the uncommercial traveller-第62部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



prodigious　double…tooth　out；　and　to　be　this　very　instant　free　of

the　Dentist's　hands。　　And　now　we　all　know　for　the　first　time　how

wet　and　cold　we　are；　and　how　salt　we　are；　and　now　I　love　Calais

with　my　heart　of　hearts！



'Hotel　Dessin！'　（but　in　this　one　case　it　is　not　a　vocal　cry；　it　is

but　a　bright　lustre　in　the　eyes　of　the　cheery　representative　of

that　best　of　inns）。　　'Hotel　Meurice！'　　'Hotel　de　France！'　　'Hotel

de　Calais！'　　'The　Royal　Hotel；　Sir；　Angaishe　ouse！'　　'You　going　to

Parry；　Sir？'　　'Your　baggage；　registair　froo；　Sir？'　　Bless　ye；　my

Touters；　bless　ye；　my　commissionaires；　bless　ye；　my　hungry…eyed

mysteries　in　caps　of　a　military　form；　who　are　always　here；　day　or

night；　fair　weather　or　foul；　seeking　inscrutable　jobs　which　I　never

see　you　get！　　Bless　ye；　my　Custom　House　officers　in　green　and　grey；

permit　me　to　grasp　the　welcome　hands　that　descend　into　my

travelling…bag；　one　on　each　side；　and　meet　at　the　bottom　to　give　my

change　of　linen　a　peculiar　shake　up；　as　if　it　were　a　measure　of

chaff　or　grain！　　I　have　nothing　to　declare；　Monsieur　le　Douanier；

except　that　when　I　cease　to　breathe；　Calais　will　be　found　written

on　my　heart。　　No　article　liable　to　local　duty　have　I　with　me；

Monsieur　l'Officier　de　l'Octroi；　unless　the　overflowing　of　a　breast

devoted　to　your　charming　town　should　be　in　that　wise　chargeable。

Ah！　see　at　the　gangway　by　the　twinkling　lantern；　my　dearest　brother

and　friend；　he　once　of　the　Passport　Office；　he　who　collects　the

names！　　May　he　be　for　ever　changeless　in　his　buttoned　black

surtout；　with　his　note…book　in　his　hand；　and　his　tall　black　hat；

surmounting　his　round；　smiling；　patient　face！　　Let　us　embrace；　my

dearest　brother。　　I　am　yours　e　tout　jamais　…　for　the　whole　of　ever。



Calais　up　and　doing　at　the　railway　station；　and　Calais　down　and

dreaming　in　its　bed；　Calais　with　something　of　'an　ancient　and　fish…

like　smell'　about　it；　and　Calais　blown　and　sea…washed　pure；　Calais

represented　at　the　Buffet　by　savoury　roast　fowls；　hot　coffee；

cognac；　and　Bordeaux；　and　Calais　represented　everywhere　by　flitting

persons　with　a　monomania　for　changing　money　…　though　I　never　shall

be　able　to　understand　in　my　present　state　of　existence　how　they

live　by　it；　but　I　suppose　I　should；　if　I　understood　the　currency

question　…　Calais　EN　GROS；　and　Calais　EN　DETAIL；　forgive　one　who

has　deeply　wronged　you。　…　I　was　not　fully　aware　of　it　on　the　other

side；　but　I　meant　Dover。



Ding；　ding！　　To　the　carriages；　gentlemen　the　travellers。　　Ascend

then；　gentlemen　the　travellers；　for　Hazebroucke；　Lille；　Douai；

Bruxelles；　Arras；　Amiens；　and　Paris！　　I；　humble　representative　of

the　uncommercial　interest；　ascend　with　the　rest。　　The　train　is

light　to…night；　and　I　share　my　compartment　with　but　two　fellow…

travellers；　one；　a　compatriot　in　an　obsolete　cravat；　who　thinks　it

a　quite　unaccountable　thing　that　they　don't　keep　'London　time'　on　a

French　railway；　and　who　is　made　angry　by　my　modestly　suggesting　the

possibility　of　Paris　time　being　more　in　their　way；　the　other；　a

young　priest；　with　a　very　small　bird　in　a　very　small　cage；　who

feeds　the　small　bird　with　a　quill；　and　then　puts　him　up　in　the

network　above　his　head；　where　he　advances　twittering；　to　his　front

wires；　and　seems　to　address　me　in　an　electioneering　manner。　　The

compatriot　（who　crossed　in　the　boat；　and　whom　I　judge　to　be　some

person　of　distinction；　as　he　was　shut　up；　like　a　stately　species　of

rabbit；　in　a　private　hutch　on　deck）　and　the　young　priest　（who

joined　us　at　Calais）　are　soon　asleep；　and　then　the　bird　and　I　have

it　all　to　ourselves。



A　stormy　night　still；　a　night　that　sweeps　the　wires　of　the　electric

telegraph　with　a　wild　and　fitful　hand；　a　night　so　very　stormy；　with

the　added　storm　of　the　train…progress　through　it；　that　when　the

Guard　comes　clambering　round　to　mark　the　tickets　while　we　are　at

full　speed　（a　really　horrible　performance　in　an　express　train；

though　he　holds　on　to　the　open　window　by　his　elbows　in　the　most

deliberate　manner）；　he　stands　in　such　a　whirlwind　that　I　grip　him

fast　by　the　collar；　and　feel　it　next　to　manslaughter　to　let　him　go。

Still；　when　he　is　gone；　the　small；　small　bird　remains　at　his　front

wires　feebly　twittering　to　me　…　twittering　and　twittering；　until；

leaning　back　in　my　place　and　looking　at　him　in　drowsy　fascination；

I　find　that　he　seems　to　jog　my　memory　as　we　rush　along。



Uncommercial　travels　（thus　the　small；　small　bird）　have　lain　in

their　idle　thriftless　way　through　all　this　range　of　swamp　and　dyke；

as　through　many　other　odd　places；　and　about　here；　as　you　very　well

know；　are　the　queer　old　stone　farm…houses；　approached　by

drawbridges；　and　the　windmills　that　you　get　at　by　boats。　　Here；　are

the　lands　where　the　women　hoe　and　dig；　paddling　canoe…wise　from

field　to　field；　and　here　are　the　cabarets　and　other　peasant…houses

where　the　stone　dove…cotes　in　the　littered　yards　are　as　strong　as

warders'　towers　in　old　castles。　　Here；　are　the　long　monotonous

miles　of　canal；　with　the　great　Dutch…built　barges　garishly　painted；

and　the　towing　girls；　sometimes　harnessed　by　the　forehead；

sometimes　by　the　girdle　and　the　shoulders；　not　a　pleasant　sight　to

see。　　Scattered　through　this　country　are　mighty　works　of　VAUBAN；

whom　you　know　about；　and　regiments　of　such　corporals　as　you　heard

of　once　upon　a　time；　and　many　a　blue…eyed　Bebelle。　　Through　these

flat　districts；　in　the　shining　summer　days；　walk　those　long；

grotesque　files　of　young　novices　in　enormous　shovel…hats；　whom　you

remember　blackening　the　ground　checkered　by　the　avenues　of　leafy

trees。　　And　now　that　Hazebroucke　slumbers　certain　kilometres　ahead；

recall　the　summer　evening　when　your　dusty　feet　strolling　up　from

the　station　tended　hap…hazard　to　a　Fair　there；　where　the　oldest

inhabitants　were　circling　round　and　round　a　barrel…organ　on　hobby…

horses；　with　the　greatest　gravity；　and　where　the　principal　show　in

the　Fair　was　a　Religious　Richardson's　…　literally；　on　its　own

announcement　in　great　letters；　THEATRE　RELIGIEUX。　　In　which

improving　Temple；　the　dramatic　representation　was　of　'all　the

interesting　events　in　the　life　of　our　Lord；　from　the　Manger　to　the

Tomb；'　the　principal　female　character；　without　any　reservation　or

exception；　being　at　the　moment　of　your　arrival；　engaged　in　trimming

the　external　Moderators　（as　it　was　growing　dusk）；　while　the　next

principal　female　character　took　the　money；　and　the　Young　Saint　John

disported　himself　upside　down　on　the　platform。



Looking　up　at　this　point　to　confirm　the　small；　small　bird　in　every

particular　he　has　mentioned；　I　find　he　has　ceased　to　twitter；　and

has　put　his　head　under　his　wing。　　Therefore；　in　my　different　way　I

follow　the　good　example。







CHAPTER　XIX　…　SOME　RECOLLECTIONS　OF　MORTALITY







I　had　parted　from　the　small　bird　at　somewhere　about　four　o'clock　in

the　morning；　when　he　had　got　out　at　Arras；　and　had　been　received　by

two　shovel…hats　in　waiting　at　the　station；　who　presented　an

appropriately　ornithological　and　crow…like　appear