lavengro-第115部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



mantelpiece；　and　endeavour　to　conjure　up　some　comic　idea　or　

situation；　whilst　he　goes　on　talking　tomfoolery　by　the　hour　about　

Church　authority；　schismatics；　and　the　unlawfulness　of　sacerdotal　

wedlock；　occasionally　he　brings　with　him　a　strange　kind　of　being；　

whose　acquaintance　he　says　he　made　in　Italy；　I　believe　he　is　some　

sharking　priest　who　has　come　over　to　proselytise　and　plunder。　　This　

being　has　some　powers　of　conversation　and　some　learning；　but　

carries　the　countenance　of　an　arch　villain；　Platitude　is　evidently　

his　tool。'



'Of　what　religion　are　you？'　said　I　to　my　host。



'That　of　the　Vicar　of　Wakefield　…　good；　quiet；　Church　of　England；　

which　would　live　and　let　live；　practises　charity；　and　rails　at　no　

one；　where　the　priest　is　the　husband　of　one　wife；　takes　care　of　his　

family　and　his　parish　…　such　is　the　religion　for　me；　though　I　

confess　I　have　hitherto　thought　too　little　of　religious　matters。　　

When；　however；　I　have　completed　this　plaguy　work　on　which　I　am　

engaged；　I　hope　to　be　able　to　devote　more　attention　to　them。'



After　some　further　conversation；　the　subjects　being；　if　I　remember　

right；　college　education；　priggism；　church　authority；　tomfoolery；　

and　the　like；　I　rose　and　said　to　my　host；　'I　must　now　leave　you。'



'Whither　are　you　going？'



'I　do　not　know。'



'Stay　here；　then　…　you　shall　be　welcome　as　many　days；　months；　and　

years　as　you　please　to　stay。'



'Do　you　think　I　would　hang　upon　another　man？　　No；　not　if　he　were　

Emperor　of　all　the　Chinas。　　I　will　now　make　my　preparations；　and　

then　bid　you　farewell。'



I　retired　to　my　apartment　and　collected　the　handful　of　things　which　

I　carried　with　me　on　my　travels。



'I　will　walk　a　little　way　with　you；'　said　my　friend　on　my　return。



He　walked　with　me　to　the　park　gate；　neither　of　us　said　anything　by　

the　way。　　When　we　had　come　upon　the　road；　I　said；　'Farewell　now；　I　

will　not　permit　you　to　give　yourself　any　further　trouble　on　my　

account。　　Receive　my　best　thanks　for　your　kindness；　before　we　part；　

however；　I　should　wish　to　ask　you　a　question。　　Do　you　think　you　

shall　ever　grow　tired　of　authorship？'



'I　have　my　fears；'　said　my　friend；　advancing　his　hand　to　one　of　the　

iron　bars　of　the　gate。



'Don't　touch；'　said　I；　'it　is　a　bad　habit。　　I　have　but　one　word　to　

add：　　should　you　ever　grow　tired　of　authorship　follow　your　first　

idea　of　getting　into　Parliament；　you　have　words　enough　at　command；　

perhaps　you　want　manner　and　method；　but；　in　that　case；　you　must　

apply　to　a　teacher；　you　must　take　lessons　of　a　master　of　

elocution。'



'That　would　never　do！'　said　my　host；　'I　know　myself　too　well　to　

think　of　applying　for　assistance　to　any　one。　　Were　I　to　become　a　

parliamentary　orator；　I　should　wish　to　be　an　original　one；　even　if　

not　above　mediocrity。　　What　pleasure　should　I　take　in　any　speech　I　

might　make；　however　original　as　to　thought；　provided　the　gestures　I　

employed　and　the　very　modulation　of　my　voice　were　not　my　own？　　Take　

lessons；　indeed！　why；　the　fellow　who　taught　me；　the　professor；　

might　be　standing　in　the　gallery　whilst　I　spoke；　and；　at　the　best　

parts　of　my　speech；　might　say　to　himself；　〃That　gesture　is　mine　…　

that　modulation　is　mine。〃　　I　could　not　bear　the　thought　of　such　a　

thing。'



'Farewell；'　said　I；　'and　may　you　prosper。　　I　have　nothing　more　to　

say。'



I　departed。　　At　the　distance　of　twenty　yards　I　turned　round　

suddenly；　my　friend　was　just　withdrawing　his　finger　from　the　bar　of　

the　gate。



'He　has　been　touching；'　said　I；　as　I　proceeded　on　my　way；　'I　wonder　

what　was　the　evil　chance　he　wished　to　baffle。'







CHAPTER　LXVIII







Elastic　step　…　Disconsolate　party　…　Not　the　season　…　Mend　your　

draught　…　Good　ale　…　Crotchet　…　Hammer　and　tongs　…　Schoolmaster　…　

True　Eden　life　…　Flaming　Tinman　…　Twice　my　size　…　Hard　at　work　…　My　

poor　wife　…　Grey　Moll　…　A　Bible　…　Half…and…half　…　What　to　do　…　Half　

inclined　…　In　no　time　…　On　one　condition　…　Don't　stare　…　Like　the　

wind。



AFTER　walking　some　time；　I　found　myself　on　the　great　road；　at　the　

same　spot　where　I　had　turned　aside　the　day　before　with　my　new…made　

acquaintance；　in　the　direction　of　his　house。　　I　now　continued　my　

journey　as　before；　towards　the　north。　　The　weather；　though　

beautiful；　was　much　cooler　than　it　had　been　for　some　time　past；　I　

walked　at　a　great　rate；　with　a　springing　and　elastic　step。　　In　

about　two　hours　I　came　to　where　a　kind　of　cottage　stood　a　little　

way　back　from　the　road；　with　a　huge　oak　before　it；　under　the　shade　

of　which　stood　a　little　pony　and　a　cart；　which　seemed　to　contain　

various　articles。　　I　was　going　past　…　when　I　saw　scrawled　over　the　

door　of　the　cottage；　'Good　beer　sold　here'；　upon　which；　feeling　

myself　all　of　a　sudden　very　thirsty；　I　determined　to　go　in　and　

taste　the　beverage。



I　entered　a　well…sanded　kitchen；　and　seated　myself　on　a　bench；　on　

one　side　of　a　long　white　table；　the　other　side；　which　was　nearest　

to　the　wall；　was　occupied　by　a　party；　or　rather　family；　consisting　

of　a　grimy…looking　man；　somewhat　under　the　middle　size；　dressed　in　

faded　velveteens；　and　wearing　a　leather　apron　…　a　rather　pretty…

looking　woman；　but　sun…burnt；　and　meanly　dressed；　and　two　ragged　

children；　a　boy　and　girl；　about　four　or　five　years　old。　　The　man　

sat　with　his　eyes　fixed　upon　the　table；　supporting　his　chin　with　

both　his　hands；　the　woman；　who　was　next　him；　sat　quite　still；　save　

that　occasionally　she　turned　a　glance　upon　her　husband　with　eyes　

that　appeared　to　have　been　lately　crying。　　The　children　had　none　of　

the　vivacity　so　general　at　their　age。　　A　more　disconsolate　family　I　

had　never　seen；　a　mug；　which；　when　filled；　might　contain　half　a　

pint；　stood　empty　before　them；　a　very　disconsolate　party　indeed。



'House！'　said　I；　'House！'　and　then；　as　nobody　appeared；　I　cried　

again　as　loud　as　I　could；　'House！　do　you　hear　me；　House！'



'What's　your　pleasure；　young　man？'　said　an　elderly　woman；　who　now　

made　her　appearance　from　a　side　apartment。



'To　taste　your　ale；'　said　I。



'How　much？'　said　the　woman；　stretching　out　her　hand　towards　the　

empty　mug　upon　the　table。



'The　largest　measure…full　in　your　house；'　said　I；　putting　back　her　

hand　gently。　　'This　is　not　the　season　for　half…pint　mugs。'



'As　you　will；　young　man；'　said　the　landlady；　and　presently　brought　

in　an　earthen　pitcher　which　might　contain　about　three　pints；　and　

which　foamed　and　frothed　withal。



'Will　this　pay　for　it？'　said　I；　putting　down　sixpence。



'I　have　to　return　you　a　penny；'　said　the　landlady；　putting　her　hand　

into　her　pocket。



'I　want　no　change；'　said　I；　flourishing　my　hand　with　an　air。



'As　you　please；　young　gentleman；'　said　the　landlady；　and　then；　

making　a　kind　of　curtsey；　she　again　retired　to　the　side　apartment。



'Here　is　your　health；　sir；'　said　I　to　the　grimy…looking　man；　as　I　

raised　the　pitcher　to　my　lips。



The　tinker；　for　such　I　supposed　him　to　be；　without　altering　his　

posture；　r