the uncommercial traveller-第14章

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little　cases；　in　otherwise　wretched　rooms；　indicating　that

Mercantile　Jack　must　have　an　extraordinary　fondness　for　crockery；

to　necessitate　so　much　of　that　bait　in　his　traps。



Among　such　garniture；　in　one　front　parlour　in　the　dead　of　the

night；　four　women　were　sitting　by　a　fire。　　One　of　them　had　a　male

child　in　her　arms。　　On　a　stool　among　them　was　a　swarthy　youth　with

a　guitar；　who　had　evidently　stopped　playing　when　our　footsteps　were

heard。



'Well　I　how　do　YOU　do？'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　looking　about　him。



'Pretty　well；　sir；　and　hope　you　gentlemen　are　going　to　treat　us

ladies；　now　you　have　come　to　see　us。'



'Order　there！'　says　Sharpeye。



'None　of　that！'　says　Quickear。



Trampfoot；　outside；　is　heard　to　confide　to　himself；　'Meggisson's

lot　this　is。　　And　a　bad　'un！'



'Well！'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　laying　his　hand　on　the　shoulder　of

the　swarthy　youth；　'and　who's　this？'



'Antonio；　sir。'



'And　what　does　HE　do　here？'



'Come　to　give　us　a　bit　of　music。　　No　harm　in　that；　I　suppose？'



'A　young　foreign　sailor？'



'Yes。　　He's　a　Spaniard。　　You're　a　Spaniard；　ain't　you；　Antonio？'



'Me　Spanish。'



'And　he　don't　know　a　word　you　say；　not　he；　not　if　you　was　to　talk

to　him　till　doomsday。'　　（Triumphantly；　as　if　it　redounded　to　the

credit　of　the　house。）



'Will　he　play　something？'



'Oh；　yes；　if　you　like。　　Play　something；　Antonio。　　YOU　ain't　ashamed

to　play　something；　are　you？'



The　cracked　guitar　raises　the　feeblest　ghost　of　a　tune；　and　three

of　the　women　keep　time　to　it　with　their　heads；　and　the　fourth　with

the　child。　　If　Antonio　has　brought　any　money　in　with　him；　I　am

afraid　he　will　never　take　it　out；　and　it　even　strikes　me　that　his

jacket　and　guitar　may　be　in　a　bad　way。　　But；　the　look　of　the　young

man　and　the　tinkling　of　the　instrument　so　change　the　place　in　a

moment　to　a　leaf　out　of　Don　Quixote；　that　I　wonder　where　his　mule

is　stabled；　until　he　leaves　off。



I　am　bound　to　acknowledge　（as　it　tends　rather　to　my　uncommercial

confusion）；　that　I　occasioned　a　difficulty　in　this　establishment；

by　having　taken　the　child　in　my　arms。　　For；　on　my　offering　to

restore　it　to　a　ferocious　joker　not　unstimulated　by　rum；　who

claimed　to　be　its　mother；　that　unnatural　parent　put　her　hands

behind　her；　and　declined　to　accept　it；　backing　into　the　fireplace；

and　very　shrilly　declaring；　regardless　of　remonstrance　from　her

friends；　that　she　knowed　it　to　be　Law；　that　whoever　took　a　child

from　its　mother　of　his　own　will；　was　bound　to　stick　to　it。　　The

uncommercial　sense　of　being　in　a　rather　ridiculous　position　with

the　poor　little　child　beginning　to　be　frightened；　was　relieved　by

my　worthy　friend　and　fellow…constable；　Trampfoot；　who；　laying　hands

on　the　article　as　if　it　were　a　Bottle；　passed　it　on　to　the　nearest

woman；　and　bade　her　'take　hold　of　that。'　　As　we　came　out　the　Bottle

was　passed　to　the　ferocious　joker；　and　they　all　sat　down　as　before；

including　Antonio　and　the　guitar。　　It　was　clear　that　there　was　no

such　thing　as　a　nightcap　to　this　baby's　head；　and　that　even　he

never　went　to　bed；　but　was　always　kept　up　…　and　would　grow　up；　kept

up　…　waiting　for　Jack。



Later　still　in　the　night；　we　came　（by　the　court　'where　the　man　was

murdered；'　and　by　the　other　court　across　the　street；　into　which　his

body　was　dragged）　to　another　parlour　in　another　Entry；　where

several　people　were　sitting　round　a　fire　in　just　the　same　way。　　It

was　a　dirty　and　offensive　place；　with　some　ragged　clothes　drying　in

it；　but　there　was　a　high　shelf　over　the　entrance…door　（to　be　out　of

the　reach　of　marauding　hands；　possibly）　with　two　large　white　loaves

on　it；　and　a　great　piece　of　Cheshire　cheese。



'Well！'　says　Mr。　Superintendent；　with　a　comprehensive　look　all

round。　　'How　do　YOU　do？'



'Not　much　to　boast　of；　sir。'　　From　the　curtseying　woman　of　the

house。　　'This　is　my　good　man；　sir。'



'You　are　not　registered　as　a　common　Lodging　House？'



'No；　sir。'



Sharpeye　（in　the　Move…on　tone）　puts　in　the　pertinent　inquiry；　'Then

why　ain't　you？'



'Ain't　got　no　one　here；　Mr。　Sharpeye；'　rejoin　the　woman　and　my　good

man　together；　'but　our　own　family。'



'How　many　are　you　in　family？'



The　woman　takes　time　to　count；　under　pretence　of　coughing；　and

adds；　as　one　scant　of　breath；　'Seven；　sir。'



But　she　has　missed　one；　so　Sharpeye；　who　knows　all　about　it；　says：



'Here's　a　young　man　here　makes　eight；　who　ain't　of　your　family？'



'No；　Mr。　Sharpeye；　he's　a　weekly　lodger。'



'What　does　he　do　for　a　living？'



The　young　man　here；　takes　the　reply　upon　himself；　and　shortly

answers；　'Ain't　got　nothing　to　do。'



The　young　man　here；　is　modestly　brooding　behind　a　damp　apron

pendent　from　a　clothes…line。　　As　I　glance　at　him　I　become　…　but　I

don't　know　why　…　vaguely　reminded　of　Woolwich；　Chatham；　Portsmouth；

and　Dover。　　When　we　get　out；　my　respected　fellow…constable

Sharpeye；　addressing　Mr。　Superintendent；　says：



'You　noticed　that　young　man；　sir；　in　at　Darby's？'



'Yes。　　What　is　he？'



'Deserter；　sir。'



Mr。　Sharpeye　further　intimates　that　when　we　have　done　with　his

services；　he　will　step　back　and　take　that　young　man。　　Which　in

course　of　time　he　does：　　feeling　at　perfect　ease　about　finding　him；

and　knowing　for　a　moral　certainty　that　nobody　in　that　region　will

be　gone　to　bed。



Later　still　in　the　night；　we　came　to　another　parlour　up　a　step　or

two　from　the　street；　which　was　very　cleanly；　neatly；　even

tastefully；　kept；　and　in　which；　set　forth　on　a　draped　chest　of

drawers　masking　the　staircase；　was　such　a　profusion　of　ornamental

crockery；　that　it　would　have　furnished　forth　a　handsome　sale…booth

at　a　fair。　　It　backed　up　a　stout　old　lady　…　HOGARTH　drew　her　exact

likeness　more　than　once　…　and　a　boy　who　was　carefully　writing　a

copy　in　a　copy…book。



'Well；　ma'am；　how　do　YOU　do？'



Sweetly；　she　can　assure　the　dear　gentlemen；　sweetly。　　Charmingly；

charmingly。　　And　overjoyed　to　see　us！



'Why；　this　is　a　strange　time　for　this　boy　to　be　writing　his　copy。

In　the　middle　of　the　night！'



'So　it　is；　dear　gentlemen；　Heaven　bless　your　welcome　faces　and　send

ye　prosperous；　but　he　has　been　to　the　Play　with　a　young　friend　for

his　diversion；　and　he　combinates　his　improvement　with

entertainment；　by　doing　his　school…writing　afterwards；　God　be　good

to　ye！'



The　copy　admonished　human　nature　to　subjugate　the　fire　of　every

fierce　desire。　　One　might　have　thought　it　recommended　stirring　the

fire；　the　old　lady　so　approved　it。　　There　she　sat；　rosily　beaming

at　the　copy…book　and　the　boy；　and　invoking　showers　of　blessings　on

our　heads；　when　we　left　her　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　waiting　for

Jack。



Later　still　in　the　night；　we　came　to　a　nauseous　room　with　an　earth

floor；　into　which　the　refuse　scum　of　an　alley　trickled。　　The　stench

of　this　habitation　was　abominable；　the　seeming　poverty　of　it；

diseased　and　dire。　　Yet；　here　again；　was　visitor　or　lodger　…　a　man

sitting　before　the　fire；　like　the　rest　of　them　elsewhere；　and

apparently　not　distasteful　to　the　mistress's　niece；　who　was　also

before　the　fire。　　The　mistress　herself　had　the　misfortune　of　being

in　jail。



Three　weird　old　women　of　transcendent　ghastliness；　were　at

needlework　at　a　table　in　this　room。　　Says　Trampfoot　to　First　Witch；

'What　are　you　making？'　　Says　she；　'Money…bags。'



'WHAT　are　you　making？'　retorts　Trampfoot；　a　little　off　his　balance。



'Bags　to　hold　your　money；'　says　the　witch；　shaking　her　head；　and

setting　her　teeth；　'you　as　has　got　it。'



She　holds　up　a　common　cash…bag；　and　on　the　table　is　a　heap　of　such

bags。　　Witch　Two　laughs　at　us。　　Witch　Three　scowls　at　us。　　Witch

sisterhood　all；　stitch；　stitch。　　First　Witch　has　a　circle　round

each　eye。　　I　fancy　it　like　the　beginning　of　the　development　of　a

perverted　diabolical　halo；　and　that　when　it　spreads　all　round　her

head；　she　will　die　in　the　odour　of　devilry。



Trampfoot　wishes　to　be　informed　what　First　Witch　has　got　behind　the

table