太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > the uncommercial traveller >

第36节

the uncommercial traveller-第36节

小说: the uncommercial traveller 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




Book;' from which much curious statistical information may be

gathered respecting the high prices and small uses of soda; soap;

sand; firewood; and other such articles。  I have created a legend

in my mind … and consequently I believe it with the utmost

pertinacity … that the late Mr。 Sweeney was a ticket…porter under

the Honourable Society of Gray's Inn; and that; in consideration of

his long and valuable services; Mrs。 Sweeney was appointed to her

present post。  For; though devoid of personal charms; I have

observed this lady to exercise a fascination over the elderly

ticker…porter mind (particularly under the gateway; and in corners

and entries); which I can only refer to her being one of the

fraternity; yet not competing with it。  All that need be said

concerning this set of chambers; is said; when I have added that it

is in a large double house in Gray's Inn…square; very much out of

repair; and that the outer portal is ornamented in a hideous manner

with certain stone remains; which have the appearance of the

dismembered bust; torso; and limbs of a petrified bencher。



Indeed; I look upon Gray's Inn generally as one of the most

depressing institutions in brick and mortar; known to the children

of men。  Can anything be more dreary than its arid Square; Sahara

Desert of the law; with the ugly old tiled…topped tenements; the

dirty windows; the bills To Let; To Let; the door…posts inscribed

like gravestones; the crazy gateway giving upon the filthy Lane;

the scowling; iron…barred prison…like passage into Verulam…

buildings; the mouldy red…nosed ticket…porters with little coffin

plates; and why with aprons; the dry; hard; atomy…like appearance

of the whole dust…heap?  When my uncommercial travels tend to this

dismal spot; my comfort is its rickety state。  Imagination gloats

over the fulness of time when the staircases shall have quite

tumbled down … they are daily wearing into an ill…savoured powder;

but have not quite tumbled down yet … when the last old prolix

bencher all of the olden time; shall have been got out of an upper

window by means of a Fire Ladder; and carried off to the Holborn

Union; when the last clerk shall have engrossed the last parchment

behind the last splash on the last of the mud…stained windows;

which; all through the miry year; are pilloried out of recognition

in Gray's Inn…lane。  Then; shall a squalid little trench; with rank

grass and a pump in it; lying between the coffee…house and South…

square; be wholly given up to cats and rats; and not; as now; have

its empire divided between those animals and a few briefless bipeds

… surely called to the Bar by voices of deceiving spirits; seeing

that they are wanted there by no mortal … who glance down; with

eyes better glazed than their casements; from their dreary and

lacklustre rooms。  Then shall the way Nor' Westward; now lying

under a short grim colonnade where in summer…time pounce flies from

law…stationering windows into the eyes of laymen; be choked with

rubbish and happily become impassable。  Then shall the gardens

where turf; trees; and gravel wear a legal livery of black; run

rank; and pilgrims go to Gorhambury to see Bacon's effigy as he

sat; and not come here (which in truth they seldom do) to see where

he walked。  Then; in a word; shall the old…established vendor of

periodicals sit alone in his little crib of a shop behind the

Holborn Gate; like that lumbering Marius among the ruins of

Carthage; who has sat heavy on a thousand million of similes。



At one period of my uncommercial career I much frequented another

set of chambers in Gray's Inn…square。  They were what is familiarly

called 'a top set;' and all the eatables and drinkables introduced

into them acquired a flavour of Cockloft。  I have known an unopened

Strasbourg pate fresh from Fortnum and Mason's; to draw in this

cockloft tone through its crockery dish; and become penetrated with

cockloft to the core of its inmost truffle in three…quarters of an

hour。  This; however; was not the most curious feature of those

chambers; that; consisted in the profound conviction entertained by

my esteemed friend Parkle (their tenant) that they were clean。

Whether it was an inborn hallucination; or whether it was imparted

to him by Mrs。 Miggot the laundress; I never could ascertain。  But;

I believe he would have gone to the stake upon the question。  Now;

they were so dirty that I could take off the distinctest impression

of my figure on any article of furniture by merely lounging upon it

for a few moments; and it used to be a private amusement of mine to

print myself off … if I may use the expression … all over the

rooms。  It was the first large circulation I had。  At other times I

have accidentally shaken a window curtain while in animated

conversation with Parkle; and struggling insects which were

certainly red; and were certainly not ladybirds; have dropped on

the back of my hand。  Yet Parkle lived in that top set years; bound

body and soul to the superstition that they were clean。  He used to

say; when congratulated upon them; 'Well; they are not like

chambers in one respect; you know; they are clean。'  Concurrently;

he had an idea which he could never explain; that Mrs。 Miggot was

in some way connected with the Church。  When he was in particularly

good spirits; he used to believe that a deceased uncle of hers had

been a Dean; when he was poorly and low; he believed that her

brother had been a Curate。  I and Mrs。 Miggot (she was a genteel

woman) were on confidential terms; but I never knew her to commit

herself to any distinct assertion on the subject; she merely

claimed a proprietorship in the Church; by looking when it was

mentioned; as if the reference awakened the slumbering Past; and

were personal。  It may have been his amiable confidence in Mrs。

Miggot's better days that inspired my friend with his delusion

respecting the chambers; but he never wavered in his fidelity to it

for a moment; though he wallowed in dirt seven years。



Two of the windows of these chambers looked down into the garden;

and we have sat up there together many a summer evening; saying how

pleasant it was; and talking of many things。  To my intimacy with

that top set; I am indebted for three of my liveliest personal

impressions of the loneliness of life in chambers。  They shall

follow here; in order; first; second; and third。



First。  My Gray's Inn friend; on a time; hurt one of his legs; and

it became seriously inflamed。  Not knowing of his indisposition; I

was on my way to visit him as usual; one summer evening; when I was

much surprised by meeting a lively leech in Field…court; Gray's

Inn; seemingly on his way to the West End of London。  As the leech

was alone; and was of course unable to explain his position; even

if he had been inclined to do so (which he had not the appearance

of being); I passed him and went on。  Turning the corner of Gray's

Inn…square; I was beyond expression amazed by meeting another leech

… also entirely alone; and also proceeding in a westerly direction;

though with less decision of purpose。  Ruminating on this

extraordinary circumstance; and endeavouring to remember whether I

had ever read; in the Philosophical Transactions or any work on

Natural History; of a migration of Leeches; I ascended to the top

set; past the dreary series of closed outer doors of offices and an

empty set or two; which intervened between that lofty region and

the surface。  Entering my friend's rooms; I found him stretched

upon his back; like Prometheus Bound; with a perfectly demented

ticket…porter in attendance on him instead of the Vulture:  which

helpless individual; who was feeble and frightened; and had (my

friend explained to me; in great choler) been endeavouring for some

hours to apply leeches to his leg; and as yet had only got on two

out of twenty。  To this Unfortunate's distraction between a damp

cloth on which he had placed the leeches to freshen them; and the

wrathful adjurations of my friend to 'Stick 'em on; sir!' I

referred the phenomenon I had encountered:  the rather as two fine

specimens were at that moment going out at the door; while a

general insurrection of the rest was in progress on the table。

After a while our united efforts prevailed; and; when the leeches

came off and had recovered their spirits; we carefully tied them up

in a decanter。  But I never heard more of them than that they were

all gone next morning; and that the Out…of…door young man of

Bickle; Bush and Bodger; on the ground floor; had been bitten and

blooded by some creature not identified。  They never 'took' on Mrs。

Miggot; the laundress; but; I have always preserved fresh; the

belief that she unconsciously carried several about her; until they

gradually found openings in life。



Second。  On the same staircase with my friend Parkle; and on the

same floor; there lived a man of law who pursued his business

elsewhere; and used th

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的