lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第24章

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nature；　and　my　story；　known　to　two　living　men　together。　　I　waited

for　the　coming　of　two　living　men　together　into　the　Bride's　Chamber；

years　upon　years。　　It　was　infused　into　my　knowledge　（of　the　means　I

am　ignorant）　that　if　two　living　men；　with　their　eyes　open；　could　be

in　the　Bride's　Chamber　at　One　in　the　morning；　they　would　see　me

sitting　in　my　chair。



'At　length；　the　whispers　that　the　room　was　spiritually　troubled；

brought　two　men　to　try　the　adventure。　　I　was　scarcely　struck　upon

the　hearth　at　midnight　（I　come　there　as　if　the　Lightning　blasted　me

into　being）；　when　I　heard　them　ascending　the　stairs。　　Next；　I　saw

them　enter。　　One　of　them　was　a　bold；　gay；　active　man；　in　the　prime

of　life；　some　five　and　forty　years　of　age；　the　other；　a　dozen　years

younger。　　They　brought　provisions　with　them　in　a　basket；　and

bottles。　　A　young　woman　accompanied　them；　with　wood　and　coals　for

the　lighting　of　the　fire。　　When　she　had　lighted　it；　the　bold；　gay；

active　man　accompanied　her　along　the　gallery　outside　the　room；　to

see　her　safely　down　the　staircase；　and　came　back　laughing。



'He　locked　the　door；　examined　the　chamber；　put　out　the　contents　of

the　basket　on　the　table　before　the　fire　…　little　recking　of　me；　in

my　appointed　station　on　the　hearth；　close　to　him　…　and　filled　the

glasses；　and　ate　and　drank。　　His　companion　did　the　same；　and　was　as

cheerful　and　confident　as　he：　　though　he　was　the　leader。　　When　they

had　supped；　they　laid　pistols　on　the　table；　turned　to　the　fire；　and

began　to　smoke　their　pipes　of　foreign　make。



'They　had　travelled　together；　and　had　been　much　together；　and　had

an　abundance　of　subjects　in　common。　　In　the　midst　of　their　talking

and　laughing；　the　younger　man　made　a　reference　to　the　leader's

being　always　ready　for　any　adventure；　that　one；　or　any　other。　　He

replied　in　these　words：



'〃Not　quite　so；　Dick；　if　I　am　afraid　of　nothing　else；　I　am　afraid

of　myself。〃



'His　companion　seeming　to　grow　a　little　dull；　asked　him；　in　what

sense？　　How？



'〃Why；　thus；〃　he　returned。　　〃Here　is　a　Ghost　to　be　disproved。

Well！　　I　cannot　answer　for　what　my　fancy　might　do　if　I　were　alone

here；　or　what　tricks　my　senses　might　play　with　me　if　they　had　me　to

themselves。　　But；　in　company　with　another　man；　and　especially　with

Dick；　I　would　consent　to　outface　all　the　Ghosts　that　were　ever　of

in　the　universe。〃



'〃I　had　not　the　vanity　to　suppose　that　I　was　of　so　much　importance

to…night；〃　said　the　other。



'〃Of　so　much；〃　rejoined　the　leader；　more　seriously　than　he　had

spoken　yet；　〃that　I　would；　for　the　reason　I　have　given；　on　no

account　have　undertaken　to　pass　the　night　here　alone。〃



'It　was　within　a　few　minutes　of　One。　　The　head　of　the　younger　man

had　drooped　when　he　made　his　last　remark；　and　it　drooped　lower　now。



'〃Keep　awake；　Dick！〃　said　the　leader；　gaily。　　〃The　small　hours　are

the　worst。〃



'He　tried；　but　his　head　drooped　again。



'〃Dick！〃　urged　the　leader。　　〃Keep　awake！〃



'〃I　can't；〃　he　indistinctly　muttered。　　〃I　don't　know　what　strange

influence　is　stealing　over　me。　　I　can't。〃



'His　companion　looked　at　him　with　a　sudden　horror；　and　I；　in　my

different　way；　felt　a　new　horror　also；　for；　it　was　on　the　stroke　of

One；　and　I　felt　that　the　second　watcher　was　yielding　to　me；　and

that　the　curse　was　upon　me　that　I　must　send　him　to　sleep。



'〃Get　up　and　walk；　Dick！〃　cried　the　leader。　　〃Try！〃



'It　was　in　vain　to　go　behind　the　slumber's　chair　and　shake　him。

One　o'clock　sounded；　and　I　was　present　to　the　elder　man；　and　he

stood　transfixed　before　me。



'To　him　alone；　I　was　obliged　to　relate　my　story；　without　hope　of

benefit。　　To　him　alone；　I　was　an　awful　phantom　making　a　quite

useless　confession。　　I　foresee　it　will　ever　be　the　same。　　The　two

living　men　together　will　never　come　to　release　me。　　When　I　appear；

the　senses　of　one　of　the　two　will　be　locked　in　sleep；　he　will

neither　see　nor　hear　me；　my　communication　will　ever　be　made　to　a

solitary　listener；　and　will　ever　be　unserviceable。　　Woe！　　Woe！

Woe！'



As　the　Two　old　men；　with　these　words；　wrung　their　hands；　it　shot

into　Mr。　Goodchild's　mind　that　he　was　in　the　terrible　situation　of

being　virtually　alone　with　the　spectre；　and　that　Mr。　Idle's

immoveability　was　explained　by　his　having　been　charmed　asleep　at

One　o'clock。　　In　the　terror　of　this　sudden　discovery　which　produced

an　indescribable　dread；　he　struggled　so　hard　to　get　free　from　the

four　fiery　threads；　that　he　snapped　them；　after　he　had　pulled　them

out　to　a　great　width。　　Being　then　out　of　bonds；　he　caught　up　Mr。

Idle　from　the　sofa　and　rushed　down…stairs　with　him。





'What　are　you　about；　Francis？'　demanded　Mr。　Idle。　　'My　bedroom　is

not　down　here。　　What　the　deuce　are　you　carrying　me　at　all　for？　　I

can　walk　with　a　stick　now。　　I　don't　want　to　be　carried。　　Put　me

down。'



Mr。　Goodchild　put　him　down　in　the　old　hall；　and　looked　about　him

wildly。



'What　are　you　doing？　　Idiotically　plunging　at　your　own　sex；　and

rescuing　them　or　perishing　in　the　attempt？'　asked　Mr。　Idle；　in　a

highly　petulant　state。



'The　One　old　man！'　cried　Mr。　Goodchild；　distractedly；　…　'and　the

Two　old　men！'



Mr。　Idle　deigned　no　other　reply　than　'The　One　old　woman；　I　think

you　mean；'　as　he　began　hobbling　his　way　back　up　the　staircase；　with

the　assistance　of　its　broad　balustrade。



'I　assure　you；　Tom；'　began　Mr。　Goodchild；　attending　at　his　side；

'that　since　you　fell　asleep　…　'



'Come；　I　like　that！'　said　Thomas　Idle；　'I　haven't　closed　an　eye！'



With　the　peculiar　sensitiveness　on　the　subject　of　the　disgraceful

action　of　going　to　sleep　out　of　bed；　which　is　the　lot　of　all

mankind；　Mr。　Idle　persisted　in　this　declaration。　　The　same　peculiar

sensitiveness　impelled　Mr。　Goodchild；　on　being　taxed　with　the　same

crime；　to　repudiate　it　with　honourable　resentment。　　The　settlement

of　the　question　of　The　One　old　man　and　The　Two　old　men　was　thus

presently　complicated；　and　soon　made　quite　impracticable。　　Mr。　Idle

said　it　was　all　Bride…cake；　and　fragments；　newly　arranged；　of

things　seen　and　thought　about　in　the　day。　　Mr。　Goodchild　said　how

could　that　be；　when　he　hadn't　been　asleep；　and　what　right　could　Mr。

Idle　have　to　say　so；　who　had　been　asleep？　　Mr。　Idle　said　he　had

never　been　asleep；　and　never　did　go　to　sleep；　and　that　Mr。

Goodchild；　as　a　general　rule；　was　always　asleep。　　They　consequently

parted　for　the　rest　of　the　night；　at　their　bedroom　doors；　a　little

ruffled。　　Mr。　Goodchild's　last　words　were；　that　he　had　had；　in　that

real　and　tangible　old　sitting…room　of　that　real　and　tangible　old

Inn　（he　supposed　Mr。　Idle　denied　its　existence？）；　every　sensation

and　experience；　the　present　record　of　which　is　now　within　a　line　or

two　of　completion；　and　that　he　would　write　it　out　and　print　it

every　word。　　Mr。　Idle　returned　that　he　might　if　he　liked　…　and　he

did　like；　and　has　now　done　it。







CHAPTER　V







Two　of　the　many　passengers　by　a　certain　late　Sunday　evening　train；

Mr。　Thomas　Idle　and　Mr。　Francis　Goodchild；　yielded　up　their　tickets

at　a　little　rotten　platform　（converted　into　artificial　touchwood　by

smoke　and　ashes）；　deep　in　the　manufacturing　bosom　of　Yorkshire。　　A

mysterious　bosom　it　appeared；　upon　a　damp；　dark；　Sunday　night；

dashed　through　in　the　train　to　the　music　of　the　whirling　wheels；

the　panting　of　the　engine；　and　the　part…singing　of　hundreds　of

third…class　excursionists；　whose　vocal　efforts　'bobbed　arayound'

from　sacred　to　profane；　from　hymns；　to　our　transatlantic　sisters

the　Yankee　Gal　and　Mairy　Anne；　in　a　remarkable　way。　　There　seemed

to　have　been　some　large　vocal　gathering　near　to　every　lonely

station　on　the　line。　　No　town　was　visible；　no　village　was　visible；

no　light　was　visible；　but；　a　multitude　got　out　singing；　and　a

multitude　got　in　singing；　and　the　second　multitude　took　up　the

hymns；　and　adopted　our　transatlantic　sisters；　and　sang　of　their　own

egregious　wickedness；　and　of　their　bobbing　arayound；　and　of　how　the

ship　it　was　ready　and　the　wind　it　was　fai