wessex tales-第29章

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they　will　do　everything　necessary。'　　She　told　him　in　a　few　words　the
particulars　of　her　son's　arrival；　broken　in　healthindeed；　at
death's　very　door；　though　they　did　not　suspect　itand　suggested；　as
the　result　of　a　conversation　between　her　and　her　daughter；　that　the
wedding　should　be　postponed。

'Yes；　of　course；'　said　Darton。　　'I　think　now　to　go　straight　to　the
inn　and　tell　Johns　what　has　happened。'　　It　was　not　till　after　he　had
shaken　hands　with　her　that　he　turned　hesitatingly　and　added；　'Will
you　tell　the　mother　of　his　children　that；　as　they　are　now　left
fatherless；　I　shall　be　glad　to　take　the　eldest　of　them；　if　it　would
be　any　convenience　to　her　and　to　you？'

Mrs。　Hall　promised　that　her　son's　widow　should　he　told　of　the　offer；
and　they　parted。　　He　retired　down　the　rooty　slope　and　disappeared　in
the　direction　of　the　inn；　where　he　informed　Johns　of　the
circumstances。　　Meanwhile　Mrs。　Hall　had　entered　the　house；　Sally　was
downstairs　in　the　sitting…room　alone；　and　her　mother　explained　to
her　that　Darton　had　readily　assented　to　the　postponement。

'No　doubt　he　has；'　said　Sally；　with　sad　emphasis。　　'It　is　not　put
off　for　a　week；　or　a　month；　or　a　year。　　I　shall　never　marry　him；　and
she　will！'



CHAPTER　IV



Time　passed；　and　the　household　on　the　Knap　became　again　serene　under
the　composing　influences　of　daily　routine。　　A　desultory；　very
desultory　correspondence；　dragged　on　between　Sally　Hall　and　Darton；
who；　not　quite　knowing　how　to　take　her　petulant　words　on　the　night
of　her　brother's　death；　had　continued　passive　thus　long。　　Helena　and
her　children　remained　at　the　dairy…house；　almost　of　necessity；　and
Darton　therefore　deemed　it　advisable　to　stay　away。

One　day；　seven　months　later　on；　when　Mr。　Darton　was　as　usual　at　his
farm；　twenty　miles　from　Hintock；　a　note　reached　him　from　Helena。
She　thanked　him　for　his　kind　offer　about　her　children；　which　her
mother…in…law　had　duly　communicated；　and　stated　that　she　would　be
glad　to　accept　it　as　regarded　the　eldest；　the　boy。　　Helena　had；　in
truth；　good　need　to　do　so；　for　her　uncle　had　left　her　penniless；　and
all　application　to　some　relatives　in　the　north　had　failed。　　There
was；　besides；　as　she　said；　no　good　school　near　Hintock　to　which　she
could　send　the　child。

On　a　fine　summer　day　the　boy　came。　　He　was　accompanied　half…way　by
Sally　and　his　motherto　the　'White　Horse；'　at　Chalk　Newtonwhere
he　was　handed　over　to　Darton's　bailiff　in　a　shining　spring…cart；　who
met　them　there。

He　was　entered　as　a　day…scholar　at　a　popular　school　at　Casterbridge；
three　or　four　miles　from　Darton's；　having　first　been　taught　by
Darton　to　ride　a　forest…pony；　on　which　he　cantered　to　and　from　the
aforesaid　fount　of　knowledge；　and　（as　Darton　hoped）　brought　away　a
promising　headful　of　the　same　at　each　diurnal　expedition。　　The
thoughtful　taciturnity　into　which　Darton　had　latterly　fallen　was
quite　dissipated　by　the　presence　of　this　boy。

When　the　Christmas　holidays　came　it　was　arranged　that　he　should
spend　them　with　his　mother。　　The　journey　was；　for　some　reason　or
other；　performed　in　two　stages；　as　at　his　coming；　except　that　Darton
in　person　took　the　place　of　the　bailiff；　and　that　the　boy　and
himself　rode　on　horseback。

Reaching　the　renowned　'White　Horse；'　Darton　inquired　if　Miss　and
young　Mrs。　Hall　were　there　to　meet　little　Philip　（as　they　had　agreed
to　be）。　　He　was　answered　by　the　appearance　of　Helena　alone　at　the
door。

'At　the　last　moment　Sally　would　not　come；'　she　faltered。

That　meeting　practically　settled　the　point　towards　which　these　long…
severed　persons　were　converging。　　But　nothing　was　broached　about　it
for　some　time　yet。　　Sally　Hall　had；　in　fact；　imparted　the　first
decisive　motion　to　events　by　refusing　to　accompany　Helena。　　She　soon
gave　them　a　second　move　by　writing　the　following　note


'＇Private。＇

'DEAR　CHARLES；Living　here　so　long　and　intimately　with　Helena；　I
have　naturally　learnt　her　history；　especially　that　of　it　which
refers　to　you。　　I　am　sure　she　would　accept　you　as　a　husband　at　the
proper　time；　and　I　think　you　ought　to　give　her　the　opportunity。　　You
inquire　in　an　old　note　if　I　am　sorry　that　I　showed　temper　（which　it
WASN'T）　that　night　when　I　heard　you　talking　to　her。　　No；　Charles；　I
am　not　sorry　at　all　for　what　I　said　then。Yours　sincerely；　SALLY
HALL。'


Thus　set　in　train；　the　transfer　of　Darton's　heart　back　to　its
original　quarters　proceeded　by　mere　lapse　of　time。　　In　the　following
July；　Darton　went　to　his　friend　Japheth　to　ask　him　at　last　to　fulfil
the　bridal　office　which　had　been　in　abeyance　since　the　previous
January　twelvemonths。

'With　all　my　heart；　man　o'　constancy！'　said　Dairyman　Johns　warmly。
'I've　lost　most　of　my　genteel　fair　complexion　haymaking　this　hot
weather；　'tis　true；　but　I'll　do　your　business　as　well　as　them　that
look　better。　　There　be　scents　and　good　hair…oil　in　the　world　yet；
thank　God；　and　they'll　take　off　the　roughest　o'　my　edge。　　I'll
compliment　her。　　〃Better　late　than　never；　Sally　Hall；〃　I'll　say。'

'It　is　not　Sally；'　said　Darton　hurriedly。　　'It　is　young　Mrs。　Hall。'

Japheth's　face；　as　soon　as　he　really　comprehended；　became　a　picture
of　reproachful　dismay。　　'Not　Sally？'　he　said。　　'Why　not　Sally？　　I
can't　believe　it！　　Young　Mrs。　Hall！　　Well；　wellwhere's　your
wisdom？'

Darton　shortly　explained　particulars；　but　Johns　would　not　be
reconciled。　　'She　was　a　woman　worth　having　if　ever　woman　was；'　he
cried。　　'And　now　to　let　her　go！'

'But　I　suppose　I　can　marry　where　I　like；'　said　Darton。

'H'm；'　replied　the　dairyman；　lifting　his　eyebrows　expressively。
'This　don't　become　you；　Charlesit　really　do　not。　　If　I　had　done
such　a　thing　you　would　have　sworn　I　was　a　curst　no'thern　fool　to　be
drawn　off　the　scent　by　such　a　red…herring　doll…oll…oll。'

Farmer　Darton　responded　in　such　sharp　terms　to　this　laconic　opinion
that　the　two　friends　finally　parted　in　a　way　they　had　never　parted
before。　　Johns　was　to　be　no　groomsman　to　Darton　after　all。　　He　had
flatly　declined。　　Darton　went　off　sorry；　and　even　unhappy；
particularly　as　Japheth　was　about　to　leave　that　side　of　the　county；
so　that　the　words　which　had　divided　them　were　not　likely　to　be
explained　away　or　softened　down。

A　short　time　after　the　interview　Darton　was　united　to　Helena　at　a
simple　matter…of　fact　wedding；　and　she　and　her　little　girl　joined
the　boy　who　had　already　grown　to　look　on　Darton's　house　as　home。

For　some　months　the　farmer　experienced　an　unprecedented　happiness
and　satisfaction。　　There　had　been　a　flaw　in　his　life；　and　it　was　as
neatly　mended　as　was　humanly　possible。　　But　after　a　season　the
stream　of　events　followed　less　clearly；　and　there　were　shades　in　his
reveries。　　Helena　was　a　fragile　woman；　of　little　staying　power；
physically　or　morally；　and　since　the　time　that　he　had　originally
known　hereight　or　ten　years　beforeshe　had　been　severely　tried。
She　had　loved　herself　out；　in　short；　and　was　now　occasionally　given
to　moping。　　Sometimes　she　spoke　regretfully　of　the　gentilities　of
her　early　life；　and　instead　of　comparing　her　present　state　with　her
condition　as　the　wife　of　the　unlucky　Hall；　she　mused　rather　on　what
it　had　been　before　she　took　the　first　fatal　step　of　clandestinely
marrying　him。　　She　did　not　care　to　please　such　people　as　those　with
whom　she　was　thrown　as　a　thriving　farmer's　wife。　　She　allowed　the
pretty　trifles　of　agricultural　domesticity　to　glide　by　her　as　sorry
details；　and　had　it　not　been　for　the　children　Darton's　house　would
have　seemed　but　little　brighter　than　it　had　been　before。

This　led　to　occasional　unpleasantness；　until　Darton　sometimes
declared　to　himself　that　such　endeavours　as　his　to　rectify　early
deviations　of　the　heart　by　harking　back　to　the　old　point　mostly
failed　of　success。　　'Perhaps　Johns　was　right；'　he　would　say。　　'I
should　have　gone　on　with　Sally。　　Better　go　with　the　tide　and　make
the　best　of　its　course　than　stem　it　at　the　risk　of　a　capsize。'　　But
he　kept　these　unmelodious　thoughts　to　himself；　and　was　outwardly
considerate　and　kind。

This　somewhat　barren　tract　of　his　life　had　extended　to　less　than　a
year　and　a　half　when　his　ponderings　were　cut　short　by　the　loss　of
the　woman　they　concerned。　　When　she　was　in　her　grave　he　thought
better　of　her　than　when　she　had　been　alive；　the　farm　was　a　worse
place　without　her　than　with　her；　after　all。　　No　woman　short　of
divine　could　have　gone　through　such　an　experience　as　hers　with　her
first　husband　without　becoming　a　little　soured。　　Her　stagnant
sympathies；　her　sometimes　unreasonable　manner；　had　covered　a　heart
frank　and　well　meaning；　and　originally　hopeful　and　warm。　　She　left
him　a　tiny　red　infant　in　white　wrappings。　　To　make　life　as　easy　as
possible　to　this　touching　object　became　at　once　his　care。

As　this　child　learnt　to　walk　and　talk　Darton　learnt　to　see
feasibility　in　a　scheme　which　pleased　him。　　Revolving　the　experiment
which　he　had　hitherto　made　upon　life；　he　fancied　he　had　gained
wisdom　from　his　mistakes　and　caution　from　his　miscarriages。

What　the　scheme　was　needs　no　penetration　to　discover。　　Once　more　he
had　opportunity　to　recast　and　rectify　his　ill…wrought　situations　by
returning　to　Sally　Hall；　who　still　lived　quietly　on　under　her
mother's　roof　at　Hintock。　　Helena　had　been　a　woman　to　lend　pathos
and　refinement　to　a　home；　Sally　was　the　woman　to　brighten　it。　　She
would　not；　as　Helena　did；　despise　the　rural　simplicities　of　a
farmer's　fireside。　　Moreover；　she　had　a　pre…eminent　qualification
for　Darton's　household；　no　other　woman　could　make　so　desirable　a
mother　to　her　brother's　two　children　and　Darton's　one　as　Sally
while　Darton；　now　that　Helena　had　gone；　was　a　more　promising　husband
for　Sally　than　he　had　ever　been　when　liable　to　reminders　from　an
uncured　sentimental　wound。

Darton　was　not　a　man　to　act　rapidly；　and　the　working　out　of　his
reparative　designs　might　have　been　delayed　for　some　time。　　But　there
came　a　winter　evening　precisely　like　the　one　which　had　darkened　over
that　former　ride　to　Hintock；　and　he　asked　himself　why　he　should
postpone　longer；　when　the　very　landscape　called　for　a　repetition　of
that　attempt。

He　told　his　man　to　saddle　the　mare；　booted　and　spurred　himself　with
a　younger　horseman's　nicety；　kissed　the　two　youngest　children；　and
rode　off。　　To　make　the　journey　a　complete　parallel　to　the　first；　he
would　fain　have　had　his　old　acquaintance　Japheth　Johns　with　him。
But　Johns；　alas！　was　missing。　　His　removal　to　the　other　side　of　the
county　had　left　unrepaired　the　breach　which　had　arisen　between　him
and　Darton；　and　though　Darton　had　forgiven　him　a　hundred　times；　as
Johns　had　probably　forgiven　Darton；　the　effort　of　reunion　in　present
circumstances　was　one　not　likely　to　be　made。

He　screwed　himself　up　to　as　cheerful　a　pitch　as　he　could　without　his
former　crony；　and　became　content　with　his　own　thoughts　as　he　rode；
instead　of　the　words　of　a　companion。　　The　sun　went　down；　the　boughs
appeared　scratched　in　like　an　etching　against　the　sky；　old　crooked
men　with　faggots　at　their　backs　said　'Good…night；　sir；'　and　Darton
replied　'Good…night'　right　heartily。

By　the　time　he　reached　the　forking　roads　it　was　getting　as　dark　as
it　had　been　on　the　occasion　when　Johns　climbed　the　directing…post。
Darton　made　no　mistake　this　time。　　'Nor　shall　I　be　able　to　mistake；
thank　Heaven；　w