The Palace at Four A.M.
The Palace at Four A.M. (第2/3页)
ideme,underthehedge.
"Whatsthis?Isaid.
"Soft,saidthenewarrival,dontbeafraid,Iamabogle,letmeabidehereforthenight,yourbackiswarmandthatsamercy.
"Whatsabogle?Iasked,immediatelyfetched,forthecreaturewassmall,notatallfrighteningtolookuponandcladinfemaleflesh,somethingIdonotholdinlowesteem.
"Abogle,saidthetinyone,withprecision,isnotablackdog.
"Well,Ithought,nowIknow.
"Abogle,shecontinued,isnotaboggart.
"Delightedtohearit,Isaid.
"Dontyouevershave?sheasked.Andwhyhaveyouthathugehideousheadonyou,thatcouldbemistakenfortheheadofanass,couldIseebettersoastothinkbetter?
"Youmaylieelsewhere,Isaid,ifmyfacediscountenancesyou.
"Iamfatigued,shesaid,gotosleep,welldiscussitinthemorning,moveabitsothatyourbackfitsbetterwithmyfront,itwillbecold,later,andthisplaceiscursed,sotheysay,andIhearthatthePrincehasbeendrivenfromthepalace,Godknowswhatthatsallaboutbutitpromisesnogoodforusplainfolk,police,probably,runningalloverthefenswiththeiridentitychecksandmakingyoublowuptheirgreatballoonswithyourbreath——
"Shewasconfusing,Ithought,severalissues,butmyGod!shewaswarmandshapely.YetIdeemedherastrangepieceofgoods,andmadethemistakeofsayingso.
"Sir,sheanswered,Iwouldnotventureuponwhatsstrangeandwhatsnotstrange,ifIwereyou,andwentontosaythatifIdidnotabstainfromfurtherimpertinenceshewouldcommitsewerpipe.Shedroppedofftosleepthen,andIlaybackupontheground.Notachild,Icouldtell,ratheratinywoman.Abogle."
TheKingwishesyoutoknow,Hannahbella,thathefindsthispassagesingularlymovingandthathecannotreaditwithoutbeingforcedtotakesnuff,violently.Similarlythenext:
"What,precisely,isadonkey?Asyoumayimagine,Ihaveresearchedthequestion.MyLaroussewasmostdelicate,asiftheeditorsthoughtthematterblushful,butyieldedtwoobservationsofinterest:thatdonkeyscameoriginallyfromAfrica,andthatthey,orwe,aretheresultofmuchcrossing.Thisurgesthatthepartiestothebirthmustbeill-matched,andinthecaseofmyroyalparents,twasthunderouslytrue.Thedinoftheircalamitousconversationsreachedeveryquarterofthepalace,ateveryseasonoftheyear.MymothernamedmeDuncan(var.ofDunkey,clearly)andwentintospasmsofshrinkingwhenever,youthfully,Idofferacheekforakiss.Myfather,incontrast,couldsometimesbringhimselftoscratchmyheadbetweenthelong,weedlikeears,butonly,Isuspect,bymeansofamentalshift,asifhewereaddressingoneofhishuntingdogs,thewhich,incidentally,remainedfirmlyambivalentaboutmeevenafterlongacquaintance.
"IexplainedapartofthistoHannahbella,forthatwastheboglesname,suppressingchieflythefactthatIwasaprince.Sheinturngavethefollowingaccountofherself.Shewasindeedabogle,asemi-spiritgenerallythoughttobeofbadcharacter.Thiswasalibel,shesaid,asherownsterlingqualitieswouldquicklypersuademe.Shewas,shesaid,oftheutmostperfectioninthefemaleline,andtherewasnotawomanwithinthebordersofthekingdomsobeautifulasherself,shedbeentolditathousandtimes.Itwastrue,shewenton,thatshewasnotofastandardsize,couldinfactbecalledsmall,ifnotminuscule,butthosewhoobjectedtothiswereloutsandfoolsandmightusefullybestewedinlead,fortheentertainmentofthecountryside.Inthematterofrankandprecedence,themeanestbogleoutweighedthegreatestking,althoughthekingsofthisearth,sheconceded,wouldneveracknowledgethisbutintheirdottysolipsismconductedthemselvesasifboglesdidnotevenexist.AndwouldIliketoseeherallunclothedsothatImightgleansomerudeideaastothetruenatureofthesublime?
"Well,Iwouldnthavemindedabit.Shewaswonderfullycrafted,thatwasevident,andheldinadditionthefascinationsurroundinganyperfectminiature.ButIsaid,No,thankyou.Perhapsanotherday,itsabitchillthismorning.
"Justthebreaststhen,shesaid,theyrewondrouspretty,andbeforeIcouldprotestfurthershedwhippedoffhermannikinstinyshirt.Ibuttonedherupagainmeanwhilebestowingbucketsofextravagantpraise.Yes,shesaidinagreement,thatshowIamallover,wonderful."
TheKingcannotrereadthissection,Hannahbella,withoutbeingreducedtotears.Theworldisawilderness,hesays,civilizationafollyweentertaininconcertwithothers.Hehimself,athisage,isbeyondsurprise,yetyearnsforit.Helongsfortheconversationsheformerlyhadwithyou,inthedeepesthoursofthenight,heinhisplainerminerobe,yousimplydressedasalwaysinasmallscarletcassock,mostbecoming,amodestsupperofchicken,fruitandwineonthesid
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