lavengro-第24章

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one　end；　others　lounged　on　benches　by　the　side　of　a　turf　fire。　　The　

tall　sergeant　stood　before　the　fire；　holding　a　cooking　utensil　in　

his　left　hand；　on　seeing　me；　he　made　the　military　salutation。



'Is　my　brother　here？'　said　I；　rather　timidly；　dreading　to　hear　that　

he　was　out；　perhaps　for　the　day。



'The　ensign　is　in　his　room；　sir；'　said　Bagg；　'I　am　now　preparing　

his　meal；　which　will　presently　be　ready；　you　will　find　the　ensign　

above　stairs；'　and　he　pointed　to　a　broken　ladder　which　led　to　some　

place　above。



And　there　I　found　him　…　the　boy　soldier　…　in　a　kind　of　upper　loft；　

so　low　that　I　could　touch　with　my　hands　the　sooty　rafters；　the　

floor　was　of　rough　boards；　through　the　joints　of　which　you　could　

see　the　gleam　of　the　soldiers'　fire；　and　occasionally　discern　their　

figures　as　they　moved　about；　in　one　corner　was　a　camp　bedstead；　by　

the　side　of　which　hung　the　child's　sword；　gorget；　and　sash；　a　deal　

table　stood　in　the　proximity　of　the　rusty　grate；　where　smoked　and　

smouldered　a　pile　of　black　turf　from　the　bog；　…　a　deal　table　

without　a　piece　of　baize　to　cover　it；　yet　fraught　with　things　not　

devoid　of　interest：　　a　Bible；　given　by　a　mother；　the　ODYSSEY；　the　

Greek　ODYSSEY；　a　flute；　with　broad　silver　keys；　crayons；　moreover；　

and　water…colours；　and　a　sketch　of　a　wild　prospect　near；　which；　

though　but　half　finished；　afforded　ample　proof　of　the　excellence　

and　skill　of　the　boyish　hand　now　occupied　upon　it。



Ah！　he　was　a　sweet　being；　that　boy　soldier；　a　plant　of　early　

promise；　bidding　fair　to　become　in　after　time　all　that　is　great；　

good；　and　admirable。　　I　have　read　of　a　remarkable　Welshman；　of　whom　

it　was　said；　when　the　grave　closed　over　him；　that　he　could　frame　a　

harp；　and　play　it；　build　a　ship；　and　sail　it；　compose　an　ode；　and　

set　it　to　music。　　A　brave　fellow　that　son　of　Wales　…　but　I　had　once　

a　brother　who　could　do　more　and　better　than　this；　but　the　grave　has　

closed　over　him；　as　over　the　gallant　Welshman　of　yore；　there　are　

now　but　two　that　remember　him　…　the　one　who　bore　him；　and　the　being　

who　was　nurtured　at　the　same　breast。　　He　was　taken；　and　I　was　left！　

…　Truly；　the　ways　of　Providence　are　inscrutable。



'You　seem　to　be　very　comfortable；　John；'　said　I；　looking　around　the　

room　and　at　the　various　objects　which　I　have　described　above：　　'you　

have　a　good　roof　over　your　head；　and　have　all　your　things　about　

you。'



'Yes；　I　am　very　comfortable；　George；　in　many　respects；　I　am；　

moreover；　independent；　and　feel　myself　a　man　for　the　first　time　in　

my　life　…　independent　did　I　say？　…　that's　not　the　word；　I　am　

something　much　higher　than　that；　here　am　I；　not　sixteen　yet；　a　

person　in　authority；　like　the　centurion　in　the　book　there；　with　

twenty　Englishmen　under　me；　worth　a　whole　legion　of　his　men；　and　

that　fine　fellow　Bagg　to　wait　upon　me；　and　take　my　orders。　　Oh！　

these　last　six　weeks　have　passed　like　hours　of　heaven。'



'But　your　time　must　frequently　hang　heavy　on　your　hands；　this　is　a　

strange　wild　place；　and　you　must　be　very　solitary？'



'I　am　never　solitary；　I　have；　as　you　see；　all　my　things　about　me；　

and　there　is　plenty　of　company　below　stairs。　　Not　that　I　mix　with　

the　soldiers；　if　I　did；　good…bye　to　my　authority；　but　when　I　am　

alone　I　can　hear　all　their　discourse　through　the　planks；　and　I　

often　laugh　to　myself　at　the　funny　things　they　say。'



'And　have　you　any　acquaintance　here？'



'The　very　best；　much　better　than　the　Colonel　and　the　rest；　at　their　

grand　Templemore；　I　had　never　so　many　in　my　whole　life　before。　　One　

has　just　left　me；　a　gentleman　who　lives　at　a　distance　across　the　

bog；　he　comes　to　talk　with　me　about　Greek；　and　the　ODYSSEY；　for　he　

is　a　very　learned　man；　and　understands　the　old　Irish；　and　various　

other　strange　languages。　　He　has　had　a　dispute　with　Bagg。　　On　

hearing　his　name；　he　called　him　to　him；　and；　after　looking　at　him　

for　some　time　with　great　curiosity；　said　that　he　was　sure　he　was　a　

Dane。　　Bagg；　however；　took　the　compliment　in　dudgeon；　and　said　that　

he　was　no　more　a　Dane　than　himself；　but　a　true…born　Englishman；　and　

a　sergeant　of　six　years'　standing。'



'And　what　other　acquaintance　have　you？'



'All　kinds；　the　whole　neighbourhood　can't　make　enough　of　me。　　

Amongst　others　there's　the　clergyman　of　the　parish　and　his　family；　

such　a　venerable　old　man；　such　fine　sons　and　daughters！　　I　am　

treated　by　them　like　a　son　and　a　brother　…　I　might　be　always　with　

them　if　I　pleased；　there's　one　drawback；　however；　in　going　to　see　

them；　there's　a　horrible　creature　in　the　house；　a　kind　of　tutor；　

whom　they　keep　more　from　charity　than　anything　else；　he　is　a　Papist　

and；　they　say；　a　priest；　you　should　see　him　scowl　sometimes　at　my　

red　coat；　for　he　hates　the　king；　and　not　unfrequently；　when　the　

king's　health　is　drunk；　curses　him　between　his　teeth。　　I　once　got　

up　to　strike　him；　but　the　youngest　of　the　sisters；　who　is　the　

handsomest；　caught　my　arm　and　pointed　to　her　forehead。'



'And　what　does　your　duty　consist　of？　　Have　you　nothing　else　to　do　

than　pay　visits　and　receive　them？'



'We　do　what　is　required　of　us；　we　guard　this　edifice；　perform　our　

evolutions；　and　help　the　excise；　I　am　frequently　called　up　in　the　

dead　of　night　to　go　to　some　wild　place　or　other　in　quest　of　an　

illicit　still；　this　last　part　of　our　duty　is　poor　mean　work；　I　

don't　like　it；　nor　more　does　Bagg；　though　without　it　we　should　not　

see　much　active　service；　for　the　neighbourhood　is　quiet；　save　the　

poor　creatures　with　their　stills；　not　a　soul　is　stirring。　　'Tis　

true　there's　Jerry　Grant。'



'And　who　is　Jerry　Grant？'



'Did　you　never　hear　of　him？　that's　strange；　the　whole　country　is　

talking　about　him；　he　is　a　kind　of　outlaw；　rebel；　or　robber；　all　

three　I　daresay；　there's　a　hundred　pounds　offered　for　his　head。'



'And　where　does　he　live？'



'His　proper　home；　they　say；　is　in　the　Queen's　County；　where　he　has　

a　band；　but　he　is　a　strange　fellow；　fond　of　wandering　about　by　

himself　amidst　the　bogs　and　mountains；　and　living　in　the　old　

castles；　occasionally　he　quarters　himself　in　the　peasants'　houses；　

who　let　him　do　just　what　he　pleases；　he　is　free　of　his　money；　and　

often　does　them　good　turns；　and　can　be　good…humoured　enough；　so　

they　don't　dislike　him。　　Then　he　is　what　they　call　a　fairy　man；　a　

person　in　league　with　fairies　and　spirits；　and　able　to　work　much　

harm　by　supernatural　means；　on　which　account　they　hold　him　in　great　

awe；　he　is；　moreover；　a　mighty　strong　and　tall　fellow。　　Bagg　has　

seen　him。'



'Has　he？'



'Yes！　and　felt　him；　he　too　is　a　strange　one。　　A　few　days　ago　he　was　

told　that　Grant　had　been　seen　hovering　about　an　old　castle　some　two　

miles　off　in　the　bog；　so　one　afternoon　what　does　he　do　but；　without　

saying　a　word　to　me　…　for　which；　by　the　bye；　I　ought　to　put　him　

under　arrest；　though　what　I　should　do　without　Bagg　I　have　no　idea　

whatever　…　what　does　he　do　but　walk　off　to　the　castle；　intending；　

as　I　suppose；　to　pay　a　visit　to　Jerry。　　He　had　some　difficulty　in　

getting　there　on　account　of　the　turf…holes　in　the　bog；　which　he　was　

not　accustomed　to；　however；　thither　at　last　he　got　and　went　in。　　It　

was　a　strange　lonesome　place；　he　says；　and　he　did　not　much　like　the　

look　of　it；　however；　in　he　went；　and　searched　about　from　the　bottom　

to　the　top　and　down　again；　but　could　find　no　one；　he　shouted　and　

hallooed；　but　nobody　answered；　save　the　rooks　and　choughs；　which　

started　up　in　great　numbers。　　〃I　have　lost　my　trouble；〃　said　Bagg；　

and　left　the　castle。　　It　was　now　late　in　the　afternoon；　near　

sunset；　when　about　half…way　over　the　bog　he　met　a　man　…　'



'And　that　man　was　…　'



'Jerry　Grant！　there's　no　doubt　of　it。　　Bagg　says　it　was　the　most　

sudden　thing　in　the　world。　　He　was　moving　along；　making　the　best　of　

his　way；　thinking　of　nothing　at　all　save　a　public…house　at　Swanton　

Morley；　which　he　intends　to　take　when　he　gets　home；　and　the　

regiment　is　disbanded　…　though　I　hope　that　will　not　be　for　some　

ti