burlesques-第2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！



philosopher。　　The　shop　in　question　was；　in　a　word；　a　Grocer's。



In　the　midst　of　the　shop　and　its　gorgeous　contents　sat　one　who；　to

judge　from　his　appearance　（though　'twas　a　difficult　task；　as；　in

sooth；　his　back　was　turned）；　had　just　reached　that　happy　period　of

life　when　the　Boy　is　expanding　into　the　Man。　　O　Youth；　Youth！

Happy　and　Beautiful！　　O　fresh　and　roseate　dawn　of　life；　when　the

dew　yet　lies　on　the　flowers；　ere　they　have　been　scorched　and

withered　by　Passion's　fiery　Sun！　　Immersed　in　thought　or　study；　and

indifferent　to　the　din　around　him；　sat　the　boy。　　A　careless

guardian　was　he　of　the　treasures　confided　to　him。　　The　crowd　passed

in　Chepe；　he　never　marked　it。　　The　sun　shone　on　Chepe；　he　only

asked　that　it　should　illumine　the　page　he　read。　　The　knave　might

filch　his　treasures；　he　was　heedless　of　the　knave。　　The　customer

might　enter；　but　his　book　was　all　in　all　to　him。



And　indeed　a　customer　WAS　there；　a　little　hand　was　tapping　on　the

counter　with　a　pretty　impatience；　a　pair　of　arch　eyes　were　gazing

at　the　boy；　admiring；　perhaps；　his　manly　proportions　through　the

homely　and　tightened　garments　he　wore。



〃Ahem！　sir！　　I　say；　young　man！〃　the　customer　exclaimed。



〃Ton　d'apameibomenos　prosephe；〃　read　on　the　student；　his　voice

choked　with　emotion。　　〃What　language！〃　he　said；　〃how　rich；　how

noble；　how　sonorous！　prosephe　podas〃



The　customer　burst　out　into　a　fit　of　laughter　so　shrill　and　cheery；

that　the　young　Student　could　not　but　turn　round；　and　blushing；　for

the　first　time　remarked　her。　　〃A　pretty　grocer's　boy　you　are；〃　she

cried；　〃with　your　applepiebomenos　and　your　French　and　lingo。　　Am　I

to　be　kept　waiting　for　hever？〃



〃Pardon；　fair　Maiden；〃　said　he；　with　high…bred　courtesy：　〃'twas　not

French　I　read；　'twas　the　Godlike　language　of　the　blind　old　bard。

In　what　can　I　be　serviceable　to　ye；　lady？〃　and　to　spring　from　his

desk；　to　smooth　his　apron；　to　stand　before　her　the　obedient　Shop

Boy；　the　Poet　no　more；　was　the　work　of　a　moment。



〃I　might　have　prigged　this　box　of　figs；〃　the　damsel　said　good…

naturedly；　〃and　you'd　never　have　turned　round。〃



〃They　came　from　the　country　of　Hector；〃　the　boy　said。　　〃Would　you

have　currants；　lady？　　These　once　bloomed　in　the　island　gardens　of

the　blue　Aegean。　　They　are　uncommon　fine　ones；　and　the　figure　is

low；　they're　fourpence…halfpenny　a　pound。　　Would　ye　mayhap　make

trial　of　our　teas？　　We　do　not　advertise；　as　some　folks　do：　but　sell

as　low　as　any　other　house。〃



〃You're　precious　young　to　have　all　these　good　things；〃　the　girl

exclaimed；　not　unwilling；　seemingly；　to　prolong　the　conversation。

〃If　I　was　you；　and　stood　behind　the　counter；　I　should　be　eating

figs　the　whole　day　long。〃



〃Time　was；〃　answered　the　lad；　〃and　not　long　since　I　thought　so　too。

I　thought　I　never　should　be　tired　of　figs。　　But　my　old　uncle　bade

me　take　my　fill；　and　now　in　sooth　I　am　aweary　of　them。〃



〃I　think　you　gentlemen　are　always　so；〃　the　coquette　said。



〃Nay；　say　not　so；　fair　stranger！〃　the　youth　replied；　his　face

kindling　as　he　spoke；　and　his　eagle　eyes　flashing　fire。　　〃Figs

pall；　but　oh！　the　Beautiful　never　does。　　Figs　rot；　but　oh！　the

Truthful　is　eternal。　　I　was　born；　lady；　to　grapple　with　the　Lofty

and　the　Ideal。　　My　soul　yearns　for　the　Visionary。　　I　stand　behind

the　counter；　it　is　true；　but　I　ponder　here　upon　the　deeds　of

heroes；　and　muse　over　the　thoughts　of　sages。　　What　is　grocery　for

one　who　has　ambition？　　What　sweetness　hath　Muscovada　to　him　who

hath　tasted　of　Poesy？　　The　Ideal；　lady；　I　often　think；　is　the　true

Real；　and　the　Actual；　but　a　visionary　hallucination。　　But　pardon

me；　with　what　may　I　serve　thee？〃



〃I　came　only　for　sixpenn'orth　of　tea…dust；〃　the　girl　said；　with　a

faltering　voice；　〃but　oh；　I　should　like　to　hear　you　speak　on　for

ever！〃



Only　for　sixpenn'orth　of　tea…dust？　　Girl；　thou　camest　for　other

things！　　Thou　lovedst　his　voice？　　Siren！　what　was　the　witchery　of

thine　own？　　He　deftly　made　up　the　packet；　and　placed　it　in　the

little　hand。　　She　paid　for　her　small　purchase；　and　with　a　farewell

glance　of　her　lustrous　eyes；　she　left　him。　　She　passed　slowly

through　the　portal；　and　in　a　moment　was　lost　in　the　crowd。　　It　was

noon　in　Chepe。　　And　George　de　Barnwell　was　alone。





Vol。　II。





We　have　selected　the　following　episodical　chapter　in　preference　to

anything　relating　to　the　mere　story　of　George　Barnwell；　with　which

most　readers　are　familiar。



Up　to　this　passage　（extracted　from　the　beginning　of　Vol。　II。）　the

tale　is　briefly　thus：



The　rogue　of　a　Millwood　has　come　back　every　day　to　the　grocer's

shop　in　Chepe；　wanting　some　sugar；　or　some　nutmeg；　or　some　figs；

half　a　dozen　times　in　the　week。



She　and　George　de　Barnwell　have　vowed　to　each　other　an　eternal

attachment。



This　flame　acts　violently　upon　George。　　His　bosom　swells　with

ambition。　　His　genius　breaks　out　prodigiously。　　He　talks　about　the

Good；　the　Beautiful；　the　Ideal；　&c。；　in　and　out　of　all　season；　and

is　virtuous　and　eloquent　almost　beyond　beliefin　fact　like

Devereux；　or　P。　Clifford；　or　E。　Aram；　Esquires。



Inspired　by　Millwood　and　love；　George　robs　the　till；　and　mingles　in

the　world　which　he　is　destined　to　ornament。　　He　outdoes　all　the

dandies；　all　the　wits；　all　the　scholars；　and　all　the　voluptuaries

of　the　agean　indefinite　period　of　time　between　Queen　Anne　and

George　II。dines　with　Curll　at　St。　John's　Gate；　pinks　Colonel

Charteris　in　a　duel　behind　Montague　House；　is　initiated　into　the

intrigues　of　the　Chevalier　St。　George；　whom　he　entertains　at　his

sumptuous　pavilion　at　Hampstead；　and　likewise　in　disguise　at　the

shop　in　Cheapside。



His　uncle；　the　owner　of　the　shop；　a　surly　curmudgeon　with　very

little　taste　for　the　True　and　Beautiful；　has　retired　from　business

to　the　pastoral　village　in　Cambridgeshire　from　which　the　noble

Barnwells　came。　　George's　cousin　Annabel　is；　of　course；　consumed

with　a　secret　passion　for　him。



Some　trifling　inaccuracies　may　be　remarked　in　the　ensuing　brilliant

little　chapter；　but　it　must　be　remembered　that　the　author　wished　to

present　an　age　at　a　glance：　and　the　dialogue　is　quite　as　fine　and

correct　as　that　in　the　〃Last　of　the　Barons；〃　or　in　〃Eugene　Aram；〃

or　other　works　of　our　author；　in　which　Sentiment　and　History；　or

the　True　and　Beautiful；　are　united。





CHAPTER　XXIV。



BUTTON'S　IN　PALL　MALL。





Those　who　frequent　the　dismal　and　enormous　Mansions　of　Silence

which　society　has　raised　to　Ennui　in　that　Omphalos　of　town；　Pall

Mall；　and　which；　because　they　knock　you　down　with　their　dulness；

are　called　Clubs　no　doubt；　those　who　yawn　from　a　bay…window　in　St。

James's　Street；　at　a　half…score　of　other　dandies　gaping　from

another　bay…window　over　the　way；　those　who　consult　a　dreary　evening

paper　for　news；　or　satisfy　themselves　with　the　jokes　of　the

miserable　Punch　by　way　of　wit；　the　men　about　town　of　the　present

day；　in　a　word；　can　have　but　little　idea　of　London　some　six　or

eight　score　years　back。　　Thou　pudding…sided　old　dandy　of　St。

James's　Street；　with　thy　lacquered　boots；　thy　dyed　whiskers；　and

thy　suffocating　waistband；　what　art　thou　to　thy　brilliant

predecessor　in　the　same　quarter？　　The　Brougham　from　which　thou

descendest　at　the　portal　of　the　〃Carlton〃　or　the　〃Travellers'；〃　is

like　everybody　else's；　thy　black　coat　has　no　more　plaits；　nor

buttons；　nor　fancy　in　it　than　thy　neighbor's；　thy　hat　was　made　on

the　very　block　on　which　Lord　Addlepate's　was　cast；　who　has　just

entered　the　Club　before　thee。　　You　and　he　yawn　together　out　of　the

same　omnibus…box　every　night；　you　fancy　yourselves　men　of　pleasure；

you　fancy　yourselves　men　of　fashion；　you　fancy　yourselves　men　of

taste；　in　fancy；　in　taste；　in　opinion；　in　philosophy；　the　newspaper

legislates　for　you；　it　is　there　you　get　your　jokes　and　your

thoughts；　and　your　facts　and　your　wisdompoor　Pall　Mall　dullards。

Stupid　slaves　of　the　press；　on　that　ground　which　you　at　present

occupy；　there　were　men　of　wit　and　pleasure　and　fashion；　some　five…