lavengro-第38部分

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'Ha；　ha！'　cried　the　woman；　who　had　hitherto　sat　knitting；　at　the　

farther　end　of　the　tent；　without　saying　a　word；　though　not　

inattentive　to　our　conversation；　as　I　could　perceive　by　certain　

glances　which　she　occasionally　cast　upon　us　both。　　'Ha；　ha！'　she　

screamed；　fixing　upon　me　two　eyes；　which　shone　like　burning　coals；　

and　which　were　filled　with　an　expression　both　of　scorn　and　

malignity；　'It　is　wonderful；　is　it；　that　we　should　have　a　language　

of　our　own？　　What；　you　grudge　the　poor　people　the　speech　they　talk　

among　themselves？　　That's　just　like　you　gorgios；　you　would　have　

everybody　stupid；　single…tongued　idiots；　like　yourselves。　　We　are　

taken　before　the　Poknees　of　the　gav；　myself　and　sister；　to　give　an　

account　of　ourselves。　　So　I　says　to　my　sister's　little　boy；　

speaking　Rommany；　I　says　to　the　little　boy　who　is　with　us；　Run　to　

my　son　Jasper；　and　the　rest；　and　tell　them　to　be　off；　there　are　

hawks　abroad。　　So　the　Poknees　questions　us；　and　lets　us　go；　not　

being　able　to　make　anything　of　us；　but；　as　we　are　going；　he　calls　

us　back。　　〃Good　woman；〃　says　the　Poknees；　〃what　was　that　I　heard　

you　say　just　now　to　the　little　boy？〃　　〃I　was　telling　him；　your　

worship；　to　go　and　see　the　time　of　day；　and　to　save　trouble；　I　said　

it　in　our　language。〃　　〃Where　did　you　get　that　language？〃　says　the　

Poknees。　　〃'Tis　our　own　language；　sir；〃　I　tells　him；　〃we　did　not　

steal　it。〃　　〃Shall　I　tell　you　what　it　is；　my　good　woman？〃　says　the　

Poknees。　　〃I　would　thank　you；　sir；〃　says　I；　〃for　'tis　often　we　are　

asked　about　it。〃　　〃Well；　then；〃　says　the　Poknees；　〃it　is　no　

language　at　all；　merely　a　made…up　gibberish。〃　　〃Oh；　bless　your　

wisdom；〃　says　I；　with　a　curtsey；　〃you　can　tell　us　what　our　language　

is；　without　understanding　it！〃　　Another　time　we　meet　a　parson。　　

〃Good　woman；〃　says　he；　〃what's　that　you　are　talking？　　Is　it　broken　

language？〃　　〃Of　course；　your　reverence；〃　says　I；　〃we　are　broken　

people；　give　a　shilling；　your　reverence；　to　the　poor　broken　woman。〃　　

Oh；　these　gorgios！　they　grudge　us　our　very　language！'



'She　called　you　her　son；　Jasper？'



'I　am　her　son；　brother。'



'I　thought　you　said　your　parents　were　…　'



'Bitchadey　pawdel；　you　thought　right；　brother。　　This　is　my　wife's　

mother。'



'Then　you　are　married；　Jasper？'



'Ay；　truly；　I　am　husband　and　father。　　You　will　see　wife　and　chabo　

anon。'



'Where　are　they　now？'



'In　the　gav；　penning　dukkerin。'



'We　were　talking　of　language；　Jasper？'



'True；　brother。'



'Yours　must　be　a　rum　one？'



''Tis　called　Rommany。'



'I　would　gladly　know　it。'



'You　need　it　sorely。'



'Would　you　teach　it　me？'



'None　sooner。'



'Suppose　we　begin　now？'



'Suppose　we　do；　brother。'



'Not　whilst　I　am　here；'　said　the　woman；　flinging　her　knitting　down；　

and　starting　upon　her　feet；　'not　whilst　I　am　here　shall　this　gorgio　

learn　Rommany。　　A　pretty　manoeuvre；　truly；　and　what　would　be　the　

end　of　it？　　I　goes　to　the　farming　ker　with　my　sister；　to　tell　a　

fortune；　and　earn　a　few　sixpences　for　the　chabes。　　I　sees　a　jolly　

pig　in　the　yard；　and　I　says　to　my　sister；　speaking　Rommany；　〃Do　so　

and　so；〃　says　I；　which　the　farming　man　hearing；　asks　what　we　are　

talking　about。　〃Nothing　at　all；　master；〃　says　I；　〃something　about　

the　weather〃；　when　who　should　start　up　from　behind　a　pale；　where　he　

has　been　listening；　but　this　ugly　gorgio；　crying　out；　〃They　are　

after　poisoning　your　pigs；　neighbour！〃　so　that　we　are　glad　to　run；　

I　and　my　sister；　with　perhaps　the　farm…engro　shouting　after　us。　　

Says　my　sister　to　me；　when　we　have　got　fairly　off；　〃How　came　that　

ugly　one　to　know　what　you　said　to　me？〃　　Whereupon　I　answers；　〃It　

all　comes　of　my　son　Jasper；　who　brings　the　gorgio　to　our　fire；　and　

must　needs　be　teaching　him。〃　　〃Who　was　fool　there？〃　says　my　sister。　　

〃Who；　indeed；　but　my　son　Jasper；〃　I　answers。　　And　here　should　I　be　

a　greater　fool　to　sit　still　and　suffer　it；　which　I　will　not　do。　　I　

do　not　like　the　look　of　him；　he　looks　over…gorgeous。　　An　ill　day　to　

the　Romans　when　he　masters　Rommany；　and；　when　I　says　that；　I　pens　a　

true　dukkerin。'



'What　do　you　call　God；　Jasper？'



'You　had　better　be　jawing；'　said　the　woman；　raising　her　voice　to　a　

terrible　scream；　'you　had　better　be　moving　off；　my　gorgio；　hang　you　

for　a　keen　one；　sitting　there　by　the　fire；　and　stealing　my　language　

before　my　face。　　Do　you　know　whom　you　have　to　deal　with？　　Do　you　

know　that　I　am　dangerous？　　My　name　is　Herne；　and　I　comes　of　the　

hairy　ones！'



And　a　hairy　one　she　looked！　　She　wore　her　hair　clubbed　upon　her　

head；　fastened　with　many　strings　and　ligatures；　but　now；　tearing　

these　off；　her　locks；　originally　jet　black；　but　now　partially　

grizzled　with　age；　fell　down　on　every　side　of　her；　covering　her　

face　and　back　as　far　down　as　her　knees。　　No　she…bear　of　Lapland　

ever　looked　more　fierce　and　hairy　than　did　that　woman；　as　standing　

in　the　open　part　of　the　tent；　with　her　head　bent　down；　and　her　

shoulders　drawn　up；　seemingly　about　to　precipitate　herself　upon　me；　

she　repeated；　again　and　again；　…



'My　name　is　Herne；　and　I　comes　of　the　hairy　ones！　…　'



'I　call　God　Duvel；　brother。'



'It　sounds　very　like　Devil。'



'It　doth；　brother；　it　doth。'



'And　what　do　you　call　divine；　I　mean　godly？'



'Oh！　　I　call　that　duvelskoe。'



'I　am　thinking　of　something；　Jasper。'



'What　are　you　thinking　of；　brother？'



'Would　it　not　be　a　rum　thing　if　divine　and　devilish　were　originally　

one　and　the　same　word？'



'It　would；　brother；　it　would　…　'



。　。　。



From　this　time　I　had　frequent　interviews　with　Jasper；　sometimes　in　

his　tent；　sometimes　on　the　heath；　about　which　we　would　roam　for　

hours；　discoursing　on　various　matters。　　Sometimes；　mounted　on　one　

of　his　horses；　of　which　he　had　several；　I　would　accompany　him　to　

various　fairs　and　markets　in　the　neighbourhood；　to　which　he　went　on　

his　own　affairs；　or　those　of　his　tribe。　　I　soon　found　that　I　had　

become　acquainted　with　a　most　singular　people；　whose　habits　and　

pursuits　awakened　within　me　the　highest　interest。　　Of　all　connected　

with　them；　however；　their　language　was　doubtless　that　which　

exercised　the　greatest　influence　over　my　imagination。　　I　had　at　

first　some　suspicion　that　it　would　prove　a　mere　made…up　gibberish；　

but　I　was　soon　undeceived。　　Broken；　corrupted；　and　half　in　ruins　as　

it　was；　it　was　not　long　before　I　found　that　it　was　an　original　

speech；　far　more　so；　indeed；　than　one　or　two　others　of　high　name　

and　celebrity；　which；　up　to　that　time；　I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　

regarding　with　respect　and　veneration。　　Indeed　many　obscure　points　

connected　with　the　vocabulary　of　these　languages；　and　to　which　

neither　classic　nor　modern　lore　afforded　any　clue；　I　thought　I　

could　now　clear　up　by　means　of　this　strange　broken　tongue；　spoken　

by　people　who　dwelt　amongst　thickets　and　furze　bushes；　in　tents　as　

tawny　as　their　faces；　and　whom　the　generality　of　mankind　

designated；　and　with　much　semblance　of　just