jeremy-第51节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
had something behind them or inside them for which simply they stood
as words stand for pictures。 He analysed; of course; nothing; being
a perfectly healthy small boy; but if afterwards he looked back
these were the moments that he saw as one sees stations on a
journey。 One day he would know for what they stood。
He simply now waited there as though he expected something to
happen。 Thoughts slipped through his mind quite casually; whether
Hamlet were behaving well outside; what the old lady did when she
was tired of dusting; who the stone figure lying near him might be;
a figure very fine with his ruff and his peaked beard; his arms
folded; his toes pointing upwards; whether the body were inside the
stone like a mummy; or underneath the ground some… where; how
strangely different the nave looked now from its Sunday show; and
what fun it would be to run races all the way down and see who could
reach the golden angels over the reredos first; he felt no
reverence; and yet a deep reverence; no fear; but; nevertheless;
awe; he was warm and happy and comfortable; and yet suddenly; giving
a little shudder; he slipped out into the sunlight; released Hamlet
and started for home。
II
Back again in the bosom of his family he felt that they were
beginning to be aware of his departure。
〃What shall we do this evening; Jeremyyour last evening?〃 said his
mother。
Everyone looked at him。
〃Oh; I don't know;〃 he said uncomfortably。 〃Just as usual; I
suppose。〃
〃You're making him feel uncomfortable;〃 said Aunt Amy; who loved to
explain quite obvious things。 〃You want it to be just an ordinary
evening; dear; don't you?〃
〃Oh; I don't know;〃 he said again; hating his aunt。
〃I don't think that quite the way to speak to your aunt; my son;〃
said his father。 〃We only inquire out of kindness; thinking to
please you。 No; Mary; no more。 Fridayone helping〃
〃Jeremy might have another as it's his last day; I suggest;〃 said
Aunt Amy; who was determined to be pleasant。
〃I don't want any; thank you;〃 said Jeremy; although it was treacle
pudding; which he loved。
〃Well; I think;〃 said Mrs。 Cole; 〃that we'll have high tea at half…
past seven; and the children shall stay up afterwards and we'll have
'Midshipman Easy。'〃
Jeremy loved his mother intensely at that moment。 How did she know
so exactly what was right? She made so little disturbance; was so
quiet and was never angry; and yet she was always right when the
others were always wrong。 She knew that above all things he loved
high teafish pie and boiled eggs and tea and jam and cakea
horrible meal that his later judgment would utterly condemn; but
nevertheless something so cosy and so comfortable that no later meal
would ever be able to rival it in those qualities。
〃Oh; that will be lovely!〃 he said; his face shining all over。
Nevertheless; as the afternoon advanced a strange new sense of
insecurity; unhappiness and forlornness crept increasingly upon him。
He realised that he had that morning said good…bye to the town; and
now he felt as though he had; in some way; hurt or insulted it。 And;
all the afternoon; he was saying farewell to the house。 He did not
wander from room to room; but rather sat up in the schoolroom
pretending to mend a fishing rod which Mr。 Monk had given him that
summer。 He did not really care about the rodhe was not even
thinking of it。 He heard all the sounds of the house as he sat
there。 He could tell all the clocks; that one booming softly the
half hours was in his mother's bedroom; there was a rattle and a
whirr and there came the cuckoo…clock on the stairs; there was the
fast; cheap careless chatter of the little clock on the schoolroom
mantelpiece; there was the whisper of Miss Jones's watch which she
had put out on the table to mark the time of Mary's sewing by。 There
were all the regular sounds of the house。 The distant closing of
doors; deep down in the heart of the house someone was using a
sewing machine somewhere; voices came up out of the void and faded
again; someone whistled; someone sang。 His gloom increased。 He was
exchanging a world he knew for a world that he did not know; and he
could not escape the feeling that he was; in some way; insulting
this world that he was leaving。 He bothered himself all the
afternoon with unnecessary stupid affairs to cover his deep
discomfort。 He whistled carelessly and out of tune; he poked the
fire and walked about。 He was increasingly aware of Hamlet and Mary。
Mary was determined so hard that she would show no emotion at all
that she was a painful sight to witness。 She scarcely spoke to him;
and only answered in monosyllables if he asked her something。
And Hamlet had suddenly discovered that the atmosphere of the house
was unusual。 He had expected; in the first place; to be taken for a
walk that afternoon; then his master was very busy doing nothing;
which was most unusual。 Then at tea time his worst suspicions were
confirmed。 Jeremy suddenly made a fuss of him; pouring his tea into
his saucer; giving him a piece of bread and jam and an extra lump of
sugar。 Hamlet drank his tea and ate his bread and jam thoughtfully。
They were very nice; but what was the matter?
He looked up through his hair and discovered that his master's eyes
were restless and unhappy; and that he was thinking of things that
disturbed him。 He went away to the fire and; sitting on his
haunches; gazing in his metaphysical way at the flames; considered
the matter。 Jeremy came over to him and; drawing him back to him;
laid his head upon his knee and so held him。 Hamlet did not move;
save occasionally to sigh; and; once or twice; to snap in a sudden
way that he had at an imaginary fly。 He thought that in all
probability his master had been punished for something; and in this
he was deeply sympathetic; never seeing why his master need be
punished for anything and resenting the stupidity of human beings
with their eternal desire to be; in some way or other; asserting
their authority。
Gradually; in front of the hot fire; both boy and dog fell asleep。
Jeremy's dreams were confused; bewildered; distressing; he was
struggling to find something; was always climbing higher and higher
to discover it; only to be told that; in the end; he was in the
place where he had begun。
Hamlet's dream was of an enormous succulent bone that was pulled
away from him so soon as he snapped at it。 They both awoke with a
start to find that it was time for high tea。
III
Throughout the evening Jeremy was more and more lonely。 He had never
before felt so deep an affection for the family and never been so
utterly unable to express it。 It was as though; during the whole
year he had; by his own will; been slipping away from them; and now
they had gone too far for him to call them back。
He sat on the floor at his mother's feet whilst she read 〃Midshipman
Easy。〃 It was all so cosy; the room was so comfortable with all the
familiar pictures and photographs and books; and Helen and Mary
diligently sewing; and Hamlet stretched out in front of the fire;
his nose on his pawssix months ago Jeremy would have felt utterly
and absolutely part of it。 Now he was outside it and; at the same
time; was inside nothing else。 It might be that in a week's time he
would be so familiar with his new world that he would be as happy as
a crickethe did not know。 He only knew that at this moment he
would have given all that he had to fling his arms round his
mother's neck; to be hugged and kissed and nursed by her; and that;
at the same time; he would have died rather than do such a thing。
The evening came to an end。 The girls got up and said good…night。
His mother kissed him; holding him perhaps for a moment longer than
usual; but at that same instant she said:
〃Oh; I must remind Ella about the half…past seven breakfast again;
she always has to be told everything twice。〃
The girls went on ahead; Jeremy and Hamlet following close behind。
Jeremy found himself alone in the schoolroom; where the fire was
very low; giving only little spurts and flashes that ran like golden
snakes suddenly through the darkness。
Moved by an impulse; he went to the toy…cupboard and; opening it;
put his hand quite by chance on the toy village。 The toy village! He
laid it out and spread it on the floor。 He could not see; but he
knew every piece by heart; and he laid it all out; the church and
the flower garden; and the Noah's house and the village street; the
animals and the Noahs。 What centuries ago that birthday was; what
worlds away! How excited he had been; and now!
With a sudden impatient gesture he tumbled the pieces over on to
their sides; then quickly; as though he were afraid of the dark;
went into his bedroom and began to undress。
IV
In the morning events moved too quickly for thought。 He had still
the same lonely pain at his heart; but now he simply was not given
time to consider it。
His father called him into the study。 He gave him ten shillings and
a new prayer…book。 Jeremy knew that he was trying to come close to
him and be a friend of a new kind to him。
He heard in a distance such words as: 〃。 。 。 a new world; full of
trial and tem