第8章

understoodnotasingleword；andIwonderedwhatitcouldbe，forIknewbythesoundthatitwasnotFrench。Atlasttheman，inasomewhatloudertone，appearedtoputaquestiontothewoman，whonoddedherheadaffirmatively，andinamomentortwoproducedasmallstool，whichshedeliveredtohim。Heplaceditontheground，closebythedoorofthetent，firstrubbingitwithhissleeve，asifforthepurposeofpolishingitssurface。

MAN。Now，mypreciouslittlegentleman，dositdownherebythepoorpeople’stent；wewishtobecivilinourslightway。Don’tbeangry，andsayno；butlookkindlyuponus，andsatisfied，mypreciouslittleGodAlmighty。

WOMAN。Yes，mygorgeousangel，sitdownbythepoorbodies’fire，andeatasweetmeat。Wewanttoaskyouaquestionortwo；onlyfirstputthatserpentaway。

MYSELF。Icansitdown，andbidtheserpentgotosleep，that’seasyenough；butasforeatingasweetmeat，howcanIdothat？I

havenotgotone，andwhereamItogetit？

WOMAN。Neverfear，mytinytawny，wecangiveyouone，suchasyouneverate，Idaresay，howeverfaryoumayhavecomefrom。

Theserpentsankintoitsusualresting-place，andIsatdownonthestool。Thewomanopenedabox，andtookoutastrangelittlebasketorhamper，notmuchlargerthanaman’sfist，andformedofadelicatekindofmatting。Itwassewedatthetop；but，rippingitopenwithaknife，sheheldittome，andIsaw，tomysurprise，thatitcontainedcandiedfruitsofadarkgreenhue，temptingenoughtooneofmyage。’There，mytiny，’saidshe；’taste，andtellmehowyoulikethem。’

’Verymuch，’saidI；’wheredidyougetthem？’

Thebeldameleereduponmeforamoment，then，noddingherheadthrice，withaknowinglook，said，’Whoknowsbetterthanyourself，mytawny？’

Now，Iknewnothingaboutthematter；butIsawthatthesestrangepeoplehadconceivedaveryhighopinionoftheabilitiesoftheirvisitor，whichIwasnothinglothtoencourage。Ithereforeansweredboldly，’Ah!whoindeed!’

’Certainly，’saidtheman；’whoshouldknowbetterthanyourself，orsowell？Andnow，mytinyone，letmeaskyouonething-youdidn’tcometodousanyharm？’

’No，’saidI，’Ihadnodisliketoyou；though，ifyouweretomeddlewithme-’

MAN。Ofcourse，mygorgeous，ofcourseyouwould；andquiterighttoo。Meddlewithyou!-whatrighthavewe？Ishouldsay，itwouldnotbequitesafe。Iseehowitis；youareoneofthemthere；-andhebenthisheadtowardshisleftshoulder。

MYSELF。Yes，Iamoneofthem-forIthoughthewasalludingtothesoldiers，-youhadbestmindwhatyouareabout，Icantellyou。

MAN。Don’tdoubtwewillforourownsake；Lordblessyou，wifelkin，onlythinkthatweshouldseeoneofthemtherewhenweleastthoughtaboutit。Well，Ihaveheardofsuchthings，thoughIneverthoughttoseeone；however，seeingisbelieving。Well!

nowyouarecome，andarenotgoingtodousanymischief，Ihopeyouwillstay；youcandousplentyofgoodifyouwill。

MYSELF。WhatgoodcouldIdoyou？

MAN。Whatgood？plenty!Wouldyounotbringusluck？Ihaveheardsaythatoneofthemtherealwaysdoes，ifitwillbutsettledown。Staywithus，youshallhaveatiltedcartalltoyourselfifyoulike。We’llmakeyouourlittleGodAlmighty，andsayourprayerstoyoueverymorning!

MYSELF。Thatwouldbenice；and，ifyouweretogivemeplentyofthesethings，Ishouldhavenoobjection。Butwhatwouldmyfathersay？Ithinkhewouldhardlyletme。

MAN。Whynot？hewouldbewithyou；andkindlywouldwetreathim。

Indeed，withoutyourfatheryouwouldbenothingatall。

MYSELF。That’strue；butIdonotthinkhecouldbesparedfromhisregiment。Ihaveheardhimsaythattheycoulddonothingwithouthim。

MAN。Hisregiment!Whatareyoutalkingabout？-whatdoesthechildmean？

MYSELF。WhatdoImean!-why，thatmyfatherisanofficer-manatthebarracksyonder，keepingguardovertheFrenchprisoners。

MAN。Oh!thenthatsapisnotyourfather？

MYSELF。What，thesnake？Why，no!Didyouthinkhewas？

MAN。Tobesurewedid。Didn’tyoutellmeso？

MYSELF。Why，yes；butwhowouldhavethoughtyouwouldhavebelievedit？Itisatameone。Ihuntvipers，andtamethem。

MAN。O-h!

’O-h!’gruntedthewoman，’that’sit，isit？’

Themanandwoman，whoduringthisconversationhadresumedtheirformerpositionswithinthetent，lookedateachotherwithaqueerlookofsurprise，asifsomewhatdisconcertedatwhattheynowheard。Theythenenteredintodiscoursewitheachotherinthesamestrangetonguewhichhadalreadypuzzledme。Atlengththemanlookedmeintheface，andsaid，somewhathesitatingly，’Soyouarenotoneofthemthereafterall？’

MYSELF。Oneofthemthere？Idon’tknowwhatyoumean。

MAN。Why，wehavebeenthinkingyouwereagoblin-adevilkin!

However，Iseehowitis：youareasap-engro，achapwhocatchessnakes，andplaystrickswiththem!Well，itcomesverynearlytothesamething；andifyoupleasetolistwithus，andbearuspleasantcompany，weshallbegladofyou。I’dtakemyoathuponit，thatwemightmakeamortofmoneybyyouandthatsap，andthetricksitcoulddo；and，asyouseemflytoeverything，Ishouldn’twonderifyouwouldmakeaprimehandattellingfortunes。

’Ishouldn’twonder，’saidI。

MAN。Ofcourse。AndyoumightstillbeourGodAlmighty，oratanyrateourclergyman，soyoushouldliveinatiltedcartbyyourself，andsayprayerstousnightandmorning-towifelkinhere，andallourfamily；there’splentyofuswhenwearealltogether：asIsaidbefore，youseemfly，Ishouldn’twonderifyoucouldread？

’Ohyes!’saidI，’Icanread’；and，eagertodisplaymyaccomplishments，Itookmybookoutofmypocket，and，openingitatrandom，proceededtoreadhowacertainman，whilstwanderingaboutacertainsolitaryisland，enteredacave，themouthofwhichwasovergrownwithbrushwood，andhowhewasnearlyfrightenedtodeathinthatcavebysomethingwhichhesaw。

’Thatwilldo，’saidtheman；’that’sthekindofprayersformeandmyfamily，aren’tthey，wifelkin？Ineverheardmoredelicateprayersinallmylife!Why，theybeattherubricalshollow!-andherecomesmysonJasper。Isay，Jasper，here’sayoungsap-engrothatcanread，andismoreflythanyourself。Shakehandswithhim；Iwishyetobetwobrothers。’

WithaswiftbutstealthypaceJaspercametowardsusfromthefartherpartofthelane；onreachingthetenthestoodstill，andlookedfixedlyuponmeasIsatuponthestool；Ilookedfixedlyuponhim。AqueerlookhadJasper；hewasaladofsometwelveorthirteenyears，withlongarms，unlikethesingularbeingwhocalledhimselfhisfather；hiscomplexionwasruddy，buthisfacewasseamed，thoughitdidnotbearthepeculiarscarwhichdisfiguredthecountenanceoftheother；nor，thoughroguishenough，acertainevilexpressionwhichthatoftheotherbore，andwhichthefaceofthewomanpossessedinayetmoreremarkabledegree。Fortherest，heworedrabbreeches，withcertainstringsattheknee，arathergaywaistcoat，andtolerablywhiteshirt；

underhisarmheboreamightywhipofwhalebonewithabrassknob，anduponhisheadwasahatwithouteithertoporbrim。

’There，Jasper!shakehandswiththesap-engro。’

’Canhebox，father？’saidJasper，surveyingmerathercontemptuously。’Ishouldthinknot，helookssopunyandsmall。’

’Holdyourpeace，fool!’saidtheman；’hecandomorethanthat-

Itellyouhe’sfly：hecarriesasapabout，whichwouldstinganinnylikeyoutodead。’

’What，asap-engro!’saidtheboy，withasingularwhine，and，stoopingdown，heleeredcuriouslyinmyface，kindly，however，andthenpattedmeonthehead。’Asap-engro，’heejaculated；’lor!’

’Yes，andoneoftherightsort，’saidtheman；’Iamgladwehavemetwithhim，heisgoingtolistwithus，andbeourclergymanandGodAlmighty，ain’tyou，mytawny？’

’Idon’tknow，’saidI；’Imustseewhatmyfatherwillsay。’

’Yourfather；bah!’-butherehestopped，forasoundwasheardliketherapidgallopingofahorse，notloudanddistinctasonaroad，butdullandheavyasifuponagrasssward；nearerandneareritcame，andtheman，startingup，rushedoutofthetent，andlookedaroundanxiously。IarosefromthestooluponwhichI

hadbeenseated，andjustatthatmoment，amidstacrashingofboughsandsticks，amanonhorsebackboundedoverthehedgeintothelaneatafewyards’distancefromwherewewere：fromtheimpetusoftheleapthehorsewasnearlydownonhisknees；therider，however，bydintofvigoroushandlingofthereins，preventedhimfromfalling，andthenrodeuptothetent。’’TisNat，’saidtheman；’whatbringshimhere？’Thenewcomerwasastoutburlyfellow，aboutthemiddleage；hehadasavagedeterminedlook，andhisfacewasnearlycoveredoverwithcarbuncles；heworeabroadslouchinghat，andwasdressedinagraycoat，cutinafashionwhichIafterwardslearnttobethegenuineNewmarketcut，theskirtsbeingexceedinglyshort；hiswaistcoatwasofredplush，andheworebroadcorduroybreechesandwhitetop-boots。Thesteedwhichcarriedhimwasofirongray，spiritedandpowerful，butcoveredwithsweatandfoam。Thefellowglancedfiercelyandsuspiciouslyaround，andsaidsomethingtothemanofthetentinaharshandrapidvoice。Ashortandhurriedconversationensuedinthestrangetongue。Icouldnottakemyeyesoffthisnew-comer。Oh，thathalf-jockey，half-bruisercountenance，Ineverforgotit!MorethanfifteenyearsafterwardsIfoundmyselfamidstacrowdbeforeNewgate；agallowswaserected，andbeneathitstoodacriminal，anotoriousmalefactor。