登陆注册
15427300000018

第18章 How Lazaro Took up with a Squire(4)

"Well,dig in,sir,and you'll see how good it really is."

I put the cow's hooves into his,along with three or four of the whiter pieces of bread.And he sat down beside me and began to eat like a man who was really hungry.He chewed the meat off of every little bone better than any hound of his would have done.

"With garlic sauce,"he said,"this is an exceptional dish."

"You don't need any sauce with your appetite,"I said under my breath."By God,that tasted so good you'd think I hadn't had a bite to eat all day."

That's true as sure as I was born,I said to myself.

He asked me for the water jug,and when I gave it to him it was as full as when I'd first brought it in.Since there was no water gone from it,there was a sure sign that my master hadn't been overeating that day.We drank and went to sleep,very content,like we'd done the night before.

Well,to make a long story short,that's the way we spent the next nine or ten days:that sinner would go out in the morning with his satisfied,leisurely pace,to dawdle around the streets while I was out hoofing it for him.

I used to think lots of times about my catastrophe:having escaped from those terrible masters I'd had and looking for someone better,I ran into a man who not only couldn't support me but who I had to support.Still,I really liked him because I saw that he didn't have anything and he couldn't do more than he was already doing.I felt more sorry for him than angry.And lots of times,just so I could bring back something for him to eat,I didn't eat anything myself.

I did this because one morning the pitiful fellow got up in his shirt and went to the top floor of the house to take care of a certain necessity.And to satisfy my curiosity I unfolded the jacket and pants he'd left at the head of the bed.And I found an old,crumpled-up little purse of satiny velvet that didn't have a damned cent in it,and there wasn't any sign that it had had one for a long time.

"This man,"I said,"is poor.And no one can give what he doesn't have.But both the stingy blind man and that blasted miser of a priest did all right in God's name--one of them with a quick tongue and the other one with his hand-kissing.And they were starving me to death.So it's only right that I should hate them and feel sorry for this man."

As God is my witness,even today when I run into someone like him,with that pompous way of walking of his,I feel sorry for them because I think that they may be suffering what I saw this one go through.But even with all his poverty,I'd still be glad to serve him more than the others because of the things I've just mentioned.There was only one little thing that I didn't like about him:I wished that he wouldn't act so superior;if only he'd let his vanity come down a little to be in line with his growing necessity.But it seems to me that that's a rule his kind always keeps:even if they don't have a red cent to their name,they have to keep up the masquerade.God help them or that's the way they'll go to their graves.

Well,while I was there,getting along the way I said,my bad luck (which never got tired of haunting me)decided that that hard,foul way of life shouldn't last.The way it happened was that,since there had been a crop failure there that year,the town council decided to make all the beggars who came from other towns get out of the city.And they announced that from then on if they found one of them there,he'd be whipped.So the law went into effect,and four days after the announcement was given I saw a procession of beggars being led through the streets and whipped.And I got so scared that I didn't dare go out begging any more.

It's not hard to imagine the dieting that went on in my house and the sadness and silence of the people living there.It was so bad that for two or three days at a time we wouldn't have a bite to eat or even say one word to each other.I knew some ladies who lived next door to us;they spun cotton and made hats,and they kept me alive.From what little they brought in they always gave me something,and I just about managed to get by.

But I didn't feel as sorry for myself as I did for my poor master:he didn't have a damned bite to eat in a week.At least,we didn't have anything to eat at the house.When he went out I don't know how he got along,where he went or what he ate.And if you could only have seen him coming down the street at noon,holding himself straight,and skinnier than a full-blooded greyhound!And because of his damn what-do-you-call it--honor--he would take a toothpick (and there weren't very many of those in the house either)and go out the door,picking at what didn't have anything between them and still grumbling about the cursed place.He'd say,"Look how bad things are.And it's this blasted house that's causing it all.Look how gloomy and dark and dismal it is.As long as we stay here,we're going to suffer.I wish the month were over so we could get out of here."

Well,while we were in this terrible,hungry state,one day--I don't know by what stroke of luck or good fortune--a silver piece found its way into the poor hands of my master.And he brought it home with him,looking as proud as if he had all the money in Venice,and smiling very happily,he gave it to me and said:"Take this,Lazaro.God is beginning to be good to us.Go down to the square and buy bread and wine and meat.Let's shoot the works!And also--this should make you happy--I want you to know that I've rented another house,so we'll only stay in this unlucky place until the end of the month.Damn the place and damn the person who put the first tile on its roof--I should never have rented it.I swear to God that as long as I've lived here I haven't had a drop of wine or a bite of meat,and I haven't gotten any rest.And it's all because of the way this place looks--so dark and gloomy!Go on now,and come back as quick as you can:we'll eat like kings today."

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 谜一样的十三夜

    谜一样的十三夜

    血裔博士皇冥曦与人类博士的后人茶夜,在一场误会中认识并且相爱,他们在经过看似短暂其实极其痛苦,难受的十三夜后,他们最终生活在一起,成为了玫瑰帝国的领导者!
  • The Land That Time Forgot

    The Land That Time Forgot

    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。
  • 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!)
  • 逆天星辰

    逆天星辰

    主角文星耀因为意外穿越来到了这个充满传奇的世界,他要在这里用新的生命创造一段辉煌的传说!因天不公,在这里他敢打破禁忌,逆天而行。他疯狂踩强者,疯狂惹家族,疯狂结仇家,但没有人能够阻挡他的脚步,一次次的生生死死,一次次对生命新的感悟,他要站上巅峰!!!!
  • 转世还债:悦容劫难逃风月

    转世还债:悦容劫难逃风月

    前世她不小心开车把他撞死,还没喝下孟婆汤就带着记忆投生到兵荒马乱的年代,不仅做了他的姐姐,还要向他偿还上辈子的债。九世善人换得他第十世帝王的命格,在她殷殷保护之下,那点缀葱茏岁月的少年,一双幽如深壑的眼眸看着她,“就算你是亲姐在我眼里也只是个女人,我要阿姐这辈子只为我一个人而悦容。”乱世焰火熏红天空,悦容在劫,终究难逃这场爱恨的风月。
  • 仙剑缘:倾尽风华

    仙剑缘:倾尽风华

    一个是琼华派命运不由自己左右的天才少女,一个是游荡江湖立志成为一代大侠的少年,两人本不应该有什么瓜葛,却因为仙剑出世而结伴闯荡江湖。本以为仙剑会顺利找回,却不曾想世俗险恶,邪道纷纷出世,妖蟒为祸一方,同门师兄的利欲熏心,仙剑最终归属难料!为了他,少女重回秘境,斩杀妖蟒?为了他,少女违抗师命,护他周全!为了他,少女舍命相救,深受重伤!为了他,少女倾尽风华,静候人归!“梓旭,我这一生最美好的日子里都有你,我这一生,最爱的、珍爱的、挚爱的,唯你而已。”“梓旭,我这一生别无他求,只求莫失莫忘,莫离莫弃。”
  • 占有型校草:独宠不良少女

    占有型校草:独宠不良少女

    沐筱是枫成学院保送的高智商美女学霸,却因为一场巧合和习尚学院的校草江逸沉做了同桌,这能怪我吗?从此以后这位校草总挑我刺某男:“昨天晚上偷东西去了啦?黑眼圈这么重,真丑!”某女怒:“......”我艹,丑碍你什么事!某男:“写作业了吗?”某女斜眼看他:“...写了”某男:“我说我的”某女怒:“......”我艹,我是你家保姆啊!更奇葩的是去习尚学院第一天就看到不该看的,因为一场巧合沐筱迫不得已帮一个女生完成她生前最后的一个遗愿,经过种种事情后还特么的火了!沐筱的人生从此开启逆天模式!!!
  • 不闲居集

    不闲居集

    《不闲居集》洋洋近百篇,洒洒30余万字,记下了韦君琳在艺术领域求知、求进、求成、求精的步履和心得,记下了他对那些他所崇敬的前辈长者和同气相求的朋友们的艺术道路、生活剪影、多彩人生或艺术生活中的点点滴滴。
  • 咕咕是只猫

    咕咕是只猫

    什么都不知道的我时常幻想有一只猫来改变我无聊的时刻。此文纯属瞎编。
  • 冥界:皇室莲迪尔美男学院

    冥界:皇室莲迪尔美男学院

    【本文已弃,请绕道。】发丝飘扬,夜色中,凝固的血液,是谁的心在颤抖?血红色的瞳孔洞穿你的一切,这个世界上美好的事物太多,但,黑暗的事物也往往更多,当我站在无边无际的黑暗中,是谁给我依靠?被丢弃在黑暗中的洋娃娃,一次一次的呐喊,喊破喉咙,依旧没有人来救她,是显得那么孤独、无助,当一层层的伤疤揭开,本已不会受伤的心却再一次被伤的体无完肤,当一切真相揭开是,使她明白,这一切的一切,都是假的……