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1、THEWRONGBOXTHEWRONGBOXROBERTLOUISSTEVENSON&LLOYDOSBOURNE1THEWRONGBOXPREFACE'Nothinglikealittlejudiciouslevity,'saysMichaelFinsburyinthetext:norcananybetterexcusebefoundforthevolumeinthereader'shand.Theauthorscanbutaddthatoneofthemisoldenoughtobeashamedo
2、fhimself,andtheotheryoungenoughtolearnbetter.R.L.S.L.O.2THEWRONGBOXCHAPTERI.InWhichMorrisSuspectsHowverylittledoestheamateur,dwellingathomeatease,comprehendthelaboursandperilsoftheauthor,and,whenhesmilinglyskimsthesurfaceofaworkoffiction,howlittledoeshe
3、considerthehoursoftoil,consultationofauthorities,researchesintheBodleian,correspondencewithlearnedandillegibleGermans--inoneword,thevastscaffoldingthatwasfirstbuiltupandthenknockeddown,towhileawayanhourforhiminarailwaytrain!ThusImightbeginthistalewithab
4、iographyofTonti--birthplace,parentage,geniusprobablyinheritedfromhismother,remarkableinstanceofprecocity,etc--andacompletetreatiseonthesystemtowhichhebequeathedhisname.Thematerialisallbesidemeinapigeon-hole,butIscorntoappearvainglorious.Tontiisdead,andI
5、neversawanyonewhoevenpretendedtoregrethim;and,asforthetontinesystem,awordwillsufficeforallthepurposesofthisunvarnishednarrative.Anumberofsprightlyyouths(themorethemerrier)putupacertainsumofmoney,whichisthenfundedinapoolundertrustees;comingonforacenturyl
6、ater,theproceedsareflutteredforamomentinthefaceofthelastsurvivor,whoisprobablydeaf,sothathecannotevenhearofhissuccess--andwhoiscertainlydying,sothathemightjustaswellhavelost.Thepeculiarpoetryandevenhumouroftheschemeisnowapparent,sinceitisonebywhichnobod
7、yconcernedcanpossiblyprofit;butitsfine,sportsmanlikecharacterendearedittoourgrandparents.WhenJosephFinsburyandhisbrotherMastermanwerelittleladsinwhite-frilledtrousers,theirfather--awell-to-domerchantinCheapside--causedthemtojoinasmallbutrichtontineofsev
8、en-and-thirtylives.Athousandpoundswastheentrancefee;andJosephFinsburycanremembertothisdaythevisittothelawyer's,wherethemembersofthetontine--allchildrenlikehimself--wereassembledtogether,andsatinturninthebigofficechair,andsignedth
