three ghost stories-第8章

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at　least；　upon　a　donkey　who　was　so　interested　in　the　state　of　his

stomach　that　his　head　was　always　down　there；　investigating　it；　on

ponies；　expressly　born　to　kick　up　behind；　on　roundabouts　and　swings；

from　fairs；　in　the　first　cabanother　forgotten　institution　where

the　fare　regularly　got　into　bed；　and　was　tucked　up　with　the　driver。



Not　to　trouble　you　with　a　detailed　account　of　all　my　travels　in

pursuit　of　the　ghost　of　Master　B。；　which　were　longer　and　more

wonderful　than　those　of　Sinbad　the　Sailor；　I　will　confine　myself　to

one　experience　from　which　you　may　judge　of　many。



I　was　marvellously　changed。　　I　was　myself；　yet　not　myself。　　I　was

conscious　of　something　within　me；　which　has　been　the　same　all

through　my　life；　and　which　I　have　always　recognised　under　all　its

phases　and　varieties　as　never　altering；　and　yet　I　was　not　the　I　who

had　gone　to　bed　in　Master　B。's　room。　　I　had　the　smoothest　of　faces

and　the　shortest　of　legs；　and　I　had　taken　another　creature　like

myself；　also　with　the　smoothest　of　faces　and　the　shortest　of　legs；

behind　a　door；　and　was　confiding　to　him　a　proposition　of　the　most

astounding　nature。



This　proposition　was；　that　we　should　have　a　Seraglio。



The　other　creature　assented　warmly。　　He　had　no　notion　of

respectability；　neither　had　I。　　It　was　the　custom　of　the　East；　it

was　the　way　of　the　good　Caliph　Haroun　Alraschid　（let　me　have　the

corrupted　name　again　for　once；　it　is　so　scented　with　sweet

memories！）；　the　usage　was　highly　laudable；　and　most　worthy　of

imitation。　　〃O；　yes！　　Let　us；〃　said　the　other　creature　with　a　jump；

〃have　a　Seraglio。〃



It　was　not　because　we　entertained　the　faintest　doubts　of　the

meritorious　character　of　the　Oriental　establishment　we　proposed　to

import；　that　we　perceived　it　must　be　kept　a　secret　from　Miss

Griffin。　　It　was　because　we　knew　Miss　Griffin　to　be　bereft　of　human

sympathies；　and　incapable　of　appreciating　the　greatness　of　the　great

Haroun。　　Mystery　impenetrably　shrouded　from　Miss　Griffin　then；　let

us　entrust　it　to　Miss　Bule。



We　were　ten　in　Miss　Griffin's　establishment　by　Hampstead　Ponds；

eight　ladies　and　two　gentlemen。　　Miss　Bule；　whom　I　judge　to　have

attained　the　ripe　age　of　eight　or　nine；　took　the　lead　in　society。　　I

opened　the　subject　to　her　in　the　course　of　the　day；　and　proposed

that　she　should　become　the　Favourite。



Miss　Bule；　after　struggling　with　the　diffidence　so　natural　to；　and

charming　in；　her　adorable　sex；　expressed　herself　as　flattered　by　the

idea；　but　wished　to　know　how　it　was　proposed　to　provide　for　Miss

Pipson？　　Miss　Bulewho　was　understood　to　have　vowed　towards　that

young　lady；　a　friendship；　halves；　and　no　secrets；　until　death；　on

the　Church　Service　and　Lessons　complete　in　two　volumes　with　case　and

lockMiss　Bule　said　she　could　not；　as　the　friend　of　Pipson；

disguise　from　herself；　or　me；　that　Pipson　was　not　one　of　the　common。



Now；　Miss　Pipson；　having　curly　hair　and　blue　eyes　（which　was　my　idea

of　anything　mortal　and　feminine　that　was　called　Fair）；　I　promptly

replied　that　I　regarded　Miss　Pipson　in　the　light　of　a　Fair

Circassian。



〃And　what　then？〃　Miss　Bule　pensively　asked。



I　replied　that　she　must　be　inveigled　by　a　Merchant；　brought　to　me

veiled；　and　purchased　as　a　slave。



＇The　other　creature　had　already　fallen　into　the　second　male　place　in

the　State；　and　was　set　apart　for　Grand　Vizier。　　He　afterwards

resisted　this　disposal　of　events；　but　had　his　hair　pulled　until　he

yielded。＇



〃Shall　I　not　be　jealous？〃　Miss　Bule　inquired；　casting　down　her　eyes。



〃Zobeide；　no；〃　I　replied；　〃you　will　ever　be　the　favourite　Sultana；

the　first　place　in　my　heart；　and　on　my　throne；　will　be　ever　yours。〃



Miss　Bule；　upon　that　assurance；　consented　to　propound　the　idea　to

her　seven　beautiful　companions。　　It　occurring　to　me；　in　the　course

of　the　same　day；　that　we　knew　we　could　trust　a　grinning　and　good…

natured　soul　called　Tabby；　who　was　the　serving　drudge　of　the　house；

and　had　no　more　figure　than　one　of　the　beds；　and　upon　whose　face

there　was　always　more　or　less　black…lead；　I　slipped　into　Miss　Bule's

hand　after　supper；　a　little　note　to　that　effect；　dwelling　on　the

black…lead　as　being　in　a　manner　deposited　by　the　finger　of

Providence；　pointing　Tabby　out　for　Mesrour；　the　celebrated　chief　of

the　Blacks　of　the　Hareem。



There　were　difficulties　in　the　formation　of　the　desired　institution；

as　there　are　in　all　combinations。　　The　other　creature　showed　himself

of　a　low　character；　and；　when　defeated　in　aspiring　to　the　throne；

pretended　to　have　conscientious　scruples　about　prostrating　himself

before　the　Caliph；　wouldn't　call　him　Commander　of　the　Faithful；

spoke　of　him　slightingly　and　inconsistently　as　a　mere　〃chap；〃　said

he；　the　other　creature；　〃wouldn't　play〃Play！and　was　otherwise

coarse　and　offensive。　　This　meanness　of　disposition　was；　however；

put　down　by　the　general　indignation　of　an　united　Seraglio；　and　I

became　blessed　in　the　smiles　of　eight　of　the　fairest　of　the

daughters　of　men。



The　smiles　could　only　be　bestowed　when　Miss　Griffin　was　looking

another　way；　and　only　then　in　a　very　wary　manner；　for　there　was　a

legend　among　the　followers　of　the　Prophet　that　she　saw　with　a　little

round　ornament　in　the　middle　of　the　pattern　on　the　back　of　her

shawl。　　But　every　day　after　dinner；　for　an　hour；　we　were　all

together；　and　then　the　Favourite　and　the　rest　of　the　Royal　Hareem

competed　who　should　most　beguile　the　leisure　of　the　Serene　Haroun

reposing　from　the　cares　of　Statewhich　were　generally；　as　in　most

affairs　of　State；　of　an　arithmetical　character；　the　Commander　of　the

Faithful　being　a　fearful　boggler　at　a　sum。



On　these　occasions；　the　devoted　Mesrour；　chief　of　the　Blacks　of　the

Hareem；　was　always　in　attendance　（Miss　Griffin　usually　ringing　for

that　officer；　at　the　same　time；　with　great　vehemence）；　but　never

acquitted　himself　in　a　manner　worthy　of　his　historical　reputation。

In　the　first　place；　his　bringing　a　broom　into　the　Divan　of　the

Caliph；　even　when　Haroun　wore　on　his　shoulders　the　red　robe　of　anger

（Miss　Pipson's　pelisse）；　though　it　might　be　got　over　for　the　moment；

was　never　to　be　quite　satisfactorily　accounted　for。　　In　the　second

place；　his　breaking　out　into　grinning　exclamations　of　〃Lork　you

pretties！〃　was　neither　Eastern　nor　respectful。　　In　the　third　place；

when　specially　instructed　to　say　〃Bismillah！〃　he　always　said

〃Hallelujah！〃　　This　officer；　unlike　his　class；　was　too　good…humoured

altogether；　kept　his　mouth　open　far　too　wide；　expressed　approbation

to　an　incongruous　extent；　and　even　onceit　was　on　the　occasion　of

the　purchase　of　the　Fair　Circassian　for　five　hundred　thousand　purses

of　gold；　and　cheap；　tooembraced　the　Slave；　the　Favourite；　and　the

Caliph；　all　round。　　（Parenthetically　let　me　say　God　bless　Mesrour；

and　may　there　have　been　sons　and　daughters　on　that　tender　bosom；

softening　many　a　hard　day　since！）



Miss　Griffin　was　a　model　of　propriety；　and　I　am　at　a　loss　to　imagine

what　the　feelings　of　the　virtuous　woman　would　have　been；　if　she　had

known；　when　she　paraded　us　down　the　Hampstead　Road　two　and　two；　that

she　was　walking　with　a　stately　step　at　the　head　of　Polygamy　and

Mahomedanism。　　I　believe　that　a　mysterious　and　terrible　joy　with

which　the　contemplation　of　Miss　Griffin；　in　this　unconscious　state；

inspired　us；　and　a　grim　sense　prevalent　among　us　that　there　was　a

dreadful　power　in　our　knowledge　of　what　Miss　Griffin　（who　knew　all

things　that　could　be　learnt　out　of　book）　didn't　know；　were　the　main…

spring　of　the　preservation　of　our　secret。　　It　was　wonderfully　kept；

but　was　once　upon　the　verge　of　self…betrayal。　　The　danger　and　escape

occurred　upon　a　Sunday。　　We　were　all　ten　ranged　in　a　conspicuous

part　of　the　gallery　at　church；　with　Miss　Griffin　at　our　headas　we

were　every　Sundayadvertising　the　establishment　in　an　unsecular

sort　of　waywhen　the　description　of　Solomon　in　his　domestic　glory

happened　to　be　read。　　The　moment　that　monarch　was　thus　referred　to；

conscience　whispered　me；　〃Thou；　too；　Haroun！〃　　The　officiating

minister　had　a　cast　in　his　eye；　and　it　assisted　conscience　by　giving

him　the　appearance　of　reading　personally　at　me。　　A　crimson　blush；

attended　by　a　fearful　perspiration；　suffused　my　features。　　The　Grand

Vizier　became　more　dead　than　alive；　and　the　whole　Seraglio　reddened

as　if　the　sunset　of　Bagdad　shone　direct　upon　their　lovely　faces。　　At

this　portentous　time　the　awful　Griffin　rose；　and　balefully　surveyed

the　children　of　Islam。　　My　own　impression　was；　that　Church　and　State

had　entered　into　a　conspiracy　with　Miss　Griffin　to　expose　us；　and

that　we　should　all　be　put　into　white　sheets；　and　exhibited　in　the

centre　aisle。　　But；　so　Westerlyif　I　may　be　allowed　the　expression

as　opposite　to　Eastern　associationswas　Miss　Griffin's　sense　of

rectitude；　that　she　merely　suspected　Apples；　and　we　were　saved。



I　have　called　the　Seraglio；　united。　　Upon　the　question；　solely；

whether　the　Commander　of　the　Faithful　durst　exercise　a　right　of

kissing　in　that　sanctuary　of　the　palace；　were　its　peerless　inmates

divided。　　Zobeide　asserted　a　counter…right　in　the　Favourite　to

scratch；　and　the　fair　Circassian　put　her　face；　for　refuge；　into　a

green　baize　bag；　originally　designed　for　books。　　On　the　other　hand；

a　young　antelope　of　transcendent　beauty　from　the　fruitful　plains　of

Camden　Town　（whence　she　had　been　brought；　by　traders；　in　the　half…

yearly　caravan　that　crossed　the　intermediate　desert　after　the

holidays）；　held　more　liberal　opinions；　but　stipulated　for　limiting

the　benefit　of　them　to　that　dog；　and　son　of　a　dog；　the　Grand　Vizier…

…who　had　no　rights；　and　was　not　in　question。　　At　length；　the

difficulty　was　compromised　by　the　installation　of　a　very　youthful

slave　as　Deputy。　　She；　raised　upon　a　stool；　officially　received　upon

her　cheeks　the　salutes　intended　by　the　gracious　Haroun　for　other

Sultanas；　and　was　privately　rewarded　from　the　coffers　of　the　Ladies

of　the　Hareem。



And　now　it　was；　at　the　full　height　of　enjoyment　of　my　bliss；　that　I

became　heavily　troubled。　　I　began　to　think　of　my　mother；　and　what

she　would　say　to　my　taking　home　at　Midsummer　eight　of　the　most

beautiful　of　the　daughters　of　men；　but　all　unexpected。　　I　thought　of

the　number　of　beds　we　made　up　at　our　house；　of　my　father's　income；

and　of　the　baker；　and　my　despondency　redoubled。　　The　Seraglio　and

malicious　Vizier；　divining　the　cause　of　their　Lord's　unhappiness；

did　their　utmost　to　augment　it。　　They　professed　unbounded　fidelity；

and　declared　that　they　would　live　and　die　with　him。　　Reduced　to　the

utmost　wretchedness　by　these　protestations　of　attachment；　I　lay

awake；　for　hours　at　a　time；　ruminating　on　my　frightful　lot。　　In　my

despair；　I　think　I　might　have　taken　an　early　opportunity　of　falling

on　my　knees　before　Miss　Griffin；　avowing　my　resemblance　to　Solomon；

and　praying　to　be　dealt　with　according　to　the　outraged　laws　of　my

country；　if　an　unthought…of　means　of　escape　had　not　opened　before

me。



One　day；　we　were