第 3 节
作者:白寒      更新:2021-04-30 15:47      字数:9322
  place; Mr。 Lumley received a visit from a stranger; requesting to see the
  MS。 Life of Otway in his possession。 It was handed to him; he examined it;
  and was very particular in his inquiries on the subject; giving the chaplain
  to   understand   that   he   was   the   agent   of   a   third   person   who   wished   to
  purchase either the original letter if possible; or if that could not be found;
  the    MS。    containing    the   copy。   Mr。   Lumley      always    believed    that   the
  employer   of   this   applicant   was   no   other   than   that   arch…gatherer;   Horace
  Walpole; who gave such an impulse to the collecting mania; he declined
  selling the work; however; for he had thoughts of printing it himself。 The
  application was mentioned by him; and; of course; the manuscript gained
  notoriety; while the original letter became a greater desideratum than ever。
  The library at G… was searched most carefully by a couple of brother
  book…worms;        who    crept  over   it  from   cornice    to  carpeting;    but  to  no
  purpose。
  {Horace   Walpole   =   Horace   Walpole   (1717…1797);   a   prolific   writer;
  connoisseur; and collector; best known for his extensive correspondence;
  he    established     a  taste   for   literary   collecting    by   would…be      cultured
  gentlemen in England}
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  Some      ten   years    later   stillabout    the   time;   by    the   bye;   when
  Chatterton's career came to such a miserable close in London; and when
  Gilbert     was   dying    in  a   hospital   at  Parisit   happened     that   a  worthy
  physician;   well   known   in   the   town   of   Southampton   for   his   benevolence
  and     eccentricity;   was    on   a  professional     visit  to  the   child   of  a  poor
  journeyman trunk…maker; in the same place。 A supply of old paper had just
  been brought in for the purpose of lining trunks; according to the practice
  of the day。 A workman was busy sorting these; rejecting some as refuse;
  and preserving others; when the doctor stopped to answer an inquiry about
  the sick child。
  {Chatterton       =  Thomas      Chatterton     (1752…1770);      British   poet;   who
  created   an    imaginary   Thomas   Rowley;   a   supposed   medieval   monk;   to
  whom he ascribed some of his poems。 Chatterton committed suicide at the
  age of 18 when a poem of his; allegedly by Rowley; was rejected; he was
  buried in a pauper's grave。 Susan Fenimore Cooper no doubt has this in
  mind in naming a character in this story Theodosia Rowley。
  {Gilbert   =   Nicolas   Gilbert   (1751…1780);   French   poet;   who   died          in
  Paris at the   age of 29。 The French   writer Count Alfred   de Vigny  (1797…
  1863);   in   his   book   of   essays   〃Stello〃   (1832);   popularized   a   legend   that
  Gilbert had died insane and in abject poverty at the charity hospital of the
  Hotel     Dieu    in  Paris;   and   compared      his   miserable     end   with    that  of
  Chatteron; it seems likely that Vigny; whose book appeared while Susan
  Fenimore Cooper was studying in Paris; was her source for this reference
  to Gilbert。 In fact; Gilbert was not impoverished; and died of injuries after
  falling from his horse}
  〃Better; Hopkinsdoing well。 But what have you here? I never see old
  papers but I have an inclination to look them over。 If a man has leisure; he
  may   often   pick   up   something   amusing   among   such   rubbish。   Don't   you
  ever read the papers that pass through your hands?〃
  〃No; sirI 'as no time for that; sir。 And then I was never taught to read
  writing;   and   these   'ere   papers   is   all   written   ones。   We   puts   them   that's
  written for one trunk; and them that's printed for another; as you see; sir;
  one must have a heye to the looks of the work。〃
  〃Why yesyou seem to manage the job very well; and I have a trunk;
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  by the bye; that wants patching up before my boy carries it off with him;
  I'll send it round to you; Hopkins。 But staywhat's this?〃 and the doctor
  took   up   a   soiled;   yellow   sheet   of   paper;   from   the   heap   rejected   by   the
  workman; it contained a scrawl which proved to be the identical letter of
  the   poor   poet;  the   Lumley  autograph;   though   in   what   manner   it   became
  mingled       with    that    heap    of   rubbish      has   never     been     satisfactorily
  ascertained。
  〃Here's     a   poor    fellow    who    had    a  hard    fate;  Hopkins;〃      said    the
  benevolent man; thoughtfully。 〃It is as good as a sermon on charity to read
  that letter。〃
  The trunk…maker begged to hear it。
  〃Well; poor journeyman as I be; I was never yet in so bad a way as that;
  sir。〃
  〃And never will be; I hope; but this was a poet; Hopkinsand that's but
  an indifferent trade to live by。 I'll tell you what; my good friend;〃 said the
  doctor; suddenly; 〃that letter is worth keeping; and you may paste it in the
  trunk I'll send round this afternoonput it in the lid; where it can be read。〃
  The trunk was sent; and the letter actually pasted in it as part of the
  new lining。 Dr。 H…; who; as we have observed; was rather eccentric in
  his   ways;   had   a   son   about   to   commence   his   career   as   a   soldier;   and   the
  worthy   man   thought   the   letter   might   teach   the   youth   a   useful   lesson   of
  moderation   and   temperance;   by   showing   him   every   time   he   opened   his
  trunk; the extreme of want to which his fellow beings were occasionally
  reduced。      What     success    followed     the   plan   we    cannot    say。   The    trunk;
  however; shared the young soldier's wandering life; it carried the cornet's
  uniform  to America;   it   was   besieged   in   Boston;   and   it   made   part   of   the
  besieging baggage at Charleston。 It was not destined; however; to remain
  in the new world; but followed its owner to the East Indies; carrying on
  this   second   voyage;   a   lieutenant's   commission。   At   length;   after   passing
  five…and…twenty years in Bengal; the trunk returned again to Southampton;
  as   one   among   some   dozen   others   which   made   up   the   baggage   of   the
  gallant Colonel H…; now rich in laurels and rupees。 The old trunk had
  even     the  honorable      duty   assigned     it  of  carrying    its  master's    trophies;
  doubtless the most precious portion of the colonel's possessions; though at
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  the same time the lightest; as for the rupees; the old worn…out box would
  have proved quite unequal to transporting a single bag of them; for it was
  now sadly unfit   for service; thanks to the   ravages of time   and the   white
  ants; and; indeed; owed its preservation and return to its native soil solely
  to the letter pasted in the lid; which; in the eyes of Colonel H…; was a
  memento of home; and the eccentric character of a deceased parent。
  {cornet = the lowest officer rank in a British cavalry regiment; below
  that of Lieutenant; now obsolete}
  The   time   had   now   come;   however;  when   the   Lumley  autograph   was
  about   to   emerge   forever   from   obscurity;   and   receive   the   full   homage   of
  collectors; the hour of triumph was at hand; the neglect of a century was to
  be fully repaid by the highest honors of fame。 The eye of beauty was about
  to kindle as it rested on the Lumley autograph; jeweled fingers were to be
  raised;   eager   to   snatch   the   treasure   from   each   other;   busy   literati   stood
  ready armed for a war of controversy in its behalf。
  It happened that Colonel H… was invited to a fancy ball; and it also
  happened that the lady whom he particularly admired; was to be present
  on the occasion。 Such being the case; the most becoming costume was to
  be selected for the evening。 What if the locks of the gallant colonel were
  slightly sprinkled with gray? He was still a handsome man; and knew very
  well that the dress of an eastern aymeer was particularly well suited to his
  face and figure。 This dress; preserved in a certain old trunk in the garret;
  was accordingly produced。 The trunk was brought down to the dressing…
  room;     the   costume     examined      piece    by   piece;   pronounced       in  good
  condition by the valet; and declared very becoming by the military friend
  called in as counsellor。
  {aymeer = Emir; a Muslim title signifying commander in Arabic}
  〃But what a queer old box this is; H…;〃 said Major D…; eyeing the
  trunk thr