the trumpet-major-第24节

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emotional　objects　of　small　size；　she　took　thence　the　little　folded
paper　with　which　we　have　already　become　acquainted；　and；　striking　a
light　from　her　private　tinder…box；　she　held　the　paper；　and　curl　of
hair　it　contained；　in　the　candle　till　they　were　burnt。　　Then　she　put
on　her　hat　and　followed　her　mother　and　the　rest　of　them　across　the
moist　grey　fields；　cheerfully　singing　in　an　undertone　as　she　went；
to　assure　herself　of　her　indifference　to　circumstances。



XV。　　'CAPTAIN'　BOB　LOVEDAY　OF　THE　MERCHANT　SERVICE

While　Loveday　and　his　neighbours　were　thus　rambling　forth；　full　of
expectancy；　some　of　them；　including　Anne　in　the　rear；　heard　the
crackling　of　light　wheels　along　the　curved　lane　to　which　the　path
was　the　chord。　　At　once　Anne　thought；　'Perhaps　that's　he；　and　we　are
missing　him。'　　But　recent　events　were　not　of　a　kind　to　induce　her　to
say　anything；　and　the　others　of　the　company　did　not　reflect　on　the
sound。

Had　they　gone　across　to　the　hedge　which　hid　the　lane；　and　looked
through　it；　they　would　have　seen　a　light　cart　driven　by　a　boy；
beside　whom　was　seated　a　seafaring　man；　apparently　of　good　standing
in　the　merchant　service；　with　his　feet　outside　on　the　shaft。　　The
vehicle　went　over　the　main　bridge；　turned　in　upon　the　other　bridge
at　the　tail　of　the　mill；　and　halted　by　the　door。　　The　sailor
alighted；　showing　himself　to　be　a　well…shaped；　active；　and　fine
young　man；　with　a　bright　eye；　an　anonymous　nose；　and　of　such　a　rich
complexion　by　exposure　to　ripening　suns　that　he　might　have　been　some
connexion　of　the　foreigner　who　calls　his　likeness　the　Portrait　of　a
Gentleman　in　galleries　of　the　Old　Masters。　　Yet　in　spite　of　this；
and　though　Bob　Loveday　had　been　all　over　the　world　from　Cape　Horn　to
Pekin；　and　from　India's　coral　strand　to　the　White　Sea；　the　most
conspicuous　of　all　the　marks　that　he　had　brought　back　with　him　was
an　increased　resemblance　to　his　mother；　who　had　lain　all　the　time
beneath　Overcombe　church　wall。

Captain　Loveday　tried　the　house　door；　finding　this　locked　he　went　to
the　mill　door：　　this　was　locked　also；　the　mill　being　stopped　for　the
night。

'They　are　not　at　home；'　he　said　to　the　boy。　　'But　never　mind　that。
Just　help　to　unload　the　things　and　then　I'll　pay　you；　and　you　can
drive　off　home。'

The　cart　was　unloaded；　and　the　boy　was　dismissed；　thanking　the
sailor　profusely　for　the　payment　rendered。　　Then　Bob　Loveday；
finding　that　he　had　still　some　leisure　on　his　hands；　looked　musingly
east；　west；　north；　south；　and　nadir；　after　which　he　bestirred
himself　by　carrying　his　goods；　article　by　article；　round　to　the　back
door；　out　of　the　way　of　casual　passers。　　This　done；　he　walked　round
the　mill　in　a　more　regardful　attitude；　and　surveyed　its　familiar
features　one　by　onethe　panes　of　the　grinding…room；　now　as
heretofore　clouded　with　flour　as　with　stale　hoar…frost；　the　meal
lodged　in　the　corners　of　the　window…sills；　forming　a　soil　in　which
lichens　grew　without　ever　getting　any　bigger；　as　they　had　done　since
his　smallest　infancy；　the　mosses　on　the　plinth　towards　the　river；
reaching　as　high　as　the　capillary　power　of　the　walls　would　fetch　up
moisture　for　their　nourishment；　and　the　penned　mill…pond；　now　as
ever　on　the　point　of　overflowing　into　the　garden。　　Everything　was
the　same。

When　he　had　had　enough　of　this　it　occurred　to　Loveday　that　he　might
get　into　the　house　in　spite　of　the　locked　doors；　and　by　entering　the
garden；　placing　a　pole　from　the　fork　of　an　apple…tree　to　the
window…sill　of　a　bedroom　on　that　side；　and　climbing　across　like　a
Barbary　ape；　he　entered　the　window　and　stepped　down　inside。　　There
was　something　anomalous　in　being　close　to　the　familiar　furniture
without　having　first　seen　his　father；　and　its　silent；　impassive
shine　was　not　cheering；　it　was　as　if　his　relations　were　all　dead；
and　only　their　tables　and　chests　of　drawers　left　to　greet　him。　　He
went　downstairs　and　seated　himself　in　the　dark　parlour。　　Finding
this　place；　too；　rather　solitary；　and　the　tick　of　the　invisible
clock　preternaturally　loud；　he　unearthed　the　tinder…box；　obtained　a
light；　and　set　about　making　the　house　comfortable　for　his　father's
return；　divining　that　the　miller　had　gone　out　to　meet　him　by　the
wrong　road。

Robert's　interest　in　this　work　increased　as　he　proceeded；　and　he
bustled　round　and　round　the　kitchen　as　lightly　as　a　girl。　　David；
the　indoor　factotum；　having　lost　himself　among　the　quart　pots　of
Budmouth；　there　had　been　nobody　left　here　to　prepare　supper；　and　Bob
had　it　all　to　himself。　　In　a　short　time　a　fire　blazed　up　the
chimney；　a　tablecloth　was　found；　the　plates　were　clapped　down；　and　a
search　made　for　what　provisions　the　house　afforded；　which；　in
addition　to　various　meats；　included　some　fresh　eggs　of　the　elongated
shape　that　produces　cockerels　when　hatched；　and　had　been　set　aside
on　that　account　for　putting　under　the　next　broody　hen。

A　more　reckless　cracking　of　eggs　than　that　which　now　went　on　had
never　been　known　in　Overcombe　since　the　last　large　christening；　and
as　Loveday　gashed　one　on　the　side；　another　at　the　end；　another
longways；　and　another　diagonally；　he　acquired　adroitness　by
practice；　and　at　last　made　every　son　of　a　hen　of　them　fall　into　two
hemispheres　as　neatly　as　if　it　opened　by　a　hinge。　　From　eggs　he
proceeded　to　ham；　and　from　ham　to　kidneys；　the　result　being　a
brilliant　fry。

Not　to　be　tempted　to　fall　to　before　his　father　came　back；　the
returned　navigator　emptied　the　whole　into　a　dish；　laid　a　plate　over
the　top；　his　coat　over　the　plate；　and　his　hat　over　his　coat。　　Thus
completely　stopping　in　the　appetizing　smell；　he　sat　down　to　await
events。　　He　was　relieved　from　the　tediousness　of　doing　this　by
hearing　voices　outside；　and　in　a　minute　his　father　entered。

'Glad　to　welcome　ye　home；　father；'　said　Bob。　　'And　supper　is　just
ready。'

'Lard；　lardwhy；　Captain　Bob's　here！'　said　Mrs。　Garland。

'And　we've　been　out　waiting　to　meet　thee！'　said　the　miller；　as　he
entered　the　room；　followed　by　representatives　of　the　houses　of
Cripplestraw；　Comfort；　Mitchell；　Beach；　and　Snooks；　together　with
some　small　beginnings　of　Fencible　Tremlett's　posterity。　　In　the　rear
came　David；　and　quite　in　the　vanishing…point　of　the　composition；
Anne　the　fair。

'I　drove　over；　and　so　was　forced　to　come　by　the　road；'　said　Bob。

'And　we　went　across　the　fields；　thinking　you'd　walk；'　said　his
father。

'I　should　have　been　here　this　morning；　but　not　so　much　as　a
wheelbarrow　could　I　get　for　my　traps；　everything　was　gone　to　the
review。　　So　I　went　too；　thinking　I　might　meet　you　there。　　I　was　then
obliged　to　return　to　the　harbour　for　the　luggage。'

Then　there　was　a　welcoming　of　Captain　Bob　by　pulling　out　his　arms
like　drawers　and　shutting　them　again；　smacking　him　on　the　back　as　if
he　were　choking；　holding　him　at　arm's　length　as　if　he　were　of　too
large　type　to　read　close。　　All　which　persecution　Bob　bore　with　a
wide；　genial　smile　that　was　shaken　into　fragments　and　scattered
promiscuously　among　the　spectators。

'Get　a　chair　for　'n！'　said　the　miller　to　David；　whom　they　had　met　in
the　fields　and　found　to　have　got　nothing　worse　by　his　absence　than　a
slight　slant　in　his　walk。

'Never　mindI　am　not　tiredI　have　been　here　ever　so　long；'　said
Bob。　　'And　I'　　But　the　chair　having　been　placed　behind　him；　and　a
smart　touch　in　the　hollow　of　a　person's　knee　by　the　edge　of　that
piece　of　furniture　having　a　tendency　to　make　the　person　sit　without
further　argument；　Bob　sank　down　dumb；　and　the　others　drew　up　other
chairs　at　a　convenient　nearness　for　easy　analytic　vision　and　the
subtler　forms　of　good　fellowship。　　The　miller　went　about　saying；
'David；　the　nine　best　glasses　from　the　corner　cupboard！''David；
the　corkscrew！''David；　whisk　the　tail　of　thy　smock…frock　round　the
inside　of　these　quart　pots　afore　you　draw　drink　in　'emthey　be　an
inch　thick　in　dust！''David；　lower　that　chimney…crook　a　couple　of
notches　that　the　flame　may　touch　the　bottom　of　the　kettle；　and　light
three　more　of　the　largest　candles！''If　you　can't　get　the　cork　out
of　the　jar；　David；　bore　a　hole　in　the　tub　of　Hollands　that's　buried
under　the　scroff　in　the　fuel…house；　d'ye　hear？Dan　Brown　left　en
there　yesterday　as　a　return　for　the　little　porker　I　gied　en。'

When　they　had　all　had　a　thimbleful　round；　and　the　superfluous
neighbours　had　reluctantly　departed；　one　by　one；　the　inmates　gave
their　minds　to　the　supper；　which　David　had　begun　to　serve　up。

'What　be　you　rolling　back　the　tablecloth　for；　David？'　said　the
miller。

'Maister　Bob　have　put　down　one　of　the　under　sheets　by　mistake；　and　I
thought　you　might　not　like　it；　sir；　as　there's　ladies　present！'

'Faith；　'twas　the　first　thing　that　came　to　hand；'　said　Robert。　　'It
seemed　a　tablecloth　to　me。'

'Never　minddon't　pull　off　the　things　now　he's　laid　'em　downlet
it　bide；'　said　the　miller。　　'But　where's　Widow　Garland　and　Maidy
Anne？'

'They　were　here　but　a　minute　ago；'　said　David。　　'Depend　upon　it　they
have　slinked　off　'cause　they　be　shy。'

The　miller　at　once　went　round　to　ask　them　to　come　back　and　sup　with
him；　and　while　he　was　gone　David　told　Bob　in　confidence　what　an
excellent　place　he　had　for　an　old　man。

'Yes；　Cap'n　Bob；　as　I　suppose　I　must　call　ye；　I've　worked　for　yer
father　these　eight…and…thirty　years；　and　w