The Prince and the Pauper Mark Twain (readict books .TXT) đ
- Author: Mark Twain
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At long intervals he drew his thumb along the edge of his knife, and nodded his head with satisfaction. âIt grows sharper,â he said; âyes, it grows sharper.â
He took no note of the flight of time, but worked tranquilly on, entertaining himself with his thoughts, which broke out occasionally in articulate speechâ â
âHis father wrought us evil, he destroyed usâ âand is gone down into the eternal fires! Yes, down into the eternal fires! He escaped usâ âbut it was Godâs will, yes it was Godâs will, we must not repine. But he hath not escaped the fires! No, he hath not escaped the fires, the consuming, unpitying, remorseless firesâ âand they are everlasting!â
And so he wrought, and still wroughtâ âmumbling, chuckling a low rasping chuckle at timesâ âand at times breaking again into wordsâ â
âIt was his father that did it all. I am but an archangel; but for him I should be pope!â
The king stirred. The hermit sprang noiselessly to the bedside, and went down upon his knees, bending over the prostrate form with his knife uplifted. The boy stirred again; his eyes came open for an instant, but there was no speculation in them, they saw nothing; the next moment his tranquil breathing showed that his sleep was sound once more.
The hermit watched and listened, for a time, keeping his position and scarcely breathing; then he slowly lowered his arms, and presently crept away, sayingâ â
âIt is long past midnight; it is not best that he should cry out, lest by accident someone be passing.â
He glided about his hovel, gathering a rag here, a thong there, and another one yonder; then he returned, and by careful and gentle handling he managed to tie the kingâs ankles together without waking him. Next he essayed to tie the wrists; he made several attempts to cross them, but the boy always drew one hand or the other away, just as the cord was ready to be applied; but at last, when the archangel was almost ready to despair, the boy crossed his hands himself, and the next moment they were bound. Now a bandage was passed under the sleeperâs chin and brought up over his head and tied fastâ âand so softly, so gradually, and so deftly were the knots drawn together and compacted, that the boy slept peacefully through it all without stirring.
XXI Hendon to the RescueThe old man glided away, stooping, stealthy, cat-like, and brought the low bench. He seated himself upon it, half his body in the dim and flickering light, and the other half in shadow; and so, with his craving eyes bent upon the slumbering boy, he kept his patient vigil there, heedless of the drift of time, and softly whetted his knife, and mumbled and chuckled; and in aspect and attitude he resembled nothing so much as a grizzly, monstrous spider, gloating over some hapless insect that lay bound and helpless in his web.
After a long while, the old man, who was still gazingâ âyet not seeing, his mind having settled into a dreamy abstractionâ âobserved, on a sudden, that the boyâs eyes were open! wide open and staring!â âstaring up in frozen horror at the knife. The smile of a gratified devil crept over the old manâs face, and he said, without changing his attitude or his occupationâ â
âSon of Henry the Eighth, hast thou prayed?â
The boy struggled helplessly in his bonds, and at the same time forced a smothered sound through his closed jaws, which the hermit chose to interpret as an affirmative answer to his question.
âThen pray again. Pray the prayer for the dying!â
A shudder shook the boyâs frame, and his face blenched. Then he struggled again to free himselfâ âturning and twisting himself this way and that; tugging frantically, fiercely, desperatelyâ âbut uselesslyâ âto burst his fetters; and all the while the old ogre smiled down upon him, and nodded his head, and placidly whetted his knife; mumbling, from time to time, âThe moments are precious, they are few and preciousâ âpray the prayer for the dying!â
The boy uttered a despairing groan, and ceased from his struggles, panting. The tears came, then, and trickled, one after the other, down his face; but this piteous sight wrought no softening effect upon the savage old man.
The dawn was coming now; the hermit observed it, and spoke up sharply, with a touch of nervous apprehension in his voiceâ â
âI may not indulge this ecstasy longer! The night is already gone. It seems but a momentâ âonly a moment; would it had endured a year! Seed of the Churchâs spoiler, close thy perishing eyes, anâ thou fearest to look uponâ ââ
The rest was lost in inarticulate mutterings. The old man sank upon his knees, his knife in his hand, and bent himself over the moaning boy.
Hark! There was a sound of voices near the cabinâ âthe knife dropped from the hermitâs hand; he cast a sheepskin over the boy and started up, trembling. The sounds increased, and presently the voices became rough and angry; then came blows, and cries for help; then a clatter of swift footsteps, retreating. Immediately came a succession of thundering knocks upon the cabin door, followed byâ â
âHullo-o-o! Open! And despatch, in the name of all the devils!â
Oh, this was the blessedest sound that had ever made music in the kingâs ears; for it was Miles Hendonâs voice!
The hermit, grinding his teeth in impotent rage, moved swiftly out of the bedchamber, closing the door behind him; and straightway the king heard a talk, to this effect, proceeding from the âchapel:â
âHomage and greeting, reverend sir! Where is the boyâ âmy boy?â
âWhat boy, friend?â
âWhat boy! Lie me no lies, sir priest,
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