the uncommercial traveller-第76节

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'The　pump　is　rusty；　perhaps；'　said　I。



'Not　IT；'　said　the　old　man；　regarding　it　with　undiluted　virulence

in　his　watery　eye。　　'It　never　were　fit　to　be　termed　a　pump。　　That's

what's　the　matter　with　IT。'



'Whose　fault　is　that？'　said　I。



The　old　man；　who　had　a　working　mouth　which　seemed　to　be　trying　to

masticate　his　anger　and　to　find　that　it　was　too　hard　and　there　was

too　much　of　it；　replied；　'Them　gentlemen。'



'What　gentlemen？'



'Maybe　you're　one　of　'em？'　said　the　old　man；　suspiciously。



'The　trustees？'



'I　wouldn't　trust　'em　myself；'　said　the　virulent　old　man。



'If　you　mean　the　gentlemen　who　administer　this　place；　no；　I　am　not

one　of　them；　nor　have　I　ever　so　much　as　heard　of　them。'



'I　wish　I　never　heard　of　them；'　gasped　the　old　man：　　'at　my　time　of

life　…　with　the　rheumatics　…　drawing　water…from　that　thing！'　　Not

to　be　deluded　into　calling　it　a　Pump；　the　old　man　gave　it　another

virulent　look；　took　up　his　pitcher；　and　carried　it　into　a　corner

dwelling…house；　shutting　the　door　after　him。



Looking　around　and　seeing　that　each　little　house　was　a　house　of　two

little　rooms；　and　seeing　that　the　little　oblong　court…yard　in　front

was　like　a　graveyard　for　the　inhabitants；　saving　that　no　word　was

engraven　on　its　flat　dry　stones；　and　seeing　that　the　currents　of

life　and　noise　ran　to　and　fro　outside；　having　no　more　to　do　with

the　place　than　if　it　were　a　sort　of　low…water　mark　on　a　lively

beach；　I　say；　seeing　this　and　nothing　else；　I　was　going　out　at　the

gate　when　one　of　the　doors　opened。



'Was　you　looking　for　anything；　sir？'　asked　a　tidy；　well…favoured

woman。



Really；　no；　I　couldn't　say　I　was。



'Not　wanting　any　one；　sir？'



'No　…　at　least　I　…　pray　what　is　the　name　of　the　elderly　gentleman

who　lives　in　the　corner　there？'



The　tidy　woman　stepped　out　to　be　sure　of　the　door　I　indicated；　and

she　and　the　pump　and　I　stood　all　three　in　a　row　with　our　backs　to

the　thoroughfare。



'Oh！　　HIS　name　is　Mr。　Battens；'　said　the　tidy　woman；　dropping　her

voice。



'I　have　just　been　talking　with　him。'



'Indeed？'　said　the　tidy　woman。　　'Ho！　　I　wonder　Mr。　Battens　talked！'



'Is　he　usually　so　silent？'



'Well；　Mr。　Battens　is　the　oldest　here　…　that　is　to　say；　the　oldest

of　the　old　gentlemen　…　in　point　of　residence。'



She　had　a　way　of　passing　her　hands　over　and　under　one　another　as

she　spoke；　that　was　not　only　tidy　but　propitiatory；　so　I　asked　her

if　I　might　look　at　her　little　sitting…room？　　She　willingly　replied

Yes；　and　we　went　into　it　together：　　she　leaving　the　door　open；　with

an　eye　as　I　understood　to　the　social　proprieties。　　The　door　opening

at　once　into　the　room　without　any　intervening　entry；　even　scandal

must　have　been　silenced　by　the　precaution。



It　was　a　gloomy　little　chamber；　but　clean；　and　with　a　mug　of

wallflower　in　the　window。　　On　the　chimney…piece　were　two　peacock's

feathers；　a　carved　ship；　a　few　shells；　and　a　black　profile　with　one

eyelash；　whether　this　portrait　purported　to　be　male　or　female

passed　my　comprehension；　until　my　hostess　informed　me　that　it　was

her　only　son；　and　'quite　a　speaking　one。'



'He　is　alive；　I　hope？'



'No；　sir；'　said　the　widow；　'he　were　cast　away　in　China。'　　This　was

said　with　a　modest　sense　of　its　reflecting　a　certain　geographical

distinction　on　his　mother。



'If　the　old　gentlemen　here　are　not　given　to　talking；'　said　I；　'I

hope　the　old　ladies　are？　…　not　that　you　are　one。'



She　shook　her　head。　　'You　see　they　get　so　cross。'



'How　is　that？'



'Well；　whether　the　gentlemen　really　do　deprive　us　of　any　little

matters　which　ought　to　be　ours　by　rights；　I　cannot　say　for　certain；

but　the　opinion　of　the　old　ones　is　they　do。　　And　Mr。　Battens　he　do

even　go　so　far　as　to　doubt　whether　credit　is　due　to　the　Founder。

For　Mr。　Battens　he　do　say；　anyhow　he　got　his　name　up　by　it　and　he

done　it　cheap。'



'I　am　afraid　the　pump　has　soured　Mr。　Battens。'



'It　may　be　so；'　returned　the　tidy　widow；　'but　the　handle　does　go

very　hard。　　Still；　what　I　say　to　myself　is；　the　gentlemen　MAY　not

pocket　the　difference　between　a　good　pump　and　a　bad　one；　and　I

would　wish　to　think　well　of　them。　　And　the　dwellings；'　said　my

hostess；　glancing　round　her　room；　'perhaps　they　were　convenient

dwellings　in　the　Founder's　time；　considered　AS　his　time；　and

therefore　he　should　not　be　blamed。　　But　Mrs。　Saggers　is　very　hard

upon　them。'



'Mrs。　Saggers　is　the　oldest　here？'



'The　oldest　but　one。　　Mrs。　Quinch　being　the　oldest；　and　have

totally　lost　her　head。'



'And　you？'



'I　am　the　youngest　in　residence；　and　consequently　am　not　looked　up

to。　　But　when　Mrs。　Quinch　makes　a　happy　release；　there　will　be　one

below　me。　　Nor　is　it　to　be　expected　that　Mrs。　Saggers　will　prove

herself　immortal。'



'True。　　Nor　Mr。　Battens。'



'Regarding　the　old　gentlemen；'　said　my　widow　slightingly；　'they

count　among　themselves。　　They　do　not　count　among　us。　　Mr。　Battens

is　that　exceptional　that　he　have　written　to　the　gentlemen　many

times　and　have　worked　the　case　against　them。　　Therefore　he　have

took　a　higher　ground。　　But　we　do　not；　as　a　rule；　greatly　reckon　the

old　gentlemen。'



Pursuing　the　subject；　I　found　it　to　be　traditionally　settled　among

the　poor　ladies　that　the　poor　gentlemen；　whatever　their　ages；　were

all　very　old　indeed；　and　in　a　state　of　dotage。　　I　also　discovered

that　the　juniors　and　newcomers　preserved；　for　a　time；　a　waning

disposition　to　believe　in　Titbull　and　his　trustees；　but　that　as

they　gained　social　standing　they　lost　this　faith；　and　disparaged

Titbull　and　all　his　works。



Improving　my　acquaintance　subsequently　with　this　respected　lady；

whose　name　was　Mrs。　Mitts；　and　occasionally　dropping　in　upon　her

with　a　little　offering　of　sound　Family　Hyson　in　my　pocket；　I

gradually　became　familiar　with　the　inner　politics　and　ways　of

Titbull's　Alms…Houses。　　But　I　never　could　find　out　who　the　trustees

were；　or　where　they　were：　　it　being　one　of　the　fixed　ideas　of　the

place　that　those　authorities　must　be　vaguely　and　mysteriously

mentioned　as　'the　gentlemen'　only。　　The　secretary　of　'the

gentlemen'　was　once　pointed　out　to　me；　evidently　engaged　in

championing　the　obnoxious　pump　against　the　attacks　of　the

discontented　Mr。　Battens；　but　I　am　not　in　a　condition　to　report

further　of　him　than　that　he　had　the　sprightly　bearing　of　a　lawyer's

clerk。　　I　had　it　from　Mrs。　Mitts's　lips　in　a　very　confidential

moment；　that　Mr。　Battens　was　once　'had　up　before　the　gentlemen'　to

stand　or　fall　by　his　accusations；　and　that　an　old　shoe　was　thrown

after　him　on　his　departure　from　the　building　on　this　dread　errand；

…　not　ineffectually；　for；　the　interview　resulting　in　a　plumber；　was

considered　to　have　encircled　the　temples　of　Mr。　Battens　with　the

wreath　of　victory；



In　Titbull's　Alms…Houses；　the　local　society　is　not　regarded　as　good

society。　　A　gentleman　or　lady　receiving　visitors　from　without；　or

going　out　to　tea；　counts；　as　it　were；　accordingly；　but　visitings　or

tea…drinkings　interchanged　among　Titbullians　do　not　score。　　Such

interchanges；　however；　are　rare；　in　consequence　of　internal

dissensions　occasioned　by　Mrs。　Saggers's　pail：　　which　household

article　has　split　Titbull's　into　almost　as　many　parties　as　there

are　dwellings　in　that　precinct。　　The　extremely　complicated　nature

of　the　conflicting　articles　of　belief　on　the　subject　prevents　my

stating　them　here　with　my　usual　perspicuity；　but　I　think　they　have

all　branched　off　from　the　root…and…trunk　question；　Has　Mrs。　Saggers

any　right　to　stand　her　pail　outside　her　dwelling？　　The　question　has

been　much　refined　upon；　but　roughly　stated　may　be　stated　in　those

terms。



There　are　two　old　men　in　Titbull's　Alms…Houses　who；　I　have　been

given　to　understand；　knew　each　other　in　the　world　beyond　its　pump

and　iron　railings；　when　they　were　both　'in　trade。'　　They　make　the

best　of　their　reverses；　and　are　looked　upon　with　great　contempt。

They　are　little；　stooping；　blear…eyed　old　men　of　cheerful

countenance；　and　they　hobble　up　and　down　the　court…yard　wagging

their　chins　and　talking　together　quite　gaily。　　This　has　given

offence；　and　has；　moreover；　raised　the　question　whether　they　are

justified　in　passing　any　other　windows　than　their　own。　　Mr。

Battens；　however；　permitting　them　to　pass　HIS　windows；　on　the

disdainful　ground　that　their　imbecility　almost　amounts　to

irresponsibility；　they　are　allowed　to　take　their　walk　in　peace。

They　live　next　door　to　one　another；　and　take　it　by　turns　to　read

the　newspaper　aloud　（that　is　to　say；　the　newest　newspaper　they　can

get）；　and　they　play　cribbage　at　night。　　On　warm　and　sunny　days　they

have　been　known　to　go　so　far　as　to　bring　out　two　chairs　and　sit　by

the　iron　railings；　looking　forth；　but　this　low　conduct；　being　much

remarked　upon　throughout　Titbull's；　they　were　deterred　by　an

outraged　public　opinion　from　repeating　it。　　There　is　a　rumour　…　but

it　may　be　malicious　…　that　they　hold　the　memory　of　Titbull　in　some

weak　sort　of　vener