At Landrecies the rain still fell and the wind still blew; but we found a double-bedded room with plenty of furniture, real water- jugs1 with real water in them, and dinner: a real dinner, not innocent of real wine. After having been a pedlar for one night, and a butt2 for the elements during the whole of the next day, these comfortable circumstances fell on my heart like sunshine. There was an English fruiterer at dinner, travelling with a Belgian fruiterer; in the evening at the cafe, we watched our compatriot drop a good deal of money at corks3; and I don't know why, but this pleased us.
It turned out we were to see more of Landrecies than we expected; for the weather next day was simply bedlamite. It is not the place one would have chosen for a day's rest; for it consists almost entirely4 of fortifications. Within the ramparts, a few blocks of houses, a long row of barracks, and a church, figure, with what countenance5 they may, as the town. There seems to be no trade; and a shopkeeper from whom I bought a sixpenny flint-and-steel, was so much affected6 that he filled my pockets with spare flints into the bargain. The only public buildings that had any interest for us were the hotel and the cafe. But we visited the church. There lies Marshal Clarke. But as neither of us had ever heard of that military hero, we bore the associations of the spot with fortitude8.
In all garrison9 towns, guard-calls, and reveilles, and such like, make a fine romantic interlude in civic10 business. Bugles11, and drums, and fifes, are of themselves most excellent things in nature; and when they carry the mind to marching armies, and the picturesque12 vicissitudes13 of war, they stir up something proud in the heart. But in a shadow of a town like Landrecies, with little else moving, these points of war made a proportionate commotion14. Indeed, they were the only things to remember. It was just the place to hear the round going by at night in the darkness, with the solid tramp of men marching, and the startling reverberations of the drum. It reminded you, that even this place was a point in the great warfaring system of Europe, and might on some future day be ringed about with cannon15 smoke and thunder, and make itself a name among strong towns.
The drum, at any rate, from its martial16 voice and notable physiological17 effect, nay18, even from its cumbrous and comical shape, stands alone among the instruments of noise. And if it be true, as I have heard it said, that drums are covered with asses19' skin, what a picturesque irony20 is there in that! As if this long- suffering animal's hide had not been sufficiently21 belaboured during life, now by Lyonnese costermongers, now by presumptuous22 Hebrew prophets, it must be stripped from his poor hinder quarters after death, stretched on a drum, and beaten night after night round the streets of every garrison town in Europe. And up the heights of Alma and Spicheren, and wherever death has his red flag a-flying, and sounds his own potent23 tuck upon the cannons24, there also must the drummer-boy, hurrying with white face over fallen comrades, batter25 and bemaul this slip of skin from the loins of peaceable donkeys.
Generally a man is never more uselessly employed than when he is at this trick of bastinadoing asses' hide. We know what effect it has in life, and how your dull ass7 will not mend his pace with beating. But in this state of mummy and melancholy26 survival of itself, when the hollow skin reverberates27 to the drummer's wrist, and each dub- a-dub goes direct to a man's heart, and puts madness there, and that disposition28 of the pulses which we, in our big way of talking, nickname Heroism:- is there not something in the nature of a revenge upon the donkey's persecutors? Of old, he might say, you drubbed me up hill and down dale, and I must endure; but now that I am dead, those dull thwacks that were scarcely audible in country lanes, have become stirring music in front of the brigade; and for every blow that you lay on my old greatcoat, you will see a comrade stumble and fall.
Not long after the drums had passed the cafe, the Cigarette and the Arethusa began to grow sleepy, and set out for the hotel, which was only a door or two away. But although we had been somewhat indifferent to Landrecies, Landrecies had not been indifferent to us. All day, we learned, people had been running out between the squalls to visit our two boats. Hundreds of persons, so said report, although it fitted ill with our idea of the town--hundreds of persons had inspected them where they lay in a coal-shed. We were becoming lions in Landrecies, who had been only pedlars the night before in Pont.
And now, when we left the cafe, we were pursued and overtaken at the hotel door by no less a person than the Juge de Paix: a functionary29, as far as I can make out, of the character of a Scots Sheriff-Substitute. He gave us his card and invited us to sup with him on the spot, very neatly30, very gracefully31, as Frenchmen can do these things. It was for the credit of Landrecies, said he; and although we knew very well how little credit we could do the place, we must have been churlish fellows to refuse an invitation so politely introduced.
The house of the Judge was close by; it was a well-appointed bachelor's establishment, with a curious collection of old brass32 warming-pans upon the walls. Some of these were most elaborately carved. It seemed a picturesque idea for a collector. You could not help thinking how many night-caps had wagged over these warming-pans in past generations; what jests may have been made, and kisses taken, while they were in service; and how often they had been uselessly paraded in the bed of death. If they could only speak, at what absurd, indecorous, and tragical33 scenes had they not been present!
The wine was excellent. When we made the Judge our compliments upon a bottle, 'I do not give it you as my worst,' said he. I wonder when Englishmen will learn these hospitable34 graces. They are worth learning; they set off life, and make ordinary moments ornamental35.
There were two other Landrecienses present. One was the collector of something or other, I forget what; the other, we were told, was the principal notary36 of the place. So it happened that we all five more or less followed the law. At this rate, the talk was pretty certain to become technical. The Cigarette expounded37 the Poor Laws very magisterially38. And a little later I found myself laying down the Scots Law of Illegitimacy, of which I am glad to say I know nothing. The collector and the notary, who were both married men, accused the Judge, who was a bachelor, of having started the subject. He deprecated the charge, with a conscious, pleased air, just like all the men I have ever seen, be they French or English. How strange that we should all, in our unguarded moments, rather like to be thought a bit of a rogue39 with the women!
As the evening went on, the wine grew more to my taste; the spirits proved better than the wine; the company was genial40. This was the highest water mark of popular favour on the whole cruise. After all, being in a Judge's house, was there not something semi- official in the tribute? And so, remembering what a great country France is, we did full justice to our entertainment. Landrecies had been a long while asleep before we returned to the hotel; and the sentries41 on the ramparts were already looking for daybreak.
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jugs
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| （有柄及小口的）水壶( jug的名词复数 ) | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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corks
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| n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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fortitude
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| n.坚忍不拔；刚毅 | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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civic
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| adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的 | |
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bugles
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| 妙脆角，一种类似薯片但做成尖角或喇叭状的零食； 号角( bugle的名词复数 )； 喇叭； 匍匐筋骨草； （装饰女服用的）柱状玻璃（或塑料）小珠 | |
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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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vicissitudes
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| n.变迁，世事变化；变迁兴衰( vicissitude的名词复数 )；盛衰兴废 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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martial
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| adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的 | |
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physiological
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| adj.生理学的，生理学上的 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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asses
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| n. 驴，愚蠢的人，臀部 adv. (常用作后置)用于贬损或骂人 | |
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irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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presumptuous
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| adj.胆大妄为的，放肆的，冒昧的，冒失的 | |
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potent
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| adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的 | |
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cannons
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| n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 ) | |
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batter
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| v.接连重击；磨损；n.牛奶面糊；击球员 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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reverberates
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| 回响，回荡( reverberate的第三人称单数 )； 使反响，使回荡，使反射 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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functionary
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| n.官员；公职人员 | |
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neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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tragical
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| adj. 悲剧的, 悲剧性的 | |
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hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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ornamental
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| adj.装饰的；作装饰用的；n.装饰品；观赏植物 | |
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notary
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| n.公证人，公证员 | |
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expounded
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| 论述，详细讲解( expound的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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magisterially
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| adv.威严地 | |
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rogue
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| n.流氓；v.游手好闲 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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41
sentries
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| 哨兵，步兵( sentry的名词复数 ) | |
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