Лавка древностей

Chapter 52

           

           Themessengersoonreturnedattheheadofalongrowofurchins,greatandsmall,who,beingconfrontedbythebacheloratthehousedoor,fellintovariousconvulsionsofpoliteness;clutchingtheirhatsandcaps,squeezingthemintothesmallestpossibledimensions,andmakingallmannerofbowsandscrapes,whichthelittleoldgentlemancontemplatedwithexcessivesatisfaction,andexpressedhisapprovalofbyagreatmanynodsandsmiles.Indeed,hisapprobationoftheboyswasbynomeanssoscrupulouslydisguisedashehadledtheschoolmastertosuppose,inasmuchasitbrokeoutinsundryloudwhispersandconfidentialremarkswhichwereperfectlyaudibletothemeveryone.

           ’Thisfirstboy,schoolmaster,’saidthebachelor,‘isJohnOwen;aladofgoodparts,sir,andfrank,honesttemper;buttoothoughtless,tooplayful,toolight-headedbyfar.Thatboy,mygoodsir,wouldbreakhisneckwithpleasure,anddeprivehisparentsoftheirchiefcomfortandbetweenourselves,whenyoucometoseehimathareandhounds,takingthefenceandditchbythefinger-post,andslidingdownthefaceofthelittlequarry,you’llneverforgetit.It’sbeautiful!’

           JohnOwenhavingbeenthusrebuked,andbeinginperfectpossessionofthespeechaside,thebachelorsingledoutanotherboy.

           ‘Now,lookatthatlad,sir,’saidthebachelor.‘Youseethatfellow?RichardEvanshisnameis,sir.Anamazingboytolearn,blessedwithagoodmemory,andareadyunderstanding,andmoreoverwithagoodvoiceandearforpsalm-singing,inwhichheisthebestamongus.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 590 из 836