lavengro-第24部分

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accounts　of　my　own　adventures；　and　those　of　the　corps；　with　an　

occasional　anecdote　extracted　from　the　story…books　of　Hickathrift　

and　Wight　Wallace；　pretending　to　be　conning　the　lesson　all　the　

while。



And　there　I　made　acquaintance；　notwithstanding　the　hint　of　the　

landlord；　with　the　Papist　'gossoons；'　as　they　were　called；　the　

farmers'　sons　from　the　country；　and　of　these　gossoons；　of　whom　

there　were　three；　two　might　be　reckoned　as　nothing　at　all；　in　the　

third；　however；　I　soon　discovered　that　there　was　something　

extraordinary。



He　was　about　sixteen　years　old；　and　above　six　feet　high；　dressed　in　

a　gray　suit；　the　coat；　from　its　size；　appeared　to　have　been　made　

for　him　some　ten　years　before。　　He　was　remarkably　narrow…chested　

and　round…shouldered；　owing；　perhaps　as　much　to　the　tightness　of　

his　garment　as　to　the　hand　of　nature。　　His　face　was　long；　and　his　

complexion　swarthy；　relieved；　however；　by　certain　freckles；　with　

which　the　skin　was　plentifully　studded。　　He　had　strange　wandering　

eyes；　gray；　and　somewhat　unequal　in　size；　they　seldom　rested　on　the　

book；　but　were　generally　wandering　about　the　room；　from　one　object　

to　another。　　Sometimes　he　would　fix　them　intently　on　the　wall；　and　

then　suddenly　starting；　as　if　from　a　reverie；　he　would　commence　

making　certain　mysterious　movements　with　his　thumbs　and　

forefingers；　as　if　he　were　shuffling　something　from　him。



One　morning；　as　he　sat　by　himself　on　a　bench；　engaged　in　this　

manner；　I　went　up　to　him；　and　said；　'Good…day；　Murtagh；　you　do　not　

seem　to　have　much　to　do？'



'Faith；　you　may　say　that；　Shorsha　dear！　…　it　is　seldom　much　to　do　

that　I　have。'



'And　what　are　you　doing　with　your　hands？'



'Faith；　then；　if　I　must　tell　you；　I　was　e'en　dealing　with　the　

cards。'



'Do　you　play　much　at　cards？'



'Sorra　a　game；　Shorsha；　have　I　played　with　the　cards　since　my　uncle　

Phelim；　the　thief；　stole　away　the　ould　pack；　when　he　went　to　settle　

in　the　county　Waterford！'



'But　you　have　other　things　to　do？'



'Sorra　anything　else　has　Murtagh　to　do　that　he　cares　about　and　that　

makes　me　dread　so　going　home　at　nights。'



'I　should　like　to　know　all　about　you；　where　do　you　live；　joy？'



'Faith；　then；　ye　shall　know　all　about　me；　and　where　I　live。　　It　is　

at　a　place　called　the　Wilderness　that　I　live；　and　they　call　it　so；　

because　it　is　a　fearful　wild　place；　without　any　house　near　it　but　

my　father's　own；　and　that's　where　I　live　when　at　home。'



'And　your　father　is　a　farmer；　I　suppose？'



'You　may　say　that；　and　it　is　a　farmer　I　should　have　been；　like　my　

brother　Denis；　had　not　my　uncle　Phelim；　the　thief；　tould　my　father　

to　send　me　to　school；　to　learn　Greek　letters；　that　I　might　be　made　

a　saggart　of；　and　sent　to　Paris　and　Salamanca。'



'And　you　would　rather　be　a　farmer　than　a　priest？'



'You　may　say　that！　…　for；　were　I　a　farmer；　like　the　rest；　I　should　

have　something　to　do；　like　the　rest　…　something　that　I　cared　for　…　

and　I　should　come　home　tired　at　night；　and　fall　asleep；　as　the　rest　

do；　before　the　fire；　but　when　I　comes　home　at　night　I　am　not　tired；　

for　I　have　been　doing　nothing　all　day　that　I　care　for；　and　then　I　

sits　down　and　stares　about　me；　and　at　the　fire；　till　I　become　

frighted；　and　then　I　shouts　to　my　brother　Denis；　or　to　the　

gossoons；　〃Get　up；　I　say；　and　let's　be　doing　something；　tell　us　the　

tale　of　Finn…ma…Coul；　and　how　he　lay　down　in　the　Shannon's　bed；　and　

let　the　river　flow　down　his　jaws！〃　　Arrah；　Shorsha！　　I　wish　you　

would　come　and　stay　with　us；　and　tell　us　some　o'　your　sweet　stories　

of　your　own　self　and　the　snake　ye　carried　about　wid　ye。　　Faith；　

Shorsha　dear！　that　snake　bates　anything　about　Finn…ma…Coul　or　Brian　

Boroo；　the　thieves　two；　bad　luck　to　them！'



'And　do　they　get　up　and　tell　you　stories？'



'Sometimes　they　does；　but　oftenmost　they　curses　me；　and　bids　me　be　

quiet！　　But　I　can't　be　quiet；　either　before　the　fire　or　abed；　so　I　

runs　out　of　the　house；　and　stares　at　the　rocks；　at　the　trees；　and　

sometimes　at　the　clouds；　as　they　run　a　race　across　the　bright　moon；　

and；　the　more　I　stares；　the　more　frighted　I　grows；　till　I　screeches　

and　holloas。　　And　last　night　I　went　into　the　barn；　and　hid　my　face　

in　the　straw；　and　there；　as　I　lay　and　shivered　in　the　straw；　I　

heard　a　voice　above　my　head　singing　out　〃To　whit；　to　whoo！〃　and　

then　up　I　starts；　and　runs　into　the　house；　and　falls　over　my　

brother　Denis；　as　he　lies　at　the　fire。　　〃What's　that　for？〃　says　he。　　

〃Get　up；　you　thief！〃　says　I；　〃and　be　helping　me。　　I　have　been　out　

into　the　barn；　and　an　owl　has　crow'd　at　me！〃'



'And　what　has　this　to　do　with　playing　cards？'



'Little　enough；　Shorsha　dear！　…　If　there　were　card…playing；　I　

should　not　be　frighted。'



'And　why　do　you　not　play　at　cards？'



'Did　I　not　tell　you　that　the　thief；　my　uncle　Phelim；　stole　away　the　

pack？　　If　we　had　the　pack；　my　brother　Denis　and　the　gossoons　would　

be　ready　enough　to　get　up　from　their　sleep　before　the　fire；　and　

play　cards　with　me　for　ha'pence；　or　eggs；　or　nothing　at　all；　but　

the　pack　is　gone　…　bad　luck　to　the　thief　who　took　it！'



'And　why　don't　you　buy　another？'



'Is　it　of　buying　you　are　speaking？　　And　where　am　I　to　get　the　

money？'



'Ah！　that's　another　thing！'



'Faith　it　is；　honey！　…　And　now　the　Christmas　holidays　is　coming；　

when　I　shall　be　at　home　by　day　as　well　as　night；　and　then　what　am　I　

to　do？　　Since　I　have　been　a　saggarting；　I　have　been　good　for　

nothing　at　all　…　neither　for　work　nor　Greek　…　only　to　play　cards！　　

Faith；　it's　going　mad　I　will　be！'



'I　say；　Murtagh！'



'Yes；　Shorsha　dear！'



'I　have　a　pack　of　cards。'



'You　don't　say　so；　Shorsha　ma　vourneen？　…　you　don't　say　that　you　

have　cards　fifty…two？'



'I　do；　though；　and　they　are　quite　new　…　never　been　once　used。'



'And　you'll　be　lending　them　to　me；　I　warrant？'



'Don't　think　it！　…　But　I'll　sell　them　to　you；　joy；　if　you　like。'



'Hanam　mon　Dioul！　am　I　not　after　telling　you　that　I　have　no　money　

at　all！'



'But　you　have　as　good　as　money；　to　me；　at　least；　and　I'll　take　it　

in　exchange。'



'What's　that；　Shorsha　dear？'



'Irish！'



'Irish？'



'Yes；　you　speak　Irish；　I　heard　you　talking　it　the　other　day　to　the　

cripple。　　You　shall　teach　me　Irish。'



'And　is　it　a　language…master　you'd　be　making　of　me？'



'To　be　sure！　…　what　better　can　you　do？　…　it　would　help　you　to　pass　

your　time　at　school。　　You　can't　learn　Greek；　so　you　must　teach　

Irish！'



Before　Christmas；　Murtagh　was　playing　at　cards　with　his　brother　

Denis；　and　I　could　speak　a　considerable　quantity　of　broken　Irish。







CHAPTER　XI







Templemore　…　Devil's　Mountain　…　No　companion　…　Force　of　

circumstance　…　Way　of　the　world　…　Ruined　castle　…　Grim　and　desolate　

…　The　donjon　…　Old　woman　…　My　own　house。



WHEN　Christmas　was　over；　and　the　new　year　commenced；　we　broke　up　

our　quarters；　and　marched　away　to　Templemore。　　This　was　a　large　

military　station；　situated