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第16章

under the greenwood tree-第16章

小说: under the greenwood tree 字数: 每页3500字

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Behind the keeper came Enoch (who had been assisting in the garden)

at the well…considered chronological distance of three minutesan

interval of non…appearance on the trapper's part not arrived at

without some reflection。  Four minutes had been found to express

indifference to indoor arrangements; and simultaneousness had

implied too great an anxiety about meals。



〃A little earlier than usual; Fancy;〃 the keeper said; as he sat

down and looked at the clocks。  〃That Ezekiel Saunders o' thine is

tearing on afore Thomas Wood again。〃



〃I kept in the middle between them;〃 said Fancy; also looking at the

two clocks。



〃Better stick to Thomas;〃 said her father。  〃There's a healthy beat

in Thomas that would lead a man to swear by en offhand。  He is as

true as the town time。  How is it your stap…mother isn't here?〃



As Fancy was about to reply; the rattle of wheels was heard; and

〃Weh…hey; Smart!〃 in Mr。 Richard Dewy's voice rolled into the

cottage from round the corner of the house。



〃Hullo! there's Dewy's cart come for thee; FancyDick driving

afore time; too。  Well; ask the lad to have pot…luck with us。〃



Dick on entering made a point of implying by his general bearing

that he took an interest in Fancy simply as in one of the same race

and country as himself; and they all sat down。  Dick could have

wished her manner had not been so entirely free from all apparent

consciousness of those accidental meetings of theirs:  but he let

the thought pass。  Enoch sat diagonally at a table afar off; under

the corner cupboard; and drank his cider from a long perpendicular

pint cup; having tall fir…trees done in brown on its sides; He threw

occasional remarks into the general tide of conversation; and with

this advantage to himself; that he participated in the pleasures of

a talk (slight as it was) at meal…times; without saddling himself

with the responsibility of sustaining it。



〃Why don't your stap…mother come down; Fancy?〃 said Geoffrey。

〃You'll excuse her; Mister Dick; she's a little queer sometimes。〃



〃O yes;quite;〃 said Richard; as if he were in the habit of

excusing people every day。



〃She d'belong to that class of womankind that become second wives:

a rum class rather。〃



〃Indeed;〃 said Dick; with sympathy for an indefinite something。



〃Yes; and 'tis trying to a female; especially if you've been a first

wife; as she hey。〃



〃Very trying it must be。〃



〃Yes:  you see her first husband was a young man; who let her go too

far; in fact; she used to kick up Bob's…a…dying at the least thing

in the world。  And when I'd married her and found it out; I thought;

thinks I; 〃'Tis too late now to begin to cure 'e;〃 and so I let her

bide。  But she's queer;very queer; at times!〃



〃I'm sorry to hear that。〃



〃Yes:  there; wives be such a provoking class o' society; because

though they be never right; they be never more than half wrong。〃



Fancy seemed uneasy under the infliction of this household

moralizing; which might tend to damage the airy…fairy nature that

Dick; as maiden shrewdness told her; had accredited her with。  Her

dead silence impressed Geoffrey with the notion that something in

his words did not agree with her educated ideas; and he changed the

conversation。



〃Did Fred Shiner send the cask o' drink; Fancy?〃



〃I think he did:  O yes; he did。〃



〃Nice solid feller; Fred Shiner!〃 said Geoffrey to Dick as he helped

himself to gravy; bringing the spoon round to his plate by way of

the potato…dish; to obviate a stain on the cloth in the event of a

spill。



Now Geoffrey's eyes had been fixed upon his plate for the previous

four or five minutes; and in removing them he had only carried them

to the spoon; which; from its fulness and the distance of its

transit; necessitated a steady watching through the whole of the

route。  Just as intently as the keeper's eyes had been fixed on the

spoon; Fancy's had been fixed on her father's; without premeditation

or the slightest phase of furtiveness; but there they were fastened。

This was the reason why:



Dick was sitting next to her on the right side; and on the side of

the table opposite to her father。  Fancy had laid her right hand

lightly down upon the table…cloth for an instant; and to her alarm

Dick; after dropping his fork and brushing his forehead as a reason;

flung down his own left hand; overlapping a third of Fancy's with

it; and keeping it there。  So the innocent Fancy; instead of pulling

her hand from the trap; settled her eyes on her father's; to guard

against his discovery of this perilous game of Dick's。  Dick

finished his mouthful; Fancy finished; her crumb; and nothing was

done beyond watching Geoffrey's eyes。  Then the hands slid apart;

Fancy's going over six inches of cloth; Dick's over one。  Geoffrey's

eye had risen。



〃I said Fred Shiner is a nice solid feller;〃 he repeated; more

emphatically。



〃He is; yes; he is;〃 stammered Dick; 〃but to me he is little more

than a stranger。〃



〃O; sure。  Now I know en as well as any man can be known。  And you

know en very well too; don't ye; Fancy?〃



Geoffrey put on a tone expressing that these words signified at

present about one hundred times the amount of meaning they conveyed

literally。



Dick looked anxious。



〃Will you pass me some bread?〃 said Fancy in a flurry; the red of

her face becoming slightly disordered; and looking as solicitous as

a human being could look about a piece of bread。



〃Ay; that I will;〃 replied the unconscious Geoffrey。  〃Ay;〃 he

continued; returning to the displaced idea; 〃we are likely to remain

friendly wi' Mr。 Shiner if the wheels d'run smooth。〃



〃An excellent thinga very capital thing; as I should say;〃 the

youth answered with exceeding relevance; considering that his

thoughts; instead of following Geoffrey's remark; were nestling at a

distance of about two feet on his left the whole time。



〃A young woman's face will turn the north wind; Master Richard:  my

heart if 'twon't。〃  Dick looked more anxious and was attentive in

earnest at these words。  〃Yes; turn the north wind;〃 added Geoffrey

after an impressive pause。  〃And though she's one of my own flesh

and blood 。 。 。 〃



〃Will you fetch down a bit of raw…mil' cheese from pantry…shelf?〃

Fancy interrupted; as if she were famishing。



〃Ay; that I will; chiel; chiel; says I; and Mr。 Shiner only asking

last Saturday night 。 。 。 cheese you said; Fancy?〃



Dick controlled his emotion at these mysterious allusions to Mr。

Shiner;the better enabled to do so by perceiving that Fancy's

heart went not with her father'sand spoke like a stranger to the

affairs of the neighbourhood。  〃Yes; there's a great deal to be said

upon the power of maiden faces in settling your courses;〃 he

ventured; as the keeper retreated for the cheese。



〃The conversation is taking a very strange turn:  nothing that _I_

have ever done warrants such things being said!〃 murmured Fancy with

emphasis; just loud enough to reach Dick's ears。



〃You think to yourself; 'twas to be;〃 cried Enoch from his distant

corner; by way of filling up the vacancy caused by Geoffrey's

momentary absence。  〃And so you marry her; Master Dewy; and there's

an end o't。〃



〃Pray don't say such things; Enoch;〃 came from Fancy severely; upon

which Enoch relapsed into servitude。



〃If we be doomed to marry; we marry; if we be doomed to remain

single; we do;〃 replied Dick。



Geoffrey had by this time sat down again; and he now made his lips

thin by severely straining them across his gums; and looked out of

the window along the vista to the distant highway up Yalbury Hill。

〃That's not the case with some folk;〃 he said at length; as if he

read the words on a board at the further end of the vista。



Fancy looked interested; and Dick said; 〃No?〃



〃There's that wife o' mine。  It was her doom to be nobody's wife at

all in the wide universe。  But she made up her mind that she would;

and did it twice over。  Doom?  Doom is nothing beside a elderly

womanquite a chiel in her hands!〃



A movement was now heard along the upstairs passage; and footsteps

descending。  The door at the foot of the stairs opened; and the

second Mrs。 Day appeared in view; looking fixedly at the table as

she advanced towards it; with apparent obliviousness of the presence

of any other human being than herself。  In short; if the table had

been the personages; and the persons the table; her glance would

have been the most natural imaginable。



She showed herself to possess an ordinary woman's face; iron…grey

hair; hardly any hips; and a great deal of cleanliness in a broad

white apron…string; as it appeared upon the waist of her dark stuff

dress。



〃People will run away with a story now; I suppose;〃 she began

saying; 〃that Jane Day's tablecloths are as poor and ragged as any

union beggar's!〃



Dick now perceived that the tablecloth was a little the worse for

wear; and reflecting for a moment; concluded that 'people' in step…

mother language probably meant himself。  On lifting his eyes he

found that Mrs。 Day had vanished again upstairs; and presently

returned with an armful of new damask…linen tablecloths; folded

square and hard as boards by long compression。  These she flounced

down into a chair; then took one; shook it out from its folds; and

spread it on the table by instalments; transferring the plates and

dishes one by one from the old to the new cloth。



〃And I suppose they'll say; too; that she ha'n't a decent knife and

fork in her house!〃



〃I shouldn't say any such ill…natured thing; I am sure〃 began

Dick。  But Mrs。 Day had vanished into the next room。  Fancy appeared

distressed。



〃Very strange woman; isn't she?〃 said Geoffrey; quietly going on

with his dinner。  〃But 'tis too late to attempt curing。  My heart!

'tis so growed into her that 'twould kill her to take it out。  Ay;

she's very queer:  you'd be amazed to see what valuable goods we've

got stowed away upstairs。〃



Back again came Mrs。 Day with a box of bright steel horn…handled

knives; silver…plated forks; carver; and all complete。  These were

wiped of the preservative oil which coated them; and then a knife

and fork were laid down to each individual with a bang; the carving

knife and fork thrust into the meat dish; and the old ones they had

hitherto used tossed away。



Geoffrey placidly cut a slice with the new knife and fork; and asked

Dick if he wanted any more。



The table had been spread for the mixed midday meal of dinner and

tea; which was common among frugal countryfolk。  〃The parishioners

about here;〃 continued Mrs。 Day; not looking at any living being;

but snatching up the brown delf tea…things; 〃are the laziest;

gossipest; poachest; jailest set of any ever I came among。  And

they'll talk about my teapot and tea…things next; I suppose!〃  She

vanished with the 

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