Kidnapped / Похищенный. Книга для чтения на английском языке

There was now no doubt about my uncle’s enmity. But I was young and spirited, and like most lads that have been country-bred, I had a great opinion of my shrewdness. He had met me with treachery and violence; it would be a fine consummation to take the upper hand, and drive him like a herd of sheep.

Presently, all swollen with conceit, I went upstairs and gave my prisoner his liberty. He gave me good-morning civilly; and I gave the same to him, smiling down upon him, from the heights of my sufficiency.

Soon we were set to breakfast, as it might have been the day before.

�Well, sir,’ said I, with a jeering tone, �have you nothing more to say to me? It will be time, I think, to understand each other. You took me for a country Johnnie Raw[25 - Johnnie Raw – простачок, дурачок], with no more mother-wit or courage than a porridge-stick. I took you for a good man, or no worse than others at the least. It seems we were both wrong.

What cause you have to fear me, to cheat me, and to attempt my life?’

I saw by his face that he had no lie ready for me, though he was hard at work preparing one; and I think I was about to tell him so, when we were interrupted by a knocking at the door.

Bidding my uncle sit where he was, I went to open it, and found on the doorstep a half-grown boy in sea-clothes. He had no sooner seen me than he began to dance some steps of the sea-hornpipe[26 - sea-hornpipe – хорнпайп, английский матросский танец, обычно сольный], snapping his fingers in the air and footing it right cleverly.

For all that, he was blue with the cold; and there was something in his face, a look between tears and laughter, that was highly pathetic and consisted ill with this gaiety of manner.

I asked him soberly to name his pleasure. �If you have no business at all, I will even be so unmannerly as to shut you out.

’

�Stay, brother!’ he cried. �I’ve brought a letter from old Heasyoasy to Mr. Belflower.’ He showed me a letter as he spoke. �And I say, mate,’ he added, �I’m mortal hungry.’

�Well,’ said I, �come into the house, and you shall have a bite if I go empty for it.’

With that I brought him in and set him down to my own place, where he fell-to greedily on the remains of breakfast.