Крамка старожитностей

Chapter 16

           

           Theyraisedtheireyeswhentheoldmanandhisyoungcompanionwerecloseuponthem,andpausingintheirwork,returnedtheirlooksofcuriosity.Oneofthem,theactualexhibitornodoubt,wasalittlemerry-facedmanwithatwinklingeyeandarednose,whoseemedtohaveunconsciouslyimbibedsomethingofhishero’scharacter.Theotherthatwashewhotookthemoneyhadratheracarefulandcautiouslook,whichwasperhapsinseparablefromhisoccupationalso.

           Themerrymanwasthefirsttogreetthestrangerswithanod;andfollowingtheoldman’seyes,heobservedthatperhapsthatwasthefirsttimehehadeverseenaPunchoffthestage.(Punch,itmayberemarked,seemedtobepointingwiththetipofhiscaptoamostflourishingepitaph,andtobechucklingoveritwithallhisheart.)

           ‘Whydoyoucomeheretodothis?’saidtheoldman,sittingdownbesidethem,andlookingatthefigureswithextremedelight.

           ‘Whyyousee,’rejoinedthelittleman,‘we’reputtingupforto-nightatthepublic-houseyonder,anditwouldn’tdotolet‘emseethepresentcompanyundergoingrepair.’

           ‘No!’criedtheoldman,makingsignstoNelltolisten,‘whynot,eh?whynot?’

           ‘Becauseitwoulddestroyallthedelusion,andtakeawayalltheinterest,wouldn’tit?’repliedthelittleman.‘Wouldyoucareaha’pennyfortheLordChancellorifyouknow’dhiminprivateandwithouthiswig?certainlynot.’

           ‘Good!’saidtheoldman,venturingtotouchoneofthepuppets,anddrawingawayhishandwithashrilllaugh.

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