the well-beloved--a sketch of a temperament-第3部分

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up　the　steep　by　the　wayside　hand…rail　and　pulling　Avice　after　him　upon
his　arm。　　At　the　top　they　turned　and　stood　still。　　To　the　left　of　them
the　sky　was　streaked　like　a　fan　with　the　lighthouse　rays；　and　under
their　front；　at　periods　of　a　quarter　of　a　minute；　there　arose　a　deep；
hollow　stroke　like　the　single　beat　of　a　drum；　the　intervals　being
filled　with　a　long…drawn　rattling；　as　of　bones　between　huge　canine
jaws。　　It　came　from　the　vast　concave　of　Deadman's　Bay；　rising　and
falling　against　the　pebble　dyke。

The　evening　and　night　winds　here　were；　to　Pierston's　mind；　charged　with
a　something　that　did　not　burden　them　elsewhere。　　They　brought　it　up
from　that　sinister　Bay　to　the　west；　whose　movement　she　and　he　were
hearing　now。　　It　was　a　presencean　imaginary　shape　or　essence　from　the
human　multitude　lying　below：　　those　who　had　gone　down　in　vessels　of
war；　East　Indiamen；　barges；　brigs；　and　ships　of　the　Armadaselect
people；　common；　and　debased；　whose　interests　and　hopes　had　been　as　wide
asunder　as　the　poles；　but　who　had　rolled　each　other　to　oneness　on　that
restless　sea…bed。　　There　could　almost　be　felt　the　brush　of　their　huge
composite　ghost　as　it　ran　a　shapeless　figure　over　the　isle；　shrieking
for　some　good　god　who　would　disunite　it　again。

The　twain　wandered　a　long　way　that　night　amid　these　influencesso　far
as　to　the　old　Hope　Churchyard；　which　lay　in　a　ravine　formed　by　a
landslip　ages　ago。　　The　church　had　slipped　down　with　the　rest　of　the
cliff；　and　had　long　been　a　ruin。　　It　seemed　to　say　that　in　this　last
local　stronghold　of　the　Pagan　divinities；　where　Pagan　customs　lingered
yet；　Christianity　had　established　itself　precariously　at　best。　　In　that
solemn　spot　Pierston　kissed　her。

The　kiss　was　by　no　means　on　Avice's　initiative　this　time。　　Her　former
demonstrativeness　seemed　to　have　increased　her　present　reserve。


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That　day　was　the　beginning　of　a　pleasant　month　passed　mainly　in　each
other's　society。　　He　found　that　she　could　not　only　recite　poetry　at
intellectual　gatherings；　but　play　the　piano　fairly；　and　sing　to　her　own
accompaniment。

He　observed　that　every　aim　of　those　who　had　brought　her　up　had　been　to
get　her　away　mentally　as　far　as　possible　from　her　natural　and
individual　life　as　an　inhabitant　of　a　peculiar　island：　　to　make　her　an
exact　copy　of　tens　of　thousands　of　other　people；　in　whose　circumstances
there　was　nothing　special；　distinctive；　or　picturesque；　to　teach　her　to
forget　all　the　experiences　of　her　ancestors；　to　drown　the　local　ballads
by　songs　purchased　at　the　Budmouth　fashionable　music…sellers'；　and　the
local　vocabulary　by　a　governess…tongue　of　no　country　at　all。　　She　lived
in　a　house　that　would　have　been　the　fortune　of　an　artist；　and　learnt　to
draw　London　suburban　villas　from　printed　copies。

Avice　had　seen　all　this　before　he　pointed　it　out；　but；　with　a　girl's
tractability；　had　acquiesced。　　By　constitution　she　was　local　to　the
bone；　but　she　could　not　escape　the　tendency　of　the　age。

The　time　for　Jocelyn's　departure　drew　near；　and　she　looked　forward　to
it　sadly；　but　serenely；　their　engagement　being　now　a　settled　thing。
Pierston　thought　of　the　native　custom　on　such　occasions；　which　had
prevailed　in　his　and　her　family　for　centuries；　both　being　of　the　old
stock　of　the　isle。　　The　influx　of　'kimberlins；'　or　'foreigners'　（as
strangers　from　the　mainland　of　Wessex　were　called）；　had　led　in　a　large
measure　to　its　discontinuance；　but　underneath　the　veneer　of　Avice's
education　many　an　old…fashioned　idea　lay　slumbering；　and　he　wondered
if；　in　her　natural　melancholy　at　his　leaving；　she　regretted　the
changing　manners　which　made　unpopular　the　formal　ratification　of　a
betrothal；　according　to　the　precedent　of　their　sires　and　grandsires。



1。　III。　　THE　APPOINTMENT

'Well；'　said　he；　'here　we　are；　arrived　at　the　fag…end　of　my　holiday。
What　a　pleasant　surprise　my　old　home；　which　I　have　not　thought　worth
coming　to　see　for　three　or　four　years；　had　in　store　for　me！'

'You　must　go　to…morrow？'　she　asked　uneasily。

'Yes。'

Something　seemed　to　overweigh　them；　something　more　than　the　natural
sadness　of　a　parting　which　was　not　to　be　long；　and　he　decided　that
instead　of　leaving　in　the　daytime　as　he　had　intended；　he　would　defer
his　departure　till　night；　and　go　by　the　mail…train　from　Budmouth。　　This
would　give　him　time　to　look　into　his　father's　quarries；　and　enable　her；
if　she　chose；　to　walk　with　him　along　the　beach　as　far　as　to　Henry　the
Eighth's　Castle　above　the　sands；　where　they　could　linger　and　watch　the
moon　rise　over　the　sea。　　She　said　she　thought　she　could　come。

So　after　spending　the　next　day　with　his　father　in　the　quarries　Jocelyn
prepared　to　leave；　and　at　the　time　appointed　set　out　from　the　stone
house　of　his　birth　in　this　stone　isle　to　walk　to　Budmouth…Regis　by　the
path　along　the　beach；　Avice　having　some　time　earlier　gone　down　to　see
some　friends　in　the　Street　of　Wells；　which　was　halfway　towards　the　spot
of　their　tryst。　　The　descent　soon　brought　him　to　the　pebble　bank；　and
leaving　behind　him　the　last　houses　of　the　isle；　and　the　ruins　of　the
village　destroyed　by　the　November　gale　of　1824；　he　struck　out　along　the
narrow　thread　of　land。　　When　he　had　walked　a　hundred　yards　he　stopped；
turned　aside　to　the　pebble　ridge　which　walled　out　the　sea；　and　sat　down
to　wait　for　her。

Between　him　and　the　lights　of　the　ships　riding　at　anchor　in　the
roadstead　two　men　passed　slowly　in　the　direction　he　intended　to　pursue。
One　of　them　recognized　Jocelyn；　and　bade　him　good…night；　adding；　'Wish
you　joy；　sir；　of　your　choice；　and　hope　the　wedden　will　be　soon！'

'Thank　you；　Seaborn。　　Wellwe　shall　see　what　Christmas　will　do　towards
bringing　it　about。'

'My　wife　opened　upon　it　this　mornen：　　〃Please　God；　I'll　up　and　see　that
there　wedden；〃　says　she；　〃knowing　'em　both　from　their　crawling　days。〃'

The　men　moved　on；　and　when　they　were　out　of　Pierston's　hearing　the　one
who　had　not　spoken　said　to　his　friend；　'Who　was　that　young　kimberlin？
He　don't　seem　one　o'　we。'

'Oh；　he　is；　though；　every　inch　o'　en。　　He's　Mr。　Jocelyn　Pierston；　the
stwone…merchant's　only　son　up　at　East　Quarriers。　　He's　to　be　married　to
a　stylish　young　body；　her　mother；　a　widow　woman；　carries　on　the　same
business　as　well　as　she　can；　but　their　trade　is　not　a　twentieth　part　of
Pierston's。　　He's　worth　thousands　and　thousands；　they　say；　though　'a　do
live　on　in　the　same　wold　way　up　in　the　same　wold　house。　　This　son　is
doen　great　things　in　London　as　a'　image…carver；　and　I　can　mind　when；　as
a　boy；　'a　first　took　to　carving　soldiers　out　o'　bits　o'　stwone　from　the
soft…bed　of　his　father's　quarries；　and　then　'a　made　a　set　o'　stwonen
chess…men；　and　so　'a　got　on。　　He's　quite　the　gent　in　London；　they　tell
me；　and　the　wonder　is　that　'a　cared　to　come　back　here　and　pick　up
little　Avice　Caronice　maid　as　she　is　notwithstanding。　。　。　。　　Hullo！
there's　to　be　a　change　in　the　weather　soon。'

Meanwhile　the　subject　of　their　remarks　waited　at　the　appointed　place
till　seven　o'clock；　the　hour　named　between　himself　and　his　affianced；
had　struck。　　Almost　at　the　moment　he　saw　a　figure　coming　forward　from
the　last　lamp　at　the　bottom　of　the　hill。　　But　the　figure　speedily
resolved　itself　into　that　of　a　boy；　who；　advancing　to　Jocelyn；　inquired
if　he　were　Mr。　Pierston；　and　handed　him　a　note。



1。　IV。　　A　LONELY　PEDESTRIAN

When　the　boy　had　gone　Jocelyn　retraced　his　steps　to　the　last　lamp；　and
read；　in　Avice's　hand：

'MY　DEAREST；I　shall　be　sorry　if　I　grieve　you　at　all　in　what　I　am
going　to　say　about　our　arrangement　to　meet　to…night　in　the　Sandsfoot
ruin。　　But　I　have　fancied　that　my　seeing　you　again　and　again　lately　is
inclining　your　father　to　insist；　and　you　as　his　heir　to　feel；　that　we
ought　to　carry　out　Island　Custom　in　our　courtingyour　people　being
such　old　inhabitants　in　an　unbroken　line。　　Truth　to　say；　mother
supposes　that　your　father；　for　natural　reasons；　may　have　hinted　to　you
that　we　ought。　　Now；　the　thing　is　contrary　to　my　feelings：　　it　is
nearly　left　off；　and　I　do　not　think　it　good；　even　where　there　is
property；　as　in　your　case；　to　justify　it；　in　a　measure。　　I　would　rather
trust　in　Providence。

'On　the　whole；　therefore；　it　is　best　that　I　should　not　comeif　only
for　appearancesand　meet　you　at　a　time　and　place　suggesting　the
custom；　to　others　than　ourselves；　at　least；　if　known。

'I　am　sure　that　this　decision　will　not　disturb　you　much；　that　you　will
understand　my　modern　feelings；　and　think　no　worse　of　me　for　them。　　And
dear；　if　it　were　to　be　done；　and　we　were　unfortunate　in　it；　we　might
both　have　enough　old　family　feeling　to　think；　like　our　forefathers；　and
possibly　your　father；　that　we　could　not　marry　honourably；　and　hence　we
might　be　made　unhappy。

'However；　you　will　come　again　shortly；　will　you　not；　dear　Jocelyn？and
then　the　time　will　soon　draw　on　when　no　more　good…byes　will　be
required。Always　and　ever　yours；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　'AVICE。'

Jocelyn；　having　read　the　letter；　was　surprised　at　the　naivete　it
showed；　and　at　Avice　and　her　mother's　antiquated　simplicity　in
supposing　that　to　be　still　a　grave　and　operating　principle　which　was　a
bygone　barbarism　to　himself　and　other　absentees　from　the　island。　　His
father；　as　a　money…maker；　might　have　practical　wishes　on　the　matter　of
descendants　which　lent　plausibility　to　the　conjecture　of　Avice　and　her
mother；　but　to　Jocelyn　he　had　never　expressed　himself　in　favour　of　the
ancient　ways；　old…fashioned　as　he　was。

Amused　therefore　at　her　regard　of　herself　as　modern；　Jocelyn　was
disappointed；　and　a　little　vexed；　that　such　an　unforeseen　reason　should
have　deprived　him　of　her　company。　　How　the　old　ideas　survived　under　the
new　education！

The　reader　is　asked　to　remember　that　the　date；　though　recent　in　the
history　of　the　Isle　of　Slingers；　was　more　than　forty　years　ago。


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Finding　that　the　evening　seemed　louring；　yet　indisposed　to　go　back　and
hire　a　vehicle；　he　went　on　quickly　alone。　　In　such　an　exposed　spot　the
night　wind　was　gusty；　and　the　sea　behind　the　pebble　barrier　kicked　and
flounced　in　complex　rhythms；　which　could　be　translated　equally　well　as
shocks　of　battle　or　shouts　of　thanksgiving。

Presently　on　the　pale　road