three men in a boat-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




And　George　said：　〃Not　at　all；〃　that　it　was　his　fault；　and　Harris　said　no；　

it　was　his。



It　was　quite　pretty　to　hear　them。



We　lit　our　pipes；　and　sat；　looking　out　on　the　quiet　night；　and　talked。



George　said　why　could　not　we　be　always　like　this　…　away　from　the　world；　

with　its　sin　and　temptation；　leading　sober；　peaceful　lives；　and　doing　

good。　　I　said　it　was　the　sort　of　thing　I　had　often　longed　for　myself；　and　

we　discussed　the　possibility　of　our　going　away；　we　four；　to　some　handy；　

well…fitted　desert　island；　and　living　there　in　the　woods。



Harris　said　that　the　danger　about　desert　islands；　as　far　as　he　had　heard；　

was　that　they　were　so　damp：　but　George　said　no；　not　if　properly　drained。



And　then　we　got　on　to　drains；　and　that　put　George　in　mind　of　a　very　funny　

thing　that　happened　to　his　father　once。　　He　said　his　father　was　

travelling　with　another　fellow　through　Wales；　and；　one　night；　they　

stopped　at　a　little　inn；　where　there　were　some　other　fellows；　and　they　

joined　the　other　fellows；　and　spent　the　evening　with　them。



They　had　a　very　jolly　evening；　and　sat　up　late；　and；　by　the　time　they　

came　to　go　to　bed；　they　（this　was　when　George's　father　was　a　very　young　

man）　were　slightly　jolly；　too。　　They　（George's　father　and　George's　

father's　friend）　were　to　sleep　in　the　same　room；　but　in　different　beds。　　

They　took　the　candle；　and　went　up。　　The　candle　lurched　up　against　the　

wall　when　they　got　into　the　room；　and　went　out；　and　they　had　to　undress　

and　grope　into　bed　in　the　dark。　　This　they　did；　but；　instead　of　getting　

into　separate　beds；　as　they　thought　they　were　doing；　they　both　climbed　

into　the　same　one　without　knowing　it　…　one　getting　in　with　his　head　at　

the　top；　and　the　other　crawling　in　from　the　opposite　side　of　the　compass；　

and　lying　with　his　feet　on　the　pillow。



There　was　silence　for　a　moment；　and　then　George's　father　said：



〃Joe！〃



〃What's　the　matter；　Tom？〃　replied　Joe's　voice　from　the　other　end　of　the　

bed。



〃Why；　there's　a　man　in　my　bed；〃　said　George's　father；　〃here's　his　feet　on　

my　pillow。〃



〃Well；　it's　an　extraordinary　thing；　Tom；〃　answered　the　other；　〃but　I'm　

blest　if　there　isn't　a　man　in　my　bed；　too！〃



〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃　asked　George's　father。



〃Well；　I'm　going　to　chuck　him　out；〃　replied　Joe。



〃So　am　I；〃　said　George's　father；　valiantly。



There　was　a　brief　struggle；　followed　by　two　heavy　bumps　on　the　floor；　and　

then　a　rather　doleful　voice　said：



〃I　say；　Tom！〃



〃Yes！〃



〃How　have　you　got　on？〃



〃Well；　to　tell　you　the　truth；　my　man's　chucked　me　out。〃



〃So's　mine！　　I　say；　I　don't　think　much　of　this　inn；　do　you？〃



〃What　was　the　name　of　that　inn？〃　said　Harris。



〃The　Pig　and　Whistle；〃　said　George。　　〃Why？〃



〃Ah；　no；　then　it　isn't　the　same；〃　replied　Harris。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　queried　George。



〃Why　it's　so　curious；〃　murmured　Harris；　〃but　precisely　that　very　same　

thing　happened　to　MY　father　once　at　a　country　inn。　　I've　often　heard　him　

tell　the　tale。　　I　thought　it　might　have　been　the　same　inn。〃



We　turned　in　at　ten　that　night；　and　I　thought　I　should　sleep　well；　being　

tired；　but　I　didn't。　　As　a　rule；　I　undress　and　put　my　head　on　the　pillow；　

and　then　somebody　bangs　at　the　door；　and　says　it　is　half…past　eight：　but；　

to…night；　everything　seemed　against　me；　the　novelty　of　it　all；　the　

hardness　of　the　boat；　the　cramped　position　（I　was　lying　with　my　feet　

under　one　seat；　and　my　head　on　another）；　the　sound　of　the　lapping　water　

round　the　boat；　and　the　wind　among　the　branches；　kept　me　restless　and　

disturbed。



I　did　get　to　sleep　for　a　few　hours；　and　then　some　part　of　the　boat　which　

seemed　to　have　grown　up　in　the　night　…　for　it　certainly　was　not　there　

when　we　started；　and　it　had　disappeared　by　the　morning　…　kept　digging　

into　my　spine。　　I　slept　through　it　for　a　while；　dreaming　that　I　had　

swallowed　a　sovereign；　and　that　they　were　cutting　a　hole　in　my　back　with　

a　gimlet；　so　as　to　try　and　get　it　out。　　I　thought　it　very　unkind　of　them；　

and　I　told　them　I　would　owe　them　the　money；　and　they　should　have　it　at　

the　end　of　the　month。　　But　they　would　not　hear　of　that；　and　said　it　would　

be　much　better　if　they　had　it　then；　because　otherwise　the　interest　would　

accumulate　so。　　I　got　quite　cross　with　them　after　a　bit；　and　told　them　

what　I　thought　of　them；　and　then　they　gave　the　gimlet　such　an　

excruciating　wrench　that　I　woke　up。



The　boat　seemed　stuffy；　and　my　head　ached；　so　I　thought　I　would　step　out　

into　the　cool　night…air。　　I　slipped　on　what　clothes　I　could　find　about　…　

some　of　my　own；　and　some　of　George's　and　Harris's　…　and　crept　under　the　

canvas　on　to　the　bank。



It　was　a　glorious　night。　　The　moon　had　sunk；　and　left　the　quiet　earth　

alone　with　the　stars。　　It　seemed　as　if；　in　the　silence　and　the　hush；　

while　we　her　children　slept；　they　were　talking　with　her；　their　sister　…　

conversing　of　mighty　mysteries　in　voices　too　vast　and　deep　for　childish　

human　ears　to　catch　the　sound。



They　awe　us；　these　strange　stars；　so　cold；　so　clear。　　We　are　as　children　

whose　small　feet　have　strayed　into　some　dim…lit　temple　of　the　god　they　

have　been　taught　to　worship　but　know　not；　and；　standing　where　the　echoing　

dome　spans　the　long　vista　of　the　shadowy　light；　glance　up；　half　hoping；　

half　afraid　to　see　some　awful　vision　hovering　there。



And　yet　it　seems　so　full　of　comfort　and　of　strength；　the　night。　　In　its　

great　presence；　our　small　sorrows　creep　away；　ashamed。　　The　day　has　been　

so　full　of　fret　and　care；　and　our　hearts　have　been　so　full　of　evil　and　of　

bitter　thoughts；　and　the　world　has　seemed　so　hard　and　wrong　to　us。　　Then　

Night；　like　some　great　loving　mother；　gently　lays　her　hand　upon　our　

fevered　head；　and　turns　our　little　tear…stained　faces　up　to　hers；　and　

smiles；　and；　though　she　does　not　speak；　we　know　what　she　would　say；　and　

lay　our　hot　flushed　cheek　against　her　bosom；　and　the　pain　is　gone。



Sometimes；　our　pain　is　very　deep　and　real；　and　we　stand　before　her　very　

silent；　because　there　is　no　language　for　our　pain；　only　a　moan。　　Night's　

heart　is　full　of　pity　for　us：　she　cannot　ease　our　aching；　she　takes　our　

hand　in　hers；　and　the　little　world　grows　very　small　and　very　far　away　

beneath　us；　and；　borne　on　her　dark　wings；　we　pass　for　a　moment　into　a　

mightier　Presence　than　her　own；　and　in　the　wondrous　light　of　that　great　

Presence；　all　human　life　lies　like　a　book　before　us；　and　we　know　that　

Pain　and　Sorrow　are　but　the　angels　of　God。



Only　those　who　have　worn　the　crown　of　suffering　can　look　upon　that　

wondrous　light；　and　they；　when　they　return；　may　not　speak　of　it；　or　tell　

the　mystery　they　know。



Once　upon　a　time；　through　a　strange　country；　there　rode　some　goodly　

knights；　and　their　path　lay　by　a　deep　wood；　where　tangled　briars　grew　

very　thick　and　strong；　and　tore　the　flesh　of　them　that　lost　their　way　

therein。　　And　the　leaves　of　the　trees　that　grew　in　the　wood　were　very　

dark　and　thick；　so　that　no　ray　of　light　came　through　the　branches　to　

lighten　the　gloom　and　sadness。



And；　as　they　passed　by　that　dark　wood；　one　knight　of　those　that　rode；　

missing　his　comrades；　wandered　far　away；　and　returned　to　them　no　more；　

and　they；　sorely　grieving；　rode　on　without　him；　mourning　him　as　one　dead。



Now；　when　they　reached　the　fair　castle　towards　which　they　had　been　

journeying；　they　stayed　there　many　days；　and　made　merry；　and　one　night；　

as　they　sat　in　cheerful　ease　around　the　logs　that　burned　in　the　great　

hall；　and　drank　a　loving　measure；　there　came　the　comrade　they　had　lost；　

and　greeted　them。　　His　clothes　were　ragged；　like　a　beggar's；　and　many　sad　

wounds　were　on　his　sweet　flesh；　but　upon　his　face　there　shone　a　great　

radiance　of　deep　joy。



And　they　questioned　him；　asking　him　what　had　befallen　him：　and　he　told　

them　how　in　the　dark　wood　he　had　lost　his　way；　and　had　wandered　many　days　

and　nights；　till；　torn　and　bleeding；　he　had　lain　him　down　to　die。



Then；　when　he　was　ni