father and son-第22节

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shut　my　eyes；　and　lay　quite　still；　in　order　to　escape　conversing　with　them；　and　they　spoke　to　one　another。　'Ah；　poor　lamb；'　Kate　said　trivially；　'he's　not　long　for　this　world；　going　home　to　Jesus；　he　is；in　a　jiffy；　I　should　say　by　the　look　of　'un。'　But　Susan　answered：　'Not　so。　I　dreamed　about　'un；　and　I　know　for　sure　that　he　is　to　be　spared　for　missionary　service。'　'Missionary　service？'　repeated　Kate；　impressed。　'Yes；'　Susan　went　on；　with　solemn　emphasis；　'he'll　bleed　for　his　Lord　in　heathen　parts；　that's　what　the　future　have　in　store　for　'im。'　When　they　were　gone；　I　beat　upon　the　coverlid　with　my　fists；　and　I　determined　that　whatever　happened；　I　would　not；　not；　not；　go　out　to　preach　the　Gospel　among　horrid；　tropical　niggers。

CHAPTER　VII

IN　the　history　of　an　infancy　so　cloistered　and　uniform　as　mine；　such　a　real　adventure　as　my　being　publicly　and　successfully　kidnapped　cannot　be　overlooked。　There　were　several　'innocents'　in　our　village　harmless　eccentrics　who　had　more　or　less　unquestionably　crossed　the　barrier　which　divides　the　sane　from　the　insane。　They　were　not　discouraged　by　public　opinion；　indeed；　several　of　them　were　favoured　beings；　suspected　by　my　Father　of　exaggerating　their　mental　density　in　order　to　escape　having　to　work；　like　dogs；　who；　as　we　all　know；　could　speak　as　well　as　we　do；　were　they　not　afraid　of　being　made　to　fetch　and　carry。　Miss　Mary　Flaw　was　not　one　of　these　imbeciles。　She　was　what　the　French　call　a　detraquee；　she　had　enjoyed　good　intelligence　and　an　active　mind；　but　her　wits　had　left　the　rails　and　were　careening　about　the　country。　Miss　Flaw　was　the　daughter　of　a　retired　Baptist　minister；　and　she　lived；　with　I　remember　not　what　relations；　in　a　little　solitary　house　high　up　at　Barton　Cross；　whither　Mary　Grace　and　I　would　sometimes　struggle　when　our　pastoral　duties　were　over。　In　later　years；　when　I　met　with　those　celebrated　verses　in　which　the　philosopher　expresses　the　hope

In　the　downhill　of　life；　when　I　find　I'm　declining；　May　my　lot　no　less　fortunate　be　Than　a　snug　elbow…chair　can　afford　for　reclining；　And　a　cot　that　o'erlooks　the　wide　sea

my　thoughts　returned　instinctively；　and　they　still　return；　to　the　high　abode　of　Miss　Flaw。　There　was　a　porch　at　her　door；　both　for　shelter　and　shade；　and　it　was　covered　with　jasmine；　but　the　charm　of　the　place　was　a　summer…house　close　by；　containing　a　table；　encrusted　with　cowry…shells；　and　seats　from　which　one　saw　the　distant　waters　of　the　bay。　At　the　entrance　to　this　grotto　there　was　always　set　a　'snug　elbow…chair'；　destined；　I　suppose；　for　the　Rev。　Mr。　Flaw；　or　else　left　there　in　pious　memory　of　him；　since　I　cannot　recollect　whether　he　was　alive　or　dead。

I　delighted　in　these　visits　to　Mary　Flaw。　She　always　received　us　with　effusion；　tripping　forward　to　meet　us；　and　leading　us；　each　by　a　hand　held　high；　with　a　dancing　movement　which　I　thought　infinitely　graceful；　to　the　cowry…shell　bower；　where　she　would　regale　us　with　Devonshire　cream　and　with　small　hard　biscuits　that　were　like　pebbles。　The　conversation　of　Mary　Flaw　was　a　great　treat　to　me。　I　enjoyed　its　irregularities；　its　waywardness；　it　was　like　a　tune　that　wandered　into　several　keys。　As　Mary　Grace　Burmington　put　it；　one　never　knew　what　dear　Mary　Flaw　would　say　next；　and　that　she　did　not　herself　know　added　to　the　charm。　She　had　become　crazed；　poor　thing；　in　consequence　of　a　disappointment　in　love；　but　of　course　I　did　not　know　that；　nor　that　she　was　crazed　at　all。　I　thought　her　brilliant　and　original；　and　I　liked　her　very　much。　In　the　light　of　coming　events；　it　would　be　affectation　were　I　to　pretend　that　she　did　not　feel　a　similar　partiality　for　me。

Miss　Flaw　was；　from　the　first；　devoted　to　my　Father's　ministrations；　and　it　was　part　of　our　odd　village　indulgence　that　no　one　ever　dreamed　of　preventing　her　from　coming　to　the　Room。　On　Sunday　evenings　the　bulk　of　the　audience　was　arranged　on　forms；　with　backs　to　them；　set　in　the　middle　of　the　floor；　with　a　passage　round　them；　while　other　forms　were　placed　against　the　walls。　My　Father　preached　from　a　lectern；　facing　the　audience。　If　darkness　came　on　in　the　course　of　the　service；　Richard　Moxhay；　glimmering　in　his　cream…white　corduroys；　used　to　go　slowly　around；　lighting　groups　of　tallow　candles　by　the　help　of　a　box　of　lucifers。　Mary　Flaw　always　assumed　the　place　of　honour；　on　the　left　extremity　of　the　front　bench；　immediately　opposite　my　Father。　Miss　Marks　and　Mary　Grace；　with　me　ensconced　and　almost　buried　between　them；　occupied　the　right　of　the　same　bench。　While　the　lighting　proceeded；　Miss　Flaw　used　to　direct　it　from　her　seat；　silently；　by　pointing　out　to　Moxhay；　who　took　no　notice；　what　groups　of　candles　he　should　light　next。　She　did　this　just　as　the　clown　in　the　circus　directs　the　grooms　how　to　move　the　furniture；　and　Moxhay　paid　no　more　attention　to　her　than　the　grooms　do　to　the　clown。　Miss　Flaw　had　another　peculiarity：　she　silently　went　through　a　service　exactly　similar　to　ours；　but　much　briefer。　The　course　of　our　evening　service　was　this：　My　Father　prayed；　and　we　all　knelt　down；　then　he　gave　out　a　hymn　and　most　of　us　stood　up　to　sing；　then　he　preached　for　about　an　hour；　while　we　sat　and　listened；　then　a　hymn　again；　then　prayer　and　the　valediction。

Mary　Flaw　went　through　this　ritual；　but　on　a　smaller　scale。　We　all　knelt　down　together；　but　when　we　rose　from　our　knees；　Miss　Flaw　was　already　standing　up；　and　was　pretending；　without　a　sound；　to　sing　a　hymn；　in　the　midst　of　our　hymn；　she　sat　down；　opened　her　Bible；　found　a　text；　and　then　leaned　back；　her　eyes　fixed　in　space；　listening　to　an　imaginary　sermon　which　our　own　real　one　soon　caught　up；　and　coincided　with　for　about　three…　quarters　of　an　hour。　Then；　while　our　sermon　went　peacefully　on；　Miss　Flaw　would　rise；　and　sing　in　silence　（if　I　am　permitted　to　use　such　an　expression）　her　own　visionary　hymn；　then　she　would　kneel　down　and　pray；　then　rise；　collect　her　belongings；　and　sweep；　in　fairy　majesty；　out　of　the　chapel；　my　Father　still　rounding　his　periods　from　the　pulpit。　Nobody　ever　thought　of　preventing　these　movements；　or　of　checking　the　poor　creature　in　her　innocent　flightiness；　until　the　evening　of　the　great　event。

It　was　all　my　own　fault。　Mary　Flaw　had　finished　her　imaginary　service　earlier　than　usual。　She　had　stood　up　alone　with　her　hymn…　book　before　her；　she　had　flung　herself　on　her　knees　alone；　in　the　attitude　of　devotion；　she　had　risen；　she　had　seated　herself　for　a　moment　to　put　on　her　gloves；　and　to　collect　her　Bible；　her　hymn…　book　and　her　pocket…handkerchief　in　her　reticule。　She　was　ready　to　start；　and　she　looked　around　her　with　a　pleasant　air；　my　Father；　all　undisturbed；　booming　away　meanwhile　over　our　heads。　I　know　not　why　the　manoeuvres　of　Miss　Flaw　especially　attracted　me　that　evening；　but　I　leaned　out　across　Miss　Marks　and　I　caught　Miss　Flaw's　eye。　She　nodded；　I　nodded；　and　the　amazing　deed　was　done；　I　hardly　know　how。　Miss　Flaw；　with　incredible　swiftness；　flew　along　the　line；　plucked　me　by　the　coat…collar　from　between　my　paralysed　protectresses；　darted　with　me　down　the　chapel　and　out　into　the　dark；　before　anyone　had　time　to　say　'Jack　Robinson'。

My　Father　gazed　from　the　pulpit　and　the　stream　of　exhortation　withered　on　his　lips。　No　one　in　the　body　of　the　audience　stirred；　no　one　but　himself　had　clearly　seen　what　had　happened。　Vague　rows　of　'saints'　with　gaping　countenances　stared　up　at　him；　while　he　shouted；　'Will　nobody　stop　them？　as　we　whisked　out　through　the　doorway。　Forth　into　the　moist　night　we　went；　and　up　the　lampless　village；　where；　a　few　minutes　later；　the　swiftest　of　the　congregation；　with　my　Father　at　their　head；　found　us　sitting　on　the　doorstep　of　the　butcher's　shop。　My　captor　was　now　quite　quiet；　and　made　no　objection　to　my　quitting　her；'without　a　single　kiss　or　a　goodbye'；　as　the　poet　says。

Although　I　had　scarcely　felt　frightened　at　the　time；　doubtless　my　nerves　were　shaken　by　this　escapade；　and　it　may　have　had　something　to　do　with　the　recurrence　of　the　distressing　visions　from　which　I　had　suffered　as　a　very　little　child。　These　came　back；　with　a　force　and　expansion　due　to　my　increased　maturity。　I　had　hardly　laid　my　head　down　on　the　pillow；　than；　as　it　seemed　to　me；　I　was　taking　part　in　a　mad　gallop　through　space。　Some　force；　which　had　tight　hold　of　me；　so　that　I　felt　myself　an　atom　in　its　grasp；　was　hurrying　me　on　over　an　endless　slender　bridge；　under　which　on　either　side　a　loud　torrent　rushed　at　a　vertiginous　depth　below。　At　first　our　helpless　flight；for　I　was　bound　hand　and　foot　like　Mazeppa；proceeded　in　a　straight　line；　but　presently　it　began　to　curve；　and　we　raced　and　roared　along；　in　what　gradually　became　a　monstrous　vortex；　reverberant　with　noises；　loud　with　light；　while；　as　we　proceeded；　enormous　concentric　circles　engulfed　us；　and　wheeled　above　and　about　us。　It　seemed　as　if　we；I；　that　is；　and　the　undefined　force　which　carried　me；　were　pushing　feverishly　on　towards　a　goal　which　our　whole　concentrated　energies　were　bent　on　reaching；　but　which　a　frenzied　despair　in　my　heart　told　me　we　never　could　reach；　yet　the　attainment　of　which　alone　could　save　us　from　destruction。　Far　away；　in　the　pulsation　of　the　great　luminous　whorls；　I　could　just　see　that　goal；　a　ruby…coloured　point　waxing　and　waning；　and　it　bore；　or　to　be　exact　it　consisted　of　the　letters　of　the　word　CAR