the notch on the ax and on being found out-第53章

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minutes　every　soul　was　ready　upon　a　little　esplanade　before　the
house　to　begin。　　The　old　man　and　his　wife　came　out　last；　and；
placing　me　betwixt　them；　sat　down　upon　a　sofa　of　turf　by　the　door。

The　old　man　had　some　fifty　years　ago　been　no　mean　performer　upon
the　vielle；*　and　at　the　age　he　was　then　of；　touched　well　enough　for
the　purpose。　　His　wife　sung　now　and　then　a　little　to　the　tune；　then
intermitted；　and　joined　her　old　man　again；　as　their　children　and
grandchildren　danced　before　them。


*　A　small　violin；　such　as　was　used　by　the　wandering　jongleurs　of
the　Middle　Ages。EDITOR。


It　was　not　till　the　middle　of　the　second　dance　when；　from　some
pauses　in　the　movement　wherein　they　all　seemed　to　look　up；　I
fancied　I　could　distinguish　an　elevation　of　spirit　different　from
that　which　is　the　cause　or　the　effect　of　simple　jollity。　　In　a
word；　I　thought　I　beheld　RELIGION　mixing　in　the　dance；　but；　as　I
had　never　seen　her　so　engaged；　I　should　have　looked　upon　it　now　as
one　of　the　illusions　of　an　imagination；　which　is　eternally
misleading　me；　had　not　the　old　man；　as　soon　as　the　dance　ended；
said　that　this　was　their　constant　way；　and　that　all　his　life　long
he　had　made　it　a　rule；　after　supper　was　over；　to　call　out　his
family　to　dance　and　rejoice；　believing；　he　said；　that　a　cheerful
and　contented　mind　was　the　best　sort　of　thanks　to　heaven　that　an
illiterate　peasant　could　pay

〃Or　a　learned　prelate　either；〃　said　I。

When　you　have　gained　the　top　of　Mount　Taurira；　you　run　presently
down　to　Lyons。　　Adieu　then　to　all　rapid　movements！　　It　is　a　journey
of　caution；　and　it　fares　better　with　sentiments　not　to　be　in　a
hurry　with　them；　so　I　contracted　with　a　volturin　to　take　his　time
with　a　couple　of　mules　and　convey　me　in　my　own　chaise　safe　to　Turin
through　Savoy。

Poor；　patient；　quiet；　honest　people；　fear　not！　　Your　poverty；　the
treasury　of　your　simple　virtues；　will　not　be　envied　you　by　the
world；　nor　will　your　values　be　invaded　by　it。　　Nature；　in　the　midst
of　thy　disorders；　thou　art　still　friendly　to　the　scantiness　thou
hast　created；　with　all　thy　great　works　about　thee　little　hast　thou
left　to　give；　either　to　the　scythe　or　to　the　sickle；　but　to　that
little　thou　grantest　safety　and　protection；　and　sweet　are　the
dwellings　which　stand　so　sheltered！



William　Makepeace　Thackeray


On　Being　Found　Out


At　the　close　（let　us　say）　of　Queen　Anne's　reign；　when　I　was　a　boy
at　a　private　and　preparatory　school　for　young　gentlemen；　I　remember
the　wiseacre　of　a　master　ordering　us　all；　one　night；　to　march　into
a　little　garden　at　the　back　of　the　house；　and　thence　to　proceed　one
by　one　into　a　tool　or　hen　house　（I　was　but　a　tender　little　thing
just　put　into　short　clothes；　and　can't　exactly　say　whether　the
house　was　for　tools　or　hens）；　and　in　that　house　to　put　our　hands
into　a　sack　which　stood　on　a　bench；　a　candle　burning　beside　it。　　I
put　my　hand　into　the　sack。　　My　hand　came　out　quite　black。　　I　went
and　joined　the　other　boys　in　the　schoolroom；　and　all　their　hands
were　black　too。

By　reason　of　my　tender　age　（and　there　are　some　critics　who；　I　hope；
will　be　satisfied　by　my　acknowledging　that　I　am　a　hundred　and
fifty…six　next　birthday）　I　could　not　understand　what　was　the
meaning　of　this　night　excursionthis　candle；　this　tool　house；　this
bag　of　soot。　　I　think　we　little　boys　were　taken　out　of　our　sleep　to
be　brought　to　the　ordeal。　　We　came；　then；　and　showed　our　little
hands　to　the　master；　washed　them　or　notmost　probably；　I　should
say；　notand　so　went　bewildered　back　to　bed。

Something　had　been　stolen　in　the　school　that　day；　and　Mr。　Wiseacre
having　read　in　a　book　of　an　ingenious　method　of　finding　out　a　thief
by　making　him　put　his　hand　into　a　sack　（which；　if　guilty；　the　rogue
would　shirk　from　doing）；　all　we　boys　were　subjected　to　the　trial。
Goodness　knows　what　the　lost　object　was；　or　who　stole　it。　　We　all
had　black　hands　to　show　the　master。　　And　the　thief；　whoever　he　was；
was　not　Found　Out　that　time。

I　wonder　if　the　rascal　is　alivean　elderly　scoundrel　he　must　be　by
this　time；　and　a　hoary　old　hypocrite；　to　whom　an　old　schoolfellow
presents　his　kindest　regardsparenthetically　remarking　what　a
dreadful　place　that　private　school　was；　cold；　chilblains；　bad
dinners；　not　enough　victuals；　and　caning　awful！Are　you　alive
still；　I　say；　you　nameless　villain；　who　escaped　discovery　on　that
day　of　crime？　　I　hope　you　have　escaped　often　since；　old　sinner。
Ah；　what　a　lucky　thing　it　is；　for　you　and　me；　my　man；　that　we　are
NOT　found　out　in　all　our　peccadilloes；　and　that　our　backs　can　slip
away　from　the　master　and　the　cane！

Just　consider　what　life　would　be；　if　every　rogue　was　found　out；　and
flogged　coram　populo！　　What　a　butchery；　what　an　indecency；　what　an
endless　swishing　of　the　rod！　　Don't　cry　out　about　my　misanthropy。
My　good　friend　Mealymouth；　I　will　trouble　you　to　tell　me；　do　you　go
to　church？　　When　there；　do　you　say；　or　do　you　not；　that　you　are　a
miserable　sinner；　and　saying　so　do　you　believe　or　disbelieve　it？
If　you　are　a　M。　S。；　don't　you　deserve　correction；　and　aren't　you
grateful　if　you　are　to　be　let　off？　　I　say　again　what　a　blessed
thing　it　is　that　we　are　not　all　found　out！

Just　picture　to　yourself　everybody　who　does　wrong　being　found　out；
and　punished　accordingly。　　Fancy　all　the　boys　in　all　the　school
being　whipped；　and　then　the　assistants；　and　then　the　headmaster
（Dr。　Badford　let　us　call　him）。　　Fancy　the　provost　marshal　being
tied　up；　having　previously　superintended　the　correction　of　the
whole　army。　　After　the　young　gentlemen　have　had　their　turn　for　the
faulty　exercises；　fancy　Dr。　Lincolnsinn　being　taken　up　for　certain
faults　in　HIS　Essay　and　Review。　　After　the　clergyman　has　cried　his
peccavi；　suppose　we　hoist　up　a　bishop；　and　give　him　a　couple　of
dozen！　　（I　see　my　Lord　Bishop　of　Double…Gloucester　sitting　in　a
very　uneasy　posture　on　his　right　reverend　bench。）　　After　we　have
cast　off　the　bishop；　what　are　we　to　say　to　the　Minister　who
appointed　him？　　My　Lord　Cinqwarden；　it　is　painful　to　have　to　use
personal　correction　to　a　boy　of　your　age；　but　really　。　。　。　Siste
tandem　carnifex！　　The　butchery　is　too　horrible。　　The　hand　drops
powerless；　appalled　at　the　quantity　of　birch　which　it　must　cut　and
brandish。　　I　am　glad　we　are　not　all　found　out；　I　say　again；　and
protest；　my　dear　brethren；　against　our　having　our　deserts。

To　fancy　all　men　found　out　and　punished　is　bad　enough；　but　imagine
all　the　women　found　out　in　the　distinguished　social　circle　in　which
you　and　I　have　the　honor　to　move。　　Is　it　not　a　mercy　that　a　many　of
these　fair　criminals　remain　unpunished　and　undiscovered！　　There　is
Mrs。　Longbow；　who　is　forever　practicing；　and　who　shoots　poisoned
arrows；　too；　when　you　meet　her　you　don't　call　her　liar；　and　charge
her　with　the　wickedness　she　has　done　and　is　doing。　　There　is　Mrs。
Painter；　who　passes　for　a　most　respectable　woman；　and　a　model　in
society。　　There　is　no　use　in　saying　what　you　really　know　regarding
her　and　her　goings　on。　　There　is　Diana　Hunterwhat　a　little
haughty　prude　it　is；　and　yet　WE　know　stories　about　her　which　are
not　altogether　edifying。　　I　say　it　is　best　for　the　sake　of　the
good；　that　the　bad　should　not　all　be　found　out。　　You　don't　want
your　children　to　know　the　history　of　that　lady　in　the　next　box；　who
is　so　handsome；　and　whom　they　admire　so。　　Ah　me；　what　would　life　be
if　we　were　all　found　out　and　punished　for　all　our　faults？　　Jack
Ketch　would　be　in　permanence；　and　then　who　would　hang　Jack　Ketch？

They　talk　of　murderers　being　pretty　certainly　found　out。　　Psha！　　I
have　heard　an　authority　awfully　competent　vow　and　declare　that
scores　and　hundreds　of　murders　are　committed；　and　nobody　is　the
wiser。　　That　terrible　man　mentioned　one　or　two　ways　of　committing
murder；　which　he　maintained　were　quite　common；　and　were　scarcely
ever　found　out。　　A　man；　for　instance；　comes　home　to　his　wife；
and　。　。　。　but　I　pauseI　know　that　this　Magazine　has　a　very　large
circulation。*　　Hundreds　and　hundreds　of　thousandswhy　not　say　a
million　of　people　at　once？well；　say　a　million；　read　it。　　And
among　these　countless　readers；　I　might　be　teaching　some　monster　how
to　make　away　with　his　wife　without　being　found　out；　some　fiend　of　a
woman　how　to　destroy　her　dear　husband。