the uncommercial traveller-第10章

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an　imitation　of　the　bagpipes；　which　Mercantile　Jack　seemed　to

understand　much　the　best。　　A　good　girl；　said　Mr。　Licensed

Victualler。　　Kept　herself　select。　　Sat　in　Snug；　not　listening　to

the　blandishments　of　Mates。　　Lived　with　mother。　　Father　dead。　　Once

a　merchant　well　to　do；　but　over…speculated　himself。　　On　delicate

inquiry　as　to　salary　paid　for　item　of　talent　under　consideration；

Mr。　Victualler's　pounds　dropped　suddenly　to　shillings　…　still　it

was　a　very　comfortable　thing　for　a　young　person　like　that；　you

know；　she　only　went　on　six　times　a　night；　and　was　only　required　to

be　there　from　six　at　night　to　twelve。　　What　was　more　conclusive

was；　Mr。　Victualler's　assurance　that　he　'never　allowed　any

language；　and　never　suffered　any　disturbance。'　　Sharpeye　confirmed

the　statement；　and　the　order　that　prevailed　was　the　best　proof　of

it　that　could　have　been　cited。　　So；　I　came　to　the　conclusion　that

poor　Mercantile　Jack　might　do　（as　I　am　afraid　he　does）　much　worse

than　trust　himself　to　Mr。　Victualler；　and　pass　his　evenings　here。



But　we　had　not　yet　looked；　Mr。　Superintendent　…　said　Trampfoot；

receiving　us　in　the　street　again　with　military　salute　…　for　Dark

Jack。　　True；　Trampfoot。　　Ring　the　wonderful　stick；　rub　the

wonderful　lantern；　and　cause　the　spirits　of　the　stick　and　lantern

to　convey　us　to　the　Darkies。



There　was　no　disappointment　in　the　matter　of　Dark　Jack；　HE　was

producible。　　The　Genii　set　us　down　in　the　little　first　floor　of　a

little　public…house；　and　there；　in　a　stiflingly　close　atmosphere；

were　Dark　Jack；　and　Dark　Jack's　delight；　his　WHITE　unlovely　Nan；

sitting　against　the　wall　all　round　the　room。　　More　than　that：　　Dark

Jack's　delight　was　the　least　unlovely　Nan；　both　morally　and

physically；　that　I　saw　that　night。



As　a　fiddle　and　tambourine　band　were　sitting　among　the　company；

Quickear　suggested　why　not　strike　up？　　'Ah；　la'ads！'　said　a　negro

sitting　by　the　door；　'gib　the　jebblem　a　darnse。　　Tak'　yah　pardlers；

jebblem；　for　'um　QUAD…rill。'



This　was　the　landlord；　in　a　Greek　cap；　and　a　dress　half　Greek　and

half　English。　　As　master　of　the　ceremonies；　he　called　all　the

figures；　and　occasionally　addressed　himself　parenthetically　…　after

this　manner。　　When　he　was　very　loud；　I　use　capitals。



'Now　den！　　Hoy！　　ONE。　　Right　and　left。　　（Put　a　steam　on；　gib　'um

powder。）　　LA…dies'　chail。　　BAL…loon　say。　　Lemonade！　　TWO。　　AD…

warnse　and　go　back　（gib　'ell　a　breakdown；　shake　it　out　o'　yerselbs；

keep　a　movil）。　　SWING…corners；　BAL…loon　say；　and　Lemonade！　　（Hoy！）

THREE。　　GENT　come　for'ard　with　a　lady　and　go　back；　hoppersite　come

for'ard　and　do　what　yer　can。　　（Aeiohoy！）　　BAL…loon　say；　and　leetle

lemonade。　　（Dat　hair　nigger　by　'um　fireplace　'hind　a'　time；　shake

it　out　o'　yerselbs；　gib　'ell　a　breakdown。）　　Now　den！　　Hoy！　　FOUR！

Lemonade。　　BAL…loon　say；　and　swing。　　FOUR　ladies　meet　in　'um

middle；　FOUR　gents　goes　round　'um　ladies；　FOUR　gents　passes　out

under　'um　ladies'　arms；　SWING　…　and　Lemonade　till　'a　moosic　can't

play　no　more！　　（Hoy；　Hoy！）'



The　male　dancers　were　all　blacks；　and　one　was　an　unusually　powerful

man　of　six　feet　three　or　four。　　The　sound　of　their　flat　feet　on　the

floor　was　as　unlike　the　sound　of　white　feet　as　their　faces　were

unlike　white　faces。　　They　toed　and　heeled；　shuffled；　double…

shuffled；　double…double…shuffled；　covered　the　buckle；　and　beat　the

time　out；　rarely；　dancing　with　a　great　show　of　teeth；　and　with　a

childish　good…humoured　enjoyment　that　was　very　prepossessing。　　They

generally　kept　together；　these　poor　fellows；　said　Mr。

Superintendent；　because　they　were　at　a　disadvantage　singly；　and

liable　to　slights　in　the　neighbouring　streets。　　But；　if　I　were

Light　Jack；　I　should　be　very　slow　to　interfere　oppressively　with

Dark　Jack；　for；　whenever　I　have　had　to　do　with　him　I　have　found　him

a　simple　and　a　gentle　fellow。　　Bearing　this　in　mind；　I　asked　his

friendly　permission　to　leave　him　restoration　of　beer；　in　wishing

him　good　night；　and　thus　it　fell　out　that　the　last　words　I　heard

him　say　as　I　blundered　down　the　worn　stairs；　were；　'Jebblem's　elth！

Ladies　drinks　fust！'



The　night　was　now　well　on　into　the　morning；　but；　for　miles　and

hours　we　explored　a　strange　world；　where　nobody　ever　goes　to　bed；

but　everybody　is　eternally　sitting　up；　waiting　for　Jack。　　This

exploration　was　among　a　labyrinth　of　dismal　courts　and　blind

alleys；　called　Entries；　kept　in　wonderful　order　by　the　police；　and

in　much　better　order　than　by　the　corporation：　　the　want　of　gaslight

in　the　most　dangerous　and　infamous　of　these　places　being　quite

unworthy　of　so　spirited　a　town。　　I　need　describe　but　two　or　three

of　the　houses　in　which　Jack　was　waited　for　as　specimens　of　the

rest。　　Many　we　attained　by　noisome　passages　so　profoundly　dark　that

we　felt　our　way　with　our　hands。　　Not　one　of　the　whole　number　we

visited；　was　without　its　show　of　prints　and　ornamental　crockery；

the　quantity　of　the　latter　set　forth　on　little　shelves　and　in

little　cases；　in　otherwise　wretched　rooms；　indicating　that

Mercantile　Jack　must　have　an　extraordinary　fondness　for　crockery；

to　necessitate　so　much　of　that　bait　in　his　traps。



Among　such　garniture；　in　one　front　parlour　in　the　dead　of　the

night；　four　women　were　sitting　by　a　fire。　　One　of　them　had　a　male

child　in　her　arms。　　On　a　stool　among　them　was　a　swarthy　youth　with

a　guitar；　who　had　evidently　stopped　playing　when　our　footsteps　were

heard。



'Well　I　how　do　YOU　do？'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　looking　about　him。



'Pretty　well；　sir；　and　hope　you　gentlemen　are　going　to　treat　us

ladies；　now　you　have　come　to　see　us。'



'Order　there！'　says　Sharpeye。



'None　of　that！'　says　Quickear。



Trampfoot；　outside；　is　heard　to　confide　to　himself；　'Meggisson's

lot　this　is。　　And　a　bad　'un！'



'Well！'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　laying　his　hand　on　the　shoulder　of

the　swarthy　youth；　'and　who's　this？'



'Antonio；　sir。'



'And　what　does　HE　do　here？'



'Come　to　give　us　a　bit　of　music。　　No　harm　in　that；　I　suppose？'



'A　young　foreign　sailor？'



'Yes。　　He's　a　Spaniard。　　You're　a　Spaniard；　ain't　you；　Antonio？'



'Me　Spanish。'



'And　he　don't　know　a　word　you　say；　not　he；　not　if　you　was　to　talk

to　him　till　doomsday。'　　（Triumphantly；　as　if　it　redounded　to　the

credit　of　the　house。）



'Will　he　play　something？'



'Oh；　yes；　if　you　like。　　Play　something；　Antonio。　　YOU　ain't　ashamed

to　play　something；　are　you？'



The　cracked　guitar　raises　the　feeblest　ghost　of　a　tune；　and　three

of　the　women　keep　time　to　it　with　their　heads；　and　the　fourth　with

the　child。　　If　Antonio　has　brought　any　money　in　with　him；　I　am

afraid　he　will　never　take　it　out；　and　it　even　strikes　me　that　his

jacket　and　guitar　may　be　in　a　bad　way。　　But；　the　look　of　the　young

man　and　the　tinkling　of　the　instrument　so　change　the　place　in　a

moment　to　a　leaf　out　of　Don　Quixote；　that　I　wonder　where　his　mule

is　stabled；　until　he　leaves　off。



I　am　bound　to　acknowledge　（as　it　tends　rather　to　my　uncommercial

confusion）；　that　I　occasioned　a　difficulty　in　this　establishment；

by　having　taken　the　child　in　my　arms。　　For；　on　my　offering　to

restore　it　to　a　ferocious　joker　not　unstimulated　by　rum；　who

claimed　to　be　its　mother；　that　unnatural　parent　put　her　hands

behind　her；　and　declined　to　accept　it；　backing　into　the　fireplace；

and　very　shrilly　declaring；　regardless　of　remonstrance　from　her

friends；　that　she　knowed　it　to　be　Law；　that　whoever　took　a　child

from　its　mother　of　his　own　will；　was　bound　to　stick　to　it。　　The

uncommercial　sense　of　being　in　a　rather　ridiculous　position　with

the　poor　little　child　beginning　to　be　frightened；　was　relieved　by

my　worthy　friend　and　fellow…constable；　Trampfoot；　who；　laying　hands

on　the　article　as　if　it　were　a　Bottle；　passed　it　on　to　the　nearest

woman；　and　bade　her　'take　hold　of　that。'　　As　we　came　out　the　Bottle

was　passed　to　the　ferocious　joker；　and　they　all　sat　down　as　before；

including　Antonio　and　the　guitar。　　It　was　clear　that　there　was　no

such　thing　as　a　nightcap　to　this　baby's　head；　and　that　even　he

never　went　to　bed；　but　was　always　kept　up　…　and　would　grow　up；　kept

up　…　waiting　for　Jack。



Later　still　in　the　night；　we　came　（by　the　court　'where　the　man　was

murdered；'　and　by　the　other　court　across　the　street；　into　which　his

body　was　dragged）　to　another　parlour　in　another　Entry；　where

several　people　were　sitting　round　a　fire　in　just　the　same　way。　　It

was　a　dirty　and　offensive　place；　with　some　ragged　clothes　drying　in

it；　but　there　was　a　high　shelf　over　the　entrance…door　（to　be　out　of

the　reach　of　marauding　hands；　possibly）　with　two　large　white　loaves

on　it；　and　a　great　piece　of　Cheshire　cheese。



'Well！'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　with　a　comprehensive　look　all

round。　　'How　do　YOU　do？'



'Not　much　to　boast　of；　sir。'　　From　the　curtseying　woman　of　the

house。　　'This　is　my　good　man；　sir。'



'You　are　not　registered　as　a　common　Lodging　House？'



'No；　sir。'



Sharpeye　（in　the　Move…on　tone）　puts　in　the　pertinent　inquiry；　'Then

why　ain't　you？'



'Ain't　got　no　one　here；　Mr。　Sharpeye；'　rejoin　the　woman　and　my　good

man　together；　'but　our　own　family。'



'How　many　are　you　in　family？'



The　woman　takes　time　to　count；　under　pretence　of　coughing；　and

adds；　as　one　scant　of　breath；　'Seven；　sir。'



But　she　has　missed　one；　so　Sharpeye；　who　knows　all　about　it；　says：



'Here's　a　young　man　here　makes　eight；　who　ain't　of　your　family？'



'No；　Mr。　Sharpeye；　he's　a　weekly　lodger。'



'What　does　he　do　for　a　living？'



The　young　man　here；　takes　the　reply　upon　himself；　and　shortly

answers；　'Ain't　got　nothing　to　do。'



The　young　man　here；　is　modestly　brooding　behind　a　damp　apron

pendent　from　a　clothes…line。　　As　I　glance　at　him　I　become　…　but　I

don't　know　why　…　vaguely　reminded　of　Woolwich；　Chatham；　Portsmouth；

and　Dover。　　When　we　get　out；　my　respected　fellow…constable

Sharpeye；　addressing　Mr。　Superintendent；　says：



'You　noticed　that　young　man；　sir；　in　at　Darby's？'



'Yes。　　What　is　he？'



'Deserter；　sir。'



Mr。　Sharpeye　further　intimates　that　when　we　have　done　with　his

services；　he　will　step　back　and　take　that　young　man。　　Which　in

course　of　time　he　does：　　feeling　at　perfect　ease　about　finding　him；

and　knowing　for　a　moral　certainty　that　nobody　in　that　region　will

be　gone　to　bed。



Later　still　in　the　night；　we　came　to　another　parlour　up　a　step　or

two　from　the　street；　which　was　very　cleanly；　neatly；　even

tastefully；　kept；　and　in　which；　set　forth　on　a　draped　chest　of

drawers　masking　the　staircase；　was　such　a　profusion　of　ornamental

crockery；　that　it　would　have　furnished　forth　a　handsome　sale…booth

at　a　fair。　　It　backed　up　a　stout　old　lady　…　HOGARTH　drew　her　exact

likeness　more　than　once　…　and　a　boy　who　was　carefully　writing　a

copy　in　a　copy…book。



'Well；　ma'am；　how　do　YOU　do？'



Sweetly；　she　can　assure　the　dear　gentlemen；　sweetly。　　Charmingly；

charmingly。　　And　overjoyed　to　see　us！



'Why；　this　is　a　strange　time　for　this　b