the uncommercial traveller-第43部分

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his　fire。　　A　good　fire　and　a　good　great…coat　and　a　good　woollen

neck…shawl；　were　comfortable　things　to　see　in　conjunction　with　the

toll…keeper；　also　his　brisk　wakefulness　was　excellent　company　when

he　rattled　the　change　of　halfpence　down　upon　that　metal　table　of

his；　like　a　man　who　defied　the　night；　with　all　its　sorrowful

thoughts；　and　didn't　care　for　the　coming　of　dawn。　　There　was　need

of　encouragement　on　the　threshold　of　the　bridge；　for　the　bridge　was

dreary。　　The　chopped…up　murdered　man；　had　not　been　lowered　with　a

rope　over　the　parapet　when　those　nights　were；　he　was　alive；　and

slept　then　quietly　enough　most　likely；　and　undisturbed　by　any　dream

of　where　he　was　to　come。　　But　the　river　had　an　awful　look；　the

buildings　on　the　banks　were　muffled　in　black　shrouds；　and　the

reflected　lights　seemed　to　originate　deep　in　the　water；　as　if　the

spectres　of　suicides　were　holding　them　to　show　where　they　went

down。　　The　wild　moon　and　clouds　were　as　restless　as　an　evil

conscience　in　a　tumbled　bed；　and　the　very　shadow　of　the　immensity

of　London　seemed　to　lie　oppressively　upon　the　river。



Between　the　bridge　and　the　two　great　theatres；　there　was　but　the

distance　of　a　few　hundred　paces；　so　the　theatres　came　next。　　Grim

and　black　within；　at　night；　those　great　dry　Wells；　and　lonesome　to

imagine；　with　the　rows　of　faces　faded　out；　the　lights　extinguished；

and　the　seats　all　empty。　　One　would　think　that　nothing　in　them　knew

itself　at　such　a　time　but　Yorick's　skull。　　In　one　of　my　night

walks；　as　the　church　steeples　were　shaking　the　March　winds　and　rain

with　the　strokes　of　Four；　I　passed　the　outer　boundary　of　one　of

these　great　deserts；　and　entered　it。　　With　a　dim　lantern　in　my

hand；　I　groped　my　well…known　way　to　the　stage　and　looked　over　the

orchestra　…　which　was　like　a　great　grave　dug　for　a　time　of

pestilence　…　into　the　void　beyond。　　A　dismal　cavern　of　an　immense

aspect；　with　the　chandelier　gone　dead　like　everything　else；　and

nothing　visible　through　mist　and　fog　and　space；　but　tiers　of

winding…sheets。　　The　ground　at　my　feet　where；　when　last　there；　I

had　seen　the　peasantry　of　Naples　dancing　among　the　vines；　reckless

of　the　burning　mountain　which　threatened　to　overwhelm　them；　was　now

in　possession　of　a　strong　serpent　of　engine…hose；　watchfully　lying

in　wait　for　the　serpent　Fire；　and　ready　to　fly　at　it　if　it　showed

its　forked　tongue。　　A　ghost　of　a　watchman；　carrying　a　faint　corpse

candle；　haunted　the　distant　upper　gallery　and　flitted　away。

Retiring　within　the　proscenium；　and　holding　my　light　above　my　head

towards　the　rolled…up　curtain　…　green　no　more；　but　black　as　ebony　…

my　sight　lost　itself　in　a　gloomy　vault；　showing　faint　indications

in　it　of　a　shipwreck　of　canvas　and　cordage。　　Methought　I　felt　much

as　a　diver　might；　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea。



In　those　small　hours　when　there　was　no　movement　in　the　streets；　it

afforded　matter　for　reflection　to　take　Newgate　in　the　way；　and；

touching　its　rough　stone；　to　think　of　the　prisoners　in　their　sleep；

and　then　to　glance　in　at　the　lodge　over　the　spiked　wicket；　and　see

the　fire　and　light　of　the　watching　turnkeys；　on　the　white　wall。

Not　an　inappropriate　time　either；　to　linger　by　that　wicked　little

Debtors'　Door　…　shutting　tighter　than　any　other　door　one　ever　saw　…

which　has　been　Death's　Door　to　so　many。　　In　the　days　of　the

uttering　of　forged　one…pound　notes　by　people　tempted　up　from　the

country；　how　many　hundreds　of　wretched　creatures　of　both　sexes　…

many　quite　innocent　…　swung　out　of　a　pitiless　and　inconsistent

world；　with　the　tower　of　yonder　Christian　church　of　Saint　Sepulchre

monstrously　before　their　eyes！　　Is　there　any　haunting　of　the　Bank

Parlour；　by　the　remorseful　souls　of　old　directors；　in　the　nights　of

these　later　days；　I　wonder；　or　is　it　as　quiet　as　this　degenerate

Aceldama　of　an　Old　Bailey？



To　walk　on　to　the　Bank；　lamenting　the　good　old　times　and　bemoaning

the　present　evil　period；　would　be　an　easy　next　step；　so　I　would

take　it；　and　would　make　my　houseless　circuit　of　the　Bank；　and　give

a　thought　to　the　treasure　within；　likewise　to　the　guard　of　soldiers

passing　the　night　there；　and　nodding　over　the　fire。　　Next；　I　went

to　Billingsgate；　in　some　hope　of　market…people；　but　it　proving　as

yet　too　early；　crossed　London…bridge　and　got　down　by　the　water…side

on　the　Surrey　shore　among　the　buildings　of　the　great　brewery。

There　was　plenty　going　on　at　the　brewery；　and　the　reek；　and　the

smell　of　grains；　and　the　rattling　of　the　plump　dray　horses　at　their

mangers；　were　capital　company。　　Quite　refreshed　by　having　mingled

with　this　good　society；　I　made　a　new　start　with　a　new　heart；

setting　the　old　King's　Bench　prison　before　me　for　my　next　object；

and　resolving；　when　I　should　come　to　the　wall；　to　think　of　poor

Horace　Kinch；　and　the　Dry　Rot　in　men。



A　very　curious　disease　the　Dry　Rot　in　men；　and　difficult　to　detect

the　beginning　of。　　It　had　carried　Horace　Kinch　inside　the　wall　of

the　old　King's　Bench　prison；　and　it　had　carried　him　out　with　his

feet　foremost。　　He　was　a　likely　man　to　look　at；　in　the　prime　of

life；　well　to　do；　as　clever　as　he　needed　to　be；　and　popular　among

many　friends。　　He　was　suitably　married；　and　had　healthy　and　pretty

children。　　But；　like　some　fair…looking　houses　or　fair…looking

ships；　he　took　the　Dry　Rot。　　The　first　strong　external　revelation

of　the　Dry　Rot　in　men；　is　a　tendency　to　lurk　and　lounge；　to　be　at

street…corners　without　intelligible　reason；　to　be　going　anywhere

when　met；　to　be　about　many　places　rather　than　at　any；　to　do　nothing

tangible；　but　to　have　an　intention　of　performing　a　variety　of

intangible　duties　to…morrow　or　the　day　after。　　When　this

manifestation　of　the　disease　is　observed；　the　observer　will　usually

connect　it　with　a　vague　impression　once　formed　or　received；　that

the　patient　was　living　a　little　too　hard。　　He　will　scarcely　have

had　leisure　to　turn　it　over　in　his　mind　and　form　the　terrible

suspicion　'Dry　Rot；'　when　he　will　notice　a　change　for　the　worse　in

the　patient's　appearance：　　a　certain　slovenliness　and

deterioration；　which　is　not　poverty；　nor　dirt；　nor　intoxication；

nor　ill…health；　but　simply　Dry　Rot。　　To　this；　succeeds　a　smell　as

of　strong　waters；　in　the　morning；　to　that；　a　looseness　respecting

money；　to　that；　a　stronger　smell　as　of　strong　waters；　at　all　times；

to　that；　a　looseness　respecting　everything；　to　that；　a　trembling　of

the　limbs；　somnolency；　misery；　and　crumbling　to　pieces。　　As　it　is

in　wood；　so　it　is　in　men。　　Dry　Rot　advances　at　a　compound　usury

quite　incalculable。　　A　plank　is　found　infected　with　it；　and　the

whole　structure　is　devoted。　　Thus　it　had　been　with　the　unhappy

Horace　Kinch；　lately　buried　by　a　small　subscription。　　Those　who

knew　him　had　not　nigh　done　saying；　'So　well　off；　so　comfortably

established；　with　such　hope　before　him　…　and　yet；　it　is　feared；

with　a　slight　touch　of　Dry　Rot！'　when　lo！　the　man　was　all　Dry　Rot

and　dust。



From　the　dead　wall　associated　on　those　houseless　nights　with　this

too　common　story；　I　chose　next　to　wander　b