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第5章

the holly-tree-第5章

小说: the holly-tree 字数: 每页4000字

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radius of fifty yards of that tremendous sickle。



That was a good Inn; too; with the kind; cheerful landlady and the

honest landlord; where I lived in the shadow of Mont Blanc; and

where one of the apartments has a zoological papering on the walls;

not so accurately joined but that the elephant occasionally rejoices

in a tiger's hind legs and tail; while the lion puts on a trunk and

tusks; and the bear; moulting as it were; appears as to portions of

himself like a leopard。  I made several American friends at that

Inn; who all called Mont Blanc Mount Blank;except one good…

humoured gentleman; of a very sociable nature; who became on such

intimate terms with it that he spoke of it familiarly as 〃Blank;〃

observing; at breakfast; 〃Blank looks pretty tall this morning;〃 or

considerably doubting in the courtyard in the evening; whether there

warn't some go…ahead naters in our country; sir; that would make out

the top of Blank in a couple of hours from first startnow!



Once I passed a fortnight at an Inn in the North of England; where I

was haunted by the ghost of a tremendous pie。  It was a Yorkshire

pie; like a fort;an abandoned fort with nothing in it; but the

waiter had a fixed idea that it was a point of ceremony at every

meal to put the pie on the table。  After some days I tried to hint;

in several delicate ways; that I considered the pie done with; as;

for example; by emptying fag…ends of glasses of wine into it;

putting cheese…plates and spoons into it; as into a basket; putting

wine…bottles into it; as into a cooler; but always in vain; the pie

being invariably cleaned out again and brought up as before。  At

last; beginning to be doubtful whether I was not the victim of a

spectral illusion; and whether my health and spirits might not sink

under the horrors of an imaginary pie; I cut a triangle out of it;

fully as large as the musical instrument of that name in a powerful

orchestra。  Human provision could not have foreseen the resultbut

the waiter mended the pie。  With some effectual species of cement;

he adroitly fitted the triangle in again; and I paid my reckoning

and fled。



The Holly…Tree was getting rather dismal。  I made an overland

expedition beyond the screen; and penetrated as far as the fourth

window。  Here I was driven back by stress of weather。  Arrived at my

winter…quarters once more; I made up the fire; and took another Inn。



It was in the remotest part of Cornwall。  A great annual Miners'

Feast was being holden at the Inn; when I and my travelling

companions presented ourselves at night among the wild crowd that

were dancing before it by torchlight。  We had had a break…down in

the dark; on a stony morass some miles away; and I had the honour of

leading one of the unharnessed post…horses。  If any lady or

gentleman; on perusal of the present lines; will take any very tall

post…horse with his traces hanging about his legs; and will conduct

him by the bearing…rein into the heart of a country dance of a

hundred and fifty couples; that lady or gentleman will then; and

only then; form an adequate idea of the extent to which that post…

horse will tread on his conductor's toes。  Over and above which; the

post…horse; finding three hundred people whirling about him; will

probably rear; and also lash out with his hind legs; in a manner

incompatible with dignity or self…respect on his conductor's part。

With such little drawbacks on my usually impressive aspect; I

appeared at this Cornish Inn; to the unutterable wonder of the

Cornish Miners。  It was full; and twenty times full; and nobody

could be received but the post…horse;though to get rid of that

noble animal was something。  While my fellow…travellers and I were

discussing how to pass the night and so much of the next day as must

intervene before the jovial blacksmith and the jovial wheelwright

would be in a condition to go out on the morass and mend the coach;

an honest man stepped forth from the crowd and proposed his unlet

floor of two rooms; with supper of eggs and bacon; ale and punch。

We joyfully accompanied him home to the strangest of clean houses;

where we were well entertained to the satisfaction of all parties。

But the novel feature of the entertainment was; that our host was a

chair…maker; and that the chairs assigned to us were mere frames;

altogether without bottoms of any sort; so that we passed the

evening on perches。  Nor was this the absurdest consequence; for

when we unbent at supper; and any one of us gave way to laughter; he

forgot the peculiarity of his position; and instantly disappeared。

I myself; doubled up into an attitude from which self…extrication

was impossible; was taken out of my frame; like a clown in a comic

pantomime who has tumbled into a tub; five times by the taper's

light during the eggs and bacon。



The Holly…Tree was fast reviving within me a sense of loneliness。  I

began to feel conscious that my subject would never carry on until I

was dug out。  I might be a week here;weeks!



There was a story with a singular idea in it; connected with an Inn

I once passed a night at in a picturesque old town on the Welsh

border。  In a large double…bedded room of this Inn there had been a

suicide committed by poison; in one bed; while a tired traveller

slept unconscious in the other。  After that time; the suicide bed

was never used; but the other constantly was; the disused bedstead

remaining in the room empty; though as to all other respects in its

old state。  The story ran; that whosoever slept in this room; though

never so entire a stranger; from never so far off; was invariably

observed to come down in the morning with an impression that he

smelt Laudanum; and that his mind always turned upon the subject of

suicide; to which; whatever kind of man he might be; he was certain

to make some reference if he conversed with any one。  This went on

for years; until it at length induced the landlord to take the

disused bedstead down; and bodily burn it;bed; hangings; and all。

The strange influence (this was the story) now changed to a fainter

one; but never changed afterwards。  The occupant of that room; with

occasional but very rare exceptions; would come down in the morning;

trying to recall a forgotten dream he had had in the night。  The

landlord; on his mentioning his perplexity; would suggest various

commonplace subjects; not one of which; as he very well knew; was

the true subject。  But the moment the landlord suggested 〃Poison;〃

the traveller started; and cried; 〃Yes!〃  He never failed to accept

that suggestion; and he never recalled any more of the dream。



This reminiscence brought the Welsh Inns in general before me; with

the women in their round hats; and the harpers with their white

beards (venerable; but humbugs; I am afraid); playing outside the

door while I took my dinner。  The transition was natural to the

Highland Inns; with the oatmeal bannocks; the honey; the venison

steaks; the trout from the loch; the whisky; and perhaps (having the

materials so temptingly at hand) the Athol brose。  Once was I coming

south from the Scottish Highlands in hot haste; hoping to change

quickly at the station at the bottom of a certain wild historical

glen; when these eyes did with mortification see the landlord come

out with a telescope and sweep the whole prospect for the horses;

which horses were away picking up their own living; and did not

heave in sight under four hours。  Having thought of the loch…trout;

I was taken by quick association to the Anglers' Inns of England (I

have assisted at innumerable feats of angling by lying in the bottom

of the boat; whole summer days; doing nothing with the greatest

perseverance; which I have generally found to be as effectual

towards the taking of fish as the finest tackle and the utmost

science); and to the pleasant white; clean; flower…pot…decorated

bedrooms of those inns; overlooking the river; and the ferry; and

the green ait; and the ch

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