wessex tales-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



'I　only　came　because　the　night　was　so　clear。　　I　am　now　on　my　way
home。'

'I　am　glad　we　have　met。　　I　want　to　know　if　you　will　let　me　do
something　for　you；　to　give　me　an　occupation；　as　an　idle　man？　　I　am
sure　I　ought　to　help　you；　for　I　know　you　are　almost　without
friends。'

She　hesitated。　　'Why　should　you　tell　me　that？'　she　said。

'In　the　hope　that　you　will　be　frank　with　me。'

'I　am　not　altogether　without　friends　here。　　But　I　am　going　to　make　a
little　change　in　my　lifeto　go　out　as　a　teacher　of　freehand　drawing
and　practical　perspective；　of　course　I　mean　on　a　comparatively
humble　scale；　because　I　have　not　been　specially　educated　for　that
profession。　　But　I　am　sure　I　shall　like　it　much。'

'You　have　an　opening？'

'I　have　not　exactly　got　it；　but　I　have　advertised　for　one。'

'Lucy；　you　must　let　me　help　you！'

'Not　at　all。'

'You　need　not　think　it　would　compromise　you；　or　that　I　am
indifferent　to　delicacy。　　I　bear　in　mind　how　we　stand。　　It　is　very
unlikely　that　you　will　succeed　as　teacher　of　the　class　you　mention；
so　let　me　do　something　of　a　different　kind　for　you。　　Say　what　you
would　like；　and　it　shall　be　done。'

'No；　if　I　can't　be　a　drawing…mistress　or　governess；　or　something　of
that　sort；　I　shall　go　to　India　and　join　my　brother。'

'I　wish　I　could　go　abroad；　anywhere；　everywhere　with　you；　Lucy；　and
leave　this　place　and　its　associations　for　ever！'

She　played　with　the　end　of　her　bonnet…string；　and　hastily　turned
aside。　　'Don't　ever　touch　upon　that　kind　of　topic　again；'　she　said；
with　a　quick　severity　not　free　from　anger。　　'It　simply　makes　it
impossible　for　me　to　see　you；　much　less　receive　any　guidance　from
you。　　No；　thank　you；　Mr。　Barnet；　you　can　do　nothing　for　me　at
present；　and　as　I　suppose　my　uncertainty　will　end　in　my　leaving　for
India；　I　fear　you　never　will。　　If　ever　I　think　you　CAN　do　anything；
I　will　take　the　trouble　to　ask　you。　　Till　then；　good…bye。'

The　tone　of　her　latter　words　was　equivocal；　and　while　he　remained　in
doubt　whether　a　gentle　irony　was　or　was　not　inwrought　with　their
sound；　she　swept　lightly　round　and　left　him　alone。　　He　saw　her　form
get　smaller　and　smaller　along　the　damp　belt　of　sea…sand　between　ebb
and　flood；　and　when　she　had　vanished　round　the　cliff　into　the
harbour…road；　he　himself　followed　in　the　same　direction。

That　her　hopes　from　an　advertisement　should　be　the　single　thread
which　held　Lucy　Savile　in　England　was　too　much　for　Barnet。　　On
reaching　the　town　he　went　straight　to　the　residence　of　Downe；　now　a
widower　with　four　children。　　The　young　motherless　brood　had　been
sent　to　bed　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　earlier；　and　when　Barnet
entered　he　found　Downe　sitting　alone。　　It　was　the　same　room　as　that
from　which　the　family　had　been　looking　out　for　Downe　at　the
beginning　of　the　year；　when　Downe　had　slipped　into　the　gutter　and
his　wife　had　been　so　enviably　tender　towards　him。　　The　old　neatness
had　gone　from　the　house；　articles　lay　in　places　which　could　show　no
reason　for　their　presence；　as　if　momentarily　deposited　there　some
months　ago；　and　forgotten　ever　since；　there　were　no　flowers；　things
were　jumbled　together　on　the　furniture　which　should　have　been　in
cupboards；　and　the　place　in　general　had　that　stagnant；　unrenovated
air　which　usually　pervades　the　maimed　home　of　the　widower。

Downe　soon　renewed　his　customary　full…worded　lament　over　his　wife；
and　even　when　he　had　worked　himself　up　to　tears；　went　on　volubly；　as
if　a　listener　were　a　luxury　to　be　enjoyed　whenever　he　could　be
caught。

'She　was　a　treasure　beyond　compare；　Mr。　Barnet！　　I　shall　never　see
such　another。　　Nobody　now　to　nurse　menobody　to　console　me　in　those
daily　troubles；　you　know；　Barnet；　which　make　consolation　so
necessary　to　a　nature　like　mine。　　It　would　be　unbecoming　to　repine；
for　her　spirit's　home　was　elsewherethe　tender　light　in　her　eyes
always　showed　it；　but　it　is　a　long　dreary　time　that　I　have　before
me；　and　nobody　else　can　ever　fill　the　void　left　in　my　heart　by　her
lossnobodynobody！'　　And　Downe　wiped　his　eyes　again。

'She　was　a　good　woman　in　the　highest　sense；'　gravely　answered
Barnet；　who；　though　Downe's　words　drew　genuine　compassion　from　his
heart；　could　not　help　feeling　that　a　tender　reticence　would　have
been　a　finer　tribute　to　Mrs。　Downe's　really　sterling　virtues　than
such　a　second…class　lament　as　this。

'I　have　something　to　show　you；'　Downe　resumed；　producing　from　a
drawer　a　sheet　of　paper　on　which　was　an　elaborate　design　for　a
canopied　tomb。　　'This　has　been　sent　me　by　the　architect；　but　it　is
not　exactly　what　I　want。'

'You　have　got　Jones　to　do　it；　I　see；　the　man　who　is　carrying　out　my
house；'　said　Barnet；　as　he　glanced　at　the　signature　to　the　drawing。

'Yes；　but　it　is　not　quite　what　I　want。　　I　want　something　more
strikingmore　like　a　tomb　I　have　seen　in　St。　Paul's　Cathedral。
Nothing　less　will　do　justice　to　my　feelings；　and　how　far　short　of
them　that　will　fall！'

Barnet　privately　thought　the　design　a　sufficiently　imposing　one　as
it　stood；　even　extravagantly　ornate；　but；　feeling　that　he　had　no
right　to　criticize；　he　said　gently；　'Downe；　should　you　not　live　more
in　your　children's　lives　at　the　present　time；　and　soften　the
sharpness　of　regret　for　your　own　past　by　thinking　of　their　future？'

'Yes；　yes；　but　what　can　I　do　more？'　asked　Downe；　wrinkling　his
forehead　hopelessly。

It　was　with　anxious　slowness　that　Barnet　produced　his　replythe
secret　object　of　his　visit　to…night。　　'Did　you　not　say　one　day　that
you　ought　by　rights　to　get　a　governess　for　the　children？'

Downe　admitted　that　he　had　said　so；　but　that　he　could　not　see　his
way　to　it。　　'The　kind　of　woman　I　should　like　to　have；'　he　said；
'would　be　rather　beyond　my　means。　　No；　I　think　I　shall　send　them　to
school　in　the　town　when　they　are　old　enough　to　go　out　alone。'

'Now；　I　know　of　something　better　than　that。　　The　late　Lieutenant
Savile's　daughter；　Lucy；　wants　to　do　something　for　herself　in　the
way　of　teaching。　　She　would　be　inexpensive；　and　would　answer　your
purpose　as　well　as　anybody　for　six　or　twelve　months。　　She　would
probably　come　daily　if　you　were　to　ask　her；　and　so　your　housekeeping
arrangements　would　not　be　much　affected。'

'I　thought　she　had　gone　away；'　said　the　solicitor；　musing。　　'Where
does　she　live？'

Barnet　told　him；　and　added　that；　if　Downe　should　think　of　her　as
suitable；　he　would　do　well　to　call　as　soon　as　possible；　or　she　might
be　on　the　wing。　　'If　you　do　see　her；'　he　said；　'it　would　be
advisable　not　to　mention　my　name。　　She　is　rather　stiff　in　her　ideas
of　me；　and　it　might　prejudice　her　against　a　course　if　she　knew　that
I　recommended　it。'

Downe　promised　to　give　the　subject　his　consideration；　and　nothing
more　was　said　about　it　just　then。　　But　when　Barnet　rose　to　go；　which
was　not　till　nearly　bedtime；　he　reminded　Downe　of　the　suggestion　and
went　up　the　street　to　his　own　solitary　home　with　a　sense　of
satisfaction　at　his　promising　diplomacy　in　a　charitable　cause。



CHAPTER　VII



The　walls　of　his　new　house　were　carried　up　nearly　to　their　full
height。　　By　a　curious　though　not　infrequent　reaction；　Barnet's
feelings　about　that　unnecessary　structure　had　undergone　a　change；　he
took　considerable　interest　in　its　progress　as　a　long…neglected
thing；　his　wife　before　her　departure　having　grown　quite　weary　of　it
as　a　hobby。　　Moreover；　it　was　an　excellent　distraction　for　a　man　in
the　unhappy　position　of　having　to　live　in　a　provincial　town　with
nothing　to　do。　　He　was　probably　the　first　of　his　line　who　had　ever
passed　a　day　without　toil；　and　perhaps　something　like　an　inherited
instinct　disqualifies　such　men　for　a　life　of　pleasant　inaction；　such
as　lies　in　the　power　of　those　whose　leisure　is　not　a　personal
accident；　but　a　vast　historical　accretion　which　has　become　part　of
their　natures。

Thus　Barnet　got　into　a　way　of　spending　many　of　his　leisure　hours　on
the　site　of　the　new　building；　and　he　might　have　been　seen　on　most
days　at　this　time　trying　the　temper　of　the　mortar　by　punching　the
joints　with　his　stick；　looking　at　the　grain　of　a　floor…board；　and
meditating　where　it　grew；　or　picturing　under　what　circumstances　the
last　fire　would　be　kindled　in　the　at　present　sootless　chimneys。　　One
day　when　thus　occupied　he　saw　three　children　pass　by　in　the　company
of　a　fair　young　woman；　whose　sudden　appearance　caused　him　to　flush
perceptibly。

'Ah；　she　is　there；'　he　thought。　　'That's　a　blessed　thing。'

Casting　an　interested　glance　over　the　rising　building　and　the　busy
workmen；　Lucy　Savile　and　the　little　Downes　passed　by；　and　after　that
time　it　became　a　regular　though　almost　unconscious　custom　of　Barnet
to　stand　in　the　half…completed　house　and　look　from　the　ungarnished
windows　at　the　governess　as　she　tripped　towards　the　sea…shore　with
her　young　charges；　which　she　was　in　the　habit　of　doing　on　most　fine
afternoons。　　It　was　on　one　of　these　occasions；　when　he　had　been
loitering　on　the　first…floor　landing；　near　the　hole　left　for　the
staircase；　not　yet　erected；　that　there　appeared　above　the　edge　of
the　floor　a　little　hat；　followed　by　a　little　head。

Barnet　withdrew　through　a　doorway；　and　the　child　came　to　the　top　of
the　ladder；　stepping　on　to　the　floor　and　crying　to　her　sisters　and
Miss　Savile　to　follow。　　Another　head　rose　above　the　fl