安徒生童话-第85章

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Suddenly　he　heard　the　sound　of　a　drum　and　fifes；　and　then　ablazing　light　from　torches　shone　upon　him。　The　counsellor　staredwith　astonishment　as　he　beheld　a　most　strange　procession　pass　beforehim。　First　came　a　whole　troop　of　drummers；　beating　their　drums　verycleverly；　they　were　followed　by　life…guards；　with　longbows　andcrossbows。　The　principal　person　in　the　procession　was　aclerical…looking　gentleman。　The　astonished　counsellor　asked　what　itall　meant；　and　who　the　gentleman　might　be。

〃That　is　the　bishop　of　Zealand。〃

〃Good　gracious！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃what　in　the　world　has　happenedto　the　bishop？　what　can　he　be　thinking　about？〃　Then　he　shook　hishead　and　said；　〃It　cannot　possibly　be　the　bishop　himself。〃

While　musing　on　this　strange　affair；　and　without　looking　to　theright　or　left；　he　walked　on　through　East　Street　and　over　HighbridgePlace。　The　bridge；　which　he　supposed　led　to　Palace　Square；　was　nowhereto　be　found；　but　instead；　he　saw　a　bank　and　some　shallow　water；　andtwo　people；　who　sat　in　a　boat。

〃Does　the　gentleman　wish　to　be　ferried　over　the　Holm？〃　asked　one。

〃To　the　Holm！〃　exclaimed　the　counsellor；　not　knowing　in　what　agehe　was　now　existing；　〃I　want　to　go　to　Christian's　Haven；　in　LittleTurf　Street。〃　The　men　stared　at　him。　〃Pray　tell　me　where　the　bridgeis！〃　said　he。　〃It　is　shameful　that　the　lamps　are　not　lighted　here；　andit　is　as　muddy　as　if　one　were　walking　in　a　marsh。〃　But　the　more　hetalked　with　the　boatmen　the　less　they　could　understand　each　other。

〃I　don't　understand　your　outlandish　talk；〃　he　cried　at　last；angrily　turning　his　back　upon　them。　He　could　not；　however；　find　thebridge　nor　any　railings。

〃What　a　scandalous　condition　this　place　is　in；〃　said　he；　never；certainly；　had　he　found　his　own　times　so　miserable　as　on　this　evening。〃I　think　it　will　be　better　for　me　to　take　a　coach；　but　where　arethey？〃　There　was　not　one　to　be　seen！　〃I　shall　be　obliged　to　go　back　tothe　king's　new　market；〃　said　he；　〃where　there　are　plenty　ofcarriages　standing；　or　I　shall　never　reach　Christian's　Haven。〃　Then　hewent　towards　East　Street；　and　had　nearly　passed　through　it；　when　themoon　burst　forth　from　a　cloud。

〃Dear　me；　what　have　they　been　erecting　here？〃　he　cried；　as　hecaught　sight　of　the　East　gate；　which　in　olden　times　used　to　stand　atthe　end　of　East　Street。　However；　he　found　an　opening　through　whichhe　passed；　and　came　out　upon　where　he　expected　to　find　the　new　market。Nothing　was　to　be　seen　but　an　open　meadow；　surrounded　by　a　few　bushes；through　which　ran　a　broad　canal　or　stream。　A　few　miserable…lookingwooden　booths；　for　the　acmodation　of　Dutch　watermen；　stood　on　theopposite　shore。

〃Either　I　behold　a　fata　morgana；　or　I　must　be　tipsy；〃　groanedthe　counsellor。　〃What　can　it　be？　What　is　the　matter　with　me？〃　Heturned　back　in　the　full　conviction　that　he　must　be　ill。　In　walkingthrough　the　street　this　time；　he　examined　the　houses　more　closely；he　found　that　most　of　them　were　built　of　lath　and　plaster；　and　manyhad　only　a　thatched　roof。

〃I　am　certainly　all　wrong；〃　said　he；　with　a　sigh；　and　yet　I　onlydrank　one　glass　of　punch。　But　I　cannot　bear　even　that；　and　it　was　veryfoolish　to　give　us　punch　and　hot　salmon；　I　shall　speak　about　it　to　ourhostess；　the　agent's　lady。　Suppose　I　were　to　go　back　now　and　say　howill　I　feel；　I　fear　it　would　look　so　ridiculous；　and　it　is　not　verylikely　that　I　should　find　any　one　up。〃　Then　he　looked　for　the　house；but　it　was　not　in　existence。

〃This　is　really　frightful；　I　cannot　even　recognize　East　Street。Not　a　shop　to　be　seen；　nothing　but　old；　wretched；　tumble…downhouses；　just　as　if　I　were　at　Roeskilde　or　Ringstedt。　Oh；　I　really　mustbe　ill！　It　is　no　use　to　stand　upon　ceremony。　But　where　in　the　world　isthe　agent's　house。　There　is　a　house；　but　it　is　not　his；　and　peoplestill　up　in　it；　I　can　hear。　Oh　dear！　I　certainly　am　very　queer。〃　As　hereached　the　half…open　door；　he　saw　a　light　and　went　in。　It　was　atavern　of　the　olden　times；　and　seemed　a　kind　of　beershop。　The　room　hadthe　appearance　of　a　Dutch　interior。　A　number　of　people；　consistingof　seamen；　Copenhagen　citizens；　and　a　few　scholars；　sat　in　deepconversation　over　their　mugs；　and　took　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　p