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第27章

st. ives-第27章

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cat。  At a corner of the road; and by the last glint of the 

drowning sun; I spied a covered cart; of a kind that I thought I 

had never seen before; preceding me at the foot's pace of jaded 

horses。  Anything is interesting to a pedestrian that can help him 

to forget the miseries of a day of rain; and I bettered my pace and 

gradually overtook the vehicle。



The nearer I came; the more it puzzled me。  It was much such a cart 

as I am told the calico printers use; mounted on two wheels; and 

furnished with a seat in front for the driver。  The interior closed 

with a door; and was of a bigness to contain a good load of calico; 

or (at a pinch and if it were necessary) four or five persons。  

But; indeed; if human beings were meant to travel there; they had 

my pity!  They must travel in the dark; for there was no sign of a 

window; and they would be shaken all the way like a phial of 

doctor's stuff; for the cart was not only ungainly to look at … it 

was besides very imperfectly balanced on the one pair of wheels; 

and pitched unconscionably。  Altogether; if I had any glancing idea 

that the cart was really a carriage; I had soon dismissed it; but I 

was still inquisitive as to what it should contain; and where it 

had come from。  Wheels and horses were splashed with many different 

colours of mud; as though they had come far and across a 

considerable diversity of country。  The driver continually and 

vainly plied his whip。  It seemed to follow they had made a long; 

perhaps an all…night; stage; and that the driver; at that early 

hour of a little after eight in the morning; already felt himself 

belated。  I looked for the name of the proprietor on the shaft; and 

started outright。  Fortune had favoured the careless: it was 

Burchell Fenn!



'A wet morning; my man;' said I。



The driver; a loutish fellow; shock…headed and turnip…faced; 

returned not a word to my salutation; but savagely flogged his 

horses。  The tired animals; who could scarce put the one foot 

before the other; paid no attention to his cruelty; and I continued 

without effort to maintain my position alongside; smiling to myself 

at the futility of his attempts; and at the same time pricked with 

curiosity as to why he made them。  I made no such formidable a 

figure as that a man should flee when I accosted him; and my 

conscience not being entirely clear; I was more accustomed to be 

uneasy myself than to see others timid。  Presently he desisted; and 

put back his whip in the holster with the air of a man vanquished。



'So you would run away from me?' said I。  'Come; come; that's not 

English。'



'Beg pardon; master: no offence meant;' he said; touching his hat。



'And none taken!' cried I。  'All I desire is a little gaiety by the 

way。'



I understood him to say he didn't 'take with gaiety。'



'Then I will try you with something else;' said I。  'Oh; I can be 

all things to all men; like the apostle!  I dare to say I have 

travelled with heavier fellows than you in my time; and done 

famously well with them。  Are you going home?'



'Yes; I'm a goin' home; I am;' he said。



'A very fortunate circumstance for me!' said I。  'At this rate we 

shall see a good deal of each other; going the same way; and; now I 

come to think of it; why should you not give me a cast?  There is 

room beside you on the bench。'



With a sudden snatch; he carried the cart two yards into the 

roadway。  The horses plunged and came to a stop。  'No; you don't!' 

he said; menacing me with the whip。  'None o' that with me。'



'None of what?' said I。  'I asked you for a lift; but I have no 

idea of taking one by force。'



'Well; I've got to take care of the cart and 'orses; I have;' says 

he。  'I don't take up with no runagate vagabones; you see; else。'



'I ought to thank you for your touching confidence;' said I; 

approaching carelessly nearer as I spoke。  'But I admit the road is 

solitary hereabouts; and no doubt an accident soon happens。  Little 

fear of anything of the kind with you!  I like you for it; like 

your prudence; like that pastoral shyness of disposition。  But why 

not put it out of my power to hurt?  Why not open the door and 

bestow me here in the box; or whatever you please to call it?' And 

I laid my hand demonstratively on the body of the cart。



He had been timorous before; but at this; he seemed to lose the 

power of speech a moment; and stared at me in a perfect enthusiasm 

of fear。



'Why not?' I continued。  'The idea is good。  I should be safe in 

there if I were the monster Williams himself。  The great thing is 

to have me under lock and key。  For it does lock; it is locked 

now;' said I; trying the door。  'A PROPOS; what have you for a 

cargo?  It must be precious。'



He found not a word to answer。



Rat…tat…tat; I went upon the door like a well…drilled footman。



'Any one at home?' I said; and stooped to listen。



There came out of the interior a stifled sneeze; the first of an 

uncontrollable paroxysm; another followed immediately on the heels 

of it; and then the driver turned with an oath; laid the lash upon 

the horses with so much energy that they found their heels again; 

and the whole equipage fled down the road at a gallop。



At the first sound of the sneeze; I had started back like a man 

shot。  The next moment; a great light broke on my mind; and I 

understood。  Here was the secret of Fenn's trade: this was how he 

forwarded the escape of prisoners; hawking them by night about the 

country in his covered cart。  There had been Frenchmen close to me; 

he who had just sneezed was my countryman; my comrade; perhaps 

already my friend!  I took to my heels in pursuit。  'Hold hard!' I 

shouted。  'Stop!  It's all right!  Stop!'  But the driver only 

turned a white face on me for a moment; and redoubled his efforts; 

bending forward; plying his whip and crying to his horses; these 

lay themselves down to the gallop and beat the highway with flying 

hoofs; and the cart bounded after them among the ruts and fled in a 

halo of rain and spattering mud。  But a minute since; and it had 

been trundling along like a lame cow; and now it was off as though 

drawn by Apollo's coursers。  There is no telling what a man can do; 

until you frighten him!



It was as much as I could do myself; though I ran valiantly; to 

maintain my distance; and that (since I knew my countrymen so near) 

was become a chief point with me。  A hundred yards farther on the 

cart whipped out of the high…road into a lane embowered with 

leafless trees; and became lost to view。  When I saw it next; the 

driver had increased his advantage considerably; but all danger was 

at an end; and the horses had again declined into a hobbling walk。  

Persuaded that they could not escape me; I took my time; and 

recovered my breath as I followed them。



Presently the lane twisted at right angles; and showed me a gate 

and the beginning of a gravel sweep; and a little after; as I 

continued to advance; a red brick house about seventy years old; in 

a fine style of architecture; and presenting a front of many 

windows to a lawn and garden。  Behind; I could see outhouses and 

the peaked roofs of stacks; and I judged that a manor…house had in 

some way declined to be the residence of a tenant…farmer; careless 

alike of appearances and substantial comfort。  The marks of neglect 

were visible on every side; in flower…bushes straggling beyond the 

borders; in the ill…kept turf; and in the broken windows that were 

incongruously patched with paper or stuffed with rags。  A thicket 

of trees; mostly evergreen; fenced the place round and secluded it 

from the eyes of prying neighbours。  As I came in view of it; on 

that melancholy winter's morning; in the deluge of the falling 

rain; and with the wind that now rose in occasional gusts and 

hooted over the old chimneys; the cart had already drawn up at the 

fro

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