第 7 节
作者:尘小春      更新:2021-02-18 23:45      字数:9322
  neighbors。
  Some say the colony is Dutch; some Danish; some Flemish。 The character
  and cleanliness of their female costume points rather to the latter。
  Fish; like horse…flesh; corrupts the mind and manners。
  After a certain age; the Newhaven fishwife is always a blackguard; and
  ugly; but among the younger specimens; who have not traded too much; or
  come into much contact with larger towns; a charming modesty; or else
  slyness (such as no man can distinguish from it; so it answers every
  purpose); is to be found; combined with rare grace and beauty。
  It is a race of women that the northern sun peachifies instead of
  rosewoodizing。
  On Sundays the majority sacrifice appearance to fashion; these turn out
  rainbows of silk; satin and lace。 In the week they were all grace; and no
  stays; now they seem all stays and no grace。 They never look so ill as
  when they change their 〃costume〃 for 〃dress。〃
  The men are smart fishermen; distinguished from the other fishermen of
  the Firth chiefly by their 〃dredging song。〃
  This old song is money to them; thus:
  Dredging is practically very stiff rowing for ten hours。
  Now both the Newhaven men and their rivals are agreed that this song
  lifts them through more work than untuned fishermen can manage。
  I have heard the song; and seen the work done to it; and incline to think
  it helps the oar; not only by keeping the time true; and the spirit
  alive; but also by its favorable action on the lungs。 It is sung in a
  peculiar way; the sound is; as it were; expelled from the chest in a sort
  of musical ejaculations; and the like; we know; was done by the ancient
  gymnasts; and is done by the French bakers; in lifting their enormous
  dough; and by our paviors。
  The song; in itself; does not contain above seventy stock verses; but
  these perennial lines are a nucleus; round which the men improvise the
  topics of the day; giving; I know not for what reason; the preference to
  such as verge upon indelicacy。
  The men and women are musical and narrative; three out of four can sing a
  song or tell a story; and they omit few opportunities。
  Males and females suck whisky like milk; and are quarrelsome in
  proportion。 The men fight (round…handed); the women fleicht or scold; in
  the form of a teapotthe handle fixed and the spout sawing the air。
  A singular custom prevails here。
  The maidens have only one sweetheart apiece!!!
  So the whole town is in pairs。
  The courting is all done on Saturday night; by the lady's fire。 It is
  hard to keep out of a groove in which all the town is running; and the
  Johnstone had possessed; as mere propertya lad!
  She was so wealthy that few of them could pretend to aspire to her; so
  she selected for her chattel a young man called Willy Liston; a youth of
  an unhappy turnhe contributed nothing to hilarity; his face was a
  kill…joynobody liked him; for this female reason Christie distinguished
  him。
  He found a divine supper every Saturday night in her house; he ate; and
  sighed! Christie fed him; and laughed at him。
  Flucker ditto。
  As she neither fed nor laughed at any other man; some twenty were
  bitterly jealous of Willy Liston; and this gave the blighted youth a
  cheerful moment or two。
  But the bright alliance received a check some months before our tale。
  Christie was _heluo librorum!_ and like others who have that taste; and
  can only gratify it in the interval of manual exercise; she read very
  intensely in her hours of study。 A book absorbed her。 She was like a
  leech on these occasions; _non missura cutem。_ Even Jean Carnie; her
  co…adjutor or 〃neebor;〃 as they call it; found it best to keep out of her
  way till the book was sucked。
  One Saturday night Willy Liston's evil star ordained that a gentleman of
  French origin and Spanish dress; called Gil Blas; should be the
  Johnstone's companion。
  Willy Liston arrived。
  Christie; who had bolted the door; told him from the window; civilly
  enough; but decidedly; 〃She would excuse his company that night。〃
  〃Vara weel;〃 said Willy; and departed。
  Next Saturdayno Willy came。
  Ditto the next。 Willy was waiting the _amende。_
  Christie forgot to make it。
  One day she was passing the boats; Willy beckoned her mysteriously; he
  led her to his boat; which was called 〃The Christie Johnstone〃; by the
  boat's side was a paint pot and brush。
  They had not supped together for five Saturdays。
  Ergo; Mr。 Liston had painted out the first four letters of 〃Christie;〃 he
  now proceeded to paint out the fifth; giving her to understand; that; if
  she allowed the whole name to go; a letter every blank Saturday; her
  image would be gradually; but effectually; obliterated from the heart
  Listonian。
  My reader has done what Liston did not; anticipate her answer。 She
  recommended him; while his hand was in; to paint out the entire name;
  and; with white paint and a smaller brush; to substitute some other
  female appellation。 So saying; she tripped off。
  Mr。 Liston on this was guilty of the following inconsistency; he pressed
  the paint carefully out of the brush into the pot。 Having thus economized
  his material; he hurled the pot which contained his economy at 〃the
  Johnstone;〃 he then adjourned to the 〃Peacock;〃 and 〃away at once with
  love and reason。〃
  Thenceforth; when men asked who was Christie Johnstone's lad; the answer
  used to be; 〃She's seeking ane。〃 _Quelle horreur!!_
  Newhaven doesn't know everything; but my intelligent reader suspects;
  and; if confirming his suspicions can reconcile him to our facts; it will
  soon be done。
  But he must come with us to Edinburgh; it's only three miles。
  CHAPTER VI。
  A LITTLE band of painters came into Edinburgh from a professional walk。
  Three were of EdinburghGroove; aged fifty; Jones and Hyacinth; young;
  the latter long…haired。
  With them was a young Englishman; the leader of the expedition; Charles
  Gatty。
  His step was elastic; and his manner wonderfully animated; without
  loudness。
  〃A bright day;〃 said he。 〃The sun forgot where he was; and shone;
  everything was in favor of art。〃
  〃Oh; dear; no;〃 replied old Groove; 〃not where I was〃
  〃Why; what was the matter?〃
  〃The flies kept buzzing and biting; and sticking in the work。 That's the
  worst of out o' doors!〃
  〃The flies! is that all? Swear the spiders in special constables next
  time;〃 cried Gatty。 〃We shall win the day;〃 and light shone into his
  hazel eye。
  〃The world will not always put up with the humbugs of the brush; who; to
  imitate Nature; turn their back on her。 Paint an out o' door scene
  indoors! I swear by the sun it's a lie! the one stupid; impudent lie that
  glitters among the lies of vulgar art; like Satan among Belial; Mammon
  and all those beggars。
  〃Now look here; the barren outlines of a scene must be looked at; to be
  done; hence the sketching system slop…sellers of the Academy! but the
  million delicacies of light; shade; and color can be trusted to memory;
  can they?
  〃It's a lie big enough to shake the earth out of her course; if any part
  of the work could be trusted to memory or imagination; it happens to be
  the bare outlines; and they can't。 The million subtleties of light and
  color; learn them by heart; and say them off on canvas! the highest angel
  in the sky must have his eye upon them; and look devilish sharp; too; or
  he shan't paint them。 I give him Charles Gatty's word for that。〃
  〃That's very eloquent; I call it;〃 said Jones。
  〃Yes;〃 said poor old Groove; 〃the lad will never make a painter。〃
  〃Yes; I shall; Groove; at least I hope so; but it must be a long time
  first。〃
  〃I never knew a painter who could talk and paint both;〃 explained Mr。
  Groove。
  〃Very well;〃 said Gatty。 〃Then I'll say but one word more; and it is
  this。 The artifice of painting is old enough to die; it is time the art
  was born。 Whenever it does come into the world; you will see no more dead
  corpses of trees; grass and water; robbed of their life; the sunlight;
  and flung upon canvas in a studio; by the light of a cigar; and a
  lieand〃
  〃How much do you expect for your picture?〃 interrupted Jones。
  〃What has that to do with it? With these little swords〃 (waving his
  brush); 〃we'll fight for nature…light; truth light; and sunlight against
  a world in armsno; worse; in swaddling clothes。〃
  〃With these little swerrds;〃 replied poor old Groove; 〃we shall cut our
  own throats if we go against people's prejudices。〃
  The young artist laughed the old daubster a merry defiance; and then
  separated from the party; for his lodgings were down the street。
  He had not left them long; before a most musical voice was heard; crying:
  〃A caallerr owoo!〃
  And two young fishwives hove in sight。 The boys recognized one of them as
  Gatty's sweetheart。
  〃Is he in love with her?〃 inquired Jones。
  Hyacinth the long…haired undertook to reply。
  〃He loves her better than anything in the world except Art。 Love and Art
  are two beautiful things;〃 whined Hyacinth。
  〃She; too; is beautiful。 I have done her;〃 added he; with a simper。
  〃In oil?〃 asked Groove。
  〃In oil? no; in verse; here;〃 and he took out a paper。
  〃Then hadn't we better cut? you might propose reading them;〃 said poor
  old Groove。
  〃Have you any oysters?〃 inquired Jon