lavengro-第36部分

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IS　something　remarkable　about　that　horse；　there　is　something　in　his　

action　in　which　he　differs　from　all　the　rest：　　as　he　advances；　the　

clamour　is　hushed！　all　eyes　are　turned　upon　him　…　what　looks　of　

interest　…　of　respect　…　and；　what　is　this？　people　are　taking　off　

their　hats　…　surely　not　to　that　steed！　　Yes；　verily！　men；　

especially　old　men；　are　taking　off　their　hats　to　that　one…eyed　

steed；　and　I　hear　more　than　one　deep…drawn　ah！



'What　horse　is　that？'　said　I　to　a　very　old　fellow；　the　counterpart　

of　the　old　man　on　the　pony；　save　that　the　last　wore　a　faded　suit　of　

velveteen；　and　this　one　was　dressed　in　a　white　frock。



'The　best　in　mother　England；'　said　the　very　old　man；　taking　a　

knobbed　stick　from　his　mouth；　and　looking　me　in　the　face；　at　first　

carelessly；　but　presently　with　something　like　interest；　'he　is　old　

like　myself；　but　can　still　trot　his　twenty　miles　an　hour。　　You　

won't　live　long；　my　swain；　tall　and　over…grown　ones　like　thee　never　

does；　yet；　if　you　should　chance　to　reach　my　years；　you　may　boast　to　

thy　great…grand…boys　thou　hast　seen　Marshland　Shales。'



Amain　I　did　for　the　horse　what　I　would　neither　do　for　earl　nor　

baron；　doffed　my　hat；　yes！　I　doffed　my　hat　to　the　wondrous　horse；　

the　fast　trotter；　the　best　in　mother　England；　and　I　too　drew　a　deep　

ah！　and　repeated　the　words　of　the　old　fellows　around。　　'Such　a　

horse　as　this　we　shall　never　see　again；　a　pity　that　he　is　so　old。'



Now　during　all　this　time　I　had　a　kind　of　consciousness　that　I　had　

been　the　object　of　some　person's　observation；　that　eyes　were　

fastened　upon　me　from　somewhere　in　the　crowd。　　Sometimes　I　thought　

myself　watched　from　before；　sometimes　from　behind；　and　occasionally　

methought　that；　if　I　just　turned　my　head　to　the　right　or　left；　I　

should　meet　a　peering　and　inquiring　glance；　and　indeed　once　or　

twice　I　did　turn；　expecting　to　see　somebody　whom　I　knew；　yet　always　

without　success；　though　it　appeared　to　me　that　I　was　but　a　moment　

too　late；　and　that　some　one　had　just　slipped　away　from　the　

direction　to　which　I　turned；　like　the　figure　in　a　magic　lanthorn。　　

Once　I　was　quite　sure　that　there　were　a　pair　of　eyes　glaring　over　

my　right　shoulder；　my　attention；　however；　was　so　fully　occupied　

with　the　objects　which　I　have　attempted　to　describe；　that　I　thought　

very　little　of　this　coming　and　going；　this　flitting　and　dodging　of　

I　knew　not　whom　or　what。　　It　was；　after　all；　a　matter　of　sheer　

indifference　to　me　who　was　looking　at　me。　　I　could　only　wish　

whomsoever　it　might　be　to　be　more　profitably　employed；　so　I　

continued　enjoying　what　I　saw；　and　now　there　was　a　change　in　the　

scene；　the　wondrous　old　horse　departed　with　his　aged　guardian；　

other　objects　of　interest　are　at　hand；　two　or　three　men　on　

horseback　are　hurrying　through　the　crowd；　they　are　widely　different　

in　their　appearance　from　the　other　people　of　the　fair；　not　so　much　

in　dress；　for　they　are　clad　something　after　the　fashion　of　rustic　

jockeys；　but　in　their　look　…　no　light…brown　hair　have　they；　no　

ruddy　cheeks；　no　blue　quiet　glances　belong　to　them；　their　features　

are　dark；　their　locks　long；　black；　and　shining；　and　their　eyes　are　

wild；　they　are　admirable　horsemen；　but　they　do　not　sit　the　saddle　

in　the　manner　of　common　jockeys；　they　seem　to　float　or　hover　upon　

it；　like　gulls　upon　the　waves；　two　of　them　are　mere　striplings；　but　

the　third　is　a　very　tall　man　with　a　countenance　heroically　

beautiful；　but　wild；　wild；　wild。　　As　they　rush　along；　the　crowd　

give　way　on　all　sides；　and　now　a　kind　of　ring　or　circus　is　formed；　

within　which　the　strange　men　exhibit　their　horsemanship；　rushing　

past　each　other；　in　and　out；　after　the　manner　of　a　reel；　the　tall　

man　occasionally　balancing　himself　upon　the　saddle；　and　standing　

erect　on　one　foot。　　He　had　just　regained　his　seat　after　the　latter　

feat；　and　was　about　to　push　his　horse　to　a　gallop；　when　a　figure　

started　forward　close　from　beside　me；　and　laying　his　hand　on　his　

neck；　and　pulling　him　gently　downward；　appeared　to　whisper　

something　into　his　ear；　presently　the　tall　man　raised　his　head；　

and；　scanning　the　crowd　for　a　moment　in　the　direction　in　which　I　

was　standing；　fixed　his　eyes　full　upon　me；　and　anon　the　countenance　

of　the　whisperer　was　turned；　but　only　in　part；　and　the　side…glance　

of　another　pair　of　wild　eyes　was　directed　towards　my　face；　but　the　

entire　visage　of　the　big　black　man；　half　stooping　as　he　was；　was　

turned　full　upon　mine。



But　now；　with　a　nod　to　the　figure　who　had　stopped　him；　and　with　

another　inquiring　glance　at　myself；　the　big　man　once　more　put　his　

steed　into　motion；　and；　after　riding　round　the　ring　a　few　more　

times；　darted　through　a　lane　in　the　crowd；　and　followed　by　his　two　

companions　disappeared；　whereupon　the　figure　who　had　whispered　to　

him；　and　had　subsequently　remained　in　the　middle　of　the　space；　came　

towards　me；　and；　cracking　a　whip　which　he　held　in　his　hand　so　

loudly　that　the　report　was　nearly　equal　to　that　of　a　pocket　pistol；　

he　cried　in　a　strange　tone：



'What！　the　sap…engro？　　Lor！　the　sap…engro　upon　the　hill！'



'I　remember　that　word；'　said　I；　'and　I　almost　think　I　remember　you。　　

You　can't　be　…　'



'Jasper；　your　pal！　　Truth；　and　no　lie；　brother。'



'It　is　strange　that　you　should　have　known　me；'　said　I。　　'I　am　

certain；　but　for　the　word　you　used；　I　should　never　have　recognised　

you。'



'Not　so　strange　as　you　may　think；　brother；　there　is　something　in　

your　face　which　would　prevent　people　from　forgetting　you；　even　

though　they　might　wish　it；　and　your　face　is　not　much　altered　since　

the　time　you　wot　of；　though　you　are　so　much　grown。　　I　thought　it　

was　you；　but　to　make　sure　I　dodged　about；　inspecting　you。　　I　

believe　you　felt　me；　though　I　never　touched　you；　a　sign；　brother；　

that　we　are　akin；　that　we　are　dui　palor　…　two　relations。　　Your　

blood　beat　when　mine　was　near；　as　mine　always　does　at　the　coming　of　

a　brother；　and　we　became　brothers　in　that　lane。'



'And　where　are　you　staying？'　said　I；　'in　this　town？'



'Not　in　the　town；　the　like　of　us　don't　find　it　exactly　wholesome　to　

stay　in　towns；　we　keep　abroad。　　But　I　have　little　to　do　here　…　come　

with　me；　and　I'll　show　you　where　we　stay。'



We　descended　the　hill　in　the　direction　of　the　north；　and　passing　

along　the　suburb　reached　the　old　Norman　bridge；　which　we　crossed；　

the　chalk　precipice；　with　the　ruin　on　its　top；　was　now　before　us；　

but　turning　to　the　left　we　walked　swiftly　along；　and　presently　came　

to　some　rising　ground；　which　ascending；　we　found　ourselves　upon　a　

wild　moor　or　heath。



'You　are　one　of　them；'　said　I；　'whom　people　call　…　'



'Just　so；'　said　Jasper；　'but　never　mind　what　people　call　us。'



'And　that　tall　handsome　man　on　the　hill；　whom　you　whispered？　　I　

suppose　he's　one　of　ye。　　What　is　his　name？'



'Tawno　Chikno；'　said　Jasper；　'which　means　the　small　one；　we　call　

him　such　because　he　is　the　biggest　man　of　all　our　nation。　　You　say　

he　is　handsome；　that　is　not　the　word；　brother；　he's