the vicar of wakefield-第15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！


r　mind　our　son；'　cried　my　wife；　'depend　upon　it　he　knows　what　he　is　about。　I'll　warrant　we'll　never　see　him　sell　his　hen　of　a　rainy　day。　I　have　seen　him　buy　such　bargains　as　would　amaze　one。　I'll　tell　you　a　good　story　about　that；　that　will　make　you　split　your　sides　with　laughingBut　as　I　live；　yonder　comes　Moses；　without　an　horse；　and　the　box　at　his　back。'

As　she　spoke；　Moses　came　slowly　on　foot；　and　sweating　under　the　deal　box；　which　he　had　strapt　round　his　shoulders　like　a　pedlar。…　…　'Welcome；　welcome；　Moses；　well；　my　boy；　what　have　you　brought　us　from　the　fair？''I　have　brought　you　myself；'　cried　Moses；　with　a　sly　look；　and　resting　the　box　on　the　dresser。'Ay；　Moses；'　cried　my　wife；　'that　we　know；　but　where　is　the　horse？'　'I　have　sold　him；'　cried　Moses；　'for　three　pounds　five　shillings　and　two…　pence。''Well　done；　my　goqd　boy；'　returned　she；　'I　knew　you　would　touch　them　off。　Between　ourselves；　three　pounds　five　shillings　and　two…pence　is　no　bad　day's　work。　Come；　let　us　have　it　then。''I　have　brought　back　no　money；'　cried　Moses'again。　'I　have　laid　it　all　out　in　a　bargain；　and　here　it　is；'　pulling　out　a　bundle　from　his　breast：　'here　they　are；　a　groce　of　green　spectacles；　with　silver　rims　and　shagreen　cases。''A　groce　of　green　spectacles！'　repeated　my　wife　in　a　faint　voice。　'And　you　have　parted　with　the　Colt；　and　brought　us　back　nothing　but　a　groce　of　green　paltry　spectacles！''Dear　mother；'　cried　the　boy；　'why　won't　you　listen　to　reason？　I　had　them　a　dead　bargain；　or　I　should　not　have　bought　them。　The　silver　rims　alone　will　sell　for　double　money。''A　fig　for　the　silver　rims；'　cried　my　wife；　in　a　passion：　'I　dare　swear　they　won't　sell　for　above　half　the　money　at　the　rate　of　broken　silver；　five　shillings　an　ounce。''You　need　be　under　no　uneasiness；'　cried　I；　'about　selling　the　rims；　for　they　are　not　worth　six…pence；　for　I　perceive　they　are　only　copper　varnished　over。''What；'　cried　my　wife；　'not　silver；　the　rims　not　silver！'　'No；'　cried　I；　'no　more　silver　than　your　saucepan；'　'And　so；'　returned　she；　'we　have　parted　with　the　Colt；　and　have　only　got　a　groce　of　green　spectacles；　with　copper　rims　and　shagreen　cases！　A　murrain　take　such　trumpery。　The　blockhead　has　been　imposed　upon；　and　should　have　known　his　company　better。'　'There；　my　dear；'　cried　I；　'you　are　wrong；　he　should　not　have　known　them　at　all。''Marry；　hang　the　ideot；'　returned　she；　'to　bring　me　such　stuff；　if　I　had　them；　I　would　throw　them　in　the　fire。'　'There　again　you　are　wrong；　my　dear；'　cried　I；　'for　though　they　be　copper；　we　will　keep　them　by　us；　as　copper　spectacles；　you　know；　are　better　than　nothing。'

By　this　time　the　unfortunate　Moses　was　undeceived。　He　now　saw　that　he　had　indeed　been　imposed　upon　by　a　prowling　sharper；　who；　observing　his　figure；　had　marked　him　for　an　easy　prey。　I　therefore　asked　the　circumstances　of　his　deception。　He　sold　the　horse；　it　seems；　and　walked　the　fair　in　search　of　another。　A　reverend　looking　man　brought　him　to　a　tent；　under　pretence　of　having　one　to　sell。　'Here；'　continued　Moses；　'we　met　another　man；　very　well　drest；　who　desired　to　borrow　twenty　pounds　upon　these；　saying；　that　he　wanted　money；　and　would　dispose　of　them　for　a　third　of　the　value。　The　first　gentleman；　who　pretended　to　be　my　friend；　whispered　me　to　buy　them；　and　cautioned　me　not　to　let　so　good　an　offer　pass。　I　sent　for　Mr　Flamborough；　and　they　talked　him　up　as　finely　as　they　did　me；　and　so　at　last　we　were　persuaded　to　buy　the　two　groce　between　us。'



CHAPTER　13

Mr　Burchell　is　found　to　be　an　enemy；　for　he　has　the　confidence　to　give　disagreeable　advice


Our　family　had　now　made　several　attempts　to　be　fine；　but　some　unforeseen　disaster　demolished　each　as　soon　as　projected。　I　endeavoured　to　take　the　advantage　of　every　disappointment；　to　improve　their　good　sense　in　proportion　as　they　were　frustrated　in　ambition。　'You　see；　my　children；'　cried　I；　'how　little　is　to　be　got　by　attempts　to　impose　upon　the　world；　in　coping　with　our　betters。　Such　as　are　poor　and　will　associate　with　none　but　the　rich；　are　hated　by　those　they　avoid；　and　despised　by　these　they　follow。　Unequal　combinations　are　always　disadvantageous　to　the　weaker　side：　the　rich　having　the　pleasure；　and　the　poor　the　inconveniencies　that　result　from　them。　But　come；　Dick；　my　boy；　and　repeat　the　fable　that　you　were　reading　to…day；　for　the　good　of　the　company。'。

'Once　upon　a　time；'　cried　the　child；　'a　Giant　and　a　Dwarf　were　friends；　and　kept　together。　They　made　a　bargain　that　they　would　never　forsake　each　other；　but　go　seek　adventures。　The　first　battle　they　fought　was　with　two　Saracens；　and　the　Dwarf；　who　was　very　courageous；　dealt　one　of　the　champions　a　most　angry　blow。　It　did　the　Saracen　but　very　little　injury；　who　lifting　up　his　sword；　fairly　struck　off　the　poor　Dwarf's　arm。　He　was　now　in　a　woeful　plight；　but　the　Giant　coming　to　his　assistance；　in　a　short　time　left　the　two　Saracens　dead　on　the　plain；　and　the　Dwarf　cut　off　the　dead　man's　head　out　of　spite。　They　then　travelled　on　to　another　adventure。　This　was　against　three　bloody…minded　Satyrs；　who　were　carrying　away　a　damsel　in　distress。　The　Dwarf　was　not　quite　so　fierce　now　as　before；　but　for　all　that；　struck　the　first　blow；　which　was　returned　by　another；　that　knocked　out　his　eye：　but　the　Giant　was　soon　up　with　them；　and　had　they　not　fled；　would　certainly　have　killed　them　every　one。　They　were　all　very　joyful　for　this　victory；　and　the　damsel　who　was　relieved　fell　in　love　with　the　Giant；　and　married　him。　They　now　travelled　far；　and　farther　than　I　can　tell；　till　they　met　with　a　company　of　robbers。　The　Giant；　for　the　first　time；　was　foremost　now；　but　the　Dwarf　was　not　far　behind。　The　battle　was　stout　and　long。　Wherever　the　Giant　came　all　fell　before　him；　but　the　Dwarf　had　like　to　have　been　killed　more　than　once。　At　last　the　victory　declared　for　the　two　adventurers；　but　the　Dwarf　lost　his　leg。　The　Dwarf　was　now　without　an　arm；　a　leg；　and　an　eye；　while　the　Giant　was　without　a　single　wound。　Upon　which　he　cried　out　to　his　little　companion；　My　little　heroe；　this　is　glorious　sport；　let　us　get　one　victory　more；　and　then　we　shall　have　honour　for　ever。　No；　cries　the　Dwarf　who　was　by　this　time　grown　wiser；　no；　I　declare　off；　I'll　fight　no　more；　for　I　find　in　every　battle　that　you　get　all　the　honour　and　rewards；　but　all　the　blows　fall　upon　me。'

I　was　going　to　moralize　this　fable；　when　our　attention　was　called　off　to　a　warm　dispute　between　my　wife　and　Mr　Burchell；　upon　my　daughters　intended　expedition　to　town。　My　wife　very　strenuously　insisted　upon　the　advantages　that　would　result　from　it。　Mr　Burchell；　on　the　contrary；　dissuaded　her　with　great　ardor；　and　I　stood　neuter。　His　present　dissuasions　seemed　but　the　second　part　of　those　which　were　received　with　so　ill　a　grace　in　the　morning。　The　dispute　grew　high　while　poor　Deborah；　instead　of　reasoning　stronger；　talked　louder；　and　at　last　was　obliged　to　take　shelter　from　a　defeat　in　clamour。　The　conclusion　of　her　harangue；　however；　was　highly　displeasing　to　us　all：　she　knew；　she　said；　of　some　who　had　their　own　secret　reasons　for　what　they　advised；　but；　for　her　part；　she　wished　such　to　stay　away　from　her　house　for　the　future。'Madam；'　cried　Burchell；　with　looks　of　great　composure；　which　tended　to　enflame　her　the　more；　'as　for　secret　reason