还乡The Return Of The Native-第42部分

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pace。　　Venn　stepped　forward　and　showed　himself。　
Eustacia　started　when　the　lamp　shone　upon　him；　and　Clym’s　arm　was　involuntarily　withdrawn　from　her　waist。　　He　said；　“What；　Diggory？　　You　are　having　a　lonely　walk。”
“Yes—I　beg　your　pardon　for　stopping　you；”　said　Venn。　　“But　I　am　waiting　about　for　Mrs。　Wildeve：　I　have　something　to　give　her　from　Mrs。　Yeobright。　　Can　you　tell　me　if　she’s　gone　home　from　the　party　yet？”
“No。　But　she　will　be　leaving　soon。　　You　may　possibly　meet　her　at　the　corner。”
Venn　made　a　farewell　obeisance；　and　walked　back　to　his　former　position；　where　the　byroad　from　Mistover　joined　the　highway。　　Here　he　remained　fixed　for　nearly　half　an　hour；　and　then　another　pair　of　lights　came　down　the　hill。　　It　was　the　old…fashioned　wheeled　nondescript　belonging　to　the　captain；　and　Thomasin　sat　in　it　alone；　driven　by　Charley。　
The　reddleman　came　up　as　they　slowly　turned　the　corner。　
“I　beg　pardon　for　stopping　you；　Mrs。　Wildeve；”　he　said。　
“But　I　have　something　to　give　you　privately　from　Mrs。　Yeobright。”　He　handed　a　small　parcel；　it　consisted　of　the　hundred　guineas　he　had　just　won；　roughly　twisted　up　in　a　piece　of　paper。　
Thomasin　recovered　from　her　surprise；　and　took　the　packet。　　“That’s　all；　ma’am—I　wish　you　good　night；”　he　said；　and　vanished　from　her　view。　
Thus　Venn；　in　his　anxiety　to　rectify　matters；　had　placed　in　Thomasin’s　hands　not　only　the　fifty　guineas　which　rightly　belonged　to　her；　but　also　the　fifty　intended　for　her　cousin　Clym。　　His　mistake　had　been　based　upon　Wildeve’s　words　at　the　opening　of　the　game；　when　he　indignantly　denied　that　the　guinea　was　not　his　own。　　It　had　not　been　prehended　by　the　reddleman　that　at　halfway　through　the　performance　the　game　was　continued　with　the　money　of　another　person；　and　it　was　an　error　which　afterwards　helped　to　cause　more　misfortune　than　treble　the　loss　in　money　value　could　have　done。　
The　night　was　now　somewhat　advanced；　and　Venn　plunged　deeper　into　the　heath；　till　he　came　to　a　ravine　where　his　van　was　standing—a　spot　not　more　than　two　hundred　yards　from　the　site　of　the　gambling　bout。　　He　entered　this　movable　home　of　his；　lit　his　lantern；　and；　before　closing　his　door　for　the　night；　stood　reflecting　on　the　circumstances　of　the　preceding　hours。　　While　he　stood　the　dawn　grew　visible　in　the　northeast　quarter　of　the　heavens；　which；　the　clouds　having　cleared　off；　was　bright　with　a　soft　sheen　at　this　midsummer　time；　though　it　was　only　between　one　and　two　o’clock。　Venn；　thoroughly　weary；　then　shut　his　door　and　flung　himself　down　to　sleep。　


book　four
THE　CLOSED　DOOR


1　… The　Rencounter　by　the　Pool


The　July　sun　shone　over　Egdon　and　fired　its　crimson　heather　to　scarlet。　　It　was　the　one　season　of　the　year；　and　the　one　weather　of　the　season；　in　which　the　heath　was　gorgeous。　　This　flowering　period　represented　the　second　or　noontide　division　in　the　cycle　of　those　superficial　changes　which　alone　were　possible　here；　it　followed　the　green　or　young…fern　period；　representing　the　morn；　and　preceded　the　brown　period；　when　the　heathbells　and　ferns　would　wear　the　russet　tinges　of　evening；　to　be　in　turn　displaced　by　the　dark　hue　of　the　winter　period；　representing　night。
Clym　and　Eustacia；　in　their　little　house　at　Alderworth；　beyond　East　Egdon；　were　living　on　with　a　monotony　which　was　delightful　to　them。　　The　heath　and　changes　of　weather　were　quite　blotted　out　from　their　eyes　for　the　present。　　They　were　enclosed　in　a　sort　of　luminous　mist；　which　hid　from　them　surroundings　of　any　inharmonious　colour；　and　gave　to　all　things　the　character　of　light。　　When　it　rained　they　were　charmed；　because　they　could　remain　indoors　together　all　day　with　such　a　show　of　reason；　when　it　was　fine　they　were　charmed；　because　they　could　sit　together　on　the　hills。　　They　were　like　those　double　stars　which　revolve　round　and　round　each　other；　and　from　a　distance　appear　to　be　one。　　The　absolute　solitude　in　which　they　lived　intensified　their　reciprocal　thoughts；　yet　some　might　have　said　that　it　had　the　disadvantage　of　consuming　their　mutual　affections　at　a　fearfully　prodigal　rate。　　Yeobright　did　not　fear　for　his　own　part；　but　recollection　of　Eustacia’s　old　speech　about　the　evanescence　of　love；　now　apparently　forgotten　by　her；　sometimes　caused　him　to　ask　himself　a　question；　and　he　recoiled　at　the　thought　that　the　quality　of　finiteness　was　not　foreign　to　Eden。　
When　three　or　four　weeks　had　been　passed　thus；　Yeobright　resumed　his　reading　in　earnest。　　To　make　up　for　lost　time　he　studied　indefatigably；　for　he　wished　to　enter　his　new　profession　with　the　least　possible　delay。　
Now；　Eustacia’s　dream　had　always　been　that；　once　married　to　Clym；　she　would　have　the　power　of　inducing　him　to　return　to　Paris。　　He　had　carefully　withheld　all　promise　to　do　so；　but　would　he　be　proof　against　her　coaxing　and　argument？　　She　had　calculated　to　such　a　degree　on　the　probability　of　success　that　she　had　represented　Paris；　and　not　Budmouth；　to　her　grandfather　as　in　all　likelihood　their　future　home。　　Her　hopes　were　bound　up　in　this　dream。　　In　the　quiet　days　since　their　marriage；　when　Yeobright　had　been　poring　over　her　lips；　her　eyes；　and　the　lines　of　her　face；　she　had　mused　and　mused　on　the　subject；　even　while　in　the　act　of　returning　his　gaze；　and　now　the　sight　of　the　books；　indicating　a　future　which　was　antagonistic　to　her　dream；　struck　her　with　a　positively　painful　jar。　　She　was　hoping　for　the　time　when；　as　the　mistress　of　some　pretty　establishment；　however　small；　near　a　Parisian　Boulevard；　she　would　be　passing　her　days　on　the　skirts　at　least　of　the　gay　world；　and　catching　stray　wafts　from　those　town　pleasures　she　was　so　well　fitted　to　enjoy。　　Yet　Yeobright　was　as　firm　in　the　contrary　intention　as　if　the　tendency　of　marriage　were　rather　to　develop　the　fantasies　of　young　philanthropy　than　to　sweep　them　away。　
Her　anxiety　reached　a　high　pitch；　but　there　was　something　in　Clym’s　undeviating　manner　which　made　her　hesitate　before　sounding　him　on　the　subject。　　At　this　point　in　their　experience；　however；　an　incident　helped　her。　　It　occurred　one　evening　about　six　weeks　after　their　union；　and　arose　entirely　out　of　the　unconscious　misapplication　of　Venn　of　the　fifty　guineas　intended　for　Yeobright。　
A　day　or　two　after　the　receipt　of　the　money　Thomasin　had　sent　a　note　to　her　aunt　to　thank　her。　　She　had　been　surprised　at　the　largeness　of　the　amount；　but　as　no　sum　had　ever　been　mentioned　she　set　that　down　to　her　late　uncle’s　generosity。　　She　had　been　strictly　charged　by　her　aunt　to　say　nothing　to　her　husband　of　this　gift；　and　Wildeve；　as　was　natural　enough；　had　not　brought　himself　to　mention　to　his　wife　a　single　particular　of　the　midnight　scene　in　the　heath。　　Christian’s　terror；　in　like　manner；　had　tied　his　tongue　on　the　share　he　took　in　that　proceeding；　and　hoping　that　by　some　means　or　other　the　money　had　gone　to　its　proper　destination；　he　simply　asserted　as　much；　without　giving　details。　
Therefore；　when　a　week　or　two　had　passed　away；　Mrs。　Yeobright　began　to　wonder　why　she　never　heard　from　her　son　of　the　receipt　of　the　present；　and　to　add　gloom　to　her　perplexity　came　the　possibility　that　resentment　might　be　the　cause　of　his　silence。　　She　could　hardly　believe　as　much；　but　why　did　he　not　write？　　She　questioned　Christian；　and　the　confusion　in　his　answers　would　at　once　have　led　her　to　believe　that　something　was　wrong；　had　not　one…half　of　his　story　been　corroborated　by　Thomasin’s　note。　
Mrs。　Yeobright　was　in　this　state　of　uncertainty　when　she　was　informed　one　morning　that　her　son’s　wife　was　visiting　her　grandfather　at　Mistover。　　She　determined　to　walk　up　the　hill；　see　Eustacia；　and　ascertain　from　her　daughter…in…law’s　lips　whether　the　family　guineas；　which　were　to　Mrs。　Yeobright　what　family　jewels　are　to　wealthier　dowagers；　had　miscarried　or　not。　
When　Christian　learnt　where　she　was　going　his　concern　reached　its　height。　　At　the　moment　of　her　departure　he　could　prevaricate　no　longer；　and；　confessing　to　the　gambling；　told　her　the　truth　as　far　as　he　knew　it—that　the　guineas　had　been　won　by　Wildeve。　
“What；　is　he　going　to　keep　them？”　Mrs。　Yeobright　cried。　
“I　hope　and　trust　not！”　moaned　Christian。　　“He’s　a　good　man；　and　perhaps　will　do　right　things。　　He　said　you　ought　to　have　gied　Mr。　Clym’s　share　to　Eustacia；　and　that’s　perhaps　what　he’ll　do　himself。”
To　Mrs。　Yeobright；　as　soon　as　she　could　calmly　reflect；　there　was　much　likelihood　in　this；　for　she　could　hardly　believe　that　Wildeve　would　really　appropriate　money　belonging　to　her　son。　　The　intermediate　course　of　giving　it　to　Eustacia　was　the　sort　of　thing　to　please　Wildeve’s　fancy。　　But　it　filled　the　mother　with　anger　none　the　less。　　That　Wildeve　should　have　got　mand　of　the　guineas　after　all；　and　should　rearrange　the　disposal　of　them；　placing　Clym’s　share　in　Clym’s　wife’s　hands；　because　she　had　been　his　own　sweetheart；　and　might　be　so　still；　was　as　irritating　a　pain　as　any　that　Mrs。　Yeobright　had　ever　borne。　
She　instantly　dismissed　the　wretched　Christian　from　her　employ　for　his　conduct　in　the　affair；　but；　feeling　quite　helpless　and　unable　to　do　without　him；　told　him　afterwards　that　he　might　stay　a　little　longer　if　he　chose。　　Then　she　hastened　off　to　Eustacia；　moved　by　a　much　less　promising　emotion　towards　her　daughter…in…law　than　she　had　felt　half　an　hour　earlier；　when　planning　her　journey。　　At　that　time　it　was　to　inquire　in　a　friendly　spirit　if　there　had　been　any　accidental　loss；　now　it　was　to　ask　plainly　if　Wildeve　had　privately　given　her　money　which　had　been　intended　as　a　sacred　gift　to　Clym。　
She　started　at　two　o’clock；　and　her　meeting　with　Eustacia　was　hastened　by　the　appearance　of　the　young　lady　beside　the　pool　and　bank　which　bordered　her　grandfather’s　premises；　where　she　stood　surveying　the　scene；　and　perhaps　thinking　of　the　romantic　enactments　it　had　witnessed　in　past　days。　　When　Mrs。　Yeobright　approached；　Eustacia　surveyed　her　with　the　calm　stare　of　a　stranger。　
The　mother…in…law　was　the　first　to　speak。　　“I　was　ing　to　see　you；”　she　said。
“Indeed！”　said　Eustacia　with　surprise；　for　Mrs。　Yeobright；　much　to　the　girl’s　mortification；　had　refused　to　be　present　at　the　wedding。　　“I　did　not　at　all　expect　you。”
“I　was　ing　on　business　only；”　said　the　visitor；　more　coldly　than　at　first。　　“Will　you　excuse　my　asking　this—Have　you　received　a　gift　from　Thomasin’s　husband？”
“A　gift？”
“I　mean　money！”
“What—I　myself？”
“Well；　I　meant　yourself；　privately—though　I　was　not　going　to　put　it　in　that　way。”
“Money　from　Mr。　Wildeve？　　No—never！　Madam；　what　do　you　mean　by　that？”　Eustacia　fired　up　all　too　quickly；　for　her　own　consciousness　of　the　old　attachment　between　herself　and　Wildeve　led　her　to　jump　to　the　conclusion　that　Mrs。　Yeobright　also　knew　of　it；　and　might　have　e　to　accuse　her　of　receiving　dishonourable　presents　from　him　now。
“I　simply　ask　the　question；”　said　Mrs。　Yeobright。　
“I　have　been“
“You　ought　to　have　better　opinions　of　me—I　feared　you
were　against　me　from　the　first！”　exclaimed　Eustacia
“No。　I　was　simply　for　Clym；”　replied　Mrs。　Yeobright；　with　too　much　emphasis　in　her　earnestness。　　“It　is　the　instinct　of　everyone　to　look　after　their　own。”
“How　can　you　imply　that　he　required　guarding　against　me？”　cried　Eustacia；　passionate　tears　in　her　eyes。　　“I　have　not　injured　him　by　marrying　him！　What　sin　have　I　done　that　you　should