the seven poor travellers-第2章

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door；　the　rest　being　handsomely　laid　out　in　Chancery；　law　expenses；

collectorship；　receivership；　poundage；　and　other　appendages　of

management；　highly　complimentary　to　the　importance　of　the　six　Poor

Travellers。　　In　short；　I　made　the　not　entirely　new　discovery　that　it

may　be　said　of　an　establishment　like　this；　in　dear　old　England；　as

of　the　fat　oyster　in　the　American　story；　that　it　takes　a　good　many

men　to　swallow　it　whole。



〃And　pray；　ma'am；〃　said　I；　sensible　that　the　blankness　of　my　face

began　to　brighten　as　the　thought　occurred　to　me；　〃could　one　see

these　Travellers？〃



〃Well！〃　she　returned　dubiously；　〃no！〃



〃Not　to…night；　for　instance！〃　said　I。



〃Well！〃　she　returned　more　positively；　〃no。　　Nobody　ever　asked　to　see

them；　and　nobody　ever　did　see　them。〃



As　I　am　not　easily　balked　in　a　design　when　I　am　set　upon　it；　I　urged

to　the　good　lady　that　this　was　Christmas…eve；　that　Christmas　comes

but　once　a　year；which　is　unhappily　too　true；　for　when　it　begins　to

stay　with　us　the　whole　year　round　we　shall　make　this　earth　a　very

different　place；　that　I　was　possessed　by　the　desire　to　treat　the

Travellers　to　a　supper　and　a　temperate　glass　of　hot　Wassail；　that

the　voice　of　Fame　had　been　heard　in　that　land；　declaring　my　ability

to　make　hot　Wassail；　that　if　I　were　permitted　to　hold　the　feast；　I

should　be　found　conformable　to　reason；　sobriety；　and　good　hours；　in

a　word；　that　I　could　be　merry　and　wise　myself；　and　had　been　even

known　at　a　pinch　to　keep　others　so；　although　I　was　decorated　with　no

badge　or　medal；　and　was　not　a　Brother；　Orator；　Apostle；　Saint；　or

Prophet　of　any　denomination　whatever。　　In　the　end　I　prevailed；　to　my

great　joy。　　It　was　settled　that　at　nine　o'clock　that　night　a　Turkey

and　a　piece　of　Roast　Beef　should　smoke　upon　the　board；　and　that　I；

faint　and　unworthy　minister　for　once　of　Master　Richard　Watts；　should

preside　as　the　Christmas…supper　host　of　the　six　Poor　Travellers。



I　went　back　to　my　inn　to　give　the　necessary　directions　for　the

Turkey　and　Roast　Beef；　and；　during　the　remainder　of　the　day；　could

settle　to　nothing　for　thinking　of　the　Poor　Travellers。　　When　the

wind　blew　hard　against　the　windows；it　was　a　cold　day；　with　dark

gusts　of　sleet　alternating　with　periods　of　wild　brightness；　as　if

the　year　were　dying　fitfully；I　pictured　them　advancing　towards

their　resting…place　along　various　cold　roads；　and　felt　delighted　to

think　how　little　they　foresaw　the　supper　that　awaited　them。　　I

painted　their　portraits　in　my　mind；　and　indulged　in　little

heightening　touches。　　I　made　them　footsore；　I　made　them　weary；　I

made　them　carry　packs　and　bundles；　I　made　them　stop　by　finger…posts

and　milestones；　leaning　on　their　bent　sticks；　and　looking　wistfully

at　what　was　written　there；　I　made　them　lose　their　way；　and　filled

their　five　wits　with　apprehensions　of　lying　out　all　night；　and　being

frozen　to　death。　　I　took　up　my　hat；　and　went　out；　climbed　to　the　top

of　the　Old　Castle；　and　looked　over　the　windy　hills　that　slope　down

to　the　Medway；　almost　believing　that　I　could　descry　some　of　my

Travellers　in　the　distance。　　After　it　fell　dark；　and　the　Cathedral

bell　was　heard　in　the　invisible　steeplequite　a　bower　of　frosty

rime　when　I　had　last　seen　itstriking　five；　six；　seven；　I　became　so

full　of　my　Travellers　that　I　could　eat　no　dinner；　and　felt

constrained　to　watch　them　still　in　the　red　coals　of　my　fire。　　They

were　all　arrived　by　this　time；　I　thought；　had　got　their　tickets；　and

were　gone　in。There　my　pleasure　was　dashed　by　the　reflection　that

probably　some　Travellers　had　come　too　late　and　were　shut　out。



After　the　Cathedral　bell　had　struck　eight；　I　could　smell　a　delicious

savour　of　Turkey　and　Roast　Beef　rising　to　the　window　of　my　adjoining

bedroom；　which　looked　down　into　the　inn…yard　just　where　the　lights

of　the　kitchen　reddened　a　massive　fragment　of　the　Castle　Wall。　　It

was　high　time　to　make　the　Wassail　now；　therefore　I　had　up　the

materials　（which；　together　with　their　proportions　and　combinations；

I　must　decline　to　impart；　as　the　only　secret　of　my　own　I　was　ever

known　to　keep）；　and　made　a　glorious　jorum。　　Not　in　a　bowl；　for　a

bowl　anywhere　but　on　a　shelf　is　a　low　superstition；　fraught　with

cooling　and　slopping；　but　in　a　brown　earthenware　pitcher；　tenderly

suffocated；　when　full；　with　a　coarse　cloth。　　It　being　now　upon　the

stroke　of　nine；　I　set　out　for　Watts's　Charity；　carrying　my　brown

beauty　in　my　arms。　　I　would　trust　Ben；　the　waiter；　with　untold　gold；

but　there　are　strings　in　the　human　heart　which　must　never　be　sounded

by　another；　and　drinks　that　I　make　myself　are　those　strings　in　mine。



The　Travellers　were　all　assembled；　the　cloth　was　laid；　and　Ben　had

brought　a　great　billet　of　wood；　and　had　laid　it　artfully　on　the　top

of　the　fire；　so　that　a　touch　or　two　of　the　poker　after　supper　should

make　a　roaring　blaze。　　Having　deposited　my　brown　beauty　in　a　red

nook　of　the　hearth；　inside　the　fender；　where　she　soon　began　to　sing

like　an　ethereal　cricket；　diffusing　at　the　same　time　odours　as　of

ripe　vineyards；　spice　forests；　and　orange　groves；I　say；　having

stationed　my　beauty　in　a　place　of　security　and　improvement；　I

introduced　myself　to　my　guests　by　shaking　hands　all　round；　and

giving　them　a　hearty　welcome。



I　found　the　party　to　be　thus　composed。　　Firstly；　myself。　　Secondly；

a　very　decent　man　indeed；　with　his　right　arm　in　a　sling；　who　had　a

certain　clean　agreeable　smell　of　wood　about　him；　from　which　I　judged

him　to　have　something　to　do　with　shipbuilding。　　Thirdly；　a　little

sailor…boy；　a　mere　child；　with　a　profusion　of　rich　dark　brown　hair；

and　deep　womanly…looking　eyes。　　Fourthly；　a　shabby…genteel　personage

in　a　threadbare　black　suit；　and　apparently　in　very　bad

circumstances；　with　a　dry　suspicious　look；　the　absent　buttons　on　his

waistcoat　eked　out　with　red　tape；　and　a　bundle　of　extraordinarily

tattered　papers　sticking　out　of　an　inner　breast…pocket。　　Fifthly；　a

foreigner　by　birth；　but　an　Englishman　in　speech；　who　carried　his

pipe　in　the　band　of　his　hat；　and　lost　no　time　in　telling　me；　in　an

easy；　simple；　engaging　way；　that　he　was　a　watchmaker　from　Geneva；

and　travelled　all　about　the　Continent；　mostly　on　foot；　working　as　a

journeyman；　and　seeing　new　countries；possibly　（I　thought）　also

smuggling　a　watch　or　so；　now　and　then。　　Sixthly；　a　little　widow；　who

had　been　very　pretty　and　was　still　very　young；　but　whose　beauty　had

been　wrecked　in　some　great　misfortune；　and　whose　manner　was

remarkably　timid；　scared；　and　solitary。　　Seventhly　and　lastly；　a

Traveller　of　a　kind　familiar　to　my　boyhood；　but　now　almost

obsolete；a　Book…Pedler；　who　had　a　quantity　of　Pamphlets　and

Numbers　with　him；　and　who　presently　boasted　that　he　could　repeat

more　verses　in　an　evening　than　he　could　sell　in　a　twelvemonth。



All　these　I　have　mentioned　in　the　order　in　which　they　sat　at　table。

I　presided；　and　the　matronly　presence　faced　me。　　We　were　not　long　in

taking　our　places；　for　the　supper　had　arrived　with　me；　in　the

following　procession：





Myself　with　the　pitcher。

Ben　with　Beer。

Inattentive　Boy　with　hot　plates。　　Inattentive　Boy　with　hot　plates。

THE　TURKEY。

Female　carrying　sauces　to　be　heated　on　the　spot。

THE　BEEF。

Man　with　Tray　on　his　head；　containing　Vegetables　and　Sundries。

Volunteer　Hostler　from　Hotel；　grinning；

And　rendering　no　assistance。





As　we　passed　along　the　High　Street；　comet…like；　we　left　a　long　tail

of　fragrance　behind　us　which　caused　the　public　to　stop；　sniffing　in

wonder。　　We　had　previously　left　at　the　corner　of　the　inn…yard　a

wall…eyed　young　man　connected　with　the　Fly　department；　and　well

accustomed　to　the　sound　of　a　railway　whistle　which　Ben　always

carries　in　his　pocket；　whose　instructions　were；　so　soon　as　he　should

hear　the　whistle　blown；　to　dash　into　the　kitchen；　seize　the　hot

plum…pudding　and　mince…pies；　and　speed　with　them　to　Watts's　Charity；

where　they　would　be　received　（he　was　further　instructed）　by　the

sauce…female；　who　would　be　provided　with　brandy　in　a　blue　state　of

combu