lavengro-第112章

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family　spending　their　winters　in　London；　and　their　summers　at　their　

old　seat　in　S…　as　before。　　At　last；　the　young　ladies；　who　had　not　

yet　got　husbands；　which　was　strange　enough；　seeing；　as　I　told　you　

before；　they　were　very　amiable；　proposed　to　our　governor　a　

travelling　expedition　abroad。　　The　old　baronet　consented；　though　

young　master　was　much　against　it；　saying　they　would　all　be　much　

better　at　home。　　As　the　girls　persisted；　however；　he　at　last　

withdrew　his　opposition；　and　even　promised　to　follow　them　as　soon　

as　his　parliamentary　duties　would　permit；　for　he　was　just　got　into　

Parliament；　and；　like　most　other　young　members；　thought　that　

nothing　could　be　done　in　the　House　without　him。　　So　the　old　

gentleman　and　the　two　young　ladies　set　off；　taking　me　with　them；　

and　a　couple　of　ladies'　maids　to　wait　upon　them。　　First　of　all；　we　

went　to　Paris；　where　we　continued　three　months；　the　old　baronet　and　

the　ladies　going　to　see　the　various　sights　of　the　city　and　the　

neighbourhood；　and　I　attending　them。　　They　soon　got　tired　of　sight…

seeing；　and　of　Paris　too；　and　so　did　I。　　However；　they　still　

continued　there；　in　order；　I　believe；　that　the　young　ladies　might　

lay　in　a　store　of　French　finery。　　I　should　have　passed　my　idle　time　

at　Paris；　of　which　I　had　plenty　after　the　sight…seeing　was　over；　

very　unpleasantly；　but　for　Black　Jack。　　Eh！　did　you　never　hear　of　

Black　Jack？　　Ah！　if　you　had　ever　been　an　English　servant　in　Paris；　

you　would　have　known　Black　Jack；　not　an　English　gentleman's　servant　

who　has　been　at　Paris　for　this　last　ten　years　but　knows　Black　Jack　

and　his　ordinary。　　A　strange　fellow　he　was　…　of　what　country　no　one　

could　exactly　say　…　for　as　for　judging　from　speech；　that　was　

impossible；　Jack　speaking　all　languages　equally　ill。　　Some　said　he　

came　direct　from　Satan's　kitchen；　and　that　when　he　gives　up　keeping　

ordinary；　he　will　return　there　again；　though　the　generally…received　

opinion　at　Paris　was；　that　he　was　at　one　time　butler　to　King　

Pharaoh；　and　that；　after　lying　asleep　for　four　thousand　years　in　a　

place　called　the　Kattycombs；　he　was　awaked　by　the　sound　of　Nelson's　

cannon　at　the　battle　of　the　Nile；　and　going　to　the　shore；　took　on　

with　the　admiral；　and　became；　in　course　of　time；　ship　steward；　and　

that　after　Nelson's　death　he　was　captured　by　the　French；　on　board　

one　of　whose　vessels　he　served　in　a　somewhat　similar　capacity　till　

the　peace；　when　he　came　to　Paris；　and　set　up　an　ordinary　for　

servants；　sticking　the　name　of　Katcomb　over　the　door；　in　allusion　

to　the　place　where　he　had　his　long　sleep。　　But；　whatever　his　origin　

was；　Jack　kept　his　own　counsel；　and　appeared　to　care　nothing　for　

what　people　said　about　him；　or　called　him。　　Yes；　I　forgot；　there　

was　one　name　he　would　not　be　called；　and　that　was　〃Portuguese。〃　　I　

once　saw　Black　Jack　knock　down　a　coachman；　six　foot　high；　who　

called　him　black…faced　Portuguese。　　〃Any　name　but　dat；　you　shab；〃　

said　Black　Jack；　who　was　a　little　round　fellow；　of　about　five　feet　

two；　〃I　would　not　stand　to　be　called　Portuguese　by　Nelson　himself。〃　　

Jack　was　rather　fond　of　talking　about　Nelson；　and　hearing　people　

talk　about　him；　so　that　it　is　not　improbable　that　he　may　have　

sailed　with　him；　and　with　respect　to　his　having　been　King　Pharaoh's　

butler；　all　I　have　to　say　is；　I　am　not　disposed　to　give　the　

downright　lie　to　the　report。　Jack　was　always　ready　to　do　a　kind　

turn　to　a　poor　servant　out　of　place；　and　has　often　been　known　to　

assist　such　as　were　in　prison；　which　charitable　disposition　he　

perhaps　acquired　from　having　lost　a　good　place　himself；　having　seen　

the　inside　of　a　prison；　and　known　the　want　of　a　meal's　victuals；　

all　which　trials　King　Pharaoh's　butler　underwent；　so　he　may　have　

been　that　butler；　at　any　rate；　I　have　known　positive　conclusions　

come　to　on　no　better　premisses；　if　indeed　as　good。　　As　for　the　

story　of　his　coming　direct　from　Satan's　kitchen；　I　place　no　

confidence　in　it　at　all；　as　Black　Jack　had　nothing　of　Satan　about　

him　but　blackness；　on　which　account　he　was　called　Black　Jack。　　Nor　

am　I　disposed　to　give　credit　to　a　report　that　his　hatred　of　the　

Portuguese　arose　from　some　ill　treatment　which　he　had　once　

experienced　when　on　shore；　at　Lisbon；　from　certain　gentlewomen　of　

the　place；　but　rather　conclude　that　it　arose　from　an　opinion　he　

entertained　that　the　Portuguese　never　paid　their　debts；　one　of　the　

ambassadors　of　that　nation；　whose　house　he　had　served；　having　left　

Paris　several　thousand　francs　in　his　debt。　　This　is　all　that　I　have　

to　say　about　Black　Jack；　without　whose　funny　jokes　and　good　

ordinary　I　should　have　passed　my　time　in　Paris　in　a　very　

disconsolate　manner。



'After　we　had　been　at　Paris　between　two　and　three　months；　we　left　

it　in　the　direction　of　Italy；　which　country　the　family　had　a　great　

desire　to　see。　　After　travelling　a　great　many　days　in　a　thing　

which；　though　called　a　diligence；　did　not　exhibit　much　diligence；　

we　came　to　a　great　big　town；　seated　around　a　nasty　salt…water　

bason；　connected　by　a　narrow　passage　with　the　sea。　　Here　we　were　to　

embark；　and　so　we　did　as　soon　as　possible；　glad　enough　to　get　away　

…　at　least　I　was；　and　so　I　make　no　doubt　were　the　rest；　for　such　a　

place　for　bad　smells　I　never　was　in。　　It　seems　all　the　drains　and　

sewers　of　the　place　run　into　that　same　salt　bason；　voiding　into　it　

all　their　impurities；　which；　not　being　able　to　escape　into　the　sea　

in　any　considerable　quantity；　owing　to　the　narrowness　of　the　

entrance；　there　accumulate；　filling　the　whole　atmosphere　with　these　

same　outrageous　scents；　on　which　account　the　town　is　a　famous　

lodging…house　of　the　plague。　　The　ship　in　which　we　embarked　was　

bound　for　a　place　in　Italy　called　Naples；　where　we　were　to　stay　

some　time。　　The　voyage　was　rather　a　lazy　one；　the　ship　not　being　

moved　by　steam；　for　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　speaking；　some　five　

years　ago；　steam…ships　were　not　so　plentiful　as　now。　　There　were　

only　two　passengers　in　the　grand　cabin；　where　my　governor　and　his　

daughters　were；　an　Italian　lady　and　a　priest。　　Of　the　lady　I　have　

not　much　to　say；　she　appeared　to　be　a　quiet　respectable　person　

enough；　and　after　our　arrival　at　Naples　I　neither　saw　nor　heard　

anything　more　of　her；　but　of　the　priest　I　shall　have　a　good　deal　to　

say　in　the　sequel　（that；　by　the　bye；　is　a　word　I　learnt　from　the　

professor　of　rhetoric）；　and　it　would　have　been　well　for　our　family　

had　they　never　met　him。



'On　the　third　day　of　the　voyage　the　priest　came　to　me；　who　was　

rather　unwell　with　sea…sickness；　which　he；　of　course；　felt　nothing　

of　…　that　kind　of　people　being　never　affected　like　others。　　He　was　

a　finish…looking　man　of　about　forty…five；　but　had　something　strange　

in　his　eyes；　which　I　have　since　thought　denoted　that　all　was　not　

right　in　a　certain　place　called　the　heart。　　After　a　few　words　of　

condolence；　in　a　broken　kind　of　English；　he　asked　me　various　

questions　about　our　family；　and　I；　won　by　his　seeming　kindness；　

told　him　all　I　knew　about　them　…　of　which　communicativeness　I　

afterwards　very　much　repented。　　As　soon　as　he　had　got　out　of　me　all　

he　desired；　he　left　me；　and　I　observed　that　during　the　rest　of　the　

voyage　he　was　wonderfully　attentive　to　our　governor；　and　yet　more　

to　the　young　ladies。　　Both；　however；　kept　him　rather　at　a　distance；　

the　young　ladies　were　reserved；　and　once　or　twice　I　heard　our　

governor　cursing　him　between　his　teeth　for　a　sharking　priest。　　The　

priest；　however；　was　not　disconcerted；　and　continued　his　

attentions；　which　in　a　little　time　produced　an　effect；　so　that；　by　

the　time　we　landed　at　Naples；　our　great　folks　had　conceived　a　kind　

of　liking　for　the　man；　and　when　they　took　their　leave　invited　him　

to　visit　them；　which　he　promised　to　do。　　We　hired　a　grand　house　or　

palace　at　Naples；　it　belonged　to　a　poor　kind　of　prince；　who　was　

glad　enough　to　let　it　to　our　governor；　and　also　his　servants　and　

carriages；　and　glad　enough　were　the　poor　servants；　for　they　got　

from　us　what　they　never　got　from　the　prince　…　plenty　of　meat　and　

money；　and　glad　enough；　I　make　no　doubt；　were　the　horses　for　the　

provender　we　gave　them；　and　I　daresay　the　coaches　were　not　sorry　to　

be　cleaned　and　furbished　up。　　Well；　we　went　out　and　came　in；　going　

to　see　the　sights；　and　returning。　　Amongst　other　things　we　saw　was　

the　burning　mountain；　and　the　tomb　of　a　certain　sorcerer　called　

Virgilio；　who　made　witch　rhymes；　by　which　he　could　raise　the　dead。　　

Plenty　of　people　came　to　see　us；　both　English　and　Italians；　and　

amongst　the　rest　the　priest。　　He　did　not　come　amongst　the　first；　

but　allowed　us　to　settle　and　become　a　little　quiet　before　he　showed　

himself；　and　after　a　day　or　two　he　paid　us　another　visit；　then　

another；　till　at　last　his　visits　were　daily。



'I　did　not　like　that　Jack　Priest；　so　I　kept　my　eye　upon　all　his　

motions。　　Lord！　how　that　Jack　Priest　did　curry　favour　with　our　

governor　and　the　two　young　ladies；　and　he　curried；　and　curried；　

till　he　had　got　himself　into　favour　with　the　governor；　and　more　

especially　with　the　two　young　ladies；　of　whom　their　father　was　

doatingly　fond。　　At　last　the　ladies　took　lessons　in　Italian　of　the　

priest；　a　language　in　which　he　was　said　to　be　a　grand　proficient；　

and　of　which　they　had　hitherto　known　but　very　little；　and　from　that　

time　his　influence　over　them；　and　consequently　over　the　old　

governor；　increased；　till　the　tables　were　turned；　and　he　no　longer　

curried　favour　with　them；　but　they　with　him　…　yes；　as　true　as　my　

leg　aches；　the　young　ladies　curried；　and　the　old　governor　curried　

favour　with　that　same　priest；　when　he　was　with　them；　they　seemed　

almost　to　hang　on　his　lips；　that　is；　the　young　ladies；　and　as　for　

the　old　governor；　he　never　contradicted　him；　and　when　the　fellow　

was　absent；　which；　by　the　bye；　was　not　often；　it　was；　〃Father　so…

and…so　said　this；〃　and　〃Father　so…and…so　said　that〃；　〃Father　so…

and…so　thinks　we　should　do　so…and…so；　or　that　we　should　not　do　so…

and…so。〃　　I　at　first　thought　that　he　must　have　given　them　

something；　some　philtre　or　the　like；　but　one　of　the　English　maid…

servants；　who　had　a　kind　of　respect　for　me；　and　who　saw　much　more　

behind　the　scenes　than　I　did；　informed　me　that　he　was　continually　

instilling　strange　notions　into　their　heads；　striving；　by　every　

possible　method；　to　make　them　despise　the　religion　of　their　own　

land；　and　take　up　that　of　the　foreign　country　in　which　they　were。　　

And　sure　enough；　in　a　little　time；　the　girls　had　altogether　left　

off　going　to　an　English　chapel；　and　were　continually　visiting　

places　of　Italian　worship。　　The　old　governor；　it　is　true；　still　

went　to　his　church；　but　he　appeared　to　be　hesitating　between　two　

opinions；　and　once；　when　he　was　at　dinner；　he　said　to　two　or　three　

English　friends　that；　since　he　had　become　better　acquainted　with　

it；　he　had　conceived　a　much　more　favourable　opinion　of　the　Catholic　

religion　than　he　had　previously　entertained。　　In　a　word；　the