amy foster-第6部分

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



Swaffer's　belt　he　would　not；　he　confessed；　have



known　whether　he　was　in　a　Christian　country　at



all。　　He　used　to　cast　stealthy　glances　at　it；　and　feel



comforted。　　There　was　nothing　here　the　same　as　in



his　country！　　The　earth　and　the　water　were　differ…



ent；　there　were　no　images　of　the　Redeemer　by　the



roadside。　　The　very　grass　was　different；　and　the



trees。　　All　the　trees　but　the　three　old　Norway　pines



on　the　bit　of　lawn　before　Swaffer's　house；　and



these　reminded　him　of　his　country。　　He　had　been



detected　once；　after　dusk；　with　his　forehead　against



the　trunk　of　one　of　them；　sobbing；　and　talking　to



himself。　　They　had　been　like　brothers　to　him　at　that



time；　he　affirmed。　　Everything　else　was　strange。



Conceive　you　the　kind　of　an　existence　overshad…



owed；　oppressed；　by　the　everyday　material　appear…



ances；　as　if　by　the　visions　of　a　nightmare。　　At



night；　when　he　could　not　sleep；　he　kept　on　thinking



of　the　girl　who　gave　him　the　first　piece　of　bread　he



had　eaten　in　this　foreign　land。　　She　had　been



neither　fierce　nor　angry；　nor　frightened。　　Her　face



he　remembered　as　the　only　comprehensible　face



amongst　all　these　faces　that　were　as　closed；　as　mys…



terious；　and　as　mute　as　the　faces　of　the　dead　who



are　possessed　of　a　knowledge　beyond　the　compre…



hension　of　the　living。　　I　wonder　whether　the　mem…



ory　of　her　compassion　prevented　him　from　cutting



his　throat。　　But　there！　　I　suppose　I　am　an　old　sen…



timentalist；　and　forget　the　instinctive　love　of　life



which　it　takes　all　the　strength　of　an　uncommon　de…



spair　to　overcome。







〃He　did　the　work　which　was　given　him　with　an



intelligence　which　surprised　old　Swaffer。　　By…and…



by　it　was　discovered　that　he　could　help　at　the



ploughing；　could　milk　the　cows；　feed　the　bullocks



in　the　cattle…yard；　and　was　of　some　use　with　the



sheep。　　He　began　to　pick　up　words；　too；　very　fast；



and　suddenly；　one　fine　morning　in　spring；　he　res…



cued　from　an　untimely　death　a　grand…child　of　old



Swaffer。







〃Swaffer's　younger　daughter　is　married　to



Willcox；　a　solicitor　and　the　Town　Clerk　of　Cole…



brook。　　Regularly　twice　a　year　they　come　to　stay



with　the　old　man　for　a　few　days。　　Their　only　child；



a　little　girl　not　three　years　old　at　the　time；　ran　out



of　the　house　alone　in　her　little　white　pinafore；　and；



toddling　across　the　grass　of　a　terraced　garden；



pitched　herself　over　a　low　wall　head　first　into　the



horsepond　in　the　yard　below。







〃Our　man　was　out　with　the　waggoner　and　the



plough　in　the　field　nearest　to　the　house；　and　as　he



was　leading　the　team　round　to　begin　a　fresh　fur…



row；　he　saw；　through　the　gap　of　the　gate；　what　for



anybody　else　would　have　been　a　mere　flutter　of



something　white。　　But　he　had　straight…glancing；



quick；　far…reaching　eyes；　that　only　seemed　to　flinch



and　lose　their　amazing　power　before　the　immensity



of　the　sea。　　He　was　barefooted；　and　looking　as　out…



landish　as　the　heart　of　Swaffer　could　desire。　　Leav…



ing　the　horses　on　the　turn；　to　the　inexpressible　dis…



ust　of　the　waggoner　he　bounded　off；　going　over



the　ploughed　ground　in　long　leaps；　and　suddenly



appeared　before　the　mother；　thrust　the　child　into



her　arms；　and　strode　away。







〃The　pond　was　not　very　deep；　but　still；　if　he



had　not　had　such　good　eyes；　the　child　would　have



perishedmiserably　suffocated　in　the　foot　or　so　of



sticky　mud　at　the　bottom。　　Old　Swaffer　walked　out



slowly　into　the　field；　waited　till　the　plough　came



over　to　his　side；　had　a　good　look　at　him；　and　with…



out　saying　a　word　went　back　to　the　house。　　But



from　that　time　they　laid　out　his　meals　on　the　kitch…



en　table；　and　at　first；　Miss　Swaffer；　all　in　black　and



with　an　inscrutable　face；　would　come　and　stand　in



the　doorway　of　the　living…room　to　see　him　make　a



big　sign　of　the　cross　before　he　fell　to。　　I　believe　that



from　that　day；　too；　Swaffer　began　to　pay　him　reg…



ular　wages。







〃I　can't　follow　step　by　step　his　development。



He　cut　his　hair　short；　was　seen　in　the　village　and



along　the　road　going　to　and　fro　to　his　work　like



any　other　man。　　Children　ceased　to　shout　after　him。



He　became　aware　of　social　differences；　but　re…



mained　for　a　long　time　surprised　at　the　bare　pov…



erty　of　the　churches　among　so　much　wealth。　　He



couldn't　understand　either　why　they　were　kept　shut



up　on　week　days。　　There　was　nothing　to　steal　in



them。　　Was　it　to　keep　people　from　praying　too



often？　　The　rectory　took　much　notice　of　him　about



that　time；　and　I　believe　the　young　ladies　attempted



to　prepare　the　ground　for　his　conversion。　　They



could　not；　however；　break　him　of　his　habit　of　cross…



ing　himself；　but　he　went　so　far　as　to　take　off　the



string　with　a　couple　of　brass　medals　the　size　of　a



sixpence；　a　tiny　metal　cross；　and　a　square　sort　of



scapulary　which　he　wore　round　his　neck。　　He　hung



them　on　the　wall　by　the　side　of　his　bed；　and　he　was



still　to　be　heard　every　evening　reciting　the　Lord's



Prayer；　in　incomprehensible　words　and　in　a　slow；



fervent　tone；　as　he　had　heard　his　old　father　do　at



the　head　of　all　the　kneeling　family；　big　and　little；



on　every　evening　of　his　life。　　And　though　he　wore



corduroys　at　work；　and　a　slop…made　pepper…and…



salt　suit　on　Sundays；　strangers　would　turn　round



to　look　after　him　on　the　road。　　His　foreignness　had



a　peculiar　and　indelible　stamp。　　At　last　people　be…



came　used　to　see　him。　　But　they　never　became　used



to　him。　　His　rapid；　skimming　walk；　his　swarthy



complexion；　his　hat　cocked　on　the　left　ear；　his　hab…



it；　on　warm　evenings；　of　wearing　his　coat　over　one



shoulder；　like　a　hussar's　dolman；　his　manner　of



leaping　over　the　stiles；　not　as　a　feat　of　agility；　but



in　the　ordinary　course　of　progressionall　these



peculiarities　were；　as　one　may　say；　so　many　causes



of　scorn　and　offence　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　vil…



lage。　　They　wouldn't　in　their　dinner　hour　lie　flat



on　their　backs　on　the　grass　to　stare　at　the　sky。



Neither　did　they　go　about　the　fields　screaming　dis…



mal　tunes。　　Many　times　have　I　heard　his　high…



pitched　voice　from　behind　the　ridge　of　some　slop…



ing　sheep…walk；　a　voice　light　and　soaring；　like　a



lark's；　but　with　a　melancholy　human　note；　over　our



fields　that　hear　only　the　song　of　birds。　　And　I



should　be　startled　myself。　　Ah！　　He　was　different：



innocent　of　heart；　and　full　of　good　will；　which　no…



body　wanted；　this　castaway；　that；　like　a　man　trans…



planted　into　another　planet；　was　separated　by　an



immense　space　from　his　past　and　by　an　immense



ignorance　from　his　future。　　His　quick；　fervent　ut…



terance　positively　shocked　everybody。　　'An　excit…



able　devil；'　they　called　him。　　One　evening；　in　the



tap…room　of　the　Coach　and　Horses　（having　drunk



some　whisky）；　he　upset　them　all　by　singing　a　love



song　of　his　country。　　They　hooted　him　down；　and



he　was　pained；　but　Preble；　the　lame　wheelwright；



and　Vincent；　the　fat　blacksmith；　and　the　other　nota…



bles　too；　wanted　to　drink　their　evening　beer　in



peace。　　On　another　occasion　he　tried　to　show　them



how　to　dance。　　The　dust　rose　in　clouds　from　the



sanded　floor；　he　leaped　straight　up　amongst　the



deal　tables；　struck　his　heels　together；　squatted　on



one　heel　in　front　of　old　Preble；　shooting　out　the



other　leg；　uttered　wild　and　exulting　cries；　jumped　up



to　whirl　on　one　foot；　snapping　his　fingers　above　his



headand　a　strange　carter　who　was　having　a　drink



in　there　began　to　swear；　and　cleared　out　with　his



half…pint　in　his　hand　into　the　bar。　　But　when　sud…



denly　he　sprang　upon　a　table　and　continued　to



dance　among　the　glasses；　the　landlord　interfered。



He　didn't　want　any　'acrobat　tricks　in　the　tap…



room。'　　They　laid　their　hands　on　him。　　Having



had　a　glass　or　two；　Mr。　Swaffer's　foreigner　tried



to　expostulate：　was　ejected　forcibly：　got　a　black



eye。







〃I　believe　he　felt　the　hostility　of　his　human　sur…



roundings。　　But　he　was　toughtough　in　spirit；



too；　as　well　as　in　body。　　Only　the　memory　of　the



sea　frightened　him；　with　that　vague　terror　that　is



left　by　a　bad　dream。　　His　home　was　far　away；　and



he　did　not　want　now　to　go　to　America。　　I　had　often



explained　to　him　that　there　is　no　place　on　earth



where　true　gold　can　be　found　lying　ready　and　to　be



got　for　the　trouble　of　the　picking　up。　　How　then；



he　asked；　could　he　ever　return　home　with　empty



hands　when　there　had　been　sold　a　cow；　two　ponies；



and　a　bit　of　land　to　pay　for　his　going？　　His　eyes



would　fill　with　tears；　and；　averting　them　from　the



immense　shimmer　of　the　sea；　he　would　throw　him…



self　face　down　on　the　grass。　　But　sometimes；　cock…



ing　his　hat　with　a　little　conquering　air；　he　would



defy　my　wisdom。　　He　had　found　his　bit　of　true



gold。　　That　was　Amy　Foster's　heart；　which　was　'a



golden　heart；　and　soft　to　people's　misery；'　he



would　say　in　the　accents　of　overwhelming　convic…



tion。







〃He　was　called　Yanko。　　He　had　explained　that



this　meant　little　John；　but　as　he　would　also　repeat



very　often　that　he　was　a　mountaineer　（some　word



sounding　in　the　dialect　of　his　country　like　Goorall）



he　got　it　for　his　surname。　　And　this　is　the　only



trace　of　him　that　the　succeeding　ages　may　find　in



the　marriage　register　of　the　parish。　　There　it



standsYanko　Goorallin　the　rector's　handwrit…



ing。　　The　crooked　cross　made　by　the　castaway；　a