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the holly-tree(圣树)-第1部分
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THE HOLLY…TREETHREE BRANCHES
THE HOLLY…TREE
THREE BRANCHES
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THE HOLLY…TREETHREE BRANCHES
FIRST BRANCHMYSELF
I have kept one secret in the course of my life。 I am a bashful man。
Nobody would suppose it; nobody ever does suppose it; nobody ever did
suppose it; but I am naturally a bashful man。 This is the secret which I
have never breathed until now。
I might greatly move the reader by some account of the innumerable
places I have not been to; the innumerable people I have not called upon
or received; the innumerable social evasions I have been guilty of; solely
because I am by original constitution and character a bashful man。 But I
will leave the reader unmoved; and proceed with the object before me。
That object is to give a plain account of my travels and discoveries in
the Holly…Tree Inn; in which place of good entertainment for man and
beast I was once snowed up。
It happened in the memorable year when I parted for ever from Angela
Leath; whom I was shortly to have married; on making the discovery that
she preferred my bosom friend。 From our school…days I had freely
admitted Edwin; in my own mind; to be far superior to myself; and;
though I was grievously wounded at heart; I felt the preference to be
natural; and tried to forgive them both。 It was under these circumstances
that I resolved to go to Americaon my way to the Devil。
Communicating my discovery neither to Angela nor to Edwin; but
resolving to write each of them an affecting letter conveying my blessing
and forgiveness; which the steam…tender for shore should carry to the post
when I myself should be bound for the New World; far beyond recall;I
say; locking up my grief in my own breast; and consoling myself as I
could with the prospect of being generous; I quietly left all I held dear; and
started on the desolate journey I have mentioned。
The dead winter…time was in full dreariness when I left my chambers
for ever; at five o'clock in the morning。 I had shaved by candle… light; of
course; and was miserably cold; and experienced that general all…
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THE HOLLY…TREETHREE BRANCHES
pervading sensation of getting up to be hanged which I have usually found
inseparable from untimely rising under such circumstances。
How well I remember the forlorn aspect of Fleet Street when I came
out of the Temple! The street…lamps flickering in the gusty north… east
wind; as if the very gas were contorted with cold; the white… topped houses;
the bleak; star…lighted sky; the market people and other early stragglers;
trotting to circulate their almost frozen blood; the hospitable light and
warmth of the few coffee…shops and public…houses that were open for such
customers; the hard; dry; frosty rime with which the air was charged (the
wind had already beaten it into every crevice); and which lashed my face
like a steel whip。
It wanted nine days to the end of the month; and end of the year。 The
Post…office packet for the United States was to depart from Liverpool;
weather permitting; on the first of the ensuing month; and I had the
intervening time on my hands。 I had taken this into consideration; and
had resolved to make a visit to a certain spot (which I need not name) on
the farther borders of Yorkshire。 It was endeared to me by my having
first seen Angela at a farmhouse in that place; and my melancholy was
gratified by the idea of taking a wintry leave of it before my expatriation。
I ought to explain; that; to avoid being sought out before my resolution
should have been rendered irrevocable by being carried into full effect; I
had written to Angela overnight; in my usual manner; lamenting that
urgent business; of which she should know all particulars by…and…by… …took
me unexpectedly away from her for a week or ten days。
There was no Northern Railway at that time; and in its place there
were stage…coaches; which I occasionally find myself; in common with
some other people; affecting to lament now; but which everybody dreaded
as a very serious penance then。 I had secured the box…seat on the fastest
of these; and my business in Fleet Street was to get into a cab with my
portmanteau; so to make the best of my way to the Peacock at Islington;
where I was to join this coach。 But when one of our Temple watchmen;
who carried my portmanteau into Fleet Street for me; told me about the
huge blocks of ice that had for some days past been floating in the river;
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having closed up in the night; and made a walk from the Temple Gardens
over to the Surrey shore; I began to ask myself the question; whether the
box…seat would not be likely to put a sudden and a frosty end to my
unhappiness。 I was heart…broken; it is true; and yet I was not quite so far
gone as to wish to be frozen to death。
When I got up to the Peacock;where I found everybody drinking hot
purl; in self…preservation;I asked if there were an inside seat to spare。 I
then discovered that; inside or out; I was the only passenger。 This gave
me a still livelier idea of the great inclemency of the weather; since that
coach always loaded particularly well。 However; I took a little purl
(which I found uncommonly good); and got into the coach。 When I was
seated; they built me up with straw to the waist; and; conscious of making
a rather ridiculous appearance; I began my journey。
It was still dark when we left the Peacock。 For a little while; pale;
uncertain ghosts of houses and trees appeared and vanished; and then it
was hard; black; frozen day。 People were lighting their fires; smoke was
mounting straight up high into the rarified air; and we were rattling for
Highgate Archway over the hardest ground I have ever heard the ring of
iron shoes on。 As we got into the country; everything seemed to have
grown old and gray。 The roads; the trees; thatched roofs of cottages and
homesteads; the ricks in farmers' yards。 Out…door work was abandoned;
horse…troughs at road… side inns were frozen hard; no stragglers lounged
about; doors were close shut; little turnpike houses had blazing fires inside;
and children (even turnpike people have children; and seem to like them)
rubbed the frost from the little panes of glass with their chubby arms; that
their bright eyes might catch a glimpse of the solitary coach going by。 I
don't know when the snow begin to set in; but I know that we were
changing horses somewhere when I heard the guard remark; 〃That the old
lady up in the sky was picking her geese pretty hard to…day。〃 Then;
indeed; I found the white down falling fast and thick。
The lonely day wore on; and I dozed it out; as a lonely traveller does。
I was warm and valiant after eating and drinking; particularly after
dinner; cold and depressed at all other times。 I was always bewildered as
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to time and place; and always more or less out of my senses。 The coach
and horses seemed to execute in chorus Auld Lang Syne; without a
moment's intermission。 They kept the time and tune with the greatest
regularity; and rose into the swell at the beginning of the Refrain; with a
precision that worried me to death。 While we changed horses; the guard
and coachman went stumping up and down the road; printing off their
shoes in the snow; and poured so much liquid consolation into themselves
without being any the worse for it; that I began to confound them; as it
darkened again; with two great white casks standing on e
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