novel notes-第7章

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untry。　　People　asked　what　could　be　the　cause。　　I　knew　well　enough；　but　I　did　not　tell。

〃The　Bank　made　a　gallant　fight；　but　the　hand　of　fate　was　upon　it。　At　the　end　of　another　nine　months　the　crash　came。

〃（Nitrates；　it　need　hardly　be　said；　had　all　this　time　been　going　up　by　leaps　and　bounds。　　My　grandmother　died　worth　a　million　dollars；　and　left　the　whole　of　it　to　a　charity。　　Had　she　known　how　I　had　saved　her　from　ruin；　she　might　have　been　more　grateful。）

〃A　few　days　after　the　failure　of　the　Bank；　Josiah　arrived　on　my　doorstep；　and；　this　time；　he　brought　his　families　with　him。　　There　were　sixteen　of　them　in　all。

〃What　was　I　to　do？　　I　had　brought　these　people　step　by　step　to　the　verge　of　starvation。　　I　had　laid　waste　alike　their　happiness　and　their　prospects　in　life。　　The　least　amends　I　could　make　was　to　see　that　at　all　events　they　did　not　want　for　the　necessities　of　existence。

〃That　was　seventeen　years　ago。　　I　am　still　seeing　that　they　do　not　want　for　the　necessities　of　existence；　and　my　conscience　is　growing　easier　by　noticing　that　they　seem　contented　with　their　lot。　　There　are　twenty…two　of　them　now；　and　we　have　hopes　of　another　in　the　spring。

〃That　is　my　story；〃　he　said。　　〃Perhaps　you　will　now　understand　my　sudden　emotion　when　you　asked　for　my　advice。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　do　not　give　advice　now　on　any　subject。〃


I　told　this　tale　to　MacShaughnassy。　　He　agreed　with　me　that　it　was　instructive；　and　said　he　should　remember　it。　　He　said　he　should　remember　it　so　as　to　tell　it　to　some　fellows　that　he　knew；　to　whom　he　thought　the　lesson　should　prove　useful。



CHAPTER　II



I　can't　honestly　say　that　we　made　much　progress　at　our　first　meeting。　　It　was　Brown's　fault。　　He　would　begin　by　telling　us　a　story　about　a　dog。　　It　was　the　old；　old　story　of　the　dog　who　had　been　in　the　habit　of　going　every　morning　to　a　certain　baker's　shop　with　a　penny　in　his　mouth；　in　exchange　for　which　he　always　received　a　penny　bun。　　One　day；　the　baker；　thinking　he　would　not　know　the　difference；　tried　to　palm　off　upon　the　poor　animal　a　ha'penny　bun；　whereupon　the　dog　walked　straight　outside　and　fetched　in　a　policeman。　　Brown　had　heard　this　chestnut　for　the　first　time　that　afternoon；　and　was　full　of　it。　　It　is　always　a　mystery　to　me　where　Brown　has　been　for　the　last　hundred　years。　　He　stops　you　in　the　street　with；　〃Oh；　I　must　tell　you！such　a　capital　story！〃　　And　he　thereupon　proceeds　to　relate　to　you；　with　much　spirit　and　gusto；　one　of　Noah's　best　known　jokes；　or　some　story　that　Romulus　must　have　originally　told　to　Remus。　　One　of　these　days　somebody　will　tell　him　the　history　of　Adam　and　Eve；　and　he　will　think　he　has　got　hold　of　a　new　plot；　and　will　work　it　up　into　a　novel。

He　gives　forth　these　hoary　antiquities　as　personal　reminiscences　of　his　own；　or；　at　furthest；　as　episodes　in　the　life　of　his　second　cousin。　　There　are　certain　strange　and　moving　catastrophes　that　would　seem　either　to　have　occurred　to；　or　to　have　been　witnessed　by；　nearly　every　one　you　meet。　　I　never　came　across　a　man　yet　who　had　not　seen　some　other　man　jerked　off　the　top　of　an　omnibus　into　a　mud…　cart。　　Half　London　must；　at　one　time　or　another；　have　been　jerked　off　omnibuses　into　mud…carts；　and　have　been　fished　out　at　the　end　of　a　shovel。

Then　there　is　the　tale　of　the　lady　whose　husband　is　taken　suddenly　ill　one　night　at　an　hotel。　　She　rushes　downstairs；　and　prepares　a　stiff　mustard　plaster　to　put　on　him；　and　runs　up　with　it　again。　　In　her　excitement；　however；　she　charges　into　the　wrong　room；　and；　rolling　down　the　bedclothes；　presses　it　lovingly　upon　the　wrong　man。　I　have　heard　that　story　so　often　that　I　am　quite　nervous　about　going　to　bed　in　an　hotel　now。　　Each　man　who　has　told　it　me　has　invariably　slept　in　the　room　next　door　to　that　of　the　victim；　and　has　been　awakened　by　the　man's　yell　as　the　plaster　came　down　upon　him。　　That　is　how　he　（the　story…teller）　came　to　know　all　about　it。

Brown　wanted　us　to　believe　that　this　prehistoric　animal　he　had　been　telling　us　about　had　belonged　to　his　brother…in…law；　and　was　hurt　when　Jephson　murmured；　sotto　voce；　that　that　made　the　twenty…eighth　man　he　had　met　whose　brother…in…law　had　owned　that　dogto　say　nothing　of　the　hundred　and　seventeen　who　had　owned　it　themselves。

We　tried　to　get　to　work　afterwards；　but　Brown　had　unsettled　us　for　the　evening。　　It　is　a　wicked　thing　to　start　dog　stories　among　a　party　of　average　sinful　men。　　Let　one　man　tell　a　dog　story；　and　every　other　man　in　the　room　feels　he　wants　to　tell　a　bigger　one。

There　is　a　story　goingI　cannot　vouch　for　its　truth；　it　was　told　me　by　a　judgeof　a　man　who　lay　dying。　　The　pastor　of　the　parish；　a　good　and　pious　man；　came　to　sit　with　him；　and；　thinking　to　cheer　him　up；　told　him　an　anecdote　about　a　dog。　　When　the　pastor　had　finished；　the　sick　man　sat　up；　and　said；　〃I　know　a　better　story　than　that。　　I　had　a　dog　once；　a　big；　brown；　lop…sided〃

The　effort　had　proved　too　much　for　his　strength。　　He　fell　back　upon　the　pillows；　and　the　doctor；　stepping　forward；　saw　that　it　was　a　question　only　of　minutes。

The　good　old　pastor　rose；　and　took　the　poor　fellow's　hand　in　his；　and　pressed　it。　　〃We　shall　meet　again；〃　he　gently　said。

The　sick　man　turned　towards　him　with　a　consoled　and　grateful　look。

〃I'm　glad　to　hear　you　say　that；〃　he　feebly　murmured。　　〃Remind　me　about　that　dog。〃

Then　he　passed　peacefully　away；　with　a　sweet　smile　upon　his　pale　lips。

Brown；　who　had　had　his　dog　story　and　was　satisfied；　wanted　us　to　settle　our　heroine；　but　the　rest　of　us　did　not　feel　equal　to　settling　anybody　just　then。　　We　were　thinking　of　all　the　true　dog　stories　we　had　ever　heard；　and　wondering　which　was　the　one　least　likely　to　be　generally　disbelieved。

MacShaughnassy；　in　particular；　was　growing　every　moment　more　restless　and　moody。　　Brown　concluded　a　long　discourseto　which　nobody　had　listenedby　remarking　with　some　pride；　〃What　more　can　you　want？　　The　plot　has　never　been　used　before；　and　the　characters　are　entirely　original！〃

Then　MacShaughnassy　gave　way。　　〃Talking　of　plots；〃　he　said；　hitching　his　chair　a　little　nearer　the　table；　〃that　puts　me　in　mind。　　Did　I　ever　tell　you　about　that　dog　we　had　when　we　lived　in　Norwood？〃

〃It's　not　that　one　about　the　bull…dog；　is　it？〃　queried　Jephson　anxiously。

〃Well；　it　was　a　bull…dog；〃　admitted　MacShaughnassy；　〃but　I　don't　think　I've　ever　told　it　you　before。〃

We　knew；　by　experience；　that　to　argue　the　matter　would　only　prolong　the　torture；　so　we　let　him　go　on。

〃A　great　many　burglaries　had　lately　taken　place　in　our　neighbourhood；〃　he　began；　〃and　the　pater　came　to　the　conclusion　that　it　was　time　he　laid　down　a　dog。　　He　thought　a　bull…dog　would　be　the　best　for　his　purpose；　and　he　purchased　the　most　savage　and　murderous…looking　specimen　that　he　could　find。

〃My　mother　was　alarmed　when　she　saw　the　dog。　　'Surely　you're　not　going　to　let　that　brute　loose　about　the　house！'　she　exclaimed。　'He'll　kill　somebody。　　I　can　see　it　in　his　face。'

〃'I　want　him　to　kill　somebody；'　replied　my　father；　'I　want　him　to　kill　burglars。'

〃'I　don't　like　to　hear　you　talk　like　that；　Thomas；'　answered　the　mater；　'it's　not　like　you。　　We've　a　right　to　protect　our　property；　but　we've　no　right　to　take　a　fellow　human　creature's　life。'

〃'Our　fellow　human　creatures　will　be　all　rightso　long　as　they　don't　come　into　our　kitchen　when　they've　no　business　there；'　retorted　my　father；　somewhat　testily。　　'I'm　going　to　fix　up　this　dog　in　the　scullery；　and　if　a　burglar　comes　fooling　aroundwell；　that's　HIS　affair。'

〃The　old　folks　quarrelled　on　and　off　for　about　a　month　over　this　dog。　　The　dad　thought　the　mater　absurdly　sentimental；　and　the　mater　thought　the　dad　unnecessarily　vindictive。　　Meanwhile　the　dog　grew　more　ferocious…looking　every　day。

〃One　night　my　mother　woke　my　father　up　with：　　'Thomas；　there's　a　burglar　downstairs；　I'm　positive。　　I　distinctly　heard　the　kitchen　door　open。'

〃'Oh；　well；　the　dog's　got　him　by　now；　then；'　murmured　my　father；　who　had　heard　nothing；　and　was　sleepy。

〃'Thomas；'　replied　my　mother　severely；　'I'm　not　going　to　lie　here　while　a　fellow…creature　is　being　murdered　by　a　savage　beast。　　If　you　won't　go　down　and　save　that　man's　life；　I　will。'

〃'Oh；　bother；'　said　my　father；　preparing　to　get　up。　　'You're　always　fancying　you　hear　noise