st. ives-第56章
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ass; whom the devil moved to be my enemy; proposed three cheers;
and they were given with a will。 To hear my own name resounding
amid acclamations in the hills of Westmorland was flattering;
perhaps; but it was inconvenient at a moment when (as I was morally
persuaded) police handbills were already speeding after me at the
rate of a hundred miles a day。
Nor was that the end of it。 The archdeacon must present his
compliments; and pressed upon me some of his West India sherry; and
I was carried into a vastly fine library; where I was presented to
his lady wife。 While we were at sherry in the library; ale was
handed round upon the terrace。 Speeches were made; hands were
shaken; Missy (at her father's request) kissed me farewell; and the
whole party reaccompanied me to the terrace; where they stood
waving hats and handkerchiefs; and crying farewells to all the
echoes of the mountains until the chaise had disappeared。
The echoes of the mountains were engaged in saying to me privately:
'You fool; you have done it now!'
'They do seem to have got 'old of your name; Mr。 Anne;' said
Rowley。 'It weren't my fault this time。'
'It was one of those accidents that can never be foreseen;' said I;
affecting a dignity that I was far from feeling。 'Some one
recognised me。'
'Which on 'em; Mr。 Anne?' said the rascal。
'That is a senseless question; it can make no difference who it
was;' I returned。
'No; nor that it can't!' cried Rowley。 'I say; Mr。 Anne; sir; it's
what you would call a jolly mess; ain't it? looks like 〃clean
bowled…out in the middle stump;〃 don't it?'
'I fail to understand you; Rowley。'
'Well; what I mean is; what are we to do about this one?' pointing
to the postillion in front of us; as he alternately hid and
revealed his patched breeches to the trot of his horse。 'He see
you get in this morning under Mr。 RAMORNIE … I was very piticular
to MR。 RAMORNIE you; if you remember; sir … and he see you get in
again under Mr。 Saint Eaves; and whatever's he going to see you get
out under? that's what worries me; sir。 It don't seem to me like
as if the position was what you call STRATETEGIC!'
'PARRRBLEU! will you let me be!' I cried。 'I have to think; you
cannot imagine how your constant idiotic prattle annoys me。'
'Beg pardon; Mr。 Anne;' said he; and the next moment; 'You wouldn't
like for us to do our French now; would you; Mr。 Anne?'
'Certainly not;' said I。 'Play upon your flageolet。'
The which he did with what seemed to me to be irony。
Conscience doth make cowards of us all! I was so downcast by my
pitiful mismanagement of the morning's business that I shrank from
the eye of my own hired infant; and read offensive meanings into
his idle tootling。
I took off my coat; and set to mending it; soldier…fashion; with a
needle and thread。 There is nothing more conducive to thought;
above all in arduous circumstances; and as I sewed; I gradually
gained a clearness upon my affairs。 I must be done with the
claret…coloured chaise at once。 It should be sold at the next
stage for what it would bring。 Rowley and I must take back to the
road on our four feet; and after a decent interval of trudging; get
places on some coach for Edinburgh again under new names! So much
trouble and toil; so much extra risk and expense and loss of time;
and all for a slip of the tongue to a little lady in blue!
CHAPTER XXIV … THE INN…KEEPER OF KIRKBY…LONSDALE
I HAD hitherto conceived and partly carried out an ideal that was
dear to my heart。 Rowley and I descended from our claret…coloured
chaise; a couple of correctly dressed; brisk; bright…eyed young
fellows; like a pair of aristocratic mice; attending singly to our
own affairs; communicating solely with each other; and that with
the niceties and civilities of drill。 We would pass through the
little crowd before the door with high…bred preoccupation;
inoffensively haughty; after the best English pattern; and
disappear within; followed by the envy and admiration of the
bystanders; a model master and servant; point…device in every part。
It was a heavy thought to me; as we drew up before the inn at
Kirkby…Lonsdale; that this scene was now to be enacted for the last
time。 Alas! and had I known it; it was to go of with so inferior a
grace!
I had been injudiciously liberal to the post…boys of the chaise and
four。 My own post…boy; he of the patched breeches; now stood
before me; his eyes glittering with greed; his hand advanced。 It
was plain he anticipated something extraordinary by way of a
POURBOIRE; and considering the marches and counter…marches by which
I had extended the stage; the military character of our affairs
with Mr。 Bellamy; and the bad example I had set before him at the
archdeacon's; something exceptional was certainly to be done。 But
these are always nice questions; to a foreigner above all: a shade
too little will suggest niggardliness; a shilling too much smells
of hush…money。 Fresh from the scene at the archdeacon's; and
flushed by the idea that I was now nearly done with the
responsibilities of the claret…coloured chaise; I put into his
hands five guineas; and the amount served only to waken his
cupidity。
'O; come; sir; you ain't going to fob me of with this? Why; I seen
fire at your side!' he cried。
It would never do to give him more; I felt I should become the
fable of Kirkby…Lonsdale if I did; and I looked him in the face;
sternly but still smiling; and addressed him with a voice of
uncompromising firmness。
'If you do not like it; give it back;' said I。
He pocketed the guineas with the quickness of a conjurer; and; like
a base…born cockney as he was; fell instantly to casting dirt。
' 'Ave your own way of it; Mr。 Ramornie … leastways Mr。 St。 Eaves;
or whatever your blessed name may be。 Look 'ere' … turning for
sympathy to the stable…boys … 'this is a blessed business。 Blessed
'ard; I calls it。 'Ere I takes up a blessed son of a pop…gun what
calls hisself anything you care to mention; and turns out to be a
blessed MOUNSEER at the end of it! 'Ere 'ave I been drivin' of him
up and down all day; a…carrying off of gals; a…shootin' of
pistyils; and a…drinkin' of sherry and hale; and wot does he up and
give me but a blank; blank; blanketing blank!'
The fellow's language had become too powerful for reproduction; and
I passed it by。
Meanwhile I observed Rowley fretting visibly at the bit; another
moment; and he would have added a last touch of the ridiculous to
our arrival by coming to his hands with the postillion。
'Rowley!' cried I reprovingly。
Strictly it should have been Gammon; but in the hurry of the
moment; my fault (I can only hope) passed unperceived。 At the same
time I caught the eye of the postmaster。 He was long and lean; and
brown and bilious; he had the drooping nose of the humourist; and
the quick attention of a man of parts。 He read my embarrassment in
a glance; stepped instantly forward; sent the post…boy to the
rightabout with half a word; and was back next moment at my side。
'Dinner in a private room; sir? Very well。 John; No。 4! What
wine would you care to mention? Very well; sir。 Will you please
to order fresh horses? Not; sir? Very well。'
Each of these expressions was accompanied by something in the
nature of a bow; and all were prefaced by something in the nature
of a smile; which I could very well have done without。 The man's
politeness was from the teeth outwards; behind and within; I was
conscious of a perpetual scrutiny: the scene at his doorstep; the
random confidences of the post…boy; had not been thrown away on
this observer; and it was under a strong fear of coming trouble
that I was shown at last into my private room。 I was in half a
mind t