太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > under the greenwood tree >

第22节

under the greenwood tree-第22节

小说: under the greenwood tree 字数: 每页4000字

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!




chick nor chiel; to make a poverty…stric' wife and family of her;

and neither hat; cap; wig; nor waistcoat to set 'em up with:  be

drowned if I can see it; and that's the long and the short o't; my

sonny。〃



Dick looked at Smart's ears; then up the hill; but no reason was

suggested by any object that met his gaze。



〃For about the same reason that you did; father; I suppose。〃



〃Dang it; my sonny; thou'st got me there!〃  And the tranter gave

vent to a grim admiration; with the mien of a man who was too

magnanimous not to appreciate artistically a slight rap on the

knuckles; even if they were his own。



〃Whether or no;〃 said Dick; 〃I asked her a thing going along the

road。〃



〃Come to that; is it?  Turk! won't thy mother be in a taking!  Well;

she's ready; I don't doubt?〃



〃I didn't ask her anything about having me; and if you'll let me

speak; I'll tell 'ee what I want to know。  I just said; Did she care

about me?〃



〃Piph…ph…ph!〃



〃And then she said nothing for a quarter of a mile; and then she

said she didn't know。  Now; what I want to know is; what was the

meaning of that speech?〃  The latter words were spoken resolutely;

as if he didn't care for the ridicule of all the fathers in

creation。



〃The meaning of that speech is;〃 the tranter replied deliberately;

〃that the meaning is meant to be rather hid at present。  Well; Dick;

as an honest father to thee; I don't pretend to deny what you d'know

well enough; that is; that her father being rather better in the

pocket than we; I should welcome her ready enough if it must be

somebody。〃



〃But what d'ye think she really did mean?〃 said the unsatisfied

Dick。



〃I'm afeard I am not o' much account in guessing; especially as I

was not there when she said it; and seeing that your mother was the

only 'ooman I ever cam' into such close quarters as that with。〃



〃And what did mother say to you when you asked her?〃 said Dick

musingly。



〃I don't see that that will help 'ee。〃



〃The principle is the same。〃



〃Wellay:  what did she say?  Let's see。  I was oiling my working…

day boots without taking 'em off; and wi' my head hanging down; when

she just brushed on by the garden hatch like a flittering leaf。

〃Ann;〃 I said; says I; and then;but; Dick I'm afeard 'twill be no

help to thee; for we were such a rum couple; your mother and I;

leastways one half was; that is myselfand your mother's charms was

more in the manner than the material。〃



〃Never mind! 〃Ann;〃 said you。〃



〃'Ann;' said I; as I was saying 。 。 。 'Ann;' I said to her when I

was oiling my working…day boots wi' my head hanging down; 'Woot hae

me?' 。 。 。 What came next I can't quite call up at this distance o'

time。  Perhaps your mother would know;she's got a better memory

for her little triumphs than I。  However; the long and the short o'

the story is that we were married somehow; as I found afterwards。

'Twas on White Tuesday;Mellstock Club walked the same day; every

man two and two; and a fine day 'twas;hot as fire;how the sun

did strike down upon my back going to church!  I well can mind what

a bath o' sweating I was in; body and soul!  But Fance will ha'

thee; Dickshe won't walk with another chapno such good luck。〃



〃I don't know about that;〃 said Dick; whipping at Smart's flank in a

fanciful way; which; as Smart knew; meant nothing in connection with

going on。  〃There's Pa'son Maybold; toothat's all against me。〃



〃What about he?  She's never been stuffing into thy innocent heart

that he's in hove with her?  Lord; the vanity o' maidens!〃



〃No; no。  But he called; and she looked at him in such a way; and at

me in such a wayquite different the ways were;and as I was

coming off; there was he hanging up her birdcage。〃



〃Well; why shouldn't the man hang up her bird…cage?  Turk seize it

all; what's that got to do wi' it?  Dick; that thou beest a white…

lyvered chap I don't say; but if thou beestn't as mad as a cappel…

faced bull; let me smile no more。〃



〃O; ay。〃



〃And what's think now; Dick?〃



〃I don't know。〃



〃Here's another pretty kettle o' fish for thee。  Who d'ye think's

the bitter weed in our being turned out?  Did our party tell 'ee?〃



〃No。  Why; Pa'son Maybold; I suppose。〃



〃Shiner;because he's in love with thy young woman; and d'want to

see her young figure sitting up at that queer instrument; and her

young fingers rum…strumming upon the keys。〃



A sharp ado of sweet and bitter was going on in Dick during this

communication from his father。  〃Shiner's a fool!no; that's not

it; I don't believe any such thing; father。  Why; Shiner would never

take a bold step like that; unless she'd been a little made up to;

and had taken it kindly。  Pooh!〃



〃Who's to say she didn't?〃



〃I do。〃



〃The more fool you。〃



〃Why; father of me?〃



〃Has she ever done more to thee?〃



〃No。〃



〃Then she has done as much to herot 'em!  Now; Dick; this is how a

maid is。  She'll swear she's dying for thee; and she is dying for

thee; and she will die for thee; but she'll fling a look over

t'other shoulder at another young feller; though never leaving off

dying for thee just the same。〃



〃She's not dying for me; and so she didn't fling a look at him。〃



〃But she may be dying for him; for she looked at thee。〃



〃I don't know what to make of it at all;〃 said Dick gloomily。



〃All I can make of it is;〃 the tranter said; raising his whip;

arranging his different joints and muscles; and motioning to the

horse to move on; 〃that if you can't read a maid's mind by her

motions; nature d'seem to say thou'st ought to be a bachelor。  Clk;

clk!  Smiler!〃  And the tranter moved on。



Dick held Smart's rein firmly; and the whole concern of horse; cart;

and man remained rooted in the lane。  Hew long this condition would

have lasted is unknown; had not Dick's thoughts; after adding up

numerous items of misery; gradually wandered round to the fact that

as something must be done; it could not be done by staying there all

night。



Reaching home he went up to his bedroom; shut the door as if he were

going to be seen no more in this life; and taking a sheet of paper

and uncorking the ink…bottle; he began a letter。  The dignity of the

writer's mind was so powerfully apparent in every line of this

effusion that it obscured the logical sequence of facts and

intentions to an appreciable degree; and it was not at all clear to

a reader whether he there and then left off loving Miss Fancy Day;

whether he had never loved her seriously; and never meant to;

whether he had been dying up to the present moment; and now intended

to get well again; or whether he had hitherto been in good health;

and intended to die for her forthwith。



He put this letter in an envelope; sealed it up; directed it in a

stern handwriting of straight dasheseasy flourishes being

rigorously excluded。  He walked with it in his pocket down the lane

in strides not an inch less than three feet long。  Reaching her gate

he put on a resolute expressionthen put it off again; turned back

homeward; tore up his letter; and sat down。



That letter was altogether in a wrong tonethat he must own。  A

heartless man…of…the…world tone was what the juncture required。

That he rather wanted her; and rather did not want herthe latter

for choice; hut that as a member of society he didn't mind making a

query in jaunty terms; which could only be answered in the same way:

did she mean anything by her bearing towards him; or did she not?



This letter was considered so satisfactory in every way that; being

put into the hands of a little boy; and the order given that he was

to run with it to the school; he was told in addition not to look

behind him if Dick called after him to bring it hack; but to run

along with it just the same。  Having taken this precaution against

vacillation; Dick watched his messenger down the road; and turned

into the house whistling an air in such ghastly jerks and starts;

that whistling seemed to be the act the very furthest removed from

that which was instinctive in such a youth。



The letter was left as ordered:  the next morning came and passed

and no answer。  The next。  The next。  Friday night came。  Dick

resolved that if no answer or sign were given by her the next day;

on Sunday he would meet her face to face; and have it all out by

word of mouth。



〃Dick;〃 said his father; coming in from the garden at that moment

in each hand a hive of bees tied in a cloth to prevent their egress…

…〃I think you'd better take these two swarms of bees to Mrs。

Maybold's to…morrow; instead o' me; and I'll go wi' Smiler and the

wagon。〃



It was a relief; for Mrs。 Maybold; the vicar's mother; who had just

taken into her head a fancy for keeping bees (pleasantly disguised

under the pretence of its being an economical wish to produce her

own honey); lived near the watering…place of Budmout

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的