amy foster-第6节
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bit scared by the flood of passionate speech which；
turning on his pallet； he let out at them。 They ad…
mitted that the sound was pleasant； soft； musical
but； in conjunction with his looks perhaps； it was
startlingso excitable； so utterly unlike anything
one had ever heard。 The village boys climbed up
the bank to have a peep through the little square
aperture。 Everybody was wondering what Mr。
Swaffer would do with him。
〃He simply kept him。
〃Swaffer would be called eccentric were he not
so much respected。 They will tell you that Mr。
Swaffer sits up as late as ten o'clock at night to
read books； and they will tell you also that he can
write a cheque for two hundred pounds without
thinking twice about it。 He himself would tell
you that the Swaffers had owned land between
this and Darnford for these three hundred years。
He must be eighty…five to…day； but he does not look
a bit older than when I first came here。 He is a
great breeder of sheep； and deals extensively in cat…
tle。 He attends market days for miles around in
every sort of weather； and drives sitting bowed low
over the reins； his lank grey hair curling over the
collar of his warm coat； and with a green plaid rug
round his legs。 The calmness of advanced age
gives a solemnity to his manner。 He is clean…
shaved； his lips are thin and sensitive； something
rigid and monarchal in the set of his features lends
a certain elevation to the character of his face。 He
has been known to drive miles in the rain to see a
new kind of rose in somebody's garden； or a mon…
strous cabbage grown by a cottager。 He loves to
hear tell of or to be shown something that he calls
'outlandish。' Perhaps it was just that outlandish…
ness of the man which influenced old Swaffer。 Per…
haps it was only an inexplicable caprice。 All I
know is that at the end of three weeks I caught
sight of Smith's lunatic digging in Swaffer's kitch…
en garden。 They had found out he could use a
spade。 He dug barefooted。
〃His black hair flowed over his shoulders。 I
suppose it was Swaffer who had given him the
striped old cotton shirt； but he wore still the na…
tional brown cloth trousers （in which he had been
washed ashore） fitting to the leg almost like
tights； was belted with a broad leathern belt stud…
ded with little brass discs； and had never yet ven…
tured into the village。 The land he looked upon
seemed to him kept neatly； like the grounds round
a landowner's house； the size of the cart…horses
struck him with astonishment； the roads resembled
garden walks； and the aspect of the people； espe…
cially on Sundays； spoke of opulence。 He won…
dered what made them so hardhearted and their
children so bold。 He got his food at the back door；
carried it in both hands carefully to his outhouse；
and； sitting alone on his pallet； would make the sign
of the cross before he began。 Beside the same pal…
let； kneeling in the early darkness of the short days；
he recited aloud the Lord's Prayer before he slept。
Whenever he saw old Swaffer he would bow with
veneration from the waist； and stand erect while
the old man； with his fingers over his upper lip； sur…
veyed him silently。 He bowed also to Miss Swaffer；
who kept house frugally for her fathera broad…
shouldered； big…boned woman of forty…five； with
the pocket of her dress full of keys； and a grey；
steady eye。 She was Churchas people said
（while her father was one of the trustees of the
Baptist Chapel）and wore a little steel cross at
her waist。 She dressed severely in black； in mem…
ory of one of the innumerable Bradleys of the
neighbourhood； to whom she had been engaged
some twenty…five years agoa young farmer who
broke his neck out hunting on the eve of the wed…
ding day。 She had the unmoved countenance of
the deaf； spoke very seldom； and her lips； thin like
her father's； astonished one sometimes by a myste…
riously ironic curl。
〃These were the people to whom he owed alle…
giance； and an overwhelming loneliness seemed to
fall from the leaden sky of that winter without sun…
shine。 All the faces were sad。 He could talk to
no one； and had no hope of ever understanding
anybody。 It was as if these had been the faces of
people from the other worlddead peoplehe
used to tell me years afterwards。 Upon my word；
I wonder he did not go mad。 He didn't know
where he was。 Somewhere very far from his moun…
tainssomewhere over the water。 Was this Amer…
ica； he wondered？
〃If it hadn't been for the steel cross at Miss
Swaffer's belt he would not； he confessed； have
known whether he was in a Christian country at
all。 He used to cast stealthy glances at it； and feel
comforted。 There was nothing here the same as in
his country！ The earth and the water were differ…
ent； there were no images of the Redeemer by the
roadside。 The very grass was different； and the
trees。 All the trees but the three old Norway pines
on the bit of lawn before Swaffer's house； and
these reminded him of his country。 He had been
detected once； after dusk； with his forehead against
the trunk of one of them； sobbing； and talking to
himself。 They had been like brothers to him at that
time； he affirmed。 Everything else was strange。
Conceive you the kind of an existence overshad…
owed； oppressed； by the everyday material appear…
ances； as if by the visions of a nightmare。 At
night； when he could not sleep； he kept on thinking
of the girl who gave him the first piece of bread he
had eaten in this foreign land。 She had been
neither fierce nor angry； nor frightened。 Her face
he remembered as the only comprehensible face
amongst all these faces that were as closed； as mys…
terious； and as mute as the faces of the dead who
are possessed of a knowledge beyond the compre…
hension of the living。 I wonder whether the mem…
ory of her compassion prevented him from cutting
his throat。 But there！ I suppose I am an old sen…
timentalist； and forget the instinctive love of life
which it takes all the strength of an uncommon de…
spair to overcome。
〃He did the work which was given him with an
intelligence which surprised old Swaffer。 By…and…
by it was discovered that he could help at the
ploughing； could milk the cows； feed the bullocks
in the cattle…yard； and was of some use with the
sheep。 He began to pick up words； too； very fast；
and suddenly； one fine morning in spring； he res…
cued from an untimely death a grand…child of old
Swaffer。
〃Swaffer's younger daughter is married to
Willcox； a solicitor and the Town Clerk of Cole…
brook。 Regularly twice a year they come to stay
with the old man for a few days。 Their only child；
a little girl not three years old at the time； ran out
of the house alone in her little white pinafore； and；
toddling across the grass of a terraced garden；
pitched herself over a low wall head first into the
horsepond in the yard below。
〃Our man was out with the waggoner and the
plough in the field nearest to the house； and as he
was leading the team round to begin a fresh fur…
row； he saw； through the gap of the gate； what for
anybody else would have been a mere flutter of
something white。 But he had straight…glancing；
quick； far…reaching eyes； that only seemed to flinch
and lose their amazing power before the immensity
of the sea。 He was barefooted； and looking as out…
landish as the heart of Swaffer could desire。 Leav…
ing the horses on the turn； to the inexpressible dis…
ust of the waggoner he bounded off； going over
the ploughed ground in long leaps； and suddenly
appeared before the mother； thrust the child into
her arms； and strode away。
〃The pond was not very deep； but still； if he
had not had such good eyes； the child would have
perishedmiserably suffocated in the foot or so of
sticky mud at the bottom。 Old Swaffer walked out
slowly into the field； waited till the plough came
over to his side； had a good look at him； and with…
out saying a word went back to the house。 But
from that time they laid out his meals on the kitch…
en table； and at first； Miss Swaffer； all in black and
with an inscrutable face； would come and stand in
the doorway of the living…room t
