lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第15部分

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red　looks　glanced　fearfully　at　the　surrounding　terrors；　seem　as

though　they　had　been　drinking　at　half…frozen　waters　and　were　hung

with　icicles。　　Through　the　same　steam　would　be　caught　glimpses　of

their　fellow…travellers；　the　sheep；　getting　their　white　kid　faces

together；　away　from　the　bars；　and　stuffing　the　interstices　with

trembling　wool。　　Also；　down　among　the　wheels；　of　the　man　with　the

sledge…hammer；　ringing　the　axles　of　the　fast　night…train；　against

whom　the　oxen　have　a　misgiving　that　he　is　the　man　with　the　pole…axe

who　is　to　come　by…and…by；　and　so　the　nearest　of　them　try　to　get

back；　and　get　a　purchase　for　a　thrust　at　him　through　the　bars。

Suddenly；　the　bell　would　ring；　the　steam　would　stop　with　one　hiss

and　a　yell；　the　chemists　on　the　beanstalks　would　be　busy；　the

avenging　Furies　would　bestir　themselves；　the　fast　night…train　would

melt　from　eye　and　ear；　the　other　trains　going　their　ways　more

slowly　would　be　heard　faintly　rattling　in　the　distance　like　old…

fashioned　watches　running　down；　the　sauce…bottle　and　cheap　music

retired　from　view；　even　the　bedstead　went　to　bed；　and　there　was　no

such　visible　thing　as　the　Station　to　vex　the　cool　wind　in　its

blowing；　or　perhaps　the　autumn　lightning；　as　it　found　out　the　iron

rails。



The　infection　of　the　Station　was　this：…　When　it　was　in　its　raving

state；　the　Apprentices　found　it　impossible　to　be　there；　without

labouring　under　the　delusion　that　they　were　in　a　hurry。　　To　Mr。

Goodchild；　whose　ideas　of　idleness　were　so　imperfect；　this　was　no

unpleasant　hallucination；　and　accordingly　that　gentleman　went

through　great　exertions　in　yielding　to　it；　and　running　up　and　down

the　platform；　jostling　everybody；　under　the　impression　that　he　had

a　highly　important　mission　somewhere；　and　had　not　a　moment　to　lose。

But；　to　Thomas　Idle；　this　contagion　was　so　very　unacceptable　an

incident　of　the　situation；　that　he　struck　on　the　fourth　day；　and

requested　to　be　moved。



'This　place　fills　me　with　a　dreadful　sensation；'　said　Thomas；　'of

having　something　to　do。　　Remove　me；　Francis。'



'Where　would　you　like　to　go　next？'　was　the　question　of　the　ever…

engaging　Goodchild。



'I　have　heard　there　is　a　good　old　Inn　at　Lancaster；　established　in

a　fine　old　house：　　an　Inn　where　they　give　you　Bride…cake　every　day

after　dinner；'　said　Thomas　Idle。　　'Let　us　eat　Bride…cake　without

the　trouble　of　being　married；　or　of　knowing　anybody　in　that

ridiculous　dilemma。'



Mr。　Goodchild；　with　a　lover's　sigh；　assented。　　They　departed　from

the　Station　in　a　violent　hurry　（for　which；　it　is　unnecessary　to

observe；　there　was　not　the　least　occasion）；　and　were　delivered　at

the　fine　old　house　at　Lancaster；　on　the　same　night。



It　is　Mr。　Goodchild's　opinion；　that　if　a　visitor　on　his　arrival　at

Lancaster　could　be　accommodated　with　a　pole　which　would　push　the

opposite　side　of　the　street　some　yards　farther　off；　it　would　be

better　for　all　parties。　　Protesting　against　being　required　to　live

in　a　trench；　and　obliged　to　speculate　all　day　upon　what　the　people

can　possibly　be　doing　within　a　mysterious　opposite　window；　which　is

a　shop…window　to　look　at；　but　not　a　shop…window　in　respect　of　its

offering　nothing　for　sale　and　declining　to　give　any　account

whatever　of　itself；　Mr。　Goodchild　concedes　Lancaster　to　be　a

pleasant　place。　　A　place　dropped　in　the　midst　of　a　charming

landscape；　a　place　with　a　fine　ancient　fragment　of　castle；　a　place

of　lovely　walks；　a　place　possessing　staid　old　houses　richly　fitted

with　old　Honduras　mahogany；　which　has　grown　so　dark　with　time　that

it　seems　to　have　got　something　of　a　retrospective　mirror…quality

into　itself；　and　to　show　the　visitor；　in　the　depth　of　its　grain；

through　all　its　polish；　the　hue　of　the　wretched　slaves　who　groaned

long　ago　under　old　Lancaster　merchants。　　And　Mr。　Goodchild　adds

that　the　stones　of　Lancaster　do　sometimes　whisper；　even　yet；　of

rich　men　passed　away　…　upon　whose　great　prosperity　some　of　these

old　doorways　frowned　sullen　in　the　brightest　weather　…　that　their

slave…gain　turned　to　curses；　as　the　Arabian　Wizard's　money　turned

to　leaves；　and　that　no　good　ever　came　of　it；　even　unto　the　third

and　fourth　generations；　until　it　was　wasted　and　gone。



It　was　a　gallant　sight　to　behold；　the　Sunday　procession　of　the

Lancaster　elders　to　Church　…　all　in　black；　and　looking　fearfully

like　a　funeral　without　the　Body　…　under　the　escort　of　Three

Beadles。



'Think；'　said　Francis；　as　he　stood　at　the　Inn　window；　admiring；　'of

being　taken　to　the　sacred　edifice　by　three　Beadles！　　I　have；　in　my

early　time；　been　taken　out　of　it　by　one　Beadle；　but；　to　be　taken

into　it　by　three；　O　Thomas；　is　a　distinction　I　shall　never　enjoy！'







CHAPTER　IV







When　Mr。　Goodchild　had　looked　out　of　the　Lancaster　Inn　window　for

two　hours　on　end；　with　great　perseverance；　he　begun　to　entertain　a

misgiving　that　he　was　growing　industrious。　　He　therefore　set

himself　next；　to　explore　the　country　from　the　tops　of　all　the　steep

hills　in　the　neighbourhood。



He　came　back　at　dinner…time；　red　and　glowing；　to　tell　Thomas　Idle

what　he　had　seen。　　Thomas；　on　his　back　reading；　listened　with　great

composure；　and　asked　him　whether　he　really　had　gone　up　those　hills；

and　bothered　himself　with　those　views；　and　walked　all　those　miles？



'Because　I　want　to　know；'　added　Thomas；　'what　you　would　say　of　it；

if　you　were　obliged　to　do　it？'



'It　would　be　different；　then；'　said　Francis。　　'It　would　be　work；

then；　now；　it's　play。'



'Play！'　replied　Thomas　Idle；　utterly　repudiating　the　reply。　　'Play！

Here　is　a　man　goes　systematically　tearing　himself　to　pieces；　and

putting　himself　through　an　incessant　course　of　training；　as　if　he

were　always　under　articles　to　fight　a　match　for　the　champion's

belt；　and　he　calls　it　Play！　　Play！'　exclaimed　Thomas　Idle；

scornfully　contemplating　his　one　boot　in　the　air。　　'You　CAN'T　play。

You　don't　know　what　it　is。　　You　make　work　of　everything。'



The　bright　Goodchild　amiably　smiled。



'So　you　do；'　said　Thomas。　　'I　mean　it。　　To　me　you　are　an　absolutely

terrible　fellow。　　You　do　nothing　like　another　man。　　Where　another

fellow　would　fall　into　a　footbath　of　action　or　emotion；　you　fall

into　a　mine。　　Where　any　other　fellow　would　be　a　painted　butterfly；

you　are　a　fiery　dragon。　　Where　another　man　would　stake　a　sixpence；

you　stake　your　existence。　　If　you　were　to　go　up　in　a　balloon；　you

would　make　for　Heaven；　and　if　you　were　to　dive　into　the　depths　of

the　earth；　nothing　short　of　the　other　place　would　content　you。

What　a　fellow　you　are；　Francis！'　　The　cheerful　Goodchild　laughed。



'It's　all　very　well　to　laugh；　but　I　wonder　you　don't　feel　it　to　be

serious；'　said　Idle。　　'A　man　who　can　do　nothing　by　halves　appears

to　me　to　be　a　fearful　man。'



'Tom；　Tom；'　returned　Goodchild；　'if　I　can　do　nothing　by　halves；　and

be　nothing　by　halves；　it's　pretty　clear　that　you　must　take　me　as　a

whole；　and　make　the　best　of　me。'



With　this　philosophical　rejoinder；　the　airy　Goodchild　clapped　Mr。

Idle　on　the　shoulder　in　a　final　manner；　and　they　sat　down　to

dinner。



'By…the…by；'　said　Goodchild；　'I　have　been　over　a　lunatic　asylum

too；　since　I　have　been　out。'



'He　has　been；'　exclaimed　Thomas　Idle；　casting　up　his　eyes；　'over　a

lunatic　asylum！　　Not　content　with　being　as　great　an　Ass　as　Captain

Barclay　in　the　pedestrian　way；　he　makes　a　Lunacy　Commissioner　of

himself　…　for　nothing！'



'An　immense　place；'　said　Goodchild；　'admirable　offices；　very　good

arrangements；　very　good　attendants；　altogether　a　remarkable　place。'



'And　what　did　you　see　there？'　asked　Mr。　Idle；　adapting　Hamlet's

advice　to　the　occasion；　and　assuming　the　virtue　of　interest；　though

he　had　it　not。



'The　usual　thing；'　said　Francis　Goodchild；　with　a　sigh。　　'Long

groves　of　blighted　men…and…women…trees；　interminable　avenues　of

hopeless　faces；　numbers；　without　the　slightest　power　of　really

combining　for　any　earthly　purpose；　a　society　of　human　creatures　who

have　nothing　in　common　but　that　they　have　all　lost　the　power　of

being　humanly　social　with　one　another。'



'Take　a　glass　of　wine　with　me；'　said　Thomas　Idle；　'and　let　US　be

social。'



'In　one　gallery；　Tom；'　pursued　Francis　Goodchild；　'which　looked　to

me　about　the　length　of　the　Long　Walk　at　Windsor；　more　or　less　…　'



'Probably　less；'　observed　Thomas　Idle。



'In　one　gallery；　which　was　otherwise　clear　of　patients　（for　they

were　all　out）；　there　was　a　poor　little　dark…chinned；　meagre　man；

with　a　perplexed　brow　and　a　pensive　face；　stooping　low　over　the

matting　on　the　floor；　and　picking　out　with　his　thumb　and　forefinger

the　course　of　its　fibres。　　The　afternoon　sun　was　slanting　in　at　the

large　end…window；　and　there　were　cross　patches　of　light　and　shade

all　down　the　vista；　made　by　the　unseen　windows　and　the　open　doors

of　the　little　sleeping…cells　on　either　side。　　In　about　the　centre

of　the　perspective；　under　an　arch；　regardless　of　the　pleasant

weather；　regardless　of　the　solitude；　regardless　of　approaching

footsteps；　was　the　poor　little　dark…chinned；　meagre　man；　poring

over　the　matting。　　〃What　are　you　doing　there？〃　said　my　conductor；

when　we　came　to　him。　　He　looked　up；　and　pointed　to　the　matting。　　〃I

wouldn't　do　that；　I　think；〃　said　my　conductor；　kindly；　〃if　I　were

you；　I　would　go　and　read；　or　I　would　lie　down　if　I　felt　tired；　but

I　wouldn't　do　that。〃　　The　patient　considered　a　moment；　and　vacantly

answered；　〃No；　sir；　I　won't；　I'll　…　I'll　go　and　read；〃　and　so　he

lamely　shuffled　away　into　one　of　the　little　rooms。　　I　turned　my

head　before　we　had　gone　many　paces。　　He　had　already　come　out　again；

and　was　again　poring　over　the　matting；　and　tracking　out　its　fibres

with　his　thumb　and　forefinger。　　I　stopped　to　look　at　him；　and　it

came　into　my　mind；　that　probably　the　course　of　those　fibres　as　they

plaited　in　and　out；　over　and　under；　was　the　only　course　of　things

in　the　whole　wide　world　that　it　was　left　to　him　to　understand　…

that　his　darkening　intellect　had　narrowed　down　to