lavengro-第57章

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'A　deep　what；　dear？'



'A　…　but　no　matter；　I　will　give　you　a　crown　for　this　volume。'



'No；　dear；　I　will　not　sell　the　volume　for　a　crown。'



'I　am　poor；'　said　I；　'but　I　will　give　you　two　silver　crowns　for　

your　volume。'



'No；　dear；　I　will　not　sell　my　volume　for　two　silver　crowns；　no；　nor　

for　the　golden　one　in　the　king's　tower　down　there；　without　my　book　

I　should　mope　and　pine；　and　perhaps　fling　myself　into　the　river；　

but　I　am　glad　you　like　it；　which　shows　that　I　was　right　about　you；　

after　all；　you　are　one　of　our　party；　and　you　have　a　flash　about　

that　eye　of　yours　which　puts　me　just　in　mind　of　my　dear　son。　　No；　

dear；　I　won't　sell　you　my　book；　but；　if　you　like；　you　may　have　a　

peep　into　it　whenever　you　come　this　way。　　I　shall　be　glad　to　see　

you；　you　are　one　of　the　right　sort；　for；　if　you　had　been　a　common　

one；　you　would　have　run　away　with　the　thing；　but　you　scorn　such　

behaviour；　and；　as　you　are　so　flash　of　your　money；　though　you　say　

you　are　poor；　you　may　give　me　a　tanner　to　buy　a　little　baccy　with；　

I　love　baccy；　dear；　more　by　token　that　it　comes　from　the　

plantations　to　which　the　blessed　woman　was　sent。'



'What's　a　tanner？'　said　I。



'Lor！　don't　you　know；　dear？　　Why；　a　tanner　is　sixpence；　and；　as　you　

were　talking　just　now　about　crowns；　it　will　be　as　well　to　tell　you　

that　those　of　our　trade　never　calls　them　crowns；　but　bulls；　but　I　

am　talking　nonsense；　just　as　if　you　did　not　know　all　that　already；　

as　well　as　myself；　you　are　only　shamming　…　I'm　no　trap；　dear；　nor　

more　was　the　blessed　woman　in　the　book。　　Thank　you；　dear　…　thank　

you　for　the　tanner；　if　I　don't　spend　it；　I'll　keep　it　in　

remembrance　of　your　sweet　face。　　What；　you　are　going？　…　well；　first　

let　me　whisper　a　word　to　you。　　If　you　have　any　clies　to　sell　at　any　

time；　I'll　buy　them　of　you；　all　safe　with　me；　I　never　peach；　and　

scores　a　trap；　so　now；　dear；　God　bless　you！　and　give　you　good　luck。　　

Thank　you　for　your　pleasant　company；　and　thank　you　for　the　tanner。'







CHAPTER　XXXII







The　tanner　…　The　hotel　…　Drinking　claret　…　London　journal　…　New　

field　…　Commonplaceness　…　The　three　individuals　…　Botheration　…　

Frank　and　ardent。



'TANNER！'　said　I　musingly；　as　I　left　the　bridge；　'Tanner！　what　can　

the　man　who　cures　raw　skins　by　means　of　a　preparation　of　oak　bark　

and　other　materials　have　to　do　with　the　name　which　these　fakers；　as　

they　call　themselves；　bestow　on　the　smallest　silver　coin　in　these　

dominions？　　Tanner！　　I　can't　trace　the　connection　between　the　man　

of　bark　and　the　silver　coin；　unless　journeymen　tanners　are　in　the　

habit　of　working　for　sixpence　a　day。　　But　I　have　it；'　I　continued；　

flourishing　my　hat　over　my　head；　'tanner；　in　this　instance；　is　not　

an　English　word。'　　Is　it　not　surprising　that　the　language　of　Mr。　

Petulengro　and　of　Tawno　Chikno　is　continually　coming　to　my　

assistance　whenever　I　appear　to　be　at　a　nonplus　with　respect　to　the　

derivation　of　crabbed　words？　　I　have　made　out　crabbed　words　in　

AEschylus　by　means　of　the　speech　of　Chikno　and　Petulengro；　and　even　

in　my　Biblical　researches　I　have　derived　no　slight　assistance　from　

it。　　It　appears　to　be　a　kind　of　picklock；　an　open　sesame；　Tanner　…　

Tawno！　the　one　is　but　a　modification　of　the　other；　they　were　

originally　identical；　and　have　still　much　the　same　signification。　　

Tanner；　in　the　language　of　the　apple…woman；　meaneth　the　smallest　of　

English　silver　coins；　and　Tawno；　in　the　language　of　the　

Petulengres；　though　bestowed　upon　the　biggest　of　the　Romans；　

according　to　strict　interpretation　signifieth　a　little　child。



So　I　left　the　bridge；　retracing　my　steps　for　a　considerable　way；　as　

I　thought　I　had　seen　enough　in　the　direction　in　which　I　had　

hitherto　been　wandering；　I　should　say　that　I　scarcely　walked　less　

than　thirty　miles　about　the　big　city　on　the　day　of　my　first　

arrival。　　Night　came　on；　but　still　I　was　walking　about；　my　eyes　

wide　open；　and　admiring　everything　that　presented　itself　to　them。　　

Everything　was　new　to　me；　for　everything　is　different　in　London　

from　what　it　is　elsewhere　…　the　people；　their　language；　the　horses；　

the　TOUT　ENSEMBLE　…　even　the　stones　of　London　are　different　from　

others　…　at　least　it　appeared　to　me　that　I　had　never　walked　with　

the　same　case　and　facility　on　the　flagstones　of　a　country　town　as　

on　those　of　London；　so　I　continued　roving　about　till　night　came　on；　

and　then　the　splendour　of　some　of　the　shops　particularly　struck　me。　　

'A　regular　Arabian　Nights　entertainment！'　said　I；　as　I　looked　into　

one　on　Cornhill；　gorgeous　with　precious　merchandise；　and　lighted　up　

with　lustres；　the　rays　of　which　were　reflected　from　a　hundred　

mirrors。



But；　notwithstanding　the　excellence　of　the　London　pavement；　I　began　

about　nine　o'clock　to　feel　myself　thoroughly　tired；　painfully　and　

slowly　did　I　drag　my　feet　along。　　I　also　felt　very　much　in　want　of　

some　refreshment；　and　I　remembered　that　since　breakfast　I　had　taken　

nothing。　　I　was　now　in　the　Strand；　and；　glancing　about；　I　perceived　

that　I　was　close　by　an　hotel；　which　bore　over　the　door　the　somewhat　

remarkable　name　of　Holy　Lands。　　Without　a　moment's　hesitation　I　

entered　a　well…lighted　passage；　and；　turning　to　the　left；　I　found　

myself　in　a　well…lighted　coffee…room；　with　a　well…dressed　and　

frizzled　waiter　before　me；　'Bring　me　some　claret；'　said　I；　for　I　

was　rather　faint　than　hungry；　and　I　felt　ashamed　to　give　a　humbler　

order　to　so　well…dressed　an　individual。　　The　waiter　looked　at　me　

for　a　moment；　then；　making　a　low　bow；　he　bustled　off；　and　I　sat　

myself　down　in　the　box　nearest　to　the　window。　　Presently　the　waiter　

returned；　bearing　beneath　his　left　arm　a　long　bottle；　and　between　

the　fingers　of　his　right　hand　two　large　purple　glasses；　placing　the　

latter　on　the　table；　he　produced　a　corkscrew；　drew　the　cork　in　a　

twinkling；　set　the　bottle　down　before　me　with　a　bang；　and　then；　

standing　still；　appeared　to　watch　my　movements。　　You　think　I　don't　

know　how　to　drink　a　glass　of　claret；　thought　I　to　myself。　　I'll　

soon　show　you　how　we　drink　claret　where　I　come　from；　and；　filling　

one　of　the　glasses　to　the　brim；　I　flickered　it　for　a　moment　between　

my　eyes　and　the　lustre；　and　then　held　it　to　my　nose；　having　given　

that　organ　full　time　to　test　the　bouquet　of　the　wine；　I　applied　the　

glass　to　my　lips；　taking　a　large　mouthful　of　the　wine；　which　I　

swallowed　slowly　and　by　degrees；　that　the　palate　might　likewise　

have　an　opportunity　of　performing　its　functions。　　A　second　mouthful　

I　disposed　of　more　summarily；　then；　placing　the　empty　glass　upon　

the　table；　I　fixed　my　eyes　upon　the　bottle；　and　said　…　nothing；　

whereupon　the　waiter；　who　had　been　observing　the　whole　process　with　

considerable　attention；　made　me　a　bow　yet　more　low　than　before；　

and；　turning　on　his　heel；　retired　with　a　smart　chuck　of　his　head；　

as　much　as　to　say；　It　is　all　right：　　the　young　man　is　used　to　

claret。



And　when　the　waiter　had　retired　I　took　a　second　glass　of　the　wine；　

which　I　found　excellent；　and；　observing　a　newspaper　lying　near　me；　

I　took　it　up　and　began　perusing　it。　　It　has　been　observed　somewhere　

that　people　who　are　in　the　habit　of　reading　newspapers　every　day　

are　not　unfrequently　struck　with　the　excellence　of　style　and　

general　talent　which　they　display。　　Now；　if　that　be　the　case；　how　

must　I　have　been　surprised；　who　was　reading　a　newspaper　for　the　

first　time；　and　that　one　of　the　best　of　the　London　journals！　　Yes；　

strange　as　it　may　seem；　it　was　nevertheless　true　that；　up　to　the　

moment　of　which　I　am　speaking；　I　had　never　read　a　newspaper　of　any　

description。　　I　of　course　had　frequently　seen　journals；　and　even　

handled　them；　but；　as　for　reading　them；　what　were　they　to　me？　　I　

cared　not　for　news。　　But　here　I　was　now　with　my　claret　before　me；　

perusing；　perhaps；　the　best　of　all　the　London　journals；　it　was　not　

the　…；　and　I　was　astonished：　　an　entirely　new　field　of　literature　

appeared　to　be　opened　to　my　view。　　It　was　a　discovery；　but　I