under the greenwood tree-第37节

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〃Poor　feller！〃　said　the　tranter；　turning　to　Geoffrey。　　〃Suppose　we

must　let　en　come？　　His　looks　are　rather　against　en；　and　he　is

terrible　silly；　but　'a　have　never　been　in　jail；　and　'a　won't　do　no

harm。〃



Leaf　looked　with　gratitude　at　the　tranter　for　these　praises；　and

then　anxiously　at　Geoffrey；　to　see　what　effect　they　would　have　in

helping　his　cause。



〃Ay；　let　en　come；〃　said　Geoffrey　decisively。　　〃Leaf；　th'rt　welcome；

'st　know；〃　and　Leaf　accordingly　remained。



They　were　now　all　ready　for　leaving　the　house；　and　began　to　form　a

procession　in　the　following　order：　　Fancy　and　her　father；　Dick　and

Susan　Dewy；　Nat　Callcome　and　Vashti　Sniff；　Ted　Waywood　and　Mercy

Onmey；　and　Jimmy　and　Bessie　Dewy。　　These　formed　the　executive；　and

all　appeared　in　strict　wedding　attire。　　Then　came　the　tranter　and

Mrs。　Dewy；　and　last　of　all　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Penny；the　tranter

conspicuous　by　his　enormous　gloves；　size　eleven　and　three…quarters；

which　appeared　at　a　distance　like　boxing　gloves　bleached；　and　sat

rather　awkwardly　upon　his　brown　hands；　this　hall…mark　of

respectability　having　been　set　upon　himself　to…day　（by　Fancy's

special　request）　for　the　first　time　in　his　life。



〃The　proper　way　is　for　the　bridesmaids　to　walk　together；〃　suggested

Fancy。



〃What？　　'Twas　always　young　man　and　young　woman；　arm　in　crook；　in　my

time！〃　said　Geoffrey；　astounded。



〃And　in　mine！〃　said　the　tranter。



〃And　in　ours！〃　said　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Penny。



〃Never　heard　o'　such　a　thing　as　woman　and　woman！〃　said　old　William；

who；　with　grandfather　James　and　Mrs。　Day；　was　to　stay　at　home。



〃Whichever　way　you　and　the　company　like；　my　dear！〃　said　Dick；　who；

being　on　the　point　of　securing　his　right　to　Fancy；　seemed　willing　to

renounce　all　other　rights　in　the　world　with　the　greatest　pleasure

The　decision　was　left　to　Fancy。



〃Well；　I　think　I'd　rather　have　it　the　way　mother　had　it；〃　she　said；

and　the　couples　moved　along　under　the　trees；　every　man　to　his　maid。



〃Ah！〃　said　grandfather　James　to　grandfather　William　as　they　retired；

〃I　wonder　which　she　thinks　most　about；　Dick　or　her　wedding　raiment！〃



〃Well；　'tis　their　nature；〃　said　grandfather　William。　　〃Remember　the

words　of　the　prophet　Jeremiah：　　'Can　a　maid　forget　her　ornaments；　or

a　bride　her　attire？'〃



Now　among　dark　perpendicular　firs；　like　the　shafted　columns　of　a

cathedral；　now　through　a　hazel　copse；　matted　with　primroses　and　wild

hyacinths；　now　under　broad　beeches　in　bright　young　leaves　they

threaded　their　way　into　the　high　road　over　Yalbury　Hill；　which

dipped　at　that　point　directly　into　the　village　of　Geoffrey　Day's

parish；　and　in　the　space　of　a　quarter　of　an　hour　Fancy　found　herself

to　be　Mrs。　Richard　Dewy；　though；　much　to　her　surprise；　feeling　no

other　than　Fancy　Day　still。



On　the　circuitous　return　walk　through　the　lanes　and　fields；　amid

much　chattering　and　laughter；　especially　when　they　came　to　stiles；

Dick　discerned　a　brown　spot　far　up　a　turnip　field。



〃Why；　'tis　Enoch！〃　he　said　to　Fancy。　　〃I　thought　I　missed　him　at　the

house　this　morning。　　How　is　it　he's　left　you？〃



〃He　drank　too　much　cider；　and　it　got　into　his　head；　and　they　put　him

in　Weatherbury　stocks　for　it。　　Father　was　obliged　to　get　somebody

else　for　a　day　or　two；　and　Enoch　hasn't　had　anything　to　do　with　the

woods　since。〃



〃We　might　ask　him　to　call　down　to…night。　　Stocks　are　nothing　for

once；　considering　'tis　our　wedding　day。〃　　The　bridal　party　was

ordered　to　halt。



〃Eno…o…o…o…ch！〃　cried　Dick　at　the　top　of　his　voice。



〃Y…a…a…a…a…a…as！〃　said　Enoch　from　the　distance。



〃D'ye　know　who　I　be…e…e…e…e…e？〃



〃No…o…o…o…o…o…o！〃



〃Dick　Dew…w…w…w…wy！〃



〃O…h…h…h…h…h！〃



〃Just　a…ma…a…a…a…a…arried！〃



〃O…h…h…h…h…h！〃



〃This　is　my　wife；　Fa…a…a…a…a…ancy！〃　（holding　her　up　to　Enoch's　view

as　if　she　had　been　a　nosegay。）



〃O…h…h…h…h…h！〃



〃Will　ye　come　across　to　the　party　to…ni…i…i…i…i…i…ight！〃



〃Ca…a…a…a…a…an't！〃



〃Why　n…o…o…o…o…ot？〃



〃Don't　work　for　the　family　no…o…o…o…ow！〃



〃Not　nice　of　Master　Enoch；〃　said　Dick；　as　they　resumed　their　walk。



〃You　mustn't　blame　en；〃　said　Geoffrey；　〃the　man's　not　hisself　now；

he's　in　his　morning　frame　of　mind。　　When　he's　had　a　gallon　o'　cider

or　ale；　or　a　pint　or　two　of　mead；　the　man's　well　enough；　and　his

manners　be　as　good　as　anybody's　in　the　kingdom。〃







CHAPTER　II：　　UNDER　THE　GREENWOOD　TREE







The　point　in　Yalbury　Wood　which　abutted　on　the　end　of　Geoffrey　Day's

premises　was　closed　with　an　ancient　tree；　horizontally　of　enormous

extent；　though　having　no　great　pretensions　to　height。　　Many　hundreds

of　birds　had　been　born　amidst　the　boughs　of　this　single　tree；　tribes

of　rabbits　and　hares　had　nibbled　at　its　bark　from　year　to　year；

quaint　tufts　of　fungi　had　sprung　from　the　cavities　of　its　forks；　and

countless　families　of　moles　and　earthworms　had　crept　about　its

roots。　　Beneath　and　beyond　its　shade　spread　a　carefully…tended

grass…plot；　its　purpose　being　to　supply　a　healthy　exercise…ground

for　young　chickens　and　pheasants；　the　hens；　their　mothers；　being

enclosed　in　coops　placed　upon　the　same　green　flooring。



All　these　encumbrances　were　now　removed；　and　as　the　afternoon

advanced；　the　guests　gathered　on　the　spot；　where　music；　dancing；　and

the　singing　of　songs　went　forward　with　great　spirit　throughout　the

evening。　　The　propriety　of　every　one　was　intense　by　reason　of　the

influence　of　Fancy；　who；　as　an　additional　precaution　in　this

direction；　had　strictly　charged　her　father　and　the　tranter　to

carefully　avoid　saying　'thee'　and　'thou'　in　their　conversation；　on

the　plea　that　those　ancient　words　sounded　so　very　humiliating　to

persons　of　newer　taste；　also　that　they　were　never　to　be　seen　drawing

the　back　of　the　hand　across　the　mouth　after　drinkinga　local

English　custom　of　extraordinary　antiquity；　but　stated　by　Fancy　to　be

decidedly　dying　out　among　the　better　classes　of　society。



In　addition　to　the　local　musicians　present；　a　man　who　had　a　thorough

knowledge　of　the　tambourine　was　invited　from　the　village　of　Tantrum

Clangley；a　place　long　celebrated　for　the　skill　of　its　inhabitants

as　performers　on　instruments　of　percussion。　　These　important　members

of　the　assembly　were　relegated　to　a　height　of　two　or　three　feet　from

the　ground；　upon　a　temporary　erection　of　planks　supported　by

barrels。　　Whilst　the　dancing　progressed　the　older　persons　sat　in　a

group　under　the　trunk　of　the　tree；the　space　being　allotted　to　them

somewhat　grudgingly　by　the　young　ones；　who　were　greedy　of

pirouetting　room；and　fortified　by　a　table　against　the　heels　of　the

dancers。　　Here　the　gaffers　and　gammers；　whose　dancing　days　were

over；　told　stories　of　great　impressiveness；　and　at　intervals

surveyed　the　advancing　and　retiring　couples　from　the　same　retreat；

as　people　on　shore　might　be　supposed　to　survey　a　naval　engagement　in

the　bay　beyond；　returning　again　to　their　tales　when　the　pause　was

over。　　Those　of　the　whirling　throng；　who；　during　the　rests　between

each　figure；　turned　their　eyes　in　the　direction　of　these　seated

ones；　were　only　able　to　discover；　on　account　of　the　music　and

bustle；　that　a　very　striking　circumstance　was　in　course　of

narrationdenoted　by　an　emphatic　sweep　of　the　hand；　snapping　of　the

fingers；　close　of　the　lips；　and　fixed　look　into　the　centre　of　the

listener's　eye　for　the　space　of　a　quarter　of　a　minute；　which　raised

in　that　listener　such　a　reciprocating　working　of　face　as　to

sometimes　make　the　distant　dancers　half　wish　to　know　what　such　an

interesting　tale　could　refer　to。



Fancy　caused　her　looks　to　wear　as　much　matronly　expression　as　was

obtainable　out　of　six　hours'　experience　as　a　wife；　in　order　that　the

contrast　between　her　own　state　of　life　and　that　of　the　unmarried

young　women　present　might　be　duly　impressed　upon　the　company：

occasionally　stealing　glances　of　admiration　at　her　left　hand；　but

this　quite　privately；　for　her　ostensible　bearing　concerning　the

matter　was　intended　to　show　that；　though　she　undoubtedly　occupied

the　most　wondrous　position　in　the　eyes　of　the　world　that　had　ever

been　attained；　she　was　almost　unconscious　of　the　circumstance；　and

that　the　somewhat　prominent　position　in　which　that　wonderfully…

emblazoned　left　hand　was　continually　found　to　be　placed；　when

handing　cups　and　saucers；　knives；　forks；　and　glasses；　was　quite　the

result　of　accident。　　As　to　wishing　to　excite　envy　in　the　bosoms　of

her　maiden　companions；　by　the　exhibition　of　the　shining　ring；　every

one　was　to　know　it　was　quite　foreign　to　the　dignity　of　such　an

experienced　married　woman。　　Dick's　imagination　in　the　meantime　was

far　less　capable　of　drawing　so　much　wontedness　from　his　new

condition。　　He　had　been　for　two　or　three　hours　trying　to　feel

himself　merely　a　newly…married　man；　but　had　been　able　to　get　no

further　in　the　attempt　than　to　realize　that　he　was　Dick　Dewy；　the

tranter's　son；　at　a　party　given　by　Lord　Wessex's　head　man…in…charge；

on　the　outlying　Yalbury　estate；　dancing　and　c