last- 第2部分

small　of　the　back；　near　the　spine。　　She　likewise　originated　a　mode　



of　treading　by　accident　（in　pattens）　on　such　as　had　small　feet；　



also　very　remarkable　for　its　ingenuity；　and　previously　quite　



unknown。







It　was　not　very　long；　you　may　be　sure；　before　Joe　Willet　and　Dolly　



Varden　were　made　husband　and　wife；　and　with　a　handsome　sum　in　bank　



（for　the　locksmith　could　afford　to　give　his　daughter　a　good　dowry）；　



reopened　the　Maypole。　　It　was　not　very　long；　you　may　be　sure；　



before　a　red…faced　little　boy　was　seen　staggering　about　the　Maypole　



passage；　and　kicking　up　his　heels　on　the　green　before　the　door。　　It　



was　not　very　long；　counting　by　years；　before　there　was　a　red…faced　



little　girl；　another　red…faced　little　boy；　and　a　whole　troop　of　



girls　and　boys：　so　that；　go　to　Chigwell　when　you　would；　there　would　



surely　be　seen；　either　in　the　village　street；　or　on　the　green；　or　



frolicking　in　the　farm…yardfor　it　was　a　farm　now；　as　well　as　a　



tavernmore　small　Joes　and　small　Dollys　than　could　be　easily　



counted。　　It　was　not　a　very　long　time　before　these　appearances　



ensued；　but　it　WAS　a　VERY　long　time　before　Joe　looked　five　years　



older；　or　Dolly　either；　or　the　locksmith　either；　or　his　wife　



either：　for　cheerfulness　and　content　are　great　beautifiers；　and　



are　famous　preservers　of　youthful　looks；　depend　upon　it。







It　was　a　long　time；　too；　before　there　was　such　a　country　inn　as　the　



Maypole；　in　all　England：　indeed　it　is　a　great　question　whether　



there　has　ever　been　such　another　to　this　hour；　or　ever　will　be。　　It　



was　a　long　time　toofor　Never；　as　the　proverb　says；　is　a　long　day



before　they　forgot　to　have　an　interest　in　wounded　soldiers　at　the　



Maypole；　or　before　Joe　omitted　to　refresh　them；　for　the　sake　of　his　



old　campaign；　or　before　the　serjeant　left　off　looking　in　there；　now　



and　then；　or　before　they　fatigued　themselves；　or　each　other；　by　



talking　on　these　occasions　of　battles　and　sieges；　and　hard　weather　



and　hard　service；　and　a　thousand　things　belonging　to　a　soldier's　



life。　　As　to　the　great　silver　snuff…box　which　the　King　sent　Joe　



with　his　own　hand；　because　of　his　conduct　in　the　Riots；　what　guest　



ever　went　to　the　Maypole　without　putting　finger　and　thumb　into　that　



box；　and　taking　a　great　pinch；　though　he　had　never　taken　a　pinch　of　



snuff　before；　and　almost　sneezed　himself　into　convulsions　even　



then？　　As　to　the　purple…faced　vintner；　where　is　the　man　who　lived　



in　those　times　and　never　saw　HIM　at　the　Maypole：　to　all　appearance　



as　much　at　home　in　the　best　room；　as　if　he　lived　there？　　And　as　to　



the　feastings　and　christenings；　and　revellings　at　Christmas；　and　



celebrations　of　birthdays；　wedding…days；　and　all　manner　of　days；　



both　at　the　Maypole　and　the　Golden　Key；if　they　are　not　notorious；　



what　facts　are？







Mr　Willet　the　elder；　having　been　by　some　extraordinary　means　



possessed　with　the　idea　that　Joe　wanted　to　be　married；　and　that　it　



would　be　well　for　him；　his　father；　to　retire　into　private　life；　and　



enable　him　to　live　in　comfort；　took　up　his　abode　in　a　small　cottage　



at　Chigwell；　where　they　widened　and　enlarged　the　fireplace　for　him；　



hung　up　the　boiler；　and　furthermore　planted　in　the　little　garden　



outside　the　front…door；　a　fictitious　Maypole；　so　that　he　was　quite　



at　home　directly。　　To　this；　his　new　habitation；　Tom　Cobb；　Phil　



Parkes；　and　Solomon　Daisy　went　regularly　every　night：　and　in　the　



chimney…corner；　they　all　four　quaffed；　and　smoked；　and　prosed；　and　



dozed；　as　they　had　done　of　old。　　It　being　accidentally　discovered　



after　a　short　time　that　Mr　Willet　still　appeared　to　consider　



himself　a　landlord　by　profession；　Joe　provided　him　with　a　slate；　



upon　which　the　old　man　regularly　scored　up　vast　accounts　for　meat；　



drink；　and　tobacco。　　As　he　grew　older　this　passion　increased　upon　



him；　and　it　became　his　delight　to　chalk　against　the　name　of　each　of　



his　cronies　a　sum　of　enormous　magnitude；　and　impossible　to　be　paid：　



and　such　was　his　secret　joy　in　these　entries；　that　he　would　be　



perpetually　seen　going　behind　the　door　to　look　at　them；　and　coming　



forth　again；　suffused　with　the　liveliest　satisfaction。







He　never　recovered　the　surprise　the　Rioters　had　given　him；　and　



remained　in　the　same　mental　condition　down　to　the　last　moment　of　



his　life。　　It　was　like　to　have　been　brought　to　a　speedy　



termination　by　the　first　sight　of　his　first　grandchild；　which　



appeared　to　fill　him　with　the　belief　that　some　alarming　miracle　had　



happened　to　Joe。　　Being　promptly　blooded；　however；　by　a　skilful　



surgeon；　he　rallied；　and　although　the　doctors　all　agreed；　on　his　



being　attacked　with　symptoms　of　apoplexy　six　months　afterwards；　



that　he　ought　to　die；　and　took　it　very　ill　that　he　did　not；　he　



remained　alivepossibly　on　account　of　his　constitutional　slowness



for　nearly　seven　years　more；　when　he　was　one　morning　found　



speechless　in　his　bed。　　He　lay　in　this　state；　free　from　all　tokens　



of　uneasiness；　for　a　whole　week；　when　he　was　suddenly　restored　to　



consciousness　by　hearing　the　nurse　whisper　in　his　son's　ear　that　he　



was　going。　　'I'm　a…going；　Joseph；'　said　Mr　Willet；　turning　round　



upon　the　instant；　'to　the　Salwanners'and　immediately　gave　up　



the　ghost。







He　left　a　large　sum　of　money　behind　him；　even　more　than　he　was　



supposed　to　have　been　worth；　although　the　neighbours；　according　to　



the　custom　of　mankind　in　calculating　the　wealth　that　other　people　



ought　to　have　saved；　had　estimated　his　property　in　good　round　



numbers。　　Joe　inherited　the　whole；　so　that　he　became　a　man　of　great　



consequence　in　those　parts；　and　was　perfectly　independent。







Some　time　elapsed　before　Barnaby　got　the　better　of　the　shock　he　had　



sustained；　or　regained　his　old　health　and　gaiety。　　But　he　recovered　



by　degrees：　and　although　he　could　never　separate　his　condemnation　



and　escape　from　the　idea　of　a　terrific　dream；　he　became；　in　other　



respects；　more　rational。　　Dating　from　the　time　of　his　recovery；　he　



had　a　better　memory　and　greater　steadiness　of　purpose；　but　a　dark　



cloud　overhung　his　whole　previous　existence；　and　never　cleared　



away。







He　was　not　the　less　happy　for　this；　for　his　love　of　freedom　and　



interest　in　all　that　moved　or　grew；　or　had　its　being　in　the　



elements；　remained　to　him　unimpaired。　　He　lived　with　his　mother　on　



the　Maypole　farm；　tending　the　poultry　and　the　cattle；　working　in　a　



garden　of　his　own；　and　helping　everywhere。　　He　was　known　to　every　



bird　and　beast　about　the　place；　and　had　a　name　for　every　one。　　



Never　was　there　a　lighter…hearted　husbandman；　a　creature　more　



popular　with　young　and　old；　a　blither　or　more　happy　soul　than　



Barnaby；　and　though　he　was　free　to　ramble　where　he　would；　he　never　



quitted　Her；　but　was　for　evermore　her　stay　and　comfort。







It　was　remarkable　that　although　he　had　that　dim　sense　of　the　past；　



he　sought　out　Hugh's　dog；　and　took　him　under　his　care；　and　that　he　



never　could　be　tempted　into　London。　　When　the　Riots　were　many　years　



old；　and　Edward　and　his　wife　came　back　to　England　with　a　family　



almost　as　numerous　as　Dolly's；　and　one　day　appeared　at　the　Maypole　



porch；　he　knew　them　instantly；　and　wept　and　leaped　for　joy。　　But　



neither　to　visit　them；　nor　on　any　other　pretence；　no　matter　how　



full　of　promise　and　enjoyment；　could　he　be　persuaded　to　set　foot　in　



the　streets：　nor　did　he　ever　conquer　this　repugnance　or　look　upon　



the　town　again。







Grip　soon　recovered　his　looks；　and　became　as　glossy　and　sleek　as　



ever。　　But　he　was　profoundly　silent。　　Whether　he　had　forgotten　the　



art　of　Polite　Conversation　in　Newgate；　or　had　made　a　vow　in　those　



troubled　times　to　forego；　for　a　period；　the　display　of　his　



accomplishments；　is　matter　of　uncertainty；　but　certain　it　is　that　



for　a　whole　year　he　never　indulged　in　any　other　sound　than　a　grave；　



decorous　croak。　　At　the　expiration　of　that　term；　the　morning　being　



very　bright　and　sunny；　he　was　heard　to　address　himself　to　the　



horses　in　the　stable；　upon　the　subject　of　the　Kettle；　so　often　



mentioned　in　these　pages；　and　before　the　witness　who　overheard　him　



could　run　into　the　house　with　the　intelligence；　and　add　to　it　upon　



his　solemn　affirmation　the　statement　that　he　had　heard　him　laugh；　



the　bird　himself　advanced　with　fantastic　steps　to　the　very　door　of　



the　bar；　and　there　cried；　'I'm　a　devil；　I'm　a　devil；　I'm　a　devil！'　



with　extraordinary　rapture。







From　that　period　（although　he　was　supposed　to　be　much　affected　by　



the　death　of　Mr　Willet　senior）；　he　constantly　practised　and　



improved　himself　in　the　vulgar　tongue；　and；　as　he　was　a　mere　infant　



for　a　raven　when　Barnaby　was　grey；　he　has　very　probably　gone　on　



talking　to　the　present　time。













End