adam bede(亚当[1].比德)-第34章
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disgust is a point beyond what human flesh and blood can be
expected to endure long together without danger of misanthropy。
Old John’s wooden； deep…wrinkled face was the first object that
met Arthur’s eyes as he entered the stable…yard； and it quite
poisoned for him the bark of the two bloodhounds that kept watch
there。 He could never speak quite patiently to the old blockhead。
“You must have Meg saddled for me and brought to the door at
half…past eleven； and I shall want Rattler saddled for Pym at the
same time。 Do you hear？”
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“Yes； I hear； I hear； Cap’n；” said old John very deliberately；
following the young master into the stable。 John considered a
young master as the natural enemy of an old servant； and young
people in general as a poor contrivance for carrying on the world。
Arthur went in for the sake of patting Meg； declining as far as
possible to see anything in the stables； lest he should lose his
temper before breakfast。 The pretty creature was in one of the
inner stables； and turned her mild head as her master came beside
her。 Little Trot； a tiny spaniel； her inseparable companion in the
stable； was comfortably curled up on her back。
“Well； Meg； my pretty girl；” said Arthur； patting her neck； “we’ll
have a glorious canter this morning。”
“Nay； your honour； I donna see as that can be；” said John。
“Not be？ Why not？”
“Why； she’s got lamed。”
“Lamed； confound you！ What do you mean？”
“Why； th’ lad took her too close to Dalton’s hosses； an’ one on
’em flung out at her； an’ she’s got her shank bruised o’ the near
foreleg。”
The judicious historian abstains from narrating precisely what
ensued。 You understand that there was a great deal of strong
language； mingled with soothing “who…ho’s” while the leg was
examined； that John stood by with quite as much emotion as if he
had been a cunningly carved crab…tree walking…stick； and that
Arthur Donnithorne presently repassed the iron gates of the
pleasure…ground without singing as he went。
He considered himself thoroughly disappointed and annoyed。
There was not another mount in the stable for himself and his
servant besides Meg and Rattler。 It was vexatious； just when he
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Adam Bede 168
wanted to get out of the way for a week or two。 It seemed culpable
in Providence to allow such a combination of circumstances。 To be
shut up at the Chase with a broken arm when every other fellow in
his regiment was enjoying himself at Windsor—shut up with his
grandfather； who had the same sort of affection for him as for his
parchment deeds！ And to be disgusted at every turn with the
management of the house and the estate！ In such circumstances a
man necessarily gets in an ill humour； and works off the irritation
by some excess or other。 “Salkeld would have drunk a bottle of
port every day；” he muttered to himself； “but I’m not well
seasoned enough for that。 Well； since I can’t go to Eagledale； I’ll
have a gallop on Rattler to Norburne this morning； and lunch with
Gawaine。”
Behind this explicit resolution there lay an implicit one。 If he
lunched with Gawaine and lingered chatting； he should not reach
the Chase again till nearly five； when Hetty would be safe out of
his sight in the housekeeper’s room； and when she set out to go
home； it would be his lazy time after dinner； so he should keep out
of her way altogether。 There really would have been no harm in
being kind to the little thing； and it was worth dancing with a
dozen ballroom belles only to look at Hetty for half an hour。 But
perhaps he had better not take any more notice of her； it might
put notions into her head； as Irwine had hinted； though Arthur； for
his part； thought girls were not by any means so soft and easily
bruised； indeed； he had generally found them twice as cool and
cunning as he was himself。 As for any real harm in Hetty’s case； it
was out of the question： Arthur Donnithorne accepted his own
bond for himself with perfect confidence。
So the twelve o’clock sun saw him galloping towards Norburne；
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and by good fortune Halsell Common lay in his road and gave him
some fine leaps for Rattler。 Nothing like “taking” a few bushes and
ditches for exorcising a demon； and it is really astonishing that the
Centaurs； with their immense advantages in this way； have left so
bad a reputation in history。
After this； you will perhaps be surprised to hear that although
Gawaine was at home； the hand of the dial in the courtyard had
scarcely cleared the last stroke of three when Arthur returned
through the entrance…gates； got down from the panting Rattler；
and went into the house to take a hasty luncheon。 But I believe
there have been men since his day who have ridden a long way to
avoid a rencontre； and then galloped hastily back lest they should
miss it。 It is the favourite stratagem of our passions to sham a
retreat； and to turn sharp round upon us at the moment we have
made up our minds that the day is our own。
“The cap’n’s been ridin’ the devil’s own pace；” said Dalton the
coachman； whose person stood out in high relief as he smoked his
pipe against the stable wall； when John brought up Rattler。
“An’ I wish he’d get the devil to do’s grooming for’n；” growled
John。
“Aye； he’d hev a deal hamabler groom nor what he has now；”
observed Dalton—and the joke appeared to him so good that；
being left alone upon the scene； he continued at intervals to take
his pipe from his mouth in order to wink at an imaginary audience
and shake luxuriously with a silent； ventral laughter； mentally
rehearsing the dialogue from the beginning； that he might recite it
with effect in the servants’ hall。
When Arthur went up to his dressing…room again after
luncheon； it was inevitable that the debate he had had with
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himself there earlier in the day should flash across his mind； but it
was impossible for him now to dwell on the remembrance—
impossible to recall the feelings and reflections which had been
decisive with him then； any more than to recall the peculiar scent
of the air that had freshened him when he first opened his
window。 The desire to see Hetty had rushed back like an ill…
stemmed current； he was amazed himself at the force with which
this trivial fancy seemed to grasp him： he was even rather
tremulous as he brushed his hair—pooh！ it was riding in that
break…neck way。 It was because he had made a serious affair of an
idle matter； by thinking of it as if it were of any consequence。 He
would amuse himself by seeing Hetty to…day； and get rid of the
whole thing from his mind。 It was all Irwine’s fault。 “If Irwine had
said nothing； I shouldn’t have thought half so much of Hetty as of
Meg’s lameness。” However； it was just the sort of day for lolling in
the Hermitage； and he would go and finish Dr。 Moore’s Zeluco
there before dinner。 The Hermitage stood in Fir…tree Grove—the
way Hetty was sure to come in walking from the Hall Farm。 So
nothing could be simpler and more natural： meeting Hetty was a
mere circumstance of his walk； not its object。
Arthur’s shadow flitted rather faster among the sturdy oaks of
the Chase than might have been expected from the shadow of a
tired man on a warm afternoon； and it was still scarcely four
o’clock when he stood before the tall narrow gate leading into the
delicious labyrinthine wood which skirted one side of the Chase；
and which was called Fir…tree Grove； not because the firs were
many； but because they were few。 It was a wood of beeches and
limes； with here and there a light silver…stemmed birch—just the
sort of wood most haunted by the nymphs： you see their white
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sunlit limbs gleaming athwart the boughs； or peeping from behind
the smooth…sweeping outline of a tall lime； you hear their soft
liquid laughter—but if you look with a too curious sacrilegious eye；
they vanish behind the silvery beeches； they make you believe that
their voice was only a running brooklet； perhaps they
metamorphose themselves into a tawny squirrel that scampers
away and mocks you from the topmost bough。 It was not a grove
with measured grass or rolled gravel for you to tread upon； but
with narrow； hollow…shaped； earthy paths； edged with faint dashes
of delicate moss—paths which look as if they were made by the
free will of the trees and underwood； moving reverently aside to
look at the tall queen of the white…footed nymphs。
It was along the broadest of these paths that
