lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第25章

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

ship　it　was　ready　and　the　wind　it　was　fair；　and　they　were　bayound

for　the　sea；　Mairy　Anne；　until　they　in　their　turn　became　a　getting…

out　multitude；　and　were　replaced　by　another　getting…in　multitude；

who　did　the　same。　　And　at　every　station；　the　getting…in　multitude；

with　an　artistic　reference　to　the　completeness　of　their　chorus；

incessantly　cried；　as　with　one　voice　while　scuffling　into　the

carriages；　'We　mun　aa'　gang　toogither！'



The　singing　and　the　multitudes　had　trailed　off　as　the　lonely　places

were　left　and　the　great　towns　were　neared；　and　the　way　had　lain　as

silently　as　a　train's　way　ever　can；　over　the　vague　black　streets　of

the　great　gulfs　of　towns；　and　among　their　branchless　woods　of　vague

black　chimneys。　　These　towns　looked；　in　the　cinderous　wet；　as

though　they　had　one　and　all　been　on　fire　and　were　just　put　out　…　a

dreary　and　quenched　panorama；　many　miles　long。



Thus；　Thomas　and　Francis　got　to　Leeds；　of　which　enterprising　and

important　commercial　centre　it　may　be　observed　with　delicacy；　that

you　must　either　like　it　very　much　or　not　at　all。　　Next　day；　the

first　of　the　Race…Week；　they　took　train　to　Doncaster。



And　instantly　the　character；　both　of　travellers　and　of　luggage；

entirely　changed；　and　no　other　business　than　race…business　any

longer　existed　on　the　face　of　the　earth。　　The　talk　was　all　of

horses　and　'John　Scott。'　　Guards　whispered　behind　their　hands　to

station…masters；　of　horses　and　John　Scott。　　Men　in　cut…away　coats

and　speckled　cravats　fastened　with　peculiar　pins；　and　with　the

large　bones　of　their　legs　developed　under　tight　trousers；　so　that

they　should　look　as　much　as　possible　like　horses'　legs；　paced　up

and　down　by　twos　at　junction…stations；　speaking　low　and　moodily　of

horses　and　John　Scott。　　The　young　clergyman　in　the　black　strait…

waistcoat；　who　occupied　the　middle　seat　of　the　carriage；　expounded

in　his　peculiar　pulpit…accent　to　the　young　and　lovely　Reverend　Mrs。

Crinoline；　who　occupied　the　opposite　middle…seat；　a　few　passages　of

rumour　relative　to　'Oartheth；　my　love；　and　Mithter　John　Eth…COTT。'

A　bandy　vagabond；　with　a　head　like　a　Dutch　cheese；　in　a　fustian

stable…suit；　attending　on　a　horse…box　and　going　about　the　platforms

with　a　halter　hanging　round　his　neck　like　a　Calais　burgher　of　the

ancient　period　much　degenerated；　was　courted　by　the　best　society；

by　reason　of　what　he　had　to　hint；　when　not　engaged　in　eating　straw；

concerning　't'harses　and　Joon　Scott。'　　The　engine…driver　himself；

as　he　applied　one　eye　to　his　large　stationary　double…eye…glass　on

the　engine；　seemed　to　keep　the　other　open；　sideways；　upon　horses

and　John　Scott。



Breaks　and　barriers　at　Doncaster　Station　to　keep　the　crowd　off；

temporary　wooden　avenues　of　ingress　and　egress；　to　help　the　crowd

on。　　Forty　extra　porters　sent　down　for　this　present　blessed　Race…

Week；　and　all　of　them　making　up　their　betting…books　in　the　lamp…

room　or　somewhere　else；　and　none　of　them　to　come　and　touch　the

luggage。　　Travellers　disgorged　into　an　open　space；　a　howling

wilderness　of　idle　men。　　All　work　but　race…work　at　a　stand…still；

all　men　at　a　stand…still。　　'Ey　my　word！　　Deant　ask　noon　o'　us　to

help　wi'　t'luggage。　　Bock　your　opinion　loike　a　mon。　　Coom！　　Dang

it；　coom；　t'harses　and　Joon　Scott！'　　In　the　midst　of　the　idle　men；

all　the　fly　horses　and　omnibus　horses　of　Doncaster　and　parts

adjacent；　rampant；　rearing；　backing；　plunging；　shying　…　apparently

the　result　of　their　hearing　of　nothing　but　their　own　order　and　John

Scott。



Grand　Dramatic　Company　from　London　for　the　Race…Week。　　Poses

Plastiques　in　the　Grand　Assembly　Room　up　the　Stable…Yard　at　seven

and　nine　each　evening；　for　the　Race…Week。　　Grand　Alliance　Circus　in

the　field　beyond　the　bridge；　for　the　Race…Week。　　Grand　Exhibition

of　Aztec　Lilliputians；　important　to　all　who　want　to　be　horrified

cheap；　for　the　Race…Week。　　Lodgings；　grand　and　not　grand；　but　all

at　grand　prices；　ranging　from　ten　pounds　to　twenty；　for　the　Grand

Race…Week！



Rendered　giddy　enough　by　these　things；　Messieurs　Idle　and　Goodchild

repaired　to　the　quarters　they　had　secured　beforehand；　and　Mr。

Goodchild　looked　down　from　the　window　into　the　surging　street。



'By　Heaven；　Tom！'　cried　he；　after　contemplating　it；　'I　am　in　the

Lunatic　Asylum　again；　and　these　are　all　mad　people　under　the　charge

of　a　body　of　designing　keepers！'



All　through　the　Race…Week；　Mr。　Goodchild　never　divested　himself　of

this　idea。　　Every　day　he　looked　out　of　window；　with　something　of

the　dread　of　Lemuel　Gulliver　looking　down　at　men　after　he　returned

home　from　the　horse…country；　and　every　day　he　saw　the　Lunatics；

horse…mad；　betting…mad；　drunken…mad；　vice…mad；　and　the　designing

Keepers　always　after　them。　　The　idea　pervaded；　like　the　second

colour　in　shot…silk；　the　whole　of　Mr。　Goodchild's　impressions。

They　were　much　as　follows：



Monday；　mid…day。　　Races　not　to　begin　until　to…morrow；　but　all　the

mob…Lunatics　out；　crowding　the　pavements　of　the　one　main　street　of

pretty　and　pleasant　Doncaster；　crowding　the　road；　particularly

crowding　the　outside　of　the　Betting　Rooms；　whooping　and　shouting

loudly　after　all　passing　vehicles。　　Frightened　lunatic　horses

occasionally　running　away；　with　infinite　clatter。　　All　degrees　of

men；　from　peers　to　paupers；　betting　incessantly。　　Keepers　very

watchful；　and　taking　all　good　chances。　　An　awful　family　likeness

among　the　Keepers；　to　Mr。　Palmer　and　Mr。　Thurtell。　　With　some

knowledge　of　expression　and　some　acquaintance　with　heads　（thus

writes　Mr。　Goodchild）；　I　never　have　seen　anywhere；　so　many

repetitions　of　one　class　of　countenance　and　one　character　of　head

（both　evil）　as　in　this　street　at　this　time。　　Cunning；　covetousness；

secrecy；　cold　calculation；　hard　callousness　and　dire　insensibility；

are　the　uniform　Keeper　characteristics。　　Mr。　Palmer　passes　me　five

times　in　five　minutes；　and；　so　I　go　down　the　street；　the　back　of

Mr。　Thurtell's　skull　is　always　going　on　before　me。



Monday　evening。　　Town　lighted　up；　more　Lunatics　out　than　ever；　a

complete　choke　and　stoppage　of　the　thoroughfare　outside　the　Betting

Rooms。　　Keepers；　having　dined；　pervade　the　Betting　Rooms；　and

sharply　snap　at　the　moneyed　Lunatics。　　Some　Keepers　flushed　with

drink；　and　some　not；　but　all　close　and　calculating。　　A　vague

echoing　roar　of　't'harses'　and　't'races'　always　rising　in　the　air；

until　midnight；　at　about　which　period　it　dies　away　in　occasional

drunken　songs　and　straggling　yells。　　But；　all　night；　some

unmannerly　drinking…house　in　the　neighbourhood　opens　its　mouth　at

intervals　and　spits　out　a　man　too　drunk　to　be　retained：　　who

thereupon　makes　what　uproarious　protest　may　be　left　in　him；　and

either　falls　asleep　where　he　tumbles；　or　is　carried　off　in　custody。



Tuesday　morning；　at　daybreak。　　A　sudden　rising；　as　it　were　out　of

the　earth；　of　all　the　obscene　creatures；　who　sell　'correct　cards　of

the　races。'　　They　may　have　been　coiled　in　corners；　or　sleeping　on

door…steps；　and；　having　all　passed　the　night　under　the　same　set　of

circumstances；　may　all　want　to　circulate　their　blood　at　the　same

time；　but；　however　that　may　be；　they　spring　into　existence　all　at

once　and　together；　as　though　a　new　Cadmus　had　sown　a　race…horse's

teeth。　　There　is　nobody　up；　to　buy　the　cards；　but；　the　cards　are

madly　cried。　　There　is　no　patronage　to　quarrel　for；　but；　they　madly

quarrel　and　fight。　　Conspicuous　among　these　hyaenas；　as　breakfast…

time　discloses；　is　a　fearful　creature　in　the　general　semblance　of　a

man：　　shaken　off　his　next…to…no　legs　by　drink　and　devilry；　bare…

headed　and　bare…footed；　with　a　great　shock　of　hair　like　a　horrible

broom；　and　nothing　on　him　but　a　ragged　pair　of　trousers　and　a　pink

glazed…calico　coat　…　made　on　him　…　so　very　tight　that　it　is　as

evident　that　he　could　never　take　it　off；　as　that　he　never　does。

This　hideous　apparition；　inconceivably　drunk；　has　a　terrible　power

of　making　a　gong…like　imitation　of　the　braying　of　an　ass：　　which

feat　r