the seven poor travellers-第1节

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The　Seven　Poor　Travellers



by　Charles　Dickens











CHAPTER　IIN　THE　OLD　CITY　OF　ROCHESTER







Strictly　speaking；　there　were　only　six　Poor　Travellers；　but；　being　a

Traveller　myself；　though　an　idle　one；　and　being　withal　as　poor　as　I

hope　to　be；　I　brought　the　number　up　to　seven。　　This　word　of

explanation　is　due　at　once；　for　what　says　the　inscription　over　the

quaint　old　door？





RICHARD　WATTS；　Esq。

by　his　Will；　dated　22　Aug。　1579；

founded　this　Charity

for　Six　poor　Travellers；

who　not　being　ROGUES；　or　PROCTORS；

May　receive　gratis　for　one　Night；

Lodging；　Entertainment；

and　Fourpence　each。





It　was　in　the　ancient　little　city　of　Rochester　in　Kent；　of　all　the

good　days　in　the　year　upon　a　Christmas…eve；　that　I　stood　reading

this　inscription　over　the　quaint　old　door　in　question。　　I　had　been

wandering　about　the　neighbouring　Cathedral；　and　had　seen　the　tomb　of

Richard　Watts；　with　the　effigy　of　worthy　Master　Richard　starting　out

of　it　like　a　ship's　figure…head；　and　I　had　felt　that　I　could　do　no

less；　as　I　gave　the　Verger　his　fee；　than　inquire　the　way　to　Watts's

Charity。　　The　way　being　very　short　and　very　plain；　I　had　come

prosperously　to　the　inscription　and　the　quaint　old　door。



〃Now；〃　said　I　to　myself；　as　I　looked　at　the　knocker；　〃I　know　I　am

not　a　Proctor；　I　wonder　whether　I　am　a　Rogue！〃



Upon　the　whole；　though　Conscience　reproduced　two　or　three　pretty

faces　which　might　have　had　smaller　attraction　for　a　moral　Goliath

than　they　had　had　for　me；　who　am　but　a　Tom　Thumb　in　that　way；　I　came

to　the　conclusion　that　I　was　not　a　Rogue。　　So；　beginning　to　regard

the　establishment　as　in　some　sort　my　property；　bequeathed　to　me　and

divers　co…legatees；　share　and　share　alike；　by　the　Worshipful　Master

Richard　Watts；　I　stepped　backward　into　the　road　to　survey　my

inheritance。



I　found　it　to　be　a　clean　white　house；　of　a　staid　and　venerable　air；

with　the　quaint　old　door　already　three　times　mentioned　（an　arched

door）；　choice　little　long　low　lattice…windows；　and　a　roof　of　three

gables。　　The　silent　High　Street　of　Rochester　is　full　of　gables；　with

old　beams　and　timbers　carved　into　strange　faces。　　It　is　oddly

garnished　with　a　queer　old　clock　that　projects　over　the　pavement　out

of　a　grave　red…brick　building；　as　if　Time　carried　on　business　there；

and　hung　out　his　sign。　　Sooth　to　say；　he　did　an　active　stroke　of

work　in　Rochester；　in　the　old　days　of　the　Romans；　and　the　Saxons；

and　the　Normans；　and　down　to　the　times　of　King　John；　when　the　rugged

castleI　will　not　undertake　to　say　how　many　hundreds　of　years　old

thenwas　abandoned　to　the　centuries　of　weather　which　have　so

defaced　the　dark　apertures　in　its　walls；　that　the　ruin　looks　as　if

the　rooks　and　daws　had　pecked　its　eyes　out。



I　was　very　well　pleased；　both　with　my　property　and　its　situation。

While　I　was　yet　surveying　it　with　growing　content；　I　espied；　at　one

of　the　upper　lattices　which　stood　open；　a　decent　body；　of　a

wholesome　matronly　appearance；　whose　eyes　I　caught　inquiringly

addressed　to　mine。　　They　said　so　plainly；　〃Do　you　wish　to　see　the

house？〃　that　I　answered　aloud；　〃Yes；　if　you　please。〃　　And　within　a

minute　the　old　door　opened；　and　I　bent　my　head；　and　went　down　two

steps　into　the　entry。



〃This；〃　said　the　matronly　presence；　ushering　me　into　a　low　room　on

the　right；　〃is　where　the　Travellers　sit　by　the　fire；　and　cook　what

bits　of　suppers　they　buy　with　their　fourpences。〃



〃O！　　Then　they　have　no　Entertainment？〃　said　I。　　For　the　inscription

over　the　outer　door　was　still　running　in　my　head；　and　I　was　mentally

repeating；　in　a　kind　of　tune；　〃Lodging；　entertainment；　and　fourpence

each。〃



〃They　have　a　fire　provided　for　'em；〃　returned　the　matrona　mighty

civil　person；　not；　as　I　could　make　out；　overpaid；　〃and　these　cooking

utensils。　　And　this　what's　painted　on　a　board　is　the　rules　for　their

behaviour。　　They　have　their　fourpences　when　they　get　their　tickets

from　the　steward　over　the　way；for　I　don't　admit　'em　myself；　they

must　get　their　tickets　first；and　sometimes　one　buys　a　rasher　of

bacon；　and　another　a　herring；　and　another　a　pound　of　potatoes；　or

what　not。　　Sometimes　two　or　three　of　'em　will　club　their　fourpences

together；　and　make　a　supper　that　way。　　But　not　much　of　anything　is

to　be　got　for　fourpence；　at　present；　when　provisions　is　so　dear。〃



〃True　indeed；〃　I　remarked。　　I　had　been　looking　about　the　room；

admiring　its　snug　fireside　at　the　upper　end；　its　glimpse　of　the

street　through　the　low　mullioned　window；　and　its　beams　overhead。

〃It　is　very　comfortable；〃　said　I。



〃Ill…conwenient；〃　observed　the　matronly　presence。



I　liked　to　hear　her　say　so；　for　it　showed　a　commendable　anxiety　to

execute　in　no　niggardly　spirit　the　intentions　of　Master　Richard

Watts。　　But　the　room　was　really　so　well　adapted　to　its　purpose　that

I　protested；　quite　enthusiastically；　against　her　disparagement。



〃Nay；　ma'am；〃　said　I；　〃I　am　sure　it　is　warm　in　winter　and　cool　in

summer。　　It　has　a　look　of　homely　welcome　and　soothing　rest。　　It　has

a　remarkably　cosey　fireside；　the　very　blink　of　which；　gleaming　out

into　the　street　upon　a　winter　night；　is　enough　to　warm　all

Rochester's　heart。　　And　as　to　the　convenience　of　the　six　Poor

Travellers〃



〃I　don't　mean　them；〃　returned　the　presence。　　〃I　speak　of　its　being

an　ill…conwenience　to　myself　and　my　daughter；　having　no　other　room

to　sit　in　of　a　night。〃



This　was　true　enough；　but　there　was　another　quaint　room　of

corresponding　dimensions　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　entry：　　so　I

stepped　across　to　it；　through　the　open　doors　of　both　rooms；　and

asked　what　this　chamber　was　for。



〃This；〃　returned　the　presence；　〃is　the　Board　Room。　　Where　the

gentlemen　meet　when　they　come　here。〃



Let　me　see。　　I　had　counted　from　the　street　six　upper　windows　besides

these　on　the　ground…story。　　Making　a　perplexed　calculation　in　my

mind；　I　rejoined；　〃Then　the　six　Poor　Travellers　sleep　upstairs？〃



My　new　friend　shook　her　head。　　〃They　sleep；〃　she　answered；　〃in　two

little　outer　galleries　at　the　back；　where　their　beds　has　always

been；　ever　since　the　Charity　was　founded。　　It　being　so　very　ill…

conwenient　to　me　as　things　is　at　present；　the　gentlemen　are　going　to

take　off　a　bit　of　the　back…yard；　and　make　a　slip　of　a　room　for　'em

there；　to　sit　in　before　they　go　to　bed。〃



〃And　then　the　six　Poor　Travellers；〃　said　I；　〃will　be　entirely　out　of

the　house？〃



〃Entirely　out　of　the　house；〃　assented　the　presence；　comfortably

smoothing　her　hands。　　〃Which　is　considered　much　better　for　all

parties；　and　much　more　conwenient。〃



I　had　been　a　little　startled；　in　the　Cathedral；　by　the　emphasis　with

which　the　effigy　of　Master　Richard　Watts　was　bursting　out　of　his

tomb；　but　I　began　to　think；　now；　that　it　might　be　expected　to　come

across　the　High　Street　some　stormy　night；　and　make　a　disturbance

here。



Howbeit；　I　kept　my　thoughts　to　myself；　and　accompanied　the　presence

to　the　little　galleries　at　the　back。　　I　found　them　on　a　tiny　scale；

like　the　galleries　in　old　inn…yards；　and　they　were　very　clean。



While　I　was　looking　at　them；　the　matron　gave　me　to　understand　that

the　prescribed　number　of　Poor　Travellers　were　forthcoming　every

night　from　year's　end　to　year's　end；　and　that　the　beds　were　always

occupied。　　My　questions　upon　this；　and　her　replies；　brought　us　back

to　the　Board　Room　so　essential　to　the　dignity　of　〃the　gentlemen；〃

where　she　showed　me　the　printed　accounts　of　the　Charity　hanging　up

by　the　window。　　From　them　I　gathered　that　the　greater　part　of　the

property　bequeathed　by　the　Worshipful　Master　Richard　Watts　for　the

maintenance　of　this　foundation　was；　at　the　period　of　his　death；　mere

marsh…land；　but　that；　in　course　of　time；　it　had　been　reclaimed　and

built　upon；　and　was　very　considerably　increased　in　value。　　I　found；

too；　that　about　a　thirtieth　part　of　the　annual　revenue　was　now

expended　on　the　purposes　commemorated　in　the　inscription　over　the

door；　the　rest　being　handsomely　laid　out　in　Chancery；　law　expenses；

collectorship；　receivership；　poundage；　and　other　appendages　of

management；　highly　complimentary　to　the　importance　of　the　six　Poor

Travellers。　　In　short；　I　made　the　not　entirely　new　discovery　that　it

may　be　said　of　an　establishment　like　this；　in　dear　old　England；　as

of　the　fat　oyster　in　the　American　story；　that　it　takes　a　good　many

men　to　swallow　it　whole。



〃And　pray；　ma'am；〃　said　I；　sensible　that　the　blankness　of　my　face

began　to　brighten　as　the　thought　occurred　to　me；　〃could　one　see

these　Travellers？〃



〃Well！〃　she　returned　dubiously；　〃no！〃



〃Not　to…night；　for　instance！〃　said　I。



〃Well！〃　she　returned　more　positively；　〃no。　　Nobody　ever　asked　to　see

them；　and　nobody　ever　did　see　them。〃



As　I　am　not　easily　balked　in　a　design　when　I　am　set　upon　it；　I　urged

to　the　good　lady　that　this　was　Christmas…eve；　that　Christmas　comes

but　once　a　year；which　is　unhappily　too　true；　for　when　it　begins　to

stay　with　us　the　whole　year　round　we