首页 >出版文学> Lavengro>第85章

第85章

  ’DidyouneverhearofthegreatWelshpreacher,PeterWilliams?’
  ’Never,’saidI。
  ’Well,’saidthegirl,’thisishe,andWinifredishiswife,andanicepersonsheis。Somepeoplesay,indeed,thatsheisasgoodapreacherasherhusband,thoughofthatmatterIcansaynothing,havingneverheardherpreach。SothesetwowanderoverallWalesandthegreaterpartofEngland,comfortingtheheartsofthepeoplewiththeirdoctrine,anddoingallthegoodtheycan。Theyfrequentlycomehere,forthemistressisaWelshwoman,andanoldfriendofboth,andthentheytakeuptheirabodeinthecartbeneaththeoldoaksdowntherebythestream。’
  ’Andwhatistheirreasonfordoingso?’saidI;’woulditnotbemorecomfortabletosleepbeneatharoof?’
  ’Iknownottheirreasons,’saidthegirl,’butsoitis;theyneversleepbeneatharoofunlesstheweatherisverysevere。I
  onceheardthemistresssaythatPeterhadsomethingheavyuponhismind;perhapsthatisthecause。Ifheisunhappy,allIcansayis,thatIwishhimotherwise,forheisagoodmanandakind-’
  ’Thankyou,’saidI,’Iwillnowdepart。’
  ’Hem!’saidthegirl,’Iwaswishing-’
  ’What?toaskmeaquestion?’
  ’Notexactly;butyouseemtoknoweverything;youmentioned,I
  think,fortune-telling。’
  ’Doyouwishmetotellyourfortune?’
  ’Bynomeans;butIhaveafriendatadistanceatsea,andI
  shouldwishtoknow-’
  ’Whenhewillcomeback?IhavetoldyoualreadytherearetwoorthreethingswhichIdonotknow-thisisanotherofthem。
  However,Ishouldnotbesurprisedifheweretocomebacksomeofthesedays;IwouldifIwereinhisplace。Inthemeantimebepatient,attendtothedairy,andreadtheDAIRYMAN’SDAUGHTERwhenyouhavenothingbettertodo。’
  Itwaslateintheeveningwhenthepartyofthemorningreturned。
  Thefarmerandhisfamilyrepairedatoncetotheirabode,andmytwofriendsjoinedmebeneaththetree。Petersatdownatthefootoftheoak,andsaidnothing。Supperwasbroughtbyaservant,notthedamseloftheporch。Wesatroundthetray,Petersaidgrace,butscarcelyanythingelse;heappearedsadanddejected,hiswifelookedanxiouslyuponhim。Iwasassilentasmyfriends;afteralittletimeweretiredtoourseparateplacesofrest。
  AboutmidnightIwasawakenedbyanoise;Istartedupandlistened;itappearedtomethatIheardvoicesandgroans。InamomentIhadissuedfrommytent-allwassilent-butthenextmomentIagainheardgroansandvoices;theyproceededfromthetiltedcartwherePeterandhiswifelay;Idrewnear,againtherewasapause,andthenIheardthevoiceofPeter,inanaccentofextremeanguish,exclaim,’PechodYspryddGlan-OpechodYspryddGlan!’andthenheutteredadeepgroan。Anon,IheardthevoiceofWinifred,andnevershallIforgetthesweetnessandgentlenessofthetonesofhervoiceinthestillnessofthatnight。Ididnotunderstandallshesaid-shespokeinhernativelanguage,andIwassomewayapart;sheappearedtoendeavourtoconsoleherhusband,butheseemedtorefuseallcomfort,and,withmanygroans,repeated-’PechodYspryddGlan-OpechodYspryddGlan!’
  IfeltIhadnorighttopryintotheirafflictions,andretired。
  Now’pechodYspryddGlan,’interpreted,isthesinagainsttheHolyGhost。
  CHAPTERLXXIV
  Thefollowingday-Pride-Thrivingtrade-TylwythTeg-EllisWyn-Sleepinghard-Incalculablegood-Fearfulagony-Thetale。
  PETERandhiswifedidnotproceedonanyexpeditionduringthefollowingday。Theformerstrolledgloomilyaboutthefields,andthelatterpassedmanyhoursinthefarmhouse。Towardsevening,withoutsayingawordtoeither,Idepartedwithmyvehicle,andfindingmywaytoasmalltownatsomedistance,Ilaidinastoreofvariousarticles,withwhichIreturned。Itwasnight,andmytwofriendswereseatedbeneaththeoak;theyhadjustcompletedtheirfrugalsupper。’Wewaitedfortheesometime,’saidWinifred,’but,findingthatthoudidstnotcome,webeganwithoutthee;butsitdown,Ipraythee,thereisstillenoughforthee。’
  ’Iwillsitdown,’saidI,’butIrequirenosupper,forIhaveeatenwhereIhavebeen’:nothingmoreparticularoccurredatthetime。Nextmorningthekindpairinvitedmetosharetheirbreakfast。’Iwillnotshareyourbreakfast,’saidI。’Whereforenot?’saidWinifred,anxiously。’Because,’saidI,’itisnotproperthatIbebeholdentoyouformeatanddrink。’’Butwearebeholdentootherpeople,’saidWinifred。’Yes,’saidI,’butyoupreachtothem,andgivethemghostlyadvice,whichconsiderablyaltersthematter;notthatIwouldreceiveanythingfromthem,ifIpreachedtothemsixtimesaday。’’Thouartnotfondofreceivingfavours,then,youngman,’saidWinifred。’Iamnot,’
  saidI。’Andofconferringfavours?’’Nothingaffordsmegreaterpleasure,’saidI,’thantoconferfavours。’’Whatadisposition,’
  saidWinifred,holdingupherhands;’andthisispride,genuinepride-thatfeelingwhichtheworldagreestocallsonoble。Oh,howmeanathingispride!neverbeforedidIseeallthemeannessofwhatiscalledpride!’
  ’Buthowwiltthoulive,friend,’saidPeter;’dostthounotintendtoeat?’’WhenIwentoutlastnight,’saidI,’Ilaidinaprovision。’’Thouhastlaidinaprovision!’saidPeter,’prayletusseeit。Really,friend,’saidhe,afterIhadproducedit,’thoumustdriveathrivingtrade;hereareprovisionsenoughtolastthreepeopleforseveraldays。Herearebutterandeggs,hereistea,hereissugar,andthereisaflitch。Ihopethouwiltletuspartakeofsomeofthyfare。’’Ishouldbeveryhappyifyouwould,’saidI。’Doubtnotbutweshall,’saidPeter;’Winifredshallhavesomeofthyflitchcookedfordinner。Inthemeantime,sitdown,youngman,andbreakfastatourexpense-wewilldineatthine。’
  Ontheeveningofthatday,Peterandmyselfsatalonebeneaththeoak。Wefellintoconversation;Peterwasatfirstmelancholy,buthesoonbecamemorecheerful,fluent,andentertaining。Ispokebutlittle;butIobservedthatsometimeswhatIsaidsurprisedthegoodMethodist。Wehadbeensilentsometime。Atlength,liftingupmyeyestothebroadandleafycanopyofthetrees,Isaid,havingnothingbettertoremark,’Whatanobletree!Iwonderifthefairieseverdancebeneathit。’
  ’Fairies!’saidPeter,’fairies!howcameyou,youngman,toknowanythingaboutthefairfamily?’
  ’IamanEnglishman,’saidI,’andofcourseknowsomethingaboutfairies;Englandwasonceafamousplaceforthem。’
  ’Wasonce,Igrantyou,’saidPeter,’butissonolonger。IhavetravelledforyearsaboutEngland,andneverheardthemmentionedbefore;thebeliefinthemhasdiedaway,andeventheirnameseemstobeforgotten。IfyouhadsaidyouwereaWelshman,Ishouldnothavebeensurprised。TheWelshhavemuchtosayoftheTylwythTeg,orfairfamily,andmanybelieveinthem。’
  ’Anddoyoubelieveinthem?’saidI。
  ’Iscarcelyknowwhattosay。Wiseandgoodmenhavebeenofopinionthattheyarenothingbutdevils,who,undertheformofprettyandamiablespirits,wouldfainallurepoorhumanbeings;I
  seenothingirrationalinthesupposition。’
  ’Doyoubelieveindevils,then?’
  ’DoIbelieveindevils,youngman?’saidPeter,andhisframewasshakenasifbyconvulsions。’IfIdonotbelieveindevils,whyamIhereatthepresentmoment?’
  ’Youknowbest,’saidI;’butIdon’tbelievethatfairiesaredevils,andIdon’twishtoheartheminsulted。Whatlearnedmenhavesaidtheyaredevils?’
  ’Manyhavesaidit,youngman,and,amongstothers,MasterEllisWyn,inthatwonderfulbookofhis,theBARDDCWSG。’
  ’TheBARDDCWSG,’saidI;’whatkindofbookisthat?Ihaveneverheardofthatbookbefore。’
  ’Heardofitbefore;Isupposenot;howshouldyouhaveheardofitbefore?Bythebye,canyouread?’
  ’Verytolerably,’saidI;’sotherearefairiesinthisbook。Whatdoyoucallit-theBARDDCWSG?’
  ’Yes,theBARDDCWSG。YoupronounceWelshveryfairly;haveyoueverbeeninWales?’
  ’Never,’saidI。
  ’NotbeeninWales;then,ofcourse,youdon’tunderstandWelsh;
  butweweretalkingoftheBARDDCWSG-yes,therearefairiesintheBARDDCWSG,-theauthorofit,MasterEllisWyn,wascarriedawayinhissleepbythemovermountainsandvalleys,riversandgreatwaters,incurringmightyperilsattheirhands,tillhewasrescuedfromthembyanangeloftheMostHigh,whosubsequentlyshowedhimmanywonderfulthings。’
  ’Ibegyourpardon,’saidI,’butwhatwerethosewonderfulthings?’
  ’Isee,youngman,’saidPeter,smiling,’thatyouarenotwithoutcuriosity;butIcaneasilypardonanyoneforbeingcuriousaboutthewonderscontainedinthebookofMasterEllisWyn。Theangelshowedhimthecourseofthisworld,itspompsandvanities,itscrueltyanditspride,itscrimesanddeceits。Onanotheroccasion,theangelshowedhimDeathinhisnetherpalace,surroundedbyhisgrislyministers,andbythosewhoarecontinuallyfallingvictimstohispower。And,onathirdoccasion,thestateofthecondemnedintheirplaceofeverlastingtorment。’
  ’Butthiswasallinhissleep,’saidI,’wasitnot?’
  ’Yes,’saidPeter,’inhissleep;andonthataccountthebookiscalledGWELEDIGAETHAUYBARDDCWSG,or,VISIONSOFTHESLEEPING
  BARD。’
  ’Idonotcareforwonderswhichoccurinsleep,’saidI。’I
  preferrealones;andperhaps,notwithstandingwhathesays,themanhadnovisionsatall-theyareprobablyofhisowninvention。’
  ’Theyaresubstantiallytrue,youngman,’saidPeter;’likethedreamsofBunyan,theyarefoundedonthreetremendousfacts,Sin,Death,andHell;andlikehistheyhavedoneincalculablegood,atleastinmyowncountry,inthelanguageofwhichtheyarewritten。
  ManyaguiltyconsciencehastheBARDDCWSGarousedwithitsdreadfulsights,itsstrongsighs,itspuffsofsmokefromthepit,anditsshowersofsparksfromthemouthoftheyetlowergulfof-
  Unknown-wereitnotfortheBARDDCWSGperhapsImightnotbehere。’
  ’Iwouldsoonerhearyourowntale,’saidI,’thanallthevisionsoftheBARDDCWSG。’
  Petershook,benthisformnearlydouble,andcoveredhisfacewithhishands。Isatstillandmotionless,withmyeyesfixeduponhim。PresentlyWinifreddescendedthehill,andjoinedus。’Whatisthematter?’saidshe,lookingatherhusband,whostillremainedinthepostureIhavedescribed。Hemadenoanswer;