under the greenwood tree-第13节

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at　any　time　he　should　be　near　the　school　after　her　return。　　But　he

delayed　taking　the　extreme　measure　of　calling　with　it　lest；　had　she

really　no　sentiment　of　interest　in　him；　it　might　be　regarded　as　a

slightly　absurd　errand；　the　reason　guessed；　and　the　sense　of　the

ludicrous；　which　was　rather　keen　in　her；　do　his　dignity　considerable

injury　in　her　eyes；　and　what　she　thought　of　him；　even　apart　from　the

question　of　her　loving；　was　all　the　world　to　him　now。



But　the　hour　came　when　the　patience　of　love　at　twenty…one　could

endure　no　longer。　　One　Saturday　he　approached　the　school　with　a　mild

air　of　indifference；　and　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing　the　object

of　his　quest　at　the　further　end　of　her　garden；　trying；　by　the　aid　of

a　spade　and　gloves；　to　root　a　bramble　that　had　intruded　itself

there。



He　disguised　his　feelings　from　some　suspicious…looking　cottage…

windows　opposite　by　endeavouring　to　appear　like　a　man　in　a　great

hurry　of　business；　who　wished　to　leave　the　handkerchief　and　have

done　with　such　trifling　errands。



This　endeavour　signally　failed；　for　on　approaching　the　gate　he　found

it　locked　to　keep　the　children；　who　were　playing　'cross…dadder'　in

the　front；　from　running　into　her　private　grounds。



She　did　not　see　him；　and　he　could　only　think　of　one　thing　to　be

done；　which　was　to　shout　her　name。



〃Miss　Day！〃



The　words　were　uttered　with　a　jerk　and　a　look　meant　to　imply　to　the

cottages　opposite　that　he　was　now　simply　one　who　liked　shouting　as　a

pheasant　way　of　passing　his　time；　without　any　reference　to　persons

in　gardens。　　The　name　died　away；　and　the　unconscious　Miss　Day

continued　digging　and　pulling　as　before。



He　screwed　himself　up　to　enduring　the　cottage…windows　yet　more

stoically；　and　shouted　again。　　Fancy　took　no　notice　whatever。



He　shouted　the　third　time；　with　desperate　vehemence；　turning

suddenly　about　and　retiring　a　little　distance；　as　if　it　were　by　no

means　for　his　own　pleasure　that　he　had　come。



This　time　she　heard　him；　came　down　the　garden；　and　entered　the

school　at　the　back。　　Footsteps　echoed　across　the　interior；　the　door

opened；　and　three…quarters　of　the　blooming　young　schoolmistress's

face　and　figure　stood　revealed　before　him；　a　slice　on　her　left…hand

side　being　cut　off　by　the　edge　of　the　door。　　Having　surveyed　and

recognized　him；　she　came　to　the　gate。



At　sight　of　him　had　the　pink　of　her　cheeks　increased；　lessened；　or

did　it　continue　to　cover　its　normal　area　of　ground？　　It　was　a

question　meditated　several　hundreds　of　times　by　her　visitor　in

after…hoursthe　meditation；　after　wearying　involutions；　always

ending　in　one　way；　that　it　was　impossible　to　say。



〃Your　handkerchief：　　Miss　Day：　　I　called　with。〃　　He　held　it　out

spasmodically　and　awkwardly。　　〃Mother　found　it：　　under　a　chair。〃



〃O；　thank　you　very　much　for　bringing　it；　Mr。　Dewy。　　I　couldn't　think

where　I　had　dropped　it。〃



Now　Dick；　not　being　an　experienced　loverindeed；　never　before

having　been　engaged　in　the　practice　of　love…making　at　all；　except　in

a　small　schoolboy　waycould　not　take　advantage　of　the　situation；

and　out　came　the　blunder；　which　afterwards　cost　him　so　many　bitter

moments　and　a　sleepless　night：…



〃Good　morning；　Miss　Day。〃



〃Good　morning；　Mr。　Dewy。〃



The　gate　was　closed；　she　was　gone；　and　Dick　was　standing　outside；

unchanged　in　his　condition　from　what　he　had　been　before　he　called。

Of　course　the　Angel　was　not　to　blamea　young　woman　living　alone　in

a　house　could　not　ask　him　indoors　unless　she　had　known　him　better

he　should　have　kept　her　outside　before　floundering　into　that　fatal

farewell。　　He　wished　that　before　he　called　he　had　realized　more

fully　than　he　did　the　pleasure　of　being　about　to　call；　and　turned

away。









PART　THE　SECONDSPRING









CHAPTER　I：　　PASSING　BY　THE　SCHOOL







It　followed　that；　as　the　spring　advanced；　Dick　walked　abroad　much

more　frequently　than　had　hitherto　been　usual　with　him；　and　was

continually　finding　that　his　nearest　way　to　or　from　home　lay　by　the

road　which　skirted　the　garden　of　the　school。　　The　first…fruits　of

his　perseverance　were　that；　on　turning　the　angle　on　the　nineteenth

journey　by　that　track；　he　saw　Miss　Fancy's　figure；　clothed　in　a

dark…gray　dress；　looking　from　a　high　open　window　upon　the　crown　of

his　hat。　　The　friendly　greeting　resulting　from　this　rencounter　was

considered　so　valuable　an　elixir　that　Dick　passed　still　oftener；　and

by　the　time　he　had　almost　trodden　a　little　path　under　the　fence

where　never　a　path　was　before；　he　was　rewarded　with　an　actual

meeting　face　to　face　on　the　open　road　before　her　gate。　　This　brought

another　meeting；　and　another；　Fancy　faintly　showing　by　her　bearing

that　it　was　a　pleasure　to　her　of　some　kind　to　see　him　there　but　the

sort　of　pleasure　she　derived；　whether　exultation　at　the　hope　her

exceeding　fairness　inspired；　or　the　true　feeling　which　was　alone

Dick's　concern；　he　could　not　anyhow　decide；　although　he　meditated　on

her　every　little　movement　for　hours　after　it　was　made。







CHAPTER　II：　　A　MEETING　OF　THE　QUIRE







It　was　the　evening　of　a　fine　spring　day。　　The　descending　sun

appeared　as　a　nebulous　blaze　of　amber　light；　its　outline　being　lost

in　cloudy　masses　hanging　round　it；　like　wild　locks　of　hair。



The　chief　members　of　Mellstock　parish　choir　were　standing　in　a　group

in　front　of　Mr。　Penny's　workshop　in　the　lower　village。　　They　were

all　brightly　illuminated；　and　each　was　backed　up　by　a　shadow　as　long

as　a　steeple　the　lowness　of　the　source　of　light　rendering　the　brims

of　their　hats　of　no　use　at　all　as　a　protection　to　the　eyes。



Mr。　Penny's　was　the　last　house　in　that　part　of　the　parish；　and　stood

in　a　hollow　by　the　roadside　so　that　cart…wheels　and　horses'　legs

were　about　level　with　the　sill　of　his　shop…window。　　This　was　low　and

wide；　and　was　open　from　morning　till　evening；　Mr。　Penny　himself

being　invariably　seen　working　inside；　like　a　framed　portrait　of　a

shoemaker　by　some　modern　Moroni。　　He　sat　facing　the　road；　with　a

boot　on　his　knees　and　the　awl　in　his　hand；　only　looking　up　for　a

moment　as　he　stretched　out　his　arms　and　bent　forward　at　the　pull；

when　his　spectacles　flashed　in　the　passer's　face　with　a　shine　of

flat　whiteness；　and　then　returned　again　to　the　boot　as　usual。　　Rows

of　lasts；　small　and　large；　stout　and　slender；　covered　the　wall　which

formed　the　background；　in　the　extreme　shadow　of　which　a　kind　of

dummy　was　seen　sitting；　in　the　shape　of　an　apprentice　with　a　string

tied　round　his　hair　（probably　to　keep　it　out　of　his　eyes）。　　He

smiled　at　remarks　that　floated　in　from　without；　but　was　never　known

to　answer　them　in　Mr。　Penny's　presence。　　Outside　the　window　the

upper…leather　of　a　Wellington…boot　was　usually　hung；　pegged　to　a

board　as　if　to　dry。　　No　sign　was　over　his　door；　in　factas　with　old

banks　and　mercantile　housesadvertising　in　any　shape　was　scorned；

and　it　would　have　been　felt　as　beneath　his　dignity　to　paint　up；　for

the　benefit　of　strangers；　the　name　of　an　establishment　whose　trade

came　solely　by　connection　based　on　personal　respect。



His　visitors　now　came　and　stood　on　the　outside　of　his　window；

sometimes　leaning　against　the　sill；　sometimes　moving　a　pace　or　two

backwards　and　forwards　in　front　of　it。　　They　talked　with　deliberate

gesticulations　to　Mr。　Penny；　enthroned　in　the　shadow　of　the

interior。



〃I　do　like　a　man　to　stick　to　men　who　be　in　the　same　line　o'　lifeo'

Sundays；　anywaythat　I　do　so。〃



〃'Tis　like　all　the　doings　of　folk　who　don't　know　what　a　day's　work

is；　that's　what　I　say。〃



〃My　belief　is　the　man's　not　to　blame；　'tis　SHEshe's　the　bitter

weed！〃



〃No；　not　altogether。　　He's　a　poor　gawk…hammer。　　Look　at　his　sermon

yesterday。〃



〃His　sermon　was　well　enough；　a　very　good　guessable　sermon；　only　he

couldn't　put　it　into　words　and　speak　it。　　That's　all　was　the　matter

wi'　the　sermon。　　He　hadn't　been　able　to　get　it　past　his　pen。〃



〃Wellay；　the　sermon　might　have　been　good；　for；　'tis　true；　the

sermon　of　Old　Eccl'iastes　himself　lay　in　Eccl'iastes's　ink…bottle

afore　he　got　it　out。〃



Mr。　Penny；　being　in　the　act　of　drawing　the　last　stitch　tight；　could

afford　time　to　look　up　and　throw　in　a　word　at　this　point。



〃He's　no　spouterthat　must　be　said；　'a　b'lieve。〃



〃'Tis　a　terrible　muddle　sometimes　with　the　man；　as　far　as　spout　do

go；〃　said　Spinks。



〃Well；　we'll　say　nothing　about　that；〃　the　tranter　answered；　〃for　I

don't　believe　'twill　make　a　penneth　o'　difference　to　we　poor　martels

here　or　hereafter　whether　his　sermons　be　good　or　bad；　my　sonnies。〃



Mr。　Penny　made　another　hole　with　his　awl；　pushed　in　the　thread；　and

looked　up　and　spoke　again　at　the　extension　of　arms。



〃'Tis　his　goings…on；　souls；　that's　what　it　is。〃　　He　clenched　his

features　for　an　Herculean　addition　to　the　ordinary　pull；　and

continued；　〃The　first　thing　he　done　when　he　came　here　was　to　be　hot

and　strong　about　church　business。〃



〃True；〃　said　Spinks；　〃that　was　the　very　firs