Odd Craft, Complete. William Wymark Jacobs

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СКАЧАТЬ up for fifteen shillings.

      First thing they did was to ‘ave a good breakfast, and after that they came out smiling all over and began to spend a ‘appy day. Ginger was in tip-top spirits and so was Peter, and the idea that old Isaac was in bed while they was drinking ‘is clothes pleased them more than anything. Twice that evening policemen spoke to Ginger for dancing on the pavement, and by the time the money was spent it took Peter all ‘is time to get ‘im ‘ome.

      Old Isaac was in bed when they got there, and the temper ‘e was in was shocking; but Ginger sat on ‘is bed and smiled at ‘im as if ‘e was saying compliments to ‘im.

      “Where’s my clothes?” ses the old man, shaking ‘is fist at the two of ‘em.

      Ginger smiled at ‘im; then ‘e shut ‘is eyes and dropped off to sleep.

      “Where’s my clothes?” ses Isaac, turning to Peter. “Closhe?” ses Peter, staring at ‘im.

      “Where are they?” ses Isaac.

      It was a long time afore Peter could understand wot ‘e meant, but as soon as ‘e did ‘e started to look for ‘em. Drink takes people in different ways, and the way it always took Peter was to make ‘im one o’ the most obliging men that ever lived. He spent arf the night crawling about on all fours looking for the clothes, and four or five times old Isaac woke up from dreams of earthquakes to find Peter ‘ad got jammed under ‘is bed, and was wondering what ‘ad ‘appened to ‘im.

      None of ‘em was in the best o’ tempers when they woke up next morning, and Ginger ‘ad ‘ardly got ‘is eyes open before Isaac was asking ‘im about ‘is clothes agin.

      “Don’t bother me about your clothes,” ses Ginger; “talk about something else for a change.”

      “Where are they?” ses Isaac, sitting on the edge of ‘is bed.

      Ginger yawned and felt in ‘is waistcoat pocket—for neither of ‘em ‘ad undressed—and then ‘e took the pawn-ticket out and threw it on the floor. Isaac picked it up, and then ‘e began to dance about the room as if ‘e’d gone mad.

      “Do you mean to tell me you’ve pawned my clothes?” he shouts.

      “Me and Peter did,” ses Ginger, sitting up in bed and getting ready for a row.

      Isaac dropped on the bed agin all of a ‘cap. “And wot am I to do?” he ses.

      “If you be’ave yourself,” ses Ginger, “and give us our money, me and Peter’ll go and get ‘em out agin. When we’ve ‘ad breakfast, that is. There’s no hurry.”

      “But I ‘aven’t got the money,” ses Isaac; “it was all sewn up in the lining of the coat. I’ve on’y got about five shillings. You’ve made a nice mess of it, Ginger, you ‘ave.”

      “You’re a silly fool, Ginger, that’s wot you are,” ses Peter.

      “Sewn up in the lining of the coat?” ses Ginger, staring.

      “The bank-notes was,” ses Isaac, “and three pounds in gold ‘idden in the cap. Did you pawn that too?”

      Ginger got up in ‘is excitement and walked up and down the room. “We must go and get ‘em out at once,” he ses.

      “And where’s the money to do it with?” ses Peter.

      Ginger ‘adn’t thought of that, and it struck ‘im all of a heap. None of ‘em seemed to be able to think of a way of getting the other ten shillings wot was wanted, and Ginger was so upset that ‘e took no notice of the things Peter kept saying to ‘im.

      “Let’s go and ask to see ‘em, and say we left a railway-ticket in the pocket,” ses Peter.

      Isaac shook ‘is ‘ead. “There’s on’y one way to do it,” he ses. “We shall ‘ave to pawn your clothes, Ginger, to get mine out with.”

      “That’s the on’y way, Ginger,” ses Peter, brightening up. “Now, wot’s the good o’ carrying on like that? It’s no worse for you to be without your clothes for a little while than it was for pore old Isaac.”

      It took ‘em quite arf an hour afore they could get Ginger to see it. First of all ‘e wanted Peter’s clothes to be took instead of ‘is, and when Peter pointed out that they was too shabby to fetch ten shillings ‘e ‘ad a lot o’ nasty things to say about wearing such old rags, and at last, in a terrible temper, ‘e took ‘is clothes off and pitched ‘em in a ‘eap on the floor.

      “If you ain’t back in arf an hour, Peter,” ‘e ses, scowling at ‘im, “you’ll ‘ear from me, I can tell you.”

      “Don’t you worry about that,” ses Isaac, with a smile. “I’m going to take ‘em.”

      “You?” ses Ginger; “but you can’t. You ain’t got no clothes.”

      “I’m going to wear Peter’s,” ses Isaac, with a smile.

      Peter asked ‘im to listen to reason, but it was all no good. He’d got the pawn-ticket, and at last Peter, forgetting all he’d said to Ginger Dick about using bad langwidge, took ‘is clothes off, one by one, and dashed ‘em on the floor, and told Isaac some of the things ‘e thought of ‘im.

      The old man didn’t take any notice of ‘im. He dressed ‘imself up very slow and careful in Peter’s clothes, and then ‘e drove ‘em nearly crazy by wasting time making ‘is bed.

      “Be as quick as you can, Isaac,” ses Ginger, at last; “think of us two a-sitting ‘ere waiting for you.”

      “I sha’n’t forget it,” ses Isaac, and ‘e came back to the door after ‘e’d gone arf-way down the stairs to ask ‘em not to go out on the drink while ‘e was away.

      It was nine o’clock when he went, and at ha’-past nine Ginger began to get impatient and wondered wot ‘ad ‘appened to ‘im, and when ten o’clock came and no Isaac they was both leaning out of the winder with blankets over their shoulders looking up the road. By eleven o’clock Peter was in very low spirits and Ginger was so mad ‘e was afraid to speak to ‘im.

      They spent the rest o’ that day ‘anging out of the winder, but it was not till ha’-past four in the after-noon that Isaac, still wearing Peter’s clothes and carrying a couple of large green plants under ‘is arm, turned into the road, and from the way ‘e was smiling they thought it must be all right.

      “Wot ‘ave you been such a long time for?” ses Ginger, in a low, fierce voice, as Isaac stopped underneath the winder and nodded up to ‘em.

      “I met a old friend,” ses Isaac.

      “Met a old friend?” ses Ginger, in a passion. “Wot d’ye mean, wasting time like that while we was sitting up ‘ere waiting and starving?”

      “I ‘adn’t seen ‘im for years,” ses Isaac, “and time slipped away afore I noticed it.”

      “I dessay,” ses Ginger, in a bitter voice. “Well, is the money all right?”

      “I don’t know,” ses Isaac; “I ain’t got the clothes.”

      “Wot?” СКАЧАТЬ