lavengro-第61章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



affirmative；　he　said；　'I　am　glad　you　like　it；　come　along　and　let　us　

win　some　money。'



Thereupon；　getting　up；　he　placed　the　table　before　him；　and　was　

moving　away；　observing；　however；　that　I　did　not　stir；　he　asked　me　

what　I　was　staying　for。　　'Merely　for　my　own　pleasure；'　said　I；　'I　

like　sitting　here　very　well。'　　'Then　you　won't　close？'　said　the　

man。　　'By　no　means；'　I　replied；　'your　proposal　does　not　suit　me。'　　

'You　may　be　principal　in　time；'　said　the　man。　　'That　makes　no　

difference；'　said　I；　and；　sitting　with　my　legs　over　the　pit；　I　

forthwith　began　to　decline　an　Armenian　noun。　　'That　ain't　cant；'　

said　the　man；　'no；　nor　gypsy　either。　　Well；　if　you　won't　close；　

another　will；　I　can't　lose　any　more　time；'　and　forthwith　he　

departed。



And　after　I　had　declined　four　Armenian　nouns；　of　different　

declensions；　I　rose　from　the　side　of　the　pit；　and　wandered　about　

amongst　the　various　groups　of　people　scattered　over　the　green。　　

Presently　I　came　to　where　the　man　of　the　thimbles　was　standing；　

with　the　table　before　him；　and　many　people　about　him。　　'Them　who　

finds；　wins；　and　them　who　can't　find；　loses；'　he　cried。　　Various　

individuals　tried　to　find　the　pellet；　but　all　were　unsuccessful；　

till　at　last　considerable　dissatisfaction　was　expressed；　and　the　

terms　rogue　and　cheat　were　lavished　upon　him。　　'Never　cheated　

anybody　in　all　my　life；'　he　cried；　and；　observing　me　at　hand；　

'didn't　I　play　fair；　my　lord？'　he　inquired。　　But　I　made　no　answer。　　

Presently　some　more　played；　and　he　permitted　one　or　two　to　win；　and　

the　eagerness　to　play　with　him　became　greater。　　After　I　had　looked　

on　for　some　time；　I　was　moving　away：　　just　then　I　perceived　a　

short；　thick　personage；　with　a　staff　in　his　hand；　advancing　in　a　

great　hurry；　whereupon；　with　a　sudden　impulse；　I　exclaimed　…





Shoon　thimble…engro；

Avella　gorgio。





The　man；　who　was　in　the　midst　of　his　pea…and…thimble　process；　no　

sooner　heard　the　last　word　of　the　distich　than　he　turned　an　alarmed　

look　in　the　direction　of　where　I　stood；　then；　glancing　around；　and　

perceiving　the　constable；　he　slipped　forthwith　his　pellet　and　

thimbles　into　his　pocket；　and；　lifting　up　his　table；　he　cried　to　

the　people　about　him；　'Make　way！'　and　with　a　motion　with　his　head　

to　me；　as　if　to　follow　him；　he　darted　off　with　a　swiftness　which　

the　short；　pursy　constable　could　by　no　means　rival；　and　whither　he　

went；　or　what　became　of　him；　I　know　not；　inasmuch　as　I　turned　away　

in　another　direction。







CHAPTER　LIV







Mr。　Petulengro　…　Rommany　Rye　…　Lil…writers　…　One's　own　horn　…　

Lawfully…earnt　money　…　The　wooded　hill　…　A　great　favourite　…　The　

shop　window　…　Much　wanted。



AND；　as　I　wandered　along　the　green；　I　drew　near　to　a　place　where　

several　men；　with　a　cask　beside　them；　sat　carousing　in　the　

neighbourhood　of　a　small　tent。　　'Here　he　comes；'　said　one　of　them；　

as　I　advanced；　and　standing　up　he　raised　his　voice　and　sang：…





'Here　the　Gypsy　gemman　see；

With　his　Roman　jib　and　his　rome　and　dree　…

Rome　and　dree；　rum　and　dry

Rally　round　the　Rommany　Rye。'





It　was　Mr。　Petulengro；　who　was　here　diverting　himself　with　several　

of　his　comrades；　they　all　received　me　with　considerable　frankness。　　

'Sit　down；　brother；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'and　take　a　cup　of　good　

ale。'



I　sat　down。　　'Your　health；　gentlemen；'　said　I；　as　I　took　the　cup　

which　Mr。　Petulengro　handed　to　me。



'Aukko　tu　pios　adrey　Rommanis。　　Here　is　your　health　in　Rommany；　

brother；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　who；　having　refilled　the　cup；　now　

emptied　it　at　a　draught。



'Your　health　in　Rommany；　brother；'　said　Tawno　Chikno；　to　whom　the　

cup　came　next。



'The　Rommany　Rye；'　said　a　third。



'The　Gypsy　gentleman；'　exclaimed　a　fourth；　drinking。



And　then　they　all　sang　in　chorus：…





'Here　the　Gypsy　gemman　see；

With　his　Roman　jib　and　his　rome　and　dree　…

Rome　and　dree；　rum　and　dry

Rally　round　the　Rommany　Rye。'





'And　now；　brother；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'seeing　that　you　have　

drunk　and　been　drunken；　you　will　perhaps　tell　us　where　you　have　

been；　and　what　about？'



'I　have　been　in　the　Big　City；'　said　I；　'writing　lils。'



'How　much　money　have　you　got　in　your　pocket；　brother？'　said　Mr。　

Petulengro。



'Eighteenpence；'　said　I；　'all　I　have　in　the　world。'



'I　have　been　in　the　Big　City；　too；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'but　I　

have　not　written　lils　…　I　have　fought　in　the　ring　…　I　have　fifty　

pounds　in　my　pocket　…　I　have　much　more　in　the　world。　　Brother；　

there　is　considerable　difference　between　us。



'I　would　rather　be　the　lil…writer；　after　all；'　said　the　tall；　

handsome；　black　man；　'indeed；　I　would　wish　for　nothing　better。'



'Why　so？'　said　Mr。　Petulengro。



'Because　they　have　so　much　to　say　for　themselves；'　said　the　black　

man；　'even　when　dead　and　gone。　　When　they　are　laid　in　the　

churchyard；　it　is　their　own　fault　if　people　ain't　talking　of　them。　　

Who　will　know；　after　I　am　dead；　or　bitchadey　pawdel；　that　I　was　

once　the　beauty　of　the　world；　or　that　you　Jasper　were　…　'



'The　best　man　in　England　of　my　inches。　　That's　true；　Tawno　…　

however；　here's　our　brother　will　perhaps　let　the　world　know　

something　about　us。'



'Not　he；'　said　the　other；　with　a　sigh；　'he'll　have　quite　enough　to　

do　in　writing　his　own　lils；　and　telling　the　world　how　handsome　and　

clever　he　was；　and　who　can　blame　him？　　Not　I。　　If　I　could　write　

lils；　every　word　should　be　about　myself　and　my　own　tacho　Rommanis　…　

my　own　lawful　wedded　wife；　which　is　the　same　thing。　　I　tell　you　

what；　brother；　I　once　heard　a　wise　man　say　in　Brummagem；　that　

〃there　is　nothing　like　blowing　one's　own　horn；〃　which　I　conceive　to　

be　much　the　same　thing　as　writing　one's　own　lil。'



After　a　little　more　conversation；　Mr。　Petulengro　arose；　and　

motioned　me　to　follow　him。　　'Only　eighteenpence　in　the　world；　

brother？'　said　he；　as　we　walked　together。



'Nothing　more；　I　assure　you。　　How　came　you　to　ask　me　how　much　money　

I　had？'



'Because　there　was　something　in　your　look；　brother；　something　very　

much　resembling　that　which　a　person　showeth　who　does　not　carry　much　

money　in　his　pocket。　　I　was　looking　at　my　own　face　this　morning　in　

my　wife's　looking…glass　…　I　did　not　look　as　you　do；　brother。'



'I　believe　your　sole　motive　for　inquiring；'　said　I；　'was　to　have　an　

opportunity　of　venting　a　foolish　boast；　and　to　let　me　know　that　you　

were　in　possession　of　fifty　pounds。'



'What　is　the　use　of　having　money　unless　you　let　people　know　you　

have　it？'　said　Mr。　Petulengro。　　'It　is　not　every　one　can　read　

faces；　brother；　and；　unless　you　knew　I　had　money；　how　could　you　ask　

me　to　lend　you　any？'



'I　am　not　going　to　ask　you　to　lend　me　any。'



'Then　you　may　have　it　without　asking；　as　I　said　before；　I　have　

fifty　pounds；　all　lawfully…earnt　money；　got　by　fighting　in　the　ring　

…　I　will　lend　you　that；　brother。'



'You　are　very　kind；'　said　I；　'but　I　will　not　take　it。'



'Then　the　half　of　it？'



'Nor　the　half　of　it；　but　it　is　getting　towards　evening；　I　must　go　

back　to　the　Great　City。'



'And　what　will　you　do　in　the　Boro　Foros？'



'I　know　not；'　said　I。



'Earn　money？



'If　I　can。'



'And　if　you　can't？'



'Starve！'



'You　look　ill；　brother；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro。



'I　do　not　feel　well；　the　Great　City　does　not　agree　with　me。　　Should　

I　be　so　fortunate　as　to　earn　some　money；　I　would　leave　the　Big　

City；　and　take　to　the　woods　and　fields。'



'You　may　do　that；　brother；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'whether　you　have　

money　or　not。　　Our　tents　and　horses　are　on　the　other　side　of　yonder　

wooded　hill；　come　and　stay　with　us；　we　shall　all　be　glad　of　your　

company；　but　more　especially　myself　and　my　wife　Pakomovna。'



'What　hill　is　that？'　I　demanded。



And　then　Mr。　Petulengro　told　me　the　name　of　the　hill。　　'We　shall　

stay　on　t'other　side　of　the　hill　a　fortnight；'　he　continued；　'and；　

as　you　are　fond　of　lil…writing；　you　may　employ　yourself　profitably　

whilst　there。　　You　can　write　the　lil　of　him　whose　dock　gallops　down　

that　hill　every　night；　even　as　the　living　man　was　wont　to　do　long　

ago。'



'Who　was　he？'　I　demanded。



'Jemmy　Abershaw；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'one　of　those　whom　we　call　

Boro　drom　engroes；　and　the　gorgios　highway…men。　　I　once　heard　a　rye　

say　that　the　life　of　that　man　would　fetch　much　money；　so　come　to　

the　other　side　of　the　hill；　and　write　the　lil　in　the　tent　of　Jasper　

and　his　wife　Pakomovna。'



At　first　I　felt　inclined　to　accept　the　invitation　of　Mr。　

Petulengro；　a　little　consideration；　however；　determined　me　to　

decline　it。　　I　had　always　been　on　excellent　terms　with　Mr。　

Petulengro；　but　I　reflected　that　people　might　be　excellent　friends　

when　they　met　occasionally　in　the　street；　or　on　the　heath；　or　in　

the　wood；　but　that　these　very　people　when　living　together　in　a　

house；　to　say　nothing　of　a　tent；　might　quarrel。　　I　reflected；　

moreover；　that　Mr。　Petulengro　had　a　wife。　　I　had　always；　it　is　

true；　been　a　great　favourite　with　Mrs。　Petulengro；　who　had　

frequently　been　loud　in　her　commendation　of　the　young　rye；　as　she　

called　me；　and　his　turn　of　conversation；　but　this　was　at　a　time　

when　I　stood　in　need　of　nothing；　lived　under　my　parents'　roof；　and　

only　visited　at　the　tents　to　divert　and　to　be　diverted。　　The　times　

were　altered；　and　I　was　by　no　means　certain　that　Mrs。　Petulengro；　

when　she　should　discover　that　I　was　in　need　both　of　shelter　and　

subsistence；　might　not　alter　her　opinion　both　with　respect　to　the　

individual　and　what　he　said　…　stigmatising　my　conversation　as　saucy　

discourse；　and　myself　as　a　scurvy　companion；　and　that　she　might　

bring　over　her　husband　to　her　own　way　of　thinking；　provided；　

indeed；　he　should　need　any　conducting。　　I　therefore；　though　without　

declaring　my　reasons；　declined　the　offer　of　Mr。　Petulengro；　and　

presently；　after　shaking　him　by　the　hand；　bent　again　my　course　

towards　the　Great　City。



I　crossed　the　river　at　a　bridge　considerably　above　that　hight　of　

London；　for；　not　being　acquainted　with　the　way；　I　missed　the　

turning　which　should　have　brought　me　to　the　latter。　　Suddenly　I　

found　myself　in　a　street　of　which　I　had　some　recollection；　and　

mechanically　stopped　before　the　window　of　a　shop　at　which　various　

publications　were　exposed；　it　was　that　of　the　bookseller　to　whom　I　

had　last　applied　in　the　hope　of　selling　my　ballads　or　Ab　Gwilym；　

and　who　had　given　me　hopes　that；　in　the　event　of　my　writing　a　

decent　novel；　or　a　tale；　he　would　prove　a　purchaser。　　As　I　stood　

listlessly　looking　at　the　window；　and　the　publications　which　it　

contained；　I　observed　a　paper　affixed　to　the　glass　by　wafers　with　

something　written　upon　it。　　I　drew　yet　nearer　for　the　purpose　of　

inspecting　it；　the　writing　was　in　a　fair　round　hand　…　'A　Novel　or　

Tale　is　much　wanted；'　was　what　was　written。







CHAPTER　LV







Bread　and　water　…　Pair　play　…　Fashion　…　Colonel　B…　…　Joseph　Sell　…