Part 11 (2/2)
he added to Dr. Fisher.
”On the contrary,” said the little doctor, throwing down his napkin and getting out of his chair. ”I am going, for there is a marine hospital for children there, that I wouldn't miss for the world.”
”I warrant you would find one on a desert island,” retorted old Mr.
King. ”Well, hurry now, all of you--and we will be off.”
”Now, then, all scramble up here. Phronsie, you go with me,” cried old Mr. King, as they stood in _plein_, and the tram-car halted before them. He was surprised to find that he liked this sort of thing, mixing with a crowd and hurrying for seats just like common ordinary individuals. And as he toiled up the winding stairs, Phronsie in front of him, he had an exhilaration already that made him feel almost as young as Polly and Jasper, scampering up the circular stairway at the other end. ”Well, bless me, we are up, aren't we?” he exclaimed, sitting down and casting a glance around.
”Did you ever see anything so fascinating?” cried Polly Pepper, clasping her hands in delight, and not stopping to sit down, but looking all around.
”You had better sit down,” advised Mother Fisher, ”else when the car starts you may go over the railing.”
”Oh, I can't fall, Mamsie,” said Polly, carelessly, yet she sat down, while Jasper got out of his seat and ran up to old Mr. King.
”Now, father, don't you like it?” he cried. ”And isn't it better than a stuffy old carriage?”
”Yes, I do, my boy,” answered his father, frankly. ”Now run off with you, you've planned it well.” So Jasper, made happy for the day, rushed back to his seat. A hand not over clean was laid on it, and a tall individual, who was pouring out very bad provincial French at a fearful rate, was just about to worm himself into it. Polly, who sat next, had turned around to view the scenery from the other side, and hadn't seen his advance.
”Excuse me,” said Jasper, in another torrent of the same language, only of a better quality, ”this is my seat--I only left it to speak to my father.”
But the Frenchman being there, thought that he could get still further into the seat. So he twisted and edged, but Jasper slipped neatly in, and looked calmly up at him. The Frenchman, unable to get his balance, sat down in Jasper's lap. But he bounded up again, blue with rage.
”What's all this?” demanded Mr. King, who never could speak French in a hurry, being very elegant at it, and exceedingly careful as to his accent. Phronsie turned pale and clung to his hand.
”Nothing,” said Jasper, in English, ”only this person chose to try to take my seat, and I chose to have it myself.”
”You take yourself off,” commanded Mr. King, in an irate voice to the French individual, ”or I'll see that some one attends to your case.”
Not understanding the language, all might have gone well, but the French person could interpret the expression of the face under the white hair, and he accordingly left a position in front of Jasper to sidle up toward Mr. King's seat in a threatening att.i.tude. At that Jasper got out of his seat again and went to his father's side. Little Dr. Fisher also skipped up.
”See here you, Frenchy, stop your parley vousing, and march down those stairs double quick,” cried the little doctor, standing on his tiptoes and bristling with indignation. His big spectacles had slipped to the end of his nose, his sharp little eyes blazing above them.
”Frenchy” stared at him in amazement, unable to find his tongue. And then he saw another gentleman in the person of the parson, who was just as big as the doctor was small. With one look he glanced around to see if there were any more such specimens. At any rate, it was time to be going, so he took a bee-line for the nearest stairway and plunged down.
But he gave the little doctor the compliment of his parting regard.
”Well,” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Mr. King, when his party had regained their seats and the car started off, ”if this is to be the style of our companions, I think my plan of carriages might be best after all. Eh, my boy?” with a sly look at Jasper.
”But anything like this might not happen again in a hundred times, father,” said Jasper.
”I suppose I must say 'yes, I know it' to that,” said his father. And as everybody had regained composure, he was beginning to feel very happy himself as the car rumbled off.
”This is fine,” he kept saying to himself, ”the boy knew what was best,” and he smiled more than once over at Jasper, who was pointing out this and that to Polly. Jasper nodded back again.
”Don't let him bother you to see everything, Polly,” called Grandpapa.
”Take my advice--it's a nuisance to try to compa.s.s the whole place on the first visit.” But Polly laughed back, and the advice went over her head, as he very well knew it would.
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