to-morrow-第2章

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him。　　Now　she　was　aware　of　an　unacknowledged；



pleasurable；　incredulous　emotion；　expressed　by　a



faint　blush。　　He　winked　not　in　the　least　vulgarly；



his　thin　red　face　with　a　well…modelled　curved　nose；



had　a　sort　of　distinctionthe　more　so　that　when　he



talked　to　her　he　looked　with　a　steadier　and　more　in…



telligent　glance。　　A　handsome；　hale；　upright；　ca…



pable　man；　with　a　white　beard。　　You　did　not　think



of　his　age。　　His　son；　he　affirmed；　had　resembled



him　amazingly　from　his　earliest　babyhood。







Harry　would　be　one…and…thirty　next　July；　he



declared。　　Proper　age　to　get　married　with　a　nice；



sensible　girl　that　could　appreciate　a　good　home。



He　was　a　very　high…spirited　boy。　　High…spirited



husbands　were　the　easiest　to　manage。　　These　mean；



soft　chaps；　that　you　would　think　butter　wouldn't



melt　in　their　mouths；　were　the　ones　to　make　a　wom…



an　thoroughly　miserable。　　And　there　was　nothing



like　a　homea　firesidea　good　roof：　no　turning



out　of　your　warm　bed　in　all　sorts　of　weather。　　〃Eh；



my　dear？〃







Captain　Hagberd　had　been　one　of　those　sailors



that　pursue　their　calling　within　sight　of　land。　　One



of　the　many　children　of　a　bankrupt　farmer；　he　had



been　apprenticed　hurriedly　to　a　coasting　skipper；



and　had　remained　on　the　coast　all　his　sea　life。　　It



must　have　been　a　hard　one　at　first：　he　had　never



taken　to　it；　his　affection　turned　to　the　land；　with



its　innumerable　houses；　with　its　quiet　lives　gathered



round　its　firesides。　　Many　sailors　feel　and　profess



a　rational　dislike　for　the　sea；　but　his　was　a　pro…



found　and　emotional　animosityas　if　the　love　of



the　stabler　element　had　been　bred　into　him　through



many　generations。







〃People　did　not　know　what　they　let　their　boys　in



for　when　they　let　them　go　to　sea；〃　he　expounded　to



Bessie。　　〃As　soon　make　convicts　of　them　at　once。〃



He　did　not　believe　you　ever　got　used　to　it。　　The



weariness　of　such　a　life　got　worse　as　you　got　older。



What　sort　of　trade　was　it　in　which　more　than　half



your　time　you　did　not　put　your　foot　inside　your



house？　　Directly　you　got　out　to　sea　you　had　no



means　of　knowing　what　went　on　at　home。　　One



might　have　thought　him　weary　of　distant　voyages；



and　the　longest　he　had　ever　made　had　lasted　a　fort…



night；　of　which　the　most　part　had　been　spent　at



anchor；　sheltering　from　the　weather。　　As　soon　as



his　wife　had　inherited　a　house　and　enough　to　live　on



（from　a　bachelor　uncle　who　had　made　some　money



in　the　coal　business）　he　threw　up　his　command　of



an　East…coast　collier　with　a　feeling　as　though　he



had　escaped　from　the　galleys。　　After　all　these　years



he　might　have　counted　on　the　fingers　of　his　two



hands　all　the　days　he　had　been　out　of　sight　of　Eng…



land。　　He　had　never　known　what　it　was　to　be　out



of　soundings。　　〃I　have　never　been　further　than



eighty　fathoms　from　the　land；〃　was　one　of　his



boasts。







Bessie　Carvil　heard　all　these　things。　　In　front　of



their　cottage　grew　an　under…sized　ash；　and　on　sum…



mer　afternoons　she　would　bring　out　a　chair　on　the



grass…plot　and　sit　down　with　her　sewing。　　Captain



Hagberd；　in　his　canvas　suit；　leaned　on　a　spade。　　He



dug　every　day　in　his　front　plot。　　He　turned　it　over



and　over　several　times　every　year；　but　was　not　go…



ing　to　plant　anything　〃just　at　present。〃







To　Bessie　Carvil　he　would　state　more　explicitly：



〃Not　till　our　Harry　comes　home　to…morrow。〃　　And



she　had　heard　this　formula　of　hope　so　often　that　it



only　awakened　the　vaguest　pity　in　her　heart　for



that　hopeful　old　man。







Everything　was　put　off　in　that　way；　and　every…



thing　was　being　prepared　likewise　for　to…morrow。



There　was　a　boxful　of　packets　of　various　flower…



seeds　to　choose　from；　for　the　front　garden。　　〃He



will　doubtless　let　you　have　your　say　about　that；　my



dear；〃　Captain　Hagberd　intimated　to　her　across



the　railing。







Miss　Bessie's　head　remained　bowed　over　her



work。　　She　had　heard　all　this　so　many　times。　　But



now　and　then　she　would　rise；　lay　down　her　sewing；



and　come　slowly　to　the　fence。　　There　was　a　charm



in　these　gentle　ravings。　　He　was　determined　that



his　son　should　not　go　away　again　for　the　want　of　a



home　all　ready　for　him。　　He　had　been　filling　the



other　cottage　with　all　sorts　of　furniture。　　She　im…



agined　it　all　new；　fresh　with　varnish；　piled　up　as



in　a　warehouse。　　There　would　be　tables　wrapped



up　in　sacking；　rolls　of　carpets　thick　and　vertical



like　fragments　of　columns；　the　gleam　of　white　mar…



ble　tops　in　the　dimness　of　the　drawn　blinds。　　Cap…



tain　Hagberd　always　described　his　purchases　to



her；　carefully；　as　to　a　person　having　a　legitimate



interest　in　them。　　The　overgrown　yard　of　his　cot…



tage　could　be　laid　over　with　concrete　。　。　。　after



to…morrow。







〃We　may　just　as　well　do　away　with　the　fence。



You　could　have　your　drying…line　out；　quite　clear　of



your　flowers。〃　　He　winked；　and　she　would　blush



faintly。







This　madness　that　had　entered　her　life　through



the　kind　impulses　of　her　heart　had　reasonable　de…



tails。　　What　if　some　day　his　son　returned？　　But



she　could　not　even　be　quite　sure　that　he　ever　had　a



son；　and　if　he　existed　anywhere　he　had　been　too



long　away。　　When　Captain　Hagberd　got　excited



in　his　talk　she　would　steady　him　by　a　pretence　of



belief；　laughing　a　little　to　salve　her　conscience。







Only　once　she　had　tried　pityingly　to　throw　some



doubt　on　that　hope　doomed　to　disappointment；　but



the　effect　of　her　attempt　had　scared　her　very　much。



All　at　once　over　that　man's　face　there　came　an　ex…



pression　of　horror　and　incredulity；　as　though　he



had　seen　a　crack　open　out　in　the　firmament。







〃Youyouyou　don't　think　he's　drowned！〃







For　a　moment　he　seemed　to　her　ready　to　go　out



of　his　mind；　for　in　his　ordinary　state　she　thought



him　more　sane　than　people　gave　him　credit　for。



On　that　occasion　the　violence　of　the　emotion　was



followed　by　a　most　paternal　and　complacent　re…



covery。







〃Don't　alarm　yourself；　my　dear；〃　he　said　a　lit…



tle　cunningly：　〃the　sea　can't　keep　him。　　He　does



not　belong　to　it。　　None　of　us　Hagberds　ever　did



belong　to　it。　　Look　at　me；　I　didn't　get　drowned。



Moreover；　he　isn't　a　sailor　at　all；　and　if　he　is　not　a



sailor　he's　bound　to　come　back。　　There's　nothing



to　prevent　him　coming　back。　。　。　。〃







His　eyes　began　to　wander。







〃To…morrow。〃







She　never　tried　again；　for　fear　the　man　should



go　out　of　his　mind　on　the　spot。　　He　depended　on



her。　　She　seemed　the　only　sensible　person　in　the



town；　and　he　would　congratulate　himself　frankly



before　her　face　on　having　secured　such　a　level…



headed　wife　for　his　son。　　The　rest　of　the　town；　he



confided　to　her　once；　in　a　fit　of　temper；　was　certainly



queer。　　The　way　they　looked　at　youthe　way　they



talked　to　you！　　He　had　never　got　on　with　any　one



in　the　place。　　Didn't　like　the　people。　　He　would



not　have　left　his　own　country　if　it　had　not　been



clear　that　his　son　had　taken　a　fancy　to　Colebrook。







She　humoured　him　in　silence；　listening　patiently



by　the　fence；　crocheting　with　downcast　eyes。



Blushes　came　with　difficulty　on　her　dead…white



complexion；　under　the　negligently　twisted　opu…



lence　of　mahogany…coloured　hair。　　Her　father　was



frankly　carroty。







She　had　a　full　figure；　a　tired；　unrefreshed　face。



When　Captain　Hagberd　vaunted　the　necessity　and



propriety　of　a　home　and　the　delights　of　one's　own



fireside；　she　smiled　a　little；　with　her　lips　only。　　Her



home　delights　had　been　confined　to　the　nursing　of



her　father　during　the　ten　best　years　of　her　life。







A　bestial　roaring　coming　out　of　an　upstairs　win…



dow　would　interrupt　their　talk。　　She　would　begin



at　once　to　roll　up　her　crochet…work　or　fold　her　sew…



ing；　without　the　slightest　sign　of　haste。　　Mean…



while　the　howls　and　roars　of　her　name　would　go　on；



making　the　fishermen　strolling　upon　the　sea…wall



on　the　other　side　of　the　road　turn　their　heads　to…



wards　the　cottages。　　She　would　go　in　slowly　at　the



front　door；　and　a　moment　afterwards　there　would



fall　a　profound　silence。　　Presently　she　would　re…



appear；　leading　by　the　hand　a　man；　gross　and　un…



wieldy　like　a　hippopotamus；　with　a　bad…tempered；



surly　face。







He　was　a　widowed　boat…builder；　whom　blindness



had　overtaken　years　before　in　the　full　flush　of　busi…



ness。　　He　behaved　to　his　daughter　as　if　she　had



been　responsible　for　its　incurable　character。　　He



had　been　heard　to　bellow　at　the　top　of　his　voice；



as　if　to　defy　Heaven；　that　he　did　not　care：　he　had



made　enough　money　to　have　ham　and　eggs　for　his



breakfast　every　morning。　　He　thanked　God　for　it；



in　a　fiendish　tone　as　though　he　were　cursing。







Captain　Hagberd　had　been　so　unfavourably　im…



pressed　by　his　tenant；　that　once　he　told　Miss　Bes…



sie；　〃He　is　a　very　extravagant　fellow；　my　dear。〃







She　was　knitting　that　day；　finishing　a　pair　of



socks　for　her　father；　who　expected　her　to　keep　up



the　supply　dutifully。　　She　hated　knitting；　and；　as



she　was　just　at　the　heel　part；　she　had　to　keep　her



eyes　on　her　needles。







〃Of　course　it　isn't　as　if　he　had　a　son　to　provide



for；〃　Captain　Hagberd　went　on　a　little　vacantly。



〃Girls；　of　course；　don't　require　so　muchh'm



h'm。　　They　don't　run　away　from　home；　my　dear。〃







〃No；〃　said　Miss　Bessie；　quietly。







Captain　Hagberd；　amongst　the　mounds　of



turned…up　earth；　chuckled。　　With　his　maritime　rig；



his　weather…beaten　face；　his　beard　of　Father　Nep…



tune；　he　resembled　a　deposed　sea…god　who　had　ex…



changed　the　trident　for　the　spade。







〃And　he　must　look　upon　you　as　already　pro…



vided　for；　in　a　manner。　　That's　the　best　of　it　with



the　girls。　　The　husbands　。　。　。〃　　He　winked。　　Miss



Bessie；　absorbed　in　her　knitting；　coloured　faintly。







〃Bessie！　my　hat！〃　old　Carvil　bellowed　out　sud…



denly。　　He　had　been　sitting　under　the　tree　mute



and　motionless；　like　an　idol　of　some　remarkably



monstrous　superstition。　　He　never　opened　his



mouth　but　to　howl　for　her；　at　her；　sometimes　about



her；　and　then　he　did　not　moderate　the　terms　of　his



abuse。　　Her　system　was　never　to　answer　him　at　all；



and　he　kept　up　his　shouting　till　he　got　attended　to



till　she　shook　him　by　the　arm；　or　thrust　the



mouthpiece　of　his　pipe