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第15节

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comes; I don't know。〃



〃Now; this is my plan;〃 said the tranter; reviving the spirit of the

discussion by the infusion of new ideas; as was his custom〃this is

my plan; if you don't like it; no harm's done。  We all know one

another very well; don't we; neighbours?〃



That they knew one another very well was received as a statement

which; though familiar; should not be omitted in introductory

speeches。



〃Then I say this〃and the tranter in his emphasis slapped down his

hand on Mr。 Spinks's shoulder with a momentum of several pounds;

upon which Mr。 Spinks tried to look not in the least startled〃I

say that we all move down…along straight as a line to Pa'son

Mayble's when the clock has gone six to…morrow night。  There we one

and all stand in the passage; then one or two of us go in and spak

to en; man and man; and say; 'Pa'son Mayble; every tradesman d'like

to have his own way in his workshop; and Mellstock Church is yours。

Instead of turning us out neck and crop; let us stay on till

Christmas; and we'll gie way to the young woman; Mr。 Mayble; and

make no more ado about it。  And we shall always be quite willing to

touch our hats when we meet ye; Mr。 Mayble; just as before。'  That

sounds very well?  Hey?〃



〃Proper well; in faith; Reuben Dewy。〃



〃And we won't sit down in his house; 'twould be looking too familiar

when only just reconciled?〃



〃No need at all to sit down。  Just do our duty man and man; turn

round; and march outhe'll think all the more of us for it。〃



〃I hardly think Leaf had better go wi' us?〃 said Michael; turning to

Leaf and taking his measure from top to bottom by the eye。  〃He's so

terrible silly that he might ruin the concern。〃



〃He don't want to go much; do ye; Thomas Leaf?〃 said William。



〃Hee…hee! no; I don't want to。  Only a teeny bit!〃



〃I be mortal afeard; Leaf; that you'll never be able to tell how

many cuts d'take to sharpen a spar;〃 said Mail。



〃I never had no head; never! that's how it happened to happen; hee…

hee!〃



They all assented to this; not with any sense of humiliating Leaf by

disparaging him after an open confession; but because it was an

accepted thing that Leaf didn't in the least mind having no head;

that deficiency of his being an unimpassioned matter of parish

history。



〃But I can sing my treble!〃 continued Thomas Leaf; quite delighted

at being called a fool in such a friendly way; 〃I can sing my treble

as well as any maid; or married woman either; and better!  And if

Jim had lived; I should have had a clever brother!  To…morrow is

poor Jim's birthday。  He'd ha' been twenty…six if he'd lived till

to…morrow。〃



〃You always seem very sorry for Jim;〃 said old William musingly。



〃Ah!  I do。  Such a stay to mother as he'd always ha' been!  She'd

never have had to work in her old age if he had continued strong;

poor Jim!〃



〃What was his age when 'a died?〃



〃Four hours and twenty minutes; poor Jim。  'A was born as might be

at night; and 'a didn't last as might be till the morning。  No; 'a

didn't last。  Mother called en Jim on the day that would ha' been

his christening day if he had lived; and she's always thinking about

en。  You see he died so very young。〃



〃Well; 'twas rather youthful;〃 said Michael。



〃Now to my mind that woman is very romantical on the matter o'

children?〃 said the tranter; his eye sweeping his audience。



〃Ah; well she mid be;〃 said Leaf。  〃She had twelve regular one after

another; and they all; except myself; died very young; either before

they was born or just afterwards。〃



〃Pore feller; too。  I suppose th'st want to come wi' us?〃 the

tranter murmured。



〃Well; Leaf; you shall come wi' us as yours is such a melancholy

family;〃 said old William rather sadly。



〃I never see such a melancholy family as that afore in my life;〃

said Reuben。  〃There's Leaf's mother; poor woman!  Every morning I

see her eyes mooning out through the panes of glass like a pot…sick

winder…flower; and as Leaf sings a very high treble; and we don't

know what we should do without en for upper G; we'll let en come as

a trate; poor feller。〃



〃Ay; we'll let en come; 'a b'lieve;〃 said Mr。 Penny; looking up; as

the pull happened to be at that moment。



〃Now;〃 continued the tranter; dispersing by a new tone of voice

these digressions about Leaf; 〃as to going to see the pa'son; one of

us might call and ask en his meaning; and 'twould be just as well

done; but it will add a bit of flourish to the cause if the quire

waits on him as a body。  Then the great thing to mind is; not for

any of our fellers to be nervous; so before starting we'll one and

all come to my house and have a rasher of bacon; then every man…jack

het a pint of cider into his inside; then we'll warm up an extra

drop wi' some mead and a bit of ginger; every one take a thimbleful…

…just a glimmer of a drop; mind ye; no more; to finish off his inner

manand march off to Pa'son Mayble。  Why; sonnies; a man's not

himself till he is fortified wi' a bit and a drop?  We shall be able

to look any gentleman in the face then without shrink or shame。〃



Mail recovered from a deep meditation and downward glance into the

earth in time to give a cordial approval to this line of action; and

the meeting adjourned。







CHAPTER IV:  INTERVIEW WITH THE VICAR







At six o'clock the next day; the whole body of men in the choir

emerged from the tranter's door; and advanced with a firm step down

the lane。  This dignity of march gradually became obliterated as

they went on; and by the time they reached the hill behind the

vicarage a faint resemblance to a flock of sheep might have been

discerned in the venerable party。  A word from the tranter; however;

set them right again; and as they descended the hill; the regular

tramp; tramp; tramp of the united feet was clearly audible from the

vicarage garden。  At the opening of the gate there was another short

interval of irregular shuffling; caused by a rather peculiar habit

the gate had; when swung open quickly; of striking against the bank

and slamming back into the opener's face。



〃Now keep step again; will ye?〃 said the tranter。  〃It looks better;

and more becomes the high class of arrant which has brought us

here。〃  Thus they advanced to the door。



At Reuben's ring the more modest of the group turned aside; adjusted

their hats; and looked critically at any shrub that happened to lie

in the line of vision; endeavouring thus to give a person who

chanced to look out of the windows the impression that their

request; whatever it was going to be; was rather a casual thought

occurring whilst they were inspecting the vicar's shrubbery and

grass…plot than a predetermined thing。  The tranter; who; coming

frequently to the vicarage with luggage; coals; firewood; etc。; had

none of the awe for its precincts that filled the breasts of most of

the others; fixed his eyes firmly on the knocker during this

interval of waiting。  The knocker having no characteristic worthy of

notice; he relinquished it for a knot in one of the door…panels; and

studied the winding lines of the grain。



〃O; sir; please; here's Tranter Dewy; and old William Dewy; and

young Richard Dewy; O; and all the quire too; sir; except the boys;

a…come to see you!〃 said Mr。 Maybold's maid…servant to Mr。 Maybold;

the pupils of her eyes dilating like circles in a pond。



〃All the choir?〃 said the astonished vicar (who may be shortly

described as a good…looking young man with courageous eyes; timid

mouth; and neutral nose); abandoning his writing and looking at his

parlour…maid after speaking; like a man who fancied he had seen her

face before but couldn't recollect where。



〃And they looks very firm; and Tranter Dewy do turn neither to the

right hand nor to the left; but stares quite straight and solemn

with his mind made up!〃



〃O; all the choir;〃 repeated the vicar to himself; trying by that

simple device to trot out his thoughts on what the choir could come

for。



〃Yes; every man…jack of 'em; as I be alive!〃  (The parlour…maid was

rather local in manner; having in fact been raised in the same

village。)  〃Really; sir; 'tis thoughted by many in town and country

that〃



〃Town and country!Heavens; I had no idea that I was public

property in this way!〃 said the vicar; his face acquiring a hue

somewhere between that of the rose and the peony。  〃Well; 'It is

thought in town and country that'〃



〃It is thought that you be going to get it hot and strongexcusen

my incivility; sir。〃



The vicar suddenly recalled to his recollection that he had long ago

settled it to be decidedly a mistake to encourage his servant Jane

in giving personal opinions。  The servant Jane saw by the vicar's

face that he recalled this fact to his mind; and removing her

forehead from the edge of the door; and rubbing away the indent that

edge had made; vanished into the passag

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