amy foster-第5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！





they　gave　nothing；　they　spoke　gently　to　beggars。



The　children　in　his　country　were　not　taught　to



throw　stones　at　those　who　asked　for　compassion。



Smith's　strategy　overcame　him　completely。　　The



wood…lodge　presented　the　horrible　aspect　of　a　dun…



geon。　　What　would　be　done　to　him　next？　。　。　。



No　wonder　that　Amy　Foster　appeared　to　his　eyes



with　the　aureole　of　an　angel　of　light。　　The　girl



had　not　been　able　to　sleep　for　thinking　of　the　poor



man；　and　in　the　morning；　before　the　Smiths　were



up；　she　slipped　out　across　the　back　yard。　　Holding



the　door　of　the　wood…lodge　ajar；　she　looked　in　and



extended　to　him　half　a　loaf　of　white　bread'such



bread　as　the　rich　eat　in　my　country；'　he　used　to



say。







〃At　this　he　got　up　slowly　from　amongst　all　sorts



of　rubbish；　stiff；　hungry；　trembling；　miserable；　and



doubtful。　　'Can　you　eat　this？'　she　asked　in　her



soft　and　timid　voice。　　He　must　have　taken　her　for



a　'gracious　lady。'　　He　devoured　ferociously；　and



tears　were　falling　on　the　crust。　　Suddenly　he



dropped　the　bread；　seized　her　wrist；　and　im…



printed　a　kiss　on　her　hand。　　She　was　not　fright…



ened。　　Through　his　forlorn　condition　she　had



observed　that　he　was　good…looking。　　She　shut



the　door　and　walked　back　slowly　to　the　kitchen。



Much　later　on；　she　told　Mrs。　Smith；　who　shud…



dered　at　the　bare　idea　of　being　touched　by　that



creature。







〃Through　this　act　of　impulsive　pity　he　was



brought　back　again　within　the　pale　of　human　rela…



tions　with　his　new　surroundings。　　He　never　forgot



itnever。







〃That　very　same　morning　old　Mr。　Swaffer



（Smith's　nearest　neighbour）　came　over　to　give　his



advice；　and　ended　by　carrying　him　off。　　He　stood；



unsteady　on　his　legs；　meek；　and　caked　over　in　half…



dried　mud；　while　the　two　men　talked　around　him　in



an　incomprehensible　tongue。　　Mrs。　Smith　had　re…



fused　to　come　downstairs　till　the　madman　was　off



the　premises；　Amy　Foster；　far　from　within　the　dark



kitchen；　watched　through　the　open　back　door；　and



he　obeyed　the　signs　that　were　made　to　him　to　the



best　of　his　ability。　　But　Smith　was　full　of　mistrust。



'Mind；　sir！　　It　may　be　all　his　cunning；'　he　cried



repeatedly　in　a　tone　of　warning。　　When　Mr。



Swaffer　started　the　mare；　the　deplorable　being　sit…



ting　humbly　by　his　side；　through　weakness；　nearly



fell　out　over　the　back　of　the　high　two…wheeled　cart。



Swaffer　took　him　straight　home。　　And　it　is　then



that　I　come　upon　the　scene。







〃I　was　called　in　by　the　simple　process　of　the　old



man　beckoning　to　me　with　his　forefinger　over　the



gate　of　his　house　as　I　happened　to　be　driving　past。



I　got　down；　of　course。







〃'I've　got　something　here；'　he　mumbled；　lead…



ing　the　way　to　an　outhouse　at　a　little　distance　from



his　other　farm…buildings。







〃It　was　there　that　I　saw　him　first；　in　a　long　low



room　taken　upon　the　space　of　that　sort　of　coach…



house。　　It　was　bare　and　whitewashed；　with　a　small



square　aperture　glazed　with　one　cracked；　dusty



pane　at　its　further　end。　　He　was　lying　on　his　back



upon　a　straw　pallet；　they　had　given　him　a　couple



of　horse…blankets；　and　he　seemed　to　have　spent　the



remainder　of　his　strength　in　the　exertion　of　clean…



ing　himself。　　He　was　almost　speechless；　his　quick



breathing　under　the　blankets　pulled　up　to　his　chin；



his　glittering；　restless　black　eyes　reminded　me　of　a



wild　bird　caught　in　a　snare。　　While　I　was　examining



him；　old　Swaffer　stood　silently　by　the　door；　passing



the　tips　of　his　fingers　along　his　shaven　upper　lip。



I　gave　some　directions；　promised　to　send　a　bottle　of



medicine；　and　naturally　made　some　inquiries。







〃'Smith　caught　him　in　the　stackyard　at　New



Barns；'　said　the　old　chap　in　his　deliberate；　unmoved



manner；　and　as　if　the　other　had　been　indeed　a　sort



of　wild　animal。　　'That's　how　I　came　by　him。



Quite　a　curiosity；　isn't　he？　　Now　tell　me；　doctor



you've　been　all　over　the　worlddon't　you　think



that's　a　bit　of　a　Hindoo　we've　got　hold　of　here。'







〃I　was　greatly　surprised。　　His　long　black　hair



scattered　over　the　straw　bolster　contrasted　with　the



olive　pallor　of　his　face。　　It　occurred　to　me　he　might



be　a　Basque。　　It　didn't　necessarily　follow　that　he



should　understand　Spanish；　but　I　tried　him　with



the　few　words　I　know；　and　also　with　some　French。



The　whispered　sounds　I　caught　by　bending　my　ear



to　his　lips　puzzled　me　utterly。　　That　afternoon　the



young　ladies　from　the　Rectory　（one　of　them　read



Goethe　with　a　dictionary；　and　the　other　had　strug…



gled　with　Dante　for　years）；　coming　to　see　Miss



Swaffer；　tried　their　German　and　Italian　on　him



from　the　doorway。　　They　retreated；　just　the　least



bit　scared　by　the　flood　of　passionate　speech　which；



turning　on　his　pallet；　he　let　out　at　them。　　They　ad…



mitted　that　the　sound　was　pleasant；　soft；　musical



but；　in　conjunction　with　his　looks　perhaps；　it　was



startlingso　excitable；　so　utterly　unlike　anything



one　had　ever　heard。　　The　village　boys　climbed　up



the　bank　to　have　a　peep　through　the　little　square



aperture。　　Everybody　was　wondering　what　Mr。



Swaffer　would　do　with　him。







〃He　simply　kept　him。







〃Swaffer　would　be　called　eccentric　were　he　not



so　much　respected。　　They　will　tell　you　that　Mr。



Swaffer　sits　up　as　late　as　ten　o'clock　at　night　to



read　books；　and　they　will　tell　you　also　that　he　can



write　a　cheque　for　two　hundred　pounds　without



thinking　twice　about　it。　　He　himself　would　tell



you　that　the　Swaffers　had　owned　land　between



this　and　Darnford　for　these　three　hundred　years。



He　must　be　eighty…five　to…day；　but　he　does　not　look



a　bit　older　than　when　I　first　came　here。　　He　is　a



great　breeder　of　sheep；　and　deals　extensively　in　cat…



tle。　　He　attends　market　days　for　miles　around　in



every　sort　of　weather；　and　drives　sitting　bowed　low



over　the　reins；　his　lank　grey　hair　curling　over　the



collar　of　his　warm　coat；　and　with　a　green　plaid　rug



round　his　legs。　　The　calmness　of　advanced　age



gives　a　solemnity　to　his　manner。　　He　is　clean…



shaved；　his　lips　are　thin　and　sensitive；　something



rigid　and　monarchal　in　the　set　of　his　features　lends



a　certain　elevation　to　the　character　of　his　face。　　He



has　been　known　to　drive　miles　in　the　rain　to　see　a



new　kind　of　rose　in　somebody's　garden；　or　a　mon…



strous　cabbage　grown　by　a　cottager。　　He　loves　to



hear　tell　of　or　to　be　shown　something　that　he　calls



'outlandish。'　　Perhaps　it　was　just　that　outlandish…



ness　of　the　man　which　influenced　old　Swaffer。　　Per…



haps　it　was　only　an　inexplicable　caprice。　　All　I



know　is　that　at　the　end　of　three　weeks　I　caught



sight　of　Smith's　lunatic　digging　in　Swaffer's　kitch…



en　garden。　　They　had　found　out　he　could　use　a



spade。　　He　dug　barefooted。







〃His　black　hair　flowed　over　his　shoulders。　　I



suppose　it　was　Swaffer　who　had　given　him　the



striped　old　cotton　shirt；　but　he　wore　still　the　na…



tional　brown　cloth　trousers　（in　which　he　had　been



washed　ashore）　fitting　to　the　leg　almost　like



tights；　was　belted　with　a　broad　leathern　belt　stud…



ded　with　little　brass　discs；　and　had　never　yet　ven…



tured　into　the　village。　　The　land　he　looked　upon



seemed　to　him　kept　neatly；　like　the　grounds　round



a　landowner's　house；　the　size　of　the　cart…horses



struck　him　with　astonishment；　the　roads　resembled



garden　walks；　and　the　aspect　of　the　people；　espe…



cially　on　Sundays；　spoke　of　opulence。　　He　won…



dered　what　made　them　so　hardhearted　and　their



children　so　bold。　　He　got　his　food　at　the　back　door；



carried　it　in　both　hands　carefully　to　his　outhouse；



and；　sitting　alone　on　his　pallet；　would　make　the　sign



of　the　cross　before　he　began。　　Beside　the　same　pal…



let；　kneeling　in　the　early　darkness　of　the　short　days；



he　recited　aloud　the　Lord's　Prayer　before　he　slept。



Whenever　he　saw　old　Swaffer　he　would　bow　with



veneration　from　the　waist；　and　stand　erect　while



the　old　man；　with　his　fingers　over　his　upper　lip；　sur…



veyed　him　silently。　　He　bowed　also　to　Miss　Swaffer；



who　kept　house　frugally　for　her　fathera　broad…



shouldered；　big…boned　woman　of　forty…five；　with



the　pocket　of　her　dress　full　of　keys；　and　a　grey；



steady　eye。　　She　was　Churchas　people　said



（while　her　father　was　one　of　the　trustees　of　the



Baptist　Chapel）and　wore　a　little　steel　cross　at



her　waist。　　She　dressed　severely　in　black；　in　mem…



ory　of　one　of　the　innumerable　Bradleys　of　the



neighbourhood；　to　whom　she　had　been　engaged



some　twenty…five　years　agoa　young　farmer　who



broke　his　neck　out　hunting　on　the　eve　of　the　wed…



ding　day。　　She　had　the　unmoved　countenance　of



the　deaf；　spoke　very　seldom；　and　her　lips；　thin　like



her　father's；　astonished　one　sometimes　by　a　myste…



riously　ironic　curl。







〃These　were　the　people　to　whom　he　owed　alle…



giance；　and　an　overwhelming　loneliness　seemed　to



fall　from　the　leaden　sky　of　that　winter　without　sun…



shine。　　All　the　faces　were　sad。　　He　could　talk　to



no　one；　and　had　no　hope　of　ever　understanding



anybody。　　It　was　as　if　these　had　been　the　faces　of



people　from　the　other　worlddead　peoplehe



used　to　tell　me　years　afterwards。　　Upon　my　word；



I　wonder　he　did　not　go　mad。　　He　didn't　know



where　he　was。　　Somewhere　very　far　from　his　moun…



tainssomewhere　over　the　water。　　Was　this　Amer…



ica；　he　wondered？







〃If　it　hadn't　been　for　the　steel　cross　at　Miss



Swaffer's　belt　he　would　not；　he　confes