登陆注册
14721800000008

第8章

The dinner over, the young men rushed from their colleges, flushed, full-fed, and eager for battle. If the Gown was angry, the Town, too, was on the alert. From Iffly and Barnwell, from factory and mill, from wharf and warehouse, the Town poured out to meet the enemy, and their battle was soon general. From the Addenbrook's hospital to the Blenheim turnpike, all Cambridge was in an uproar--the college gates closed--the shops barricaded--the shop-boys away in support of their brother townsmen--the battle raged, and the Gown had the worst of the fight.

A luncheon of many courses had been provided for Rafael Mendoza at his inn; but he smiled at the clumsy efforts of the university cooks to entertain him, and a couple of dates and a glass of water formed his meal. In vain the discomfited landlord pressed him to partake of the slighted banquet. "A breakfast! psha!" said he.

"My good man, I have nineteen cooks, at salaries rising from four hundred a year. I can have a dinner at any hour; but a Town and Gown row" (a brickbat here flying through the window crashed the caraffe of water in Mendoza's hand)--"a Town and Gown row is a novelty to me. The Town has the best of it, clearly, though: the men outnumber the lads. Ha, a good blow! How that tall townsman went down before yonder slim young fellow in the scarlet trencher cap.""That is the Lord Codlingsby," the landlord said.

"A light weight, but a pretty fighter," Mendoza remarked. "Well hit with your left, Lord Codlingsby; well parried, Lord Codlingsby;claret drawn, by Jupiter!"

"Ours is werry fine," the landlord said. "Will your Highness have Chateau Margaux or Lafitte?""He never can be going to match himself against that bargeman!"Rafael exclaimed, as an enormous boatman--no other than Rullock--indeed, the most famous bruiser of Cambridge, and before whose fists the Gownsmen went down like ninepins--fought his way up to the spot where, with admirable spirit and resolution, Lord Codlingsby and one or two of his friends were making head against a number of the town.

The young noble faced the huge champion with the gallantry of his race, but was no match for the enemy's strength and weight and sinew, and went down at every round. The brutal fellow had no mercy on the lad. His savage treatment chafed Mendoza as he viewed the unequal combat from the inn-window. "Hold your hand!" he cried to this Goliath; "don't you see he's but a boy?""Down he goes again!" the bargeman cried, not heeding the interruption. "Down he goes again: I likes wapping a lord!""Coward!" shouted Mendoza; and to fling open the window amidst a shower of brickbats, to vault over the balcony, to slide down one of the pillars to the ground, was an instant's work.

At the next he stood before the enormous bargeman.

. . . . . . . .

After the coroner's inquest, Mendoza gave ten thousand pounds to each of the bargeman's ten children, and it was thus his first acquaintance was formed with Lord Codlingsby.

But we are lingering on the threshold of the house in Holywell Street. Let us go in.

III.

Godfrey and Rafael passed from the street into the outer shop of the old mansion in Holywell Street. It was a masquerade warehouse to all appearance. A dark-eyed damsel of the nation was standing at the dark and grimy counter, strewed with old feathers, old yellow hoots, old stage mantles, painted masks, blind and yet gazing at you with a look of sad death-like intelligence from the vacancy behind their sockets.

A medical student was trying one of the doublets of orange-tawny and silver, slashed with dirty light blue. He was going to a masquerade that night. He thought Polly Pattens would admire him in the dress--Polly Pattens, the fairest of maids-of-all-work--the Borough Venus, adored by half the youth of Guy's.

"You look like a prince in it, Mr. Lint," pretty Rachel said, coaxing him with her beady black eyes.

"It IS the cheese," replied Mr. Lint; "it ain't the dress that don't suit, my rose of Sharon; it's the FIGURE. Hullo, Rafael, is that you, my lad of sealing-wax? Come and intercede for me with this wild gazelle; she says I can't have it under fifteen bob for the night. And it's too much: cuss me if it's not too much, unless you'll take my little bill at two months, Rafael.""There's a sweet pretty brigand's dress you may have for half de monish," Rafael replied; "there's a splendid clown for eight bob;but for dat Spanish dress, selp ma Moshesh, Mistraer Lint, ve'd ask a guinea of any but you. Here's a gentlemansh just come to look at it. Look 'ear, Mr. Brownsh, did you ever shee a nisher ting dan dat?" So saying, Rafael turned to Lord Codlingsby with the utmost gravity, and displayed to him the garment about which the young medicus was haggling.

"Cheap at the money," Codlingsby replied; "if you won't make up your mind, sir, I should like to engage it myself." But the thought that another should appear before Polly Pattens in that costume was too much for Mr. Lint; he agreed to pay the fifteen shillings for the garment. And Rafael, pocketing the money with perfect simplicity, said, "Dis vay, Mr. Brownsh: dere's someting vill shoot you in the next shop."Lord Codlingsby followed him, wondering.

"You are surprised at our system," said Rafael, marking the evident bewilderment of his friend. "Confess you would call it meanness--my huckstering with yonder young fool. I call it simplicity. Why throw away a shilling without need? Our race never did. Ashilling is four men's bread: shall I disdain to defile my fingers by holding them out relief in their necessity? It is you who are mean--you Normans--not we of the ancient race. You have your vulgar measurement for great things and small. You call a thousand pounds respectable, and a shekel despicable. Psha, my Codlingsby!

同类推荐
  • 复阴

    复阴

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 燕山外史

    燕山外史

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 孟子

    孟子

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太清金液神气经

    太清金液神气经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • Coral Reefs

    Coral Reefs

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 妖孽师尊快快束手就擒

    妖孽师尊快快束手就擒

    “帝溟云,你终是负了我。如此,我便忘了你,永不相见!”千年之后……千羽沫,组织头牌杀手,被叛徒背后放冷枪,魂穿异世。婴儿,坑娘有木有?灵力,坑姐有木有?好吧,谁让她渴望温暖,甘心当婴儿。灵力,小意思。挟持,扔进万兽山。捡个萌宝是神兽?拜师嘛,咋还送个师尊?“师尊,你老多大了。”“时间太久远了,本座不记得了。”我擦,老妖怪,可咋长的那样妖孽。“师尊,我要灭了千家家主。”某个年仅八岁的小女娃撒娇说道。“去吧,把云隐宗所有弟子带上,护你周全。”“师尊,我把你卖了。”某女无良的说道。“无妨,钱你收好。”“师尊,你是不是爱上我了?”某男这次却不说话,望着繁星点点的天空……护你安好,换个方式爱着你……
  • 易烊千玺:流年夏末

    易烊千玺:流年夏末

    夏叶的人生,因为他,变得不一样。王源,王俊凯。他们,是她世界里的全部阳光,而,他,是他无法触及的黑暗。但是,他爱她,她也爱他。(作品可能改名哦~)
  • 亘古元素传

    亘古元素传

    亘古大陆第四时代逐帝时代时,人族无法修炼,在东南北域的地位一落千丈。在一个无法修炼的世界,人族该怎么办呢?又会发生什么故事呢?
  • 老师当官

    老师当官

    一位才华出众、志向远大的青年教师,因缘巧合进入官场。当官和当老师完全是两码事,他如何应对错综复杂的人际关系?怎样施展自己的才华为民造福?最难的是,他要怎样处理几位深情女子的情感?老师当官也疯狂!
  • 养道

    养道

    未来世界一名机器人偶得奇石,产生灵智,机缘巧合之下,被空间通道传送到异界,稀里糊涂被一群凡人当做神使。为了生存,他利用微弱信仰之力,吞噬虎妖魂,炼化龙体,终成人身。但这只是开始,奇幻残酷异界,弱肉强食的修真世界,且看主角怎样以理智到极点的冷酷,单纯到可爱…
  • 杀手穿越:亡国公主倾天下

    杀手穿越:亡国公主倾天下

    现代杀手楚雪穿越成楚国亡国公主楚嫣然,不想大行桃花运,什么?她是秦国太子最爱的女人,还是齐国太子的未婚妻?这还不算,在这个大国小国数十个的古代,她还是各国皇子的梦中情人?谁说亡国公主就暗无天日?她打个喷嚏,都会让各国皇子紧张半天,谁再说亡国公主的生活暗无天日,她让天上的雷劈了他!天下的好男人帅男人,都让一个亡国公主占了,还有天理吗?还让其他女人怎么活?于是,各位公主郡主小姐,阴谋明谋,宫斗宅斗一起上,斗的就是她这个亡国公主!老虎不发威,别人还以为是病猫!老娘爱的就是阴谋明谋,宫斗宅斗,最好斗个天翻地覆,谁怕了谁?【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 福妻驾到

    福妻驾到

    现代饭店彪悍老板娘魂穿古代。不分是非的极品婆婆?三年未归生死不明的丈夫?心狠手辣的阴毒亲戚?贪婪而好色的地主老财?吃上顿没下顿的贫困宭境?不怕不怕,神仙相助,一技在手,天下我有!且看现代张悦娘,如何身带福气玩转古代,开面馆、收小弟、左纳财富,右傍美男,共绘幸福生活大好蓝图!!!!快本新书《天媒地聘》已经上架开始销售,只要3.99元即可将整本书抱回家,你还等什么哪,赶紧点击下面的直通车,享受乐乐精心为您准备的美食盛宴吧!)
  • 重锋

    重锋

    初到帝都的墨屠稀里糊涂的就进了传说中黑暗暴力集一切罪恶于一体的黑街,成为了黑街的一份子。什么?灵魂碎片?我好好的哪来的分裂的灵魂!什么?前世前前世惹下的情债?我到现在连女孩儿的手还没摸过好嘛!什么?我曾经翻手为云覆手为雨?随便一个高手都能捏死我好吗!
  • 神帝之万物主宰

    神帝之万物主宰

    这里强者无数,这里实力为尊,这里宗派林立,这里人们信仰灵气,一个没有天资的少年出生在这里
  • 再见,左左

    再见,左左

    一个秘密突然被两个不谙世事的孩子揭开了,在两个家庭里掀起轩然大波,并且导致了严重的受伤故事,结下了仇恨。故事跌宕起伏,独特的叙事方式,看尽不一样的人生,还原生活的面目。