the doom of the griffiths-第8节

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tender　sympathy；　if；　indeed；　she　had　recovered　the　shock　of　mind

sufficiently　to　be　sensible　of　consolation！　　What　would　she　think　of

his　absence？　　Could　she　imagine　he　believed　his　father's　words；　and

had　left　her；　in　this　her　sore　trouble　and　bereavement？　　The　thought

madened　him；　and　he　looked　around　for　some　mode　of　escape。



He　had　been　confined　in　a　small　unfurnished　room　on　the　first　floor；

wainscoted；　and　carved　all　round；　with　a　massy　door；　calculated　to

resist　the　attempts　of　a　dozen　strong　men；　even　had　he　afterward　been

able　to　escape　from　the　house　unseen；　unheard。　　The　window　was　placed

（as　is　common　in　old　Welsh　houses）　over　the　fire…place；　with

branching　chimneys　on　either　hand；　forming　a　sort　of　projection　on

the　outside。　　By　this　outlet　his　escape　was　easy；　even　had　he　been

less　determined　and　desperate　than　he　was。　　And　when　he　had

descended；　with　a　little　care；　a　little　winding；　he　might　elude　all

observation　and　pursue　his　original　intention　of　going　to　Ty　Glas。



The　storm　had　abated；　and　watery　sunbeams　were　gilding　the　bay；　as

Owen　descended　from　the　window；　and；　stealing　along　in　the　broad

afternoon　shadows；　made　his　way　to　the　little　plateau　of　green　turf

in　the　garden　at　the　top　of　a　steep　precipitous　rock；　down　the　abrupt

face　of　which　he　had　often　dropped；　by　means　of　a　well…secured　rope；

into　the　small　sailing…boat　（his　father's　present；　alas！　in　days　gone

by）　which　lay　moored　in　the　deep　sea…water　below。　　He　had　always　kept

his　boat　there；　because　it　was　the　nearest　available　spot　to　the

house；　but　before　he　could　reach　the　placeunless；　indeed；　he

crossed　a　broad　sun…lighted　piece　of　ground　in　full　view　of　the

windows　on　that　side　of　the　house；　and　without　the　shadow　of　a　single

sheltering　tree　or　shrubhe　had　to　skirt　round　a　rude　semicircle　of

underwood；　which　would　have　been　considered　as　a　shrubbery　had　any

one　taken　pains　with　it。　　Step　by　step　he　stealthily　moved　along

hearing　voices　now；　again　seeing　his　father　and　stepmother　in　no

distant　walk；　the　Squire　evidently　caressing　and　consoling　his　wife；

who　seemed　to　be　urging　some　point　with　great　vehemence；　again　forced

to　crouch　down　to　avoid　being　seen　by　the　cook；　returning　from　the

rude　kitchen…garden　with　a　handful　of　herbs。　　This　was　the　way　the

doomed　heir　of　Bodowen　left　his　ancestral　house　for　ever；　and　hoped

to　leave　behind　him　his　doom。　　At　length　he　reached　the　plateauhe

breathed　more　freely。　　He　stooped　to　discover　the　hidden　coil　of

rope；　kept　safe　and　dry　in　a　hole　under　a　great　round　flat　piece　of

rock：　　his　head　was　bent　down；　he　did　not　see　his　father　approach；

nor　did　he　hear　his　footstep　for　the　rush　of　blood　to　his　head　in　the

stooping　effort　of　lifting　the　stone；　the　Squire　had　grappled　with

him　before　he　rose　up　again；　before　he　fully　knew　whose　hands

detained　him；　now；　when　his　liberty　of　person　and　action　seemed

secure。　　He　made　a　vigorous　struggle　to　free　himself；　he　wrestled

with　his　father　for　a　momenthe　pushed　him　hard；　and　drove　him　on　to

the　great　displaced　stone；　all　unsteady　in　its　balance。



Down　went　the　Squire；　down　into　the　deep　waters　belowdown　after　him

went　Owen；　half　consciously；　half　unconsciously；　partly　compelled　by

the　sudden　cessation　of　any　opposing　body；　partly　from　a　vehement

irrepressible　impulse　to　rescue　his　father。　　But　he　had　instinctively

chosen　a　safer　place　in　the　deep　seawater　pool　than　that　into　which

his　push　had　sent　his　father。　　The　Squire　had　hit　his　head　with　much

violence　against　the　side　of　the　boat；　in　his　fall；　it　is；　indeed；

doubtful　whether　he　was　not　killed　before　ever　he　sank　into　the　sea。

But　Owen　knew　nothing　save　that　the　awful　doom　seemed　even　now

present。　　He　plunged　down；　he　dived　below　the　water　in　search　of　the

body　which　had　none　of　the　elasticity　of　life　to　buoy　it　up；　he　saw

his　father　in　those　depths；　he　clutched　at　him；　he　brought　him　up　and

cast　him；　a　dead　weight；　into　the　boat；　and　exhausted　by　the　effort；

he　had　begun　himself　to　sink　again　before　he　instinctively　strove　to

rise　and　climb　into　the　rocking　boat。　　There　lay　his　father；　with　a

deep　dent　in　the　side　of　his　head　where　the　skull　had　been　fractured

by　his　fall；　his　face　blackened　by　the　arrested　course　of　the　blood。

Owen　felt　his　pulse；　his　heartall　was　still。　　He　called　him　by　his

name。



〃Father；　father！〃　he　cried；　〃come　back！　come　back！　　You　never　knew

how　I　loved　you！　how　I　could　love　you　stillifOh　God！〃



And　the　thought　of　his　little　child　rose　before　him。　　〃Yes；　father；〃

he　cried　afresh；　〃you　never　knew　how　he　fellhow　he　died！　　Oh；　if　I

had　but　had　patience　to　tell　you！　　If　you　would　but　have　borne　with

me　and　listened！　　And　now　it　is　over！　　Oh　father！　father！〃



Whether　she　had　heard　this　wild　wailing　voice；　or　whether　it　was　only

that　she　missed　her　husband　and　wanted　him　for　some　little　every…day

question；　or；　as　was　perhaps　more　likely；　she　had　discovered　Owen's

escape；　and　come　to　inform　her　husband　of　it；　I　do　not　know；　but　on

the　rock；　right　above　his　head；　as　it　seemed；　Owen　heard　his

stepmother　calling　her　husband。



He　was　silent；　and　softly　pushed　the　boat　right　under　the　rock　till

the　sides　grated　against　the　stones；　and　the　overhanging　branches

concealed　him　and　it　from　all　not　on　a　level　with　the　water。　　Wet　as

he　was；　he　lay　down　by　his　dead　father　the　better　to　conceal　himself；

and；　somehow；　the　action　recalled　those　early　days　of　childhoodthe

first　in　the　Squire's　widowhoodwhen　Owen　had　shared　his　father's

bed；　and　used　to　waken　him　in　the　morning　to　hear　one　of　the　old

Welsh　legends。　　How　long　he　lay　thusbody　chilled；　and　brain　hard…

working　through　the　heavy　pressure　of　a　reality　as　terrible　as　a

nightmarehe　never　knew；　but　at　length　he　roused　himself　up　to　think

of　Nest。



Drawing　out　a　great　sail；　he　covered　up　the　body　of　his　father　with

it　where　he　lay　in　the　bottom　of　the　boat。　　Then　with　his　numbed

hands　he　took　the　oars；　and　pulled　out　into　the　more　open　sea　toward

Criccaeth。　　He　skirted　along　the　coast　till　he　found　a　shadowed　cleft

in　the　dark　rocks；　to　that　point　he　rowed；　and　anchored　his　boat

close　in　land。　　Then　he　mounted；　staggering；　half　longing　to　fall

into　the　dark　waters　and　be　at　resthalf　instinctively　finding　out

the　surest　foot…rests　on　that　precipitous　face　of　rock；　till　he　was

high　up；　safe　landed　on　the　turfy　summit。　　He　ran　off；　as　if　pursued；

toward　Penmorfa；　he　ran　with　maddened　energy。　　Suddenly　he　paused；

turned；　ran　again　with　the　same　speed；　and　threw　himself　prone　on　the

summit；　looking　down　into　his　boat　with　straining　eyes　to　see　if

there　had　been　any　movement　of　lifeany　displacement　of　a　fold　of

sail…cloth。　　It　was　all　quiet　deep　down　below；　but　as　he　gazed　the

shifting　light　gave　the　appearance　of　a　slight　movement。　　Owen　ran　to

a　lower　part　of　the　rock；　stripped；　plunged　into　the　water；　and　swam

to　the　boat。　　When　there；　all　was　stillawfully　still！　　For　a　minute

or　two；　he　dared　not　lift　up　the　cloth。　　Then　reflecting　that　the

same　terror　might　beset　him　againof　leaving　his　father　unaided

while　yet　a　spark　of　life　lingeredhe　removed　the　shrouding　cover。

The　eyes　looked　into　his　with　a　dead　stare！　　He　closed　the　lids　and

bound　up　the　jaw。　　Again　he　looked。　　This　time　he　raised　himself　out

of　the　water　and　kissed　the　brow。



〃It　was　my　doom；　father！　　It　would　have　been　better　if　I　had　died　at

my　birth！〃



Daylight　was　fading　away。　　Precious　daylight！　　He　swam　back；　dressed；

and　set　off　afresh　for　Penmorfa。　　When　he　opened　the　door　of　Ty　Glas；

Ellis　Pritchard　looked　at　him　reproachfully；　from　his　seat　in　the

darkly…shadowed　chimney…corner。



〃You're　come　at　last；〃　said　he。　　〃One　of　our　kind　（i。e。；　station）

would　not　have　left　his　wife　to　mourn　by　herself　over　her　dead　child；

nor　would　one　of　our　kind　have　let　his　father　kill　his　own　true　son。

I've　a　good　mind　to　take　her　from　you　for　ever。〃



〃I　did　not　tell　him；〃　cried　Nest；　looking　piteously　at　her　husband；

〃he　made　me　tell　him　part；　and　guessed　the　rest。〃



She　was　nursing　her　babe　on　her　knee　as　if　it　was　alive。　　Owen　stood

before　Ellis　Pritchard。



〃Be　silent；〃　said　he；　quietly。　　〃Neither　words　nor　deeds　but　what　are

decreed　can　come　to　pass。　　I　was　set　to　do　my　work；　this　hundred

years　and　more。　　The　time　waited　for　me；　and　the　man　waited　for　me。

I　have　done　what　was　foretold　of　me　for　generations！〃



Ellis　Pritchard　knew　the　old　tale　of　the　prophecy；　and　believed　in　it

in　a　dull；　dead　kind　of　way；　but　somehow　never　thought　it　would　come

to　pass　in　his　time。　　Now；　however；　he　understood　it　all　in　a　moment；

though　he　mistook　Owen's　nature　so　much　as　to　believe　that　the　deed

was　intentionally　done；　out　of　revenge　for　the　death　of　his　boy；　and

viewing　it　in　this　light；　Ellis　thought　it　little　more　than　a　just

punishment　for　the　cause　of　all　the　wild　despairing　sorrow　he　had

seen　his　only　child　suffer　during　the　hours　of　this　long　afternoon。

But　he　knew　the　law