登陆注册
37715600000009

第9章

'I see nothing more,'said Brother Francis,'and there is nothing more to see,except the curlpaper bill of the theatre,which was opened and shut last week (the manager's family played all the parts),and the short,square,chinky omnibus that goes to the railway,and leads too rattling a life over the stones to hold together long.O yes!Now,I see two men with their hands in their pockets and their backs towards me.'

'Brother Francis,brother Francis,'cried Thomas Idle,'what do you make out from the turret,of the expression of the two men with their hands in their pockets and their backs towards you?'

'They are mysterious men,'said Brother Francis,'with inscrutable backs.They keep their backs towards me with persistency.If one turns an inch in any direction,the other turns an inch in the same direction,and no more.They turn very stiffly,on a very little pivot,in the middle of the market-place.Their appearance is partly of a mining,partly of a ploughing,partly of a stable,character.They are looking at nothing -very hard.Their backs are slouched,and their legs are curved with much standing about.

Their pockets are loose and dog's-eared,on account of their hands being always in them.They stand to be rained upon,without any movement of impatience or dissatisfaction,and they keep so close together that an elbow of each jostles an elbow of the other,but they never speak.They spit at times,but speak not.I see it growing darker and darker,and still I see them,sole visible population of the place,standing to be rained upon with their backs towards me,and looking at nothing very hard.'

'Brother Francis,brother Francis,'cried Thomas Idle,'before you draw down the blind of the turret and come in to have your head scorched by the hot gas,see if you can,and impart to me,something of the expression of those two amazing men.'

'The murky shadows,'said Francis Goodchild,'are gathering fast;and the wings of evening,and the wings of coal,are folding over Wigton.Still,they look at nothing very hard,with their backs towards me.Ah!Now,they turn,and I see -'

'Brother Francis,brother Francis,'cried Thomas Idle,'tell me quickly what you see of the two men of Wigton!'

'I see,'said Francis Goodchild,'that they have no expression at all.And now the town goes to sleep,undazzled by the large unlighted lamp in the market-place;and let no man wake it.'

At the close of the next day's journey,Mr.Thomas Idle's ankle became much swollen and inflamed.There are reasons which will presently explain themselves for not publicly indicating the exact direction in which that journey lay,or the place in which it ended.It was a long day's shaking of Thomas Idle over the rough roads,and a long day's getting out and going on before the horses,and fagging up hills,and scouring down hills,on the part of Mr.

Goodchild,who in the fatigues of such labours congratulated himself on attaining a high point of idleness.It was at a little town,still in Cumberland,that they halted for the night -a very little town,with the purple and brown moor close upon its one street;a curious little ancient market-cross set up in the midst of it;and the town itself looking much as if it were a collection of great stones piled on end by the Druids long ago,which a few recluse people had since hollowed out for habitations.

'Is there a doctor here?'asked Mr.Goodchild,on his knee,of the motherly landlady of the little Inn:stopping in his examination of Mr.Idle's ankle,with the aid of a candle.

'Ey,my word!'said the landlady,glancing doubtfully at the ankle for herself;'there's Doctor Speddie.'

'Is he a good Doctor?'

'Ey!'said the landlady,'I ca'him so.A'cooms efther nae doctor that I ken.Mair nor which,a's just THE doctor heer.'

'Do you think he is at home?'

Her reply was,'Gang awa',Jock,and bring him.'

Jock,a white-headed boy,who,under pretence of stirring up some bay salt in a basin of water for the laving of this unfortunate ankle,had greatly enjoyed himself for the last ten minutes in splashing the carpet,set off promptly.A very few minutes had elapsed when he showed the Doctor in,by tumbling against the door before him and bursting it open with his head.

'Gently,Jock,gently,'said the Doctor as he advanced with a quiet step.'Gentlemen,a good evening.I am sorry that my presence is required here.A slight accident,I hope?A slip and a fall?

Yes,yes,yes.Carrock,indeed?Hah!Does that pain you,sir?

No doubt,it does.It is the great connecting ligament here,you see,that has been badly strained.Time and rest,sir!They are often the recipe in greater cases,'with a slight sigh,'and often the recipe in small.I can send a lotion to relieve you,but we must leave the cure to time and rest.'

This he said,holding Idle's foot on his knee between his two hands,as he sat over against him.He had touched it tenderly and skilfully in explanation of what he said,and,when his careful examination was completed,softly returned it to its former horizontal position on a chair.

同类推荐
  • 贤首五教断证三觉拣滥图

    贤首五教断证三觉拣滥图

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 妇科心法要诀

    妇科心法要诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 似顺论

    似顺论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 医学从众录

    医学从众录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 记游

    记游

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 沉溺爱歌:倾世弃妃

    沉溺爱歌:倾世弃妃

    白天时可爱勇敢的战地女记者,暗夜中骇人听闻的魅恋的创始人,这些都是夏恋初,只为了能和妹妹魅初幸福的生活,只希望能寻找到亲生父母。谁知一次去战地报导却遭遇炸弹袭击,穿越到相府的一被弃的太子妃小姐身上,往事已去,同样都叫恋初,她要活出不一样的风采,那些陷害的人,她要为轩洛恋初一一讨回!太子算什么?她不希罕!灭太子,灭皇上,她是第一女帝!扫四国,夺神器,她是冷酷皇后!!!!
  • 斗罗大陆之铠甲合体

    斗罗大陆之铠甲合体

    隐藏在人群里真实存在的铠甲勇士,执行任务中发生意外,重生到了斗罗大陆的世界。然而,好不容易搞清楚处境的他,慢慢发现:我重生在蓝电霸王龙家,我是千百年难遇的小天才,大师成了我堂弟,柳二龙可能是我同父异母的妹妹,唐昊也成了我把子兄弟,武魂殿也没想象中那么黑暗……哦豁!生活好像没那么艰难!直到黑暗滋生,他不得不奋起反抗:“我本以为,这辈子都用不上你了……铠甲合体!”
  • 西南小山村

    西南小山村

    种瓜得瓜种豆得豆一个神奇的空间可以加速植物生长,可以感知动植物的情绪。主角有一点逗比,大龄单身狗,本书单女主。
  • 世界之大许你为家

    世界之大许你为家

    这一年,顾与初在墓碑后看到了许安。这一年,顾与初只身去了A城,只为陪伴在她左右。又一年,顾与初执起许安之手,郑重开口:“安安,往后,我顾与初定会护你一世平安。”无脑平平淡淡的恋爱文。
  • 庄主相公总是对我卖萌

    庄主相公总是对我卖萌

    她要是知道这个臭男人这么腹黑,她才不嫁呢。毒舌又自恋,可又翩翩贵公子,打不得骂不得,他简直就是无赖!
  • 嚣张女帝之凤弈天下

    嚣张女帝之凤弈天下

    一朝穿越成女帝,美貌夫君配四只!有钱、有权、有颜、活好!某摄政王说:“我家羽儿,生的甚是温柔,纤小可爱!”落玄觞给了他一记白眼:“那小渣女,狠起来连你祖宗八辈都问候一遍!说她温柔,你眼瞎了?”翩翩少年白衣公子说:“羽儿肩不能抗,手不能提,温室里的娇花一朵!”一旁正在磨刀的男人说:“她肩不能抗,手不能提,你给我解释解释,孤的刀是何人砍断的!”
  • 本源能力者

    本源能力者

    由于某个粗线条的女神实验室爆炸,沈林带着半残的女神一起来到了另一个世界线并光荣的成为了一名官方认证的世界管理员。能力者,未来人,外星人,幽灵,妖精,纷纷登场。
  • 密室自救游戏

    密室自救游戏

    荒无人迹的深山,传闻有一间令人毛骨悚然的密室,一支探险队,为了寻找密室,却不料被神秘力量下了诅咒,一种永远在密室里逃脱的诅咒....
  • TFboys如果能听见风的声音

    TFboys如果能听见风的声音

    ‘’你踏进风里,我寻不见你的踪影。‘’林清酒;’你好,我是林清酒,一个平凡却不甘平庸的女孩。‘’‘’我的青春有最好的他们陪伴,有怦然心动的暗恋。‘’‘’嘘,别说话,我把我唱给你听‘’。。。。。。。如果能听见风的声音
  • 平明王妃

    平明王妃

    她愿付出一切代价,只求上天再给她一次重来的机会。重来一次的她,能否扭转最终的局面?【ps:“王爷,你确定她真的是你的王妃?没认错?”,南煜明一个冷眼扫过去,“难道本王连自己的王妃都认不出来?”,士兵“……”】【小笔墨的扣扣:2272852446,小伙伴们还可以加入本书的交流群:496140800】欢迎加入~】