christie johnstone-第13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！


glisteninghow　they　made　me　talkhow　she　dropped　a　tear；　he！　he！　he！　at
the　death　of　the　first　baronhow　shocked　she　was　at　the　king　striking
him　when　he　was　dying；　to　make　a　knight…banneret　of　the　poor　old　fellow？〃

〃Your　lordship　will　find　all　the　particulars　exactly　related；〃　said
Saunders；　with　dry　pomp。

〃How　she　found　out　that　titles　are　but　breathhow　I　answeredsome
nonsense？〃

〃Your　lordship　will　find　all　the　topics　included。〃

〃How　she　took　me　for　a　madman？　And　you　for　a　prig？〃

〃The　latter　circumstance　eluded　my　memory；　my　lord。〃

〃But　when　I　told　her　I　must　relieve　only　one　poor　person　by　day；　she　took
my　hand。〃

〃Your　lordship　will　find　all　the　items　realized　in　this　book；　my　lord。〃

〃What　a　beautiful　book！〃

〃Alba　are　considerably　ameliorated；　my　lord。〃

〃Alba？〃

〃Plural　of　album；　my　lord；〃　explained　the　refined　factotum；　〃more
delicate；　I　conceive；　than　the　vulgar　reading。〃

Viscount　Ipsden　read　from

〃MR。　SAUNDERS'S　ALBUM。

〃To　illustrate　the　inelegance　of　the　inferior　classes；　two　juvenile
venders　of　the　piscatory　tribe　were　this　day　ushered　in；　and
instantaneously；　without　the　accustomed　preliminaries；　plunged　into　a
familiar　conversation　with　Lord　Viscount　Ipsden。

〃Their　vulgarity；　shocking　and　repulsive　to　myself；　appeared　to　afford
his　lordship　a　satisfaction　greater　than　he　derives　from　the　graceful
amenities　of　fashionable　association〃

~　〃Saunders；　I　suspect　you　of　something。〃

〃Me；　my　lord！〃

〃Yes。　Writing　in　an　annual。〃

〃I　do；　my　lord；〃　said　he；　with　benignant　_hauteur。_　〃It　appears　every
month_The　Polytechnic。〃_

〃I　thought　so！　you　are　polysyllabic；　Saunders；　_en　route！〃_

~　〃In　this　hallucination　I　find　it　difficult　to　participate；　associated
from　infancy　with　the　aristocracy；　I　shrink；　like　the　sensitive　plant；
from　contact　with　anything　vulgar。〃

~　〃I　see！　I　begin　to　understand　you；　Saunders。　Order　the　dog…cart；　and
Wordsworth's　mare　for　leader；　we'll　give　her　a　trial。　You　are　an　ass；
Saunders。〃

〃Yes；　my　lord；　I　will　order　Robert　to　tell　James　to　come　for　your
lordship's　commands　about　your　lordship's　vehicles。　（What　could　he　intend
by　a　recent　observation　of　a　discourteous　character？）〃

His　lordship　soliloquized。

〃I　never　observed　it　before；　but　Saunders　is　an　ass！　La　Johnstone　is　one
of　Nature's　duchesses；　and　she　has　made　me　know　some　poor　people　that
will　be　richer　than　the　rich　one　day；　and　she　has　taught　me　that　honey　is
to　be　got　from　bank…notesby　merely　giving　them　away。〃

Among　the　objects　of　charity　Lord　Ipsden　discovered　was　one　Thomas
Harvey；　a　maker　and　player　of　the　violin。　This　man　was　a　person　of　great
intellect；　he　mastered　every　subject　he　attacked。　By　a　careful
examination　of　all　the　points　that　various　fine…toned　instruments　had　in
common；　he　had　arrived　at　a　theory　of　sound；　he　made　violins　to
correspond；　and　was　remarkably　successful　in　insuring　that　which　had　been
too　hastily　ascribed　to　accidenta　fine　tone。

This　man；　who　was　in　needy　circumstances；　demonstrated　to　his　lordship
that　ten　pounds　would　make　his　fortune；　because　with　ten　pounds　he　could
set　up　a　shop；　instead　of　working　out　of　the　world's　sight　in　a　room。

Lord　Ipsden　gave　him　ten　pounds！

A　week　after；　he　met　Harvey；　more　ragged　and　dirty　than　before。

Harvey　had　been　robbed　by　a　friend　whom　he　had　assisted。　Poor　Harvey！
Lord　Ipsden　gave　him　ten　pounds　more！

Next　week；　Saunders；　entering　Harvey's　house；　found　him　in　bed　at　noon；
because　he　had　no　clothes　to　wear。

Saunders　suggested　that　it　would　be　better　to　give　his　wife　the　next
money；　with　strict　orders　to　apply　it　usefully。

This　was　done！

The　next　day；　Harvey；　finding　his　clothes　upon　a　chair；　his　tools
redeemed　from　pawn；　and　a　beefsteak　ready　for　his　dinner；　accused　his
wife　of　having　money；　and　meanly　refusing　him　the　benefit　of　it。　She
acknowledged　she　had　a　little；　and　appealed　to　the　improved　state　of
things　as　a　proof　that　she　knew　better　than　he　the　use　of　money。　He
demanded　the　said　money。　She　refusedhe　leathered　hershe　put　him　in
prison。

This　was　the　best　place　for　him。　The　man　was　a　drunkard；　and　all　the
riches　of　Egypt　would　never　have　made　him　better　off。

And　here；　gentlemen　of　the　lower　classes；　a　word　with　you。　How　can　you；
with　your　small　incomes；　hope　to　be　well　off；　if　you　are　more　extravagant
than　those　who　have　large　ones？

〃Us　extravagant？〃　you　reply。

Yes！　your　income　is　ten　shillings　a　week；　out　of　that　you　spend　three
shillings　in　drink；　ay！　you；　the　sober　ones。　You　can't　afford　it；　my
boys。　Find　me　a　man　whose　income　is　a　thousand　a　year；　well；　if　he
imitates　you；　and　spends　three　hundred　upon　sensuality；　I　bet　you　the　odd
seven　hundred　he　does　not　make　both　ends　meet；　the　proportion　is　too
great。　And　_two…thirds　of　the　distress　of　the　lower　orders　is　owing　to
thisthat　they　are　more　madly　prodigal　than　the　rich；　in　the　worst；
lowest　and　most　dangerous　item　of　all　human　prodigality！_

Lord　Ipsden　went　to　see　Mrs。　Harvey；　it　cost　him　much　to　go；　she　lived　in
the　Old　Town；　and　he　hated　disagreeable　smells；　he　also　knew　from
Saunders　that　she　had　two　black　eyes；　and　he　hated　women　with　black　eyes
of　that　sort。　But　this　good　creature　did　go；　did　relieve　Mrs。　Harvey；
and；　bare…headed；　suffered　himself　to　be　bedewed　ten　minutes　by　her
tearful　twaddle。

For　once　Virtue　was　rewarded。　Returning　over　the　North　Bridge；　he　met
somebody　whom　but　for　his　charity　he　would　not　have　met。

He　came　in　one　bright　moment　plump　uponLady　Barbara　Sinclair。　She
flushed；　he　trembled；　and　in　two　minutes　he　had　forgotten　every　human
event　that　had　passed　since　he　was　by　her　side。

She　seemed　pleased　to　see　him；　too；　she　ignored　entirely　his　obnoxious
proposal；　he　wisely　took　her　cue；　and　so；　on　this　secret　understanding；
they　were　friends。　He　made　his　arrangements；　and　dined　with　her　family。
It　was　a　family　party。　In　the　evening　Lady　Barbara　allowed　it　to
transpire　that　she　had　made　inquiries　about　him。

（He　was　highly　flattered。）　And　she　had　discovered　he　was　lying　hid
somewhere　in　the　neighborhood。

〃Studying　the　guitar？〃　inquired　she。

〃No；〃　said　he；　〃studying　a　new　class　of　the　community。　Do　you　know　any　of
what　they　call　the　'lower　classes'？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Monstrous　agreeable　people；　are　they　not？〃

〃No；　very　stupid！　I　only　know　two　old　womenexcept　the　servants；　who
have　no　characters。　They　imitate　us；　I　suspect；　which　does　not　say　much
for　their　taste。〃

〃But　some　of　my　friends　are　young　women；　that　makes　all　the　difference。〃

〃It　does！　and　you　ought　to　be　ashamed。　If　you　want　a　low　order　of　mind；
why　desert　our　own　circle？〃

〃My　friends　are　only　low　in　station；　they　have　rather　lofty　minds；　some
of　them。〃

〃Well；　amuse　yourself　with　these　lofty　minds。　Amusement　is　the　end　of
being；　you　know；　and　the　aim　of　all　the　men　of　this　day。〃

〃We　imitate　the　ladies；〃　said　he；　slyly。

〃You　do；〃　answered　she；　very　dryly；　and　so　the　dialogue　went　on；　and　Lord
Ipsden　found　the　pleasure　of　being　with　his　cousin　compensate　him　fully
for　the　difference　of　their　opinions；　in　fact；　he　found　it　simply　amusing
that　so　keen　a　wit　as　his　cousins　s　could　be　entrapped　into　the　humor　of
decrying　the　time　one　happens　to　live　in；　and　admiring　any　epoch　one
knows　next　to　nothing　about；　and　entrapped　by　the　notion　of　its
originality；　above　all　things；　the　idea　being　the　stale　commonplace　of
asses　in　every　age；　and　the　manner　of　conveying　the　idea　being　a　mere
imitation　of　the　German　writers；　not　the　good　ones；　_bien　entendu；_　but
the　quill…drivers；　the　snobs　of　the　Teutonic　pen。

But　he　was　to　learn　that　follies　are　not　always　laughable；　that　_eadem
sentire_　is　a　bond；　and　that；　when　a　clever　and　pretty　woman　chooses　to
be　a　fool；　her　lover；　if　he　is　wise；　will　be　a　greaterif　he　can。

The　next　time　they　met；　Lord　Ipsden　found　Lady　Barbara　occupied　with　a
gentleman　whose　first　sentence　proclaimed　him　a　pupil　of　Mr。　Thomas
Carlyle；　and　he　had　the　mortification　to　find　that　she　had　neither　an　ear
nor　an　eye　for　him。

Human　opinion　has　so　many　shades　that　it　is　rare　to　find　two　people
agree。

But　two　people　may　agree　wonderfully；　if　they　will　but　let　a　third　think
for　them　both。

Thus　it　was　that