the relics of general chasse-第3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！


feet　and　don't　show　the　dirt。〃　　And　so　saying；　she　spread　out　on　the
floor　the　lacerated　remainders。

〃There's　a　nice　bit　there；〃　said　young　lady　No。　2；　poking　at　one　of
the　pockets　with　the　end　of　her　parasol。

〃Yes；〃　said　the　harpy；　contemplating　her　plunder。　　〃But　I'm　thinking
whether　I　couldn't　get　leggings　as　well。　　I　always　wear　leggings　in
the　thick　of　the　winter。〃　　And　so　she　concluded　her　operations；　and
there　was　nothing　left　but　a　melancholy　skeleton　of　seams　and
buttons。

All　this　having　been　achieved；　they　pocketed　their　plunder　and
prepared　to　depart。　　There　are　people　who　have　a　wonderful　appetite
for　relics。　　A　stone　with　which　Washington　had　broken　a　window　when
a　boywith　which　he　had　done　so　or　had　not；　for　there　is　little
difference；　a　button　that　was　on　a　coat　of　Napoleon's；　or　on　that　of
one　of　his　lackeys；　a　bullet　said　to　have　been　picked　up　at　Waterloo
or　Bunker's　Hill；　these；　and　suchlike　things　are　great　treasures。
And　their　most　desirable　characteristic　is　the　ease　with　which　they
are　attained。　　Any　bullet　or　any　button　does　the　work。　　Faith　alone
is　necessary。　　And　now　these　ladies　had　made　themselves　happy　and
glorious　with　〃Relics〃　of　General　Chasse　cut　from　the　ill…used
habiliments　of　an　elderly　English　gentleman！

They　departed　at　last；　and　Mr。　Horne；　for　once　in　an　ill　humour；
followed　me　into　the　bedroom。　　Here　I　must　be　excused　if　I　draw　a
veil　over　his　manly　sorrow　at　discovering　what　fate　had　done　for
him。　　Remember　what　was　his　position；　unclothed　in　the　Castle　of
Antwerp！　　The　nearest　suitable　change　for　those　which　had　been
destroyed　was　locked　up　in　his　portmanteau　at　the　Hotel　de　Belle　Rue
in　Brussels！　　He　had　nothing　left　to　himliterally　nothing；　in　that
Antwerp　world。　　There　was　no　other　wretched　being　wandering　then　in
that　Dutch　town　so　utterly　denuded　of　the　goods　of　life。　　For　what
is　a　man　fit；for　what　can　he　be　fit；when　left　in　such　a
position？　　There　are　some　evils　which　seem　utterly　to　crush　a　man；
and　if　there　be　any　misfortune　to　which　a　man　may　be　allowed　to
succumb　without　imputation　on　his　manliness；　surely　it　is　such　as
this。　　How　was　Mr。　Horne　to　return　to　his　hotel　without　incurring
the　displeasure　of　the　municipality？　　That　was　my　first　thought。

He　had　a　cloak；　but　it　was　at　the　inn；　and　I　found　that　my　friend
was　oppressed　with　a　great　horror　at　the　idea　of　being　left　alone；
so　that　I　could　not　go　in　search　of　it。　　There　is　an　old　saying；
that　no　man　is　a　hero　to　his　valet　de　chambre；　the　reason　doubtless
being　this；　that　it　is　customary　for　his　valet　to　see　the　hero
divested　of　those　trappings　in　which　so　much　of　the　heroic　consists。
Who　reverences　a　clergyman　without　his　gown；　or　a　warrior　without
his　sword　and　sabre…tasche？　　What　would　even　Minerva　be　without　her
helmet？

I　do　not　wish　it　to　be　understood　that　I　no　longer　reverenced　Mr。
Horne　because　he　was　in　an　undress；　but　he　himself　certainly　lost
much　of　his　composed；　well…sustained　dignity　of　demeanour。　　He　was
fearful　and　querulous；　cold；　and　rather　cross。　　When；　forgetting　his
size；　I　offered　him　my　own；　he　thought　that　I　was　laughing　at　him。
He　began　to　be　afraid　that　the　story　would　get　abroad；　and　he　then
and　there　exacted　a　promise　that　I　would　never　tell　it　during　his
lifetime。　　I　have　kept　my　word；　but　now　my　old　friend　has　been
gathered　to　his　fathers；　full　of　years。

At　last　I　got　him　to　the　hotel。　　It　was　long　before　he　would　leave
the　castle；　cloaked　though　he　was；not；　indeed；　till　the　shades　of
evening　had　dimmed　the　outlines　of　men　and　things；　and　made
indistinct　the　outward　garniture　of　those　who　passed　to　and　fro　in
the　streets。　　Then；　wrapped　in　his　cloak；　Mr。　Horne　followed　me
along　the　quays　and　through　the　narrowest　of　the　streets；　and　at
length；　without　venturing　to　return　the　gaze　of　any　one　in　the　hotel
court；　he　made　his　way　up　to　his　own　bedroom。

Dinnerless　and　supperless　he　went　to　his　couch。　　But　when　there　he
did　consent　to　receive　some　consolation　in　the　shape　of　mutton
cutlets　and　fried　potatoes；　a　savory　omelet；　and　a　bottle　of　claret。
The　mutton　cutlets　and　fried　potatoes　at　the　Golden　Fleece　at
Antwerp　areor　were　then；　for　I　am　speaking　now　of　well…nigh　thirty
years　sinceremarkably　good；　the　claret；　also；　was　of　the　best；　and
so；　by　degrees；　the　look　of　despairing　dismay　passed　from　his　face；
and　some　scintillations　of　the　old　fire　returned　to　his　eyes。

〃I　wonder　whether　they　find　themselves　much　happier　for　what　they
have　got？〃　said　he。

〃A　great　deal　happier；〃　said　I。　　〃They'll　boast　of　those　things　to
all　their　friends　at　home；　and　we　shall　doubtless　see　some　account
of　their　success　in　the　newspapers。〃

〃It　would　be　delightful　to　expose　their　blunder；to　show　them　up。
Would　it　not；　George？　　To　turn　the　tables　on　them？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　I；　〃I　should　like　to　have　the　laugh　against　them。〃

〃So　would　I；　only　that　I　should　compromise　myself　by　telling　the
story。　　It　wouldn't　do　at　all　to　have　it　told　at　Oxford　with　my　name
attached　to　it。〃

To　this　also　I　assented。　　To　what　would　I　not　have　assented　in　my
anxiety　to　make　him　happy　after　his　misery？

But　all　was　not　over　yet。　　He　was　in　bed　now；　but　it　was　necessary
that　he　should　rise　again　on　the　morrow。　　At　home；　in　England；　what
was　required　might　perhaps　have　been　made　during　the　night；　but
here；　among　the　slow　Flemings；　any　such　exertion　would　have　been
impossible。　　Mr。　Horne；　moreover；　had　no　desire　to　be　troubled　in
his　retirement　by　a　tailor。

Now　the　landlord　of　the　Golden　Fleece　was　a　very　stout　man；a　very
stout　man　indeed。　　Looking　at　him　as　he　stood　with　his　hands　in　his
pockets　at　the　portal　of　his　own　establishment；　I　could　not　but
think　that　he　was　stouter　even　than　Mr。　Horne。　　But　then　he　was
certainly　much　shorter；　and　the　want　of　due　proportion　probably
added　to　his　unwieldy　appearance。　　I　walked　round　him　once　or　twice
wishfully；　measuring　him　in　my　eye；　and　thinking　of　what　texture
might　be　the　Sunday　best　of　such　a　man。　　The　clothes　which　he　then
had　on　were　certainly　not　exactly　suited　to　Mr。　Horne's　tastes。

He　saw　that　I　was　observing　him；　and　appeared　uneasy　and　offended。
I　had　already　ascertained　that　he　spoke　a　little　English。　　Of
Flemish　I　knew　literally　nothing；　and　in　French；　with　which　probably
he　was　also　acquainted；　I　was　by　no　means　voluble。　　The　business
which　I　had　to　transact　was　intricate；　and　I　required　the　use　of　my
mother…tongue。

It　was　intricate　and　delicate；　and　difficult　withal。　　I　began　by
remarking　on　the　weather；　but　he　did　not　take　my　remarks　kindly。　　I
am　inclined　to　fancy　that　he　thought　I　was　desirous　of　borrowing
money　from　him。　　At　any　rate　he　gave　me　no　encouragement　in　my　first
advances。

〃Vat　misfortune？〃　at　last　he　asked；　when　I　had　succeeded　in　making
him　understand　that　a　gentleman　up　stairs　required　his　assistance。

〃He　has　lost　these　things；〃　and　I　took　hold　of　my　own　garments。
〃It's　a　long　story；　or　I'd　tell　you　how；　but　he　has　not　a　pair　in
the　world　till　he　gets　back　to　Brussels；unless　you　can　lend　him
one。〃

〃Lost　hees　br…？〃　and　he　opened　his　eyes　wide；　and　looked　at　me　with
astonishment。

〃Yes；　yes；　exactly　so；〃　said　I；　interrupting　him。　　〃Most　astonishing
thing；　isn't　it？　　But　it's　quite　true。〃

〃Vas　hees　money　in　de　pocket？〃　asked　my　auspicious　landlord。

〃No；　no；　no。　　It's　not　so　bad　as　that；　his　money　is　all　right。　　I
had　the　money；　luckily。〃

〃Ah！　dat　is　better。　　But　he　have　lost　hees　b…？〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　I　was　now　getting　rather　impatient。　　〃There　is　no
mistake　about　it。　　He　has　lost　them　as　sure　as　you　stand　there。〃
And　then　I　proceeded　to　explain　that　as　the　gentleman　in　question
was　very　stout；　and　as　he；　the　landlord；　was　stoat　also；　he　might
assist　us　in　this　great　calamity　by　a　loan　from　his　own　wardrobe。

When　he　found　that　the　money　was　not　in　the　pocket；　and　that　his
bill　therefore　would　be　paid；　he　was　not　indisposed　to　be　gracious。
He　would；　he　said；　desire　his　servant　to　take　up　what　was　required
to　Mr。　Horne's　chamber。　　I　endeavoured　to　make　him　understand　that　a
sombre　colour　would　be　preferable；　but　he　only　answered　that　he
would　put　the　best　that　he　had　at　the　gentleman's　disposal。　　He
could　not　think　of　offering　anything　less　than　his　best　on　such　an
occasion。　　And　then　he　turned　his　back　and　went　his　way；　muttering
as　he　went　something　in　Flemish；　which　I　believed　to　be　an
exclamation　of　astonishment　that　any　man　should；　under　any
circumstances；　lose　such　an　article。

It　was　now　getting　late；　so　when　I　had　taken　a　short　stroll　by
myself；　I　went　to　bed　without　disturbing　Mr。　Horne　again　that　night。
On　the　following　morning　I　thought　it　best　not　to　go　to　him　unless
he　sent　for　me；　so　I　desired　the　boots　to　let　him　know　that　I　had
ordered　breakfast　in　a　private　room；　and　that　I　would　await　him
there　unless　he　wished　to　see　me。　　He　sent　me　word　back　to　say　that
he　would　be　with　me　very　shortly。

He　did　not　keep　me　waiting　above　half　an　hour；　but　I　confess　that
that　half　hour　was　not　pleasantly　spent。　　I　feared　that　his　temper
would　be　tried　in　dressing；　and　that　he　would　not　be　able　to　eat　his
breakfast　in　a　happy　state　of　mind。　　So　that　when　I　heard　his　heavy
footstep　advancing　al