
for Norman May and Harvey Anderson； for once in unison； each made a
vehement harangue in the school…courtAnderson's a fine specimen of
the village Hampden style； about Britons never suffering indignities；
and free…born Englishmen swelling at injuries。
〃That they do； my hearty；〃 interjected Larkins； pointing to an
inflamed eye that had not returned to its right dimensions。 However；
Anderson went on unmoved by the under titter； and demonstrated； to
the full satisfaction of all the audience； that nothing could be more
illegal and unfounded than the brewer's claims。
Then came a great outburst from Norman； with all his father's
headlong vehemence； the way was the right of the town； the walk had
been trodden by their forefathers for generations pastit had been
made by the good old generous…hearted man who loved his town and
townspeople； and would have heard with shame and anger of a stranger；
a new inhabitant； a grasping radical； caring； as radicals always did；
for no rights； but for their own chance of unjust gains； coming here
to Stoneborough to cut them off from their own path。 He talk of
liberalism and the rights of the poor！ He who cut off Randall's poor
old creatures in the almshouses from their short way！ and then came
some stories of his oppression as a poor…law guardian； which greatly
aggravated the wrath of the speaker and audience； though otherwise
they did not exactly bear on the subject。
〃What would old Nicholas Randall say to these nineteenth…century
doings？〃 finished Norman。
〃Down； with them！〃 cried a voice from the throng； probably Larkins's；
but there was no desire to investigate； it was the universal
sentiment。 〃Down with it！ Hurrah； we'll have our footpath open
again！ Down with the fenc