lavengro-第75章

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of　Armenian？'







CHAPTER　XLVII







New　acquaintance　…　Wired　cases　…　Bread　and　wine　…　Armenian　colonies　

…　Learning　without　money　…　What　a　language　…　The　tide　…　Your　foible　

…　Learning　of　the　Haiks　…　Old　proverb　…　Pressing　invitation。



JUST　as　I　was　about　to　reply　to　the　interrogation　of　my　new…formed　

acquaintance；　a　man　with　a　dusky　countenance；　probably　one　of　the　

Lascars；　or　Mulattos；　of　whom　the　old　woman　had　spoken；　came　up　and　

whispered　to　him；　and　with　this　man　he　presently　departed；　not　

however　before　he　had　told　me　the　place　of　his　abode；　and　requested　

me　to　visit　him。



After　the　lapse　of　a　few　days；　I　called　at　the　house　which　he　had　

indicated。　　It　was　situated　in　a　dark　and　narrow　street；　in　the　

heart　of　the　City；　at　no　great　distance　from　the　Bank。　　I　entered　a　

counting…room；　in　which　a　solitary　clerk；　with　a　foreign　look；　was　

writing。　　The　stranger　was　not　at　home；　returning　the　next　day；　

however；　I　met　him　at　the　door　as　he　was　about　to　enter；　he　shook　

me　warmly　by　the　hand。　　'I　am　glad　to　see　you；'　said　he；　'follow　

me；　I　was　just　thinking　of　you。'　　He　led　me　through　the　counting…

room；　to　an　apartment　up　a　flight　of　stairs；　before　ascending；　

however；　he　looked　into　the　book　in　which　the　foreign…visaged　clerk　

was　writing；　and；　seemingly　not　satisfied　with　the　manner　in　which　

he　was　executing　his　task；　he　gave　him　two　or　three　cuffs；　telling　

him　at　the　same　time　that　he　deserved　crucifixion。



The　apartment　above　stairs；　to　which　he　led　me；　was　large；　with　

three　windows；　which　opened　upon　the　street。　　The　walls　were　hung　

with　wired　cases；　apparently　containing　books。　　There　was　a　table　

and　two　or　three　chairs；　but　the　principal　article　of　furniture　was　

a　long　sofa；　extending　from　the　door　by　which　we　entered　to　the　

farther　end　of　the　apartment。　　Seating　himself　upon　the　sofa；　my　

new　acquaintance　motioned　to　me　to　sit　beside　him；　and　then；　

looking　me　full　in　the　face；　repeated　his　former　inquiry。　　'In　the　

name　of　all　that　is　wonderful；　how　came　you　to　know　aught　of　my　

language？'



'There　is　nothing　wonderful　in　that；'　said　I；　'we　are　at　the　

commencement　of　a　philological　age；　every　one　studies　languages；　

that　is；　every　one　who　is　fit　for　nothing　else；　philology　being　the　

last　resource　of　dulness　and　ennui；　I　have　got　a　little　in　advance　

of　the　throng；　by　mastering　the　Armenian　alphabet；　but　I　foresee　

the　time　when　every　unmarriageable　miss；　and　desperate　blockhead；　

will　likewise　have　acquired　the　letters　of　Mesroub；　and　will　know　

the　term　for　bread；　in　Armenian；　and　perhaps　that　for　wine。'



'Kini；'　said　my　companion；　and　that　and　the　other　word　put　me　in　

mind　of　the　duties　of　hospitality。　　'Will　you　eat　bread　and　drink　

wine　with　me？'



'Willingly；'　said　I。　　Whereupon　my　companion；　unlocking　a　closet；　

produced；　on　a　silver　salver；　a　loaf　of　bread；　with　a　silver…

handled　knife；　and　wine　in　a　silver　flask；　with　cups　of　the　same　

metal。　　'　I　hope　you　like　my　fare；'　said　he；　after　we　had　both　

eaten　and　drunk。



'I　like　your　bread；'　said　I；　'for　it　is　stale；　I　like　not　your　

wine；　it　is　sweet；　and　I　hate　sweet　wine。'



'It　is　wine　of　Cyprus；'　said　my　entertainer；　and；　when　I　found　that　

it　was　wine　of　Cyprus；　I　tasted　it　again；　and　the　second　taste　

pleased　me　much　better　than　the　first；　notwithstanding　that　I　still　

thought　it　somewhat　sweet。　　'So；'　said　I；　after　a　pause；　looking　at　

my　companion；　'you　are　an　Armenian。'



'Yes；'　said　he；　'an　Armenian　born　in　London；　but　not　less　an　

Armenian　on　that　account。　　My　father　was　a　native　of　Ispahan；　one　

of　the　celebrated　Armenian　colony　which　was　established　there　

shortly　after　the　time　of　the　dreadful　hunger；　which　drove　the　

children　of　Haik　in　swarms　from　their　original　country；　and　

scattered　them　over　most　parts　of　the　eastern　and　western　world。　　

In　Ispahan　he　passed　the　greater　portion　of　his　life；　following　

mercantile　pursuits　with　considerable　success。　　Certain　enemies；　

however；　having　accused　him　to　the　despot　of　the　place；　of　using　

seditious　language；　he　was　compelled　to　flee；　leaving　most　of　his　

property　behind。　　Travelling　in　the　direction　of　the　west；　he　came　

at　last　to　London；　where　he　established　himself；　and　where　he　

eventually　died；　leaving　behind　a　large　property　and　myself；　his　

only　child；　the　fruit　of　a　marriage　with　an　Armenian　Englishwoman；　

who　did　not　survive　my　birth　more　than　three　months。'



The　Armenian　then　proceeded　to　tell　me　that　he　had　carried　on　the　

business　of　his　father；　which　seemed　to　embrace　most　matters；　from　

buying　silks　of　Lascars；　to　speculating　in　the　funds；　and　that　he　

had　considerably　increased　the　property　which　his　father　had　left　

him。　　He　candidly　confessed　that　he　was　wonderfully　fond　of　gold；　

and　said　there　was　nothing　like　it　for　giving　a　person　

respectability　and　consideration　in　the　world：　　to　which　assertion　

I　made　no　answer；　being　not　exactly　prepared　to　contradict　it。



And；　when　he　had　related　to　me　his　history；　he　expressed　a　desire　

to　know　something　more　of　myself；　whereupon　I　gave　him　the　outline　

of　my　history；　concluding　with　saying；　'I　am　now　a　poor　author；　or　

rather　philologist；　upon　the　streets　of　London；　possessed　of　many　

tongues；　which　I　find　of　no　use　in　the　world。'



'Learning　without　money　is　anything　but　desirable；'　said　the　

Armenian；　'as　it　unfits　a　man　for　humble　occupations。　　It　is　true　

that　it　may　occasionally　beget　him　friends；　I　confess　to　you　that　

your　understanding　something　of　my　language　weighs　more　with　me　

than　the　service　you　rendered　me　in　rescuing　my　pocket…book　the　

other　day　from　the　claws　of　that　scoundrel　whom　I　yet　hope　to　see　

hanged；　if　not　crucified；　notwithstanding　there　were　in　that　

pocket…book　papers　and　documents　of　considerable　value。　　Yes；　that　

circumstance　makes　my　heart　warm　towards　you；　for　I　am　proud　of　my　

language　…　as　I　indeed　well　may　be　…　what　a　language；　noble　and　

energetic！　quite　original；　differing　from　all　others　both　in　words　

and　structure。'



'You　are　mistaken；'　said　I；　'many　languages　resemble　the　Armenian　

both　in　structure　and　words。'



'For　example？'　said　the　Armenian。



'For　example；'　said　I；　'the　English。'



'The　English！'　said　the　Armenian；　'show　me　one　word　in　which　the　

English　resembles　the　Armenian。'



'You　walk　on　London　Bridge；'　said　I。



'Yes；'　said　the　Armenian。



'I　saw　you　look　over　the　balustrade　the　other　morning。'



'True；'　said　the　Armenian。



'Well；　what　did　you　see　rushing　up　through　the　arches　with　noise　

and　foam？'



'What　was　it？'　said　the　Armenian。　　'What　was　it？　…　you　don't　mean　

the　TIDE？'



'Do　I　not？'　said　I。



'Well；　what　has　the　tide　to　do　with　the　matter？'



'Much；'　said　I；　'what　is　the　tide？'



'The　ebb　and　flow　of　the　sea；'　said　the　Armenian。



'The　sea　itself；　what　is　the　Haik　word　for　sea？'



The　Armenian　gave　a　strong　gasp；　then；　nodding　his　head　thrice；　

'You　are　right；'　said　he；　'the　English　word　tide　is　the　Armenian　

for　sea；　and　now　I　begin　to　perceive　that　there　are　many　English　

words　which　are　Armenian；　there　is　…　and　…；　and　there　again　in　

French；　there　is　…　and　…　derived　from　the　Armenian。　　How　strange；　

how　singular　…　I　thank　you。　　It　is　a　proud　thing　to　see　that　the　

language　of　my　race　has　had　so　much　influence　over　the　languages　of　

the　world。'



I　saw　that　all　that　related　to　his　race　was　the　weak　point　of　the　

Armenian。　　I　did　not　flatter　the　Armenian　with　respect　to　his　race　

or　language。　　'An　inconsiderable　people；'　said　I；　'shrewd　and　

industrious；　but　still　an　inconsiderable　people。　　A　language　bold　

and　expressive；　and　of　some　antiquity；　derived；　though　perhaps　not　

immediately；　from　some　much　older　tongue。　　I　do　not　think　that　the　

Armenian　has　had　any　influence　over　the　formation　of　the　languages　

of　the　world；　I　am　not　much　indebted　to　the　Armenian　for　the　

solution　of　any　doubts；