the uncommercial traveller-第42章

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he　must　have　done　so。　　Now；　this　chanced　on　the　night　of　Christmas

Eve；　and　over　him　lived　a　young　fellow　who　had　sisters　and　young

country　friends；　and　who　gave　them　a　little　party　that　night；　in

the　course　of　which　they　played　at　Blindman's　Buff。　　They　played

that　game；　for　their　greater　sport；　by　the　light　of　the　fire　only；

and　once；　when　they　were　all　quietly　rustling　and　stealing　about；

and　the　blindman　was　trying　to　pick　out　the　prettiest　sister　（for

which　I　am　far　from　blaming　him）；　somebody　cried；　Hark！　　The　man

below　must　be　playing　Blindman's　Buff　by　himself　to…night！　　They

listened；　and　they　heard　sounds　of　some　one　falling　about　and

stumbling　against　furniture；　and　they　all　laughed　at　the　conceit；

and　went　on　with　their　play；　more　light…hearted　and　merry　than

ever。　　Thus；　those　two　so　different　games　of　life　and　death　were

played　out　together；　blindfolded；　in　the　two　sets　of　chambers。



Such　are　the　occurrences；　which；　coming　to　my　knowledge；　imbued　me

long　ago　with　a　strong　sense　of　the　loneliness　of　chambers。　　There

was　a　fantastic　illustration　to　much　the　same　purpose　implicitly

believed　by　a　strange　sort　of　man　now　dead；　whom　I　knew　when　I　had

not　quite　arrived　at　legal　years　of　discretion；　though　I　was

already　in　the　uncommercial　line。



This　was　a　man　who；　though　not　more　than　thirty；　had　seen　the　world

in　divers　irreconcilable　capacities　…　had　been　an　officer　in　a

South　American　regiment　among　other　odd　things　…　but　had　not

achieved　much　in　any　way　of　life；　and　was　in　debt；　and　in　hiding。

He　occupied　chambers　of　the　dreariest　nature　in　Lyons　Inn；　his

name；　however；　was　not　up　on　the　door；　or　door…post；　but　in　lieu　of

it　stood　the　name　of　a　friend　who　had　died　in　the　chambers；　and　had

given　him　the　furniture。　　The　story　arose　out　of　the　furniture；　and

was　to　this　effect：…　Let　the　former　holder　of　the　chambers；　whose

name　was　still　upon　the　door　and　door…post；　be　Mr。　Testator。



Mr。　Testator　took　a　set　of　chambers　in　Lyons　Inn　when　he　had　but

very　scanty　furniture　for　his　bedroom；　and　none　for　his　sitting…

room。　　He　had　lived　some　wintry　months　in　this　condition；　and　had

found　it　very　bare　and　cold。　　One　night；　past　midnight；　when　he　sat

writing　and　still　had　writing　to　do　that　must　be　done　before　he

went　to　bed；　he　found　himself　out　of　coals。　　He　had　coals　down…

stairs；　but　had　never　been　to　his　cellar；　however　the　cellar…key

was　on　his　mantelshelf；　and　if　he　went　down　and　opened　the　cellar

it　fitted；　he　might　fairly　assume　the　coals　in　that　cellar　to　be

his。　　As　to　his　laundress；　she　lived　among　the　coal…waggons　and

Thames　watermen　…　for　there　were　Thames　watermen　at　that　time　…　in

some　unknown　rat…hole　by　the　river；　down　lanes　and　alleys　on　the

other　side　of　the　Strand。　　As　to　any　other　person　to　meet　him　or

obstruct　him；　Lyons　Inn　was　dreaming；　drunk；　maudlin；　moody；

betting；　brooding　over　bill…discounting　or　renewing　…　asleep　or

awake；　minding　its　own　affairs。　　Mr。　Testator　took　his　coal…scuttle

in　one　hand；　his　candle　and　key　in　the　other；　and　descended　to　the

dismallest　underground　dens　of　Lyons　Inn；　where　the　late　vehicles

in　the　streets　became　thunderous；　and　all　the　water…pipes　in　the

neighbourhood　seemed　to　have　Macbeth's　Amen　sticking　in　their

throats；　and　to　be　trying　to　get　it　out。　　After　groping　here　and

there　among　low　doors　to　no　purpose；　Mr。　Testator　at　length　came　to

a　door　with　a　rusty　padlock　which　his　key　fitted。　　Getting　the　door

open　with　much　trouble；　and　looking　in；　he　found；　no　coals；　but　a

confused　pile　of　furniture。　　Alarmed　by　this　intrusion　on　another

man's　property；　he　locked　the　door　again；　found　his　own　cellar；

filled　his　scuttle；　and　returned　up…stairs。



But　the　furniture　he　had　seen；　ran　on　castors　across　and　across　Mr。

Testator's　mind　incessantly；　when；　in　the　chill　hour　of　five　in　the

morning；　he　got　to　bed。　　He　particularly　wanted　a　table　to　write

at；　and　a　table　expressly　made　to　be　written　at；　had　been　the　piece

of　furniture　in　the　foreground　of　the　heap。　　When　his　laundress

emerged　from　her　burrow　in　the　morning　to　make　his　kettle　boil；　he

artfully　led　up　to　the　subject　of　cellars　and　furniture；　but　the

two　ideas　had　evidently　no　connexion　in　her　mind。　　When　she　left

him；　and　he　sat　at　his　breakfast；　thinking　about　the　furniture；　he

recalled　the　rusty　state　of　the　padlock；　and　inferred　that　the

furniture　must　have　been　stored　in　the　cellars　for　a　long　time　…

was　perhaps　forgotten　…　owner　dead；　perhaps？　　After　thinking　it

over；　a　few　days；　in　the　course　of　which　he　could　pump　nothing　out

of　Lyons　Inn　about　the　furniture；　he　became　desperate；　and　resolved

to　borrow　that　table。　　He　did　so；　that　night。　　He　had　not　had　the

table　long；　when　he　determined　to　borrow　an　easy…chair；　he　had　not

had　that　long；　when　he　made　up　his　mind　to　borrow　a　bookcase；　then；

a　couch；　then；　a　carpet　and　rug。　　By　that　time；　he　felt　he　was　'in

furniture　stepped　in　so　far；'　as　that　it　could　be　no　worse　to

borrow　it　all。　　Consequently；　he　borrowed　it　all；　and　locked　up　the

cellar　for　good。　　He　had　always　locked　it；　after　every　visit。　　He

had　carried　up　every　separate　article　in　the　dead　of　the　night；

and；　at　the　best；　had　felt　as　wicked　as　a　Resurrection　Man。　　Every

article　was　blue　and　furry　when　brought　into　his　rooms；　and　he　had

had；　in　a　murderous　and　guilty　sort　of　way；　to　polish　it　up　while

London　slept。



Mr。　Testator　lived　in　his　furnished　chambers　two　or　three　years；　or

more；　and　gradually　lulled　himself　into　the　opinion　that　the

furniture　was　his　own。　　This　was　his　convenient　state　of　mind　when；

late　one　night；　a　step　came　up　the　stairs；　and　a　hand　passed　over

his　door　feeling　for　his　knocker；　and　then　one　deep　and　solemn　rap

was　rapped　that　might　have　been　a　spring　in　Mr。　Testator's　easy…

chair　to　shoot　him　out　of　it；　so　promptly　was　it　attended　with　that

effect。



With　a　candle　in　his　hand；　Mr。　Testator　went　to　the　door；　and　found

there；　a　very　pale　and　very　tall　man；　a　man　who　stooped；　a　man　with

very　high　shoulders；　a　very　narrow　chest；　and　a　very　red　nose；　a

shabby…genteel　man。　　He　was　wrapped　in　a　long　thread…bare　black

coat；　fastened　up　the　front　with　more　pins　than　buttons；　and　under

his　arm　he　squeezed　an　umbrella　without　a　handle；　as　if　he　were

playing　bagpipes。　　He　said；　'I　ask　your　pardon；　but　can　you　tell　me

…　'　and　stopped；　his　eyes　resting　on　some　object　within　the

chambers。



'Can　I　tell　you　what？'　asked　Mr。　Testator；　noting　his　stoppage　with

quick　alarm。



'I　ask　your　pardon；'　said　the　stranger；　'but　…　this　is　not　the

inquiry　I　was　going　to　make　…　DO　I　see　in　there；　any　small　article

of　property　belonging　to　ME？'



Mr。　Testator　was　beginning　to　stammer　that　he　was　not　aware　…　when

the　visitor　slipped　past　him；　into　the　chambers。　　There；　in　a

goblin　way　which　froze　Mr。　Testator　to　the　marrow；　he　examined；

first；　the　writing…table；　and　said；　'Mine；'　then；　the　easy…chair；

and　said；　'Mine；'　then；　the　bookcase；　and　said；　'Mine；'　then；

turned　up　a　corner　of　the　carpet；　and　said；　'Mine！'　in　a　word；

inspected　every　item　of　furniture　from　the　cellar；　in　succession；

and　said；　'Mine！'　　Towards　the　end　of　this　investigation；　Mr。

Testator　perceived　that　he　was　sodden　with　liquor；　and　that　the

liquor　was　gin。　　He　was　not　unsteady　with　gin；　either　in　his　speech

or　carriage；　but　he　was　stiff　with　gin　in　both　particulars。



Mr。　Testator　was　in　a　dreadful　state；　for　（according　to　his　making

out　of　the　story）　the　possible　consequences　of　what　he　had　done　in

recklessness　and　hardihood；　flashed　upon　him　in　their　fulness　for

the　first　time。　　When　they　had　stood　gazing　at　one　another　for　a

little　while；　he　tremulously　began：



'Sir；　I　am　conscious　that　the　fullest　explanation；　compensation；

and　restitution；　are　your　due。　　They　shall　be　yours。　　Allow　me　to

entreat　that；　without　temper；　without　even　natural　irritation　on

your　part；　we　may　have　a　little　…　'



'Drop　of　something　to　drink；'　interposed　the　strange