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lavengro-第168部分

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Is fire for a queen。'





'And on fairer form of queen ash fire never shone;' said I; 'than 

on thine; O beauteous queen of the dingle。'



'I am half disposed to be angry with you; young man;' said Belle。



'And why not entirely?' said I。



Belle made no reply。



'Shall I tell you?' I demanded。  'You had no objection to the first 

part of the speech; but you did not like being called queen of the 

dingle。  Well; if I had the power; I would make you queen of 

something better than the dingle … Queen of China。  Come; let us 

have tea。'



'Something less would content me;' said Belle; sighing; as she rose 

to prepare our evening meal。



So we took tea together; Belle and I。  'How delicious tea is after 

a hot summer's day and a long walk;' said she。



'I daresay it is most refreshing then;' said I; 'but I have heard 

people say that they most enjoy it on a cold winter's night; when 

the kettle is hissing on the fire; and their children playing on 

the hearth。'



Belle sighed。  'Where does tea come from?' she presently demanded。



'From China;' said I; 'I just now mentioned it; and the mention of 

it put me in mind of tea。'



'What kind of country is China?'



'I know very little about it; all I know is; that it is a very 

large country far to the East; but scarcely large enough to contain 

its inhabitants; who are so numerous; that though China does not 

cover one…ninth part of the world; its inhabitants amount to one…

third of the population of the world。'



'And do they talk as we do?'



'Oh no!  I know nothing of their language; but I have heard that it 

is quite different from all others; and so difficult that none but 

the cleverest people amongst foreigners can master it; on which 

account; perhaps; only the French pretend to know anything about 

it。'



'Are the French so very clever; then?' said Belle。



'They say there are no people like them; at least in Europe。  But 

talking of Chinese reminds me that I have not for some time past 

given you a lesson in Armenian。  The word for tea in Armenian is … 

by the bye what is the Armenian word for tea?'



'That's your affair; not mine;' said Belle; 'it seems hard that the 

master should ask the scholar。'



'Well;' said I; 'whatever the word may be in Armenian; it is a 

noun; and as we have never yet declined an Armenian noun together; 

we may as well take this opportunity of declining one。  Belle; 

there are ten declensions in Armenian!



'What's a declension?'



'The way of declining a noun。'



'Then; in the civilest way imaginable; I decline the noun。  Is that 

a declension?'



'You should never play on words; to do so is low; vulgar; smelling 

of the pothouse; the workhouse。  Belle; I insist on your declining 

an Armenian noun。'



'I have done so already;' said Belle。



'If you go on in this way;' said I; 'I shall decline taking any 

more tea with you。  Will you decline an Armenian noun?'



'I don't like the language;' said Belle。  'If you must teach me 

languages; why not teach me French or Chinese?'



'I know nothing of Chinese; and as for French; none but a Frenchman 

is clever enough to speak it … to say nothing of teaching; no; we 

will stick to Armenian; unless; indeed; you would prefer Welsh!'



'Welsh; I have heard; is vulgar;' said Belle; 'so; if I must learn 

one of the two; I will prefer Armenian; which I never heard of till 

you mentioned it to me; though; of the two; I really think Welsh 

sounds best。'



'The Armenian noun;' said I; 'which I propose for your declension 

this night; is …; which signifieth Master。'



'I neither like the word nor the sound;' said Belle。



'I can't help that;' said I; 'it is the word I choose:  Master; 

with all its variations; being the first noun the sound of which I 

would have you learn from my lips。  Come; let us begin …



'A master。  Of a master; etc。  Repeat … '



'I am not much used to say the word;' said Belle; 'but to oblige 

you I will decline it as you wish'; and thereupon Belle declined 

Master in Armenian。



'You have declined the noun very well;' said I; 'that is in the 

singular number; we will now go to the plural。'



'What is the plural?' said Belle。



'That which implies more than one; for example; Masters; you shall 

now go through masters in Armenian。'



'Never;' said Belle; 'never; it is bad to have one master; but more 

I would never bear; whether in Armenian or English。'



'You do not understand;' said I; 'I merely want you to decline 

Masters in Armenian。'



'I do decline them; I will have nothing to do with them; nor with 

master either; I was wrong to … What sound is that?'



'I did not hear it; but I daresay it is thunder; in Armenian … '



'Never mind what it is in Armenian; but why do you think it is 

thunder?'



'Ere I returned from my stroll; I looked up into the heavens; and 

by their appearance I judged that a storm was nigh at hand。'



'And why did you not tell me so?'



'You never asked me about the state of the atmosphere; and I am not 

in the habit of giving my opinion to people on any subject; unless 

questioned。  But; setting that aside; can you blame me for not 

troubling you with forebodings about storm and tempest; which might 

have prevented the pleasure you promised yourself in drinking tea; 

or perhaps a lesson in Armenian; though you pretend to dislike the 

latter?'



'My dislike is not pretended;' said Belle; 'I hate the sound of it; 

but I love my tea; and it was kind of you not to wish to cast a 

cloud over my little pleasures; the thunder came quite time enough 

to interrupt it without being anticipated … there is another peal … 

I will clear away; and see that my tent is in a condition to resist 

the storm; and I think you had better bestir yourself。'



Isopel departed; and I remained seated on my stone; as nothing 

belonging to myself required any particular attention; in about a 

quarter of an hour she returned; and seated herself upon her stool。



'How dark the place is become since I left you;' said she; 'just as 

if night were just at hand。'



'Look up at the sky;' said I; 'and you will not wonder; it is all 

of a deep olive。  The wind is beginning to rise; hark how it moans 

among the branches; and see how their tops are bending; it brings 

dust on its wings … I felt some fall on my face; and what is this; 

a drop of rain?'



'We shall have plenty anon;' said Belle; 'do you hear? it already 

begins to hiss upon the embers; that fire of ours will soon be 

extinguished。'



'It is not probable that we shall want it;' said I; 'but we had 

better seek shelter:  let us go into my tent。'



'Go in;' said Belle; 'but you go in alone; as for me; I will seek 

my own。'



'You are right;' said I; 'to be afraid of me; I have taught you to 

decline master in Armenian。'



'You almost tempt me;' said Belle; 'to make you decline m
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