lavengro-第100章

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curiosity；　what　matters　it　to　you　what　I　saw　and　heard　at　the　

public…house？'



'It　matters　very　little　to　me；'　said　Belle；　'I　merely　inquired　of　

you；　for　the　sake　of　a　little　conversation　…　you　were　silent；　and　

it　is　uncomfortable　for　two　people　to　sit　together　without　opening　

their　lips　…　at　least　I　think　so。'



'One　only　feels　uncomfortable；'　said　I；　'in　being　silent；　when　one　

happens　to　be　thinking　of　the　individual　with　whom　one　is　in　

company。　　To　tell　you　the　truth；　I　was　not　thinking　of　my　

companion；　but　of　certain　company　with　whom　I　had　been　at　the　

public…house。'



'Really；　young　man；'　said　Belle；　'you　are　not　over　complimentary；　

but　who　may　this　wonderful　company　have　been　…　some　young　…　？'　and　

here　Belle　stopped。



'No；'　said　I；　'there　was　no　young　person　…　if　person　you　were　going　

to　say。　　There　was　a　big　portly　landlord；　whom　I　daresay　you　have　

seen；　a　noisy　savage　Radical；　who　wanted　at　first　to　fasten　upon　me　

a　quarrel　about　America；　but　who　subsequently　drew　in　his　horns；　

then　there　was　a　strange　fellow；　a　prowling　priest；　I　believe；　whom　

I　have　frequently　heard　of；　who　at　first　seemed　disposed　to　side　

with　the　Radical　against　me；　and　afterwards　with　me　against　the　

Radical。　　There；　you　know　my　company；　and　what　took　place。'



'Was　there　no　one　else？'　said　Belle。



'You　are　mighty　curious；'　said　I。　　'No；　none　else；　except　a　poor　

simple　mechanic；　and　some　common　company；　who　soon　went　away。'



Belle　looked　at　me　for　a　moment；　and　then　appeared　to　be　lost　in　

thought　…　'America！'　said　she；　musingly　…　'America！'



'What　of　America？'　said　I。



'I　have　heard　that　it　is　a　mighty　country。'



'I　daresay　it　is；'　said　I；　'I　have　heard　my　father　say　that　the　

Americans　are　first…rate　marksmen。'



'I　heard　nothing　about　that；'　said　Belle；　'what　I　heard　was；　that　

it　is　a　great　and　goodly　land；　where　people　can　walk　about　without　

jostling；　and　where　the　industrious　can　always　find　bread；　I　have　

frequently　thought　of　going　thither。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'the　Radical　in　the　public…house　will　perhaps　be　

glad　of　your　company　thither；　he　is　as　great　an　admirer　of　America　

as　yourself；　though　I　believe　on　different　grounds。'



'I　shall　go　by　myself；'　said　Belle；　'unless　…　unless　that　should　

happen　which　is　not　likely　…　I　am　not　fond　of　Radicals　no　more　than　

I　am　of　scoffers　and　mockers。'



'Do　you　mean　to　say　that　I　am　a　scoffer　and　mocker？'



'I　don't　wish　to　say　you　are；'　said　Belle；　'but　some　of　your　words　

sound　strangely　like　scoffing　and　mocking。　　I　have　now　one　thing　to　

beg；　which　is；　that　if　you　have　anything　to　say　against　America；　

you　would　speak　it　out　boldly。'



'What　should　I　have　to　say　against　America？　　I　never　was　there。'



'Many　people　speak　against　America　who　never　were　there。'



'Many　people　speak　in　praise　of　America　who　never　were　there；　but　

with　respect　to　myself；　I　have　not　spoken　for　or　against　America。'



'If　you　liked　America　you　would　speak　in　its　praise。'



'By　the　same　rule；　if　I　disliked　America　I　should　speak　against　

it。'



'I　can't　speak　with　you；'　said　Belle；　'but　I　see　you　dislike　the　

country。'



'The　country！'



'Well；　the　people　…　don't　you？'



'I　do。'



'Why　do　you　dislike　them？'



'Why；　I　have　heard　my　father　say　that　the　American　marksmen；　led　on　

by　a　chap　of　the　name　of　Washington；　sent　the　English　to　the　right…

about　in　double…quick　time。'



'And　that　is　your　reason　for　disliking　the　Americans？'



'Yes；'　said　I；　'that　is　my　reason　for　disliking　them。'



'Will　you　take　another　cup　of　tea？'　said　Belle。



I　took　another　cup；　we　were　again　silent。　　'It　is　rather　

uncomfortable；'　said　I；　at　last；　'for　people　to　sit　together　

without　having　anything　to　say。'



'Were　you　thinking　of　your　company？'　said　Belle。



'What　company？'　said　I。



'The　present　company。'



'The　present　company！　oh；　ah　…　I　remember　that　I　said　one　only　

feels　uncomfortable　in　being　silent　with　a　companion；　when　one　

happens　to　be　thinking　of　the　companion。　　Well；　I　had　been　thinking　

of　you　the　last　two　or　three　minutes；　and　had　just　come　to　the　

conclusion　that；　to　prevent　us　both　feeling　occasionally　

uncomfortably　towards　each　other；　having　nothing　to　say；　it　would　

be　as　well　to　have　a　standing　subject　on　which　to　employ　our　

tongues。　　Belle；　I　have　determined　to　give　you　lessons　in　

Armenian。'



'What　is　Armenian？'



'Did　you　ever　hear　of　Ararat？'



'Yes；　that　was　the　place　where　the　ark　rested；　I　have　heard　the　

chaplain　in　the　great　house　talk　of　it；　besides；　I　have　read　of　it　

in　the　Bible。'



'Well；　Armenian　is　the　speech　of　people　of　that　place；　and　I　should　

like　to　teach　it　you。'



'To　prevent　…　'



'Ay；　ay；　to　prevent　our　occasionally　feeling　uncomfortable　

together。　　Your　acquiring　it　besides　might　prove　of　ulterior　

advantage　to　us　both；　for　example；　suppose　you　and　I　were　in　

promiscuous　company；　at　Court；　for　example；　and　you　had　something　

to　communicate　to　me　which　you　did　not　wish　any　one　else　to　be　

acquainted　with；　how　safely　you　might　communicate　it　to　me　in　

Armenian。'



'Would　not　the　language　of　the　roads　do　as　well？'　said　Belle。



'In　some　places　it　would；'　said　I；　'but　not　at　Court；　owing　to　its　

resemblance　to　thieves'　slang。　　There　is　Hebrew；　again；　which　I　was　

thinking　of　teaching　you；　till　the　idea　of　being　presented　at　Court　

made　me　abandon　it；　from　the　probability　of　our　being　understood；　

in　the　event　of　our　speaking　it；　by　at　least　half　a　dozen　people　in　

our　vicinity。　　There　is　Latin；　it　is　true；　or　Greek；　which　we　might　

speak　aloud　at　Court　with　perfect　confidence　of　safety；　but　upon　

the　whole　I　should　prefer　teaching　you　Armenian；　not　because　it　

would　be　a　safer　language　to　hold　communication　with　at　Court；　but　

because；　not　being　very　well　grounded　in　it　myself；　I　am　

apprehensive　that　its　words　and　forms　may　escape　from　my　

recollection；　unless　I　have　sometimes　occasion　to　call　them　forth。'



'I　am　afraid　we　shall　have　to　part　company　before　I　have　learnt　

it；'　said　Belle；　'in　the　meantime；　if　I　wish　to　say　anything　to　you　

in　private；　somebody　being　by；　shall　I　speak　in　the　language　of　the　

roads？'



'If　no　roadster　is　nigh　you　may；'　said　I；　'and　I　will　do　my　best　to　

understand　you。　　Belle；　I　will　now　give　you　a　lesson　in　Armenian。'



'I　suppose　you　mean　no　harm；'　said　Belle。



'Not　in　the　least；　I　merely　propose　the　thing　to　prevent　our　

occasionally　feeling　uncomfortable　together。　　Let　us　begin。'



'Stop　till　I　have　removed　the　tea　things；'　said　Belle；　and；　getting　

up；　she　removed　them　to　her　own　encampment。



'I　am　ready；'　said　Belle；　returning；　and　taking　her　former　seat；　

'to　join　with　you　in　anything　which　will　serve　to　pass　away　the　

time　agreeably；　provided　there　is　no　harm　in　it。'



'Belle；'　said　I；　'I　have　determined　to　commence　the　course　of　

Armenian　lessons　by　teaching　you　the　numerals；　but；　before　I　do　

that；　it　will　be　as　well　to　tell　you　that　the　Armenian　language　is　

called　Haik。'



'I　am　sure　that　word　will　hang　upon　my　memory；'　said　Belle。



'Why　hang　upon　it？'　said　I。



'Because　the　old　women　in　the　great　house　used　to　call　so　the　

chimney…hook；　on　which　they　hung　the　kettle；　in　like　manner；　on　the　

hake　of　my　memory　I　will　hang　your　hake。'



'Good！'　said　I；　'you　will　make　an　apt　scholar；　but　mind　that　I　did　

not　say　hake；　but　haik；　the　words　are；　however；　very　much　alike；　

and；　as　you　observe；　upon　your　hake　you　may　hang　my　haik。　　We　will　

now　proceed　to　the　numerals。'



'What　are　numerals？'　said　Belle。



'Numbers。　　I　will　say　the　Haikan　numbers　up　to　ten。　　There　…　have　

you　heard　them？'



'Yes。'



'Well；　try　and　repeat　them。'



'I　only　remember　number　one；'　said　Belle；　'and　that　because　it　is　

me。'



'　I　will　repeat　them　again；'　said　I；　'and　pay　greater　attention。　　

Now；　try　again。'



'Me；　jergo；　earache。'



'I　neither　said　jergo　nor　earache。　　I　said　yergou　and　yerek。　　

Belle；　I　am　afraid　I　shall　have　some　difficulty　with　you　as　a　

scholar。'



Belle　made　no　answer。　　Her　eyes　were　turned　in　the　direction　of　the　

winding　path　which　led　from　the　bottom　of　the　hollow；　where　we　were　

seated；　to　the　plain　above。　　'Gorgio　shunella；'　she　said　at　length；　

in　a　low　voice。



'Pure　Rommany；'　said　I；　'where？'　I　added；　in　a　whisper。



'Dovey　odoi；'　said　Belle；　nodding　with　her　head　towards　the　path。



'I　will　soon　see　who　it　is；'　said　I；　and　starting　up；　I　rushed　

towards　the　pathway；　intending　to　lay　violent　hands　on　any　one　I　

might　find　lurking　in　its　windings。　　Before；　however；　I　had　reached　

its　commencement；　a　man；　somewhat　above　the　middle　height；　advanced　

from　it　into　the　dingle；　in　whom　I　recognised　the　man　in　black　whom　

I　had　seen　in　the　public…house。







CHAPTER　XC







Buona　sera　…　Rather　apprehensive　…　The　steep　bank　…　Lovely　virgin　…　

Hospitality　…　Tory　minister　…　Custom　of　the　country　…　Sneering　

smile　…　Wandering　Zigan　…　Gypsies'　cloaks　…　Certain　faculty　…　Acute　

answer　…　Various　ways　…　Addio　…　Best　Hollands。



THE　man　in　black　and　myself　stood　opposite　to　each　other　for　a　

minute　or　two　in　silence；　I　will　not　say　that　we　confronted　each　

other　that　time；　for　the　man　in　black；　after　a　furtive　glance；　did　

not　look　me　in　the　face；　but　kept　his　eyes　fixed　apparently　on　the　

leaves　of　a　bunch　of　ground…nuts　which　were　growing　at　my　feet。　　At　

length；　looking　around　the　dingle；　he　exclaimed；　'Buona　sera；　I　

hope　I　don't　intrude。'



'You　have　as　much　right　here；'　said　I；　'as　I　or　my　companion；　but　

you　had　no　right　to　stand　listening　to　our　conversation。'



'I　was　not　listening；'　said　the　man；　'I　was　hesitating　whether　to　

advance　or　retire；　and　if　I　heard　some　of　your　conversation；　the　

fault　was　not　mine。'



'I　do　not　see　why　you　should　have　hesitated　if　your　intentions　were　

good；'　said　I。



'I　think　the　kind　of　place　in　which　I　found　myself　might　excuse　

some　hesitation；'　said　the　man　in　black；　looking　around；　'moreover；　

from　what　I　had　seen　of　your　demeanour　at　the　public…house；　I　was　

rather　apprehensive　that　the　reception　I　might　experience　at　your　

hands　might　be　more　rough　than　agreeable。'



'And　what　may　have　been　your　motive　for　coming　to　this　place？'　said　

I。



'Per　far　visita　a　sua　signoria；　ecco　il　motivo。'



'Why　do　you　speak　to　me　in　that　gibberish；'　said　I；　'do　you　think　I　

understand　it？'



'It　is　not　Armenian；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'but　it　might　serve；　

in　a　place　like　this；　for　the　breathing　of　a　little　secret　

communication；　were　any　common　roadster　near　at　hand。　　It　would　not　

do　at　Court；　it　is　true；　being　the　language　of　singing　women；　and　

the　like；　but　we　are　not　at　Court　…　when　we　are；　I　can　perhaps　

summon　up　a　little　indifferent　Latin；　if　I　have　anything　private　to　

communicate　to　the