The Cricket on the Hearth / Сверчок за очагом. Книга для чтения на английском языке

This instrument happening to be the baby, great commotion and alarm ensued, which the sagacity of Boxer rather tended to increase; for, that good dog, more thoughtful than its master, had, it seemed, been watching the old gentleman in his sleep, lest he should walk off with a few young poplar trees that were tied up behind the cart; and he still attended on him very closely, worrying his gaiters in fact, and making dead sets at the buttons[12 - making dead sets at the buttons – (разг.) решил во что бы то ни стало добраться до его пуговиц].

�You’re such an undeniable good sleeper, sir,’ said John, when tranquillity was restored; in the mean time the old gentleman had stood, bareheaded and motionless, in the centre of the room; �that I have half a mind to ask you where the other six are – only that would be a joke, and I know I should spoil it. Very near though,’ murmured the Carrier, with a chuckle; �very near!’

The Stranger, who had long white hair, good features, singularly bold and well defined for an old man, and dark, bright, penetrating eyes, looked round with a smile, and saluted the Carrier’s wife by gravely inclining his head.

His garb was very quaint and odd – a long, long way behind the time[13 - a long, long way behind the time – (зд.) давным-давно вышло из моды]. Its hue was brown, all over. In his hand he held a great brown club or walking-stick; and striking this upon the floor, it fell asunder, and became a chair.

�There!’ said the Carrier, turning to his wife. �That’s the way I found him, sitting by the roadside! Upright as a milestone. And almost as deaf.’

�Sitting in the open air, John!’

�In the open air,’ replied the Carrier, �just at dusk. “Carriage Paid,” he said; and gave me eighteenpence. Then he got in. And there he is.

�He’s going, John, I think!’

Not at all. He was only going to speak.

�If you please, I was to be left till called for,’ said the Stranger, mildly. �Don’t mind me.’

With that, he took a pair of spectacles from one of his large pockets, and a book from another, and leisurely began to read. Making no more of Boxer than if he had been a house lamb!

The Carrier and his wife exchanged a look of perplexity.