the seven poor travellers-第3节

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never　coming　down　again。　　Meanwhile；　by　their　sparkling　light；　which

threw　our　lamp　into　the　shade；　I　filled　the　glasses；　and　gave　my

Travellers；　CHRISTMAS！CHRISTMAS…EVE；　my　friends；　when　the

shepherds；　who　were　Poor　Travellers；　too；　in　their　way；　heard　the

Angels　sing；　〃On　earth；　peace。　　Good…will　towards　men！〃



I　don't　know　who　was　the　first　among　us　to　think　that　we　ought　to

take　hands　as　we　sat；　in　deference　to　the　toast；　or　whether　any　one

of　us　anticipated　the　others；　but　at　any　rate　we　all　did　it。　　We

then　drank　to　the　memory　of　the　good　Master　Richard　Watts。　　And　I

wish　his　Ghost　may　never　have　had　worse　usage　under　that　roof　than

it　had　from　us。



It　was　the　witching　time　for　Story…telling。　　〃Our　whole　life；

Travellers；〃　said　I；　〃is　a　story　more　or　less　intelligible；

generally　less；　but　we　shall　read　it　by　a　clearer　light　when　it　is

ended。　　I；　for　one；　am　so　divided　this　night　between　fact　and

fiction；　that　I　scarce　know　which　is　which。　　Shall　I　beguile　the

time　by　telling　you　a　story　as　we　sit　here？〃



They　all　answered；　yes。　　I　had　little　to　tell　them；　but　I　was　bound

by　my　own　proposal。　　Therefore；　after　looking　for　awhile　at　the

spiral　column　of　smoke　wreathing　up　from　my　brown　beauty；　through

which　I　could　have　almost　sworn　I　saw　the　effigy　of　Master　Richard

Watts　less　startled　than　usual；　I　fired　away。







CHAPTER　IITHE　STORY　OF　RICHARD　DOUBLEDICK







In　the　year　one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　ninety…nine；　a　relative

of　mine　came　limping　down；　on　foot；　to　this　town　of　Chatham。　　I　call

it　this　town；　because　if　anybody　present　knows　to　a　nicety　where

Rochester　ends　and　Chatham　begins；　it　is　more　than　I　do。　　He　was　a

poor　traveller；　with　not　a　farthing　in　his　pocket。　　He　sat　by　the

fire　in　this　very　room；　and　he　slept　one　night　in　a　bed　that　will　be

occupied　tonight　by　some　one　here。



My　relative　came　down　to　Chatham　to　enlist　in　a　cavalry　regiment；　if

a　cavalry　regiment　would　have　him；　if　not；　to　take　King　George's

shilling　from　any　corporal　or　sergeant　who　would　put　a　bunch　of

ribbons　in　his　hat。　　His　object　was　to　get　shot；　but　he　thought　he

might　as　well　ride　to　death　as　be　at　the　trouble　of　walking。



My　relative's　Christian　name　was　Richard；　but　he　was　better　known　as

Dick。　　He　dropped　his　own　surname　on　the　road　down；　and　took　up　that

of　Doubledick。　　He　was　passed　as　Richard　Doubledick；　age；　twenty…

two；　height；　five　foot　ten；　native　place；　Exmouth；　which　he　had

never　been　near　in　his　life。　　There　was　no　cavalry　in　Chatham　when

he　limped　over　the　bridge　here　with　half　a　shoe　to　his　dusty　feet；

so　he　enlisted　into　a　regiment　of　the　line；　and　was　glad　to　get

drunk　and　forget　all　about　it。



You　are　to　know　that　this　relative　of　mine　had　gone　wrong；　and　run

wild。　　His　heart　was　in　the　right　place；　but　it　was　sealed　up。　　He

had　been　betrothed　to　a　good　and　beautiful　girl；　whom　he　had　loved

better　than　sheor　perhaps　even　hebelieved；　but　in　an　evil　hour

he　had　given　her　cause　to　say　to　him　solemnly；　〃Richard；　I　will

never　marry　another　man。　　I　will　live　single　for　your　sake；　but　Mary

Marshall's　lips〃her　name　was　Mary　Marshall〃never　address　another

word　to　you　on　earth。　　Go；　Richard！　　Heaven　forgive　you！〃　　This

finished　him。　　This　brought　him　down　to　Chatham。　　This　made　him

Private　Richard　Doubledick；　with　a　determination　to　be　shot。



There　was　not　a　more　dissipated　and　reckless　soldier　in　Chatham

barracks；　in　the　year　one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　ninety…nine；

than　Private　Richard　Doubledick。　　He　associated　with　the　dregs　of

every　regiment；　he　was　as　seldom　sober　as　he　could　be；　and　was

constantly　under　punishment。　　It　became　clear　to　the　whole　barracks

that　Private　Richard　Doubledick　would　very　soon　be　flogged。



Now　the　Captain　of　Richard　Doubledick's　company　was　a　young

gentleman　not　above　five　years　his　senior；　whose　eyes　had　an

expression　in　them　which　affected　Private　Richard　Doubledick　in　a

very　remarkable　way。　　They　were　bright；　handsome；　dark　eyes；what

are　called　laughing　eyes　generally；　and；　when　serious；　rather　steady

than　severe；but　they　were　the　only　eyes　now　left　in　his　narrowed

world　that　Private　Richard　Doubledick　could　not　stand。　　Unabashed　by

evil　report　and　punishment；　defiant　of　everything　else　and　everybody

else；　he　had　but　to　know　that　those　eyes　looked　at　him　for　a　moment；

and　he　felt　ashamed。　　He　could　not　so　much　as　salute　Captain　Taunton

in　the　street　like　any　other　officer。　　He　was　reproached　and

confused；troubled　by　the　mere　possibility　of　the　captain's　looking

at　him。　　In　his　worst　moments；　he　would　rather　turn　back；　and　go　any

distance　out　of　his　way；　than　encounter　those　two　handsome；　dark；

bright　eyes。



One　day；　when　Private　Richard　Doubledick　came　out　of　the　Black　hole；

where　he　had　been　passing　the　last　eight…and…forty　hours；　and　in

which　retreat　he　spent　a　good　deal　of　his　time；　he　was　ordered　to

betake　himself　to　Captain　Taunton's　quarters。　　In　the　stale　and

squalid　state　of　a　man　just　out　of　the　Black　hole；　he　had　less　fancy

than　ever　for　being　seen　by　the　captain；　but　he　was　not　so　mad　yet

as　to　disobey　orders；　and　consequently　went　up　to　the　terrace

overlooking　the　parade…ground；　where　the　officers'　quarters　were；

twisting　and　breaking　in　his　hands；　as　he　went　along；　a　bit　of　the

straw　that　had　formed　the　decorative　furniture　of　the　Black　hole。



〃Come　in！〃　cried　the　Captain；　when　he　had　knocked　with　his　knuckles

at　the　door。　　Private　Richard　Doubledick　pulled　off　his　cap；　took　a

stride　forward；　and　felt　very　conscious　that　he　stood　in　the　light

of　the　dark；　bright　eyes。



There　was　a　silent　pause。　　Private　Richard　Doubledick　had　put　the

straw　in　his　mouth；　and　was　gradually　doubling　it　up　into　his

windpipe　and　choking　himself。



〃Doubledick；〃　said　the　Captain；　〃do　you　know　where　you　are　going

to？〃



〃To　the　Devil；　sir？〃　faltered　Doubledick。



〃Yes；〃　returned　the　Captain。　　〃And　very　fast。〃



Private　Richard　Doubledick　turned　the　straw　of　the　Black　hole　in　his

month；　and　made　a　miserable　salute　of　acquiescence。



〃Doubledick；〃　said　the　Captain；　〃since　I　entered　his　Majesty's

service；　a　boy　of　seventeen；　I　have　been　pained　to　see　many　men　of

promise　going　that　road；　but　I　have　never　been　so　pained　to　see　a

man　make　the　shameful　journey　as　I　have　been；　ever　since　you　joined

the　regiment；　to　see　you。〃



Private　Richard　Doubledick　began　to　find　a　film　stealing　over　the

floor　at　which　he　looked；　also　to　find　the　legs　of　the　Captain's

breakfast…table　turning　crooked；　as　if　he　saw　them　through　water。



〃I　am　only　a　common　soldier；　sir；〃　said　he。　　〃It　signifies　very

little　what　such　a　poor　brute　comes　to。〃



〃You　are　a　man；〃　returned　the　Captain；　with　grave　indignation；　〃of

education　and　superior　advantages；　and　if　you　say　that；　meaning　what

you　say；　you　have　sunk　lower　than　I　had　believed。　　How　low　that　must

be；　I　leave　you　to　consider；　knowing　what　I　know　of　your　disgrace；

and　seeing　what　I　see。〃



〃I　hope　to　get　shot　soon；　sir；〃　said　Private　Richard　Doubledick；

〃and　then　the　regiment　and　the　world　together　will　be　rid　of　me。〃



The　legs　of　the　table　were　becoming　very　crooked。　　Doubledick；

looking　up　to　steady　his　vision；　met　the　eyes　that　had　so　strong　an

influence　over　him。　　He　put　his　hand　before　his　own　eyes；　and　the

breast　of　his　disgrace…jacket　swelled　as　if　it　would　fly　asunder。



〃I　would　rather；〃　said　the　young　Captain；　〃see　this　in　you；

Doubledick；　than　I　would　see　five　thousand　guineas　counted　out　upon

this　table　for　a　gift　to　my　good　mother。　　Have　you　a　mother？〃



〃I　am　thankful　to　say　she　is　dead；　sir。〃



〃If　your　praises；〃　returned　the　Captain；　〃were　sounded　from　mouth　to

mouth　through　the　whole　regiment；　through　the　whole　army；　through

the　whole　country；　you　would　wish　she　had　lived　to　say；　with　pride

and　joy；　'He　is　my　son！'〃



〃Spare　me；　sir；〃　said　Doubledick。　　〃She　would　never　have　heard　any

good　of　me。　　She　would　never　have　had　any　pride　and　joy　in　owning

herself　my　mother。　　Love　and　compassion　she　might　have　had；　and

would　have　always　had；　I　know　but　notSpare　me；　sir！　　I　am　a　broken

wretch；　quite　at　your　mercy！〃　　And　he　turned　his　face　to　the　wall；

and　stretched　out　his　imploring　hand。



〃My　friend〃　began　the　Captain。



〃God　bless　you；　sir！〃　sobbed　Private　Richard　Doubledick。



〃You　are　at　the　crisis　of　your　fate。　　Hold　your　course　unchanged　a

little　longer；　and　you　know　what　must　happen。　　I　know　even　better

than　you　can　imagine；　that；　after　that　has　happened；　you　are　lost。

No　man　who　could　shed　those　tears　could　bear　those　marks。〃



〃I　fully　believe　it；　sir；〃　in　a　low；　shivering　voice　said　Private

Richard　Doubledick。



〃But　a　man　in　any　station　can　do　his　duty；〃　said　the　young　Captain；

〃and；　in　doing　it；　can　earn　his　own　respect；　even　if　his　case　should

be　so　very　unfortunate　and　so　very　rare　that　he　can　earn　no　other

man's。　　A　common　soldier；　poor　brute　though　you　calle