novel notes-第37节

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e　suitable　adjective　they　would　each　create　for　the　other；　if　only　they　had　the　right　which　they　hadn't。

〃In　this　work　of　imagination　the　man　trusted　chiefly　to　his　literary　faculties；　which　were　considerable；　the　woman　to　her　desires。　　Thus；　his　scenes　possessed　a　grace　and　finish　which　hers　lacked；　but　her　pictures　were　the　more　vivid。　　Indeed；　so　realistic　did　she　paint　them；　that　to　herself　they　seemed　realities；　waiting　for　her。　　Then　she　would　rise　to　go　towards　them　only　to　strike　herself　against　the　thought　of　the　thing　that　stood　between　her　and　them。　　At　first　she　only　hated　the　thing；　but　after　a　while　there　came　an　ugly　look　of　hope　into　her　eyes。

〃The　time　drew　near　for　the　man　to　return　to　England。　　The　canal　was　completed；　and　a　day　appointed　for　the　letting　in　of　the　water。　　The　man　determined　to　make　the　event　the　occasion　of　a　social　gathering。　He　invited　a　large　number　of　guests；　among　whom　were　the　woman　and　her　husband；　to　assist　at　the　function。　　Afterwards　the　party　were　to　picnic　at　a　pleasant　wooded　spot　some　three…quarters　of　a　mile　from　the　first　lock。

〃The　ceremony　of　flooding　was　to　be　performed　by　the　woman；　her　husband's　position　entitling　her　to　this　distinction。　　Between　the　river　and　the　head　of　the　cutting　had　been　left　a　strong　bank　of　earth；　pierced　some　distance　down　by　a　hole；　which　hole　was　kept　closed　by　means　of　a　closely…fitting　steel　plate。　　The　woman　drew　the　lever　releasing　this　plate；　and　the　water　rushed　through　and　began　to　press　against　the　lock　gates。　　When　it　had　attained　a　certain　depth；　the　sluices　were　raised；　and　the　water　poured　down　into　the　deep　basin　of　the　lock。

〃It　was　an　exceptionally　deep　lock。　　The　party　gathered　round　and　watched　the　water　slowly　rising。　　The　woman　looked　down；　and　shuddered；　the　man　was　standing　by　her　side。

〃'How　deep　it　is；'　she　said。

〃'Yes；'　he　replied；　'it　holds　thirty　feet　of　water；　when　full。'

〃The　water　crept　up　inch　by　inch。

〃'Why　don't　you　open　the　gates；　and　let　it　in　quickly？'　she　asked。

〃'It　would　not　do　for　it　to　come　in　too　quickly；'　he　explained；　'we　shall　half　fill　this　lock；　and　then　open　the　sluices　at　the　other　end；　and　so　let　the　water　pass　through。'

〃The　woman　looked　at　the　smooth　stone　walls　and　at　the　iron…plated　gates。

〃'I　wonder　what　a　man　would　do；'　she　said；　'if　he　fell　in；　and　there　was　no　one　near　to　help　him？'

〃The　man　laughed。　　'I　think　he　would　stop　there；'　he　answered。　'Come；　the　others　are　waiting　for　us。'

〃He　lingered　a　moment　to　give　some　final　instructions　to　the　workmen。　　'You　can　follow　on　when　you've　made　all　right；'　he　said；　'and　get　something　to　eat。　　There's　no　need　for　more　than　one　to　stop。'　　Then　they　joined　the　rest　of　the　party；　and　sauntered　on；　laughing　and　talking；　to　the　picnic　ground。

After　lunch　the　party　broke　up；　as　is　the　custom　of　picnic　parties；　and　wandered　away　in　groups　and　pairs。　　The　man；　whose　duty　as　host　had　hitherto　occupied　all　his　attention；　looked　for　the　woman；　but　she　was　gone。

〃A　friend　strolled　by；　the　same　that　had　put　the　question　to　him　about　love　and　vanity。

〃'Have　you　quarrelled？'　asked　the　friend。

〃'No；'　replied　the　man。

〃'I　fancied　you　had；'　said　the　other。　　'I　met　her　just　now　walking　with　her　husband；　of　all　men　in　the　world；　and　making　herself　quite　agreeable　to　him。'

〃The　friend　strolled　on；　and　the　man　sat　down　on　a　fallen　tree；　and　lighted　a　cigar。　　He　smoked　and　thought；　and　the　cigar　burnt　out；　but　he　still　sat　thinking。

〃After　a　while　he　heard　a　faint　rustling　of　the　branches　behind　him；　and　peering　between　the　interlacing　leaves　that　hid　him；　saw　the　crouching　figure　of　the　woman　creeping　through　the　wood。

〃His　lips　were　parted　to　call　her　name；　when　she　turned　her　listening　head　in　his　direction；　and　his　eyes　fell　full　upon　her　face。　　Something　about　it；　he　could　not　have　told　what；　struck　him　dumb；　and　the　woman　crept　on。

〃Gradually　the　nebulous　thoughts　floating　through　his　brain　began　to　solidify　into　a　tangible　idea；　and　the　man　unconsciously　started　forward。　　After　walking　a　few　steps　he　broke　into　a　run；　for　the　idea　had　grown　clearer。　　It　continued　to　grow　still　clearer　and　clearer；　and　the　man　ran　faster　and　faster；　until　at　last　he　found　himself　racing　madly　towards　the　lock。　　As　he　approached　it　he　looked　round　for　the　watchman　who　ought　to　have　been　there；　but　the　man　was　gone　from　his　post。　　He　shouted；　but　if　any　answer　was　returned；　it　was　drowned　by　the　roar　of　the　rushing　water。

〃He　reached　the　edge　and　looked　down。　　Fifteen　feet　below　him　was　the　reality　of　the　dim　vision　that　had　come　to　him　a　mile　back　in　the　woods：　　the　woman's　husband　swimming　round　and　round　like　a　rat　in　a　pail。

〃The　river　was　flowing　in　and　out　of　the　lock　at　the　same　rate；　so　that　the　level　of　the　water　remained　constant。　　The　first　thing　the　man　did　was　to　close　the　lower　sluices　and　then　open　those　in　the　upper　gate　to　their　fullest　extent。　　The　water　began　to　rise。

〃'Can　you　hold　out？'　he　cried。

〃The　drowning　man　turned　to　him　a　face　already　contorted　by　the　agony　of　exhaustion；　and　answered　with　a　feeble　'No。'

〃He　looked　around　for　something　to　throw　to　the　man。　　A　plank　had　lain　there　in　the　morning；　he　remembered　stumbling　over　it；　and　complaining　of　its　having　been　left　there；　he　cursed　himself　now　for　his　care。

〃A　hut　used　by　the　navvies　to　keep　their　tools　in　stood　about　two　hundred　yards　away；　perhaps　it　had　been　taken　there；　perhaps　there　he　might　even　find　a　rope。

〃'Just　one　minute；　old　fellow！'　he　shouted　down；　'and　I'll　be　back。'

〃But　the　other　did　not　hear　him。　　The　feeble　struggles　ceased。　　The　face　fell　back　upon　the　water；　the　eyes　half　closed　as　if　with　weary　indifference。　　There　was　no　time　for　him　to　do　more　than　kick　off　his　riding　boots　and　jump　in　and　clutch　the　unconscious　figure　as　it　sank。

〃Down　there；　in　that　walled…in　trap；　he　fought　a　long　fight　with　Death　for　the　life　that　stood　between　him　and　the　woman。　　He　was　not　an　expert　swimmer；　his　clothes　hampered　him；　he　was　already　blown　with　his　long　race；　the　burden　in　his　arms　dragged　him　down；　the　water　rose　slowly　enough　to　make　his　torture　fit　for　Dante's　hell。

〃At　first　he　could　not　understand　why　this　was　so；　but　in　glancing　down　he　saw　to　his　horror　that　he　had　not　properly　closed　the　lower　sluices；　in　each　some　eight　or　ten　inches　remained　open；　so　that　the　stream　was　passing　out　nearly　half　as　fast　as　it　came　in。　　It　would　be　another　five…and…twenty　minutes　before　the　water　would　be　high　enough　for　him　to　grasp　the　top。

〃He　noted　where　the　line　of　wet　had　reached　to；　on　the　smooth　stone　wall；　then　looked　again　after　what　he　thought　must　be　a　lapse　of　ten　minutes；　and　found　it　had　risen　half　an　inch；　if　that。　　Once　or　twice　he　shouted　for　help；　but　the　effort　taxed　severely　his　already　failing　breath；　and　his　voice　only　came　back　to　him　in　a　hundred　echoes　from　his　prison　walls。

〃Inch　by　inch　the　line　of　wet　crept　up；　but　the　spending　of　his　strength　went　on　more　swiftly。　　It　seemed　to　him　as　if　his　inside　were　being　gripped　and　torn　slowly　out：　　his　whole　body　cried　out　to　him　to　let　it　sink　and　lie　in　rest　at　the　bottom。

〃At　length　his　unconscious　burden　opened　its　eyes　and　stared　at　him　stupidly；　then　closed　them　again　with　a　sigh；　a　minute　later　opened　them　once　more；　and　looked　long　and　hard　at　him。

〃'Let　me　go；'　he　said；　'we　shall　both　drown。　　You　can　manage　by　yourself。'

〃He　made　a　feeble　effort　to　release　himself；　but　the　other　held　him。

〃'Keep　still；　you　fool！'　he　hissed；　'you're　going　to　get　out　of　this　with　me；　or　I'm　going　down　with　you。'

〃So　the　grim　struggle　went　on　in　silence；　till　the　man；　looking　up；　saw　the　stone　coping　just　a　little　way　above　his　head；　made　one　mad　leap　and　caught　it　with　his　finger…tips；　held　on　an　instant；　then　fell　back　with　a　'plump'　and　sank；　came　up　and　made　another　dash；　and；　helped　by　the　impetus　of　his　rise；　caught　the　coping　firmly　this　time　with　the　whole　of　his　fingers；　hung　on　till　his　eyes　saw　the　stunted　grass；　till　they　were　both　able　to　scramble　out　upon　the　bank　and　lie　there；　their　breasts　pressed　close　against　the　ground；　their　hands　clutching　the　earth；　while　the　overflowing　water　swirled　softly　round　them。

〃After　a　while；　they　raised　themselves　and　looked　at　one　another。

〃'Tiring　work；'　said　the　other　man；　with　a　nod　towards　the　lock。

〃'Yes；'　answered　the　husband；　'beastly　awkward　not　being　a　good　swimmer。　　How　did　you　know　I　had　fallen　in？　　You　met　my　wife；　I　suppose？'

〃'Yes；'　said　the　other　man。

〃The　husband　sat　staring　at　a　point　in　the　horizon　for　some　minutes。　'Do　you　know　what　I　was　wondering　this　morning？'　said　he。

〃'No；'　said　the　other　man。

〃'Whether　I　should　kill　you　or　not。'

〃'They　told　me；'　he　continued；　after　a　pause；　'a　lot　of　silly　gossip　which　I　was　cad　enough　to　believe。　　I　know　now　it　wasn't　true；　becausewell；　if　it　had　been；　you　would　not　have　done　what　you　have　done。'

〃He　rose　and　came　across。　　'I　beg　your　pardon；'　he　said；　holding　out　his　hand。

〃'I　beg　yours；'　said　the　other　man；　rising　and　taking　it；　'do　you　mind　giving　me　a　hand　with　the　sluices？'

〃They　set　to　work　to　put　the　lock　right。

〃'How　did　you　manage　to　fall　in？'　asked　the　other　man；　who　was　raising　one