the seven poor travellers-第6部分

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these　duels；　and　how　to　avoid　this　officer's　hospitality；　were　the

uppermost　thought　in　Captain　Richard　Doubledick's　mind。



He　was　thinking；　and　letting　the　time　run　out　in　which　he　should

have　dressed　for　dinner；　when　Mrs。　Taunton　spoke　to　him　outside　the

door；　asking　if　he　could　give　her　the　letter　he　had　brought　from

Mary。　　〃His　mother；　above　all；〃　the　Captain　thought。　　〃How　shall　I

tell　her？〃



〃You　will　form　a　friendship　with　your　host；　I　hope；〃　said　Mrs。

Taunton；　whom　he　hurriedly　admitted；　〃that　will　last　for　life。　　He

is　so　true…hearted　and　so　generous；　Richard；　that　you　can　hardly

fail　to　esteem　one　another。　　If　He　had　been　spared；〃　she　kissed　（not

without　tears）　the　locket　in　which　she　wore　his　hair；　〃he　would　have

appreciated　him　with　his　own　magnanimity；　and　would　have　been　truly

happy　that　the　evil　days　were　past　which　made　such　a　man　his　enemy。〃



She　left　the　room；　and　the　Captain　walked；　first　to　one　window；

whence　he　could　see　the　dancing　in　the　garden；　then　to　another

window；　whence　he　could　see　the　smiling　prospect　and　the　peaceful

vineyards。



〃Spirit　of　my　departed　friend；〃　said　he；　〃is　it　through　thee　these

better　thoughts　are　rising　in　my　mind？　　Is　it　thou　who　hast　shown

me；　all　the　way　I　have　been　drawn　to　meet　this　man；　the　blessings　of

the　altered　time？　　Is　it　thou　who　hast　sent　thy　stricken　mother　to

me；　to　stay　my　angry　hand？　　Is　it　from　thee　the　whisper　comes；　that

this　man　did　his　duty　as　thou　didst；and　as　I　did；　through　thy

guidance；　which　has　wholly　saved　me　here　on　earth；and　that　he　did

no　more？〃



He　sat　down；　with　his　head　buried　in　his　hands；　and；　when　he　rose

up；　made　the　second　strong　resolution　of　his　life；that　neither　to

the　French　officer；　nor　to　the　mother　of　his　departed　friend；　nor　to

any　soul；　while　either　of　the　two　was　living；　would　he　breathe　what

only　he　knew。　　And　when　he　touched　that　French　officer's　glass　with

his　own；　that　day　at　dinner；　he　secretly　forgave　him　in　the　name　of

the　Divine　Forgiver　of　injuries。





Here　I　ended　my　story　as　the　first　Poor　Traveller。　　But；　if　I　had

told　it　now；　I　could　have　added　that　the　time　has　since　come　when

the　son　of　Major　Richard　Doubledick；　and　the　son　of　that　French

officer；　friends　as　their　fathers　were　before　them；　fought　side　by

side　in　one　cause；　with　their　respective　nations；　like　long…divided

brothers　whom　the　better　times　have　brought　together；　fast　united。







CHAPTER　IIITHE　ROAD







My　story　being　finished；　and　the　Wassail　too；　we　broke　up　as　the

Cathedral　bell　struck　Twelve。　　I　did　not　take　leave　of　my　travellers

that　night；　for　it　had　come　into　my　head　to　reappear；　in　conjunction

with　some　hot　coffee；　at　seven　in　the　morning。



As　I　passed　along　the　High　Street；　I　heard　the　Waits　at　a　distance；

and　struck　off　to　find　them。　　They　were　playing　near　one　of　the　old

gates　of　the　City；　at　the　corner　of　a　wonderfully　quaint　row　of　red…

brick　tenements；　which　the　clarionet　obligingly　informed　me　were

inhabited　by　the　Minor…Canons。　　They　had　odd　little　porches　over　the

doors；　like　sounding…boards　over　old　pulpits；　and　I　thought　I　should

like　to　see　one　of　the　Minor…Canons　come　out　upon　his　top　stop；　and

favour　us　with　a　little　Christmas　discourse　about　the　poor　scholars

of　Rochester；　taking　for　his　text　the　words　of　his　Master　relative

to　the　devouring　of　Widows'　houses。



The　clarionet　was　so　communicative；　and　my　inclinations　were　（as

they　generally　are）　of　so　vagabond　a　tendency；　that　I　accompanied

the　Waits　across　an　open　green　called　the　Vines；　and　assistedin

the　French　senseat　the　performance　of　two　waltzes；　two　polkas；　and

three　Irish　melodies；　before　I　thought　of　my　inn　any　more。　　However；

I　returned　to　it　then；　and　found　a　fiddle　in　the　kitchen；　and　Ben；

the　wall…eyed　young　man；　and　two　chambermaids；　circling　round　the

great　deal　table　with　the　utmost　animation。



I　had　a　very　bad　night。　　It　cannot　have　been　owing　to　the　turkey　or

the　beef；and　the　Wassail　is　out　of　the　questionbut　in　every

endeavour　that　I　made　to　get　to　sleep　I　failed　most　dismally。　　I　was

never　asleep；　and　in　whatsoever　unreasonable　direction　my　mind

rambled；　the　effigy　of　Master　Richard　Watts　perpetually　embarrassed

it。



In　a　word；　I　only　got　out　of　the　Worshipful　Master　Richard　Watts's

way　by　getting　out　of　bed　in　the　dark　at　six　o'clock；　and　tumbling；

as　my　custom　is；　into　all　the　cold　water　that　could　be　accumulated

for　the　purpose。　　The　outer　air　was　dull　and　cold　enough　in　the

street；　when　I　came　down　there；　and　the　one　candle　in　our　supper…

room　at　Watts's　Charity　looked　as　pale　in　the　burning　as　if　it　had

had　a　bad　night　too。　　But　my　Travellers　had　all　slept　soundly；　and

they　took　to　the　hot　coffee；　and　the　piles　of　bread…and…butter；

which　Ben　had　arranged　like　deals　in　a　timber…yard；　as　kindly　as　I

could　desire。



While　it　was　yet　scarcely　daylight；　we　all　came　out　into　the　street

together；　and　there　shook　hands。　　The　widow　took　the　little　sailor

towards　Chatham；　where　he　was　to　find　a　steamboat　for　Sheerness；　the

lawyer；　with　an　extremely　knowing　look；　went　his　own　way；　without

committing　himself　by　announcing　his　intentions；　two　more　struck　off

by　the　cathedral　and　old　castle　for　Maidstone；　and　the　book…pedler

accompanied　me　over　the　bridge。　　As　for　me；　I　was　going　to　walk　by

Cobham　Woods；　as　far　upon　my　way　to　London　as　I　fancied。



When　I　came　to　the　stile　and　footpath　by　which　I　was　to　diverge　from

the　main　road；　I　bade　farewell　to　my　last　remaining　Poor　Traveller；

and　pursued　my　way　alone。　　And　now　the　mists　began　to　rise　in　the

most　beautiful　manner；　and　the　sun　to　shine；　and　as　I　went　on

through　the　bracing　air；　seeing　the　hoarfrost　sparkle　everywhere；　I

felt　as　if　all　Nature　shared　in　the　joy　of　the　great　Birthday。



Going　through　the　woods；　the　softness　of　my　tread　upon　the　mossy

ground　and　among　the　brown　leaves　enhanced　the　Christmas　sacredness

by　which　I　felt　surrounded。　　As　the　whitened　stems　environed　me；　I

thought　how　the　Founder　of　the　time　had　never　raised　his　benignant

hand；　save　to　bless　and　heal；　except　in　the　case　of　one　unconscious

tree。　　By　Cobham　Hall；　I　came　to　the　village；　and　the　churchyard

where　the　dead　had　been　quietly　buried；　〃in　the　sure　and　certain

hope〃　which　Christmas　time　inspired。　　What　children　could　I　see　at

play；　and　not　be　loving　of；　recalling　who　had　loved　them！　　No　garden

that　I　passed　was　out　of　unison　with　the　day；　for　I　remembered　that

the　tomb　was　in　a　garden；　and　that　〃she；　supposing　him　to　be　the

gardener；〃　had　said；　〃Sir；　if　thou　have　borne　him　hence；　tell　me

where　thou　hast　laid　him；　and　I　will　take　him　away。〃　　In　time；　the

distant　river　with　the　ships　came　full　in　view；　and　with　it　pictures

of　the　poor　fishermen；　mending　their　nets；　who　arose　and　followed

him；of　the　teaching　of　the　people　from　a　ship　pushed　off　a　little

way　from　shore；　by　reason　of　the　multitude；of　a　majestic　figure

walking　on　the　water；　in　the　loneliness　of　night。　　My　very　shadow　on

the　ground　was　eloquent　of　Christmas；　for　did　not　the　people　lay

their　sick　where　the　more　shadows　of　the　men　who　had　heard　and　seen

him　might　fall　as　they　passed　along？



Thus　Christmas　begirt　me；　far　and　near；　until　I　had　come　to

Blackheath；　and　had　walked　down　the　long　vista　of　gnarled　old　trees

in　Greenwich　Park；　and　was　being　steam…rattled　through　the　mists　now

closing　in　once　more；　towards　the　lights　of　London。　　Brightly　they

shone；　but　not　so　brightly　as　my　own　fire；　and　the　brighter　faces

around　it；　when　we　came　together　to　celebrate　the　day。　　And　there　I

told　of　worthy　Master　Richard　Watts；　and　of　my　supper　with　the　Six

Poor　Travellers　who　were　neither　Rogues　nor　Proctors；　and　from　that

hour　to　this　I　have　never　seen　one　of　them　again。











End