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lavengro-第65部分

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'A deep what; dear?'



'A … but no matter; I will give you a crown for this volume。'



'No; dear; I will not sell the volume for a crown。'



'I am poor;' said I; 'but I will give you two silver crowns for 

your volume。'



'No; dear; I will not sell my volume for two silver crowns; no; nor 

for the golden one in the king's tower down there; without my book 

I should mope and pine; and perhaps fling myself into the river; 

but I am glad you like it; which shows that I was right about you; 

after all; you are one of our party; and you have a flash about 

that eye of yours which puts me just in mind of my dear son。  No; 

dear; I won't sell you my book; but; if you like; you may have a 

peep into it whenever you come this way。  I shall be glad to see 

you; you are one of the right sort; for; if you had been a common 

one; you would have run away with the thing; but you scorn such 

behaviour; and; as you are so flash of your money; though you say 

you are poor; you may give me a tanner to buy a little baccy with; 

I love baccy; dear; more by token that it comes from the 

plantations to which the blessed woman was sent。'



'What's a tanner?' said I。



'Lor! don't you know; dear?  Why; a tanner is sixpence; and; as you 

were talking just now about crowns; it will be as well to tell you 

that those of our trade never calls them crowns; but bulls; but I 

am talking nonsense; just as if you did not know all that already; 

as well as myself; you are only shamming … I'm no trap; dear; nor 

more was the blessed woman in the book。  Thank you; dear … thank 

you for the tanner; if I don't spend it; I'll keep it in 

remembrance of your sweet face。  What; you are going? … well; first 

let me whisper a word to you。  If you have any clies to sell at any 

time; I'll buy them of you; all safe with me; I never peach; and 

scores a trap; so now; dear; God bless you! and give you good luck。  

Thank you for your pleasant company; and thank you for the tanner。'







CHAPTER XXXII







The tanner … The hotel … Drinking claret … London journal … New 

field … Commonplaceness … The three individuals … Botheration … 

Frank and ardent。



'TANNER!' said I musingly; as I left the bridge; 'Tanner! what can 

the man who cures raw skins by means of a preparation of oak bark 

and other materials have to do with the name which these fakers; as 

they call themselves; bestow on the smallest silver coin in these 

dominions?  Tanner!  I can't trace the connection between the man 

of bark and the silver coin; unless journeymen tanners are in the 

habit of working for sixpence a day。  But I have it;' I continued; 

flourishing my hat over my head; 'tanner; in this instance; is not 

an English word。'  Is it not surprising that the language of Mr。 

Petulengro and of Tawno Chikno is continually coming to my 

assistance whenever I appear to be at a nonplus with respect to the 

derivation of crabbed words?  I have made out crabbed words in 

AEschylus by means of the speech of Chikno and Petulengro; and even 

in my Biblical researches I have derived no slight assistance from 

it。  It appears to be a kind of picklock; an open sesame; Tanner … 

Tawno! the one is but a modification of the other; they were 

originally identical; and have still much the same signification。  

Tanner; in the language of the apple…woman; meaneth the smallest of 

English silver coins; and Tawno; in the language of the 

Petulengres; though bestowed upon the biggest of the Romans; 

according to strict interpretation signifieth a little child。



So I left the bridge; retracing my steps for a considerable way; as 

I thought I had seen enough in the direction in which I had 

hitherto been wandering; I should say that I scarcely walked less 

than thirty miles about the big city on the day of my first 

arrival。  Night came on; but still I was walking about; my eyes 

wide open; and admiring everything that presented itself to them。  

Everything was new to me; for everything is different in London 

from what it is elsewhere … the people; their language; the horses; 

the TOUT ENSEMBLE … even the stones of London are different from 

others … at least it appeared to me that I had never walked with 

the same case and facility on the flagstones of a country town as 

on those of London; so I continued roving about till night came on; 

and then the splendour of some of the shops particularly struck me。  

'A regular Arabian Nights entertainment!' said I; as I looked into 

one on Cornhill; gorgeous with precious merchandise; and lighted up 

with lustres; the rays of which were reflected from a hundred 

mirrors。



But; notwithstanding the excellence of the London pavement; I began 

about nine o'clock to feel myself thoroughly tired; painfully and 

slowly did I drag my feet along。  I also felt very much in want of 

some refreshment; and I remembered that since breakfast I had taken 

nothing。  I was now in the Strand; and; glancing about; I perceived 

that I was close by an hotel; which bore over the door the somewhat 

remarkable name of Holy Lands。  Without a moment's hesitation I 

entered a well…lighted passage; and; turning to the left; I found 

myself in a well…lighted coffee…room; with a well…dressed and 

frizzled waiter before me; 'Bring me some claret;' said I; for I 

was rather faint than hungry; and I felt ashamed to give a humbler 

order to so well…dressed an individual。  The waiter looked at me 

for a moment; then; making a low bow; he bustled off; and I sat 

myself down in the box nearest to the window。  Presently the waiter 

returned; bearing beneath his left arm a long bottle; and between 

the fingers of his right hand two large purple glasses; placing the 

latter on the table; he produced a corkscrew; drew the cork in a 

twinkling; set the bottle down before me with a bang; and then; 

standing still; appeared to watch my movements。  You think I don't 

know how to drink a glass of claret; thought I to myself。  I'll 

soon show you how we drink claret where I come from; and; filling 

one of the glasses to the brim; I flickered it for a moment between 

my eyes and the lustre; and then held it to my nose; having given 

that organ full time to test the bouquet of the wine; I applied the 

glass to my lips; taking a large mouthful of the wine; which I 

swallowed slowly and by degrees; that the palate might likewise 

have an opportunity of performing its functions。  A second mouthful 

I disposed of more summarily; then; placing the empty glass upon 

the table; I fixed my eyes upon the bottle; and said … nothing; 

whereupon the waiter; who had been observing the whole process with 

considerable attention; made me a bow yet more low than before; 

and; turning on his heel; retired with a smart chuck of his head; 

as much as to say; It is all right:  the young man is used to 

claret。



And when the waiter had retired I took a second glass of the wine; 

which I found e
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