lavengro-第90章

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'Know　Welsh！'　said　Winifred；　stopping　her　cart。



'How　and　when　did　you　learn　it？'　said　Peter。



'From　books；　in　my　boyhood。'



'Read　Welsh！'　said　Peter；　'is　it　possible？'



'Read　Welsh！'　said　Winifred；　'is　it　possible？'



'Well；　I　hope　you　will　come　with　us；'　said　Peter。



'Come　with　us；　young　man；'　said　Winifred；　'let　me；　on　the　other　

side　of　the　brook；　welcome　you　into　Wales。'



'Thank　you　both；'　said　I；　'but　I　will　not　come。'



'Wherefore？'　exclaimed　both；　simultaneously。



'Because　it　is　neither　fit　nor　proper　that　I　cross　into　Wales　at　

this　time；　and　in　this　manner。　　When　I　go　into　Wales；　I　should　wish　

to　go　in　a　new　suit　of　superfine　black；　with　hat　and　beaver；　

mounted　on　a　powerful　steed；　black　and　glossy；　like　that　which　bore　

Greduv　to　the　fight　of　Catraeth。　　I　should　wish；　moreover；　to　see　

the　Welshmen　assembled　on　the　border　ready　to　welcome　me　with　pipe　

and　fiddle；　and　much　whooping　and　shouting；　and　to　attend　me　to　

Wrexham；　or　even　as　far　as　Machynllaith；　where　I　should　wish　to　be　

invited　to　a　dinner　at　which　all　the　bards　should　be　present；　and　

to　be　seated　at　the　right　hand　of　the　president；　who；　when　the　

cloth　was　removed；　should　arise；　and；　amidst　cries　of　silence；　

exclaim　…　〃Brethren　and　Welshmen；　allow　me　to　propose　the　health　of　

my　most　respectable　friend　the　translator　of　the　odes　of　the　great　

Ab　Gwilym；　the　pride　and　glory　of　Wales。〃'



'How！'　said　Peter；　'hast　thou　translated　the　works　of　the　mighty　

Dafydd？'



'With　notes　critical；　historical；　and　explanatory。'



'Come　with　us；　friend；'　said　Peter。　　'I　cannot　promise　such　a　

dinner　as　thou　wishest；　but　neither　pipe　nor　fiddle　shall　be　

wanting。'



'Come　with　us；　young　man；'　said　Winifred；　'even　as　thou　art；　and　

the　daughters　of　Wales　shall　bid　thee　welcome。'



'I　will　not　go　with　you；'　said　I。　　'Dost　thou　see　that　man　in　the　

ford？'



'Who　is　staring　at　us　so；　and　whose　horse　has　not　yet　done　

drinking？　　Of　course　I　see　him。'



'I　shall　turn　back　with　him。　　God　bless　you。'



'Go　back　with　him　not；'　said　Peter；　'he　is　one　of　those　whom　I　like　

not；　one　of　the　clibberty…clabber；　as　Master　Ellis　Wyn　observes　…　

turn　not　with　that　man。'



'Go　not　back　with　him；'　said　Winifred。　　'If　thou　goest　with　that　

man；　thou　wilt　soon　forget　all　our　profitable　counsels；　come　with　

us。'



'I　cannot；　I　have　much　to　say　to　him。　　Kosko　Divvus；　Mr。　

Petulengro。'



'Kosko　Divvus；　Pal；'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　riding　through　the　water；　

'are　you　turning　back？'



I　turned　back　with　Mr。　Petulengro。



Peter　came　running　after　me：　　'One　moment；　young　man；　…　who　and　

what　are　you？'



'I　must　answer　in　the　words　of　Taliesin；'　said　I：　　'none　can　say　

with　positiveness　whether　I　be　fish　or　flesh；　least　of　all　myself。　　

God　bless　you　both！'



'Take　this；'　said　Peter；　and　he　thrust　his　Welsh　Bible　into　my　

hand。







CHAPTER　LXXXI







At　a　funeral　…　Two　days　ago　…　Very　coolly　…　Roman　woman　…　Well　and　

hearty　…　Somewhat　dreary　…　Plum　pudding　…　Roman　fashion　…　Quite　

different　…　The　dark　lane　…　Beyond　the　time　…　Fine　fellow　…　Such　a　

struggle　…　Like　a　wild　cat　…　Fair　Play　…　Pleasant　enough　spot　…　No　

gloves。



SO　I　turned　back　with　Mr。　Petulengro。　　We　travelled　for　some　time　

in　silence；　at　last　we　fell　into　discourse。　　'You　have　been　in　

Wales；　Mr。　Petulengro？'



'Ay；　truly；　brother。'



'What　have　you　been　doing　there？'



'Assisting　at　a　funeral。'



'At　whose　funeral？'



'Mrs。　Herne's；　brother。'



'Is　she　dead；　then？'



'As　a　nail；　brother。'



'How　did　she　die？'



'By　hanging；　brother。'



'I　am　lost　in　astonishment；'　said　I；　whereupon　Mr。　Petulengro；　

lifting　his　sinister　leg　over　the　neck　of　his　steed；　and　adjusting　

himself　sideways　in　the　saddle；　replied；　with　great　deliberation；　

'Two　days　ago　I　happened　to　be　at　a　fair　not　very　far　from　here；　I　

was　all　alone　by　myself；　for　our　party　were　upwards　of　forty　miles　

off；　when　who　should　come　up　but　a　chap　that　I　knew；　a　relation；　or　

rather　a　connection；　of　mine　…　one　of　those　Hernes。　　〃Aren't　you　

going　to　the　funeral？〃　said　he；　and　then；　brother；　there　passed　

between　him　and　me；　in　the　way　of　questioning　and　answering；　much　

the　same　as　has　just　now　passed　between　me　and　you；　but　when　he　

mentioned　hanging；　I　thought　I　could　do　no　less　than　ask　who　hanged　

her；　which　you　forgot　to　do。　　〃Who　hanged　her？〃　said　I；　and　then　

the　man　told　me　that　she　had　done　it　herself；　been　her　own　hinjiri；　

and　then　I　thought　to　myself　what　a　sin　and　shame　it　would　be　if　I　

did　not　go　to　the　funeral；　seeing　that　she　was　my　own　mother…in…

law。　　I　would　have　brought　my　wife；　and；　indeed；　the　whole　of　our　

party；　but　there　was　no　time　for　that；　they　were　too　far　off；　and　

the　dead　was　to　be　buried　early　the　next　morning；　so　I　went　with　

the　man；　and　he　led　me　into　Wales；　where　his　party　had　lately　

retired；　and　when　there；　through　many　wild　and　desolate　places　to　

their　encampment；　and　there　I　found　the　Hernes；　and　the　dead　body　…　

the　last　laid　out　on　a　mattress；　in　a　tent；　dressed　Romaneskoenaes　

in　a　red　cloak；　and　big　bonnet　of　black　beaver。　　I　must　say　for　the　

Hernes　that　they　took　the　matter　very　coolly；　some　were　eating；　

others　drinking；　and　some　were　talking　about　their　small　affairs；　

there　was　one；　however；　who　did　not　take　the　matter　so　coolly；　but　

took　on　enough　for　the　whole　family；　sitting　beside　the　dead　woman；　

tearing　her　hair；　and　refusing　to　take　either　meat　or　drink；　it　was　

the　child　Leonora。　　I　arrived　at　night…fall；　and　the　burying　was　

not　to　take　place　till　the　morning；　which　I　was　rather　sorry　for；　

as　I　am　not　very　fond　of　them　Hernes；　who　are　not　very　fond　of　

anybody。　　They　never　asked　me　to　eat　or　drink；　notwithstanding　I　

had　married　into　the　family；　one　of　them；　however；　came　up　and　

offered　to　fight　me　for　five　shillings；　had　it　not　been　for　them　I　

should　have　come　back　as　empty　as　I　went　…　he　didn't　stand　up　five　

minutes。　　Brother；　I　passed　the　night　as　well　as　I　could；　beneath　a　

tree；　for　the　tents　were　full；　and　not　over　clean；　I　slept　little；　

and　had　my　eyes　about　me；　for　I　knew　the　kind　of　people　I　was　

among。



'Early　in　the　morning　the　funeral　took　place。　　The　body　was　placed　

not　in　a　coffin　but　on　a　bier；　and　carried　not　to　a　churchyard　but　

to　a　deep　dell　close　by；　and　there　it　was　buried　beneath　a　rock；　

dressed　just　as　I　have　told　you；　and　this　was　done　by　the　bidding　

of　Leonora；　who　had　heard　her　bebee　say　that　she　wished　to　be　

buried；　not　in　gorgious　fashion；　but　like　a　Roman　woman　of　the　old　

blood；　the　kosko　puro　rati；　brother。　　When　it　was　over；　and　we　had　

got　back　to　the　encampment；　I　prepared　to　be　going。　　Before　

mounting　my　gry；　however；　I　bethought　me　to　ask　what　could　have　

induced　the　dead　woman　to　make　away　with　herself　…　a　thing　so　

uncommon　amongst　Romanies；　whereupon　one　squinted　with　his　eyes；　a　

second　spirted　saliver　into　the　air；　and　a　third　said　that　he　

neither　knew　nor　cared；　she　was　a　good　riddance；　having　more　than　

once　been　nearly　the　ruin　of　them　all；　from　the　quantity　of　

brimstone　she　carried　about　her。　　One；　however；　I　suppose　rather　

ashamed　of　the　way　in　which　they　had　treated　me；　said　at　last　that　

if　I　wanted　to　know　all　about　the　matter　none　could　tell　me　better　

than　the　child；　who　was　in　all　her　secrets；　and　was　not　a　little　

like　her；　so　I　looked　about　for　the　child；　but　could　find　her　

nowhere。　　At　last　the　same　man　told　me　that　he　shouldn't　wonder　if　

I　found　her　at　the　grave；　so　I　went　back　to　the　grave；　and　sure　

enough　there　I　found　the　child　Leonora；　seated　on　the　ground　above　

the　body；　crying　and　taking　on；　so　I　spoke　kindly　to　her；　and　said；　

〃How　came　all　this；　Leonora？　tell　me　all　about　it。〃　　It　was　a　long　

time　before　I　could　get　any　answer；　at　last　she　opened　her　mouth　

and　spoke；　and　these　were　the　words　she　said；　〃It　was　all　along　of　

your　Pal〃；　and　then　she　told　me　all　about　the　matter　…　how　Mrs。　

Herne　could　not　abide　you；　which　I　knew　before；　and　that　she　had　

sworn　your　destruction；　which　I　did　not　know　before。　　And　then　she　

told　me　how　she　found　you　living　in　the　wood　by　yourself；　and　how　

you　were　enticed　to　eat　a　poisoned　cake；　and　she　told　me　many　other　

things　that　you　wot　of；　and　she　told　me　what　perhaps　you　don't　wot；　

namely；　that　finding　you　had　been　removed；　she；　the　child；　had　

tracked　you　a　long　way；　and　found　you　at　last　well　and　hearty；　and　

no　ways　affected　by　the　poison；　and　heard　you；　as　she　stood　

concealed；　disputing　about　religion　with　a　Welsh　Methody。　　Well；　

brother；　she　told　me　all　this；　and；　moreover；　that　when　Mrs。　Herne　

heard　of　it；　she　said　that　a　dream　of　hers　had　come　to　pass。　　I　

don't　know　what　it　was；　but　something　about　herself；　a　tinker；　and　

a　dean；　and　then　she　added　that　it　was　all　up　with　her；　and　that　

she　must　take　a　long　journey。　　Well；　brother；　that　same　night　

Leonora；　waking　from　her　sleep　in　the　tent　where　Mrs。　Herne　and　she　

were　wont　to　sleep；　missed　her　bebee；　and；　becoming　alarmed；　went　

in　search　of　her；　and　at　last　found　her　hanging　from　a　branch；　and　

when　the　child　had　got　so　far；　she　took　on　violently；　and　I　could　

not　get　another　word　from　her；　so　I　left　her；　and　here　I　am。'



'And　I　am　glad　to　see　you；　Mr。　Petulengro；　but　this　is　sad　news　

which　you　tell　me　about　Mrs。　Herne。'



'Somewhat　dreary；　brother；　yet；　perhaps；　after　all；　it　is　a　good　

thing　that　she　is　removed；　she　carried　so　much　Devil's　tinder　about　

with　her；　as　the　man　said。'



'I　am　sorry　for　her；'　said　I；　'more　especially　as　I　am　the　cause　of　

her　death　…　though　the　innocent　one。'



'She　could　not　bide　you；　brother；　that's　certain；　but　that　is　no　

reason'　…　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　balancing　himself　upon　the　saddle　…　

'that　is　no　reason　why　she　should　prepare　drow　to　take　away　your　

essence　of　life；　and；　when　disappointed；　to　hang　herself　upon　a　

tree：　　if　she　was　dissatisfied　with　you；　she　might　have　flown　at　

you；　and　scratched　your　face；　or；　if　she　did　not　judge　herself　your　

match；　she　might　have　put　down　five　shillings　for　a　turn…up　between　

you　and　some　one　she　thought　could　beat　you　…　myself；　for　example　…　

and　so　the　matter　might　have　ended　comfortably；　but　she　was　always　

too　fond　of　covert　ways；　drows；　and　brimstones。　　This　is　not　the　

first　poisoning　affair　she　has　been　engaged　in。'



'You　allude　to　drabbing　bawlor。'



'Bah！'　said　Mr。　Petulengro；　'there's　no　harm　in　that。　　No；　no！　she　

has　cast　drows　in　her　time　for　other　guess　things　than　bawlor；　both　

Gorgios　and　Romans　have　tasted　of　them；　and　died。　　Did　you　never　

hear　of　the　poisoned　plum　pudding？'



'Never。'



'Then　I　will　tell　you　about　it。　　It　happened　about　six　years　ago；　a　

few　months　after　she　had　quitted　us　…　she　had　gone　first　amongst　

her　own　people；　as　she　called　them；　but　there　was　another　small　

party　of　R