under the greenwood tree-第18部分

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〃He　is；　yes；　he　is；〃　stammered　Dick；　〃but　to　me　he　is　little　more

than　a　stranger。〃



〃O；　sure。　　Now　I　know　en　as　well　as　any　man　can　be　known。　　And　you

know　en　very　well　too；　don't　ye；　Fancy？〃



Geoffrey　put　on　a　tone　expressing　that　these　words　signified　at

present　about　one　hundred　times　the　amount　of　meaning　they　conveyed

literally。



Dick　looked　anxious。



〃Will　you　pass　me　some　bread？〃　said　Fancy　in　a　flurry；　the　red　of

her　face　becoming　slightly　disordered；　and　looking　as　solicitous　as

a　human　being　could　look　about　a　piece　of　bread。



〃Ay；　that　I　will；〃　replied　the　unconscious　Geoffrey。　　〃Ay；〃　he

continued；　returning　to　the　displaced　idea；　〃we　are　likely　to　remain

friendly　wi'　Mr。　Shiner　if　the　wheels　d'run　smooth。〃



〃An　excellent　thinga　very　capital　thing；　as　I　should　say；〃　the

youth　answered　with　exceeding　relevance；　considering　that　his

thoughts；　instead　of　following　Geoffrey's　remark；　were　nestling　at　a

distance　of　about　two　feet　on　his　left　the　whole　time。



〃A　young　woman's　face　will　turn　the　north　wind；　Master　Richard：　　my

heart　if　'twon't。〃　　Dick　looked　more　anxious　and　was　attentive　in

earnest　at　these　words。　　〃Yes；　turn　the　north　wind；〃　added　Geoffrey

after　an　impressive　pause。　　〃And　though　she's　one　of　my　own　flesh

and　blood　。　。　。　〃



〃Will　you　fetch　down　a　bit　of　raw…mil'　cheese　from　pantry…shelf？〃

Fancy　interrupted；　as　if　she　were　famishing。



〃Ay；　that　I　will；　chiel；　chiel；　says　I；　and　Mr。　Shiner　only　asking

last　Saturday　night　。　。　。　cheese　you　said；　Fancy？〃



Dick　controlled　his　emotion　at　these　mysterious　allusions　to　Mr。

Shiner；the　better　enabled　to　do　so　by　perceiving　that　Fancy's

heart　went　not　with　her　father'sand　spoke　like　a　stranger　to　the

affairs　of　the　neighbourhood。　　〃Yes；　there's　a　great　deal　to　be　said

upon　the　power　of　maiden　faces　in　settling　your　courses；〃　he

ventured；　as　the　keeper　retreated　for　the　cheese。



〃The　conversation　is　taking　a　very　strange　turn：　　nothing　that　_I_

have　ever　done　warrants　such　things　being　said！〃　murmured　Fancy　with

emphasis；　just　loud　enough　to　reach　Dick's　ears。



〃You　think　to　yourself；　'twas　to　be；〃　cried　Enoch　from　his　distant

corner；　by　way　of　filling　up　the　vacancy　caused　by　Geoffrey's

momentary　absence。　　〃And　so　you　marry　her；　Master　Dewy；　and　there's

an　end　o't。〃



〃Pray　don't　say　such　things；　Enoch；〃　came　from　Fancy　severely；　upon

which　Enoch　relapsed　into　servitude。



〃If　we　be　doomed　to　marry；　we　marry；　if　we　be　doomed　to　remain

single；　we　do；〃　replied　Dick。



Geoffrey　had　by　this　time　sat　down　again；　and　he　now　made　his　lips

thin　by　severely　straining　them　across　his　gums；　and　looked　out　of

the　window　along　the　vista　to　the　distant　highway　up　Yalbury　Hill。

〃That's　not　the　case　with　some　folk；〃　he　said　at　length；　as　if　he

read　the　words　on　a　board　at　the　further　end　of　the　vista。



Fancy　looked　interested；　and　Dick　said；　〃No？〃



〃There's　that　wife　o'　mine。　　It　was　her　doom　to　be　nobody's　wife　at

all　in　the　wide　universe。　　But　she　made　up　her　mind　that　she　would；

and　did　it　twice　over。　　Doom？　　Doom　is　nothing　beside　a　elderly

womanquite　a　chiel　in　her　hands！〃



A　movement　was　now　heard　along　the　upstairs　passage；　and　footsteps

descending。　　The　door　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs　opened；　and　the

second　Mrs。　Day　appeared　in　view；　looking　fixedly　at　the　table　as

she　advanced　towards　it；　with　apparent　obliviousness　of　the　presence

of　any　other　human　being　than　herself。　　In　short；　if　the　table　had

been　the　personages；　and　the　persons　the　table；　her　glance　would

have　been　the　most　natural　imaginable。



She　showed　herself　to　possess　an　ordinary　woman's　face；　iron…grey

hair；　hardly　any　hips；　and　a　great　deal　of　cleanliness　in　a　broad

white　apron…string；　as　it　appeared　upon　the　waist　of　her　dark　stuff

dress。



〃People　will　run　away　with　a　story　now；　I　suppose；〃　she　began

saying；　〃that　Jane　Day's　tablecloths　are　as　poor　and　ragged　as　any

union　beggar's！〃



Dick　now　perceived　that　the　tablecloth　was　a　little　the　worse　for

wear；　and　reflecting　for　a　moment；　concluded　that　'people'　in　step…

mother　language　probably　meant　himself。　　On　lifting　his　eyes　he

found　that　Mrs。　Day　had　vanished　again　upstairs；　and　presently

returned　with　an　armful　of　new　damask…linen　tablecloths；　folded

square　and　hard　as　boards　by　long　compression。　　These　she　flounced

down　into　a　chair；　then　took　one；　shook　it　out　from　its　folds；　and

spread　it　on　the　table　by　instalments；　transferring　the　plates　and

dishes　one　by　one　from　the　old　to　the　new　cloth。



〃And　I　suppose　they'll　say；　too；　that　she　ha'n't　a　decent　knife　and

fork　in　her　house！〃



〃I　shouldn't　say　any　such　ill…natured　thing；　I　am　sure〃　began

Dick。　　But　Mrs。　Day　had　vanished　into　the　next　room。　　Fancy　appeared

distressed。



〃Very　strange　woman；　isn't　she？〃　said　Geoffrey；　quietly　going　on

with　his　dinner。　　〃But　'tis　too　late　to　attempt　curing。　　My　heart！

'tis　so　growed　into　her　that　'twould　kill　her　to　take　it　out。　　Ay；

she's　very　queer：　　you'd　be　amazed　to　see　what　valuable　goods　we've

got　stowed　away　upstairs。〃



Back　again　came　Mrs。　Day　with　a　box　of　bright　steel　horn…handled

knives；　silver…plated　forks；　carver；　and　all　complete。　　These　were

wiped　of　the　preservative　oil　which　coated　them；　and　then　a　knife

and　fork　were　laid　down　to　each　individual　with　a　bang；　the　carving

knife　and　fork　thrust　into　the　meat　dish；　and　the　old　ones　they　had

hitherto　used　tossed　away。



Geoffrey　placidly　cut　a　slice　with　the　new　knife　and　fork；　and　asked

Dick　if　he　wanted　any　more。



The　table　had　been　spread　for　the　mixed　midday　meal　of　dinner　and

tea；　which　was　common　among　frugal　countryfolk。　　〃The　parishioners

about　here；〃　continued　Mrs。　Day；　not　looking　at　any　living　being；

but　snatching　up　the　brown　delf　tea…things；　〃are　the　laziest；

gossipest；　poachest；　jailest　set　of　any　ever　I　came　among。　　And

they'll　talk　about　my　teapot　and　tea…things　next；　I　suppose！〃　　She

vanished　with　the　teapot；　cups；　and　saucers；　and　reappeared　with　a

tea…service　in　white　china；　and　a　packet　wrapped　in　brown　paper。

This　was　removed；　together　with　folds　of　tissue…paper　underneath；

and　a　brilliant　silver　teapot　appeared。



〃I'll　help　to　put　the　things　right；〃　said　Fancy　soothingly；　and

rising　from　her　seat。　　〃I　ought　to　have　laid　out　better　things；　I

suppose。　　But〃　（here　she　enlarged　her　looks　so　as　to　include　Dick）

〃I　have　been　away　from　home　a　good　deal；　and　I　make　shocking

blunders　in　my　housekeeping。〃　　Smiles　and　suavity　were　then

dispensed　all　around　by　this　bright　little　bird。



After　a　little　more　preparation　and　modification；　Mrs。　Day　took　her

seat　at　the　head　of　the　table；　and　during　the　latter　or　tea　division

of　the　meal；　presided　with　much　composure。　　It　may　cause　some

surprise　to　learn　that；　now　her　vagary　was　over；　she　showed　herself

to　be　an　excellent　person　with　much　common　sense；　and　even　a

religious　seriousness　of　tone　on　matters　pertaining　to　her

afflictions。







CHAPTER　VII：　　DICK　MAKES　HIMSELF　USEFUL







The　effect　of　Geoffrey's　incidental　allusions　to　Mr。　Shiner　was　to

restrain　a　considerable　flow　of　spontaneous　chat　that　would

otherwise　have　burst　from　young　Dewy　along　the　drive　homeward。　　And

a　certain　remark　he　had　hazarded　to　her；　in　rather　too　blunt　and

eager　a　manner；　kept　the　young　lady　herself　even　more　silent　than

Dick。　　On　both　sides　there　was　an　unwillingness　to　talk　on　any　but

the　most　trivial　subjects；　and　their　sentences　rarely　took　a　larger

form　than　could　be　expressed　in　two　or　three　words。



Owing　to　Fancy　being　later　in　the　day　than　she　had　promised；　the

charwoman　had　given　up　expecting　her；　whereupon　Dick　could　do　no

less　than　stay　and　see　her　comfortably　tided　over　the　disagreeable

time　of　entering　and　establishing　herself　in　an　empty　house　after　an

absence　of　a　week。　　The　additional　furniture　and　utensils　that　had

been　brought　（a　canary　and　cage　among　the　rest）　were　taken　out　of

the　vehicle；　and　the　horse　was　unharnessed　and　put　in　the　plot

opposite；　where　there　was　some　tender　grass。　　Dick　lighted　the　fire

already　laid；　and　activity　began　to　loosen　their　tongues　a　little。



〃There！〃　said　Fancy；　〃we　forgot　to　bring　the　fire…irons！〃



She　had　originally　found　in　her　sitting…room；　to　bear　out　the

expression　'nearly　furnished'　which　the　school…manager　had　used　in

his　letter　to　her；　a　table；　three　chairs；　a　fender；　and　a　piece　of

carpet。　　This　'nearly'　had　been　supplemented　hitherto　by　a　kind

friend；　who　had　lent　her　fire…irons　and　crockery　until　she　should

fetch　some　from　home。



Dick　attended　to　the　young　lady's　fire；　using　his　whip…handle　for　a

poker　till　it　was　spoilt；　and　then　flourishing　a　hurdle　stick　for

the　remainder　of　the　time。



〃The　kettle　boils；　now　you　shall　have　a　cup　of　tea；〃　said　Fancy；

diving　into　the　hamper　she　had　brought。



〃Thank　you；〃　said　Dick；　whose　drive　had　made　him　ready　for　some；

especially　in　her　company。



〃Well；　here's　only　one　cup…and…saucer；　as　I　breathe！　　Whatever　could

mother　be　thinking　about？　　Do　you　mind　making　shift；　Mr。　Dewy？〃



〃Not　at　all；　Miss　Day；〃　said　that　civil　person。



〃And　only　having　a　cup　by　itself？　or　a　saucer　by　itself？〃



〃Don't　mind　in　the　least。〃



〃Which　do　you　mean　by　that？〃



〃I　mean　the　cup；　if　you　like　the　saucer。〃



〃And　the　saucer；　if　I　like　the　cup？〃



〃Exactly；　Miss　Day。〃



〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Dewy；　for　I　like　the　cup　decidedly。　　Stop　a　minute；

there　are　no　spoons　now！〃　　She　dived　into　the　hamper　again；　and　at

the　end　of　two　or　three　minutes　looked　up　and　said；　〃I　suppose　you

don't　mind　if　I　can't　find　a　spoon？〃



〃Not　at　all；〃　said　the　agreeable　Richard。



〃The　fact　is；　the　spoons　have　slipped　down　somewhere；　right　under

the　other　things。　　O　yes；　here's　one；　and　only　one。　　You　would

rather　have　one　than　not；　I　suppose；　Mr。　Dewy？〃



〃Rather　not。　　I　never　did　care　much　about　spoons。〃