It is very strange, this domination of our intellect by our digestive organs. We cannot work, we cannot think, unless our stomach wills so. It dictates to us our emotions, our passions. After eggs and bacon, it says, “Work!” After beefsteak and porter, it says, “Sleep!” After a cup of tea (two spoonful for each cup, and don’t let it stand more than three minutes), it says to the brain, “Now, rise, and show your strength. Be eloquent, and deep, and tender; see, with a clear eye, into Nature and into life; and soar over the whirling world beneath you!”

After hot muffins, it says, “Be dull and soulless, like a beast of the field[93] – a brainless animal, with listless eye that lacks hope, or fear, or love, or life.” And after brandy it says, “Now, come, fool, grin and tumble.”

We are but[94] the sorriest slaves of our stomach. Reach not after morality and righteousness, my friends; watch vigilantly your stomach, and diet it with care and judgment. Then virtue and contentment will come and reign within your heart; and you will be a good citizen, a loving husband, and a tender father – a noble, pious man.

Before our supper, Harris and George and I were quarrelsome and snappy and angry; after our supper, we sat and smiled. We loved each other, we loved everybody.

We lit our pipes, and sat, looking out on the quiet night, and talked.

George said why could not we be always like this – away from the world, with its sin and temptation, leading sober, peaceful lives, and doing good. And we discussed the possibility of our going away, we four, to some desert island, and living there in the woods.

George remembered a very funny story that happened to his father once. He said his father was travelling with another fellow through Wales,[95] and, one night, they stopped at a little inn, where there were some other fellows, and they joined the other fellows, and spent the evening with them.

They had a very jolly evening, and sat up late,[96] and, by the time they came to go to bed, they (this was when George’s father was a very young man) were slightly drunk, too. They (George’s father and George’s father’s friend) were to sleep in the same room, but in different beds. They took the candle, and went up. The candle went out,[97] and they had to undress and grope into bed in the dark. This they did; but, instead of getting into separate beds, as they thought they were doing, they both climbed into the same one without knowing it – one getting in with his head at the top, and the other lying with his feet on the pillow.

There was silence for a moment, and then George’s father said:

“Joe!”

“What’s the matter, Tom?” replied Joe’s voice from the other end of the bed.

“Look, there’s a man in my bed,” said George’s father; “here’s his feet on my pillow.”

“Well, it’s an extraordinary thing, Tom,” answered the other; “but there is a man in my bed, too!” “What are you going to do?” asked George’s father.

“Well, I’m going to throw him out,” replied Joe. “So am I,” said George’s father, valiantly.

There was a brief struggle, then a rather doleful voice said:

“I say, Tom![98]”

“Yes!”

“How are you?”

“Well, to tell you the truth, my man has thrown me out.”

“So has mine! It’s an awful inn!”

We turned in at ten that night, and I thought I should sleep well, being tired; but I didn’t. As a rule, I undress and put my head on the pillow, and then somebody hits at the door, and says it is half-past eight. But tonight everything seemed against me; the hardness of the boat, the cramped position[99] (I was lying with my feet under one seat, and my head on another), the sound of the water round the boat, and the wind among the branches disturbed me.

I did get to sleep for a few hours. I slept through it for a while, dreaming that I had swallowed a sovereign, and that they were cutting a hole in my back with a gimlet, so as to get it out. I thought it very unkind of them, and I told them I would owe them the money, and they should have it at the end of the month. But they would not hear of that, and said it would be much better if they had it then, because otherwise the interest would accumulate so.[100] I told them what I thought of them, and then they pushed me so hard that I woke up.

The boat seemed stuffy, and my head ached; so I stepped out into the cool night air. I put on what clothes I could find about – some of my own, and some of George’s and Harris’s – and crept under the canvas on to the bank.

It was a glorious night. The moon had sunk, and left the quiet earth alone with the stars. They awe us, these strange stars, so cold, so clear.

Chapter XI

I woke at six the next morning; and found George awake too. We tried to go to sleep again, but we could not.

Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

Примечания

William Samuel Harris – Уильям Сэмюэль Гаррис

Montmorency – Монморанси

hay fever – сенная лихорадка

I fancy I had it. – Думаю, что она у меня была.

typhoid fever – брюшной тиф

St. Vitus’s Dance – пляска святого Витта

housemaid’s knee – воспаление сумки надколенника

zymosis – инфекция

there was nothing else the matter with me – больше мне уж ничто не угрожает

it seemed to start off – казалось, что он появился

a decrepit wreck – жалкая развалина

chemist’s – аптека

1 lb. – 1 фунт

1 pt. – 1 пинта

a general disinclination to work of any kind – общее отвращение к любому труду

no tongue can tell – невозможно описать

Mrs. Poppets – миссис Поппитс

you come across – вы встречаете

for myself – что касается меня

save his board and lodging – сэкономить на его еде и жилье

three to one – трое против одного

Kingston – Кингстон

Chertsey – Чертси

the most disreputable dogs – собаки, пользующиеся самой дурной славой

you get a piece of paper and write down, J. – Джей, раздобудь-ка листок бумаги и записывай

the things we could do with – вещи, которые нам могут пригодиться

the things that we can’t do without – вещи, без которых мы не сможем обойтись

between us – одна на всех

in case we got upset – на тот случай, если лодка перевернётся

a methylated spirit stove – спиртовка

no oil – никакого керосина

an oil-stove – керосинка

Marlow – Марло

High Street – Хай-стрит

I rather pride myself on my packing. – Я горжусь своим умением укладывать вещи.

pick out – вычерпывать

they scraped it out at last – наконец, они его выковыряли

they got it off – они отскоблили его

to see him off – проводить его

Waterloo – Ватерлоо (название вокзала)

where the eleven-five started from – откуда отправляется поезд 11.5

and stuck his legs in the air – и начал дрыгать ногами

Hampton Court – Хэмптон-Корт

maze at Hampton Court – Хэмптон-Кортский лабиринт

had given up all hopes of ever getting either in or out – оставили всякую надежду выйти или войти

Moulsey Lock – Маулсейский шлюз

his blazer is loud – у него кричащая спортивная куртка

he pumps himself out – он выдыхается

for fear of going over – от страха полететь в воду

we were trespassing – мы нарушили границу чужих владений

comic songs – комические куплеты

dashes off – выпаливает

as to what Harris is really singing – о том, что именно поет Гаррис

Jenkins – Дженкинс

When I was young I served a term аs office-boy to an attorney’s firm. – Я в мальчиках когда-то служил у адвоката.

in a high falsetto – высоким фальцетом

dash it – чёрт подери

I am the ruler of the Queen’s navee – веду я королевский флот

to row up it – идти на вёслах вверх по течению

Walton – Уолтон

Caesar – Цезарь

Queen Elizabeth – Королева Елизавета

go where you will – куда бы вы ни отправились

scold’s bridle – узда для сварливых женщин

iron was getting scarce – железа стало не хватать

Oatlands Park – Оутлэнд-парк

Henry VIII – Генрих VIII (король Англии с 1509, второй английский монарх из династии Тюдоров)

Duchess of York – герцогиня Йоркская

average Christian – средний христианин

Halliford – Хэллифорд

Shepperton – Шеппертон

Weybridge – Уэйбридж

Thames – Темза

a badly-made door-mat – плохо сплетённый половик у двери

from view – из виду

on chance – на всякий случай

Penton Hook – Пентон-Хук

Runnymead – Раннимид

Goring – Горинг

Benson’s lock – Бенсонский шлюз

Wallingford lock – Уоллингфордский шлюз

Cleeve – Клив

will-o’-the-wisps – блуждающие огоньки (природные явления, наблюдаемые по ночам на болотах, полях и кладбищах; в Англии считаются предвестниками смерти)

Orpheus – Орфей

Apollo – Аполлон

That’s been done away with for over a year. – Вот уже больше года, как с ним покончили.

Bell Weir lock – Белл-Уирский шлюз

Staines – Стейнз

with an easy mind – со спокойным сердцем

did his part all right – прекрасно справился со своей частью работы

got himself entangled and rolled up – сам запеленался в парусину

I had been told to stand where I was – мне было сказано, что я должен стоять там, где я находился

a beast of the field – домашняя скотина

we are but – мы всего лишь только

Wales – Уэльс