under the greenwood tree-第30节

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to　the　size　of　their　domiciles。



The　head…keeper's　form　appeared　in　the　dusky　garden；　and　Dick　walked

towards　him。　　The　elder　paused　and　leant　over　the　rail　of　a　piggery

that　stood　on　the　left　of　the　path；　upon　which　Dick　did　the　same；

and　they　both　contemplated　a　whitish　shadowy　shape　that　was　moving

about　and　grunting　among　the　straw　of　the　interior。



〃I've　come　to　ask　for　Fancy；〃　said　Dick。



〃I'd　as　lief　you　hadn't。〃



〃Why　should　that　be；　Mr。　Day？〃



〃Because　it　makes　me　say　that　you've　come　to　ask　what　ye　be'n't

likely　to　have。　　Have　ye　come　for　anything　else？〃



〃Nothing。〃



〃Then　I'll　just　tell　'ee　you've　come　on　a　very　foolish　errand。　　D'ye

know　what　her　mother　was？〃



〃No。〃



〃A　teacher　in　a　landed　family's　nursery；　who　was　foolish　enough　to

marry　the　keeper　of　the　same　establishment；　for　I　was　only　a　keeper

then；　though　now　I've　a　dozen　other　irons　in　the　fire　as　steward

here　for　my　lord；　what　with　the　timber　sales　and　the　yearly

fellings；　and　the　gravel　and　sand　sales　and　one　thing　and　'tother。

However；　d'ye　think　Fancy　picked　up　her　good　manners；　the　smooth

turn　of　her　tongue；　her　musical　notes；　and　her　knowledge　of　books；

in　a　homely　hole　like　this？〃



〃No。〃



〃D'ye　know　where？〃



〃No。〃



〃Well；　when　I　went　a…wandering　after　her　mother's　death；　she　lived

with　her　aunt；　who　kept　a　boarding…school；　till　her　aunt　married

Lawyer　Greena　man　as　sharp　as　a　needleand　the　school　was　broke

up。　　Did　ye　know　that　then　she　went　to　the　training…school；　and　that

her　name　stood　first　among　the　Queen's　scholars　of　her　year？〃



〃I've　heard　so。〃



〃And　that　when　she　sat　for　her　certificate　as　Government　teacher；

she　had　the　highest　of　the　first　class？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　and　do　ye　know　what　I　live　in　such　a　miserly　way　for　when

I've　got　enough　to　do　without　it；　and　why　I　make　her　work　as　a

schoolmistress　instead　of　living　here？〃



〃No。〃



〃That　if　any　gentleman；　who　sees　her　to　be　his　equal　in　polish；

should　want　to　marry　her；　and　she　want　to　marry　him；　he　sha'n't　be

superior　to　her　in　pocket。　　Now　do　ye　think　after　this　that　you　be

good　enough　for　her？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then　good…night　t'ee；　Master　Dewy。〃



〃Good…night；　Mr。　Day。〃



Modest　Dick's　reply　had　faltered　upon　his　tongue；　and　he　turned　away

wondering　at　his　presumption　in　asking　for　a　woman　whom　he　had　seen

from　the　beginning　to　be　so　superior　to　him。







CHAPTER　III：　　FANCY　IN　THE　RAIN







The　next　scene　is　a　tempestuous　afternoon　in　the　following　month；

and　Fancy　Day　is　discovered　walking　from　her　father's　home　towards

Mellstock。



A　single　vast　gray　cloud　covered　the　country；　from　which　the　small

rain　and　mist　had　just　begun　to　blow　down　in　wavy　sheets；

alternately　thick　and　thin。　　The　trees　of　the　fields　and　plantations

writhed　like　miserable　men　as　the　air　wound　its　way　swiftly　among

them：　　the　lowest　portions　of　their　trunks；　that　had　hardly　ever

been　known　to　move；　were　visibly　rocked　by　the　fiercer　gusts；

distressing　the　mind　by　its　painful　unwontedness；　as　when　a　strong

man　is　seen　to　shed　tears。　　Low…hanging　boughs　went　up　and　down；

high　and　erect　boughs　went　to　and　fro；　the　blasts　being　so

irregular；　and　divided　into　so　many　crosscurrents；　that

neighbouring　branches　of　the　same　tree　swept　the　skies　in

independent　motions；　crossed　each　other；　or　became　entangled。

Across　the　open　spaces　flew　flocks　of　green　and　yellowish　leaves；

which；　after　travelling　a　long　distance　from　their　parent　trees；

reached　the　ground；　and　lay　there　with　their　undersides　upward。



As　the　rain　and　wind　increased；　and　Fancy's　bonnetribbons　leapt

more　and　more　snappishly　against　her　chin；　she　paused　on　entering

Mellstock　Lane　to　consider　her　latitude；　and　the　distance　to　a　place

of　shelter。　　The　nearest　house　was　Elizabeth　Endorfield's；　in　Higher

Mellstock；　whose　cottage　and　garden　stood　not　far　from　the　junction

of　that　hamlet　with　the　road　she　followed。　　Fancy　hastened　onward；

and　in　five　minutes　entered　a　gate；　which　shed　upon　her　toes　a　flood

of　water…drops　as　she　opened　it。



〃Come　in；　chiel！〃　a　voice　exclaimed；　before　Fancy　had　knocked：　　a

promptness　that　would　have　surprised　her　had　she　not　known　that　Mrs。

Endorfield　was　an　exceedingly　and　exceptionally　sharp　woman　in　the

use　of　her　eyes　and　ears。



Fancy　went　in　and　sat　down。　　Elizabeth　was　paring　potatoes　for　her

husband's　supper。



Scrape；　scrape；　scrape；　then　a　toss；　and　splash　went　a　potato　into　a

bucket　of　water。



Now；　as　Fancy　listlessly　noted　these　proceedings　of　the　dame；　she

began　to　reconsider　an　old　subject　that　hay　uppermost　in　her　heart。

Since　the　interview　between　her　father　and　Dick；　the　days　had　been

melancholy　days　for　her。　　Geoffrey's　firm　opposition　to　the　notion

of　Dick　as　a　son…in…law　was　more　than　she　had　expected。　　She　had

frequently　seen　her　lover　since　that　time；　it　is　true；　and　had　loved

him　more　for　the　opposition　than　she　would　have　otherwise　dreamt　of

doingwhich　was　a　happiness　of　a　certain　kind。　　Yet；　though　love　is

thus　an　end　in　itself；　it　must　be　believed　to　be　the　means　to

another　end　if　it　is　to　assume　the　rosy　hues　of　an　unalloyed

pleasure。　　And　such　a　belief　Fancy　and　Dick　were　emphatically　denied

just　now。



Elizabeth　Endorfield　had　a　repute　among　women　which　was　in　its

nature　something　between　distinction　and　notoriety。　　It　was　founded

on　the　following　items　of　character。　　She　was　shrewd　and

penetrating；　her　house　stood　in　a　lonely　place；　she　never　went　to

church；　she　wore　a　red　cloak；　she　always　retained　her　bonnet　indoors

and　she　had　a　pointed　chin。　　Thus　far　her　attributes　were　distinctly

Satanic；　and　those　who　looked　no　further　called　her；　in　plain　terms

a　witch。　　But　she　was　not　gaunt；　nor　ugly　in　the　upper　part　of　her

face；　nor　particularly　strange　in　manner；　so　that；　when　her　more

intimate　acquaintances　spoke　of　her　the　term　was　softened；　and　she

became　simply　a　Deep　Body；　who　was　as　long…headed　as　she　was　high。

It　may　be　stated　that　Elizabeth；　belonged　to　a　class　of　suspects　who

were　gradually　losing　their　mysterious　characteristics　under　the

administration　of　the　young　vicar；　though；　during　the　long　reign　of

Mr。　Grinham；　the　parish　of　Mellstock　had　proved　extremely　favourable

to　the　growth　of　witches。



While　Fancy　was　revolving　all　this　in　her　mind；　and　putting　it　to

herself　whether　it　was　worth　while　to　tell　her　troubles　to

Elizabeth；　and　ask　her　advice　in　getting　out　of　them；　the　witch

spoke。



〃You　be　downproper　down；〃　she　said　suddenly；　dropping　another

potato　into　the　bucket。



Fancy　took　no　notice。



〃About　your　young　man。〃



Fancy　reddened。　　Elizabeth　seemed　to　be　watching　her　thoughts。

Really；　one　would　almost　think　she　must　have　the　powers　people

ascribed　to　her。



〃Father　not　in　the　humour　for't；　hey？〃　　Another　potato　was　finished

and　flung　in。　　〃Ah；　I　know　about　it。　　Little　birds　tell　me　things

that　people　don't　dream　of　my　knowing。〃



Fancy　was　desperate　about　Dick；　and　here　was　a　chanceO；　such　a

wicked　chanceof　getting　help；　and　what　was　goodness　beside　love！



〃I　wish　you'd　tell　me　how　to　put　him　in　the　humour　for　it？〃　she

said。



〃That　I　could　soon　do；〃　said　the　witch　quietly。



〃Really？　　O；　do；　anyhowI　don't　careso　that　it　is　done！　　How

could　I　do　it；　Mrs。　Endorfield？〃



〃Nothing　so　mighty　wonderful　in　it。〃



〃Well；　but　how？〃



〃By　witchery；　of　course！〃　said　Elizabeth。



〃No！〃　said　Fancy。



〃'Tis；　I　assure　ye。　　Didn't　you　ever　hear　I　was　a　witch？〃



〃Well；〃　hesitated　Fancy；　〃I　have　heard　you　called　so。〃



〃And　you　believed　it？〃



〃I　can't　say　that　I　did　exactly　believe　it；　for　'tis　very　horrible

and　wicked；　but；　O；　how　I　do　wish　it　was　possible　for　you　to　be

one！〃



〃So　I　am。　　And　I'll　tell　you　how　to　bewitch　your　father　to　let　you

marry　Dick　Dewy。〃



〃Will　it　hurt　him；　poor　thing？〃



〃Hurt　who？〃



〃Father。〃



〃No；　the　charm　is　worked　by　common　sense；　and　the　spell　can　only　be

broke　by　your　acting　stupidly。〃



Fancy　looked　rather　perplexed；　and　Elizabeth　went　on：





〃This　fear　of　Lizzwhatever　'tis　…

By　great　and　small；

She　makes　pretence　to　common　sense；

And　that's　all。





〃You　must　do　it　like　this。〃　　The　witch　laid　down　her　knife　and

potato；　and　then　poured　into　Fancy's　ear　a　long　and　detailed　list　of

directions；　glancing　up　from　the　corner　of　her　eye　into　Fancy's　face

with　an　expression　of　sinister　humour。　　Fancy's　face　brightened；

clouded；　rose　and　sank；　as　the　narrative　proceeded。　　〃There；〃　said

Elizabeth　at　length；　stooping　for　the　knife　and　another　potato；　〃do

that；　and　you'll　have　him　by…long　and　by…late；　my　dear。〃



〃And　do　it　I　will！〃　said　Fancy。



She　then　turned　her　attention　to　the　external　world　once　more。　　The

rain　continued　as　usual；　but　the　wind　had　abated　considerably　during

the　discourse。　　Judging　that　it　was　now　possible　to　keep　an　umbrella