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lavengro-第12部分

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have heard people say that he is a ten times greater man than other 

folks; indeed; it stands to reason that he must be different from 

the rest; else people would not be so eager to see him。  Do you 

think; child; that people would be fools enough to run a matter of 

twenty or thirty miles to see the king; provided King George … '



'Haven't the French a king?' I demanded。



'Yes;' said the old man; 'or something much the same; and a queer 

one he is; not quite so big as King George; they say; but quite as 

terrible a fellow。  What of him?'



'Suppose he should come to Norman Cross!'



'What should he do at Norman Cross; child?'



'Why; you were talking about the vipers in your bag breaking their 

hearts; and so on; and their king coming to help them。  Now; 

suppose the French king should hear of his people being in trouble 

at Norman Cross; and … '



'He can't come; child;' said the old man; rubbing his hands; 'the 

water lies between。  The French don't like the water; neither 

vipers nor Frenchmen take kindly to the water; child。'



When the old man left the country; which he did a few days after 

the conversation which I have just related; he left me the reptile 

which he had tamed and rendered quite harmless by removing the 

fangs。  I was in the habit of feeding it with milk; and frequently 

carried it abroad with me in my walks。







CHAPTER V







The tent … Man and woman … Dark and swarthy … Manner of speaking … 

Bad money … Transfixed … Faltering tone … Little basket … High 

opinion … Plenty of good … Keeping guard … Tilted cart … Rubricals 

… Jasper … The right sort … The horseman of the lane … John Newton 

… The alarm … Gentle brothers。



ONE day it happened that; being on my rambles; I entered a green 

lane which I had never seen before; at first it was rather narrow; 

but as I advanced it became considerably wider; in the middle was a 

driftway with deep ruts; but right and left was a space carpeted 

with a sward of trefoil and clover; there was no lack of trees; 

chiefly ancient oaks; which; flinging out their arms from either 

side; nearly formed a canopy; and afforded a pleasing shelter from 

the rays of the sun; which was burning fiercely above。  Suddenly a 

group of objects attracted my attention。  Beneath one of the 

largest of the trees; upon the grass; was a kind of low tent or 

booth; from the top of which a thin smoke was curling; beside it 

stood a couple of light carts; whilst two or three lean horses or 

ponies were cropping the herbage which was growing nigh。  Wondering 

to whom this odd tent could belong; I advanced till I was close 

before it; when I found that it consisted of two tilts; like those 

of waggons; placed upon the ground and fronting each other; 

connected behind by a sail or large piece of canvas which was but 

partially drawn across the top; upon the ground; in the intervening 

space; was a fire; over which; supported by a kind of iron crowbar; 

hung a caldron; my advance had been so noiseless as not to alarm 

the inmates; who consisted of a man and woman; who sat apart; one 

on each side of the fire; they were both busily employed … the man 

was carding plaited straw; whilst the woman seemed to be rubbing 

something with a white powder; some of which lay on a plate beside 

her; suddenly the man looked up; and; perceiving me; uttered a 

strange kind of cry; and the next moment both the woman and himself 

were on their feet and rushing out upon me。



I retreated a few steps; yet without turning to flee。  I was not; 

however; without apprehension; which; indeed; the appearance of 

these two people was well calculated to inspire:  the woman was a 

stout figure; seemingly between thirty and forty; she wore no cap; 

and her long hair fell on either side of her head like horse…tails 

half…way down her waist; her skin was dark and swarthy; like that 

of a toad; and the expression of her countenance was particularly 

evil; her arms were bare; and her bosom was but half concealed by a 

slight bodice; below which she wore a coarse petticoat; her only 

other article of dress。  The man was somewhat younger; but of a 

figure equally wild; his frame was long and lathy; but his arms 

were remarkably short; his neck was rather bent; he squinted 

slightly; and his mouth was much awry; his complexion was dark; 

but; unlike that of the woman; was more ruddy than livid; there was 

a deep scar on his cheek; something like the impression of a 

halfpenny。  The dress was quite in keeping with the figure:  in his 

hat; which was slightly peaked; was stuck a peacock's feather; over 

a waistcoat of hide; untanned and with the hair upon it; he wore a 

rough jerkin of russet hue; smallclothes of leather; which had 

probably once belonged to a soldier; but with which pipeclay did 

not seem to have come in contact for many a year; protected his 

lower man as far as the knee; his legs were cased in long stockings 

of blue worsted; and on his shoes he wore immense old…fashioned 

buckles。



Such were the two beings who now came rushing upon me; the man was 

rather in advance; brandishing a ladle in his hand。



'So I have caught you at last;' said he; 'I'll teach ye; you young 

highwayman; to come skulking about my properties!'



Young as I was; I remarked that his manner of speaking was 

different from that of any people with whom I had been in the habit 

of associating。  It was quite as strange as his appearance; and yet 

it nothing resembled the foreign English which I had been in the 

habit of hearing through the palisades of the prison; he could 

scarcely be a foreigner。



'Your properties!' said I; 'I am in the King's Lane。  Why did you 

put them there; if you did not wish them to be seen?'



'On the spy;' said the woman; 'hey?  I'll drown him in the sludge 

in the toad…pond over the hedge。'



'So we will;' said the man; 'drown him anon in the mud!'



'Drown me; will you?' said I; 'I should like to see you!  What's 

all this about?  Was it because I saw you with your hands full of 

straw plait; and my mother there … '



'Yes;' said the woman; 'what was I about?'



MYSELF。  How should I know?  Making bad money; perhaps!



And it will be as well here to observe; that at this time there was 

much bad money in circulation in the neighbourhood; generally 

supposed to be fabricated by the prisoners; so that this false coin 

and straw plait formed the standard subjects of conversation at 

Norman Cross。



'I'll strangle thee;' said the beldame; dashing at me。  'Bad money; 

is it?'



'Leave him to me; wifelkin;' said the man; interposing; 'you shall 

now see how I'll baste him down the lane。'



MYSELF。  I tell you what; my chap; you had better put down that 

thing of yours; my father lies concealed within my tepid breast; 

and if to me you offer any harm or wrong; I'll call him forth to 

help me with his forked tongue。



MAN。  What
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