lavengro-第102章

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would　contrive　to　make　you　a　cup　of　tea。'



'Tea！'　said　the　man　in　black；　'he！　he！　　I　don't　drink　tea；　I　don't　

like　it　…　if；　indeed；　you　had；'　and　here　he　stopped。



'There's　nothing　like　gin　and　water；　is　there？'　said　I；　'but　I　am　

sorry　to　say　I　have　none。'



'Gin　and　water；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'how　do　you　know　that　I　am　

fond　of　gin　and　water？'



'Did　I　not　see　you　drinking　some　at　the　public…house？'



'You　did；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'and　I　remember　that；　when　I　

called　for　some　you　repeated　my　words　…　permit　me　to　ask；　is　gin　

and　water　an　unusual　drink　in　England？'



'It　is　not　usually　drunk　cold；　and　with　a　lump　of　sugar；'　said　I。



'And　did　you　know　who　I　was　by　my　calling　for　it　so？'



'Gypsies　have　various　ways　of　obtaining　information；'　said　I。



'With　all　your　knowledge；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'you　do　not　

appear　to　have　known　that　I　was　coming　to　visit　you？'



'Gypsies　do　not　pretend　to　know　anything　which　relates　to　

themselves；'　said　I；　'but　I　advise　you；　if　you　ever　come　again；　to　

come　openly。'



'Have　I　your　permission　to　come　again？'　said　the　man　in　black。



'Come　when　you　please；　this　dingle　is　as　free　for　you　as　me。'



'I　will　visit　you　again；'　said　the　man　in　black　…　'till　then；　

addio。'



'Belle；'　said　I；　after　the　man　in　black　had　departed；　'we　did　not　

treat　that　man　very　hospitably；　he　left　us　without　having　eaten　or　

drunk　at　our　expense。'



'You　offered　him　some　tea；'　said　Belle；　'which；　as　it　is　mine；　I　

should　have　grudged　him；　for　I　like　him　not。'



'Our　liking　or　disliking　him　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　matter；　he　

was　our　visitor；　and　ought　not　to　have　been　permitted　to　depart　

dry；　living　as　we　do　in　this　desert；　we　ought　always　to　be　prepared　

to　administer　to　the　wants　of　our　visitors。　　Belle；　do　you　know　

where　to　procure　any　good　Hollands？'



'I　think　I　do；'　said　Belle；　'but　…　'



'I　will　have　no　buts。　　Belle；　I　expect　that　with　as　little　delay　as　

possible　you　procure；　at　my　expense；　the　best　Hollands　you　can　

find。'







CHAPTER　XCI







Excursions　…　Adventurous　English　…　Opaque　forests　…　The　greatest　

patience。



TIME　passed　on；　and　Belle　and　I　lived　in　the　dingle；　when　I　say　

lived；　the　reader　must　not　imagine　that　we　were　always　there。　　She　

went　out　upon　her　pursuits；　and　I　went　out　where　inclination　led　

me；　but　my　excursions　were　very　short　ones；　and　hers　occasionally　

occupied　whole　days　and　nights。　　If　I　am　asked　how　we　passed　the　

time　when　we　were　together　in　the　dingle；　I　would　answer　that　we　

passed　the　time　very　tolerably；　all　things　considered；　we　conversed　

together；　and　when　tired　of　conversing　I　would　sometimes　give　Belle　

a　lesson　in　Armenian；　her　progress　was　not　particularly　brilliant；　

but　upon　the　whole　satisfactory；　in　about　a　fortnight　she　had　hung　

up　one　hundred　Haikan　numerals　upon　the　hake　of　her　memory。　　I　

found　her　conversation　highly　entertaining；　she　had　seen　much　of　

England　and　Wales；　and　had　been　acquainted　with　some　of　the　most　

remarkable　characters　who　travelled　the　roads　at　that　period；　and　

let　me　be　permitted　to　say　that　many　remarkable　characters　have　

travelled　the　roads　of　England；　of　whom　fame　has　never　said　a　word。　　

I　loved　to　hear　her　anecdotes　of　these　people；　some　of　whom　I　found　

had　occasionally　attempted　to　lay　violent　hands　either　upon　her　

person　or　effects；　and　had　invariably　been　humbled　by　her　without　

the　assistance　of　either　justice　or　constable。　　I　could　clearly　

see；　however；　that　she　was　rather　tired　of　England；　and　wished　for　

a　change　of　scene；　she　was　particularly　fond　of　talking　of　America；　

to　which　country　her　aspirations　chiefly　tended。　　She　had　heard　

much　of　America；　which　had　excited　her　imagination；　for　at　that　

time　America　was　much　talked　of；　on　roads　and　in　homesteads　…　at　

least；　so　said　Belle；　who　had　good　opportunities　of　knowing　…　and　

most　people　allowed　that　it　was　a　good　country　for　adventurous　

English。　　The　people　who　chiefly　spoke　against　it；　as　she　informed　

me；　were　soldiers　disbanded　upon　pensions；　the　sextons　of　village　

churches；　and　excisemen。　　Belle　had　a　craving　desire　to　visit　that　

country；　and　to　wander　with　cart　and　little　animal　amongst　its　

forests；　when　I　would　occasionally　object　that　she　would　be　exposed　

to　danger　from　strange　and　perverse　customers；　she　said　that　she　

had　not　wandered　the　roads　of　England　so　long　and　alone；　to　be　

afraid　of　anything　which　might　befall　in　America；　and　that　she　

hoped；　with　God's　favour；　to　be　able　to　take　her　own　part；　and　to　

give　to　perverse　customers　as　good　as　they　might　bring。　　She　had　a　

dauntless　heart；　that　same　Belle。　　Such　was　the　staple　of　Belle's　

conversation。　　As　for　mine；　I　would　endeavour　to　entertain　her　with　

strange　dreams　of　adventure；　in　which　I　figured　in　opaque　forests；　

strangling　wild　beasts；　or　discovering　and　plundering　the　hoards　of　

dragons；　and　sometimes　I　would　narrate　to　her　other　things　far　more　

genuine　…　how　I　had　tamed　savage　mares；　wrestled　with　Satan；　and　

had　dealings　with　ferocious　publishers。　　Belle　had　a　kind　heart；　

and　would　weep　at　the　accounts　I　gave　her　of　my　early　wrestlings　

with　the　dark　Monarch。　　She　would　sigh；　too；　as　I　recounted　the　

many　slights　and　degradations　I　had　received　at　the　hands　of　

ferocious　publishers；　but　she　had　the　curiosity　of　a　woman；　and　

once；　when　I　talked　to　her　of　the　triumphs　which　I　had　achieved　

over　unbroken　mares；　she　lifted　up　her　head　and　questioned　me　as　to　

the　secret　of　the　virtue　which　I　possessed　over　the　aforesaid　

animals；　whereupon　I　sternly　reprimanded；　and　forthwith　commanded　

her　to　repeat　the　Armenian　numerals；　and；　on　her　demurring；　I　made　

use　of　words；　to　escape　which　she　was　glad　to　comply；　saying　the　

Armenian　numerals　from　one　to　a　hundred；　which　numerals；　as　a　

punishment　for　her　curiosity；　I　made　her　repeat　three　times；　

loading　her　with　the　bitterest　reproaches　whenever　she　committed　

the　slightest　error；　either　in　accent　or　pronunciation；　which　

reproaches　she　appeared　to　bear　with　the　greatest　patience。　　And　

now　I　have　given　a　very　fair　account　of　the　manner　in　which　Isopel　

Berners　and　myself　passed　our　time　in　the　dingle。







CHAPTER　XCII







The　landlord　…　Rather　too　old　…　Without　a　shilling　…　Reputation　…　A　

fortnight　ago　…　Liquids　…　The　main　chance　…　Respectability　…　

Irrational　beings　…　Parliament　cove　…　My　brewer。



AMONGST　other　excursions；　I　went　several　times　to　the　public…house　

to　which　I　introduced　the　reader　in　a　former　chapter。　　I　had　

experienced　such　beneficial　effects　from　the　ale　I　had　drunk　on　

that　occasion；　that　I　wished　to　put　its　virtue　to　a　frequent　test；　

nor　did　the　ale　on　subsequent　trials　belie　the　good　opinion　which　I　

had　at　first　formed　of　it。　　After　each　visit　which　I　made　to　the　

public…house；　I　found　my　frame　stronger　and　my　mind　more　cheerful　

than　they　had　previously　been。　　The　landlord　appeared　at　all　times　

glad　to　see　me；　and　insisted　that　I　should　sit　within　the　bar；　

where；　leaving　his　other　guests　to　be　attended　to　by　a　niece　of　

his；　who　officiated　as　his　housekeeper；　he　would　sit　beside　me　and　

talk　of　matters　concerning　'the　ring；'　indulging　himself　with　a　

cigar　and　a　glass　of　sherry；　which　he　told　me　was　his　favourite　

wine；　whilst　I　drank　my　ale。　　'I　loves　the　conversation　of　all　you　

coves　of　the　ring；'　said　he　once；　'which　is　natural；　seeing　as　how　

I　have　fought　in　a　ring　myself。　　Ah；　there　is　nothing　like　the　

ring；　I　wish　I　was　not　rather　too　old　to　go　again　into　it。　　I　often　

think　I　should　like　to　have　another　rally　…　one　more　rally；　and　

then　…　but　there's　a　time　for　all　things　…　youth　will　be　served；　

every　dog　has　his　day；　and　mine　has　been　a　fine　one　…　let　me　be　

content。　　After　beating　Tom　of　Hopton；　there　was　not　much　more　to　

be　done　in　the　way　of　reputation；　I　have　long　sat　in　my　bar　the　

wonder　and　glory　of　this　here　neighbourhood。　　I'm　content；　as　far　

as　reputation　goes；　I　only　wish　money　would　come　in　a　little　

faster；　however；　the　next　main　of　cocks　will　bring　me　in　something　

handsome　…　comes　off　next　Wednesday；　at　…；　have　ventured　ten　five…

pound　notes　…　shouldn't　say　ventured　either　…　run　no　risk　at　all；　

because　why？　　I　knows　my　birds。'　　About　ten　days　after　this　

harangue　I　called　again；　at　about　three　o'clock　one　afternoon。　　The　

landlord　was　seated　on　a　bench　by　a　table　in　the　common　room；　which　

was　entirely　empty；　he　was　neither　smoking　nor　drinking；　but　sat　

with　his　arms　folded；　and　his　head　hanging　down　over　his　breast。　　

At　the　sound　of　my　step　he　looked　up；　'Ah；'　said　he；　'I　am　glad　you　

are　come；　I　was　just　thinking　about　you。'　　'Thank　you；'　said　I；　'it　

was　very　kind　of　you；　especially　at　a　time　like　this；　when　your　

mind　must　be　full　of　your　good　fortune。　　Allow　me　to　congratulate　

you　on　the　sums　of　money　you　won　by　the　main　of　cocks　at　…。　　I　hope　

you　brought　it　all　safe　home。'　　'Safe　home！'　said　the　landlord；　'I　

brought　myself　safe　home；　and　that　was　all；　came　home　without　a　

shilling；　regularly　done；　cleaned　out。'　　'I　am　sorry　for　that；'　

said　I；　'but　after　you　had　won　the　money；　you　ought　to　have　been　

satisfied；　and　not　risked　it　again　…　how　did　you　lose　it？　　I　hope　

not　by　the　pea　and　thimble。'　　'Pea　and　thimble；'　said　the　landlord　

…　'not　I；　those　confounded　cocks　left　me　nothing　to　lose　by　the　pea　

and　thimble。'　　'Dear　me；'　said　I；　'I　thought　that　you　knew　your　

birds。'　　'Well；　so　I　did；'　said　the　landlord；　'I　knew　the　birds　to　

be　good　birds；　and　so　they　proved；　and　would　have　won　if　better　

birds　had　not　been　brought　against　them；　of　which　I　knew　nothing；　

and　so　do　you　see　I　am　done；　regularly　done。'　　'Well；'　said　I；　

'don't　be　cast　down；　there　is　one　thing　of　which　the　cocks　by　their　

misfortune　cannot　deprive　you　…　your　reputation；　make　the　most　of　

that；　give　up　cock…fighting；　and　be　content　with　the　custom　of　your　

house；　of　which　you　will　always　have　plenty；　as　long　as　you　are　the　

wonder　and　glory　of　the　neighbourhood。'



The　landlord　struck　the　table　before　him　violently　with　his　fist。　　

'Confound　my　reputation！'　said　he。　　'No　reputation　that　I　have　will　

be　satisfaction　to　my　brewer　for　the　seventy　pounds　I　owe　him。　　

Reputation　won't　pass　for　the　current　coin　of　this　here　realm；　and　

let　me　tell　you；　that　if　it　ain't　backed　by　some　of　it；　it　ain't　a　

bit　better　than　rotten　cabbage；　as　I　have　found。　　Only　three　weeks　

since　I　was；　as　I　told　you；　the　wonder　and　glory　of　the　

neighbourhood；　and　people　used　to　come　to　look　at　me；　and　worship　

me；　but　as　soon　as　it　began　to　be　whispered　about　that　I　owed　money　

to　the　brewer；　they　presently　left　off　all　that　kind　of　thing；　and　

now；　during　the　last　three　days；　since　the　tale　of　my　misfortune　

with　the　cocks　has　got　wind；　almost　everybody　has　left　off　coming　

to　the　house；　and　the　few　who　does；　merely　comes　to　insult　and　

flout