under the greenwood tree-第18节

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gentleman　over　there〃　（the　tranter　nodded　in　the　direction　of

Shiner's　farm）　〃is　at　the　root　of　the　mischty。〃



〃What！　　Shiner？〃



〃Ay；　and　I　see　what　the　pa'son　don't　see。　　Why；　Shiner　is　for

putting　forward　that　young　woman　that　only　last　night　I　was　saying

was　our　Dick's　sweet…heart；　but　I　suppose　can't　be；　and　making　much

of　her　in　the　sight　of　the　congregation；　and　thinking　he'll　win　her

by　showing　her　off。　　Well；　perhaps　'a　woll。〃



〃Then　the　music　is　second　to　the　woman；　the　other　churchwarden　is

second　to　Shiner；　the　pa'son　is　second　to　the　churchwardens；　and　God

A'mighty　is　nowhere　at　all。〃



〃That's　true；　and　you　see；〃　continued　Reuben；　〃at　the　very　beginning

it　put　me　in　a　stud　as　to　how　to　quarrel　wi'　en。　　In　short；　to　save

my　soul；　I　couldn't　quarrel　wi'　such　a　civil　man　without　belying　my

conscience。　　Says　he　to　father　there；　in　a　voice　as　quiet　as　a

lamb's；　〃William；　you　are　a'　old　aged　man；　as　all　shall　be；　so　sit

down　in　my　easy…chair；　and　rest　yourself。〃　　And　down　father　zot。　　I

could　fain　ha'　laughed　at　thee；　father；　for　thou'st　take　it　so

unconcerned　at　first；　and　then　looked　so　frightened　when　the　chair…

bottom　sunk　in。〃



〃You　see；〃　said　old　William；　hastening　to　explain；　〃I　was　scared　to

find　the　bottom　gie　waywhat　should　I　know　o'　spring　bottoms？and

thought　I　had　broke　it　down：　　and　of　course　as　to　breaking　down　a

man's　chair；　I　didn't　wish　any　such　thing。〃



〃And；　neighbours；　when　a　feller；　ever　so　much　up　for　a　miff；　d'see

his　own　father　sitting　in　his　enemy's　easy…chair；　and　a　poor　chap

like　Leaf　made　the　best　of；　as　if　he　almost　had　brainswhy；　it

knocks　all　the　wind　out　of　his　sail　at　once：　　it　did　out　of　mine。〃



〃If　that　young　figure　of　funFance　Day；　I　mean；〃　said　Bowman；

〃hadn't　been　so　mighty　forward　wi'　showing　herself　off　to　Shiner　and

Dick　and　the　rest；　'tis　my　belief　we　should　never　ha'　left　the

gallery。〃



〃'Tis　my　belief　that　though　Shiner　fired　the　bullets；　the　parson

made　'em；〃　said　Mr。　Penny。　　〃My　wife　sticks　to　it　that　he's　in　love

wi'　her。〃



〃That's　a　thing　we　shall　never　know。　　I　can't　onriddle　her；　nohow。〃



〃Thou'st　ought　to　be　able　to　onriddle　such　a　little　chiel　as　she；〃

the　tranter　observed。



〃The　littler　the　maid；　the　bigger　the　riddle；　to　my　mind。　　And

coming　of　such　a　stock；　too；　she　may　well　be　a　twister。〃



〃Yes；　Geoffrey　Day　is　a　clever　man　if　ever　there　was　one。　　Never

says　anything：　　not　he。〃



〃Never。〃



〃You　might　live　wi'　that　man；　my　sonnies；　a　hundred　years；　and　never

know　there　was　anything　in　him。〃



〃Ay；　one　o'　these　up…country　London　ink…bottle　chaps　would　call

Geoffrey　a　fool。〃



〃Ye　never　find　out　what's　in　that　man：　　never；〃　said　Spinks。

〃Close？　ah；　he　is　close！　　He　can　hold　his　tongue　well。　　That　man's

dumbness　is　wonderful　to　listen　to。〃



〃There's　so　much　sense　in　it。　　Every　moment　of　it　is　brimmen　over

wi'　sound　understanding。〃



〃'A　can　hold　his　tongue　very　cleververy　clever　truly；〃　echoed

Leaf。　　〃A　do　look　at　me　as　if　'a　could　see　my　thoughts　running　round

like　the　works　of　a　clock。〃



〃Well；　all　will　agree　that　the　man　can　halt　well　in　his　talk；　be　it

a　long　time　or　be　it　a　short　time。　　And　though　we　can't　expect　his

daughter　to　inherit　his　closeness；　she　may　have　a　few　dribblets　from

his　sense。〃



〃And　his　pocket；　perhaps。〃



〃Yes；　the　nine　hundred　pound　that　everybody　says　he's　worth；　but　I

call　it　four　hundred　and　fifty；　for　I　never　believe　more　than　half　I

hear。〃



〃Well；　he've　made　a　pound　or　two；　and　I　suppose　the　maid　will　have

it；　since　there's　nobody　else。　　But　'tis　rather　sharp　upon　her；　if

she's　been　born　to　fortune；　to　bring　her　up　as　if　not　born　for　it；

and　letting　her　work　so　hard。〃



〃'Tis　all　upon　his　principle。　　A　longheaded　feller！〃



〃Ah；〃　murmured　Spinks；　〃'twould　be　sharper　upon　her　if　she　were　born

for　fortune；　and　not　to　it！　　I　suffer　from　that　affliction。〃







CHAPTER　VI：　　YALBURY　WOOD　AND　THE　KEEPER'S　HOUSE







A　mood　of　blitheness　rarely　experienced　even　by　young　men　was　Dick's

on　the　following　Monday　morning。　　It　was　the　week　after　the　Easter

holidays；　and　he　was　journeying　along　with　Smart　the　mare　and　the

light　spring…cart；　watching　the　damp　slopes　of　the　hill…sides　as

they　streamed　in　the　warmth　of　the　sun；　which　at　this　unsettled

season　shone　on　the　grass　with　the　freshness　of　an　occasional

inspector　rather　than　as　an　accustomed　proprietor。　　His　errand　was

to　fetch　Fancy；　and　some　additional　household　goods；　from　her

father's　house　in　the　neighbouring　parish　to　her　dwelling　at

Mellstock。　　The　distant　view　was　darkly　shaded　with　clouds；　but　the

nearer　parts　of　the　landscape　were　whitely　illumined　by　the　visible

rays　of　the　sun　streaming　down　across　the　heavy　gray　shade　behind。



The　tranter　had　not　yet　told　his　son　of　the　state　of　Shiner's　heart

that　had　been　suggested　to　him　by　Shiner's　movements。　　He　preferred

to　let　such　delicate　affairs　right　themselves；　experience　having

taught　him　that　the　uncertain　phenomenon　of　love；　as　it　existed　in

other　people；　was　not　a　groundwork　upon　which　a　single　action　of　his

own　life　could　be　founded。



Geoffrey　Day　lived　in　the　depths　of　Yalbury　Wood；　which　formed

portion　of　one　of　the　outlying　estates　of　the　Earl　of　Wessex；　to

whom　Day　was　head　game…keeper；　timber…steward；　and　general

overlooker　for　this　district。　　The　wood　was　intersected　by　the

highway　from　Casterbridge　to　London　at　a　place　not　far　from　the

house；　and　some　trees　had　of　late　years　been　felled　between　its

windows　and　the　ascent　of　Yalbury　Hill；　to　give　the　solitary

cottager　a　glimpse　of　the　passers…by。



It　was　a　satisfaction　to　walk　into　the　keeper's　house；　even　as　a

stranger；　on　a　fine　spring　morning　like　the　present。　　A　curl　of

wood…smoke　came　from　the　chimney；　and　drooped　over　the　roof　like　a

blue　feather　in　a　lady's　hat；　and　the　sun　shone　obliquely　upon　the

patch　of　grass　in　front；　which　reflected　its　brightness　through　the

open　doorway　and　up　the　staircase　opposite；　lighting　up　each　riser

with　a　shiny　green　radiance；　and　leaving　the　top　of　each　step　in

shade。



The　window…sill　of　the　front　room　was　between　four　and　five　feet

from　the　floor；　dropping　inwardly　to　a　broad　low　bench；　over　which；

as　well　as　over　the　whole　surface　of　the　wall　beneath；　there　always

hung　a　deep　shade；　which　was　considered　objectionable　on　every

ground　save　one；　namely；　that　the　perpetual　sprinkling　of　seeds　and

water　by　the　caged　canary　above　was　not　noticed　as　an　eyesore　by

visitors。　　The　window　was　set　with　thickly…leaded　diamond　glazing；

formed；　especially　in　the　lower　panes；　of　knotty　glass　of　various

shades　of　green。　　Nothing　was　better　known　to　Fancy　than　the

extravagant　manner　in　which　these　circular　knots　or　eyes　distorted

everything　seen　through　them　from　the　outsidelifting　hats　from

heads；　shoulders　from　bodies；　scattering　the　spokes　of　cart…wheels；

and　bending　the　straight　fir…trunks　into　semicircles。　　The　ceiling

was　carried　by　a　beam　traversing　its　midst；　from　the　side　of　which

projected　a　large　nail；　used　solely　and　constantly　as　a　peg　for

Geoffrey's　hat；　the　nail　was　arched　by　a　rainbowshaped　stain；

imprinted　by　the　brim　of　the　said　hat　when　it　was　hung　there

dripping　wet。



The　most　striking　point　about　the　room　was　the　furniture。　　This　was

a　repetition　upon　inanimate　objects　of　the　old　principle　introduced

by　Noah；　consisting　for　the　most　part　of　two　articles　of　every　sort。

The　duplicate　system　of　furnishing　owed　its　existence　to　the

forethought　of　Fancy's　mother；　exercised　from　the　date　of　Fancy's

birthday　onwards。　　The　arrangement　spoke　for　itself：　　nobody　who

knew　the　tone　of　the　household　could　look　at　the　goods　without　being

aware　that　the　second　set　was　a　provision　for　Fancy；　when　she　should

marry　and　have　a　house　of　her　own。　　The　most　noticeable　instance　was

a　pair　of　green…faced　eight…day　clocks；　ticking　alternately；　which

were　severally　two　and　half　minutes　and　three　minutes　striking　the

hour　of　twelve；　one　proclaiming；　in　Italian　flourishes；　Thomas　Wood

as　the　name　of　its　maker；　and　the　otherarched　at　the　top；　and

altogether　of　more　cynical　appearancethat　of　Ezekiel　Saunders。

They　were　two　departed　clockmakers　of　Casterbridge；　whose　desperate

rivalry　throughout　their　lives　was　nowhere　more　emphatically

perpetuated　than　here　at　Geoffrey's。　　These　chief　specimens　of　the

marriage　provision　were　supported　on　the　right　by　a　couple　of

kitchen　dressers；　each　fitted　complete　with　their　cups；　dishes；　and

plates；　in　their　turn　followed　by　two　dumb…waiters；　two　family

Bibles；　two　warming…pans；　and　two　intermixed　sets　of　chairs。



But　the　position　last　reachedthe　chimney…cornerwas；　after　all；

the　most　attractive　side　of　the　parallelogram。　　It　was　large　enough

to　admit；　in　addition　to　Geoffrey　himself；　Geoffrey's　wife；　her

chair；　and　her　work…table；　entirely　within　the　line　of　the　mantel；

without　danger　or　even　inconvenien