lavengro-第77部分

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All　of　a　sudden　I　shuddered；　I　thought　I　saw　heads　in　the　pool；　

human　bodies　wallowing　confusedly；　eyes　turned　up　to　heaven　with　

hopeless　horror；　was　that　water　or　…　？　　Where　was　the　impulse　now？　　

I　raised　my　eyes　from　the　pool；　I　looked　no　more　upon　it　…　I　looked　

forward；　far　down　the　stream　in　the　far　distance。　　'Ha！　what　is　

that？　　I　thought　I　saw　a　kind　of　Fata　Morgana；　green　meadows；　

waving　groves；　a　rustic　home；　but　in　the　far　distance　…　I　stared　…　

I　stared　…　a　Fata　Morgana　…　it　was　gone。　。　。　。〃



I　left　the　balustrade　and　walked　to　the　farther　end　of　the　bridge；　

where　I　stood　for　some　time　contemplating　the　crowd；　I　then　passed　

over　to　the　other　side　with　an　intention　of　returning　home；　just　

half…way　over　the　bridge；　in　a　booth　immediately　opposite　to　the　

one　in　which　I　had　formerly　beheld　her；　sat　my　friend；　the　old　

apple…woman；　huddled　up　behind　her　stall。



'Well；　mother；'　said　I；　'how　are　you？'　　The　old　woman　lifted　her　

head　with　a　startled　look。



'Don't　you　know　me？'　said　I。



'Yes；　I　think　I　do。　　Ah；　yes；'　said　she；　as　her　features　beamed　

with　recollection；　'I　know　you；　dear；　you　are　the　young　lad　that　

gave　me　the　tanner。　　Well；　child；　got　anything　to　sell？'



'Nothing　at　all；'　said　I。



'Bad　luck？'



'Yes；'　said　I；　'bad　enough；　and　ill　usage。'



'Ah；　I　suppose　they　caught　ye；　well；　child；　never　mind；　better　luck　

next　time；　I　am　glad　to　see　you。'



'Thank　you；'　said　I；　sitting　down　on　the　stone　bench；　'I　thought　

you　had　left　the　bridge　…　why　have　you　changed　your　side？'



The　old　woman　shook。



'What　is　the　matter　with　you；'　said　I；　'are　you　ill？'



'No；　child；　no；　only　…　'



'Only　what？　　Any　bad　news　of　your　son？'



'No；　child；　no；　nothing　about　my　son。　　Only　low；　child　…　every　

heart　has　its　bitters。'



'That's　true；'　said　I；　'well；　I　don't　want　to　know　your　sorrows；　

come；　where's　the　book？'



The　apple…woman　shook　more　violently　than　before；　bent　herself　

down；　and　drew　her　cloak　more　closely　about　her　than　before。　　

'Book；　child；　what　book？'



'Why；　blessed　Mary；　to　be　sure。'



'Oh；　that；　I　ha'n't　got　it；　child　…　I　have　lost　it；　have　left　it　at　

home。'



'Lost　it；'　said　I；　'left　it　at　home　…　what　do　you　mean？　　Come；　let　

me　have　it。'



'I　ha'n't　got　it；　child。'



'I　believe　you　have　got　it　under　your　cloak。'



'Don't　tell　any　one；　dear；　don't　…　don't；'　and　the　apple…woman　

burst　into　tears。



'What's　the　matter　with　you？'　said　I；　staring　at　her。



'You　want　to　take　my　book　from　me？'



'Not　I；　I　care　nothing　about　it；　keep　it；　if　you　like；　only　tell　me　

what's　the　matter？'



'Why；　all　about　that　book。'



'The　book？'



'Yes；　they　wanted　to　take　it　from　me。'



'Who　did？'



'Why；　some　wicked　boys。　　I'll　tell　you　all　about　it。　　Eight　or　ten　

days　ago；　I　sat　behind　my　stall；　reading　my　book；　all　of　a　sudden　I　

felt　it　snatched　from　my　hand；　up　I　started；　and　see　three　rascals　

of　boys　grinning　at　me；　one　of　them　held　the　book　in　his　hand。　　

〃What　book　is　this？〃　said　he；　grinning　at　it。　　〃What　do　you　want　

with　my　book？〃　said　I；　clutching　at　it　over　my　stall；　〃give　me　my　

book。〃　　〃What　do　you　want　a　book　for？〃　said　he；　holding　it　back；　〃I　

have　a　good　mind　to　fling　it　into　the　Thames。〃　　〃Give　me　my　book；〃　

I　shrieked；　and；　snatching　at　it；　I　fell　over　my　stall；　and　all　my　

fruit　was　scattered　about。　　Off　ran　the　boys　…　off　ran　the　rascal　

with　my　book。　　Oh　dear；　I　thought　I　should　have　died；　up　I　got；　

however；　and　ran　after　them　as　well　as　I　could；　I　thought　of　my　

fruit；　but　I　thought　more　of　my　book。　　I　left　my　fruit　and　ran　

after　my　book。　　〃My　book！　my　book！〃　I　shrieked；　〃murder！　theft！　

robbery！〃　　I　was　near　being　crushed　under　the　wheels　of　a　cart；　but　

I　didn't　care　…　I　followed　the　rascals。　　〃Stop　them！　stop　them！〃　　I　

ran　nearly　as　fast　as　they　…　they　couldn't　run　very　fast　on　account　

of　the　crowd。　　At　last　some　one　stopped　the　rascal；　whereupon　he　

turned　round；　and　flinging　the　book　at　me；　it　fell　into　the　mud；　

well；　I　picked　it　up　and　kissed　it；　all　muddy　as　it　was。　　〃Has　he　

robbed　you？〃　said　the　man。　　〃Robbed　me；　indeed；　why　he　had　got　my　

book。〃　　〃Oh；　your　book；〃　said　the　man；　and　laughed；　and　let　the　

rascal　go。　　Ah；　he　might　laugh；　but　…　'



'Well；　go　on。'



'My　heart　beats　so。　　Well；　I　went　back　to　my　booth　and　picked　up　my　

stall　and　my　fruits；　what　I　could　find　of　them。　　I　couldn't　keep　my　

stall　for　two　days　I　got　such　a　fright；　and　when　I　got　round　I　

couldn't　bide　the　booth　where　the　thing　had　happened；　so　I　came　

over　to　the　other　side。　　Oh；　the　rascals；　if　I　could　but　see　them　

hanged。'



'For　what？'



'Why；　for　stealing　my　book。'



'I　thought　you　didn't　dislike　stealing；　…　that　you　were　ready　to　

buy　things　…　there　was　your　son；　you　know　…　'



'Yes；　to　be　sure。'



'He　took　things。'



'To　be　sure　he　did。'



'But　you　don't　like　a　thing　of　yours　to　be　taken。'



'No；　that's　quite　a　different　thing；　what's　stealing　handkerchiefs；　

and　that　kind　of　thing；　to　do　with　taking　my　book？　there's　a　wide　

difference　…　don't　you　see？'



'Yes；　I　see。'



'Do　you；　dear？　well；　bless　your　heart；　I'm　glad　you　do。　　Would　you　

like　to　look　at　the　book？'



'Well；　I　think　I　should。'



'Honour　bright？'　said　the　apple…woman；　looking　me　in　the　eyes。



'Honour　bright；'　said　I；　looking　the　apple…woman　in　the　eyes。



'Well　then；　dear；　here　it　is；'　said　she；　taking　it　from　under　her　

cloak；　'read　it　as　long　as　you　like；　only　get　a　little　farther　into　

the　booth　…　　Don't　sit　so　near　the　edge　…　you　might　…　'



I　went　deep　into　the　booth；　and　the　apple…woman；　bringing　her　chair　

round；　almost　confronted　me。　　I　commenced　reading　the　book；　and　was　

soon　engrossed　by　it；　hours　passed　away；　once　or　twice　I　lifted　up　

my　eyes；　the　apple…woman　was　still　confronting　me：　　at　last　my　eyes　

began　to　ache；　whereupon　I　returned　the　book　to　the　apple…woman；　

and；　giving　her　another　tanner；　walked　away。







CHAPTER　XLI







Decease　of　the　Review　…　Homer　himself　…　Bread　and　cheese　…　Finger　

and　thumb　…　Impossible　to　find　…　Something　grand　…　Universal　

mixture　…　Some　other　publisher。



TIME　passed　away；　and　with　it　the　Review；　which；　contrary　to　the　

publisher's　expectation；　did　not　prove　a　successful　speculation。　　

About　four　months　after　the　period　of　its　birth　it　expired；　as　all　

Reviews　must　for　which　there　is　no　demand。　　Authors　had　ceased　to　

send　their　publications　to　it；　and；　consequently；　to　purchase　it；　

for　I　have　already　hinted　that　it　was　almost　entirely　supported　by　

authors　of　a　particular　class；　who　expected　to　see　their　

publications　foredoomed　to　immortality　in　its　pages。　　The　behaviour　

of　these　authors　towards　this　unfortunate　publication　I　can　

attribute　to　no　other　cause　than　to　a　report　which　was　

industriously　circulated；　namely；　that　the　Review　was　low；　and　that　

to　be　reviewed　in　it　was　an　infallible　sign　that　one　was