david elginbrod-第70部分

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himself　to　sleep。




CHAPTER　XXXII。

DEPARTURE。

　　I　fancy　deemed　fit　guide　to　lead　my　way；
　　　　　And　as　I　deemed　I　did　pursue　her　track；
　　Wit　lost　his　aim；　and　will　was　fancy's　prey；
　　　　　The　rebel　won；　the　ruler　went　to　wrack。
But　now　sith　fancy　did　with　folly　end；
Wit；　bought　with　losswill；　taught　by　wit；　will　mend。

SOUTHWELL。David's　Peccavi。


After　dinner；　Hugh　wandered　over　the　well…known　places；　to　bid　them
good…bye。　　Then　he　went　up　to　his　room；　and；　with　the　vanity　of　a
young　author；　took　his　poems　out　of　the　fatal　old　desk；　wrote：　〃Take
them；　please；　such　as　they　are。　　Let　me　be　your　friend；〃　inclosed
them　with　the　writing；　and　addressed　them　to　Euphra。　　By　the　time　he
saw　them　again；　they　were　so　much　waste　paper　in　his　eyes。

But　what　were　his　plans　for　the　future？

First　of　all；　he　would　go　to　London。　　There　he　would　do　many　things。
He　would　try　to　find　Funkelstein。　　He　would　write。　　He　would　make
acquaintance　with　London　life；　for　had　he　not　plenty　of　money　in　his
pocket？　　And　who　could　live　more　thriftily　than　he？During　his　last
session　at　Aberdeen；　he　had　given　some　private　lessons；　and　so
contrived　to　eke　out　his　small　means。　　These　were　wretchedly　paid
for；　namely；　not　quite　at　the　rate　of　sevenpence…halfpenny　a　lesson！
but　still　that　was　something；　where　more　could　not　be　had。Now　he
would　try　to　do　the　same　in　London；　where　he　would　be　much　better
paid。　　Or　perhaps　he　might　get　a　situation　in　a　school　for　a　short
time；　if　he　were　driven　to　ultimate　necessity。　　At　all　events；　he
would　see　London；　and　look　about　him　for　a　little　while；　before　he
settled　to　anything　definite。

With　this　hopeful　prospect　before　him；　he　next　morning　bade　adieu　to
Arnstead。　　I　will　not　describe　the　parting　with　poor　Harry。　　The　boy
seemed　ready　to　break　his　heart；　and　Hugh　himself　had　enough　to　do
to　refrain　from　tears。　　One　of　the　grooms　drove　him　to　the　railway
in　the　dog…cart。　　As　they　came　near　the　station；　Hugh　gave　him
half…a…crown。　　Enlivened　by　the　gift；　the　man　began　to　talk。

〃He's　a　rum　customer；　that　ere　gemman　with　the　foring　name。　　The
colour　of　his　puss　I　couldn't　swear　to　now。　　Never　saw　sixpence　o'
his'n。　　My　opinion　is；　master　had　better　look　arter　his　spoons。　　And
for　missuswell；　it's　a　pity！　　He's　a　rum　un；　as　I　say；　anyhow。〃

The　man　here　nodded　several　times；　half　compassionately；　half
importantly。

Hugh　did　not　choose　to　inquire　what　he　meant。　　They　reached　the
station；　and　in　a　few　minutes　he　was　shooting　along　towards　London；
that　social　vortex；　which　draws　everything　towards　its　central
tumult。

But　there　is　a　central　repose　beyond　the　motions　of　the　world；　and
through　the　turmoil　of　London；　Hugh　was　journeying　towards　that　wide
stillnessthat　silence　of　the　soul；　which　is　not　desolate；　but　rich
with　unutterable　harmonies。




END　OF　THE　SECOND　BOOK。




BOOK　III。


LONDON。

Art　thou　poor；　yet　hast　thou　golden　slumbers？
　　　Oh；　sweet　content！
Art　thou　rich；　yet　is　thy　mind　perplexed？
　　　Oh；　punishment！
Dost　thou　laugh　to　see　how　fools　are　vexed
To　add　to　golden　numbers；　golden　numbers？
　　　Oh；　sweet　content！

Work　apace；　apace；　apace；　apace；
Honest　labour　bears　a　lovely　face。

　　　　　Probably　THOMAS　DEKKER。Comedy　of　Patient　Grissell。




CHAPTER　I。

LODGINGS。

Heigh　ho！　sing　heigh　ho！　unto　the　green　holly：
Most　friendship　is　feigning；　most　loving　mere　folly：
　　　　　Then；　heigh　ho！　the　holly！
　　　　　This　life　is　most　jolly。

Song　in　As　You　Like　It。


Hugh　felt　rather　dreary　as；　through　Bermondsey；　he　drew　nigh　to　the
London　Bridge　Station。　　Fog；　and　drizzle；　and　smoke；　and　stench
composed　the　atmosphere。　　He　got　out　in　a　drift　of　human　atoms。
Leaving　his　luggage　at　the　office；　he　set　out　on　foot　to
explorein　fact；　to　go　and　look　for　his　future；　which；　even　when　he
met　it；　he　would　not　be　able　to　recognise　with　any　certainty。　　The
first　form　in　which　he　was　interested　to　find　it　embodied；　was　that
of　lodgings；　but　where　even　to　look；　he　did　not　know。　　He　had　been
in　London　for　a　few　days　in　the　spring　on　his　way　to　Arnstead；　so　he
was　not　utterly　ignorant　of　the　anatomy　of　the　monster　city；　but　his
little　knowledge　could　not　be　of　much　service　to　him　now。　　And　how
different　it　was　from　the　London　of　spring；　which　had　lingered　in
his　memory　and　imagination；　when；　transformed　by　the　〃heavenly
alchemy〃　of　the　piercing　sunbeams　that　slanted　across　the　streets
from　chimney…tops　to　opposite　basements；　the　dust　and　smoke　showed
great　inclined　planes　of　light；　up　whose　steep　slopes　one　longed　to
climb　to　the　fountain　glory　whence　they　flowed！　　Now　the　streets；
from　garret　to　cellar；　seemed　like　huge　kennels　of　muddy；　moist；
filthy　air；　down　through　which　settled　the　heavier　particles　of
smoke　and　rain　upon　the　miserable　human　beings　who　crawled　below　in
the　deposit；　like　shrimps　in　the　tide；　or　whitebait　at　the　bottom　of
the　muddy　Thames。　　He　had　to　wade　through　deep　thin　mud　even　on　the
pavements。　　Everybody　looked　depressed；　and　hurried　by　with　a　cowed
look；　as　if　conscious　that　the　rain　and　general　misery　were　a　plague
drawn　down　on　the　city　by　his　own　individual　crime。　　Nobody　seemed
to　care　for　anybody　or　anything。　〃Good　heavens！〃　thought　Hugh；　〃what
a　place　this　must　be　for　one　without　money！〃　　It　looked　like　a　chaos
of　human　monads。　　And　yet；　in　reality；　the　whole　mass　was　so　bound
together；　interwoven；　and　matted；　by　the　crossing　and　inter…twisting
threads　of　interest；　mutual　help；　and　relationship　of　every　kind；
that　Hugh　soon　found　how　hard　it　was　to　get　within　the　mass　at　all；
so　as　to　be　in　any　degree　partaker　of　the　benefits　it　shared　within
itself。

He　did　not　wish　to　get　lodgings　in　the　outskirts；　for　he　thought
that　would　remove　him　from　every　centre　of　action　or　employment。
But　he　saw　no　lodgings　anywhere。　　Growing　tired　and　hungry；　he　went
at　length　into　an　eating…house；　which　he　thought　looked　cheap；　and
proceeded　to　dine　upon　a　cinder；　which　had　been　a　steak。　　He　tried
to　delude　himself　into　the　idea　that　it　was　a　steak　still；　by
withdrawing　his　attention　from　it；　and　fixing　it　upon　a　newspaper
two　days　old。　　Finding　nothing　of　interest；　he　dallied　with　the
advertisements。　　He　soon　came　upon　a　column　from　which　single
gentlemen　appeared　to　be　in　request　as　lodgers。　　Looking　over　these
advertisements；　which　had　more　interest　for　him　at　the　moment　than
all　home　and　foreign　news；　battles　and　murders　included；　he　drew　a
map　from　his　pocket；　and　began　to　try　to　find　out　some　of　the
localities　indicated。　　Most　of　them　were　in　or　towards　the　suburbs。
At　last　he　spied　one　in　a　certain　square；　which；　after　long　and
diligent　search；　and　with　the　assistance　of　the　girl　who　waited　on
him；　he　found　on　his　map。　　It　was　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Holborn；
and；　from　the　place　it　occupied　in　the　map；　seemed　central　enough
for　his　vague　purposes。　　Above　all；　the　terms　were　said　to　be
moderate。　　But　no　description　of　the　character　of　the　lodgings　was
given；　else　Hugh　would　not　have　ventured　to　look　at　them。　　What　he
wanted　was　something　of　the　same　sort　as　he　had　had　in　Aberdeena
single　room；　or　a　room　and　bed…room；　for　which　he　should　have　to　pay
only　a　few　shillings　a　week。

Refreshed　by　his　dinner；　wretched　as　it　was；　he　set　out　again。　　To
his　great　joy；　the　rain　was　over；　and　an　afternoon　sun　was　trying；
with　some　slight　measure　of　success；　to　pierce　the　clouds　of　the
London　atmosphere：　it　had　already　succeeded　with　the　clouds　of　the
terrene。　　He　soon　found　his　way　into　Holborn；　and　thence　into　the
square　in　question。　　It　looked　to　him　very　attractive；　for　it　was
quietness　itself；　and　had　no　thoroughfare；　except　across　one　of　its
corners。　　True；　it　was　invaded　by　the　universal　roarfor　what　place
in　London　is　not？but　it　contributed　little　or　nothing　of　its　own
manufacture　to　the　general　production　of　sound　in　the　metropolis。
The　centre　was　occupied　by　grass　and　trees；　inclosed　within　an　iron
railing。　　All　the　leaves　were　withered；　and　many　had　dropped　already
on　the　pavement　below。　　In　the　middle　stood　the　statue　of　a　queen；
of　days　gone　by。　　The　tide　of　fashion　had　rolled　away　far　to　the
west；　and　yielded　a　free　passage　to　the　inroads　of　commerce；　and　of
the　general　struggle　for　ignoble　existence；　upon　this　once　favoured
island　in　its　fluctuating　waters。　　Old　windows；　flush　with　the
external　walls；　whence　had　glanced　fair　eyes　to　which　fashion　was
even　dearer　than　beauty；　now　displayed　Lodgings　to　Let　between
knitted　curtains；　from　which　all　idea　of　drapery　had　been　expelled
by　severe　starching　Amongst　these　he　soon　found　the　house　he　sought；
and　shrunk　from　its　important　size　and　bright　equipments；　but；
summoning　courage；　thought　it　better　to　ring　the　bell。　　A　withered
old　lady；　in　just　the　same　stage　of　decay　as　the　square；　and　adorned
after　the　same　fashion　as　the　house；　came　to　the　door；　cast　a
doubtful　look　at　Hugh；　and　when　he　had　stated　his　object；　asked　him；
in　a　hard；　keen；　unmodulated　voice；　to　walk　in。　　He　followed　her；
and　found　himself　in　a　dining…room；　which　to　him；　judging　by　his
purse；　and　not　by　what　he　had　been　used　to　of　late；　seemed
sumptuous。　　He　said　at　once：

〃It　is　needless　for　me　to　trouble　you　further。　　I　see　yo