第17章思念里的流浪狗(7)
Theneighbors'hhtedup,andagoodmanypeoutoftheireningtheirdoors,andgtoeachothertoknowwhatallthis。
&hepoliappearedwithJimahisheels,quiteacrowdgatheredaroundhimtohearhispartofthestory。JimandIdroppedonthegroundpantingashardaswedwithlittlestreamsfrues。Wewerebothprettywellusedup。Jim'sbackwasbleedinginseveralplathestoJenkinshadthrownathim,andIwasamassofbruises。
&lywewerediscovered,aafusswasmadeoverus。&qus!Nobledogs!"everybodysaid,andpattedandpraisedus。Wewereveryproudandhappy,andstoodupaails,atleastJimdid,aIcould。Thentheyfoundwhatastatewewerein。Mrs。Morrisdgmeupinherarms,raninthehousewithme,andJackfollowedwitholdJim。
&intotheparloodfirethere,andMissLauraandMissBessieweresittiheyspraheysawus,andrightthereintheparlorwashedourwounds,andmadeusliedownbythefire。
"Yousavedoursilver,braveJoe,"saidMissBessie,"justwaittillmypapaandmammae,aheywillsay。Well,Jack,whatisthelatest?"astheMorrisboyscametroopingintotheroom。
"Thepolihasbeeioningyournurse,andexaminingthedining-room,andhasgoothestationtomakehisreport,anddoyouknowwhathehasfoundout?"saidJack,excitedly。
"No,what?"askedMissBessie。
"Whythatvillainwasgoingtoburnyourhouse。"
MissBessiegavealittleshriek。"Why,whatdoyoumean?"
"Well,"saidJack,"theythinkbywhattheydiscovered,thatheplaopackhisbagwithsilver,andcarryitoff;butjustbeforehedidsohewouldpouroilaroundtheroom,aoit,sopeoplewouldnotfindoutthathehadbeenrobbingyou。"
"Whywemighthaveallbeeh,"saidMissBessie。"He'tburnthedining-roomwithoutsettiherestofthehouse。"
"lynot,"saidJack,"thatshowswhatavillai;
"Dotheyknowthisfor,Jack?"askedMissLaura。
"Well,theysupposeso;theyfoulesofoilalongwiththebaghehadforthesilver。"
"Howhorrible!YoldJoe,perhapsyousavedourlives,"ayMissBessiekissedmyugly,swollenhead。Iothingbutlickherlittlehand,butalwaysafterthatIthoughtagreatdealofher。
&daytheDruryse,ahingwasfoundoutaboutJenkins。Hewasmadetofessallthis。Thenforhiswiesshewassenttoprisonfortenyears,andIhopehewillgettobeabettermanthere,aerheesout。
在莫里斯家的第一个冬天,我经历了一场惊心动魄的冒险。那是圣诞节的前一个星期,天气有雾又寒冷。那天,我懒懒地躺在火炉旁,累极了。
这时,门开了,一个叫贝西·德鲁里的年轻女孩走了进来。
她从马路对面她父亲的屋子里跑出来,头上戴着帽子,脖子上围着围巾。“哦,莫里斯夫人,”她说,“你可以今晚让劳拉过来陪陪我吗?妈妈刚才接到从班格传来的电报,说她的姨妈,也就是科尔夫人重病,她要去看她,爸爸今晚陪她一起乘火车去,妈妈怕我没有劳拉陪伴会孤单。”
“好吧,”莫里斯夫人说道,“我想劳拉很乐意陪你的。”
“那当然了,”劳拉小姐笑着对她的朋友说道,“半小时后我到你那里。”
“太谢谢你了。”说完,贝西匆忙走了。
她走后,莫里斯先生从报纸里探出头来,说道:“除了这两个女孩子,屋子里还有其他人吗?”
“哦,当然,”莫里斯夫人说道,“德鲁里夫人有个老奶妈,已经跟随她20年了,还有两个女仆,车夫唐纳德就睡在马厩里,他们会保护好她的。”
“很好。”莫里斯先生说完,又把头埋进报纸里了。
当劳拉小姐挎着小包下楼时,我起身跟上了她。“乔,你得回去。”她说道,然后关上门走了。
我不得不回去,但是我觉得糟糕透了,大声叫着,呜咽着。我在地板上走来走去,又跑到窗户边,大声咆哮着。
“天哪!”莫里斯先生对妻子说,“让这只狗去吧。”
“好吧。”莫里斯夫人疑惑地说,“杰克,带他过去。”