the uncommercial traveller-第37节

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

elsewhere；　and　used　those　chambers　as　his　place　of　residence。　　For

three　or　four　years；　Parkle　rather　knew　of　him　than　knew　him；　but

after　that　…　for　Englishmen　…　short　pause　of　consideration；　they

began　to　speak。　　Parkle　exchanged　words　with　him　in　his　private

character　only；　and　knew　nothing　of　his　business　ways；　or　means。

He　was　a　man　a　good　deal　about　town；　but　always　alone。　　We　used　to

remark　to　one　another；　that　although　we　often　encountered　him　in

theatres；　concert…rooms；　and　similar　public　places；　he　was　always

alone。　　Yet　he　was　not　a　gloomy　man；　and　was　of　a　decidedly

conversational　turn；　insomuch　that　he　would　sometimes　of　an　evening

lounge　with　a　cigar　in　his　mouth；　half　in　and　half　out　of　Parkle's

rooms；　and　discuss　the　topics　of　the　day　by　the　hour。　　He　used　to

hint　on　these　occasions　that　he　had　four　faults　to　find　with　life；

firstly；　that　it　obliged　a　man　to　be　always　winding　up　his　watch；

secondly；　that　London　was　too　small；　thirdly；　that　it　therefore

wanted　variety；　fourthly；　that　there　was　too　much　dust　in　it。

There　was　so　much　dust　in　his　own　faded　chambers；　certainly；　that

they　reminded　me　of　a　sepulchre；　furnished　in　prophetic

anticipation　of　the　present　time；　which　had　newly　been　brought　to

light；　after　having　remained　buried　a　few　thousand　years。　　One　dry；

hot　autumn　evening　at　twilight；　this　man；　being　then　five　years

turned　of　fifty；　looked　in　upon　Parkle　in　his　usual　lounging　way；

with　his　cigar　in　his　mouth　as　usual；　and　said；　'I　am　going　out　of

town。'　　As　he　never　went　out　of　town；　Parkle　said；　'Oh　indeed！　　At

last？'　　'Yes；'　says　he；　'at　last。　　For　what　is　a　man　to　do？　　London

is　so　small！　　If　you　go　West；　you　come　to　Hounslow。　　If　you　go

East；　you　come　to　Bow。　　If　you　go　South；　there's　Brixton　or

Norwood。　　If　you　go　North；　you　can't　get　rid　of　Barnet。　　Then；　the

monotony　of　all　the　streets；　streets；　streets　…　and　of　all　the

roads；　roads；　roads　…　and　the　dust；　dust；　dust！'　　When　he　had　said

this；　he　wished　Parkle　a　good　evening；　but　came　back　again　and

said；　with　his　watch　in　his　hand；　'Oh；　I　really　cannot　go　on

winding　up　this　watch　over　and　over　again；　I　wish　you　would　take

care　of　it。'　　So；　Parkle　laughed　and　consented；　and　the　man　went

out　of　town。　　The　man　remained　out　of　town　so　long；　that　his

letter…box　became　choked；　and　no　more　letters　could　be　got　into　it；

and　they　began　to　be　left　at　the　lodge　and　to　accumulate　there。　　At

last　the　head…porter　decided；　on　conference　with　the　steward；　to

use　his　master…key　and　look　into　the　chambers；　and　give　them　the

benefit　of　a　whiff　of　air。　　Then；　it　was　found　that　he　had　hanged

himself　to　his　bedstead；　and　had　left　this　written　memorandum：　　'I

should　prefer　to　be　cut　down　by　my　neighbour　and　friend　（if　he　will

allow　me　to　call　him　so）；　H。　Parkle；　Esq。'　　This　was　an　end　of

Parkle's　occupancy　of　chambers。　　He　went　into　lodgings　immediately。



Third。　　While　Parkle　lived　in　Gray's　Inn；　and　I　myself　was

uncommercially　preparing　for　the　Bar　…　which　is　done；　as　everybody

knows；　by　having　a　frayed　old　gown　put　on　in　a　pantry　by　an　old

woman　in　a　chronic　state　of　Saint　Anthony's　fire　and　dropsy；　and；

so　decorated；　bolting　a　bad　dinner　in　a　party　of　four；　whereof　each

individual　mistrusts　the　other　three　…　I　say；　while　these　things

were；　there　was　a　certain　elderly　gentleman　who　lived　in　a　court　of

the　Temple；　and　was　a　great　judge　and　lover　of　port　wine。　　Every

day　he　dined　at　his　club　and　drank　his　bottle　or　two　of　port　wine；

and　every　night　came　home　to　the　Temple　and　went　to　bed　in　his

lonely　chambers。　　This　had　gone　on　many　years　without　variation；

when　one　night　he　had　a　fit　on　coming　home；　and　fell　and　cut　his

head　deep；　but　partly　recovered　and　groped　about　in　the　dark　to

find　the　door。　　When　he　was　afterwards　discovered；　dead；　it　was

clearly　established　by　the　marks　of　his　hands　about　the　room　that

he　must　have　done　so。　　Now；　this　chanced　on　the　night　of　Christmas

Eve；　and　over　him　lived　a　young　fellow　who　had　sisters　and　young

country　friends；　and　who　gave　them　a　little　party　that　night；　in

the　course　of　which　they　played　at　Blindman's　Buff。　　They　played

that　game；　for　their　greater　sport；　by　the　light　of　the　fire　only；

and　once；　when　they　were　all　quietly　rustling　and　stealing　about；

and　the　blindman　was　trying　to　pick　out　the　prettiest　sister　（for

which　I　am　far　from　blaming　him）；　somebody　cried；　Hark！　　The　man

below　must　be　playing　Blindman's　Buff　by　himself　to…night！　　They

listened；　and　they　heard　sounds　of　some　one　falling　about　and

stumbling　against　furniture；　and　they　all　laughed　at　the　conceit；

and　went　on　with　their　play；　more　light…hearted　and　merry　than

ever。　　Thus；　those　two　so　different　games　of　life　and　death　were

played　out　together；　blindfolded；　in　the　two　sets　of　chambers。



Such　are　the　occurrences；　which；　coming　to　my　knowledge；　imbued　me

long　ago　with　a　strong　sense　of　the　loneliness　of　chambers。　　There

was　a　fantastic　illustration　to　much　the　same　purpose　implicitly

believed　by　a　strange　sort　of　man　now　dead；　whom　I　knew　when　I　had

not　quite　arrived　at　legal　years　of　discretion；　though　I　was

already　in　the　uncommercial　line。



This　was　a　man　who；　though　not　more　than　thirty；　had　seen　the　world

in　divers　irreconcilable　capacities　…　had　been　an　officer　in　a

South　American　regiment　among　other　odd　things　…　but　had　not

achieved　much　in　any　way　of　life；　and　was　in　debt；　and　in　hiding。

He　occupied　chambers　of　the　dreariest　nature　in　Lyons　Inn；　his

name；　however；　was　not　up　on　the　door；　or　door…post；　but　in　lieu　of

it　stood　the　name　of　a　friend　who　had　died　in　the　chambers；　and　had

given　him　the　furniture。　　The　story　arose　out　of　the　furniture；　and

was　to　this　effect：…　Let　the　former　holder　of　the　chambers；　whose

name　was　still　upon　the　door　and　door…post；　be　Mr。　Testator。



Mr。　Testator　took　a　set　of　chambers　in　Lyons　Inn　when　he　had　but

very　scanty　furniture　for　his　bedroom；　and　none　for　his　sitting…

room。　　He　had　lived　some　wintry　months　in　this　condition；　and　had

found　it　very　bare　and　cold。　　One　night；　past　midnight；　when　he　sat

writing　and　still　had　writing　to　do　that　must　be　done　before　he

went　to　bed；　he　found　himself　out　of　coals。　　He　had　coals　down…

stairs；　but　had　never　been　to　his　cellar；　however　the　cellar…key

was　on　his　mantelshelf；　and　if　he　went　down　and　opened　the　cellar

it　fitted；　he　might　fairly　assume　the　coals　in　that　cellar　to　be

his。　　As　to　his　laundress；　she　lived　among　the　coal…waggons　and

Thames　watermen　…　for　there　were　Thames　watermen　at　that　time　…　in

some　unknown　rat…hole　by　the　river；　down　lanes　and　alleys　on　the

other　side　of　the　Strand。　　As　to　any　other　person　to　meet　him　or

obstruct　him；　Lyons　Inn　was　dreaming；　drunk；　maudlin；　moody；

betting；　brooding　over　bill…discounting　or　renewing　…　asleep　or

awake；　minding　its　own　affairs。　　Mr。　Testator　took　his　coal…scuttle

in　one　hand；　his　candle　and　key　in　the　other；　and　descended　to　the

dismallest　underground　dens　of　Lyons　Inn；　where　the　late　vehicles

in　the　streets　became　thunderous；　and　all　the　water…pipes　in　the

neighbourhood　seemed　to　have　Macbeth's　Amen　sticking　in　their

throats；　and　to　be　trying　to　get　it　out。　　After　groping　here　and

there　among　low　doors　to　no　purpose；　Mr。　Testator　at　length　came　to

a　door　with　a　rusty　padlock　which　his　key　fitted。　　Getting　the　door

open　with　much　trouble；　and　looking　in；　he　found；　no　coals；　but　a

confused　pile　of　furniture。　　Alarmed　by　this　intrusion　on　another

man's　property；　he　locked　the　door　again；　found　his　own　cellar；

filled　his　scuttle；　and　returned　up…stairs。



But　the　furniture　he　had　seen；　ran　on　castors　across　and　across　Mr。

Testator's　mind　incessantly；　when；　in　the　chill　hour　of　five　in　the

morning；　he　got　to　bed。　　He　particularly　wanted　a　table　to　write

at；　and　a　table　expressly　made　to　be　written　at；　had　been　the　piece

of　furniture　in　the　foreground　of　the　heap。　　When　his　laundress

emerged　from　her　burrow　in　the　morning　to　make　his　kettle　boil；　he

artfully　led　up　to　the　subject　of　cellars　and　furniture；　but　the

two　ideas　had　evidently　no　connexion　in　her　mind。　　When　she　left

him；　and　he　sat　at　his　breakfast；　thinking　about　the　furniture；　he

recalled　the　rusty　state　of　the　padlock；　and　inferred　that　the

furniture　must　have　been　stored　in　the　cellars　for　a　long　time　…

was　perhaps　forgotten　…　owner　dead；　perhaps？　　After　thinking　it

over；　a　few　days；　in　the　course　of　which　he　could　pump　nothing　out

of　Lyons　Inn　about　the　furniture；　he　became　desperate；　and　resolved

to　borrow　that　table。　　He　did　so；　that　night。　　He　had　not　had　the

table　long；　when　he　determined　to　borrow　an　easy…chair；　he　had　not

had　that　long；　when　he　made　up　his　mind　to　borrow　a　bookcase；　then；

a　couch；　then；　a　carpet　and　rug。　　By　that　time；　he　felt　he　was　'in

furniture　stepped　in　so　far；'　as　that　it　could　be　no　worse　to

borrow　it　all。　　Consequently；　he　borrowed　it　all；　and　locked　u