the golden age(署弼扮旗)-及25准
梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ○ 賜 ★ 辛酔堀貧和鍬匈梓囚徒貧議 Enter 囚辛指欺云慕朕村匈梓囚徒貧圭鮗 ● 辛指欺云匈競何
!!!!隆堋響頼紗秘慕禰厮宴和肝写偬堋響
cared little about the mounting of the piece察so long as the real dramatic
heart of it beat sound。
Our commander now enjoined on us a silence deep as the grave察
reminding us that Aunt Eliza usually slept with an open door察past which
we had to file。
;But we'll take the short cut through the Blue Room察─said the wary
Selina。
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;Of course察─ said Edward察 approvingly。 ;I forgot about that。 Now
then You lead the way ─
The Blue Room had in prehistoric times been added to by taking in a
superfluous passage察and so not only had the advantage of two doors察but
enabled us to get to the head of the stairs without passing the chamber
wherein our dragon´aunt lay couched。 It was rarely occupied察 except
when a casual uncle came down for the night。 We entered in noiseless
file察 the room being plunged in darkness察 except for a bright strip of
moonlight on the floor察across which we must pass for our exit。 On this
our leading lady chose to pause察seizing the opportunity to study the hang
of her new dressing´gown。 Greatly satisfied thereat察she proceeded察after
the feminine fashion察to peacock and to pose察pacing a minuet down the
moonlit patch with an imaginary partner。 This was too much for
Edward's histrionic instincts察 and after a moment's pause he drew his
single´stick察 and with flourishes meet for the occasion察 strode onto the
stage。 A struggle ensued on approved lines察at the end of which Selina
was stabbed slowly and with unction察 and her corpse borne from the
chamber by the ruthless cavalier。 The rest of us rushed after in a clump察
with capers and gesticulations of delight察 the special charm of the
performance lying in the necessity for its being carried out with the
dumbest of dumb shows。
Once out on the dark landing察the noise of the storm without told us
that we had exaggerated the necessity for silence察so察grasping the tails of
each other's nightgowns even as Alpine climbers rope themselves together
in perilous places察we fared stoutly down the staircase´moraine察and across
the grim glacier of the hall察to where a faint glimmer from the half´open
door of the drawing´room beckoned to us like friendly hostel´lights。
Entering察we found that our thriftless seniors had left the sound red heart
of a fire察 easily coaxed into a cheerful blaze察 and biscuitsa plateful
smiled at us in an encouraging sort of way察together with the halves of a
lemon察 already once squeezed but still suckable。 The biscuits were
righteously shared察the lemon segments passed from mouth to mouth察and
as we squatted round the fire察 its genial warmth consoling our unclad
limbs察we realised that so many nocturnal perils had not been braved in
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vain。
;It's a funny thing察─said Edward察as we chatted察 how察I hate this room
in the daytime。 It always means having your face washed察and your hair
brushed察 and talking silly company talk。 But to´night it's really quite
jolly。 Looks different察somehow。;
;I never can make out I said察 what people come here to tea for。
They can have their own tea at home if they likethey're not poor
peoplewith jam and things察and drink out of their saucer察and suck their
fingers and enjoy themselves察but they come here from a long way off察and
sit up straight with their feet off the bars of their chairs察and have one cup察
and talk the same sort of stuff every time。;
Selina sniffed disdainfully。 ;You don't know anything about it察─she
said。 ;In society you have to call on each other。 It's the proper thing to
do。;
;Pooh YOU'RE not in society察─ said Edward察 politely察 and察 what's
more察you never will be。;
;Yes察I shall察some day察─retorted Selina察 but I shan't ask you to come
and see me察so there ─
;Wouldn't come if you did察─growled Edward。
;Well察you won't get the chance察─rejoined our sister察claiming her right
of the last word。 There was no heat about these little amenities察which
made upas we understood itthe art of polite conversation。
;I don 't like society people察─put in Harold from the sofa察where he
was sprawling at full lengtha sight the daylight hours would have
blushed to witness。 ;There were some of 'em here this afternoon察when
you two had gone off to the station。 Oh察and I found a dead mouse on the
lawn察and I wanted to skin it察but I wasn't sure I knew how察by myself察and
they came out into the garden and patted my headI wish people wouldn't
do thatand one of 'em asked me to pick her a flower。 Don't know why
she couldn't pick it herself察but I said察 All right察I will if you'll hold my
mouse。' But she screamed察and threw it away察and Augustus the cat got
it察and ran away with it。 I believe it was really his mouse all the time察
'cos he'd been looking about as if he had lost something察so I wasn't angry
with HIM察but what did SHE want to throw away my mouse for拭─
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;You have to be careful with mice察─ reflected Edward察 they're such
slippery things。 Do you remember we were playing with a dead mouse
once on the piano察 and the mouse was Robinson Crusoe察 and the piano
was the island察and somehow Crusoe slipped down inside the island察into
its works察and we couldn't get him out察though we tried rakes and all sorts
of things察till the tuner came。 And that wasn't till a week after察and then
;
Here Charlotte察 who had been nodding solemnly察 fell over into the
fender察and we realised that the wind had dropped at last察and the house
was lapped in a great stillness。 Our vacant beds seemed to be calling to
us imperiously察 and we were all glad when Edward gave the signal for
retreat。 At the top of the staircase Harold unexpectedly turned mutinous察
insisting on his right to slide down the banisters in a free country。
Circumstances did not allow of argument察 I suggested frog's´marching
instead察 and frog's´marched he accordingly was察 the procession passing
solemnly across the moonlit Blue Room察 with Harold horizontal and
limply submissive。 Snug in bed at last察 I was just slipping off into
slumber when I heard Edward explode察with chuckle and snort。
;By Jove ─he said察 I forgot all about it。 The new tutor's sleeping in
the Blue Room ─
;Lucky he didn't wake up and catch us察─I grunted察drowsily察and both
of us察without another thought on the matter察sank into well´earned repose。
Next morning we came down to breakfast braced to grapple with fresh
adversity察but were surprised to find our garrulous friend of the previous
dayhe was late in making his appearance strangely silent and
apparently preoccupied。 Having polished off our porridge察we ran out
to feed the rabbits察explaining to them that a beast of a tutor would prevent
their enjoying so much of our society as formerly。
On returning to the house at the fated hour appointed for study察 we
were thunderstruck to see the station´cart disappearing down the drive察
freighted with our new acquaintance。 Aunt Eliza was brutally
uncommunicative察 but she was overheard to remark casually that she
thought the man must be a lunatic。 In this theory we were only too ready
to concur察dismissing thereafter the whole matter from our minds。
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Some weeks later it happened that Uncle Thomas察while paying us a
flying visit察produced from his pocket a copy of the latest weekly察Psyche此
a Journal of the Unseen察and proceeded laborously to rid