st. ives-第23节

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nothing　but　ridicule　in　the　present　and　punishment　in　the　future。　　

Doubtless　our　officers　winked　pretty　hard　at　this　interchange　of　

courtesies；　but　doubtless　it　would　be　impossible　to　wink　at　so　

gross　a　fault；　or　rather　so　pitiable　a　misadventure　as　mine；　and　

you　are　to　conceive　me　wandering　in　the　plains　of　Castile；　

benighted；　charged　with　a　wine…skin　for　which　I　had　no　use；　and　

with　no　knowledge　whatever　of　the　whereabouts　of　my　musket；　beyond　

that　it　was　somewhere　in　my　Lord　Wellington's　army。　　But　my　

Englishman　was　either　a　very　honest　fellow；　or　else　extremely　

thirsty；　and　at　last　contrived　to　advertise　me　of　his　new　position。　　

Now；　the　English　sentry　in　Castile；　and　the　wounded　hero　in　the　

Durham　public…house；　were　one　and　the　same　person；　and　if　he　had　

been　a　little　less　drunk；　or　myself　less　lively　in　getting　away；　

the　travels　of　M。　St。　Ives　might　have　come　to　an　untimely　end。



I　suppose　this　woke　me　up；　it　stirred　in　me　besides　a　spirit　of　

opposition；　and　in　spite　of　cold；　darkness；　the　highwaymen　and　the　

footpads；　I　determined　to　walk　right　on　till　breakfast…time：　a　

happy　resolution；　which　enabled　me　to　observe　one　of　those　traits　

of　manners　which　at　once　depict　a　country　and　condemn　it。　　It　was　

near　midnight　when　I　saw；　a　great　way　ahead　of　me；　the　light　of　

many　torches；　presently　after；　the　sound　of　wheels　reached　me；　and　

the　slow　tread　of　feet；　and　soon　I　had　joined　myself　to　the　rear　of　

a　sordid；　silent；　and　lugubrious　procession；　such　as　we　see　in　

dreams。　　Close　on　a　hundred　persons　marched　by　torchlight　in　

unbroken　silence；　in　their　midst　a　cart；　and　in　the　cart；　on　an　

inclined　platform；　the　dead　body　of　a　man　…　the　centre…piece　of　

this　solemnity；　the　hero　whose　obsequies　we　were　come　forth　at　this　

unusual　hour　to　celebrate。　　It　was　but　a　plain；　dingy　old　fellow　of　

fifty　or　sixty；　his　throat　cut；　his　shirt　turned　over　as　though　to　

show　the　wound。　　Blue　trousers　and　brown　socks　completed　his　

attire；　if　we　can　talk　so　of　the　dead。　　He　had　a　horrid　look　of　a　

waxwork。　　In　the　tossing　of　the　lights　he　seemed　to　make　faces　and　

mouths　at　us；　to　frown；　and　to　be　at　times　upon　the　point　of　

speech。　　The　cart；　with　this　shabby　and　tragic　freight；　and　

surrounded　by　its　silent　escort　and　bright　torches；　continued　for　

some　distance　to　creak　along　the　high…road；　and　I　to　follow　it　in　

amazement；　which　was　soon　exchanged　for　horror。　　At　the　corner　of　a　

lane　the　procession　stopped；　and；　as　the　torches　ranged　themselves　

along　the　hedgerow…side；　I　became　aware　of　a　grave　dug　in　the　midst　

of　the　thoroughfare；　and　a　provision　of　quicklime　piled　in　the　

ditch。　　The　cart　was　backed　to　the　margin；　the　body　slung　off　the　

platform　and　dumped　into　the　grave　with　an　irreverent　roughness。　　A　

sharpened　stake　had　hitherto　served　it　for　a　pillow。　　It　was　now　

withdrawn；　held　in　its　place　by　several　volunteers；　and　a　fellow　

with　a　heavy　mallet　（the　sound　of　which　still　haunts　me　at　night）　

drove　it　home　through　the　bosom　of　the　corpse。　　The　hole　was　filled　

with　quicklime；　and　the　bystanders；　as　if　relieved　of　some　

oppression；　broke　at　once　into　a　sound　of　whispered　speech。



My　shirt　stuck　to　me；　my　heart　had　almost　ceased　beating；　and　I　

found　my　tongue　with　difficulty。



'I　beg　your　pardon；'　I　gasped　to　a　neighbour；　'what　is　this？　what　

has　he　done？　is　it　allowed？'



'Why；　where　do　you　come　from？'　replied　the　man。



'I　am　a　traveller；　sir；'　said　I；　'and　a　total　stranger　in　this　part　

of　the　country。　　I　had　lost　my　way　when　I　saw　your　torches；　and　

came　by　chance　on　this　…　this　incredible　scene。　　Who　was　the　man？'



'A　suicide；'　said　he。　　'Ay；　he　was　a　bad　one；　was　Johnnie　Green。'



It　appeared　this　was　a　wretch　who　had　committed　many　barbarous　

murders；　and　being　at　last　upon　the　point　of　discovery　fell　of　his　

own　hand。　　And　the　nightmare　at　the　crossroads　was　the　regular　

punishment；　according　to　the　laws　of　England；　for　an　act　which　the　

Romans　honoured　as　a　virtue！　　Whenever　an　Englishman　begins　to　

prate　of　civilisation　（as；　indeed；　it's　a　defect　they　are　rather　

prone　to）；　I　hear　the　measured　blows　of　a　mallet；　see　the　

bystanders　crowd　with　torches　about　the　grave；　smile　a　little　to　

myself　in　conscious　superiority　…　and　take　a　thimbleful　of　brandy　

for　the　stomach's　sake。



I　believe　it　must　have　been　at　my　next　stage；　for　I　remember　going　

to　bed　extremely　early；　that　I　came　to　the　model　of　a　good　old…

fashioned　English　inn；　and　was　attended　on　by　the　picture　of　a　

pretty　chambermaid。　　We　had　a　good　many　pleasant　passages　as　she　

waited　table　or　warmed　my　bed　for　me　with　a　devil　of　a　brass　

warming　pan；　fully　larger　than　herself；　and　as　she　was　no　less　pert　

than　she　was　pretty；　she　may　be　said　to　have　given　rather　better　

than　she　took。　　I　cannot　tell　why　（unless　it　were　for　the　sake　of　

her　saucy　eyes）；　but　I　made　her　my　confidante；　told　her　I　was　

attached　to　a　young　lady　in　Scotland；　and　received　the　

encouragement　of　her　sympathy；　mingled　and　connected　with　a　fair　

amount　of　rustic　wit。　　While　I　slept　the　down…mail　stopped　for　

supper；　it　chanced　that　one　of　the　passengers　left　behind　a　copy　of　

the　EDINBURGH　COURANT；　and　the　next　morning　my　pretty　chambermaid　

set　the　paper　before　me　at　breakfast；　with　the　remark　that　there　

was　some　news　from　my　lady…love。　　I　took　it　eagerly；　hoping　to　find　

some　further　word　of　our　escape；　in　which　I　was　disappointed；　and　I　

was　about　to　lay　it　down；　when　my　eye　fell　on　a　paragraph　

immediately　concerning　me。　　Faa　was　in　hospital；　grievously　sick；　

and　warrants　were　out　for　the　arrest　of　Sim　and　Candlish。　　These　

two　men　had　shown　themselves　very　loyal　to　me。　　This　trouble　

emerging；　the　least　I　could　do　was　to　be　guided　by　a　similar　

loyalty　to　them。　　Suppose　my　visit　to　my　uncle　crowned　with　some　

success；　and　my　finances　re…established；　I　determined　I　should　

immediately　return　to　Edinburgh；　put　their　case　in　the　hands　of　a　

good　lawyer；　and　await　events。　　So　my　mind　was　very　lightly　made　up　

to　what　proved　a　mighty　serious　matter。　　Candlish　and　Sim　were　all　

very　well　in　their　way；　and　I　do　sincerely　trust　I　should　have　been　

at　some　pains　to　help　them；　had　there　been　nothing　else。　　But　in　

truth　my　heart　and　my　eyes　were　set　on　quite　another　matter；　and　I　

received　the　news　of　their　tribulation　almost　with　joy。　　That　is　

never　a　bad　wind　that　blows　where　we　want　to　go；　and　you　may　be　

sure　there　was　nothing　unwelcome　in　a　circumstance　that　carried　me　

back　to　Edinburgh　and　Flora。　　From　that　hour　I　began　to　indulge　

myself　with　the　making　of　imaginary　scenes　and　interviews；　in　which　

I　confounded　the　aunt；　flattered　Ronald；　and　now　in　the　witty；　now　

in　the　sentimental　manner；　declared　my　love　and　received　the　

assurance　of　its　return。　　By　means　of　this　exercise　my　resolution　

daily　grew　stronger；　until　at　last　I　had　piled　together　such　a　mass　

of　obstinacy　as　it　would　have　taken　a　cataclysm　of　nature　to　

subvert。



'Yes；'　said　I　to　the　chambermaid；　'here　is　news　of　my　lady…love　

indeed；　and　very　good　news　too。'



All　that　day；　in　the　teeth　of　a　keen　winter　wind；　I　hugged　myself　

in　my　plaid；　and　it　was　as　though　her　arms　were　flung　around　me。









CHAPTER　XII　…　I　FOLLOW　A　COVERED　CART　NEARLY　TO　MY　DESTINATION





AT　last　I　began　to　draw　near；　by　reasonable　stages；　to　the　

neighbourhood　of　Wakefield；　and　the　name　of　Mr。　Burchell　Fenn　came　

to　the　top　in　my　memory。　　This　was　the　gentleman　（the　reader　may　

remember）　who　made　a　trade　of　forwarding　the　escape　of　French　

prisoners。　　How　he　did　so：　whether　he　had　a　sign…board；　ESCAPES　

FORWARDED；　APPLY　WITHIN；　what　he　charged　for　his　services；　or　

whether　they　were　gratuitous　and　charitable；　were　all　matters　of　

which　I　was　at　once　ignorant　and　extremely　curious。　　Thanks　to　my　

proficiency　in　English；　and　Mr。　Romaine's　bank…notes；　I　was　getting　

on　swimmingly　without　him；　but　the　trouble　was　that　I　could　not　be　

easy　till　I　had　come　to　the　bottom　of　these　mysteries；　and　it　was　

my　difficulty　that　I　knew　nothing　of　him　beyond　the　name。　　I　knew　

not　his　trade　beyond　that　of　Forwarder　of　Escapes　…　whether　he　

lived　in　town　or　country；　whether　he　were　rich　or　poor；　nor　by　what　

kind　of　address　I　was　to　gain　his　confidence。　　It　would　have　a　very　

bad　appearance　to　go　along　the　highwayside　asking　after　a　man　of　

whom　I　could　give　so　scanty　an　account；　and　I　should　look　like　a　

fool；　indeed；　if　I　were　to　present　myself　at　his　door　and　find　the　

police　in　occupation！　　The　interest　of　the　conundrum；　however；　

tempted　me；　and　I　turned　aside　from　my　direct　road　to　pass　by　

Wakefield；　kept　my　ears　pricked；　as　I　went；　for　any　mention　of　his　

name；　and　relied　for　the　rest　on　my　good　fortune。　　If　Luck　（who　

must　certainly　be　feminine）　favoured　me　as　far　as　to　throw　me　in　

the　man's　way；　I　should　owe　the　lady　a　candle；　if　not；　I　could　very　

readily　console　myself。　　In　this　experimental　hum