wessex tales-第35节

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hastened　upstairs；　and　he　was　again　left　alone。


After　standing　there　a　short　time　he　went　to　the　front　door　and
looked　out；　till；　softly　closing　it　behind　him；　he　advanced　and
stood　under　the　large　sycamore…tree。　　The　stars　were　flickering
coldly；　and　the　dampness　which　had　just　descended　upon　the　earth　in
rain　now　sent　up　a　chill　from　it。　　Darton　was　in　a　strange　position；
and　he　felt　it。　　The　unexpected　appearance；　in　deep　poverty；　of
Helenaa　young　lady；　daughter　of　a　deceased　naval　officer；　who　had
been　brought　up　by　her　uncle；　a　solicitor；　and　had　refused　Darton　in
marriage　years　agothe　passionate；　almost　angry　demeanour　of　Sally
at　discovering　them；　the　abrupt　announcement　that　Helena　was　a
widow；　all　this　coming　together　was　a　conjuncture　difficult　to　cope
with　in　a　moment；　and　made　him　question　whether　he　ought　to　leave
the　house　or　offer　assistance。　　But　for　Sally's　manner　he　would
unhesitatingly　have　done　the　latter。

He　was　still　standing　under　the　tree　when　the　door　in　front　of　him
opened；　and　Mrs。　Hall　came　out。　　She　went　round　to　the　garden…gate
at　the　side　without　seeing　him。　　Darton　followed　her；　intending　to
speak。

Pausing　outside；　as　if　in　thought；　she　proceeded　to　a　spot　where　the
sun　came　earliest　in　spring…time；　and　where　the　north　wind　never
blew；　it　was　where　the　row　of　beehives　stood　under　the　wall。
Discerning　her　object；　he　waited　till　she　had　accomplished　it。

It　was　the　universal　custom　thereabout　to　wake　the　bees　by　tapping
at　their　hives　whenever　a　death　occurred　in　the　household；　under　the
belief　that　if　this　were　not　done　the　bees　themselves　would　pine
away　and　perish　during　the　ensuing　year。　　As　soon　as　an　interior
buzzing　responded　to　her　tap　at　the　first　hive　Mrs。　Hall　went　on　to
the　second；　and　thus　passed　down　the　row。　　As　soon　as　she　came　back
he　met　her。

'What　can　I　do　in　this　trouble；　Mrs。　Hall？'　he　said。

'Onothing；　thank　you；　nothing；'　she　said　in　a　tearful　voice；　now
just　perceiving　him。　　'We　have　called　Rebekah　and　her　husband；　and
they　will　do　everything　necessary。'　　She　told　him　in　a　few　words　the
particulars　of　her　son's　arrival；　broken　in　healthindeed；　at
death's　very　door；　though　they　did　not　suspect　itand　suggested；　as
the　result　of　a　conversation　between　her　and　her　daughter；　that　the
wedding　should　be　postponed。

'Yes；　of　course；'　said　Darton。　　'I　think　now　to　go　straight　to　the
inn　and　tell　Johns　what　has　happened。'　　It　was　not　till　after　he　had
shaken　hands　with　her　that　he　turned　hesitatingly　and　added；　'Will
you　tell　the　mother　of　his　children　that；　as　they　are　now　left
fatherless；　I　shall　be　glad　to　take　the　eldest　of　them；　if　it　would
be　any　convenience　to　her　and　to　you？'

Mrs。　Hall　promised　that　her　son's　widow　should　he　told　of　the　offer；
and　they　parted。　　He　retired　down　the　rooty　slope　and　disappeared　in
the　direction　of　the　inn；　where　he　informed　Johns　of　the
circumstances。　　Meanwhile　Mrs。　Hall　had　entered　the　house；　Sally　was
downstairs　in　the　sitting…room　alone；　and　her　mother　explained　to
her　that　Darton　had　readily　assented　to　the　postponement。

'No　doubt　he　has；'　said　Sally；　with　sad　emphasis。　　'It　is　not　put
off　for　a　week；　or　a　month；　or　a　year。　　I　shall　never　marry　him；　and
she　will！'



CHAPTER　IV



Time　passed；　and　the　household　on　the　Knap　became　again　serene　under
the　composing　influences　of　daily　routine。　　A　desultory；　very
desultory　correspondence；　dragged　on　between　Sally　Hall　and　Darton；
who；　not　quite　knowing　how　to　take　her　petulant　words　on　the　night
of　her　brother's　death；　had　continued　passive　thus　long。　　Helena　and
her　children　remained　at　the　dairy…house；　almost　of　necessity；　and
Darton　therefore　deemed　it　advisable　to　stay　away。

One　day；　seven　months　later　on；　when　Mr。　Darton　was　as　usual　at　his
farm；　twenty　miles　from　Hintock；　a　note　reached　him　from　Helena。
She　thanked　him　for　his　kind　offer　about　her　children；　which　her
mother…in…law　had　duly　communicated；　and　stated　that　she　would　be
glad　to　accept　it　as　regarded　the　eldest；　the　boy。　　Helena　had；　in
truth；　good　need　to　do　so；　for　her　uncle　had　left　her　penniless；　and
all　application　to　some　relatives　in　the　north　had　failed。　　There
was；　besides；　as　she　said；　no　good　school　near　Hintock　to　which　she
could　send　the　child。

On　a　fine　summer　day　the　boy　came。　　He　was　accompanied　half…way　by
Sally　and　his　motherto　the　'White　Horse；'　at　Chalk　Newtonwhere
he　was　handed　over　to　Darton's　bailiff　in　a　shining　spring…cart；　who
met　them　there。

He　was　entered　as　a　day…scholar　at　a　popular　school　at　Casterbridge；
three　or　four　miles　from　Darton's；　having　first　been　taught　by
Darton　to　ride　a　forest…pony；　on　which　he　cantered　to　and　from　the
aforesaid　fount　of　knowledge；　and　（as　Darton　hoped）　brought　away　a
promising　headful　of　the　same　at　each　diurnal　expedition。　　The
thoughtful　taciturnity　into　which　Darton　had　latterly　fallen　was
quite　dissipated　by　the　presence　of　this　boy。

When　the　Christmas　holidays　came　it　was　arranged　that　he　should
spend　them　with　his　mother。　　The　journey　was；　for　some　reason　or
other；　performed　in　two　stages；　as　at　his　coming；　except　that　Darton
in　person　took　the　place　of　the　bailiff；　and　that　the　boy　and
himself　rode　on　horseback。

Reaching　the　renowned　'White　Horse；'　Darton　inquired　if　Miss　and
young　Mrs。　Hall　were　there　to　meet　little　Philip　（as　they　had　agreed
to　be）。　　He　was　answered　by　the　appearance　of　Helena　alone　at　the
door。

'At　the　last　moment　Sally　would　not　come；'　she　faltered。

That　meeting　practically　settled　the　point　towards　which　these　long…
severed　persons　were　converging。　　But　nothing　was　broached　about　it
for　some　time　yet。　　Sally　Hall　had；　in　fact；　imparted　the　first
decisive　motion　to　events　by　refusing　to　accompany　Helena。　　She　soon
gave　them　a　second　move　by　writing　the　following　note


'＇Private。＇

'DEAR　CHARLES；Living　here　so　long　and　intimately　with　Helena；　I
have　naturally　learnt　her　history；　especially　that　of　it　which
refers　to　you。　　I　am　sure　she　would　accept　you　as　a　husband　at　the
proper　time；　and　I　think　you　ought　to　give　her　the　opportunity。　　You
inquire　in　an　old　note　if　I　am　sorry　that　I　showed　temper　（which　it
WASN'T）　that　night　when　I　heard　you　talking　to　her。　　No；　Charles；　I
am　not　sorry　at　all　for　what　I　said　then。Yours　sincerely；　SALLY
HALL。'


Thus　set　in　train；　the　transfer　of　Darton's　heart　back　to　its
original　quarters　proceeded　by　mere　lapse　of　time。　　In　the　following
July；　Darton　went　to　his　friend　Japheth　to　ask　him　at　last　to　fulfil
the　bridal　office　which　had　been　in　abeyance　since　the　previous
January　twelvemonths。

'With　all　my　heart；　man　o'　constancy！'　said　Dairyman　Johns　warmly。
'I've　lost　most　of　my　genteel　fair　complexion　haymaking　this　hot
weather；　'tis　true；　but　I'll　do　your　business　as　well　as　them　that
look　better。　　There　be　scents　and　good　hair…oil　in　the　world　yet；
thank　God；　and　they'll　take　off　the　roughest　o'　my　edge。　　I'll
compliment　her。　　〃Better　late　than　never；　Sally　Hall；〃　I'll　say。'

'It　is　not　Sally；'　said　Darton　hurriedly。　　'It　is　young　Mrs。　Hall。'

Japheth's　face；　as　soon　as　he　really　comprehended；　became　a　picture
of　reproachful　dismay。　　'Not　Sally？'　he　said。　　'Why　not　Sally？　　I
can't　believe　it！　　Young　Mrs。　Hall！　　Well；　wellwhere's　your
wisdom？'

Darton　shortly　explained　particulars；　but　Johns　would　not　be
reconciled。　　'She　was　a　woman　worth　having　if　ever　woman　was；'　he
cried。　　'And　now　to　let　her　go！'

'But　I　suppose　I　can　marry　where　I　like；'　said　Darton。

'H'm；'　replied　the　dairyman；　lifting　his　eyebrows　expressively。
'This　don't　become　you；　Charlesit　really　do　not。　　If　I　had　done
such　a　thing　you　would　have　sworn　I　was　a　curst　no'thern　fool　to　be
drawn　off　the　scent　by　such　a　red…herring　doll…oll…oll。'

Farmer　Darton　responded　in　such　sharp　terms　to　this　laconic　opinion
that　the　two　friends　finally　parted　in　a　way　they　had　never　parted
before。　　Johns　was　to　be　no　groomsman　to　Darton　after　all。　　He　had
flatly　declined。　　Darton　went　off　sorry；　and　even　unhappy；
particularly　as　Japheth　was　about　to　leave　that　side　of　the　county；
so　that　the　words　which　had　divided　them　were　not　likely　to　be
explained　away　or　softened　down。

A　short　time　after　the　interview　Darton　was　united　to　Helena　at　a
simple　matter…of　fact　wedding；　and　she　and　her　little　girl　joined
the　boy　who　had　already　grown　to　look　on　Darton's　house　as　home。

For　some　months　the　farmer　experienced　an　unprecedented　happiness
and　satisfaction。　　There　had　been　a　flaw　in　his　life；　and　it　was　as
neatly　mended　as　was　humanly　possible。　　But　after　a　season　the
stream　of　events　followed　less　clearly；　and　there　were　shades　in　his
reveries。　　Helena　was　a　fragile　woman；　of　little　staying　power；
physically　or　morally；　and　since　the　time　that　he　had　originally
known　hereight　or　ten　years　beforeshe　had　been　severely　tried。
She　had　loved　herself　out；　in　short；　and　was　now　occasionally　given
to　moping。　　Sometimes　she　spoke　regretfully　of　the　gentilities　of
her　early　life；　and　instead　of　comparing　her　present　state　with　her
condition　as　the　wife　of　the　unlucky　Hall；　she　mused　rather　on　what
it　had　been　before　she　took　the　first　fatal　step　of　clandestinely
marrying　him。　　She