lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第9节

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words；　the　landlord　turned　towards　the　door；　and　laughed　to　himself

softly；　in　high　satisfaction　at　his　own　sharpness。



Startled　and　shocked　as　he　was；　Arthur　had　by　this　time

sufficiently　recovered　himself　to　feel　indignant　at　the　trick　that

had　been　played　on　him；　and　at　the　insolent　manner　in　which　the

landlord　exulted　in　it。



'Don't　laugh；'　he　said　sharply；　'till　you　are　quite　sure　you　have

got　the　laugh　against　me。　　You　shan't　have　the　five　shillings　for

nothing；　my　man。　　I'll　keep　the　bed。'



'Will　you？'　said　the　landlord。　　'Then　I　wish　you　a　goodnight's

rest。'　　With　that　brief　farewell；　he　went　out；　and　shut　the　door

after　him。



A　good　night's　rest！　　The　words　had　hardly　been　spoken；　the　door

had　hardly　been　closed；　before　Arthur　half…repented　the　hasty　words

that　had　just　escaped　him。　　Though　not　naturally　over…sensitive；

and　not　wanting　in　courage　of　the　moral　as　well　as　the　physical

sort；　the　presence　of　the　dead　man　had　an　instantaneously　chilling

effect　on　his　mind　when　he　found　himself　alone　in　the　room　…　alone；

and　bound　by　his　own　rash　words　to　stay　there　till　the　next

morning。　　An　older　man　would　have　thought　nothing　of　those　words；

and　would　have　acted；　without　reference　to　them；　as　his　calmer

sense　suggested。　　But　Arthur　was　too　young　to　treat　the　ridicule；

even　of　his　inferiors；　with　contempt　…　too　young　not　to　fear　the

momentary　humiliation　of　falsifying　his　own　foolish　boast；　more

than　he　feared　the　trial　of　watching　out　the　long　night　in　the　same

chamber　with　the　dead。



'It　is　but　a　few　hours；'　he　thought　to　himself；　'and　I　can　get　away

the　first　thing　in　the　morning。'



He　was　looking　towards　the　occupied　bed　as　that　idea　passed　through

his　mind；　and　the　sharp；　angular　eminence　made　in　the　clothes　by

the　dead　man's　upturned　feet　again　caught　his　eye。　　He　advanced　and

drew　the　curtains；　purposely　abstaining；　as　he　did　so；　from　looking

at　the　face　of　the　corpse；　lest　he　might　unnerve　himself　at　the

outset　by　fastening　some　ghastly　impression　of　it　on　his　mind。　　He

drew　the　curtain　very　gently；　and　sighed　involuntarily　as　he　closed

it。　　'Poor　fellow；'　he　said；　almost　as　sadly　as　if　he　had　known　the

man。　　'Ah；　poor　fellow！'



He　went　next　to　the　window。　　The　night　was　black；　and　he　could　see

nothing　from　it。　　The　rain　still　pattered　heavily　against　the

glass。　　He　inferred；　from　hearing　it；　that　the　window　was　at　the

back　of　the　house；　remembering　that　the　front　was　sheltered　from

the　weather　by　the　court　and　the　buildings　over　it。



While　he　was　still　standing　at　the　window　…　for　even　the　dreary

rain　was　a　relief；　because　of　the　sound　it　made；　a　relief；　also；

because　it　moved；　and　had　some　faint　suggestion；　in　consequence；　of

life　and　companionship　in　it　…　while　he　was　standing　at　the　window；

and　looking　vacantly　into　the　black　darkness　outside；　he　heard　a

distant　church…clock　strike　ten。　　Only　ten！　　How　was　he　to　pass　the

time　till　the　house　was　astir　the　next　morning？



Under　any　other　circumstances；　he　would　have　gone　down　to　the

public…house　parlour；　would　have　called　for　his　grog；　and　would

have　laughed　and　talked　with　the　company　assembled　as　familiarly　as

if　he　had　known　them　all　his　life。　　But　the　very　thought　of　whiling

away　the　time　in　this　manner　was　distasteful　to　him。　　The　new

situation　in　which　he　was　placed　seemed　to　have　altered　him　to

himself　already。　　Thus　far；　his　life　had　been　the　common；　trifling；

prosaic；　surface…life　of　a　prosperous　young　man；　with　no　troubles

to　conquer；　and　no　trials　to　face。　　He　had　lost　no　relation　whom　he

loved；　no　friend　whom　he　treasured。　　Till　this　night；　what　share　he

had　of　the　immortal　inheritance　that　is　divided　amongst　us　all；　had

laid　dormant　within　him。　　Till　this　night；　Death　and　he　had　not

once　met；　even　in　thought。



He　took　a　few　turns　up　and　down　the　room　…　then　stopped。　　The　noise

made　by　his　boots　on　the　poorly　carpeted　floor；　jarred　on　his　ear。

He　hesitated　a　little；　and　ended　by　taking　the　boots　off；　and

walking　backwards　and　forwards　noiselessly。　　All　desire　to　sleep　or

to　rest　had　left　him。　　The　bare　thought　of　lying　down　on　the

unoccupied　bed　instantly　drew　the　picture　on　his　mind　of　a　dreadful

mimicry　of　the　position　of　the　dead　man。　　Who　was　he？　　What　was　the

story　of　his　past　life？　　Poor　he　must　have　been；　or　he　would　not

have　stopped　at　such　a　place　as　The　Two　Robins　Inn　…　and　weakened；

probably；　by　long　illness；　or　he　could　hardly　have　died　in　the

manner　in　which　the　landlord　had　described。　　Poor；　ill；　lonely；　…

dead　in　a　strange　place；　dead；　with　nobody　but　a　stranger　to　pity

him。　　A　sad　story：　　truly；　on　the　mere　face　of　it；　a　very　sad

story。



While　these　thoughts　were　passing　through　his　mind；　he　had　stopped

insensibly　at　the　window；　close　to　which　stood　the　foot　of　the　bed

with　the　closed　curtains。　　At　first　he　looked　at　it　absently；　then

he　became　conscious　that　his　eyes　were　fixed　on　it；　and　then；　a

perverse　desire　took　possession　of　him　to　do　the　very　thing　which

he　had　resolved　not　to　do；　up　to　this　time　…　to　look　at　the　dead

man。



He　stretched　out　his　hand　towards　the　curtains；　but　checked　himself

in　the　very　act　of　undrawing　them；　turned　his　back　sharply　on　the

bed；　and　walked　towards　the　chimney…piece；　to　see　what　things　were

placed　on　it；　and　to　try　if　he　could　keep　the　dead　man　out　of　his

mind　in　that　way。



There　was　a　pewter　inkstand　on　the　chimney…piece；　with　some

mildewed　remains　of　ink　in　the　bottle。　　There　were　two　coarse　china

ornaments　of　the　commonest　kind；　and　there　was　a　square　of　embossed

card；　dirty　and　fly…blown；　with　a　collection　of　wretched　riddles

printed　on　it；　in　all　sorts　of　zig…zag　directions；　and　in　variously

coloured　inks。　　He　took　the　card；　and　went　away；　to　read　it；　to　the

table　on　which　the　candle　was　placed；　sitting　down；　with　his　back

resolutely　turned　to　the　curtained　bed。



He　read　the　first　riddle；　the　second；　the　third；　all　in　one　corner

of　the　card　…　then　turned　it　round　impatiently　to　look　at　another。

Before　he　could　begin　reading　the　riddles　printed　here；　the　sound

of　the　church…clock　stopped　him。　　Eleven。　　He　had　got　through　an

hour　of　the　time；　in　the　room　with　the　dead　man。



Once　more　he　looked　at　the　card。　　It　was　not　easy　to　make　out　the

letters　printed　on　it；　in　consequence　of　the　dimness　of　the　light

which　the　landlord　had　left　him　…　a　common　tallow　candle；　furnished

with　a　pair　of　heavy　old…fashioned　steel　snuffers。　　Up　to　this

time；　his　mind　had　been　too　much　occupied　to　think　of　the　light。

He　had　left　the　wick　of　the　candle　unsnuffed；　till　it　had　risen

higher　than　the　flame；　and　had　burnt　into　an　odd　pent…house　shape

at　the　top；　from　which　morsels　of　the　charred　cotton　fell　off；　from

time　to　time；　in　little　flakes。　　He　took　up　the　snuffers　now；　and

trimmed　the　wick。　　The　light　brightened　directly；　and　the　room

became　less　dismal。



Again　he　turned　to　the　riddles；　reading　them　doggedly　and

resolutely；　now　in　one　corner　of　the　card；　now　in　another。　　All　his

efforts；　however；　could　not　fix　his　attention　on　them。　　He　pursued

his　occupation　mechanically；　deriving　no　sort　of　impression　from

what　he　was　reading。　　It　was　as　if　a　shadow　from　the　curtained　bed

had　got　between　his　mind　and　the　gaily　printed　letters　…　a　shadow

that　nothing　could　dispel。　　At　last；　he　gave　up　the　struggle；　and

threw　the　card　from　him　impatiently；　and　took　to　walking　softly　up

and　down　the　room　again。



The　dead　man；　the　dead　man；　the　HIDDEN　dead　man　on　the　bed！　　There

was　the　one　persistent　idea　still　haunting　him。　　Hidden？　　Was　it

only　the　body　being　there；　or　was　it　the　body　being　there；

concealed；　that　was　preying　on　his　mind？　　He　stopped　at　the　window；

with　that　doubt　in　him；　once　more　listening　to　the　pattering　rain；

once　more　looking　out　into　the　black　darkness。



Still　the　dead　man！　　The　darkness　forced　his　mind　back　upon　itself；

and　set　his　memory　at　work；　reviving；　with　a　painfully…vivid

distinctness　the　momentary　impression　it　had　received　from　the

first　sight　of　the　corpse。　　Before　long　the　face　seemed　to　be

hovering　out　in　the　middle　of　the　darkness；　confronting　him　through

the　window；　with　the　paleness　whiter；　with　the　dreadful　dull　line

of　light　between　the　imperfectly…closed　eyelids　broader　than　he　had

seen　it　…　with　the　parted　lips　slowly　dropping　farther　and　farther

away　from　each　other　…　with　the　features　growing　larger　and　moving

closer；　till　they　seemed　to　fill　the　window　and　to　silence　the

rain；　and　to　shut　out　the　night。



The　sound　of　a　voice；　shouting　below…stairs；　woke　him　suddenly　from

the　dream　of　his　own　distempered　fancy。　　He　recognised　it　as　the

voice　of　the　landlord。　　'Shut　up　at　twelve；　Ben；'　he　heard　it　say。

'I'm　off　to　bed。'



He　wiped　away　the　damp　that　had　gathered　on　his　forehead；　reasoned

with　himself　for　a　little　while；　and　resolved　to　shake　his　mind

free　of　the　ghastly　counterfeit　which　still　clung　to　it；　by　forci