under the greenwood tree-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



edge　had　made；　vanished　into　the　passage　as　Mr。　Maybold　remarked；

〃Show　them　in；　Jane。〃



A　few　minutes　later　a　shuffling　and　jostling　（reduced　to　as　refined

a　form　as　was　compatible　with　the　nature　of　shuffles　and　jostles）

was　heard　in　the　passage；　then　an　earnest　and　prolonged　wiping　of

shoes；　conveying　the　notion　that　volumes　of　mud　had　to　be　removed；

but　the　roads　being　so　clean　that　not　a　particle　of　dirt　appeared　on

the　choir's　boots　（those　of　all　the　elder　members　being　newly　oiled；

and　Dick's　brightly　polished）；　this　wiping　might　have　been　set　down

simply　as　a　desire　to　show　that　respectable　men　had　no　wish　to　take

a　mean　advantage　of　clean　roads　for　curtailing　proper　ceremonies。

Next　there　came　a　powerful　whisper　from　the　same　quarter：…



〃Now　stand　stock…still　there；　my　sonnies；　one　and　all！　　And　don't

make　no　noise；　and　keep　your　backs　close　to　the　wall；　that　company

may　pass　in　and　out　easy　if　they　want　to　without　squeezing　through

ye：　　and　we　two　are　enough　to　go　in。〃　。　。　。　The　voice　was　the

tranter's。



〃I　wish　I　could　go　in　too　and　see　the　sight！〃　said　a　reedy　voice

that　of　Leaf。



〃'Tis　a　pity　Leaf　is　so　terrible　silly；　or　else　he　might；〃　said

another。



〃I　never　in　my　life　seed　a　quire　go　into　a　study　to　have　it　out

about　the　playing　and　singing；〃　pleaded　Leaf；　〃and　I　should　like　to

see　it　just　once！〃



〃Very　well；　we'll　let　en　come　in；〃　said　the　tranter。　　〃You'll　be

like　chips　in　porridge；　｛1｝　Leafneither　good　nor　hurt。　　All　right；

my　sonny；　come　along；〃　and　immediately　himself；　old　William；　and

Leaf　appeared　in　the　room。



〃We　took　the　liberty　to　come　and　see　'ee；　sir；〃　said　Reuben；　letting

his　hat　hang　in　his　left　hand；　and　touching　with　his　right　the　brim

of　an　imaginary　one　on　his　head。　　〃We've　come　to　see　'ee；　sir；　man

and　man；　and　no　offence；　I　hope？〃



〃None　at　all；〃　said　Mr。　Maybold。



〃This　old　aged　man　standing　by　my　side　is　father；　William　Dewy　by

name；　sir。〃



〃Yes；　I　see　it　is；〃　said　the　vicar；　nodding　aside　to　old　William；

who　smiled。



〃I　thought　you　mightn't　know　en　without　his　bass…viol；〃　the　tranter

apologized。　　〃You　see；　he　always　wears　his　best　clothes　and　his

bass…viol　a…Sundays；　and　it　do　make　such　a　difference　in　a'　old

man's　look。〃



〃And　who's　that　young　man？〃　the　vicar　said。



〃Tell　the　pa'son　yer　name；〃　said　the　tranter；　turning　to　Leaf；　who

stood　with　his　elbows　nailed　back　to　a　bookcase。



〃Please；　Thomas　Leaf；　your　holiness！〃　said　Leaf；　trembling。



〃I　hope　you'll　excuse　his　looks　being　so　very　thin；〃　continued　the

tranter　deprecatingly；　turning　to　the　vicar　again。　　〃But　'tisn't　his

fault；　poor　feller。　　He's　rather　silly　by　nature；　and　could　never

get　fat；　though　he's　a'　excellent　treble；　and　so　we　keep　him　on。〃



〃I　never　had　no　head；　sir；〃　said　Leaf；　eagerly　grasping　at　this

opportunity　for　being　forgiven　his　existence。



〃Ah；　poor　young　man！〃　said　Mr。　Maybold。



〃Bless　you；　he　don't　mind　it　a　bit；　if　you　don't；　sir；〃　said　the

tranter　assuringly。　　〃Do　ye；　Leaf？〃



〃Not　Inot　a　morselhee；　hee！　　I　was　afeard　it　mightn't　please

your　holiness；　sir；　that's　all。〃



The　tranter；　finding　Leaf　get　on　so　very　well　through　his　negative

qualities；　was　tempted　in　a　fit　of　generosity　to　advance　him　still

higher；　by　giving　him　credit　for　positive　ones。　　〃He's　very　clever

for　a　silly　chap；　good…now；　sir。　　You　never　knowed　a　young　feller

keep　his　smock…frocks　so　clane；　very　honest　too。　　His　ghastly　looks

is　all　there　is　against　en；　poor　feller；　but　we　can't　help　our

looks；　you　know；　sir。〃



〃True：　　we　cannot。　　You　live　with　your　mother；　I　think；　Leaf？〃



The　tranter　looked　at　Leaf　to　express　that　the　most　friendly

assistant　to　his　tongue　could　do　no　more　for　him　now；　and　that　he

must　be　left　to　his　own　resources。



〃Yes；　sir：　　a　widder；　sir。　　Ah；　if　brother　Jim　had　lived　she'd　have

had　a　clever　son　to　keep　her　without　work！〃



〃Indeed！　poor　woman。　　Give　her　this　half…crown。　　I'll　call　and　see

your　mother。〃



〃Say；　'Thank　you；　sir；'〃　the　tranter　whispered　imperatively　towards

Leaf。



〃Thank　you；　sir！〃　said　Leaf。



〃That's　it；　then；　sit　down；　Leaf；〃　said　Mr。　Maybold。



〃Y…yes；　sir！〃



The　tranter　cleared　his　throat　after　this　accidental　parenthesis

about　Leaf；　rectified　his　bodily　position；　and　began　his　speech。



〃Mr。　Mayble；〃　he　said；　〃I　hope　you'll　excuse　my　common　way；　but　I

always　like　to　look　things　in　the　face。〃



Reuben　made　a　point　of　fixing　this　sentence　in　the　vicar's　mind　by

gazing　hard　at　him　at　the　conclusion　of　it；　and　then　out　of　the

window。



Mr。　Maybold　and　old　William　looked　in　the　same　direction；　apparently

under　the　impression　that　the　things'　faces　alluded　to　were　there

visible。



〃What　I　have　been　thinking〃the　tranter　implied　by　this　use　of　the

past　tense　that　he　was　hardly　so　discourteous　as　to　be　positively

thinking　it　then〃is　that　the　quire　ought　to　be　gie'd　a　little

time；　and　not　done　away　wi'　till　Christmas；　as　a　fair　thing　between

man　and　man。　　And；　Mr。　Mayble；　I　hope　you'll　excuse　my　common　way？〃



〃I　will；　I　will。　　Till　Christmas；〃　the　vicar　murmured；　stretching

the　two　words　to　a　great　length；　as　if　the　distance　to　Christmas

might　be　measured　in　that　way。　　〃Well；　I　want　you　all　to　understand

that　I　have　no　personal　fault　to　find；　and　that　I　don't　wish　to

change　the　church　music　by　forcible　means；　or　in　a　way　which　should

hurt　the　feelings　of　any　parishioners。　　Why　I　have　at　last　spoken

definitely　on　the　subject　is　that　a　player　has　been　brought　underI

may　say　pressed　uponmy　notice　several　times　by　one　of　the

churchwardens。　　And　as　the　organ　I　brought　with　me　is　here　waiting〃

（pointing　to　a　cabinet…organ　standing　in　the　study）；　〃there　is　no

reason　for　longer　delay。〃



〃We　made　a　mistake　I　suppose　then；　sir？　　But　we　understood　the　young

woman　didn't　want　to　play　particularly？〃　　The　tranter　arranged　his

countenance　to　signify　that　he　did　not　want　to　be　inquisitive　in　the

least。



〃No；　nor　did　she。　　Nor　did　I　definitely　wish　her　to　just　yet；　for

your　playing　is　very　good。　　But；　as　I　said；　one　of　the　churchwardens

has　been　so　anxious　for　a　change；　that；　as　matters　stand；　I　couldn't

consistently　refuse　my　consent。〃



Now　for　some　reason　or　other；　the　vicar　at　this　point　seemed　to　have

an　idea　that　he　had　prevaricated；　and　as　an　honest　vicar；　it　was　a

thing　he　determined　not　to　do。　　He　corrected　himself；　blushing　as　he

did　so；　though　why　he　should　blush　was　not　known　to　Reuben。



〃Understand　me　rightly；〃　he　said：　　〃the　church…warden　proposed　it　to

me；　but　I　had　thought　myself　of　gettingMiss　Day　to　play。〃



〃Which　churchwarden　might　that　be　who　proposed　her；　sir？excusing

my　common　way。〃　　The　tranter　intimated　by　his　tone　that；　so　far　from

being　inquisitive；　he　did　not　even　wish　to　ask　a　single　question。



〃Mr。　Shiner；　I　believe。〃



〃Clk；　my　sonny！beg　your　pardon；　sir；　that's　only　a　form　of　words

of　mine；　and　slipped　out　accidentalhe　nourishes　enmity　against　us

for　some　reason　or　another；　perhaps　because　we　played　rather　hard

upon　en　Christmas　night。　　Anyhow　'tis　certain　sure　that　Mr。　Shiner's

real　love　for　music　of　a　particular　kind　isn't　his　reason。　　He've　no

more　ear　than　that　chair。　　But　let　that　be。〃



〃I　don't　think　you　should　conclude　that；　because　Mr。　Shiner　wants　a

different　music；　he　has　any　ill…feeling　for　you。　　I　myself；　I　must

own；　prefer　organ…music　to　any　other。　　I　consider　it　most　proper；

and　feel　justified　in　endeavouring　to　introduce　it；　but　then；

although　other　music　is　better；　I　don't　say　yours　is　not　good。〃



〃Well　then；　Mr。　Mayble；　since　death's　to　be；　we'll　die　like　men　any

day　you　name　（excusing　my　common　way）。〃



Mr。　Maybold　bowed　his　head。



〃All　we　thought　was；　that　for　us　old　ancient　singers　to　be　choked

off　quiet　at　no　time　in　particular；　as　now；　in　the　Sundays　after

Easter；　would　seem　rather　mean　in　the　eyes　of　other　parishes；　sir。

But　if　we　fell　glorious　with　a　bit　of　a　flourish　at　Christmas；　we

should　have　a　respectable　end；　and　not　dwindle　away　at　some　nameless

paltry　second…Sunday…after　or　Sunday…next…before　something；　that's

got　no　name　of　his　own。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　that's　reasonable；　I　own　it's　reasonable。〃



〃You　see；　Mr。　Mayble；　we've　gotdo　I　keep　you　inconvenient　long；

sir？〃



〃No；　no。〃



〃We've　got　our　feelingsfather　there　especially。〃



The　tranter；　in　his　earnestness；　had　advanced　his　person　to　within

six　inches　of　the　vicar's。



〃Certainly；　certainly！〃　said　Mr。　Maybold；　retreating　a　little　for

convenience　of　seeing。　　〃You　are　all　enthusiastic　on　the　subject；

and　I　am　all　the　more　gratified　to　find　you　so。　　A　Laodicean

lukewarmness　is　worse　than　wrongheadedness　itself。〃



〃Exactly；　sir。　　In　fact　now；　Mr。　Mayble；〃　Reuben　continued；　more

impressively；　and　advancing　a　little　closer　still　to　the　vicar；

〃father　there　is　a　perfect　figure　o'　wonder；　in　the　way　of　being

fond　of　music！〃



The