lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第6章

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passed　before　the　shadowy　forms　of　the　hills；　streamed　water　as

they　were　drawn　across　the　landscape。　　Down　such　steep　pitches　that

the　mare　seemed　to　be　trotting　on　her　head；　and　up　such　steep

pitches　that　she　seemed　to　have　a　supplementary　leg　in　her　tail；

the　dog…cart　jolted　and　tilted　back　to　the　village。　　It　was　too　wet

for　the　women　to　look　out；　it　was　too　wet　even　for　the　children　to

look　out；　all　the　doors　and　windows　were　closed；　and　the　only　sign

of　life　or　motion　was　in　the　rain…punctured　puddles。



Whiskey　and　oil　to　Thomas　Idle's　ankle；　and　whiskey　without　oil　to

Francis　Goodchild's　stomach；　produced　an　agreeable　change　in　the

systems　of　both；　soothing　Mr。　Idle's　pain；　which　was　sharp　before；

and　sweetening　Mr。　Goodchild's　temper；　which　was　sweet　before。

Portmanteaus　being　then　opened　and　clothes　changed；　Mr。　Goodchild；

through　having　no　change　of　outer　garments　but　broadcloth　and

velvet；　suddenly　became　a　magnificent　portent　in　the　Innkeeper's

house；　a　shining　frontispiece　to　the　fashions　for　the　month；　and　a

frightful　anomaly　in　the　Cumberland　village。



Greatly　ashamed　of　his　splendid　appearance；　the　conscious　Goodchild

quenched　it　as　much　as　possible；　in　the　shadow　of　Thomas　Idle's

ankle；　and　in　a　corner　of　the　little　covered　carriage　that　started

with　them　for　Wigton　…　a　most　desirable　carriage　for　any　country；

except　for　its　having　a　flat　roof　and　no　sides；　which　caused　the

plumps　of　rain　accumulating　on　the　roof　to　play　vigorous　games　of

bagatelle　into　the　interior　all　the　way；　and　to　score　immensely。

It　was　comfortable　to　see　how　the　people　coming　back　in　open　carts

from　Wigton　market　made　no　more　of　the　rain　than　if　it　were

sunshine；　how　the　Wigton　policeman　taking　a　country　walk　of　half…a…

dozen　miles　（apparently　for　pleasure）；　in　resplendent　uniform；

accepted　saturation　as　his　normal　state；　how　clerks　and

schoolmasters　in　black；　loitered　along　the　road　without　umbrellas；

getting　varnished　at　every　step；　how　the　Cumberland　girls；　coming

out　to　look　after　the　Cumberland　cows；　shook　the　rain　from　their

eyelashes　and　laughed　it　away；　and　how　the　rain　continued　to　fall

upon　all；　as　it　only　does　fall　in　hill　countries。



Wigton　market　was　over；　and　its　bare　booths　were　smoking　with　rain

all　down　the　street。　　Mr。　Thomas　Idle；　melodramatically　carried　to

the　inn's　first　floor；　and　laid　upon　three　chairs　（he　should　have

had　the　sofa；　if　there　had　been　one）；　Mr。　Goodchild　went　to　the

window　to　take　an　observation　of　Wigton；　and　report　what　he　saw　to

his　disabled　companion。



'Brother　Francis；　brother　Francis；'　cried　Thomas　Idle；　'What　do　you

see　from　the　turret？'



'I　see；'　said　Brother　Francis；　'what　I　hope　and　believe　to　be　one

of　the　most　dismal　places　ever　seen　by　eyes。　　I　see　the　houses　with

their　roofs　of　dull　black；　their　stained　fronts；　and　their　dark…

rimmed　windows；　looking　as　if　they　were　all　in　mourning。　　As　every

little　puff　of　wind　comes　down　the　street；　I　see　a　perfect　train　of

rain　let　off　along　the　wooden　stalls　in　the　market…place　and

exploded　against　me。　　I　see　a　very　big　gas　lamp　in　the　centre　which

I　know；　by　a　secret　instinct；　will　not　be　lighted　to…night。　　I　see

a　pump；　with　a　trivet　underneath　its　spout　whereon　to　stand　the

vessels　that　are　brought　to　be　filled　with　water。　　I　see　a　man　come

to　pump；　and　he　pumps　very　hard；　but　no　water　follows；　and　he

strolls　empty　away。'



'Brother　Francis；　brother　Francis；'　cried　Thomas　Idle；　'what　more

do　you　see　from　the　turret；　besides　the　man　and　the　pump；　and　the

trivet　and　the　houses　all　in　mourning　and　the　rain？'



'I　see；'　said　Brother　Francis；　'one；　two；　three；　four；　five；　linen…

drapers'　shops　in　front　of　me。　　I　see　a　linen…draper's　shop　next

door　to　the　right　…　and　there　are　five　more　linen…drapers'　shops

down　the　corner　to　the　left。　　Eleven　homicidal　linen…drapers'　shops

within　a　short　stone's　throw；　each　with　its　hands　at　the　throats　of

all　the　rest！　　Over　the　small　first…floor　of　one　of　these　linen…

drapers'　shops　appears　the　wonderful　inscription；　BANK。'



'Brother　Francis；　brother　Francis；'　cried　Thomas　Idle；　'what　more

do　you　see　from　the　turret；　besides　the　eleven　homicidal　linen…

drapers'　shops；　and　the　wonderful　inscription；　〃Bank；〃　…　on　the

small　first…floor；　and　the　man　and　the　pump　and　the　trivet　and　the

houses　all　in　mourning　and　the　rain？'



'I　see；'　said　Brother　Francis；　'the　depository　for　Christian

Knowledge；　and　through　the　dark　vapour　I　think　I　again　make　out　Mr。

Spurgeon　looming　heavily。　　Her　Majesty　the　Queen；　God　bless　her；

printed　in　colours；　I　am　sure　I　see。　　I　see　the　ILLUSTRATED　LONDON

NEWS　of　several　years　ago；　and　I　see　a　sweetmeat　shop　…　which　the

proprietor　calls　a　〃Salt　Warehouse〃　…　with　one　small　female　child

in　a　cotton　bonnet　looking　in　on　tip…toe；　oblivious　of　rain。　　And　I

see　a　watchmaker's　with　only　three　great　pale　watches　of　a　dull

metal　hanging　in　his　window；　each　in　a　separate　pane。'



'Brother　Francis；　brother　Francis；'　cried　Thomas　Idle；　'what　more

do　you　see　of　Wigton；　besides　these　objects；　and　the　man　and　the

pump　and　the　trivet　and　the　houses　all　in　mourning　and　the　rain？'



'I　see　nothing　more；'　said　Brother　Francis；　'and　there　is　nothing

more　to　see；　except　the　curlpaper　bill　of　the　theatre；　which　was

opened　and　shut　last　week　（the　manager's　family　played　all　the

parts）；　and　the　short；　square；　chinky　omnibus　that　goes　to　the

railway；　and　leads　too　rattling　a　life　over　the　stones　to　hold

together　long。　　O　yes！　　Now；　I　see　two　men　with　their　hands　in

their　pockets　and　their　backs　towards　me。'



'Brother　Francis；　brother　Francis；'　cried　Thomas　Idle；　'what　do　you

make　out　from　the　turret；　of　the　expression　of　the　two　men　with

their　hands　in　their　pockets　and　their　backs　towards　you？'



'They　are　mysterious　men；'　said　Brother　Francis；　'with　inscrutable

backs。　　They　keep　their　backs　towards　me　with　persistency。　　If　one

turns　an　inch　in　any　direction；　the　other　turns　an　inch　in　the　same

direction；　and　no　more。　　They　turn　very　stiffly；　on　a　very　little

pivot；　in　the　middle　of　the　market…place。　　Their　appearance　is

partly　of　a　mining；　partly　of　a　ploughing；　partly　of　a　stable；

character。　　They　are　looking　at　nothing　…　very　hard。　　Their　backs

are　slouched；　and　their　legs　are　curved　with　much　standing　about。

Their　pockets　are　loose　and　dog's…eared；　on　account　of　their　hands

being　always　in　them。　　They　stand　to　be　rained　upon；　without　any

movement　of　impatience　or　dissatisfaction；　and　they　keep　so　close

together　that　an　elbow　of　each　jostles　an　elbow　of　the　other；　but

they　never　speak。　　They　spit　at　times；　but　speak　not。　　I　see　it

growing　darker　and　darker；　and　still　I　see　them；　sole　visible

population　of　the　place；　standing　to　be　rained　upon　with　their

backs　towards　me；　and　looking　at　nothing　very　hard。'



'Brother　Francis；　brother　Francis；'　cried　Thomas　Idle；　'before　you

draw　down　the　blind　of　the　turret　and　come　in　to　have　your　head

scorched　by　the　hot　gas；　see　if　you　can；　and　impart　to　me；

something　of　the　expression　of　those　two　amazing　men。'



'The　murky　shadows；'　said　Francis　Goodchild；　'are　gathering　fast；

and　the　wings　of　evening；　and　the　wings　of　coal；　are　folding　over

Wigton。　　Still；　they　look　at　nothing　very　hard；　with　their　backs

towards　me。　　Ah！　　Now；　they　turn；　and　I　see　…　'



'Brother　Francis；　brother　Francis；'　cried　Thomas　Idle；　'tell　me

quickly　what　you　see　of　the　two　men　of　Wigton！'



'I　see；'　said　Francis　Goodchild；　'that　they　have　no　expression　at

all。　　And　now　the　town　goes　to　sleep；　undazzled　by　the　large

unlighted　lamp　in　the　market…place；　and　let　no　man　wake　it。'



At　the　close　of　the　next　day's　journey；　Mr。　Thomas　Idle's　ankle

became　much　swollen　and　inflamed。　　There　are　reasons　which　will

presently　explain　themselves　for　not　publicly　indicating　the　exact

direction　in　which　that　journey　lay；　or　the　place　in　which　it

ended。　　It　was　a　long　day's　shaking　of　Thomas　Idle　over　the　rough

roa