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第7节

under the greenwood tree-第7节

小说: under the greenwood tree 字数: 每页4000字

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and once more the party emerged into the night air。



〃Where's Dick?〃 said old Dewy。



Every man hooked round upon every other man; as if Dick might have

been transmuted into one or the other; and then they said they

didn't know。



〃Well now; that's what I call very nasty of Master Dicky; that I

do;〃 said Michael Mail。



〃He've clinked off home…along; depend upon't;〃 another suggested;

though not quite believing that he had。



〃Dick!〃 exclaimed the tranter; and his voice rolled sonorously forth

among the yews。



He suspended his muscles rigid as stone whilst listening for an

answer; and finding he listened in vain; turned to the assemblage。



〃The treble man too!  Now if he'd been a tenor or counter chap; we

might ha' contrived the rest o't without en; you see。  But for a

quire to lose the treble; why; my sonnies; you may so well lose your

。 。 。 〃  The tranter paused; unable to mention an image vast enough

for the occasion。



〃Your head at once;〃 suggested Mr。 Penny。



The tranter moved a pace; as if it were puerile of people to

complete sentences when there were more pressing things to be done。



〃Was ever heard such a thing as a young man leaving his work half

done and turning tail like this!〃



〃Never;〃 replied Bowman; in a tone signifying that he was the last

man in the world to wish to withhold the formal finish required of

him。



〃I hope no fatal tragedy has overtook the had!〃 said his

grandfather。



〃O no;〃 replied tranter Dewy placidly。  〃Wonder where he's put that

there fiddle of his。  Why that fiddle cost thirty shillings; and

good words besides。  Somewhere in the damp; without doubt; that

instrument will be unglued and spoilt in ten minutesten! ay; two。〃



〃What in the name o' righteousness can have happened?〃 said old

William; more uneasily。  〃Perhaps he's drownded!〃



〃Leaving their lanterns and instruments in the belfry they retraced

their steps along the waterside track。  〃A strapping lad like Dick

d'know better than let anything happen onawares;〃 Reuben remarked。

〃There's sure to be some poor little scram reason for't staring us

in the face all the while。〃  He lowered his voice to a mysterious

tone:  'Neighbours; have ye noticed any sign of a scornful woman in

his head; or suchlike?〃



〃Not a glimmer of such a body。  He's as clear as water yet。〃



〃And Dicky said he should never marry;〃 cried Jimmy; 〃but live at

home always along wi' mother and we!〃



〃Ay; ay; my sonny; every had has said that in his time。〃



They had now again reached the precincts of Mr。 Shiner's; but

hearing nobody in that direction; one or two went across to the

schoolhouse。  A light was still burning in the bedroom; and though

the blind was down; the window had been slightly opened; as if to

admit the distant notes of the carollers to the ears of the occupant

of the room。



Opposite the window; leaning motionless against a beech tree; was

the lost man; his arms folded; his head thrown back; his eyes fixed

upon the illuminated lattice。



〃Why; Dick; is that thee?  What b'st doing here?〃



Dick's body instantly flew into a more rational attitude; and his

head was seen to turn east and west in the gloom; as if endeavouring

to discern some proper answer to that question; and at last he said

in rather feeble accents〃Nothing; father。〃



〃Th'st take long enough time about it then; upon my body;〃 said the

tranter; as they all turned anew towards the vicarage。



〃I thought you hadn't done having snap in the gallery;〃 said Dick。



〃Why; we've been traypsing and rambling about; looking everywhere;

and thinking you'd done fifty deathly things; and here have you been

at nothing at all!〃



〃The stupidness lies in that point of it being nothing at all;〃

murmured Mr。 Spinks。



The vicarage front was their next field of operation; and Mr。

Maybold; the lately…arrived incumbent; duly received his share of

the night's harmonies。  It was hoped that by reason of his

profession he would have been led to open the window; and an extra

carol in quick time was added to draw him forth。  But Mr。 Maybold

made no stir。



〃A bad sign!〃 said old William; shaking his head。



However; at that same instant a musical voice was heard exclaiming

from inner depths of bedclothes〃Thanks; villagers!〃



〃What did he say?〃 asked Bowman; who was rather dull of hearing。

Bowman's voice; being therefore loud; had been heard by the vicar

within。



〃I said; 'Thanks; villagers!'〃 cried the vicar again。



〃Oh; we didn't hear 'ee the first time!〃 cried Bowman。



〃Now don't for heaven's sake spoil the young man's temper by

answering like that!〃 said the tranter。



〃You won't do that; my friends!〃 the vicar shouted。



〃Well to be sure; what ears!〃 said Mr。 Penny in a whisper。  〃Beats

any horse or dog in the parish; and depend upon't; that's a sign

he's a proper clever chap。〃



〃We shall see that in time;〃 said the tranter。



Old William; in his gratitude for such thanks from a comparatively

new inhabitant; was anxious to play all the tunes over again; but

renounced his desire on being reminded by Reuben that it would be

best to leave well alone。



〃Now putting two and two together;〃 the tranter continued; as they

went their way over the hill; and across to the last remaining

houses; 〃that is; in the form of that young female vision we zeed

just now; and this young tenor…voiced parson; my belief is she'll

wind en round her finger; and twist the pore young feller about like

the figure of 8that she will so; my sonnies。〃







CHAPTER VI:  CHRISTMAS MORNING







The choir at last reached their beds; and slept like the rest of the

parish。  Dick's slumbers; through the three or four hours remaining

for rest; were disturbed and slight; an exhaustive variation upon

the incidents that had passed that night in connection with the

school…window going on in his brain every moment of the time。



In the morning; do what he wouldgo upstairs; downstairs; out of

doors; speak of the wind and weather; or what nothe could not

refrain from an unceasing renewal; in imagination; of that

interesting enactment。  Tilted on the edge of one foot he stood

beside the fireplace; watching his mother grilling rashers; but

there was nothing in grilling; he thought; unless the Vision

grilled。  The limp rasher hung down between the bars of the gridiron

like a cat in a child's arms; but there was nothing in similes;

unless She uttered them。  He looked at the daylight shadows of a

yellow hue; dancing with the firelight shadows in blue on the

whitewashed chimney corner; but there was nothing in shadows。

〃Perhaps the new young womschMiss Fancy Day will sing in church

with us this morning;〃 he said。



The tranter looked a long time before he replied; 〃I fancy she will;

and yet I fancy she won't。〃



Dick implied that such a remark was rather to be tolerated than

admired; though deliberateness in speech was known to have; as a

rule; more to do with the machinery of the tranter's throat than

with the matter enunciated。



They made preparations for going to church as usual; Dick with

extreme alacrity; though he would not definitely consider why he was

so religious。  His wonderful nicety in brushing and cleaning his

best light boots had features which elevated it to the rank of an

art。  Every particle and speck of last week's mud was scraped and

brushed from toe and heel; new blacking from the packet was

carefully mixed and made use of; regardless of expense。  A coat was

laid on and polished; then another coat for increased blackness; and

lastly a third; to give the perfect and mirror…like jet which the

hoped…for rencounter demanded。



It being Christmas…day; the tranter prepared himself with Sunday

particularity。  Loud sousing and snorting noises were heard to

proceed from a tub in the back quarters of the dwelling; proclaiming

that he was there performing his great Sunday wash; lasting half…an…

hour; to which his washings on working…day mornings were mere

flashes in the pan。  Vanishing into the outhouse with a large brown

towel; and the above…named bubblings and snortings being carried on

for about twenty minutes; the tranter would appear round the edge of

the door; smelling like a summer fog; and looking as if he had just

narrowly escaped a watery grave with the loss of much of his

clothes; having since been weeping bitterly till his eyes were red;

a crystal drop of water hanging ornamentally at the bottom of each

ear; one at the tip of his nose; and others in the form of spangles

about his hair。



After a great deal of crunching upon the sanded stone floor by the

feet of father; son; and grandson as they moved to and fro in these

preparations; the bass…viol and fiddles were taken from their nook;

and the strings examined and screwed a little above concert…pitch;

that they might keep their tone when the

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