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第31章

under the greenwood tree-第31章

小说: under the greenwood tree 字数: 每页3500字

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In addition to the local musicians present; a man who had a thorough

knowledge of the tambourine was invited from the village of Tantrum

Clangley;a place long celebrated for the skill of its inhabitants

as performers on instruments of percussion。  These important members

of the assembly were relegated to a height of two or three feet from

the ground; upon a temporary erection of planks supported by

barrels。  Whilst the dancing progressed the older persons sat in a

group under the trunk of the tree;the space being allotted to them

somewhat grudgingly by the young ones; who were greedy of

pirouetting room;and fortified by a table against the heels of the

dancers。  Here the gaffers and gammers; whose dancing days were

over; told stories of great impressiveness; and at intervals

surveyed the advancing and retiring couples from the same retreat;

as people on shore might be supposed to survey a naval engagement in

the bay beyond; returning again to their tales when the pause was

over。  Those of the whirling throng; who; during the rests between

each figure; turned their eyes in the direction of these seated

ones; were only able to discover; on account of the music and

bustle; that a very striking circumstance was in course of

narrationdenoted by an emphatic sweep of the hand; snapping of the

fingers; close of the lips; and fixed look into the centre of the

listener's eye for the space of a quarter of a minute; which raised

in that listener such a reciprocating working of face as to

sometimes make the distant dancers half wish to know what such an

interesting tale could refer to。



Fancy caused her looks to wear as much matronly expression as was

obtainable out of six hours' experience as a wife; in order that the

contrast between her own state of life and that of the unmarried

young women present might be duly impressed upon the company:

occasionally stealing glances of admiration at her left hand; but

this quite privately; for her ostensible bearing concerning the

matter was intended to show that; though she undoubtedly occupied

the most wondrous position in the eyes of the world that had ever

been attained; she was almost unconscious of the circumstance; and

that the somewhat prominent position in which that wonderfully…

emblazoned left hand was continually found to be placed; when

handing cups and saucers; knives; forks; and glasses; was quite the

result of accident。  As to wishing to excite envy in the bosoms of

her maiden companions; by the exhibition of the shining ring; every

one was to know it was quite foreign to the dignity of such an

experienced married woman。  Dick's imagination in the meantime was

far less capable of drawing so much wontedness from his new

condition。  He had been for two or three hours trying to feel

himself merely a newly…married man; but had been able to get no

further in the attempt than to realize that he was Dick Dewy; the

tranter's son; at a party given by Lord Wessex's head man…in…charge;

on the outlying Yalbury estate; dancing and chatting with Fancy Day。



Five country dances; including 'Haste to the Wedding;' two reels;

and three fragments of horn…pipes; brought them to the time for

supper; which; on account of the dampness of the grass from the

immaturity of the summer season; was spread indoors。  At the

conclusion of the meal Dick went out to put the horse in; and Fancy;

with the elder half of the four bridesmaids; retired upstairs to

dress for the journey to Dick's new cottage near Mellstock。



〃How long will you be putting on your bonnet; Fancy?〃 Dick inquired

at the foot of the staircase。  Being now a man of business and

married; he was strong on the importance of time; and doubled the

emphasis of his words in conversing; and added vigour to his nods。



〃Only a minute。〃



〃How long is that?〃



〃Well; dear; five。〃



〃Ah; sonnies!〃 said the tranter; as Dick retired; 〃'tis a talent of

the female race that low numbers should stand for high; more

especially in matters of waiting; matters of age; and matters of

money。〃



〃True; true; upon my body;〃 said Geoffrey。



〃Ye spak with feeling; Geoffrey; seemingly。〃



〃Anybody that d'know my experience might guess that。〃



〃What's she doing now; Geoffrey?〃



〃Claning out all the upstairs drawers and cupboards; and dusting the

second…best chaineya thing that's only done once a year。  'If

there's work to be done I must do it;' says she; 'wedding or no。'〃



〃'Tis my belief she's a very good woman at bottom。〃



〃She's terrible deep; then。〃



Mrs。 Penny turned round。  〃Well; 'tis humps and hollers with the

best of us; but still and for all that; Dick and Fancy stand as fair

a chance of having a bit of sunsheen as any married pair in the

land。〃



〃Ay; there's no gainsaying it。〃



Mrs。 Dewy came up; talking to one person and looking at another。

〃Happy; yes;〃 she said。  〃'Tis always so when a couple is so exactly

in tune with one another as Dick and she。〃



〃When they be'n't too poor to have time to sing;〃 said grandfather

James。



〃I tell ye; neighbours; when the pinch comes;〃 said the tranter:

〃when the oldest daughter's boots be only a size less than her

mother's; and the rest o' the flock close behind her。  A sharp time

for a man that; my sonnies; a very sharp time!  Chanticleer's comb

is a…cut then; 'a believe。〃



〃That's about the form o't;〃 said Mr。 Penny。  〃That'll put the stuns

upon a man; when you must measure mother and daughter's lasts to

tell 'em apart。〃



〃You've no cause to complain; Reuben; of such a close…coming flock;〃

said Mrs。 Dewy; 〃for ours was a straggling lot enough; God knows!〃



〃I d'know it; I d'know it;〃 said the tranter。  〃You be a well…enough

woman; Ann。〃



Mrs。 Dewy put her mouth in the form of a smile; and put it back

again without smiling。



〃And if they come together; they go together;〃 said Mrs。 Penny;

whose family had been the reverse of the tranter's; 〃and a little

money will make either fate tolerable。  And money can be made by our

young couple; I know。〃



〃Yes; that it can!〃 said the impulsive voice of Leaf; who had

hitherto humbly admired the proceedings from a corner。  〃It can be

doneall that's wanted is a few pounds to begin with。  That's all!

I know a story about it!〃



〃Let's hear thy story; Leaf;〃 said the tranter。  〃I never knew you

were clever enough to tell a story。  Silence; all of ye!  Mr。 Leaf

will tell a story。〃



〃Tell your story; Thomas Leaf;〃 said grandfather William in the tone

of a schoolmaster。



〃Once;〃 said the delighted Leaf; in an uncertain voice; 〃there was a

man who lived in a house!  Well; this man went thinking and thinking

night and day。  At last; he said to himself; as I might; 'If I had

only ten pound; I'd make a fortune。'  At last by hook or by crook;

behold he got the ten pounds!〃



〃Only think of that!〃 said Nat Callcome satirically。



〃Silence!〃 said the tranter。



〃Well; now comes the interesting part of the story!  In a little

time he made that ten pounds twenty。  Then a little time after that

he doubled it; and made it forty。  Well; he went on; and a good

while after that he made it eighty; and on to a hundred。  Well; by…

and…by he made it two hundred!  Well; you'd never believe it; but

he went on and made it four hundred!  He went on; and what did he

do?  Why; he made it eight hundred!  Yes; he did;〃 continued Leaf;

in the highest pitch of excitement; bringing down his fist upon his

knee with such force that he quivered with the pain; 〃yes; and he

went on and made it A THOUSAND!〃



〃Hear; hear!〃 said the tranter。  〃Better than the history of

England; my sonnies!〃



〃Thank you for your story; Thomas Leaf;〃 said grandfather William;

and then Leaf gradually sank into nothingness again。



Amid a medley of laughter; old shoes; and elder…wine; Dick and his

bride took their departure; side by side in the excellent new

spring…cart which the young tranter now possessed。  The moon was

just over the full; rendering any light from lamps or their own

beauties quite unnecessary to the pair。  They drove slowly along

Yalbury Bottom; where the road passed between two copses。  Dick was

talking to his companion。



〃Fancy;〃 he said; 〃why we are so happy is because there is such full

confidence between us。  Ever since that time you confessed to that

little flirtation with Shiner by the river (which was really no

flirtation at all); I have thought how artless and good you must be

to tell me o' such a trifling thing; and to be so frightened about

it as you were。  It has won me to tell you my every deed and word

since then。  We'll have no secrets from each other; darling; will we

ever?no secret at all。〃



〃None from to…day;〃 said Fancy。  〃Hark! what's that?〃



From a neighbouring thicket was suddenly heard to issue in a loud;

musical; and liquid voice …



〃Tippiwit! swe…e…et! ki…ki…ki!  Come hither; come hither; come

hither!〃



〃O; 'tis the nightingale;〃 murmured she; and thought of a secret she

would never tell。







Footnotes:



{1} This; a local expression; must be a corruption of something less

questionable。











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