lazy tour of two idle apprentices-第20节

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looked　up；　the　branches　cracked　and　swayed；　the　figure　rapidly

descended；　and　slid　upon　its　feet　before　him。　　A　slender　youth　of

about　her　age；　with　long　light　brown　hair。



'〃What　thief　are　you？〃　he　said；　seizing　the　youth　by　the　collar。



'The　young　man；　in　shaking　himself　free；　swung　him　a　blow　with　his

arm　across　the　face　and　throat。　　They　closed；　but　the　young　man　got

from　him　and　stepped　back；　crying；　with　great　eagerness　and　horror；

〃Don't　touch　me！　　I　would　as　lieve　be　touched　by　the　Devil！〃



'He　stood　still；　with　his　bill…hook　in　his　hand；　looking　at　the

young　man。　　For；　the　young　man's　look　was　the　counterpart　of　her

last　look；　and　he　had　not　expected　ever　to　see　that　again。



'〃I　am　no　thief。　　Even　if　I　were；　I　would　not　have　a　coin　of　your

wealth；　if　it　would　buy　me　the　Indies。　　You　murderer！〃



'〃What！〃



'〃I　climbed　it；〃　said　the　young　man；　pointing　up　into　the　tree；

〃for　the　first　time；　nigh　four　years　ago。　　I　climbed　it；　to　look　at

her。　　I　saw　her。　　I　spoke　to　her。　　I　have　climbed　it；　many　a　time；

to　watch　and　listen　for　her。　　I　was　a　boy；　hidden　among　its　leaves；

when　from　that　bay…window　she　gave　me　this！〃



'He　showed　a　tress　of　flaxen　hair；　tied　with　a　mourning　ribbon。



'〃Her　life；〃　said　the　young　man；　〃was　a　life　of　mourning。　　She　gave

me　this；　as　a　token　of　it；　and　a　sign　that　she　was　dead　to　every

one　but　you。　　If　I　had　been　older；　if　I　had　seen　her　sooner；　I

might　have　saved　her　from　you。　　But；　she　was　fast　in　the　web　when　I

first　climbed　the　tree；　and　what　could　I　do　then　to　break　it！〃



'In　saying　those　words；　he　burst　into　a　fit　of　sobbing　and　crying：

weakly　at　first；　then　passionately。



'〃Murderer！　　I　climbed　the　tree　on　the　night　when　you　brought　her

back。　　I　heard　her；　from　the　tree；　speak　of　the　Death…watch　at　the

door。　　I　was　three　times　in　the　tree　while　you　were　shut　up　with

her；　slowly　killing　her。　　I　saw　her；　from　the　tree；　lie　dead　upon

her　bed。　　I　have　watched　you；　from　the　tree；　for　proofs　and　traces

of　your　guilt。　　The　manner　of　it；　is　a　mystery　to　me　yet；　but　I

will　pursue　you　until　you　have　rendered　up　your　life　to　the

hangman。　　You　shall　never；　until　then；　be　rid　of　me。　　I　loved　her！

I　can　know　no　relenting　towards　you。　　Murderer；　I　loved　her！〃



'The　youth　was　bare…headed；　his　hat　having　fluttered　away　in　his

descent　from　the　tree。　　He　moved　towards　the　gate。　　He　had　to　pass

…　Him　…　to　get　to　it。　　There　was　breadth　for　two　old…fashioned

carriages　abreast；　and　the　youth's　abhorrence；　openly　expressed　in

every　feature　of　his　face　and　limb　of　his　body；　and　very　hard　to

bear；　had　verge　enough　to　keep　itself　at　a　distance　in。　　He　（by

which　I　mean　the　other）　had　not　stirred　hand　or　foot；　since　he　had

stood　still　to　look　at　the　boy。　　He　faced　round；　now；　to　follow　him

with　his　eyes。　　As　the　back　of　the　bare　light…brown　head　was　turned

to　him；　he　saw　a　red　curve　stretch　from　his　hand　to　it。　　He　knew；

before　he　threw　the　bill…hook；　where　it　had　alighted　…　I　say；　had

alighted；　and　not；　would　alight；　for；　to　his　clear　perception　the

thing　was　done　before　he　did　it。　　It　cleft　the　head；　and　it

remained　there；　and　the　boy　lay　on　his　face。



'He　buried　the　body　in　the　night；　at　the　foot　of　the　tree。　　As　soon

as　it　was　light　in　the　morning；　he　worked　at　turning　up　all　the

ground　near　the　tree；　and　hacking　and　hewing　at　the　neighbouring

bushes　and　undergrowth。　　When　the　labourers　came；　there　was　nothing

suspicious；　and　nothing　suspected。



'But；　he　had；　in　a　moment；　defeated　all　his　precautions；　and

destroyed　the　triumph　of　the　scheme　he　had　so　long　concerted；　and

so　successfully　worked　out。　　He　had　got　rid　of　the　Bride；　and　had

acquired　her　fortune　without　endangering　his　life；　but　now；　for　a

death　by　which　he　had　gained　nothing；　he　had　evermore　to　live　with

a　rope　around　his　neck。



'Beyond　this；　he　was　chained　to　the　house　of　gloom　and　horror；

which　he　could　not　endure。　　Being　afraid　to　sell　it　or　to　quit　it；

lest　discovery　should　be　made；　he　was　forced　to　live　in　it。　　He

hired　two　old　people；　man　and　wife；　for　his　servants；　and　dwelt　in

it；　and　dreaded　it。　　His　great　difficulty；　for　a　long　time；　was　the

garden。　　Whether　he　should　keep　it　trim；　whether　he　should　suffer

it　to　fall　into　its　former　state　of　neglect；　what　would　be　the

least　likely　way　of　attracting　attention　to　it？



'He　took　the　middle　course　of　gardening；　himself；　in　his　evening

leisure；　and　of　then　calling　the　old　serving…man　to　help　him；　but；

of　never　letting　him　work　there　alone。　　And　he　made　himself　an

arbour　over　against　the　tree；　where　he　could　sit　and　see　that　it

was　safe。



'As　the　seasons　changed；　and　the　tree　changed；　his　mind　perceived

dangers　that　were　always　changing。　　In　the　leafy　time；　he　perceived

that　the　upper　boughs　were　growing　into　the　form　of　the　young　man　…

that　they　made　the　shape　of　him　exactly；　sitting　in　a　forked　branch

swinging　in　the　wind。　　In　the　time　of　the　falling　leaves；　he

perceived　that　they　came　down　from　the　tree；　forming　tell…tale

letters　on　the　path；　or　that　they　had　a　tendency　to　heap　themselves

into　a　churchyard　mound　above　the　grave。　　In　the　winter；　when　the

tree　was　bare；　he　perceived　that　the　boughs　swung　at　him　the　ghost

of　the　blow　the　young　man　had　given；　and　that　they　threatened　him

openly。　　In　the　spring；　when　the　sap　was　mounting　in　the　trunk；　he

asked　himself；　were　the　dried…up　particles　of　blood　mounting　with

it：　　to　make　out　more　obviously　this　year　than　last；　the　leaf…

screened　figure　of　the　young　man；　swinging　in　the　wind？



'However；　he　turned　his　Money　over　and　over；　and　still　over。　　He

was　in　the　dark　trade；　the　gold…dust　trade；　and　most　secret　trades

that　yielded　great　returns。　　In　ten　years；　he　had　turned　his　Money

over；　so　many　times；　that　the　traders　and　shippers　who　had　dealings

with　him；　absolutely　did　not　lie　…　for　once　…　when　they　declared

that　he　had　increased　his　fortune；　Twelve　Hundred　Per　Cent。



'He　possessed　his　riches　one　hundred　years　ago；　when　people　could

be　lost　easily。　　He　had　heard　who　the　youth　was；　from　hearing　of

the　search　that　was　made　after　him；　but；　it　died　away；　and　the

youth　was　forgotten。



'The　annual　round　of　changes　in　the　tree　had　been　repeated　ten

times　since　the　night　of　the　burial　at　its　foot；　when　there　was　a

great　thunder…storm　over　this　place。　　It　broke　at　midnight；　and

roared　until　morning。　　The　first　intelligence　he　heard　from　his　old

serving…man　that　morning；　was；　that　the　tree　had　been　struck　by

Lightning。



'It　had　been　riven　down　the　stem；　in　a　very　surprising　manner；　and

the　stem　lay　in　two　blighted　shafts：　　one　resting　against　the

house；　and　one　against　a　portion　of　the　old　red　garden…wall　in

which　its　fall　had　made　a　gap。　　The　fissure　went　down　the　tree　to　a

little　above　the　earth；　and　there　stopped。　　There　was　great

curiosity　to　see　the　tree；　and；　with　most　of　his　former　fears

revived；　he　sat　in　his　arbour　…　grown　quite　an　old　man　…　watching

the　people　who　came　to　see　it。



'They　quickly　began　to　come；　in　such　dangerous　numbers；　that　he

closed　his　garden…gate　and　refused　to　admit　any　more。　　But；　there

were　certain　men　of　science　who　travelled　from　a　distance　to

examine　the　tree；　and；　in　an　evil　hour；　he　let　them　in！　…　Blight

and　Murrain　on　them；　let　them　in！



'They　wanted　to　dig　up　the　ruin　by　the　roots；　and　closely　examine

it；　and　the　earth　about　it。　　Never；　while　he　lived！　　They　offered

money　for　it。　　They！　　Men　of　science；　whom　he　could　have　bought　by

the　gross；　with　a　scratch　of　his　pen！　　He　showed　them　the　garden…

gate　again；　and　locked　and　barred　it。



'But　they　were　bent　on　doing　what　they　wanted　to　do；　and　they

bribed　the　old　serving…man　…　a　thankless　wretch　who　regularly

complained　when　he　received　his　wages；　of　being　underpaid　…　and

they　stole　into　the　garden　by　night　with　their　lanterns；　picks；　and

shovels；　and　fell　to　at　the　tree。　　He　was　lying　in　a　turret…room　on

the　other　side　of　the　house　（the　Bride's　Chamber　had　been

unoccupied　ever　since）；　but　he　soon　dreamed　of　picks　and　shovels；

and　got　up。



'He　came　to　an　upper　window　on　that　side；　whence　he　could　see　their

lanterns；　and　them；　and　the　loose　earth　in　a　heap　which　he　had

himself　disturbed　and　put　back；　when　it　was　last　turned　to　the　air。

It　was　found！　　They　had　that　minute　lighted　on　it。　　They　were　all

bending　over　it。　　One　of　them　said；　〃The　skull　is　fractured；〃　and

another；　〃See　here　the　bones；〃　and　another；　〃See　here　the　clothes；〃

and　then　the　first　struck　in　again；　and　said；　〃A　rusty　bill…hook！〃



'He　became　sensible；　next　day；　that　he　was　already　put　under　a

strict　watch；　and　that　he　could　go　nowhere　without　being　followed。

Before　a　week　was　out；　he　was　taken　and　laid　in　hold。　　The

circumstances　were　gradually　pieced　together　against　him；　with　a

desperate　malignity；　and　an　appalling　ingenuity。　　But；　see　the

justice　of　men；　and　how　it　was　extended　to　him！　　He　was　further

accused　of　having