lavengro-第73部分

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play。'



'Why　not；　my　lord？'



'Why；　in　the　first　place；　I　have　no　money。'



'Oh；　you　have　no　money；　that　of　course　alters　the　case。　　If　you　

have　no　money；　you　can't　play。　　Well；　I　suppose　I　must　be　seeing　

after　my　customers；'　said　he；　glancing　over　the　plain。



'Good…day；'　said　I。



'Good…day；'　said　the　man　slowly；　but　without　moving；　and　as　if　in　

reflection。　　After　a　moment　or　two；　looking　at　me　inquiringly；　he　

added；　'Out　of　employ？'



'Yes；'　said　I；　'out　of　employ。'



The　man　measured　me　with　his　eye　as　I　lay　on　the　ground。　　At　length　

he　said；　'May　I　speak　a　word　or　two　to　you；　my　lord？'



'As　many　as　you　please；'　said　I。



'Then　just　come　a　little　out　of　hearing；　a　little　farther　on　the　

grass；　if　you　please；　my　lord。'



'Why　do　you　call　me　my　lord？'　said　I；　as　I　arose　and　followed　him。



'We　of　the　thimble　always　calls　our　customers　lords；'　said　the　man；　

'but　I　won't　call　you　such　a　foolish　name　any　more；　come　along。'



The　man　walked　along　the　plain　till　he　came　to　the　side　of　a　dry　

pit；　when；　looking　round　to　see　that　no　one　was　nigh；　he　laid　his　

table　on　the　grass；　and；　sitting　down　with　his　legs　over　the　side　

of　the　pit；　he　motioned　me　to　do　the　same。　　'So　you　are　in　want　of　

employ？'　said　he；　after　I　had　sat　down　beside　him。



'Yes；'　said　I；　'I　am　very　much　in　want　of　employ。'



'I　think　I　can　find　you　some。'



'What　kind？'　said　I。



'Why；'　said　the　man；　'I　think　you　would　do　to　be　my　bonnet。'



'Bonnet！'　said　I；　'what　is　that？'



'Don't　you　know？　　However；　no　wonder；　as　you　had　never　heard　of　the　

thimble　and　pea　game；　but　I　will　tell　you。　　We　of　the　game　are　very　

much　exposed；　folks　when　they　have　lost　their　money；　as　those　who　

play　with　us　mostly　do；　sometimes　uses　rough　language；　calls　us　

cheats；　and　sometimes　knocks　our　hats　over　our　eyes；　and　what's　

more；　with　a　kick　under　our　table；　cause　the　top　deals　to　fly　off；　

this　is　the　third　table　I　have　used　this　day；　the　other　two　being　

broken　by　uncivil　customers：　　so　we　of　the　game　generally　like　to　

have　gentlemen　go　about　with　us　to　take　our　part；　and　encourage　us；　

though　pretending　to　know　nothing　about　us；　for　example；　when　the　

customer　says；　〃I'm　cheated；〃　the　bonnet　must　say；　〃No；　you　ain't；　

it　is　all　right〃；　or；　when　my　hat　is　knocked　over　my　eyes；　the　

bonnet　must　square；　and　say；　〃I　never　saw　the　man　before　in　all　my　

life；　but　I　won't　see　him　ill…used〃；　and　so；　when　they　kicks　at　the　

table；　the　bonnet　must　say；　〃I　won't　see　the　table　ill…used；　such　a　

nice　table；　too；　besides；　I　want　to　play　myself〃；　and　then　I　would　

say　to　the　bonnet；　〃Thank　you；　my　lord；　them　that　finds；　wins〃；　and　

then　the　bonnet　plays；　and　I　lets　the　bonnet　win。'



'In　a　word；'　said　I；　'the　bonnet　means　the　man　who　covers　you；　even　

as　the　real　bonnet　covers　the　head。'



'I　just　so；'　said　the　man；　'I　see　you　are　awake；　and　would　soon　

make　a　first…rate　bonnet。'



'Bonnet；'　said　I；　musingly；　'bonnet；　it　is　metaphorical。'



'Is　it？'　said　the　man。



'Yes；'　said　I；　'like　the　cant　words　…　'



'Bonnet　is　cant；'　said　the　man；　'we　of　the　thimble；　as　well　as　all　

cly…fakers　and　the　like；　understand　cant；　as；　of　course；　must　every　

bonnet；　so；　if　you　are　employed　by　me；　you　had　better　learn　it　as　

soon　as　you　can；　that　we　may　discourse　together　without　being　

understood　by　every　one。　　Besides　covering　his　principal；　a　bonnet　

must　have　his　eyes　about　him；　for　the　trade　of　the　pea；　though　a　

strictly　honest　one；　is　not　altogether　lawful；　so　it　is　the　duty　of　

the　bonnet；　if　he　sees　the　constable　coming；　to　say；　The　gorgio's　

welling。'



'That　is　not　cant；'　said　I；　'that　is　the　language　of　the　Rommany　

Chals。'



'Do　you　know　those　people？'　said　the　man。



'Perfectly；'　said　I；　'and　their　language　too。'



'I　wish　I　did；'　said　the　man；　'I　would　give　ten　pounds　and　more　to　

know　the　language　of　the　Rommany　Chals。　　There's　some　of　it　in　the　

language　of　the　pea　and　thimble；　how　it　came　there　I　don't　know；　

but　so　it　is。　　I　wish　I　knew　it；　but　it　is　difficult。　　You'll　make　

a　capital　bonnet；　shall　we　close？'



'What　would　the　wages　be？'　I　demanded。



'Why；　to　a　first…rate　bonnet；　as　I　think　you　would　prove；　I　could　

afford　to　give　from　forty　to　fifty　shillings　a　week。'



'Is　it　possible？'　said　I。



'Good　wages；　ain't　they？'　said　the　man。



'First…rate；'　said　I；　'bonneting　is　more　profitable　than　

reviewing。'



'Anan？'　said　the　man。



'Or　translating；　I　don't　think　the　Armenian　would　have　paid　me　at　

that　rate　for　translating　his　Esop。'



'Who　is　he？'　said　the　man。



'Esop？'



'No；　I　know　what　that　is；　Esop's　cant　for　a　hunchback；　but　

t'other？'



'You　should　know；'　said　I。



'Never　saw　the　man　in　all　my　life。'



'Yes；　you　have；'　said　I；　'and　felt　him　too；　don't　you　remember　the　

individual　from　whom　you　took　the　pocket…book？'



'Oh；　that　was　he；　well；　the　less　said　about　that　matter　the　better；　

I　have　left　off　that　trade；　and　taken　to　this；　which　is　a　much　

better。　　Between　ourselves；　I　am　not　sorry　that　I　did　not　carry　off　

that　pocket…book；　if　I　had；　it　might　have　encouraged　me　in　the　

trade；　in　which　had　I　remained；　I　might　have　been　lagged；　sent　

abroad；　as　I　had　been　already　imprisoned；　so　I　determined　to　leave　

it　off　at　all　hazards；　though　I　was　hard　up；　not　having　a　penny　in　

the　world。'



'And　wisely　resolved；'　said　I；　'it　was　a　bad　and　dangerous　trade；　I　

wonder　you　should　ever　have　embraced　it。'



'It　is　all　very　well　talking；'　said　the　man；　'but　there　is　a　reason　

for　everything；　I　am　the　son　of　a　Jewess；　by　a　military　officer'　…　

and　then　the　man　told　me　his　story。　　I　shall　not　repeat　the　man's　

story；　it　was　a　poor　one；　a　vile　one；　at　last　he　observed；　'So　that　

affair　which　you　know　of　determined　me　to　leave　the　filching　trade；　

and　take　up　with　a　more　honest　and　safe　one；　so　at　last　I　thought　

of　the　pea　and　thimble；　but　I　wanted　funds；　especially　to　pay　for　

lessons　at　the　hands　of　a　master；　for　I　knew　little　about　it。'



'Well；'　said　I；　'how　did　you　get　over　that　difficulty？'



'Why；'　said　the　man；　'I　thought　I　should　never　have　got　over　it。　　

What　funds　could　I　raise？　　I　had　nothing　to　sell；　the　few　clothes　I　

had　I　wanted；　for　we　of　the　thimble　must　always　appear　decent；　or　

nobody　would　come　near　us。　　I　was　at　my　wits'　ends；　at　last　I　got　

over　my　difficulty　in　the　strangest　way　in　the　world。'



'What　was　that？'



'By　an　old　thing　which　I　had　picked　up　some　time　before　…　a　book。'



'A　book？'　said　I。



'Yes；　which　I　had　taken　out　of　your　lordship's　pocket　one　day　as　

you　were　walking　the　streets　in　a　great　hurry。　　I　thought　it　was　a　

pocket…book　at　first；　full　of　bank…notes；　perhaps；'　continued　he；　

laughing。　　'It　was　well　for　me；　however；　that　it　was　not；　for　I　

should　have　soon　spent　the　notes；　as　it　was；　I　had　flung　the　old　

thing　down　with　an　oath；　as　soon　as　I　brought　it　home。　　When　I　was　

so　hard　up；　however；　after　the　affair　with　that　friend　of　yours；　I　

took　it　up　one　day；　and　thought　I　might　make　something　by　it　to　

support　myself　a　day　with。　　Chance　or　something　else　led　me　into　a　

grand　shop；　there　was　a　man　there　who　seemed　to　be　the　master；　

talking　to　a　jolly；　portly　old　gentleman；　who　seemed　to　be　a　

country　squire。　　Well；　I　went　up　to　the　first；　and　offered　it　for　

sale；　he　took　the　book；　opened　it　at　the　title…page；　and　then　all　

of　a　sudden　his　eyes　glistened；　and　he　showed　it　to　the　fat；　jolly　

gentleman；　and　his　eyes　glistened　too；　and　I　heard　him　say　〃How　

singular！〃　and　then　the　two　talked　together　in　a　speech　I　didn't　

understand　…　I　rather　thought　it　was　French；　at　any　rate　it　wasn't　

cant；　and　presently　the　first　asked　me　what　I　would　take　for　the　

book。　　Now　I　am　not　altogether　a　fool；　nor　am　I　blind；　and　I　had　

narrowly　marked　all　that　passed；　and　it　came　into　my　head　that　now　

was　the　time　for　making　a　man　of　myself；　at　any　rate　I　could　lose　

nothing　by　a　little　confidence；　so　I　looked　the　man　boldly　in　the　

face；　and　said；　〃I　will　have　five　guineas　for　that　book；　there　

ain't　such　another　in　the　whole　world。〃　　〃Nonsense；〃　said　the　first　

man；　〃there　are　plenty　of　them；　there　have　been　nearly　fifty　

editions；　to　my　knowledge；　I　will　give　you　five　shillings。〃　　〃No；〃　

said　I；　〃I'll　not　take　it；　for　I　don't　like　to　be　cheated；　so　give　

me　my　book　again〃；　and　I　attempted　to　take　it　away　from　the　fat　

gentleman's　hand。　　〃Stop；〃　said　the　younger　man；　〃are　you　sure　that　

you　won't　take　less？〃　　〃Not　a　farthing；〃　said　I；　which　was　not　

altogether　true；　but　I　said　so。　　〃Well；〃　said　the　fat　gentleman；　〃I　

will　give　you　what　you　ask〃；　and　sure　enough　he　presently　gave　me　

the　money；　so　I　made　a　bow；　and　was　leaving　the　shop；　when　it　came　

into　my　head　that　there　was　something　odd　in　all　this；　and；　as　I　

had　the　money　in　my　pocket；　I　turned　back；　and；　making　another　bow；　

said；　〃May　I　be　so　bold　as　to　ask　why　y