the holly-tree-第6章

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bedrooms　of　those　inns；　overlooking　the　river；　and　the　ferry；　and

the　green　ait；　and　the　church…spire；　and　the　country　bridge；　and　to

the　pearless　Emma　with　the　bright　eyes　and　the　pretty　smile；　who

waited；　bless　her！　with　a　natural　grace　that　would　have　converted

Blue…Beard。　　Casting　my　eyes　upon　my　Holly…Tree　fire；　I　next

discerned　among　the　glowing　coals　the　pictures　of　a　score　or　more　of

those　wonderful　English　posting…inns　which　we　are　all　so　sorry　to

have　lost；　which　were　so　large　and　so　comfortable；　and　which　were

such　monuments　of　British　submission　to　rapacity　and　extortion。　　He

who　would　see　these　houses　pining　away；　let　him　walk　from

Basingstoke；　or　even　Windsor；　to　London；　by　way　of　Hounslow；　and

moralise　on　their　perishing　remains；　the　stables　crumbling　to　dust；

unsettled　labourers　and　wanderers　bivouacking　in　the　outhouses；

grass　growing　in　the　yards；　the　rooms；　where　erst　so　many　hundred

beds　of　down　were　made　up；　let　off　to　Irish　lodgers　at　eighteenpence

a　week；　a　little　ill…looking　beer…shop　shrinking　in　the　tap　of

former　days；　burning　coach…house　gates　for　firewood；　having　one　of

its　two　windows　bunged　up；　as　if　it　had　received　punishment　in　a

fight　with　the　Railroad；　a　low；　bandy…legged；　brick…making　bulldog

standing　in　the　doorway。　　What　could　I　next　see　in　my　fire　so

naturally　as　the　new　railway…house　of　these　times　near　the　dismal

country　station；　with　nothing　particular　on　draught　but　cold　air　and

damp；　nothing　worth　mentioning　in　the　larder　but　new　mortar；　and　no

business　doing　beyond　a　conceited　affectation　of　luggage　in　the

hall？　　Then　I　came　to　the　Inns　of　Paris；　with　the　pretty　apartment

of　four　pieces　up　one　hundred　and　seventy…five　waxed　stairs；　the

privilege　of　ringing　the　bell　all　day　long　without　influencing

anybody's　mind　or　body　but　your　own；　and　the　not…too…much…for…

dinner；　considering　the　price。　　Next　to　the　provincial　Inns　of

France；　with　the　great　church…tower　rising　above　the　courtyard；　the

horse…bells　jingling　merrily　up　and　down　the　street　beyond；　and　the

clocks　of　all　descriptions　in　all　the　rooms；　which　are　never　right；

unless　taken　at　the　precise　minute　when；　by　getting　exactly　twelve

hours　too　fast　or　too　slow；　they　unintentionally　become　so。　　Away　I

went；　next；　to　the　lesser　roadside　Inns　of　Italy；　where　all　the

dirty　clothes　in　the　house　（not　in　wear）　are　always　lying　in　your

anteroom；　where　the　mosquitoes　make　a　raisin　pudding　of　your　face　in

summer；　and　the　cold　bites　it　blue　in　winter；　where　you　get　what　you

can；　and　forget　what　you　can't：　　where　I　should　again　like　to　be

boiling　my　tea　in　a　pocket…handkerchief　dumpling；　for　want　of　a

teapot。　　So　to　the　old　palace　Inns　and　old　monastery　Inns；　in　towns

and　cities　of　the　same　bright　country；　with　their　massive

quadrangular　staircases；　whence　you　may　look　from　among　clustering

pillars　high　into　the　blue　vault　of　heaven；　with　their　stately

banqueting…rooms；　and　vast　refectories；　with　their　labyrinths　of

ghostly　bedchambers；　and　their　glimpses　into　gorgeous　streets　that

have　no　appearance　of　reality　or　possibility。　　So　to　the　close

little　Inns　of　the　Malaria　districts；　with　their　pale　attendants；

and　their　peculiar　smell　of　never　letting　in　the　air。　　So　to　the

immense　fantastic　Inns　of　Venice；　with　the　cry　of　the　gondolier

below；　as　he　skims　the　corner；　the　grip　of　the　watery　odours　on　one

particular　little　bit　of　the　bridge　of　your　nose　（which　is　never

released　while　you　stay　there）；　and　the　great　bell　of　St。　Mark's

Cathedral　tolling　midnight。　　Next　I　put　up　for　a　minute　at　the

restless　Inns　upon　the　Rhine；　where　your　going　to　bed；　no　matter　at

what　hour；　appears　to　be　the　tocsin　for　everybody　else's　getting　up；

and　where；　in　the　table…d'hote　room　at　the　end　of　the　long　table

（with　several　Towers　of　Babel　on　it　at　the　other　end；　all　made　of

white　plates）；　one　knot　of　stoutish　men；　entirely　dressed　in　jewels

and　dirt；　and　having　nothing　else　upon　them；　will　remain　all　night；

clinking　glasses；　and　singing　about　the　river　that　flows；　and　the

grape　that　grows；　and　Rhine　wine　that　beguiles；　and　Rhine　woman　that

smiles　and　hi　drink　drink　my　friend　and　ho　drink　drink　my　brother；

and　all　the　rest　of　it。　　I　departed　thence；　as　a　matter　of　course；

to　other　German　Inns；　where　all　the　eatables　are　soddened　down　to

the　same　flavour；　and　where　the　mind　is　disturbed　by　the　apparition

of　hot　puddings；　and　boiled　cherries；　sweet　and　slab；　at　awfully

unexpected　periods　of　the　repast。　　After　a　draught　of　sparkling　beer

from　a　foaming　glass　jug；　and　a　glance　of　recognition　through　the

windows　of　the　student　beer…houses　at　Heidelberg　and　elsewhere；　I

put　out　to　sea　for　the　Inns　of　America；　with　their　four　hundred　beds

apiece；　and　their　eight　or　nine　hundred　ladies　and　gentlemen　at

dinner　every　day。　　Again　I　stood　in　the　bar…rooms　thereof；　taking　my

evening　cobbler；　julep；　sling；　or　cocktail。　　Again　I　listened　to　my

friend　the　General；whom　I　had　known　for　five　minutes；　in　the

course　of　which　period　he　had　made　me　intimate　for　life　with　two

Majors；　who　again　had　made　me　intimate　for　life　with　three　Colonels；

who　again　had　made　me　brother　to　twenty…two　civilians；again；　I

say；　I　listened　to　my　friend　the　General；　leisurely　expounding　the

resources　of　the　establishment；　as　to　gentlemen's　morning…room；　sir；

ladies'　morning…room；　sir；　gentlemen's　evening…room；　sir；　ladies'

evening…room；　sir；　ladies'　and　gentlemen's　evening　reuniting…room；

sir；　music…room；　sir；　reading…room；　sir；　over　four　hundred　sleeping…

rooms；　sir；　and　the　entire　planned　and　finited　within　twelve

calendar　months　from　the　first　clearing　off　of　the　old　encumbrances

on　the　plot；　at　a　cost　of　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　sir。　　Again

I　found；　as　to　my　individual　way　of　thinking；　that　the　greater；　the

more　gorgeous；　and　the　more　dollarous　the　establishment　was；　the

less　desirable　it　was。　　Nevertheless；　again　I　drank　my　cobbler；

julep；　sling；　or　cocktail；　in　all　good…will；　to　my　friend　the

General；　and　my　friends　the　Majors；　Colonels；　and　civilians　all；

full　well　knowing　that；　whatever　little　motes　my　beamy　eyes　may　have

descried　in　theirs；　they　belong　to　a　kind；　generous；　large…hearted；

and　great　people。



I　had　been　going　on　lately　at　a　quick　pace　to　keep　my　solitude　out

of　my　mind；　but　here　I　broke　down　for　good；　and　gave　up　the　subject。

What　was　I　to　do？　　What　was　to　become　of　me？　　Into　what　extremity

was　I　submissively　to　sink？　　Supposing　that；　like　Baron　Trenck；　I

looked　out　for　a　mouse　or　spider；　and　found　one；　and　beguiled　my

imprisonment　by　training　it？　　Even　that　might　be　dangerous　with　a

view　to　the　future。　　I　might　be　so　far　gone　when　the　road　did　come

to　be　cut　through　the　snow；　that；　on　my　way　forth；　I　might　burst

into　tears；　and　beseech；　like　the　prisoner　who　was　released　in　his

old　age　from　the　Bastille；　to　be　taken　back　again　to　the　five

windows；　the　ten　curtains；　and　the　sinuous　drapery。



A　desperate　idea　came　into　my　head。　　Under　any　other　circumstances　I

should　have　rejected　it；　but；　in　the　strait　at　which　I　was；　I　held

it　fast。　　Could　I　so　far　overcome　the　inherent　bashfulness　which

withheld　me　from　the　landlord's　table　and　the　company　I　might　find

there；　as　to　call　up　the　Boots；　and　ask　him　to　take　a　chair；and

something　in　a　liquid　form；and　talk　to　me？　　I　could；　I　would；　I

did。







SECOND　BRANCHTHE　BOOTS







Where　had　he　been　in　his　time？　he　repeated；　when　I　asked　him　the

question。　　Lord；　he　had　been　everywhere！　　And　what　had　he　been？

Bless　you；　he　had　been　everything　you　could　mention　a'most！



Seen　a　good　deal？　　Why；　of　course　he　had。　　I　should　say　so；　he　could

assure　me；　if　I　only　knew　about　a　twentieth　part　of　what　had　come　in

his　way。　　Why；　it　would　be　easier　for　him；　he　expected；　to　tell　what

he　hadn't　seen　than　what　he　had。　　Ah！　　A　deal；　it　would。



What　was　the　curiousest　thing　he　had　seen？　　Well！　　He　didn't　know。

He　couldn't　momently　name　what　was　the　curiousest　thing　he　had　seen…

…un