第37章

类别:其他 作者:Thomas Hardy字数:5634更新时间:18/12/22 08:57:59
AssoonastheysatdowntotableMelburycamein,andseemedtoseeatoncethatFitzpierswouldmuchratherhavereceivednosuchdemonstrativereception。Hethereuponprivatelychidhiswifeforherforwardnessinthematter。Mrs。MelburydeclaredthatitwasasmuchGrace’sdoingashers,afterwhichtherewasnomoretobesaidbythatyoungwoman’stenderfather。BythistimeFitzpierswasmakingthebestofhispositionamongthewide-elbowedandgenialcompanywhosateatinganddrinkingandlaughingandjokingaroundhim;andgettingwarmedhimselfbythegoodcheer,wasobligedtoadmitthat,afterall,thesupperwasnottheleastenjoyablehehadeverknown。 Attimes,however,thewordsabouthishavingspoiledhisopportunities,repeatedtohimasthoseofMrs。Charmond,hauntedhimlikeahandwritingonthewall。Thenhismannerwouldbecomesuddenlyabstracted。AtonemomenthewouldmentallyputanindignantquerywhyMrs。Charmondoranyotherwomanshouldmakeitherbusinesstohaveopinionsabouthisopportunities;atanotherhethoughtthathecouldhardlybeangrywithherfortakinganinterestinthedoctorofherownparish。Thenhewoulddrinkaglassofgrogandsogetridofthemisgiving。ThesehitchesandquaffingsweresoonperceivedbyGraceaswellasbyherfather;andhencebothofthemweremuchrelievedwhenthefirstofthegueststodiscoverthatthehourwasgrowinglateroseanddeclaredthathemustthinkofmovinghomeward。AtthewordsMelburyroseasalertlyasifliftedbyaspring,andintenminutestheyweregone。 “Now,Grace。”saidherhusbandassoonashefoundhimselfalonewithherintheirprivateapartments,“we’vehadaverypleasantevening,andeverybodyhasbeenverykind。Butwemustcometoanunderstandingaboutourwayoflivinghere。Ifwecontinueintheseroomstheremustbenomixinginwithyourpeoplebelow。I can’tstandit,andthat’sthetruth。” Shehadbeensadlysurprisedatthesuddennessofhisdistasteforthoseold-fashionedwoodlandformsoflifewhichinhiscourtshiphehadprofessedtoregardwithsomuchinterest。Butsheassentedinamoment。 “Wemustbesimplyyourfather’stenants。”hecontinued,“andourgoingsandcomingsmustbeasindependentasifwelivedelsewhere。” “Certainly,Edgar——Iquiteseethatitmustbeso。” “Butyoujoinedinwithallthosepeopleinmyabsence,withoutknowingwhetherIshouldapproveordisapprove。WhenIcameI couldn’thelpmyselfatall。” She,sighing:“Yes——IseeIoughttohavewaited;thoughtheycameunexpectedly,andIthoughtIhadactedforthebest。” Thusthediscussionended,andthenextdayFitzpierswentonhisoldroundsasusual。Butitwaseasyforsosuper-subtleaneyeashistodiscern,ortothinkhediscerned,thathewasnolongerregardedasanextrinsic,unfathomedgentlemanoflimitlesspotentiality,scientificandsocial;butasMr。Melbury’scompeer,andthereforeinadegreeonlyoneofthemselves。TheHintockwoodlandlersheldwithallthestrengthofinheritedconvictiontothearistocraticprinciple,andassoonastheyhaddiscoveredthatFitzpierswasoneoftheoldBuckburyFitzpiersestheyhadaccordedtohimfornothingatouchingofhat-brims,promptnessofservice,anddeferenceofapproach,whichMelburyhadtodowithout,thoughhepaidforitoverandover。Butnow,havingprovedatraitortohisowncausebythismarriage,Fitzpierswasbelievedinnomoreasasuperiorhedgedbyhisowndivinity; whileasdoctorhebegantoberatednohigherthanoldJones,whomtheyhadsolongdespised。 Hisfewpatientsseemedinhistwomonths’absencetohavedwindledconsiderablyinnumber,andnosoonerhadhereturnedthantherecametohimfromtheBoardofGuardiansacomplaintthatapauperhadbeenneglectedbyhissubstitute。InafitofprideFitzpiersresignedhisappointmentasoneofthesurgeonstotheunion,whichhadbeenthenucleusofhispracticehere。 Attheendofafortnighthecamein-doorsoneeveningtoGracemorebrisklythanusual。“TheyhavewrittentomeagainaboutthatpracticeinBudmouththatIoncenegotiatedfor。”hesaidtoher。“Thepremiumaskediseighthundredpounds,andIthinkthatbetweenyourfatherandmyselfitoughttoberaised。Thenwecangetawayfromthisplaceforever。” Thequestionhadbeenmootedbetweenthembefore,andshewasnotunpreparedtoconsiderit。Theyhadnotproceededfarwiththediscussionwhenaknockcametothedoor,andinaminuteGrammerranuptosaythatamessagehadarrivedfromHintockHouserequestingDr。Fitzpierstoattendthereatonce。Mrs。Charmondhadmetwithaslightaccidentthroughtheoverturningofhercarriage。 “Thisissomething,anyhow。”saidFitzpiers,risingwithaninterestwhichhecouldnothavedefined。“IhavehadapresentimentthatthismysteriouswomanandIweretobebetteracquainted。” Thelatterwordsweremurmuredtohimselfalone。 “Good-night。”saidGrace,assoonashewasready。“Ishallbeasleep,probably,whenyoureturn。” “Good-night,“hereplied,inattentively,andwentdown-stairs。Itwasthefirsttimesincetheirmarriagethathehadleftherwithoutakiss。 CHAPTERXXVI。 Winterborne’shousehadbeenpulleddown。OnthisaccounthisfacehadbeenseenbutfitfullyinHintock;andhewouldprobablyhavedisappearedfromtheplacealtogetherbutforhisslightbusinessconnectionwithMelbury,onwhosepremisesGileskepthiscider-makingapparatus,nowthathehadnoplaceofhisowntostowitin。Cominghereoneeveningonhiswaytoahutbeyondthewoodwherehenowslept,henoticedthatthefamiliarbrown- thatchedpinionofhispaternalroofhadvanishedfromitssite,andthatthewallswerelevelled。Inpresentcircumstanceshehadafeelingforthespotthatmighthavebeencalledmorbid,andwhenhehadsuppedinthehutaforesaidhemadeuseofthesparehourbeforebedtimetoreturntoLittleHintockinthetwilightandrambleoverthepatchofgroundonwhichhehadfirstseentheday。 Herepeatedthiseveningvisitonseverallikeoccasions。Eveninthegloomhecouldtracewherethedifferentroomshadstood; couldmarktheshapeofthekitchenchimney-corner,inwhichhehadroastedapplesandpotatoesinhisboyhood,casthisbullets,andburnedhisinitialsonarticlesthatdidanddidnotbelongtohim。Theapple-treesstillremainedtoshowwherethegardenhadbeen,theoldestofthemevennowretainingthecrippledslanttonorth-eastgiventhembythegreatNovembergaleof1824,whichcarriedabrigbodilyovertheChesilBank。Theywereatpresentbenttostillgreaterobliquitybytheheavinessoftheirproduce。 Applesbobbedagainsthishead,andinthegrassbeneathhecrunchedscoresofthemashewalked。Therewasnobodytogatherthemnow。 Itwasontheeveningundernoticethat,halfsitting,halfleaningagainstoneoftheseinclinedtrunks,Winterbornehadbecomelostinhisthoughts,asusual,tillonelittlestarafteranotherhadtakenupapositioninthepieceofskywhichnowconfrontedhimwherehiswallsandchimneyshadformerlyraisedtheiroutlines。Thehousehadjuttedawkwardlyintotheroad,andtheopeningcausedbyitsabsencewasverydistinct。 Inthesilencethetrotofhorsesandthespinofcarriage-wheelsbecameaudible;andthevehiclesoonshapeditselfagainsttheblanksky,bearingdownuponhimwiththebendinthelanewhichhereoccurred,andofwhichthehousehadbeenthecause。Hecoulddiscernthefigureofawomanhighuponthedriving-seatofaphaeton,agroombeingjustvisiblebehind。Presentlytherewasaslightscrape,thenascream。Winterbornewentacrosstothespot,andfoundthephaetonhalfoverturned,itsdriversittingontheheapofrubbishwhichhadoncebeenhisdwelling,andthemanseizingthehorses’heads。TheequipagewasMrs。Charmond’s,andtheunseatedcharioteerthatladyherself。 Tohisinquiryifshewerehurtshemadesomeincoherentreplytotheeffectthatshedidnotknow。Thedamageinotherrespectswaslittleornone:thephaetonwasrighted,Mrs。Charmondplacedinit,andthereinsgiventotheservant。Itappearedthatshehadbeendeceivedbytheremovalofthehouse,imaginingthegapcausedbythedemolitiontobetheopeningoftheroad,sothatsheturnedinupontheruinsinsteadofatthebendafewyardsfartheron。 “Drivehome——drivehome!”criedthelady,impatiently;andtheystartedontheirway。Theyhadnot,however,gonemanypaceswhen,theairbeingstill,Winterborneheardhersay“Stop;tellthatmantocallthedoctor——Mr。Fitzpiers——andsendhimontotheHouse。IfindIamhurtmoreseriouslythanIthought。” Winterbornetookthemessagefromthegroomandproceededtothedoctor’satonce。Havingdeliveredit,hesteppedbackintothedarkness,andwaitedtillhehadseenFitzpiersleavethedoor。 HestoodforafewminuteslookingatthewindowwhichbyitslightrevealedtheroomwhereGracewassitting,andwentawayunderthegloomytrees。 FitzpiersdulyarrivedatHintockHouse,whosedoorshenowsawopenforthefirsttime。Contrarytohisexpectationtherewasvisiblenosignofthatconfusionoralarmwhichaseriousaccidenttothemistressoftheabodewouldhaveoccasioned。Hewasshownintoaroomatthetopofthestaircase,cosilyandfemininelydraped,where,bythelightoftheshadedlamp,hesawawomanoffullroundfigurereclininguponacouchinsuchapositionasnottodisturbapileofmagnificenthaironthecrownofherhead。Adeeppurpledressing-gownformedanadmirablefoiltothepeculiarlyrichbrownofherhair-plaits;herleftarm,whichwasnakednearlyuptotheshoulder,wasthrownupward,andbetweenthefingersofherrighthandsheheldacigarette,whilesheidlybreathedfromherplumplipsathinstreamofsmoketowardstheceiling。 Thedoctor’sfirstfeelingwasasenseofhisexaggeratedprevisioninhavingbroughtappliancesforaseriouscase;thenext,somethingmorecurious。Whilethesceneandthemomentwerenewtohimandunanticipated,thesentimentandessenceofthemomentwereindescribablyfamiliar。Whatcouldbethecauseofit?Probablyadream。 Mrs。Charmonddidnotmovemorethantoraisehereyestohim,andhecameandstoodbyher。Sheglancedupathisfaceacrossherbrowsandforehead,andthenheobservedablushcreepslowlyoverherdecidedlyhandsomecheeks。Hereyes,whichhadlingereduponhimwithaninquiring,consciousexpression,werehastilywithdrawn,andshemechanicallyappliedthecigaretteagaintoherlips。 Foramomentheforgothiserrand,tillsuddenlyarousinghimselfheaddressedher,formallycondoledwithher,andmadetheusualprofessionalinquiriesaboutwhathadhappenedtoher,andwhereshewashurt。 “That’swhatIwantyoutotellme。”shemurmured,intonesofindefinablereserve。“Iquitebelieveinyou,forIknowyouareveryaccomplished,becauseyoustudysohard。” “I’lldomybesttojustifyyourgoodopinion。”saidtheyoungman,bowing。“AndnonethelessthatIamhappytofindtheaccidenthasnotbeenserious。” “Iamverymuchshaken。”shesaid。 “Ohyes。”hereplied;andcompletedhisexamination,whichconvincedhimthattherewasreallynothingthematterwithher,andmorethaneverpuzzledhimastowhyhehadbeenfetched,sinceshedidnotappeartobeatimidwoman。“Youmustrestawhile,andI’llsendsomething。”hesaid。 “Oh,Iforgot。”shereturned。“Lookhere。”Andsheshowedhimalittlescrapeonherarm——thefullroundarmthatwasexposed。 “Putsomecourt-plasteronthat,please。” Heobeyed。“Andnow。”shesaid,“beforeyougoIwanttoputaquestiontoyou。Sitroundthereinfrontofme,onthatlowchair,andbringthecandles,orone,tothelittletable。Doyousmoke?Yes?That’sright——Iamlearning。Takeoneofthese;andhere’salight。”Shethrewamatchboxacross。 Fitzpierscaughtit,andhavinglitup,regardedherfromhisnewposition,which,withtheshiftingofthecandles,forthefirsttimeaffordedhimafullviewofherface。“Howmanyyearshavepassedsincefirstwemet!”sheresumed,inavoicewhichshemainlyendeavoredtomaintainatitsformerpitchofcomposure,andeyinghimwithdaringbashfulness。 “WEmet,doyousay?” Shenodded。“IsawyourecentlyatanhotelinLondon,whenyouwerepassingthrough,Isuppose,withyourbride,andIrecognizedyouasoneIhadmetinmygirlhood。Doyouremember,whenyouwerestudyingatHeidelberg,anEnglishfamilythatwasstayingthere,whousedtowalk——“ “Andtheyoungladywhoworealongtailofrare-coloredhair——ah,Iseeitbeforemyeyes!——wholostherglovesontheGreatTerrace——whowasgoingbackinthedusktofindthem——towhomI said,’I’llgoforthem,’andyousaid,’Oh,theyarenotworthcomingallthewayupagainfor。’IDOremember,andhowverylongwestayedtalkingthere!Iwentnextmorningwhilethedewwasonthegrass:theretheylay——thelittlefingersstickingoutdampandthin。Iseethemnow!Ipickedthemup,andthen——“ “Well?” “Ikissedthem。”herejoined,rathershamefacedly。 “Butyouhadhardlyeverseenmeexceptinthedusk?”