还乡The Return Of The Native-第43部分

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Now；　Yeobright；　having　inherited　some　of　these　very　instincts　from　the　woman　before　him；　could　not　fail　to　awaken　a　reciprocity　in　her　through　her　feelings；　if　not　by　arguments；　disguise　it　as　she　might　for　his　good。　　She　spoke　with　less　assurance。　　“And　yet　you　might　have　been　a　wealthy　man　if　you　had　only　persevered。　　Manager　to　that　large　diamond　establishment—what　better　can　a　man　wish　for？　　What　a　post　of　trust　and　respect！　　I　suppose　you　will　be　like　your　father；　like　him；　you　are　getting　weary　of　doing　well。”
“No；”　said　her　son；　“I　am　not　weary　of　that；　though　I　am　weary　of　what　you　mean　by　it。　　Mother；　what　is　doing　well？”
Mrs。　Yeobright　was　far　too　thoughtful　a　woman　to　be　content　with　ready　definitions；　and；　like　the　“What　is　wisdom？”　of　Plato’s　Socrates；　and　the　“What　is　truth？”　of　Pontius　Pilate；　Yeobright’s　burning　question　received　no　answer。　
The　silence　was　broken　by　the　clash　of　the　garden　gate；　a　tap　at　the　door；　and　its　opening。　　Christian　Cantle　appeared　in　the　room　in　his　Sunday　clothes。　
It　was　the　custom　on　Egdon　to　begin　the　preface　to　a　story　before　absolutely　entering　the　house；　so　as　to　be　well　in　for　the　body　of　the　narrative　by　the　time　visitor　and　visited　stood　face　to　face。　　Christian　had　been　saying　to　them　while　the　door　was　leaving　its　latch；　“To　think　that　I；　who　go　from　home　but　once　in　a　while；　and　hardly　then；　should　have　been　there　this　morning！”
“’Tis　news　you　have　brought　us；　then；　Christian？”　said　Mrs。　Yeobright。　
“Ay；　sure；　about　a　witch；　and　ye　must　overlook　my　time　o’　day；　for；　says　I；　‘I　must　go　and　tell　‘em；　though　they　won’t　have　half　done　dinner。’　I　assure　ye　it　made　me　shake　like　a　driven　leaf。　　Do　ye　think　any　harm　will　e　o’t？”
“Well—what？”
“This　morning　at　church　we　was　all　standing　up；　and　the　pa’son　said；　‘Let　us　pray。’　‘Well；’　thinks　I；　‘one　may　as　well　kneel　as　stand’；　so　down　I　went；　and；　more　than　that；　all　the　rest　were　as　willing　to　oblige　the　man　as　I。　We　hadn’t　been　hard　at　it　for　more　than　a　minute　when　a　most　terrible　screech　sounded　through　church；　as　if　somebody　had　just　gied　up　their　heart’s　blood。　　All　the　folk　jumped　up　and　then　we　found　that　Susan　Nunsuch　had　pricked　Miss　Vye　with　a　long　stocking…needle；　as　she　had　threatened　to　do　as　soon　as　ever　she　could　get　the　young　lady　to　church；　where　she　don’t　e　very　often。　　She’ve　waited　for　this　chance　for　weeks；　so　as　to　draw　her　blood　and　put　an　end　to　the　bewitching　of　Susan’s　children　that　has　been　carried　on　so　long。　　Sue　followed　her　into　church；　sat　next　to　her；　and　as　soon　as　she　could　find　a　chance　in　went　the　stocking…needle　into　my　lady’s　arm。”
“Good　heaven；　how　horrid！”　said　Mrs。　Yeobright。　
“Sue　pricked　her　that　deep　that　the　maid　fainted　away；　and　as　I　was　afeard　there　might　be　some　tumult　among　us；　I　got　behind　the　bass　viol　and　didn’t　see　no　more。　　But　they　carried　her　out　into　the　air；　‘tis　said；　but　when　they　looked　round　for　Sue　she　was　gone。　　What　a　scream　that　girl　gied；　poor　thing！　There　were　the　pa’son　in　his　surplice　holding　up　his　hand　and　saying；　‘Sit　down；　my　good　people；　sit　down！’　But　the　deuce　a　bit　would　they　sit　down。　　O；　and　what　d’ye　think　I　found　out；　Mrs。　Yeobright？　　The　pa’son　wears　a　suit　of　clothes　under　his　surplice！I　could　see　his　black　sleeves　when　he　held　up　his　arm。”
“’Tis　a　cruel　thing；”　said　Yeobright。　
“Yes；”　said　his　mother。　
“The　nation　ought　to　look　into　it；”　said　Christian。　
“Here’s　Humphrey　ing；　I　think。”
In　came　Humphrey。　　“Well；　have　ye　heard　the　news？　　But　I　see　you　have。　　‘Tis　a　very　strange　thing　that　whenever　one　of　Egdon　folk　goes　to　church　some　rum　job　or　other　is　sure　to　be　doing。　　The　last　time　one　of　us　was　there　was　when　neighbour　Fairway　went　in　the　fall；　and　that　was　the　day　you　forbad　the　banns；　Mrs。　Yeobright。”
“Has　this　cruelly　treated　girl　been　able　to　walk　home？”　said　Clym。　
“They　say　she　got　better；　and　went　home　very　well。　
And　now　I’ve　told　it　I　must　be　moving　homeward　myself。”
“And　I；”　said　Humphrey。　　“Truly　now　we　shall　see　if　there’s　anything　in　what　folks　say　about　her。”
When　they　were　gone　into　the　heath　again　Yeobright　said　quietly　to　his　mother；　“Do　you　think　I　have　turned　teacher　too　soon？”
“It　is　right　that　there　should　be　schoolmasters；　and　missionaries；　and　all　such　men；”　she　replied。　　“But　it　is　right；　too；　that　I　should　try　to　lift　you　out　of　this　life　into　something　richer；　and　that　you　should　not　e　back　again；　and　be　as　if　I　had　not　tried　at　all。”

Later　in　the　day　Sam；　the　turf…cutter；　entered。　　“I’ve　e　a…borrowing；　Mrs。　Yeobright。　　I　suppose　you　have　heard　what’s　been　happening　to　the　beauty　on　the　hill？”
“Yes；　Sam：　half　a　dozen　have　been　telling　us。”
“Beauty？”　said　Clym。　
“Yes；　tolerably　well…favoured；”　Sam　replied。　　“Lord！　all　the　country　owns　that　‘tis　one　of　the　strangest　things　in　the　world　that　such　a　woman　should　have　e　to　live　up　there。”
“Dark　or　fair？”
“Now；　though　I’ve　seen　her　twenty　times；　that’s　a　thing　I　cannot　call　to　mind。”
“Darker　than　Tamsin；”　murmured　Mrs。　Yeobright。　
“A　woman　who　seems　to　care　for　nothing　at　all；　as　you　may　say。”
“She　is　melancholy；　then？”　inquired　Clym。　
“She　mopes　about　by　herself；　and　don’t　mix　in　with　the　people。”
“Is　she　a　young　lady　inclined　for　adventures？”
“Not　to　my　knowledge。”
“Doesn’t　join　in　with　the　lads　in　their　games；　to　get　some　sort　of　excitement　in　this　lonely　place？”
“No。”
“Mumming；　for　instance？”
“No。　Her　notions　be　different。　　I　should　rather　say　her　thoughts　were　far　away　from　here；　with　lords　and　ladies　she’ll　never　know；　and　mansions　she’ll　never　see　again。”
Observing　that　Clym　appeared　singularly　interested　Mrs。　Yeobright　said　rather　uneasily　to　Sam；　“You　see　more　in　her　than　most　of　us　do。　　Miss　Vye　is　to　my　mind　too　idle　to　be　charming。　　I　have　never　heard　that　she　is　of　any　use　to　herself　or　to　other　people。　　Good　girls　don’t　get　treated　as　witches　even　on　Egdon。”
“Nonsense—that　proves　nothing　either　way；”　said　Yeobright。
“Well；　of　course　I　don’t　understand　such　niceties；”　said　Sam；　withdrawing　from　a　possibly　unpleasant　argument；
“and　what　she　is　we　must　wait　for　time　to　tell　us。　　The　business　that　I　have　really　called　about　is　this；　to　borrow　the　longest　and　strongest　rope　you　have。　　The　captain’s　bucket　has　dropped　into　the　well；　and　they　are　in　want　of　water；　and　as　all　the　chaps　are　at　home　today　we　think　we　can　get　it　out　for　him。　　We　have　three　cart…ropes　already；　but　they　won’t　reach　to　the　bottom。”
Mrs。　Yeobright　told　him　that　he　might　have　whatever　ropes　he　could　find　in　the　outhouse；　and　Sam　went　out　to　search。　　When　he　passed　by　the　door　Clym　joined　him；　and　acpanied　him　to　the　gate。　
“Is　this　young　witch…lady　going　to　stay　long　at　Mistover？”　he　asked。　
“I　should　say　so。”
“What　a　cruel　shame　to　ill…use　her；　She　must　have　suffered　greatly—more　in　mind　than　in　body。”
“’Twas　a　graceless　trick—such　a　handsome　girl；　too。　　You　ought　to　see　her；　Mr。　Yeobright；　being　a　young　man　e　from　far；　and　with　a　little　more　to　show　for　your　years　than　most　of　us。”
“Do　you　think　she　would　like　to　teach　children？”　said　Clym。　
Sam　shook　his　head。　　“Quite　a　different　sort　of　body　from　that；　I　reckon。”
“O；　it　was　merely　something　which　occurred　to　me。　　It　would　of　course　be　necessary　to　see　her　and　talk　it　over—not　an　easy　thing；　by　the　way；　for　my　family　and　hers　are　not　very　friendly。”
“I’ll　tell　you　how　you　mid　see　her；　Mr。　Yeobright；”　said　Sam。　　“We　are　going　to　grapple　for　the　bucket　at　six　o’clock　tonight　at　her　house；　and　you　could　lend　a　hand。　　There’s　five　or　six　ing；　but　the　well　is　deep；　and　another　might　be　useful；　if　you　don’t　mind　appearing　in　that　shape。　　She’s　sure　to　be　walking　round。”
“I’ll　think　of　it；”　said　Yeobright；　and　they　parted。　
He　thought　of　it　a　good　deal；　but　nothing　more　was　said　about　Eustacia　inside　the　house　at　that　time。　　Whether　this　romantic　martyr　to　superstition　and　the　melancholy　mummer　he　had　conversed　with　under　the　full　moon　were　one　and　the　same　person　remained　as　yet　a　problem。　


3　… The　First　Act　in　a　Timeworn　Drama


The　afternoon　was　fine；　and　Yeobright　walked　on　the　heath　for　an　hour　with　his　mother。　　When