下载辰思小说免费APP
MissJones，hervoicetrembling：“Children，Ireallyinsist——“Andmorebooksdropped，andmorewhispersandmoreprotests，andsoonadinfinitum。Abeautifulgametobeplayedallthemorning。
OrtherewasthegameofNotHearing。MissJoneswouldsay：“Andtwicetwoarefour。“Marywouldrepeatloudly：“Andtwicetwoisfive——“
“Four，Mary。“
“Oh，Ithoughtyousaidfive。“
AndthenasecondlaterJeremywouldask：
“Didyousayfourorfive，MissJones？“
“ItoldMaryIsaidfour——“
“Oh，I’vewrittenfive——andnowit’sallwrong。Didn’tyouwritefive，Mary？“
“Yes，I’vewrittenfive。Youdidsayfour，didn’tyou，MissJones？“
“Yes——yes。Andthreemakes——“
“Whatdidyousaymadefive？“askedJeremy。
“Ididn’tsayfive。Isaidfour。Twicetwo。“
“Isthataswellas’addthree，’MissJones？I’vegottwicetwo，andthenaddthree，andthentwicetwo——“
“No，no。IwasonlytellingJeremy——“
“Please，MissJones，wouldyoumindbeginningagain——“
Thisisaveryunpleasantgameforaladywithneuralgia。
OrthereisthegameofMakingaNoise。Atthisgame，withoutanyearliertrainingorpractice，Jeremywasaperfectmaster。Thethreechildrenwouldbesittingtherevery，veryquiet，learningthefirstverseof“Tiger，Tiger，burningbright——“Averygentlecreakingsoundwouldbreakthestillness——acreakingsoundthatcanbemade，ifyouareclever，byrubbingabootagainstaboot。Itwouldnotcomeregularly，butonce，twice，thrice，apause，andthenonce，twiceandanotherpause。
“Who’smakinganoise？“
Deadsilence。Averylongpause，andthenitwouldbeginagain。
“Thatnoisemustcease，Isay。Jeremy，whatareyoudoing？“
Hewouldlifttohertheneyesfullofmeeknessandlove。
“Nothing，MissJones。“
Soonitwouldbeginagain。MissJoneswouldbesilentthistime，andthenMarywouldspeak。
“Please，wouldyouaskJeremynottorubhisbootstogether？Ican’tlearnmyverse——“
“Ididn’tknowIwas，“saysJeremy。
Thenitwouldbeginagain。Jeremywouldsay：
“Please，mayItakemybootsoff？“
“Takeyourbootsoff？Why？“
“Theywillrubtogether，andIcan’tstopthem，becauseIdon’tknowwhenIdoit，anditishardforMary——“
“Ofcoursenot！Ineverheardofsuchathing！Nexttimeyoudoityoumuststandonyourchair。“
SoonJeremyisstandingonhischair。Soonhispoetrybookdropswithaterriblecrashtotheground，andfivemillionpinsstabMissJones’sheart。Withwhitefaceandtremblinghands，shesays：
“Goandstandinthecorner，Jeremy！Ishallhavetospeaktoyourmother！“
Hegoes，grinningatMary，andstandsthereknowingthathisvictimiswatchingthedoorinanagonylestMrs。ColeshouldsuddenlycomeinandinquirewhatJeremyhaddone，andthatsothewholestoryofhisinsubordinationberevealedandMissJoneslosehersituationforincapacity。
HowdidhediscoverthisfinalweaknessofMissJones？Noonetoldhim；butheknew，and，asthedayspassed，rejoicedinhispowerandhismightandhisglory。
Thencametheclimax。Thechildrenwerenotperfectlysurewhether，afterall，MissJonesmightnottelltheirmother。Theydidnotwishthistohappen，andsolongasthiscalamitywaspossibletheywerenotcompletemastersofthepoorlady。Thencameamorningwhentheyhadbeenextremelynaughty，wheneverygamehadbeenplayedandeverytriumphscored。MissJones，almostintears，hadthreatenedfourtimesthatthePowersAboveshouldbeinformed。SuddenlyMrs。
Coleentered。
“Well，MissJones，howhavethechildrenbeenthismorning？Ifthey’vebeengoodIhavealittletreattopropose。“
Thechildrenwaited，theireyesupontheirgoverness。Hereyesstaredbackuponhertormentors。Herhandsworkedtogether。Shestruggled。WhynotcallinMrs。Cole’sauthoritytoheraid？No；sheknewwhatitwouldmean——“I’mverysorry，MissJones，butIthinkayoungergoverness，perhaps——“
Herthroatmoved。
“They’vebeenverygoodthismorning，Mrs。Cole。“
TheeyesofMaryandofJeremywerealightwithtriumph。
Theyhadwontheirfinalvictory。
III
IknowwhatMissJonessufferedduringthoseweeks。Shewasnotanoldladyofverygreatpowerofresistance，anditmusthavepositivelyterrifiedherthatthesesmallchildrenshouldsovindictivelyhateher。Shecouldnothaveseenitasanythingbuthatred，beingentirelyignorantofchildrenandthestrangeforcestowhosepowertheyaresubject，andshemusthaveshiveredinherbedroomatthedrearinessandterroroftheprospectbeforeher。
Many，manytimesshemusthaveresolvednottobebeaten，andmany，manytimesshemusthaveadmittedherselfbeatenasbadlyasanyonecanbe。
Herlifewiththepeopledownstairswasnotintimateenough，norwerethosepeoplethemselvesperceptiveenoughforanyrealisationofwhatwasoccurringtopenetrate。
“Ihopeyou’rehappywiththechildren，MissJones，“onceortwicesaidMrs。Cole。
“Very，thankyou，“saidMissJones。
“They’regoodchildren，Ithink，althoughparentsarealwaysprejudiced，ofcourse。Jeremyisalittledifficultperhaps。It’ssohardtotellwhathe’sreallythinking。Youfindhimaquiet，reservedlittleboy？“
“Very，“saidMissJones。
“Inalittlewhile，whenyouknowhimbetter，hewillcomeout。Onlyyouhavetolethimtakehistime。Hedoesn’tliketobeforced——“
“No，“saidMissJones。
Meanwhile，thatmorningdescentintotheschoolroomwasrealhellforher。Shehadtosummonuphercourage，walkingaboutherbedroom，pressingherhandstogether，evokingthememoryofhermagnificentiron-souledbrother，whowould，sheknew，despisesuchtremors。Ifonlyshecouldhavediscoveredsomeremedy！Butsentiment，attemptedtyranny，anger，contempt，atallthesethingstheylaughed。Shecouldnottouchthemanywhere。AndshesawJeremyasarealchildofEvilintheverybaldestsense。Shecouldnotimaginehowanyonesoyoungcouldbesocruel，soheartless，somaliciouslycleverinhiselaboratemachinations。Sheregardedhimwithrealhorror，andontheoccasionswhenshefoundhimactingkindlytowardshissistersoraservant，orwhenshewatchedhimdiscoursingsolemnlytoHamlet，shewashelplesslypuzzled，anddecidedthatthesebettermanifestationsweresimplymaskstohidehisdevilishyoungheart。Sheperceivedmeanwhiletheinevitablecrisisslowlyapproaching，whenshewouldbecompelledtoinviteMrs。Cole’ssupport。Thatwouldmeanherdismissalandahopelessfuture。Therewasnoonetowhomshemightturn。Shehadnotarelation，notafriend——toolatetomakefriendsnow。
Shecouldseenothinginfrontofheratall。
Thecrisisdidcome，butnotassheexpectedit。
Therearrivedamorningwhenthedarkmistoutsideandbadlymadeporridgeinsidetemptedthechildrentotheirveryworst。MissJoneshadhadawakefulnightstrugglingwithneuralgiaandherownhesitatingspirit。Thechildrenhadlosteventheircustomaryhalf-
humourous，half-contemptuousreserve。Theyletthemselvesappearforwhattheywere——infantsavagesdiscontentedwithfood，weatherandeducation。
Iwillnotdetailtheincidentsofthatmorning。Theepisodesthatwereonothermorningsgamesweretodaytortures。TherewastheTortureofLosingThings，theTortureofNotHearing，theTortureofManyNoises，theTortureofSuddenAlarm，theTortureofOutrightDefiance，theTortureofExpressedContempt。Whentwelvestruckandthechildrenwerefree，MissJoneswasnotfarfromanervouspanicthatcanbecalled，withoutanyexaggeration，incipientmadness。Theneuralgiatoreatherbrain，herownself-contempttoreatherheart，herbaffledimpotencebewilderedandblindedher。Shedidnotleavetheschoolroomwiththechildren，butwenttothebroadwindow-sillandsattherelookingoutintothedrearyprospect。
Then，suddenlyfornoreasonexceptgeneralweaknessandphysicalandspiritualcollapseshebegantocry。
Jeremywasconsideredtohaveacold，andwas，therefore，notpermittedtoaccompanyhismotherandsistersonanexcitingshoppingexpedition，whichwouldcertainlyleadasfarasoldPoole’s，thebookseller，andmightevenextendtoMartins’，thepastrycook，whomadelemonbiscuitsnextdoortotheCathedral。Hewas，therefore，inaverybadtemperindeedwhenhereturnedsulkilytotheschoolroom。Hestoodforamomentthereunawarethattherewasanybodyintheroom，hesitatingastowhetherheshouldcontinue“AFlatIronforaFarthing“orhuntupHamlet。Suddenlyheheardthesoundofsobbing。HeturnedandsawMissJones。
Hewouldhavefledhadflightbeeninanywaypossible，butshehadlookedupandseenhim，andhersuddenarrestedsniffheldthemboththereasthoughbysomethirdinvisiblepower。Hesawthatshewascrying；hesawherrednose，mottledcheeks，untidyhair。Itwasthemostawfulmomentofhisyounglife。Hehadneverseenagrown-uppersoncrybefore；hehadnoideathattheyeverdidcry。Hehad，indeed，neverrealisedthatgrown-uppersonshadanyactivehistoriesatall，anyhistoriesinthesenseinwhichheandMaryhadthem。Theywereallabackground，simplyabackgroundthatblewbackwardsandforwardsliketapestryaccordingtoone’sneedofthem。HistortureofMissJoneshadbeenfoundedonnosortofrealisationofherasahumanbeing；shehadbeenasillyoldwoman，ofcourse，butjustasthebatteredweather-beatenAuntSallyinthegardenwasasillyoldwoman。
