lizzie leigh-第3节

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by　unseen。



One　evening；　in　the　rich　time　of　shortening　autumn…days；　Will　saw　an

old　man；　who；　without　being　absolutely　drunk；　could　not　guide　himself

rightly　along　the　foot…path；　and　was　mocked　for　his　unsteadiness　of

gait　by　the　idle　boys　of　the　neighbourhood。　　For　his　father's　sake；

Will　regarded　old　age　with　tenderness；　even　when　most　degraded　and

removed　from　the　stern　virtues　which　dignified　that　father；　so　he

took　the　old　man　home；　and　seemed　to　believe　his　often…repeated

assertions；　that　he　drank　nothing　but　water。　　The　stranger　tried　to

stiffen　himself　up　into　steadiness　as　he　drew　nearer　home；　as　if

there　some　one　there　for　whose　respect　he　cared　even　in　his　half…

intoxicated　state；　or　whose　feelings　he　feared　to　grieve。　　His　home

was　exquisitely　clean　and　neat；　even　in　outside　appearance；

threshold；　window；　and　windowsill　were　outward　signs　of　some　spirit

of　purity　within。　　Will　was　rewarded　for　his　attention　by　a　bright

glance　of　thanks；　succeeded　by　a　blush　of　shame；　from　a　young　woman

of　twenty　or　thereabouts。　　She　did　not　speak　or　second　her　father's

hospitable　invitations　to　him　to　be　seated。　　She　seemed　unwilling

that　a　stranger　should　witness　her　father's　attempts　at　stately

sobriety；　and　Will　could　not　bear　to　stay　and　see　her　distress。　　But

when　the　old　man；　with　many　a　flabby　shake　of　the　hand；　kept　asking

him　to　come　again　some　other　evening；　and　see　them；　Will　sought　her

downcast　eyes；　and；　though　he　could　not　read　their　veiled　meaning；　he

answered；　timidly；　〃If　it's　agreeable　to　everybody；　I'll　come；　and

thank　ye。〃　　But　there　was　no　answer　from　the　girl；　to　whom　this

speech　was　in　reality　addressed；　and　Will　left　the　house；　liking　her

all　the　better　for　never　speaking。



He　thought　about　her　a　great　deal　for　the　next　day　or　two；　he　scolded

himself　for　being　so　foolish　as　to　think　of　her；　and　then　fell　to

with　fresh　vigour；　and　thought　of　her　more　than　ever。　　He　tried　to

depreciate　her：　　he　told　himself　she　was　not　pretty；　and　then　made

indignant　answer　that　he　liked　her　looks　much　better　than　any　beauty

of　them　all。　　He　wished　he　was　not　so　country…looking；　so　red…faced；

so　broad…shouldered；　while　she　was　like　a　lady；　with　her　smooth；

colourless　complexion；　her　bright　dark　hair；　and　her　spotless　dress。

Pretty　or　not　pretty　she　drew　his　footsteps　towards　her；　he　could　not

resist　the　impulse　that　made　him　wish　to　see　her　once　more；　and　find

out　some　fault　which　should　unloose　his　heart　from　her　unconscious

keeping。　　But　there　she　was；　pure　and　maidenly　as　before。　　He　sat　and

looked；　answering　her　father　at　cross…purposes；　while　she　drew　more

and　more　into　the　shadow　of　the　chimney…corner　out　of　sight。　　Then

the　spirit　that　possessed　him　（it　was　not　he　himself；　sure；　that　did

so　impudent　a　thing！）　made　him　get　up　and　carry　the　candle　to　a

different　place；　under　the　pretence　of　giving　her　more　light　at　her

sewing；　but　in　reality　to　be　able　to　see　her　better。　　She　could　not

stand　this　much　longer；　but　jumped　up　and　said　she　must　put　her

little　niece　to　bed；　and　surely　there　never　was；　before　or　since；　so

troublesome　a　child　of　two　years　old；　for　though　Will　stayed　an　hour

and　a　half　longer；　she　never　came　down　again。　　He　won　the　father's

heart；　though；　by　his　capacity　as　a　listener；　for　some　people　are　not

at　all　particular；　and；　so　that　they　themselves　may　talk　on

undisturbed；　are　not　so　unreasonable　as　to　expect　attention　to　what

they　say。



Will　did　gather　this　much；　however；　from　the　old　man's　talk。　　He　had

once　been　quite　in　a　genteel　line　of　business；　but　had　failed　for

more　money　than　any　greengrocer　he　had　heard　of；　at　least；　any　who

did　not　mix　up　fish　and　game　with　green…grocery　proper。　　This　grand

failure　seemed　to　have　been　the　event　of　his　life；　and　one　on　which

he　dwelt　with　a　strange　kind　of　pride。　　It　appeared　as　if　at　present

he　rested　from　his　past　exertions　（in　the　bankrupt　line）；　and

depended　on　his　daughter；　who　kept　a　small　school　for　very　young

children。　　But　all　these　particulars　Will　only　remembered　and

understood　when　he　had　left　the　house；　at　the　time　he　heard　them；　he

was　thinking　of　Susan。　　After　he　had　made　good　his　footing　at　Mr。

Palmer's；　he　was　not　long；　you　may　be　sure；　without　finding　some

reason　for　returning　again　and　again。　　He　listened　to　her　father；　he

talked　to　the　little　niece；　but　he　looked　at　Susan；　both　while　he

listened　and　while　he　talked。　　Her　father　kept　on　insisting　upon　his

former　gentility；　the　details　of　which　would　have　appeared　very

questionable　to　Will's　mind；　if　the　sweet；　delicate；　modest　Susan　had

not　thrown　an　inexplicable　air　of　refinement　over　all　she　came　near。

She　never　spoke　much；　she　was　generally　diligently　at　work；　but　when

she　moved　it　was　so　noiselessly；　and　when　she　did　speak；　it　was　in　so

low　and　soft　a　voice；　that　silence；　speech；　motion；　and　stillness

alike　seemed　to　remove　her　high　above　Will's　reach　into　some　saintly

and　inaccessible　air　of　gloryhigh　above　his　reach；　even　as　she　knew

him！　　And；　if　she　were　made　acquainted　with　the　dark　secret　behind　of

his　sister's　shame；　which　was　kept　ever　present　to　his　mind　by　his

mother's　nightly　search　among　the　outcast　and　forsaken；　would　not

Susan　shrink　away　from　him　with　loathing；　as　if　he　were　tainted　by

the　involuntary　relationship？　　This　was　his　dread；　and　thereupon

followed　a　resolution　that　he　would　withdraw　from　her　sweet　company

before　it　was　too　late。　　So　he　resisted　internal　temptation；　and

stayed　at　home；　and　suffered　and　sighed。　　He　became　angry　with　his

mother　for　her　untiring　patience　in　seeking　for　one　who　he　could　not

help　hoping　was　dead　rather　than　alive。　　He　spoke　sharply　to　her；　and

received　only　such　sad　deprecatory　answers　as　made　him　reproach

himself；　and　still　more　lose　sight　of　peace　of　mind。　　This　struggle

could　not　last　long　without　affecting　his　health；　and　Tom；　his　sole

companion　through　the　long　evenings；　noticed　his　increasing　languor；

his　restless　irritability；　with　perplexed　anxiety；　and　at　last

resolved　to　call　his　mother's　attention　to　his　brother's　haggard；

careworn　looks。　　She　listened　with　a　startled　recollection　of　Will's

claims　upon　her　love。　　She　noticed　his　decreasing　appetite　and　half…

checked　sighs。



〃Will；　lad！　what's　come　o'er　thee？〃　said　she　to　him；　as　he　sat

listlessly　gazing　into　the　fire。



〃There's　nought　the　matter　with　me；〃　said　he；　as　if　annoyed　at　her

remark。



〃Nay；　lad；　but　there　is。〃　　He　did　not　speak　again　to　contradict　her；

indeed；　she　did　not　know　if　he　had　heard　her；　so　unmoved　did　he　look。



〃Wouldst　like　to　go　to　Upclose　Farm？〃　asked　she；　sorrowfully。



〃It's　just　blackberrying　time；〃　said　Tom。



Will　shook　his　head。　　She　looked　at　him　awhile；　as　if　trying　to　read

that　expression　of　despondency；　and　trace　it　back　to　its　source。



〃Will　and　Tom　could　go；〃　said　she；　〃I　must　stay　here　till　I've　found

her；　thou　knowest；〃　continued　she；　dropping　her　voice。



He　turned　quickly　round；　and　with　the　authority　he　at　all　times

exercised　over　Tom；　bade　him　begone　to　bed。



When　Tom　had　left　the　room；　he　prepared　to　speak。







CHAPTER　II。







〃Mother；〃　then　said　Will；　〃why　will　you　keep　on　thinking　she's　alive？

If　she　were　but　dead；　we　need　never　name　her　name　again。　　We've　never

heard　nought　on　her　since　father　wrote　her　that　letter；　we　never　knew

whether　she　got　it　or　not。　　She'd　left　her　place　before　then。　　Many　a

one　dies　in〃



〃Oh；　my　lad！　dunnot　speak　so　to　me；　or　my　heart　will　break　outright；〃

said　his　mother；　with　a　sort　of　cry。　　Then　she　calmed　herself；　for

she　yearned　to　persuade　him　to　her　own　belief。　　〃Thou　never　asked；

and　thou'rt　too　like　thy　father　for　me　to　tell　without　askingbut　it

were　all　to　be　near　Lizzie's　old　place　that　I　settled　down　on　this

side　o'　Manchester；　and　the　very　day　at　after　we　came；　I　went　to　her

old　missus；　and　asked　to　speak　a　word　wi'　her。　　I　had　a　strong　mind

to　cast　it　up　to　her；　that　she　should　ha'　sent　my　poor　lass　away；

without　telling　on　it　to　us　first；　but　she　were　in　black；　and　looked

so　sad　I　could　na'　find　in　my　heart　to　threep　it　up。　　But　I　did　ask

her　a　bit　about　our　Lizzie。　　The　master　would　have　turned　her　away　at

a　day's　warning　（he's　gone　to　t'other　place；　I　hope　he'll　meet　wi'

more　mercy　there　than　he　showed　our　LizzieI　do）；　and　when　the

missus　asked　her　should　she　write　to　us；　she　says　Lizzie　shook　her

head；　and　when　she　speered　at　her　again；　the　poor　lass　went　down　on

her　knees；　and　begged　her　not；　for　she　said　it　would　break　my　heart

（as　it　has　done；　WillGod　knows　it　has）；〃　said　the　poor　mother；

choking　with　her　struggle　to　keep　down　her　hard　overmastering　grief；

〃and　her　father　would　curse　herOh；　God；　teach　me　to　be　patient。〃

She　could　not　speak　for　a　few　minutes〃and　the　lass　threatened；　and

said　she'd　go　drown　herself　in　the　canal；　if　the　missus　wrote　home

and　so　…



〃Well！　　I'd　got　a　trace　of　my　childthe　missus　thought　she'd　gone　to

th'