第25章

"Thataccountsforyournotknowingthemeaningoftawse，"

saidI；"hadyoureceivedtherudimentsofaclassicaleducationattheHighSchool，youwouldhaveknownthemeaningoftawsefullwell。Itisaleathernthong，withwhichrefractoryurchinsarerecalledtoasenseoftheirdutybythedominie。Tau—tawse—howsingular！"

"Icannotseewhatthetwowordshaveincommon，exceptaslightagreementinsound。"

"Youwillseetheconnection，"saidI，"whenIinformyouthatthethong，fromthemiddletothebottom，iscutorslitintotwoorthreeparts，fromwhichslitsorcuts，unlessI

amverymuchmistaken，itderivesitsname—tawse，athongwithslitsorcuts，usedforchastisingdisorderlyurchinsattheHighSchool，fromtheFrenchtailler，tocut；evidentlyconnectedwiththeChinesetau，aknife—howveryextraordinary！"

CHAPTERXXXIII

Convalescence—TheSurgeon’sBill—LetterofRecommendation—CommencementoftheOldMan’sHistory。

TWOdays—threedayspassedaway—andIstillremainedatthehouseofmyhospitableentertainer；mybruisedlimbrapidlyrecoveringthepowerofperformingitsfunctions。I

passedmytimeagreeablyenough，sometimesinmychamber，communingwithmyownthoughts；sometimesinthestable，attendingto，andnotunfrequentlyconversingwith，myhorse；

andatmeal—time—forIseldomsawhimatanyother—

discoursingwiththeoldgentleman，sometimesontheChinesevocabulary，sometimesonChinesesyntax，andonceortwiceonEnglishhorseflesh；thoughonthislattersubject，notwithstandinghisdescentfromaraceofhorse—traders，hedidnotenterintowithmuchalacrity。Asasmallrequitalforhiskindness，Igavehimoneday，afterdinner，unasked，abriefaccountofmyhistoryandpursuits。Helistenedwithattention；andwhenitwasconcluded，thankedmefortheconfidencewhichIhadreposedinhim。"Suchconduct，"saidhe，"deservesareturn。Iwilltellyoumyownhistory；itisbrief，butmayperhapsnotproveuninterestingtoyou—

thoughtherelationofitwillgivemesomepain。""Pray，then，donotreciteit，"saidI。"Yes，"saidtheoldman，"I

willtellyou，forIwishyoutoknowit。"Hewasabouttobegin，whenhewasinterruptedbythearrivalofthesurgeon。

Thesurgeonexaminedintothestateofmybruisedlimb，andtoldme，whatindeedIalreadywellknew，thatitwasrapidlyimproving。"Youwillnotevenrequireasling，"saidhe，"toridetoHorncastle。Whendoyouproposegoing？"hedemanded。

"WhendoyouthinkImayventure？"Ireplied。"Ithink，ifyouareatolerablygoodhorseman，youmaymountthedayafterto—morrow，"answeredthemedicalman。"By—the—bye，areyouacquaintedwithanybodyatHorncastle？""Withnolivingsoul，"Ianswered。"Thenyouwouldscarcelyfindstable—roomforyourhorse。ButIamhappytobeabletoassistyou。I

haveafriendtherewhokeepsasmallinn，andwho，duringthetimeofthefair，keepsastallvacantforanyquadrupedImaybring，untilheknowswhetherIamcomingornot。I

willgiveyoualettertohim，andhewillseeaftertheaccommodationofyourhorse。To—morrowIwillpayyouafarewellvisit，andbringyoutheletter。""Thankyou，"saidI；"anddonotforgettobringyourbill。"Thesurgeonlookedattheoldman，whogavehimapeculiarnod。"Oh！"

saidhe，inreplytome，"forthelittleserviceIhaverenderedyou，Irequirenoremuneration。Youareinmyfriend’shouse，andheandIunderstandeachother。""I

neverreceivesuchfavours，"saidI，"asyouhaverenderedme，withoutremuneratingthem；thereforeIshallexpectyourbill。""Oh！justasyouplease，"saidthesurgeon；andshakingmebythehandmorewarmlythanhehadhithertodone，hetookhisleave。

Ontheeveningofthenextday，thelastwhichIspentwithmykindentertainer，Isatatteawithhiminalittlesummer—houseinhisgarden，partiallyshadedbytheboughsofalargefig—tree。Thesurgeonhadshortlybeforepaidmehisfarewellvisit，andhadbroughtmetheletterofintroductiontohisfriendatHorncastle，andalsohisbill，whichIfoundanythingbutextravagant。Afterwehadeachrespectivelydrankthecontentsoftwocups—anditmaynotbeamissheretoinformthereaderthatthoughItookcreamwithmytea，asIalwaysdowhenIcanprocurethataddition，theoldman，likemostpeoplebredupinthecountry，drankhiswithoutit—hethusaddressedme：—"Iam，asItoldyouonthenightofyouraccident，thesonofabreederofhorses，arespectableandhonestman。WhenIwasabouttwentyhedied，leavingme，hisonlychild，acomfortableproperty，consistingofabouttwohundredacresoflandandsomefifteenhundredpoundsinmoney。Mymotherhaddiedaboutthreeyearspreviously。I

feltthedeathofmymotherkeenly，butthatofmyfatherlessthanwasmyduty；indeed，truthcompelsmetoacknowledgethatIscarcelyregrettedhisdeath。ThecauseofthiswantofproperfilialfeelingwastheoppositionwhichIhadexperiencedfromhiminanaffairwhichdeeplyconcernedme。Ihadformedanattachmentforayoungfemaleintheneighbourhood，who，thoughpoor，wasofhighlyrespectablebirth，herfatherhavingbeenacurateoftheEstablishedChurch。Shewas，atthetimeofwhichIamspeaking，anorphan，havinglostbothherparents，andsupportedherselfbykeepingasmallschool。Myattachmentwasreturned，andwehadpledgedourvows，butmyfather，whocouldnotreconcilehimselftoherlackoffortune，forbadeourmarriageinthemostpositiveterms。Hewaswrong，forshewasafortuneinherself—amiableandaccomplished。Oh！

Icannottellyouallshewas—"andheretheoldmandrewhishandacrosshiseyes。"Bythedeathofmyfather，theonlyobstacletoourhappinessappearedtoberemoved。Weagreed，therefore，thatourmarriageshouldtakeplacewithinthecourseofayear；andIforthwithcommencedenlargingmyhouseandgettingmyaffairsinorder。HavingbeenleftintheeasycircumstanceswhichIhavedescribed，Ideterminedtofollownobusiness，buttopassmylifeinastrictlydomesticmanner，andtobevery，veryhappy。Amongstotherpropertyderivedfrommyfatherwereseveralhorses，whichI

disposedofinthisneighbourhood，withtheexceptionoftworemarkablyfineones，whichIdeterminedtotaketothenextfairatHorncastle，theonlyplacewhereIexpectedtobeabletoobtainwhatIconsideredtobetheirfullvalue。Atlengththetimearrivedforthecommencementofthefair，whichwaswithinthreemonthsoftheperiodwhichmybelovedandmyselfhadfixeduponforthecelebrationofournuptials。TothefairIwent，acoupleoftrustymenfollowingmewiththehorses。Isoonfoundapurchaserfortheanimals，aportly，plausibleperson，ofaboutforty，dressedinablueridingcoat，browntopboots，andleatherbreeches。Therewasastrange—lookingurchinwithhim，attiredinnearlysimilarfashion，withabeaminoneofhiseyes，whocalledhimfather。Themanpaidmeforthepurchaseinbank—notes—threefifty—poundnotesforthetwohorses。Aswewereabouttotakeleaveofeachother，hesuddenlyproducedanotherfifty—poundnote，inquiringwhetherIcouldchangeit，complaining，atthesametime，ofthedifficultyofprocuringchangeinthefair。AsIhappenedtohaveplentyofsmallmoneyinmypossession，andasIfeltobligedtohimforhavingpurchasedmyhorsesatwhatI

consideredtobeagoodprice，IinformedhimthatIshouldbeveryhappytoaccommodatehim；soIchangedhimthenote，andhe，havingtakenpossessionofthehorses，wenthisway，andImyselfreturnedhome。

"Amonthpassed；duringthistimeIpaidawaytwoofthenoteswhichIhadreceivedatHorncastlefromthedealer—

oneoftheminmyimmediateneighbourhood，andtheotheratatownaboutfifteenmilesdistant，towhichIhadrepairedforthepurposeofpurchasingsomefurniture。Allthingsseemedtobegoingonmostprosperously，andIfeltquitehappy，whenonemorning，asIwasoverlookingsomeworkmenwhowereemployedaboutmyhouse，Iwasaccostedbyaconstable，whoinformedmethathewassenttorequestmyimmediateappearancebeforeaneighbouringbenchofmagistrates。

ConcludingthatIwasmerelysummonedonsomeunimportantbusinessconnectedwiththeneighbourhood，Ifeltnosurprise，andforthwithdepartedincompanywiththeofficer。

Thedemeanourofthemanuponthewaystruckmeassomewhatsingular。Ihadfrequentlyspokentohimbefore，andhadalwaysfoundhimcivilandrespectful，buthewasnowreservedandsullen，andrepliedtotwoorthreequestionswhichIputtohiminanythingbutacourteous