lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第13节

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！



limits　of　England；　Ireland；　Scotland；　Wales；　the　Isle　of　Man；　and

the　Channel　Islands；　all　summed　up　together；　was　Allonby　on　the

coast　of　Cumberland。　　There　was　the　coast　of　Scotland　opposite　to

Allonby；　said　Mr。　Goodchild　with　enthusiasm；　there　was　a　fine

Scottish　mountain　on　that　Scottish　coast；　there　were　Scottish

lights　to　be　seen　shining　across　the　glorious　Channel；　and　at

Allonby　itself　there　was　every　idle　luxury　（no　doubt）　that　a

watering…place　could　offer　to　the　heart　of　idle　man。　　Moreover；

said　Mr。　Goodchild；　with　his　finger　on　the　map；　this　exquisite

retreat　was　approached　by　a　coach…road；　from　a　railway…station

called　Aspatria　…　a　name；　in　a　manner；　suggestive　of　the　departed

glories　of　Greece；　associated　with　one　of　the　most　engaging　and

most　famous　of　Greek　women。　　On　this　point；　Mr。　Goodchild　continued

at　intervals　to　breathe　a　vein　of　classic　fancy　and　eloquence

exceedingly　irksome　to　Mr。　Idle；　until　it　appeared　that　the　honest

English　pronunciation　of　that　Cumberland　country　shortened　Aspatria

into　'Spatter。'　　After　this　supplementary　discovery；　Mr。　Goodchild

said　no　more　about　it。



By　way　of　Spatter；　the　crippled　Idle　was　carried；　hoisted；　pushed；

poked；　and　packed；　into　and　out　of　carriages；　into　and　out　of　beds；

into　and　out　of　tavern　resting…places；　until　he　was　brought　at

length　within　sniff　of　the　sea。　　And　now；　behold　the　apprentices

gallantly　riding　into　Allonby　in　a　one…horse　fly；　bent　upon　staying

in　that　peaceful　marine　valley　until　the　turbulent　Doncaster　time

shall　come　round　upon　the　wheel；　in　its　turn　among　what　are　in

sporting　registers　called　the　'Fixtures'　for　the　month。



'Do　you　see　Allonby！'　asked　Thomas　Idle。



'I　don't　see　it　yet；'　said　Francis；　looking　out　of　window。



'It　must　be　there；'　said　Thomas　Idle。



'I　don't　see　it；'　returned　Francis。



'It　must　be　there；'　repeated　Thomas　Idle；　fretfully。



'Lord　bless　me！'　exclaimed　Francis；　drawing　in　his　head；　'I　suppose

this　is　it！'



'A　watering…place；'　retorted　Thomas　Idle；　with　the　pardonable

sharpness　of　an　invalid；　'can't　be　five　gentlemen　in　straw　hats；　on

a　form　on　one　side　of　a　door；　and　four　ladies　in　hats　and　falls；　on

a　form　on　another　side　of　a　door；　and　three　geese　in　a　dirty　little

brook　before　them；　and　a　boy's　legs　hanging　over　a　bridge　（with　a

boy's　body　I　suppose　on　the　other　side　of　the　parapet）；　and　a

donkey　running　away。　　What　are　you　talking　about？'



'Allonby；　gentlemen；'　said　the　most　comfortable　of　landladies　as

she　opened　one　door　of　the　carriage；　'Allonby；　gentlemen；'　said　the

most　attentive　of　landlords；　as　he　opened　the　other。



Thomas　Idle　yielded　his　arm　to　the　ready　Goodchild；　and　descended

from　the　vehicle。　　Thomas；　now　just　able　to　grope　his　way　along；　in

a　doubled…up　condition；　with　the　aid　of　two　thick　sticks；　was　no

bad　embodiment　of　Commodore　Trunnion；　or　of　one　of　those　many

gallant　Admirals　of　the　stage；　who　have　all　ample　fortunes；　gout；

thick　sticks；　tempers；　wards；　and　nephews。　　With　this　distinguished

naval　appearance　upon　him；　Thomas　made　a　crab…like　progress　up　a

clean　little　bulk…headed　staircase；　into　a　clean　little　bulk…headed

room；　where　he　slowly　deposited　himself　on　a　sofa；　with　a　stick　on

either　hand　of　him；　looking　exceedingly　grim。



'Francis；'　said　Thomas　Idle；　'what　do　you　think　of　this　place？'



'I　think；'　returned　Mr。　Goodchild；　in　a　glowing　way；　'it　is

everything　we　expected。'



'Hah！'　said　Thomas　Idle。



'There　is　the　sea；'　cried　Mr。　Goodchild；　pointing　out　of　window；

'and　here；'　pointing　to　the　lunch　on　the　table；　'are　shrimps。　　Let

us　…　'　here　Mr。　Goodchild　looked　out　of　window；　as　if　in　search　of

something；　and　looked　in　again；　…　'let　us　eat　'em。'



The　shrimps　eaten　and　the　dinner　ordered；　Mr。　Goodchild　went　out　to

survey　the　watering…place。　　As　Chorus　of　the　Drama；　without　whom

Thomas　could　make　nothing　of　the　scenery；　he　by…and…by　returned；　to

have　the　following　report　screwed　out　of　him。



In　brief；　it　was　the　most　delightful　place　ever　seen。



'But；'　Thomas　Idle　asked；　'where　is　it？'



'It's　what　you　may　call　generally　up　and　down　the　beach；　here　and

there；'　said　Mr。　Goodchild；　with　a　twist　of　his　hand。



'Proceed；'　said　Thomas　Idle。



It　was；　Mr。　Goodchild　went　on　to　say；　in　cross…examination；　what

you　might　call　a　primitive　place。　　Large？　　No；　it　was　not　large。

Who　ever　expected　it　would　be　large？　　Shape？　　What　a　question　to

ask！　　No　shape。　　What　sort　of　a　street？　　Why；　no　street。　　Shops？

Yes；　of　course　（quite　indignant）。　　How　many？　　Who　ever　went　into　a

place　to　count　the　shops？　　Ever　so　many。　　Six？　　Perhaps。　　A

library？　　Why；　of　course　（indignant　again）。　　Good　collection　of

books？　　Most　likely　…　couldn't　say　…　had　seen　nothing　in　it　but　a

pair　of　scales。　　Any　reading…room？　　Of　course；　there　was　a　reading…

room。　　Where？　　Where！　why；　over　there。　　Where　was　over　there？　　Why；

THERE！　　Let　Mr。　Idle　carry　his　eye　to　that　bit　of　waste　ground

above　high…water　mark；　where　the　rank　grass　and　loose　stones　were

most　in　a　litter；　and　he　would　see　a　sort　of　long；　ruinous　brick

loft；　next　door　to　a　ruinous　brick　out…house；　which　loft　had　a

ladder　outside；　to　get　up　by。　　That　was　the　reading…room；　and　if

Mr。　Idle　didn't　like　the　idea　of　a　weaver's　shuttle　throbbing　under

a　reading…room；　that　was　his　look　out。　　HE　was　not　to　dictate；　Mr。

Goodchild　supposed　（indignant　again）；　to　the　company。



'By…the…by；'　Thomas　Idle　observed；　'the　company？'



Well！　（Mr。　Goodchild　went　on　to　report）　very　nice　company。　　Where

were　they？　　Why；　there　they　were。　　Mr。　Idle　could　see　the　tops　of

their　hats；　he　supposed。　　What？　　Those　nine　straw　hats　again；　five

gentlemen's　and　four　ladies'？　　Yes；　to　be　sure。　　Mr。　Goodchild

hoped　the　company　were　not　to　be　expected　to　wear　helmets；　to

please　Mr。　Idle。



Beginning　to　recover　his　temper　at　about　this　point；　Mr。　Goodchild

voluntarily　reported　that　if　you　wanted　to　be　primitive；　you　could

be　primitive　here；　and　that　if　you　wanted　to　be　idle；　you　could　be

idle　here。　　In　the　course　of　some　days；　he　added；　that　there　were

three　fishing…boats；　but　no　rigging；　and　that　there　were　plenty　of

fishermen　who　never　fished。　　That　they　got　their　living　entirely　by

looking　at　the　ocean。　　What　nourishment　they　looked　out　of　it　to

support　their　strength；　he　couldn't　say；　but；　he　supposed　it　was

some　sort　of　Iodine。　　The　place　was　full　of　their　children；　who

were　always　upside　down　on　the　public　buildings　（two　small　bridges

over　the　brook）；　and　always　hurting　themselves　or　one　another；　so

that　their　wailings　made　more　continual　noise　in　the　air　than　could

have　been　got　in　a　busy　place。　　The　houses　people　lodged　in；　were

nowhere　in　particular；　and　were　in　capital　accordance　with　the

beach；　being　all　more　or　less　cracked　and　damaged　as　its　shells

were；　and　all　empty　…　as　its　shells　were。　　Among　them；　was　an

edifice　of　destitute　appearance；　with　a　number　of　wall…eyed　windows

in　it；　looking　desperately　out　to　Scotland　as　if　for　help；　which

said　it　was　a　Bazaar　（and　it　ought　to　know）；　and　where　you　might

buy　anything　you　wanted　…　supposing　what　you　wanted；　was　a　little

camp…stool　or　a　child's　wheelbarrow。　　The　brook　crawled　or　stopped

between　the　houses　and　the　sea；　and　the　donkey　was　always　running

away；　and　when　he　got　into　the　brook　he　was　pelted　out　with　stones；

which　never　hit　him；　and　which　always　hit　some　of　the　children　who

were　upside　down　on　the　public　buildings；　and　made　their

lamentations　louder。　　This　donkey　was　the　public　excitement　of

Allonby；　and　was　probably　supported　at　the　public　expense。



The　foregoing　descriptions；　delivered　in　separate　items；　on

separate　days　of　adventurous　discovery；　Mr。　Goodchild　severally

wound　up；　by　looking　out　of　window；　looking　in　again；　and　saying；

'But　there　is　the　sea；　and　here　are　the　shrimps　…　let　us　eat　'em。'



There　were　fine　sunsets　at　Allonby　when　the　low　flat　beach；　with

its　pools　of　water　and　its　dry　patches；　changed　into　long　bars　of

silver　and　gold　in　various　states　of　burnishing；　and　there　were

fine　views　…　on　fine　days　…　of　the　Scottish　coast。　　But；　when　it

rained　at　Allonby；　Allonby　thrown　back　upon　its　ragged　self；　became

a　kind　of　place　which　the　donkey　seemed　to　have　found　out；　and　to

have　his　highly　sagacious　reasons　for　wishing　to　bolt　from。　　Thomas

Idle　observed；　too；　that　Mr。　Goodchild；　with　a　noble　show　of

disinterestedness；　became　every　day　more　ready　to　walk　to　Maryport

and　back；　for　letters；　and　suspicions　began　to　harbour　in　the　mind

of　Thomas；　that　his　friend　deceived　him；　and　that　Maryport　was　a

preferable　place。



Therefore；　Thomas　said　to　Francis　on　a　day　when　they　had　looked　at

the　sea　and　eaten　the　shrimps；　'My　mind　misgives　me；　Goodchild；

that　you　go　to　Maryport；　like　the　boy　in　the　story…book；　to　ask　IT

to　be　idle　with　you。'



'Judge；　then；'　returned　Francis；　adopting　the　style　of　the　story…

book；　'with　what　success。　　I　go　to　a　region　wh