lavengro-第172部分

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are　no　blacksmith；　no；　friend；　your　shoes　may　do　for　this　young　

gentlewoman's　animal；　but　I　shouldn't　like　to　have　my　horses　shod　

by　you；　unless　at　a　great　pinch　indeed。'



'Then；'　said　I；　'for　what　do　you　take　me？'



'Why；　for　some　runaway　young　gentleman；'　said　the　postilion。　　'No　

offence；　I　hope？'



'None　at　all；　no　one　is　offended　at　being　taken　or　mistaken　for　a　

young　gentleman；　whether　runaway　or　not；　but　from　whence　do　you　

suppose　I　have　run　away？'



'Why；　from　college；'　said　the　man：　　'no　offence？'



'None　whatever；　and　what　induced　me　to　run　away　from　college？'



'A　love　affair；　I'll　be　sworn；'　said　the　postilion。　　'You　had　

become　acquainted　with　this　young　gentlewoman；　so　she　and　you　…　'



'Mind　how　you　get　on；　friend；'　said　Belle；　in　a　deep　serious　tone。



'Pray　proceed；'　said　I；　'I　daresay　you　mean　no　offence。'



'None　in　the　world；'　said　the　postilion；　'all　I　was　going　to　say　

was；　that　you　agreed　to　run　away　together；　you　from　college；　and　

she　from　boarding…school。　　Well；　there's　nothing　to　be　ashamed　of　

in　a　matter　like　that；　such　things　are　done　every　day　by　young　

folks　in　high　life。'



'Are　you　offended？'　said　I　to　Belle。



Belle　made　no　answer；　but；　placing　her　elbows　on　her　knees；　buried　

her　face　in　her　hands。



'So　we　ran　away　together？'　said　I。



'Ay；　ay；'　said　the　postilion；　'to　Gretna　Green；　though　I　can't　say　

that　I　drove　ye；　though　I　have　driven　many　a　pair。'



'And　from　Gretna　Green　we　came　here？'



'I'll　be　bound　you　did；'　said　the　man；　'till　you　could　arrange　

matters　at　home。'



'And　the　horse…shoes？'　said　I。



'The　donkey…shoes　you　mean；'　answered　the　postilion；　'why；　I　

suppose　you　persuaded　the　blacksmith　who　married　you　to　give　you；　

before　you　left；　a　few　lessons　in　his　trade。'



'And　we　intend　to　stay　here　till　we　have　arranged　matters　at　home？'



'Ay；　ay；'　said　the　postilion；　'till　the　old　people　are　pacified；　

and　they　send　you　letters　directed　to　the　next　post　town；　to　be　

left　till　called　for；　beginning　with　〃Dear　children；〃　and　enclosing　

you　each　a　cheque　for　one　hundred　pounds；　when　you　will　leave　this　

place；　and　go　home　in　a　coach　like　gentlefolks；　to　visit　your　

governors；　I　should　like　nothing　better　than　to　have　the　driving　of　

you：　　and　then　there　will　be　a　grand　meeting　of　the　two　families；　

and　after　a　few　reproaches；　the　old　people　will　agree　to　do　

something　handsome　for　the　poor　thoughtless　things；　so　you　will　

have　a　genteel　house　taken　for　you；　and　an　annuity　allowed　you。　　

You　won't　get　much　the　first　year；　five　hundred　at　the　most；　in　

order　that　the　old　folks　may　let　you　feel　that　they　are　not　

altogether　satisfied　with　you；　and　that　you　are　yet　entirely　in　

their　power；　but　the　second；　if　you　don't　get　a　cool　thousand；　may　

I　catch　cold；　especially　should　young　madam　here　present　a　son　and　

heir　for　the　old　people　to　fondle；　destined　one　day　to　become　sole　

heir　of　the　two　illustrious　houses；　and　then　all　the　grand　folks　in　

the　neighbourhood；　who　have　…　bless　their　prudent　hearts！　…　kept　

rather　aloof　from　you　till　then；　for　fear　you　should　want　anything　

from　them　…　I　say　all　the　carriage　people　in　the　neighbourhood；　

when　they　see　how　swimmingly　matters　are　going　on；　will　come　in　

shoals　to　visit　you。'



'Really；'　said　I；　'you　are　getting　on　swimmingly。'



'Oh；'　said　the　postilion；　'I　was　not　a　gentleman's　servant　nine　

years　without　learning　the　ways　of　gentry；　and　being　able　to　know　

gentry　when　I　see　them。'



'And　what　do　you　say　to　all　this？'　I　demanded　of　Belle。



'Stop　a　moment；'　interposed　the　postilion；　'I　have　one　more　word　to　

say：…　and　when　you　are　surrounded　by　your　comforts；　keeping　your　

nice　little　barouche　and　pair；　your　coachman　and　livery　servant；　

and　visited　by　all　the　carriage　people　in　the　neighbourhood　…　to　

say　nothing　of　the　time　when　you　come　to　the　family　estates　on　the　

death　of　the　old　people　…　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　now　and　then　you　

look　back　with　longing　and　regret　to　the　days　when　you　lived　in　the　

damp　dripping　dingle；　had　no　better　equipage　than　a　pony　or　donkey　

cart；　and　saw　no　better　company　than　a　tramper　or　gypsy；　except　

once；　when　a　poor　postilion　was　glad　to　seat　himself　at　your　

charcoal　fire。'



'Pray；'　said　I；　'did　you　ever　take　lessons　in　elocution？'



'Not　directly；'　said　the　postilion；　'but　my　old　master；　who　was　in　

Parliament；　did；　and　so　did　his　son；　who　was　intended　to　be　an　

orator。　　A　great　professor　used　to　come　and　give　them　lessons；　and　

I　used　to　stand　and　listen；　by　which　means　I　picked　up　a　

considerable　quantity　of　what　is　called　rhetoric。　　In　what　I　last　

said；　I　was　aiming　at　what　I　have　heard　him　frequently　endeavouring　

to　teach　my　governors　as　a　thing　indispensably　necessary　in　all　

oratory；　a　graceful　pere　…　pere　…　peregrination。'



'Peroration；　perhaps？'



'Just　so；'　said　the　postilion；　'and　now　I'm　sure　I　am　not　mistaken　

about　you；　you　have　taken　lessons　yourself；　at　first　hand；　in　the　

college　vacations；　and　a　promising　pupil　you　were；　I　make　no　doubt。　　

Well；　your　friends　will　be　all　the　happier　to　get　you　back。　　Has　

your　governor　much　borough　interest？'



'I　ask　you　once　more；'　said　I；　addressing　myself　to　Belle；　'what　

you　think　of　the　history　which　this　good　man　has　made　for　us？'



'What　should　I　think　of　it；'　said　Belle；　still　keeping　her　face　

buried　in　her　hands；　'but　that　it　is　mere　nonsense？'



'Nonsense！'　said　the　postilion。



'Yes；'　said　the　girl；　'and　you　know　it。'



'May　my　leg　always　ache；　if　I　do；'　said　the　postilion；　patting　his　

leg　with　his　hand；　'will　you　persuade　me　that　this　young　man　has　

never　been　at　college？'



'I　have　never　been　at　college；　but　…　'



'Ay；　ay；'　said　the　postilion；　'but　…　'



'I　have　been　to　the　best　schools　in　Britain；　to　say　nothing　of　a　

celebrated　one　in　Ireland。'



'Well；　then；　it　comes　to　the　same　thing；'　said　the　postilion；　'or　

perhaps　you　know　more　than　if　you　had　been　at　college　…　and　your　

governor　…　'



'My　governor；　as　you　call　him；'　said　I；　'is　dead。'



'And　his　borough　interest？'



'My　father　had　no　borough　interest；'　said　I；　'had　he　possessed　any；　

he　would　perhaps　not　have　died；　as　he　did；　honourably　poor。'



'No；　no；'　said　the　postilion；　'if　he　had　had　borough　interest；　he　

wouldn't　have　been　poor；　nor　honourable；　though　perhaps　a　right　

honourable。　　However；　with　your　grand　education　and　genteel　

manners；　you　made　all　right　at　last　by　persuading　this　noble　young　

gentlewoman　to　run　away　from　boarding…school　with　you。'



'I　was　never　at　boarding…school；'　said　Belle；　'unless　you　call　…　'



'Ay；　ay；'　said　the　postilion；　'boarding…school　is　vulgar；　I　know：　　

I　beg　your　pardon；　I　ought　to　have　called　it　academy；　or　by　some　

other　much　finer　name　…　you　were　in　something　much　greater　than　a　

boarding…school。'



'There　you　are　right；'　said　Belle；　lifting　up　her　head　and　looking　

the　postilion　full　in　the