’I’vetwelveof’emliving，MrCrawley——fromeighteenyears，theeldest——agirl，downtoeighteenmonthstheyoungest——aboy，andtheygoinandout，boyandgirl，boyandgirl，likethecogsofawheel。Theyain’tsuchfarawaydistantcousinsfromyourownyoungones——onlyfirst，once，aswecallit。’
’Iamawarethatthereisafamilytie，orIshouldnothaveventuredtotroubleyou。’
’Bloodisthickerthanwater，isn’tit？Ioftensaythat。Iheardofoneyourgirlsonlyyesterday。Sheisstayingsomewheredowninthecountry，notfarfromwheremysisterlives——MrsEames，thewidowofpoorJohnEames，whoneverdidanygoodinthisworld。Idaresayyou’veheardofher？’
’Thenameisfamiliartome，MrToogood。’
’Ofcourseitis。I’veanephewdowntherejustnow，andhesawyourgirltheotherday；——veryhighlyspokeofhertoo。Letmesee；——howmanydoyouhave？’
’Threeliving，MrToogood。’
’I’vejustfourtimesthree；——that’sthedifference。ButIcomfortmyselfwiththetextaboutthequiveryouknow；andItellthemthatwhenthey’veeatupallthebutter，they’llhavetotaketheirbreaddry。’
’Itrusttheyoungpeopletakeyourteachingintheproperspirit。’
’Idon’tknowmuchaboutspirit。There’sspiritenough。Mysecondgirl，Lucy，toldmethatifIcameheretodaywithoutticketsforthepantomimeIshouldn’thaveanydinnerallowedme。That’sthewaytheytreatme。Butweunderstandeachotherathome。We’reallprettygoodfriendsthere，thankGod。Andthereisn’tasickchickamongtheboiling。’
’Youhavemanymerciesforwhichyoushouldindeedbethankful，’saidMrCrawley，gravely。
’Yes，yes，yes；that’strue。Ithinkofthatsometimes，thoughperhapsnotsomuchasIoughttodo。Butthebestwaytobethankfulistousethegoodsthegodsprovideyou。"ThelovelyThaissitsbesideyou。Takethegoodsthegodsprovideyou。"Ioftensaythattomywife，tillthechildrenhavegotcallingherThais。Thechildrenhaveitprettymuchtheirownwaywithus，MrCrawley。’
BythistimeMrCrawleywasalmostbesidehimself，andwasaltogetheratalosshowtobringinthematteronwhichhewishedtospeak。HehadexpectedtofindamanwhointhehurryofLondonbusinessmightperhapsjustmanagetosparehimfiveminutes——whowouldgrappleinstantlywiththesubjectthatwastobediscussedbetweenthem，wouldspeaktohimhalf—a—dozenhardwordsofwisdom，andwouldthendismisshimandturnontheinstanttoothermattersofimportantbusiness；——butherewasaneasyfamiliarfellow，whoseemedtohavenothingonearthtodo，andwhoatthisfirstmeetinghadtakenadvantageofadistantfamilyconnexiontotellhimeverythingabouttheaffairsofhisownhousehold。Andthenhowpeculiarwerethedomesticaffairswhichhetold！WhatwasMrCrawleytosaytoamanwhohadtaughthisownchildrentocalltheirmotherThais？OfThaisMrCrawleydidknowsomething，andheforgottorememberthatperhapsMrToogoodknewless。Hefeltit，however，tobeverydifficulttosubmitthedetailsofhiscasetoagentlemanwhotalkedinsuchastrainabouthisownwifeandchildren。
Butsomethingmustbedone。MrCrawley，inhispresentframeofmind，couldnotsitandtalkaboutThaisallday。’Sir，’hesaid，’thepictureofyourhomeisverypleasant，andIpresumethatplentyaboundsthere。’
’Well，youknow，prettytoll—lollforthat。Withtwelveof’em，MrCrawley，Ineedn’ttellyoutheyarenotallgoingtohavecastlesandparksoftheirown，unlesstheycanget’emofftheirownbats。ButI
payupwardsofahundredayeareachformyeldestthreeboys’
schooling，andI’vebeenpayingeightyforthegirls。Putthattogetherandseewhatitcomesto。Educate，educate，educate；that’smyword。’
’Nobetterwordcanbespoken，sir。’
’Idon’tthinkthere’sagirlinTavistockSquarethatcanbeatPolly——she’stheeldest，calledafterhermother，youknow——thatcanbeatheratthepiano。AndLucyhasreadLordByronandTomMooreallthrough，everywordof’em。ByJove，IbelievesheknowsmostofTomMoorebyheart。Andtheyoungunsacomingonjustaswell。’
’Perhaps，sir，asyourtimeis，nodoubt，precious——’
’We’lltackleto？Verywell；sobeit。Now，MrCrawley，letmehearwhatitisIcandoforyou。’Ofasudden，asMrToogoodspoketheselastwords，thewholetoneofhisvoiceseemedtochange，andeventhepositionofhisbodybecamesomuchalteredastoindicateadifferentkindofman。’Youjusttellyourstoryinyourownway，andIwon’tinterruptyoutillyou’vedone。That’salwaysthebest。’
’Imustfirstcraveyourattentiontoanunfortunatepreliminary，’saidMrCrawley。
’Andwhatisthat？’
’Icomebeforeyouinformapauperis。’HereMrCrawleypausedandstoodupbeforetheattorneywithhishandscrossedoneupontheother，bendinglow，asthoughcallingattentiontothepoornessofhisraiment。
’IknowthatIhavenojustificationformyconduct。IhavenothingofreasontoofferwhyIshouldtrespassuponyourtime。Iamapoorman，andcannotpayyouforyourservices。’
’Oh，bother！’saidMrToogood，jumpingfromhischair。
’IdonotknowwhetheryourcharitywillgrantmethatwhichIask——’
’Don’tletushaveanymoreofthis，’saidtheattorney。’Wenoneofuslikethatkindofthingatall。IfIcanbeofanyservicetoyou，you’reaswelcomeasflowersinMay；andasforbillingmyfirst—cousin，whichyourwifeis，Ishouldassoonthinkofsendinganaccounttomyown。’
’But，MrToogood——’
’Doyougoonnowwithyourstory；I’llputtherestallright。’
’Iwasboundtobeexplicit，MrToogood。’
’Verywell；nowyouhavebeenexplicitwithavengeance，andyoumayheaveahead。Let’shearthestory，andifIcanhelpyouIwill。WhenI’vesaidthat，youmaybesureImeanit。I’veheardsomethingofitbefore；butletmehearitallfromyou。’
ThenMrCrawleybeganandtoldhisstory。MrToogoodwasactuallytruetohispromiseandletthenarratorgoonwithhisnarrativewithoutinterruption。WhenMrCrawleycametohisownstatementthatthechequehadbeenpaidtohimbyMrSoames，andwentontosaythatthatstatementhadbeenfalse——’Itoldhimthat，butItoldhimsowrongly，’
andthenpaused，thinkingthatthelawyerwouldasksomequestion，MrToogoodsimplysaid，’Goon；goon。I’llcomebacktoallthatwhenyou’vedone。’AndhemerelynoddedhisheadwhenMrCrawleyspokeofhissecondstatement，thatthemoneyhadcomefromthedean。’Wehadbeenboundtogetherbyclosetiesofearlyfamiliarity，’saidMrCrawley，’andinformeryearsourestatesinlifewerethesame。ButhehasprosperedandIhavefailed。Andwhencreditorswereimportunate，I
consentedtoacceptreliefinmoneywhichhadpreviouslybeenoftenoffered。AndImustacknowledge，MrToogood，whilesayingthis，thatI
haveknown——haveknownwithheartfeltagony——thatatformertimesmywifehastakenthatfrommyfriendMrArabin，withhandhalf—hiddenfromme，whichIhaverefused。Whetheritbebettertoeat——thebreadofcharity——ornottoeatbreadatall，I，formyself，havenodoubt，’hesaid；’butwhenthewantstrikesone’swifeandchildren，andthecharitystrikesonlyoneself，thenthereisadoubt。’Whenhespokethus，MrToogoodgotup，andthrustinghishandsinhiswaistcoatpocketswalkedabouttheroom，exclaiming，’ByGeorge，byGeorge，byGeorge！’Buthestillletthemangoonwithhisstory，andheardhimoutatlasttotheend。
’AndtheycommittedyoufortrialatthenextBarchesterassizes？’saidthelawyer。
’Theydid。’
’Andyouemployednolawyerbeforethemagistrates？’
’None；——Irefusedtoemployanyone。’
’Youwerewrongthere，MrCrawley。Imustbeallowedtosaythatyouwer...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：