友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
八二电子书 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

还乡The Return Of The Native-第5部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!


“’Get out of my sight; you slack…twisted; slim…looking maphrotight fool;’ was the woman’s words to me。”
“Not encouraging; I own;” said Fairway。  “’Get out of my sight; you slack…twisted; slim…looking maphrotight fool;’ is rather a hard way of saying No。 But even that might be overe by time and patience; so as to let a few grey hairs show themselves in the hussy’s head。  How old be you; Christian?”
“Thirty…one last tatie…digging; Mister Fairway。”
“Not a boy—not a boy。  Still there’s hope yet。”
“That’s my age by baptism; because that’s put down in the great book of the Judgment that they keep in church vestry; but Mother told me I was born some time afore I was christened。”
“Ah!”
“But she couldn’t tell when; to save her life; except that there was no moon。”
“No moon—that’s bad。  Hey; neighbours; that’s bad for him!”
“Yes; ‘tis bad;” said Grandfer Cantle; shaking his head。 
“Mother know’d ‘twas no moon; for she asked another woman that had an almanac; as she did whenever a boy was born to her; because of the saying; ‘No moon; no man;’ which made her afeard every man…child she had。  Do ye really think it serious; Mister Fairway; that there was no moon?”
“Yes。 ‘No moon; no man。’ ‘Tis one of the truest sayings ever spit out。  The boy never es to anything that’s born at new moon。  A bad job for thee; Christian; that you should have showed your nose then of all days in the month。”
“I suppose the moon was terrible full when you were born?” said Christian; with a look of hopeless admiration at Fairway。
“Well; ‘a was not new;” Mr。 Fairway replied; with a disinterested gaze。 
“I’d sooner go without drink at Lammas…tide than be a man of no moon;” continued Christian; in the same shattered recitative。  “’Tis said I be only the rames of a man; and no good for my race at all; and I suppose that’s the cause o’t。”
“Ay;” said Grandfer Cantle; somewhat subdued in spirit;
“and yet his mother cried for scores of hours when ‘a was a boy; for fear he should outgrow hisself and go for a soldier。”
“Well; there’s many just as bad as he。”  said Fairway。 
“Wethers must live their time as well as other sheep; poor soul。”
“So perhaps I shall rub on?  Ought I to be afeared o’ nights; Master Fairway?”
“You’ll have to lie alone all your life; and ‘tis not to married couples but to single sleepers that a ghost shows himself when ‘a do e。  One has been seen lately; too。  A very strange one。”
“No—don’t talk about it if ‘tis agreeable of ye not to!
‘Twill make my skin crawl when I think of it in bed alone。  But you will—ah; you will; I know; Timothy; and I shall dream all night o’t! A very strange one?  What sort of a spirit did ye mean when ye said; a very strange one; Timothy?no; no—don’t tell me。”
“I don’t half believe in spirits myself。  But I think it ghostly enough—what I was told。  ‘Twas a little boy that zid it。”
“What was it like?no; don’t—“
“A red one。  Yes; most ghosts be white; but this is as if it had been dipped in blood。”
Christian drew a deep breath without letting it expand his body; and Humphrey said; “Where has it been seen?”
“Not exactly here; but in this same heth。  But ‘tisn’t a thing to talk about。  What do ye say;” continued Fairway in brisker tones; and turning upon them as if the idea had not been Grandfer Cantle’s—“what do you say to giving the new man and wife a bit of a song tonight afore we go to bed—being their wedding…day?  When folks are just married ‘tis as well to look glad o’t; since looking sorry won’t unjoin ‘em。 I am no drinker; as we know; but when the womenfolk and youngsters have gone home we can drop down across to the Quiet Woman; and strike up a ballet in front of the married folks’ door。  ‘Twill please the young wife; and that’s what I should like to do; for many’s the skinful I’ve had at her hands when she lived with her aunt at Blooms…End。”
“Hey?  And so we will!” said Grandfer Cantle; turning so briskly that his copper seals swung extravagantly。  “I’m as dry as a kex with biding up here in the wind; and I haven’t seen the colour of drink since nammet…time today。  ‘Tis said that the last brew at the Woman is very pretty drinking。  And; neighbours; if we should be a little late in the finishing; why; tomorrow’s Sunday; and we can sleep it off?”
“Grandfer Cantle! you take things very careless for an old man;” said the wide woman。
“I take things careless; I do—too careless to please the women! Klk! I’ll sing the ‘Jovial Crew;’ or any other song; when a weak old man would cry his eyes out。  Jown it;
I am up for anything。

“The king’ look’d o’…ver his left’ shoul…der’;
And a grim’ look look’…ed hee’;
Earl Mar’…shal; he said’; but for’ my oath’
Or hang’…ed thou’ shouldst bee’。”

“Well; that’s what we’ll do;” said Fairway。  “We’ll give ‘em a song; an’ it please the Lord。  What’s the good of Thomasin’s cousin Clym a…ing home after the deed’s done?  He should have e afore; if so be he wanted to stop it; and marry her himself。”
“Perhaps he’s ing to bide with his mother a little time; as she must feel lonely now the maid’s gone。”
“Now; ‘tis very odd; but I never feel lonely—no; not at all;” said Grandfer Cantle。  “I am as brave in the nighttime as a’ admiral!”
The bonfire was by this time beginning to sink low; for the fuel had not been of that substantial sort which can support a blaze long。  Most of the other fires within the wide horizon were also dwindling weak。  Attentive observation of their brightness; colour; and length of existence would have revealed the quality of the material burnt; and through that; to some extent the natural produce of the district in which each bonfire was situate。  The clear; kingly effulgence that had characterized the majority expressed a heath and furze country like their own; which in one direction extended an unlimited number of miles; the rapid flares and extinctions at other points of the pass showed the lightest of fuel—straw; beanstalks; and the usual waste from arable land。  The most enduring of all—steady unaltering eyes like Planets—signified wood; such as hazel…branches; thorn…faggots; and stout billets。  Fires of the last…mentioned materials were rare; and though paratively small in magnitude beside the transient blazes; now began to get the best of them by mere long continuance。  The great ones had perished; but these remained。  They occupied the remotest visible positions—sky…backed summits rising out of rich coppice and plantation districts to the north; where the soil was different; and heath foreign and strange。 
Save one; and this was the nearest of any; the moon of the whole shining throng。  It lay in a direction precisely opposite to that of the little window in the vale below。  Its nearness was such that; notwithstanding its actual smallness; its glow infinitely transcended theirs。
This quiet eye had attracted attention from time to time; and when their own fire had bee sunken and dim it attracted more; some even of the wood fires more recently lighted had reached their decline; but no change was perceptible here。 
“To be sure; how near that fire is!” said Fairway。 
“Seemingly。 I can see a fellow of some sort walking round it。
Little and good must be said of that fire; surely。”
“I can throw a stone there;” said the boy。
“And so can I!” said Grandfer Cantle。 
“No; no; you can’t; my sonnies。  That fire is not much less than a mile off; for all that ‘a seems so near。”
“’Tis in the heath; but no furze;” said the turf…cutter。
“’Tis cleft…wood; that’s what ‘tis;” said Timothy Fairway。  “Nothing would burn like that except clean timber。  And ‘tis on the knap afore the old captain’s house at Mistover。  Such a queer mortal as that man is! To have a little fire inside your own bank and ditch; that nobody else may enjoy it or e anigh it! And what a zany an old chap must be; to light a bonfire when there’s no youngsters to please。”
“Cap’n Vye has been for a long walk today; and is quite tired out;” said Grandfer Cantle; “so ‘tisn’t likely to be he。”
“And he would hardly afford good fuel like that;” said the wide woman。 
“Then it must be his granddaughter;” said Fairway。 
“Not that a body of her age can want a fire much。”
“She is very strange in her ways; living up there by herself; and such things please her;” said Susan。
“She’s a well…favoured maid enough;” said Humphrey the furze…cutter; “especially when she’s got one of her dandy gowns on。”
“That’s true;” said Fairway。  “Well; let her bonfire burn an’t will。  Ours is well…nigh out by the look o’t。”
“How dark ‘tis now the fire’s gone down!” said Christian Cantle; looking behind him with his hare eyes。  “Don’t ye think we’d better get home…along; neighbours?  The heth isn’t haunted; I know; but we’d better get home。。。。Ah; what was that?”
“Only the wind;” said the turf…cutter。
“I don’t think Fifth…of…Novembers ought to be kept up by night except in towns。  It should be by day in outstep; ill…accounted places like this!”
“Nonsense; Christian。  Lift up your spirits like a man! Susy; dear; you and I will have a jig—hey; my honey?before ‘tis quite too dark to see how well…favoured you be still; though so many summers have passed since your husband; a son of a witch; snapped you up from me。”
This was addressed to Susan Nunsuch; and the next circumstance of which the beholders were conscious was a vision of the matron’s broad form whisking off towards the space whereon the fire had been kindled。  She was lifted bodily by Mr。 Fairway’s arm; which had been flung round her waist before she had bee aware of his intention。  The site of the fire was now merely a circle of ashes flecked with red embers and sparks; the furze having burnt pletely away。  Once within the circle he whirled her round and round in a dance。  She was a woman noisily constructed; in addition to her enclosing framework of whalebone and lath; she wore pattens summer and winter; in wet weather and in dry; to preserve her boots from wear; and when Fairway began to jump about with her; the clicking of the pattens; the creaking of the stays; and her screams of surprise; formed a very audible concert。
“I’ll crack thy numskull for thee; you mandy chap!” said Mrs。 Nunsuch; as she helplessly danced round with him; her feet playing like drumsticks among the sparks。  “My ankles were all in a fever before; from walking through that prickly furze; and now you must make ‘em worse with these vlankers!”
The vagary of Timothy Fairway was infectious。  The turf…cutter seized old Olly Dowden; and; somewhat more gently; poussetted with her likewise。  The young men were not slow to imitate the example of their elders; and seized the maids;
Grandfer Cantle and his stick jigged in the form of a three…legged object among the rest; and in half a minute all that could be seen on Rainbarrow was a whirling of dark shapes amid a boiling confusion of sparks; which leapt around the dancers as high as their waists。  The chief noises were women’s shrill cries; men’s laughter; Susan’s stays and pattens; Olly Dowden’s “heu…heu…heu!” and the strumming of the wind upon the furze…bushes; which formed a kind of
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!