登陆注册
15698900000060

第60章

there was nothing in his fist but a parcel of old rags.""Hold your tongue, you silly old Tabby!" cried Peter in greatwrath. "They were as good golden guincas as ever bore the effigiesof the king of England. It seems as if I could recollect the wholecircumstance, and how I, or old Peter, or whoever it was, thrust in myhand, or his hand, and drew it out all of a blaze with gold. Old rags,indeed!"But it was not an old woman's legend that would discourage PeterGoldthwaite. All night long he slept among pleasant dreams, andawoke at daylight with a joyous throb of the heart, which few arefortunate enough to feel beyond their boyhood. Day after day helabored hard without wasting a moment, except at meal times, whenTabitha summoned him to the pork and cabbage, or such other sustenanceas she had picked up, or Providence had sent them. Being a truly piousman, Peter never failed to ask a blessing; if the food were none ofthe best, then so much the more earnestly, as it was more needed-nor to return thanks, if the dinner had been scanty, yet for thegood appetite, which was better than a sick stomach at a feast. Thendid he hurry back to his toil, and, in a moment, was lost to sightin a cloud of dust from the old walls, though sufficiently perceptibleto the ear by the clatter which he raised in the midst of it. Howenviable is the consciousness of being usefully employed! Nothingtroubled Peter; or nothing but those phantoms of the mind which seemlike vague recollections, yet have also the aspect of presentiments.

He often paused, with his axe uplifted in the air, and said tohimself- "Peter Goldthwaite, did you never strike this blowbefore?"- or, "Peter, what need of tearing the whole house down? Thinka little while, and you will remember where the gold is hidden."Days and weeks passed on, however, without any remarkable discovery.

Sometimes, indeed, a lean, gray rat peeped forth at the lean, grayman, wondering what devil had got into the old house, which had alwaysbeen so peaceable till now. And, occasionally, Peter sympathizedwith the sorrows of a female mouse, who had brought five or sixpretty, little, soft and delicate young ones into the world just intime to see them crushed by its ruin. But, as yet, no treasure!

By this time, Peter, being as determined as Fate and as diligent asTime, had made an end with the uppermost regions, and got down tothe second story, where he was busy in one of the front chambers. Ithad formerly been the state bed-chamber, and was honored bytradition as the sleeping apartment of Governor Dudley, and many othereminent guests. The furniture was gone. There were remnants of fadedand tattered paper-hangings, but larger spaces of bare wall ornamentedwith charcoal sketches, chiefly of people's heads in profile. Thesebeing specimens of Peter's youthful genius, it went more to hisheart to obliterate them than if they had been pictures on a churchwall by Michael Angelo. One sketch, however, and that the best one,affected him differently. It represented a ragged man, partlysupporting himself on a spade, and bending his lean body over a holein the earth, with one hand extended to grasp something that he hadfound. But close behind him, with a fiendish laugh on his features,appeared a figure with horns, a tufted tail, and a cloven hoof.

"Avaunt, Satan!" cried Peter. "The man shall have his gold!"Uplifting his axe, he hit the horned gentleman such a blow on thehead as not only demolished him, but the treasure-seeker also, andcaused the whole scene to vanish like magic. Moreover, his axe brokequite through the plaster and laths, and discovered a cavity.

"Mercy on us, Mr. Peter, are you quarrelling with the Old Scratch?"said Tabitha, who was seeking some fuel to put under the pot.

Without answering the old woman, Peter broke down a further spaceof the wall, and laid open a small closet or cupboard, on one sideof the fireplace, about breast high from the ground. It containednothing but a brass lamp, covered with verdigris, and a dusty piece ofparchment. While Peter inspected the latter, Tabitha seized thelamp, and began to rub it with her apron.

"There is no use in rubbing it, Tabitha," said Peter. "It is notAladdin's lamp, though I take it to be a token of as much luck. Lookhere, Tabby!"Tabitha took the parchment and held it close to her nose, which wassaddled with a pair of iron-bound spectacles. But no sooner had shebegan to puzzle over it than she burst into a chuckling laugh, holdingboth her hands against her sides.

"You can't make a fool of the old woman!" cried she. "This isyour own handwriting, Mr. Peter! the same as in the letter you sent mefrom Mexico.""There is certainly a considerable resemblance," said Peter,again examining the parchment. "But you know yourself, Tabby, thatthis closet must have been plastered up before you came to thehouse, or I came into the world. No, this is old Peter Goldthwaite'swriting; these columns of pounds, shillings, and pence are hisfigures, denoting the amount of the treasure; and this at the bottomis, doubtless, a reference to the place of concealment. But the inkhas either faded or peeled off, so that it is absolutely illegible.

What a pity!"

"Well, this lamp is as good as new. That's some comfort," saidTabitha.

"A lamp!" thought Peter. "That indicates light on my researches."For the present, Peter felt more inclined to ponder on thisdiscovery than to resume his labors. After Tabitha had gonedownstairs, he stood poring over the parchment, at one of the frontwindows, which was so obscured with dust that the sun could barelythrow an uncertain shadow of the casement across the floor. Peterforced it open, and looked out upon the great street of the town,while the sun looked in at his old house. The air, though mild, andeven warm, thrilled Peter as with a dash of water.

同类推荐
  • 阿弥陀鼓音声王陀罗尼经

    阿弥陀鼓音声王陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 黄箓救苦十念仪

    黄箓救苦十念仪

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 本经逢原

    本经逢原

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 春过赵墟

    春过赵墟

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • One Basket

    One Basket

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 易象图说内篇

    易象图说内篇

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 清魔传

    清魔传

    一把魔刀两股斗气三生修炼四相方圆五魂齐聚世道不公,我愿化身成魔,待看奴隶少年如何战天下
  • 快穿逆袭人生

    快穿逆袭人生

    编号V-0071是一款出现故障被遗弃的智能主脑,从它有意识以来都待在回收站,突然有天,主神让它去修补崩坏的位面,为不同的人逆袭,从此它穿梭在各个界面,从开始到懵懂,到攻略霸道总裁,冰山天王,病娇鬼畜,精分手到擒来,复制人类七情六欲,玛丽苏校园文√惊世暴君√冰山天王√末世文√以及未来的星际玄幻、古代未来、都市校园、鬼神,不管主角配角还是炮灰,V-0071表示放马过来,看它如何完美逆袭人生……
  • EXO之你是我唯一的爱

    EXO之你是我唯一的爱

    这本小说是把EXO的各个成员分了职位的,不在是明星,所以,不喜欢这类的出门左转不送
  • 如何做孩子才聪明:提高孩子智商的秘诀

    如何做孩子才聪明:提高孩子智商的秘诀

    孩子是父母生命的延续,他身上满含着父母对未来的期望,所以,孩子的智力发育问题成了广大家长最为关注的事情。而3~5岁,可以说是孩子智力开发的启蒙阶段,是决定孩子智力发展走向的基础时期。本书根据3~5岁孩子的智力发育特点,用生动科学的语言,采用图文并茂的方式,通过大量的故事、游戏,为家长提供了全面促进孩子智力发育的许多具体方法,对于快乐有效的提高3~5岁孩子的智力有非常强悍的效用。
  • 万界圣域

    万界圣域

    圣域,凌驾于诸天万域之上,为万界所共尊,是圣界大陆无数修道者的圣地,却因万年前的一场惊世之战跌下神坛……从此,圣路断,圣人难寻。当那劫难再度降临,圣域,能否重现辉煌……
  • 穿越之:盛世魔王妃

    穿越之:盛世魔王妃

    穿越前,她只是一个十分普通的孤儿。可是就算她十分的普通,也逃不过命运的捉弄。穿越后,本想好好的在活一世,没想到还是没有逃过没有的捉弄。她只好努力努力再努力。幸好他的萌夫君不是普通人,“娘子。”
  • 撼圣

    撼圣

    李寞睚在末世苦苦挣扎了五十年却还是在最底层摸爬滚打他不甘却没有办法反抗临死前反省自己的一生他在笑如果上天在给我一次机会!
  • 冰火地狱花

    冰火地狱花

    冰与火,分别代表着地狱不同象征。我和妹妹与别人不同,而我们就要弥补千年前我们犯的错误。当他拿着那把天堂无一人降服的宝剑,站在我的面前时,就是我生命结束之日。他明明很爱我,却为何要结束我的生命....更文慢,请见谅。
  • 璃宝:爹爹,不娶娘亲跟你闹

    璃宝:爹爹,不娶娘亲跟你闹

    穿越!堂堂现代杀手之王穿越为古代雪王弃妃!嘲笑我?——没关系,把你扔出去!小看我?——没关系,给你露一手!追求我?——啊哈,打得过儿子再说!欺负我儿子?——没事,我旁观!被欺负的肯定是你!冰山夫君?——咳咳,我不答应!最萌最可爱的璃宝,最酷最冷漠的爹地,最绝最冷艳的娘亲!璃宝:爹地,媳妇儿娶了没?爹地:怎么,有问题?璃宝:没问题,小爷家的女人能文能武,又有姿色,绝对是当媳妇儿的料!爹地:本尊回去看看。娘亲:……璃宝,你这是在让你爹娶我,还是在推销我?!璃宝:啊哈,两样都是!(跑~)封面很快就有,别急别急,快看快看啊!