villa rubein and other stories-第35节

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window　was　broken。　　He　blew　the　match　out。



I　could　see　the　whites　of　his　eyes；　like　an　angry　animal's。



〃Drop　it；　Dan！〃　I　said。



He　turned　on　his　heel　suddenly；　and　stammered　out；　〃You're　right。〃



But　he　had　turned　into　John　Ford's　arms。



The　old　man　stood　there　like　some　great　force；　darker　than　the

darkness；　staring　up　at　the　window；　as　though　stupefied。　　We　had　not

a　word　to　say。　　He　seemed　unconscious　of　our　presence。　　He　turned

round；　and　left　us　standing　there。



〃Follow　him！〃　said　Dan。　　〃Follow　himby　God！　it's　not　safe。〃



We　followed。　　Bending；　and　treading　heavily；　he　went　upstairs。　　He

struck　a　blow　on　Pasiance's　door。　　〃Let　me　in！〃　he　said。　　I　drew　Dan

into　my　bedroom。　　The　key　was　slowly　turned；　her　door　was　flung　open；

and　there　she　stood　in　her　dressing…gown；　a　candle　in　her　hand；　her

face　crimson；　and　oh！　so　young；　with　its　short；　crisp　hair　and　round

cheeks。　　The　old　manlike　a　giant　in　front　of　herraised　his　hands；

and　laid　them　on　her　shoulders。



〃What's　this？　　Youyou've　had　a　man　in　your　room？〃



Her　eyes　did　not　drop。



〃Yes；〃　she　said。　　Dan　gave　a　groan。



〃Who？〃



〃Zachary　Pearse；〃　she　answered　in　a　voice　like　a　bell。



He　gave　her　one　awful　shake；　dropped　his　hands；　then　raised　them　as

though　to　strike　her。　　She　looked　him　in　the　eyes；　his　hands　dropped；

and　he　too　groaned。　　As　far　as　I　could　see；　her　face　never　moved。



〃I'm　married　to　him；〃　she　said；　〃d'　you　hear？　　Married　to　him。　　Go

out　of　my　room！〃　　She　dropped　the　candle　on　the　floor　at　his　feet；

and　slammed　the　door　in　his　face。　　The　old　man　stood　for　a　minute　as

though　stunned；　then　groped　his　way　downstairs。



〃Dan；〃　I　said；　〃is　it　true？〃



〃Ah！〃　he　answered；　〃it's　true；　didn't　you　hear　her？〃



I　was　glad　I　couldn't　see　his　face。



〃That　ends　it；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃there's　the　old　man　to　think　of。〃



〃What　will　he　do？〃



〃Go　to　the　fellow　this　very　night。〃　　He　seemed　to　have　no　doubt。

Trust　one　man　of　action　to　know　another。



I　muttered　something　about　being　an　outsiderwondered　if　there　was

anything　I　could　do　to　help。



〃Well；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃I　don't　know　that　I'm　anything　but　an

outsider　now；　but　I'll　go　along　with　him；　if　he'll　have　me。〃



He　went　downstairs。　　A　few　minutes　later　they　rode　out　from　the

straw…yard。　　I　watched　them　past　the　line　of　hayricks；　into　the

blacker　shadows　of　the　pines；　then　the　tramp　of　hoofs　began　to　fail

in　the　darkness；　and　at　last　died　away。



I've　been　sitting　here　in　my　bedroom　writing　to　you　ever　since；　till

my　candle's　almost　gone。　　I　keep　thinking　what　the　end　of　it　is　to

be；　and　reproaching　myself　for　doing　nothing。　　And　yet；　what　could　I

have　done？　　I'm　sorry　for　hersorrier　than　I　can　say。　　The　night　is

so　quietI　haven't　heard　a　sound；　is　she　asleep；　awake；　crying；

triumphant？



It's　four　o'clock；　I've　been　asleep。



They're　back。　　Dan　is　lying　on　my　bed。　　I'll　try　and　tell　you　his

story　as　near　as　I　can；　in　his　own　words。



〃We　rode；〃　he　said；　〃round　the　upper　way；　keeping　out　of　the　lanes；

and　got　to　Kingswear　by　half…past　eleven。　　The　horse…ferry　had

stopped　running；　and　we　had　a　job　to　find　any　one　to　put　us　over。　　We

hired　the　fellow　to　wait　for　us；　and　took　a　carriage　at　the　'Castle。'

Before　we　got　to　Black　Mill　it　was　nearly　one；　pitch…dark。　　With　the

breeze　from　the　southeast；　I　made　out　he　should　have　been　in　an　hour

or　more。　　The　old　man　had　never　spoken　to　me　once：　and　before　we　got

there　I　had　begun　to　hope　we　shouldn't　find　the　fellow　after　all。　　We

made　the　driver　pull　up　in　the　road；　and　walked　round　and　round；

trying　to　find　the　door。　　Then　some　one　cried；　'Who　are　you　？'



〃'John　Ford。'



〃'What　do　you　want？'　It　was　old　Pearse。



〃'To　see　Zachary　Pearse。'



〃The　long　window　out　of　the　porch　where　we　sat　the　other　day　was

open；　and　in　we　went。　　There　was　a　door　at　the　end　of　the　room；　and　a

light　coming　through。　　John　Ford　went　towards　it；　I　stayed　out　in　the

dark。



〃'Who's　that　with　you？'



〃'Mr。　Treffry。'



〃'Let　him　come　in！'　I　went　in。　　The　old　fellow　was　in　bed；　quite

still　on　his　pillows；　a　candle　by　his　side；　to　look　at　him　you'd

think　nothing　of　him　but　his　eyes　were　alive。　　It　was　queer　being

there　with　those　two　old　men！〃



Dan　paused；　seemed　to　listen；　then　went　on　doggedly。



〃'Sit　down；　gentleman；'　said　old　Pearse。　　'What　may　you　want　to　see

my　son　for？'　　John　Ford　begged　his　pardon；　he　had　something　to　say；

he　said；　that　wouldn't　wait。



〃They　were　very　polite　to　one　another；〃　muttered　Dan　。。。。



〃'Will　you　leave　your　message　with　me？'　said　Pearse。



〃'What　I　have　to　say　to　your　son　is　private。'



〃'I'm　his　father。'



〃'I'm　my　girl's　grandfather；　and　her　only　stand…by。'



〃'Ah！'　muttered　old　Pearse；　'Rick　Voisey's　daughter？'



〃'I　mean　to　see　your　son。'



〃Old　Pearse　smiled。　　Queer　smile　he's　got；　sort　of　sneering　sweet。



〃'You　can　never　tell　where　Zack　may　be；'　he　said。　　'You　think　I　want

to　shield　him。　　You're　wrong；　Zack　can　take　care　of　himself。'



〃'Your　son's　here！'　said　John　Ford。　　'I　know。'　　Old　Pearse　gave　us　a

very　queer　look。



〃'You　come　into　my　house　like　thieves　in　the　night；'　he　said；　'and

give　me　the　lie；　do　you？'



〃'Your　son　came　to　my　child's　room　like　a　thief　in　the　night；　it's

for　that　I　want　to　see　him；'　and　then；〃　said　Dan；　〃there　was　a　long

silence。　　At　last　Pearse　said：



〃'I　don't　understand；　has　he　played　the　blackguard？'



〃John　Ford　answered；　'He's　married　her；　or；　before　God；　I'd　kill

him。'



〃Old　Pearse　seemed　to　think　this　over；　never　moving　on　his　pillows。

'You　don't　know　Zack；'　he　said；　'I'm　sorry　for　you；　and　I'm　sorry　for

Rick　Voisey's　daughter；　but　you　don't　know　Zack。'



'Sorry！'　groaned　out　John　Ford；　'he's　stolen　my　child；　and　I'll

punish　him。'



〃'Punish！'　cried　old　Pearse；　'we　don't　take　punishment；　not　in　my

family。'



〃'Captain　Jan　Pearse；　as　sure　as　I　stand　here；　you　and　your　breed

will　get　your　punishment　of　God。'　　Old　Pearse　smiled。



〃'Mr。　John　Ford；　that's　as　may　be；　but　sure　as　I　lie　here　we　won't

take　it　of　you。　　You　can't　punish　unless　you　make　to　feel；　and　that

you　can't　du。'〃



And　that　is　truth！



Dan　went　on　again：



〃'You　won't　tell　me　where　your　son　is！'　but　old　Pearse　never　blinked。



〃'I　won't；'　he　said；　'and　now　you　may　get　out。　　I　lie　here　an　old　man

alone；　with　no　use　to　my　legs；　night　on　night；　an'　the　house　open；

any　rapscallion　could　get　in；　d'　ye　think　I'm　afraid　of　you？'



〃We　were　beat；　and　walked　out　without　a　word。　　But　that　old　man；　I've

thought　of　him　a　lotninety…two；　and　lying　there。　　Whatever　he's

been；　and　they　tell　you　rum　things　of　him；　whatever　his　son　may　be；

he's　a　man。　　It's　not　what　he　said；　nor　that　there　was　anything　to　be

afraid　of　just　then；　but　somehow　it's　the　idea　of　the　old　chap　lying

there。　　I　don't　ever　wish　to　see　a　better　plucked　one。。。。〃



We　sat　silent　after　that；　out　of　doors　the　light　began　to　stir　among

the　leaves。　　There　were　all　kinds　of　rustling　sounds；　as　if　the　world

were　turning　over　in　bed。



Suddenly　Dan　said：



〃He's　cheated　me。　　I　paid　him　to　clear　out　and　leave　her　alone。

D'　you　think　she's　asleep？〃　　He's　made　no　appeal　for　sympathy；　he'd

take　pity　for　an　insult；　but　he　feels　it　badly。



〃I'm　tired　as　a　cat；〃　he　said　at　last；　and　went　to　sleep　on　my　bed。



It's　broad　daylight　now；　I　too　am　tired　as　a　cat。。。。









V



〃Saturday；　6tb　August　。



。。。。。。。I　take　up　my　tale　where　I　left　off　yesterday。。。。　　Dan　and　I

started　as　soon　as　we　could　get　Mrs。　Hopgood　to　give　us　coffee。　　The

old　lady　was　more　tentative；　more　undecided；　more　pouncing；　than　I

had　ever　seen　her。　　She　was　manifestly　uneasy：　Ha…apgoodwho　〃don't

slape　〃don't　he；　if　snores　are　any　criterionhad　called　out　in　the

night；　〃Hark　to　th'　'arses'　'oofs！〃　　Had　we　heard　them？　　And　where

might　we　be　going　then？　　'Twas　very　earrly　to　start；　an'　no

breakfast。　　Haapgood　had　said　it　was　goin'　to　shaowerr。　　Miss

Pasiance　was　not　to　'er　violin　yet；　an'　Mister　Ford　'e　kept　'is　room。

Was　it？would　there　be？　　〃Well；　an'　therr's　an　'arvest　bug；　'tis

some　earrly　for　they！〃　　Wonderful　how　she　pounces　on　all　such

creatures；　when　I　can't　even　see　them。　　She　pressed　it　absently

between　finger　and　thumb；　and　began　manoeuvring　round　another　way。

Long　before　she　had　reached　her　point；　we　had　gulped　down　our　coffee；

and　departed。　　But　as　we　rode　out　she　came　at　a　run；　holding　her

skirts　high　with　either　hand；　raised　her　old　eyes　bright　and　anxious

in　their　setting　of　fine　wrinkles；　and　said：



〃'Tidden　sorrow　for　her？〃



A　shrug　of　the　shoulders　was　all　the　answer　she　got。　　We　rode　by　the

lanes；　through　sloping　farmyards；　all　mud　and　pigs；　and　dirty　straw；

and　farmers　with　clean…shaven　upper　lips　and　whiskers　under　the　chin；

past　fields　of　corn；　where　larks　were　singing。　　Up　or　down；　we　didn't

draw　rein　till　we　came　to　Dan's　hot