lavengro-第142部分

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and　spoke；　and　these　were　the　words　she　said；　〃It　was　all　along　of　

your　Pal〃；　and　then　she　told　me　all　about　the　matter　…　how　Mrs。　

Herne　could　not　abide　you；　which　I　knew　before；　and　that　she　had　

sworn　your　destruction；　which　I　did　not　know　before。　　And　then　she　

told　me　how　she　found　you　living　in　the　wood　by　yourself；　and　how　

you　were　enticed　to　eat　a　poisoned　cake；　and　she　told　me　many　other　

things　that　you　wot　of；　and　she　told　me　what　perhaps　you　don't　wot；　

namely；　that　finding　you　had　been　removed；　she；　the　child；　had　

tracked　you　a　long　way；　and　found　you　at　last　well　and　hearty；　and　

no　ways　affected　by　the　poison；　and　heard　you；　as　she　stood　

concealed；　disputing　about　religion　with　a　Welsh　Methody。　　Well；　

brother；　she　told　me　all　this；　and；　moreover；　that　when　Mrs。　Herne　

heard　of　it；　she　said　that　a　dream　of　hers　had　come　to　pass。　　I　

don't　know　what　it　was；　but　something　about　herself；　a　tinker；　and　

a　dean；　and　then　she　added　that　it　was　all　up　with　her；　and　that　

she　must　take　a　long　journey。　　Well；　brother；　that　same　night　

Leonora；　waking　from　her　sleep　in　the　tent　where　Mrs。　Herne　and　she　

were　wont　to　sleep；　missed　her　bebee；　and；　becoming　alarmed；　went　

in　search　of　her；　and　at　last　found　her　hanging　from　a　branch；　and　

when　the　child　had　got　so　far；　she　took　on　violently；　and　I　could　

not　get　another　word　from　her；　so　I　left　her；　and　here　I　am。'



'And　I　am　glad　to　see　you；　Mr。　Petulengro；　but　this　is　sad　news　

which　you　tell　me　about　Mrs。　Herne。'



'Somewhat　dreary；　brother；　yet；　perhaps；　after　all；　it　is　a　good　

thing　that　she　is　removed；　she　carried　so　much　Devil's　tinder　about　

with　her；　as　the　man　said。'



'I　am　sorry　for　her；'　said　I；　'more　especially　as　I　am　the　cause　of　

her　death　…　though　the　innocent　one。'



'She　could　not　bide　you；　brother；　that's　certain；　but　that　is　no　

reason'　…　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　balancing　himself　upon　the　saddle　…　

'that　is　no　reason　why　she　should　prepare　drow　to　take　away　your　

essence　of　life；　and；　when　disappointed；　to　hang　herself　upon　a　

tree：　　if　she　was　dissatisfied　with　you；　she　might　have　flown　at　

you；　and　scratched　your　face；　or；　if　she　did　not　judge　herself　your　

match；　she　might　have　put　down　five　shillings　for　a　turn…up　between　

you　and　some　one　she　thought　could　beat　you　…　myself；　for　example　…　

and　so　the　matter　might　have　ended　comfortably；　but　she　was　always　

too　fond　of　covert　ways；　drows；　and　brimstones。　　This　is　not　the　

first　poisoning　affair　she　has　been　engaged　in。'



'You　allude　to　drabbing　bawlor。'



'Bah！'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'there's　no　harm　in　that。　　No；　no！　she　

has　cast　drows　in　her　time　for　other　guess　things　than　bawlor；　both　

Gorgios　and　Romans　have　tasted　of　them；　and　died。　　Did　you　never　

hear　of　the　poisoned　plum　pudding？'



'Never。'



'Then　I　will　tell　you　about　it。　　It　happened　about　six　years　ago；　a　

few　months　after　she　had　quitted　us　…　she　had　gone　first　amongst　

her　own　people；　as　she　called　them；　but　there　was　another　small　

party　of　Romans；　with　whom　she　soon　became　very　intimate。　　It　so　

happened　that　this　small　party　got　into　trouble；　whether　it　was　

about　a　horse　or　an　ass；　or　passing　bad　money；　no　matter　to　you　and　

me；　who　had　no　hand　in　the　business；　three　or　four　of　them　were　

taken　and　lodged　in　…　Castle；　and　amongst　them　was　a　woman；　but　the　

sherengro；　or　principal　man　of　the　party；　and　who　it　seems　had　most　

hand　in　the　affair；　was　still　at　large。　　All　of　a　sudden　a　rumour　

was　spread　abroad　that　the　woman　was　about　to　play　false；　and　to　

'peach　the　rest。　　Said　the　principal　man；　when　he　heard　it；　〃If　she　

does；　I　am　nashkado。〃　　Mrs。　Herne　was　then　on　a　visit　to　the　party；　

and　when　she　heard　the　principal　man　take　on　so；　she　said；　〃But　I　

suppose　you　know　what　to　do？〃　　〃I　do　not；〃　said　he。　　〃Then　hir　mi　

devlis；〃　said　she；　〃you　are　a　fool。　　But　leave　the　matter　to　me；　I　

know　how　to　dispose　of　her　in　Roman　fashion。〃　　Why　she　wanted　to　

interfere　in　the　matter；　brother；　I　don't　know；　unless　it　was　from　

pure　brimstoneness　of　disposition　…　she　had　no　hand　in　the　matter　

which　had　brought　the　party　into　trouble　…　she　was　only　on　a　visit；　

and　it　had　happened　before　she　came；　but　she　was　always　ready　to　

give　dangerous　advice。　　Well；　brother；　the　principal　man　listened　

to　what　she　had　to　say；　and　let　her　do　what　she　would；　and　she　made　

a　pudding；　a　very　nice　one；　no　doubt　…　for；　besides　plums；　she　put　

in　drows　and　all　the　Roman　condiments　that　she　knew　of；　and　she　

gave　it　to　the　principal　man；　and　the　principal　put　it　into　a　

basket　and　directed　it　to　the　woman　in　…　Castle；　and　the　woman　in　

the　castle　took　it　and　…　〃



'Ate　of　it；'　said　I；　'just　like　my　case！'



'Quite　different；　brother；　she　took　it；　it　is　true；　but　instead　of　

giving　way　to　her　appetite；　as　you　might　have　done；　she　put　it　

before　the　rest　whom　she　was　going　to　impeach；　perhaps　she　wished　

to　see　how　they　liked　it　before　she　tasted　it　herself；　and　all　the　

rest　were　poisoned；　and　one　died；　and　there　was　a　precious　outcry；　

and　the　woman　cried　loudest　of　all；　and　she　said；　〃It　was　my　death　

was　sought　for；　I　know　the　man；　and　I'll　be　revenged。〃　　And　then　

the　Poknees　spoke　to　her　and　said；　〃Where　can　we　find　him？〃　and　she　

said；　〃I　am　awake　to　his　motions；　three　weeks　from　hence；　the　night　

before　the　full　moon；　at　such　and　such　an　hour；　he　will　pass　down　

such　a　lane　with　such　a　man。〃'



'Well；'　said　I；　'and　what　did　the　Poknees　do？'



'Do；　brother！　sent　for　a　plastramengro　from　Bow　Street；　quite　

secretly；　and　told　him　what　the　woman　had　said；　and　the　night　

before　the　full　moon；　the　plastramengro　went　to　the　place　which　the　

juwa　had　pointed　out；　all　alone；　brother；　and　in　order　that　he　

might　not　be　too　late；　he　went　two　hours　before　his　time。　　I　know　

the　place　well；　brother；　where　the　plastramengro　placed　himself　

behind　a　thick　holly　tree；　at　the　end　of　a　lane；　where　a　gate　leads　

into　various　fields；　through　which　there　is　a　path　for　carts　and　

horses。　　The　lane　is　called　the　dark　lane　by　the　Gorgios；　being　

much　shaded　by　trees。　　So　the　plastramengro　placed　himself　in　the　

dark　lane　behind　the　holly　tree；　it　was　a　cold　February　night；　

dreary　though；　the　wind　blew　in　gusts；　and　the　moon　had　not　yet　

risen；　and　the　plastramengro　waited　behind　the　tree　till　he　was　

tired；　and　thought　he　might　as　well　sit　down；　so　he　sat　down；　and　

was　not　long　in　falling　to　sleep；　and　there　he　slept　for　some　

hours；　and　when　he　awoke　the　moon　had　risen；　and　was　shining　

bright；　so　that　there　was　a　kind　of　moonlight　even　in　the　dark　

lane；　and　the　plastramengro　pulled　out　his　watch；　and　contrived　to　

make　out　that　it　was　just　two　hours　beyond　the　time　when　the　men　

should　have　passed　by。　　Brother；　I　do　not　know　what　the　

plastramengro　thought　of　himself；　but　I　know；　brother；　what　I　

should　have　thought　of　myself　in　his　situation。　　I　should　have　

thought；　brother；　that　I　was　a　drowsy　scoppelo；　and　that　I　had　let