the trees of pride-第4节

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The　doctor　rose　with　a　half　apology。　　〃'I　must　ask　pardon　for　disturbing　this　pleasant　party；　I　am　called　away　on　duty。　Please　don't　let　anybody　move。　　We　have　to　be　ready　for　these　things；　you　know。　　Perhaps　Mr。　Treherne　will　admit　that　my　habits　are　not　so　very　vegetable；　after　all。〃　With　this　Parthian　shaft；　at　which　there　was　some　laughter；　he　strode　away　very　rapidly　across　the　sunny　lawn　to　where　the　road　dipped　down　toward　the　village。

〃He　is　very　good　among　the　poor；〃　said　the　girl　with　an　honorable　seriousness。

〃A　capital　fellow；〃　agreed　the　Squire。　　〃Where　is　Miles？　　You　will　have　a　cigar；　Mr。　Treherne？〃　　And　he　got　up　from　the　table；　the　rest　followed；　and　the　group　broke　up　on　the　lawn。

〃Remarkable　man；　Treherne；〃　said　the　American　to　the　lawyer　conversationally。

〃Remarkable　is　the　word；〃　assented　Ashe　rather　grimly。　〃But　I　don't　think　I'll　make　any　remark　about　him。〃

The　Squire；　too　impatient　to　wait　for　the　yellow…faced　Miles；　had　betaken　himself　indoors　for　the　cigars；　and　Barbara　found　herself　once　more　paired　off　with　the　poet；　as　she　floated　along　the　terrace　garden；　but　this　time；　symbolically　enough；　upon　the　same　level　of　lawn。　Mr。　Treherne　looked　less　eccentric　after　having　shed　his　curious　cloak；　and　seemed　a　quieter　and　more　casual　figure。

〃I　didn't　mean　to　be　rude　to　you　just　now；〃　she　said　abruptly。

〃And　that's　the　worst　of　it；〃　replied　the　man　of　letters；　〃for　I'm　horribly　afraid　I　did　mean　to　be　rude　to　you。　　When　I　looked　up　and　saw　you　up　there　something　surged　up　in　me　that　was　in　all　the　revolutions　of　history。　　Oh；　there　was　admiration　in　it　too！　Perhaps　there　was　idolatry　in　all　the　iconoclasts。〃

He　seemed　to　have　a　power　of　reaching　rather　intimate　conversation　in　one　silent　and　cat…like　bound；　as　he　had　scaled　the　steep　road；　and　it　made　her　feel　him　to　be　dangerous；　and　perhaps　unscrupulous。　She　changed　the　subject　sharply；　not　without　it　movement　toward　gratifying　her　own　curiosity。

〃What　DID　you　mean　by　all　that　about　walking　trees？〃　she　asked。　〃Don't　tell　me　you　really　believe　in　a　magic　tree　that　eats　birds！〃

〃I　should　probably　surprise　you；〃　said　Treherne　gravely；　〃more　by　what　I　don't　believe　than　by　what　I　do。〃

Then；　after　a　pause；　lie　made　a　general　gesture　toward　the　house　and　garden。　　〃I'm　afraid　I　don't　believe　in　all　this；　for　instance；　in　Elizabethan　houses　and　Elizabethan　families　and　the　way　estates　have　been　improved；　and　the　rest　of　it。　Look　at　our　friend　the　woodcutter　now。〃　　And　he　pointed　to　the　man　with　the　quaint　black　beard；　who　was　still　plying　his　ax　upon　the　timber　below。

〃That　man's　family　goes　back　for　ages；　and　it　was　far　richer　and　freer　in　what　you　call　the　Dark　Ages　than　it　is　now。　Wait　till　the　Cornish　peasant　writes　a　history　of　Cornwall。〃

〃But　what　in　the　world；〃　she　demanded；　〃has　this　to　do　with　whether　you　believe　in　a　tree　eating　birds？〃

〃Why　should　I　confess　what　I　believe　in？〃　he　said；　a　muffled　drum　of　mutiny　in　his　voice。　　〃The　gentry　came　here　and　took　our　land　and　took　our　labor　and　took　our　customs。　And　now；　after　exploitation；　a　viler　thing；　education！　They　must　take　our　dreams！〃

〃Well；　this　dream　was　rather　a　nightmare；　wasn't　it？〃　asked　Barbara；　smiling；　and　the　next　moment　grew　quite　grave；　saying　almost　anxiously：　　〃But　here's　Doctor　Brown　back　again。　Why；　he　looks　quite　upset。〃

The　doctor；　a　black　figure　on　the　green　lawn；　was；　indeed；　coming　toward　them　at　a　very　vigorous　walk。　　His　body　and　gait　very　much　younger　than　his　face；　which　seemed　prematurely　lined　as　with　worry；　his　brow　was　bald；　and　projected　from　the　straight；　dark　hair　behind　it。　He　was　visibly　paler　than　when　he　left　the　lunch　table。

〃I　am　sorry　to　say；　Miss　Vane；〃　he　said；　〃that　I　am　the　bearer　of　bad　news　to　poor　Martin；　the　woodman　here。　His　daughter　died　half　an　hour　ago。〃

〃Oh；〃　cried　Barbara　warmly；　〃I　am　SO　sorry！〃

〃So　am　I；〃　said　the　doctor；　and　passed　on　rather　abruptly；　he　ran　down　the　stone　steps　between　the　stone　urns；　and　they　saw　him　in　talk　with　the　woodcutter。　　They　could　not　see　the　woodcutter's　face。　He　stood　with　his　back　to　them；　but　they　saw　something　that　seemed　more　moving　than　any　change　of　countenance。　The　man's　hand　holding　the　ax　rose　high　above　his　head；　and　for　a　flash　it　seemed　as　if　he　would　have　cut　down　the　doctor。　But　in　fact　he　was　not　looking　at　the　doctor。　　His　face　was　set　toward　the　cliff；　where；　sheer　out　of　the　dwarf　forest；　rose；　gigantic　and　gilded　by　the　sun；　the　trees　of　pride。

The　strong　brown　hand　made　a　movement　and　was　empty。　The　ax　went　circling　swiftly　through　the　air；　its　head　showing　like　a　silver　crescent　against　the　gray　twilight　of　the　trees。　It　did　not　reach　its　tall　objective；　but　fell　among　the　undergrowth；　shaking　up　a　flying　litter　of　birds。　　But　in　the　poet's　memory；　full　of　primal　things；　something　seemed　to　say　that　he　had　seen　the　birds　of　some　pagan　augury；　the　ax　of　some　pagan　sacrifice。

A　moment　after　the　man　made　a　heavy　movement　forward；　as　if　to　recover　his　tool；　but　the　doctor　put　a　hand　on　his　arm。

〃Never　mind　that　now；〃　they　heard　him　say　sadly　and　kindly。　〃The　Squire　will　excuse　you　any　more　work；　I　know。〃

Something　made　the　girl　look　at　Treherne。　　He　stood　gazing；　his　head　a　little　bent；　and　one　of　his　black　elf…locks　had　fallen　forward　over　his　forehead。　　And　again　she　had　the　sense　of　a　shadow　over　the　grass；　she　almost　felt　as　if　the　grass　were　a　host　of　fairies；　and　that　the　fairies　were　not　her　friends。



II。　　THE　WAGER　OF　SQUIRE　VANE

It　was　more　than　a　month　before　the　legend　of　the　peacock　trees　was　again　discussed　in　the　Squire's　circle。　　It　fell　out　one　evening；　when　his　eccentric　taste　for　meals　in　the　garden　that　gathered　the　company　round　the　same　table；　now　lit　with　a　lamp　and　laid　out　for　dinner　in　a　glowing　spring　twilight。　It　was　even　the　same　company；　for　in　the　few　weeks　intervening　they　had　insensibly　grown　more　and　more　into　each　other's　lives；　forming　a　little　group　like　a　club。　　The　American　aesthete　was　of　course　the　most　active　agent；　his　resolution　to　pluck　out　the　heart　of　the　Cornish　poet's　mystery　leading　him　again　and　again　to　influence　his　flighty　host　for　such　reunions。　Even　Mr。　Ashe；　the　lawyer；　seemed　to　have　swallowed　his　half…humorous　prejudices；　and　the　doctor；　though　a　rather　sad　and　silent；　was　a　companionable　and　considerate　man。　Paynter　had　even　read　Treherne's　poetry　aloud；　and　he　read　admirably；　he　had　also　read　other　things；　not　aloud；　grubbing　up　everything　in　the　neighborhood；　from　guidebooks　to　epitaphs；　that　could　throw　a　light　on　local　antiquities。　And　it　was　that　evening　when　the　lamplight　and　the　last　daylight　had　kindled　the　colors　of　the　wine　and　silver　on　the　table　under　the　tree；　that　he　announced　a　new　discovery。

〃Say；　Squire；〃　he　remarked；　with　one　of　his　rare　Americanisms；　〃about　those　bogey　trees　of　yours；　I　don't　believe　you　know　half　the　tales　told　round　here　about　them。　　It　seems　they　have　a　way　of　eating　things。　Not　that　I　have　any　ethical　objection　to　eating　things；〃　he　continued；　helping　himself　elegantly　to　green　cheese。　　〃But　I　have　more　or　less；　broadly　speaking；　an　objection　to　eating　people。〃

〃Eating　people！〃　repeated　Barbara　Vane。

〃I　know　a　globe…trotter　mustn't　be　fastidious；〃　replied　Mr。　Paynter。　　〃But　I　repeat　firmly；　an　objection　to　eating　people。　　The　peacock　trees　seem　to　have　progressed　since　the　happy　days　of　innocence　when　they　only　ate　peacocks。　If　you　ask　the　people　herethe　fisherman　who　lives　on　that　beach；　or　the　man　that　mows　this　very　lawn　in　front　of　usthey'll　tell　you　tales　taller　than　any　tropical　one　I　brought　you　from　the　Barbary　Coast。　　If　you　ask　them　what　happened　to　the　fisherman　Peters；　who　got　drunk　on　All　Hallows　Eve；　they'll　tell　you　he　lost　his　way　in　that　little　wood；　tumbled　down　asleep　under　the　wicked　trees；　and　thenevaporated；　vanished；　was　licked　up　like　dew　by　the　sun。　If　you　ask　them　where　Harry　Hawke　is；　the　widow's　little　son；　they'll　just　tell　you　he's　swallowed；　that　he　was　dared　to　climb　the　trees　and　sit　there　all　night；　and　did　it。　　What　the　trees　did　God　knows；　the　habits　of　a　vegetable　ogre　leave　one　a　little　vague。　But　they　even　add　the　agreeable　detail　that　a　new　branch　appears　on　the　tree　when　somebody　has　petered　out　in　this　style。〃

〃What　new　nonsense　is　this？〃　cried　Vane。　　〃I　know　there's　some　crazy　yarn　about　the　trees　spreading　fever；　though　every　educated　man　knows　why　these　epidemics　return　occasionally。　　And　I　know　they　say　you　can　tell　the　noise　of　them　among　other　trees　in　a　gale；　and　I　dare　say　you　can。　But　even　Cornwall　isn't　a　lunatic　asylum；　and　a　tree　that　dines　on　a　passing　tourist〃

〃Well；　the　two　tales　are　reconcilable　enough；〃　put　in　the　poet　quietly。　〃If　there　were　a　magic　that　killed　men　when　they　came　close；　it's　likely　to　strike　them　with　sickness　when　they　stand　far　off。　In　the　old　romance　the　dragon；　that　devours　people；　often　blasts　others　with　a　sort　of　poisonous　breath。〃

Ashe　looked　across　at　the　speaker　steadily；　not　to　say　stonily。

〃Do　I　understand；〃　he　inquired；　〃that　you　swallow　the　swallowing　trees　too？〃

Treherne's　dark　smile　was　still　on　the　defensive；　his　fencing　always　annoyed　the　other；　and　he　seemed　not　without　malice　in　the　matter。

〃Swallowing　is　a　meta