《安徒生童话英文版》第274章

　　cried the General's lady, "thou art bornto wed a prince."

　　The prince was already at the door, but they knew nothing of it;people don't see far beyond the threshold.

　　"The day before yesterday our boy divided his bread and butterwith her!" said the porter's wife. "There was neither cheese normeat upon it, but she liked it as well as if it had been roast beef.There would have been a fine noise if the General and his wife hadseen the feast, but they did not see it.

　　George had divided his bread and butter with little Emily, andhe would have divided his heart with her, if it would have pleasedher. He was a good boy, brisk and clever, and he went to the nightschool in the Academy now, to learn to draw properly. Little Emily wasgetting on with her education too, for she spoke French with her"bonne," and had a dancing master.

　　"George will be confirmed at Easter," said the porter's wife;for George had got so far as this.

　　"It would be the best thing, now, to make an apprentice of him,"said his father. "It must be to some good calling- and then he wouldbe out of the house."

　　"He would have to sleep out of the house," said George's mother."It is not easy to find a master who has room for him at night, and weshall have to provide him with clothes too. The little bit of eatingthat he wants can be managed for him, for he's quite happy with afew boiled potatoes; and he gets taught for nothing. Let the boy gohis own way. You will say that he will be our joy some day, and theProfessor says so too."

　　The confirmation suit was ready. The mother had worked it herself;but the tailor who did repairs had cut them out, and a capitalcutter-out he was.

　　"If he had had a better position, and been able to keep a workshopand journeymen," the porter's wife said, "he might have been a courttailor."

　　The clothes were ready, and the candidate for confirmation wasready. On his confirmation day, George received a great pinchbeckwatch from his godfather, the old iron monger's shopman, the richestof his godfathers. The watch was an old and tried servant. It alwayswent too fast, but that is better than to be lagging behind. Thatwas a costly present. And from the General's apartment there arrived ahymn-book bound in morocco, sent by the little lady to whom George hadgiven pictures. At the beginning of the book his name was written, andher name, as "his gracious patroness." These words had been written atthe dictation of the General's lady, and the General had read theinscription, and pronounced it "Charming!"

　　"That is really a great attention from a family of such position,"said the porter's wife; and George was sent up stairs to showhimself in his confirmation clothes, with the hymn-book in his hand.

　　The General's lady was sitting very much wrapped up, and had thebad headache she always had when time hung heavy upon her hands. Shelooked at George very pleasantly, and wished him all prosperity, andthat he might never have her headache. The General was walking aboutin his dressing-gown. He had a cap with a long tassel on his head, andRussian boots with red tops on his feet. He walked three times upand down the room, absorbed in his own thoughts and recollections, andthen stopped and said:

　　"So little George is a confirmed Christian now. Be a good man, andhonor those in authority over you. Some day, when you are an oldman, you can say that the General gave you this precept."

　　That was a longer speech than the General was accustomed tomake, and then he went back to his ruminations, and looked veryaristocratic. But of all that George heard and saw up there, littleMiss Emily remained most clear in his thoughts. How graceful shewas, how gentle, and fluttering, and pretty she looked. If she were tobe drawn, it ought to be on a soap-bubble. About her dress, abouther yellow curled hair, there was a fragrance as of a fresh-blownrose; and to think that he had once divided his bread and butterwith her, and that she had eaten it with enormous appetite, and noddedto him at every second mouthful!