Лавка древностей

Chapter 54

           

           Thesecondorthirdrepetitionofhisnameattractedtheoldman’sattention.Pausingfromhiswork,heleantonhisspade,andputhishandtohisdullear.

           ‘Didyoucall?’hesaid.

           ‘Ihavebeenthinking,Davy,’repliedthesexton,‘thatshe,’hepointedtothegrave,‘musthavebeenadealolderthanyouorme.’

           ‘Seventy-nine,’answeredtheoldmanwithashakeofthehead,‘ItellyouthatIsawit.’

           ‘Sawit?’repliedthesexton;‘aye,but,Davy,womendon’talwaystellthetruthabouttheirage.’

           ‘That’strueindeed,’saidtheotheroldman,withasuddensparkleinhiseye.‘Shemighthavebeenolder.’

           ‘I’msureshemusthavebeen.Why,onlythinkhowoldshelooked.YouandIseemedbutboystoher.’

           ‘Shedidlookold,’rejoinedDavid.‘You’reright.Shedidlookold.’

           ‘Calltomindhowoldshelookedformanyalong,longyear,andsayifshecouldbebutseventy-nineatlastonlyourage,’saidthesexton.

           ‘Fiveyearolderattheveryleast!’criedtheother.

           ‘Five!’retortedthesexton.‘Ten.Goodeighty-nine.Icalltomindthetimeherdaughterdied.Shewaseighty-nineifshewasaday,andtriestopassuponusnow,fortenyearyounger.Oh!humanvanity!’

           Theotheroldmanwasnotbehindhandwithsomemoralreflectionsonthisfruitfultheme,andbothadducedamassofevidence,ofsuchweightastorenderitdoubtfulnotwhetherthedeceasedwasoftheagesuggested,butwhethershehadnotalmostreachedthepatriarchaltermofahundred.

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