lavengro-第156章

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take　my　Bible　oath　that　it　was　not　made　there；　and　that　the　priests　

kept　it　all　for　themselves。







CHAPTER　XCIX







A　cloister　…　Half　English　…　New　acquaintance　…　Mixed　liquors　…　


Turning　Papist　…　Purposes　of　charity　…　Foreign　religion　…　

Melancholy　…　Elbowing　and　pushing　…　Outlandish　sight　…　The　figure　…　

I　don't　care　for　you　…　Merry…andrews　…　One　good　…　Religion　of　my　

country　…　Fellow　of　spirit　…　A　dispute　…　The　next　morning　…　Female　

doll　…　Proper　dignity　…　Fetish　country。



'THE　day　after　our　arrival；'　continued　the　postilion；　'I　was　sent；　

under　the　guidance　of　a　lackey　of　the　place；　with　a　letter；　which　

the　priest；　when　he　left；　had　given　us　for　a　friend　of　his　in　the　

Eternal　City。　　We　went　to　a　large　house；　and　on　ringing　were　

admitted　by　a　porter　into　a　cloister；　where　I　saw　some　ill…looking；　

shabby　young　fellows　walking　about；　who　spoke　English　to　one　

another。　　To　one　of　these　the　porter　delivered　the　letter；　and　the　

young　fellow；　going　away；　presently　returned　and　told　me　to　follow　

him；　he　led　me　into　a　large　room　where；　behind　a　table　on　which　

were　various　papers　and　a　thing　which　they　call；　in　that　country；　a　

crucifix；　sat　a　man　in　a　kind　of　priestly　dress。　　The　lad　having　

opened　the　door　for　me；　shut　it　behind　me；　and　went　away。　　The　man　

behind　the　table　was　so　engaged　in　reading　the　letter　which　I　had　

brought；　that　at　first　he　took　no　notice　of　me；　he　had　red　hair；　a　

kind　of　half…English　countenance；　and　was　seemingly　about　five…and…

thirty。　　After　a　little　time　he　laid　the　letter　down；　appeared　to　

consider　a　moment；　and　then　opened　his　mouth　with　a　strange　laugh；　

not　a　loud　laugh；　for　I　heard　nothing　but　a　kind　of　hissing　deep　

down　the　throat；　all　of　a　sudden；　however；　perceiving　me；　he　gave　a　

slight　start；　but；　instantly　recovering　himself；　he　inquired　in　

English　concerning　the　health　of　the　family；　and　where　we　lived：　　

on　my　delivering　him　a　card；　he　bade　me　inform　my　master　and　the　

ladies　that　in　the　course　of　the　day　he　would　do　himself　the　honour　

of　waiting　upon　them。　　He　then　arose　and　opened　the　door　for　me　to　

depart。　　The　man　was　perfectly　civil　and　courteous；　but　I　did　not　

like　that　strange　laugh　of　his　after　having　read　the　letter。　　He　

was　as　good　as　his　word；　and　that　same　day　paid　us　a　visit。　　It　was　

now　arranged　that　we　should　pass　the　winter　in　Rome　…　to　my　great　

annoyance；　for　I　wished　to　return　to　my　native　land；　being　heartily　

tired　of　everything　connected　with　Italy。　　I　was　not；　however；　

without　hope　that　our　young　master　would　shortly　arrive；　when　I　

trusted　that　matters；　as　far　as　the　family　were　concerned；　would　be　

put　on　a　better　footing。　　In　a　few　days　our　new　acquaintance；　who；　

it　seems；　was　a　mongrel　Englishman；　had　procured　a　house　for　our　

accommodation；　it　was　large　enough；　but　not　near　so　pleasant　as　

that　we　had　at　Naples；　which　was　light　and　airy；　with　a　large　

garden。　　This　was　a　dark　gloomy　structure　in　a　narrow　street；　with　

a　frowning　church　beside　it；　it　was　not　far　from　the　place　where　

our　new　friend　lived；　and　its　being　so　was　probably　the　reason　why　

he　selected　it。　　It　was　furnished　partly　with　articles　which　we　

bought；　and　partly　with　those　which　we　hired。　　We　lived　something　

in　the　same　way　as　at　Naples；　but　though　I　did　not　much　like　

Naples；　I　yet　liked　it　better　than　this　place；　which　was　so　gloomy。　　

Our　new　acquaintance　made　himself　as　agreeable　as　he　could；　

conducting　the　ladies　to　churches　and　convents；　and　frequently　

passing　the　afternoon　drinking　with　the　governor；　who　was　fond　of　a　

glass　of　brandy　and　water　and　a　cigar；　as　the　new　acquaintance　also　

was　…　no；　I　remember；　he　was　fond　of　gin　and　water；　and　did　not　

smoke。　　I　don't　think　he　had　so　much　influence　over　the　young　

ladies　as　the　other　priest；　which　was；　perhaps；　owing　to　his　not　

being　so　good…looking；　but　I　am　sure　he　had　more　influence　with　the　

governor；　owing；　doubtless；　to　his　bearing　him　company　in　drinking　

mixed　liquors；　which　the　other　priest　did　not　do。



'He　was　a　strange　fellow；　that　same　new　acquaintance　of　ours；　and　

unlike　all　the　priests　I　saw　in　that　country；　and　I　saw　plenty　of　

various　nations；　they　were　always　upon　their　guard；　and　had　their　

features　and　voice　modulated；　but　this　man　was　subject　to　fits　of　

absence；　during　which　he　would　frequently　mutter　to　himself；　then；　

though　he　was　perfectly　civil　to　everybody；　as　far　as　words　went；　I　

observed　that　he　entertained　a　thorough　contempt　for　most　people；　

especially　for　those　whom　he　was　making　dupes。　　I　have　observed　him　

whilst　drinking　with　our　governor；　when　the　old　man's　head　was　

turned；　look　at　him　with　an　air　which　seemed　to　say；　〃What　a　

thundering　old　fool　you　are〃；　and　at　our　young　ladies；　when　their　

backs　were　turned；　with　a　glance　which　said　distinctly　enough；　〃You　

precious　pair　of　ninnyhammers〃；　and　then　his　laugh　…　he　had　two　

kinds　of　laughs　…　one　which　you　could　hear；　and　another　which　you　

could　only　see。　　I　have　seen　him　laugh　at　our　governor　and　the　

young　ladies；　when　their　heads　were　turned　away；　but　I　heard　no　

sound。　　My　mother　had　a　sandy　cat；　which　sometimes　used　to　open　its　

mouth　wide　with　a　mew　which　nobody　could　hear；　and　the　silent　laugh　

of　that　red…haired　priest　used　to　put　me　wonderfully　in　mind　of　the　

silent　mew　of　my　mother's　sandy…red　cat。　　And　then　the　other　laugh；　

which　you　could　hear；　what　a　strange　laugh　that　was；　never　loud；　

yes；　I　have　heard　it　tolerably　loud。　　He　once　passed　near　me；　after　

having　taken　leave　of　a　silly　English　fellow　…　a　limping　parson　of　

the　name　of　Platitude；　who；　they　said；　was　thinking　of　turning　

Papist；　and　was　much　in　his　company；　I　was　standing　behind　the　

pillar　of　a　piazza；　and　as　he　passed　he　was　laughing　heartily。　　O　

he　was　a　strange　fellow；　that　same　red…haired　acquaintance　of　ours！



'After　we　had　been　at　Rome　about　six　weeks　our　old　friend　the　

priest　of　Naples　arrived；　but　without　his　subordinate；　for　whose　

services　he　now　perhaps　thought　that　he　had　no　occasion。　　I　believe　

he　found　matters　in　our　family　wearing　almost　as　favourable　an　

aspect　as　he　could　desire：　　with　what　he　had　previously　taught　them　

and　shown　them　at　Naples　and　elsewhere；　and　with　what　the　red…

haired　confederate　had　taught　them　and　shown　them　at　Rome；　the　poor　

young　ladies　had　become　quite　handmaids　of　superstition；　so　that　

they；　especially　the　youngest；　were　prepared　to　bow　down　to　

anything；　and　kiss　anything；　however　vile　and　ugly；　provided　a　

priest　commanded　them；　and　as　for　the　old　governor；　what　with　the　

influence　which　his　daughters　exerted；　and　what　with　the　ascendency　

which　the　red…haired　man　had　obtained　over　him；　he　dared　not　say　

his　purse；　far　less　his　soul；　was　his　own。　　Only　think　of　an　

Englishman　not　being　master　of　his　own　purse！　　My　acquaintance；　the　

lady's　maid；　assured　me　that；　to　her　certain　knowledge；　he　had　

disbursed　to　the　red…haired　man；　for　purposes　of　charity；　as　it　was　

said；　at　least　one　thousand　pounds　during　the　five　weeks　we　had　

been　at　Rome。　　She　also　told　me　that　things　would　shortly　be　

brought　to　a　conclusion　…　and　so　indeed　they　were；　though　in　a　

different　manner　from　what　she　and　I　and　some　other　people　

imagined；　that　there　was　to　be　a　grand　festival；　and　a　mass；　at　

which　we　were　to　be　present；　after　which　the　family　were　to　be　

presented　to　the　Holy　Father；　for　so　those　two　priestly　sharks　had　

managed　it；　and　then　。　。　。　she　said　she　was　certain　that　the　two　

ladies；　and　perhaps　the　old　governor；　would　forsake　the　religion　of　

their　native　land；　taking　up　with　that　of　these　foreign　regions；　

for　so　my　fellow…servant　expressed　it；　and　that　perhaps　attempts　

might　be　made　to　induce　us　poor　English　servants　to　take　up　with　

the　foreign　religion；　that　is　herself　and　me；　for　as　for　our　

fellow…servant；　the　other　maid；　she　wanted　no　inducing；　being　

disposed　body　and　soul　to　go　over　to　it。　　Whereupon　I　swore　with　an