第 23 节
作者:打倒一切      更新:2021-02-18 22:30      字数:9322
  〃H。 M。 HOLLOWAY PRISON;
  〃July 28th。
  〃I am going to keep a diary while I am in prison; that is; if
  they will let me。  I never kept one before because I hadn't the
  time; when I was home on leave there was too much going on to
  bother about it; and when I was up country I always came back
  after a day's riding so tired that I was too sleepy to write
  anything。  And now that I have the time; I won't have anything to
  write about。  I fancy that more things happened to me today
  than are likely to happen again for the next eight months; so I
  will make this day take up as much room in the diary as it can。
  I am writing this on the back of the paper the Warder uses for
  his official reports; while he is hunting up cells to put us in。
  We came down on him rather unexpectedly and he is nervous。
  〃Of course; I had prepared myself for this after a fashion;
  but now I see that somehow I never really did think I would be in
  here; and all my friends outside; and everything going on just
  the same as though I wasn't alive somewhere。  It's like telling
  yourself that your horse can't possibly pull off a race; so that
  you won't mind so much if he doesn't; but you always feel just as
  bad when he comes in a loser。  A man can't fool himself into
  thinking one way when he is hoping the other。
  〃But I am glad it is over; and settled。  It was a great bore
  not knowing your luck and having the thing hanging over your head
  every morning when you woke up。  Indeed it was quite a relief
  when the counsel got all through arguing over those
  proclamations; and the Chief Justice summed up; but I nearly
  went to sleep when I found he was going all over it again to the
  jury。  I didn't understand about those proclamations myself and
  I'll lay a fiver the jury didn't either。  The Colonel said he
  didn't。  I couldn't keep my mind on what Russell was explaining
  about; and I got to thinking how much old Justice Hawkins looked
  like the counsel in 'Alice in Wonderland' when they tried the
  knave of spades for stealing the tarts。  He had just the same
  sort of a beak and the same sort of a wig; and I wondered why he
  had his wig powdered and the others didn't。  Pollock's wig had a
  hole in the top; you could see it when he bent over to take
  notes。  He was always taking notes。  I don't believe he
  understood about those proclamations either; he never seemed to
  listen; anyway。
  〃The Chief Justice certainly didn't love us very much; that's
  sure; and he wasn't going to let anybody else love us either。  I
  felt quite the Christian Martyr when Sir Edward was speaking in
  defence。  He made it sound as though we were all a lot of Adelphi
  heroes and ought to be promoted and have medals; but when
  Lord Russell started in to read the Riot Act at us I began to
  believe that hanging was too good for me。  I'm sure I never knew
  I was disturbing the peace of nations; it seems like such a large
  order for a subaltern。
  〃But the worst was when they made us stand up before all those
  people to be sentenced。  I must say I felt shaky about the knees
  then; not because I was afraid of what was coming; but because it
  was the first time I had ever been pointed out before people; and
  made to feel ashamed。  And having those girls there; too; looking
  at one。  That wasn't just fair to us。  It made me feel about ten
  years old; and I remembered how the Head Master used to call me
  to his desk and say; 'Blake Senior; two pages of Horace and keep
  in bounds for a week。'  And then I heard our names and the
  months; and my name and 'eight months' imprisonment;' and there
  was a bustle and murmur and the tipstaves cried; 'Order in the
  Court;' and the Judges stood up and shook out their big red
  skirts as though they were shaking off the contamination of our
  presence and rustled away; and I sat down; wondering how
  long eight months was; and wishing they'd given me as much as
  they gave Jameson。
  〃They put us in a room together then; and our counsel said how
  sorry they were; and shook hands; and went off to dinner and left
  us。  I thought they might have waited with us and been a little
  late for dinner just that once; but no one waited except a lot of
  costers outside whom we did not know。  It was eight o'clock and
  still quite light when we came out; and there was a line of four…
  wheelers and a hansom ready for us。  I'd been hoping they would
  take us out by the Strand entrance; just because I'd like to have
  seen it again; but they marched us instead through the main
  quadranglea beastly; gloomy courtyard that echoed; and out;
  into Carey Streetsuch a dirty; gloomy street。  The costers and
  clerks set up a sort of a cheer when we came out; and one of them
  cried; 'God bless you; sir;' to the doctor; but I was sorry they
  cheered。  It seemed like kicking against the umpire's decision。
  The Colonel and I got into a hansom together and we trotted
  off into Chancery Lane and turned into Holborn。  Most of the
  shops were closed; and the streets looked empty; but there was a
  lighted clock…face over Mooney's public…house; and the hands
  stood at a quarter past eight。  I didn't know where Holloway was;
  and was hoping they would have to take us through some decent
  streets to reach it; but we didn't see a part of the city that
  meant anything to me; or that I would choose to travel through
  again。
  〃Neither of us talked; and I imagined that the people in the
  streets knew we were going to prison; and I kept my eyes on the
  enamel card on the back of the apron。  I suppose I read; 'Two…
  wheeled hackney carriage: if hired and discharged within the
  four…mile limit; 1s。' at least a hundred times。  I got more
  sensible after a bit; and when we had turned into Gray's Inn Road
  I looked up and saw a tram in front of us with 'Holloway Road and
  King's X;' painted on the steps; and the Colonel saw it about the
  same time I fancy; for we each looked at the other; and the
  Colonel raised his eyebrows。  It showed us that at least the
  cabman knew where we were going。
  〃'They might have taken us for a turn through the West End first;
  I think;' the Colonel said。  'I'd like to have had a look around;
  wouldn't you?  This isn't a cheerful neighborhood; is it?'
  〃There were a lot of children playing in St。 Andrew's Gardens;
  and a crowd of them ran out just as we passed; shrieking and
  laughing over nothing; the way kiddies do; and that was about the
  only pleasant sight in the ride。  I had quite a turn when we came
  to the New Hospital just beyond; for I thought it was Holloway;
  and it came over me what eight months in such a place meant。  I
  believe if I hadn't pulled myself up sharp; I'd have jumped out
  into the street and run away。  It didn't last more than a few
  seconds; but I don't want any more like them。  I was afraid;
  afraidthere's no use pretending it was anything else。  I was in
  a dumb; silly funk; and I turned sick inside and shook; as I have
  seen a horse shake when he shies at nothing and sweats and
  trembles down his sides。
  〃During those few seconds it seemed to be more than I could
  stand; I felt sure that I couldn't do itthat I'd go mad if they
  tried to force me。  The idea was so terribleof not being master
  over your own legs and arms; to have your flesh and blood and
  what brains God gave you buried alive in stone walls as though
  they were in a safe with a time…lock on the door set for eight
  months ahead。  There's nothing to be afraid of in a stone wall
  really; but it's the idea of the thingof not being free to move
  about; especially to a chap that has always lived in the open as
  I have; and has had men under him。  It was no wonder I was in a
  funk for a minute。  I'll bet a fiver the others were; too; if
  they'll only own up to it。  I don't mean for long; but just when
  the idea first laid hold of them。  Anyway; it was a good lesson
  to me; and if I catch myself thinking of it again I'll whistle;
  or talk to myself out loud and think of something cheerful。  And
  I don't mean to be one of those chaps who spends his time in jail
  counting the stones in his cell; or training spiders; or
  measuring how many of his steps make a mile; for madness
  lies that way。  I mean to sit tight and think of all the good
  times I've had; and go over them in my mind very slowly; so as to
  make them last longer and remember who was there and what we
  said; and the jokes and all that; I'll go over house…parties I
  have been on; and the times I've had in the Riviera; and scouting
  parties Dr。 Jim led up country when we were taking Matabele Land。
  〃They say that if you're good here they give you things to read
  after a month or two; and then I can read up all those
  instructive books that a fellow never does read until he's laid
  up in bed。
  〃But that's crowding ahead a bit; I must keep to what happened
  to…day。  We struck York Road at the back of the Great Western
  Terminus; and I half hoped we might see some chap we knew coming
  or going away: I would like to have waved my hand to him。  It
  would have been fun to have seen his surprise the next morning
  when he read in the paper that he had been bowing to jail…birds;
  and then I would like to have cheated the tipstaves out of just
  one more friendly g