st. ives-第34章

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'Oh；　sir；　you　may　be　perfectly　reassured！　　This　is　a　very　honest　

fellow；　a　late　neighbour　of　mine　in　the　city　of　Carlisle。'



I　thought　the　attorney　looked　put　out；　I　little　knew　the　man！



'But　he　is　French；'　said　he；　'for　all　that？'



'Ay；　to　be　sure！'　said　I。　　'A　Frenchman　of　the　emigration！　　None　of　

your　Buonaparte　lot。　　I　will　warrant　his　views　of　politics　to　be　as　

sound　as　your　own。'



'What　is　a　little　strange；'　said　the　clerk　quietly；　'is　that　Mr。　

Dubois　should　deny　it。'



I　got　it　fair　in　the　face；　and　took　it　smiling；　but　the　shock　was　

rude；　and　in　the　course　of　the　next　words　I　contrived　to　do　what　I　

have　rarely　done；　and　make　a　slip　in　my　English。　　I　kept　my　liberty　

and　life　by　my　proficiency　all　these　months；　and　for　once　that　I　

failed；　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　I　would　make　a　public　

exhibition　of　the　details。　　Enough；　that　it　was　a　very　little　

error；　and　one　that　might　have　passed　ninety…nine　times　in　a　

hundred。　　But　my　limb　of　the　law　was　as　swift　to　pick　it　up　as　

though　he　had　been　by　trade　a　master　of　languages。



'Aha！'　cries　he；　'and　you　are　French；　too！　　Your　tongue　bewrays　

you。　　Two　Frenchmen　coming　into　an　alehouse；　severally　and　

accidentally；　not　knowing　each　other；　at　ten　of　the　clock　at　night；　

in　the　middle　of　Bedfordshire？　　No；　sir；　that　shall　not　pass！　　You　

are　all　prisoners　escaping；　if　you　are　nothing　worse。　　Consider　

yourselves　under　arrest。　　I　have　to　trouble　you　for　your　papers。'



'Where　is　your　warrant；　if　you　come　to　that？'　said　I。　　'My　papers！　　

A　likely　thing　that　I　would　show　my　papers　on　the　IPSE　DIXIT　of　an　

unknown　fellow　in　a　hedge　alehouse！'



'Would　you　resist　the　law？'　says　he。



'Not　the　law；　sir！'　said　I。　　'I　hope　I　am　too　good　a　subject　for　

that。　　But　for　a　nameless　fellow　with　a　bald　head　and　a　pair　of　

gingham　small…clothes；　why　certainly！　　'Tis　my　birthright　as　an　

Englishman。　　Where's　MAGNA　CHARTA；　else？'



'We　will　see　about　that；'　says　he；　and　then；　addressing　the　

assistants；　'where　does　the　constable　live？'



'Lord　love　you；　sir！'　cried　the　landlord；　'what　are　you　thinking　

of？　　The　constable　at　past　ten　at　night！　　Why；　he's　abed　and　

asleep；　and　good　and　drunk　two　hours　agone！'



'Ah　that　a'　be！'　came　in　chorus　from　the　yokels。



The　attorney's　clerk　was　put　to　a　stand。　　He　could　not　think　of　

force；　there　was　little　sign　of　martial　ardour　about　the　landlord；　

and　the　peasants　were　indifferent　…　they　only　listened；　and　gaped；　

and　now　scratched　a　head；　and　now　would　get　a　light　to　their　pipes　

from　the　embers　on　the　hearth。　　On　the　other　hand；　the　Major　and　I　

put　a　bold　front　on　the　business　and　defied　him；　not　without　some　

ground　of　law。　　In　this　state　of　matters　he　proposed　I　should　go　

along　with　him　to　one　Squire　Merton；　a　great　man　of　the　

neighbourhood；　who　was　in　the　commission　of　the　peace；　the　end　of　

his　avenue　but　three　lanes　away。　　I　told　him　I　would　not　stir　a　

foot　for　him　if　it　were　to　save　his　soul。　　Next　he　proposed　I　

should　stay　all　night　where　I　was；　and　the　constable　could　see　to　

my　affair　in　the　morning；　when　he　was　sober。　　I　replied　I　should　go　

when　and　where　I　pleased；　that　we　were　lawful　travellers　in　the　

fear　of　God　and　the　king；　and　I　for　one　would　suffer　myself　to　be　

stayed　by　nobody。　　At　the　same　time；　I　was　thinking　the　matter　had　

lasted　altogether　too　long；　and　I　determined　to　bring　it　to　an　end　

at　once。



'See　here；'　said　I；　getting　up；　for　till　now　I　had　remained　

carelessly　seated；　'there's　only　one　way　to　decide　a　thing　like　

this　…　only　one　way　that's　right　ENGLISH　…　and　that's　man　to　man。　　

Take　off　your　coat；　sir；　and　these　gentlemen　shall　see　fair　play。'　　

At　this　there　came　a　look　in　his　eye　that　I　could　not　mistake。　　His　

education　had　been　neglected　in　one　essential　and　eminently　British　

particular：　he　could　not　box。　　No　more　could　I；　you　may　say；　but　

then　I　had　the　more　impudence　…　and　I　had　made　the　proposal。



'He　says　I'm　no　Englishman；　but　the　proof　of　the　pudding　is　the　

eating　of　it；'　I　continued。　　And　here　I　stripped　my　coat　and　fell　

into　the　proper　attitude；　which　was　just　about　all　I　knew　of　this　

barbarian　art。　　'Why；　sir；　you　seem　to　me　to　hang　back　a　little；'　

said　I。　　'Come；　I'll　meet　you；　I'll　give　you　an　appetiser　…　though　

hang　me　if　I　can　understand　the　man　that　wants　any　enticement　to　

hold　up　his　hands。'　　I　drew　a　bank…note　out　of　my　fob　and　tossed　it　

to　the　landlord。　　'There　are　the　stakes；'　said　I。　　'I'll　fight　you　

for　first　blood；　since　you　seem　to　make　so　much　work　about　it。　　If　

you　tap　my　claret　first；　there　are　five　guineas　for　you；　and　I'll　

go　with　you　to　any　squire　you　choose　to　mention。　　If　I　tap　yours；　

you'll　perhaps　let　on　that　I'm　the　better　man；　and　allow　me　to　go　

about　my　lawful　business　at　my　own　time　and　convenience；　by　God；　is　

that　fair；　my　lads？'　says　I；　appealing　to　the　company。



'Ay；　ay；'　said　the　chorus　of　chawbacons；　'he　can't　say　no　fairer　

nor　that；　he　can't。　　Take　off　thy　coat　master！'



The　limb　of　the　law　was　now　on　the　wrong　side　of　public　opinion；　

and；　what　heartened　me　to　go　on；　the　position　was　rapidly　changing　

in　our　favour。　　Already　the　Major　was　paying　his　shot　to　the　very　

indifferent　landlord；　and　I　could　see　the　white　face　of　King　at　the　

back…door；　making　signals　of　haste。



'Oho！'　quoth　my　enemy；　'you　are　as　full　of　doubles　as　a　fox；　are　

you　not？　　But　I　see　through　you；　I　see　through　and　through　you。　　

You　would　change　the　venue；　would　you？'



'I　may　be　transparent；　sir；'　says　I；　'but　if　you'll　do　me　the　

favour　to　stand　up；　you'll　find　I　can　hit　dam　hard。'



'Which　is　a　point；　if　you　will　observe；　that　I　had　never　called　in　

question；'　said　he。　　'Why；　you　ignorant　clowns；'　he　proceeded；　

addressing　the　company；　'can't　you　see　the　fellow's　gulling　you　

before　your　eyes？　　Can't　you　see　that　he　has　changed　the　point　upon　

me？　　I　say　he's　a　French　prisoner；　and　he　answers　that　he　can　box！　　

What　has　that　to　do　with　it？　　I　would　not　wonder　but　what　he　can　

dance；　too　…　they're　all　dancing　masters　over　there。　　I　say；　and　I　

stick　to　it；　that　he's　a　Frenchy。　　He　says　he　isn't。　　Well　then；　

let　him　out　with　his　papers；　if　he　has　them！　　If　he　had；　would　he　

not　show　them？　　If　he　had；　would　he　not　jump　at　the　idea　of　going　

to　Squire　Merton；　a　man　you　all　know？　　Now；　you　are　all　plain；　

straightforward　Bedfordshire　men；　and　I　wouldn't　ask　a　better　lot　

to　appeal　to。　　You're　not　the　kind　to　be　talked　over　with　any　

French　gammon；　and　he's　plenty　of　that。　　But　let　me　tell　him；　he　

can　take　his　pigs　to　another　market；　they'll　never　do　here；　they'll　

never　go　down　in　Bedfordshire。　　Why！　look　at　the　man！　　Look　at　his　

feet！　　Has　anybody　got　a　foot　in　the　room　like　that？　　See　how　he　

stands！　do　any　of　you　fellows　stand　like　that？　　Does　the　landlord；　

there？　　Why；　he　has　Frenchman　wrote　all　over　him；　as　big　as　a　sign…

post！'



This　was　all　very　well；　and　in　a　different　scene　I　might　even　have　

been　gratified　by　his　remarks；　but　I　saw　clearly；　if　I　were　to　

allow　him　to　talk；　he　might　turn　the　tables　on　me　altogether。　　He　

might　not　be　much　of　a　hand　at　boxing；　but　I　was　much　mistaken；　or　

he　had　studied　forensic　eloquence　in　a　good　school。　　In　this　

predicament　I　could　think　of　nothing　more　ingenious　than　to　burst　

out　of　the　house；　under　the　pretext　of　an　ungovernable　rage。　　It　

was　certainly　not　very　ingenious　…　it　was　elementary；　but　I　had　no　

choice。



'You　white…livered　dog！'　I　broke　out。　　'Do　you　dare　to　tell　me　

you're　an　Englishman；　and　won't　fight？　　But　I'll　stand　no　more　of　

this！　　I　leave　this　place；　where　I've　been　insulted！　　Here！　what's　

to　pay？　　Pay　yourself！'　I　went　on；　offering　the　landlord　a　handful　

of　silver；　'and　give　me　back　my　bank…note！'



The　landlord；　following　his　usual　policy　of　obliging　everybody；　

offered　no　opposition　to　my　design。　　The　position　of　my　adversary　

was　now　thoroughly　bad。　　He　had　lost　my　tw