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lavengro-第67部分

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publisher。  As I hurried along the square in which his house stood; 

my thoughts were fixed so intently on the great man; that I passed 

by him without seeing him。  He had observed me; however; and joined 

me just as I was about to knock at the door。  'Let us take a turn 

in the square;' said he; 'we shall not dine for half an hour。'



'Well;' said he; as we were walking in the square; 'what have you 

been doing since I last saw you?'



'I have been looking about London;' said I; 'and I have bought the 

DAIRYMAN'S DAUGHTER; here it is。'



'Pray put it up;' said the publisher; 'I don't want to look at such 

trash。  Well; do you think you could write anything like it?'



'I do not;' said I。



'How is that?' said the publisher; looking at me。



'Because;' said I; 'the man who wrote it seems to be perfectly well 

acquainted with his subject; and; moreover; to write from the 

heart。'



'By the subject you mean … '



'Religion。'



'And ain't you acquainted with religion?'



'Very little。'



'I am sorry for that;' said the publisher seriously; 'for he who 

sets up for an author ought to be acquainted not only with 

religion; but religions; and indeed with all subjects; like my good 

friend in the country。  It is well that I have changed my mind 

about the DAIRYMAN'S DAUGHTER; or I really don't know whom I could 

apply to on the subject at the present moment; unless to himself; 

and after all I question whether his style is exactly suited for an 

evangelical novel。'



'Then you do not wish for an imitation of the DAIRYMAN'S DAUGHTER?'



'I do not; sir; I have changed my mind; as I told you before; I 

wish to employ you in another line; but will communicate to you my 

intentions after dinner。'



At dinner; beside the publisher and myself; were present his wife 

and son with his newly…married bride; the wife appeared a quiet 

respectable woman; and the young people looked very happy and good…

natured; not so the publisher; who occasionally eyed both with 

contempt and dislike。  Connected with this dinner there was one 

thing remarkable; the publisher took no animal food; but contented 

himself with feeding voraciously on rice and vegetables prepared in 

various ways。



'You eat no animal food; sir?' said I。



'I do not; sir;' said he; 'I have forsworn it upwards of twenty 

years。  In one respect; sir; I am a Brahmin。  I abhor taking away 

life … the brutes have as much right to live as ourselves。'



'But;' said I; 'if the brutes were not killed; there would be such 

a superabundance of them; that the land would be overrun with 

them。'



'I do not think so; sir; few are killed in India; and yet there is 

plenty of room。'



'But;' said I; 'Nature intended that they should be destroyed; and 

the brutes themselves prey upon one another; and it is well for 

themselves and the world that they do so。  What would be the state 

of things if every insect; bird; and worm were left to perish of 

old age?'



'We will change the subject;' said the publisher; 'I have never 

been a friend of unprofitable discussions。'



I looked at the publisher with some surprise; I had not been 

accustomed to be spoken to so magisterially; his countenance was 

dressed in a portentous frown; and his eye looked more sinister 

than ever; at that moment he put me in mind of some of those 

despots of whom I had read in the history of Morocco; whose word 

was law。  He merely wants power; thought I to myself; to be a 

regular Muley Mehemet; and then I sighed; for I remembered how very 

much I was in the power of that man。



The dinner over; the publisher nodded to his wife; who departed; 

followed by her daughter…in…law。  The son looked as if he would 

willingly have attended them; he; however; remained seated; and; a 

small decanter of wine being placed on the table; the publisher 

filled two glasses; one of which he handed to myself; and the other 

to his son; saying; 'Suppose you two drink to the success of the 

Review。  I would join you;' said he; addressing himself to me; 'but 

I drink no wine; if I am a Brahmin with respect to meat; I am a 

Mahometan with respect to wine。'



So the son and I drank success to the Review; and then the young 

man asked me various questions; for example … How I liked London? … 

Whether I did not think it a very fine place? … Whether I was at 

the play the night before? … and whether I was in the park that 

afternoon?  He seemed preparing to ask me some more questions; but; 

receiving a furious look from his father; he became silent; filled 

himself a glass of wine; drank it off; looked at the table for 

about a minute; then got up; pushed back his chair; made me a bow; 

and left the room。



'Is that young gentleman; sir;' said I; 'well versed in the 

principles of criticism?'



'He is not; sir;' said the publisher; 'and; if I place him at the 

head of the Review ostensibly; I do it merely in the hope of 

procuring him a maintenance; of the principle of a thing he knows 

nothing; except that the principle of bread is wheat; and that the 

principle of that wine is grape。  Will you take another glass?'



I looked at the decanter; but; not feeling altogether so sure as 

the publisher's son with respect to the principle of what it 

contained; I declined taking any more。



'No; sir;' said the publisher; adjusting himself in his chair; 'he 

knows nothing about criticism; and will have nothing more to do 

with the reviewals than carrying about the books to those who have 

to review them; the real conductor of the Review will be a widely 

different person; to whom I will; when convenient; introduce you。  

And now we will talk of the matter which we touched upon before 

dinner:  I told you then that I had changed my mind with respect to 

you; I have been considering the state of the market; sir; the book 

market; and I have come to the conclusion that; though you might be 

profitably employed upon evangelical novels; you could earn more 

money for me; sir; and consequently for yourself; by a compilation 

of Newgate lives and trials。'



'Newgate lives and trials!'



'Yes; sir;' said the publisher; 'Newgate lives and trials; and now; 

sir; I will briefly state to you the services which I expect you to 

perform; and the terms which I am willing to grant。  I expect you; 

sir; to compile six volumes of Newgate lives and trials; each 

volume to contain by no manner of means less than one thousand 

pages; the remuneration which you will receive when the work is 

completed will be fifty pounds; which is likewise intended to cover 

any expenses you may incur in procuring books; papers; and 

manuscripts necessary for the compilation。  Such will be one of 

your employments; sir; … such the terms。  In the second place; you 

will be expected to make yourself useful in the Review … generally 

useful; sir … doing whatever is required of you; for it is not 

customa
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