lavengro-第110章

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left　till　called　for；　beginning　with　〃Dear　children；〃　and　enclosing　

you　each　a　cheque　for　one　hundred　pounds；　when　you　will　leave　this　

place；　and　go　home　in　a　coach　like　gentlefolks；　to　visit　your　

governors；　I　should　like　nothing　better　than　to　have　the　driving　of　

you：　　and　then　there　will　be　a　grand　meeting　of　the　two　families；　

and　after　a　few　reproaches；　the　old　people　will　agree　to　do　

something　handsome　for　the　poor　thoughtless　things；　so　you　will　

have　a　genteel　house　taken　for　you；　and　an　annuity　allowed　you。　　

You　won't　get　much　the　first　year；　five　hundred　at　the　most；　in　

order　that　the　old　folks　may　let　you　feel　that　they　are　not　

altogether　satisfied　with　you；　and　that　you　are　yet　entirely　in　

their　power；　but　the　second；　if　you　don't　get　a　cool　thousand；　may　

I　catch　cold；　especially　should　young　madam　here　present　a　son　and　

heir　for　the　old　people　to　fondle；　destined　one　day　to　become　sole　

heir　of　the　two　illustrious　houses；　and　then　all　the　grand　folks　in　

the　neighbourhood；　who　have　…　bless　their　prudent　hearts！　…　kept　

rather　aloof　from　you　till　then；　for　fear　you　should　want　anything　

from　them　…　I　say　all　the　carriage　people　in　the　neighbourhood；　

when　they　see　how　swimmingly　matters　are　going　on；　will　come　in　

shoals　to　visit　you。'



'Really；'　said　I；　'you　are　getting　on　swimmingly。'



'Oh；'　said　the　postilion；　'I　was　not　a　gentleman's　servant　nine　

years　without　learning　the　ways　of　gentry；　and　being　able　to　know　

gentry　when　I　see　them。'



'And　what　do　you　say　to　all　this？'　I　demanded　of　Belle。



'Stop　a　moment；'　interposed　the　postilion；　'I　have　one　more　word　to　

say：…　and　when　you　are　surrounded　by　your　comforts；　keeping　your　

nice　little　barouche　and　pair；　your　coachman　and　livery　servant；　

and　visited　by　all　the　carriage　people　in　the　neighbourhood　…　to　

say　nothing　of　the　time　when　you　come　to　the　family　estates　on　the　

death　of　the　old　people　…　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　now　and　then　you　

look　back　with　longing　and　regret　to　the　days　when　you　lived　in　the　

damp　dripping　dingle；　had　no　better　equipage　than　a　pony　or　donkey　

cart；　and　saw　no　better　company　than　a　tramper　or　gypsy；　except　

once；　when　a　poor　postilion　was　glad　to　seat　himself　at　your　

charcoal　fire。'



'Pray；'　said　I；　'did　you　ever　take　lessons　in　elocution？'



'Not　directly；'　said　the　postilion；　'but　my　old　master；　who　was　in　

Parliament；　did；　and　so　did　his　son；　who　was　intended　to　be　an　

orator。　　A　great　professor　used　to　come　and　give　them　lessons；　and　

I　used　to　stand　and　listen；　by　which　means　I　picked　up　a　

considerable　quantity　of　what　is　called　rhetoric。　　In　what　I　last　

said；　I　was　aiming　at　what　I　have　heard　him　frequently　endeavouring　

to　teach　my　governors　as　a　thing　indispensably　necessary　in　all　

oratory；　a　graceful　pere　…　pere　…　peregrination。'



'Peroration；　perhaps？'



'Just　so；'　said　the　postilion；　'and　now　I'm　sure　I　am　not　mistaken　

about　you；　you　have　taken　lessons　yourself；　at　first　hand；　in　the　

college　vacations；　and　a　promising　pupil　you　were；　I　make　no　doubt。　　

Well；　your　friends　will　be　all　the　happier　to　get　you　back。　　Has　

your　governor　much　borough　interest？'



'I　ask　you　once　more；'　said　I；　addressing　myself　to　Belle；　'what　

you　think　of　the　history　which　this　good　man　has　made　for　us？'



'What　should　I　think　of　it；'　said　Belle；　still　keeping　her　face　

buried　in　her　hands；　'but　that　it　is　mere　nonsense？'



'Nonsense！'　said　the　postilion。



'Yes；'　said　the　girl；　'and　you　know　it。'



'May　my　leg　always　ache；　if　I　do；'　said　the　postilion；　patting　his　

leg　with　his　hand；　'will　you　persuade　me　that　this　young　man　has　

never　been　at　college？'



'I　have　never　been　at　college；　but　…　'



'Ay；　ay；'　said　the　postilion；　'but　…　'



'I　have　been　to　the　best　schools　in　Britain；　to　say　nothing　of　a　

celebrated　one　in　Ireland。'



'Well；　then；　it　comes　to　the　same　thing；'　said　the　postilion；　'or　

perhaps　you　know　more　than　if　you　had　been　at　college　…　and　your　

governor　…　'



'My　governor；　as　you　call　him；'　said　I；　'is　dead。'



'And　his　borough　interest？'



'My　father　had　no　borough　interest；'　said　I；　'had　he　possessed　any；　

he　would　perhaps　not　have　died；　as　he　did；　honourably　poor。'



'No；　no；'　said　the　postilion；　'if　he　had　had　borough　interest；　he　

wouldn't　have　been　poor；　nor　honourable；　though　perhaps　a　right　

honourable。　　However；　with　your　grand　education　and　genteel　

manners；　you　made　all　right　at　last　by　persuading　this　noble　young　

gentlewoman　to　run　away　from　boarding…school　with　you。'



'I　was　never　at　boarding…school；'　said　Belle；　'unless　you　call　…　'



'Ay；　ay；'　said　the　postilion；　'boarding…school　is　vulgar；　I　know：　　

I　beg　your　pardon；　I　ought　to　have　called　it　academy；　or　by　some　

other　much　finer　name　…　you　were　in　something　much　greater　than　a　

boarding…school。'



'There　you　are　right；'　said　Belle；　lifting　up　her　head　and　looking　

the　postilion　full　in　the　face　by　the　light　of　the　charcoal　fire；　

'for　I　was　bred　in　the　workhouse。'



'Wooh！'　said　the　postilion。



'It　is　true　that　I　am　of　good　…　'



'Ay；　ay；'　said　the　postilion；　'let　us　hear　…　'



'Of　good　blood；'　continued　Belle；　'my　name　is　Berners；　Isopel　

Berners；　though　my　parents　were　unfortunate。　　Indeed；　with　respect　

to　blood；　I　believe　I　am　of　better　blood　than　the　young　man。'



'There　you　are　mistaken；'　said　I；　'by　my　father's　side　I　am　of　

Cornish　blood；　and　by　my　mother's　of　brave　French　Protestant　

extraction。　　Now；　with　respect　to　the　blood　of　my　father　…　and　to　

be　descended　well　on　the　father's　side　is　the　principal　thing　…　it　

is　the　best　blood　in　the　world；　for　the　Cornish　blood；　as　the　

proverb　says　…　'



'I　don't　care　what　the　proverb　says；'　said　Belle；　'I　say　my　blood　

is　the　best　…　my　name　is　Berners；　Isopel　Berners　…　it　was　my　

mother's　name；　and　is　better；　I　am　sure；　than　any　you　bear；　

whatever　that　may　be；　and　though　you　say　that　the　descent　on　the　

fathers　side　is　the　principal　thing　…　and　I　know　why　you　say　so；'　

she　added　with　some　excitement　…　'I　say　that　descent　on　the　

mother's　side　is　of　most　account；　because　the　mother　…　'



'Just　come　from　Gretna　Green；　and　already　quarrelling！'　said　the　

postilion。



'We　do　not　come　from　Gretna　Green；'　said　Belle。



'Ah；　I　had　forgot；'　said　the　postilion；　'none　but　great　people　go　

to　Gretna　Green。　　Well；　then；　from　church；　and　already　quarrelling　

about　family；　just　like　two　great　people。'



'We　have　never　been　to　church；'　said　Belle；　'and　to　prevent　any　

more　guessing　on　your　part；　it　will　be　as　well　for　me　to　tell　you；　

friend；　that　I　am　nothing　to　the　young　man；　and　he；　of　course；　

nothing　to　me。　　I　am　a　poor　travelling　girl；　born　in　a　workhouse：　　

journeying　on　my　occasions　with　certain　companions；　I　came　to　this　

hollow；　where　my　company　quarrelled　with　the　young　man；　who　had　

settled　down　here；　as　he　had　a　right　to　do　if　he　pleased；　and　not　

being　able　to　drive　him　out；　they　went　away　after　quarrelling　with　

me；　too；　for　not　choosing　to　side　with　them；　so　I　stayed　here　along　

with　the　young　man；　there　being　room　for　us　both；　and　the　place　

being　as　free　to　me　as　to　him。'



'And　in　order　that　you　may　be　no　longer　puzzled　with　respect　to　

myself；'　said　I；　'I　will　give　you　a　brief　outline　of　my　history。　　I　

am　the　son　of　honourable　parents；　who　gave　me　a　first…rate　

education；　as　far　as　literature　and　languages　went；　with　which　

education　I　endeavoured；　on　the　death　of　my　father；　to　advance　

myself　to　wealth　and　reputation　in　the　big　city；　but　failing　in　the　

attempt；　I　conceived　a　disgust　for　the　busy　world；　and　determined　

to　retire　from　it。　　After　wandering　about　for　some　time；　and　

meeting　with　various　adventures；　in　one　of　which　I　contrived　to　

obtain　a　pony；　cart；　and　certain　tools　used　by　smiths　and　tinkers；　

I　came　to　this　place；　where　I　amused　myself　with　making　horse…

shoes；　or　rather　pony…shoes；　having　acquired　the　art　of　wielding　

the　hammer　and　tongs　from　a　strange　kind　of　smith　…　not　him　of　

Gretna　Green　…　whom　I　knew　in　my　childhood。　　And　here　I　lived；　

doing　harm　to　no　one；　quite　lonely　and　solitary；　till　one　fine　

morning　the　premises　were　visited　by　this　young　gentlewoman　and　her　

companions。　　She　did　herself　anything　but　justice　when　she　said　

that　her　companions　quarrelled　with　her　because　she　would　not　side　

with　them　against　me；　they　quarrelled　with　her　because　she　came　

most　heroically　to　my　assistance　as　I　was　on　the　point　of　being　

murdered；　and　she　forgot　to　tell　you　that；　after　they　had　abandoned　

her；　she　stood　by　me　in　the　…　dark　hour；　comforting　and　cheering　

me；　when　unspeakable　dread；　to　which　I　am　occasionally　subject；　

took　possession　of　my　mind。　　She　says　she　is　nothing　to　me；　even　as　

I　am　nothing　to　her。　　I　am　of　course　nothing　to　her；　but　she　is　

mistaken　in　thinking　she　is　nothing　to　me。　　I　entertain　the　highest　

regard　and　admiration　for　her；　being　convinced　that　I　might　search　

the　whole　world　in　vain　for　a　nature　more　heroic　and　devoted。'



'And　for　my　part；'　said　Belle；　with　a　sob；　'a　more　quiet　agreeable　

partner　in　a　place　like　this　I　would　not　wish　to　have；　it　is　true　

he　has　strange　ways；　and　frequently　puts　words　into　my　mouth　very　

difficult　to　utter；　but　…　but　…　'　and　here　she　buried　her　face　once　

more　in　her　hands。



'Well；'　said　the　postilion；　'I　have　been　mistaken　about　you；　that　

is；　not　altogether；　but　in　part。　　You　are　not　rich　folks；　it　seems；　

but　you　are　not　common　people；　and　that　I　could　have　sworn。　　What　I　

call　a　shame　is；　that　some　people　I　have　known　are　not　in　your　

place　and　you　in　theirs；　you　with　their　estates　and　borough　

interest；　they　in　this　dingle　with　these　carts　and　animals；　but　

there　is　no　help　for　these　things。　　Were　I　the　great　Mumbo　Jumbo　

above；　I　would　endeavour　to　manage　matters　better；　but　being　a　

simple　postilion；　glad　to　earn　three　shillings　a　day；　I　can't　be　

expected　to　do　much。'



'Who　is　Mumbo　Jumbo？'　said　I。



'Ah！'　said　the　postilion；　'I　see　there　may　be　a　thing　or　two　I　know　

better　than　yourself。　　Mumbo　Jumbo　is　a　god　of　the　black　coast；　to　

which　people　go　for　ivory　and　gold。'



'Were　you　ever　there？'　I　demanded。



'No；'　said　the　postilion；　'but　I　heard　plenty　of　Mumbo　Jumbo　when　I　

was　a　boy。'



'I　wish　you　would　tell　us　something　about　yourself。　　I　believe　that　

your　own　real　history　would　prove　quite　as　entertaining；　if　not　

more；　than　that　which　you　imagined　about　us。'



'I　am　rather　tired；'　said　the　postilion；　'and　my　leg　is　rather　

troublesome。　　I　should　be　glad　to　try　to　sleep　upon　one　of　your　

blankets。　　However；　as　you　wish　to　hear　something　about　me；　I　shall　

be　happy　to　oblige　you；　but　your　fire　is　rather　low；　and　this　place　

is　chilly。'



Thereupon　I　arose；　and　put　fresh　charcoal　on　the　pan；　then　taking　

it　outside　the　tent；　with　a　kind　of　fan　which　I　had　fashioned；　I　

fanne