按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
they saw fit and were not too humble。 He was not haughty； and never
presumed on his plate； as parvenus will。 He came of an ancient stock； and
could afford to condescend； even if he could not afford to pay for drinks。
He was very kind to children；white children； of course；and was hale…
fellow…well…met with many of them。
He was particularly fond of Annie Colborn； whose father was a
magistrate and a gold commissioner； and a person of very great
importance。 Whether or not King Billy was wise in his generation； and out
of the unwritten Scriptures of the somber bush had culled a maxim
inculcating the wisdom of making friends of the sons of Mammon； I
cannot say； but he was always good to Annie。 For my own part； I do not
believe the simple…hearted old king had any such notion inside his thick
antipodean skull。 He was good because he was not bad； which is the very
best morality after all； and a great advance on much we hear of。 And；
besides； he was sometimes hungry； and Mr。 Colborn's Chinese cook was
very haughty； and not to be approached except through an intermediary。
And who so capable of conciliating Wong as Annie？ Wong would make
her cakes even when his pigtail hung despondently from his aching head
after an opium debauch； and his cheeks were shining with anything but
82
… Page 83…
STORIES
gladness； for if you get drunk very often on opium you shine。
Old Billy was mostly to be found where there was a chance of a drink；
but if the fountains were dried up； or he had been insulted by some
democratic； revolutionary； king…hating miner knocking his high hat down
over his eyes； he usually went up to Mr。 Colborn's place； and sat on the
fence； or on a log outside the gate。 So he was often very melancholy when
Annie came out。 One day his hat was very； very badly bulged indeed。
〃Your hat is very bad to…day； King Billy；〃 said six…year…old Annie； as
she stood in front of him critically； with her head on one side。 Without
knowing it； the child had come to look upon the state of the poor king's hat
as emblematical of his state of mind。 When it shut up like a closed
concertina his barometer was low。
〃Yes； missy；〃 said the king； 〃white man knock 'um over eyes； and〃
with a rub down his face〃skin 'um nose。〃
She inspected his nose carefullythough from a certain distance；
because her own nose was very good； both inside and out； and she knew
the king never got washed unless it rained when he was very drunk。 And
this was the end of summer。 It had not rained since November。
〃There is not very much skin off；〃 said Annie。 〃You had better wash
it。〃
The king made a wry face and changed the conversation。
〃You got 'um hat； Missy Annie？ One hat baal brokum； allasame white
fellow hat。 Bad hat； King Billy bad； black fellow； white fellow laugh。〃
He peered into his hat； and； trying to straighten it out； put his fist
through the side。 Poor Billy looked as if he could cry。
〃You stop a minute；〃 said Annie； and； flying indoors； she brought out a
very good high hat indeed。 〃Budgeree！〃 thought the king； that was a good
hat。 He could go down the streets like a king indeed； able to hold up his
head with any rich man in Ballarat。 He tried it on； and though it was much
too big； he knew it shone。 And the glory of a hat is in its shining as much
as its shape； even a black fellow knows that。
But that hat very nearly led to serious trouble。 For one thing； Mr。
Colborn missed it； and never thinking Annie had given it away； when he
saw the king sitting on the fence decorated with it； he stopped and
83
… Page 84…
STORIES
interviewed him。
〃Where did you get that hat； you old thief？〃 asked the magistrate；
without any politeness to him who ruled the land before white men broke
into the country。 Some in authority are polite to those they dispossess； the
Prussians； for instance； to the miserable King Billys who strut about the
empire。 But the Anglo…Saxon only respects himself； and even that to a
limited extent； in new conquests。
The question troubled King Billy greatly。 He did not know that Mr。
Colborn would as soon have thought of murdering Annie as of bullying
her； so he lied promptly： 〃Me buy 'um； Mistah Cobon！〃
Mr。 Colborn took it off of his head； and saw that it was his； as he had
thought。 What he would have said I do not know； for just then he heard a
voice behind him：
〃Papa； it is my fault； I gave it to King Billy。〃
Colborn turned round and took her up； letting fall the hat as he did so。
Billy made a jump； picked it up； and； in his agitation； brushed it carefully
the wrong way。
〃My dear； if you gave it to him it's all right。 But why didn't the old fool
tell me？〃
〃He's not an old fool； papa； and you must not say so。 He's a good man；
and I think he thought you would be angry with me。 Didn't you； King
Billy？〃 And the king； with a smile of conscious rectitude； admitted it was
so。
Mr。 Colborn gave him sixpence； and he gave Annie a great many
kisses； declaring； with uncommon thoughtlessness； that whatever she did
was right； and that she could give the king all his house； and Australia to
boot。 Whereon King Billy smiled a smile that was portentous； and showed
his teeth to the uttermost recesses of his ample mouth。 Looking down； he
surveyed the rest of his clothes； which in parts resembled the child's
definition of a net as a lot of holes tied together with string； and； looking
up； he inspected Mr。 Colborn as if estimating the resources of his
wardrobe。 But being urgently smitten with the necessity of getting rid of
his sixpence； he shambled off into the town。 Other matters might wait； that
admitted of no delay。
84
… Page 85…
STORIES
The mind of King Billy was not a big mind； it would no more have
taken in an abstract idea than his /gunyah/ would have accommodated a
grand piano。 He was as simple as sunlight； and to resolve his intellect into
seven colours would want the most ingenious spectroscope。 But he could
make an inference from a positive fact； and； having made it； he