under the greenwood tree-第19节

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

without　danger　or　even　inconvenience　from　the　heat　of　the　fire；　and

was　spacious　enough　overhead　to　allow　of　the　insertion　of　wood　poles

for　the　hanging　of　bacon；　which　were　cloaked　with　long　shreds　of

soot；　floating　on　the　draught　like　the　tattered　banners　on　the　walls

of　ancient　aisles。



These　points　were　common　to　most　chimney　corners　of　the

neighbourhood；　but　one　feature　there　was　which　made　Geoffrey's

fireside　not　only　an　object　of　interest　to　casual　aristocratic

visitorsto　whom　every　cottage　fireside　was　more　or　less　a

curiositybut　the　admiration　of　friends　who　were　accustomed　to

fireplaces　of　the　ordinary　hamlet　model。　　This　peculiarity　was　a

little　window　in　the　chimney…back；　almost　over　the　fire；　around

which　the　smoke　crept　caressingly　when　it　left　the　perpendicular

course。　　The　window…board　was　curiously　stamped　with　black　circles；

burnt　thereon　by　the　heated　bottoms　of　drinking…cups；　which　had

rested　there　after　previously　standing　on　the　hot　ashes　of　the

hearth　for　the　purpose　of　warming　their　contents；　the　result　giving

to　the　ledge　the　look　of　an　envelope　which　has　passed　through

innumerable　post…offices。



Fancy　was　gliding　about　the　room　preparing　dinner；　her　head

inclining　now　to　the　right；　now　to　the　left；　and　singing　the　tips

and　ends　of　tunes　that　sprang　up　in　her　mind　like　mushrooms。　　The

footsteps　of　Mrs。　Day　could　be　heard　in　the　room　overhead。　　Fancy

went　finally　to　the　door。



〃Father！　　Dinner。〃



A　tall　spare　figure　was　seen　advancing　by　the　window　with　periodical

steps；　and　the　keeper　entered　from　the　garden。　　He　appeared　to　be　a

man　who　was　always　looking　down；　as　if　trying　to　recollect　something

he　said　yesterday。　　The　surface　of　his　face　was　fissured　rather　than

wrinkled；　and　over　and　under　his　eyes　were　folds　which　seemed　as　a

kind　of　exterior　eyelids。　　His　nose　had　been　thrown　backwards　by　a

blow　in　a　poaching　fray；　so　that　when　the　sun　was　low　and　shining　in

his　face；　people　could　see　far　into　his　head。　　There　was　in　him　a

quiet　grimness；　which　would　in　his　moments　of　displeasure　have

become　surliness；　had　it　not　been　tempered　by　honesty　of　soul；　and

which　was　often　wrongheadedness　because　not　allied　with　subtlety。



Although　not　an　extraordinarily　taciturn　man　among　friends　slightly

richer　than　himself；　he　never　wasted　words　upon　outsiders；　and　to

his　trapper　Enoch　his　ideas　were　seldom　conveyed　by　any　other　means

than　nods　and　shakes　of　the　head。　　Their　long　acquaintance　with　each

other's　ways；　and　the　nature　of　their　labours；　rendered　words

between　them　almost　superfluous　as　vehicles　of　thought；　whilst　the

coincidence　of　their　horizons；　and　the　astonishing　equality　of　their

social　views；　by　startling　the　keeper　from　time　to　time　as　very

damaging　to　the　theory　of　master　and　man；　strictly　forbade　any

indulgence　in　words　as　courtesies。



Behind　the　keeper　came　Enoch　（who　had　been　assisting　in　the　garden）

at　the　well…considered　chronological　distance　of　three　minutesan

interval　of　non…appearance　on　the　trapper's　part　not　arrived　at

without　some　reflection。　　Four　minutes　had　been　found　to　express

indifference　to　indoor　arrangements；　and　simultaneousness　had

implied　too　great　an　anxiety　about　meals。



〃A　little　earlier　than　usual；　Fancy；〃　the　keeper　said；　as　he　sat

down　and　looked　at　the　clocks。　　〃That　Ezekiel　Saunders　o'　thine　is

tearing　on　afore　Thomas　Wood　again。〃



〃I　kept　in　the　middle　between　them；〃　said　Fancy；　also　looking　at　the

two　clocks。



〃Better　stick　to　Thomas；〃　said　her　father。　　〃There's　a　healthy　beat

in　Thomas　that　would　lead　a　man　to　swear　by　en　offhand。　　He　is　as

true　as　the　town　time。　　How　is　it　your　stap…mother　isn't　here？〃



As　Fancy　was　about　to　reply；　the　rattle　of　wheels　was　heard；　and

〃Weh…hey；　Smart！〃　in　Mr。　Richard　Dewy's　voice　rolled　into　the

cottage　from　round　the　corner　of　the　house。



〃Hullo！　there's　Dewy's　cart　come　for　thee；　FancyDick　driving

afore　time；　too。　　Well；　ask　the　lad　to　have　pot…luck　with　us。〃



Dick　on　entering　made　a　point　of　implying　by　his　general　bearing

that　he　took　an　interest　in　Fancy　simply　as　in　one　of　the　same　race

and　country　as　himself；　and　they　all　sat　down。　　Dick　could　have

wished　her　manner　had　not　been　so　entirely　free　from　all　apparent

consciousness　of　those　accidental　meetings　of　theirs：　　but　he　let

the　thought　pass。　　Enoch　sat　diagonally　at　a　table　afar　off；　under

the　corner　cupboard；　and　drank　his　cider　from　a　long　perpendicular

pint　cup；　having　tall　fir…trees　done　in　brown　on　its　sides；　He　threw

occasional　remarks　into　the　general　tide　of　conversation；　and　with

this　advantage　to　himself；　that　he　participated　in　the　pleasures　of

a　talk　（slight　as　it　was）　at　meal…times；　without　saddling　himself

with　the　responsibility　of　sustaining　it。



〃Why　don't　your　stap…mother　come　down；　Fancy？〃　said　Geoffrey。

〃You'll　excuse　her；　Mister　Dick；　she's　a　little　queer　sometimes。〃



〃O　yes；quite；〃　said　Richard；　as　if　he　were　in　the　habit　of

excusing　people　every　day。



〃She　d'belong　to　that　class　of　womankind　that　become　second　wives：

a　rum　class　rather。〃



〃Indeed；〃　said　Dick；　with　sympathy　for　an　indefinite　something。



〃Yes；　and　'tis　trying　to　a　female；　especially　if　you've　been　a　first

wife；　as　she　hey。〃



〃Very　trying　it　must　be。〃



〃Yes：　　you　see　her　first　husband　was　a　young　man；　who　let　her　go　too

far；　in　fact；　she　used　to　kick　up　Bob's…a…dying　at　the　least　thing

in　the　world。　　And　when　I'd　married　her　and　found　it　out；　I　thought；

thinks　I；　〃'Tis　too　late　now　to　begin　to　cure　'e；〃　and　so　I　let　her

bide。　　But　she's　queer；very　queer；　at　times！〃



〃I'm　sorry　to　hear　that。〃



〃Yes：　　there；　wives　be　such　a　provoking　class　o'　society；　because

though　they　be　never　right；　they　be　never　more　than　half　wrong。〃



Fancy　seemed　uneasy　under　the　infliction　of　this　household

moralizing；　which　might　tend　to　damage　the　airy…fairy　nature　that

Dick；　as　maiden　shrewdness　told　her；　had　accredited　her　with。　　Her

dead　silence　impressed　Geoffrey　with　the　notion　that　something　in

his　words　did　not　agree　with　her　educated　ideas；　and　he　changed　the

conversation。



〃Did　Fred　Shiner　send　the　cask　o'　drink；　Fancy？〃



〃I　think　he　did：　　O　yes；　he　did。〃



〃Nice　solid　feller；　Fred　Shiner！〃　said　Geoffrey　to　Dick　as　he　helped

himself　to　gravy；　bringing　the　spoon　round　to　his　plate　by　way　of

the　potato…dish；　to　obviate　a　stain　on　the　cloth　in　the　event　of　a

spill。



Now　Geoffrey's　eyes　had　been　fixed　upon　his　plate　for　the　previous

four　or　five　minutes；　and　in　removing　them　he　had　only　carried　them

to　the　spoon；　which；　from　its　fulness　and　the　distance　of　its

transit；　necessitated　a　steady　watching　through　the　whole　of　the

route。　　Just　as　intently　as　the　keeper's　eyes　had　been　fixed　on　the

spoon；　Fancy's　had　been　fixed　on　her　father's；　without　premeditation

or　the　slightest　phase　of　furtiveness；　but　there　they　were　fastened。

This　was　the　reason　why：



Dick　was　sitting　next　to　her　on　the　right　side；　and　on　the　side　of

the　table　opposite　to　her　father。　　Fancy　had　laid　her　right　hand

lightly　down　upon　the　table…cloth　for　an　instant；　and　to　her　alarm

Dick；　after　dropping　his　fork　and　brushing　his　forehead　as　a　reason；

flung　down　his　own　left　hand；　overlapping　a　third　of　Fancy's　with

it；　and　keeping　it　there。　　So　the　innocent　Fancy；　instead　of　pulling

her　hand　from　the　trap；　settled　her　eyes　on　her　father's；　to　guard

against　his　discovery　of　this　perilous　game　of　Dick's。　　Dick

finished　his　mouthful；　Fancy　finished；　her　crumb；　and　nothing　was

done　beyond　watching　Geoffrey's　eyes。　　Then　the　hands　slid　apart；

Fancy's　going　over　six　inches　of　cloth；　Dick's　over　one。　　Geoffrey's

eye　had　risen。



〃I　said　Fred　Shiner　is　a　nice　solid　feller；〃　he　repeated；　more

emphatically。



〃He　is；　yes；　he　is；〃　stammered　Dick；　〃but　to　me　he　is　little　more

than　a　stranger。〃



〃O；　sure。　　Now　I　know　en　as　well　as　any　man　can　be　known。　　And　you

know　en　very　well　too；　don't　ye；　Fancy？〃



Geoffrey　put　on　a　tone　expressing　that　these　words　signified　at

present　about　one　hundred　times　the　amount　of　meaning　they　conveyed

literally。



Dick　looked　anxious。



〃Will　you　pass　me　some　bread？〃　said　Fancy　in　a　flurry；　the　red　of

her　face　becoming　slightly　disordered；　and　looking　as　solicitous　as

a　human　being　could　look　about　a　piece　of　bread。



〃Ay；　that　I　will；〃　replied　the　unconscious　Geoffrey。　　〃Ay；〃　he

continued；　returning　to　the　displaced　idea；　〃we　are　likely　to　remain

friendly　wi'　Mr。　Shiner　if　the　wheels　d'run　smooth。〃



〃An　excellent　thinga　very　capital　thing；　as　I　should　say；〃　the

youth　answered　with　exceeding　relevance；　considering　that　his

thoughts；　instead　of　following　Geoffrey's　remark；　were　nestling　at　a

distance　of　about　two　feet　on　his　left　the　whole　time。



〃A　young　woman's　face　will　turn　the　north　wind；　Master　Richard：　　my

heart　if　'twon'