the lazy tour of two idle apprentices(两个闲荡徒弟的旅行)-第17章
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what he had seen。 Thomas； on his back reading； listened with great
composure； and asked him whether he really had gone up those hills； and
bothered himself with those views； and walked all those miles？
'Because I want to know；' added Thomas； 'what you would say of it； if
you were obliged to do it？'
'It would be different； then；' said Francis。 'It would be work； then；
now； it's play。'
'Play！' replied Thomas Idle； utterly repudiating the reply。 'Play！ Here
is a man goes systematically tearing himself to pieces； and putting himself
through an incessant course of training； as if he were always under articles
to fight a match for the champion's belt； and he calls it Play！ Play！'
exclaimed Thomas Idle； scornfully contemplating his one boot in the air。
'You CAN'T play。 You don't know what it is。 You make work of
everything。'
The bright Goodchild amiably smiled。
'So you do；' said Thomas。 'I mean it。 To me you are an absolutely
terrible fellow。 You do nothing like another man。 Where another fellow
would fall into a footbath of action or emotion； you fall into a mine。
Where any other fellow would be a painted butterfly； you are a fiery
dragon。 Where another man would stake a sixpence； you stake your
existence。 If you were to go up in a balloon； you would make for Heaven；
and if you were to dive into the depths of the earth； nothing short of the
other place would content you。 What a fellow you are； Francis！' The
cheerful Goodchild laughed。
'It's all very well to laugh； but I wonder you don't feel it to be serious；'
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said Idle。 'A man who can do nothing by halves appears to me to be a
fearful man。'
'Tom； Tom；' returned Goodchild； 'if I can do nothing by halves； and be
nothing by halves； it's pretty clear that you must take me as a whole； and
make the best of me。'
With this philosophical rejoinder； the airy Goodchild clapped Mr。 Idle
on the shoulder in a final manner； and they sat down to dinner。
'By…the…by；' said Goodchild； 'I have been over a lunatic asylum too；
since I have been out。'
'He has been；' exclaimed Thomas Idle； casting up his eyes； 'over a
lunatic asylum！ Not content with being as great an Ass as Captain
Barclay in the pedestrian way； he makes a Lunacy Commissioner of
himself … for nothing！'
'An immense place；' said Goodchild； 'admirable offices； very good
arrangements； very good attendants； altogether a remarkable place。'
'And what did you see there？' asked Mr。 Idle； adapting Hamlet's advice
to the occasion； and assuming the virtue of interest； though he had it not。
'The usual thing；' said Francis Goodchild； with a sigh。 'Long groves
of blighted men…and…women…trees； interminable avenues of hopeless faces；
numbers； without the slightest power of really combining for any earthly
purpose； a society of human creatures who have nothing in common but
that they have all lost the power of being humanly social with one
another。'
'Take a glass of wine with me；' said Thomas Idle； 'and let US be
social。'
'In one gallery； Tom；' pursued Francis Goodchild； 'which looked to me
about the length of the Long Walk at Windsor； more or less … '
'Probably less；' observed Thomas Idle。
'In one gallery； which was otherwise clear of patients （for they were all
out）； there was a poor little dark…chinned； meagre man； with a perplexed
brow and a pensive face； stooping low over the matting on the floor； and
picking out with his thumb and forefinger the course of its fibres。 The
afternoon sun was slanting in at the large end…window； and there were
cross patches of light and shade all down the vista； made by the unseen
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windows and the open doors of the little sleeping…cells on either side。 In
about the centre of the perspective； under an arch； regardless of the
pleasant weather； regardless of the solitude； regardless of approaching
footsteps； was the poor little dark…chinned； meagre man； poring over the
matting。 〃What are you doing there？〃 said my conductor； when we came
to him。 He looked up； and pointed to the matting。 〃I wouldn't do that； I
think；〃 said my conductor； kindly； 〃if I were you； I would go and read； or I
would lie down if I felt tired； but I wouldn't do that。〃 The patient
considered a moment； and vacantly answered； 〃No； sir； I won't； I'll … I'll go
and read；〃 and so he lamely shuffled away into one of the little rooms。 I
turned my head before we had gone many paces。 He had already come
out again； and was again poring over the matting； and tracking out its
fibres with his thumb and forefinger。 I stopped to look at him； and it
came into my mind； that probably the course of those fibres as they plaited
in and out； over and under； was the only course of things in the whole
wide world that it was left to him to understand … that his darkening
intellect had narrowed down to the small cleft of light which showed him；
〃This piece was twisted this way； went in here； passed under； came out
there； was carried on away here to the right where I now put my finger on
it； and in this progress of events； the thing was made and came to be here。〃
Then； I wondered whether he looked into the matting； next； to see if it
could show him anything of the process through which HE came to be
there； so strangely poring over it。 Then； I thought how all of us； GOD
help us！ in our different ways are poring over our bits of matting； blindly
enough； and what confusions and mysteries we make in the pattern。 I
had a sadder fellow…feeling with the little dark… chinned； meagre man； by
that time； and I came away。'
Mr。 Idle diverting the conversation to grouse； custards； and bride… cake；
Mr。 Goodchild followed in the same direction。 The bride…cake was as
bilious and indigestible as if a real Bride had cut it； and the dinner it
completed was an admirable performance。
The house was a genuine old house of a very quaint description；
teeming with old carvings； and beams； and panels； and having an excellent
old staircase； with a gallery or upper staircase； cut off from it by a curious
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fence…work of old oak； or of the old Honduras Mahogany wood。 It was；
and is； and will be； for many a long year to come； a remarkably
picturesque house； and a certain grave mystery lurking in the depth of the
old mahogany panels； as if they were so many deep pools of dark water …
such； indeed； as they had been much among when they were trees … gave it
a very mysterious character after nightfall。
When Mr。 Goodchild and Mr。 Idle had first alighted at the door； and
stepped into the sombre； handsome old hall； they had been received by
half…a…dozen noiseless old men in black； all dressed exactly alike； who
glided up the stairs with the obliging landlord and waiter … but without
appearing to get into their way； or to mind whether they did or no … and
who had filed off to the right and left on the old staircase； as the guests
entered their sitting… room。 It was then broad； bright day。 But； Mr。
Goodchild had said； when their door was shut； 'Who on earth are those old
men？' And afterwards； both on going out and coming in； he had noticed
that there were no old men to be seen。
Neither； had the old men； or any one of the old men； reappeared since。
The two friends had passed a night in the house； but had seen nothing
more of the old men。 Mr。 Goodchild； in rambling about it； had looked
along passages； and glanced in at doorways； but had encountered no old
men； neither did it appear that any old men were； by any member of the
establishment； missed or expected。
Another odd circumstance impressed itself on their attention。 It was；
that the door of their sitting…room was never left untouched for a quarter of
an hour。 It was opened with hesitation； opened with confidence； opened
a little way； opened a good way； … always clapped…to again without a word
of explanation。 They were reading； they were writing； they were eating；
they were drinking； they were talking； they were dozing； the door was
always opened at an unexpected moment； and they looked towards it； and
it was clapped… to again； and nobody was to be seen。 When this had
happened fifty times or so； Mr。 Goodchild had said to his companion；
jestingly： 'I begin to think； Tom； there was something wrong with those six
old men。'
Night had come again； and they had been writing for two or three
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hours： writing； in short； a portion of the lazy notes from which these lazy
sheets are taken。 They had left off writing； and glasses were on the table
between them。 The house was closed and quiet。 Around the head of
Thomas Idle； as he lay upon his sofa； hovered light wreaths of fragrant
smoke。 The temples of Francis Goodchild； as he leaned back in his chair；
with his two hands clasped behind his head； and his legs crossed； were
similarly decorated。
They had been discussing several idle subjects of speculation； not
omitting the strange old men； and
