lavengro-第175部分

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country　some　time；　I　attended　the　family　in　a　trip　of　six　weeks　

which　they　made　to　London。　　Whilst　there；　happening　to　have　some　

words　with　an　old　ill…tempered　coachman；　who　had　been　for　a　great　

many　years　in　the　family；　my　master　advised　me　to　leave；　offering　

to　recommend　me　to　a　family　of　his　acquaintance　who　were　in　need　of　

a　footman。　　I　was　glad　to　accept　his　offer；　and　in　a　few　days　went　

to　my　new　place。　　My　new　master　was　one　of　the　great　gentry；　a　

baronet　in　Parliament；　and　possessed　of　an　estate　of　about　twenty　

thousand　a　year；　his　family　consisted　of　his　lady；　a　son；　a　fine　

young　man　just　coming　of　age；　and　two　very　sweet　amiable　daughters。　　

I　liked　this　place　much　better　than　my　first；　there　was　so　much　

more　pleasant　noise　and　bustle　…　so　much　more　grand　company；　and　so　

many　more　opportunities　of　improving　myself。　　Oh；　how　I　liked　to　

see　the　grand　coaches　drive　up　to　the　door；　with　the　grand　company；　

and　though；　amidst　that　company；　there　were　some　who　did　not　look　

very　grand；　there　were　others；　and　not　a　few；　who　did。　　Some　of　the　

ladies　quite　captivated　me；　there　was　the　Marchioness　of　…　in　

particular。　　This　young　lady　puts　me　much　in　mind　of　her；　it　is　

true；　the　Marchioness；　as　I　saw　her　then；　was　about　fifteen　years　

older　than　this　young　gentlewoman　is　now；　and　not　so　tall　by　some　

inches；　but　she　had　the　very　same　hair；　and　much　the　same　neck　and　

shoulders　…　no　offence；　I　hope？　　And　then　some　of　the　young　

gentlemen；　with　their　cool；　haughty；　care…for…nothing　looks；　struck　

me　as　being　very　fine　fellows。　　There　was　one　in　particular；　whom　I　

frequently　used　to　stare　at；　not　altogether　unlike　some　one　I　have　

seen　hereabouts　…　he　had　a　slight　cast　in　his　eye；　and　。　。　。　but　I　

won't　enter　into　every　particular。　　And　then　the　footmen！　　Oh；　how　

those　footmen　helped　to　improve　me　with　their　conversation。　　Many　

of　them　could　converse　much　more　glibly　than　their　masters；　and　

appeared　to　have　much　better　taste。　　At　any　rate；　they　seldom　

approved　of　what　their　masters　did。　　I　remember　being　once　with　one　

in　the　gallery　of　the　play…house；　when　something　of　Shakspeare's　

was　being　performed：　　some　one　in　the　first　tier　of　boxes　was　

applauding　very　loudly。　　〃That's　my　fool　of　a　governor；〃　said　he；　

〃he　is　weak　enough　to　like　Shakspeare　…　I　don't；　…　he's　so　

confoundedly　low；　but　he　won't　last　long　…　going　down。　　Shakspeare　

culminated〃　…　I　think　that　was　the　word　…　〃culminated　some　time　

ago。〃



'And　then　the　professor　of　elocution；　of　whom　my　governors　used　to　

take　lessons；　and　of　which　lessons　I　had　my　share；　by　listening　

behind　the　door；　but　for　that　professor　of　elocution　I　should　not　

be　able　to　round　my　periods　…　an　expression　of　his　…　in　the　manner　

I　do。



'After　I　had　been　three　years　at　this　place　my　mistress　died。　　Her　

death；　however；　made　no　great　alteration　in　my　way　of　living；　the　

family　spending　their　winters　in　London；　and　their　summers　at　their　

old　seat　in　S…　as　before。　　At　last；　the　young　ladies；　who　had　not　

yet　got　husbands；　which　was　strange　enough；　seeing；　as　I　told　you　

before；　they　were　very　amiable；　proposed　to　our　governor　a　

travelling　expedition　abroad。　　The　old　baronet　consented；　though　

young　master　was　much　against　it；　saying　they　would　all　be　much　

better　at　home。　　As　the　girls　persisted；　however；　he　at　last　

withdrew　his　opposition；　and　even　promised　to　follow　them　as　soon　

as　his　parliamentary　duties　would　permit；　for　he　was　just　got　into　

Parliament；　and；　like　most　other　young　members；　thought　that　

nothing　could　be　done　in　the　House　without　him。　　So　the　old　

gentleman　and　the　two　young　ladies　set　off；　taking　me　with　them；　

and　a　couple　of　ladies'　maids　to　wait　upon　them。　　First　of　all；　we　

went　to　Paris；　where　we　continued　three　months；　the　old　baronet　and　

the　ladies　going　to　see　the　various　sights　of　the　city　and　the　

neighbourhood；　and　I　attending　them。　　They　soon　got　tired　of　sight…

seeing；　and　of　Paris　too；　and　so　did　I。　　However；　they　still　

continued　there；　in　order；　I　believe；　that　the　young　ladies　might　

lay　in　a　store　of　French　finery。　　I　should　have　passed　my　idle　time　

at　Paris；　of　which　I　had　plenty　after　the　sight…seeing　was　over；　

very　unpleasantly；　but　for　Black　Jack。　　Eh！　did　you　never　hear　of　

Black　Jack？　　Ah！　if　you　had　ever　been　an　English　servant　in　Paris；　

you　would　have　known　Black　Jack；　not　an　English　gentleman's　servant　

who　has　been　at　Paris　for　this　last　ten　years　but　knows　Black　Jack　

and　his　ordinary。　　A　strange　fellow　he　was　…　of　what　country　no　one　

could　exactly　say　…　for　as　for　judging　from　speech；　that　was　

impossible；　Jack　speaking　all　languages　equally　ill。　　Some　said　he　

came　direct　from　Satan's　kitchen；　and　that　when　he　gives　up　keeping　

ordinary；　he　will　return　there　again；　though　the　generally…received　

opinion　at　Paris　was；　that　he　was　at　one　time　butler　to　King　

Pharaoh；　and　that；　after　lying　asleep　for　four　thousand　years　in　a　

place　called　the　Kattycombs；　he　was　awaked　by　the　sound　of　Nelson's　

cannon　at　the　battle　of　the　Nile；　and　going　to　the　shore；　took　on　

with　the　admiral；　and　became；　in　course　of　time；　ship　steward；　and　

that　after　Nelson's　death　he　was　captured　by　the　French；　on　board　

one　of　whose　vessels　he　served　in　a　somewhat　similar　capacity　till　

the　peace；　when　he　came　to　Paris；　and　set　up　an　ordinary　for　

servants；　sticking　the　name　of　Katcomb　over　the　door；　in　allusion　

to　the　place　where　he　had　his　long　sleep。　　But；　whatever　his　origin　

was；　Jack　kept　his　own　counsel；　and　appeared　to　care　nothing　for　

what　people　said　about　him；　or　called　him。　　Yes；　I　forgot；　there　

was　one　name　he　would　not　be　called；　and　that　was　〃Portuguese。〃　　I　

once　saw　Black　Jack　knock　down　a　coachman；　six　foot　high；　who　

called　him　black…faced　Portuguese。　　〃Any　name　but　dat；　you　shab；〃　

said　Black　Jack；　who　was　a　little　round　fellow；　of　about　five　feet　

two；　〃I　would　not　stand　to　be　called　Portuguese　by　Nelson　himself。〃　　

Jack　was　rather　fond　of　talking　about　Nelson；　and　hearing　people　

talk　about　him；　so　that　it　is　not　improbable　that　he　may　have　

sailed　with　him；　and　with　respect　to　his　having　been　King　Pharaoh's　

butler；　all　I　have　to　say　is；　I　am　not　disposed　to　give　the　

downright　lie　to　the　report。　Jack　was　always　ready　to　do　a　kind　

turn　to　a　poor　servant　out　of　place；　and　has　often　been　known　to　

assist　such　as　were　in　prison；　which　charitable　disposition　he　

perhaps　acquired　from　having　lost　a　good　place　himself；　having　seen　

the　inside　of　a　prison；　and　known　the　want　of　a　meal's　victuals；　

all　which　trials　King　Pharaoh's　butler　underwent；　so　he　may　have　

been　that　butler；　at　any　rate；　I　have　known　positive　conclusions　

come　to　on　no　better　premisses；　if　indeed　as　good。　　As　for　the　

story　of　his　coming　direct　from　Satan's　kitchen；　I　place　no　

confidence　in　it　at　all；　as　Black　Jack　had　nothing　of　Satan　about　

him　but　blackness；　on　which　account　he　was　called　Black　Jack。　　Nor　

am　I　disposed　to　give　credi