lavengro-第87章

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authors；　especially　young　ones。　　Well；　I　don't　care　if　I　purchase　

it　of　you；　but　you　must　be　moderate；　the　public　are　very　

fastidious；　and　the　speculation　may　prove　a　losing　one　after　all。　　

Let　me　see；　will　five　…　hem　…　'　he　stopped。　　I　looked　the　

bookseller　in　the　face；　there　was　something　peculiar　in　it。　　

Suddenly　it　appeared　to　me　as　if　the　voice　of　him　of　the　thimble　

sounded　in　my　ear；　'Now　is　your　time；　ask　enough；　never　such　

another　chance　of　establishing　yourself；　respectable　trade；　pea　and　

thimble。'　　'Well；'　said　I　at　last；　'I　have　no　objection　to　take　the　

offer　which　you　were　about　to　make；　though　I　really　think　five…and…

twenty　guineas　to　be　scarcely　enough；　everything　considered。'　　

'Five…and…twenty　guineas！'　said　the　bookseller；　'are　you　…　what　was　

I　going　to　say　…　I　never　meant　to　offer　half　as　much　…　I　mean　a　

quarter；　I　was　going　to　say　five　guineas　…　I　mean　pounds；　I　will；　

however；　make　it　up　guineas。'　　'That　will　not　do；'　said　I；　'but；　as　

I　find　we　shall　not　deal；　return　me　my　manuscript；　that　I　may　carry　

it　to　some　one　else。'　　The　bookseller　looked　blank。　　'Dear　me；'　

said　he；　'I　should　never　have　supposed　that　you　would　have　made　any　

objection　to　such　an　offer；　I　am　quite　sure　that　you　would　have　

been　glad　to　take　five　pounds　for　either　of　the　two　huge　

manuscripts　of　songs　and　ballads　that　you　brought　me　on　a　former　

occasion。'　　'Well；'　said　I；　'if　you　will　engage　to　publish　either　

of　those　two　manuscripts；　you　shall　have　the　present　one　for　five　

pounds。'　　'God　forbid　that　I　should　make　any　such　bargain！'　said　

the　bookseller；　'I　would　publish　neither　on　any　account；　but；　with　

respect　to　this　last　book；　I　have　really　an　inclination　to　print　

it；　both　for　your　sake　and　mine；　suppose　we　say　ten　pounds。'　　'No；'　

said　I；　'ten　pounds　will　not　do；　pray　restore　me　my　manuscript。'　　

'Stay；'　said　the　bookseller；　'my　wife　is　in　the　next　room；　I　will　

go　and　consult　her。'　　Thereupon　he　went　into　his　back　room；　where　I　

heard　him　conversing　with　his　wife　in　a　low　tone；　in　about　ten　

minutes　he　returned。　　'Young　gentleman；'　said　he；　'perhaps　you　will　

take　tea　with　us　this　evening；　when　we　will　talk　further　over　the　

matter。'



That　evening　I　went　and　took　tea　with　the　bookseller　and　his　wife；　

both　of　whom；　particularly　the　latter；　overwhelmed　me　with　

civility。　　It　was　not　long　before　I　learned　that　the　work　had　been　

already　sent　to　the　press；　and　was　intended　to　stand　at　the　head　of　

a　series　of　entertaining　narratives；　from　which　my　friends　promised　

themselves　considerable　profit。　　The　subject　of　terms　was　again　

brought　forward。　　I　stood　firm　to　my　first　demand　for　a　long　time；　

when；　however；　the　bookseller's　wife　complimented　me　on　my　

production　in　the　highest　terms；　and　said　that　she　discovered　

therein　the　germs　of　genius；　which　she　made　no　doubt　would　some　day　

prove　ornamental　to　my　native　land；　I　consented　to　drop　my　demand　

to　twenty　pounds；　stipulating；　however；　that　I　should　not　be　

troubled　with　the　correction　of　the　work。



Before　I　departed；　I　received　the　twenty　pounds；　and　departed　with　

a　light　heart　to　my　lodgings。



Reader；　amidst　the　difficulties　and　dangers　of　this　life；　should　

you　ever　be　tempted　to　despair；　call　to　mind　these　latter　chapters　

of　the　life　of　Lavengro。　　There　are　few　positions；　however　

difficult；　from　which　dogged　resolution　and　perseverance　may　not　

liberate　you。







CHAPTER　LVIII







Indisposition　…　A　resolution　…　Poor　equivalents　…　The　piece　of　gold　

…　Flashing　eyes　…　How　beautiful　…　Bon　jour；　Monsieur。



I　HAD　long　ago　determined　to　leave　London　as　soon　as　the　means　

should　be　in　my　power；　and；　now　that　they　were；　I　determined　to　

leave　the　Great　City；　yet　I　felt　some　reluctance　to　go。　　I　would　

fain　have　pursued　the　career　of　original　authorship　which　had　just　

opened　itself　to　me；　and　have　written　other　tales　of　adventure。　　

The　bookseller　had　given　me　encouragement　enough　to　do　so；　he　had　

assured　me　that　he　should　be　always　happy　to　deal　with　me　for　an　

article　（that　was　the　word）　similar　to　the　one　I　had　brought　him；　

provided　my　terms　were　moderate；　and　the　bookseller's　wife；　by　her　

complimentary　language；　had　given　me　yet　more　encouragement。　　But　

for　some　months　past　I　had　been　far　from　well；　and　my　original　

indisposition；　brought　on　partly　by　the　peculiar　atmosphere　of　the　

Big　City；　partly　by　anxiety　of　mind；　had　been　much　increased　by　the　

exertions　which　I　had　been　compelled　to　make　during　the　last　few　

days。　　I　felt　that；　were　I　to　remain　where　I　was；　I　should　die；　or　

become　a　confirmed　valetudinarian。　　I　would　go　forth　into　the　

country；　travelling　on　foot；　and；　by　exercise　and　inhaling　pure　

air；　endeavour　to　recover　my　health；　leaving　my　subsequent　

movements　to　be　determined　by　Providence。



But　whither　should　I　bend　my　course？　　Once　or　twice　I　thought　of　

walking　home　to　the　old　town；　stay　some　time　with　my　mother　and　my　

brother；　and　enjoy　the　pleasant　walks　in　the　neighbourhood；　but；　

though　I　wished　very　much　to　see　my　mother　and　my　brother；　and　felt　

much　disposed　to　enjoy　the　said　pleasant　walks；　the　old　town　was　

not　exactly　the　place　to　which　I　wished　to　go　at　this　present　

juncture。　　I　was　afraid　that　people　would　ask；　Where　are　your　

Northern　Ballads？　　Where　are　your　alliterative　translations　from　Ab　

Gwilym　…　of　which　you　were　always　talking；　and　with　which　you　

promised　to　astonish　the　world？　　Now；　in　the　event　of　such　

interrogations；　what　could　I　answer？　　It　is　true　I　had　compiled　

NEWGATE　LIVES　AND　TRIALS；　and　had　written　the　life　of　Joseph　Sell；　

but　I　was　afraid　that　the　people　of　the　old　town　would　scarcely　

consider　these　as　equivalents　for　the　Northern　Ballads　and　the　

songs　of　Ab　Gwilym。　　I　would　go　forth　and　wander　in　any　direction　

but　that　of　the　old　town。



But　how　one's　sensibility　on　any　particular　point　diminishes　with　

time；　at　present　I　enter　the　old　town　perfectly　indifferent　as　to　

what　the　people　may　be　thinking　on　the　subject　of　the　songs　and　

ballads。　　With　respect　to　the　people　themselves；　whether；　like　my　

sensibility；　their　curiosity　has　altogether　evaporated；　whether；　

which　is　at　least　equally　probable；　they　never　entertained　any；　one　

thing　is　certain；　that　never　in　a　single　instance　have　they　

troubled　me　with　any　remarks　on　the　subject　of　the　songs　and　

ballads。



As　it　was　my　intention　to　travel　on　foot；　with　a　bundle　and　a　

stick；　I　despatched　my　trunk　containing　some　few　clothes　and　books　

to　the　old　town。　　My　preparations　were　soon　made；　in　about　three　

days　I　was　in　readiness　to　start。



Before　departing；　however；　I　bethought　me　of　my　old　friend　the　

apple…woman　of　London　Bridge。　　Apprehensive　that　she　might　be　

labouring　under　the　difficulties　of　poverty；　I　sent　her　a　piece　of　

gold　by　the　hands　of　a　young　maiden　in　the　house　in　which　I　lived。　　

The　latter　punctually　executed　her　commission；　but　brought　me　back　

the　piece　of　gold。　　The　old　woman　would　not　take　it；　she　did　not　

want　it；　she　said。　　'Tell　the　poor　thin　lad；'　she　added；　'to　keep　

it　for　himself；　he　wants　it　more　than　I。'



Rather　late　one　afternoon　I　departed　from　my　lodging；　with　my　stick　

in　one　hand　and　a　small　bundle　in　the　other；　shaping　my　course　to　

the　south…west：　　when　I　first　arrived；　somewhat　more　than　a　year　

before；　I　had　entered　the　city　by　the　north…east。　　As　I　was　not　

going　home；　I　determined　to　take　my　departure　in　the　direction　the　

very　opposite　to　home。



Just　as　I　was　about　to　cross　the　street　called　the　Haymarket；　at　

the　lower　part；　a　cabriolet；　drawn　by　a　magnificent　animal；　came　

dashing　along　at　a　furious　rate；　it　stopped　close　by　the　curb…stone　

where　I　was；　a　sudden　pull　of　the　reins　nearly　bringing　the　

spirited　animal　upon　its　haunches。　　The　Jehu　who　had　accomplished　

this　feat　was　Francis　Ardry。　　A　small　beautiful　female；　with　

flashing　eyes；　dressed　in　the　extremity　of　fashion；　sat　beside　him