lavengro-第58章

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

confess　rather　an　unpleasant　one；　for　I　said　to　myself；　If　literary　

talent　is　so　very　common　in　London；　that　the　journals；　things　

which；　as　their　very　name　denotes；　are　ephemeral；　are　written　in　a　

style　like　the　article　I　have　been　perusing；　how　can　I　hope　to　

distinguish　myself　in　this　big　town；　when；　for　the　life　of　me；　I　

don't　think　I　could　write　anything　half　so　clever　as　what　I　have　

been　reading？　　And　then　I　laid　down　the　paper；　and　fell　into　deep　

musing；　rousing　myself　from　which；　I　took　a　glass　of　wine；　and；　

pouring　out　another；　began　musing　again。　　What　I　have　been　reading；　

thought　I；　is　certainly　very　clever　and　very　talented；　but　talent　

and　cleverness　I　think　I　have　heard　some　one　say　are　very　

commonplace　things；　only　fitted　for　everyday　occasions。　　I　question　

whether　the　man　who　wrote　the　book　I　saw　this　day　on　the　bridge　was　

a　clever　man；　but；　after　all；　was　he　not　something　much　better？　I　

don't　think　he　could　have　written　this　article；　but　then　he　wrote　

the　book　which　I　saw　on　the　bridge。　　Then；　if　he　could　not　have　

written　the　article　on　which　I　now　hold　my　forefinger　…　and　I　do　

not　believe　he　could　…　why　should　I　feel　discouraged　at　the　

consciousness　that　I；　too；　could　not　write　it？　　I　certainly　could　

no　more　have　written　the　article　than　he　could；　but　then；　like　him；　

though　I　would　not　compare　myself　to　the　man　who　wrote　the　book　I　

saw　upon　the　bridge；　I　think　I　could　…　and　here　I　emptied　the　glass　

of　claret　…　write　something　better。



Thereupon　I　resumed　the　newspaper；　and；　as　I　was　before　struck　with　

the　fluency　of　style　and　the　general　talent　which　it　displayed；　I　

was　now　equally　so　with　its　commonplaceness　and　want　of　originality　

on　every　subject；　and　it　was　evident　to　me　that；　whatever　advantage　

these　newspaper…writers　might　have　over　me　in　some　points；　they　had　

never　studied　the　Welsh　bards；　translated　Kaempe　Viser；　or　been　

under　the　pupilage　of　Mr。　Petulengro　and　Tawno　Chikno。



And　as　I　sat　conning　the　newspaper　three　individuals　entered　the　

room；　and　seated　themselves　in　the　box　at　the　farther　end　of　which　

I　was。　　They　were　all　three　very　well　dressed；　two　of　them　elderly　

gentlemen；　the　third　a　young　man　about　my　own　age；　or　perhaps　a　

year　or　two　older：　　they　called　for　coffee；　and；　after　two　or　three　

observations；　the　two　eldest　commenced　a　conversation　in　French；　

which；　however；　though　they　spoke　it　fluently　enough；　I　perceived　

at　once　was　not　their　native　language；　the　young　man；　however；　took　

no　part　in　their　conversation；　and　when　they　addressed　a　portion　to　

him；　which　indeed　was　but　rarely；　merely　replied　by　a　monosyllable。　　

I　have　never　been　a　listener；　and　I　paid　but　little　heed　to　their　

discourse；　nor　indeed　to　themselves；　as　I　occasionally　looked　up；　

however；　I　could　perceive　that　the　features　of　the　young　man；　who　

chanced　to　be　seated　exactly　opposite　to　me；　wore　an　air　of　

constraint　and　vexation。　　This　circumstance　caused　me　to　observe　

him　more　particularly　than　I　otherwise　should　have　done：　　his　

features　were　handsome　and　prepossessing；　he　had　dark　brown　hair　

and　a　high…arched　forehead。　　After　the　lapse　of　half　an　hour；　the　

two　elder　individuals；　having　finished　their　coffee；　called　for　the　

waiter；　and　then　rose　as　if　to　depart；　the　young　man；　however；　

still　remaining　seated　in　the　box。　　The　others；　having　reached　the　

door；　turned　round；　and；　finding　that　the　youth　did　not　follow　

them；　one　of　them　called　to　him　with　a　tone　of　some　authority；　

whereupon　the　young　man　rose；　and；　pronouncing　half　audibly　the　

word　'botheration；'　rose　and　followed　them。　　I　now　observed　that　he　

was　remarkably　tall。　　All　three　left　the　house。　　In　about　ten　

minutes；　finding　nothing　more　worth　reading　in　the　newspaper；　I　

laid　it　down；　and　though　the　claret　was　not　yet　exhausted；　I　was　

thinking　of　betaking　myself　to　my　lodgings；　and　was　about　to　call　

the　waiter；　when　I　heard　a　step　in　the　passage；　and　in　another　

moment　the　tall　young　man　entered　the　room；　advanced　to　the　same　

box；　and；　sitting　down　nearly　opposite　to　me；　again　pronounced　to　

himself；　but　more　audibly　than　before；　the　same　word。



'A　troublesome　world　this；　sir；'　said　I；　looking　at　him。



'Yes；'　said　the　young　man；　looking　fixedly　at　me；　'but　I　am　afraid　

we　bring　most　of　our　troubles　on　our　own　heads　…　at　least　I　can　say　

so　of　myself；'　he　added；　laughing。　　Then；　after　a　pause；　'I　beg　

pardon；'　he　said；　'but　am　I　not　addressing　one　of　my　own　country？'



'Of　what　country　are　you？'　said　I。



'Ireland。'



'I　am　not　of　your　country；　sir；　but　I　have　an　infinite　veneration　

for　your　country；　as　Strap　said　to　the　French　soldier。　　Will　you　

take　a　glass　of　wine？'



'Ah；　de　tout　mon　coeur；　as　the　parasite　said　to　Gil　Blas；'　cried　

the　young　man；　laughing。　　'Here's　to　our　better　acquaintance！'



And　better　acquainted　we　soon　became；　and　I　found　that；　in　making　

the　acquaintance　of　the　young　man；　I　had　indeed　made　a　valuable　

acquisition；　he　was　accomplished；　highly　connected；　and　bore　the　

name　of　Francis　Ardry。　　Frank　and　ardent　he　was；　and　in　a　very　

little　time　had　told　me　much　that　related　to　himself；　and　in　return　

I　communicated　a　general　outline　of　my　own　history；　he　listened　

with　profound　attention；　but　laughed　heartily　when　I　told　him　some　

particulars　of　my　visit　in　the　morning　to　the　publisher；　whom　he　

had　frequently　heard　of。



We　left　the　house　together。



'We　shall　soon　see　each　other　again；'　said　he；　as　we　separated　at　

the　door　of　my　lodging。







CHAPTER　XXXIII







Dine　with　the　publisher　…　Religions　…　No　animal　food　…　Unprofitable　

discussions　…　Principles　of　criticism　…　The　book　market　…　Newgate　

lives　…　Goethe　a　drug　…　German　acquirements　…　Moral　dignity。



ON　the　Sunday　I　was　punctual　to　my　appointment　to　dine　with　the　

publisher。　　As　I　hurried　along　the　square　in　which　his　house　stood；　

my　thoughts　were　fixed　so　intently　on　the　great　man；　that　I　passed　

by　him　without　seeing　him。　　He　had　observed　me；　however；　and　joined　

me　just　as　I　was　about　to　knock　at　the　door。　　'Let　us　take　a　turn　

in　the　square；'　said　he；　'we　shall　not　dine　for　half　an　hour。'



'Well；'　said　he；　as　we　were　walking　in　the　square；　'what　have　you　

been　doing　since　I　last　saw　you？'



'I　have　been　looking　about　London；'　said　I；　'and　I　have　bought　the　

DAIRYMAN'S　DAUGHTER；　here　it　is。'



'Pray　put　it　up；'　said　the　publisher；　'I　don't　want　to　look　at　such　

trash。　　Well；　do　you　think　you　could　write　anything　like　it？'



'I　do　not；'　said　I。



'How　is　that？'　said　the　publisher；　looking　at　me。



'Because；'　said　I；　'the　man　who　wrote　it　seems　to　be　perfectly　well　

acquainted　with　his　subject；　and；　moreover；　to　write　from　the　

heart。'



'By　the　subject　you　mean　…　'



'Religion。'



'And　ain't　you　acquainted　with　religion？'



'Very　little。'



'I　am　sorry　for　that；'　said　the　publisher　seriously；　'for　he　who　

sets　up　for　an　author　ought　to　be　acquainted　not　only　with　

religion；　but　religions；　and　indeed　with　all　subjects；　like　my　good　

friend　in　the　country。　　It　is　well　that　I　have　changed　my　mind　

about　the　DAIRYMAN'S　DAUGHTER；　or　I　really　don't　know　whom　I　could　

apply　to　on　the　subject　at　the　present　moment；　unless　to　himself；　

and　after　all　I　question　whether　his　style　is　exactly　suited　for　an　

evangelical　novel。'



'Then　you　do　not　wish　for　an　imitation　of　the　DAIRYMAN'S　DAUGHTER？'



'I　do　not；　sir；　I　have　changed　my　mind；　as　I　told　you　before；　I　

wish　to　employ　you　in　another　line；　but　will　communicate　to　you　my　

intentions　after　dinner。'



At　dinner；　beside　the　publisher　and　myself；　were　present　his　wife　

and　son　with　his　newly…married　bride；　the　wife　appeared　a　quiet　

respectable　woman；　and　the　young　people　looked　very　happy　and　good…

natured；　not　so　the　publisher；　who　occasionally　eyed　both　with　

contempt　and　dislik