Дети железной дороги
The terrible secret.
Thatwouldbeworsethananything."
"Thetrouble,"saidBobbie,inaverylittlevoice—"IpromisedIwouldneveraskyouanyquestions,andIneverhave,haveI?But—thetrouble—itwon’tlastalways?"
"No,"saidMother,"theworstwillbeoverwhenFathercomeshometous."
"IwishIcouldcomfortyou,"saidBobbie.
"Oh,mydear,doyousupposeyoudon’t?DoyouthinkIhaven’tnoticedhowgoodyou’veallbeen,notquarrellingnearlyasmuchasyouusedto—andallthelittlekindthingsyoudoforme—theflowers,andcleaningmyshoes,andtearinguptomakemybedbeforeIgettimetodoitmyself?"
BobbieHADsometimeswonderedwhetherMothernoticedthesethings.
"That’snothing,"shesaid,"towhat—"
"IMUSTgetonwithmywork,"saidMother,givingBobbieonelastsqueeze."Don’tsayanythingtotheothers."
Thateveninginthehourbeforebed-timeinsteadofreadingtothechildrenMothertoldthemstoriesofthegamessheandFatherusedtohavewhentheywerechildrenandlivedneareachotherinthecountry—talesoftheadventuresofFatherwithMother’sbrotherswhentheywereallboystogether.Veryfunnystoriestheywere,andthechildrenlaughedastheylistened.
"UncleEdwarddiedbeforehewasgrownup,didn’the?"saidPhyllis,asMotherlightedthebedroomcandles.
"Yes,dear,"saidMother,"youwouldhavelovedhim.