the well-beloved--a sketch of a temperament-第33部分

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　rock；　so　still　was　everything　around。　　A　little　further；　and　they
emerged　upon　the　open　ledge　of　the　lower　tier　of　cliffs；　to　the　right
being　the　sloping　pathway　leading　down　to　the　secluded　creek　at　their
basethe　single　practicable　spot　of　exit　from　or　entrance　to　the　isle
on　this　side　by　a　seagoing　craft；　once　an　active　wharf；　whence　many　a
fine　public　building　had　sailedincluding　Saint　Paul's　Cathedral。

The　timorous　shadowy　shapes　descended　the　footway；　one　at　least　of　them
knowing　the　place　so　well　that　she　found　it　scarcely　necessary　to　guide
herself　down　by　touching　the　natural　wall　of　stone　on　her　right　hand；
as　her　companion　did。　　Thus；　with　quick　suspensive　breathings　they
arrived　at　the　bottom；　and　trod　the　few　yards　of　shingle　which；　on　the
forbidding　shore　hereabout；　could　be　found　at　this　spot　alone。　　It　was
so　solitary　as　to　be　unvisited　often　for　four…and…twenty　hours　by　a
living　soul。　　Upon　the　confined　beach　were　drawn　up　two　or　three
fishing…lerrets；　and　a　couple　of　smaller　ones；　beside　them　being　a
rough　slipway　for　launching；　and　a　boathouse　of　tarred　boards。　　The　two
lovers　united　their　strength　to　push　the　smallest　of　the　boats　down　the
slope；　and　floating　it　they　scrambled　in。

The　girl　broke　the　silence　by　asking；　'Where　are　the　oars？'

He　felt　about　the　boat；　but　could　find　none。　　'I　forgot　to　look　for　the
oars！'　he　said。

'They　are　locked　in　the　boathouse；　I　suppose。　　Now　we　can　only　steer
and　trust　to　the　current！'

The　currents　here　were　of　a　complicated　kind。　　It　was　true；　as　the　girl
had　said；　that　the　tide　ran　round　to　the　north；　but　at　a　special　moment
in　every　flood　there　set　in　along　the　shore　a　narrow　reflux　contrary　to
the　general　outer　flow；　called　'The　Southern'　by　the　local　sailors。　　It
was　produced　by　the　peculiar　curves　of　coast　lying　east　and　west　of　the
Beal；　these　bent　southward　in　two　back　streams　the　up…Channel　flow　on
each　side　of　the　peninsula；　which　two　streams　united　outside　the　Beal；
and　there　met　the　direct　tidal　flow；　the　confluence　of　the　three
currents　making　the　surface　of　the　sea　at　this　point　to　boil　like　a
pot；　even　in　calmest　weather。　　The　disturbed　area；　as　is　well　known；　is
called　the　Race。

Thus　although　the　outer　sea　was　now　running　northward　to　the　roadstead
and　the　mainland　of　Wessex　'The　Southern'　ran　in　full　force　towards　the
Beal　and　the　Race　beyond。　　It　caught　the　lovers'　hapless　boat　in　a　few
moments；　and；　unable　to　row　across　itmere　river's　width　that　it　was
they　beheld　the　grey　rocks　near　them；　and　the　grim　wrinkled　forehead　of
the　isle　above；　sliding　away　northwards。

They　gazed　helplessly　at　each　other；　though；　in　the　long…living　faith
of　youth；　without　distinct　fear。　　The　undulations　increased　in
magnitude；　and　swung　them　higher　and　lower。　　The　boat　rocked；　received
a　smart　slap　of　the　waves　now　and　then；　and　wheeled　round；　so　that　the
lightship　which　stolidly　winked　at　them　from　the　quicksand；　the　single
object　which　told　them　of　their　bearings；　was　sometimes　on　their　right
hand　and　sometimes　on　their　left。　　Nevertheless　they　could　always
discern　from　it　that　their　course；　whether　stemwards　or　sternwards；　was
steadily　south。

A　bright　idea　occurred　to　the　young　man。　　He　pulled　out　his
handkerchief　and；　striking　a　light；　set　it　on　fire。　　She　gave　him　hers；
and　he　made　that　flare　up　also。　　The　only　available　fuel　left　was　the
small　umbrella　the　girl　had　brought；　this　was　also　kindled　in　an　opened
state；　and　he　held　it　up　by　the　stem　till　it　was　consumed。

The　lightship　had　loomed　quite　large　by　this　time；　and　a　few　minutes
after　they　had　burnt　the　handkerchiefs　and　umbrella　a　coloured　flame
replied　to　them　from　the　vessel。　　They　flung　their　arms　round　each
other。

'I　knew　we　shouldn't　be　drowned！'　said　Avice　hysterically。

'I　thought　we　shouldn't　too；'　said　he。

With　the　appearance　of　day　a　boat　put　off　to　their　assistance；　and　they
were　towed　towards　the　heavy　red　hulk　with　the　large　white　letters　on
its　side。



3。　VII。　　AN　OLD　TABERNACLE　IN　A　NEW　ASPECT

The　October　day　thickened　into　dusk；　and　Jocelyn　sat　musing　beside　the
corpse　of　Mrs。　Pierston。　　Avice　having　gone　away　nobody　knew　whither；
he　had　acted　as　the　nearest　friend　of　the　family；　and　attended　as　well
as　he　could　to　the　sombre　duties　necessitated　by　her　mother's　decease。
It　was　doubtful；　indeed；　if　anybody　else　were　in　a　position　to　do　so。
Of　Avice　the　Second's　two　brothers；　one　had　been　drowned　at　sea；　and
the　other　had　emigrated；　while　her　only　child　besides　the　present　Avice
had　died　in　infancy。　　As　for　her　friends；　she　had　become　so　absorbed　in
her　ambitious　and　nearly　accomplished　design　of　marrying　her　daughter
to　Jocelyn；　that　she　had　gradually　completed　that　estrangement　between
herself　and　the　other　islanders　which　had　been　begun　so　long　ago　as
when；　a　young　woman；　she　had　herself　been　asked　by　Pierston　to　marry
him。　　On　her　tantalizing　inability　to　accept　the　honour　offered；　she
and　her　husband　had　been　set　up　in　a　matter…of…fact　business　in　the
stone　trade　by　her　patron；　but　that　unforgettable　request　in　the　London
studio　had　made　her　feel　ever　since　a　refined　kinship　with　sculpture；
and　a　proportionate　aloofness　from　mere　quarrying；　which　was；　perhaps；
no　more　than　a　venial　weakness　in　Avice　the　Second。　　Her　daughter's
objection　to　Jocelyn　she　could　never　understand。　　To　her　own　eye　he　was
no　older　than　when　he　had　proposed　to　her。

As　he　sat　darkling　here　the　ghostly　outlines　of　former　shapes　taken　by
his　Love　came　round　their　sister　the　unconscious　corpse；　confronting
him　from　the　wall　in　sad　array；　like　the　pictured　Trojan　women　beheld
by　AEneas　on　the　walls　of　Carthage。　　Many　of　them　he　had　idealized　in
bust　and　in　figure　from　time　to　time；　but　it　was　not　as　such　that　he
remembered　and　reanimated　them　now；　rather　was　it　in　all　their　natural
circumstances；　weaknesses；　and　stains。　　And　then　as　he　came　to　himself
their　voices　grew　fainter；　they　had　all　gone　off　on　their　different
careers；　and　he　was　left　here　alone。

The　probable　ridicule　that　would　result　to　him　from　the　events　of　the
day　he　did　not　mind　in　itself　at　all。　　But　he　would　fain　have　removed
the　misapprehensions　on　which　it　would　be　based。　　That；　however；　was
impossible。　　Nobody　would　ever　know　the　truth　about　him；　what　it　was　he
had　sought　that　had　so　eluded；　tantalized；　and　escaped　him；　what　it　was
that　had　led　him　such　a　dance；　and　had　at　last；　as　he　believed　just　now
in　the　freshness　of　his　loss；　been　discovered　in　the　girl　who　had　left
him。　　It　was　not　the　flesh；　he　had　never　knelt　low　to　that。　　Not　a
woman　in　the　world　had　been　wrecked　by　him；　though　he　had　been
impassioned　by　so　many。　　Nobody　would　guess　the　further　sentimentthe
cordial　loving…kindnesswhich　had　lain　behind　what　had　seemed　to　him
the　enraptured　fulfilment　of　a　pleasing　destiny　postponed　for　forty
years。　　His　attraction　to　the　third　Avice　would　be　regarded　by　the
world　as　the　selfish　designs　of　an　elderly　man　on　a　maid。

His　life　seemed　no　longer　a　professional　man's　experience；　but　a　ghost
story；　and　he　would　fain　have　vanished　from　his　haunts　on　this　critical
afternoon；　as　the　rest　had　done。　　He　desired　to　sleep　away　his
tendencies；　to　make　something　happen　which　would　put　an　end　to　his
bondage　to　beauty　in　the　ideal。

So　he　sat　on　till　it　was　quite　dark；　and　a　light　was　brought。　　There
was　a　chilly　wind　blowing　outside；　and　the　lightship　on　the　quicksand
afar　looked　harassed　and　forlorn。　　The　haggard　solitude　was　broken　by　a
ring　at　the　door。

Pierston　heard　a　voice　below；　the　accents　of　a　woman。　　They　had　a
ground　quality　of　familiarity；　a　superficial　articulation　of
strangeness。　　Only　one　person　in　all　his　experience　had　ever　possessed
precisely　those　tones；　rich；　as　if　they　had　once　been　powerful。
Explanations　seemed　to　be　asked　for　and　given；　and　in　a　minute　he　was
informed　that　a　lady　was　downstairs　whom　perhaps　he　would　like　to　see。

'Who　is　the　lady？'　Jocelyn　asked。

The　servant　hesitated　a　little。　　'Mrs。　Leverrethe　mother　of　the
young　gentleman　Miss　Avice　has　run　off　with。'

'YesI'll　see　her；'　said　Pierston。

He　covered　the　face　of　the　dead　Avice；　and　descended。　　'Leverre；'　he
said　to　himself。　　His　ears　had　known　that　name　before　to…day。　　It　was
the　name　those　travelling　Americans　he　had　met　in　Rome　gave　the　woman
he　supposed　might　be　Marcia　Bencomb。

A　sudden　adjusting　light　burst　upon　many　familiar　things　at　that
moment。　　He　found　the　visitor　in　the　drawing…room；　standing　up　veiled；
the　carriage　which　had　brought　her　being　in　waiting　at　the　door。　　By
the　dim　light　he　could　see　nothing　of　her　features　in　such
circumstances。

'Mr。　Pierston？'

'I　am　Mr。　Pierston。'

'You　represent　the　late　Mrs。　Pierston？'

'I　dothough　I　am　not　one　of　the　family。'

'I　know　it。　。　。　。　　I　am　Marciaafter　forty　years。'

'I　was　divining　as　much；　Marcia。　　May　the　lines　have　fallen　to　you　in
pleasant　places　since　we　last　met！　　But；　of　all　moments　of　my　life；　why
do　you　choose　to　hunt　me　up　now？'

'WhyI　am　the　step…mother　and　only　relation　of　the　young　man　your
bride　eloped　with　this　morning。'

'I　was　just　guessing　that；　too；　as　I　came　downstairs。　　But'

'And　I　am　naturally　making　inquiries。'

'Yes。　　Let　us　take　it　quietly；　and　shut　the　door。'

Marcia　sat　down。　　And　he　learnt　that　the　conjunction　of　old　things　and
new　was　no　accident。　　What　Mrs。　Pierston　had　discussed　with　her　nurse
and　neighbour　as　vague　intelligence；　was　now　revealed　to　Jocelyn　at
first　hand　by　Marcia　herself；　how；　many　years　after　their　separation；
and　when　she　was　left　poor　by　the　death　of　her　impoverished　father；　she
had　become　the　wife　of　that　bygone　Jersey　lover　of　hers；　who　wanted　a
tender　nurse　and　mother　for　the　infant　left　him　by　his　first　wife
recently　deceased；　how　he　had　died　a　few　years　later；　leaving　her　with
the　boy；　whom　she　had　brought　up　at　St。　Heliers　and　in　Paris；　educating
him　as　well　as　she　could　with　her　limited　means；　till　he　became　the
French　master　at　a　school　in　Sandbourne；　and　how；　a　year　ago；　she　and
her　son　had　got　to　know　Mrs。　Pierston　and　her　daughter　on　their　visit
to　the　island；　'to　ascertain；'　she　added；　more　deliberately；　'not
entirely　for　sentimental　reasons；　what　had　bec