AH, but a gipsy’s life is not all joys by any manner of means, although to those so young as Peggy and Johnnie, it is quite the life idyllic1.
Fitzroy, the captain of the show, had often enough, like most of us who are not born with silver spoons in our mouths, to scratch the elbow of troublesome care. He had to make his caravan2 tours pay, and the public is a most insatiable monster. The public, in fact, is the same with its amusements as it is with its food, the public want to get the biggest chunk3 of enjoyment4, as well as the biggest hunk of cheese it can possibly get for its penny, and it likes variety too.
Therefore Captain Fitzroy had to be for ever on the qui vive, and looking far ahead of him; and no sooner was one little play put upon the boards for probably a month’s run, than he had to be thinking and planning what he should start next. Some startling innovation, some play with a daring plot,{71} wild music, scenic5 effect and plenty of go and change, with a glorious finale. “That was the thing to draw ’em,” as Giant Gourmand6 used to remark.
It was the immortal7 Dickens who said that giants were all a trifle weak about the knees. Whether that be so or not we will not pause to consider, but one thing is certain—Gourmand was not weak about the head. He was possessed8 of gigantic intellect, and he generally carried it about with him.
Fitzroy and he used to have many and many a consultation9 as to ways and means.
“What we want, cap’n,” said the giant, “is to keep the pot a-boiling.”
This wise remark was made in the evening of the day after Johnnie had the grand wrestling match with Charlie Crockett.
“Pot a-boiling, Mr. Gourmand? Yes, and twenty pots, to say nothing of nosebags. And they must all be filled at the expense of the public, of course.”
“Well, sir, we give them the worth of their money. We give the beggars value.”
“And hitherto,” he added, “we have never known what hunger is. Look how well filled out our horses are, and how contented12, and how their shins glitter like the back of a boatman beetle13. See how contented our dogs all are and how happy Ralph is. But, Gourmand, my boy, the day might come when things wouldn’t be so comfy with us all. We might be reduced to starvation and have to kill and eat our horses.”
Gourmand laughed his gruff “Ho! ho! ho!” and added his half-comical “Ha! ha! ha.” “Not,” he said, “cap’n, whilst you have that nut on you. ’Xcuse me for calling it a nut, sir, won’t you?”
Captain Fitzroy sighed a three-to-the-pound sigh and shook his head.
“The nut is maybe all right, friend, but it strikes me we need a change of——”
“A change of programme, cap’n?”
“No, that isn’t quite what I meant, but a change of audience, a change of public. This part of England seems getting played out as regards the—ahem!—legitimate drama, Mr. Gourmand.”
“Too near London, eh?”
“That’s it, I think, and London is a{73} jolly sight too near Paris. Ever been to Yorkshire?”
“They are rare fine animals up there, sir. But why shouldn’t we make a proper exodus14 when we’re about it. For I know that an exodus is in your noddle, and you’ll ’xcuse me for calling it a noddle, sir, won’t you?”
“Noddle or nut, Gourmand, it’s all the same to me. But what, my friend, would you think would be the best place to emigrate to?”
“Land of green heath and shaggy wood,
Land of the mountain and the flood.”
“Land of fiddlesticks, Gourmie! Do you think it would pay?”
“Pay? Ay, all to pieces. Ours is just the sort of entertainment, cap’n, to draw bumper17 houses on the outskirts18 of Glasgow to begin with, and so on to Paisley and Greenock. The Scotch19 are naturally musical, and they adore a good play. Needn’t be so much blood and thunder in it either as for England here.{74}”
“We’d have to throw in the kilts though, wouldn’t we, and make our company learn Scotch.”
“Nonsense, sir. We’d make fools of ourselves if we did. Believe me, captain, Scotch spoken by English lips never ends but in one thing.”
“And that is?”
“Ridicule. But the Scotch will hold out the right hand of friendship and hospitality to their English brothers if we go as English, and nothing assume. Brave young Johnnie with his Saxon strength will be a favourite first night. Wee Willie too, with his fiddle16, and—well, and the rest of us.”
“Including Peggy, Gourmand?”
“Ah, there, sir. Peggy’s young English beauty, her sweet voice and winning ways, will completely take the Scottish heart by storm. There will be a furore, sir; she’ll win the day for the lot of us.”
Captain Fitzroy held out his hand.
“Gourmand, we’ll go,” he said, “we’ll start to-morrow morning right away for Southampton, ship the whole show there to{75} be next heard of in the second city of the Empire.”
They had been bearing up for the Midland counties, but now the course was altered, and the bows of the first great caravan were headed away for the west, or, as a sailor would say, west with a little bit of south in it.
“Wherever be we off to now, lovie?” said Molly Muldoon, when she met the giant next morning early. He looked full of business, his great shoulders well square back and strong enough apparently22 to have lifted Peggy’s caravan, wheels and all, hands a little begrimed, no hat, hair like heather, but a good-natured smile all over his broad and energetic face.
“Where be we off to? Eh? Why, my dear little roly-poly Molly, we’re going by sea to bonnie Scotland.”
“Lauk-a-mussy-me!” cried Molly. “Preserve us all from ’arm. To Scotland, where they all runs wild in short kilts, with red heads and red, bare legs. To Scotland, where they kills and eats babies, and serves old folks up in a stoo, where——”
“Ah, Molly, they’ll find you and me{76} pretty tough eating, I’m thinking, even if they do try us in a stoo.”
“But, lovie, dear, my pet Gourmie, try to perswade Mr. Fitzroy not to throw his life away, and the life of hall of us. Mussy-me, lovie, it’s terrible.”
But terrible or not terrible, that very day they had put five-and-twenty miles of east behind them, and pitched at night in a sweet green field not far from Midhurst.
There was no entertainment that night. But they did lots of billing, and, early next morning it was evident from the interest the rustics23 were showing round the gate and the fences that a bumper house might be counted upon.
Nor were they disappointed. “The Forest Maiden” was new to them here, and so successful was the entertainment, that, when, on the morning after, the rustics saw the tents being struck, they were very much disappointed indeed. Just as they were starting, a busy little clergyman bustled24 up, and saluting25 Fitzroy, told him the show was just the sort of thing he would like to see encouraged, as it kept the people away from the public houses, and he would like him to promise that if ever he was anywhere in{77} the neighbourhood again it would not be one night nor even one week he would stay, to give his (the parson’s) parishioners pleasure, but a month at the very least.
Fitzroy smiled and replied that he would certainly consider the matter.
It was getting on towards the end of leafy May, May with its glorious blue spring skies, its green fields and waving woods, its wealth of wild flowers in meadow-land, and on wayside sward; May with its music of wild birds, days of dreamy sunshine, and nights of stars. And Peggy sighed a little, as she looked her last on the rolling trees of England south, some miles before they rolled into busy bustling26, Southampton.
Peggy little knew what was before her.
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1
idyllic
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| adj.质朴宜人的，田园风光的 | |
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2
caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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3
chunk
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| n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量） | |
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4
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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scenic
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| adj.自然景色的，景色优美的 | |
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gourmand
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| n.嗜食者 | |
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7
immortal
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| adj.不朽的；永生的，不死的；神的 | |
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8
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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9
consultation
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| n.咨询；商量；商议；会议 | |
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10
growl
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| v.（狗等）嗥叫，（炮等）轰鸣；n.嗥叫，轰鸣 | |
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11
scatter
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| vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散 | |
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12
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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13
beetle
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| n.甲虫，近视眼的人 | |
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14
exodus
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| v.大批离去，成群外出 | |
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15
chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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16
fiddle
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| n.小提琴；vi.拉提琴；不停拨弄，乱动 | |
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17
bumper
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| n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的 | |
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18
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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19
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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20
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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21
positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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22
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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23
rustics
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| n.有农村或村民特色的( rustic的名词复数 )；粗野的；不雅的；用粗糙的木材或树枝制作的 | |
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24
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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25
saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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26
bustling
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| adj.喧闹的 | |
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