over the teacups-第24章

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his　bonnet。　　He　evidently　enjoyed　our　curiosity；　and　meant　to　keep　us

waiting　awhile　before　revealing　the　great　secret。



〃How　many　words　do　you　think　I　shall　want？〃



It　is　a　formula；　I　suppose；　I　said；　and　I　will　grant　you　a　hundred

words。



〃Twenty；〃　said　the　Professor。　　〃That　was　more　than　the　wise　men　of

Greece　wanted　for　their　grand　utterances。〃



The　two　Annexes　whispered　together；　and　the　American　Annex　gave　their

joint　result。　　One　thousand　was　the　number　they　had　fixed　on。　　They

were　used　to　hearing　lectures；　and　could　hardly　conceive　that　any

subject　could　be　treated　without　taking　up　a　good　part　of　an　hour。



〃Less　than　ten；〃　said　Number　Five。　　〃If　there　are　to　be　more　than

ten；　I　don't　believe　that　Number　Seven　would　think　the　surprise　would

be　up　to　our　expectations。〃



〃Guess　as　much　as　you　like；〃　said　Number　Seven。



〃The　answer　will　keep。　　I　don't　mean　to　say　what　it　is　until　we　are

ready　to　leave　the　table。〃　He　took　a　blank　card　from　his　pocket…book；

wrote　something　on　it；　or　appeared；　at　any　rate；　to　write；　and　handed

it；　face　down；　to　the　Mistress。　　What　was　on　the　card　will　be　found

near　the　end　of　this　paper。　　I　wonder　if　anybody　will　be　curious

enough　to　look　further　along　to　find　out　what　it　was　before　she　reads

the　next　paragraph？



In　the　mean　time　there　is　a　train　of　thought　suggested　by　Number

Seven　and　his　whims。　　If　you　want　to　know　how　to　account　for

yourself；　study　the　characters　of　your　relations。　　All　of　our　brains

squint　more　or　less。　　There　is　not　one　in　a　hundred；　certainly；　that

does　not　sometimes　see　things　distorted　by　double　refraction；　out　of

plumb　or　out　of　focus；　or　with　colors　which　do　not　belong　to　it；　or

in　some　way　betraying　that　the　two　halves　of　the　brain　are　not　acting

in　harmony　with　each　other。　　You　wonder　at　the　eccentricities　of　this

or　that　connection　of　your　own。　　Watch　yourself；　and　you　will　find

impulses　which；　but　for　the　restraints　you　put　upon　them；　would　make

you　do　the　same　foolish　things　which　you　laugh　at　in　that　cousin　of

yours。　　I　once　lived　in　the　same　house　with　the　near　relative　of　a

very　distinguished　person；　whose　name　is　still　honored　and　revered

among　us。　　His　brain　was　an　active　one；　like　that　of　his　famous

relative；　but　it　was　full　of　random　ideas；　unconnected　trains　of

thought；　whims；　crotchets；　erratic　suggestions。　　Knowing　him；　I　could

interpret　the　mental　characteristics　of　the　whole　family　connection

in　the　light　of　its　exaggerated　peculiarities　as　exhibited　in　my　odd

fellow…boarder。　　Squinting　brains　are　a　great　deal　more　common　than

we　should　at　first　sight　believe。　　Here　is　a　great　book；　a　solid

octavo　of　five　hundred　pages；　full　of　the　vagaries　of　this　class　of

organizations。　　I　hope　to　refer　to　this　work　hereafter；　but　just　now

I　will　only　say　that；　after　reading　till　one　is　tired　the　strange

fancies　of　the　squarers　of　the　circle；　the　inventors　of　perpetual

motion；　and　the　rest　of　the　moonstruck　dreamers；　most　persons　will

confess　to　themselves　that　they　have　had　notions　as　wild；　conceptions

as　extravagant；　theories　as　baseless；　as　the　least　rational　of　those

which　are　here　recorded。



Some　day　I　want　to　talk　about　my　library。　　It　is　such　a　curious

collection　of　old　and　new　books；　such　a　mosaic　of　learning　and

fancies　and　follies；　that　a　glance　over　it　would　interest　the

company。　　Perhaps　I　may　hereafter　give　you　a　talk　abut　books；　but

while　I　am　saying　a　few　passing　words　upon　the　subject　the　greatest

bibliographical　event　that　ever　happened　in　the　book…market　of　the

New　World　is　taking　place　under　our　eyes。　　Here　is　Mr。　Bernard

Quaritch　just　come　from　his　well…known　habitat；　No。　15　Piccadilly；

with　such　a　collection　of　rare；　beautiful；　and　somewhat　expensive

volumes　as　the　Western　Continent　never　saw　before　on　the　shelves　of　a

bibliopole。



We　bookworms　are　all　of　us　now　and　then　betrayed　into　an

extravagance。　　The　keen　tradesmen　who　tempt　us　are　like　the　fishermen

who　dangle　a　minnow；　a　frog；　or　a　worm　before　the　perch　or　pickerel

who　may　be　on　the　lookout　for　his　breakfast。　　But　Mr。　Quaritch　comes

among　us　like　that　formidable　angler　of　whom　it　is　said；



　　　　　His　hook　he　baited　with　a　dragon's　tail；

　　　　　And　sat　upon　a　rock　and　bobbed　for　whale。



The　two　catalogues　which　herald　his　coming　are　themselves　interesting

literary　documents。　　One　can　go　out　with　a　few　shillings　in　his

pocket；　and　venture　among　the　books　of　the　first　of　these　catalogues

without　being　ashamed　to　show　himself　with　no　larger　furnishing　of

the　means　for　indulging　his　tastes；he　will　find　books　enough　at

comparatively　modest　prices。　But　if　one　feels　very　rich；　so　rich　that

it　requires　a　good　deal　to　frighten　him；　let　him　take　the　other

catalogue　and　see　how　many　books　he　proposes　to　add　to　his　library　at

the　prices　affixed。　Here　is　a　Latin　Psalter　with　the　Canticles；　from

the　press　of　Fust　and　Schoeffer；　the　second　book　issued　from　their

press；　the　second　book　printed　with　a　date；　that　date　being　1459。

There　are　only　eight　copies　of　this　work　known　to　exist；　you　can　have

one　of　them；　if　so　disposed；　and　if　you　have　change　enough　in　your

pocket。　　Twenty…six　thousand　two　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　will　make

you　the　happy　owner　of　this　precious　volume。　　If　this　is　more　than

you　want　to　pay；　you　can　have　the　Gold　Gospels　of　Henry　VIII。；　on

purple　vellum；　for　about　half　the　money。　　There　are　pages　on　pages　of

titles　of　works　any　one　of　which　would　be　a　snug　little　property　if

turned　into　money　at　its　catalogue　price。



Why　will　not　our　multimillionaires　look　over　this　catalogue　of　Mr。

Quaritch；　and　detain　some　of　its　treasures　on　this　side　of　the

Atlantic　for　some　of　our　public　libraries？　　We　decant　the　choicest

wines　of　Europe　into　our　cellars；　we　ought　to　be　always　decanting　the

precious　treasures　of　her　libraries　and　galleries　into　our　own；　as　we

have　opportunity　and　means。　　As　to　the　means；　there　are　so　many　rich

people　who　hardly　know　what　to　do　with　their　money　that　it　is　well　to

suggest　to　them　any　new　useful　end　to　which　their　superfluity　may

contribute。　　I　am　not　in　alliance　with　Mr。　Quaritch；　in　fact；　I　am

afraid　of　him；　for　if　I　stayed　a　single　hour　in　his　library；　where　I

never　was　but　once；　and　then　for　fifteen　minutes　only；　I　should　leave

it　so　much　poorer　than　I　entered　it　that　I　should　be　reminded　of　the

picture　in　the　titlepage　of　Fuller's　〃Historie　of　the　Holy　Warre：

〃We　went　out　full。　　We　returned　empty。〃



After　the　teacups　were　all　emptied；　the　card　containing　Number

Seven's　abridged　history　of　two　worlds；　this　and　the　next；　was　handed

round。



This　was　all　it　held：



After　all　had　looked　at　it；　it　was　passed　back　to　me。　　〃Let　The

Dictator　interpret　it；〃　they　all　said。



This　is　what　I　announced　as　my　interpretation：



Two　worlds；　the　higher　and　the　lower；　separated　by　the　thinnest　of

partitions。　　The　lower　world　is　that　of　questions；　the　upper　world　is

that　of　answers。　　Endless　doubt　and　unrest　here　below；　wondering；

admiring；　adoring　certainty　above。　Am　I　not　right？



〃You　are　right；〃　answered　Number　Seven　solemnly。　　〃That　is　my

revelation。〃



The　following　poem　was　found　in　the　sugar…bowl。



I　read　it　to　the　company。　　There　was　much　whispering　and　there　were

many　conjectures　as　to　its　authorship；　but　every　Teacup　looked

innocent；　and　we　separated　each　with　his　or　her　private　conviction。

I　had　mine；　but　I　will　not　mention　it。





　　　　　　　　　　THE　ROSE　AND　THE　FERN。



Lady；　life's　sweetest　lesson　wouldst　thou　learn；

Come　thou　with　me　to　Love's　enchanted　bower：

High　overhead　the　trellised　roses　burn；

Beneath　thy　feet　behold　the　feathery　fern；

A　leaf　without　a　flower。



What　though　the　rose　leaves　fall？　　They　still　are　sweet；

And　have　been　lovely　in　their　beauteous　prime；

While　the　bare　frond　seems　ever　to　repeat；

〃For　us　no　bud；　no　blossom；　wakes　to　greet

The　joyous　flowering　time！〃



Heed　thou　the　lesson。　　Life　has　leaves　to