roundabout papers-第54部分

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friend　of　mine　had　the　house　in　May　Fair；　out　of　which　poor　Doctor　Dodd　was　taken　handcuffed。　　There　was　the　paved　hall　over　which　he　stepped。　　That　little　room　at　the　side　was；　no　doubt；　the　study　where　he　composed　his　elegant　sermons。　　Two　years　since　I　had　the　good　fortune　to　partake　of　some　admirable　dinners　in　Tyburniamagnificent　dinners　indeed；　but　rendered　doubly　interesting　from　the　fact　that　the　house　was　that　occupied　by　the　late　Mr。　Sadleir。　　One　night　the　late　Mr。　Sadleir　took　tea　in　that　dining…room；　and；　to　the　surprise　of　his　butler；　went　out；　having　put　into　his　pocket　his　own　cream…jug。　　The　next　morning；　you　know；　he　was　found　dead　on　Hampstead　Heath；　with　the　cream…jug　lying　by　him；　into　which　he　had　poured　the　poison　by　which　he　died。　　The　idea　of　the　ghost　of　the　late　gentleman　flitting　about　the　room　gave　a　strange　interest　to　the　banquet。　　Can　you　fancy　him　taking　his　tea　alone　in　the　dining…room？　　He　empties　that　cream…jug　and　puts　it　in　his　pocket；　and　then　he　opens　yonder　door；　through　which　he　is　never　to　pass　again。　　Now　he　crosses　the　hall：　and　hark！　the　hall…door　shuts　upon　him；　and　his　steps　die　away。　　They　are　gone　into　the　night。　　They　traverse　the　sleeping　city。　　They　lead　him　into　the　fields；　where　the　gray　morning　is　beginning　to　glimmer。　　He　pours　something　from　a　bottle　into　a　little　silver　jug。　　It　touches　his　lips；　the　lying　lips。　　Do　they　quiver　a　prayer　ere　that　awful　draught　is　swallowed？　　When　the　sun　rises　they　are　dumb。　I　neither　knew　this　unhappy　man；　nor　his　countrymanLaertes　let　us　call　himwho　is　at　present　in　exile；　having　been　compelled　to　fly　from　remorseless　creditors。　　Laertes　fled　to　America；　where　he　earned　his　bread　by　his　pen。　　I　own　to　having　a　kindly　feeling　towards　this　scapegrace；　because；　though　an　exile；　he　did　not　abuse　the　country　whence　he　fled。　　I　have　heard　that　he　went　away　taking　no　spoil　with　him；　penniless　almost；　and　on　his　voyage　he　made　acquaintance　with　a　certain　Jew；　and　when　he　fell　sick；　at　New　York；　this　Jew　befriended　him；　and　gave　him　help　and　money　out　of　his　own　store；　which　was　but　small。　　Now；　after　they　had　been　awhile　in　the　strange　city；　it　happened　that　the　poor　Jew　spent　all　his　little　money；　and　he　too　fell　ill；　and　was　in　great　penury。　　And　now　it　was　Laertes　who　befriended　that　Ebrew　Jew。　　He　fee'd　doctors；　he　fed　and　tended　the　sick　and　hungry。　　Go　to；　Laertes！　　I　know　thee　not。　　It　may　be　thou　art　justly　exul　patriae。　　But　the　Jew　shall　intercede　for　thee；　thou　not；　let　us　trust；　hopeless　Christian　sinner。　Another　exile　to　the　same　shore　I　knew：　who　did　not？　　Julius　Caesar　hardly　owed　more　money　than　Cucedicus：　and；　gracious　powers！　Cucedicus；　how　did　you　manage　to　spend　and　owe　so　much？　　All　day　he　was　at　work　for　his　clients；　at　night　he　was　occupied　in　the　Public　Council。　　He　neither　had　wife　nor　children。　　The　rewards　which　he　received　for　his　orations　were　enough　to　maintain　twenty　rhetoricians。　　Night　after　night　I　have　seen　him　eating　his　frugal　meal；　consisting　but　of　a　fish；　a　small　portion　of　mutton；　and　a　small　measure　of　Iberian　or　Trinacrian　wine；　largely　diluted　with　the　sparkling　waters　of　Rhenish　Gaul。　　And　this　was　all　he　had；　and　this　man　earned　and　paid　away　talents　upon　talents；　and　fled；　owing　who　knows　how　many　more！　　Does　a　man　earn　fifteen　thousand　pounds　a　year；　toiling　by　day；　talking　by　night；　having　horrible　unrest　in　his　bed；　ghastly　terrors　at　waking；　seeing　an　officer　lurking　at　every　corner；　a　sword　of　justice　for　ever　hanging　over　his　headand　have　for　his　sole　diversion　a　newspaper；　a　lonely　mutton…chop；　and　a　little　sherry　and　seltzer…water？　　In　the　German　stories　we　read　how　men　sell　themselves　toa　certain　Personage；　and　that　Personage　cheats　them。　　He　gives　them　wealth；　yes；　but　the　gold…pieces　turn　into　worthless　leaves。　　He　sets　them　before　splendid　banquets　yes；　but　what　an　awful　grin　that　black　footman　has　who　lifts　up　the　dish…　cover；　and　don't　you　smell　a　peculiar　sulphurous　odor　in　the　dish？　Faugh！　take　it　away；　I　can't　eat。　　He　promises　them　splendors　and　triumphs。　　The　conqueror's　ear　rolls　glittering　through　the　city；　the　multitude　shout　and　huzza。　　Drive　on；　coachman。　　Yes；　but　who　is　that　hanging　on　behind　the　carriage？　　Is　this　the　reward　of　eloquence；　talents；　industry？　　Is　this　the　end　of　a　life's　labor？　Don't　you　remember　how；　when　the　dragon　was　infesting　the　neighborhood　of　Babylon；　the　citizens　used　to　walk　dismally　out　of　evenings；　and　look　at　the　valleys　round　about　strewed　with　the　bones　of　the　victims　whom　the　monster　had　devoured？　　O　insatiate　brute；　and　most　disgusting；　brazen；　and　scaly　reptile！　　Let　us　be　thankful；　children；　that　it　has　not　gobbled　us　up　too。　　Quick。　　Let　us　turn　away；　and　pray　that　we　may　be　kept　out　of　the　reach　of　his　horrible　maw；　jaw；　claw！　When　I　first　came　up　to　London；　as　innocent　as　Monsieur　Gil　Blas；　I　also　fell　in　with　some　pretty　acquaintances；　found　my　way　into　several　caverns；　and　delivered　my　purse　to　more　than　one　gallant　gentleman　of　the　road。　　One　I　remember　especiallyone　who　never　eased　me　personally　of　a　single　maravedione　than　whom　I　never　met　a　bandit　more　gallant；　courteous；　and　amiable。　　Rob　me？　　Rolando　feasted　me；　treated　me　to　his　dinner　and　his　wine；　kept　a　generous　table　for　his　friends；　and　I　know　was　most　liberal　to　many　of　them。　How　well　I　remember　one　of　his　speculations！　　It　was　a　great　plan　for　smuggling　tobacco。　　Revenue　officers　were　to　be　bought　off；　silent　ships　were　to　ply　on　the　Thames；　cunning　depots　were　to　be　established；　and　hundreds　of　thousands　of　pounds　to　be　made　by　the　coup。　　How　his　eyes　kindled　as　he　propounded　the　scheme　to　me！　　How　easy　and　certain　it　seemed！　　It　might　have　succeeded；　I　can't　say：　but　the　bold　and　merry；　the　hearty　and　kindly　Rolando　came　to　grief　a　little　matter　of　imitated　signatures　occasioned　a　Bank　persecution　of　Rolando　the　Brave。　　He　walked　about　armed；　and　vowed　he　would　never　be　taken　alive：　but　taken　he　was；　tried；　condemned；　sentenced　to　perpetual　banishment；　and　I　heard　that　for　some　time　he　was　universally　popular　in　the　colony　which　had　the　honor　to　possess　him。　　What　a　song　he　could　sing！　　'Twas　when　the　cup　was　sparkling　before　us；　and　heaven　gave　a　portion　of　its　blue；　boys；　blue；　that　I　remember　the　song　of　Roland　at　the　〃Old　Piazza　Coffee…house。〃　　And　now　where　is　the　〃Old　Piazza　Coffee…house？〃　　Where　is　Thebes？　where　is　Troy？　where　is　the　Colossus　of　Rhodes？　　Ah；　Rolando；　Rolando！　thou　wert　a　gallant　captain；　a　cheery；　a　handsome；　a　merry。　　At　ME　thou　never　presentedst　pistol。　　Thou　badest　the　bumper　of　Burgundy　fill；　fill　for　me；　giving　those　who　preferred　it　champagne。　　Caelum　non　animum；　&c。　　Do　you　think　he　has　reformed　now　that　he　has　crossed　the　sea；　and　changed　the　air？　　I　have　my　own　opinion。　Howbeit；　Rolando；　thou　wert　a　most　kind　and　hospitable　bandit。　And　I　love　not　to　think　of　thee　with　a　chain　at　thy　shin。　Do　you　know　how　all　these　memories　of　unfortunate　men　have　come　upon　me？　　When　they　came　to　frighten　me　this　morning　by　speaking　of　my　robbed　pears；　my　perforated　garden　wall；　I　was　reading　an　article　in　the　Saturday　Review　about　Rupilius。　　I　have　sat　near　that　young　man　at　a　public　dinner；　and　beheld　him　in　a　gilded　uniform。　　But　yesterday　he　lived　in　splendor；　had　long　hair；　a　flowing　beard；　a　jewel　at　his　neck；　and　a　smart　surtout。　　So　attired；　he　stood　but　yesterday　in　court；　and　to…day　he　sits　over　a　bowl　of　prison　cocoa；　with　a　shaved　head；　and　in　a　felon's　jerkin。　That　beard　and　head　shaved；　that　gaudy　deputy…lieutenant's　coat　exchanged　for　felon　uniform；　and　your　daily　bottle　of　champagne　for　prison　cocoa；　my　poor　Rupilius；　what　a　comfort　it　must　be　to　have　the　business　brought　to　an　end！　　Champagne　was　the　honorable　gentleman's　drink　in　the　House　of　Commons　dining…room；　as　I　am　informed。　　What　uncommonly　dry　champagne　that　must　have　been！　　When　we　saw　him　outwardly　happy；　how　miserable　he　must　have　been！　when　we　thought　him　prosperous；　how　dismally　poor！　　When　the　great　Mr。　Harker；　at　the　public　dinners；　called　out〃Gentlemen；　charge　your　glasses；　and　please　silence　for　the　Honorable　Member　for　Lambeth！〃　how　that　Honorable　Member　must　have　writhed　inwardly！　　One　day；　when　there　was　a　talk　of　a　gentleman's　honor　being　questioned；　Rupilius　said；　〃If　any　man　doubted　mine；　I　would　knock　him　down。〃　　But　that　speech　was　in　the　way　of　business。　　The　Spartan　boy；　who　stole　the　fox；　smiled　while　the　beast　was　gnawing　him　under　his　cloak：　I　promise　you　Rupilius　had　some　sharp　fangs　gnashing　under　his。　　We　have　sat　at　the　same　feast；　I　say：　we　have　paid　our　contribution　to　the　same　charity。　　Ah！　when　I　ask　this　day　for　my　daily　bread；　I　pray　not　to　be　led　into　temptation；　and　to　be　delivered　from　evil。

DESSEIN'S。

I　arrived　by　the　night…mail　packet　from　Dover。　　The　passage　had　been　rough；　and　the　usual　consequences　had　ensued。　　I　was　disinclined　to　travel　farther　that　night　on　my　road　to　Paris；　and　knew　the　Calais　hotel　of　old　as　one　of　the　cleanest；　one　of　the　dearest；　one　of　the　most　comfortable　hotels　on　the　continent　of　Europe。　　There　is　no　town　more　French　than　Calais。　　That　charming　old　〃Hotel　Dessein；〃　with　its　court；　its　gardens；　its　lordly　kitchen；　its　princely　waitera　gentleman　of　the　old　school；　who　has　welcomed　the　finest　company　in　Europehave　long　been　known　to　me。　　I　have　read　complaints　in　The　Times；　more　than　once；　I　think；　that　the　Dessein　bills　are　dear。　　A　bottle　of　soda…water　certainly　costswell；　never　mind　how　much。　　I　remember　as　a　boy；　at　the　〃Ship〃　at　Dover　（imperante　Carolo　Decimo）；　when；　my　place　to　London　being　paid；　I　had　but　12s。　left　after　a　certain　little　Paris　excursion　（about　which　my　benighted　parents　never　knew　anything）；　ordering　for　dinner　a　whiting；　a　beefsteak；　and　a　glass　of　negus；　and　the　bill　was；　dinner　7s。；　glass　of　negus　2s。；　waiter　6d。；　and　only　half　a　crown　left；　as　I　was　a　sinner；　for　the　guard　and　coachman　on　the　way　to　London！　　And　I　WAS　a　sinner。　　I　had　gone　without　leave。　　What　a　long；　dreary；　guilty　forty　hours'　journey　it　was　from　Paris　to　Calais；　I　remember！　　How　did　I　come　to　think　of　this　escapade；　which　occurred　in　the　Easter　vacation　of　the　year　1830？　　I　always　think　of　it　when　I　am　crossing　to　Calais。　　Guilt；　sir；　guilt　remains　stamped　on　the　memory；　and　I　feel　easier　in　my　mind　now　that　it　is　liberated