lavengro-第79节

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to　be　fine　horses；'　said　I。　　The　coachman　made　no　answer。　　'Nearly　

thoroughbred；'　I　continued；　the　coachman　drew　his　breath；　with　a　

kind　of　hissing　sound；　through　his　teeth。　　'Come；　young　fellow；　

none　of　your　chaff。　　Don't　you　think；　because　you　ride　on　my　mail；　

I'm　going　to　talk　to　you　about　'orses。　　I　talk　to　nobody　about　

'orses　except　lords。'　　'Well；'　said　I；　'I　have　been　called　a　lord　

in　my　time。'　　'It　must　have　been　by　a　thimble…rigger；　then；'　said　

the　coachman；　bending　back；　and　half　turning　his　face　round　with　a　

broad　leer。　　'You　have　hit　the　mark　wonderfully；'　said　I。　　'You　

coachmen；　whatever　else　you　may　be；　are　certainly　no　fools。'　　'We　

ain't；　ain't　we？'　said　the　coachman。　　'There　you　are　right；　and；　to　

show　you　that　you　are；　I'll　now　trouble　you　for　your　fare。　　If　you　

have　been　amongst　the　thimble…riggers　you　must　be　tolerably　well　

cleared　out。　　Where　are　you　going？　…　to　…　？　　I　think　I　have　seen　

you　there。　　The　fare　is　sixteen　shillings。　　Come；　tip　us　the　blunt；　

them　that　has　no　money　can't　ride　on　my　mail。'



Sixteen　shillings　was　a　large　sum；　and　to　pay　it　would　make　a　

considerable　inroad　on　my　slender　finances；　I　thought；　at　first；　

that　I　would　say　I　did　not　want　to　go　so　far；　but　then　the　fellow　

would　ask　at　once　where　I　wanted　to　go；　and　I　was　ashamed　to　

acknowledge　my　utter　ignorance　of　the　road。　　I　determined；　

therefore；　to　pay　the　fare；　with　a　tacit　determination　not　to　mount　

a　coach　in　future　without　knowing　whither　I　was　going。　　So　I　paid　

the　man　the　money；　who；　turning　round；　shouted　to　the　guard　…　'All　

right；　Jem；　got　fare　to　…　'；　and　forthwith　whipped　on　his　horses；　

especially　the　off　hand　leader；　for　whom　he　seemed　to　entertain　a　

particular　spite；　to　greater　speed　than　before　…　the　horses　flew。



A　young　moon　gave　a　feeble　light；　partially　illuminating　a　line　of　

road　which；　appearing　by　no　means　interesting；　I　the　less　regretted　

having　paid　my　money　for　the　privilege　of　being　hurried　along　it　in　

the　flying　vehicle。　　We　frequently　changed　horses；　and　at　last　my　

friend　the　coachman　was　replaced　by　another；　the　very　image　of　

himself　…　hawk　nose；　red　face；　with　narrow…rimmed　hat　and　

fashionable　benjamin。　　After　he　had　driven　about　fifty　yards；　the　

new　coachman　fell　to　whipping　one　of　the　horses。　　'D…　this　near…

hand　wheeler；'　said　he；　'the　brute　has　got　a　corn。'　　'Whipping　him　

won't　cure　him　of　his　corn；'　said　I。　　'Who　told　you　to　speak？'　said　

the　driver；　with　an　oath；　'mind　your　own　business；　'tisn't　from　the　

like　of　you　I　am　to　learn　to　drive　'orses。'　　Presently　I　fell　into　

a　broken　kind　of　slumber。　　In　an　hour　or　two　I　was　aroused　by　a　

rough　voice　…　'Got　to　…；　young　man；　get　down　if　you　please。'　　I　

opened　my　eyes　…　there　was　a　dim　and　indistinct　light；　like　that　

which　precedes　dawn；　the　coach　was　standing　still　in　something　like　

a　street；　just　below　me　stood　the　guard。　　'Do　you　mean　to　get　

down；'　said　he；　'or　will　you　keep　us　here　till　morning？　other　fares　

want　to　get　up。'　　Scarcely　knowing　what　I　did；　I　took　my　bundle　and　

stick　and　descended；　whilst　two　people　mounted。　　'All　right；　John；'　

said　the　guard　to　the　coachman；　springing　up　behind；　whereupon　off　

whisked　the　coach；　one　or　two　individuals　who　were　standing　by　

disappeared；　and　I　was　left　alone。







CHAPTER　LX







The　still　hour　…　A　thrill　…　The　wondrous　circle　…　The　shepherd　…　

Heaps　and　barrows　…　What　do　you　mean？　…　Milk　of　the　plains　…　

Hengist　spared　it　…　No　presents。



AFTER　standing　still　a　minute　or　two；　considering　what　I　should　do；　

I　moved　down　what　appeared　to　be　the　street　of　a　small　straggling　

town；　presently　I　passed　by　a　church；　which　rose　indistinctly　on　my　

right　hand；　anon　there　was　the　rustling　of　foliage　and　the　rushing　

of　waters。　　I　reached　a　bridge；　beneath　which　a　small　stream　was　

running　in　the　direction　of　the　south。　　I　stopped　and　leaned　over　

the　parapet；　for　I　have　always　loved　to　look　upon　streams；　

especially　at　the　still　hours。　　'What　stream　is　this；　I　wonder？'　

said　I；　as　I　looked　down　from　the　parapet　into　the　water；　which　

whirled　and　gurgled　below。



Leaving　the　bridge；　I　ascended　a　gentle　acclivity；　and　presently　

reached　what　appeared　to　be　a　tract　of　moory　undulating　ground。　　It　

was　now　tolerably　light；　but　there　was　a　mist　or　haze　abroad　which　

prevented　my　seeing　objects　with　much　precision。　　I　felt　chill　in　

the　damp　air　of　the　early　morn；　and　walked　rapidly　forward。　　In　

about　half　an　hour　I　arrived　where　the　road　divided　into　two；　at　an　

angle　or　tongue　of　dark　green　sward。　　'To　the　right　or　the　left？'　

said　I；　and　forthwith　took；　without　knowing　why；　the　left…hand　

road；　along　which　I　proceeded　about　a　hundred　yards；　when；　in　the　

midst　of　the　tongue　of　sward　formed　by　the　two　roads；　collaterally　

with　myself；　I　perceived　what　I　at　first　conceived　to　be　a　small　

grove　of　blighted　trunks　of　oaks；　barked　and　gray。　　I　stood　still　

for　a　moment；　and　then；　turning　off　the　road；　advanced　slowly　

towards　it　over　the　sward；　as　I　drew　nearer；　I　perceived　that　the　

objects　which　had　attracted　my　curiosity；　and　which　formed　a　kind　

of　circle；　were　not　trees；　but　immense　upright　stones。　　A　thrill　

pervaded　my　system；　just　before　me　were　two；　the　mightiest　of　the　

whole；　tall　as　the　stems　of　proud　oaks；　supporting　on　their　tops　a　

huge　transverse　stone；　and　forming　a　wonderful　doorway。　　I　knew　now　

where　I　was；　and；　laying　down　my　stick　and　bundle；　and　taking　off　

my　hat；　I　advanced　slowly；　and　cast　myself　…　it　was　folly；　perhaps；　

but　I　could　not　help　what　I　did　…　cast　myself；　with　my　face　on　the　

dewy　earth；　in　the　middle　of　the　portal　of　giants；　beneath　the　

transverse　stone。



The　spirit　of　Stonehenge　was　strong　upon　me！



And　after　I　had　remained　with　my　face　on　the　ground　for　some　time；　

I　arose；　placed　my　hat　on　my　head；　and；　taking　up　my　stick　and　

bundle；　wandered　round　the　wondrous　circle；　examining　each　

individual　stone；　from　the　greatest　to　the　least；　and　then；　

entering　by　the　great　door；　seated　myself　upon　an　immense　broad　

stone；　one　side　of　which　was　supported　by　several　small　ones；　and　

the　other　slanted　upon　the　earth；　and　there；　in　deep　meditation；　I　

sat　for　an　hour　or　two；　till　the　sun　shone　in　my　face　above　the　

tall　stones　of　the　eastern　side。



And　as　I　still　sat　there；　I　heard　the　noise　of　bells；　and　presently　

a　large　number　of　sheep　came　browsing　past　the　circle　of　stones；　

two　or　three　entered；　and　grazed　upon　what　they　could　find；　and　

soon　a　man　also　entered　the　circle　at　the　northern　side。



'Early　here；　sir；'　said　the　man；　who　was　tall；　and　dressed　in　a　

dark　green　slop；　and　had　all　the　appearance　of　a　shepherd；　'a　

traveller；　I　suppose？'



'Yes；'　said　I；　'I　am　a　traveller；　are　these　sheep　yours？'



'They　are；　sir；　that　is；　they　are　my　master's。　　A　strange　place　

this；　sir；'　said　he；　looking　at　the　stones；　'ever　here　before？'



'Never　in　body；　frequently　in　mind。'



'Heard　of　the　stones；　I　suppose；　no　wonder　…　all　the　people　of　the　

plain　talk　of　them。'



'What　do　the　people　of　the　plain　say　of　them？'



'Why；　they　say　…　How　did　they　ever　come　here？'



'Do　they　not　suppose　them　to　have　been　brought？'



'Who　should　have　brought　them？'



'I　have　read　that　they　were　brought　by　many　thousand　men。'



'Where　from？'



'Ireland。'



'How　did　they　bring　them？'



'I　don't　know。'



'And　what　did　they　bring　them　for？'



'To　form　a　temple；　perhaps。'



'What　is　that？'



'A　place　to　worship　God　in。'



'A　strange　place　to　worship　God　in。'



'Why？'



'It　has　no　roof。'



'Yes；　it　has。'



'Where？'　said　the　man；　looking　up。



'What　do　you　see　above　you？'



'The　sky。'



'Well？'



'Well！'



'Have　you　anything　to　say？'



'How　did　these　stones　come　here？'



'Are　there　other　stones　like　these　on　the　plains？'　said　I。



'None；　and　yet　there　are　plenty　of　strange　things　on　these　downs。'



'What　are　they？'



'Strange　heaps；　and　barrows；　and　great　walls　of　earth　built　on　the　

tops　of　hills。'



'Do　the　people　of　the　plain　wonder　how　they　came　there？'



'They　do　not。'



'Why？'



'They　were　raised　by　hands。'



'And　these　stones？'



'How　did　they　ever　come　here？'



'I　wonder　whether　they　are　here？'　said　I。



'These　stones？'



'Yes。'



'So　sure　as　the　world；'　said　the　man；　'and；　as　the　world；　they　will　

stand　as　long。'



'I　wonder　whether　there　is　a　world。'



'What　do　you　mean？'



'An　earth；　and　sea；　moon　and　stars；　sheep　and　men。'



'Do　you　doubt　it？'



'Sometimes。'



'I　never　heard　it　doubted　before。'



'It　is　impossible　there　should　be　a　world。'



'It　ain't　possible　there　shouldn't　be　a　world。'



'Just　so。'　　At　this　moment　a　fine　ewe；　attended　by　a　lamb；　rushed　

into　the　circle　and　fondled　the　knees　of　the　shepherd。　　'I　suppose　

you　would　not　care　to　have　some　milk；'　said　t