按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
she was in the wood gathering a stick for her grandmother's fire。
She sang a beautiful song about the Boys and their dashing ways；
which flattered David considerably； but she forgot to take away
the stick after all。 Other parts of the play were not so nice；
but David thought it all lovely； he really did。
Yet he left the place in tears。 All the way home he sobbed in
the darkest corner of the growler； and if I tried to comfort him
he struck me。
The clown had done it； that man of whom he expected things so
fair。 He had asked in a loud voice of the middling funny
gentleman （then in the middle of a song） whether he thought Joey
would be long in coming； and when at last Joey did come he
screamed out； 〃How do you do； Joey！〃 and went into convulsions of
mirth。
Joey and his father were shadowing a pork…butcher's shop；
pocketing the sausages for which their family has such a fatal
weakness； and so when the butcher engaged Joey as his assistant
there was soon not a sausage left。 However； this did not matter；
for there was a box rather like an ice…cream machine； and you put
chunks of pork in at one end and turned a handle and they came
out as sausages at the other end。 Joey quite enjoyed doing this；
and you could see that the sausages were excellent by the way he
licked his fingers after touching them； but soon there were no
more pieces of pork； and just then a dear little Irish
terrier…dog came trotting down the street； so what did Joey do
but pop it into the machine and it came out at the other end as
sausages。
It was this callous act that turned all David's mirth to woe； and
drove us weeping to our growler。
Heaven knows I have no wish to defend this cruel deed； but as
Joey told me afterward； it is very difficult to say what they
will think funny and what barbarous。 I was forced to admit to
him that David had perceived only the joyous in the pokering of
the policeman's legs； and had called out heartily 〃Do it again！〃
every time Joey knocked the pantaloon down with one kick and
helped him up with another。
〃It hurts the poor chap；〃 I was told by Joey； whom I was
agreeably surprised to find by no means wanting in the more
humane feelings； 〃and he wouldn't stand it if there wasn't the
laugh to encourage him。〃
He maintained that the dog got that laugh to encourage him also。
However； he had not got it from David； whose mother and father
and nurse combined could not comfort him； though they swore that
the dog was still alive and kicking； which might all have been
very well had not David seen the sausages。 It was to inquire
whether anything could be done to atone that in considerable
trepidation I sent in my card to the clown； and the result of our
talk was that he invited me and David to have tea with him on
Thursday next at his lodgings。
〃I sha'n't laugh；〃 David said； nobly true to the memory of the
little dog； 〃I sha'n't laugh once；〃 and he closed his jaws very
tightly as we drew near the house in Soho where Joey lodged。 But
he also gripped my hand； like one who knew that it would be an
ordeal not to laugh。
The house was rather like the ordinary kind； but there was a
convenient sausage…shop exactly opposite （trust Joey for that）
and we saw a policeman in the street looking the other way； as
they always do look just before you rub them。 A woman wearing
the same kind of clothes as people in other houses wear； told us
to go up to the second floor； and she grinned at David； as if she
had heard about him； so up we went； David muttering through his
clenched teeth； 〃I sha'n't laugh；〃 and as soon as we knocked a
voice called out； 〃Here we are again！〃 at which a shudder passed
through David as if he feared that he had set himself an
impossible task。 In we went； however； and though the voice had
certainly come from this room we found nobody there。 I looked in
bewilderment at David； and he quickly put his hand over his
mouth。
It was a funny room； of course； but not so funny as you might
expect； there were droll things in it； but they did nothing
funny； you could see that they were just waiting for Joey。 There
were padded chairs with friendly looking rents down the middle of
them； and a table and a horse…hair sofa； and we sat down very
cautiously on the sofa but nothing happened to us。
The biggest piece of furniture was an enormous wicker trunk； with
a very lively coloured stocking dangling out at a hole in it； and
a notice on the top that Joey was the funniest man on earth。
David tried to pull the stocking out of the hole； but it was so
long that it never came to an end； and when it measured six times
the length of the room he had to cover his mouth again。
〃I'm not laughing；〃 he said to me； quite fiercely。 He even
managed not to laugh （though he did gulp） when we discovered on
the mantelpiece a photograph of Joey in ordinary clothes； the
garments he wore before he became a clown。 You can't think how
absurd he looked in them。 But David didn't laugh。
Suddenly Joey was standing beside us； it could not have been more
sudden though he had come from beneath the table； and he was
wearing his pantomime clothes （which he told us afterward were
the only clothes he had） and his red and white face was so funny
that David made gurgling sounds； which were his laugh trying to
force a passage。
I introduced David； who offered his hand stiffly； but Joey；
instead of taking it； put out his tongue and waggled it； and this
was so droll that David had again to save himself by clapping his
hand over his mouth。 Joey thought he had toothache； so I
explained what it really meant； and then Joey said； 〃Oh； I shall
soon make him laugh；〃 whereupon the following conversation took
place between them：
〃No； you sha'n't；〃 said David doggedly。
〃Yes； I shall。〃
〃No； you sha'n't not。〃
〃Yes； I shall so。〃
〃Sha'n't； sha'n't； sha'n't。〃
〃Shall； shall； shall。〃
〃You shut up。〃
〃You're another。〃
By this time Joey was in a frightful way （because he saw he was
getting the worst of it）； and he boasted that he had David's
laugh in his pocket； and David challenged him to produce it； and
Joey searched his pockets and brought out the most unexpected
articles； including a duck and a bunch of carrots； and you could
see by his manner that the simple soul thought these were things
which all boys carried loose in their pockets。
I daresay David would have had to laugh in the end； had there not
been a half…gnawed sausage in one of the pockets； and the sight
of it reminded him so cruelly of the poor dog's fate that he
howled； and Joey's heart was touched at last； and he also wept；
but he wiped his eyes with the duck。
It was at this touching moment that the pantaloon hobbled in；
also dressed as we had seen him last； and carrying；
unfortunately； a trayful of sausages； which at once increased the
general gloom； for he announced； in his squeaky vo