st. ives-第53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！



myself。　　When　I　entered　this　apartment　I　shone　〃with　all　the　pomp　

and　prodigality　of　brandy　and　water；〃　as　the　poet　Gray　has　in　

another　place　expressed　it。　　Powerful　bard；　Gray！　but　a　niminy…

piminy　creature；　afraid　of　a　petticoat　and　a　bottle　…　not　a　man；　

sir；　not　a　man！　　Excuse　me　for　being　so　troublesome；　but　what　the　

devil　have　I　done　with　my　fork？　　Thank　you；　I　am　sure。　　TEMULENTIA；　

QUOAD　ME　IPSUM；　BREVIS　COLLIGO　EST。　　I　sit　and　eat；　sir；　in　a　

London　fog。　　I　should　bring　a　link…boy　to　table　with　me；　and　I　

would　too；　if　the　little　brutes　were　only　washed！　　I　intend　to　

found　a　Philanthropical　Society　for　Washing　the　Deserving　Poor　and　

Shaving　Soldiers。　　I　am　pleased　to　observe　that；　although　not　of　an　

unmilitary　bearing；　you　are　apparently　shaved。　　In　my　calendar　of　

the　virtues　shaving　comes　next　to　drinking。　　A　gentleman　may　be　a　

low…minded　ruffian　without　sixpence；　but　he　will　always　be　close　

shaved。　　See　me；　with　the　eye　of　fancy；　in　the　chill　hours　of　the　

morning；　say　about　a　quarter　to　twelve；　noon　…　see　me　awake！　　First　

thing　of　all；　without　one　thought　of　the　plausible　but　

unsatisfactory　small　beer；　or　the　healthful　though　insipid　soda…

water；　I　take　the　deadly　razor　in　my　vacillating　grasp；　I　proceed　

to　skate　upon　the　margin　of　eternity。　　Stimulating　thought！　　I　

bleed；　perhaps；　but　with　medicable　wounds。　　The　stubble　reaped；　I　

pass　out　of　my　chamber；　calm　but　triumphant。　　To　employ　a　hackneyed　

phrase；　I　would　not　call　Lord　Wellington　my　uncle！　　I；　too；　have　

dared；　perhaps　bled；　before　the　imminent　deadly　shaving…table。'



In　this　manner　the　bombastic　fellow　continued　to　entertain　me　all　

through　dinner；　and　by　a　common　error　of　drunkards；　because　he　had　

been　extremely　talkative　himself；　leaped　to　the　conclusion　that　he　

had　chanced　on　very　genial　company。　　He　told　me　his　name；　his　

address；　he　begged　we　should　meet　again；　finally　he　proposed　that　I　

should　dine　with　him　in　the　country　at　an　early　date。



'The　dinner　is　official；'　he　explained。　　'The　office…bearers　and　

Senatus　of　the　University　of　Cramond　…　an　educational　institution　

in　which　I　have　the　honour　to　be　Professor　of　Nonsense　…　meet　to　do　

honour　to　our　friend　Icarus；　at　the　old…established　HOWFF；　Cramond　

Bridge。　　One　place　is　vacant；　fascinating　stranger；　…　I　offer　it　to　

you！'



'And　who　is　your　friend　Icarus？'　I　asked；



'The　aspiring　son　of　Daedalus！'　said　he。　　'Is　it　possible　that　you　

have　never　heard　the　name　of　Byfield？'



'Possible　and　true；'　said　I。



'And　is　fame　so　small　a　thing？'　cried　he。　　'Byfield；　sir；　is　an　

aeronaut。　　He　apes　the　fame　of　a　Lunardi；　and　is　on　the　point　of　

offering　to　the　inhabitants　…　I　beg　your　pardon；　to　the　nobility　

and　gentry　of　our　neighbourhood　…　the　spectacle　of　an　ascension。　　

As　one　of　the　gentry　concerned　I　may　be　permitted　to　remark　that　I　

am　unmoved。　　I　care　not　a　Tinker's　Damn　for　his　ascension。　　No　more　

…　I　breathe　it　in　your　ear　…　does　anybody　else。　　The　business　is　

stale；　sir；　stale。　　Lunardi　did　it；　and　overdid　it。　　A　whimsical；　

fiddling；　vain　fellow；　by　all　accounts　…　for　I　was　at　that　time　

rocking　in　my　cradle。　　But　once　was　enough。　　If　Lunardi　went　up　and　

came　down；　there　was　the　matter　settled。　　We　prefer　to　grant　the　

point。　　We　do　not　want　to　see　the　experiment　repeated　AD　NAUSEAM　by　

Byfield；　and　Brown；　and　Butler；　and　Brodie；　and　Bottomley。　　Ah！　if　

they　would　go　up　and　NOT　come　down　again！　　But　this　is　by　the　

question。　　The　University　of　Cramond　delights　to　honour　merit　in　

the　man；　sir；　rather　than　utility　in　the　profession；　and　Byfield；　

though　an　ignorant　dog；　is　a　sound　reliable　drinker；　and　really　not　

amiss　over　his　cups。　　Under　the　radiance　of　the　kindly　jar　

partiality　might　even　credit　him　with　wit。'



It　will　be　seen　afterwards　that　this　was　more　my　business　than　I　

thought　it　at　the　time。　　Indeed；　I　was　impatient　to　be　gone。　　Even　

as　my　friend　maundered　ahead　a　squall　burst；　the　jaws　of　the　rain　

were　opened　against　the　coffee…house　windows；　and　at　that　inclement　

signal　I　remembered　I　was　due　elsewhere。









CHAPTER　XXVI　…　THE　COTTAGE　AT　NIGHT





AT　the　door　I　was　nearly　blown　back　by　the　unbridled　violence　of　

the　squall；　and　Rowley　and　I　must　shout　our　parting　words。　　All　the　

way　along　Princes　Street　（whither　my　way　led）　the　wind　hunted　me　

behind　and　screamed　in　my　ears。　　The　city　was　flushed　with　

bucketfuls　of　rain　that　tasted　salt　from　the　neighbouring　ocean。　　

It　seemed　to　darken　and　lighten　again　in　the　vicissitudes　of　the　

gusts。　　Now　you　would　say　the　lamps　had　been　blown　out　from　end　to　

end　of　the　long　thoroughfare；　now；　in　a　lull；　they　would　revive；　

re…multiply；　shine　again　on　the　wet　pavements；　and　make　darkness　

sparingly　visible。



By　the　time　I　had　got　to　the　corner　of　the　Lothian　Road　there　was　a　

distinct　improvement。　　For　one　thing；　I　had　now　my　shoulder　to　the　

wind；　for　a　second；　I　came　in　the　lee　of　my　old　prison…house；　the　

Castle；　and；　at　any　rate；　the　excessive　fury　of　the　blast　was　

itself　moderating。　　The　thought　of　what　errand　I　was　on　re…awoke　

within　me；　and　I　seemed　to　breast　the　rough　weather　with　increasing　

ease。　　With　such　a　destination；　what　mattered　a　little　buffeting　of　

wind　or　a　sprinkle　of　cold　water？　　I　recalled　Flora's　image；　I　took　

her　in　fancy　to　my　arms；　and　my　heart　throbbed。　　And　the　next　

moment　I　had　recognised　the　inanity　of　that　fool's　paradise。　　If　I　

could　spy　her　taper　as　she　went　to　bed；　I　might　count　myself　lucky。



I　had　about　two　leagues　before　me　of　a　road　mostly　uphill；　and　now　

deep　in　mire。　　So　soon　as　I　was　clear　of　the　last　street　lamp；　

darkness　received　me　…　a　darkness　only　pointed　by　the　lights　of　

occasional　rustic　farms；　where　the　dogs　howled　with　uplifted　heads　

as　I　went　by。　　The　wind　continued　to　decline：　it　had　been　but　a　

squall；　not　a　tempest。　　The　rain；　on　the　other　hand；　settled　into　a　

steady　deluge；　which　had　soon　drenched　me　thoroughly。　　I　continued　

to　tramp　forward　in　the　night；　contending　with　gloomy　thoughts　and　

accompanied　by　the　dismal　ululation　of　the　dogs。　　What　ailed　them　

that　they　should　have　been　thus　wakeful；　and　perceived　the　small　

sound　of　my　steps　amid　the　general　reverberation　of　the　rain；　was　

more　than　I　could　fancy。　　I　remembered　tales　with　which　I　had　been　

entertained　in　childhood。　　I　told　myself　some　murderer　was　going　

by；　and　the　brutes　perceived　upon　him　the　faint　smell　of　blood；　and　

the　next　moment；　with　a　physical　shock；　I　had　applied　the　words　to　

my　own　case！



Here　was　a　dismal　disposition　for　a　lover。　　'Was　ever　lady　in　this　

humour　wooed？'　I　asked　myself；　and　came　near　turning　back。　　It　is　

never　wise　to　risk　a　critical　interview　when　your　spirits　are　

depressed；　your　clothes　muddy；　and　your　hands　wet！　　But　the　

boisterous　night　was　in　itself　favourable　to　my　enterprise：　now；　or　

perhaps　never；　I　might　find　some　way　to　have　an　interview　with　

Flora；　and　if　I　had　one　interview　（wet　clothes；　low　spirits　and　

all）；　I　told　myself　there　would　certainly　be　another。



Arrived　in　the　cottage…garden　I　found　the　circumstances　mighty　

inclement。　　From　the　round　holes　in　the　shutters　of　the　parlour；　

shafts　of　candle…light　streamed　forth；　elsewhere　the　darkness　was　

complete。　　The　trees；　the　thickets；　were　saturated；　the　lower　parts　

of　the　garden　turned　into　a　morass。　　At　intervals；　when　the　wind　

broke　forth　again；　there　passed　overhead　a　wild　coil　of　clashing　

branches；　and　between　whiles　the　whole　enclosure　continuously　and　

stridently　resounded　with　the　rain。　　I　advanced　close　to　the　window　

and　contrived　to　read　the　face　of　my　watch。　　It　was　half…past　

seven；　they　would　not　retire　before　ten；　they　might　not　before　

midnight；　and　the　prospect　was　unpleasant。　　In　a　lull　of　the　wind　I　

could　hear　from　the　inside　the　voice　of　Flora　reading　aloud；　the　

words　of　course　inaudible　…　only　a　flow　of　undecipherable　speech；　

quiet；　cordial；　colourless；　more　intimate　and　winning；　more　

eloquent　of　her　personality；　but　not　less　beautiful　than　song。　　And　

the　next　moment　the　clamour　of　a　fresh　squall　broke　out　about　the　

cottage；　the　voice　was　drowned　in　its　bellowing；　and　I　was　glad　to　

retreat　from　my　dangerous　post。



For　three　egregious　hours　I　must　now　suffer　the　elements　to　do　

their　worst　upon　me；　and　continue　to　hold　my　ground　in　patience。　　I　

recalled　the　least　fortunate　of　my　services　in　the　field：　being　

out…sentry　of　the　pickets　in　weather　no　less　vile；　sometimes　

unsuppered　and　with　nothing　to　look　forward　to　by　way　of　breakfast　

but　musket…balls；　and　they　seemed　light　in　comparison。　　So　

strangely　are　we　built：　so　much　more　strong　is　the　love　of　woman　

than　the　mere　love　of　life。



At　last　my　patience　was　rewarded。　　The　light　disappeared　from　the　

parlour　and　reappeared　a　moment　after　in　the　room　above。　　I　was　

pretty　well　informed　for　the　enterprise　that　lay　before　me。　　I　knew　

the　lair　of　the　dra