st. ives-第28节

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distress；　could　not　leave　him　alone　with　the　selfish　trooper　who　

snored　on　the　next　mattress。　　'Champdivers；　my　lad；　your　health！'　

said　a　voice　in　my　ear；　and　stopped　me　…　and　there　are　few　things　I　

am　more　glad　of　in　the　retrospect　than　that　it　did。



It　must　have　been　about　four　in　the　afternoon　…　at　least　the　rain　

had　taken　off；　and　the　sun　was　setting　with　some　wintry　pomp　…　when　

the　current　of　my　reflections　was　effectually　changed　by　the　

arrival　of　two　visitors　in　a　gig。　　They　were　farmers　of　the　

neighbourhood；　I　suppose　…　big；　burly　fellows　in　great…coats　and　

top…boots；　mightily　flushed　with　liquor　when　they　arrived；　and；　

before　they　left；　inimitably　drunk。　　They　stayed　long　in　the　

kitchen　with　Burchell；　drinking；　shouting；　singing；　and　keeping　it　

up；　and　the　sound　of　their　merry　minstrelsy　kept　me　a　kind　of　

company。　　The　night　fell；　and　the　shine　of　the　fire　brightened　and　

blinked　on　the　panelled　wall。　　Our　illuminated　windows　must　have　

been　visible　not　only　from　the　back　lane　of　which　Fenn　had　spoken；　

but　from　the　court　where　the　farmers'　gig　awaited　them。　　In　the　far　

end　of　the　firelit　room　lay　my　companions；　the　one　silent；　the　

other　clamorously　noisy；　the　images　of　death　and　drunkenness。　　

Little　wonder　if　I　were　tempted　to　join　in　the　choruses　below；　and　

sometimes　could　hardly　refrain　from　laughter；　and　sometimes；　I　

believe；　from　tears　…　so　unmitigated　was　the　tedium；　so　cruel　the　

suspense；　of　this　period。



At　last；　about　six　at　night；　I　should　fancy；　the　noisy　minstrels　

appeared　in　the　court；　headed　by　Fenn　with　a　lantern；　and　knocking　

together　as　they　came。　　The　visitors　clambered　noisily　into　the　

gig；　one　of　them　shook　the　reins；　and　they　were　snatched　out　of　

sight　and　hearing　with　a　suddenness　that　partook　of　the　nature　of　

prodigy。　　I　am　well　aware　there　is　a　Providence　for　drunken　men；　

that　holds　the　reins　for　them　and　presides　over　their　troubles；　

doubtless　he　had　his　work　cut　out　for　him　with　this　particular　

gigful！　　Fenn　rescued　his　toes　with　an　ejaculation　from　under　the　

departing　wheels；　and　turned　at　once　with　uncertain　steps　and　

devious　lantern　to　the　far　end　of　the　court。　　There；　through　the　

open　doors　of　a　coach…house；　the　shock…headed　lad　was　already　to　be　

seen　drawing　forth　the　covered　cart。　　If　I　wished　any　private　talk　

with　our　host；　it　must　be　now　or　never。



Accordingly　I　groped　my　way　downstairs；　and　came　to　him　as　he　

looked　on　at　and　lighted　the　harnessing　of　the　horses。



'The　hour　approaches　when　we　have　to　part；'　said　I；　'and　I　shall　be　

obliged　if　you　will　tell　your　servant　to　drop　me　at　the　nearest　

point　for　Dunstable。　　I　am　determined　to　go　so　far　with　our　

friends；　Colonel　X　and　Major　Y；　but　my　business　is　peremptory；　and　

it　takes　me　to　the　neighbourhood　of　Dunstable。'



Orders　were　given　to　my　satisfaction；　with　an　obsequiousness　that　

seemed　only　inflamed　by　his　potations。









CHAPTER　XIV　…　TRAVELS　OF　THE　COVERED　CART





MY　companions　were　aroused　with　difficulty：　the　Colonel；　poor　old　

gentleman；　to　a　sort　of　permanent　dream；　in　which　you　could　say　of　

him　only　that　he　was　very　deaf　and　anxiously　polite；　the　Major　

still　maudlin　drunk。　　We　had　a　dish　of　tea　by　the　fireside；　and　

then　issued　like　criminals　into　the　scathing　cold　of　the　night。　　

For　the　weather　had　in　the　meantime　changed。　　Upon　the　cessation　of　

the　rain；　a　strict　frost　had　succeeded。　　The　moon；　being　young；　was　

already　near　the　zenith　when　we　started；　glittered　everywhere　on　

sheets　of　ice；　and　sparkled　in　ten　thousand　icicles。　　A　more　

unpromising　night　for　a　journey　it　was　hard　to　conceive。　　But　in　

the　course　of　the　afternoon　the　horses　had　been　well　roughed；　and　

King　（for　such　was　the　name　of　the　shock…headed　lad）　was　very　

positive　that　he　could　drive　us　without　misadventure。　　He　was　as　

good　as　his　word；　indeed；　despite　a　gawky　air；　he　was　simply　

invaluable　in　his　present　employment；　showing　marked　sagacity　in　

all　that　concerned　the　care　of　horses；　and　guiding　us　by　one　short　

cut　after　another　for　days；　and　without　a　fault。



The　interior　of　that　engine　of　torture；　the　covered　cart；　was　

fitted　with　a　bench；　on　which　we　took　our　places；　the　door　was　

shut；　in　a　moment；　the　night　closed　upon　us　solid　and　stifling；　and　

we　felt　that　we　were　being　driven　carefully　out　of　the　courtyard。　　

Careful　was　the　word　all　night；　and　it　was　an　alleviation　of　our　

miseries　that　we　did　not　often　enjoy。　　In　general；　as　we　were　

driven　the　better　part　of　the　night　and　day；　often　at　a　pretty　

quick　pace　and　always　through　a　labyrinth　of　the　most　infamous　

country　lanes　and　by…roads；　we　were　so　bruised　upon　the　bench；　so　

dashed　against　the　top　and　sides　of　the　cart；　that　we　reached　the　

end　of　a　stage　in　truly　pitiable　case；　sometimes　flung　ourselves　

down　without　the　formality　of　eating；　made　but　one　sleep　of　it　

until　the　hour　of　departure　returned；　and　were　only　properly　

awakened　by　the　first　jolt　of　the　renewed　journey。　　There　were　

interruptions；　at　times；　that　we　hailed　as　alleviations。　　At　times　

the　cart　was　bogged；　once　it　was　upset；　and　we　must　alight　and　lend　

the　driver　the　assistance　of　our　arms；　at　times；　too　（as　on　the　

occasion　when　I　had　first　encountered　it）；　the　horses　gave　out；　and　

we　had　to　trail　alongside　in　mud　or　frost　until　the　first　peep　of　

daylight；　or　the　approach　to　a　hamlet　or　a　high　road；　bade　us　

disappear　like　ghosts　into　our　prison。



The　main　roads　of　England　are　incomparable　for　excellence；　of　a　

beautiful　smoothness；　very　ingeniously　laid　down；　and　so　well　kept　

that　in　most　weathers　you　could　take　your　dinner　off　any　part　of　

them　without　distaste。　　On　them；　to　the　note　of　the　bugle；　the　mail　

did　its　sixty　miles　a　day；　innumerable　chaises　whisked　after　the　

bobbing　postboys；　or　some　young　blood　would　flit　by　in　a　curricle　

and　tandem；　to　the　vast　delight　and　danger　of　the　lieges。　　On　them；　

the　slow…pacing　waggons　made　a　music　of　bells；　and　all　day　long　the　

travellers　on　horse…back　and　the　travellers　on　foot　（like　happy　Mr。　

St。　Ives　so　little　a　while　before！）　kept　coming　and　going；　and　

baiting　and　gaping　at　each　other；　as　though　a　fair　were　due；　and　

they　were　gathering　to　it　from　all　England。　　No；　nowhere　in　the　

world　is　travel　so　great　a　pleasure　as　in　that　country。　　But　

unhappily　our　one　need　was　to　be　secret；　and　all　this　rapid　and　

animated　picture　of　the　road　swept　quite　apart　from　us；　as　we　

lumbered　up　hill　and　down　dale；　under　hedge　and　over　stone；　among　

circuitous　byways。　　Only　twice　did　I　receive；　as　it　were；　a　whiff　

of　the　highway。　　The　first　reached　my　ears　alone。　　I　might　have　

been　anywhere。　　I　only　knew　I　was　walking　in　the　dark　night　and　

among　ruts；　when　I　heard　very　far　off；　over　the　silent　country　that　

surrounded　us；　the　guard's　horn　wailing　its　signal　to　the　next　

post…house　for　a　change　of　horses。　　It　was　like　the　voice　of　the　

day　heard　in　darkness；　a　voice　of　the　world　heard　in　prison；　the　

note　of　a　cock　crowing　in　the　mid…seas　…　in　short；　I　cannot　tell　

you　what　it　was　like；　you　will　have　to　fancy　for　yourself　…　but　I　

could　have　wept　to　hear　it。　　Once　we　were　belated：　the　cattle　could　

hardly　crawl；　the　day　was　at　hand；　it　was　a　nipping；　rigorous　

morning；　King　was　lashing　his　horses；　I　was　giving　an　arm　to　the　

old　Colonel；　and　the　Major　was　coughing　in　our　rear。　　I　must　

suppose　that　King　was　a　thought　careless；　being　nearly　in　

desperation　about　his　team；　and；　in　spite　of　the　cold　morning；　

breathing　hot　with　his　exertions。　　We　came；　at　last；　a　little　

before　sunrise　to　the　summit　of　a　hill；　and　saw　the　high…road　

passing　at　right　angles　through　an　open　country　of　meadows　and　

hedgerow　pollards；　and　not　only　the　York　mail；　speeding　smoothly　at　

the　gallop　of　the　four　horses；　but　a　post…chaise　besides；　with　the　

post…boy　titupping　briskly；　and　the　traveller　himself　putting　his　

head　out　of　the　window；　but　whether　to　breathe　the　dawn；　or　the　

better　to　observe　the　passage　of　the　mail；　I　do　not　know。　　So　that　

we　enjoyed　for　an　instant　a　picture　of　free　life　on　the　road；　in　

its　most　luxurious　forms　of　despatch　and　comfort。　　And　thereafter；　

with　a　poignant　feeling　of　contrast　in　our　hearts；　we　must　mount　

again　into　our　wheeled　dungeon。



We　came　to　our　stages　at　all　sorts　of　odd　hours；　and　they　were　in　

all　kinds　of　odd　places。　　I　may　say　at　once　that　my　first　

experience　was　my　best。　　Nowhere　again　were　we　so　well　entertained　

as　at　Burchell　Fenn's。　　And　this；　I　suppose；　was　natural；　and　

indeed　inevitable；　in　so　long　and　secret　a　journey。　　The　first　

stop；　we　lay　six　hours　in　a　barn　standing　by　itself　in　a　poor；　

marshy　orchard；　and　packed　with　hay；　to　make　it　more　attractive；　we　

were　told　it　had　been　the　scene　of　an　abominable　murder；　and　was　

now　haunted。　　But　the　day　was　beginning　to　break；　and　our　fatigue　

was　too　extreme　for　visionary　terrors。　　The　second　or　third；　we　

alig