第20章

Hewasnotawarewhetherhesleptorno，butsuddenlysunlightwasintheroom，thebath-waterwasrunning，thecanarywassingingandHamletwasscratchinguponhisdoor。Hejumpedoutofbedandletthedogin。ThenheheardRose’svoicefromthenextroom：

“……and’e’stakeneverything，’e’as。AllthesilvercandlesticksandtheplatewhatwasgivetomasterbytheTemp’ranceSociety，andMasterJeremy’smugwhathe’adat’ischristeningandalltheknivesandforks——’e’as——andthegoldclockouto’thedrorin’-room，andthemess！Why，IsaystoCook’ecouldn’t’avemademoremess，Isay，notif’e’dcometodonothin’else。Greaseeverywhere，youneverseenothin’likeit，andallthedrawersopenandthepapersscatteredabout。Thank’Eaven’eneverfoundCook’searrings。Realgoldtheywas，eversomanycaratandgivetoCookeversomanyyearsagoby’erJohn。Poorwoman！She’d’avebeeninaterribletakin’ifshe’dlost’em……Andsoquiettoo——notasoundandeveryonesleepin’allround’im。Wonderful’owtheydoesit！I

thanktheLordIdidn’t’ear’im；I’d’avediedoffright-shouldn’tlike！Why，Cooksayssheknewa’ouseonce……“

ButJeremydidnotlisten，hedidnotcare。AsHamletsprangabouthimandlickedhishandhethoughtofonethingalone。

TheCaptainwasgone！TheCaptainwasgone！Hewasfree！TheCaptainhadnottakenhim，andhewasfreeatlast！

CHAPTERVI

FAMILYPRIDE

I

Iamafraidthattoogreatapartofthisbookisaboutoldmaids，butitishardforanyonewhoknowsonlythethrivingbustlingworldoftodaytorealisehowlargelywechildrenwerehemmedinandsurroundedbyaproperphalanxofelderlysingleladiesandclergymen。Idon’tbelievethatwewereanytheworseforthat，andtosuchheroinesasMissJaneMaple，MissMaryTrefusisandoldMissJessaminTrenchard，Iherepubliclyacknowledgedeepandlastingdebt-butitdidmakeourlifealittlemonotonous，alittleunadventurous，alittlecircumscribed-andbecauseTamdeterminedtogivethewholetruthandnothingbutthetruthabouttheyearofJeremy’slifethatIamdescribing，thisbookwillalso，Iamafraid，bealittlecircumscribed，alittleunadventurous。

TheelderlyladywhomostthoroughlycircumscribedJeremywas，ofcourse——puttingMissJones，whowasagovernessandthereforedidnotcount，aside——AuntAmy。

NowAuntAmywasprobablythemostconceitedwomaninPolchester。

Thereisofcourseordinaryhumanconceit，ofwhicheverylivingbeinghashisorhershare。Iamnotspeakingofthat；MissAmyTrefusismightbesaidtobefanaticallyconceited。

Althoughshewasnowareallyplainelderlywomanitispossiblethatwhenshewasalittlegirlshewaspretty。Inanycase，itiscertainthatshewasspoiledwhenshewasalittlegirl，andbecauseshewasdelicateandselfishshereceivedagooddealmoreattentionandobediencefromweakandvacillatingeldersthanshedeserved。

Afterhergrowingupshehadayearortwoofmoderatelooksandshereceived，duringthisperiod，severalproposals；thesesherefusedbecausetheywerenotgoodenoughandsomethingbettermustbecomingveryshortly，butwhatreallycameveryshortlywasmiddle-

age，anditcameofcourseentirelyunperceivedbythelady。Shedressedandbehavedasthoughshewerestilltwenty，althoughherbrotherSamueltriedtolaughheroutofsuchabsurdities。Butnosistereverpaysattentiontoabrotheronsuchmatters，andAuntAmyworecolouredribbonsandwenttoballsandmadeeyesbehindherfanforseasonafterseason。Thenastimepassedshewascompelledbyhermirrortorealisethatshewasnotquitesoyoungasshehadoncebeen，soshehurriedlyinventedathrillingpasthistoryforherself，alludingtoaffairafteraffairthathadcometonothingonlybecausesheherselfhadruthlesslyslainthem，anddressingherselfmorereasonably，butwithlittlesignsandhints，intheshapeofchainsandcolouredbowsandrings，thatshecouldstillbeyoungifshesopleased，andthatshewasopentooffers，althoughshecouldnotpromisethemmuchencouragement。ShelikedthesocietyofCanons，andwastobeseenagreatdealwitholdCanonBorlase，whowasasgreataflirtashewasanegotist，sothatitdidnotmattertohimintheleastwithwhomheflirted，andsatatthefeetofoldCanonMorpheu，whowassocrazyaboutthediscoveriesthathehadmadeinthelifeofEzekielthatitwasquiteimmaterialtohimtowhomheexplainedthem。

Shedescendedfromtheseclericalflightsintothebosomoffamilylifewithsomenaturaldiscontent。HerbrotherSamuelshehadalwaysdislikedbecausehelaughedather；hersistershedidnotcareforbecauseshewasveryinnocently，poorlady，flauntinghersuperiormarriedstate；andherbrother-in-lawshedidnotlikebecausehealwaysbehavedasthoughshewereoneofavastpublicofelderlyladieswhowereusefulforhelpinginclericaldisplays，butwereotherwisenon-existent。Thenshehatedchildren，sothatshereallyoftenwonderedwhyshecontinuedtolivewithherbrother-in-law，butitwascheap，comfortableandsafe，andalthoughsheassuredherselfandeveryoneelsethattherewerecountlesshomeswildlyeagertoreceiveher，itwasperhapsjustaswellnottoputtheireagernesstooabruptlytothetest。

TherehadbeenwarbetweenherandJeremysinceJeremy’sbirth，butithadbeenwarofarathermildandinoffensivecharacter，consistinglargelyinJeremyonhissideputtingouthistongueatherwhenshecouldnotseehim，andsheonhersidesendinghimtowashhisearswhentheyreallydidnotrequiretobewashed。ShehadfeltalwaysinJeremyanobstinatedislikeofher，andashehadseemedtoherneitheraveryclevernorintelligentchildshehadconsoledherselfveryeasilywiththethoughtthathedidnotlikehersimplybecausehewasstupid。Soithadbeenuntilthisyear，andthensuddenlytheyhadbeenflungintosharperopposition。Itwashardtosaywhathadbroughtthisabout，butitwasperhapsthatJeremyhadsprungsuddenlyfromtheunconsciousindifferenceofayoungchildintotheactiveparticipationofagrowingboy。Whateverthetruthmighthavebeen，thecomingofHamlethaddrawntheirattitudesintopositiveconflict。

AuntAmyhadfeltfromthefirstthatHamletlaughedather。Hadyouaskedhertostate，asapartofhergeneralexperience，thatshereallybelievedthatdogscouldlaughathumanbeingsshewouldindignantlyhaverepudiatedanyideasofantastic，nevertheless，unanalysedandunconfronted，thatwasherconviction。Thedoglaughedather，heinsultedherbywalkingintoherbedroomwithhismuddyfeetandthenpretendingthathehadn’tknownthatitwasherbedroom，regardingherthroughhishairwithanironicalandmaliciousglance，barkingsuddenlywhenshemadesomestatementasthoughheenjoyedimmenselyanexcellentjoke，but，aboveall，despisingher，shefelt，sothatthewallofillusionthatshehadbuiltaroundherselfhadbeenpulleddownbyatleastonecreature，morehuman，sheknew，inspiteofherself，thanmanyhumanbeings。

Therefore，shehatedHamlet，andscarcelyadaypassedthatshedidnottrytohavehimflungfromthehouse，oratleastkeptinthekitchenoffices。

Hamlethad，however，wontheheartsofthefamily；itwas，indeed，AuntAmyalonetowhomhehadnotthoughtitworthwhiletopaycourt。Toheralonehewouldnotcomewhenshecalled，byheralonehewouldnotbecajoled，eventhoughsheofferedhimsugarytea，hisdeadliesttemptation。No，hesatandlookedatherthroughhishair，hisfieryeyeglinting，hispeakedbeardironicallyhumorous，hislegstuckoutfromhisbody，apointingsignalofderision。

SheresolvedtowaitforanopportunitywhenshemightconquerHamletandJeremytogether，butherpowerinthehousewasslight，solongasMr。andMrs。Colewerethere。“IfIonlyhadthechildrentomyself，“shewouldsay，“Iwouldimprovetheirmannersinmanyways。PoorAlice——！“Thensuddenlyshedidhavethem。AtthebeginningofMayMr。ColewassummonedtotakeamissiontotheseamenofDrymouth，andMrs。Cole，whohadrelationsinDrymouth，accompaniedhim。TheywouldbeabsentfromPelchesterawholeweek。

“Oh，won’tAuntAmybeanuisance，“saidJeremy，realisingthesituation。ThenturningtoMaryheadded：“We’llpretendtodowhatshetellsusandnotdoitreally。That’smuchtheeasiest。“

Aweekisashorttime，especiallyatthebeginningofashiningandburningMay，butAuntAmydidherbestnotonlywiththechildrenbutwiththeservants，andevenoldJordan，thegardener，whohadbeenwiththeColefamilyfortwentyyears。Duringthatshortweekthecook，theparlourmaid，Rose，thehousemaid，andthebootboyallgavenotice，andMrs。Colewasonlyabletokeepthem(onherreturn)byraisingthewagesofallofthem。Jordan，whowasanoldmanwithalongwhitebeard，saidtoherwhensheadvisedhimtoplantpinkswherehehadplantedtulipsandtulipswherehehadplantedpinks，andfurtherinquiredwhythecauliflowerthathesentinwassopoorandthecabbagessosmall：“Leavethingsalone，Miss，Nature’swiserthanwebe，notbutwhatyoumayn’tmeanwell，butfussin’sneverdoneanygoodwhereNature’sconcerned，norneverwill“；andwhenshesaidthathewasveryrudetoher，heshookhisheadandanswered：

“Maybeyes，andmaybeno。What’srudetooneain’trudetoanother“——

outofwhichanswershecouldmakenothingatall。

Intheschoolroomshesustainedcompletedefeat。AttheveryoutsetshewasbaffledbyMissJones。ShehadalwaysdespisedMissJonesasapoorunfortunatefemalewhowasforcedtoteachchildreninheroldagebecauseshemustearnherliving——astupid，sentimental，cowed，oldwomanatwhomthechildrenlaughed。Shefoundnowthatthechildreninsteadoflaughingatherlaughedwithher，formedaphalanxofprotectionaroundherandrefusedtobedisobedient。MissJonesherselfwasdiscoveredtohaveadry，rathercaustic，senseofhumourthatAuntAmyfelttobeimpertinence，butcouldnotpenetrate。

“Andisthatreallyhowyouteachthemhistory，MissJones？Notquitethesimplestway，surely……Irememberanexcellentgovernesswhomweoncehad——“

“Perhaps，“saidMissJones，gently，“youwouldgivethemahistorylessonyourself，MissTrefusis。Iwouldbesogladtopickupanylittlehints——“

“Ihave，ofcourse，notime，“saidAuntAmyhurriedly，“but，speakinggenerally，IamafraidIcan’tapprovealtogetherofyoursystem。“

“Itisn’tverygood，I’mafraid，“saidMissJonesweakly。“Thechildrenwouldbeglad，Iknow，tohaveafewhintsfromyouifyoucouldspareamoment——“

Jeremy，whowaslistening，giggled，triedtoturnthegiggleintoasneezeandchoked。

“Jeremy！“saidAuntAmyseverely。

“Oh，dolook，AuntAmy！“criedMary，alwaysJeremy’sfaithfulally，“allyourhairpinsaredroppingout！“

ShedevotedherselfthentoJeremyandworriedhimineverypossibleway，andaftertwodaysofthishehatedherwithadeepandbitterhatred，verydifferentfromthatearlierteasingofMissJones。Thathadsprungfromasuddendeliciousdiscoveryofpower，andhadbeendirectedagainstnoone。ThiswasarealpersonalhatredthatchildrenofalesssolidandtenacioustemperamentthanJeremywouldhavebeenincapableoffeeling。

Hedidnotlaughather，hedidnotteaseher，henolongerputouthistongueather。Hewasolderthanthatnow——hewassimplyreservedandsilent，watchingherwithhislargeeyes，hissquarebodyset，andresolvedasthoughheknewthathismomentwouldcome。

Herexperiencewithhimwasbaffling。Shepunishedhim，pettedhim，sheignoredhim，shestormedathim；itseemedthatshewoulddoanythingcouldsheonlywinfromhimanacknowledgmentofherpower，hercapability。Butshecouldnot。Heonlysaid：“Yes，AuntAmy。“

“No，AuntAmy。“

Sheburstout：“You’reasullen，wickedlittleboy，Jeremy。Doyouknowwhathappenstolittleboyswhosulk？“

“No，AuntAmy。“

“Theygrowintocross，bad-temperedmenwhomnobodylikesandnobodytrusts。Doyouwanttobelikethatwhenyou’reaman？“

“Idon’tcare。“

“Youknowwhathappenedto’Don’tCare。’Ishallhavetopunishyouifyou’rerudetome。“