"P. N. Elrod - Jonathan Barrett 01 - Red Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elrod P N)

nded feeble even to me and Rapelji pounced on it.
"So it is the wrappings you object to, but not the gift."
"Gift?" This was not the sort of support I'd been expecting.
"Try looking at it as a gift, not a punishment, Mr. Jonathan. What difference
if you had a rough introduction to the idea? The idea itself is what matters
: the chance to attend one of the great and ancient centers of higher learnin
g in the world."
"I had thought of it a bit, sir," I said with very wan enthusiasm, but the subt
lety was lost on my tutor.
"Good! Think on it some more. If your father cannot turn Mrs. Barrett's min
d from the idea, then you won't feel so badly about going."
"I should not like to wager upon that, sir," I muttered.
Rapelji thumped my shoulder, still beaming.
The front door swung wide just then as two of his other students arrived fo
r the day's lessons. They were the Finch boys, Roddy and Nathan.
We stood and greeted them and Rapelji put them through the ritual of giving
respects to my sister. Roddy, my age and awkward, blushed his way through
his bow. Elizabeth was no doubt very beautiful to him despite her bruise. H
e gawked with curiosity, but said nothing except for a general inquiry abou
t her health. For that he received a polite, but general reply that she was
well enough today, thank you.
Nathan, a sullen-faced boy of fourteen who knew that manners were a waste of
his time, barely got through his bow. It was just enough to accomplish the
job, but not so little as to draw a reprimand.
"I killed a rabbit today," he announced proudly, eager to introduce a subject
more to his liking. "Did you now?" said Rapelji.
"A good fat one for the pot." From the cloth bag that carried all his things
he hauled out a long, limp bundle of brown-and-gray fur. "Caught 'im in a sna
re and snapped 'is neck m'self."
"That's 7 caught him in a snare,' Nathan," began Rapelji, always the teacher.
The boy scowled. "You did not, / did. If'n you did, an' it were on our land,
then Da will shoot you dead for a-poachin'."
Roddy gave Nathan a cuff. "Mr. Rapelji didn't say he was a-poachin', he was
telling you how to talk right."
Nathan glowered and grunted with disapproval. He was one of the more diffic
ult students and would have been happier working the fields or hunting. Rap
elji had often recommended it, but their father was determined that they le
arn their letters and grimly paid for the effort. Roddy had a better head a
nd might have progressed more if he didn't have Nathan to constantly look a
fter and keep in line.
Morning chores finished, the other boys began to wander in for their breakf
ast along with half a dozen others from neighboring houses. Nathan's rabbit
was the subject of much interest and conversation and he was compelled to
repeat his story of how he'd snapped the animal's neck. He was happy enough
to demonstrate this to everyone's satisfaction, but his method sparked off
a debate on tie various ways of snapping animal necks of all kinds. Elizab
eth was not in the least fainthearted, but after several minutes of gleeful
discussion she began to visibly pale. Rapelji noticed and dispatched Natha
n off to the kitchen
with his prize, as it was part of Finch's payment for his boys' tutoring.