lavengro-第31章

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stream。　　Whether　from　the　effect　of　his　words；　or　from　want　of　

inclination　to　the　sport；　I　know　not；　but　from　that　day　I　became　

less　and　less　a　practitioner　of　that　'cruel　fishing。'　　I　rarely　

flung　line　and　angle　into　the　water；　but　I　not　unfrequently　

wandered　by　the　banks　of　the　pleasant　rivulet。　　It　seems　singular　

to　me；　on　reflection；　that　I　never　availed　myself　of　his　kind　

invitation。　　I　say　singular；　for　the　extraordinary；　under　whatever　

form；　had　long　had　no　slight　interest　for　me；　and　I　had　discernment　

enough　to　perceive　that　yon　was　no　common　man。　　Yet　I　went　not　near　

him；　certainly　not　from　bashfulness　or　timidity；　feelings　to　which　

I　had　long　been　an　entire　stranger。　　Am　I　to　regret　this？　perhaps；　

for　I　might　have　learned　both　wisdom　and　righteousness　from　those　

calm；　quiet　lips；　and　my　after…course　might　have　been　widely　

different。　　As　it　was；　I　fell　in　with　other　guess　companions；　from　

whom　I　received　widely　different　impressions　than　those　I　might　

have　derived　from　him。　　When　many　years　had　rolled　on；　long　after　I　

had　attained　manhood；　and　had　seen　and　suffered　much；　and　when　our　

first　interview　had　long　since　been　effaced　from　the　mind　of　the　

man　of　peace；　I　visited　him　in　his　venerable　hall；　and　partook　of　

the　hospitality　of　his　hearth。　　And　there　I　saw　his　gentle　partner　

and　his　fair　children；　and　on　the　morrow　he　showed　me　the　books　of　

which　he　had　spoken　years　before　by　the　side　of　the　stream。　　In　the　

low　quiet　chamber；　whose　one　window；　shaded　by　a　gigantic　elm；　

looks　down　the　slope　towards　the　pleasant　stream；　he　took　from　the　

shelf　his　learned　books；　Zohar　and　Mishna；　Toldoth　Jesu　and　

Abarbenel。　　'I　am　fond　of　these　studies；'　said　he；　'which；　perhaps；　

is　　not　to　be　wondered　at；　seeing　that　our　people　have　been　

compared　to　the　Jews。　　In　one　respect　I　confess　we　are　similar　to　

them；　we　are　fond　of　getting　money。　　I　do　not　like　this　last　

author；　this　Abarbenel；　the　worse　for　having　been　a　money…changer。　　

I　am　a　banker　myself；　as　thou　knowest。'



And　would　there　were　many　like　him；　amidst　the　money…changers　of　

princes！　　The　hall　of　many　an　earl　lacks　the　bounty；　the　palace　of　

many　a　prelate　the　piety　and　learning；　which　adorn　the　quiet　

quaker's　home！







CHAPTER　XVI







Fair　of　horses　…　Looks　of　respect　…　The　fast　trotter　…　Pair　of　eyes　

…　Strange　men　…　Jasper；　your　pal　…　Force　of　blood　…　Young　lady　with　

diamonds　…　Not　quite　so　beautiful。



I　WAS　standing　on　the　castle　hill　in　the　midst　of　a　fair　of　horses。



I　have　already　had　occasion　to　mention　this　castle。　　It　is　the　

remains　of　what　was　once　a　Norman　stronghold；　and　is　perched　upon　a　

round　mound　or　monticle；　in　the　midst　of　the　old　city。　　Steep　is　

this　mound　and　scarped；　evidently　by　the　hand　of　man；　a　deep　gorge　

over　which　is　flung　a　bridge；　separates　it；　on　the　south；　from　a　

broad　swell　of　open　ground　called　'the　hill'；　of　old　the　scene　of　

many　a　tournament　and　feat　of　Norman　chivalry；　but　now　much　used　as　

a　show…place　for　cattle；　where　those　who　buy　and　sell　beeves　and　

other　beasts　resort　at　stated　periods。



So　it　came　to　pass　that　I　stood　upon　this　hill；　observing　a　fair　of　

horses。



The　reader　is　already　aware　that　I　had　long　since　conceived　a　

passion　for　the　equine　race；　a　passion　in　which　circumstances　had　

of　late　not　permitted　me　to　indulge。　　I　had　no　horses　to　ride；　but　

I　took　pleasure　in　looking　at　them；　and　I　had　already　attended　more　

than　one　of　these　fairs：　　the　present　was　lively　enough；　indeed　

horse　fairs　are　seldom　dull。　　There　was　shouting　and　whooping；　

neighing　and　braying；　there　was　galloping　and　trotting；　fellows　

with　highlows　and　white　stockings；　and　with　many　a　string　dangling　

from　the　knees　of　their　tight　breeches；　were　running　desperately；　

holding　horses　by　the　halter；　and　in　some　cases　dragging　them　

along；　there　were　long…tailed　steeds　and　dock…tailed　steeds　of　

every　degree　and　breed；　there　were　droves　of　wild　ponies；　and　long　

rows　of　sober　cart　horses；　there　were　donkeys；　and　even　mules：　　the　

last　rare　things　to　be　seen　in　damp；　misty　England；　for　the　mule　

pines　in　mud　and　rain；　and　thrives　best　with　a　hot　sun　above　and　a　

burning　sand　below。　　There　were　…　oh；　the　gallant　creatures！　　I　

hear　their　neigh　upon　the　wind；　there　were　…　goodliest　sight　of　all　

…　certain　enormous　quadrupeds　only　seen　to　perfection　in　our　native　

isle；　led　about　by　dapper　grooms；　their　manes　ribanded　and　their　

tails　curiously　clubbed　and　balled。　　Ha！　ha！　…　how　distinctly　do　

they　say；　ha！　ha！



An　old　man　draws　nigh；　he　is　mounted　on　a　lean　pony；　and　he　leads　

by　the　bridle　one　of　these　animals；　nothing　very　remarkable　about　

that　creature；　unless　in　being　smaller　than　the　rest　and　gentle；　

which　they　are　not；　he　is　not　of　the　sightliest　look；　he　is　almost　

dun；　and　over　one　eye　a　thick　film　has　gathered。　　But　stay！　there　

IS　something　remarkable　about　that　horse；　there　is　something　in　his　

action　in　which　he　differs　from　all　the　rest：　　as　he　advances；　the　

clamour　is　hushed！　all　eyes　are　turned　upon　him　…　what　looks　of　

interest　…　of　respect　…　and；　what　is　this？　people　are　taking　off　

their　hats　…　surely　not　to　that　steed！　　Yes；　verily！　men；　

especially　old　men；　are　taking　off　their　hats　to　that　one…eyed　

steed；　and　I　hear　more　than　one　deep…drawn　ah！



'What　horse　is　that？'　said　I　to　a　very　old　fellow；　the　counterpart　

of　the　old　man　on　the　pony；　save　that　the　last　wore　a　faded　suit　of　

velveteen；　and　this　one　was　dressed　in　a　white　frock。



'The　best　in　mother　England；'　said　the　very　old　man；　taking　a　

knobbed　stick　from　his　mouth；　and　looking　me　in　the　face；　at　first　

carelessly；　but　presently　with　something　like　interest；　'he　is　old　

like　myself；　but　can　still　trot　his　twenty　miles　an　hour。　　You　

won't　live　long；　my　swain；　tall　and　over…grown　ones　like　thee　never　

does；　yet；　if　you　should　chance　to　reach　my　years；　you　may　boast　to　

thy　great…grand…boys　thou　hast　seen　Marshland　Shales。'



Amain　I　did　for　the　horse　what　I　would　neither　do　for　earl　nor　

baron；　doffed　my　hat；　yes！　I　doffed　my　hat　to　the　wondrous　horse；　

the　fast　trotter；　the　best　in　mother　England；　and　I　too　drew　a　deep　

ah！　and　repeated　the　words　of　the　old　fellows　around。　　'Such　a　

horse　as　this　we　shall　never　see　again；　a　pity　that　he　is　so　old。'



Now　during　all　this　time　I　had　a　kind　of　consciousness　that　I　had　

been　the　object　of　some　person's　observation；　that　eyes　were　

fastened　upon　me　from　somewhere　in　the　crowd。　　Sometimes　I　thought　

myself　watched　from　before；　sometimes　from　behind；　and　occasionally　

methought　that；　if　I　just　turned　my　head　to　the　right　or　left；　I　

should　meet　a　peering　and　inquiring　glance；　and　indeed　once　or　

twice　I　did　turn；　expecting　to　see　somebody　whom　I　knew；　yet　always　

without　success；　though　it　appeared　to　me　that　I　was　but　a　moment　

too　late；　and　that　some　one　had　just　slipped　away　from　the　

direction　to　which　I　turned；　like　the　figure　in　a　magic　lanthorn。　　

Once　I　was　quite　sure　that　there　were　a　pair　of　eyes　glaring　over　

my　right　shoulder；　my　attention；　however；　was　so　fully　occupied　

with　the　objects　which　I　have　attempted　to　describe；　that　I　thought　

very　little　of　this　coming　and　going；　this　flitting　and　dodging　of　

I　knew　not　whom　or　what。　　It　was；　after　all；　a　matter　of　sheer　

indifference　to　me　who　was　looking　at　me。　　I　could　only　wish　

whomsoever　it　might　be　to　be　more　profitably　employed；　so　I　

continued　enjoying　what　I　saw；　and　now　there　was　a　change　in　the　

scene；　the　wondrous　old　horse　departed　with　his　aged　guardian；　

other　objects　of　interest　are　at　hand；　two　or　three　men　on　

horseback　are　hurrying　through　the　crowd；　they　are　widely　different　

in　their　appearance　from　the　other　people　of　the　fair；　not　so　much　

in　dress；　for　they　are　clad　something　after　the　fashion　of　rustic　

jockeys；　but　in　their　look　…　no　light…brown　hair　have　they；　no　

ruddy　cheeks；　no　blue　quiet　glances　belong　t