lavengro-第152章

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mistaken　in　thinking　she　is　nothing　to　me。　　I　entertain　the　highest　

regard　and　admiration　for　her；　being　convinced　that　I　might　search　

the　whole　world　in　vain　for　a　nature　more　heroic　and　devoted。'



'And　for　my　part；'　said　Belle；　with　a　sob；　'a　more　quiet　agreeable　

partner　in　a　place　like　this　I　would　not　wish　to　have；　it　is　true　

he　has　strange　ways；　and　frequently　puts　words　into　my　mouth　very　

difficult　to　utter；　but　…　but　…　'　and　here　she　buried　her　face　once　

more　in　her　hands。



'Well；'　said　the　postilion；　'I　have　been　mistaken　about　you；　that　

is；　not　altogether；　but　in　part。　　You　are　not　rich　folks；　it　seems；　

but　you　are　not　common　people；　and　that　I　could　have　sworn。　　What　I　

call　a　shame　is；　that　some　people　I　have　known　are　not　in　your　

place　and　you　in　theirs；　you　with　their　estates　and　borough　

interest；　they　in　this　dingle　with　these　carts　and　animals；　but　

there　is　no　help　for　these　things。　　Were　I　the　great　Mumbo　Jumbo　

above；　I　would　endeavour　to　manage　matters　better；　but　being　a　

simple　postilion；　glad　to　earn　three　shillings　a　day；　I　can't　be　

expected　to　do　much。'



'Who　is　Mumbo　Jumbo？'　said　I。



'Ah！'　said　the　postilion；　'I　see　there　may　be　a　thing　or　two　I　know　

better　than　yourself。　　Mumbo　Jumbo　is　a　god　of　the　black　coast；　to　

which　people　go　for　ivory　and　gold。'



'Were　you　ever　there？'　I　demanded。



'No；'　said　the　postilion；　'but　I　heard　plenty　of　Mumbo　Jumbo　when　I　

was　a　boy。'



'I　wish　you　would　tell　us　something　about　yourself。　　I　believe　that　

your　own　real　history　would　prove　quite　as　entertaining；　if　not　

more；　than　that　which　you　imagined　about　us。'



'I　am　rather　tired；'　said　the　postilion；　'and　my　leg　is　rather　

troublesome。　　I　should　be　glad　to　try　to　sleep　upon　one　of　your　

blankets。　　However；　as　you　wish　to　hear　something　about　me；　I　shall　

be　happy　to　oblige　you；　but　your　fire　is　rather　low；　and　this　place　

is　chilly。'



Thereupon　I　arose；　and　put　fresh　charcoal　on　the　pan；　then　taking　

it　outside　the　tent；　with　a　kind　of　fan　which　I　had　fashioned；　I　

fanned　the　coals　into　a　red　glow；　and　continued　doing　so　until　the　

greater　part　of　the　noxious　gas；　which　the　coals　are　in　the　habit　

of　exhaling；　was　exhausted。　　I　then　brought　it　into　the　tent　and　

reseated　myself；　scattering　over　the　coals　a　small　portion　of　

sugar。　　'No　bad　smell；'　said　the　postilion；　'but　upon　the　whole　I　

think　I　like　the　smell　of　tobacco　better；　and　with　your　permission　

I　will　once　more　light　my　pipe。'



Thereupon　he　relighted　his　pipe；　and；　after　taking　two　or　three　

whiffs；　began　in　the　following　manner。







CHAPTER　XCVIII







An　exordium　…　Fine　ships　…　High　Barbary　captains　…　Free…born　

Englishmen　…　Monstrous　figure　…　Swashbuckler　…　The　grand　coaches　…　

The　footmen　…　A　travelling　expedition　…　Black　Jack　…　Nelson's　

cannon　…　Pharaoh's　butler　…　A　diligence　…　Two　passengers　…　Sharking　

priest　…　Virgilio　…　Lessons　in　Italian　…　Two　opinions　…　Holy　Mary　…　

Priestly　confederates　…　Methodist　chapel　…　Veturini　…　Some　of　our　

party　…　Like　a　sepulchre　…　All　for　themselves。



'I　AM　a　poor　postilion；　as　you　see；　yet；　as　I　have　seen　a　thing　or　

two　and　heard　a　thing　or　two　of　what　is　going　on　in　the　world；　

perhaps　what　I　have　to　tell　you　connected　with　myself　may　not　prove　

altogether　uninteresting。　　Now；　my　friends；　this　manner　of　opening　

a　story　is　what　the　man　who　taught　rhetoric　would　call　a　hex　…　hex　

…　'



'Exordium；'　said　I。



'Just　so；'　said　the　postilion；　'I　treated　you　to　a　per　…　per　…　

peroration　some　time　ago；　so　that　I　have　contrived　to　put　the　cart　

before　the　horse；　as　the　Irish　orators　frequently　do　in　the　

honourable　House；　in　whose　speeches；　especially　those　who　have　

taken　lessons　in　rhetoric；　the　per　…　per　…　what's　the　word？　…　

frequently　goes　before　the　exordium。



'I　was　born　in　the　neighbouring　county；　my　father　was　land…steward　

to　a　squire　of　about　a　thousand　a　year。　　My　father　had　two　sons；　of　

whom　I　am　the　youngest　by　some　years。　　My　elder　brother　was　of　a　

spirited　roving　disposition；　and　for　fear　that　he　should　turn　out　

what　is　generally　termed　ungain；　my　father　determined　to　send　him　

to　sea：　　so　once　upon　a　time；　when　my　brother　was　about　fifteen；　he　

took　him　to　the　great　seaport　of　the　county；　where　he　apprenticed　

him　to　a　captain　of　one　of　the　ships　which　trade　to　the　high　

Barbary　coast。　　Fine　ships　they　were；　I　have　heard　say；　more　than　

thirty　in　number；　and　all　belonging　to　a　wonderful　great　gentleman；　

who　had　once　been　a　parish　boy；　but　had　contrived　to　make　an　

immense　fortune　by　trading　to　that　coast　for　gold…dust；　ivory；　and　

other　strange　articles；　and　for　doing　so；　I　mean　for　making　a　

fortune；　had　been　made　a　knight　baronet。　　So　my　brother　went　to　the　

high　Barbary　shore；　on　board　the　fine　vessel；　and　in　about　a　year　

returned　and　came　to　visit　us；　he　repeated　the　voyage　several　

times；　always　coming　to　see　his　parents　on　his　return。　　Strange　

stories　he　used　to　tell　us　of　what　he　had　been　witness　to　on　the　

high　Barbary　coast；　both　off　shore　and　on。　　He　said　that　the　fine　

vessel　in　which　he　sailed　was　nothing　better　than　a　painted　hell；　

that　the　captain　was　a　veritable　fiend；　whose　grand　delight　was　in　

tormenting　his　men；　especially　when　they　were　sick；　as　they　

frequently　were；　there　being　always　fever　on　the　high　Barbary　

coast；　and　that　though　the　captain　was　occasionally　sick　himself；　

his　being　so　made　no　difference；　or　rather　it　did　make　a　

difference；　though　for　the　worse；　he　being　when　sick　always　more　

inveterate　and　malignant　than　at　other　times。　　He　said　that　once；　

when　he　himself　was　sick；　his　captain　had　pitched　his　face　all　

over；　which　exploit　was　much　applauded　by　the　other　high　Barbary　

captains　…　all　of　whom；　from　what　my　brother　said；　appeared　to　be　

of　much　the　same　disposition　as　my　brother's　captain；　taking　

wonderful　delight　in　tormenting　the　crews；　and　doing　all　manner　of　

terrible　things。　　My　brother　frequently　said　that　nothing　whatever　

prevented　him　from　running　away　from　his　ship；　and　never　returning；　

but　the　hope　he　entertained　of　one　day　being　captain　himself；　and　

able　to　torment　people　in　his　turn；　which　he　solemnly　vowed　he　

would　do；　as　a　kind　of　compensation　for　what　he　himself　had　

undergone。　　And　if　things　were　going　on　in　a　strange　way　off　the　

high　Barbary　shore　amongst　those　who　came　there　to　trade；　they　were　

going　on　in　a　way　yet　stranger　with　the　people　who　lived　upon　it。



'Oh　the　strange　ways　of　the　black　men　who　lived　on　that　shore；　of　

which　my　brother　used　to　tell　us　at　home　…　selling　their　sons；　

daughters；　and　servants　for　slaves；　and　the　prisoners　taken　in　

battle；　to　the　Spanish　captains；　to　be　carried　to　Havannah；　and　

when　there；　sold　at　a　profit；　the　idea　of　which；　my　brother　said；　

went　to　the　hearts　of　our　own　captains；　who　used　to　say　what　a　hard　

thing　it　was　that　free…born　Englishmen　could　not　have　a　hand　in　the　

traffic；　seeing　that　it　was　forbidden　by　the　laws　of　their　country；　

talking　fondly　of　the　good　old　times　when　their　forefathers　used　to　

carry　slaves　to　Jamaica　and　Barbadoes；　realising　immense　profit；　

besides　the　pleasure　of　hearing　their　shrieks　on　the　voyage；　and　

then　the　superstitions　of　the　blacks；　which　my　brother　used　to　talk　

of；　their　sharks'　teeth；　their　wisps　of　fowls'　feathers；　their　

half…baked　pots　full　of　burnt　bones；　of　which　they　used　to　make　

what　they　called　fetish；　and　bow　down　to；　and　ask　favours　of；　and　

then；　perhaps；　abuse　and　strike；　provided　the　senseless　rubbish　did　

not　give　them　what　they　asked　for；　and　then；　above　all；　Mumbo　

Jumbo；　the　grand　fetish　master；　who　lived　somewhere　in　the　woods；　

and　who　used　to　come　out　every　now　and　then　with　his　fetish　

companions；　a　monstrous　figure；　all　wound　round　with　leaves　and　

branches；　so　as　to　be　quite　indistinguishable；　and；　seating　himself　

on　the　high　seat　in　the　villages；　receive　homage　from　the　people；