the virgin of the sun-第14章

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！


Therefore　buy　land；　which　none　can　carry　away；　near　to　a　market　or　a
growing　town　if　may　be；　and　hire　it　out　to　fools　to　farm；　or　sell　it
to　other　fools　who　wish　to　build　great　houses　and　spend　their　goods　in
feeding　a　multitude　of　idle　servants。　Houses　eat；　Hubert；　and　the
larger　they　are；　the　more　they　eat。〃

No　word　did　he　say　to　me　as　to　my　dwelling　on　with　him；　yet　there　I
remained；　by　common　consent；　as　it　were。　Indeed　on　the　morrow　of　my
coming　a　tailor　appeared　to　measure　me　for　such　garments　as　he　thought
I　should　wear；　by　his　command；　I　suppose；　as　I　was　never　asked　for
payment；　and　he　bade　me　furnish　my　chamber　to　my　own　liking；　also
another　room　at　the　back　of　the　house　that　was　much　larger　than　it
seemed；　which　he　told　me　was　to　be　mine　to　work　in；　though　at　what　I
was　to　work　he　did　not　say。

For　a　day　or　two　I　remained　idle；　staring　at　the　sights　of　London　and
only　meeting　my　uncle　at　meals　which　sometimes　we　ate　alone　and
sometimes　in　the　company　of　sea…captains　and　learned　clerks　or　of
other　merchants；　all　of　whom　treated　him　with　great　deference　and　as　I
soon　guessed；　were　in　truth　his　servants。　At　night；　however；　we　were
always　alone　and　then　he　would　pour　out　his　wisdom　on　me　while　I
listened；　saying　little。　On　the　sixth　day；　growing　weary　of　this
idleness；　I　made　bold　to　ask　him　if　there　was　aught　that　I　could　do。

〃Aye；　plenty　if　you　have　a　mind　to　work；〃　he　answered。　〃Sit　down　now；
and　take　pen　and　paper　and　write　what　I　shall　tell　you。〃

Then　he　dictated　a　short　letter　to　me　as　to　shipping　wine　from　Spain；
and　when　it　was　sanded；　read　it　carefully。

〃You　have　it　right；〃　he　said；　seeming　pleased；　〃and　your　script　is
clear　if　boyish。　They　taught　you　none　so　ill　yonder　at　Hastings　where
I　thought　you　had　only　learned　to　handle　ropes　and　arrows。　Work？　Yes；
there　is　plenty　of　it　of　the　more　private　sort　which　I　do　not　give　to
this　scribe　or　to　that　who　might　betray　my　secrets。　For　know；〃　he　went
on　in　a　stern　voice；　〃there　is　one　thing　which　I　never　pardon；　and　it
is　betrayal。　Remember　that；　nephew　Hubert；　even　in　the　arms　of　your
loves；　if　you　should　be　fool　enough　to　seek　them；　or　in　your　cups。〃

So　he　talked　on；　and　while　he　did　so　went　to　an　iron　chest　that　he
unlocked；　and　thence　drew　out　a　parchment　roll　which　he　bade　me　take
to　my　workroom　and　copy　there。　I　did　so；　and　found　that　it　was　an
inventory　of　his　goods　and　estates；　and　oh！　before　I　had　done　I　wished
that　there　were　fewer　of　them。　All　the　long　day　I　laboured；　only
stopping　for　a　bite　at　noon；　till　my　head　swam　and　my　fingers　ached。
Yet　as　I　did　so　I　felt　proud；　for　I　guessed　that　my　uncle　had　set　me
this　task　for　two　reasons：　first；　to　show　his　trust　in　me；　and；
secondly；　to　acquaint　me　with　the　state　of　his　possessions；　but　as　it
were　in　the　way　of　business。　By　nightfall　I　had　finished　and　checked
the　copy　which　with　the　original　I　hid　in　my　robe　when　the　green…robed
waiting　maid　summoned　me　to　eat。

At　our　meal　my　uncle　asked　me　what　I　had　seen　that　day　and　I　replied
naught　but　figures　and　crabbed　writingand　handed　him　the　parchments
which　he　compared　item　by　item。

〃I　am　pleased　with　you；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃for　heresofar　I　find　but　a
single　error　and　that　is　my　fault；　not　yours；　also　you　have　done　two
days'　work　in　one。　Still；　it　is　not　fit　that　you　who　are　accustomed　to
the　open　air　should　bend　continually　over　deeds　and　inventories。
Therefore；　to…morrow　I　shall　have　another　task　for　you；　for　like
yourself　your　horse　needs　exercise。〃

And　so　he　had；　for　with　two　stout　servants　riding　with　me　and　guiding
me；　he　sent　me　out　of　London　to　view　a　fair　estate　of　his　upon　the
borders　of　the　Thames　and　to　visit　his　tenants　there　and　make　report
of　their　husbandry；　also　of　certain　woods　where　he　proposed　to　fell
oak　for　shipbuilding。　This　I　did；　for　the　servants　made　me　known　to
the　tenants；　and　got　back　at　night…fall；　able　to　tell　him　all　which　he
was　glad　to　learn；　since　it　seemed　that　he　had　not　seen　this　estate
for　five　long　years。

On　another　day　he　sent　me　to　visit　ships　in　which　goods　of　his　were
being　laden　at　the　wharf；　and　on　another　took　me　with　him　to　a　sale　of
furs　that　came　from　the　far　north　where　I　was　told　the　snow　never
melts　and　there　is　always　ice　in　the　sea。

Also　he　made　me　known　to　merchants　with　whom　he　traded；　and　to　his
agents　who　were　many；　though　for　the　most　part　secret；　together　with
other　goldsmiths　who　held　moneys　of　his；　and　in　a　sense　were　partners；
forming　a　kind　of　company　so　that　they　could　find　great　sums　in　sudden
need。　Lastly；　his　clerks　and　dependents　were　made　to　understand　that
if　I　gave　an　order　it　must　be　obeyed；　though　this　did　not　happen　until
I　had　been　with　him　for　some　time。

Thus　it　came　about　that　within　a　year　I　knew　all　the　threads　of　John
Grimmer's　great　business；　and　within　two　it　drifted　more　and　more　into
my　hands。　The　last　part　of　it　with　which　he　made　me　acquainted　was
that　of　lending　money　to　those　in　high　places；　and　even　to　the　State
itself；　but　at　length　I　was　taught　this　also　and　came　to　know　sundry
of　these　men；　who　in　private　were　humble　borrowers；　but　if　they　met　us
in　the　street　passed　us　with　the　nod　that　the　great　give　to　their
inferiors。　Then　my　uncle　would　bow　low；　keeping　his　eyes　fixed　upon
the　ground　and　bid　me　do　the　same。　But　when　they　were　out　of　hearing
he　would　chuckle　and　say；

〃Fish　in　my　net；　goldfish　in　my　net！　See　how　they　shine　who　presently
must　wriggle　on　the　shore。　Vanity　of　vanities！　All　is　vanity；　and
doubtless　Solomon　knew　such　in　his　day。〃

Hard　I　worked；　and　ever　harder；　toiling　at　the　mill　of　all　these　large
affairs　and　keeping　myself　in　health　during　such　time　as　I　could　spare
by　shooting　at　the　butts　with　my　big　bow　where　I　found　that　none　could
beat　me；　or　practising　sword　play　in　a　school　of　arms　that　was　kept　by
a　master　of　the　craft　from　Italy。　Also　on　holidays　and　on　Sundays
after　mass　I　rode　out　of　London　to　visit　my　uncle's　estates　where
sometimes　I　slept　a　night；　and　once　or　twice　sailed　to　Holland　or　to
Calais　with　his　cargoes。

One　day；　it　was　when　I　had　been　with　him　about　eighteen　months；　he
said　to　me　suddenly。

〃You　plough　the　field；　Hubert；　and　do　not　tithe　the　crop；　but　live
upon　the　bounty　of　the　husbandman。　Henceforward　take　as　much　of　it　as
you　will。　I　ask　no　account。〃

So　I　found　myself　rich；　though　in　truth　I　spent　but　little；　both
because　my　tastes　were　simple　and　it　was　part　of　my　uncle's　policy　to
make　no　show　which　he　said　would　bring　envy　on　us。　From　this　time
forward　he　began　to　withdraw　himself　from　business；　the　truth　being
that　age　took　hold　of　him　and　he　grew　feeble。　The　highest　of　the
affairs　he　left　to　me；　only　inquiring　of　them　and　giving　his　counsel
from　time　to　time。　Still；　because　he　must　do　something；　he　busied
himself　in　the　shop　which；　as　he　said；　he　kept　as　a　trap　for　the
birds；　chaffering　in　ornaments　and　furs　as　though　his　bread　depended
upon　his　earning　a　gold　piece；　and　directing　the　manufacture　of
beautiful　jewels　and　cups　which　he；　who　was　an　artist；　designed　to　be
made　by　his　skilled　and　highly　paid　workmen；　some　of　whom　were
foreigners。

〃We　end　where　we　began；〃　he　would　say。　〃A　smith　was　I　from　my
childhood　and　a　smith　I　shall　die。　What　a　fate　for　one　of　the　blood　of
Thorgrimmer！　Yet　I　am　selling　you　into　the　same　bondage；　or　so　it
would　seem。　But　who　knows？　Who　knows？　We　design；　but　God　decrees。〃

It　is　to　be　noted　that　when　old　men　cease　from　the　occupation　of　their
lives；　often　enough　within　a　very　little　time　they　also　cease　from
life　itself。　So　it　was　with　my　uncle。　Day　by　day　he　faded　till　at　last
at　the　beginning　of　the　third　winter　after　I　came　to　him　he　took　to
his　bed　where　he　lay　growing　ever　weaker　till　at　length　he　died　in　the
hour　of　the　birth　of　the　new　year。

To　the　last　his　mind　remained　clear　and　strong；　and　never　more　so　than
on　the　night　of　his　death。　That　evening　after　I　had　eaten　I　went　to
his　room　as　usual　and　found　him　reading　a　beautiful　manuscript　of　the
book　of　the　Wisdom　of　Solomon　that　is　called　Ecclesiastes；　a　work
which　he　preferred　to　all　others；　since　its　thoughts　were　his。　〃I
gathered　me　also　silver　and　gold　and　the　peculiar　treasur