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第42节

jeremy-第42节

小说: jeremy 字数: 每页4000字

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world was calm。 Little white milky clouds raced in lines and circles
across the sky; and once and again a leaf floated from a tree; hung
for a moment suspended; and then turned slowly to the ground。 The
hedges were a dark black…green; high and thick above the dusty road;
there had been no rain for weeks。 Truly a stable world。 Mary;
glaring at Fate; wondered how it could be so。

Miss Jones; who was happy and optimistic to…day; talked in a
tenderly reminiscent tone of her youth。 This vein of reminiscence
Mary; on her normal day; loved。 To…day she did not hear a word that
Miss Jones said。

〃I remember my mother saying so well to my dear brother: 'Do what
you like; my boy。 I trust you。' And indeed Alfred was to be trusted
if ever a boy was。 It is a remarkable thing; but I cannot remember a
single occasion of dishonesty on Alfred's part。 'A white lie;' he
would often say; 'is a lie; and a lie is a sinwhite or black;
always a sin'; and I remember that he would often put mother to a
serious inconvenience by his telling callers that she was in when
she had wished it to be said that she was not at home。 He felt it
his serious duty; and so he told Mother。 'Don't ask me to tell a
lie; Mother;' I remember his saying。 'I cannot do it。'〃

〃Like George Washington;〃 said Mary; suddenly catching the last
words of Miss Jones's sentence。

〃He was like many famous characters in history; I used to think。
Once I remember reading about Oliver Cromwell。 。 。 〃Where is that
dog? Hamlet! Hamlet! Perhaps he's gone after the sheep。 Ah! there he
is! Hamlet; you naughty dog!〃

They were approaching one of their favourite pieces of country
Mellot Wood。 Here; on the wood's edge; the ground broke away;
running down in a field of corn to a little green valley with
clustered trees that showed only their heads; so thickly embedded
were they; and beyond the valley the sea。 The sea looked quite close
here; although it was in reality four miles distant。 Never was such
a place as this view for light and shadow。 The clouds raced like the
black wings of enormous birds across the light green valley; and the
red…gold of the cornfield was tossed into the haze and swept like a
golden shadow across the earth; bending back again when the breeze
had died。 Behind Mellot Wood was Mellot Farm; an old eighteenth…
century house about which there was a fine tragic story with a
murder and a ghost in it; and this; of course; gave Mellot Wood an
additional charm。 When they arrived at the outskirts of Mellot Wood
Mary looked about her。 It was here; on the edge of the Rafiel Road
that skirted the wood; that she had once seen the dog…man eating his
luncheon out of a red pocket…handkerchief。 There was no sign of him
to…day。 All was silent and still。 Only the little wood uttered
little sighs of content beneath the flying clouds。 Hamlet; tired
with his racing after imaginary rabbits; walked quietly along by
Mary's side。 What was she to do? She had once again the desperate
feeling that something stronger than she had swept down upon her and
was forcing her to do this thing。 She seemed to have no will of her
own; but to be watching some other commit an act whose dangerous
wickedness froze her heart。 How could she? But she must。 Someone was
doing it for her。

And in very truth it seemed so。 Miss Jones said that now they were
here she might as well call upon Miss Andrews; the sister of the
Mellot farmer。 Miss Andrews had promised her some ducks' eggs。 They
pushed open the farm gate; passed across the yard and knocked on the
house door。 Near Mary was a large barn with a heavy door; now ajar。
Hamlet sat gazing pensively at a flock of geese; his tongue out;
panting contentedly。

〃Wait here one minute; Mary;〃 said Miss Jones。 〃I won't stay。〃

Miss Jones disappeared。 Mary; still under the strange sense that it
was not she; but another; who did these things; moved back to the
barn; calling softly to Hamlet。 He followed her; sniffing a rat
somewhere。 Very quickly she pulled back the door; he; still
investigating his rat; followed into the dark excitements of the
barn。 With a quick movement she bent down; slipped off his collar;
which she hid in her dress; then shut him in。 She knew that for a
moment or two he would still be pursuing his rat; and she saw; with
guilty relief; Miss Jones come out to her just as she had finished
her evil deed。

〃Miss Andrews is out;〃 said Miss Jones。 〃They are all away at
Liskane Fair。〃

They left the farm and walked down the road。 Hamlet had not begun
his cry。




IV


Miss Jones was pleased。 〃Such a nice servant;〃 she said。 〃One of the
old kind。 She had been with the family fifty years; she told me; and
had nursed Mr。 Andrews on her knee。 Fancy! Such a large fat man as
he is now。 Too much beer; I suppose。 I suppose they get so thirsty
with all the straw and hay about。 Yes; a really nice woman。 She told
me that there was no place in Glebeshire to touch them for cream。 I
dare say they're right。 After all; you never can tell。 I remember at
home 。 。 。〃

She broke off then and cried: 〃Where's Hamlet?〃

Mary; wickeder than ever; stared through her spectacles down the
road。 〃I don't know; Miss Jones;〃 she said。 They had left the wood
and the farm; and there was nothing to be seen but the long white
ribbon of road hemmed in by the high hedges。

〃Perhaps he stayed behind at the farm;〃 said Miss Jones。

Then Mary told her worst lie。

〃Oh; no; Miss Jones。 He ran past us just now。 Didn't you see him?〃

〃No; I didn't。 He's gone on ahead; I suppose。 He runs home
sometimes。 Naughty dog! We shall catch him up。〃

But of course they did not。 They passed through the gates of Cow
Farm and still nothing of Hamlet was to be seen。

〃Oh dear! Oh dear!〃 said Miss Jones。 〃I do hope that he's arrived。
Whatever will Jeremy say if anything has gone wrong?〃

Mary was breathing hard now; as though she had been running a
desperate race。 She would at this moment have given all that she
possessed; or all that she was ever likely to possess; to recall her
deed。 If she could have seen Hamlet rushing down the road towards
her she would have cried with relief; there seemed now to be
suddenly removed from her that outside agency that had forced her to
do this thing; now; having compelled her; it had withdrawn and left
her to carry the consequences。 Strangely confused in her sentimental
soul was her terror of Jeremy's wrath and her own picture of the
wretched Hamlet barking his heart out; frightened; thirsty; and
lonely。 Her teeth began to chatter; she clenched her hands together。

Miss Jones went across the courtyard; calling:

〃Hamlet! Hamlet!〃

The family was collected; having just sat down to tea; so that the
announcement received its full measure of excitement。

〃Has Hamlet come back? We thought he was ahead of us。〃

A chair had tumbled over。 Jeremy had run round the table to Miss
Jones。

〃What's that? Hamlet? Where is he?〃

〃We thought he must be ahead of us。 He ran past us down the road;
and we thought〃

They thought! Silly women! Jeremy; as though he were challenging a
god; stood up against Miss Jones; hurling questions at her。 Where
had they been? What road had they taken? Had they gone into the
wood? Whereabouts had he run past them?

〃I don't know;〃 said Miss Jones to this last。 〃I didn't see him。
Mary did。〃

Jeremy turned upon Mary。 〃Where was it you saw him?〃

She couldn't speak。 Her tongue wouldn't move; her lips wouldn't
open; she could but waggle her head like an idiot。 She saw nothing
but his face。 It was a desperate face。 She knew so much better than
all the others what the thought of losing Hamlet was to him。 It was
part of the harshness of her fate that she should understand him so
much better than the others did。

But she herself had not realised how hardly he would take it。

〃I didn'tI couldn't〃

〃There's the dog…man;〃 he stammered。 〃He'll have stolen him。〃 Then
he was off out of the room in an instant。

And that was more than Mary could hear。 She realised; even as she
followed him; that she was giving her whole case away; that she was
now; as always; weak when she should be strong; soft when she should
be hard; good when she should be wicked; wicked when she should be
good。 She could not help herself。 With trembling limbs and a heart
that seemed to be hammering her body into pieces she followed him
out。 She found him in the hall; tugging at his coat。

〃Where are you going?〃 she said weakly。

〃Going?〃 he answered fiercely。 〃Where do you think?〃 He glared at
her。 〃Just like you。〃 He broke off; suddenly appealing to her。
〃Mary; CAN'T you remember? It will be getting dark soon; and if we
have to wait until to…morrow the dog…man will have got him。 At any
rate; he had his collar〃

Then Mary broke out。 She burst into sobs; pushed her hand into her
dress; and held out the collar to him。

〃There it is! There it is!〃 she said hysterically。

〃You've got it?〃 He stared at her; suspicion slowly coming to him。
〃But how? What have you done?〃

She looked up at him wild…eyed; the tears making dirty lines on her
face; her hand out towards him。

〃I took it off。 I shut Hamlet into the barn at Mellot Farm。 I wanted
him 

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