Маленькие мужчины / Little men. Уровень 4

Nat came in, shut the door carefully behind him, and said in an eager, anxious tone,

“Dan has come.”

“Who is Dan?”

“He’s a boy I used to know when I fiddled round the streets. He sold papers, and he was kind to me, and I saw him the other day in town, and told him how nice it was here, and he’s come.”

“But, my dear boy, that is rather a sudden visit.”

“Oh, it isn’t a visit; he wants to stay if you let him!” said Nat innocently.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” began Mrs. Bhaer, rather startled by the coolness of the proposition.

“Why, I thought you liked to have poor boys come and live with you, and be kind to them as you were to me,” said Nat, looking surprised and alarmed.

“So I do, but I like to know something about them first. I choose them, because there are so many. I have not room for all.”

“I told him to come because I thought you’d like it. But if there isn’t room he can go away again,” said Nat, sorrowfully.

The boy’s confidence in her hospitality touched Mrs. Bhaer, so she said,

“Tell me about this Dan.”

“I don’t know anything, only he hasn’t got any folks, and he’s poor, and he was good to me, so I’d like to be good to him.”

“But really, Nat, the house is full,” said Mrs. Bhaer.

“He may have my bed, and I can sleep in the barn. It isn’t cold now, and I don’t mind, I used to sleep anywhere with father,” said Nat, eagerly.

Something in his speech and face made Mrs. Jo put her hand on his shoulder, and say in her kindest tone:

“Bring in your friend[11 - Bring in your friend. – Приводи своего друга.], Nat. I think we will find room for him without giving him your place.”

Nat joyfully ran off, and soon returned followed by a boy, who slouched in and stood looking about him, with a half bold, half sullen look.

“This is Dan,” said Nat.

“Nat tells me you will like to come and stay with us,” began Mrs. Jo, in a friendly tone.

“Yes,” was the gruff reply.

“Have you any friends to take care of you?”

“No.”

“Say, ‘No, ma’am,’” whispered Nat.

“How old are you?”

“About fourteen.”

“You look older. What can you do?”

“Almost anything.”

“If you stay here we shall want you to do as the others do, work and study as well as play. Are you willing to agree to that?”

“I can try.”

“Well, you can stay a few days, and we will see how we get on together. Take him out, Nat, and amuse him till Mr. Bhaer comes home,” said Mrs. Jo.

She did not know how to get on with this cool young person, who fixed his big black eyes on her with a hard, suspicious expression, sorrowfully unboyish.

“Come on, Nat,” Dan said.

“Thank you, ma’am,” added Nat, as he followed him.

“The fellows are having a circus[12 - are having a circus – играют в цирк] out in the barn; don’t you want to come and see it?” he asked, as they came down the wide steps on to the lawn.

“Are they big fellows?” said Dan.

“No; the big ones are gone fishing.”

“Let’s go, then,” said Dan.

Nat led him to the great barn and introduced him to the boys. A large circle was marked out with hay on the wide floor, and in the middle stood Demi with a long whip, while Tommy, mounted on Toby, was a monkey.

“You must pay a pin, or you can’t see the show,” said Stuffy, who stood by the wheelbarrow.

“I’ll pay for both,” said Nat, handsomely, as he stuck two crooked pins in the dried mushroom which served as money-box.

With a nod to the company they seated themselves on a couple of boards, and the performance went on. Ned was jumping over an old chair, and running up and down ladders. Then Demi danced a jig. Nat wrestled with Stuffy. After this, Tommy proudly advanced to turn a somersault. His somersault was received with great applause, and he was about to retire, flushed with pride, when he heard a scornful voice,

“Ho! That is nothing!”

“Say that again, will you?” and Tommy bristled up like an angry turkey-cock.

“Do you want to fight?” said Dan, promptly descending from the barrel.

“No, I don’t;” and the candid Thomas retired.

“Fighting isn’t allowed!” cried the others, much excited.

“I see,” sneered Dan.

“If you don’t behave, you won’t stay,” said Nat.

“I’d like to see what he can do, that’s all,” observed Tommy, with a swagger.