tales and fantasies-第30节

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no　boundary　but　the　horizon。　　Two　lines　of　rails；　a　waggon

shed；　and　a　few　telegraph　posts；　alone　diversified　the

outlook。　　As　for　sounds；　the　silence　was　unbroken　save　by　the

chant　of　the　telegraph　wires　and　the　crying　of　the　plovers　on

the　waste。　　With　the　approach　of　midday　the　wind　had　more　and

more　fallen；　it　was　now　sweltering　hot　and　the　air　trembled

in　the　sunshine。



Dick　paused　for　an　instant　on　the　threshold　of　the　platform。

Then；　in　two　steps；　he　was　by　her　side　and　speaking　almost

with　a　sob。



'Esther；'　he　said；　'have　pity　on　me。　　What　have　I　done？　　Can

you　not　forgive　me？　　Esther；　you　loved　me　once　…　can　you　not

love　me　still？'



'How　can　I　tell　you？　　How　am　I　to　know？'　she　answered。　　'You

are　all　a　lie　to　me　…　all　a　lie　from　first　to　last。　　You　were

laughing　at　my　folly；　playing　with　me　like　a　child；　at　the

very　time　when　you　declared　you　loved　me。　　Which　was　true？

was　any　of　it　true？　or　was　it　all；　all　a　mockery？　　I　am　weary

trying　to　find　out。　　And　you　say　I　loved　you；　I　loved　my

father's　friend。　　I　never　loved；　I　never　heard　of；　you；　until

that　man　came　home　and　I　began　to　find　myself　deceived。　　Give

me　back　my　father；　be　what　you　were　before；　and　you　may　talk

of　love　indeed！'



'Then　you　cannot　forgive　me　…　cannot？'　he　asked。



'I　have　nothing　to　forgive；'　she　answered。　　'You　do　not

understand。'



'Is　that　your　last　word；　Esther？'　said　he；　very　white；　and

biting　his　lip　to　keep　it　still。



'Yes；　that　is　my　last　word；'　replied　she。



'Then　we　are　here　on　false　pretences；　and　we　stay　here　no

longer；'　he　said。　　'Had　you　still　loved　me；　right　or　wrong；　I

should　have　taken　you　away；　because　then　I　could　have　made

you　happy。　　But　as　it　is　…　I　must　speak　plainly　…　what　you

propose　is　degrading　to　you；　and　an　insult　to　me；　and　a　rank

unkindness　to　your　father。　　Your　father　may　be　this　or　that；

but　you　should　use　him　like　a　fellow…creature。'



'What　do　you　mean？'　she　flashed。　　'I　leave　him　my　house　and

all　my　money；　it　is　more　than　he　deserves。　　I　wonder　you　dare

speak　to　me　about　that　man。　　And　besides；　it　is　all　he　cares

for；　let　him　take　it；　and　let　me　never　hear　from　him　again。'



'I　thought　you　romantic　about　fathers；'　he　said。



'Is　that　a　taunt？'　she　demanded。



'No；'　he　replied；　'it　is　an　argument。　　No　one　can　make　you

like　him；　but　don't　disgrace　him　in　his　own　eyes。　　He　is　old；

Esther；　old　and　broken　down。　　Even　I　am　sorry　for　him；　and　he

has　been　the　loss　of　all　I　cared　for。　　Write　to　your　aunt；

when　I　see　her　answer　you　can　leave　quietly　and　naturally；

and　I　will　take　you　to　your　aunt's　door。　　But　in　the　meantime

you　must　go　home。　　You　have　no　money；　and　so　you　are

helpless；　and　must　do　as　I　tell　you；　and　believe　me；　Esther；

I　do　all　for　your　good；　and　your　good　only；　so　God　help　me。'



She　had　put　her　hand　into　her　pocket　and　withdrawn　it　empty。



'I　counted　upon　you；'　she　wailed。



'You　counted　rightly　then；'　he　retorted。　　'I　will　not；　to

please　you　for　a　moment；　make　both　of　us　unhappy　for　our

lives；　and　since　I　cannot　marry　you；　we　have　only　been　too

long　away；　and　must　go　home　at　once。'



'Dick；'　she　cried　suddenly；　'perhaps　I　might　…　perhaps　in

time　…　perhaps　…　'



'There　is　no　perhaps　about　the　matter；'　interrupted　Dick。　　'I

must　go　and　bring　the　phaeton。'　　And　with　that　he　strode　from

the　station；　all　in　a　glow　of　passion　and　virtue。　　Esther；

whose　eyes　had　come　alive　and　her　cheeks　flushed　during　these

last　words；　relapsed　in　a　second　into　a　state　of

petrifaction。　　She　remained　without　motion　during　his

absence；　and　when　he　returned　suffered　herself　to　be　put　back

into　the　phaeton；　and　driven　off　on　the　return　journey　like

an　idiot　or　a　tired　child。　　Compared　with　what　she　was　now；

her　condition　of　the　morning　seemed　positively　natural。　　She

sat　white　and　cold　and　silent；　and　there　was　no　speculation

in　her　eyes。　　Poor　Dick　flailed　and　flailed　at　the　pony；　and

once　tried　to　whistle；　but　his　courage　was　going　down；　huge

clouds　of　despair　gathered　together　in　his　soul；　and　from

time　to　time　their　darkness　was　divided　by　a　piercing　flash

of　longing　and　regret。　　He　had　lost　his　love　…　he　had　lost

his　love　for　good。



The　pony　was　tired；　and　the　hills　very　long　and　steep；　and

the　air　sultrier　than　ever；　for　now　the　breeze　began　to　fail

entirely。　　It　seemed　as　if　this　miserable　drive　would　never

be　done；　as　if　poor　Dick　would　never　be　able　to　go　away　and

be　comfortably　wretched　by　himself；　for　all　his　desire　was　to

escape　from　her　presence　and　the　reproach　of　her　averted

looks。　　He　had　lost　his　love；　he　thought　…　he　had　lost　his

love　for　good。



They　were　already　not　far　from　the　cottage；　when　his　heart

again　faltered　and　he　appealed　to　her　once　more；　speaking　low

and　eagerly　in　broken　phrases。



'I　cannot　live　without　your　love；'　he　concluded。



'I　do　not　understand　what　you　mean；'　she　replied；　and　I

believe　with　perfect　truth。



'Then；'　said　he；　wounded　to　the　quick；　'your　aunt　might　come

and　fetch　you　herself。　　Of　course　you　can　command　me　as　you

please。　　But　I　think　it　would　be　better　so。'



'Oh　yes；'　she　said　wearily；　'better　so。'



This　was　the　only　exchange　of　words　between　them　till　about

four　o'clock；　the　phaeton；　mounting　the　lane；　'opened　out'

the　cottage　between　the　leafy　banks。　　Thin　smoke　went

straight　up　from　the　chimney；　the　flowers　in　the　garden；　the

hawthorn　in　the　lane；　hung　down　their　heads　in　the　heat；　the

stillness　was　broken　only　by　the　sound　of　hoofs。　　For　right

before　the　gate　a　livery　servant　rode　slowly　up　and　down；

leading　a　saddle　horse。　　And　in　this　last　Dick　shuddered　to

identify　his　father's　chestnut。



Alas！　poor　Richard；　what　should　this　portend？



The　servant；　as　in　duty　bound；　dismounted　and　took　the

phaeton　into　his　keeping；　yet　Dick　thought　he　touched　his　hat

to　him　with　something　of　a　grin。　　Esther；　passive　as　ever；

was　helped　out　and　crossed　the　garden　with　a　slow　and

mechanical　gait；　and　Dick；　following　close　behind　her；　heard

from　within　the　cottage　his　father's　voice　upraised　in　an

anathema；　and　the　shriller　tones　of　the　Admiral　responding　in

the　key　of　war。







CHAPTER　VIII　…　BATTLE　ROYAL







SQUIRE　NASEBY；　on　sitting　down　to　lunch；　had　inquired　for

Dick；　whom　he　had　not　seen　since　the　day　before　at　dinner；

and　the　servant　answering　awkwardly　that　Master　Richard　had

come　back　but　had　gone　out　again　with　the　pony　phaeton；　his

suspicions　became　aroused；　and　he　cross…questioned　the　man

until　the　whole　was　out。　　It　appeared　from　this　report　that

Dick　had　been　going　about　for　nearly　a　month　with　a　girl　in

the　Vale　…　a　Miss　Van　Tromp；　that　she　lived　near　Lord

Trevanion's　upper　wood；　that　recently　Miss　Van　Tromp's　papa

had　returned　home　from　foreign　parts　after　a　prolonged

absence；　that　this　papa　was　an　old　gentleman；　very　chatty　and

free　with　his　money　in　the　public…house　…　whereupon　Mr。

Naseby's　face　became　encrimsoned；　that　the　papa；　furthermore；

was　said　to　be　an　admiral　…　whereupon　Mr。　Naseby　spat　out　a

whistle　brief　and　fierce　as　an　oath；　that　Master　Dick　seemed

very　friendly　with　the　papa　…　'God　help　him！'　said　Mr。

Naseby；　that　last　night　Master　Dick　had　not　come　in；　and　to…

day　he　had　driven　away　in　the　phaeton　with　the　young　lady　…



'Young　woman；'　corrected　Mr。　Naseby。



'Yes；　sir；'　said　the　man；　who　had　been　unwilling　enough　to

gossip　from　the　first；　and　was　now　cowed　by　the　effect　of　his

communications　on　the　master。　　'Young　woman；　sir！'



'Had　they　luggage？'　demanded　the　Squire。



'Yes；　sir。'



Mr。　Naseby　was　silent　for　a　moment；　struggling　to　keep　down

his　emotion；　and　he　mastered　it　so　far　as　to　mount　into　the

sarcastic　vein；　when　he　was　in　the　nearest　danger　of　melting

into　the　sorrowful。



'And　was　this　…　this　Van　Dunk　with　them？'　he　asked；　dwelling

scornfully　upon　the　name。



The　servant　believed　not；　and　being　eager　to　shift　the

responsibility　of　speech　to　other　shoulders；　suggested　that

perhaps　the　master　had　better　inquire　further　from　George　the

stableman　in　person。



'Tell　him　to　saddle　the　chestnut　and　come　with　me。　　He　can

take　the　gray　gelding；　for　we　may　ride　fast。　　And　then　you

can　take　away　this　trash；'　added　Mr。　Naseby；　pointing　to　the

luncheon；　and　he　arose；　lordly　in　his　anger；　and　marched

forth　upon　the　terrace　to　await　his　horse。



There　Dick's　old　nurse　shrunk　up　to　him；　for　the　news　went

like　wildfire　over　Naseby　House；　and　timidly　expressed　a　hope

that　there　was　nothing　much　amiss　with　the　young　master。



'I'll　pull　him　through；'　the　Squire　said　grimly；　as　though　he

meant　to　pull　him　through　a　threshing…mill；　'I'll　save　him

from　this　gang；　God　help　him　with　the　next！　　He　has　a　taste

for　low　company；　and　no　natural　affections　to　steady　him。

His　father　was　no　society　for　him；　he　must　go　fuddling　with　a

Dutchman；　Nance；　and　now　he's　caught。　　Let　us　pray　he'll　take

the　lesson；'　he　a