The Romany Rye

by George Borrow

  CHAPTER XXXV

  THE LEAVE-TAKING--SPIRIT OF THE HEARTH--WHAT'S O'CLOCK

  The next morning, having breakfasted with my old friend, I went into thestable to make the necessary preparations for my departure; there, withthe assistance of a stable lad, I cleaned and caparisoned my horse, andthen, returning into the house, I made the old female attendant such apresent as I deemed would be some compensation for the trouble I hadcaused. Hearing that the old gentleman was in the study, I repaired tohim. 'I am come to take leave of you,' said I, 'and to thank you for allthe hospitality which I have received at your hands.' The eyes of theold man were fixed steadfastly on the inscription which I had found himstudying on a former occasion. 'At length,' he murmured to himself. 'Ihave it--I think I have it;' and then, looking at me, he said: 'So youare about to depart?'

  'Yes,' said I, 'my horse will be at the front door in a few minutes. Iam glad, however, before I go, to find that you have mastered theinscription.'

  'Yes,' said the old man, 'I believe I have mastered it. It seems toconsist of some verses relating to the worship of the Spirit of theHearth.'

  'What is the Spirit of the Hearth?' said I.

  'One of the many demons which the Chinese worship,' said the old man.'They do not worship one God, but many.' And then the old man told me agreat many highly-interesting particulars respecting the demon worship ofthe Chinese.

  After the lapse of at least half an hour I said: 'I must not linger hereany longer, however willing. Horncastle is distant, and I wish to bethere to-night. Pray can you inform me what's o'clock?'

  The old man, rising, looked towards the clock which hung on the side ofthe room at his left hand, on the farther side of the table at which hewas seated.

  'I am rather short-sighted,' said I, 'and cannot distinguish the numbersat that distance.'

  'It is ten o'clock,' said the old man; 'I believe somewhat past.'

  'A quarter, perhaps?'

  'Yes,' said the old man, 'a quarter, or--'

  'Or?'

  'Seven minutes, or ten minutes past ten.'

  'I do not understand you.'

  'Why, to tell you the truth,' said the old man, with a smile, 'there isone thing to the knowledge of which I could never exactly attain.'

  'Do you mean to say,' said I, 'that you do not know what's o'clock?'

  'I can give a guess,' said the old man, 'to within a few minutes.'

  'But you cannot tell the exact moment?'

  'No,' said the old man.

  'In the name of wonder,' said I, 'with that thing there on the wallcontinually ticking in your ear, how comes it that you do not know what'so'clock?'

  'Why,' said the old man, 'I have contented myself with giving a tolerablygood guess; to do more would have been too great trouble.'

  'But you have learnt Chinese,' said I.

  'Yes,' said the old man, 'I have learnt Chinese.'

  'Well,' said I, 'I really would counsel you to learn to know what'so'clock as soon as possible. Consider what a sad thing it would be to goout of the world not knowing what's o'clock. A millionth part of thetrouble required to learn Chinese would, if employed, infallibly teachyou to know what's o'clock.'

  'I had a motive for learning Chinese,' said the old man, 'the hope ofappeasing the misery in my head. With respect to not knowing what'so'clock, I cannot see anything particularly sad in the matter. A man mayget through the world very creditably without knowing what's o'clock.Yet, upon the whole, it is no bad thing to know what's o'clock--you, ofcourse, do? It would be too good a joke if two people were to betogether, one knowing Armenian and the other Chinese, and neither knowingwhat's o'clock. I'll now see you off.'