novel notes-第15节

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here　was　one　advantage　about　it；　and　that　was；　that　she　could　not　tumble　out　of　bed；　seeing　there　was　nowhere　to　tumble；　and；　on　being　shown　the　kitchen；　she　observed　that　she　should　like　it　for　two　thingsone　was　that　she　could　sit　in　the　middle　and　reach　everything　without　getting　up；　the　other；　that　nobody　else　could　come　into　the　apartment　while　she　was　there。

〃You　see；　Amenda；〃　explained　Ethelbertha　apologetically；　〃we　shall　really　live　outside。〃

〃Yes；　mum；〃　answered　Amenda；　〃I　should　say　that　would　be　the　best　place　to　do　it。〃

If　only　we　could　have　lived　more　outside；　the　life　might　have　been　pleasant　enough；　but　the　weather　rendered　it　impossible；　six　days　out　of　the　seven；　for　us　to　do　more　than　look　out　of　the　window　and　feel　thankful　that　we　had　a　roof　over　our　heads。

I　have　known　wet　summers　before　and　since。　　I　have　learnt　by　many　bitter　experiences　the　danger　and　foolishness　of　leaving　the　shelter　of　London　any　time　between　the　first　of　May　and　the　thirty…first　of　October。　　Indeed；　the　country　is　always　associate　in　my　mind　with　recollections　of　long；　weary　days　passed　in　the　pitiless　rain；　and　sad　evenings　spent　in　other　people's　clothes。　　But　never　have　I　known；　and　never；　I　pray　night　and　morning；　may　I　know　again；　such　a　summer　as　the　one　we　lived　through　（though　none　of　us　expected　to）　on　that　confounded　houseboat。

In　the　morning　we　would　be　awakened　by　the　rain's　forcing　its　way　through　the　window　and　wetting　the　bed；　and　would　get　up　and　mop　out　the　saloon。　　After　breakfast　I　would　try　to　work；　but　the　beating　of　the　hail　upon　the　roof　just　over　my　head　would　drive　every　idea　out　of　my　brain；　and；　after　a　wasted　hour　or　two；　I　would　fling　down　my　pen　and　hunt　up　Ethelbertha；　and　we　would　put　on　our　mackintoshes　and　take　our　umbrellas　and　go　out　for　a　row。　　At　mid…day　we　would　return　and　put　on　some　dry　clothes；　and　sit　down　to　dinner。

In　the　afternoon　the　storm　generally　freshened　up　a　bit；　and　we　were　kept　pretty　busy　rushing　about　with　towels　and　cloths；　trying　to　prevent　the　water　from　coming　into　the　rooms　and　swamping　us。　During　tea…time　the　saloon　was　usually　illuminated　by　forked　lightning。　　The　evenings　we　spent　in　baling　out　the　boat；　after　which　we　took　it　in　turns　to　go　into　the　kitchen　and　warm　ourselves。　At　eight　we　supped；　and　from　then　until　it　was　time　to　go　to　bed　we　sat　wrapped　up　in　rugs；　listening　to　the　roaring　of　the　thunder；　and　the　howling　of　the　wind；　and　the　lashing　of　the　waves；　and　wondering　whether　the　boat　would　hold　out　through　the　night。

Friends　would　come　down　to　spend　the　day　with　uselderly；　irritable　people；　fond　of　warmth　and　comfort；　people　who　did　not；　as　a　rule；　hanker　after　jaunts；　even　under　the　most　favourable　conditions；　but　who　had　been　persuaded　by　our　silly　talk　that　a　day　on　the　river　would　be　to　them　like　a　Saturday　to　Monday　in　Paradise。

They　would　arrive　soaked；　and　we　would　shut　them　up　in　different　bunks；　and　leave　them　to　strip　themselves　and　put　on　things　of　Ethelbertha's　or　of　mine。　　But　Ethel　and　I；　in　those　days；　were　slim；　so　that　stout；　middle…aged　people　in　our　clothes　neither　looked　well　nor　felt　happy。

Upon　their　emerging　we　would　take　them　into　the　saloon　and　try　to　entertain　them　by　telling　them　what　we　had　intended　to　do　with　them　had　the　day　been　fine。　　But　their　answers　were　short；　and　occasionally　snappy；　and　after　a　while　the　conversation　would　flag；　and　we　would　sit　round　reading　last　week's　newspapers　and　coughing。

The　moment　their　own　clothes　were　dry　（we　lived　in　a　perpetual　atmosphere　of　steaming　clothes）　they　would　insist　upon　leaving　us；　which　seemed　to　me　discourteous　after　all　that　we　had　done　for　them；　and　would　dress　themselves　once　more　and　start　off　home；　and　get　wet　again　before　they　got　there。

We　would　generally　receive　a　letter　a　few　days　afterwards；　written　by　some　relative；　informing　us　that　both　patients　were　doing　as　well　as　could　be　expected；　and　promising　to　send　us　a　card　for　the　funeral　in　case　of　a　relapse。

Our　chief　recreation；　our　sole　consolation；　during　the　long　weeks　of　our　imprisonment；　was　to　watch　from　our　windows　the　pleasure…seekers　passing　by　in　small　open　boats；　and　to　reflect　what　an　awful　day　they　had　had；　or　were　going　to　have；　as　the　case　might　be。

In　the　forenoon　they　would　head　up　streamyoung　men　with　their　sweethearts；　nephews　taking　out　their　rich　old　aunts；　husbands　and　wives　（some　of　them　pairs；　some　of　them　odd　ones）；　stylish…looking　girls　with　cousins；　energetic…looking　men　with　dogs；　high…class　silent　parties；　low…class　noisy　parties；　quarrelsome　family　parties…　…boatload　after　boatload　they　went　by；　wet；　but　still　hopeful；　pointing　out　bits　of　blue　sky　to　each　other。

In　the　evening　they　would　return；　drenched　and　gloomy；　saying　disagreeable　things　to　one　another。

One　couple；　and　one　couple　only；　out　of　the　many　hundreds　that　passed　under　our　review；　came　back　from　the　ordeal　with　pleasant　faces。　　He　was　rowing　hard　and　singing；　with　a　handkerchief　tied　round　his　head　to　keep　his　hat　on；　and　she　was　laughing　at　him；　while　trying　to　hold　up　an　umbrella　with　one　hand　and　steer　with　the　other。

There　are　but　two　explanations　to　account　for　people　being　jolly　on　the　river　in　the　rain。　　The　one　I　dismissed　as　being　both　uncharitable　and　improbable。　　The　other　was　creditable　to　the　human　race；　and；　adopting　it；　I　took　off　my　cap　to　this　damp　but　cheerful　pair　as　they　went　by。　　They　answered　with　a　wave　of　the　hand；　and　I　stood　looking　after　them　till　they　disappeared　in　the　mist。

I　am　inclined　to　think　that　those　young　people；　if　they　be　still　alive；　are　happy。　　Maybe；　fortune　has　been　kind　to　them；　or　maybe　she　has　not；　but　in　either　event　they　are；　I　am　inclined　to　think；　happier　than　are　most　people。

Now　and　again；　the　daily　tornado　would　rage　with　such　fury　as　to　defeat　its　own　purpose　by　prematurely　exhausting　itself。　　On　these　rare　occasions　we　would　sit　out　on　the　deck；　and　enjoy　the　unwonted　luxury　of　fresh　air。

I　remember　well　those　few　pleasant　evenings：　　the　river；　luminous　with　the　drowned　light；　the　dark　banks　where　the　night　lurked；　the　storm…tossed　sky；　jewelled　here　and　there　with　stars。

It　was　delightful　not　to　hear　for　an　hour　or　so　the　sullen　thrashing　of　the　rain；　but　to　listen　to　the　leaping　of　the　fishes；　the　soft　swirl　raised　by　some　water…rat；　swimming　stealthily　among　the　rushes；　the　restless　twitterings　of　the　few　still　wakeful　birds。

An　old　corncrake　lived　near　to　us；　and　the　way　he　used　to　disturb　all　the　other　birds；　and　keep　them　from　going　to　sleep；　was　shameful。　　Amenda；　who　was　town…bred；　mistook　him　at　first　for　one　of　those　cheap　alarm　clocks；　and　wondered　who　was　winding　him　up；　and　why　they　went　on　doing　it　all　night；　and；　above　all；　why　they　didn't　oil　him。

He　would　begin　his　unhallowed　performance　about　dusk；　just　as　every　respectable　bird　was　preparing　to　settle　down　for　the　night。　　A　family　of　thrushes　had　their　nest　a　few　yards　from　his　stand；　and　they　used　to　get　perfectly　furious　with　him。

〃There's　that　fool　at　it　again；〃　the　female　thrush　would　say；　〃why　can't　he　do　it　in　the　day…time　if　he　must　do　it　at　all？〃　　（She　spoke；　of　course；　in　twitters；　but　I　am　confident　the　above　is　a　correct　translation。）

After　a　while；　the　young　thrushes　would　wake　up　and　begin　chirping；　and　then　the　mother　would　get　madder　than　ever。

〃Can't　you　say　something　to　him？〃　she　would　cry　indignantly　to　her　husband。　　〃How　do　you　think　the　children　can　get　to　sleep；　poor　things；　with　that　hideous　row　going　on　all　night？　　Might　just　as　well　be　living　in　a　saw…mill。〃

Thus　adjured；　the　male　thrush　would　put　his　head　over　the　nest；　and　call　out　in　a　nervous；　apologetic　manner：…

〃I　say；　you　know；　you　there；　I　wish　you　wouldn't　mind　being　quiet　a　bit。　　My　wife　says　she　can't　get　the　children　to　sleep。　　It's　too　bad；　you　know；　'pon　my　word　it　is。〃

〃Gor　on；〃　the　corncrake　would　answer　surlily。　　〃You　keep　your　wife　herself　quiet；　that's　enough　for　you　to　do。〃　　And　on　he　would　go　again　worse　than　before。

Then　a　mother　blackbird；　from　a　little　further　off；　would　join　in　the　fray。

〃Ah；　it's　a　good　hiding　he　wants；　not　a　talking　to。　　And　if　I　was　a　cock；　I'd　give　it　him。〃　　（This　remark　would　be　made　in　a　tone　of　withering　contempt；　and　would　appear　to　bear　reference　to　some　previous　discussion。）

〃You're　quite　right；　ma'am；〃　Mrs。　Thrush　would　reply。　　〃That's　what　I　tell　my　husband；　but〃　（with　rising　inflection；　so　that　every　lady　in　the　plantation　might　hear）　〃HE　wouldn't　move　himself；　bless　you　no；　not　if　I　and　the　children　were　to　die　before　his　eyes　for　want　of　sleep。〃

〃Ah；　he　ain't　the　only　one；　my　dear；〃　the　blackbird　would　pipe　back；　〃they're　all　alike〃；　then；　in　a　voice　more　of　sorrow　than　of　anger：…　〃but　there；　it　ain't　their　fault；　I　suppose；　poor　things。　　If　you　ain't　got　the　spirit　of　a　bird　you　can't　help　yourself。〃

I　would　strain　my　ears　at　this　point　to　hear　if　the　male　blackbird　was　moved　at　all　by　these　taunts；　but　the　only　sound　I　could　ever　detect　coming　from　his　neighbourhood　was　that　of　palpably　exaggerated　snoring。

By　this　time　the　whole　glade　would　be　awake；　expressing　views　concerning　that　corncrake　that　would　have　wounded　a　less　callous　nature。

〃Blow　me　tight；　Bill；〃　some　vulgar　l