the holly-tree-第2章

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ought　to　have　been；　but　I　know　that　we　were　scores　of　miles

behindhand；　and　that　our　case　was　growing　worse　every　hour。　　The

drift　was　becoming　prodigiously　deep；　landmarks　were　getting　snowed

out；　the　road　and　the　fields　were　all　one；　instead　of　having　fences

and　hedge…rows　to　guide　us；　we　went　crunching　on　over　an　unbroken

surface　of　ghastly　white　that　might　sink　beneath　us　at　any　moment

and　drop　us　down　a　whole　hillside。　　Still　the　coachman　and　guard

who　kept　together　on　the　box；　always　in　council；　and　looking　well

about　themmade　out　the　track　with　astonishing　sagacity。



When　we　came　in　sight　of　a　town；　it　looked；　to　my　fancy；　like　a

large　drawing　on　a　slate；　with　abundance　of　slate…pencil　expended　on

the　churches　and　houses　where　the　snow　lay　thickest。　　When　we　came

within　a　town；　and　found　the　church　clocks　all　stopped；　the　dial…

faces　choked　with　snow；　and　the　inn…signs　blotted　out；　it　seemed　as

if　the　whole　place　were　overgrown　with　white　moss。　　As　to　the　coach；

it　was　a　mere　snowball；　similarly；　the　men　and　boys　who　ran　along

beside　us　to　the　town's　end；　turning　our　clogged　wheels　and

encouraging　our　horses；　were　men　and　boys　of　snow；　and　the　bleak

wild　solitude　to　which　they　at　last　dismissed　us　was　a　snowy　Sahara。

One　would　have　thought　this　enough：　　notwithstanding　which；　I　pledge

my　word　that　it　snowed　and　snowed；　and　still　it　snowed；　and　never

left　off　snowing。



We　performed　Auld　Lang　Syne　the　whole　day；　seeing　nothing；　out　of

towns　and　villages；　but　the　track　of　stoats；　hares；　and　foxes；　and

sometimes　of　birds。　　At　nine　o'clock　at　night；　on　a　Yorkshire　moor；

a　cheerful　burst　from　our　horn；　and　a　welcome　sound　of　talking；　with

a　glimmering　and　moving　about　of　lanterns；　roused　me　from　my　drowsy

state。　　I　found　that　we　were　going　to　change。



They　helped　me　out；　and　I　said　to　a　waiter；　whose　bare　head　became

as　white　as　King　Lear's　in　a　single　minute；　〃What　Inn　is　this？〃



〃The　Holly…Tree；　sir；〃　said　he。



〃Upon　my　word；　I　believe；〃　said　I；　apologetically；　to　the　guard　and

coachman；　〃that　I　must　stop　here。〃



Now　the　landlord；　and　the　landlady；　and　the　ostler；　and　the　post…

boy；　and　all　the　stable　authorities；　had　already　asked　the　coachman；

to　the　wide…eyed　interest　of　all　the　rest　of　the　establishment；　if

he　meant　to　go　on。　　The　coachman　had　already　replied；　〃Yes；　he'd

take　her　through　it；〃meaning　by　Her　the　coach；〃if　so　be　as

George　would　stand　by　him。〃　　George　was　the　guard；　and　he　had

already　sworn　that　he　would　stand　by　him。　　So　the　helpers　were

already　getting　the　horses　out。



My　declaring　myself　beaten；　after　this　parley；　was　not　an

announcement　without　preparation。　　Indeed；　but　for　the　way　to　the

announcement　being　smoothed　by　the　parley；　I　more　than　doubt

whether；　as　an　innately　bashful　man；　I　should　have　had　the

confidence　to　make　it。　　As　it　was；　it　received　the　approval　even　of

the　guard　and　coachman。　　Therefore；　with　many　confirmations　of　my

inclining；　and　many　remarks　from　one　bystander　to　another；　that　the

gentleman　could　go　for'ard　by　the　mail　to…morrow；　whereas　to…night

he　would　only　be　froze；　and　where　was　the　good　of　a　gentleman　being

frozeah；　let　alone　buried　alive　（which　latter　clause　was　added　by

a　humorous　helper　as　a　joke　at　my　expense；　and　was　extremely　well

received）；　I　saw　my　portmanteau　got　out　stiff；　like　a　frozen　body；

did　the　handsome　thing　by　the　guard　and　coachman；　wished　them　good…

night　and　a　prosperous　journey；　and；　a　little　ashamed　of　myself；

after　all；　for　leaving　them　to　fight　it　out　alone；　followed　the

landlord；　landlady；　and　waiter　of　the　Holly…Tree　up…stairs。



I　thought　I　had　never　seen　such　a　large　room　as　that　into　which　they

showed　me。　　It　had　five　windows；　with　dark　red　curtains　that　would

have　absorbed　the　light　of　a　general　illumination；　and　there　were

complications　of　drapery　at　the　top　of　the　curtains；　that　went

wandering　about　the　wall　in　a　most　extraordinary　manner。　　I　asked

for　a　smaller　room；　and　they　told　me　there　was　no　smaller　room。



They　could　screen　me　in；　however；　the　landlord　said。　　They　brought　a

great　old　japanned　screen；　with　natives　（Japanese；　I　suppose）

engaged　in　a　variety　of　idiotic　pursuits　all　over　it；　and　left　me

roasting　whole　before　an　immense　fire。



My　bedroom　was　some　quarter　of　a　mile　off；　up　a　great　staircase　at

the　end　of　a　long　gallery；　and　nobody　knows　what　a　misery　this　is　to

a　bashful　man　who　would　rather　not　meet　people　on　the　stairs。　　It

was　the　grimmest　room　I　have　ever　had　the　nightmare　in；　and　all　the

furniture；　from　the　four　posts　of　the　bed　to　the　two　old　silver

candle…sticks；　was　tall；　high…shouldered；　and　spindle…waisted。

Below；　in　my　sitting…room；　if　I　looked　round　my　screen；　the　wind

rushed　at　me　like　a　mad　bull；　if　I　stuck　to　my　arm…chair；　the　fire

scorched　me　to　the　colour　of　a　new　brick。　　The　chimney…piece　was

very　high；　and　there　was　a　bad　glasswhat　I　may　call　a　wavy　glass

above　it；　which；　when　I　stood　up；　just　showed　me　my　anterior

phrenological　developments；and　these　never　look　well；　in　any

subject；　cut　short　off　at　the　eyebrow。　　If　I　stood　with　my　back　to

the　fire；　a　gloomy　vault　of　darkness　above　and　beyond　the　screen

insisted　on　being　looked　at；　and；　in　its　dim　remoteness；　the　drapery

of　the　ten　curtains　of　the　five　windows　went　twisting　and　creeping

about；　like　a　nest　of　gigantic　worms。



I　suppose　that　what　I　observe　in　myself　must　be　observed　by　some

other　men　of　similar　character　in　themselves；　therefore　I　am

emboldened　to　mention；　that；　when　I　travel；　I　never　arrive　at　a

place　but　I　immediately　want　to　go　away　from　it。　　Before　I　had

finished　my　supper　of　broiled　fowl　and　mulled　port；　I　had　impressed

upon　the　waiter　in　detail　my　arrangements　for　departure　in　the

morning。　　Breakfast　and　bill　at　eight。　　Fly　at　nine。　　Two　horses；

or；　if　needful；　even　four。



Tired　though　I　was；　the　night　appeared　about　a　week　long。　　In　cases

of　nightmare；　I　thought　of　Angela；　and　felt　more　depressed　than　ever

by　the　reflection　that　I　was　on　the　shortest　road　to　Gretna　Green。

What　had　I　to　do　with　Gretna　Green？　　I　was　not　going　that　way　to　the

Devil；　but　by　the　American　route；　I　remarked　in　my　bitterness。



In　the　morning　I　found　that　it　was　snowing　still；　that　it　had　snowed

all　night；　and　that　I　was　snowed　up。　　Nothing　could　get　out　of　that

spot　on　the　moor；　or　could　come　at　it；　until　the　road　had　been　cut

out　by　labourers　from　the　market…town。　　When　they　might　cut　their

way　to　the　Holly…Tree　nobody　could　tell　me。



It　was　now　Christmas…eve。　　I　should　have　had　a　dismal　Christmas…time

of　it　anywhere；　and　consequently　that　did　not　so　much　matter；　still；

being　snowed　up　was　like　dying　of　frost；　a　thing　I　had　not　bargained

for。　　I　felt　very　lonely。　　Yet　I　could　no　more　have　proposed　to　the

landlord　and　landlady　to　admit　me　to　their　society　（though　I　should

have　liked　itvery　much）　than　I　could　have　asked　them　to　present　me

with　a　piece　of　plate。　　Here　my　great　secret；　the　real　bashfulness

of　my　character；　is　to　be　observed。　　Like　most　bashful　men；　I　judge

of　other　people　as　if　they　were　bashful　too。　　Besides　being　far　too

shamefaced　to　make　the　proposal　myself；　I　really　had　a　delicate

misgiving　that　it　would　be　in　the　last　degree　disconcerting　to　them。



Trying　to　settle　down；　therefore；　in　my　solitude；　I　first　of　all

asked　what　books　there　were　in　the　house。　　The　waiter　brought　me　a

Book　of　Roads；　two　or　three　old　Newspapers；　a　little　Song…Book；

terminating　in　a　collection　of　Toasts　and　Sentiments；　a　little　Jest…

Book；　an　odd　volume　of　Peregrine　Pickle；　and　the　Sentimental

Journey。　　I　knew　every　word　of　the　two　last　already；　but　I　read　them

through　again；　then　tried　to　hum　all　the　songs　（Auld　Lang　Syne　was

among　them）；　went　entirely　through　the　jokes；in　which　I　found　a

fund　of　melancholy　adapted　to　my　state　of　mind；　proposed　all　the

toasts；　enunciated　all　the　sentiments；　and　mastered　the　papers。　　The

latter　had　nothing　in　them　but　stock　adverti