half a life-time ago-第10节

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itself　does　not　seem　to　be　of　sufficient　importance　to　call　out　the

requisite　energy。　　On　the　contrary；　Susan　exerted　herself　to　avoid

change　and　variety。　　She　had　a　morbid　dread　of　new　faces；　which

originated　in　her　desire　to　keep　poor　dead　Willie's　state　a　profound

secret。　　She　had　a　contempt　for　new　customs；　and；　indeed；　her　old

ways　prospered　so　well　under　her　active　hand　and　vigilant　eye；　that

it　was　difficult　to　know　how　they　could　be　improved　upon。　　She　was

regularly　present　in　Coniston　market　with　the　best　butter　and　the

earliest　chickens　of　the　season。　　Those　were　the　common　farm　produce

that　every　farmer's　wife　about　had　to　sell；　but　Susan；　after　she　had

disposed　of　the　more　feminine　articles；　turned　to　on　the　man's　side。

A　better　judge　of　a　horse　or　cow　there　was　not　in　all　the　country

round。　　Yorkshire　itself　might　have　attempted　to　jockey　her；　and

would　have　failed。　　Her　corn　was　sound　and　clean；　her　potatoes　well

preserved　to　the　latest　spring。　　People　began　to　talk　of　the　hoards

of　money　Susan　Dixon　must　have　laid　up　somewhere；　and　one　young

ne'er…do…weel　of　a　farmer's　son　undertook　to　make　love　to　the　woman

of　forty；　who　looked　fifty…five；　if　a　day。　　He　made　up　to　her　by

opening　a　gate　on　the　road…path　home；　as　she　was　riding　on　a　bare…

backed　horse；　her　purchase　not　an　hour　ago。　　She　was　off　before　him；

refusing　his　civility；　but　the　remounting　was　not　so　easy；　and　rather

than　fail　she　did　not　choose　to　attempt　it。　　She　walked；　and　he

walked　alongside；　improving　his　opportunity；　which；　as　he　vainly

thought；　had　been　consciously　granted　to　him。　　As　they　drew　near　Yew

Nook；　he　ventured　on　some　expression　of　a　wish　to　keep　company　with

her。　　His　words　were　vague　and　clumsily　arranged。　　Susan　turned　round

and　coolly　asked　him　to　explain　himself；　he　took　courage；　as　he

thought　of　her　reputed　wealth；　and　expressed　his　wishes　this　second

time　pretty　plainly。　　To　his　surprise；　the　reply　she　made　was　in　a

series　of　smart　strokes　across　his　shoulders；　administered　through

the　medium　of　a　supple　hazel…switch。



〃Take　that！〃　said　she；　almost　breathless；　〃to　teach　thee　how　thou

darest　make　a　fool　of　an　honest　woman　old　enough　to　be　thy　mother。

If　thou　com'st　a　step　nearer　the　house；　there's　a　good　horse…pool；

and　there's　two　stout　fellows　who'll　like　no　better　fun　than　ducking

thee。　　Be　off　wi'　thee！〃



And　she　strode　into　her　own　premises；　never　looking　round　to　see

whether　he　obeyed　her　injunction　or　not。



Sometimes　three　or　four　years　would　pass　over　without　her　hearing

Michael　Hurst's　name　mentioned。　　She　used　to　wonder　at　such　times

whether　he　were　dead　or　alive。　　She　would　sit　for　hours　by　the　dying

embers　of　her　fire　on　a　winter's　evening；　trying　to　recall　the　scenes

of　her　youth；　trying　to　bring　up　living　pictures　of　the　faces　she　had

then　knownMichael's　most　especially。　　She　thought　it　was　possible；

so　long　had　been　the　lapse　of　years；　that　she　might　now　pass　by　him

in　the　street　unknowing　and　unknown。　　His　outward　form　she　might　not

recognize；　but　himself　she　should　feel　in　the　thrill　of　her　whole

being。　　He　could　not　pass　her　unawares。



What　little　she　did　hear　about　him；　all　testified　a　downward

tendency。　　He　dranknot　at　stated　times　when　there　was　no　other　work

to　be　done；　but　continually；　whether　it　was　seed…time　or　harvest。

His　children　were　all　ill　at　the　same　time；　then　one　died；　while　the

others　recovered；　but　were　poor　sickly　things。　　No　one　dared　to　give

Susan　any　direct　intelligence　of　her　former　lover；　many　avoided　all

mention　of　his　name　in　her　presence；　but　a　few　spoke　out　either　in

indifference　to；　or　ignorance　of；　those　bygone　days。　　Susan　heard

every　word；　every　whisper；　every　sound　that　related　to　him。　　But　her

eye　never　changed；　nor　did　a　muscle　of　her　face　move。



Late　one　November　night　she　sat　over　her　fire；　not　a　human　being

besides　herself　in　the　house；　none　but　she　had　ever　slept　there　since

Willie's　death。　　The　farm…labourers　had　foddered　the　cattle　and　gone

home　hours　before。　　There　were　crickets　chirping　all　round　the　warm

hearth…stones；　there　was　the　clock　ticking　with　the　peculiar　beat

Susan　had　known　from　her　childhood；　and　which　then　and　ever　since　she

had　oddly　associated　within　the　idea　of　a　mother　and　child　talking

together；　one　loud　tick；　and　quicka　feeble；　sharp　one　following。



The　day　had　been　keen；　and　piercingly　cold。　　The　whole　lift　of　heaven

seemed　a　dome　of　iron。　　Black　and　frost…bound　was　the　earth　under　the

cruel　east　wind。　　Now　the　wind　had　dropped；　and　as　the　darkness　had

gathered　in；　the　weather…wise　old　labourers　prophesied　snow。　　The

sounds　in　the　air　arose　again；　as　Susan　sat　still　and　silent。　　They

were　of　a　different　character　to　what　they　had　been　during　the

prevalence　of　the　east　wind。　　Then　they　had　been　shrill　and　piping；

now　they　were　like　low　distant　growling；　not　unmusical；　but　strangely

threatening。　　Susan　went　to　the　window；　and　drew　aside　the　little

curtain。　　The　whole　world　was　whitethe　air　was　blinded　with　the

swift　and　heavy　fall　of　snow。　　At　present　it　came　down　straight；　but

Susan　knew　those　distant　sounds　in　the　hollows　and　gulleys　of　the

hills　portended　a　driving　wind　and　a　more　cruel　storm。　　She　thought

of　her　sheep；　were　they　all　folded？　the　new…born　calf；　was　it　bedded

well？　　Before　the　drifts　were　formed　too　deep　for　her　to　pass　in　and

outand　by　the　morning　she　judged　that　they　would　be　six　or　seven

feet　deepshe　would　go　out　and　see　after　the　comfort　of　her　beasts。

She　took　a　lantern；　and　tied　a　shawl　over　her　head；　and　went　out　into

the　open　air。　　She　had　tenderly　provided　for　all　her　animals；　and　was

returning；　when；　borne　on　the　blast　as　if　some　spirit…cryfor　it

seemed　to　come　rather　down　from　the　skies　than　from　any　creature

standing　on　earth's　levelshe　heard　a　voice　of　agony；　she　could　not

distinguish　words；　it　seemed　rather　as　if　some　bird　of　prey　was　being

caught　in　the　whirl　of　the　icy　wind；　and　torn　and　tortured　by　its

violence。　　Again　up　high　above！　　Susan　put　down　her　lantern；　and

shouted　loud　in　return；　it　was　an　instinct；　for　if　the　creature　were

not　human；　which　she　had　doubted　but　a　moment　before；　what　good　could

her　responding　cry　do？　　And　her　cry　was　seized　on　by　the　tyrannous

wind；　and　borne　farther　away　in　the　opposite　direction　to　that　from

which　the　call　of　agony　had　proceeded。　　Again　she　listened；　no　sound：

then　again　it　rang　through　space；　and　this　time　she　was　sure　it　was

human。　　She　turned　into　the　house；　and　heaped　turf　and　wood　on　the

fire；　which；　careless　of　her　own　sensations；　she　had　allowed　to　fade

and　almost　die　out。　　She　put　a　new　candle　in　her　lantern；　she　changed

her　shawl　for　a　maud；　and　leaving　the　door　on　latch；　she　sallied　out。

Just　at　the　moment　when　her　ear　first　encountered　the　weird　noises　of

the　storm；　on　issuing　forth　into　the　open　air；　she　thought　she　heard

the　words；　〃O　God！　　O　help！〃　　They　were　a　guide　to　her；　if　words　they

were；　for　they　came　straight　from　a　rock　not　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from

Yew　Nook；　but　only　to　be　reached；　on　account　of　its　precipitous

character；　by　a　round…about　path。　　Thither　she　steered；　defying　wind

and　snow；　guided　by　here　a　thorn…tree；　there　an　old；　doddered　oak；

which　had　not　quite　lest　their　identity　under　the　whelming　mask　of

snow。　　Now　and　then　she　stopped　to　listen；　but　never　a　word　or　sound

heard　she；　till　right　from　where　the　copse…wood　grew　thick　and

tangled　at　the　base　of　the　rock；　round　which　she　was　winding；　she

heard　a　moan。　　Into　the　brakeall　snow　in　appearancealmost　a　plain

of　snow　looked　on　from　the　little　eminence　where　she　stoodshe

plunged；　breaking　down　the　bush；　stumbling；　bruising　herself；

fighting　her　way；　her　lantern　held　between　her　teeth；　and　she　herself

using　head　as　well　as　hands　to　butt　away　a　passage；　at　whatever　cost

of　bodily　injury。　　As　she　climbed　or　staggered；　owing　to　the

unevenness　of　the　snow…covered　ground；　where　the　briars　and　weeds　of

years　were　tangled　and　matted　together；　her　foot　felt　something

strangely　soft　and　yielding。　　She　lowered　her　lantern；　there　lay　a

man；　prone　on　his　face；　nearly　covered　by　the　fast…falling　flakes；　he

must　have　fallen　from　the　rock　above；　as；　not　knowing　of　the

circuitous　path；　he　had　tried　to　descend　its　steep；　slippery　face。

Who　could　tell？　it　was　no　time　for　thinking。　　Susan　lifted　him　up

with　her　wiry　strength；　he　gave　no　helpno　sign　of　life；　but　for　all

that　he　might　be　alive：　　he　was　still　warm；　she　tied　her　maud　round

him；　she　fastened　the　lantern　to　her　apron…string；　she　held　him

tight：　　half…carrying；　half…draggingwhat　did　a　few　bruises　signify

to　him；　compared　to　dear　life；　to　precious　life！　　She　got　him　through

the　brake；　and　down　the　path。　　There；　for　an　instant；　she　stopped　to

take　breath；　but；　as　if　stung　by　the　Furies；　she　pushed　on　again　with

almost　superhuman　strength。　　Clasping　him　round　the　waist；　and

leaning　his　dead　weight　against　the　lintel　of　the　door；　she　tried　to

undo　the　lat