the holly-tree-第1章

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The　Holly…Tree



by　Charles　Dickens








FIRST　BRANCHMYSELF







I　have　kept　one　secret　in　the　course　of　my　life。　　I　am　a　bashful

man。　　Nobody　would　suppose　it；　nobody　ever　does　suppose　it；　nobody

ever　did　suppose　it；　but　I　am　naturally　a　bashful　man。　　This　is　the

secret　which　I　have　never　breathed　until　now。



I　might　greatly　move　the　reader　by　some　account　of　the　innumerable

places　I　have　not　been　to；　the　innumerable　people　I　have　not　called

upon　or　received；　the　innumerable　social　evasions　I　have　been　guilty

of；　solely　because　I　am　by　original　constitution　and　character　a

bashful　man。　　But　I　will　leave　the　reader　unmoved；　and　proceed　with

the　object　before　me。



That　object　is　to　give　a　plain　account　of　my　travels　and　discoveries

in　the　Holly…Tree　Inn；　in　which　place　of　good　entertainment　for　man

and　beast　I　was　once　snowed　up。



It　happened　in　the　memorable　year　when　I　parted　for　ever　from　Angela

Leath；　whom　I　was　shortly　to　have　married；　on　making　the　discovery

that　she　preferred　my　bosom　friend。　　From　our　school…days　I　had

freely　admitted　Edwin；　in　my　own　mind；　to　be　far　superior　to　myself；

and；　though　I　was　grievously　wounded　at　heart；　I　felt　the　preference

to　be　natural；　and　tried　to　forgive　them　both。　　It　was　under　these

circumstances　that　I　resolved　to　go　to　Americaon　my　way　to　the

Devil。



Communicating　my　discovery　neither　to　Angela　nor　to　Edwin；　but

resolving　to　write　each　of　them　an　affecting　letter　conveying　my

blessing　and　forgiveness；　which　the　steam…tender　for　shore　should

carry　to　the　post　when　I　myself　should　be　bound　for　the　New　World；

far　beyond　recall；I　say；　locking　up　my　grief　in　my　own　breast；　and

consoling　myself　as　I　could　with　the　prospect　of　being　generous；　I

quietly　left　all　I　held　dear；　and　started　on　the　desolate　journey　I

have　mentioned。



The　dead　winter…time　was　in　full　dreariness　when　I　left　my　chambers

for　ever；　at　five　o'clock　in　the　morning。　　I　had　shaved　by　candle…

light；　of　course；　and　was　miserably　cold；　and　experienced　that

general　all…pervading　sensation　of　getting　up　to　be　hanged　which　I

have　usually　found　inseparable　from　untimely　rising　under　such

circumstances。



How　well　I　remember　the　forlorn　aspect　of　Fleet　Street　when　I　came

out　of　the　Temple！　　The　street…lamps　flickering　in　the　gusty　north…

east　wind；　as　if　the　very　gas　were　contorted　with　cold；　the　white…

topped　houses；　the　bleak；　star…lighted　sky；　the　market　people　and

other　early　stragglers；　trotting　to　circulate　their　almost　frozen

blood；　the　hospitable　light　and　warmth　of　the　few　coffee…shops　and

public…houses　that　were　open　for　such　customers；　the　hard；　dry；

frosty　rime　with　which　the　air　was　charged　（the　wind　had　already

beaten　it　into　every　crevice）；　and　which　lashed　my　face　like　a　steel

whip。



It　wanted　nine　days　to　the　end　of　the　month；　and　end　of　the　year。

The　Post…office　packet　for　the　United　States　was　to　depart　from

Liverpool；　weather　permitting；　on　the　first　of　the　ensuing　month；

and　I　had　the　intervening　time　on　my　hands。　　I　had　taken　this　into

consideration；　and　had　resolved　to　make　a　visit　to　a　certain　spot

（which　I　need　not　name）　on　the　farther　borders　of　Yorkshire。　　It　was

endeared　to　me　by　my　having　first　seen　Angela　at　a　farmhouse　in　that

place；　and　my　melancholy　was　gratified　by　the　idea　of　taking　a

wintry　leave　of　it　before　my　expatriation。　　I　ought　to　explain；

that；　to　avoid　being　sought　out　before　my　resolution　should　have

been　rendered　irrevocable　by　being　carried　into　full　effect；　I　had

written　to　Angela　overnight；　in　my　usual　manner；　lamenting　that

urgent　business；　of　which　she　should　know　all　particulars　by…and…by…

…took　me　unexpectedly　away　from　her　for　a　week　or　ten　days。



There　was　no　Northern　Railway　at　that　time；　and　in　its　place　there

were　stage…coaches；　which　I　occasionally　find　myself；　in　common　with

some　other　people；　affecting　to　lament　now；　but　which　everybody

dreaded　as　a　very　serious　penance　then。　　I　had　secured　the　box…seat

on　the　fastest　of　these；　and　my　business　in　Fleet　Street　was　to　get

into　a　cab　with　my　portmanteau；　so　to　make　the　best　of　my　way　to　the

Peacock　at　Islington；　where　I　was　to　join　this　coach。　　But　when　one

of　our　Temple　watchmen；　who　carried　my　portmanteau　into　Fleet　Street

for　me；　told　me　about　the　huge　blocks　of　ice　that　had　for　some　days

past　been　floating　in　the　river；　having　closed　up　in　the　night；　and

made　a　walk　from　the　Temple　Gardens　over　to　the　Surrey　shore；　I

began　to　ask　myself　the　question；　whether　the　box…seat　would　not　be

likely　to　put　a　sudden　and　a　frosty　end　to　my　unhappiness。　　I　was

heart…broken；　it　is　true；　and　yet　I　was　not　quite　so　far　gone　as　to

wish　to　be　frozen　to　death。



When　I　got　up　to　the　Peacock；where　I　found　everybody　drinking　hot

purl；　in　self…preservation；I　asked　if　there　were　an　inside　seat　to

spare。　　I　then　discovered　that；　inside　or　out；　I　was　the　only

passenger。　　This　gave　me　a　still　livelier　idea　of　the　great

inclemency　of　the　weather；　since　that　coach　always　loaded

particularly　well。　　However；　I　took　a　little　purl　（which　I　found

uncommonly　good）；　and　got　into　the　coach。　　When　I　was　seated；　they

built　me　up　with　straw　to　the　waist；　and；　conscious　of　making　a

rather　ridiculous　appearance；　I　began　my　journey。



It　was　still　dark　when　we　left　the　Peacock。　　For　a　little　while；

pale；　uncertain　ghosts　of　houses　and　trees　appeared　and　vanished；

and　then　it　was　hard；　black；　frozen　day。　　People　were　lighting　their

fires；　smoke　was　mounting　straight　up　high　into　the　rarified　air；

and　we　were　rattling　for　Highgate　Archway　over　the　hardest　ground　I

have　ever　heard　the　ring　of　iron　shoes　on。　　As　we　got　into　the

country；　everything　seemed　to　have　grown　old　and　gray。　　The　roads；

the　trees；　thatched　roofs　of　cottages　and　homesteads；　the　ricks　in

farmers'　yards。　　Out…door　work　was　abandoned；　horse…troughs　at　road…

side　inns　were　frozen　hard；　no　stragglers　lounged　about；　doors　were

close　shut；　little　turnpike　houses　had　blazing　fires　inside；　and

children　（even　turnpike　people　have　children；　and　seem　to　like　them）

rubbed　the　frost　from　the　little　panes　of　glass　with　their　chubby

arms；　that　their　bright　eyes　might　catch　a　glimpse　of　the　solitary

coach　going　by。　　I　don't　know　when　the　snow　begin　to　set　in；　but　I

know　that　we　were　changing　horses　somewhere　when　I　heard　the　guard

remark；　〃That　the　old　lady　up　in　the　sky　was　picking　her　geese

pretty　hard　to…day。〃　　Then；　indeed；　I　found　the　white　down　falling

fast　and　thick。



The　lonely　day　wore　on；　and　I　dozed　it　out；　as　a　lonely　traveller

does。　　I　was　warm　and　valiant　after　eating　and　drinking；

particularly　after　dinner；　cold　and　depressed　at　all　other　times。　　I

was　always　bewildered　as　to　time　and　place；　and　always　more　or　less

out　of　my　senses。　　The　coach　and　horses　seemed　to　execute　in　chorus

Auld　Lang　Syne；　without　a　moment's　intermission。　　They　kept　the　time

and　tune　with　the　greatest　regularity；　and　rose　into　the　swell　at

the　beginning　of　the　Refrain；　with　a　precision　that　worried　me　to

death。　　While　we　changed　horses；　the　guard　and　coachman　went

stumping　up　and　down　the　road；　printing　off　their　shoes　in　the　snow；

and　poured　so　much　liquid　consolation　into　themselves　without　being

any　the　worse　for　it；　that　I　began　to　confound　them；　as　it　darkened

again；　with　two　great　white　casks　standing　on　end。　　Our　horses

tumbled　down　in　solitary　places；　and　we　got　them　up；which　was　the

pleasantest　variety　I　had；　for　it　warmed　me。　　And　it　snowed　and

snowed；　and　still　it　snowed；　and　never　left　off　snowing。　　All　night

long　we　went　on　in　this　manner。　　Thus　we　came　round　the　clock；　upon

the　Great　North　Road；　to　the　performance　of　Auld　Lang　Syne　by　day

again。　　And　it　snowed　and　snowed；　and　still　it　snowed；　and　never

left　off　snowing。



I　forget　now　where　we　were　at　noon　on　the　second　day；　and　where　we

ought　to　have　been；　but　I　know　that　we　were　scores　of　miles

behindhand；　and　that　our　case　was