amy foster-第8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！




couldn't。　　He　keeps　on　saying　somethingI　don't



know　what。'　　With　the　memory　of　all　the　talk



against　the　man　that　had　been　dinned　into　her　ears；



I　looked　at　her　narrowly。　　I　looked　into　her　short…



sighted　eyes；　at　her　dumb　eyes　that　once　in　her　life



had　seen　an　enticing　shape；　but　seemed；　staring　at



me；　to　see　nothing　at　all　now。　　But　I　saw　she　was



uneasy。







〃'What's　the　matter　with　him？'　she　asked　in　a



sort　of　vacant　trepidation。　　'He　doesn't　look　very



ill。　　I　never　did　see　anybody　look　like　this　be…



fore。　。　。　。'







〃'Do　you　think；'　I　asked　indignantly；　'he　is



shamming？'







〃'I　can't　help　it；　sir；'　she　said　stolidly。　　And



suddenly　she　clapped　her　hands　and　looked　right



and　left。　　'And　there's　the　baby。　　I　am　so　fright…



ened。　　He　wanted　me　just　now　to　give　him　the



baby。　　I　can't　understand　what　he　says　to　it。'







〃'Can't　you　ask　a　neighbour　to　come　in　to…



night？'　I　asked。







〃'Please；　sir；　nobody　seems　to　care　to　come；'　she



muttered；　dully　resigned　all　at　once。







〃I　impressed　upon　her　the　necessity　of　the



greatest　care；　and　then　had　to　go。　　There　was　a



good　deal　of　sickness　that　winter。　　'Oh；　I　hope　he



won't　talk！'　she　exclaimed　softly　just　as　I　was　go…



ing　away。







〃I　don't　know　how　it　is　I　did　not　seebut　I



didn't。　　And　yet；　turning　in　my　trap；　I　saw　her



lingering　before　the　door；　very　still；　and　as　if　med…



itating　a　flight　up　the　miry　road。







〃Towards　the　night　his　fever　increased。







〃He　tossed；　moaned；　and　now　and　then　muttered



a　complaint。　　And　she　sat　with　the　table　between



her　and　the　couch；　watching　every　movement　and



every　sound；　with　the　terror；　the　unreasonable　ter…



ror；　of　that　man　she　could　not　understand　creeping



over　her。　　She　had　drawn　the　wicker　cradle　close



to　her　feet。　　There　was　nothing　in　her　now　but　the



maternal　instinct　and　that　unaccountable　fear。







〃Suddenly　coming　to　himself；　parched；　he　de…



manded　a　drink　of　water。　　She　did　not　move。　　She



had　not　understood；　though　he　may　have　thought



he　was　speaking　in　English。　　He　waited；　looking　at



her；　burning　with　fever；　amazed　at　her　silence　and



immobility；　and　then　he　shouted　impatiently；



'Water！　　Give　me　water！'







〃She　jumped　to　her　feet；　snatched　up　the　child；



and　stood　still。　　He　spoke　to　her；　and　his　passion…



ate　remonstrances　only　increased　her　fear　of　that



strange　man。　　I　believe　he　spoke　to　her　for　a　long



time；　entreating；　wondering；　pleading；　ordering；　I



suppose。　　She　says　she　bore　it　as　long　as　she　could。



And　then　a　gust　of　rage　came　over　him。







〃He　sat　up　and　called　out　terribly　one　word



some　word。　　Then　he　got　up　as　though　he　hadn't



been　ill　at　all；　she　says。　　And　as　in　fevered　dismay；



indignation；　and　wonder　he　tried　to　get　to　her



round　the　table；　she　simply　opened　the　door　and　ran



out　with　the　child　in　her　arms。　　She　heard　him　call



twice　after　her　down　the　road　in　a　terrible　voice



and　fled。　。　。　。　　Ah！　but　you　should　have　seen　stir…



ring　behind　the　dull；　blurred　glance　of　these　eyes



the　spectre　of　the　fear　which　had　hunted　her　on



that　night　three　miles　and　a　half　to　the　door　of　Fos…



ter's　cottage！　　I　did　the　next　day。







〃And　it　was　I　who　found　him　lying　face　down



and　his　body　in　a　puddle；　just　outside　the　little



wicket…gate。







〃I　had　been　called　out　that　night　to　an　urgent



case　in　the　village；　and　on　my　way　home　at　day…



break　passed　by　the　cottage。　　The　door　stood　open。



My　man　helped　me　to　carry　him　in。　　We　laid　him



on　the　couch。　　The　lamp　smoked；　the　fire　was　out；



the　chill　of　the　stormy　night　oozed　from　the　cheer…



less　yellow　paper　on　the　wall。　　'Amy！'　I　called



aloud；　and　my　voice　seemed　to　lose　itself　in　the



emptiness　of　this　tiny　house　as　if　I　had　cried　in　a



desert。　　He　opened　his　eyes。　　'Gone！'　he　said　dis…



tinctly。　　'I　had　only　asked　for　wateronly　for　a



little　water。　。　。　。'







〃He　was　muddy。　　I　covered　him　up　and　stood



waiting　in　silence；　catching　a　painfully　gasped



word　now　and　then。　　They　were　no　longer　in　his



own　language。　　The　fever　had　left　him；　taking



with　it　the　heat　of　life。　　And　with　his　panting



breast　and　lustrous　eyes　he　reminded　me　again　of　a



wild　creature　under　the　net；　of　a　bird　caught　in　a



snare。　　She　had　left　him。　　She　had　left　himsick



helplessthirsty。　　The　spear　of　the　hunter　had



entered　his　very　soul。　　'Why？'　he　cried　in　the　pen…



etrating　and　indignant　voice　of　a　man　calling　to　a



responsible　Maker。　　A　gust　of　wind　and　a　swish　of



rain　answered。







〃And　as　I　turned　away　to　shut　the　door　he　pro…



nounced　the　word　'Merciful！'　and　expired。







〃Eventually　I　certified　heart…failure　as　the　im…



mediate　cause　of　death。　　His　heart　must　have　in…



deed　failed　him；　or　else　he　might　have　stood　this



night　of　storm　and　exposure；　too。　　I　closed　his　eyes



and　drove　away。　　Not　very　far　from　the　cottage　I



met　Foster　walking　sturdily　between　the　dripping



hedges　with　his　collie　at　his　heels。







〃'Do　you　know　where　your　daughter　is？'　I



asked。







〃'Don't　I！'　he　cried。　　'I　am　going　to　talk　to



him　a　bit。　　Frightening　a　poor　woman　like　this。'







〃'He　won't　frighten　her　any　more；'　I　said。



'He　is　dead。'







〃He　struck　with　his　stick　at　the　mud。







〃'And　there's　the　child。'







〃Then；　after　thinking　deeply　for　a　while







〃'I　don't　know　that　it　isn't　for　the　best。'







〃That's　what　he　said。　　And　she　says　nothing　at



all　now。　　Not　a　word　of　him。　　Never。　　Is　his　im…



age　as　utterly　gone　from　her　mind　as　his　lithe　and



striding　figure；　his　carolling　voice　are　gone　from



our　fields？　　He　is　no　longer　before　her　eyes　to　ex…



cite　her　imagination　into　a　passion　of　love　or　fear；



and　his　memory　seems　to　have　vanished　from　her



dull　brain　as　a　shadow　passes　away　upon　a　white



screen。　　She　lives　in　the　cottage　and　works　for　Miss



Swaffer。　　She　is　Amy　Foster　for　everybody；　and



the　child　is　'Amy　Foster's　boy。'　　She　calls　him



Johnnywhich　means　Little　John。







〃It　is　impossible　to　say　whether　this　name　re…



calls　anything　to　her。　　Does　she　ever　think　of　the



past？　　I　have　seen　her　hanging　over　the　boy's　cot



in　a　very　passion　of　maternal　tenderness。　　The　lit…



tle　fellow　was　lying　on　his　back；　a　little　frightened



at　me；　but　very　still；　with　his　big　black　eyes；　with



his　fluttered　air　of　a　bird　in　a　snare。　　And　looking



at　him　I　seemed　to　see　again　the　other　onethe



father；　cast　out　mysteriously　by　the　sea　to　perish



in　the　supreme　disaster　of　loneliness　and　despair。〃



























End