lavengro-第98节

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ha；　look　at　the　gentleman's　motions。'



'He　is　sick；　child；　sure　enough。　　Ho；　ho！　sir；　you　have　taken　

drows；　what；　another　throe！　writhe；　sir；　writhe；　the　hog　died　by　

the　drow　of　gypsies；　I　saw　him　stretched　at　evening。　　That's　

yourself；　sir。　　There　is　no　hope；　sir；　no　help；　you　have　taken　

drow；　shall　I　tell　you　your　fortune；　sir；　your　dukkerin？　　God　bless　

you；　pretty　gentleman；　much　trouble　will　you　have　to　suffer；　and　

much　water　to　cross；　but　never　mind；　pretty　gentleman；　you　shall　be　

fortunate　at　the　end；　and　those　who　hate　shall　take　off　their　hats　

to　you。'



'Hey；　bebee！'　cried　the　girl；　'what　is　this？　what　do　you　mean？　you　

have　blessed　the　gorgio！'



'Blessed　him！　no；　sure；　what　did　I　say？　　Oh；　I　remember；　I'm　mad；　

well；　I　can't　help　it；　I　said　what　the　dukkerin　dook　told　me；　woe's　

me；　he'll　get　up　yet。'



'Nonsense；　bebee！　　Look　at　his　motions；　he's　drabbed；　spite　of　

dukkerin。'



'Don't　say　so；　child；　he's　sick；　'tis　true；　but　don't　laugh　at　

dukkerin；　only　folks　do　that　that　know　no　better。　　I；　for　one；　will　

never　laugh　at　the　dukkerin　dook。　　Sick　again；　I　wish　he　was　gone。'



'He'll　soon　be　gone；　bebee；　let's　leave　him。　　He's　as　good　as　gone；　

look　there；　he's　dead。'



'No；　he's　not；　he'll　get　up　…　I　feel　it；　can't　we　hasten　him？'



'Hasten　him！　yes；　to　be　sure；　set　the　dog　upon　him。　　Here；　juggal；　

look　in　there；　my　dog。'



The　dog　made　its　appearance　at　the　door　of　the　tent；　and　began　to　

bark　and　tear　up　the　ground。



'At　him；　juggal；　at　him；　he　wished　to　poison；　to　drab　you。　　

Halloo！'



The　dog　barked　violently；　and　seemed　about　to　spring　at　my　face；　

but　retreated。



'The　dog　won't　fly　at　him；　child；　he　flashed　at　the　dog　with　his　

eye；　and　scared　him。　　He'll　get　up。'



'Nonsense；　bebee！　you　make　me　angry；　how　should　he　get　up？'



'The　dook　tells　me　so；　and；　what's　more；　I　had　a　dream。　　I　thought　

I　was　at　York；　standing　amidst　a　crowd　to　see　a　man　hung；　and　the　

crowd　shouted；　〃There　he　comes！〃　and　I　looked；　and；　lo！　it　was　the　

tinker；　before　I　could　cry　with　joy　I　was　whisked　away；　and　I　found　

myself　in　Ely's　big　church；　which　was　chock　full　of　people　to　hear　

the　dean　preach；　and　all　eyes　were　turned　to　the　big　pulpit；　and　

presently　I　heard　them　say；　〃There　he　mounts！〃　and　I　looked　up　to　

the　big　pulpit；　and；　lo！　the　tinker　was　in　the　pulpit；　and　he　

raised　his　arm　and　began　to　preach。　　Anon；　I　found　myself　at　York　

again；　just　as　the　drop　fell；　and　I　looked　up；　and　I　saw　not　the　

tinker；　but　my　own　self　hanging　in　the　air。'



'You　are　going　mad；　bebee；　if　you　want　to　hasten　him；　take　your　

stick　and　poke　him　in　the　eye。'



'That　will　be　of　no　use；　child；　the　dukkerin　tells　me　so；　but　I　

will　try　what　I　can　do。　　Halloo；　tinker！　you　must　introduce　

yourself　into　a　quiet　family；　and　raise　confusion　…　must　you？　　You　

must　steal　its　language；　and；　what　was　never　done　before；　write　it　

down　Christianly　…　must　you？　　Take　that　…　and　that'；　and　she　

stabbed　violently　with　her　stick　towards　the　end　of　the　tent。



'That's　right；　bebee；　you　struck　his　face；　now　once　more；　and　let　

it　be　in　the　eye。　　Stay；　what's　that？　get　up；　bebee。'



'What's　the　matter；　child？'



'Some　one　is　coming；　come　away。'



'Let　me　make　sure　of　him；　child；　he'll　be　up　yet。'　　And　thereupon　

Mrs。　Herne；　rising；　leaned　forward　into　the　tent；　and；　supporting　

herself　against　the　pole；　took　aim　in　the　direction　of　the　farther　

end。　　'I　will　thrust　out　his　eye；'　said　she；　and；　lunging　with　her　

stick；　she　would　probably　have　accomplished　her　purpose　had　not　at　

that　moment　the　pole　of　the　tent　given　way；　whereupon　she　fell　to　

the　ground；　the　canvas　falling　upon　her　and　her　intended　victim。



'Here's　a　pretty　affair；　bebee；'　screamed　the　girl。



'He'll　get　up；　yet；'　said　Mrs。　Herne；　from　beneath　the　canvas。



'Get　up！　…　get　up　yourself；　where　are　you？　where　is　your　…　Here；　

there；　bebee；　here's　the　door；　there；　make　haste；　they　are　coming。'



'He'll　get　up　yet；'　said　Mrs。　Herne；　recovering　her　breath；　'the　

dock　tells　me　so。'



'Never　mind　him　or　the　dook；　he　is　drabbed；　come　away；　or　we　shall　

be　grabbed　…　both　of　us。'



'One　more　blow；　I　know　where　his　head　lies。'



'You　are　mad；　bebee；　leave　the　fellow　…　gorgio　avella。'



And　thereupon　the　females　hurried　away。



A　vehicle　of　some　kind　was　evidently　drawing　nigh；　in　a　little　time　

it　came　alongside　of　the　place　where　lay　the　fallen　tent；　and　

stopped　suddenly。　　There　was　a　silence　for　a　moment；　and　then　a　

parley　ensued　between　two　voices；　one　of　which　was　that　of　a　woman。　　

It　was　not　in　English；　but　in　a　deep　guttural　tongue。



'Peth　yw　hono　sydd　yn　gorwedd　yna　ar　y　ddaear？'　said　a　masculine　

voice。



'Yn　wirionedd　…　I　do　not　know　what　it　can　be；'　said　the　female　

voice；　in　the　same　tongue。



'Here　is　a　cart；　and　there　are　tools；　but　what　is　that　on　the　

ground？'



'Something　moves　beneath　it；　and　what　was　that　…　a　groan？'



'Shall　I　get　down？'



'Of　course；　Peter；　some　one　may　want　your　help？



'Then　I　will　get　down；　though　I　do　not　like　this　place；　it　is　

frequented　by　Egyptians；　and　I　do　not　like　their　yellow　faces；　nor　

their　clibberty　clabber；　as　Master　Ellis　Wyn　says。　　Now　I　am　down。　　

It　is　a　tent；　Winifred；　and　see；　here　is　a　boy　beneath　it。　　

Merciful　father！　what　a　face。'



A　middle…aged　man；　with　a　strongly　marked　and　serious　countenance；　

dressed　in　sober…coloured　habiliments；　had　lifted　up　the　stifling　

folds　of　the　tent；　and　was　bending　over　me。　　'Can　you　speak；　my　

lad？'　said　he　in　English；　'what　is　the　matter　with　you？　if　you　

could　but　tell　me；　I　could　perhaps　help　you　…　'　　'What　is　that　you　

say？　　I　can't　hear　you。　　I　will　kneel　down'；　and　he　flung　himself　

on　the　ground；　and　placed　his　ear　close　to　my　mouth。　　'Now　speak　if　

you　can。　　Hey！　what！　no；　sure；　God　forbid！'　then　starting　up；　he　

cried　to　a　female　who　sat　in　the　cart；　anxiously　looking　on　…　

'Gwenwyn！　gwenwyn！　yw　y　gwas　wedi　ei　gwenwynaw。　　The　oil！　　

Winifred；　the　oil！'







CHAPTER　LXXII







Desired　effect　…　The　three　oaks　…　Winifred　…　Things　of　time　…　With　

God's　will　…　The　preacher　…　Creature　comforts　…　Croesaw　…　Welsh　and　

English　…　Mayor　of　Chester。



THE　OIL；　which　the　strangers　compelled　me　to　take；　produced　the　

desired　effect；　though；　during　at　least　two　hours；　it　was　very　

doubtful　whether　or　not　my　life　would　be　saved。　　At　the　end　of　that　

period　the　man　said　that　with　the　blessing　of　God　he　would　answer　

for　my　life。　　He　then　demanded　whether　I　thought　I　could　bear　to　be　

removed　from　the　place　in　which　we　were；　'for　I　like　it　not；'　he　

continued；　'as　something　within　me　tells　me　that　it　is　not　good　for　

any　of　us　to　be　here。'　　I　told　him；　as　well　as　I　was　able；　that　I；　

too；　should　be　glad　to　leave　the　place；　whereupon；　after　collecting　

my　things；　he　harnessed　my　pony；　and；　with　the　assistance　of　the　

woman；　he　contrived　to　place　me　in　the　cart；　he　then　gave　me　a　

draught　out　of　a　small　phial；　and　we　set　forward　at　a　slow　pace；　

the　man　walking　by　the　side　of　the　cart　in　which　I　lay。　　It　is　

probable　that　the　draught　consisted　of　a　strong　opiate；　for　after　

swallowing　it　I　fell　into　a　deep　slumber；　on　my　awaking；　I　found　

that　the　shadows　of　night　had　enveloped　the　earth　…　we　were　still　

moving　on。　　Shortly；　however；　after　descending　a　declivity；　we　

turned　into　a　lane；　at　the　entrance　of　which　was　a　gate。　　This　lane　

conducted　to　a　meadow；　through　the　middle　of　which　ran　a　small　

brook；　it　stood　between　two　rising　grounds；　that　on　the　left；　which　

was　on　the　farther　side　of　the　water；　was　covered　with　wood；　whilst　

the　one　on　the　right；　which　was　not　so　high；　was　crowned　with　the　

white　walls　of　what　appeared　to　be　a　farmhouse。



Advancing　along　the　meadow；　we　presently　came　to　a　place　where　grew　

three　immense　oaks；　almost　on　the　side　of　the　brook；　over　which　

they　flung　their　arms；　so　as　to　shade　it　as　with　a　canopy；　the　

ground　beneath　was　bare　of　grass；　and　nearly　as　hard　and　smooth　as　

the　floor　of　a　barn。　　Having　led　his　own　cart　on　one　side　of　the　

midmost　tree；　and　my　own　on　the　other；　the　stranger　said　to　me；　

'This　is　the　spot　where　my　wife　and　myself　generally　tarry　in　the　

summer　season；　when　we　come　into　these　parts。　　We　are　about　to　pass　

the　night　here。　　I　suppose　you　will　have　no　objection　to　do　the　

same？　　Indeed；　I　do　not　see　what　else　you　could　do　under　present　

circumstances。'　　After　receiving　my　answer；　in　which　I；　of　course；　

expressed　my　readiness　to　assent　to　his　proposal；　he　proceeded　to　

unharness　his　horse；　and；　feeling　myself　much　better；　I　got　down；　

and　began　to　make　the　necessary　preparations　for　passing　the　night　

beneath　the　oak。



Whilst　thus　engaged；　I　felt　myself　touched　on　the　shoulder；　and；　

looking　round；　perceived　the　woman；　whom　the　stranger　called　

Winifred；　standing　close　to　me。　　The　moon　was　shining　brightly　upon　

her；