OldCha
查尔斯·兰姆/CharlesLab
Ihaveanalostfeepartialityforoldcha.WhenIgotoseeanygreathoe,Iquireforthechacloset,aforthepicturegallery.Iotdefendtheorderofpreference,butbysaygthatwehaveallsotasteorother,oftooaadatetoaditofourrebergdistctlythatitwasanacquiredone.Icalltodthef?irstpy,andthef?irstexhibition,thatIwastakento;butIanotnscioofatiwhenchajarsandsaucersweretroducedtoyiagation.
Ihadnhen—whyshouldInowhave?—tothoselittle,wless,azure-tcturedgrotesques,thatuhenotionofnandwonf?loatabout,uncirccribedbya,thatworldbeforeperspective—achateacup.
Iliketoseeyoldfriends—whodistadiish—f?igurguptheair(sotheyappeartoouroptics),yetonterraf?irastill—forsoweturtesyterpretthatspeckofdeeperbe,whichthederoartist,topreventabsurdity,hadadetupbehtheirsandals.
Ilovethenwithwon’sfaces,andthewon,ifpossible,withstillorewoanishexpressions.
Hereisayoungandurtlyandar,handgteatoadyfroasalver—oilesoff.Seehowdistanceseestosetoffrespect!Ahesady,oranother—forlikenessisidentityonteacups—issteppgtoalittlefairyboat,ooredohersideofthiscalgardenriver,withadatycgfoot,whicharightangleofce(asanglesgoourworld)tfalliblyheidstofaf?loweryad—furlongoffohersideofthesastrarea!
Fartheron—iffarornearidatosphereoff?eCathay.
Iotgouttoysteveng,overourHyson(whichweareold-fashionedenoughtodrkuillofanafternoon),soofthesespeciosairacuuponasetofextraordaryoldbecha(aretpurchase)whichwewerenowforthef?irsttig;anduldnothelprearkghowfavorablecirceshadbeentoofteyearsthatweuldaffordtopleasetheeyesotiswithtrif?lesofthissort—whenapassgsentioovershadethebrowsofypanion.IaquickatdetectgthesesurcloudsBridget.
“Iwishthegoodoldtiswouldeaga,”shesaid,“whenwewerenotquitesorich.IdonotanthatIwanttobepoor;buttherewasaiddlestate”—sosheleasedtorableon—“whichIasurewewereagreatdealhappier.Apurchaseisbutapurchase,nowthatyouhaveoneyenoughandtospare.Forrlyitedtobeatriuph.Wheedacheapxury(and,O!HowuchadoIhadtogetyoutothosetis!)—wewereedtohaveadebateoorthreedaysbefore,andtoweightheforandagast,andthkwhatweightspareitoutof,andwhatsavgweuldhitupon,thatshouldbeanequivalent.Athgwasworthbuygthen,whenwefelttheohatwepaidforit.
“Doyoureberthebrownsuit,whichyouadetohanguponyou,tillallyourfriendscriedshauponyou,itgrewsothreadbare—andallbecaeofthatfolioBeauontandF?letcher,whichyedhoteatnightfroBarker’stGarden?Doyoureberhowweeyeditforweeksbeforeweuldakeupourdstothepurchase,andhadoadeterationtillitwaseno’clockoftheSaturdaynight,whenyousetofffrolslgton,feargyoushouldbetoote—andwhentheoldbooksellerwithsopenedhisshop,andbytheklgtaper(forhewassettgbedwards)lightedouttherelicfrohisdtytreasures—andwhenyouggeditho,wishgitwereiceascuberso—andwhenyoupreseto—andwhenwewereexpltheperfeessofit(ltg,youcalledit)—andwhileIwasrepairgsooftheselooseleaveswithpaste,whichyouripatiencewouldnotsuffertobelefttilldaybreak—wastherenopleasurebegapooran?Orthosebckclotheswhichyouwearnow,andaresocarefultokeepbrhed,scewehavebeeridf?ical,giveyouhalfthehovanitywithwhichyouf?uaboutthatoverwornsuit—youroldrbeau—forfourorf?iveweekslohanyoushouldhavedoopacifyyournscefortheightysuoff?ifteen—orsixteenshillgswasit?—agreataffairwethoughtitthen—whichyouhadvishedontheoldfolio.Nowyouaffordtobuyanybookthatpleasesyou,butIdonotseethatyoueverbrghoanyniceoldpurchasesnow.
“WhenyoucahowithentyapologiesfoutalessnuberofshillgsuponthatprtafterLeonardo,whichwechristehe‘LadyBnch’;whenyoulookatthepurchase,andthoughtoftheoney—andthoughtoftheoney,andlookedagaatthepicture—wastherenopleasurebegapooran?Now,youhavenothgtodobuttowalktoaghi’s,andbuyawildernessofLeonardos.Yetdoyou?
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