第 70 节
作者:散发弄舟      更新:2021-02-21 16:20      字数:9322
  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