lavengro-第36节

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the　latter　feeling　was　predominant。　　The　parting　words　of　my　

brother　had　sunk　into　my　mind。　　He　had　talked　of　travelling　in　

strange　regions　and　seeing　strange　and　wonderful　objects；　and　my　

imagination　fell　to　work；　and　drew　pictures　of　adventures　wild　and　

fantastic；　and　I　thought　what　a　fine　thing　it　must　be　to　travel；　

and　I　wished　that　my　father　would　give　me　his　blessing；　and　the　

same　sum　that　he　had　given　my　brother；　and　bid　me　go　forth　into　the　

world；　always　forgetting　that　I　had　neither　talents　nor　energies　at　

this　period　which　would　enable　me　to　make　any　successful　figure　on　

its　stage。



And　then　I　again　sought　up　the　book　which　had　so　captivated　me　in　

my　infancy；　and　I　read　it　through；　and　I　sought　up　others　of　a　

similar　character；　and　in　seeking　for　them　I　met　books　also　of　

adventure；　but　by　no　means　of　a　harmless　description；　lives　of　

wicked　and　lawless　men；　Murray　and　Latroon　…　books　of　singular　

power；　but　of　coarse　and　prurient　imagination　…　books　at　one　time　

highly　in　vogue；　now　deservedly　forgotten；　and　most　difficult　to　be　

found。



And　when　I　had　gone　through　these　books；　what　was　my　state　of　mind？　　

I　had　derived　entertainment　from　their　perusal；　but　they　left　me　

more　listless　and　unsettled　than　before；　and　　really　knew　not　what　

to　do　to　pass　my　time。　　My　philological　studies　had　become　

distasteful；　and　I　had　never　taken　any　pleasure　in　the　duties　of　my　

profession。　　I　sat　behind　my　desk　in　a　state　of　torpor；　my　mind　

almost　as　blank　as　the　paper　before　me；　on　which　I　rarely　traced　a　

line。　　It　was　always　a　relief　to　hear　the　bell　ring；　as　it　afforded　

me　an　opportunity　of　doing　something　which　I　was　yet　capable　of　

doing；　to　rise　and　open　the　door　and　stare　in　the　countenances　of　

the　visitors。　　All　of　a　sudden　I　fell　to　studying　countenances；　and　

soon　flattered　myself　that　I　had　made　considerable　progress　in　the　

science。



'There　is　no　faith　in　countenances；'　said　some　Roman　of　old；　'trust　

anything　but　a　person's　countenance。'　　'Not　trust　a　man's　

countenance？'　say　some　moderns；　'why；　it　is　the　only　thing　in　many　

people　that　we　can　trust；　on　which　account　they　keep　it　most　

assiduously　out　of　the　way。　　Trust　not　a　man's　words　if　you　please；　

or　you　may　come　to　very　erroneous　conclusions；　but　at　all　times　

place　implicit　confidence　in　a　man's　countenance；　in　which　there　is　

no　deceit；　and　of　necessity　there　can　be　none。　　If　people　would　but　

look　each　other　more　in　the　face；　we　should　have　less　cause　to　

complain　of　the　deception　of　the　world；　nothing　so　easy　as　

physiognomy　nor　so　useful。'　　Somewhat　in　this　latter　strain　I　

thought　at　the　time　of　which　I　am　speaking。　　I　am　now　older；　and；　

let　us　hope；　less　presumptuous。　　It　is　true　that　in　the　course　of　

my　life　I　have　scarcely　ever　had　occasion　to　repent　placing　

confidence　in　individuals　whose　countenances　have　prepossessed　me　

in　their　favour；　though　to　how　many　I　may　have　been　unjust；　from　

whose　countenances　I　may　have　drawn　unfavourable　conclusions；　is　

another　matter。



But　it　had　been　decreed　by　that　Fate　which　governs　our　every　action　

that　I　was　soon　to　return　to　my　old　pursuits。　　It　was　written　that　

I　should　not　yet　cease　to　be　Lav…engro；　though　I　had　become；　in　my　

own　opinion；　a　kind　of　Lavater。　　It　is　singular　enough　that　my　

renewed　ardour　for　philology　seems　to　have　been　brought　about　

indirectly　by　my　physiognomical　researches；　in　which　had　I　not　

indulged；　the　event　which　I　am　about　to　relate；　as　far　as　connected　

with　myself；　might　never　have　occurred。　　Amongst　the　various　

countenances　which　I　admitted　during　the　period　of　my　answering　the　

bell；　there　were　two　which　particularly　pleased　me；　and　which　

belonged　to　an　elderly　yeoman　and　his　wife；　whom　some　little　

business　had　brought　to　our　law　sanctuary。　　I　believe　they　

experienced　from　me　some　kindness　and　attention；　which　won　the　old　

people's　hearts。　　So；　one　day；　when　their　little　business　had　been　

brought　to　a　conclusion；　and　they　chanced　to　be　alone　with　me；　who　

was　seated　as　usual　behind　the　deal　desk　in　the　outer　room；　the　old　

man　with　some　confusion　began　to　tell　me　how　grateful　himself　and　

dame　felt　for　the　many　attentions　I　had　shown　them；　and　how　

desirous　they　were　to　make　me　some　remuneration。　　'Of　course；'　said　

the　old　man；　'we　must　be　cautious　what　we　offer　to　so　fine　a　young　

gentleman　as　yourself；　we　have；　however；　something　we　think　will　

just　suit　the　occasion；　a　strange　kind　of　thing　which　people　say　is　

a　book；　though　no　one　that　my　dame　or　myself　have　shown　it　to　can　

make　anything　out　of　it；　so　as　we　are　told　that　you　are　a　fine　

young　gentleman；　who　can　read　all　the　tongues　of　the　earth　and　

stars；　as　the　Bible　says；　we　thought；　I　and　my　dame；　that　it　would　

be　just　the　thing　you　would　like　and　my　dame　has　it　now　at　the　

bottom　of　her　basket。'



'A　book！'　said　I；　'how　did　you　come　by　it？'



'We　live　near　the　sea；'　said　the　old　man；　'so　near　that　sometimes　

our　thatch　is　wet　with　the　spray；　and　it　may　now　be　a　year　ago　that　

there　was　a　fearful　storm；　and　a　ship　was　driven　ashore　during　the　

night；　and　ere　the　morn　was　a　complete　wreck。　　When　we　got　up　at　

daylight；　there　were　the　poor　shivering　crew　at　our　door；　they　were　

foreigners；　red…haired　men；　whose　speech　we　did　not　understand；　but　

we　took　them　in；　and　warmed　them；　and　they　remained　with　us　three　

days；　and　when　they　went　away　they　left　behind　them　this　thing；　

here　it　is；　part　of　the　contents　of　a　box　which　was　washed　ashore。'



'And　did　you　learn　who　they　were？'



'Why；　yes；　they　made　us　understand　that　they　were　Danes。'



Danes！　thought　I；　Danes！　and　instantaneously；　huge　and　grisly；　

appeared　to　rise　up　before　my　vision　the　skull　of　the　old　pirate　

Dane；　even　as　I　had　seen　it　of　yore　in　the　pent…house　of　the　

ancient　church　to　which；　with　my　mother　and　my　brother；　I　had　

wandered　on　the　memorable　summer　eve。



And　now　the　old　man　handed　me　the　book；　a　strange　and　uncouth…

looking　volume　enough。　　It　was　not　very　large；　but　instead　of　the　

usual　covering　was　bound　in　wood；　and　was　compressed　with　strong　

iron　clasps。　　It　was　a　printed　book；　but　the　pages　were　not　of　

paper；　but　vellum；　and　the　characters　were　black；　and　resembled　

those　generally　termed　Gothic。



'It　is　certainly　a　curious　book；'　said　I；　'and　I　should　like　to　

have　it；　but　I　can't　think　of　taking　it　as　a　gift；　I　must　give　you　

an　equivalent；　I　never　take　presents　from　anybody。'



The　old　man　whispered　with　his　dame　and　chuckled；　and　then　turned　

his　face　to　me；　and　said；　with　another　chuckle；　'Well；　we　have　

agreed　about　the　price；　but；　maybe；　you　will　not　consent。'



'I　don't　know；'　said　I；　'what　do　you　demand？'



'Why；　that　you　shake　me　by　the　hand；　and　hold　out　your　cheek　to　my　

old　dame；　she　has　taken　an　affection　to　you。'



'I　shall　be　very　glad　to　shake　you　by　the　hand；'　said　I；　'but　as　

for　the　other　condition；　it　requires　consideration。'



'No　consideration　at　all；'　said　the　old　man；　with　something　like　a　

sigh；　'she　thinks　you　like　her　son；　our　only　child；　that　was　lost　

twenty　years　ago　in　the　waves　of　the　North　Sea。'



'Oh；　that　alters　the　case　altogether；'　said　I；　'and　of　course　I　can　

have　no　objection。'



And　now　at　once　I　shook　off　my　listlessness；　to　enable　me　to　do　

which　nothing　could　have　happened　more　opportune　than　the　above　

event。　　The　Danes；　the　Danes！　　And　was　I　at　last　to　become　

acquainted；　and　in　so　singular　a　manner；　with　the　speech　of　a　

people　which　had　as　far　back　as　I　could　remember　exercised　the　

strongest　influence　over　my　imagination；　as　how　should　they　not！　…　

in　infancy　there　was　the　summer…eve　adventure；　to　which　I　often　

looked　back；　and　always　with　a　kind　of　strange　interest　with　

respect　to　those　to　whom　such　gigantic　and　wondrous　bones　could　

belong　as　I　had　seen　on　that　occasion；　and；　more　than　this；　I　had　

been　in　Ireland；　and　there；　under　peculiar　circumstances；　this　same　

interest　was　increased　tenfold。　　I　had　mingled　much　whilst　there　

with　the　genuine　Irish　…　a　wild　but　kind…hearted　race；　whose　

conversation　was　deeply　imbued　with　traditionary　lore；　connected　

with　the　early　history　of　their　own　romantic　land；　and　from　them　I　

heard　enough　of　the　Danes；　but　nothing　commonplace；　for　they　never　

mentioned　them　but　in　terms　which　tallied　well　with　my　own　

preconceived　ideas。　　For　at　an　early　period　the　Danes　had　invaded　

Ireland；　and　had　subdued　it；　and；　though　eventually　driven　out；　had　

left　behind　them　an　enduring　remembrance　in　the　minds　of　the　

people；　who　loved　to　speak　of　their　strength　and　their　stature；　in　

evidence　of　which　they　would　point　to　the　ancient　raths　or　mounds　

where　the　old　Danes　were　buried；　and　where　bones　of　extraordinary　

size　were　occasionally　exhumed。　　And　as　the　Danes　surpassed　other　

people　in　strength；　so；　according　to　my　narrators；　they　also　

excelled　all　others　in　wisdom；　or　rather　in　Drao