the trumpet-major-第9节

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blue　coats　and　white　breeches　of　the　soldiersnearly　twenty　of　them
in　all　besides　the　ponderous　Derrimanthe　head　of　the　latter；　and；
indeed；　the　heads　of　all　who　are　standing　up；　being　in　dangerous
proximity　to　the　black　beams　of　the　ceiling。　　There　is　not　one　among
them　who　would　attach　any　meaning　to　'Vittoria；'　or　gather　from　the
syllables　'Waterloo'　the　remotest　idea　of　his　own　glory　or　death。
Next　appears　the　correct　and　innocent　Anne；　little　thinking　what
things　Time　has　in　store　for　her　at　no　great　distance　off。　　She
looks　at　Derriman　with　a　half…uneasy　smile　as　he　clanks　hither　and
thither；　and　hopes　he　will　not　single　her　out　again　to　hold　a
private　dialogue　withwhich；　however；　he　does；　irresistibly
attracted　by　the　white　muslin　figure。　　She　must；　of　course；　look　a
little　gracious　again　now；　lest　his　mood　should　turn　from
sentimental　to　quarrelsomeno　impossible　contingency　with　the
yeoman…soldier；　as　her　quick　perception　had　noted。

'Well；　well；　this　idling　won't　do　for　me；　folks；'　he　at　last　said；
to　Anne's　relief。　　'I　ought　not　to　have　come　in；　by　rights；　but　I
heard　you　enjoying　yourselves；　and　thought　it　might　be　worth　while
to　see　what　you　were　up　to；　I　have　several　miles　to　go　before
bedtime；'　and　stretching　his　arms；　lifting　his　chin；　and　shaking　his
head；　to　eradicate　any　unseemly　curve　or　wrinkle　from　his　person；
the　yeoman　wished　them　an　off…hand　good…night；　and　departed。

'You　should　have　teased　him　a　little　more；　father；'　said　the
trumpet…major　drily。　　'You　could　soon　have　made　him　as　crabbed　as　a
bear。'

'I　didn't　want　to　provoke　the　chap'twasn't　worth　while。　　He　came
in　friendly　enough；'　said　the　gentle　miller　without　looking　up。

'I　don't　think　he　was　overmuch　friendly；'　said　John。

''Tis　as　well　to　be　neighbourly　with　folks；　if　they　be　not　quite
onbearable；'　his　father　genially　replied；　as　he　took　off　his　coat　to
go　and　draw　more　alethis　periodical　stripping　to　the　shirt…sleeves
being　necessitated　by　the　narrowness　of　the　cellar　and　the　smeary
effect　of　its　numerous　cobwebs　upon　best　clothes。

Some　of　the　guests　then　spoke　of　Fess　Derriman　as　not　such　a　bad
young　man　if　you　took　him　right　and　humoured　him；　others　said　that
he　was　nobody's　enemy　but　his　own；　and　the　elder　ladies　mentioned　in
a　tone　of　interest　that　he　was　likely　to　come　into　a　deal　of　money
at　his　uncle's　death。　　The　person　who　did　not　praise　was　the　one　who
knew　him　best；　who　had　known　him　as　a　boy　years　ago；　when　he　had
lived　nearer　to　Overcombe　than　he　did　at　present。　　This
unappreciative　person　was　the　trumpet…major。



VI。　　OLD　MR。　DERRIMAN　OF　OXWELL　HALL

At　this　time　in　the　history　of　Overcombe　one　solitary　newspaper
occasionally　found　its　way　into　the　village。　　It　was　lent　by　the
postmaster　at　Budmouth　（who；　in　some　mysterious　way；　got　it　for
nothing　through　his　connexion　with　the　mail）　to　Mr。　Derriman　at　the
Hall；　by　whom　it　was　handed　on　to　Mrs。　Garland　when　it　was　not　more
than　a　fortnight　old。　　Whoever　remembers　anything　about　the　old
farmer…squire　will；　of　course；　know　well　enough　that　this　delightful
privilege　of　reading　history　in　long　columns　was　not　accorded　to　the
Widow　Garland　for　nothing。　　It　was　by　such　ingenuous　means　that　he
paid　her　for　her　daughter's　occasional　services　in　reading　aloud　to
him　and　making　out　his　accounts；　in　which　matters　the　farmer；　whose
guineas　were　reported　to　touch　five　figuressome　said　morewas　not
expert。

Mrs。　Martha　Garland；　as　a　respectable　widow；　occupied　a　twilight
rank　between　the　benighted　villagers　and　the　well…informed　gentry；
and　kindly　made　herself　useful　to　the　former　as　letter…writer　and
reader；　and　general　translator　from　the　printing　tongue。　　It　was　not
without　satisfaction　that　she　stood　at　her　door　of　an　evening；
newspaper　in　hand；　with　three　or　four　cottagers　standing　round；　and
poured　down　their　open　throats　any　paragraph　that　she　might　choose
to　select　from　the　stirring　ones　of　the　period。　　When　she　had　done
with　the　sheet　Mrs。　Garland　passed　it　on　to　the　miller；　the　miller
to　the　grinder；　and　the　grinder　to　the　grinder's　boy；　in　whose　hands
it　became　subdivided　into　half　pages；　quarter　pages；　and　irregular
triangles；　and　ended　its　career　as　a　paper　cap；　a　flagon　bung；　or　a
wrapper　for　his　bread　and　cheese。

Notwithstanding　his　compact　with　Mrs。　Garland；　old　Mr。　Derriman　kept
the　paper　so　long；　and　was　so　chary　of　wasting　his　man's　time　on　a
merely　intellectual　errand；　that　unless　she　sent　for　the　journal　it
seldom　reached　her　hands。　　Anne　was　always　her　messenger。　　The
arrival　of　the　soldiers　led　Mrs。　Garland　to　despatch　her　daughter
for　it　the　day　after　the　party；　and　away　she　went　in　her　hat　and
pelisse；　in　a　direction　at　right　angles　to　that　of　the　encampment　on
the　hill。

Walking　across　the　fields　for　the　distance　of　a　mile　or　two；　she
came　out　upon　the　high…road　by　a　wicket…gate。　　On　the　other　side　of
the　way　was　the　entrance　to　what　at　first　sight　looked　like　a
neglected　meadow；　the　gate　being　a　rotten　one；　without　a　bottom
rail；　and　broken…down　palings　lying　on　each　side。　　The　dry　hard　mud
of　the　opening　was　marked　with　several　horse　and　cow　tracks；　that
had　been　half　obliterated　by　fifty　score　sheep　tracks；　surcharged
with　the　tracks　of　a　man　and　a　dog。　　Beyond　this　geological　record
appeared　a　carriage…road；　nearly　grown　over　with　grass；　which　Anne
followed。　　It　descended　by　a　gentle　slope；　dived　under　dark…rinded
elm　and　chestnut　trees；　and　conducted　her　on　till　the　hiss　of　a
waterfall　and　the　sound　of　the　sea　became　audible；　when　it　took　a
bend　round　a　swamp　of　fresh　watercress　and　brooklime　that　had　once
been　a　fish　pond。　　Here　the　grey；　weather…worn　front　of　a　building
edged　from　behind　the　trees。　　It　was　Oxwell　Hall；　once　the　seat　of　a
family　now　extinct；　and　of　late　years　used　as　a　farmhouse。

Benjamin　Derriman；　who　owned　the　crumbling　place；　had　originally
been　only　the　occupier　and　tenant…farmer　of　the　fields　around。　　His
wife　had　brought　him　a　small　fortune；　and　during　the　growth　of　their
only　son　there　had　been　a　partition　of　the　Oxwell　estate；　giving　the
farmer；　now　a　widower；　the　opportunity　of　acquiring　the　building　and
a　small　portion　of　the　land　attached　on　exceptionally　low　terms。
But　two　years　after　the　purchase　the　boy　died；　and　Derriman's
existence　was　paralyzed　forthwith。　　It　was　said　that　since　that
event　he　had　devised　the　house　and　fields　to　a　distant　female
relative；　to　keep　them　out　of　the　hands　of　his　detested　nephew；　but
this　was　not　certainly　known。

The　hall　was　as　interesting　as　mansions　in　a　state　of　declension
usually　are；　as　the　excellent　county　history　showed。　　That　popular
work　in　folio　contained　an　old　plate　dedicated　to　the　last　scion　of
the　original　owners；　from　which　drawing　it　appeared　that　in　1750；
the　date　of　publication；　the　windows　were　covered　with　little
scratches　like　black　flashes　of　lightning；　that　a　horn　of　hard　smoke
came　out　of　each　of　the　twelve　chimneys；　that　a　lady　and　a　lap…dog
stood　on　the　lawn　in　a　strenuously　walking　position；　and　a
substantial　cloud　and　nine　flying　birds　of　no　known　species　hung
over　the　trees　to　the　north…east。

The　rambling　and　neglected　dwelling　had　all　the　romantic
excellencies　and　practical　drawbacks　which　such　mildewed　places
share　in　common　with　caves；　mountains；　wildernesses；　glens；　and
other　homes　of　poesy　that　people　of　taste　wish　to　live　and　die　in。
Mustard　and　cress　could　have　been　raised　on　the　inner　plaster　of　the
dewy　walls　at　any　height　not　exceeding　three　feet　from　the　floor；
and　mushrooms　of　the　most　refined　and　thin…stemmed　kinds　grew　up
through　the　chinks　of　the　larder　paving。　　As　for　the　outside；
Nature；　in　the　ample　time　that　had　been　given　her；　had　so　mingled
her　filings　and　effacements　with　the　marks　of　human　wear　and　tear
upon　the　house；　that　it　was　often　hard　to　say　in　which　of　the　two　or
if　in　both；　any　particular　obliteration　had　its　origin。　　The
keenness　was　gone　from　the　mouldings　of　the　doorways；　but　whether
worn　out　by　the　rubbing　past　of　innumerable　people's　shoulders；　and
the　moving　of　their　heavy　furniture；　or　by　Time　in　a　grander　and
more　abstract　form；　did　not　appear。　　The　iron　stanchions　inside　the
window…panes　were　eaten　away　to　the　size　of　wires　at　the　bottom
where　they　entered　the　stone；　the　condensed　breathings　of
generations　having　settled　there　in　pools　and　rusted　them。　　The
panes　themselves　had　either　lost　their　shine　altogether　or　become
iridescent　as　a　peacock's　tail。　　In　the　middle　of　the　porch　was　a
vertical　sun…dial；　whose　gnomon　swayed　loosely　about　when　the　wind
blew；　and　cast　its　shadow　hither　and　thither；　as　much　as　to　say；
'Here's　your　fine　model　dial；　here's　any　time　for　any　man；　I　am　an
old　dial；　and　shiftiness　is　the　best　policy。'

Anne　passed　under　the　arched　gateway　which　screened　the　main　front；
over　it　was　the　porter's　lodge；　reached　by　a　spiral　staircase。
Across　the　archway　was　fixed　a　row　of　wooden　hurdles；　one　of　which
Anne　opened　and　closed　behind　her。　　Their　necessity　was　apparent　as
soon　as　she　got　inside。　　The　quadrangle　of　the　ancient　pile　was　a
bed　of　mud　and　manure；　inhabited　by　calves；　geese；　ducks；　and　sow
pigs　surprisingly　large；　with　young　ones　surprisingly　small。