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第8节

under the greenwood tree-第8节

小说: under the greenwood tree 字数: 每页4000字

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

that they might keep their tone when the service began; to obviate

the awkward contingency of having to retune them at the back of the

gallery during a cough; sneeze; or amenan inconvenience which had

been known to arise in damp wintry weather。



The three left the door and paced down Mellstock…lane and across the

ewe…lease; bearing under their arms the instruments in faded green…

baize bags; and old brown music…books in their hands; Dick

continually finding himself in advance of the other two; and the

tranter moving on with toes turned outwards to an enormous angle。



At the foot of an incline the church became visible through the

north gate; or 'church hatch;' as it was called here。  Seven agile

figures in a clump were observable beyond; which proved to be the

choristers waiting; sitting on an altar…tomb to pass the time; and

letting their heels dangle against it。  The musicians being now in

sight; the youthful party scampered off and rattled up the old

wooden stairs of the gallery like a regiment of cavalry; the other

boys of the parish waiting outside and observing birds; cats; and

other creatures till the vicar entered; when they suddenly subsided

into sober church…goers; and passed down the aisle with echoing

heels。



The gallery of Mellstock Church had a status and sentiment of its

own。  A stranger there was regarded with a feeling altogether

differing from that of the congregation below towards him。  Banished

from the nave as an intruder whom no originality could make

interesting; he was received above as a curiosity that no unfitness

could render dull。  The gallery; too; looked down upon and knew the

habits of the nave to its remotest peculiarity; and had an extensive

stock of exclusive information about it; whilst the nave knew

nothing of the gallery folk; as gallery folk; beyond their loud…

sounding minims and chest notes。  Such topics as that the clerk was

always chewing tobacco except at the moment of crying amen; that he

had a dust…hole in his pew; that during the sermon certain young

daughters of the village had left off caring to read anything so

mild as the marriage service for some years; and now regularly

studied the one which chronologically follows it; that a pair of

lovers touched fingers through a knot…hole between their pews in the

manner ordained by their great exemplars; Pyramus and Thisbe; that

Mrs。 Ledlow; the farmer's wife; counted her money and reckoned her

week's marketing expenses during the first lessonall news to those

belowwere stale subjects here。



Old William sat in the centre of the front row; his violoncello

between his knees and two singers on each hand。  Behind him; on the

left; came the treble singers and Dick; and on the right the tranter

and the tenors。  Farther back was old Mail with the altos and

supernumeraries。



But before they had taken their places; and whilst they were

standing in a circle at the back of the gallery practising a psalm

or two; Dick cast his eyes over his grandfather's shoulder; and saw

the vision of the past night enter the porch…door as methodically as

if she had never been a vision at all。  A new atmosphere seemed

suddenly to be puffed into the ancient edifice by her movement;

which made Dick's body and soul tingle with novel sensations。

Directed by Shiner; the churchwarden; she proceeded to the small

aisle on the north side of the chancel; a spot now allotted to a

throng of Sunday…school girls; and distinctly visible from the

gallery…front by looking under the curve of the furthermost arch on

that side。



Before this moment the church had seemed comparatively emptynow it

was thronged; and as Miss Fancy rose from her knees and looked

around her for a permanent place in which to deposit herself

finally choosing the remotest cornerDick began to breathe more

freely the warm new air she had brought with her; to feel rushings

of blood; and to have impressions that there was a tie between her

and himself visible to all the congregation。



Ever afterwards the young man could recollect individually each part

of the service of that bright Christmas morning; and the trifling

occurrences which took place as its minutes slowly drew along; the

duties of that day dividing themselves by a complete line from the

services of other times。  The tunes they that morning essayed

remained with him for years; apart from all others; also the text;

also the appearance of the layer of dust upon the capitals of the

piers; that the holly…bough in the chancel archway was hung a little

out of the centreall the ideas; in short; that creep into the mind

when reason is only exercising its lowest activity through the eye。



By chance or by fate; another young man who attended Mellstock

Church on that Christmas morning had towards the end of the service

the same instinctive perception of an interesting presence; in the

shape of the same bright maiden; though his emotion reached a far

less developed stage。  And there was this difference; too; that the

person in question was surprised at his condition; and sedulously

endeavoured to reduce himself to his normal state of mind。  He was

the young vicar; Mr。 Maybold。



The music on Christmas mornings was frequently below the standard of

church…performances at other times。  The boys were sleepy from the

heavy exertions of the night; the men were slightly wearied; and

now; in addition to these constant reasons; there was a dampness in

the atmosphere that still further aggravated the evil。  Their

strings; from the recent long exposure to the night air; rose whole

semitones; and snapped with a loud twang at the most silent moment;

which necessitated more retiring than ever to the back of the

gallery; and made the gallery throats quite husky with the quantity

of coughing and hemming required for tuning in。  The vicar looked

cross。



When the singing was in progress there was suddenly discovered to be

a strong and shrill reinforcement from some point; ultimately found

to be the school…girls' aisle。  At every attempt it grew bolder and

more distinct。  At the third time of singing; these intrusive

feminine voices were as mighty as those of the regular singers; in

fact; the flood of sound from this quarter assumed such an

individuality; that it had a time; a key; almost a tune of its own;

surging upwards when the gallery plunged downwards; and the reverse。



Now this had never happened before within the memory of man。  The

girls; like the rest of the congregation; had always been humble and

respectful followers of the gallery; singing at sixes and sevens if

without gallery leaders; never interfering with the ordinances of

these practised artistshaving no will; union; power; or proclivity

except it was given them from the established choir enthroned above

them。



A good deal of desperation became noticeable in the gallery throats

and strings; which continued throughout the musical portion of the

service。  Directly the fiddles were laid down; Mr。 Penny's

spectacles put in their sheath; and the text had been given out; an

indignant whispering began。



〃Did ye hear that; souls?〃 Mr。 Penny said; in a groaning breath。



〃Brazen…faced hussies!〃 said Bowman。



〃True; why; they were every note as loud as we; fiddles and all; if

not louder!〃



〃Fiddles and all!〃 echoed Bowman bitterly。



〃Shall anything saucier be found than united 'ooman?〃 Mr。 Spinks

murmured。



〃What I want to know is;〃 said the tranter (as if he knew already;

but that civilization required the form of words); 〃what business

people have to tell maidens to sing like that when they don't sit in

a gallery; and never have entered one in their lives?  That's the

question; my sonnies。〃



〃'Tis the gallery have got to sing; all the world knows;〃 said Mr。

Penny。  〃Why; souls; what's the use o' the ancients spending scores

of pounds to build galleries if people down in the lowest depths of

the church sing like that at a moment's notice?〃



〃Really; I think we useless ones had better march out of church;

fiddles and all!〃 said Mr。 Spinks; with a laugh which; to a

stranger; would have sounded mild and real。  Only the initiated body

of men he addressed could understand the horrible bitterness of

irony that lurked under the quiet words 'useless ones;' and the

ghastliness of the laughter apparently so natural。



〃Never mind!  Let 'em sing too'twill make it all the louderhee;

hee!〃 said Leaf。



〃Thomas Leaf; Thomas Leaf!  Where have you lived all your life?〃

said grandfather William sternly。



The quailing Leaf tried to leek as if he had lived nowhere at all。



〃When all's said and done; my sonnies;〃 Reuben said; 〃there'd have

been no real harm in their singing if they had let nobody hear 'em;

and only jined in now and then。〃



〃None at all;〃 said Mr。 Penny。  〃But though I don't wish t

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