第14章

SimondidasMichaeladvised，andundertooktomakebootsthatwouldnotloseshapeorsplitforawholeyear。

Callinghisservant，thegentlemantoldhimtopullthebootoffhisleftleg，whichhestretchedout。

’Takemymeasure！’saidhe。

Simonstitchedapapermeasureseventeenincheslong，smootheditout，kneltdown，wipedhishandswellonhisapronsoasnottosoilthegentleman’ssock，andbegantomeasure。Hemeasuredthesole，androundtheinstep，andbegantomeasurethecalfoftheleg，butthepaperwastooshort。Thecalfofthelegwasasthickasabeam。

’Mindyoudon’tmakeittootightintheleg。’

Simonstitchedonanotherstripofpaper。Thegentlemantwitchedhistoesaboutinhissock，lookingroundatthoseinthehut，andashedidsohenoticedMichael。

’Whomhaveyouthere？’askedhe’Thatismyworkman。Hewillsewtheboots。’

’Mind，’saidthegentlemantoMichael，’remembertomakethemsothattheywilllastmeayear。’

SimonalsolookedatMichael，andsawthatMichaelwasnotlookingatthegentleman，butwasgazingintothecornerbehindthegentleman，asifhesawsomeonethere。Michaellookedandlooked，andsuddenlyhesmiled，andhisfacebecamebrighter。

’Whatareyougrinningat，youfool？’thunderedthegentleman。’Youhadbetterlooktoitthatthebootsarereadyintime。’

’Theyshallbereadyingoodtime，’saidMichael。

’Minditisso，’saidthegentleman，andheputonhisbootsandhisfurcoat，wrappedthelatterroundhim，andwenttothedoor。

Butheforgottostoopandstruckhisheadagainstthelintel。

Hesworeandrubbedhishead。Thenhetookhisseatinthecarriageanddroveaway。

Whenhehadgone，Simonsaid:’There’safigureofamanforyou！Youcouldnotkillhimwithamallet。Healmostknockedoutthelintel，butlittleharmitdidhim。’

AndMatryó；nasaid:’Livingashedoes，howshouldhenotgrowstrong？Deathitselfcan’ttouchsucharockasthat。’

ThenSimonsaidtoMichael:’Well，wehavetakenthework，butwemustseewedon’tgetintotroubleoverit。Theleatherisdear，andthegentlemanhot-tempered。Wemustmakenomistakes。Come，youreyeistruerandyourhandshavebecomenimblerthanmine，soyoutakethismeasureandcutouttheboots。

Iwillfinishoffthesewingofthevamps。’

Michaeldidashewastold。Hetooktheleatherspreaditoutonthetable，foldeditintwo，tookaknifeandbegantocutout。

Matryó；nacameandwatchedhimcutting，andwassurprisedtoseehowhewasdoingit。Matryó；nawasaccustomedtoseeingbootsmade，andshelookedandsawthatMichaelwasnotcuttingtheleatherforboots，butwascuttingitround。

Shewishedtosaysomething，butshethoughttoherself:’PerhapsI

donotunderstandhowgentlemen’sbootsshouldbemade。

IsupposeMichaelknowsmoreaboutit——andIwon’tinterfere。’

WhenMichaelhadcutuptheleather，hetookathreadandbegantosewnotwithtwoends，asbootsaresewn，butwithasingleend，asforsoftslippers。

AgainMatryó；nawondered，butagainshedidnotinterfere。Michaelsewedonsteadilytillnoon。ThenSimonrosefordinner，lookedaround，andsawthatMichaelhadmadeslippersoutofthegentleman’sleather。

’Ah！’groanedSimon，andhethought，’HowisitthatMichael，whohasbeenwithmeawholeyearandnevermadeamistakebefore，shoulddosuchadreadfulthing？Thegentlemanorderedhighboots，welted，withwholefronts，andMichaelhasmadesoftslipperswithsinglesoles，andhaswastedtheleather。WhatamItosaytothegentleman？Icanneverreplaceleathersuchasthis。’

AndhesaidtoMichael，’Whatareyoudoingfriend？Youhaveruinedme！Youknowthegentlemanorderedhighboothbutseewhatyouhavemade！’

HardlyhadhebeguntorebukeMichael，when’rat-tat，wenttheironringthathungatthedoor。Someonewasknocking。Theylookedoutofthewindow；amanhadcomeonhorseback，andwasfasteninghishorse。Theyopenedthedoor，andtheservantwhohadbeenwiththegentlemancamein。

’Goodday，’saidhe。

’Goodday，’repliedSimon。’Whatcanwedoforyou？’

’Mymistresshassentmeabouttheboots。’

’Whatabouttheboots？’

’Why，mymasternolongerneedsthem。Heisdead。’

’Isitpossible？’

’Hedidnotlivetogethomeafterleavingyou，butdiedinthecarriage。

Whenwereachedhomeandtheservantscametohelphimalightherolledoverlikeasack。Hewasdeadalready，andsostiffthathecouldhardlybegotoutofthecarriage。Mymistresssentmehere，saying:“Tellthebootmakerthatthegentlemanwhoorderedbootsofhimandlefttheleatherforthemnolongerneedstheboots，butthathemustquicklymakesoftslippersforthecorpse。Waittilltheyareready，andbringthembackwithyou。“ThatiswhyIhavecome。’

Michaelgathereduptheremnantsoftheleather；rolledthemup，tookthesoftslippershehadmade，slappedthemtogether，wipedthemdownwithhisapron，andhandedthemandtherollofleathertotheservant，whotookthemandsaid:’Good-bye，mastersandgooddaytoyou！’

Anotheryearpassed，andanother，andMichaelwasnowlivinghissixthyearwithSimon。Helivedasbefore。Hewentnowhere，onlyspokewhennecessary，andhadonlysmiledtwiceinallthoseyears——oncewhenMatryó；nagavehimfood，andasecondtimewhenthegentlemanwasintheirhut。Simonwasmorethanpleasedwithhisworkman。Henevernowaskedhimwherehecamefrom，andonlyfearedlestMichaelshouldgoaway。

Theywereallathomeoneday。Matryó；nawasputtingironpotsintheoven，thechildrenwererunningalongthebenchesandlookingoutofthewindow；Simonwassewingatonewindow，andMichaelwasfasteningonaheelattheother。

OneoftheboysranalongthebenchtoMichael，leantonhisshoulder，andlookedoutofthewindow。

’Look，UncleMichael！Thereisaladywithlittlegirls！Sheseemstobecominghere。Andoneofthegirlsislame。’

Whentheboysaidthat，Michaeldroppedhiswork，turnedtothewindow，andlookedoutintothestreet。

Simonwassurprised。Michaelneverusedtolookoutintothestreet，butnowhepressedagainstthewindow，staringatsomething。Simonalsolookedout，andsawthatawell-dressedwomanwasreallycomingtohishut，leadingbythehandtwolittlegirlsinfurcoatsandwoollenshawls。Thegirlscouldhardlybetoldonefromtheother，exceptthatoneofthemwascrippledinherleftlegandwalkedwithalimp。

Thewomansteppedintotheporchandenteredthepassage。Feelingaboutfortheentranceshefoundthelatch，whichshelifted，andopenedthedoor。Sheletthetwogirlsgoinfirst，andfollowedthemintothehut。

’Goodday，goodfolk！’

’Praycomein，’saidSimon。’Whatcanwedoforyou？’

Thewomansatdownbythetable。Thetwolittlegirlspressedclosetoherknees，afraidofthepeopleinthehut。

’Iwantleathershoesmadeforthesetwolittlegirls，forspring。’

’Wecandothat。Weneverhavemadesuchsmallshoes，butwecanmakethem；eitherweltedorturnovershoes，linenlined。

Myman，Michael，isamasteratthework。’

SimonglancedatMichaelandsawthathehadlefthisworkandwassittingwithhiseyesfixedonthelittlegirls。Simonwassurprised。Itwastruethegirlswerepretty，withblackeyes，plump，androsy-cheeked，andtheyworenicekerchiefsandfurcoats，butstillSimoncouldnotunderstandwhyMichaelshouldlookatthemlikethat——justasifhehadknownthembefore。

Hewaspuzzled，butwentontalkingwiththewoman，andarrangingtheprice。Havingfixedit，hepreparedthemeasure。Thewomanliftedthelamegirlontoherlapandsaid:’Taketwomeasuresfromthislittlegirl。Makeoneshoeforthelamefootandthreeforthesoundone。Theybothhavethesamesizedfeet。Theyaretwins。’

Simontookthemeasureand，speakingofthelamegirl，said:’Howdidithappentoher？Sheissuchaprettygirl。Wasshebornso？’

’No，hermothercrushedherleg。’