villa rubein and other stories-第19节

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out　o'hand！〃



Suddenly　with　a　headlong　dive；　the　carriage　swayed　as　if　it　would　fly

in　pieces；　slithered　along；　and　with　a　jerk　steadied　itself。　　Harz

lifted　his　voice　in　a　shout　of　pure　excitement。　　Mr。　Treffry　let　out

a　short　shaky　howl；　and　from　behind　there　rose　a　wail。　　But　the　hill

was　over　and　the　startled　horses　were　cantering　with　a　free；　smooth

motion。　　Mr。　Treffry　and　Harz　looked　at　each　other。









XVII



Mr。　Treffry　said　with　a　sort　of　laugh：　〃Near　go；　eh？　　You　drive？　　No？

That's　a　pity！　　Broken　most　of　my　bones　at　the　gamenothing　like

it！〃　　Each　felt　a　kind　of　admiration　for　the　other　that　he　had　not

felt　before。　　Presently　Mr。　Treffry　began：　〃Look　here；　Mr。　Harz；　my

niece　is　a　slip　of　a　thing；　with　all　a　young　girl's　notions！　　What

have　you　got　to　give　her；　eh？　　Yourself？　　That's　surely　not　enough；

mind　thissix　months　after　marriage　we　all　turn　out　much　the　samea

selfish　lot！　　Not　to　mention　this　anarchist　affair！



You're　not　of　her　blood；　nor　of　her　way　of　life；　nor　anythingit's

taking　chancesand〃　his　hand　came　down　on　the　young　man's　knee；

〃I'm　fond　of　her；　you　see。〃



〃If　you　were　in　my　place；〃　said　Harz；　〃would　you　give　her　up？〃



Mr。　Treffry　groaned。　　〃Lord　knows！〃



〃Men　have　made　themselves　before　now。　　For　those　who　don't　believe　in

failure；　there's　no　such　thing。　　Suppose　she　does　suffer　a　little？

Will　it　do　her　any　harm？　　Fair　weather　love　is　no　good。〃



Mr。　Treffry　sighed。



〃Brave　words；　sir！　　You'll　pardon　me　if　I'm　too　old　to　understand　'em

when　they're　used　about　my　niece。〃



He　pulled　the　horses　up；　and　peered　into　the　darkness。　　〃We're　going

through　this　bit　quietly；　if　they　lose　track　of　us　here　so　much　the

better。　　Dominique！　put　out　the　lamps。　　Soho；　my　beauties！〃　　The

horses　paced　forward　at　a　walk　the　muffled　beat　of　their　hoofs　in　the

dust　hardly　broke　the　hush。　　Mr。　Treffry　pointed　to　the　left：　〃It'll

be　another　thirty…five　miles　to　the　frontier。〃



They　passed　the　whitewashed　houses；　and　village　church　with　its

sentinel　cypress…trees。　　A　frog　was　croaking　in　a　runlet；　there　was　a

faint　spicy　scent　of　lemons。　　But　nothing　stirred。



It　was　wood　now　on　either　side；　the　high　pines；　breathing　their

fragrance　out　into　the　darkness；　and；　like　ghosts　amongst　them；　the

silver　stems　of　birch…trees。



Mr。　Treffry　said　gruffly：　〃You　won't　give　her　up？　　Her　happiness

means　a　lot　to　me。〃



〃To　you！〃　said　Harz：　〃to　him！　　And　I　am　nothing！　　Do　you　think　I

don't　care　for　her　happiness？　　Is　it　a　crime　for　me　to　love　her？〃



〃Almost；　Mr。　Harzconsidering。。。。〃



〃Considering　that　I've　no　money！　　Always　money！〃



To　this　sneer　Mr。　Treffry　made　no　answer；　clucking　to　his　horses。



〃My　niece　was　born　and　bred　a　lady；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃I　ask　you

plainly　What　position　have　you　got　to　give　her？〃



〃If　she　marries　me；〃　said　Harz；　〃she　comes　into　my　world。　　You　think

that　I'm　a　common。。。。〃



Mr。　Treffry　shook　his　head：　〃Answer　my　question；　young　man。〃



But　the　painter　did　not　answer　it；　and　silence　fell。



A　light　breeze　had　sprung　up；　the　whispering　in　the　trees；　the

rolling　of　the　wheels　in　this　night　progress；　the　pine…drugged　air；

sent　Harz　to　sleep。　　When　he　woke　it　was　to　the　same　tune；　varied　by

Mr。　Treffry's　uneasy　snoring；　the　reins　were　hanging　loose；　and；

peering　out；　he　saw　Dominique　shuffling　along　at　the　horses'　heads。

He　joined　him；　and；　one　on　each　side；　they　plodded　up　and　up。　　A　haze

had　begun　to　bathe　the　trees；　the　stars　burnt　dim；　the　air　was

colder。　　Mr。　Treffry　woke　coughing。　　It　was　like　some　long　nightmare；

this　interminable　experience　of　muffled　sounds　and　shapes；　of

perpetual　motion；　conceived；　and　carried　out　in　darkness。　　But

suddenly　the　day　broke。　　Heralded　by　the　snuffle　of　the　horses；　light

began　glimmering　over　a　chaos　of　lines　and　shadows；　pale　as　mother…

o'…pearl。　　The　stars　faded；　and　in　a　smouldering　zigzag　the　dawn　fled

along　the　mountain　tops；　flinging　out　little　isles　of　cloud。　　From　a

lake；　curled　in　a　hollow　like　a　patch　of　smoke；　came　the　cry　of　a

water…bird。　　A　cuckoo　started　a　soft　mocking；　and　close　to　the

carriage　a　lark　flew　up。　　Beasts　and　men　alike　stood　still；　drinking

in　the　air…sweet　with　snows　and　dew；　and　vibrating　faintly　with　the

running　of　the　water　and　the　rustling　of　the　leaves。



The　night　had　played　sad　tricks　with　Mr。　Nicholas　Treffry；　his　hat

was　grey　with　dust；　his　cheeks　brownish…purple；　there　were　heavy

pouches　beneath　his　eyes；　which　stared　painfully。



〃We'll　call　a　halt；〃　he　said；　〃and　give　the　gees　their　grub；　poor

things。　　Can　you　find　some　water；　Mr。　Harz？　　There's　a　rubber　bucket

in　behind。



Can't　get　about　myself　this　morning；　make　that　lazy　fellow　of　mine

stir　his　stumps。〃



Harz　saw　that　he　had　drawn　off　one　of　his　boots；　and　stretched　the

foot　out　on　a　cushion。



〃You're　not　fit　to　go　farther；〃　he　said；　〃you're　ill。〃



〃Ill！〃　replied　Mr。　Treffry；　〃not　a　bit　of　it！〃



Harz　looked　at　him；　then　catching　up　the　bucket；　made　off　in　search

of　water。　　When　he　came　back　the　horses　were　feeding　from　an　india…

rubber　trough　slung　to　the　pole；　they　stretched　their　heads　towards

the　bucket；　pushing　aside　each　other's　noses。



The　flame　in　the　east　had　died；　but　the　tops　of　the　larches　were

bathed　in　a　gentle　radiance；　and　the　peaks　ahead　were　like　amber。

Everywhere　were　threads　of　water；　threads　of　snow；　and　little　threads

of　dewy　green；　glistening　like　gossamer。



Mr。　Treffry　called　out：　〃Give　me　your　arm；　Mr。　Harz；　I'd　like　to

shake　the　reefs　out　of　me。　　When　one　comes　to　stand　over　at　the

knees；　it's　no　such　easy　matter；　eh？〃　　He　groaned　as　he　put　his　foot

down；　and　gripped　the　young　man's　shoulder　as　in　a　vise。　　Presently

he　lowered　himself　on　to　a　stone。



〃'All　over　now！'　as　Chris　would　say　when　she　was　little；　nasty　temper

she　had　tookick　and　scream　on　the　floor！　　Never　lasted　long

though。。。。　　'Kiss　her！　take　her　up！　show　her　the　pictures！'　　Amazing

fond　of　pictures　Chris　was！〃　　He　looked　dubiously　at　Harz；　then　took

a　long　pull　at　his　flask。　　〃What　would　the　doctor　say？　　Whisky　at

four　in　the　morning！　　Well！　　Thank　the　Lord　Doctors　aren't　always

with　us。〃　　Sitting　on　the　stone；　with　one　hand　pressed　against　his

side；　and　the　other　tilting　up　the　flask；　he　was　grey　from　head　to

foot。



Harz　had　dropped　on　to　another　stone。　　He；　too；　was　worn　out　by　the

excitement　and　fatigue；　coming　so　soon　after　his　illness。　　His　head

was　whirling；　and　the　next　thing　he　remembered　was　a　tree　walking　at

him；　turning　round；　yellow　from　the　roots　up；　everything　seemed

yellow；　even　his　own　feet。　　Somebody　opposite　to　him　was　jumping　up

and　down；　a　grey　bearwith　a　hatMr。　Treffry！　　He　cried：　〃Ha…

alloo！〃　　And　the　figure　seemed　to　fall　and　disappear。。。。



When　Harz　came　to　himself　a　hand　was　pouring　liquor　into　his　mouth；

and　a　wet　cloth　was　muffled　round　his　brows；　a　noise　of　humming　and

hoofs　seemed　familiar。　　Mr。　Treffry　loomed　up　alongside；　smoking　a

cigar；　he　was　muttering：　〃A　low　trick；　Paulbit　of　my　mind！〃　　Then；

as　if　a　curtain　had　been　snatched　aside；　the　vision　before　Harz

cleared　again。　　The　carriage　was　winding　between　uneven；　black…eaved

houses；　past　doorways　from　which　goats　and　cows　were　coming　out；　with

bells　on　their　necks。　　Black…eyed　boys；　and　here　and　there　a　drowsy

man　with　a　long；　cherry…stemmed　pipe　betwen　his　teeth；　stood　aside　to

stare。



Mr。　Treffry　seemed　to　have　taken　a　new　lease　of　strength；　like　an

angry　old　dog；　he　stared　from　side　to　side。　　〃My　bone！〃　he　seemed　to

say：　〃let's　see　who's　going　to　touch　it！〃



The　last　house　vanished；　glowing　in　the　early　sunshine；　and　the

carriage　with　its　trail　of　dust　became　entombed　once　more　in　the

gloom　of　tall　trees；　along　a　road　that　cleft　a　wilderness　of

mossgrown　rocks；　and　dewy　stems；　through　which　the　sun　had　not　yet

driven　paths。



Dominique　came　round　to　them；　bearing　appearance　of　one　who　has　seen

better　days；　and　a　pot　of　coffee　brewed　on　a　spirit　lamp。　　Breakfast

he　saidwas　served！



The　ears　of　the　horses　were　twitching　with　fatigue。　　Mr。　Treffry　said

sadly：　〃If　I　can　see　this　through；　you　can。　　Get　on；　my　beauties！〃



As　soon　as　the　sun　struck　through　the　trees；　Mr。　Treffry's　strength

ebbed　again。　　He　seemed　to　suffer　greatly；　but　did　not　complain。

They　had　reached　the　pass　at　last；　and　the　unchecked　sunlight　was

streaming　down　with　a　blinding　glare。



〃Jump　up！〃　Mr。　Treffry　cried　out。　　〃We'll　make　a　finish　of　it！〃　and

he　gave　the　reins　a　jerk。　　The　horses　flung　up　their　heads；　and　the

bleak　pass　with　its　circling　crown　of　jagged　peaks　soon　slipped　away。



Between　the　houses　on　the　very　top；　they　passed　at　a　slow　trot；　and

soon　began　slanting　down　the　other　side。　　Mr。　Treffry　brought　them　to

a　halt　where　a　mule　track　joined　the　road。



〃That's　all　I　can　do　for　you；　you'd　better　leave　me　here；〃　he　said。

〃Keep　this　track　down　to　the　rivergo　southyou'll　be　in　Italy　in　a