the golden age(署弼扮旗)-及27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
be no drawing back from the bargain察 and then察 as the things had to be
taken out of the window and packed察and the afternoon was yet young察he
thought he might treat himself to a taste of urban joys and la vie de
Boheme。 Shops came first察 of course察 and he flattened his nose
successively against the window with the india´rubber balls in it察and the
clock´work locomotive察 and against the barber's window察 with wigs on
blocks察reminding him of uncles察and shaving´cream that looked so good
to eat察and the grocer's window察displaying more currants than the whole
British population could possibly consume without a special effort察 and
the window of the bank察wherein gold was thought so little of that it was
dealt about in shovels。 Next there was the market´ place察 with all its
clamorous joys察 and when a runaway calf came down the street like a
cannon´ball察Harold felt that he had not lived in vain。 The whole place
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was so brimful of excitement that he had quite forgotten the why and the
wherefore of his being there察when a sight of the church clock recalled him
to his better self察and sent him flying out of the town察as he realised he had
only just time enough left to get back in。 If he were after his appointed
hour察 he would not only miss his high triumph察 but probably would be
detected as a transgressor of boundsa crime before which a private
opinion on multiplication sank to nothingness。 So he jogged along on his
homeward way察thinking of many things察and probably talking to himself a
good deal察as his habit was察and had covered nearly half the distance察when
suddenlya deadly sinking in the pit of his stomacha paralysis of every
limbaround him a world extinct of light and musica black sun and a
reeling skyhe had forgotten the tea´ things
It was useless察it was hopeless察all was over察and nothing could now be
done察 nevertheless he turned and ran back wildly察 blindly察 choking with
the big sobs that evoked neither pity nor comfort from a merciless
mocking world around察 a stitch in his side察 dust in his eyes察 and black
despair clutching at his heart。 So he stumbled on察with leaden legs and
bursting sides察tillas if Fate had not yet dealt him her last worst buffet
on turning a corner in the road he almost ran under the wheels of a dog´
cart察 in which察 as it pulled up察 was apparent the portly form of Farmer
Larkin察 the arch´enemy察 whose ducks he had been shying stones at that
very morning
Had Harold been in his right and unclouded senses察 he would have
vanished through the hedge some seconds earlier察 rather than pain the
farmer by any unpleasant reminiscences which his appearance might call
up察but as things were察he could only stand and blubber hopelessly察caring察
indeed察little now what further ill might befall him。 The farmer察for his
part察surveyed the desolate figure with some astonishment察calling out in
no unfriendly accents察 Why察 Master Harold whatever be the matter拭
Baint runnin' away察be ee拭─
Then Harold察 with the unnatural courage born of desperation察 flung
himself on the step察 and climbing into the cart察 fell in the straw at the
bottom of it察 sobbing out that he wanted to go back察 go back The
situation had a vagueness察 but the farmer察 a man of action rather than
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words察swung his horse round smartly察and they were in the town again by
the time Harold had recovered himself sufficiently to furnish some details。
As they drove up to the shop察the woman was waiting at the door with the
parcel察and hardly a minute seemed to have elapsed since the black crisis察
ere they were bowling along swiftly home察the precious parcel hugged in a
close embrace。
And now the farmer came out in quite a new and unexpected light。
Never a word did he say of broken fences and hurdles察of trampled crops
and harried flocks and herds。 One would have thought the man had
never possessed a head of live stock in his life。 Instead察he was deeply
interested in the whole dolorous quest of the tea´things察and sympathised
with Harold on the disputed point in mathematics as if he had been
himself at the same stage of education。 As they neared home察 Harold
found himself察to his surprise察sitting up and chatting to his new friend like
man to man察and before he was dropped at a convenient gap in the garden
hedge察he had promised that when Selina gave her first public tea´party察
little Miss Larkin should be invited to come and bring ha whole sawdust
family along with her察and the farmer appeared as pleased and proud as if
he hat been asked to a garden´party at Marlborough House。 Really察those
Olympians have certain good points察far down in them。 I shall have to
leave off abusing them some day。
At the hour of five察 Selina察having spent the afternoon searching for
Harold in all his accustomed haunts察sat down disconsolately to tea with
her dolls察 who ungenerously refused to wait beyond the appointed hour。
The wooden tea´things seemed more chipped than usual察 and the dolls
themselves had more of wax and sawdust察and less of human colour and
intelligence about them察 than she ever remembered before。 It was then
that Harold burst in察very dusty察his stockings at his heels察and the channels
ploughed by tears still showing on his grimy cheeks察and Selina was at last
permitted to know that he had been thinking of her ever since his ill´
judged exhibition of temper察and that his sulks had not been the genuine
article察nor had he gone frogging by himself。 It was a very happy hostess
who dispensed hospitality that evening to a glassy´eyed stiff´kneed circle察
and many a dollish gaucherie察that would have been severely checked on
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ordinary occasions察was as much overlooked as if it had been a birthday。
But Harold and I察 in our stupid masculine way察 thought all her
happiness sprang from possession of the long´coveted tea´ service。
;LUSISTI SATIS ;
Among the many fatuous ideas that possessed the Olympian noddle察
this one was pre´eminent察 that察 being Olympians察 they could talk quite
freely in our presence on subjects of the closest import to us察so long as
names察dates察and other landmarks were ignored。 We were supposed to
be denied the faculty for putting two and two together察 and察 like the
monkeys察who very sensibly refrain from speech lest they should be set to
earn their livings察we were careful to conceal our capabilities for a simple
syllogism。 Thus we were rarely taken by surprise察 and so were
considered by our disappointed elders to be apathetic and to lack the
divine capacity for wonder。
Now the daily output of the letter´bag察with the mysterious discussions
that ensued thereon察 had speedily informed us that Uncle Thomas was
intrusted with a missiona mission察 too察 affecting ourselves。 Uncle
Thomas's missions were many and various察 a self´important man察 one
liking the business while protesting that he sank under the burden察he was
the missionary察 so to speak察 of our remote habitation。 The matching a
ribbon察the running down to the stores察the interviewing a cookthese and
similar duties lent constant colour and variety to his vacant life in London
and helped to keep down his figure。 When the matter察however察had in
our presence to be referred to with nods and pronouns察 with significant
hiatuses and interpolations in the French tongue察 then the red flag was
flown察 the storm´con