The study of this people, gradually emerging from barbarism into civilization, is most curious and interesting. While eagerly grasping at the benefits held out to them by science, they are as yet unable to shake themselves clear of the cobwebs of paganism and superstition6 which often obscure their vision. It is the struggle between past and future, between darkness and light, between superstition and science; and who can doubt that the result will be a brilliant one, and that a glorious resurrection awaits these spirits, so long enchained in bondage7.{300} But this hour has not yet struck, and the study of this people, however interesting, has its drawbacks, sometimes even perils8; and especially for a lady, it is not always advisable to trust herself alone and unarmed in one of the out-of-the-way Roumanian villages, as I had occasion myself to discover in one of my expeditions to a hamlet lying south-east of Hermanstadt.
Some time previously9 I had “spotted” this place on the map; it seemed to be within easy walking distance—not more than two hours off—and, lying somewhat away from the high-road, was not likely to have been much visited, and might therefore be expected to possess a fair assortment10 of china jugs11 and embroidered12 towels.
“Take your revolver with you, mamma,” suggested my youngest son, when I told him where I was going.
“Nonsense!” I replied; “the map and some sandwiches are all I shall require;” for my experience, which till then had lain entirely13 in Saxon villages, had shown me no ground for such precautions. I do not suppose that the child’s warning had been dictated14 by any prophetic spirit; more likely he wondered how any one lucky enough to possess such a delightful15 toy as a real revolver could refuse themselves the pleasure of sporting it on every possible occasion. So, leaving the neat little fire-arm hanging on its customary nail, I started on my walk, accompanied by a young German maid, who, speaking both Hungarian and Roumanian fluently, was useful as an interpreter.
It was early in October, and a bright sunshiny day; the high-road was crowded with carts and peasants coming to town, for it was market-day; but after we had struck into a path across the fields the way lay solitary16 before us. The village, which nestled against a bare hill-side, was neither very picturesque17 nor interesting-looking; and as we drew nearer I saw that it had a somewhat poverty-stricken aspect, which considerably18 depressed19 my hopes of ceramic20 treasures. I had not been aware that this hamlet, formerly22 a flourishing Saxon settlement, had by degrees become flooded by the Roumanian element, and that the Protestant church, for lack of a congregation, was now usually shut up. Many of the people had German names, while speaking the Roumanian language and wearing the Roumanian dress; and of all the inhabitants four families only still professed23 the Lutheran faith. Intermarriage with Roumanians, and the total extinction24 of many Saxon families, had been the causes which had thus metamorphosed the national character of the village.
Crossing a little bridge over the bed of a partially25 dried-up stream, we entered the hamlet, where I forthwith began operations, proceeding26 from house to house. At the very outset I found two pretty specimens27 of china jugs in a gypsy hovel, but this was a solitary instance of good-luck which had no sequel, for all the other huts could only produce coarse Roumanian ware21, very much inferior to Saxon pottery28.
Our appearance in the village made a considerable sensation, and at first we were slightly mobbed by all sorts of wild uncouth29 figures, mostly gypsies; but luckily by degrees the interest wore off, and we were left alone, but for one particularly villanous-looking man who kept following at a little distance. Already I had been rather provoked by several attempts to pick my pocket on the part of the gypsies, so was on my guard, when, standing30 still to reflect where next to go, the villanous-looking individual approached to accost31 me, and I could see that his eyes were riveted32 on my gold watch-chain, which imprudently I had left visible outside my jacket. These suspicions were presently strengthened by his asking me what o’clock it was. “Look at your own church clock,” I answered, rather shortly, pointing to the tower close at hand; but he gave a roguish grin, and said, “Our clock is slow; I wanted to set it right.”
I could not help laughing, though I did not feel quite easy in my mind, and gave him the information he professed to want, but which of course was only an excuse to look at my watch. I now tried to shake him off, but my villanous friend was anxious to improve the acquaintance, and would not leave me without having ascertained33 who I was, and what I wanted here.
“Old china jugs!” he exclaimed, when somewhat weakly I had admitted my errand. “I have got plenty such jugs, if the gracious lady will only condescend34 to come into my house close by.”
I looked again more narrowly at the face of my villanous friend, and the result of my investigations35 was to answer with great decision, “Thank you, I have got enough china jugs for to-day—quite enough.”
He tried to insist, till I found it expedient36 to lose my temper, telling him to go about his business and leave me in peace. He did leave me in peace, but only indirectly37, for we saw him soon after speaking to a gypsy woman, who presently began to dog our footsteps in the same manner, trying to induce me to go into this or that one of the more disreputable-looking houses.
By this time I was thoroughly38 tired out. Any one who has had like experience will know how fatiguing39 it is to go into twenty or thirty houses in succession, with the invariable stereotyped40 questions, “Have you any jugs? and will you sell them?” and then to repeat over and over again the self-same process of persuasion41 and bargaining. Besides this, I had risen early, had a long walk, and was very hungry, so naturally wanted a quiet spot to sit down and eat my sandwiches. “There must surely be a village inn where we can get a glass of milk,” I said, turning round to our persistent42 follower43.
“There, there,” said the woman, pointing in advance, and she disappeared running down the street.
We had no difficulty in finding the inn, as indicated by the usual sign all over Austria—a bunch of wood-shavings hung over the door-way. I was about to enter the room, when my German servant suddenly drew back and pulled my dress. “Come away, come away, madam,” she whispered; “it is not safe to go in there,” and as soon as we had regained44 the road and shaken ourselves clear of some loungers outside who tried to persuade us to re-enter, she explained the cause of her terror: she had caught sight of that same man who had asked to see the watch hiding behind the pothouse door, and evidently lying in wait for us.
This looked serious, and it was evident that some sort of trap was being laid for my unfortunate watch, so I resolved that nothing in the world should induce me to enter any such suspicious-looking house. My maid was nearly crying with fright by this time, and shaking like an aspen leaf, so I kindly45 advised her not to be a fool, pointing out that there was really no cause for alarm after all. “We need not enter any house unless we like, and they will hardly think of murdering us in the open street, so do not make a fuss about nothing.”
“It is not for myself, but on account of the gn?dige frau, that I am frightened,” the girl now explained, apparently46 stung by the insinuation of cowardice47. “If anything should happen to you, madam, what will the master say to me when I go home alone? He will say it was all my fault!”
“Make your mind quite easy,” I said (perhaps rather cruelly, as it now strikes me). “If they should cut my throat to get the watch, they will for a certainty cut yours as well to prevent you telling tales of them, so you will never reach home to be scolded.”
But the question of what to do was in truth becoming perplexing;{303} rest and food were now secondary considerations, my only thought being how safely to reach home. The long lonely way that separated this village from the town seemed doubly long and desolate48 in anticipation49, and I hardly liked to start from here alone. I now thought with regretful longing50 of the handy little revolver I had left at home in its Russia-leather case. Not that I should ever have required to use it, of course, but its appearance alone would have served as antidote51 to the dangerous fascinations52 of the gold watch. If I had but followed my boy’s advice I should not have found myself in this awkward predicament.
Taking a turn down the road to collect my ideas, a thought struck me. In the course of my peregrinations through the village earlier in the day, I had noted53 one house where the people appeared more respectable, though in nowise wealthier, than their neighbors. The man had a frank open face, in which I could hardly be mistaken; and, moreover, I had observed a few books lying on a shelf, in itself an unusual circumstance in any Roumanian house, which would seem to imply some degree of culture. To this man, therefore, I resolved to go for advice; perhaps he would himself accompany us part of the way, or else provide some other escort who would undertake not to cut our throats between this and Hermanstadt.
This plan seemed reasonable; but just as I was about to push open the gate of the little court-yard, the same gypsy woman who had been set on before to follow me came running up: “Don’t go in there; there is a terrible bad dog.” She warned so earnestly that for a moment I hesitated with my hand on the latch54; for if in the whole world there is a thing which has the power to make my flesh creep and my blood run cold, it is a savage55 dog, and this woman, with the quickness of her race, had already had occasion to note my weak point. Her warning, however, missed its effect, for having been in that courtyard before, I distinctly remembered the absence of any dog whatever, whether good, bad, or indifferent, and her anxiety to prevent me from entering was in itself a sign that there was no danger.
So in I went: the man with the good face was not at home, I was told—he had gone to the field, but would presently return; only his wife, a sweet-faced young woman, and his aged56 mother, being alone in the house. Yes, I might sit down and welcome, said the young woman; and she hastened to bring me a chair and set some fresh{304} milk before me; so I passed half an hour very pleasantly in examining the cottage and its inhabitants.
The young wife was seated at her loom57 weaving one of the red and blue towels which adorn58 each Roumanian cottage. Some of the pillow-cases and towels here hung up were of superior make to those usually seen, being both softer in color and richer in texture59. “It is the old mother who made them,” she explained. “She works far better than I can do, but now she is too old, and the weaving fatigues60 her; she was ninety-five this year.”
“Was she in good health?” I asked by means of my interpreter.
“Quite good; but she cannot eat much—a little soup and a glass of wine every day is about all she takes.”
“And where is your dog?” was my next inquiry61, remembering the gypsy woman’s caution.
“Dog?” she asked in surprise. “We never had a dog. What should we keep one for? We are too poor to be afraid of robbers.”
When the husband came back I explained our errand. He smiled a little, and said he thought my fears were groundless. Those fellows would hardly dare to attempt any violence in daylight; but after all, it was just possible, he admitted. There certainly were several very bad characters in the village, and no doubt a gold watch was a great temptation; it would certainly be wiser not to start from here alone. After considering a little (apparently it did require consideration), he said that he knew of one respectable man in the village, and would come with us to look for him. I expressed my astonishment62 at seeing so many books in his house. “I began by being school-master in a neighboring village,” he told me, “but it was only for a short time. Then my father died, and I had to return here to look after the fields. That was ten years ago. If I had remained there longer I should know more than I do.” He showed me a volume of general history he was then studying. “I read a little of it every evening when I come back from work. I try to keep myself from forgetting everything—one is apt to get rusty63 and verbauert (peasantified) living here among peasants.”
The sole other respectable man which the village could produce turning out to be absent, our host expressed his willingness to accompany us as far as I wished, though I knew that he was leaving his work to do so. Before quitting the village, however, I had a last encounter with my villanous friend of heretofore, whom I found waiting for me{305} near the little bridge. He begged me so urgently to come in just for one minute to look at his china jugs, which he described in enthusiastic terms, that I gave an unwilling64 consent. He was apparently surprised and not over-pleased on recognizing my escort, and would have shaken him off on reaching his door, saying, “Well, good-by, neighbor; you need not trouble yourself further.”
Of course I refused to go into the house alone, and of course, too, when I did go in, the much-vaunted jugs turned out to be cracked and worthless specimens of the very commonest sort of ware, bearing no resemblance to what I was seeking.
I was fairly glad to turn my back on this horrid65 little village, fully66 resolved never again to set foot within its precincts; and in conversation with our obliging protector, who spoke67 very tolerable German (an unusual thing in any Roumanian), three-quarters of an hour passed very quickly. He told me much about himself and his family; also about the village, which twice had been burned down within fifteen years and reduced to the most abject68 poverty; everything of value in the place had perished on the one or other of these occasions. His family life seemed happy, but for one source of grief, for his marriage was childless, and to any Roumanian this is a very great grief indeed. “It is sad for us to be alone,” he said; “but God has willed it so.”
In the course of our talk he inquired, but with great delicacy69, who I was, saying, “I do not know whether I should say madam or fr?ulein; and perhaps I seem impolite if I am not giving the gracious lady her proper title.” And when I had mentioned the name and position of my husband, I found him to be well informed as to all the military arrangements of the country, correctly naming off-hand all the ten or twelve cavalry70 stations in Transylvania. He recognized our name as being a Polish one, and began to talk of that nation. “Those Poles have sometimes very good heads,” he remarked, “but they do not seem able to manage their own affairs. What a pity they were not able to keep their country together!” After this he inquired much about the state of commerce and agriculture in Poland, the influence of the Jews, etc., all he said indicating such a mixture of natural refinement71 and shrewd common-sense that I was quite sorry when, arriving within sight of the high-road, and there being no reason further to tax his good-nature, he took his leave with a bow which would not have disgraced any gentleman.
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1
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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2
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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3
precepts
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| n.规诫，戒律，箴言( precept的名词复数 ) | |
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4
instilled
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| v.逐渐使某人获得（某种可取的品质），逐步灌输( instill的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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5
infraction
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| n.违反；违法 | |
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superstition
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| n.迷信，迷信行为 | |
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7
bondage
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| n.奴役，束缚 | |
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8
perils
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| 极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境） | |
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9
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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assortment
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| n.分类，各色俱备之物，聚集 | |
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11
jugs
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| （有柄及小口的）水壶( jug的名词复数 ) | |
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12
embroidered
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| adj．绣花的 | |
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13
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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14
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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15
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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16
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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17
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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18
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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19
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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20
ceramic
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| n.制陶业，陶器，陶瓷工艺 | |
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21
ware
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| n.(常用复数)商品，货物 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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23
professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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24
extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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25
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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26
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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27
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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28
pottery
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| n.陶器，陶器场 | |
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uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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30
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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31
accost
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| v.向人搭话，打招呼 | |
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32
riveted
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| 铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意 | |
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33
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
condescend
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| v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑 | |
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35
investigations
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| （正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究 | |
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36
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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indirectly
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| adv.间接地，不直接了当地 | |
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38
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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39
fatiguing
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| a.使人劳累的 | |
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40
stereotyped
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| adj.(指形象、思想、人物等)模式化的 | |
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41
persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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42
persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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43
follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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44
regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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45
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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46
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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47
cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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48
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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49
anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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50
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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51
antidote
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| n.解毒药，解毒剂 | |
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52
fascinations
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| n.魅力( fascination的名词复数 )；有魅力的东西；迷恋；陶醉 | |
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53
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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54
latch
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| n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁 | |
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55
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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56
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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57
loom
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| n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近 | |
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58
adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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59
texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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60
fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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61
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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62
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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63
rusty
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| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
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64
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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65
horrid
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| adj.可怕的；令人惊恐的；恐怖的；极讨厌的 | |
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66
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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67
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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68
abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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69
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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70
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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