Latest / The Frances Hodgson Burnett Library / The Little Princess Chapter 17 - "It Is the Child!"

Transcript

The Little Princess Chapter 17 - "It Is the Child!" · The Frances Hodgson Burnett Library

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: CHAPTER XVII. IT IS THE CHILD The next afternoon three
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: members of the large family sat in the Indian gentleman's library,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: doing their best to cheer him up. They had been
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: allowed to come in to perform this office because he
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: had specially invited them. He had been living in a
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: state of suspense for some time, and today he was
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: waiting for a certain event very anxiously. This event was
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: the return of Mr. Carmichael from Moscow. His stay there
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: had been prolonged from week to week. On his first
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: arrival there, he had not been able satisfactorily to trace
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: the family he had gone in search of. When he
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: felt at last sure that he had found them and
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: had gone to their house, he had been told that
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: they were absent on a journey. His efforts to reach
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: them had been unavailing, so he had decided to remain
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: in Moscow until their return. Mr. Carrisford sat in his
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: reclining chair, and Janet sat on the floor beside him.
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: He was very fond of Janet. Nora had found a footstool,
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: and Donald was astride the tiger's head which ornamented the
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: rug made of the animal's skin. It must be owned
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: that he was riding it rather violently.' Don' t cheer up
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: so loud, Donald,' Janet said. When you come to cheer
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: an ill person up, you don't cheer him up at
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: the top of your voice. Perhaps cheering up is too loud, Mr. Carrisford,
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: turning to the Indian gentleman. But he only patted her shoulder. No,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: it isn't, he answered, and it keeps me from thinking
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: too much. I'm going to be quiet, Donald shouted. We'll
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: all be as quiet as mice. Mice don't make a
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: noise like that, said Janet. Donald made a bridle of
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: his handkerchief and bounced up and down on the tiger's head.'
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: A whole lot of mice might,' he said cheerfully.' A
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: thousand mice might.'' I don't believe fifty thousand mice would,'
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: said Janet severely.' And we have to be as quiet
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: as one mouse.' Mr. Carrisford laughed and patted her shoulder again.'
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: Papa won't be very long now,' she said.' May we
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: talk about the little lost girl?' I don't think I
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: could talk much about anything else just now, the Indian
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: gentleman answered, knitting his forehead with a tired look. We
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: like her so much, said Nora. We call her the
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: little unfairy princess. Why? the Indian gentleman inquired, because the
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: fancies of the large family always made him forget things
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: a little. It was Janet who answered. It is because,
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: though she is not exactly a fairy... She will be
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: so rich when she is found that she will be
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: like a princess in a fairy tale. We called her
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: the fairy princess at first, but it didn't quite suit.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Is it true, said Nora, that her papa gave all
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: his money to a friend to put in a mine
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: that had diamonds in it, and then the friend thought
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: he had lost it all and ran away because he
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: felt as if he was a robber? But he wasn't really,
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: you know, put in Janet hastily. The Indian gentleman took
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: hold of her hand quickly. No. He wasn't really, he said.
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: I am sorry for the friend, Janet said. I can't
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: help it. He didn't mean to do it, and it
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: would break his heart. I am sure it would break
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: his heart. You are an understanding little woman, Janet, the
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: Indian gentleman said, and he held her hand close. Did
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: you tell Mr. Carrisford, Donald shouted again, about the little
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: girl who isn't a beggar? Did you tell him she
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: has new nice clothes? Perhaps she's been found by somebody
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: when she was lost. There's a cab, exclaimed Janet. It's
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: stopping before the door. It is Papa. They all ran
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: to the windows to look out. Yes, it's Papa, Donald proclaimed.
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: But there is no little girl. All three of them
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: incontinently fled from the room and tumbled into the hall.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: It was in this way they always welcomed their father.
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: They were to be heard jumping up and down, clapping
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: their hands, and being caught up and kissed. Mr. Carrisford
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: made an effort to rise and sank back again. It
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: is no use, he said. What a wreck I am. Mr.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: Carmichael's voice approached the door. No children, he was saying.
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: You may come in after I have talked to Mr. Carrisford.
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: Go and play with Ram Dass. Then the door opened
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: and he came in. He looked rosier than ever and
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: brought an atmosphere of freshness and health with him. but
• 4:47
  Speaker 1: his eyes were disappointed and anxious as they met the
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: invalid's look of eager question, even as they grasped each
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: other's hands.' What news?' Mr. Carrisford asked.' The child the
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: Russian people adopted.'' She is not the child we were
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: looking for,' was Mr. Carmichael's answer.' She is much younger
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: than Captain Crewe's little girl. Her name is Emily Carew.
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: I've seen and talked to her. The Russians were able
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: to give me every detail.' How wearied and miserable the
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Indian gentleman looked, his hand dropped from Mr. Carmichael's. Then
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: the search has to be begun over again, he said.
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: That is all. Please sit down. Mr. Carmichael took a seat.
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: Somehow he had gradually grown fond of this unhappy man.
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: He was himself so well and happy, and so surrounded
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: by cheerfulness and love, that desolation and broken health seemed
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: pitifully unbearable things. If there had been the sound of
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: just one gay little high-pitched voice in the house, it
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: would have been so much less forlorn. And that a
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: man should be compelled to carry about in his breast
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: the thought that he had seemed to wrong and desert
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: a child was not a thing one could face. Come, come,
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: he said in his cheery voice. We'll find her yet?
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: We must begin at once. No time must be lost. Mr.
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: Carrisford fretted. Have you any new suggestion to make? Any whatsoever?' Mr.
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: Carmichael felt rather restless, and he rose and began to
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: pace the room, with a thoughtful, though uncertain face.' Well, perhaps,'
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: he said.' I don't know what it may be worth.
• 6:31
  Speaker 1: The fact is, an idea occurred to me as I
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: was thinking the thing over in the train on the
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: journey from Dover.'' What was it? If she is alive,
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: she is somewhere?'' Yes, she is somewhere. We have searched
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: the schools in Paris. Let us give up Paris and
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: begin in London.' That was my idea, to search London.''
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: There are schools enough in London,' said Mr. Carrisford. Then
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: he slightly started, roused by a recollection.' By the way,
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: there is one next door.'' Then we will begin there.
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: We cannot begin nearer the next door.'' No,' said Carrisford.'
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: There is a child there who interests me, but she
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: is not a pupil, and she is a little dark
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: forlorn creature.' as unlike poor Crewe as a child could be.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: Perhaps the magic was at work again at that very moment,
• 7:23
  Speaker 1: the beautiful magic. It really seemed as if it might
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: be so. What was it that brought Ram Dass into
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: the room, even as his master spoke, salaming respectfully, but
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: with a scarcely concealed touch of excitement in his dark,
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: flashing eyes?' Sahib,' he said,' the child herself has come.'
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: The child the Sahib felt pity for. She brings back
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: the monkey, who would again run away to her attic
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: under the roof. I have asked that she remain. It
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: was my thought that it would please the Sahib to
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: see and speak with her. Who is she? inquired Mr. Carmichael.
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: God knows, Mr. Carrisford answered. She is the child I
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: spoke of, a little drudge at the school. He waved
• 8:08
  Speaker 1: his hand to Ram Dass and addressed him. Yes, I
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: should like to see her. Go and bring her in.'
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: Then he turned to Mr. Carmichael.' While you have been away,'
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: he explained,' I have been desperate. The days were so
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: dark and long. Ram Dass told me of this child's miseries,
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: and together we invented a romantic plan to help her.
• 8:31
  Speaker 1: I suppose it was a childish thing to do, but
• 8:34
  Speaker 1: it gave me something to plan and think of. Without
• 8:37
  Speaker 1: the help of an agile, soft-footed Oriental like Ram Dass, however,
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: it could not have been done.' Then Sarah came into
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: the room. She carried the monkey in her arms, and
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: he evidently did not intend to part from her, if
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: it could be helped. He was clinging to her and chattering,
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: and the interesting excitement of finding herself in the Indian
• 8:57
  Speaker 1: gentleman's room had brought a flush to Sarah's cheeks.' Your
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: monkey ran away again,' she said in her pretty voice.'
• 9:05
  Speaker 1: He came to my garret window last night, and I
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: took him in because it was so cold. I would
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: have brought him back if it had not been so late.'
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: I knew you were ill and might not like to
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: be disturbed. The Indian gentleman's hollow eyes dwelt on her
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: with curious interest. That was very thoughtful of you, he said.
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: Sarah looked toward Ram Dass, who stood near the door.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: Shall I give him to the Lasker? she asked. How
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: do you know that he is a Lasker? said the
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: Indian gentleman, smiling a little. Oh, I know Laskers, Sarah said.
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: handing over the reluctant monkey. I was born in India.
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: The Indian gentleman sat upright so suddenly and with such
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: a change of expression that she was for a moment
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: quite startled. You were born in India? he exclaimed. Were you?
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: Come here. And he held out his hand. Sarah went
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: to him and laid her hand in his, as he
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: seemed to want to take it. She stood still, and
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: her green-gray eyes met his wonderingly. Something seemed to be
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: the matter with him.' You live next door?' he demanded.' Yes.'
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: I live at Miss Minchin's seminary. But you are not
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: one of her pupils. A strange little smile hovered about
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: Sarah's mouth. She hesitated a moment. I don't think I
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: know exactly what I am, she replied. Why not? At
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: first I was a pupil and a parlour boarder. But now,
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: you were a pupil. What are you now? The queer
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: little sad smile was on Sarah's lips again. I sleep
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: in the attic next to the scullery maid, she said.
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: I run errands for the cook. I do anything she
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: tells me, and I teach the little ones their lessons.
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: Question her, Carmichael, said Mr. Carrisford, sinking back as if
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: he had lost his strength. Question her. I cannot. The big,
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: kind father of the large family knew how to question
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: little girls. Sarah realized how much practice he had had,
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: when he spoke to her in his nice, encouraging voice.'
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: What do you mean by at first, my child?' he inquired.'
• 11:23
  Speaker 1: When I was first taken there by my papa.'' Where
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: is your papa?'' He died,' said Sarah very quietly.' He
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: lost all his money, and there was none left for me.
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: There is no one to take care of me, or
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: to pay Miss Minchin.'' Carmichael!' the Indian gentleman cried out loudly.' Carmichael!'
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: We must not frighten her, Mr. Carmichael said aside to
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: him in a quick, low voice, and he added aloud
• 11:52
  Speaker 1: to Sarah, So, you were sent up into the attic
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: and made into a little drudge. That was about it,
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: wasn't it? There was no one to take care of me,
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: said Sarah. There was no money. I belonged to nobody.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: How did your father lose his money? the Indian gentleman
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: broke in breathlessly. He did not lose it himself, Sarah answered.
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: wondering still more each moment. He had a friend he
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: was very fond of. He was very fond of him.
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: It was his friend who took his money. He trusted
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: his friend too much. The Indian gentleman's breath came more quickly.
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: The friend might have meant to do no harm, he said.
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: It might have happened through a mistake. Sarah did not
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: know how unrelenting her quiet young voice sounded as she answered.
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: If she had known, She would surely have tried to
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: soften it for the Indian gentleman's sake. The suffering was
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: just as bad for my papa, she said. It killed him.
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: What was your father's name? The Indian gentleman said. Tell me.
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: His name was Ralph Crewe, Sarah answered, feeling startled. Captain Crewe.
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: He died in India. The haggard face contracted and Ram
• 13:11
  Speaker 1: Dass sprang to his master's side. Carmichael, the invalid gasped.
• 13:16
  Speaker 1: It is the child. The child. For a moment, Sarah
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: thought he was going to die. Ram Dass poured out
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: drops from a bottle and held them to his lips.
• 13:27
  Speaker 1: Sarah stood near, trembling a little. She looked in a
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: bewildered way at Mr. Carmichael. What child am I? she faltered.
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: He was your father's friend, Mr. Carmichael answered her. Don't
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: be frightened, We've been looking for you for two years.
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: Sarah put her hand up to her forehead and her
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: mouth trembled. She spoke as if she were in a dream.
• 13:53
  Speaker 1: And I was at Miss Minchin's all the while, she
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: half whispered, just on the other side of the wall.
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: End of chapter 17