lavengro-第101部分

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My　meditation　over；　I　left　the　milestone　and　proceeded　on　my　way　in　

the　same　direction　as　before　until　the　night　began　to　close　in。　　I　

had　always　been　a　good　pedestrian；　but　now；　whether　owing　to　

indisposition　or　to　not　having　for　some　time　past　been　much　in　the　

habit　of　taking　such　lengthy　walks；　I　began　to　feel　not　a　little　

weary。　　Just　as　I　was　thinking　of　putting　up　for　the　night　at　the　

next　inn　or　public…house　I　should　arrive　at；　I　heard　what　sounded　

like　a　coach　coming　up　rapidly　behind　me。　　Induced；　perhaps；　by　the　

weariness　which　I　felt；　I　stopped　and　looked　wistfully　in　the　

direction　of　the　sound；　presently　up　came　a　coach；　seemingly　a　

mail；　drawn　by　four　bounding　horses　…　there　was　no　one　upon　it　but　

the　coachman　and　the　guard；　when　nearly　parallel　with　me　it　

stopped。　　'Want　to　get　up？'　sounded　a　voice；　in　the　true　coachman…

like　tone　…　half　querulous；　half　authoritative。　　I　hesitated；　I　was　

tired；　it　is　true；　but　I　had　left　London　bound　on　a　pedestrian　

excursion；　and　I　did　not　much　like　the　idea　of　having　recourse　to　a　

coach　after　accomplishing　so　very　inconsiderable　a　distance。　　

'Come；　we　can't　be　staying　here　all　night；'　said　the　voice；　more　

sharply　than　before。　　'I　can　ride　a　little　way；　and　get　down　

whenever　I　like；'　thought　I；　and　springing　forward　I　clambered　up　

the　coach；　and　was　going　to　sit　down　upon　the　box；　next　the　

coachman。　　'No；　no；'　said　the　coachman；　who　was　a　man　about　thirty；　

with　a　hooked　nose　and　red　face；　dressed　in　a　fashionably…cut　

greatcoat；　with　a　fashionable　black　castor　on　his　head。　　'No；　no；　

keep　behind　…the　box　ain't　for　the　like　of　you；'　said　he；　as　he　

drove　off；　'the　box　is　for　lords；　or　gentlemen　at　least。'　　I　made　

no　answer。　　'D…　that　off…hand　leader；'　said　the　coachman；　as　the　

right…hand　front　horse　made　a　desperate　start　at　something　he　saw　

in　the　road；　and；　half　rising；　he　with　great　dexterity　hit　with　his　

long　whip　the　off…hand　leader　a　cut　on　the　off　cheek。　　'These　seem　

to　be　fine　horses；'　said　I。　　The　coachman　made　no　answer。　　'Nearly　

thoroughbred；'　I　continued；　the　coachman　drew　his　breath；　with　a　

kind　of　hissing　sound；　through　his　teeth。　　'Come；　young　fellow；　

none　of　your　chaff。　　Don't　you　think；　because　you　ride　on　my　mail；　

I'm　going　to　talk　to　you　about　'orses。　　I　talk　to　nobody　about　

'orses　except　lords。'　　'Well；'　said　I；　'I　have　been　called　a　lord　

in　my　time。'　　'It　must　have　been　by　a　thimble…rigger；　then；'　said　

the　coachman；　bending　back；　and　half　turning　his　face　round　with　a　

broad　leer。　　'You　have　hit　the　mark　wonderfully；'　said　I。　　'You　

coachmen；　whatever　else　you　may　be；　are　certainly　no　fools。'　　'We　

ain't；　ain't　we？'　said　the　coachman。　　'There　you　are　right；　and；　to　

show　you　that　you　are；　I'll　now　trouble　you　for　your　fare。　　If　you　

have　been　amongst　the　thimble…riggers　you　must　be　tolerably　well　

cleared　out。　　Where　are　you　going？　…　to　…　？　　I　think　I　have　seen　

you　there。　　The　fare　is　sixteen　shillings。　　Come；　tip　us　the　blunt；　

them　that　has　no　money　can't　ride　on　my　mail。'



Sixteen　shillings　was　a　large　sum；　and　to　pay　it　would　make　a　

considerable　inroad　on　my　slender　finances；　I　thought；　at　first；　

that　I　would　say　I　did　not　want　to　go　so　far；　but　then　the　fellow　

would　ask　at　once　where　I　wanted　to　go；　and　I　was　ashamed　to　

acknowledge　my　utter　ignorance　of　the　road。　　I　determined；　

therefore；　to　pay　the　fare；　with　a　tacit　determination　not　to　mount　

a　coach　in　future　without　knowing　whither　I　was　going。　　So　I　paid　

the　man　the　money；　who；　turning　round；　shouted　to　the　guard　…　'All　

right；　Jem；　got　fare　to　…　'；　and　forthwith　whipped　on　his　horses；　

especially　the　off　hand　leader；　for　whom　he　seemed　to　entertain　a　

particular　spite；　to　greater　speed　than　before　…　the　horses　flew。



A　young　moon　gave　a　feeble　light；　partially　illuminating　a　line　of　

road　which；　appearing　by　no　means　interesting；　I　the　less　regretted　

having　paid　my　money　for　the　privilege　of　being　hurried　along　it　in　

the　flying　vehicle。　　We　frequently　changed　horses；　and　at　last　my　

friend　the　coachman　was　replaced　by　another；　the　very　image　of　

himself　…　hawk　nose；　red　face；　with　narrow…rimmed　hat　and　

fashionable　benjamin。　　After　he　had　driven　about　fifty　yards；　the　

new　coachman　fell　to　whipping　one　of　the　horses。　　'D…　this　near…

hand　wheeler；'　said　he；　'the　brute　has　got　a　corn。'　　'Whipping　him　

won't　cure　him　of　his　corn；'　said　I。　　'Who　told　you　to　speak？'　said　

the　driver；　with　an　oath；　'mind　your　own　business；　'tisn't　from　the　

like　of　you　I　am　to　learn　to　drive　'orses。'　　Presently　I　fell　into　

a　broken　kind　of　slumber。　　In　an　hour　or　two　I　was　aroused　by　a　

rough　voice　…　'Got　to　…；　young　man；　get　down　if　you　please。'　　I　

opened　my　eyes　…　there　was　a　dim　and　indistinct　light；　like　that　

which　precedes　dawn；　the　coach　was　standing　still　in　something　like　

a　street；　just　below　me　stood　the　guard。　　'Do　you　mean　to　get　

down；'　said　he；　'or　will　you　keep　us　here　till　morning？　other　fares　

want　to　get　up。'　　Scarcely　knowing　what　I　did；　I　took　my　bundle　and　

stick　and　descended；　whilst　two　people　mounted。　　'All　right；　John；'　

said　the　guard　to　the　coachman；　springing　up　behind；　whereupon　off　

whisked　the　coach；　one　or　two　individuals　who　were　standing　by　

disappeared；　and　I　was　left　alone。







CHAPTER　LX







The　still　hour　…　A　thrill　…　The　wondrous　circle　…　The　shepherd　…　

Heaps　and　barrows　…　What　do　you　mean？　…　Milk　of　the　plains　…　

Hengist　spared　it　…　No　presents。



AFTER　standing　still　a　minute　or　two；　considering　what　I　should　do；　

I　moved　down　what　appeared　to　be　the　street　of　a　small　straggling　

town；　presently　I　passed　by　a　church；　which　rose　indistinctly　on　my　

right　hand；　anon　there　was　the　rustling　of　foliage　and　the　rushing　

of　waters。　　I　reached　a　bridge；　beneath　which　a　small　stream　was　

running　in　the　direction　of　the　south。　　I　stopped　and　leaned　over　

the　parapet；　for　I　have　always　loved　to　look　upon　streams；　

especially　at　the　still　hours。　　'What　stream　is　this；　I　wonder？'　

said　I；　as　I　looked　down　from　the　parapet　into　the　water；　which　

whirled　and　gurgled　below。



Leaving　the　bridge；　I　ascended　a　gentle　acclivity；　and　presently　

reached　what　appeared　to　be　a　tract　of　moory　undulating　ground。　　It　

was　now　tolerably　light；　but　there　was　a　mist　or　haze　abroad　which　

prevented　my　seeing　objects　with　much　precision。　　I　felt　chill　in　

the　damp　air　of　the　early　morn；　and　walked　rapidly　forward。　　In　

about　half　an　hour　I　arrived　where　the　road　divided　into　two；　at　an　

angle　or　tongue　of　dark　green　sward。　　'To　the　right　or　the　left？'　

said　I；　and　forthwith　took；　without　knowing　why；　the　left…hand　

road；　along　which　I　proceeded　about　a　hundred　yards；　when；　in　the　

midst　of　the　tongue　of　sward　formed　by　the　two　roads；　collaterally　

with　myself；　I　perceived　what　I　at　first　conceived　to　be　a　small　

grove　of　blighted　trunks　of　oaks；　barked　and　gray。　　I　stood　still　

for　a　moment；　and　then；　turning　off　the　road；　ad