lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第26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！



of　making　a　gong…like　imitation　of　the　braying　of　an　ass：　　which

feat　requires　that　he　should　lay　his　right　jaw　in　his　begrimed

right　paw；　double　himself　up；　and　shake　his　bray　out　of　himself；

with　much　staggering　on　his　next…to…no　legs；　and　much　twirling　of

his　horrible　broom；　as　if　it　were　a　mop。　　From　the　present　minute；

when　he　comes　in　sight　holding　up　his　cards　to　the　windows；　and

hoarsely　proposing　purchase　to　My　Lord；　Your　Excellency；　Colonel；

the　Noble　Captain；　and　Your　Honourable　Worship　…　from　the　present

minute　until　the　Grand　Race…Week　is　finished；　at　all　hours　of　the

morning；　evening；　day；　and　night；　shall　the　town　reverberate；　at

capricious　intervals；　to　the　brays　of　this　frightful　animal　the

Gong…donkey。



No　very　great　racing　to…day；　so　no　very　great　amount　of　vehicles：

though　there　is　a　good　sprinkling；　too：　　from　farmers'　carts　and

gigs；　to　carriages　with　post…horses　and　to　fours…in…hand；　mostly

coming　by　the　road　from　York；　and　passing　on　straight　through　the

main　street　to　the　Course。　　A　walk　in　the　wrong　direction　may　be　a

better　thing　for　Mr。　Goodchild　to…day　than　the　Course；　so　he　walks

in　the　wrong　direction。　　Everybody　gone　to　the　races。　　Only

children　in　the　street。　　Grand　Alliance　Circus　deserted；　not　one

Star…Rider　left；　omnibus　which　forms　the　Pay…Place；　having　on

separate　panels　Pay　here　for　the　Boxes；　Pay　here　for　the　Pit；　Pay

here　for　the　Gallery；　hove　down　in　a　corner　and　locked　up；　nobody

near　the　tent　but　the　man　on　his　knees　on　the　grass；　who　is　making

the　paper　balloons　for　the　Star　young　gentlemen　to　jump　through　to…

night。　　A　pleasant　road；　pleasantly　wooded。　　No　labourers　working

in　the　fields；　all　gone　't'races。'　　The　few　late　wenders　of　their

way　't'races；'　who　are　yet　left　driving　on　the　road；　stare　in

amazement　at　the　recluse　who　is　not　going　't'races。'　　Roadside

innkeeper　has　gone　't'races。'　　Turnpike…man　has　gone　't'races。'

His　thrifty　wife；　washing　clothes　at　the　toll…house　door；　is　going

't'races'　to…morrow。　　Perhaps　there　may　be　no　one　left　to　take　the

toll　to…morrow；　who　knows？　　Though　assuredly　that　would　be　neither

turnpike…like　nor　Yorkshire…like。　　The　very　wind　and　dust　seem　to

be　hurrying　't'races；'　as　they　briskly　pass　the　only　wayfarer　on

the　road。　　In　the　distance；　the　Railway　Engine；　waiting　at　the

town…end；　shrieks　despairingly。　　Nothing　but　the　difficulty　of

getting　off　the　Line；　restrains　that　Engine　from　going　't'races；'

too；　it　is　very　clear。



At　night；　more　Lunatics　out　than　last　night　…　and　more　Keepers。

The　latter　very　active　at　the　Betting　Rooms；　the　street　in　front　of

which　is　now　impassable。　　Mr。　Palmer　as　before。　　Mr。　Thurtell　as

before。　　Roar　and　uproar　as　before。　　Gradual　subsidence　as　before。

Unmannerly　drinking…house　expectorates　as　before。　　Drunken　negro…

melodists；　Gong…donkey；　and　correct　cards；　in　the　night。



On　Wednesday　morning；　the　morning　of　the　great　St。　Leger；　it

becomes　apparent　that　there　has　been　a　great　influx　since

yesterday；　both　of　Lunatics　and　Keepers。　　The　families　of　the

tradesmen　over　the　way　are　no　longer　within　human　ken；　their　places

know　them　no　more；　ten；　fifteen；　and　twenty　guinea…lodgers　fill

them。　　At　the　pastry…cook's　second…floor　window；　a　Keeper　is

brushing　Mr。　Thurtell's　hair　…　thinking　it　his　own。　　In　the　wax…

chandler's　attic；　another　Keeper　is　putting　on　Mr。　Palmer's　braces。

In　the　gunsmith's　nursery；　a　Lunatic　is　shaving　himself。　　In　the

serious　stationer's　best　sitting…room；　three　Lunatics　are　taking　a

combination…breakfast；　praising　the　（cook's）　devil；　and　drinking

neat　brandy　in　an　atmosphere　of　last　midnight's　cigars。　　No　family

sanctuary　is　free　from　our　Angelic　messengers　…　we　put　up　at　the

Angel　…　who　in　the　guise　of　extra　waiters　for　the　grand　Race…Week；

rattle　in　and　out　of　the　most　secret　chambers　of　everybody's　house；

with　dishes　and　tin　covers；　decanters；　soda…water　bottles；　and

glasses。　　An　hour　later。　　Down　the　street　and　up　the　street；　as　far

as　eyes　can　see　and　a　good　deal　farther；　there　is　a　dense　crowd；

outside　the　Betting　Rooms　it　is　like　a　great　struggle　at　a　theatre

door　…　in　the　days　of　theatres；　or　at　the　vestibule　of　the　Spurgeon

temple　…　in　the　days　of　Spurgeon。　　An　hour　later。　　Fusing　into　this

crowd；　and　somehow　getting　through　it；　are　all　kinds　of

conveyances；　and　all　kinds　of　foot…passengers；　carts；　with　brick…

makers　and　brick…makeresses　jolting　up　and　down　on　planks；　drags；

with　the　needful　grooms　behind；　sitting　cross…armed　in　the　needful

manner；　and　slanting　themselves　backward　from　the　soles　of　their

boots　at　the　needful　angle；　postboys；　in　the　shining　hats　and　smart

jackets　of　the　olden　time；　when　stokers　were　not；　beautiful

Yorkshire　horses；　gallantly　driven　by　their　own　breeders　and

masters。　　Under　every　pole；　and　every　shaft；　and　every　horse；　and

every　wheel　as　it　would　seem；　the　Gong…donkey　…　metallically

braying；　when　not　struggling　for　life；　or　whipped　out　of　the　way。



By　one　o'clock；　all　this　stir　has　gone　out　of　the　streets；　and

there　is　no　one　left　in　them　but　Francis　Goodchild。　　Francis

Goodchild　will　not　be　left　in　them　long；　for；　he　too　is　on　his　way；

't'races。'



A　most　beautiful　sight；　Francis　Goodchild　finds　't'races'　to　be；

when　he　has　left　fair　Doncaster　behind　him；　and　comes　out　on　the

free　course；　with　its　agreeable　prospect；　its　quaint　Red　House

oddly　changing　and　turning　as　Francis　turns；　its　green　grass；　and

fresh　heath。　　A　free　course　and　an　easy　one；　where　Francis　can　roll

smoothly　where　he　will；　and　can　choose　between　the　start；　or　the

coming…in；　or　the　turn　behind　the　brow　of　the　hill；　or　any　out…of…

the…way　point　where　he　lists　to　see　the　throbbing　horses　straining

every　nerve；　and　making　the　sympathetic　earth　throb　as　they　come

by。　　Francis　much　delights　to　be；　not　in　the　Grand　Stand；　but　where

he　can　see　it；　rising　against　the　sky　with　its　vast　tiers　of　little

white　dots　of　faces；　and　its　last　high　rows　and　corners　of　people；

looking　like　pins　stuck　into　an　enormous　pincushion　…　not　quite　so

symmetrically　as　his　orderly　eye　could　wish；　when　people　change　or

go　away。　　When　the　race　is　nearly　run　out；　it　is　as　good　as　the

race　to　him　to　see　the　flutter　among　the　pins；　and　the　change　in

them　from　dark　to　light；　as　hats　are　taken　off　and　waved。　　Not　less

full　of　interest；　the　loud　anticipation　of　the　winner's　name；　the

swelling；　and　the　final；　roar；　then；　the　quick　dropping　of　all　the

pins　out　of　their　places；　the　revelation　of　the　shape　of　the　bare

pincushion；　and　the　closing…in　of　the　whole　host　of　Lunatics　and

Keepers；　in　the　rear　of　the　three　horses　with　bright…coloured

riders；　who　have　not　yet　quite　subdued　their　gallop　though　the

contest　is　over。



Mr。　Goodchild　would　appear　to　have　been　by　no　means　free　from

lunacy　himself　at　't'races；'　though　not　of　the　prevalent　kind。　　He

is　suspected　by　Mr。　Idle　to　have　fallen　into　a　dreadful　state

concerning　a　pair　of　little　lilac　gloves　and　a　little　bonnet　that

he　saw　there。　　Mr。　Idle　asserts；　that　he　did　afterwards　repeat　at

the　Angel；　with　an　appearance　of　being　lunatically　seized；　some

rhapsody　to　the　following　effect：　　'O　little　lilac　gloves！　　And　O

winning　little　bonnet；　making　in　conjunction　with　her　golden　hair

quite　a　Glory　in　the　sunlight　round　the　pretty　head；　why　anything

in　the　world　but　you　and　me！　　Why　may　not　this　day's　running…of

horses；　to　all　the　rest：　　of　precious　sands　of　life　to　me　…　be

prolonged　through　an　everlasting　autumn…sunshine；　without　a　sunset！

Slave　of　the　Lamp；　or　Ring；　strike　me　yonder　gallant　equestrian

Clerk　of　the　Course；　in　the　scarlet　coat；　motionless　on　the　green

grass　for　ages！　　Friendly　Devil　on　Two　Sticks；　for　ten　times　ten

thousands　years；　keep　Blink…Bonny　jibbing　at　the　post；　and　let　us

have　no　start！　　Arab　drums；　powerful　of　old　to　summon　Genii　in　the

desert；　sound　of　yourselves　and　raise　a　troop　for　me　in　the　desert

of　my　heart；　which　shall　so　enchant　this　dusty　barouche　（with　a

conspicuous　ex