the holly-tree-第4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！



discerned；　going　on　before　him　at　a　curious　fitfully　bounding　pace；

what　he　at　first　supposed　to　be　a　gig…umbrella　that　had　been　blown

from　some　conveyance；　but　what　he　presently　believed　to　be　a　lean

dwarf　man　upon　a　little　pony。　　Having　followed　this　object　for　some

distance　without　gaining　on　it；　and　having　called　to　it　many　times

without　receiving　any　answer；　he　pursued　it　for　miles　and　miles；

when；　at　length　coming　up　with　it；　he　discovered　it　to　be　the　last

bustard　in　Great　Britain；　degenerated　into　a　wingless　state；　and

running　along　the　ground。　　Resolved　to　capture　him　or　perish　in　the

attempt；　he　closed　with　the　bustard；　but　the　bustard；　who　had　formed

a　counter…resolution　that　he　should　do　neither；　threw　him；　stunned

him；　and　was　last　seen　making　off　due　west。　　This　weird　main；　at

that　stage　of　metempsychosis；　may　have　been　a　sleep…walker　or　an

enthusiast　or　a　robber；　but　I　awoke　one　night　to　find　him　in　the

dark　at　my　bedside；　repeating　the　Athanasian　Creed　in　a　terrific

voice。　　I　paid　my　bill　next　day；　and　retired　from　the　county　with

all　possible　precipitation。



That　was　not　a　commonplace　story　which　worked　itself　out　at　a　little

Inn　in　Switzerland；　while　I　was　staying　there。　　It　was　a　very　homely

place；　in　a　village　of　one　narrow　zigzag　street；　among　mountains；

and　you　went　in　at　the　main　door　through　the　cow…house；　and　among

the　mules　and　the　dogs　and　the　fowls；　before　ascending　a　great　bare

staircase　to　the　rooms；　which　were　all　of　unpainted　wood；　without

plastering　or　papering；like　rough　packing…cases。　　Outside　there

was　nothing　but　the　straggling　street；　a　little　toy　church　with　a

copper…coloured　steeple；　a　pine　forest；　a　torrent；　mists；　and

mountain…sides。　　A　young　man　belonging　to　this　Inn　had　disappeared

eight　weeks　before　（it　was　winter…time）；　and　was　supposed　to　have

had　some　undiscovered　love　affair；　and　to　have　gone　for　a　soldier。

He　had　got　up　in　the　night；　and　dropped　into　the　village　street　from

the　loft　in　which　he　slept　with　another　man；　and　he　had　done　it　so

quietly；　that　his　companion　and　fellow…labourer　had　heard　no

movement　when　he　was　awakened　in　the　morning；　and　they　said；　〃Louis；

where　is　Henri？〃　　They　looked　for　him　high　and　low；　in　vain；　and

gave　him　up。　　Now；　outside　this　Inn；　there　stood；　as　there　stood

outside　every　dwelling　in　the　village；　a　stack　of　firewood；　but　the

stack　belonging　to　the　Inn　was　higher　than　any　of　the　rest；　because

the　Inn　was　the　richest　house；　and　burnt　the　most　fuel。　　It　began　to

be　noticed；　while　they　were　looking　high　and　low；　that　a　Bantam

cock；　part　of　the　live　stock　of　the　Inn；　put　himself　wonderfully　out

of　his　way　to　get　to　the　top　of　this　wood…stack；　and　that　he　would

stay　there　for　hours　and　hours；　crowing；　until　he　appeared　in　danger

of　splitting　himself。　　Five　weeks　went　on；six　weeks；and　still

this　terrible　Bantam；　neglecting　his　domestic　affairs；　was　always　on

the　top　of　the　wood…stack；　crowing　the　very　eyes　out　of　his　head。

By　this　time　it　was　perceived　that　Louis　had　become　inspired　with　a

violent　animosity　towards　the　terrible　Bantam；　and　one　morning　he

was　seen　by　a　woman；　who　sat　nursing　her　goitre　at　a　little　window

in　a　gleam　of　sun；　to　catch　up　a　rough　billet　of　wood；　with　a　great

oath；　hurl　it　at　the　terrible　Bantam　crowing　on　the　wood…stack；　and

bring　him　down　dead。　　Hereupon　the　woman；　with　a　sudden　light　in　her

mind；　stole　round　to　the　back　of　the　wood…stack；　and；　being　a　good

climber；　as　all　those　women　are；　climbed　up；　and　soon　was　seen　upon

the　summit；　screaming；　looking　down　the　hollow　within；　and　crying；

〃Seize　Louis；　the　murderer！　　Ring　the　church　bell！　　Here　is　the

body！〃　　I　saw　the　murderer　that　day；　and　I　saw　him　as　I　sat　by　my

fire　at　the　Holly…Tree　Inn；　and　I　see　him　now；　lying　shackled　with

cords　on　the　stable　litter；　among　the　mild　eyes　and　the　smoking

breath　of　the　cows；　waiting　to　be　taken　away　by　the　police；　and

stared　at　by　the　fearful　village。　　A　heavy　animal；the　dullest

animal　in　the　stables；with　a　stupid　head；　and　a　lumpish　face

devoid　of　any　trace　of　insensibility；　who　had　been；　within　the

knowledge　of　the　murdered　youth；　an　embezzler　of　certain　small

moneys　belonging　to　his　master；　and　who　had　taken　this　hopeful　mode

of　putting　a　possible　accuser　out　of　his　way。　　All　of　which　he

confessed　next　day；　like　a　sulky　wretch　who　couldn't　be　troubled　any

more；　now　that　they　had　got　hold　of　him；　and　meant　to　make　an　end　of

him。　　I　saw　him　once　again；　on　the　day　of　my　departure　from　the　Inn。

In　that　Canton　the　headsman　still　does　his　office　with　a　sword；　and

I　came　upon　this　murderer　sitting　bound；　to　a　chair；　with　his　eyes

bandaged；　on　a　scaffold　in　a　little　market…place。　　In　that　instant；

a　great　sword　（loaded　with　quicksilver　in　the　thick　part　of　the

blade）　swept　round　him　like　a　gust　of　wind　or　fire；　and　there　was　no

such　creature　in　the　world。　　My　wonder　was；　not　that　he　was　so

suddenly　dispatched；　but　that　any　head　was　left　unreaped；　within　a

radius　of　fifty　yards　of　that　tremendous　sickle。



That　was　a　good　Inn；　too；　with　the　kind；　cheerful　landlady　and　the

honest　landlord；　where　I　lived　in　the　shadow　of　Mont　Blanc；　and

where　one　of　the　apartments　has　a　zoological　papering　on　the　walls；

not　so　accurately　joined　but　that　the　elephant　occasionally　rejoices

in　a　tiger's　hind　legs　and　tail；　while　the　lion　puts　on　a　trunk　and

tusks；　and　the　bear；　moulting　as　it　were；　appears　as　to　portions　of

himself　like　a　leopard。　　I　made　several　American　friends　at　that

Inn；　who　all　called　Mont　Blanc　Mount　Blank；except　one　good…

humoured　gentleman；　of　a　very　sociable　nature；　who　became　on　such

intimate　terms　with　it　that　he　spoke　of　it　familiarly　as　〃Blank；〃

observing；　at　breakfast；　〃Blank　looks　pretty　tall　this　morning；〃　or

considerably　doubting　in　the　courtyard　in　the　evening；　whether　there

warn't　some　go…ahead　naters　in　our　country；　sir；　that　would　make　out

the　top　of　Blank　in　a　couple　of　hours　from　first　startnow！



Once　I　passed　a　fortnight　at　an　Inn　in　the　North　of　England；　where　I

was　haunted　by　the　ghost　of　a　tremendous　pie。　　It　was　a　Yorkshire

pie；　like　a　fort；an　abandoned　fort　with　nothing　in　it；　but　the

waiter　had　a　fixed　idea　that　it　was　a　point　of　ceremony　at　every

meal　to　put　the　pie　on　the　table。　　After　some　days　I　tried　to　hint；

in　several　delicate　ways；　that　I　considered　the　pie　done　with；　as；

for　example；　by　emptying　fag…ends　of　glasses　of　wine　into　it；

putting　cheese…plates　and　spoons　into　it；　as　into　a　basket；　putting

wine…bottles　into　it；　as　into　a　cooler；　but　always　in　vain；　the　pie

being　invariably　cleaned　out　again　and　brought　up　as　before。　　At

last；　beginning　to　be　doubtful　whether　I　was　not　the　victim　of　a

spectral　illusion；　and　whether　my　health　and　spirits　might　not　sink

under　the　horrors　of　an　imaginary　pie；　I　cut　a　triangle　out　of　it；

fully　as　large　as　the　musical　instrument　of　that　name　in　a　powerful

orchestra。　　Human　provision　could　not　have　foreseen　the　resultbut

the　waiter　mended　the　pie。　　With　some　effectual　species　of　cement；

he　adroitly　fitted　the　triangle　in　again；　and　I　paid　my　reckoning

and　fled。



The　Holly…Tree　was　getting　rather　dismal。　　I　made　an　overland

expedition　beyond　the　screen；　and　penetrated　as　far　as　the　fourth

window。　　Here　I　was　driven　back　by　stress　of　weather。　　Arrived　at　my

winter…quarters　once　more；　I　made　up　the　fire；　and　took　another　Inn。



It　was　in　the　remotest　part　of　Cornwall。　　A　great　annual　Miners'

Feast　was　being　holden　at　the　Inn；　when　I　and　my　travelling

companions　presented　ourselves　at　night　among　the　wild　crowd　that

were　dancing　before　it　by　torchlight。　　We　had　had　a　break…down　in

the　dark；　on　a　stony　morass　some　miles　away；　and　I　had　the　honour　of

leading　one　of　the　unharnessed　post…horses。　　If　any　lady　or

gentleman；　on　perusal　of　the　present　lines；　will　take　any　very　tall

post…horse　with　his　traces　hanging　about　his　legs；　and　will　conduct

him　by　the　bearing…rein　into　the　heart　of　a　country　dance　of　a

hundred　and　fifty　couples；　that　lady　or　gentleman　will　then；　and

only　then；　form　an　adequate　idea　of　the　extent　to　which　that　post…

horse　will　tread　on　his　conductor's　toes。　　Over　and　above　which；　the

post…horse；　finding　three　hundred　people　whirling　about　him；　will

probably　rear；　and　also　lash　out　with　his　hind　legs；　in　a　manner

incompatible　with　dignity　or　self…respect　on　his　conductor's　part。

With　such　little　drawbacks　on　my　usually　impressive　aspect；　I

appeared　at　this　Cornish　Inn；　to　the　unutterable　wonder　of　the

Cornish　Miners。　　It　was　full；　and　twenty　times　full；　and　nobody

could　be　received　but　the　post…horse；though　to　get　rid　of　that

noble　animal　was　something。　　While　my　fellow…travellers　and　I　were

discussing　how　to　pass　the　night　and　so　much　of　the　next　day　as　must

intervene　before　the　jovial　blacksmith　and　the　jovial　wheelwright

would　be　in　a　condition　to　go　out　on　the　morass　and　mend　the　coach；

an　honest　man　stepped　forth　from　the　crowd　and　proposed　his　unle