the uncommercial traveller-第32节

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in　this　thriving　Hall；　I　fancied　I　detected　a　shyness　in　admitting

that　human　nature　when　at　leisure　has　any　desire　whatever　to　be

relieved　and　diverted；　and　a　furtive　sliding　in　of　any　poor　make…

weight　piece　of　amusement；　shame…facedly　and　edgewise。　　Thus；　I

observed　that　it　was　necessary　for　the　members　to　be　knocked　on　the

head　with　Gas；　Air；　Water；　Food；　the　Solar　System；　the　Geological

periods；　Criticism　on　Milton；　the　Steam…engine；　John　Bunyan；　and

Arrow…Headed　Inscriptions；　before　they　might　be　tickled　by　those

unaccountable　choristers；　the　negro　singers　in　the　court　costume　of

the　reign　of　George　the　Second。　　Likewise；　that　they　must　be

stunned　by　a　weighty　inquiry　whether　there　was　internal　evidence　in

Shakespeare's　works；　to　prove　that　his　uncle　by　the　mother's　side

lived　for　some　years　at　Stoke　Newington；　before　they　were　brought…

to　by　a　Miscellaneous　Concert。　　But；　indeed；　the　masking　of

entertainment；　and　pretending　it　was　something　else　…　as　people

mask　bedsteads　when　they　are　obliged　to　have　them　in　sitting…rooms；

and　make　believe　that　they　are　book…cases；　sofas；　chests　of

drawers；　anything　rather　than　bedsteads　…　was　manifest　even　in　the

pretence　of　dreariness　that　the　unfortunate　entertainers　themselves

felt　obliged　in　decency　to　put　forth　when　they　came　here。　　One　very

agreeable　professional　singer；　who　travelled　with　two　professional

ladies；　knew　better　than　to　introduce　either　of　those　ladies　to

sing　the　ballad　'Comin'　through　the　Rye'　without　prefacing　it

himself；　with　some　general　remarks　on　wheat　and　clover；　and　even

then；　he　dared　not　for　his　life　call　the　song；　a　song；　but

disguised　it　in　the　bill　as　an　'Illustration。'　　In　the　library；

also　…　fitted　with　shelves　for　three　thousand　books；　and　containing

upwards　of　one　hundred　and　seventy　（presented　copies　mostly）；

seething　their　edges　in　damp　plaster　…　there　was　such　a　painfully

apologetic　return　of　62　offenders　who　had　read　Travels；　Popular

Biography；　and　mere　Fiction　descriptive　of　the　aspirations　of　the

hearts　and　souls　of　mere　human　creatures　like　themselves；　and　such

an　elaborate　parade　of　2　bright　examples　who　had　had　down　Euclid

after　the　day's　occupation　and　confinement；　and　3　who　had　had　down

Metaphysics　after　ditto；　and　1　who　had　had　down　Theology　after

ditto；　and　4　who　had　worried　Grammar；　Political　Economy；　Botany；

and　Logarithms　all　at　once　after　ditto；　that　I　suspected　the

boasted　class　to　be　one　man；　who　had　been　hired　to　do　it。



Emerging　from　the　Mechanics'　Institution　and　continuing　my　walk

about　the　town；　I　still　noticed　everywhere　the　prevalence；　to　an

extraordinary　degree；　of　this　custom　of　putting　the　natural　demand

for　amusement　out　of　sight；　as　some　untidy　housekeepers　put　dust；

and　pretending　that　it　was　swept　away。　　And　yet　it　was　ministered

to；　in　a　dull　and　abortive　manner；　by　all　who　made　this　feint。

Looking　in　at　what　is　called　in　Dullborough　'the　serious

bookseller's；'　where；　in　my　childhood；　I　had　studied　the　faces　of

numbers　of　gentlemen　depicted　in　rostrums　with　a　gaslight　on　each

side　of　them；　and　casting　my　eyes　over　the　open　pages　of　certain

printed　discourses　there；　I　found　a　vast　deal　of　aiming　at　jocosity

and　dramatic　effect；　even　in　them　…　yes；　verily；　even　on　the　part

of　one　very　wrathful　expounder　who　bitterly　anathematised　a　poor

little　Circus。　　Similarly；　in　the　reading　provided　for　the　young

people　enrolled　in　the　Lasso　of　Love；　and　other　excellent　unions；　I

found　the　writers　generally　under　a　distressing　sense　that　they

must　start　（at　all　events）　like　story…tellers；　and　delude　the　young

persons　into　the　belief　that　they　were　going　to　be　interesting。　　As

I　looked　in　at　this　window　for　twenty　minutes　by　the　clock；　I　am　in

a　position　to　offer　a　friendly　remonstrance　…　not　bearing　on　this

particular　point　…　to　the　designers　and　engravers　of　the　pictures

in　those　publications。　　Have　they　considered　the　awful　consequences

likely　to　flow　from　their　representations　of　Virtue？　　Have　they

asked　themselves　the　question；　whether　the　terrific　prospect　of

acquiring　that　fearful　chubbiness　of　head；　unwieldiness　of　arm；

feeble　dislocation　of　leg；　crispiness　of　hair；　and　enormity　of

shirt…collar；　which　they　represent　as　inseparable　from　Goodness；

may　not　tend　to　confirm　sensitive　waverers；　in　Evil？　　A　most

impressive　example　（if　I　had　believed　it）　of　what　a　Dustman　and　a

Sailor　may　come　to；　when　they　mend　their　ways；　was　presented　to　me

in　this　same　shop…window。　　When　they　were　leaning　（they　were

intimate　friends）　against　a　post；　drunk　and　reckless；　with

surpassingly　bad　hats　on；　and　their　hair　over　their　foreheads；　they

were　rather　picturesque；　and　looked　as　if　they　might　be　agreeable

men；　if　they　would　not　be　beasts。　　But；　when　they　had　got　over

their　bad　propensities；　and　when；　as　a　consequence；　their　heads　had

swelled　alarmingly；　their　hair　had　got　so　curly　that　it　lifted

their　blown…out　cheeks　up；　their　coat…cuffs　were　so　long　that　they

never　could　do　any　work；　and　their　eyes　were　so　wide　open　that　they

never　could　do　any　sleep；　they　presented　a　spectacle　calculated　to

plunge　a　timid　nature　into　the　depths　of　Infamy。



But；　the　clock　that　had　so　degenerated　since　I　saw　it　last；

admonished　me　that　I　had　stayed　here　long　enough；　and　I　resumed　my

walk。



I　had　not　gone　fifty　paces　along　the　street　when　I　was　suddenly

brought　up　by　the　sight　of　a　man　who　got　out　of　a　little　phaeton　at

the　doctor's　door；　and　went　into　the　doctor's　house。　　Immediately；

the　air　was　filled　with　the　scent　of　trodden　grass；　and　the

perspective　of　years　opened；　and　at　the　end　of　it　was　a　little

likeness　of　this　man　keeping　a　wicket；　and　I　said；　'God　bless　my

soul！　　Joe　Specks！'



Through　many　changes　and　much　work；　I　had　preserved　a　tenderness

for　the　memory　of　Joe；　forasmuch　as　we　had　made　the　acquaintance　of

Roderick　Random　together；　and　had　believed　him　to　be　no　ruffian；

but　an　ingenuous　and　engaging　hero。　　Scorning　to　ask　the　boy　left

in　the　phaeton　whether　it　was　really　Joe；　and　scorning　even　to　read

the　brass　plate　on　the　door　…　so　sure　was　I　…　I　rang　the　bell　and

informed　the　servant　maid　that　a　stranger　sought　audience　of　Mr。

Specks。　　Into　a　room；　half　surgery；　half　study；　I　was　shown　to

await　his　coming；　and　I　found　it；　by　a　series　of　elaborate

accidents；　bestrewn　with　testimonies　to　Joe。　　Portrait　of　Mr。

Specks；　bust　of　Mr。　Specks；　silver　cup　from　grateful　patient　to　Mr。

Specks；　presentation　sermon　from　local　clergyman；　dedication　poem

from　local　poet；　dinner…card　from　local　nobleman；　tract　on　balance

of　power　from　local　refugee；　inscribed　HOMMAGE　DE　L'AUTEUR　E

SPECKS。



When　my　old　schoolfellow　came　in；　and　I　informed　him　with　a　smile

that　I　was　not　a　patient；　he　seemed　rather　at　a　loss　to　perceive

any　reason　for　smiling　in　connexion　with　that　fact；　and　inquired　to

what　was　he　to　attribute　the　honour？　　I　asked　him　with　another

smile；　could　he　remember　me　at　all？　　He　had　not　（he　said）　that

pleasure。　　I　was　beginning　to　have　but　a　poor　opinion　of　Mr。

Specks；　when　he　said　reflectively；　'And　yet　there's　a　something

too。'　　Upon　that；　I　saw　a　boyish　light　in　his　eyes　that　looked

well；　and　I　asked　him　if　he　could　inform　me；　as　a　stranger　who

desired　to　know　and　had　not　the　means　of　reference　at　hand；　what

the　name　of　the　young　lady　was；　who　married　Mr。　Random？　　Upon　that；

he　said　'Narcissa；'　and；　after　staring　for　a　moment；　called　me　by

my　name；　shook　me　by　the　hand；　and　melted　into　a　roar　of　laughter。

'Why；　of　course；　you'll　remember　Lucy　Green；'　he　said；　after　we　had

talked　a　little。　　'Of　course；'　said　I。　　'Whom　do　you　think　she

married？'　said　he。　　'You？'　I　hazarded。　　'Me；'　said　Specks；　'and　you

shall　see　her。'　　So　I　saw　her；　and　she　was　fat；　and　if　all　the　hay

in　the　world　had　been　heaped　upon　her；　it　could　scarcely　have

altered　her　face　more　than　Time　had　altered　it　from　my　remembrance

of　the　face　that　had　once　looked　down　upon　me　into　the　fragrant

dungeons　of　Seringapatam。　　But　when　her　youngest　child　came　in

after　dinner　（for　I　dined　with　them；　and　we　had　no　other　company

than　Specks；　Junior；　Barrister…at…law；　who　went　away　as　soon　as　the

cloth　was　removed；　to　look　after　the　young　lady　to　whom　he　was

going　to　be　married　next　week）；　I　saw　again；　in　that　little

daughter；　the　little　face　of　the　hayfield；　unchanged；　and　it　quite

touched　my　foolish　heart。　　We　talked　immensely；　Specks　and　Mrs。

Specks；　and　I；　and　we　spoke　of　our　old　selves　as　though　our　old

selves　were　dead　and　gone；　and　indeed；　indeed　they　were　…　dead　and

gone　as　the　playing…field　that　had　become　a　wilderness　of　rusty

iron；　and　the　property　of　S。E。R。



Specks；　however；　illuminated　Dullborough　with　the　rays　of　interest

that　I　wanted　and　should　otherwise　have　missed　in　it；　and　linked

its　present　to　its　past；　with　a　highly　agreeable　chain。　　And　in

Specks's　society　I　had　new　occasion　to　observe　what　I　had　before

noticed　in　similar　communications　among　other　men。　　All