the trumpet-major-第7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！


can　master　the　drill；　and　have　worked　for　me　off　and　on　these　many
years；　I've　asked　'em　in；　and　thought　you'd　excuse　it。'

'Certainly；　Miller　Loveday；'　said　the　widow。

'And　the　same　of　old　Burden　and　Tullidge。　　They　have　served　well　and
long　in　the　Foot；　and　even　now　have　a　hard　time　of　it　up　at　the
beacon　in　wet　weather。　　So　after　giving　them　a　meal　in　the　kitchen　I
just　asked　'em　in　to　hear　the　singing。　　They　faithfully　promise　that
as　soon　as　ever　the　gunboats　appear　in　view；　and　they　have　fired　the
beacon；　to　run　down　here　first；　in　case　we　shouldn't　see　it。　　'Tis
worth　while　to　be　friendly　with　'em；　you　see；　though　their　tempers
be　queer。'

'Quite　worth　while；　miller；'　said　she。

Anne　was　rather　embarrassed　by　the　presence　of　the　regular　military
in　such　force；　and　at　first　confined　her　words　to　the　dairymen's
wives　she　was　acquainted　with；　and　to　the　two　old　soldiers　of　the
parish。

'Why　didn't　ye　speak　to　me　afore；　chiel？'　said　one　of　these；
Corporal　Tullidge；　the　elderly　man　with　the　hat；　while　she　was
talking　to　old　Simon　Burden。　　'I　met　ye　in　the　lane　yesterday；'　he
added　reproachfully；　'but　ye　didn't　notice　me　at　all。'

'I　am　very　sorry　for　it；'　she　said；　but；　being　afraid　to　shout　in
such　a　company；　the　effect　of　her　remark　upon　the　corporal　was　as　if
she　had　not　spoken　at　all。

'You　was　coming　along　with　yer　head　full　of　some　high　notions　or
other　no　doubt；'　continued　the　uncompromising　corporal　in　the　same
loud　voice。　　'Ah；　'tis　the　young　bucks　that　get　all　the　notice
nowadays；　and　old　folks　are　quite　forgot！　　I　can　mind　well　enough
how　young　Bob　Loveday　used　to　lie　in　wait　for　ye。'

Anne　blushed　deeply；　and　stopped　his　too　excursive　discourse　by
hastily　saying　that　she　always　respected　old　folks　like　him。　　The
corporal　thought　she　inquired　why　he　always　kept　his　hat　on；　and
answered　that　it　was　because　his　head　was　injured　at　Valenciennes；
in　July；　Ninety…three。　　'We　were　trying　to　bomb　down　the　tower；　and
a　piece　of　the　shell　struck　me。　　I　was　no　more　nor　less　than　a　dead
man　for　two　days。　　If　it　hadn't　a　been　for　that　and　my　smashed　arm　I
should　have　come　home　none　the　worse　for　my　five…and…twenty　years'
service。'

'You　have　got　a　silver　plate　let　into　yer　head；　haven't　ye；　corpel？'
said　Anthony　Cripplestraw；　who　had　drawn　near。　　'I　have　heard　that
the　way　they　morticed　yer　skull　was　a　beautiful　piece　of
workmanship。　　Perhaps　the　young　woman　would　like　to　see　the　place？
'Tis　a　curious　sight；　Mis'ess　Anne；　you　don't　see　such　a　wownd　every
day。'

'No；　thank　you；'　said　Anne　hurriedly；　dreading；　as　did　all　the　young
people　of　Overcombe；　the　spectacle　of　the　corporal　uncovered。　　He
had　never　been　seen　in　public　without　the　hat　and　the　handkerchief
since　his　return　in　Ninety…four；　and　strange　stories　were　told　of
the　ghastliness　of　his　appearance　bare…headed；　a　little　boy　who　had
accidentally　beheld　him　going　to　bed　in　that　state　having　been
frightened　into　fits。

'Well；　if　the　young　woman　don't　want　to　see　yer　head；　maybe　she'd
like　to　hear　yer　arm？'　continued　Cripplestraw；　earnest　to　please
her。

'Hey？'　said　the　corporal。

'Your　arm　hurt　too？'　cried　Anne。

'Knocked　to　a　pummy　at　the　same　time　as　my　head；'　said　Tullidge
dispassionately。

'Rattle　yer　arm；　corpel；　and　show　her；'　said　Cripplestraw。

'Yes；　sure；'　said　the　corporal；　raising　the　limb　slowly；　as　if　the
glory　of　exhibition　had　lost　some　of　its　novelty；　though　he　was
willing　to　oblige。　　Twisting　it　mercilessly　about　with　his　right
hand　he　produced　a　crunching　among　the　bones　at　every　motion；
Cripplestraw　seeming　to　derive　great　satisfaction　from　the　ghastly
sound。

'How　very　shocking！'　said　Anne；　painfully　anxious　for　him　to　leave
off。

'O；　it　don't　hurt　him；　bless　ye。　　Do　it；　corpel？'　said　Cripplestraw。

'Not　a　bit；'　said　the　corporal；　still　working　his　arm　with　great
energy。

'There's　no　life　in　the　bones　at　all。　　No　life　in　'em；　I　tell　her；
corpel！'

'None　at　all。'

'They　be　as　loose　as　a　bag　of　ninepins；'　explained　Cripplestraw　in
continuation。　　'You　can　feel　'em　quite　plain；　Mis'ess　Anne。　　If　ye
would　like　to；　he'll　undo　his　sleeve　in　a　minute　to　oblege　ye？'

'O　no；　no；　please　not！　　I　quite　understand；'　said　the　young　woman。

'Do　she　want　to　hear　or　see　any　more；　or　don't　she？'　the　corporal
inquired；　with　a　sense　that　his　time　was　getting　wasted。

Anne　explained　that　she　did　not　on　any　account；　and　managed　to
escape　from　the　corner。



V。　　THE　SONG　AND　THE　STRANGER

The　trumpet…major　now　contrived　to　place　himself　near　her；　Anne's
presence　having　evidently　been　a　great　pleasure　to　him　since　the
moment　of　his　first　seeing　her。　　She　was　quite　at　her　ease　with　him；
and　asked　him　if　he　thought　that　Buonaparte　would　really　come　during
the　summer；　and　many　other　questions　which　the　gallant　dragoon　could
not　answer；　but　which　he　nevertheless　liked　to　be　asked。　　William
Tremlett；　who　had　not　enjoyed　a　sound　night's　rest　since　the　First
Consul's　menace　had　become　known；　pricked　up　his　ears　at　sound　of
this　subject；　and　inquired　if　anybody　had　seen　the　terrible
flat…bottomed　boats　that　the　enemy　were　to　cross　in。

'My　brother　Robert　saw　several　of　them　paddling　about　the　shore　the
last　time　he　passed　the　Straits　of　Dover；'　said　the　trumpet…major；
and　he　further　startled　the　company　by　informing　them　that　there
were　supposed　to　be　more　than　fifteen　hundred　of　these　boats；　and
that　they　would　carry　a　hundred　men　apiece。　　So　that　a　descent　of
one　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　men　might　be　expected　any　day　as　soon
as　Boney　had　brought　his　plans　to　bear。

'Lord　ha'　mercy　upon　us！'　said　William　Tremlett。

'The　night…time　is　when　they　will　try　it；　if　they　try　it　at　all；'
said　old　Tullidge；　in　the　tone　of　one　whose　watch　at　the　beacon
must；　in　the　nature　of　things；　have　given　him　comprehensive　views　of
the　situation。　　'It　is　my　belief　that　the　point　they　will　choose　for
making　the　shore　is　just　over　there；'　and　he　nodded　with
indifference　towards　a　section　of　the　coast　at　a　hideous　nearness　to
the　house　in　which　they　were　assembled；　whereupon　Fencible　Tremlett；
and　Cripplestraw　of　the　Locals；　tried　to　show　no　signs　of
trepidation。

'When　d'ye　think　'twill　be？'　said　Volunteer　Comfort；　the　blacksmith。

'I　can't　answer　to　a　day；'　said　the　corporal；　'but　it　will　certainly
be　in　a　down…channel　tide；　and　instead　of　pulling　hard　against　it；
he'll　let　his　boats　drift；　and　that　will　bring　'em　right　into
Budmouth　Bay。　　'Twill　be　a　beautiful　stroke　of　war；　if　so　be　'tis
quietly　done！'

'Beautiful；'　said　Cripplestraw；　moving　inside　his　clothes。　　'But　how
if　we　should　be　all　abed；　corpel？　　You　can't　expect　a　man　to　be
brave　in　his　shirt；　especially　we　Locals；　that　have　only　got　so　far
as　shoulder　fire…locks。'

'He's　not　coming　this　summer。　　He'll　never　come　at　all；'　said　a　tall
sergeant…major　decisively。

Loveday　the　soldier　was　too　much　engaged　in　attending　upon　Anne　and
her　mother　to　join　in　these　surmises；　bestirring　himself　to　get　the
ladies　some　of　the　best　liquor　the　house　afforded；　which　had；　as　a
matter　of　fact；　crossed　the　Channel　as　privately　as　Buonaparte
wished　his　army　to　do；　and　had　been　landed　on　a　dark　night　over　the
cliff。　　After　this　he　asked　Anne　to　sing；　but　though　she　had　a　very
pretty　voice　in　private　performances　of　that　nature；　she　declined　to
oblige　him；　turning　the　subject　by　making　a　hesitating　inquiry　about
his　brother　Robert；　whom　he　had　mentioned　just　before。

'Robert　is　as　well　as　ever；　thank　you；　Miss　Garland；'　he　said。　　'He
is　now　mate　of　the　brig　Pewitrather　young　for　such　a　command；　but
the　owner　puts　great　trust　in　him。'　　The　trumpet…major　added；
deepening　his　thoughts　to　a　profounder　view　of　the　person　discussed；
'Bob　is　in　love。'

Anne　looked　conscious；　and　listened　attentively；　but　Loveday　did　not
go　on。

'Much？'　she　asked。

'I　can't　exactly　say。　　And　the　strange　part　of　it　is　that　he　never
tells　us　who　the　woman　is。　　Nobody　knows　at　all。'

'He　will　tell；　of　course？'　said　Anne；　in　the　remote　tone　of　a　person
with　whose　sex　such　matters　had　no　connexion　whatever。

Loveday　shook　his　head；　and　the　tete…a…tete　was　put　an　end　to　by　a
burst　of　singing　from　one　of　the　sergeants；　who　was　followed　at　the
end　of　his　song　by　others；　each　giving　a　ditty　in　his　turn；　the
singer　standing　up　in　front　of　the　table；　stretching　his　chin　well
into　the　air；　as　though　to　abstract　every　possible　wrinkle　from　his
throat；　and　then　plunging　into　the　melody。　　When　this　was　over　one
of　the　foreign　hussarsthe　genteel　German　of　Miller　Loveday's
description；　who　called　himself　a　Hungarian；　and　in　reality　belonged
to　no　definite　countryperformed　at　Trumpet…major　Loveday's　request
the　series　of　wild　motions　that　he　denominated　his　national　dance；
that　Anne　might　see　what　it　was　like。　　Miss　Garland　was　the　flower
of　the　whole　company；　the　soldiers　one　and　all；　foreign　and　English；
seemed　to　be　quite　charmed　by　her　presence；　as　indeed　they　well
might　be；　considering　how　seldom　they　came　into　the　society　of　such
as　she。

Anne　and　her　mother　were　just　thinking　of　retiring　to　their　own
dwelling　when　Sergeant　Stanner　of　the　th　Foot；　who　was　recruiting
at　Budmouth；　began　a　satirical　song：