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lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第2部分

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young woman for whom he appeared to have a tenderness; and hinted

to her that he was there and playful; by giving her (he wore clogs)

a kick。



On market morning; Carlisle woke up amazingly; and became (to the

two Idle Apprentices) disagreeably and reproachfully busy。  There

were its cattle market; its sheep market; and its pig market down

by the river; with raw…boned and shock…headed Rob Roys hiding their

Lowland dresses beneath heavy plaids; prowling in and out among the

animals; and flavouring the air with fumes of whiskey。  There was

its corn market down the main street; with hum of chaffering over

open sacks。  There was its general market in the street too; with

heather brooms on which the purple flower still flourished; and

heather baskets primitive and fresh to behold。  With women trying

on clogs and caps at open stalls; and 'Bible stalls' adjoining。

With 'Doctor Mantle's Dispensary for the cure of all Human Maladies

and no charge for advice;' and with Doctor Mantle's 'Laboratory of

Medical; Chemical; and Botanical Science' … both healing

institutions established on one pair of trestles; one board; and

one sun…blind。  With the renowned phrenologist from London; begging

to be favoured (at sixpence each) with the company of clients of

both sexes; to whom; on examination of their heads; he would make

revelations 'enabling him or her to know themselves。'  Through all

these bargains and blessings; the recruiting…sergeant watchfully

elbowed his way; a thread of War in the peaceful skein。  Likewise

on the walls were printed hints that the Oxford Blues might not be

indisposed to hear of a few fine active young men; and that whereas

the standard of that distinguished corps is full six feet; 'growing

lads of five feet eleven' need not absolutely despair of being

accepted。



Scenting the morning air more pleasantly than the buried majesty of

Denmark did; Messrs。 Idle and Goodchild rode away from Carlisle at

eight o'clock one forenoon; bound for the village of Hesket;

Newmarket; some fourteen miles distant。  Goodchild (who had already

begun to doubt whether he was idle:  as his way always is when he

has nothing to do) had read of a certain black old Cumberland hill

or mountain; called Carrock; or Carrock Fell; and had arrived at

the conclusion that it would be the culminating triumph of Idleness

to ascend the same。  Thomas Idle; dwelling on the pains inseparable

from that achievement; had expressed the strongest doubts of the

expediency; and even of the sanity; of the enterprise; but

Goodchild had carried his point; and they rode away。



Up hill and down hill; and twisting to the right; and twisting to

the left; and with old Skiddaw (who has vaunted himself a great

deal more than his merits deserve; but that is rather the way of

the Lake country); dodging the apprentices in a picturesque and

pleasant manner。  Good; weather…proof; warm; pleasant houses; well

white…limed; scantily dotting the road。  Clean children coming out

to look; carrying other clean children as big as themselves。

Harvest still lying out and much rained upon; here and there;

harvest still unreaped。  Well…cultivated gardens attached to the

cottages; with plenty of produce forced out of their hard soil。

Lonely nooks; and wild; but people can be born; and married; and

buried in such nooks; and can live and love; and be loved; there as

elsewhere; thank God! (Mr。 Goodchild's remark。)  By…and…by; the

village。  Black; coarse…stoned; rough…windowed houses; some with

outer staircases; like Swiss houses; a sinuous and stony gutter

winding up hill and round the corner; by way of street。  All the

children running out directly。  Women pausing in washing; to peep

from doorways and very little windows。  Such were the observations

of Messrs。 Idle and Goodchild; as their conveyance stopped at the

village shoemaker's。  Old Carrock gloomed down upon it all in a

very ill…tempered state; and rain was beginning。



The village shoemaker declined to have anything to do with Carrock。

No visitors went up Carrock。  No visitors came there at all。  Aa'

the world ganged awa' yon。  The driver appealed to the Innkeeper。

The Innkeeper had two men working in the fields; and one of them

should be called in; to go up Carrock as guide。  Messrs。 Idle and

Goodchild; highly approving; entered the Innkeeper's house; to

drink whiskey and eat oatcake。



The Innkeeper was not idle enough … was not idle at all; which was

a great fault in him … but was a fine specimen of a north…country

man; or any kind of man。  He had a ruddy cheek; a bright eye; a

well…knit frame; an immense hand; a cheery; outspeaking voice; and

a straight; bright; broad look。  He had a drawing…room; too;

upstairs; which was worth a visit to the Cumberland Fells。  (This

was Mr。 Francis Goodchild's opinion; in which Mr。 Thomas Idle did

not concur。)



The ceiling of this drawing…room was so crossed and recrossed by

beams of unequal lengths; radiating from a centre; in a corner;

that it looked like a broken star…fish。  The room was comfortably

and solidly furnished with good mahogany and horsehair。  It had a

snug fireside; and a couple of well…curtained windows; looking out

upon the wild country behind the house。  What it most developed

was; an unexpected taste for little ornaments and nick…nacks; of

which it contained a most surprising number。  They were not very

various; consisting in great part of waxen babies with their limbs

more or less mutilated; appealing on one leg to the parental

affections from under little cupping glasses; but; Uncle Tom was

there; in crockery; receiving theological instructions from Miss

Eva; who grew out of his side like a wen; in an exceedingly rough

state of profile propagandism。  Engravings of Mr。 Hunt's country

boy; before and after his pie; were on the wall; divided by a

highly…coloured nautical piece; the subject of which had all her

colours (and more) flying; and was making great way through a sea

of a regular pattern; like a lady's collar。  A benevolent; elderly

gentleman of the last century; with a powdered head; kept guard; in

oil and varnish; over a most perplexing piece of furniture on a

table; in appearance between a driving seat and an angular knife…

box; but; when opened; a musical instrument of tinkling wires;

exactly like David's harp packed for travelling。  Everything became

a nick…nack in this curious room。  The copper tea…kettle; burnished

up to the highest point of glory; took his station on a stand of

his own at the greatest possible distance from the fireplace; and

said:  'By your leave; not a kettle; but a bijou。'  The

Staffordshire…ware butter…dish with the cover on; got upon a little

round occasional table in a window; with a worked top; and

announced itself to the two chairs accidentally placed there; as an

aid to polite conversation; a graceful trifle in china to be

chatted over by callers; as they airily trifled away the visiting

moments of a butterfly existence; in that rugged old village on the

Cumberland Fells。  The very footstool could not keep the floor; but

got upon a sofa; and there…from proclaimed itself; in high relief

of white and liver…coloured wool; a favourite spaniel coiled up for

repose。  Though; truly; in spite of its bright glass eyes; the

spaniel was the least successful assumption in the collection:

being perfectly flat; and dismally suggestive of a recent mistake

in sitting down on the part of some corpulent member of the family。



There were books; too; in this room; books on the table; books on

the chimney…piece; books in an open press in the corner。  Fielding

was there; and Smollett was there; and Steele and Addison were

there; in dispersed volumes; and there were tales of those who go

down to the sea in ships; for windy nights; and there was really a

choice of good books for rainy days or fine。  It was so very

pleasant to see these things in such a lonesome by…place … so very

agreeable to find these evidences of a taste; however homely; that

went beyond the beautiful cleanliness and trimness of the house …

so fanciful to imagine what a wonder a room must be to the little

children born in the gloomy village … what grand impressions of it

those of them who became wanderers over the earth would carry away;

and how; at distant ends of the world; some old voyagers would die;

cherishing the belief that the finest apartment known to men was

once in the Hesket…Newmarket Inn; in rare old Cumberland … it was

such a charmingly lazy pursuit to entertain these rambling thoughts

over the choice oatcake and the genial whiskey; that Mr。 Idle and

Mr。 Goodchild never asked themselves how it came to pass that the

men in the fields were never heard of more; how the stalwart

landlord replaced them without explanation; how his dog…cart came

to be waiting at the door; and how everything was arranged without

the least arrangement for climbing to old Carrock's shoulders; and

standing on his head。



Without a word of inquiry; therefore; the Two Idle Apprentices

drifted out resignedly into a fine; soft; close; drowsy;

penetrating rain; got into the landlord's light dog…cart; and

rattled off through the village for the foot of Carrock。  The

journey at the outset was not remarkable。  The Cumberland road went

up and down like all other roads; the Cumberland curs burst out

from backs of cottages and barked like other curs; and the

Cumberland peasantry stared after the dog…cart amazedly; as long as

it was in sight; like the rest of their race。  The approach to the

foot of the mountain resembled the approaches to the feet of most

other mountains all over the world。  The cultivation gradually

ceased; the trees grew gradually rare; the road became gradually

rougher; and the sides of the mountain looked gradually more and

more lofty; and more and more difficult to get up。  The dog…cart

was left at a lonely farm…house。  The landlord borrowe
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