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Read Ebook: The Silver Lining: A Guernsey Story by Roussel John
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Ebook has 1654 lines and 52877 words, and 34 pages
Ad?le laughed.
Tommy looked at her. "Oh, it's true," he said, "you can laugh if you like--ain't it grand'ma?"
"Superlicious! what's that?" questioned the boy.
"People who don't believe in all sorts," immediately explained grandmamma.
"Now where was I? ah, my sister took the book and threw it into the fire but it did not burn!"
"Oo-oo," ejaculated Tommy.
Ad?le began to be credulous. It must be borne in mind that she was only seven years old.
"He took it as he had promised to do , and placed it, so he told us, under a big stone which he could hardly lift."
"Ah, the Evil One was caught," remarked Tommy.
"He is not caught so easily as all that," said his grandmother. "When we returned to our work, do you know what we saw?"
"No!"
"We beheld the book laid upon the table."
Tommy opened his mouth wide enough as to be in danger of dislocation, then he closed it with an exclamation: "Ah-a!"
Ad?le dared scarcely breathe.
"That's not all," continued Mrs. Soher, "we were determined to get rid of the book. This is what we did.
"My brother spoke to the minister about it. The clergyman declared that the book could only be stamped out of existence by a special process. He went to what had been my aunt's house, and summoned my brother and those who were there into the kitchen. Then one man thrust a bundle of furze into the oven and set it alight. Another one threw the book amongst the flames and firmly secured the door.
"'Down on your knees,' commanded the minister. Everyone obeyed. The clergyman prayed aloud, when in a few moments, piercing shrieks were heard issuing from the oven. The whole company were in a state of horripilation. The clergyman ceased praying. He simply said with quivering and pale lips: 'The book is burning.'
"The cries ceased. The door of the oven was opened. The book was reduced to ashes."
The two children were awe-stricken.
They sat as still as two mice, breathing only as much as was absolutely necessary. It was Tommy who first broke the silence.
He was more accustomed to hear these strange tales than his cousin, and, consequently, got over his fright sooner.
"How did the book shriek," questioned the boy.
The entrance of Mr. Soher and his spouse disturbed the proceedings. Ad?le was very glad of it, for she was anxious to be back home before dusk.
Handing her a piece of paper, Ad?le's uncle bade her be sure to give it to her father. He enjoined her not to lose it, but to hold it tightly all the way home. "Don't put it in your pocket," he added as the little girl was preparing to leave.
Ad?le did as she was bid; she could not put the missive in her pocket, because--there was no pocket to the dress which she wore.
She hastened home. The story which Mrs. Soher had recited had shaken her nerves.
As she neared her father's house, she was tempted to look at the writing on the paper. There was a brief struggle within her. At last her conscience prevailed over her curiosity.
She met her father who was waiting for her on the threshold and handed him the paper. He ran his eyes over it and muttered audibly: "Let him go to the dogs, then, if he wishes to do so."
As soon as Ad?le was out of the "Prenoms" the two garrulous women began to talk about their little visitor. As was their wont, they cast upon Ad?le all the slander and scandal which they were capable of. Their epigrams were as devoid of wit as they were coarse.
Mr. Soher, who sat near, did not join in the conversation. He professed to be a very religious man, but he rarely occupied himself about his household duties. His wife was just saying: "When one thinks that if that little brat of a girl had not been born, we should inherit all my brother's property," when the man rose from his chair. "I am going to the prayer-meeting," he said abruptly, and his puritanical form as suddenly left the room.
"Now, it is time for you to go to bed," said Mrs. Soher to her son, when her husband was gone.
"I don't want to go yet," replied Tommy.
"But you must go, and you will go now; I'll not listen to your nonsense; come, do your hear."
"Ah! let me stay a little longer, ma."
"No, not one moment; come along."
"Only one minute," pleaded the spoilt child.
"Bah! what do you want to stay for?" said his mother, re-seating herself.
The minute passed away, so did many other minutes, but Tom did not stir.
After again trying in vain the power of her pleadings and commands, the weak-minded mother took her son by the sleeve of his coat. "Come," she said, "to bed with you."
Tommy began to cry.
She dragged him out of the room and up the stairs. He screamed and kicked, but was finally placed in his cot. Mrs. Soher had hardly stepped into the kitchen, when her son was heard crying.
"I am frightened," he bawled; "the fire--the witches--the book."
"Bah!" said his mother, "he'll go to sleep soon." And so he did.
THE BOARDING-SCHOOL.
Unluckily for the little girl, Mr. Rougeant did not care to go to the expense of buying a tap. In its stead he had a number of small holes bored in one end of the cask. In these holes, which were placed vertically, one above the other, tight fitting wooden pegs had been driven. One of these pegs he drew out when he required some cider.
When Ad?le entered the cellar, mug in hand, she examined the cask. She did not know which peg to take out, neither did she care to return into the kitchen with an empty vessel. She ventured cautiously to pull out one of the pins. It fitted tightly. She jerked on it. The peg came out; so did the cider. She hastily replaced the peg in its place, but the cider spurted all over her clean white pinafore. Timidly, she went back to the kitchen.
She did not finish. The servant perceived her plight, and, with a gesture, silenced her. She bustled her out into the vestibule, threw her a clean apron, bade her put it on, and proceeded to the cellar. She speedily caused--or thought she caused--all traces of the little girl's blunder to disappear.
When she returned, Mr. Rougeant was talking to his daughter. He was saying: "Listen, Ad?le. Miss Euston's collegiate school for ladies will re-open on Tuesday next, September the 13th, at half-past two o'clock. A few boarders received."
"How would you like to go there?" he asked of his daughter; merely for form's sake, however, for he had already resolved that this would be, if possible, Ad?le's future home, for some ten years at least.
"I don't know," said the little girl, placing her thumb in her mouth;--a sure sign of mingled deep-thought and puzzlement--a mode of expression which, by the bye, she was not to enjoy much longer. These gesticulations are not in harmony with boarding-school etiquette.
Her father did not make any other remark. He placed the newspaper on one side, and fell to work with his dinner.
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