the holly-tree-第2节

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it　was　a　mere　snowball；　similarly；　the　men　and　boys　who　ran　along

beside　us　to　the　town's　end；　turning　our　clogged　wheels　and

encouraging　our　horses；　were　men　and　boys　of　snow；　and　the　bleak

wild　solitude　to　which　they　at　last　dismissed　us　was　a　snowy　Sahara。

One　would　have　thought　this　enough：　　notwithstanding　which；　I　pledge

my　word　that　it　snowed　and　snowed；　and　still　it　snowed；　and　never

left　off　snowing。



We　performed　Auld　Lang　Syne　the　whole　day；　seeing　nothing；　out　of

towns　and　villages；　but　the　track　of　stoats；　hares；　and　foxes；　and

sometimes　of　birds。　　At　nine　o'clock　at　night；　on　a　Yorkshire　moor；

a　cheerful　burst　from　our　horn；　and　a　welcome　sound　of　talking；　with

a　glimmering　and　moving　about　of　lanterns；　roused　me　from　my　drowsy

state。　　I　found　that　we　were　going　to　change。



They　helped　me　out；　and　I　said　to　a　waiter；　whose　bare　head　became

as　white　as　King　Lear's　in　a　single　minute；　〃What　Inn　is　this？〃



〃The　Holly…Tree；　sir；〃　said　he。



〃Upon　my　word；　I　believe；〃　said　I；　apologetically；　to　the　guard　and

coachman；　〃that　I　must　stop　here。〃



Now　the　landlord；　and　the　landlady；　and　the　ostler；　and　the　post…

boy；　and　all　the　stable　authorities；　had　already　asked　the　coachman；

to　the　wide…eyed　interest　of　all　the　rest　of　the　establishment；　if

he　meant　to　go　on。　　The　coachman　had　already　replied；　〃Yes；　he'd

take　her　through　it；〃meaning　by　Her　the　coach；〃if　so　be　as

George　would　stand　by　him。〃　　George　was　the　guard；　and　he　had

already　sworn　that　he　would　stand　by　him。　　So　the　helpers　were

already　getting　the　horses　out。



My　declaring　myself　beaten；　after　this　parley；　was　not　an

announcement　without　preparation。　　Indeed；　but　for　the　way　to　the

announcement　being　smoothed　by　the　parley；　I　more　than　doubt

whether；　as　an　innately　bashful　man；　I　should　have　had　the

confidence　to　make　it。　　As　it　was；　it　received　the　approval　even　of

the　guard　and　coachman。　　Therefore；　with　many　confirmations　of　my

inclining；　and　many　remarks　from　one　bystander　to　another；　that　the

gentleman　could　go　for'ard　by　the　mail　to…morrow；　whereas　to…night

he　would　only　be　froze；　and　where　was　the　good　of　a　gentleman　being

frozeah；　let　alone　buried　alive　（which　latter　clause　was　added　by

a　humorous　helper　as　a　joke　at　my　expense；　and　was　extremely　well

received）；　I　saw　my　portmanteau　got　out　stiff；　like　a　frozen　body；

did　the　handsome　thing　by　the　guard　and　coachman；　wished　them　good…

night　and　a　prosperous　journey；　and；　a　little　ashamed　of　myself；

after　all；　for　leaving　them　to　fight　it　out　alone；　followed　the

landlord；　landlady；　and　waiter　of　the　Holly…Tree　up…stairs。



I　thought　I　had　never　seen　such　a　large　room　as　that　into　which　they

showed　me。　　It　had　five　windows；　with　dark　red　curtains　that　would

have　absorbed　the　light　of　a　general　illumination；　and　there　were

complications　of　drapery　at　the　top　of　the　curtains；　that　went

wandering　about　the　wall　in　a　most　extraordinary　manner。　　I　asked

for　a　smaller　room；　and　they　told　me　there　was　no　smaller　room。



They　could　screen　me　in；　however；　the　landlord　said。　　They　brought　a

great　old　japanned　screen；　with　natives　（Japanese；　I　suppose）

engaged　in　a　variety　of　idiotic　pursuits　all　over　it；　and　left　me

roasting　whole　before　an　immense　fire。



My　bedroom　was　some　quarter　of　a　mile　off；　up　a　great　staircase　at

the　end　of　a　long　gallery；　and　nobody　knows　what　a　misery　this　is　to

a　bashful　man　who　would　rather　not　meet　people　on　the　stairs。　　It

was　the　grimmest　room　I　have　ever　had　the　nightmare　in；　and　all　the

furniture；　from　the　four　posts　of　the　bed　to　the　two　old　silver

candle…sticks；　was　tall；　high…shouldered；　and　spindle…waisted。

Below；　in　my　sitting…room；　if　I　looked　round　my　screen；　the　wind

rushed　at　me　like　a　mad　bull；　if　I　stuck　to　my　arm…chair；　the　fire

scorched　me　to　the　colour　of　a　new　brick。　　The　chimney…piece　was

very　high；　and　there　was　a　bad　glasswhat　I　may　call　a　wavy　glass

above　it；　which；　when　I　stood　up；　just　showed　me　my　anterior

phrenological　developments；and　these　never　look　well；　in　any

subject；　cut　short　off　at　the　eyebrow。　　If　I　stood　with　my　back　to

the　fire；　a　gloomy　vault　of　darkness　above　and　beyond　the　screen

insisted　on　being　looked　at；　and；　in　its　dim　remoteness；　the　drapery

of　the　ten　curtains　of　the　five　windows　went　twisting　and　creeping

about；　like　a　nest　of　gigantic　worms。



I　suppose　that　what　I　observe　in　myself　must　be　observed　by　some

other　men　of　similar　character　in　themselves；　therefore　I　am

emboldened　to　mention；　that；　when　I　travel；　I　never　arrive　at　a

place　but　I　immediately　want　to　go　away　from　it。　　Before　I　had

finished　my　supper　of　broiled　fowl　and　mulled　port；　I　had　impressed

upon　the　waiter　in　detail　my　arrangements　for　departure　in　the

morning。　　Breakfast　and　bill　at　eight。　　Fly　at　nine。　　Two　horses；

or；　if　needful；　even　four。



Tired　though　I　was；　the　night　appeared　about　a　week　long。　　In　cases

of　nightmare；　I　thought　of　Angela；　and　felt　more　depressed　than　ever

by　the　reflection　that　I　was　on　the　shortest　road　to　Gretna　Green。

What　had　I　to　do　with　Gretna　Green？　　I　was　not　going　that　way　to　the

Devil；　but　by　the　American　route；　I　remarked　in　my　bitterness。



In　the　morning　I　found　that　it　was　snowing　still；　that　it　had　snowed

all　night；　and　that　I　was　snowed　up。　　Nothing　could　get　out　of　that

spot　on　the　moor；　or　could　come　at　it；　until　the　road　had　been　cut

out　by　labourers　from　the　market…town。　　When　they　might　cut　their

way　to　the　Holly…Tree　nobody　could　tell　me。



It　was　now　Christmas…eve。　　I　should　have　had　a　dismal　Christmas…time

of　it　anywhere；　and　consequently　that　did　not　so　much　matter；　still；

being　snowed　up　was　like　dying　of　frost；　a　thing　I　had　not　bargained

for。　　I　felt　very　lonely。　　Yet　I　could　no　more　have　proposed　to　the

landlord　and　landlady　to　admit　me　to　their　society　（though　I　should

have　liked　itvery　much）　than　I　could　have　asked　them　to　present　me

with　a　piece　of　plate。　　Here　my　great　secret；　the　real　bashfulness

of　my　character；　is　to　be　observed。　　Like　most　bashful　men；　I　judge

of　other　people　as　if　they　were　bashful　too。　　Besides　being　far　too

shamefaced　to　make　the　proposal　myself；　I　really　had　a　delicate

misgiving　that　it　would　be　in　the　last　degree　disconcerting　to　them。



Trying　to　settle　down；　therefore；　in　my　solitude；　I　first　of　all

asked　what　books　there　were　in　the　house。　　The　waiter　brought　me　a

Book　of　Roads；　two　or　three　old　Newspapers；　a　little　Song…Book；

terminating　in　a　collection　of　Toasts　and　Sentiments；　a　little　Jest…

Book；　an　odd　volume　of　Peregrine　Pickle；　and　the　Sentimental

Journey。　　I　knew　every　word　of　the　two　last　already；　but　I　read　them

through　again；　then　tried　to　hum　all　the　songs　（Auld　Lang　Syne　was

among　them）；　went　entirely　through　the　jokes；in　which　I　found　a

fund　of　melancholy　adapted　to　my　state　of　mind；　proposed　all　the

toasts；　enunciated　all　the　sentiments；　and　mastered　the　papers。　　The

latter　had　nothing　in　them　but　stock　advertisements；　a　meeting　about

a　county　rate；　and　a　highway　robbery。　　As　I　am　a　greedy　reader；　I

could　not　make　this　supply　hold　out　until　night；　it　was　exhausted　by

tea…time。　　Being　then　entirely　cast　upon　my　own　resources；　I　got

through　an　hour　in　considering　what　to　do　next。　　Ultimately；　it　came

into　my　head　（from　which　I　was　anxious　by　any　means　to　exclude

Angela　and　Edwin）；　that　I　would　endeavour　to　recall　my　experience　of

Inns；　and　would　try　how　long　it　lasted　me。　　I　stirred　the　fire；

moved　my　chair　a　little　to　one　side　of　the　screen；not　daring　to　go

far；　for　I　knew　the　wind　was　waiting　to　make　a　rush　at　me；　I　could

hear　it　growling；and　began。



My　first　impressions　of　an　Inn　dated　from　the　Nursery；　consequently

I　went　back　to　the　Nursery　for　a　starting…point；　and　found　myself　at

the　knee　of　a　sallow　woman　with　a　fishy　eye；　an　aquiline　nose；　and　a

green　gown；　whose　specially　was　a　dismal　narrative　of　a　landlord　by

the　roadside；　whose　visitors　unaccountably　disappeared　for　many

years；　until　it　was　discovered　that　the　pursuit　of　his　life　had　been

to　convert　them　into　pies。　　For　the　better　devotion　of　himself　to

this　branch　of　industry；　he　had　constructed　a　secret　door　behind　the

head　of　the　bed；　and　when　the　visitor　（oppressed　with　pie）　had

fallen　asleep；　this　wicked　landlord　would　look　softly　in　with　a　lamp

in　one　hand　and　a　knife　in　the　other；　would　cut　his　throat；　and

would　make　him　into　pies；　for　which　purpose　he　had　coppers；

underneath　a　trap…door；　always　boiling；　and　rolled　out　his　pastry　in

the　dead　of　the　night。　　Yet　even　he　was　not　insensible　to　the　stings

of　conscience；　for　he　never　went　to　sleep　without　being　heard　to

mutter；　〃Too　much　pepper！〃　which　was　eventually　the　cause　of　his

being　brought　to　justice。　　I　had　no　sooner　disposed　of　this　criminal

than　there　started　up　another　of　the　same　period；　whose　profession

was　originally　house…breaking；　in　the　pursuit　of　which　art　he　had

had　his　right　ear　chopped　off　one　night；　a