the vicar of wakefield-第6部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

who　shook　him　heartily　by　the　hand；　while　little　Dick　officiously　reached　him　a　chair。

I　was　pleased　with　the　poor　man's　friendship　for　two　reasons；　because　I　knew　that　he　wanted　mine；　and　I　knew　him　to　be　friendly　as　far　as　he　was　able。　He　was　known　in　our　neighbourhood　by　the　character　of　the　poor　Gentleman　that　would　do　no　good　when　he　was　young；　though　he　was　not　yet　thirty。　He　would　at　intervals　talk　with　great　good　sense；　but　in　general　he　was　fondest　of　the　company　of　children；　whom　he　used　to　call　harmless　little　men。　He　was　famous；　I　found；　for　singing　them　ballads；　and　telling　them　stories；　and　seldom　went　out　without　something　in　his　pockets　for　them；　a　piece　of　gingerbread；　or　an　halfpenny　whistle。　He　generally　came　for　a　few　days　into　our　neighbourhood　once　a　year；　and　lived　upon　the　neighbours　hospitality。　He　sate　down　to　supper　among　us；　and　my　wife　was　not　sparing　of　her　gooseberry　wine。　The　tale　went　round；　he　sung　us　old　songs；　and　gave　the　children　the　story　of　the　Buck　of　Beverland；　with　the　history　of　Patient　Grissel；　the　adventures　of　Catskin；　and　then　Fair　Rosamond's　bower。　Our　cock；　which　always　crew　at　eleven；　now　told　us　it　was　time　for　repose；　but　an　unforeseen　difficulty　started　about　lodging　the　stranger：　all　our　beds　were　already　taken　up；　and　it　was　too　late　to　send　him　to　the　next　alehouse。　In　this　dilemma；　little　Dick　offered　him　his　part　of　the　bed；　if　his　brother　Moses　would　let　him　lie　with　him；　'And　I；'　cried　Bill；　'will　give　Mr　Burchell　my　part；　if　my　sisters　will　take　me　to　theirs。''Well　done；　my　good　children；'　cried　I；　'hospitality　is　one　of　the　first　Christian　duties。　The　beast　retires　to　its　shelter；　and　the　bird　flies　to　its　nest；　but　helpless　man　can　only　find　refuge　from　his　fellow　creature。　The　greatest　stranger　in　this　world；　was　he　that　came　to　save　it。　He　never　had　an　house；　as　if　willing　to　see　what　hospitality　was　left　remaining　amongst　us。　Deborah；　my　dear；'　cried　I；　to　my　wife；　'give　those　boys　a　lump　of　sugar　each；　and　let　Dick's　be　the　largest；　because　he　spoke　first。'

In　the　morning　early　I　called　out　my　whole　family　to　help　at　saving　an　after…growth　of　hay；　and；　our　guest　offering　his　assistance；　he　was　accepted　among　the　number。　Our　labours　went　on　lightly；　we　turned　the　swath　to　the　wind；　I　went　foremost；　and　the　rest　followed　in　due　succession。　I　could　not　avoid；　however；　observing　the　assiduity　of　Mr　Burchell　in　assisting　my　daughter　Sophia　in　her　part　of　the　task。　When　he　had　finished　his　own；　he　would　join　in　her's；　and　enter　into　a　close　conversation：　but　I　had　too　good　an　opinion　of　Sophia's　understanding；　and　was　too　well　convinced　of　her　ambition；　to　be　under　any　uneasiness　from　a　man　of　broken　fortune。　When　we　were　finished　for　the　day；　Mr　Burchell　was　invited　as　on　the　night　before；　but　he　refused；　as　he　was　to　lie　that　night　at　a　neighbour's；　to　whose　child　he　was　carrying　a　whistle。　When　gone；　our　conversation　at　supper　turned　upon　our　late　unfortunate　guest。　'What　a　strong　instance；'　said　I；　'is　that　poor　man　of　the　miseries　attending　a　youth　of　levity　and　extravagance。　He　by　no　means　wants　sense；　which　only　serves　to　aggravate　his　former　folly。　Poor　forlorn　creature；　where　are　now　the　revellers；　the　flatterers；　that　he　could　once　inspire　and　command！　Gone；　perhaps；　to　attend　the　bagnio　pander；　grown　rich　by　his　extravagance。　They　once　praised　him；　and　now　they　applaud　the　pander：　their　former　raptures　at　his　wit；　are　now　converted　into　sarcasms　at　his　folly：　he　is　poor；　and　perhaps　deserves　poverty；　for　he　has　neither　the　ambition　to　be　independent；　nor　the　skill　to　be　useful。'　Prompted；　perhaps；　by　some　secret　reasons；　I　delivered　this　observation　with　too　much　acrimony；　which　my　Sophia　gently　reproved。　'Whatsoever　his　former　conduct　may　be；　pappa；　his　circumstances　should　exempt　him　from　censure　now。　His　present　indigence　is　a　sufficient　punishment　for　former　folly；　and　I　have　heard　my　pappa　himself　say；　that　we　should　never　strike　our　unnecessary　blow　at　a　victim　over　whom　providence　holds　the　scourge　of　its　resentment。''You　are　right；　Sophy；'　cried　my　son　Moses；　'and　one　of　the　ancients　finely　represents　so　malicious　a　conduct；　by　the　attempts　of　a　rustic　to　flay　Marsyas；　whose　skin；　the　fable　tells　us；　had　been　wholly　stript　off　by　another。'　Besides；　I　don't　know　if　this　poor　man's　situation　be　so　bad　as　my　father　would　represent　it。　We　are　not　to　judge　of　the　feelings　of　others　by　what　we　might　feel　if　in　their　place。　However　dark　the　habitation　of　the　mole　to　our　eyes；　yet　the　animal　itself　finds　the　apartment　sufficiently　lightsome。　And　to　confess　a　truth；　this　man's　mind　seems　fitted　to　his　station；　for　I　never　heard　any　one　more　sprightly　than　he　was　to…day；　when　he　conversed　with　you。'This　was　said　without　the　least　design；　however　it　excited　a　blush；　which　she　strove　to　cover　by　an　affected　laugh；　assuring　him；　that　she　scarce　took　any　notice　of　what　he　said　to　her；　but　that　she　believed　he　might　once　have　been　a　very　fine　gentleman。　The　readiness　with　which　she　undertook　to　vindicate　herself；　and　her　blushing；　were　symptoms　I　did　not　internally　approve；　but　I　represt　my　suspicions。

As　we　expected　our　landlord　the　next　day；　my　wife　went　to　make　the　venison　pasty；　Moses　sate　reading；　while　I　taught　the　little　ones：　my　daughters　seemed　equally　busy　with　the　rest；　and　I　observed　them　for　a　good　while　cooking　something　over　the　fire。　I　at　first　supposed　they　were　assisting　their　mother；　but　little　Dick　informed　me　in　a　whisper；　that　they　were　making　a　wash　for　the　face。　Washes　of　all　kinds　I　had　a　natural　antipathy　to；　for　I　knew　that　instead　of　mending　the　complexion　they　spoiled　it。　I　therefore　approached　my　chair　by　sly　degrees　to　the　fire；　and　grasping　the　poker；　as　if　it　wanted　mending；　seemingly　by　accident；　overturned　the　whole　composition；　and　it　was　too　late　to　begin　another。



CHAPTER　7

A　town　wit　described。　The　dullest　fellows　may　learn　to　be　comical　for　a　night　or　two


When　the　morning　arrived　on　which　we　were　to　entertain　our　young　landlord；　it　may　be　easily　supposed　what　provisions　were　exhausted　to　make　an　appearance。　It　may　also　be　conjectured　that　my　wife　and　daughters　expanded　their　gayest　plumage　upon　this　occasion。　Mr　Thornhill　came　with　a　couple　of　friends；　his　chaplain；　and　feeder。　The　servants；　who　were　numerous；　he　politely　ordered　to　the　next　ale…house：　but　my　wife；　in　the　triumph　of　her　heart；　insisted　on　entertaining　them　all；　for　which；　by　the　bye；　our　family　was　pinched　for　three　weeks　after。　As　Mr　Burchell　had　hinted　to　us　the　day　before；　that　he　was　making　some　proposals　of　marriage；　to　Miss　Wilmot；　my　son　George's　former　mistress；　this　a　good　deal　damped　the　heartiness　of　his　reception：　but　accident；　in　some　measure；　relieved　our　embarrasment；　for　one　of　the　company　happening　to　mention　her　name；　Mr　Thornhill　observed　with　an　oath；　that　he　never　knew　any　thing　more　absurd　than　calling　such　a　fright　a　beauty：　'For　strike　me　ugly；'　continued　he；　'if　I　should　not　find　as　much　pleasure　in　choosing　my　mistress　by　the　information　of　a　lamp　under　the　clock　at　St　Dunstan's。'　At　this　he　laughed；　and　so　did　we：the　jests　of　the　rich　are　ever　successful。　Olivia　too　could　not　avoid　whispering；　loud　enough　to　be　heard；　that　he　had　an　infinite　fund　of　humour。　After　dinner；　I　began　with　my　usual　toast；　the　Church；　for　this　I　was　thanked　by　the　chaplain；　as　he　said　the　church　was　the　only　mistress　of　his　affections。'Come　tell　us　honestly；　Frank；'　said　the　'Squire；　with　his　usual　archness；　'suppose　the　church；　your　present　mistress；　drest　in　lawnsleeves；　on　one　hand；　and　Miss　Sophia；　with　no　lawn　about　her；　on　the　other；　which　would　you　be　for？'　'For　both；　to　be　sure；'　cried　the　chaplain。'Right　Frank；'　cried　the　'Squire；　'for　may　this　glass　suffocate　me　but　a　fine　girl　is　worth　all　the　priestcraft　in　the　creation。　For　what　are　tythes　and　tricks　but　an　imposition；　all　a　confounded　imposture；　and　I　can　prove　it。'　'I　wish　you　would；'　cried　my　son　Moses；　'and　I　think；'　continued　he；　'that　I　should　be　able　to　answer　you。''Very　well；　Sir；'　cried　the　'Squire；　who　immediately　smoaked　him；'　and　winking　on　the　rest　of　the　company；　to　prepare　us　for　the　sport；　if　you　are　for　a　cool　argument　upon　that　subject；　I　am　ready　to　accept　the　challenge。　And　first；　whether　are　you　for　managing　it　analogically；　or　dialogically？'　'I　am　for　managing　it　rationally；'　cried　Moses；　quite　happy　at　being　permitted　to　dispute。　'Good　again；'　cried　the　'Squire；　'and　firstly；　of　the　first。　I　hope　you'll　not　deny　that　whatever　is　is。　If　you　don't　grant　me　that；　I　can　go　no　further。''Why；'　returned　Moses；　'I　think　I　may　grant　that；　and　make　the　best　of　it。''I　hope　too；'　returned　the　other；　'you'll　grant　that　a　part　is　less　than　the　whole。'　'I　grant　that　too；'　cried　Moses；　'it　is　but　just　and　reasonable。''I　hope；'　cried　the　'Squire；　'you　will　not　deny；　that　the　two　angles　of　a　triangle　are　equal　to　two　right　ones。'　'Nothing　can　be　plainer；'　returned　t'other；　and　looked　round　with　his　usual　importance。'Very　well；'　cried　the　'Squire；　speaking　very　quick；　'the　premises　being　thus　settled；　I　proceed　to　observe；　that　the　concatenation　of　self　existences；　proceeding　in　a　reciprocal　duplicate　ratio；　naturally　produce　a　problematical　dialogism；　which　in　some　measure　p