第 127 节
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随便看看 更新:2021-02-25 00:47 字数:9322
house; on one side of which was a wheel turned round by a flush of
water running in a little artificial canal; close by it were two
small cascades; the waters of which; and also those of the canal;
passed under the bridge in the direction of the west。 Seeing a
decent…looking man engaged in sawing a piece of wood by the
roadside; I asked him in Welsh whether the house with the wheel was
a flour mill。
〃Nage;〃 said he; 〃it is a pandy; fulling mill。〃
〃Can you tell me the name of a river;〃 said I; 〃which I have left
about a mile behind me。 Is it the Sawdde?'
〃Nage;〃 said he; 〃it is the Lleidach。〃
Then looking at me with great curiosity; he asked if I came from
the north country。
〃Yes;〃 said I; 〃I certainly come from there。〃
〃I am glad to hear it;〃 said he; 〃for I have long wished to see a
man from the north country。〃
〃Did you never see one before?〃 said I。
〃Never in my life;〃 he replied; 〃men from the north country seldom
show themselves in these parts。〃
〃Well;〃 said I; 〃I am not ashamed to say that I come from the
north。〃
〃Ain't you? Well; I don't know that you have any particular reason
to be ashamed; for it is rather your misfortune than your fault;
but the idea of any one coming from the north … ho; ho!〃
〃Perhaps in the north;〃 said I; 〃they laugh at a man from the
south。〃
〃Laugh at a man from the south! No; no; they can't do that。〃
〃Why not?〃 said I; 〃why shouldn't the north laugh at the south as
well as the south at the north?〃
〃Why shouldn't it? why; you talk like a fool。 How could the north
laugh at the south as long as the south remains the south and the
north the north? Laugh at the south! you talk like a fool; David;
and if you go on in that way I shall be angry with you。 However;
I'll excuse you; you are from the north; and what can one expect
from the north but nonsense? Now tell me; do you of the north eat
and drink like other people? What do you live upon?〃
〃Why; as for myself;〃 said I; 〃I generally live on the best I can
get。〃
〃Let's hear what you eat; bacon and eggs?
〃Oh yes; I eat bacon and eggs when I can get nothing better。〃
〃And what do you drink? Can you drink ale?〃
〃Oh yes;〃 said I; 〃I am very fond of ale when it's good。 Perhaps
you will stand a pint?〃
〃Hm;〃 said the man looking somewhat blank; 〃there is no ale in the
Pandy and there is no public…house near at hand; otherwise … Where
are you going to…night?〃
〃To Gutter Vawr。〃
〃Well; then; you had better not loiter; Gutter Vawr is a long way
off over the mountain。 It will be dark; I am afraid; long before
you get to Gutter Vawr。 Good evening; David! I am glad to have
seen you; for I have long wished to see a man from the north
country。 Good evening! you will find plenty of good ale at Gutter
Vawr。〃
I went on my way。 The road led in a south…eastern direction
gradually upward to very lofty regions。 After walking about half…
an…hour I saw a kind of wooden house on wheels drawn by two horses
coming down the hill towards me。 A short black…looking fellow in
brown…top boots; corduroy breeches; jockey coat and jockey cap sat
on the box; holding the reins in one hand and a long whip in the
other。 Beside him was a swarthy woman in a wild flaunting dress。
Behind the box out of the fore part of the caravan peered two or
three black children's heads。 A pretty little foal about four
months old came frisking and gambolling now before now beside the
horses; whilst a colt of some sixteen months followed more
leisurely behind。 When the caravan was about ten yards distant I
stopped; and raising my left hand with the little finger pointed
aloft; I exclaimed:
〃Shoon; Kaulomengro; shoon! In Dibbel's nav; where may tu be
jawing to?〃
Stopping his caravan with considerable difficulty the small black
man glared at me for a moment like a wild cat; and then said in a
voice partly snappish; partly kind:
〃Savo shan tu? Are you one of the Ingrines?〃
〃I am the chap what certain folks calls the Romany Rye。〃
〃Well; I'll be jiggered if I wasn't thinking so and if I wasn't
penning so to my juwa as we were welling down the chong。〃
〃It is a long time since we last met; Captain Bosvile; for I
suppose I may call you Captain now?〃
〃Yes! the old man has been dead and buried this many a year; and
his sticks and titles are now mine。 Poor soul; I hope he is happy;
indeed I know he is; for he lies in Cockleshell churchyard; the
place he was always so fond of; and has his Sunday waistcoat on him
with the fine gold buttons; which he was always so proud of。 Ah;
you may well call it a long time since we met … why; it can't be
less than thirty year。〃
〃Something about that … you were a boy then of about fifteen。〃
〃So I was; and you a tall young slip of about twenty; well; how did
you come to jin mande?〃
〃Why; I knew you by your fighting mug … there ain't such another
mug in England。〃
〃No more there an't … my old father always used to say it was of no
use hitting it for it always broke his knuckles。 Well; it was kind
of you to jin mande after so many years。 The last time I think I
saw you was near Brummagem; when you were travelling about with
Jasper Petulengro and … I say; what's become of the young woman you
used to keep company with?〃
〃I don't know。〃
〃You don't? Well; she was a fine young woman and a vartuous。 I
remember her knocking down and giving a black eye to my old mother;
who was wonderfully deep in Romany; for making a bit of a gillie
about you and she。 What was the song? Lord; how my memory fails
me! Oh; here it is:…
〃'Ando berkho Rye cano
Oteh pivo teh khavo
Tu lerasque ando berkho piranee
Teh corbatcha por pico。'〃
〃Have you seen Jasper Petulengro lately?〃 said I。
〃Yes; I have seen him; but it was at a very considerable distance。
Jasper Petulengro doesn't come near the likes of we now。 Lord! you
can't think what grand folks he and his wife have become of late
years; and all along of a trumpery lil which somebody has written
about them。 Why; they are hand and glove with the Queen and
Prince; and folks say that his wife is going to be made dame of
honour; and Jasper Justice of the Peace and Deputy Ranger of
Windsor Park。〃
〃Only think;〃 said I。 〃And now tell me; what brought you into
Wales?〃
〃What brought me into Wales? I'll tell you; my own fool's head。 I
was doing nicely in the Kaulo Gav and the neighbourhood; when I
must needs pack up and come into these parts with bag and baggage;
wife and childer。 I thought that Wales was what it was some thirty
years agone when our foky used to say … for I was never here before
… that there was something to be done in it; but I was never more
mistaken in my life。 The country is overrun with Hindity mescrey;
woild Irish; with whom the Romany foky stand no chance。 The
fellows underwork me at tinkering; and the women outscream my wife
at telling fortunes … moreover; they say the country is theirs and
not intended for niggers like we; and as they are generally in vast
numbers what can a poor little Roman family do but flee away before
them? A pretty journey I have made into Wales。 Had I not
contrived to pass off a poggado bav engro … a broken…winded horse …
at a fair; I at this moment should be without a tringoruschee piece
in my pocket。 I am now making the best of my way back to
Brummagem; and if ever I come again to this Hindity country may
Calcraft nash me。〃
〃I wonder you didn't try to serve some of the Irish out;〃 said I。
〃I served one out; brother; and my wife and childer helped to wipe
off a little of the score。 We had stopped on a nice green; near a
village over the hills in Glamorganshire; when up comes a Hindity
family; and bids us take ourselves off。 Now it so happened that
there was but one man and a woman and some childer; so I laughed;
and told them to drive us off。 Well; brother; without many words;
there was a regular scrimmage。 The Hindity mush came at me; the
Hindity mushi at y my juwa; and the Hindity chaves at my chai。 It
didn't last long; brother。 In less than three minutes I had hit
the Hindity mush; who was a plaguey big fellow; but couldn't fight;
just under the point of the chin; and sent him to the ground with
all his senses gone。 My juwa had almost scratched an eye out of
the Hindity mushi; and my chai had sent the Hindity childer
scampering over the green。 'Who has got to quit now?' said I to
the Hindity mush after he had got on his legs; looking like a man
who has been cut down after hanging just a minute and a half。 'Who
has got notice to quit; now; I wonder?' Well; brother; he didn't
say anything; nor did any of them; but after a little time they all
took themselves off; with a cart they had; to the south。 Just as
they got to the edge of the green; however; they turned round and
gave a yell which made all our blood run cold。 I knew what it
meant; and said; 'This is no place for us。' So we got everything
together and came away and; though the horses were tired; never
stopped till we had got ten miles from the place; and well it was
we ac