the uncommercial traveller-第43章

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your　part；　we　may　have　a　little　…　'



'Drop　of　something　to　drink；'　interposed　the　stranger。　　'I　am

agreeable。'



Mr。　Testator　had　intended　to　say；　'a　little　quiet　conversation；'

but　with　great　relief　of　mind　adopted　the　amendment。　　He　produced　a

decanter　of　gin；　and　was　bustling　about　for　hot　water　and　sugar；

when　he　found　that　his　visitor　had　already　drunk　half　of　the

decanter's　contents。　　With　hot　water　and　sugar　the　visitor　drank

the　remainder　before　he　had　been　an　hour　in　the　chambers　by　the

chimes　of　the　church　of　St。　Mary　in　the　Strand；　and　during　the

process　he　frequently　whispered　to　himself；　'Mine！'



The　gin　gone；　and　Mr。　Testator　wondering　what　was　to　follow　it；　the

visitor　rose　and　said；　with　increased　stiffness；　'At　what　hour　of

the　morning；　sir；　will　it　be　convenient？'　　Mr。　Testator　hazarded；

'At　ten？'　　'Sir；'　said　the　visitor；　'at　ten；　to　the　moment；　I　shall

be　here。'　　He　then　contemplated　Mr。　Testator　somewhat　at　leisure；

and　said；　'God　bless　you！　　How　is　your　wife？'　　Mr。　Testator　（who

never　had　a　wife）　replied　with　much　feeling；　'Deeply　anxious；　poor

soul；　but　otherwise　well。'　　The　visitor　thereupon　turned　and　went

away；　and　fell　twice　in　going　down…stairs。　　From　that　hour　he　was

never　heard　of。　　Whether　he　was　a　ghost；　or　a　spectral　illusion　of

conscience；　or　a　drunken　man　who　had　no　business　there；　or　the

drunken　rightful　owner　of　the　furniture；　with　a　transitory　gleam　of

memory；　whether　he　got　safe　home；　or　had　no　time　to　get　to；　whether

he　died　of　liquor　on　the　way；　or　lived　in　liquor　ever　afterwards；

he　never　was　heard　of　more。　　This　was　the　story；　received　with　the

furniture　and　held　to　be　as　substantial；　by　its　second　possessor　in

an　upper　set　of　chambers　in　grim　Lyons　Inn。



It　is　to　be　remarked　of　chambers　in　general；　that　they　must　have

been　built　for　chambers；　to　have　the　right　kind　of　loneliness。　　You

may　make　a　great　dwelling…house　very　lonely；　but　isolating　suites

of　rooms　and　calling　them　chambers；　but　you　cannot　make　the　true

kind　of　loneliness。　　In　dwelling…houses；　there　have　been　family

festivals；　children　have　grown　in　them；　girls　have　bloomed　into

women　in　them；　courtships　and　marriages　have　taken　place　in　them。

True　chambers　never　were　young；　childish；　maidenly；　never　had　dolls

in　them；　or　rocking…horses；　or　christenings；　or　betrothals；　or

little　coffins。　　Let　Gray's　Inn　identify　the　child　who　first

touched　hands　and　hearts　with　Robinson　Crusoe；　in　any　one　of　its

many　'sets；'　and　that　child's　little　statue；　in　white　marble　with　a

golden　inscription；　shall　be　at　its　service；　at　my　cost　and　charge；

as　a　drinking　fountain　for　the　spirit；　to　freshen　its　thirsty

square。　　Let　Lincoln's　produce　from　all　its　houses；　a　twentieth　of

the　procession　derivable　from　any　dwelling…house　one…twentieth　of

its　age；　of　fair　young　brides　who　married　for　love　and　hope；　not

settlements；　and　all　the　Vice…Chancellors　shall　thenceforward　be

kept　in　nosegays　for　nothing；　on　application　to　the　writer　hereof。

It　is　not　denied　that　on　the　terrace　of　the　Adelphi；　or　in　any　of

the　streets　of　that　subterranean…stable…haunted　spot；　or　about

Bedford…row；　or　James…street　of　that　ilk　（a　grewsome　place）；　or

anywhere　among　the　neighbourhoods　that　have　done　flowering　and　have

run　to　seed；　you　may　find　Chambers　replete　with　the　accommodations

of　Solitude；　Closeness；　and　Darkness；　where　you　may　be　as　low…

spirited　as　in　the　genuine　article；　and　might　be　as　easily

murdered；　with　the　placid　reputation　of　having　merely　gone　down　to

the　sea…side。　　But；　the　many　waters　of　life　did　run　musical　in

those　dry　channels　once；　…　among　the　Inns；　never。　　The　only　popular

legend　known　in　relation　to　any　one　of　the　dull　family　of　Inns；　is

a　dark　Old　Bailey　whisper　concerning　Clement's；　and　importing　how

the　black　creature　who　holds　the　sun…dial　there；　was　a　negro　who

slew　his　master　and　built　the　dismal　pile　out　of　the　contents　of

his　strong　box　…　for　which　architectural　offence　alone　he　ought　to

have　been　condemned　to　live　in　it。　　But；　what　populace　would　waste

fancy　upon　such　a　place；　or　on　New　Inn；　Staple　Inn；　Barnard's　Inn；

or　any　of　the　shabby　crew？



The　genuine　laundress；　too；　is　an　institution　not　to　be　had　in　its

entirety　out　of　and　away　from　the　genuine　Chambers。　　Again；　it　is

not　denied　that　you　may　be　robbed　elsewhere。　　Elsewhere　you　may

have　…　for　money　…　dishonesty；　drunkenness；　dirt；　laziness；　and

profound　incapacity。　　But　the　veritable　shining…red…faced　shameless

laundress；　the　true　Mrs。　Sweeney　…　in　figure；　colour；　texture；　and

smell；　like　the　old　damp　family　umbrella；　the　tip…top　complicated

abomination　of　stockings；　spirits；　bonnet；　limpness；　looseness；　and

larceny；　is　only　to　be　drawn　at　the　fountain…head。　　Mrs。　Sweeney　is

beyond　the　reach　of　individual　art。　　It　requires　the　united　efforts

of　several　men　to　ensure　that　great　result；　and　it　is　only

developed　in　perfection　under　an　Honourable　Society　and　in　an　Inn

of　Court。







CHAPTER　XV　…　NURSE'S　STORIES







There　are　not　many　places　that　I　find　it　more　agreeable　to　revisit

when　I　am　in　an　idle　mood；　than　some　places　to　which　I　have　never

been。　　For；　my　acquaintance　with　those　spots　is　of　such　long

standing；　and　has　ripened　into　an　intimacy　of　so　affectionate　a

nature；　that　I　take　a　particular　interest　in　assuring　myself　that

they　are　unchanged。



I　never　was　in　Robinson　Crusoe's　Island；　yet　I　frequently　return

there。　　The　colony　he　established　on　it　soon　faded　away；　and　it　is

uninhabited　by　any　descendants　of　the　grave　and　courteous

Spaniards；　or　of　Will　Atkins　and　the　other　mutineers；　and　has

relapsed　into　its　original　condition。　　Not　a　twig　of　its　wicker

houses　remains；　its　goats　have　long　run　wild　again；　its　screaming

parrots　would　darken　the　sun　with　a　cloud　of　many　flaming　colours

if　a　gun　were　fired　there；　no　face　is　ever　reflected　in　the　waters

of　the　little　creek　which　Friday　swam　across　when　pursued　by　his

two　brother　cannibals　with　sharpened　stomachs。　　After　comparing

notes　with　other　travellers　who　have　similarly　revisited　the　Island

and　conscientiously　inspected　it；　I　have　satisfied　myself　that　it

contains　no　vestige　of　Mr。　Atkins's　domesticity　or　theology；　though

his　track　on　the　memorable　evening　of　his　landing　to　set　his

captain　ashore；　when　he　was　decoyed　about　and　round　about　until　it

was　dark；　and　his　boat　was　stove；　and　his　strength　and　spirits

failed　him；　is　yet　plainly　to　be　traced。　　So　is　the　hill…top　on

which　Robinson　was　struck　dumb　with　joy　when　the　reinstated　captain

pointed　to　the　ship；　riding　within　half　a　mile　of　the　shore；　that

was　to　bear　him　away；　in　the　nine…and…twentieth　year　of　his

seclusion　in　that　lonely　place。　　So　is　the　sandy　beach　on　which　the

memorable　footstep　was　impressed；　and　where　the　savages　hauled　up

their　canoes　when　they　came　ashore　for　those　dreadful　public

dinners；　which　led　to　a　dancing　worse　than　speech…making。　　So　is

the　cave　where　the　flaring　eyes　of　the　old　goat　made　such　a　goblin

appearance　in　the　dark。　　So　is　the　site　of　the　hut　where　Robinson

lived　with　the　dog　and　the　parrot　and　the　cat；　and　where　he　endured

those　first　agonies　of　solitude；　which　…　strange　to　say　…　never

involved　any　ghostly　fancies；　a　circumstance　so　very　remarkable；

that　perhaps　he　left　out　something　in　writing　his　record？　　Round

hundreds　of　such　objects；　hidden　in　the　dense　tropical　foliage；　the

tropical　sea　breaks　evermore；　and　over　them　the　tropical　sky；

saving　in　the　short　rainy　season；　shines　bright　and　cloudless。



Neither；　was　I　ever　belated　among　wolves；　on　the　borders　of　France

and　Spain；　nor；　did　I　ever；　when　night　was　closing　in　and　the

ground　was　covered　with　snow；　draw　up　my　little　company　among　some

felled　trees　which　served　as　a　breastwork；　and　there　fire　a　train

of　gunpowder　so　dexterously　that　suddenly　we　had　three　or　four

score　blazing　wolves　illuminating　the　darkness　around　us。

Nevertheless；　I　occasionally　go　back　to　that　dismal　region　and