lavengro-第30节

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Oh；　these　gorgios！　they　grudge　us　our　very　language！'



'She　called　you　her　son；　Jasper？'



'I　am　her　son；　brother。'



'I　thought　you　said　your　parents　were　…　'



'Bitchadey　pawdel；　you　thought　right；　brother。　　This　is　my　wife's　

mother。'



'Then　you　are　married；　Jasper？'



'Ay；　truly；　I　am　husband　and　father。　　You　will　see　wife　and　chabo　

anon。'



'Where　are　they　now？'



'In　the　gav；　penning　dukkerin。'



'We　were　talking　of　language；　Jasper？'



'True；　brother。'



'Yours　must　be　a　rum　one？'



''Tis　called　Rommany。'



'I　would　gladly　know　it。'



'You　need　it　sorely。'



'Would　you　teach　it　me？'



'None　sooner。'



'Suppose　we　begin　now？'



'Suppose　we　do；　brother。'



'Not　whilst　I　am　here；'　said　the　woman；　flinging　her　knitting　down；　

and　starting　upon　her　feet；　'not　whilst　I　am　here　shall　this　gorgio　

learn　Rommany。　　A　pretty　manoeuvre；　truly；　and　what　would　be　the　

end　of　it？　　I　goes　to　the　farming　ker　with　my　sister；　to　tell　a　

fortune；　and　earn　a　few　sixpences　for　the　chabes。　　I　sees　a　jolly　

pig　in　the　yard；　and　I　says　to　my　sister；　speaking　Rommany；　〃Do　so　

and　so；〃　says　I；　which　the　farming　man　hearing；　asks　what　we　are　

talking　about。　〃Nothing　at　all；　master；〃　says　I；　〃something　about　

the　weather〃；　when　who　should　start　up　from　behind　a　pale；　where　he　

has　been　listening；　but　this　ugly　gorgio；　crying　out；　〃They　are　

after　poisoning　your　pigs；　neighbour！〃　so　that　we　are　glad　to　run；　

I　and　my　sister；　with　perhaps　the　farm…engro　shouting　after　us。　　

Says　my　sister　to　me；　when　we　have　got　fairly　off；　〃How　came　that　

ugly　one　to　know　what　you　said　to　me？〃　　Whereupon　I　answers；　〃It　

all　comes　of　my　son　Jasper；　who　brings　the　gorgio　to　our　fire；　and　

must　needs　be　teaching　him。〃　　〃Who　was　fool　there？〃　says　my　sister。　　

〃Who；　indeed；　but　my　son　Jasper；〃　I　answers。　　And　here　should　I　be　

a　greater　fool　to　sit　still　and　suffer　it；　which　I　will　not　do。　　I　

do　not　like　the　look　of　him；　he　looks　over…gorgeous。　　An　ill　day　to　

the　Romans　when　he　masters　Rommany；　and；　when　I　says　that；　I　pens　a　

true　dukkerin。'



'What　do　you　call　God；　Jasper？'



'You　had　better　be　jawing；'　said　the　woman；　raising　her　voice　to　a　

terrible　scream；　'you　had　better　be　moving　off；　my　gorgio；　hang　you　

for　a　keen　one；　sitting　there　by　the　fire；　and　stealing　my　language　

before　my　face。　　Do　you　know　whom　you　have　to　deal　with？　　Do　you　

know　that　I　am　dangerous？　　My　name　is　Herne；　and　I　comes　of　the　

hairy　ones！'



And　a　hairy　one　she　looked！　　She　wore　her　hair　clubbed　upon　her　

head；　fastened　with　many　strings　and　ligatures；　but　now；　tearing　

these　off；　her　locks；　originally　jet　black；　but　now　partially　

grizzled　with　age；　fell　down　on　every　side　of　her；　covering　her　

face　and　back　as　far　down　as　her　knees。　　No　she…bear　of　Lapland　

ever　looked　more　fierce　and　hairy　than　did　that　woman；　as　standing　

in　the　open　part　of　the　tent；　with　her　head　bent　down；　and　her　

shoulders　drawn　up；　seemingly　about　to　precipitate　herself　upon　me；　

she　repeated；　again　and　again；　…



'My　name　is　Herne；　and　I　comes　of　the　hairy　ones！　…　'



'I　call　God　Duvel；　brother。'



'It　sounds　very　like　Devil。'



'It　doth；　brother；　it　doth。'



'And　what　do　you　call　divine；　I　mean　godly？'



'Oh！　　I　call　that　duvelskoe。'



'I　am　thinking　of　something；　Jasper。'



'What　are　you　thinking　of；　brother？'



'Would　it　not　be　a　rum　thing　if　divine　and　devilish　were　originally　

one　and　the　same　word？'



'It　would；　brother；　it　would　…　'



。　。　。



From　this　time　I　had　frequent　interviews　with　Jasper；　sometimes　in　

his　tent；　sometimes　on　the　heath；　about　which　we　would　roam　for　

hours；　discoursing　on　various　matters。　　Sometimes；　mounted　on　one　

of　his　horses；　of　which　he　had　several；　I　would　accompany　him　to　

various　fairs　and　markets　in　the　neighbourhood；　to　which　he　went　on　

his　own　affairs；　or　those　of　his　tribe。　　I　soon　found　that　I　had　

become　acquainted　with　a　most　singular　people；　whose　habits　and　

pursuits　awakened　within　me　the　highest　interest。　　Of　all　connected　

with　them；　however；　their　language　was　doubtless　that　which　

exercised　the　greatest　influence　over　my　imagination。　　I　had　at　

first　some　suspicion　that　it　would　prove　a　mere　made…up　gibberish；　

but　I　was　soon　undeceived。　　Broken；　corrupted；　and　half　in　ruins　as　

it　was；　it　was　not　long　before　I　found　that　it　was　an　original　

speech；　far　more　so；　indeed；　than　one　or　two　others　of　high　name　

and　celebrity；　which；　up　to　that　time；　I　had　been　in　the　habit　of　

regarding　with　respect　and　veneration。　　Indeed　many　obscure　points　

connected　with　the　vocabulary　of　these　languages；　and　to　which　

neither　classic　nor　modern　lore　afforded　any　clue；　I　thought　I　

could　now　clear　up　by　means　of　this　strange　broken　tongue；　spoken　

by　people　who　dwelt　amongst　thickets　and　furze　bushes；　in　tents　as　

tawny　as　their　faces；　and　whom　the　generality　of　mankind　

designated；　and　with　much　semblance　of　justice；　as　thieves　and　

vagabonds。　　But　where　did　this　speech　come　from；　and　who　were　they　

who　spoke　it？　　These　were　questions　which　I　could　not　solve；　and　

which　Jasper　himself；　when　pressed；　confessed　his　inability　to　

answer。　　'But；　whoever　we　be；　brother；'　said　he；　'we　are　an　old　

people；　and　not　what　folks　in　general　imagine；　broken　gorgios；　and；　

if　we　are　not　Egyptians；　we　are　at　any　rate　Rommany　Chals！'



'Rommany　Chals！　　I　should　not　wonder　after　all；'　said　I；　'that　

these　people　had　something　to　do　with　the　founding　of　Rome。　　Rome；　

it　is　said；　was　built　by　vagabonds；　who　knows　but　that　some　tribe　

of　the　kind　settled　down　thereabouts；　and　called　the　town　which　

they　built　after　their　name；　but　whence　did　they　come　originally？　

ah！　there　is　the　difficulty。'



But　abandoning　these　questions；　which　at　that　time　were　far　too　

profound　for　me；　I　went　on　studying　the　language；　and　at　the　same　

time　the　characters　and　manners　of　these　strange　people。　　My　rapid　

progress　in　the　former　astonished；　while　it　delighted；　Jasper。　　

'We'll　no　longer　call　you　Sap…engro；　brother；'　said　he；　but　rather　

Lav…engro；　which　in　the　language　of　the　gorgios　meaneth　Word…

master。'　　'Nay；　brother；'　said　Tawno　Chikno；　with　whom　I　had　become　

very　intimate；　'you　had　better　call　him　Cooro…mengro；　I　have　put　on　

THE　GLOVES　with　him；　and　find　him　a　pure　fist…master；　I　like　him　

for　that；　for　I　am　a　Cooro…mengro　myself；　and　was　born　at　

Brummagem。'



'I　likes　him　for　his　modesty；'　said　Mrs。　Chikno；　'I　never　hears　any　

ill　words　come　from　his　mouth；　but；　on　the　contrary；　much　sweet　

language。　　His　talk　is　golden；　and　he　has　taught　my　eldest　to　say　

his　prayers　in　Rommany；　which　my　rover　had　never　the　grace　to　do。'　　

'He　is　the　pal　of　my　rom；'　said　Mrs。　Petulengro；　who　was　a　very　

handsome　woman；　'and　therefore　I　likes　him；　and　not　the　less　for　

his　being　a　rye；　folks　calls　me　high…minded；　and　perhaps　I　have　

reason　to　be　so；　before　I　married　Pharaoh　I　had　an　offer　from　a　

lord　…　I　likes　the　young　rye；　and；　if　he　chooses　to　follow　us；　he　

shall　have　my　sister。　　What　say　you；　mother？　should　not　the　young　

rye　have　my　sister　Ursula？'



'I　am　going　to　my　people；'　said　Mrs。　Herne；　placing　a　bundle　upon　a　

donkey；　which　was　her　own　peculiar　property；　'I　am　going　to　

Yorkshire；　for　I　can　stand　this　no　longer。　　You　say　you　like　him：　　

in　that　we　differs；　I　hates　the　gorgio；　and　would　like；　speaking　

Romanly；　to　mix　a　little　poison　with　his　waters。　　And　now　go　to　

Lundra；　my　children；　I　goes　to　Yorkshire。　　Take　my　blessing　with　

ye；　and　a　little　bit　of　a　gillie　to　cheer　your　hearts　with　when　ye　

are　weary。　　In　all　kinds　of　weather　have　we　lived　together；　but　now　

we　are　parted。　　I　goes　broken…hearted　…　I　can't　keep　you　company；　

ye　are　no　longer　Rommany。　　To　gain　a　bad　brother；　ye　have　lost　a　

good　mother。'







CHAPTER　XVIII







What　profession？　…　Not　fitted　for　a　Churchman　…　Erratic　course　…　

The　bitter　draught　…　Principle　of　woe　…　Thou　wouldst　be　joyous　…　

What　ails　you？　…　Poor　child　of　clay。



SO　the　gypsies　departed；　Mrs。　Herne　to　Yorkshire；　and　the　rest　to　

London：　　as　for　myself；　I　continued　in　the　house　of　my　parents；　

passing　my　time　in　much　the　same　manner　as　I　have　already　

described；　principally　in　philological　pursuits；　but　I　was　now　

sixteen；　and　it　was　highly　necessary　that　I　should　adopt　some　

profession；　unless　I　intended　to　fritter　away　my　existence；　and　to　

be　a　useless　burden　to　those　who　had　given　me　birth；　but　what　

profession　was　I　to　choose？　there　being　none　in　the　wide　world　

perhaps　for　which　I　was　suited；　nor　was　there　any　one　for　which　I　

felt　any　decided　inclination；　though　perhaps　there　existed　within　

me　a　lurking　penchant　for　the　profession　of　arms；　which　was　natural　

enough；　as；　from　my　earliest　infancy；　I　had　been　accustomed　to　

military　sights　and　sounds；　but　this　profession　was　then　closed；　as　

I　have　already　hinted；　and；　as　I