lavengro-第69章

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think　it。'



'Shall　I　help　you　out？'　said　Taggart；　turning　round　his　chair；　and　

looking　at　me。



'If　you　like；'　said　I。



'To　write　something　grand；'　said　Taggart；　taking　snuff；　'to　be　

stared　at　…　lifted　on　people's　shoulders　…　'



'Well；'　said　I；　'that　is　something　like　it。'



Taggart　took　snuff。　　'Well；'　said　he；　'why　don't　you　write　

something　grand？'



'I　have；'　said　I。



'What？'　said　Taggart。



'Why；'　said　I；　'there　are　those　ballads。'



Taggart　took　snuff。



'And　those　wonderful　versions　from　Ab　Gwilym。'



Taggart　took　snuff　again。



'You　seem　to　be　very　fond　of　snuff；'　said　I；　looking　at　him　

angrily。



Taggart　tapped　his　box。



'Have　you　taken　it　long？'



'Three…and…twenty　years。'



'What　snuff　do　you　take？'



'Universal　mixture。'



'And　you　find　it　of　use？



Taggart　tapped　his　box。



'In　what　respect？'　said　I。



'In　many　…　there　is　nothing　like　it　to　get　a　man　through；　but　for　

snuff　I　should　scarcely　be　where　I　am　now。'



'Have　you　been　long　here？'



'Three…and…twenty　years。'



'Dear　me；'　said　I；　'and　snuff　brought　you　through？　　Give　me　a　pinch　

…　pah；　I　don't　like　it；'　and　I　sneezed。



'Take　another　pinch；'　said　Taggart。



'No；'　said　I；　'I　don't　like　snuff。'



'Then　you　will　never　do　for　authorship；　at　least　for　this　kind。'



'So　I　begin　to　think　…　what　shall　I　do？'



Taggart　took　snuff。



'You　were　talking　of　a　great　work　…　what　shall　it　be？'



Taggart　took　snuff。



'Do　you　think　I　could　write　one？'



Taggart　uplifted　his　two　forefingers　as　if　to　tap；　he　did　not　

however。



'It　would　require　time；'　said　I；　with　a　half　sigh。



Taggart　tapped　his　box。



'A　great　deal　of　time；　I　really　think　that　my　ballads　…　'



Taggart　took　snuff。



'If　published；　would　do　me　credit。　　I'll　make　an　effort；　and　offer　

them　to　some　other　publisher。'



Taggart　took　a　double　quantity　of　snuff。







CHAPTER　XLII







Francis　Ardry　…　That　won't　do；　sir　…　Observe　my　gestures　…　I　think　

you　improve　…　Better　than　politics　…　Delightful　young　Frenchwoman　…　

A　burning　shame　…　Magnificent　impudence　…　Paunch　…　Voltaire　…　Lump　

of　sugar。



OCCASIONALLY　I　called　on　Francis　Ardry。　　This　young　gentleman　

resided　in　handsome　apartments　in　the　neighbourhood　of　a　

fashionable　square；　kept　a　livery　servant；　and；　upon　the　whole；　

lived　in　very　good　style。　　Going　to　see　him　one　day；　between　one　

and　two；　I　was　informed　by　the　servant　that　his　master　was　engaged　

for　the　moment；　but　that；　if　I　pleased　to　wait　a　few　minutes；　I　

should　find　him　at　liberty。　　Having　told　the　man　that　I　had　no　

objection；　he　conducted　me　into　a　small　apartment　which　served　as　

antechamber　to　a　drawing…room；　the　door　of　this　last　being　half　

open；　I　could　see　Francis　Ardry　at　the　farther　end；　speechifying　

and　gesticulating　in　a　very　impressive　manner。　　The　servant；　in　

some　confusion；　was　hastening　to　close　the　door；　but；　ere　he　could　

effect　his　purpose；　Francis　Ardry；　who　had　caught　a　glimpse　of　me；　

exclaimed；　'Come　in　…　come　in　by　all　means'；　and　then　proceeded；　as　

before；　speechifying　and　gesticulating。　　Filled　with　some　surprise；　

I　obeyed　his　summons。



On　entering　the　room　I　perceived　another　individual；　to　whom　

Francis　Ardry　appeared　to　be　addressing　himself；　this　other　was　a　

short　spare　man　of　about　sixty；　his　hair　was　of　badger　gray；　and　

his　face　was　covered　with　wrinkles　…　without　vouchsafing　me　a　look；　

he　kept　his　eye；　which　was　black　and　lustrous；　fixed　full　on　

Francis　Ardry；　as　if　paying　the　deepest　attention　to　his　discourse。　　

All　of　a　sudden；　however；　he　cried　with　a　sharp；　cracked　voice；　

'That　won't　do；　sir；　that　won't　do　…　more　vehemence　…　your　argument　

is　at　present　particularly　weak；　therefore；　more　vehemence　…　you　

must　confuse　them；　stun　them；　stultify　them；　sir'；　and；　at　each　of　

these　injunctions；　he　struck　the　back　of　his　right　hand　sharply　

against　the　palm　of　the　left。　　'Good；　sir　…　good！'　he　occasionally　

uttered；　in　the　same　sharp；　cracked　tone；　as　the　voice　of　Francis　

Ardry　became　more　and　more　vehement。　　'Infinitely　good！'　he　

exclaimed；　as　Francis　Ardry　raised　his　voice　to　the　highest　pitch；　

'and　now；　sir；　abate；　let　the　tempest　of　vehemence　decline　…　

gradually；　sir；　not　too　fast。　　Good；　sir　…　very　good！'　as　the　voice　

of　Francis　Ardry　declined　gradually　in　vehemence。　　'And　now　a　

little　pathos；　sir　…　try　them　with　a　little　pathos。　　That　won't　do；　

sir　…　that　won't　do；'　…　as　Francis　Ardry　made　an　attempt　to　become　

pathetic；　…　'that　will　never　pass　for　pathos　…　with　tones　and　

gesture　of　that　description　you　will　never　redress　the　wrongs　of　

your　country。　　Now；　sir；　observe　my　gestures；　and　pay　attention　to　

the　tone　of　my　voice；　sir。'



Thereupon；　making　use　of　nearly　the　same　terms　which　Francis　Ardry　

had　employed；　the　individual　in　black　uttered　several　sentences　in　

tones　and　with　gestures　which　were　intended　to　express　a　

considerable　degree　of　pathos；　though　it　is　possible　that　some　

people　would　have　thought　both　the　one　and　the　other　highly　

ludicrous。　　After　a　pause；　Francis　Ardry　recommenced　imitating　the　

tones　and　the　gestures　of　his　monitor　in　the　most　admirable　manner。　　

Before　he　had　proceeded　far；　however；　he　burst　into　a　fit　of　

laughter；　in　which　I　should；　perhaps；　have　joined；　provided　it　were　

ever　my　wont　to　laugh。　　'Ha；　ha！'　said　the　other；　good…humouredly；　

'you　are　laughing　at　me。　　Well；　well；　I　merely　wished　to　give　you　a　

hint；　but　you　saw　very　well　what　I　meant；　upon　the　whole　I　think　

you　improve。　　But　I　must　now　go；　having　two　other　pupils　to　visit　

before　four。'



Then　taking　from　the　table　a　kind　of　three…cornered　hat；　and　a　cane　

headed　with　amber；　he　shook　Francis　Ardry　by　the　hand；　and；　after　

glancing　at　me　for　a　moment；　made　me　a　half　bow；　attended　with　a　

strange　grimace；　and　departed。



'Who　is　that　gentleman？'　said　I　to　Francis　Ardry；　as　soon　as　were　

alone。



'Oh；　that　is　…　'　said　Frank；　smiling；　'the　gentleman　who　gives　me　

lessons　in　elocution。'



'And　what　need　have　you　of　elocution？'



'Oh；　I　merely　obey　the　commands　of　my　guardians；'　said　Francis；　

'who　insist　that　I　should；　with　the　assistance　of　…；　qualify　myself　

for　Parliament；　for　which　they　do　me　the　honour　to　suppose　that　I　

have　some　natural　talent。　　I　dare　not　disobey　them；　for；　at　the　

present　moment；　I　have　particular　reasons　for　wishing　to　keep　on　

good　terms　with　them。'



'But；'　said　I；　'you　are　a　Roman　Catholic；　and　I　thought　that　

persons　of　your　religion　were　excluded　from　Parliament？'



'Why；　upon　that　very　thing　the　whole　matter　hinges；　people　of　our　

religion　are　determined　to　be　no　longer　excluded　from　Parliament；　

but　to　have　a　share　in　the　government　of　the　nation。　　Not　that　I　

care　anything　about　the　matter；　I　merely　obey　the　will　of　my　

guardians；　my　thoughts　are　fixed　on　something　better　than　

politics。'



'I　understand　you；'　said　I；　'dog…fighting　…　well；　I　can　easily　

conceive　that　to　some　minds　dog…fighting　…　'



'I　was　not　thinking　of　dog…fighting；'　said　Francis　Ardry；　

interrupting　me。



'Not　thinking　of　dog…fighting！'　I　ejaculated。



'No；'　said　Francis　Ardry；　'something　higher　and　much　more　rational　

than　dog…fighting　at　present　occupies　my　thoughts。'



'Dear　me；'　said　I；　'I　thought　I　had　heard　you　say　that　there　was　

nothing　like　it！'



'Like　what？'　said　Francis　Ardry。



'Dog…fighting；　to　be　sure；'　said　I。



'Pooh；'　said　Francis　Ardry；　'who　but　the　gross　and　unrefined　care　

anything　for　dog…fighting？　　That　which　at　present　engages　my　waking　

and　sleeping　thoughts　is　love　…　divine　love　…　there　is　nothing　like　

THAT。　　Listen　to　me；　I　have　a　secret　to　confide　to　you。'



And　then　Francis　Ardry　proceeded　to　make　me　his　confidant。　　It　

appeared　that　he　had　had　the　good　fortune　to　make　the　acquaintance　

of　the　most　delightful　young　Frenchwoman　imaginable；　Annet