安徒生童话-第96章

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very　little　notice　of　the　newer。

〃Pardon　me；〃　said　the　counsellor；　addressing　the　landlady；　〃I　donot　feel　quite　well；　and　I　should　be　much　obliged　if　you　will　send　fora　fly　to　take　me　to　Christian's　Haven。〃　The　woman　stared　at　him　andshook　her　head。　Then　she　spoke　to　him　in　German。　The　counsellorsupposed　from　this　that　she　did　not　understand　Danish；　he　thereforerepeated　his　request　in　German。　This；　as　well　as　his　singular　dress；convinced　the　woman　that　he　was　a　foreigner。　She　soon　understood；however；　that　he　did　not　find　himself　quite　well；　and　thereforebrought　him　a　mug　of　water。　It　had　something　of　the　taste　of　seawater；certainly；　although　it　had　been　drawn　from　the　well　outside。　Thenthe　counsellor　leaned　his　head　on　his　hand；　drew　a　deep　breath；　andpondered　over　all　the　strange　things　that　had　happened　to　him。

〃Is　that　to…day's　number　of　the　Day？〃　he　asked；　quitemechanically；　as　he　saw　the　woman　putting　by　a　large　piece　of　paper。She　did　not　understand　what　he　meant；　but　she　handed　him　the　sheet；　itwas　a　woodcut；　representing　a　meteor；　which　had　appeared　in　the　townof　Cologne。

〃That　is　very　old；〃　said　the　counsellor；　being　quite　cheerfulat　the　sight　of　this　antique　drawing。　〃Where　did　you　get　this　singularsheet？　It　is　very　interesting；　although　the　whole　affair　is　a　fable。Meteors　are　easily　explained　in　these　days；　they　are　northernlights；　which　are　often　seen；　and　are　no　doubt　caused　by　electricity。〃

Those　who　sat　near　him；　and　heard　what　he　said；　looked　at　him　ingreat　astonishment；　and　one　of　them　rose；　took　off　his　hatrespectfully；　and　said　in　a　very　serious　manner；　〃You　must　certainlybe　a　very　learned　man；　monsieur。〃

〃Oh　no；〃　replied　the　counsellor；　〃I　can　only　discourse　on　topicswhich　every　one　should　understand。〃

〃Modestia　is　a　beautiful　virtue；〃　said　the　man。　〃Moreover；　Imust　add　to　your　speech　mihi　secus　videtur；　yet　in　this　case　I　wouldsuspend　my　judicium。〃

〃May　I　ask　to　whom　I　have　the　pleasure　of　speaking？〃

〃I　am　a　Bachelor　of　Divinity；〃　said　the　man。　This　answer　satisfiedthe　counsellor。　The　title　agreed　with　the　dress。

〃This　is　surely；〃　thought　he；　〃an　old　village　schoolmaster；　aperfect　original；　such　as　one　meets　with　sometimes　even　in　Jutland。〃

〃This　is　not　certainly　a　locus　docendi；〃　began　the　man；　〃still　Imust　beg　you　to　continue　the　conversation。　You　must　be　well　read　inancient　lore。〃

〃Oh　yes；〃　replied　the　counsellor；　〃I　am　very　fond　of　readinguseful　old　books；　and　modern　ones　as　well；　with　the　exception　ofevery…day　stories；　of　which　we　really　have　more　than　enough。

〃Every…day　stories？〃　asked　the　bachelor。

〃Yes；　I　mean　the　new　novels　that　we　have　at　the　present　day。〃

〃Oh；〃　replied　the　man；　with　a　smile；　〃and　yet　they　are　very　witty；and　are　much　read　at　Court。　The　king　likes　especially　the　romance　ofMesseurs　Iffven　and　Gaudian；　which　describes　King　Arthur　and　hisknights　of　the　round　table。　He　has　joked　about　it　with　the　gentlemenof　his　Court。〃

〃Well；　I　have　certainly　not　read　that；〃　replied　the　counsellor。　〃Isuppose　it　is　quite　new；　and　published　by　Heiberg。〃

〃No；〃　answered　the　man；　〃it　is　not　by　Heiberg；　Godfred　vonGehman　brought　it　out。〃

〃Oh；　is　he　the　publisher？　That　is　a　very　old　name；〃　said　thecounsellor；　〃was　it　not　the　name　of　the　first　publisher　in　Denmark？〃

〃Yes；　and　he　is　our　first　printer　and　publisher　now；〃　repliedthe　scholar。

So　far　all　had　passed　off　very　well；　but　now　one　of　the　citizensbegan　to　speak　of　a　terrible　pestilence　which　had　been　raging　a　fewyears　before；　meaning　the　plague　of　1484。　The　counsellor　thought　hereferred　to　the　cholera；　and　they　could　discuss　this　without　findingout　the　mistake。　The　war　in　1490　was　spoken　of　as　quite　recent。　TheEnglish　pirates　had　taken　some　ships　in　the　Channel　in　1801；　and　thecounsellor；　supposing　they　referred　to　these；　agreed　with　them　infinding　fault　with　the　English。　The　rest　of　the　talk；　however；　was　notso　agreeable；　every　moment　one　contradicted　the　other。　The　goodbachelor　appeared　very　ignorant；　for　the　simplest　remark　of　thecounsellor　seemed　to　him　either　too　bold　or　too　fantastic。　They　staredat　each　other；　and　when　it　became　worse　the　bachelor　spoke　in　Latin；in　the　hope　of　being　better　understood；　but　it　was　all　useless。

〃How　are　you　now？〃　asked　the　landlady；　pulling　the　counsellor'ssleeve。

Then　his　recollection　returned　to　him。　In　the　course　ofconversation　he　had　forgotten　all　that　had　happened　previously。

〃Goodness　me！　where　am　I？〃　said　he。　It　bewildered　him　as　hethought　of　it。

〃We　will　have　some　claret；　or　mead；　or　Bremen　beer；〃　said　one　ofthe　guests；　〃will　you　drink　with　us？〃

Two　maids　came　in。　One　of　them　had　a　cap　on　her　head　of　twocolors。　They　poured　out　the　wine；　bowed　their　heads；　and　withdrew。

The　counsellor　felt　a　cold　shiver　run　all　over　him。　〃What　is　this？what　does　it　mean？〃　said　he；　but　he　was　obliged　to　drink　with　them；for　they　overpowered　the　good　man　with　their　politeness。　He　becameat　last　desperate；　and　when　one　of　them　said　he　was　tipsy；　he　didnot　doubt　the　man's　word　in　the　least…　only　begged　them　to　get　adroschky；　and　then　they　thought　he　was　speaking　the　Muscovitelanguage。　Never　before　had　he　been　in　such　rough　and　vulgar　pany。〃One　might　believe　that　the　country　was　going　back　to　heathenism；〃he　observed。　〃This　is　the　most　terrible　moment　of　my　life。〃

Just　then　it　came　into　his　mind　that　he　would　stoop　under　thetable；　and　so　creep　to　the　door。　He　tried　it；　but　before　he　reachedthe　entry；　the　rest　discovered　what　he　was　about；　and　seized　him　bythe　feet；　when；　luckily　for　him；　off　came　the　goloshes；　and　withthem　vanished　the　whole　enchantment。　The　counsellor　now　saw　quiteplainly　a　lamp；　and　a　large　building　behind　it；　everything　lookedfamiliar　and　beautiful。　He　was　in　East　Street；　as　it　now　appears；　helay　with　his　legs　turned　towards　a　porch；　and　just　by　him　sat　thewatchman　asleep。

〃Is　it　possible　that　I　have　been　lying　here　in　the　streetdreaming？〃　said　he。　〃Yes；　this　is　East　Street；　how　beautifullybright　and　gay　it　looks！　It　is　quite　shocking　that　one　glass　ofpunch　should　have　upset　me　like　this。〃

Two　minutes　afterwards　he　sat　in　a　droschky；　which　was　to　drivehim　to　Christian's　Haven。　He　thought　of　all　the　terror　and　anxietywhich　he　had　undergone；　and　felt　thankful　from　his　heart　for　thereality　and　fort　of　modern　times；　which；　with　all　their　errors；were　far　better　than　those　in　which　he　so　lately　found　himself。

　　THE　WATCHMAN'S　ADVENTURES

〃Well；　I　declare；　there　lies　a　pair　of　goloshes；〃　said　thewatchman。　〃No　doubt；　they　belong　to　the　lieutenant　who　lives　upstairs。　They　are　lying　just　by　his　door。〃　Gladly　would　the　honestman　have　rung；　and　given　them　in；　for　a　light　was　still　burning；　buthe　did　not　wish　to　disturb　the　other　people　in　the　house；　so　he　letthem　lie。　〃These　things　must　keep　the　feet　very　warm；〃　said　he；〃they　are　of　such　nice　soft　leather。〃　Then　he　tried　them　on；　andthey　fitted　his　feet　exactly。　〃Now；〃　said　he；　〃how　droll　things　are　inthis　world！　There's　that　man　can　lie　down　in　his　warm　bed；　but　he　doesnot　do　so。　There　he　goes　pacing　up　and　down　the　room。　He　ought　to　be　ahappy　man。　He　has　neither　wife　nor　children；　and　he　goes　out　intopany　every　evening。　Oh；　I　wish　I　were　he；　then　I　should　be　ahappy　man。〃

As　he　uttered　this　wish；　the　goloshes　which　he　had　put　on　tookeffect；　and　the　watchman　at　once　became　the　lieutenant。　There　he　stoodin　his　room；　holding　a　little　piece　of　pink　paper　between　his　fingers；on　which　was　a　poem；…　a　poem　written　by　the　lieutenant　himself。　Whohas　not　had；　for　once　in　his　life；　a　moment　of　poetic　inspiration？　andat　such　a　moment；　if　the　thoughts　are　written　down；　they　flow　inpoetry。　The　following　verses　were　written　on　the　pink　paper：…

　〃OH　WERE　I　RICH！

〃Oh　were　I　rich！　How　oft；　in　youth's　bright　hour；

　　When　youthful　pleasures　banish　every　care；

I　longed　for　riches　but　to　gain　a　power；

The　sword　and　plume　and　uniform　to　wear！

The　riches　and　the　honor　came　for　me；

Yet　still　my　greatest　wealth　was　poverty：

Ah；　help　and　pity　me！

〃Once　in　my　youthful　hours；　when　gay　and　free；

　　A　maiden　loved　me；　and　her　gentle　kiss；

Rich　in　its　tender　love　and　purity；

　　Taught　me；　alas！　too　much　of　earthly　bliss。

Dear　child！　She　only　thought　of　youthful　glee；

　　She　loved　no　wealth