brother jacob-第8章

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o'clock；　they　were　all　seated　there　with　the　best　muffins　and

buttered　buns　before　them；　little　Penny　blushing　and　smiling；　with

her　〃crop〃　in　the　best　order；　and　a　blue　frock　showing　her　little

white　shoulders；　while　her　opinion　was　being　always　asked　and　never

given。　　She　secretly　wished　to　have　a　particular　sort　of　chimney

ornaments；　but　she　could　not　have　brought　herself　to　mention　it。

Seated　by　the　side　of　her　yellow　and　rather　withered　lover；　who；

though　he　had　not　reached　his　thirtieth　year；　had　already　crow's…

feet　about　his　eyes；　she　was　quite　tremulous　at　the　greatness　of　her

lot　in　being　married　to　a　man　who　had　travelled　so　muchand　before

her　sister　Letty！　　The　handsome　Letitia　looked　rather　proud　and

contemptuous；　thought　her　nature　brother…in…law　an　odious　person；

and　was　vexed　with　her　father　and　mother　for　letting　Penny　marry

him。　　Dear　little　Penny！　　She　certainly　did　look　like　a　fresh　white…

heart　cherry　going　to　be　bitten　off　the　stem　by　that　lipless　mouth。

Would　no　deliverer　come　to　make　a　slip　between　that　cherry　and　that

mouth　without　a　lip？



〃Quite　a　family　likeness　between　the　admiral　and　you；　Mr。　Freely；〃

observed　Mrs。　Palfrey；　who　was　looking　at　the　family　portrait　for

the　first　time。　　〃It's　wonderful！　and　only　a　grand…uncle。　　Do　you

feature　the　rest　of　your　family；　as　you　know　of？〃



〃I　can't　say；〃　said　Mr。　Freely；　with　a　sigh。　　〃My　family　have　mostly

thought　themselves　too　high　to　take　any　notice　of　me。〃



At　this　moment　an　extraordinary　disturbance　was　heard　in　the　shop；

as　of　a　heavy　animal　stamping　about　and　making　angry　noises；　and

then　of　a　glass　vessel　falling　in　shivers；　while　the　voice　of　the

apprentice　was　heard　calling　〃Master〃　in　great　alarm。



Mr。　Freely　rose　in　anxious　astonishment；　and　hastened　into　the　shop；

followed　by　the　four　Palfreys；　who　made　a　group　at　the　parlour…door；

transfixed　with　wonder　at　seeing　a　large　man　in　a　smock…frock；　with

a　pitchfork　in　his　hand；　rush　up　to　Mr。　Freely　and　hug　him；　crying

out；〃Zavy；　Zavy；　b'other　Zavy！〃



It　was　Jacob；　and　for　some　moments　David　lost　all　presence　of　mind。

He　felt　arrested　for　having　stolen　his　mother's　guineas。　　He　turned

cold；　and　trembled　in　his　brother's　grasp。



〃Why；　how's　this？〃　said　Mr。　Palfrey；　advancing　from　the　door。　　〃Who

is　he？〃



Jacob　supplied　the　answer　by　saying　over　and　over　again　…



〃I'se　Zacob；　b'other　Zacob。　　Come　'o　zee　Zavy〃till　hunger　prompted

him　to　relax　his　grasp；　and　to　seize　a　large　raised　pie；　which　he

lifted　to　his　mouth。



By　this　time　David's　power　of　device　had　begun　to　return；　but　it　was

a　very　hard　task　for　his　prudence　to　master　his　rage　and　hatred

towards　poor　Jacob。



〃I　don't　know　who　he　is；　he　must　be　drunk；〃　he　said；　in　a　low　tone

to　Mr。　Palfrey。　　〃But　he's　dangerous　with　that　pitchfork。　　He'll

never　let　it　go。〃　　Then　checking　himself　on　the　point　of　betraying

too　great　an　intimacy　with　Jacob's　habits；　he　added　〃You　watch　him；

while　I　run　for　the　constable。〃　　And　he　hurried　out　of　the　shop。



〃Why；　where　do　you　come　from；　my　man？〃　said　Mr。　Palfrey；　speaking　to

Jacob　in　a　conciliatory　tone。　　Jacob　was　eating　his　pie　by　large

mouthfuls；　and　looking　round　at　the　other　good　things　in　the　shop；

while　he　embraced　his　pitchfork　with　his　left　arm；　and　laid　his　left

hand　on　some　Bath　buns。　　He　was　in　the　rare　position　of　a　person　who

recovers　a　long　absent　friend　and　finds　him　richer　than　ever　in　the

characteristics　that　won　his　heart。



〃I's　Zacobb'other　Zacob't　home。　　I　love　Zavyb'other　Zavy；〃　he

said；　as　soon　as　Mr。　Palfrey　had　drawn　his　attention。　　〃Zavy　come

back　from　z'　Indiesgot　mother's　zinnies。　　Where's　Zavy？〃　he　added；

looking　round　and　then　turning　to　the　others　with　a　questioning　air；

puzzled　by　David's　disappearance。



〃It's　very　odd；〃　observed　Mr。　Palfrey　to　his　wife　and　daughters。

〃He　seems　to　say　Freely's　his　brother　come　back　from　th'　Indies。〃



〃What　a　pleasant　relation　for　us！〃　said　Letitia；　sarcastically。　　〃I

think　he's　a　good　deal　like　Mr。　Freely。　　He's　got　just　the　same　sort

of　nose；　and　his　eyes　are　the　same　colour。〃



Poor　Penny　was　ready　to　cry。



But　now　Mr。　Freely　re…entered　the　shop　without　the　constable。

During　his　walk　of　a　few　yards　he　had　had　time　and　calmness　enough

to　widen　his　view　of　consequences；　and　he　saw　that　to　get　Jacob

taken　to　the　workhouse　or　to　the　lock…up　house　as　an　offensive

stranger　might　have　awkward　effects　if　his　family　took　the　trouble

of　inquiring　after　him。　　He　must　resign　himself　to　more　patient

measures。



〃On　second　thoughts；〃　he　said；　beckoning　to　Mr。　Palfrey　and

whispering　to　him　while　Jacob's　back　was　turned；　〃he's　a　poor　half…

witted　fellow。　　Perhaps　his　friends　will　come　after　him。　　I　don't

mind　giving　him　something　to　eat；　and　letting　him　lie　down　for　the

night。　　He's　got　it　into　his　head　that　he　knows　methey　do　get

these　fancies；　idiots　do。　　He'll　perhaps　go　away　again　in　an　hour　or

two；　and　make　no　more　ado。　　I'm　a　kind…hearted　man　MYSELFI

shouldn't　like　to　have　the　poor　fellow　ill…used。〃



〃Why；　he'll　eat　a　sovereign's　worth　in　no　time；〃　said　Mr。　Palfrey；

thinking　Mr。　Freely　a　little　too　magnificent　in　his　generosity。



〃Eh；　Zavy；　come　back？〃　exclaimed　Jacob；　giving　his　dear　brother

another　hug；　which　crushed　Mr。　Freely's　features　inconveniently

against　the　stale　of　the　pitchfork。



〃Aye；　aye；〃　said　Mr。　Freely；　smiling；　with　every　capability　of

murder　in　his　mind；　except　the　courage　to　commit　it。　　He　wished　the

Bath　buns　might　by　chance　have　arsenic　in　them。



〃Mother's　zinnies？〃　said　Jacob；　pointing　to　a　glass　jar　of　yellow

lozenges　that　stood　in　the　window。　　〃Zive　'em　me。〃



David　dared　not　do　otherwise　than　reach　down　the　glass　jar　and　give

Jacob　a　handful。　　He　received　them　in　his　smock…frock；　which　he　held

out　for　more。



〃They'll　keep　him　quiet　a　bit；　at　any　rate；〃　thought　David；　and

emptied　the　jar。　　Jacob　grinned　and　mowed　with　delight。



〃You're　very　good　to　this　stranger；　Mr。　Freely；〃　said　Letitia；　and

then　spitefully；　as　David　joined　the　party　at　the　parlour…door；　〃I

think　you　could　hardly　treat　him　better；　if　he　was　really　your


brother。〃



〃I've　always　thought　it　a　duty　to　be　good　to　idiots；〃　said　Mr。

Freely；　striving　after　the　most　moral　view　of　the　subject。　　〃We

might　have　been　idiots　ourselveseverybody　might　have　been　born

idiots；　instead　of　having　their　right　senses。〃



〃I　don't　know　where　there'd　ha'　been　victual　for　us　all　then；〃

observed　Mrs。　Palfrey；　regarding　the　matter　in　a　housewifely　light。



〃But　let　us　sit　down　again　and　finish　our　tea；〃　said　Mr。　Freely。

〃Let　us　leave　the　poor　creature　to　himself。〃



They　walked　into　the　parlour　again；　but　Jacob；　not　apparently

appreciating　the　kindness　of　leaving　him　to　himself；　immediately

followed　his　brother；　and　seated　himself；　pitchfork　grounded；　at　the

table。



〃Well；〃　said　Miss　Letitia；　rising；　〃I　don't　know　whether　YOU　mean　to

stay；　mother；　but　I　shall　go　home。〃



〃Oh；　me　too；〃　said　Penny；　frightened　to　death　at　Jacob；　who　had

begun　to　nod　and　grin　at　her。



〃Well；　I　think　we　HAD　better　be　going；　Mr。　Palfrey；〃　said　the

mother；　rising　more　slowly。



Mr。　Freely；　whose　complexion　had　become　decidedly　yellower　during

the　last　half…hour；　did　not　resist　this　proposition。　　He　hoped　they

should　meet　again　〃under　happier　circumstances。〃



〃It's　my　belief　the　man　is　his　brother；〃　said　Letitia；　when　they

were　all　on　their　way　home。



〃Nonsense！〃　said　Mr。　Palfrey。　　〃Freely's　got　no　brotherhe's　said

so　many　and　many　a　time；　he's　an　orphan；　he's　got　nothing　but

unclesleastwise；　one。　　What's　it　matter　what　an　idiot　says？　　What

call　had　Freely　to　tell　lies？〃



Letitia　tossed　her　head　and　was　silent。



Mr。　Freely；　left　alone　with　his　affectionate　brother　Jacob；　brooded

over　the　possibility　of　luring　him　out　of　the　town　early　the　next

morning；　and　getting　him　conveyed　to　Gilsbrook　without　further

betrayals。　　But　the　thing　was　difficult。　　He　saw　clearly　that　if　he

took　Jacob　himself；　his　absence；　conjoined　with　the　disappearance　of

the　stranger；　would　either　cause　the　conviction　that　he　was　really　a

relative；　or　would　oblige　him　to　the　dangerous　course　of　inventing　a

story　to　account　for　his　disappearance；　and　his　own　absence　at　the

same　time。　　David　groaned。　　There　come　occasions　when　falsehood　is

felt　to　be　inconvenient。　　It　would；　perhaps；　have　been　a　longer…

headed　device；　if　he　had　never　told　any　of　those　clever　fibs　about

his　uncles；　grand　and　otherwise；　for　the　Palfreys　were　simple

people；　and　shared　the　popular　prejudice　against　lying。　　Even　if　he

could　get　Jacob　away　this　time；　what　security　was　there　that　he

would　not　come　again；　having　once　found　the　way？　　O　guineas！　　O

lozenges！　what　enviable　people　those　were　who　had　never　robbed　their

mothers；　and　had　never　told　fibs！　　David　spent　a　sleepless　night；

while　Jacob　was　snoring　close　by。　　Was　this　the　upshot　of　travelling

to　the　Indies；　and　acquiring　experience　combined　with　anecdote？



He　rose　at　break　of　day；　as　he　had　once　before　done　when　he　was　in

fear　of　Jacob；　and　took　all　gentle　means　to　rouse　this　fatal　brother

from　his　deep　sleep；　he　dared　not　be　loud；　because　his　apprentice

was　in　the　house；　and　would　report　everything。　　But　Jacob　was　not　to

be　roused。　　He　fought　out　with　his　fist　at　the　unknown　cause　of

disturbance；　turned　over；　and　snored　again。　　He　must　be　left　to　wake

as　he　would。　　David；　with　a　cold　perspiration　on　his　brow；　confessed

to　himself　that　Jacob　could　not　be　got　away　that　day。



Mr。　Palfrey　came　over　to　Grimworth　before　noon；　with　a　natural

curiosity　to　see　how　his　future　son…in…law　got　on　with　the　stranger

to　whom　he　was　so　benevolently　inclined。　　He　found　a　crowd　round　the

shop。　　All　Grimworth　by　this　time　had　heard　how　Freely　had　been

fastened　on　by　an　idiot；　who　called　him　〃Brother　Zavy〃；　and　the

younger　population　seemed　to　find　the　singular　stranger　an

unwearying　source　of　fascination；　while　the　householders　dropped　in

one　by　one　to　inquire　into　the　incident。



〃Why　don't　you　send　him　to　the　workhouse？〃　said　Mr。　Prettyman。

〃You'll　have　a　row　with　him　and　the　children　presently；　and　he'll

eat　you　up。　　The　workhouse　is　the　proper　place　for　him；　let　his　kin

claim　him；　if　he's　got　any。〃



〃Those　may　be　YOUR　feelings；　Mr。　Prettyman；〃　said　David；　his　mind

quite　enfeebled　by　the　torture　of　his　position。



〃What！　IS　he　your　brother；　then？〃　said　Mr。　Prettyman；　looking　at　his

neighbour　Freely　rather　sharply。



〃All　men　are　our　brothers；　and　idiots　particular　so；〃　said　Mr。

Freely；　who；　like　many　other　travelled　men；　was　not　master　of　the

English　language。



〃Come；　come；　if　he's　your　brother；　tell　the　truth；　man；〃　said　Mr。

Prettyman；　with　growing　suspicion。　　〃Don't　be　ashamed　of　your　own

flesh　and　blood。〃



Mr。　Palfrey　was　present；　and　also　had　his　eye　on　Freely。　　It　is

difficult　for　a　man　to　believe　in　th