under the greenwood tree-第3节

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for　some　time　after　his　mind　had　done　smiling；　so　that　his　teeth

remained　in　view　as　the　most　conspicuous　members　of　his　body。



〃Here；　Mr。　Penny；〃　resumed　Mrs。　Dewy；　〃you　sit　in　this　chair。　　And

how's　your　daughter；　Mrs。　Brownjohn？〃



〃Well；　I　suppose　I　must　say　pretty　fair。〃　　He　adjusted　his

spectacles　a　quarter　of　an　inch　to　the　right。　　〃But　she'll　be　worse

before　she's　better；　'a　b'lieve。〃



〃Indeedpoor　soul！　　And　how　many　will　that　make　in　all；　four　or

five？〃



〃Five；　they've　buried　three。　　Yes；　five；　and　she　not　much　more　than

a　maid　yet。　　She　do　know　the　multiplication　table　onmistakable　well。

However；　'twas　to　be；　and　none　can　gainsay　it。〃



Mrs。　Dewy　resigned　Mr。　Penny。　　〃Wonder　where　your　grandfather　James

is？〃　she　inquired　of　one　of　the　children。　　〃He　said　he'd　drop　in　to…

night。〃



〃Out　in　fuel…house　with　grandfather　William；〃　said　Jimmy。



〃Now　let's　see　what　we　can　do；〃　was　heard　spoken　about　this　time　by

the　tranter　in　a　private　voice　to　the　barrel；　beside　which　he　had

again　established　himself；　and　was　stooping　to　cut　away　the　cork。



〃Reuben；　don't　make　such　a　mess　o'　tapping　that　barrel　as　is　mostly

made　in　this　house；〃　Mrs。　Dewy　cried　from　the　fireplace。　　〃I'd　tap　a

hundred　without　wasting　more　than　you　do　in　one。　　Such　a　squizzling…

…and　squirting　job　as　'tis　in　your　hands！　　There；　he　always　was　such

a　clumsy　man　indoors。〃



〃Ay；　ay；　I　know　you'd　tap　a　hundred　beautiful；　AnnI　know　you

would；　two　hundred；　perhaps。　　But　I　can't　promise。　　This　is　a'　old

cask；　and　the　wood's　rotted　away　about　the　tap…hole。　　The　husbird　of

a　feller　Sam　Lawsonthat　ever　I　should　call'n　such；　now　he's　dead

and　gone；　poor　heart！took　me　in　completely　upon　the　feat　of　buying

this　cask。　　'Reub；'　says　he'a　always　used　to　call　me　plain　Reub；

poor　old　heart！'Reub；'　he　said；　says　he；　'that　there　cask；　Reub；

is　as　good　as　new；　yes；　good　as　new。　　'Tis　a　wine…hogshead；　the　best

port…wine　in　the　commonwealth　have　been　in　that　there　cask；　and　you

shall　have　en　for　ten　shillens；　Reub；''a　said；　says　he'he's

worth　twenty；　ay；　five…and…twenty；　if　he's　worth　one；　and　an　iron

hoop　or　two　put　round　en　among　the　wood　ones　will　make　en　worth

thirty　shillens　of　any　man's　money；　if'〃



〃I　think　I　should　have　used　the　eyes　that　Providence　gave　me　to　use

afore　I　paid　any　ten　shillens　for　a　jimcrack　wine…barrel；　a　saint　is

sinner　enough　not　to　be　cheated。　　But　'tis　like　all　your　family　was；

so　easy　to　be　deceived。〃



〃That's　as　true　as　gospel　of　this　member；〃　said　Reuben。



Mrs。　Dewy　began　a　smile　at　the　answer；　then　altering　her　lips　and

refolding　them　so　that　it　was　not　a　smile；　commenced　smoothing

little　Bessy's　hair；　the　tranter　having　meanwhile　suddenly　become

oblivious　to　conversation；　occupying　himself　in　a　deliberate　cutting

and　arrangement　of　some　more　brown　paper　for　the　broaching

operation。



〃Ah；　who　can　believe　sellers！〃　said　old　Michael　Mail　in　a　carefully…

cautious　voice；　by　way　of　tiding…over　this　critical　point　of

affairs。



〃No　one　at　all；〃　said　Joseph　Bowman；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　fully

agreeing　with　everybody。



〃Ay；〃　said　Mail；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　who　did　not　agree　with

everybody　as　a　rule；　though　he　did　now；　〃I　knowed　a'　auctioneering

feller　oncea　very　friendly　feller　'a　was　too。　　And　so　one　hot　day

as　I　was　walking　down　the　front　street　o'　Casterbridge；　jist　below

the　King's　Arms；　I　passed　a'　open　winder　and　see　him　inside；　stuck

upon　his　perch；　a…selling　off。　　I　jist　nodded　to　en　in　a　friendly

way　as　I　passed；　and　went　my　way；　and　thought　no　more　about　it。

Well；　next　day；　as　I　was　oilen　my　boots　by　fuel…house　door；　if　a

letter　didn't　come　wi'　a　bill　charging　me　with　a　featherbed；

bolster；　and　pillers；　that　I　had　bid　for　at　Mr。　Taylor's　sale。　　The

shim…faced　martel　had　knocked　'em　down　to　me　because　I　nodded　to　en

in　my　friendly　way；　and　I　had　to　pay　for　'em　too。　　Now；　I　hold　that

that　was　coming　it　very　close；　Reuben？〃



〃'Twas　close；　there's　no　denying；〃　said　the　general　voice。



〃Too　close；　'twas；〃　said　Reuben；　in　the　rear　of　the　rest。　　〃And　as

to　Sam　Lawsonpoor　heart！　now　he's　dead　and　gone　too！I'll

warrant；　that　if　so　be　I've　spent　one　hour　in　making　hoops　for　that

barrel；　I've　spent　fifty；　first　and　last。　　That's　one　of　my　hoops'

touching　it　with　his　elbow'that's　one　of　mine；　and　that；　and　that；

and　all　these。〃



〃Ah；　Sam　was　a　man；〃　said　Mr。　Penny；　contemplatively。



〃Sam　was！〃　said　Bowman。



〃Especially　for　a　drap　o'　drink；〃　said　the　tranter。



〃Good；　but　not　religiousgood；〃　suggested　Mr。　Penny。



The　tranter　nodded。　　Having　at　last　made　the　tap　and　hole　quite

ready；　〃Now　then；　Suze；　bring　a　mug；〃　he　said。　　〃Here's　luck　to　us；

my　sonnies！〃



The　tap　went　in；　and　the　cider　immediately　squirted　out　in　a

horizontal　shower　over　Reuben's　hands；　knees；　and　leggings；　and　into

the　eyes　and　neck　of　Charley；　who；　having　temporarily　put　off　his

grief　under　pressure　of　more　interesting　proceedings；　was　squatting

down　and　blinking　near　his　father。



〃There　'tis　again！〃　said　Mrs。　Dewy。



〃Devil　take　the　hole；　the　cask；　and　Sam　Lawson　too；　that　good　cider

should　be　wasted　like　this！〃　exclaimed　the　tranter。　　〃Your　thumb！

Lend　me　your　thumb；　Michael！　　Ram　it　in　here；　Michael！　　I　must　get　a

bigger　tap；　my　sonnies。〃



〃Idd　it　cold　inthide　te　hole？〃　inquired　Charley　of　Michael；　as　he

continued　in　a　stooping　posture　with　his　thumb　in　the　cork…hole。



〃What　wonderful　odds　and　ends　that　chiel　has　in　his　head　to　be

sure！〃　Mrs。　Dewy　admiringly　exclaimed　from　the　distance。　　〃I　lay　a

wager　that　he　thinks　more　about　how　'tis　inside　that　barrel　than　in

all　the　other　parts　of　the　world　put　together。〃



All　persons　present　put　on　a　speaking　countenance　of　admiration　for

the　cleverness　alluded　to；　in　the　midst　of　which　Reuben　returned。

The　operation　was　then　satisfactorily　performed；　when　Michael　arose

and　stretched　his　head　to　the　extremest　fraction　of　height　that　his

body　would　allow　of；　to　re…straighten　his　back　and　shoulders

thrusting　out　his　arms　and　twisting　his　features　to　a　mass　of

wrinkles　to　emphasize　the　relief　aquired。　　A　quart　or　two　of　the

beverage　was　then　brought　to　table；　at　which　all　the　new　arrivals

reseated　themselves　with　wide…spread　knees；　their　eyes　meditatively

seeking　out　any　speck　or　knot　in　the　board　upon　which　the　gaze　might

precipitate　itself。



〃Whatever　is　father　a…biding　out　in　fuel…house　so　long　for？〃　said

the　tranter。　　〃Never　such　a　man　as　father　for　two　thingscleaving

up　old　dead　apple…tree　wood　and　playing　the　bass…viol。　　'A'd　pass

his　life　between　the　two；　that　'a　would。〃　　He　stepped　to　the　door

and　opened　it。



〃Father！〃



〃Ay！〃　rang　thinly　from　round　the　corner。



〃Here's　the　barrel　tapped；　and　we　all　a…waiting！〃



A　series　of　dull　thuds；　that　had　been　heard　without　for　some　time

past；　now　ceased；　and　after　the　light　of　a　lantern　had　passed　the

window　and　made　wheeling　rays　upon　the　ceiling　inside　the　eldest　of

the　Dewy　family　appeared。







CHAPTER　III：　　THE　ASSEMBLED　QUIRE







William　Dewyotherwise　grandfather　Williamwas　now　about　seventy；

yet　an　ardent　vitality　still　preserved　a　warm　and　roughened　bloom

upon　his　face；　which　reminded　gardeners　of　the　sunny　side　of　a　ripe

ribstone…pippin；　though　a　narrow　strip　of　forehead；　that　was

protected　from　the　weather　by　lying　above　the　line　of　his　hat…brim；

seemed　to　belong　to　some　town　man；　so　gentlemanly　was　its　whiteness。

His　was　a　humorous　and　kindly　nature；　not　unmixed　with　a　frequent

melancholy；　and　he　had　a　firm　religious　faith。　　But　to　his

neighbours　he　had　no　character　in　particular。　　If　they　saw　him　pass

by　their　windows　when　they　had　been　bottling　off　old　mead；　or　when

they　had　just　been　called　long…headed　men　who　might　do　anything　in

the　world　if　they　chose；　they　thought　concerning　him；　〃Ah；　there's

that　good…hearted　manopen　as　a　child！〃　　If　they　saw　him　just　after

losing　a　shilling　or　half…a…crown；　or　accidentally　letting　fall　a

piece　of　crockery；　they　thought；　〃There's　that　poor　weak…minded　man

Dewy　again！　　Ah；　he's　never　done　much　in　the　world　either！〃　　If　he

passed　when　fortune　neither　smiled　nor　frowned　on　them；　they　merely

thought　him　old　William　Dewy。



〃Ah；　so'shere　you　be！Ah；　Michael　and　Joseph　and　Johnand　you

too；　Leaf！　a　merry　Christmas　all！　　We　shall　have　a　rare　log…wood

fire　directly；　Reub；　to　reckon　by　the　toughness　of　the　job　I　had　in

cleaving　'em。〃　　As　he　spoke　he　threw　down　an　armful　of　logs　which

fell　in　the　chimney…corner　with　a　rumble；　and　looked　at　them　with

something　of　the　admiring　enmity　he　would　have　bestowed　on　living

people　who　had　been　very　obstinate　in　holding　their　own。　　〃Come　in；

grandfather　James。〃



Old　James　（grandfather　on　the　maternal　side）　had　simply　called　as　a

visitor。　　He　lived　in　a　cottage　by　himself；　and　many　people

considered　him　a　miser；　some；　rather　slovenly　in　his　habits。　　He　now

came　forward　from　behind　grand