lavengro-第57部分

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me　whether　I　believe　in　fortunes。'



'Grondinni；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'it　haileth。　　I　believe　in　

dukkeripens；　brother。'



'And　who　has　more　right；'　said　I；　'seeing　that　you　live　by　them？　　

But　this　tempest　is　truly　horrible。'



'Dearginni；　grondinni　ta　villaminni！　　It　thundreth；　it　haileth；　and　

also　flameth；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro。　　'Look　up　there；　brother！'



I　looked　up。　　Connected　with　this　tempest　there　was　one　feature　to　

which　I　have　already　alluded　…　the　wonderful　colours　of　the　clouds。　　

Some　were　of　vivid　green；　others　of　the　brightest　orange；　others　as　

black　as　pitch。　　The　gypsy's　finger　was　pointed　to　a　particular　

part　of　the　sky。



'What　do　you　see　there；　brother？'



'A　strange　kind　of　cloud。'



'What　does　it　look　like；　brother？'



'Something　like　a　stream　of　blood。'



'That　cloud　foreshoweth　a　bloody　dukkeripen。'



'A　bloody　fortune！'　said　I。　　'And　whom　may　it　betide？'



'Who　knows！'　said　the　gypsy。



Down　the　way；　dashing　and　splashing；　and　scattering　man；　horse；　and　

cart　to　the　left　and　right；　came　an　open　barouche；　drawn　by　four　

smoking　steeds；　with　postilions　in　scarlet　jackets　and　leather　

skull…caps。　　Two　forms　were　conspicuous　in　it；　that　of　the　

successful　bruiser；　and　of　his　friend　and　backer；　the　sporting　

gentleman　of　my　acquaintance。



'His！'　said　the　gypsy；　pointing　to　the　latter；　whose　stern　features　

wore　a　smile　of　triumph；　as；　probably　recognising　me　in　the　crowd；　

he　nodded　in　the　direction　of　where　I　stood；　as　the　barouche　

hurried　by。



There　went　the　barouche；　dashing　through　the　rain…gushes；　and　in　it　

one　whose　boast　it　was　that　he　was　equal　to　'either　fortune。'　　Many　

have　heard　of　that　man　…　many　may　be　desirous　of　knowing　yet　more　

of　him。　　I　have　nothing　to　do　with　that　man's　after　life　…　he　

fulfilled　his　dukkeripen。　　'A　bad；　violent　man！'　　Softly；　friend；　

when　thou　wouldst　speak　harshly　of　the　dead；　remember　that　thou　

hast　not　yet　fulfilled　thy　own　dukkeripen！







CHAPTER　XXVII







My　father　…　Premature　decay　…　The　easy…chair　…　A　few　questions　…　So　

you　told　me　…　A　difficult　language　…　They　can　it　Haik　…　Misused　

opportunities　…　Saul　…　Want　of　candour　…　Don't　weep　…　Heaven　

forgive　me　…　Dated　from　Paris　…　I　wish　he　were　here　…　A　father's　

reminiscences　…　Farewell　to　vanities。



MY　father；　as　I　have　already　informed　the　reader；　had　been　endowed　

by　nature　with　great　corporeal　strength；　indeed；　I　have　been　

assured　that；　at　the　period　of　his　prime；　his　figure　had　denoted　

the　possession　of　almost　Herculean　powers。　　The　strongest　forms；　

however；　do　not　always　endure　the　longest；　the　very　excess　of　the　

noble　and　generous　juices　which　they　contain　being　the　cause　of　

their　premature　decay。　　But；　be　that　as　it　may；　the　health　of　my　

father；　some　few　years　after　his　retirement　from　the　service　to　the　

quiet　of　domestic　life；　underwent　a　considerable　change；　his　

constitution　appeared　to　be　breaking　up；　and　he　was　subject　to　

severe　attacks　from　various　disorders；　with　which；　till　then；　he　

had　been　utterly　unacquainted。　　He　was；　however；　wont　to　rally；　

more　or　less；　after　his　illnesses；　and　might　still　occasionally　be　

seen　taking　his　walk；　with　his　cane　in　his　hand；　and　accompanied　by　

his　dog；　who　sympathised　entirely　with　him；　pining　as　he　pined；　

improving　as　he　improved；　and　never　leaving　the　house　save　in　his　

company；　and　in　this　manner　matters　went　on　for　a　considerable　

time；　no　very　great　apprehension　with　respect　to　my　father's　state　

being　raised　either　in　my　mother's　breast　or　my　own。　　But；　about　

six　months　after　the　period　at　which　I　have　arrived　in　my　last　

chapter；　it　came　to　pass　that　my　father　experienced　a　severer　

attack　than　on　any　previous　occasion。



He　had　the　best　medical　advice；　but　it　was　easy　to　see；　from　the　

looks　of　his　doctors；　that　they　entertained　but　slight　hopes　of　his　

recovery。　　His　sufferings　were　great；　yet　he　invariably　bore　them　

with　unshaken　fortitude。　　There　was　one　thing　remarkable　connected　

with　his　illness；　notwithstanding　its　severity；　it　never　confined　

him　to　his　bed。　　He　was　wont　to　sit　in　his　little　parlour；　in　his　

easy…chair；　dressed　in　a　faded　regimental　coat；　his　dog　at　his　

feet；　who　would　occasionally　lift　his　head　from　the　hearth…rug　on　

which　he　lay；　and　look　his　master　wistfully　in　the　face。　　And　thus　

my　father　spent　the　greater　part　of　his　time；　sometimes　in　prayer；　

sometimes　in　meditation；　and　sometimes　in　reading　the　Scriptures。　　

I　frequently　sat　with　him；　though；　as　I　entertained　a　great　awe　for　

my　father；　I　used　to　feel　rather　ill　at　ease；　when；　as　sometimes　

happened；　I　found　myself　alone　with　him。



'I　wish　to　ask　you　a　few　questions；'　said　he　to　me　one　day；　after　

my　mother　had　left　the　room。



'I　will　answer　anything　you　may　please　to　ask　me；　my　dear　father。'



'What　have　you　been　about　lately？'



'I　have　been　occupied　as　usual；　attending　at　the　office　at　the　

appointed　hours。'



'And　what　do　you　there？'



'Whatever　I　am　ordered。'



'And　nothing　else？'



'Oh　yes！　sometimes　I　read　a　book。'



'Connected　with　your　profession？'



'Not　always；　I　have　been　lately　reading　Armenian　…　'



'What's　that？'



'The　language　of　a　people　whose　country　is　a　region　on　the　other　

side　of　Asia　Minor。'



'Well！'



'A　region　abounding　with　mountains。'



'Well！'



'Amongst　which　is　Mount　Ararat。'



'Well！'



'Upon　which；　as　the　Bible　informs　us；　the　ark　rested。'



'Well！'



'It　is　the　language　of　the　people　of　those　regions　…　'



'So　you　told　me。'



'And　I　have　been　reading　the　Bible　in　their　language。'



'Well！'



'Or　rather；　I　should　say；　in　the　ancient　language　of　these　people；　

from　which　I　am　told　the　modem　Armenian　differs　considerably。'



'Well！'



'As　much　as　the　Italian　from　the　Latin。'



'Well！'



'So　I　have　been　reading　the　Bible　in　ancient　Armenian。'



'You　told　me　so　before。'



'I　found　it　a　highly　difficult　language。'



'Yes。'



'Differing　widely　from　the　languages　in　general　with　which　I　am　

acquainted。'



'Yes。'



'Exhibiting；　however；　some　features　in　common　with　them。'



'Yes。'



'And　sometimes　agreeing　remarkably　in　words　with　a　certain　strange　

wild　speech　with　which　I　became　acquainted　…　'



'Irish？'



'No；　father；　not　Irish　…　with　which　I　became　acquainted　by　the　

greatest　chance　in　the　world。'



'Yes。'



'But　of　which　I　need　say　nothing　farther　at　present；　and　which　I　

should　not　have　mentioned　but　for　that　fact。'



'Well！'



'Which　I　consider　remarkable。'



'Yes。'



'The　Armenian　is　copious。'



'Is　it？'



'With　an　alphabet　of　thirty…nine　letters；　but　it　is　harsh　and　

guttural。'



'Yes。'



'Like　the　language　of　most　mountainous　people　…　the　Armenians　call　

it　Haik。'



'Do　they？'



'And　themselves；　Haik；　also；　they　are　a　remarkable　people；　and；　

though　their