章节正文
They went, and Joseph, having first taken off his harness,
walked Ruby into the middle of the yard.
"Why," said Mr. Raymond, "you've not been using him well."
"I don't know what you mean by that, sir. I didn't expect to hear
that from you. He's sound in wind and limb--as sound as a barrel."
"And as big, you might add. Why, he's as fat as a pig! You don't
call that good usage!"
Joseph was too angry to make any answer.
"You've not worked him enough, I say. That's not making good use
of him. That's not doing as you'd be done by."
"I shouldn't be sorry if I was served the same, sir."
"He's too fat, I say."
"There was a whole month I couldn't work him at all, and he did
nothing but eat his head off. He's an awful eater. I've taken
the best part of six hours a day out of him since, but I'm always
afraid of his coming to grief again, and so I couldn't make the most
even of that. I declare to you, sir, when he's between the shafts,
I sit on the box as miserable as if I'd stolen him. He looks all
the time as if he was a bottling up of complaints to make of me
the minute he set eyes on you again. There! look at him now,
squinting round at me with one eye! I declare to you, on my word,
I haven't laid the whip on him more than three times."
"I'm glad to hear it. He never did want the whip."
"I didn't say that, sir. If ever a horse wanted the whip, he do.
He's brought me to beggary almost with his snail's pace. I'm very
glad you've come to rid me of him."
"I don't know that," said Mr. Raymond. "Suppose I were to ask you
to buy him of me--cheap."
"I wouldn't have him in a present, sir. I don't like him.
And I wouldn't drive a horse that I didn't like--no, not for gold.
It can't come to good where there's no love between 'em."
"Just bring out your own horse, and let me see what sort of a pair
they'd make."
Joseph laughed rather bitterly as he went to fetch Diamond.
When the two were placed side by side, Mr. Raymond could
hardly keep his countenance, but from a mingling of feelings.
Beside the great, red, round barrel, Ruby, all body and no legs,
Diamond looked like a clothes-horse with a skin thrown over it.
There was hardly a spot of him where you could not descry some
sign of a bone underneath. Gaunt and grim and weary he stood,
kissing his master, and heeding no one else.
"You haven't been using him well," said Mr. Raymond.
"I must say," returned Joseph, throwing an arm round his horse's neck,
"that the remark had better have been spared, sir. The horse
is worth three of the other now."
"I don't think so. I think they make a very nice pair.
If the one's too fat, the other's too lean--so that's all right.
And if you won't buy my Ruby, I must buy your Diamond."
"Thank you, sir," said Joseph, in a tone implying anything but thanks.
"You don't seem to like the proposal," said Mr. Raymond.
"I don't," returned Joseph. "I wouldn't part with my old Diamond
for his skin as full of nuggets as it is of bones."
"Who said anything about parting with him?"
"You did now, sir."
"No; I didn't. I only spoke of buying him to make a pair with Ruby.
We could pare Ruby and patch Diamond a bit. And for height, they are
as near a match as I care about. Of course you would be the coachman--
if only you would consent to be reconciled to Ruby."
Joseph stood bewildered, unable to answer.
"I've bought a small place in Kent," continued Mr. Raymond, "and I
must have a pair to my carriage, for the roads are hilly thereabouts.
I don't want to make a show with a pair of high-steppers. I think
these will just do. Suppose, for a week or two, you set yourself
to take Ruby down and bring Diamond up. If we could only lay a pipe
from Ruby's sides into Diamond's, it would be the work of a moment.
But I fear that wouldn't answer."
A strong inclination to laugh intruded upon Joseph's inclination
to cry, and made speech still harder than before.
"I beg your pardon, sir," he said at length. "I've been so miserable,
and for so long, that I never thought you was only a chaffing of me
when you said I hadn't used the horses well. I did grumble at you,
sir, many's the time in my trouble; but whenever I said anything,
my little Diamond would look at me with a smile, as much as to say:
"I know him better than you, father;" and upon my word, I always
thought the boy must be right."
"Will you sell me old Diamond, then?"
"I will, sir, on one condition--that if ever you want to part
with him or me, you give me the option of buying him. I could
not part with him, sir. As to who calls him his, that's nothing;
for, as Diamond says, it's only loving a thing that can make it yours--
and I do love old Diamond, sir, dearly."
"Well, there's a cheque for twenty pounds, which I wrote to offer
you for him, in case I should find you had done the handsome thing
by Ruby. Will that be enough?"
"It's too much, sir. His body ain't worth it--shoes and all.
It's only his heart, sir--that's worth millions--but his heart'll be
mine all the same--so it's too much, sir."
"I don't think so. It won't be, at least, by the time we've got him
fed up again. You take it and welcome. Just go on with your cabbing
for another month, only take it out of Ruby and let Diamond rest;
and by that time I shall be ready for you to go down into the country."
"Thank you, sir. thank you. Diamond set you down for a friend,
sir, the moment he saw you. I do believe that child of mine
knows more than other people."
"I think so, too," said Mr. Raymond as he walked away.
He had meant to test Joseph when he made the bargain about Ruby,
but had no intention of so greatly prolonging the trial. He had been
taken ill in Switzerland, and had been quite unable to return sooner.
He went away now highly gratified at finding that he had stood the test,
and was a true man.
Joseph rushed in to his wife who had been standing at the window
anxiously waiting the result of the long colloquy. When she
heard that the horses were to go together in double harness,
she burst forth into an immoderate fit of laughter. Diamond came
up with the baby in his arms and made big anxious eyes at her, saying--
"What is the matter with you, mother dear? Do cry a little.
It will do you good. When father takes ever so small a drop of spirits,
he puts water to it."
"You silly darling!" said his mother; "how could I but laugh at
the notion of that great fat Ruby going side by side with our poor
old Diamond?"
"But why not, mother? With a month's oats, and nothing to do,
Diamond'll be nearer Ruby's size than you will father's. I think
it's very good for different sorts to go together. Now Ruby will
have a chance of teaching Diamond better manners."
"How dare you say such a thing, Diamond?" said his father, angrily.
"To compare the two for manners, there's no comparison possible.
Our Diamond's a gentleman."
"I don't mean to say he isn't, father; for I daresay some
gentlemen judge their neighbours unjustly. That's all I mean.
Diamond shouldn't have thought such bad things of Ruby. He didn't
try to make the best of him."
"How do you know that, pray?"
"I heard them talking about it one night."
"Who?"
"Why Diamond and Ruby. Ruby's an angel."
Joseph stared and said no more. For all his new gladness,
he was very gloomy as he re-harnessed the angel, for he thought
his darling Diamond was going out of his mind.
He could not help thinking rather differently, however, when he found
the change that had come over Ruby. Considering his fat, he exerted
himself amazingly, and got over the ground with incredible speed.
So willing, even anxious, was he to go now, that Joseph had to hold
him quite tight.
Then as he laughed at his own fancies, a new fear came upon him lest
the horse should break his wind, and Mr. Raymond have good cause
to think he had not been using him well. He might even suppose
that he had taken advantage of his new instructions, to let out
upon the horse some of his pent-up dislike; whereas in truth,
it had so utterly vanished that he felt as if Ruby, too, had been
his friend all the time.
CHAPTER XXXIV
IN THE COUNTRY
BEFORE the end of the month, Ruby had got respectably thin,
and Diamond respectably stout. They really began to look fit
for double harness.
Joseph and his wife got their affairs in order, and everything ready
for migrating at the shortest notice; and they felt so peaceful
and happy that they judged all the trouble they had gone through
well worth enduring. As for Nanny, she had been so happy ever
since she left the hospital, that she expected nothing better,
and saw nothing attractive in the notion of the country.
At the same time, she had not the least idea of what the word
country meant, for she had never seen anything about her but streets
and gas-lamps. Besides, she was more attached to Jim than to Diamond:
Jim was a reasonable being, Diamond in her eyes at best only an amiable,
over-grown baby, whom no amount of expostulation would ever bring
to talk sense, not to say think it. Now that she could manage
the baby as well as he, she judged herself altogether his superior.
Towards his father and mother, she was all they could wish.
Diamond had taken a great deal of pains and trouble to find Jim,
and had at last succeeded through the help of the tall policeman,
who was glad to renew his acquaintance with the strange child.
Jim had moved his quarters, and had not heard of Nanny's illness till
some time after she was taken to the hospital, where he was too shy
to go and inquire about her. But when at length she went to live
with Diamond's family, Jim was willing enough to go and see her.
It was after one of his visits, during which they had been talking
of her new prospects, that Nanny expressed to Diamond her opinion of
the country.
"There ain't nothing in it but the sun and moon, Diamond."
"There's trees and flowers," said Diamond.
"Well, they ain't no count," returned Nanny.
"Ain't they? They're so beautiful, they make you happy to look
at them."
"That's because you're such a silly."
Diamond smiled with a far-away look, as if he were gazing
through clouds of green leaves and the visioncontented him.
But he was thinking with himself what more he could do for Nanny;
and that same evening he went to find Mr. Raymond, for he had heard
that he had returned to town.
"Ah! how do you do, Diamond?" said Mr. Raymond; "I am glad to see you."
And he was indeed, for he had grown very fond of him. His opinion
of him was very different from Nanny's.
"What do you want now, my child?" he asked.
"I'm always wanting something, sir," answered Diamond.
"Well, that's quite right, so long as what you want is right.
Everybody is always wanting something; only we don't mention it in
the right place often enough. What is it now?"
"There's a friend of Nanny's, a lame boy, called Jim."
"I've heard of him," said Mr. Raymond. "Well?"
"Nanny doesn't care much about going to the country, sir."
"Well, what has that to do with Jim?"
"You couldn't find a corner for Jim to work in--could you, sir?"
"I don't know that I couldn't. That is, if you can show good reason
for it."
"He's a good boy, sir."
"Well, so much the better for him."
"I know he can shine boots, sir."
"So much the better for us."
"You want your boots shined in the country--don't you, sir?"
walked Ruby into the middle of the yard.
"Why," said Mr. Raymond, "you've not been using him well."
"I don't know what you mean by that, sir. I didn't expect to hear
that from you. He's sound in wind and limb--as sound as a barrel."
"And as big, you might add. Why, he's as fat as a pig! You don't
call that good usage!"
Joseph was too angry to make any answer.
"You've not worked him enough, I say. That's not making good use
of him. That's not doing as you'd be done by."
"I shouldn't be sorry if I was served the same, sir."
"He's too fat, I say."
"There was a whole month I couldn't work him at all, and he did
nothing but eat his head off. He's an awful eater. I've taken
the best part of six hours a day out of him since, but I'm always
afraid of his coming to grief again, and so I couldn't make the most
even of that. I declare to you, sir, when he's between the shafts,
I sit on the box as miserable as if I'd stolen him. He looks all
the time as if he was a bottling up of complaints to make of me
the minute he set eyes on you again. There! look at him now,
squinting round at me with one eye! I declare to you, on my word,
I haven't laid the whip on him more than three times."
"I'm glad to hear it. He never did want the whip."
"I didn't say that, sir. If ever a horse wanted the whip, he do.
He's brought me to beggary almost with his snail's pace. I'm very
glad you've come to rid me of him."
"I don't know that," said Mr. Raymond. "Suppose I were to ask you
to buy him of me--cheap."
"I wouldn't have him in a present, sir. I don't like him.
And I wouldn't drive a horse that I didn't like--no, not for gold.
It can't come to good where there's no love between 'em."
"Just bring out your own horse, and let me see what sort of a pair
they'd make."
Joseph laughed rather bitterly as he went to fetch Diamond.
When the two were placed side by side, Mr. Raymond could
hardly keep his countenance, but from a mingling of feelings.
Beside the great, red, round barrel, Ruby, all body and no legs,
Diamond looked like a clothes-horse with a skin thrown over it.
There was hardly a spot of him where you could not descry some
sign of a bone underneath. Gaunt and grim and weary he stood,
kissing his master, and heeding no one else.
"You haven't been using him well," said Mr. Raymond.
"I must say," returned Joseph, throwing an arm round his horse's neck,
"that the remark had better have been spared, sir. The horse
is worth three of the other now."
"I don't think so. I think they make a very nice pair.
If the one's too fat, the other's too lean--so that's all right.
And if you won't buy my Ruby, I must buy your Diamond."
"Thank you, sir," said Joseph, in a tone implying anything but thanks.
"You don't seem to like the proposal," said Mr. Raymond.
"I don't," returned Joseph. "I wouldn't part with my old Diamond
for his skin as full of nuggets as it is of bones."
"Who said anything about parting with him?"
"You did now, sir."
"No; I didn't. I only spoke of buying him to make a pair with Ruby.
We could pare Ruby and patch Diamond a bit. And for height, they are
as near a match as I care about. Of course you would be the coachman--
if only you would consent to be reconciled to Ruby."
Joseph stood bewildered, unable to answer.
"I've bought a small place in Kent," continued Mr. Raymond, "and I
must have a pair to my carriage, for the roads are hilly thereabouts.
I don't want to make a show with a pair of high-steppers. I think
these will just do. Suppose, for a week or two, you set yourself
to take Ruby down and bring Diamond up. If we could only lay a pipe
from Ruby's sides into Diamond's, it would be the work of a moment.
But I fear that wouldn't answer."
A strong inclination to laugh intruded upon Joseph's inclination
to cry, and made speech still harder than before.
"I beg your pardon, sir," he said at length. "I've been so miserable,
and for so long, that I never thought you was only a chaffing of me
when you said I hadn't used the horses well. I did grumble at you,
sir, many's the time in my trouble; but whenever I said anything,
my little Diamond would look at me with a smile, as much as to say:
"I know him better than you, father;" and upon my word, I always
thought the boy must be right."
"Will you sell me old Diamond, then?"
"I will, sir, on one condition--that if ever you want to part
with him or me, you give me the option of buying him. I could
not part with him, sir. As to who calls him his, that's nothing;
for, as Diamond says, it's only loving a thing that can make it yours--
and I do love old Diamond, sir, dearly."
"Well, there's a cheque for twenty pounds, which I wrote to offer
you for him, in case I should find you had done the handsome thing
by Ruby. Will that be enough?"
"It's too much, sir. His body ain't worth it--shoes and all.
It's only his heart, sir--that's worth millions--but his heart'll be
mine all the same--so it's too much, sir."
"I don't think so. It won't be, at least, by the time we've got him
fed up again. You take it and welcome. Just go on with your cabbing
for another month, only take it out of Ruby and let Diamond rest;
and by that time I shall be ready for you to go down into the country."
"Thank you, sir. thank you. Diamond set you down for a friend,
sir, the moment he saw you. I do believe that child of mine
knows more than other people."
"I think so, too," said Mr. Raymond as he walked away.
He had meant to test Joseph when he made the bargain about Ruby,
but had no intention of so greatly prolonging the trial. He had been
taken ill in Switzerland, and had been quite unable to return sooner.
He went away now highly gratified at finding that he had stood the test,
and was a true man.
Joseph rushed in to his wife who had been standing at the window
anxiously waiting the result of the long colloquy. When she
heard that the horses were to go together in double harness,
she burst forth into an immoderate fit of laughter. Diamond came
up with the baby in his arms and made big anxious eyes at her, saying--
"What is the matter with you, mother dear? Do cry a little.
It will do you good. When father takes ever so small a drop of spirits,
he puts water to it."
"You silly darling!" said his mother; "how could I but laugh at
the notion of that great fat Ruby going side by side with our poor
old Diamond?"
"But why not, mother? With a month's oats, and nothing to do,
Diamond'll be nearer Ruby's size than you will father's. I think
it's very good for different sorts to go together. Now Ruby will
have a chance of teaching Diamond better manners."
"How dare you say such a thing, Diamond?" said his father, angrily.
"To compare the two for manners, there's no comparison possible.
Our Diamond's a gentleman."
"I don't mean to say he isn't, father; for I daresay some
gentlemen judge their neighbours unjustly. That's all I mean.
Diamond shouldn't have thought such bad things of Ruby. He didn't
try to make the best of him."
"How do you know that, pray?"
"I heard them talking about it one night."
"Who?"
"Why Diamond and Ruby. Ruby's an angel."
Joseph stared and said no more. For all his new gladness,
he was very gloomy as he re-harnessed the angel, for he thought
his darling Diamond was going out of his mind.
He could not help thinking rather differently, however, when he found
the change that had come over Ruby. Considering his fat, he exerted
himself amazingly, and got over the ground with incredible speed.
So willing, even anxious, was he to go now, that Joseph had to hold
him quite tight.
Then as he laughed at his own fancies, a new fear came upon him lest
the horse should break his wind, and Mr. Raymond have good cause
to think he had not been using him well. He might even suppose
that he had taken advantage of his new instructions, to let out
upon the horse some of his pent-up dislike; whereas in truth,
it had so utterly vanished that he felt as if Ruby, too, had been
his friend all the time.
CHAPTER XXXIV
IN THE COUNTRY
BEFORE the end of the month, Ruby had got respectably thin,
and Diamond respectably stout. They really began to look fit
for double harness.
Joseph and his wife got their affairs in order, and everything ready
for migrating at the shortest notice; and they felt so peaceful
and happy that they judged all the trouble they had gone through
well worth enduring. As for Nanny, she had been so happy ever
since she left the hospital, that she expected nothing better,
and saw nothing attractive in the notion of the country.
At the same time, she had not the least idea of what the word
country meant, for she had never seen anything about her but streets
and gas-lamps. Besides, she was more attached to Jim than to Diamond:
Jim was a reasonable being, Diamond in her eyes at best only an amiable,
over-grown baby, whom no amount of expostulation would ever bring
to talk sense, not to say think it. Now that she could manage
the baby as well as he, she judged herself altogether his superior.
Towards his father and mother, she was all they could wish.
Diamond had taken a great deal of pains and trouble to find Jim,
and had at last succeeded through the help of the tall policeman,
who was glad to renew his acquaintance with the strange child.
Jim had moved his quarters, and had not heard of Nanny's illness till
some time after she was taken to the hospital, where he was too shy
to go and inquire about her. But when at length she went to live
with Diamond's family, Jim was willing enough to go and see her.
It was after one of his visits, during which they had been talking
of her new prospects, that Nanny expressed to Diamond her opinion of
the country.
"There ain't nothing in it but the sun and moon, Diamond."
"There's trees and flowers," said Diamond.
"Well, they ain't no count," returned Nanny.
"Ain't they? They're so beautiful, they make you happy to look
at them."
"That's because you're such a silly."
Diamond smiled with a far-away look, as if he were gazing
through clouds of green leaves and the visioncontented him.
But he was thinking with himself what more he could do for Nanny;
and that same evening he went to find Mr. Raymond, for he had heard
that he had returned to town.
"Ah! how do you do, Diamond?" said Mr. Raymond; "I am glad to see you."
And he was indeed, for he had grown very fond of him. His opinion
of him was very different from Nanny's.
"What do you want now, my child?" he asked.
"I'm always wanting something, sir," answered Diamond.
"Well, that's quite right, so long as what you want is right.
Everybody is always wanting something; only we don't mention it in
the right place often enough. What is it now?"
"There's a friend of Nanny's, a lame boy, called Jim."
"I've heard of him," said Mr. Raymond. "Well?"
"Nanny doesn't care much about going to the country, sir."
"Well, what has that to do with Jim?"
"You couldn't find a corner for Jim to work in--could you, sir?"
"I don't know that I couldn't. That is, if you can show good reason
for it."
"He's a good boy, sir."
"Well, so much the better for him."
"I know he can shine boots, sir."
"So much the better for us."
"You want your boots shined in the country--don't you, sir?"
- miserable [´mizərəbəl]
a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词) - stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- bitterly [´bitəli] ad.悲痛地；憎恨地 (初中英语单词)
- countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)
- barrel [´bærəl] n.(琵琶)桶；圆筒 (初中英语单词)
- underneath [,ʌndə´ni:θ] ad.&prep.在底下 (初中英语单词)
- height [hait] n.高度；顶点；卓越 (初中英语单词)
- unable [ʌn´eibəl] a.不能的；无能为力的 (初中英语单词)
- carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)
- pardon [´pɑ:dən] n.&vt.原谅；饶恕；赦免 (初中英语单词)
- whenever [wen´evə] conj.&ad.无论何时 (初中英语单词)
- welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
- bargain [´bɑ:gin] n.买卖合同 v.议(价) (初中英语单词)
- intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)
- standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)
- anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)
- comparison [kəm´pærisən] n.比较；对照；比喻 (初中英语单词)
- darling [´dɑ:liŋ] n.爱人 a.亲爱的 (初中英语单词)
- willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
- advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)
- dislike [dis´laik] vt.&n.不喜爱，厌恶 (初中英语单词)
- whereas [weər´æz] conj.鉴于；因此；而 (初中英语单词)
- attractive [ə´træktiv] a.有吸引力；诱人的 (初中英语单词)
- reasonable [´rizənəbəl] a.合理的；有理智的 (初中英语单词)
- amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)
- altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)
- acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)
- illness [´ilnis] n.生病，不健康，疾病 (初中英语单词)
- vision [´viʒən] n.视觉；想象力；幻影 (初中英语单词)
- inclination [,inkli´neiʃən] n.倾斜；爱好；天资 (高中英语单词)
- grumble [´grʌmbəl] v.&n.抱怨；发牢骚 (高中英语单词)
- loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)
- switzerland [´switsələnd] n.瑞士 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- gloomy [´glu:mi] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (高中英语单词)
- differently [´difrentli] ad.不同地，有差别地 (高中英语单词)
- incredible [in´kredəbəl] a.不能相信的；惊人的 (高中英语单词)
- contented [kən´tentid] a.满足的；心满意足的 (高中英语单词)
- parting [´pɑ:tiŋ] a.&n.分离(的) (英语四级单词)
- considering [kən´sidəriŋ] prep.就...而论 (英语四级单词)
- descry [di´skrai] vt.(从远处)看出 (英语六级单词)
- amazingly [ə´meiziŋli] ad.惊人地；惊奇地 (英语六级单词)
- enduring [in´djuəriŋ] a.持久的 (英语六级单词)
- wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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