adam bede(亚当[1].比德)-第17章
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It’s splendid out of doors now。 We can go to Adam’s together； if
you like； but I want to call at the Hall Farm on my way； to look at
the whelps Poyser is keeping for me。”
“You must stay and have lunch first； Arthur；” said Mrs。 Irwine。
“It’s nearly two。 Carroll will bring it in directly。”
“I want to go to the Hall Farm too；” said Mr。 Irwine； “to have
another look at the little Methodist who is staying there。 Joshua
tells me she was preaching on the Green last night。”
“Oh； by Jove！” said Captain Donnithorne； laughing。 “Why； she
looks as quiet as a mouse。 There’s something rather striking about
her； though。 I positively felt quite bashful the first time I saw her—
she was sitting stooping over her sewing in the sunshine outside
the house； when I rode up and called out； without noticing that she
was a stranger； ‘Is Martin Poyser at home？’ I declare； when she
got up and looked at me and just said； ‘He’s in the house； I believe：
I’ll go and call him；’ I felt quite ashamed of having spoken so
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abruptly to her。 She looked like St。 Catherine in a Quaker dress。
It’s a type of face one rarely sees among our common people。”
“I should like to see the young woman； Dauphin；” said Mrs。
Irwine。 “Make her come here on some pretext or other。”
“I don’t know how I can manage that； Mother； it will hardly do
for me to patronise a Methodist preacher； even if she would
consent to be patronised by an idle shepherd； as Will Maskery
calls me。 You should have come in a little sooner； Arthur； to hear
Joshua’s denunciation of his neighbour Will Maskery。 The old
fellow wants me to excommunicate the wheelwright； and then
deliver him over to the civil arm—that is to say； to your
grandfather—to be turned out of house and yard。 If I chose to
interfere in this business； now； I might get up as pretty a story of
hatred and persecution as the Methodists need desire to publish in
the next number of their magazine。 It wouldn’t take me much
trouble to persuade Chad Cranage and half a dozen other bull…
headed fellows that they would be doing an acceptable service to
the Church by hunting Will Maskery out of the village with rope…
ends and pitchforks； and then； when I had furnished them with
half a sovereign to get gloriously drunk after their exertions； I
should have put the climax to as pretty a farce as any of my
brother clergy have set going in their parishes for the last thirty
years。”
“It is really insolent of the man； though； to call you an ‘idle
shepherd’ and a ‘dumb dog；’” said Mrs。 Irwine。 “I should be
inclined to check him a little there。 You are too easy…tempered；
Dauphin。”
“Why； Mother； you don’t think it would be a good way of
sustaining my dignity to set about vindicating myself from the
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aspersions of Will Maskery？ Besides； I’m not so sure that they are
aspersions。 I am a lazy fellow； and get terribly heavy in my saddle；
not to mention that I’m always spending more than I can afford in
bricks and mortar； so that I get savage at a lame beggar when he
asks me for sixpence。 Those poor lean cobblers； who think they
can help to regenerate mankind by setting out to preach in the
morning twilight before they begin their day’s work； may well
have a poor opinion of me。 But come； let us have our luncheon。
Isn’t Kate coming to lunch？”
“Miss Irwine told Bridget to take her lunch upstairs；” said
Carroll； “she can’t leave Miss Anne。”
“Oh； very well。 Tell Bridget to say I’ll go up and see Miss Anne
presently。 You can use your right arm quite well now； Arthur；” Mr。
Irwine continued； observing that Captain Donnithorne had taken
his arm out of the sling。
“Yes； pretty well； but Godwin insists on my keeping it up
constantly for some time to come。 I hope I shall be able to get away
to the regiment； though； in the beginning of August。 It’s a
desperately dull business being shut up at the Chase in the
summer months； when one can neither hunt nor shoot； so as to
make one’s self pleasantly sleepy in the evening。 However； we are
to astonish the echoes on the 30th of July。 My grandfather has
given me carte blanche for once； and I promise you the
entertainment shall be worthy of the occasion。 The world will not
see the grand epoch of my majority twice。 I think I shall have a
lofty throne for you； Godmamma； or rather two； one on the lawn
and another in the ballroom； that you may sit and look down upon
us like an Olympian goddess。”
“I mean to bring out my best brocade； that I wore at your
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christening twenty years ago；” said Mrs。 Irwine。 “Ah； I think I
shall see your poor mother flitting about in her white dress； which
looked to me almost like a shroud that very day； and it was her
shroud only three months after； and your little cap and christening
dress were buried with her too。 She had set her heart on that；
sweet soul！ Thank God you take after your mother’s family；
Arthur。 If you had been a puny； wiry； yellow baby； I wouldn’t have
stood godmother to you。 I should have been sure you would turn
out a Donnithorne。 But you were such a broad…faced； broad…
chested； loud…screaming rascal； I knew you were every inch of you
a Tradgett。”
“But you might have been a little too hasty there； Mother；” said
Mr。 Irwine； smiling。 “Don’t you remember how it was with Juno’s
last pups？ One of them was the very image of its mother； but it
had two or three of its father’s tricks notwithstanding。 Nature is
clever enough to cheat even you； Mother。”
“Nonsense； child！ Nature never makes a ferret in the shape of a
mastiff。 You’ll never persuade me that I can’t tell what men are by
their outsides。 If I don’t like a man’s looks； depend upon it I shall
never like him。 I don’t want to know people that look ugly and
disagreeable； any more than I want to taste dishes that look
disagreeable。 If they make me shudder at the first glance； I say；
take them away。 An ugly； piggish； or fishy eye； now； makes me feel
quite ill； it’s like a bad smell。”
“Talking of eyes；” said Captain Donnithorne； “that reminds me
that I’ve got a book I meant to bring you； Godmamma。 It came
down in a parcel from London the other day。 I know you are fond
of queer； wizard…like stories。 It’s a volume of poems； ‘Lyrical
Ballads。’ Most of them seem to be twaddling stuff； but the first is in
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a different style—‘The Ancient Mariner’ is the title。 I can hardly
make head or tail of it as a story； but it’s a strange； striking thing。
I’ll send it over to you； and there are some other books that you
may like to see； Irwine—pamphlets about Antinomianism and
Evangelicalism； whatever they may be。 I can’t think what the
fellow means by sending such things to me。 I’ve written to him to
desire that from henceforth he will send me no book or pamphlet
on anything that ends in ism。”
“Well； I don’t know that I’m very fond of isms myself； but I may
as well look at the pamphlets； they let one see what is going on。
I’ve a little matter to attend to； Arthur；” continued Mr。 Irwine；
rising to leave the room； “and then I shall be ready to set out with
you。”
The little matter that Mr。 Irwine had to attend to took him up
the old stone staircase （part of the house was very old） and made
him pause before a door at which he knocked gently。 “Come in；”
said a woman’s voice； and he entered a room so darkened by
blinds and curtains that Miss Kate； the thin middle…aged lady
standing by the bedside； would not have had light enough for any
other sort of work than the knitting which lay on the little table
near her。 But at present she was doing what required only the
dimmest light—sponging the aching head that lay on the pillow
with fresh vinegar。 It was a small face； that of the poor sufferer；
perhaps it had once been pretty； but now it was worn and sallow。
Miss Kate came towards her brother and whispered； “Don’t speak
to her； she can’t bear to be spoken to to…day。” Anne’s eyes were
closed； and her brow contracted as if from intense pain。 Mr。 Irwine
went to the bedside and took up one of the delicate hands and
kissed it； a slight pressure from the small fingers told him that it
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was worth…while to have come upstairs for the sake of doing that。
He lingered a moment； looking at her； and then turned away and
left the room； treading very gently—he had taken off his boo
