lavengro-第156部分

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won't　take　it。'



'Yes；　you　shall；'　said　I；　'but　not　in　payment　for　anything　I　have　

had　myself：　　it　shall　serve　to　pay　for　a　jug　of　ale　for　that　

gentleman；'　said　I；　pointing　to　the　simple…looking　individual；　'he　

is　smoking　a　poor　pipe。　　I　do　not　mean　to　say　that　a　pipe　is　a　bad　

thing；　but　a　pipe　without　ale；　do　you　see　…　'



'Bravo！'　said　the　landlord；　'that's　just　the　conduct　I　like。'



'Bravo！'　said　Hunter。　　'I　shall　be　happy　to　drink　with　the　young　

man　whenever　I　meet　him　at　New　York；　where；　do　you　see；　things　are　

better　managed　than　here。'



'If　I　have　given　offence　to　anybody；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'I　

repeat　that　I　ask　pardon；　…　more　especially　to　the　young　gentleman；　

who　was　perfectly　right　to　stand　up　for　his　religion；　just　as　I　…　

not　that　I　am　of　any　particular　religion；　no　more　than　this　honest　

gentleman　here；'　bowing　to　Hunter；　'but　I　happen　to　know　something　

of　the　Catholics　…　several　excellent　friends　of　mine　are　Catholics　

…　and　of　a　surety　the　Catholic　religion　is　an　ancient　religion；　and　

a　widely…extended　religion；　though　it　certainly　is　not　a　universal　

religion；　but　it　has　of　late　made　considerable　progress；　even　

amongst　those　nations　who　have　been　particularly　opposed　to　it　…　

amongst　the　Prussians　and　the　Dutch；　for　example；　to　say　nothing　of　

the　English；　and　then；　in　the　East；　amongst　the　Persians；　amongst　

the　Armenians。'



'The　Armenians；'　said　I；　'oh　dear　me；　the　Armenians　…　'



'Have　you　anything　to　say　about　those　people；　sir？'　said　the　man　in　

black；　lifting　up　his　glass　to　his　mouth。



'I　have　nothing　further　to　say；'　said　I；　'than　that　the　roots　of　

Ararat　are　occasionally　found　to　be　deeper　than　those　of　Rome。'



'There's　half…a…crown　broke；'　said　the　landlord；　as　the　man　in　

black　let　fall　the　glass；　which　was　broken　to　pieces　on　the　floor。　　

'You　will　pay　me　the　damage；　friend；　before　you　leave　this　kitchen。　　

I　like　to　see　people　drink　freely　in　my　kitchen；　but　not　too　

freely；　and　I　hate　breakages；　because　why？　　I　keeps　a　decent　kind　

of　an　establishment。'







CHAPTER　LXXXIX







The　dingle　…　Give　them　ale　…　Not　over　complimentary　…　America　…　

Many　people　…　Washington　…　Promiscuous　company　…　Language　of　the　

roads　…　The　old　women　…　Numerals　…　The　man　in　black。



THE　public…house　where　the　scenes　which　I　have　attempted　to　

describe　in　the　preceding　chapters　took　place；　was　at　the　distance　

of　about　two　miles　from　the　dingle。　　The　sun　was　sinking　in　the　

west　by　the　time　I　returned　to　the　latter　spot。　　I　found　Belle　

seated　by　a　fire；　over　which　her　kettle　was　suspended。　　During　my　

absence　she　had　prepared　herself　a　kind　of　tent；　consisting　of　

large　hoops　covered　over　with　tarpaulins；　quite　impenetrable　to　

rain；　however　violent。　　'I　am　glad　you　are　returned；'　said　she；　as　

soon　as　she　perceived　me；　'I　began　to　be　anxious　about　you。　　Did　

you　take　my　advice？'



'Yes；'　said　I；　'I　went　to　the　public…house　and　drank　ale；　as　you　

advised　me；　it　cheered；　strengthened；　and　drove　away　the　horror　

from　my　mind　…　I　am　much　beholden　to　you。'



'I　knew　it　would　do　you　good；'　said　Belle；　'I　remembered　that　when　

the　poor　women　in　the　great　house　were　afflicted　with　hysterics；　

and　fearful　imaginings；　the　surgeon；　who　was　a　good　kind　man；　used　

to　say；　〃Ale；　give　them　ale；　and　let　it　be　strong。〃'



'He　was　no　advocate　for　tea；　then？'　said　I。



'He　had　no　objection　to　tea；　but　he　used　to　say；　〃Everything　in　its　

season。〃　　Shall　we　take　ours　now？　…　I　have　waited　for　you。'



'I　have　no　objection；'　said　I；　'I　feel　rather　heated；　and　at　

present　should　prefer　tea　to　ale　…　〃Everything　in　its　season；〃　as　

the　surgeon　said。'



Thereupon　Belle　prepared　tea；　and；　as　we　were　taking　it；　she　said　…　

'What　did　you　see　and　hear　at　the　public…house？'



'Really；'　said　I；　'you　appear　to　have　your　full　portion　of　

curiosity；　what　matters　it　to　you　what　I　saw　and　heard　at　the　

public…house？'



'It　matters　very　little　to　me；'　said　Belle；　'I　merely　inquired　of　

you；　for　the　sake　of　a　little　conversation　…　you　were　silent；　and　

it　is　uncomfortable　for　two　people　to　sit　together　without　opening　

their　lips　…　at　least　I　think　so。'



'One　only　feels　uncomfortable；'　said　I；　'in　being　silent；　when　one　

happens　to　be　thinking　of　the　individual　with　whom　one　is　in　

company。　　To　tell　you　the　truth；　I　was　not　thinking　of　my　

companion；　but　of　certain　company　with　whom　I　had　been　at　the　

public…house。'



'Really；　young　man；'　said　Belle；　'you　are　not　over　complimentary；　

but　who　may　this　wonderful　company　have　been　…　some　young　…　？'　and　

here　Belle　stopped。



'No；'　said　I；　'there　was　no　young　person　…　if　person　you　were　going　

to　say。　　There　was　a　big　portly　landlord；　whom　I　daresay　you　have　

seen；　a　noisy　savage　Radical；　who　wanted　at　first　to　fasten　upon　me　

a　quarrel　about　America；　but　who　subsequently　drew　in　his　horns；　

then　there　was　a　strange　fellow；　a　prowling　priest；　I　believe；　whom　

I　have　frequently　heard　of；　who　at　first　seemed　disposed　to　side　

with　the　Radical　against　me；　and　afterwards　with　me　against　the　

Radical。　　There；　you　know　my　company；　and　what　took　place。'



'Was　there　no　one　else？'　said　Belle。



'You　are　mighty　curious；'　said　I。　　'No；　none　else；　except　a　poor　

simple　mechanic；　and　some　common　company；　who　soon　went　away。'



Belle　looked　at　me　for　a　moment；　and　then　appeared　to　be　lost　in　

thought　…　'America！'　said　she；　musingly　…　'America！'



'What　of　America？'　said　I。



'I　have　heard　that　it　is　a　mighty　country。'



'I　daresay　it　is；'　said　I；　'I　have　heard　my　father　say　that　the　

Americans　are　first…rate　marksmen。'



'I　heard　nothing　about　that；'　said　Belle；　'what　I　heard　was；　that　

it　is　a　great　and　goodly　land；　where　people　can　walk　about　without　

jostling；　and　where　the　industrious　can　always　find　bread；　I　have　

frequently　thought　of　going　thither。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'the　Radical　in　the　public…house　will　perhaps　be　

glad　of　your　company　thither；　he　is　as　great　an　admirer　of　America　

as　yourself；　though　I　believe　on　different　grounds。'



'I　shall　go　by　myself；'　said　Belle；　'unless　…　unless　that　should　

happen　which　is　not　likely　…　I　am　not　fond　of　Radicals　no　more　than　

I　am　of　scoffers　and　mockers。'



'Do　you　mean　to　say　that　I　am　a　scoffer　and　mocker？'



'I　don't　wish　to　say　you　are；'　said　Belle；　'but　some　of　your　words　

sound　strangely　like　scoffing　and　mocking。　　I　have　now　one　thing　to　

beg；　which　is；　that　if　you　have　anything　to　say　against　America；　

you　would　speak　it　out　boldly。'



'What　should　I　have　to　say　against　America？　　I　never　was　there。'



'Many　people　speak　against　America　who　never　were　there。'



'Many　people　speak　in　praise　of　America　who　never　were　there；　but　

with　respect　to　myself；　I　have　not　spoken　for　or　against　America。'



'If　you　liked　America　you　would　speak　in　its　praise。'



'By　the　same　rule；　if　I　disliked　America　I　should　speak　against　

it。'