首页 >出版文学> Lavengro>第54章

第54章

  Boughtandexchanged-Quiteempty-Anewfirm-Bibles-
  Countenanceofalion-Clapofthunder-Atrucewiththis-I
  havelostit-Clearlyaright-GoddessoftheMint。
  INpursuanceofmypromisetotheoldwoman,IsetaboutprocuringheraBiblewithallconvenientspeed,placingthebookwhichshehadintrustedtomeforthepurposeofexchangeinmypocket。I
  wenttoseveralshops,andaskedifBiblesweretobehad:Ifoundthattherewereplenty。When,however,IinformedthepeoplethatIcametobarter,theylookedblank,anddeclinedtreatingwithme;
  sayingthattheydidnotdobusinessinthatway。AtlastIwentintoashopoverthewindowofwhichIsawwritten,’Booksboughtandexchanged’:therewasasmartishyoungfellowintheshop,withblackhairandwhiskers;’Youexchange?’saidI。’Yes,’saidhe,’sometimes,butwepreferselling;whatbookdoyouwant?’’A
  Bible,’saidI。’Ah,’saidhe,’there’sagreatdemandforBiblesjustnow;allkindsofpeoplearebecomeverypiousoflate,’headded,grinningatme;’IamafraidIcan’tdobusinesswithyou,moreespeciallyasthemasterisnotathome。Whatbookhaveyoubrought?’Takingthebookoutofmypocket,Iplaceditonthecounter:theyoungfellowopenedthebook,andinspectingthetitle-page,burstintoaloudlaugh。’Whatdoyoulaughfor?’saidI,angrily,andhalfclenchingmyfist。’Laugh!’saidtheyoungfellow;’laugh!whocouldhelplaughing?’’Icould,’saidI;’I
  seenothingtolaughat;IwanttoexchangethisbookforaBible。’
  ’Youdo?’saidtheyoungfellow;’well,Idaresaythereareplentywhowouldbewillingtoexchange,thatis,iftheydared。Iwishmasterwereathome;butthatwouldneverdo,either。Master’safamilyman,theBiblesarenotmine,andmasterbeingafamilyman,issharp,andknowsallhisstock;I’dbuyitofyou,but,totellyouthetruth,Iamquiteemptyhere,’saidhe,pointingtohispocket,’soIamafraidwecan’tdeal。’
  Whereupon,lookinganxiouslyattheyoungman,’WhatamItodo?’
  saidI;’IreallywantaBible。’
  ’Can’tyoubuyone?’saidtheyoungman;’haveyounomoney?’
  ’Yes,’saidI,’Ihavesome,butIammerelytheagentofanother;
  Icametoexchange,nottobuy;whatamItodo?’
  ’Idon’tknow,’saidtheyoungman,thoughtfullylayingdownthebookonthecounter;’Idon’tknowwhatyoucando;Ithinkyouwillfindsomedifficultyinthisbarteringjob,thetradeareratherprecise。’Allatoncehelaughedlouderthanbefore;
  suddenlystopping,however,heputonaverygravelook。’Takemyadvice,’saidhe;’thereisafirmestablishedinthisneighbourhoodwhichscarcelysellsanybooksbutBibles;theyareveryrich,andpridethemselvesonsellingtheirbooksatthelowestpossibleprice;applytothem,whoknowsbutwhattheywillexchangewithyou?’
  ThereuponIdemandedwithsomeeagernessoftheyoungmanthedirectiontotheplacewherehethoughtitpossiblethatImighteffecttheexchange-whichdirectiontheyoungfellowcheerfullygaveme,and,asIturnedaway,hadthecivilitytowishmesuccess。
  Ihadnodifficultyinfindingthehousetowhichtheyoungfellowdirectedme;itwasaverylargehouse,situatedinasquare;anduponthesideofthehousewaswritteninlargeletters,’Bibles,andotherreligiousbooks。’
  Atthedoorofthehouseweretwoorthreetumbrils,intheactofbeingloadedwithchests,verymuchresemblingtea-chests;oneofthechestsfallingdown,burst,andoutflew,nottea,butvariousbooks,inaneat,smallsize,andinneatleathercovers;Bibles,saidI,-Bibles,doubtless。Iwasnotquiteright,norquitewrong;pickinguponeofthebooks,Ilookedatitforamoment,andfoundittobetheNewTestament。’Come,younglad,’saidamanwhostoodby,inthedressofaporter,’putthatbookdown,itisnoneofyours;ifyouwantabook,goinanddealforone。’
  Deal,thoughtI,deal,-themanseemstoknowwhatIamcomingabout,-andgoingin,Ipresentlyfoundmyselfinaverylargeroom。Behindacountertwomenstoodwiththeirbackstoasplendidfire,warmingthemselves,fortheweatherwascold。
  Ofthesemenonewasdressedinbrown,andtheotherwasdressedinblack;bothweretallmen-hewhowasdressedinbrownwasthin,andhadaparticularlyill-naturedcountenance;themandressedinblackwasbulky,hisfeatureswerenoble,buttheywerethoseofalion。
  ’Whatisyourbusiness,youngman?’saidtheprecisepersonage,asIstoodstaringathimandhiscompanion。
  ’IwantaBible,’saidI。
  ’Whatprice,whatsize?’saidtheprecise-lookingman。
  ’Astosize,’saidI,’Ishouldliketohavealargeone-thatis,ifyoucanaffordmeone-Idonotcometobuy。’
  ’Oh,friend,’saidtheprecise-lookingman,’ifyoucomehereexpectingtohaveaBiblefornothing,youaremistaken-we-’
  ’IwouldscorntohaveaBiblefornothing,’saidI,’oranythingelse;Icamenottobeg,buttobarter;thereisnoshameinthat,especiallyinacountrylikethis,whereallfolksbarter。’
  ’Oh,wedon’tbarter,’saidthepreciseman,’atleastBibles;youhadbetterdepart。’
  ’Stay,brother,’saidthemanwiththecountenanceofalion,’letusaskafewquestions;thismaybeaveryimportantcase;perhapstheyoungmanhashadconvictions。’
  ’NotI,’Iexclaimed,’Iamconvincedofnothing,andwithregardtotheBible-Idon’tbelieve-’
  ’Hey!’saidthemanwiththelioncountenance,andtherehestopped。Butwiththat’Hey’thewallsofthehouseseemedtoshake,thewindowsrattled,andtheporterwhomIhadseeninfrontofthehousecamerunningupthesteps,andlookedintotheapartmentthroughtheglassofthedoor。
  Therewassilenceforaboutaminute-thesamekindofsilencewhichsucceedsaclapofthunder。
  Atlastthemanwiththelioncountenance,whohadkepthiseyesfixeduponme,saidcalmly,’Wereyouabouttosaythatyoudon’tbelieveintheBible,youngman?’
  ’Nomorethaninanythingelse,’saidI;’youweretalkingofconvictions-Ihavenoconvictions。ItisnoteasytobelieveintheBibletilloneisconvincedthatthereisaBible。’
  ’Heseemstobeinsane,’saidtheprim-lookingman;’wehadbetterordertheportertoturnhimout。’
  ’Iambynomeanscertain,’saidI,’thattheportercouldturnmeout;alwaysprovidedthereisaporter,andthissystemofoursbenotalie,andadream。’
  ’Come,’saidthelion-lookingman,impatiently,’atrucewiththisnonsense。Iftheportercannotturnyouout,perhapssomeotherpersoncan;buttothepoint-youwantaBible?’
  ’Ido,’saidI,’butnotformyself;Iwassentbyanotherpersontooffersomethinginexchangeforone。’
  ’Andwhoisthatperson?’
  ’Apooroldwoman,whohashadwhatyoucallconvictions,-heardvoices,orthoughtsheheardthem-Iforgottoaskherwhethertheywereloudones。’
  ’Whathasshesenttoofferinexchange?’saidtheman,withouttakinganynoticeoftheconcludingpartofmyspeech。
  ’Abook,’saidI。
  ’Letmeseeit。’
  ’Nay,brother,’saidthepreciseman,’thiswillneverdo;ifweonceadoptthesystemofbarter,weshallhavealltheholdersofuselessrubbishinthetownapplyingtous。’
  ’Iwishtoseewhathehasbrought,’saidtheother;’perhapsBaxter,orJewell’sAPOLOGY,eitherofwhichwouldmakeavaluableadditiontoourcollection。Well,youngman,what’sthematterwithyou?’
  Istoodlikeonepetrified;Ihadputmyhandintomypocket-thebookwasgone。
  ’What’sthematter?’repeatedthemanwiththelioncountenance,inavoiceverymuchresemblingthunder。
  ’Ihaveitnot-Ihavelostit!’
  ’Aprettystory,truly,’saidtheprecise-lookingman,’lostit!
  Youhadbetterretire,’saidtheother。
  ’HowshallIappearbeforethepartywhointrustedmewiththebook?ShewillcertainlythinkthatIhavepurloinedit,notwithstandingallIcansay;nor,indeed,canIblameher,-
  appearancesarecertainlyagainstme。’
  ’Theyareso-youhadbetterretire。’
  Imovedtowardsthedoor。’Stay,youngman,onewordmore;thereisonlyonewayofproceedingwhichwouldinducemetobelievethatyouaresincere。’
  ’Whatisthat?’saidI,stoppingandlookingathimanxiously。
  ’ThepurchaseofaBible。’
  ’Purchase!’saidI,’purchase!Icamenottopurchase,buttobarter;suchwasmyinstruction,andhowcanIbarterifIhavelostthebook?’