第 127 节
作者: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