lavengro-第118部分

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then　thrusts　the　end　of　it　into　my　mouth　with　such　fury　that　it　

made　my　lips　bleed；　and　broke　short　one　of　my　teeth　which　happened　

to　be　decayed。　　'Swear；'　said　he；　'swear；　you　mumping　villain；　take　

your　Bible　oath　that　you　will　quit　and　give　up　the　beat　altogether；　

or　I'll　…　and　then　the　hard…hearted　villain　made　me　swear　by　the　

Bible；　and　my　own　damnation；　half…throttled　as　I　was；　to　…　to　…　I　

can't　go　on　…　



MYSELF。　　Take　another　draught　…　stout　liquor　…



TINKER。　　I　can't；　young　man；　my　heart's　too　full；　and　what's　more；　

the　pitcher　is　empty。



MYSELF。　　And　so　he　swore　you；　I　suppose；　on　the　Bible；　to　quit　the　

roads？



TINKER。　　You　are　right；　he　did　so；　the　gypsy　villain。



MYSELF。　　Gypsy！　　Is　he　a　gypsy？



TINKER。　　Not　exactly；　what　they　call　a　half…and…half。　　His　father　

was　a　gypsy；　and　his　mother；　like　mine；　one　who　walked　the　roads。



MYSELF。　　Is　he　of　the　Smiths　…　the　Petulengres？



TINKER。　　I　say；　young　man；　you　know　a　thing　or　two；　one　would　

think；　to　hear　you　talk；　you　had　been　bred　upon　the　roads。　　I　

thought　none　but　those　bred　upon　the　roads　knew　anything　of　that　

name　…　Petulengres！　　No；　not　he；　he　fights　the　Petulengres　whenever　

he　meets　them；　he　likes　nobody　but　himself；　and　wants　to　be　king　of　

the　roads。　　I　believe　he　is　a　Boss；　or　a　…　at　any　rate　he's　a　bad　

one；　as　I　know　to　my　cost。



MYSELF。　　And　what　are　you　going　to　do？



TINKER。　　Do！　you　may　well　ask　that；　I　don't　know　what　to　do。　　My　

poor　wife　and　I　have　been　talking　of　that　all　the　morning；　over　

that　half…pint　mug　of　beer；　we　can't　determine　on　what's　to　be　

done。　　All　we　know　is；　that　we　must　quit　the　roads。　　The　villain　

swore　that　the　next　time　he　saw　us　on　the　roads　he'd　cut　all　our　

throats；　and　seize　our　horse　and　bit　of　a　cart　that　are　now　

standing　out　there　under　the　tree。



MYSELF。　　And　what　do　you　mean　to　do　with　your　horse　and　cart？



TINKER。　　Another　question！　　What　shall　we　do　with　our　cart　and　

pony？　they　are　of　no　use　to　us　now。　　Stay　on　the　roads　I　will　not；　

both　for　my　oath's　sake　and　my　own。　　If　we　had　a　trifle　of　money；　

we　were　thinking　of　going　to　Bristol；　where　I　might　get　up　a　little　

business；　but　we　have　none；　our　last　three　farthings　we　spent　about　

the　mug　of　beer。



MYSELF。　　But　why　don't　you　sell　your　horse　and　cart？



TINKER。　　Sell　them！　and　who　would　buy　them；　unless　some　one　who　

wished　to　set　up　in　my　line；　but　there's　no　beat；　and　what's　the　

use　of　the　horse　and　cart　and　the　few　tools　without　the　beat？



MYSELF。　　I'm　half　inclined　to　buy　your　cart　and　pony；　and　your　beat　

too。



TINKER。　　You！　　How　came　you　to　think　of　such　a　thing？



MYSELF。　　Why；　like　yourself；　I　hardly　know　what　to　do。　　I　want　a　

home　and　work。　　As　for　a　home；　I　suppose　I　can　contrive　to　make　a　

home　out　of　your　tent　and　cart；　and　as　for　work；　I　must　learn　to　be　

a　tinker；　it　would　not　be　hard　for　one　of　my　trade　to　learn　to　

tinker；　what　better　can　I　do？　　Would　you　have　me　go　to　Chester　and　

work　there　now？　　I　don't　like　the　thoughts　of　it。　　If　I　go　to　

Chester　and　work　there；　I　can't　be　my　own　man；　I　must　work　under　a　

master；　and　perhaps　he　and　I　should　quarrel；　and　when　I　quarrel　I　

am　apt　to　hit　folks；　and　those　that　hit　folks　are　sometimes　sent　to　

prison；　I　don't　like　the　thought　either　of　going　to　Chester　or　to　

Chester　prison。　　What　do　you　think　I　could　earn　at　Chester？



TINKER。　　A　matter　of　eleven　shillings　a　week；　if　anybody　would　

employ　you；　which　I　don't　think　they　would　with　those　hands　of　

yours。　　But　whether　they　would　or　not；　if　you　are　of　a　quarrelsome　

nature　you　must　not　go　to　Chester；　you　would　be　in　the　castle　in　no　

time。　　I　don't　know　how　to　advise　you。　　As　for　selling　you　my　

stock；　I'd　see　you　farther　first；　for　your　own　sake。



MYSELF。　　Why？



TINKER。　　Why！　you　would　get　your　head　knocked　off。　　Suppose　you　

were　to　meet　him？



MYSELF。　　Pooh；　don't　be　afraid　on　my　account；　if　I　were　to　meet　him　

I　could　easily　manage　him　one　way　or　other。　　I　know　all　kinds　of　

strange　words　and　names；　and；　as　I　told　you　before；　I　sometimes　hit　

people　when　they　put　me　out。



Here　the　tinker's　wife；　who　for　some　minutes　past　had　been　

listening　attentively　to　our　discourse；　interposed；　saying；　in　a　

low　soft　tone：　　'I　really　don't　see；　John；　why　you　shouldn't　sell　

the　young　man　the　things；　seeing　that　he　wishes　for　them；　and　is　so　

confident；　you　have　told　him　plainly　how　matters　stand；　and　if　

anything　ill　should　befall　him；　people　couldn't　lay　the　blame　on　

you；　but　I　don't　think　any　ill　will　befall　him；　and　who　knows　but　

God　has　sent　him　to　our　assistance　in　time　of　need？'



'I'll　hear　of　no　such　thing；'　said　the　tinker；　'I　have　drunk　at　the　

young　man's　expense；　and　though　he　says　he's　quarrelsome；　I　would　

not　wish　to　sit　in　pleasanter　company。　　A　pretty　fellow　I　should　

be；　now；　if　I　were　to　let　him　follow　his　own　will。　　If　he　once　sets　

up　on　my　beat；　he's　a　lost　man；　his　ribs　will　be　stove　in；　and　his　

head　knocked　off　his　shoulders。　　There；　you　are　crying；　but　you　

shan't　have　your　will　though；　I　won't　be　the　young　man's　

destruction　。　。　。　If；　indeed；　I　thought　he　could　manage　the　tinker　

…　but　he　never　can；　he　says　he　can　hit；　but　it's　no　use　hitting　the　

tinker；　…　crying　still！　you　are　enough　to　drive　one　mad。　　I　say；　

young　man；　I　believe　you　understand　a　thing　or　two；　just　now　you　

were　talking　of　knowing　hard　words　and　names　…　I　don't　wish　to　send　

you　to　your　mischief　…　you　say　you　know　hard　words　and　names；　let　

us　see。　　Only　on　one　condition　I'll　sell　you　the　pony　and　things；　

as　for　the　beat　it's　gone；　isn't　mine　…　sworn　away　by　my　own　mouth。　　

Tell　me　what's　my　name；　if　you　can't；　may　I　…　'



MYSELF。　　Don't　swear；　it's　a　bad　habit；　neither　pleasant　nor　

profitable。　　Your　name　is　Slingsby　…　Jack　Slingsby。　　There；　don't　

stare；　there's　nothing　in　my　telling　you　your　name：　　I've　been　in　

these　parts　before；　at　least　not　very　far　from　here。　　Ten　years　

ago；　when　I　was　little　more　than　a　child；　I　was　about　twenty　miles　

from　here　in　a　post…chaise；　at　the　door　of　an　inn；　and　as　I　looked　

from　the　window　of　the　chaise；　I　saw　you　standing　by　a　gutter；　with　

a　big　tin　ladle　in　your　hand；　and　somebody　called　you　Jack　

Slingsby。　　I　never　forget　anything　I　hear　or　see；　I　can't；　I　wish　I　

could。　　So　there's　nothing　strange　in　my　knowing　your　name；　indeed；　

there's　nothing　strange　in　anything；　provided　you　examine　it　to　the　

bottom。　　Now　what　am　I　to　give　you　for　the　things？



I　paid　Slingsby　five　pounds　ten　shillings　for　his　stock　in　trade；　

cart；　and　pony　…　purchased　sundry　provisions　of　the　landlady；　also　

a　wagoner's　frock；　which　had　belonged　to　a　certain　son　of　hers；　

deceased；　gave　my　little　animal　a　feed　of　corn；　and　prepared　to　

depart。



'God　bless　you；　young　man；'　said　Slingsby；　shaking　me　by　the　hand；　

'you　are　the　best　friend　I've　had　for　many　a　day：　　I　have　but　one　

thing　to　tell　you；　Don't　cross　that　fellow's　path　if　y