Butthepositionlastreached——thechimney—corner——was,afterall,themostattractivesideoftheparallelogram。Itwaslargeenoughtoadmit,inadditiontoGeoffreyhimself;Geoffrey’swife,herchair,andherwork—table,entirelywithinthelineofthemantel,withoutdangeroreveninconveniencefromtheheatofthefire;andwasspaciousenoughoverheadtoallowoftheinsertionofwoodpolesforthehangingofbacon,whichwerecloakedwithlongshredsofsoot,floatingonthedraughtlikethetatteredbannersonthewallsofancientaisles。
Thesepointswerecommontomostchimneycornersoftheneighbourhood;butonefeaturetherewaswhichmadeGeoffrey’sfiresidenotonlyanobjectofinteresttocasualaristocraticvisitors——towhomeverycottagefiresidewasmoreorlessacuriosity——buttheadmirationoffriendswhowereaccustomedtofireplacesoftheordinaryhamletmodel。Thispeculiaritywasalittlewindowinthechimney—back,almostoverthefire,aroundwhichthesmokecreptcaressinglywhenitlefttheperpendicularcourse。Thewindow—boardwascuriouslystampedwithblackcircles,burntthereonbytheheatedbottomsofdrinking—cups,whichhadrestedthereafterpreviouslystandingonthehotashesofthehearthforthepurposeofwarmingtheircontents,theresultgivingtotheledgethelookofanenvelopewhichhaspassedthroughinnumerablepost—offices。
Fancywasglidingabouttheroompreparingdinner,herheadincliningnowtotheright,nowtotheleft,andsingingthetipsandendsoftunesthatsprangupinhermindlikemushrooms。ThefootstepsofMrs。Daycouldbeheardintheroomoverhead。Fancywentfinallytothedoor。
\"Father!Dinner。\"
Atallsparefigurewasseenadvancingbythewindowwithperiodicalsteps,andthekeeperenteredfromthegarden。Heappearedtobeamanwhowasalwayslookingdown,asiftryingtorecollectsomethinghesaidyesterday。Thesurfaceofhisfacewasfissuredratherthanwrinkled,andoverandunderhiseyeswerefoldswhichseemedasakindofexterioreyelids。Hisnosehadbeenthrownbackwardsbyablowinapoachingfray,sothatwhenthesunwaslowandshininginhisface,peoplecouldseefarintohishead。Therewasinhimaquietgrimness,whichwouldinhismomentsofdispleasurehavebecomesurliness,haditnotbeentemperedbyhonestyofsoul,andwhichwasoftenwrongheadednessbecausenotalliedwithsubtlety。
Althoughnotanextraordinarilytaciturnmanamongfriendsslightlyricherthanhimself,heneverwastedwordsuponoutsiders,andtohistrapperEnochhisideaswereseldomconveyedbyanyothermeansthannodsandshakesofthehead。Theirlongacquaintancewitheachother’sways,andthenatureoftheirlabours,renderedwordsbetweenthemalmostsuperfluousasvehiclesofthought,whilstthecoincidenceoftheirhorizons,andtheastonishingequalityoftheirsocialviews,bystartlingthekeeperfromtimetotimeasverydamagingtothetheoryofmasterandman,strictlyforbadeanyindulgenceinwordsascourtesies。
BehindthekeepercameEnoch(whohadbeenassistinginthegarden)
atthewell—consideredchronologicaldistanceofthreeminutes——anintervalofnon—appearanceonthetrapper’spartnotarrivedatwithoutsomereflection。Fourminuteshadbeenfoundtoexpressindifferencetoindoorarrangements,andsimultaneousnesshadimpliedtoogreatananxietyaboutmeals。
\"Alittleearlierthanusual,Fancy,\"thekeepersaid,ashesatdownandlookedattheclocks。\"ThatEzekielSaunderso’thineistearingonaforeThomasWoodagain。\"
\"Ikeptinthemiddlebetweenthem,\"saidFancy,alsolookingatthetwoclocks。
\"BettersticktoThomas,\"saidherfather。\"There’sahealthybeatinThomasthatwouldleadamantoswearbyenoffhand。Heisastrueasthetowntime。Howisityourstap—motherisn’there?\"
AsFancywasabouttoreply,therattleofwheelswasheard,and\"Weh—hey,Smart!\"inMr。RichardDewy’svoicerolledintothecottagefromroundthecornerofthehouse。
\"Hullo!there’sDewy’scartcomeforthee,Fancy——Dickdriving——
aforetime,too。Well,asktheladtohavepot—luckwithus。\"
DickonenteringmadeapointofimplyingbyhisgeneralbearingthathetookaninterestinFancysimplyasinoneofthesameraceandcountryashimself;andtheyallsatdown。Dickcouldhavewishedhermannerhadnotbeensoentirelyfreefromallapparentconsciousnessofthoseaccidentalmeetingsoftheirs:butheletthethoughtpass。Enochsatdiagonallyatatableafaroff;underthecornercupboard,anddrankhisciderfromalongperpendicularpintcup,havingtallfir—treesdoneinbrownonitssides,Hethrewoccasionalremarksintothegeneraltideofconversation,andwiththisadvantagetohimself;thatheparticipatedinthepleasuresofatalk(slightasitwas)atmeal—times,withoutsaddlinghimselfwiththeresponsibilityofsustainingit。
\"Whydon’tyourstap—mothercomedown,Fancy?\"saidGeoffrey。
\"You’llexcuseher,MisterDick,she’salittlequeersometimes。\"
\"Oyes,——quite,\"saidRichard,asifhewereinthehabitofexcusingpeopleeveryday。
\"Shed’belongtothatclassofwomankindthatbecomesecondwives:
arumclassrather。\"
\"Indeed,\"saidDick,withsympathyforanindefinitesomething。
\"Yes;and’tistryingtoafemale,especiallyifyou’vebeenafirstwife,asshehey。\"
\"Verytryingitmustbe。\"
\"Yes:youseeherfirsthusbandwasayoungman,wholethergotoofar;infact,sheusedtokickupBob’s—a—dyingattheleastthingintheworld。AndwhenI’dmarriedherandfounditout,Ithought,thinksI,\"’Tistoolatenowtobegintocure’e;\"andsoIletherbide。Butshe’squeer,——veryqueer,attimes!\"
\"I’msorrytohearthat。\"
\"Yes:there;wivesbesuchaprovokingclasso’society,becausethoughtheybeneverright,theybenevermorethanhalfwrong。\"
Fancyseemeduneasyundertheinflictionofthishouseholdmoralizing,whichmighttendtodamagetheairy—fairynaturethatDick,asmaidenshrewdnesstoldher,hadaccreditedherwith。HerdeadsilenceimpressedGeoffreywiththenotionthatsomethinginhiswordsdidnotagreewithhereducatedideas,andhechangedtheconversation。
\"DidFredShinersendthecasko’drink,Fancy?\"
\"Ithinkhedid:Oyes,hedid。\"
\"Nicesolidfeller,FredShiner!\"saidGeoffreytoDickashehelpedhimselftogravy,bringingthespoonroundtohisplatebywayofthepotato—dish,toobviateastainontheclothintheeventofaspill。
NowGeoffrey’seyeshadbeenfixeduponhisplateforthepreviousfourorfiveminutes,andinremovingthemhehadonlycarriedthemtothespoon,which,fromitsfulnessandthedistanceofitstransit,necessitatedasteadywatchingthroughthewholeoftheroute。Justasintentlyasthekeeper’seyeshadbeenfixedonthespoon,Fancy’shadbeenfixedonherfather’s,withoutpremeditationortheslightestphaseoffurtiveness;buttheretheywerefastened。
Thiswasthereasonwhy:
Dickwassittingnexttoherontherightside,andonthesideofthetableoppositetoherfather。Fancyhadlaidherrighthandlightlydownuponthetable—clothforaninstant,andtoheralarmDick,afterdroppinghisforkandbrushinghisforeheadasareason,flungdownhisownlefthand,overlappingathirdofFancy’swithit,andkeepingitthere。SotheinnocentFancy,insteadofpullingherhandfromthetrap,settledhereyesonherfather’s,toguardagainsthisdiscoveryofthisperilousgameofDick’s。Dickfinishedhismouthful;Fancyfinished,hercrumb,andnothingwasdonebeyondwatchingGeoffrey’seyes。Thenthehandsslidapart;
Fancy’sgoingoversixinchesofcloth,Dick’soverone。Geoffrey’seyehadrisen。
\"IsaidFredShinerisanicesolidfeller,\"herepeated,moreemphatically。
\"Heis;yes,heis,\"stammeredDick;\"buttomeheislittlemorethanastranger。\"
\"O,sure。NowIknowenaswellasanymancanbeknown。Andyouknowenverywelltoo,don’tye,Fancy?\"
Geoffreyputonatoneexpressingthatthesewordssignifiedatpresentaboutonehundredtimestheamountofmeaningtheyconveyedliterally。
Dicklookedanxious。
\"Willyoupassmesomebread?\"saidFancyinaflurry,theredofherfacebecomingslightlydisordered,andlookingassolicitousasahumanbeingcouldlookaboutapieceofbread。
\"Ay,thatIwill,\"repliedtheunconsciousGeoffrey。\"Ay,\"hecontinued,returningtothedisplacedidea,\"wearelikelytoremainfriendlywi’Mr。Shinerifthewheelsd’runsmooth。\"
\"Anexcellentthing——averycapitalthing,asIshouldsay,\"theyouthansweredwithexceedingrelevance,consideringthathisthoughts,insteadoffollowingGeoffrey’sremark,werenestlingatadistanceofabouttwofeetonhisleftthewholetime。
\"Ayoungwoman’sfacewillturnthenorthwind,MasterRichard:myheartif’twon’t。\"Dicklookedmoreanxiousandwasattentiveinearnestatthesewords。\"Yes;turnthenorthwind,\"addedGeoffreyafteranimpressivepause。\"Andthoughshe’soneofmyownfleshandblood……\"
\"Willyoufetchdownabitofraw—mil’cheesefrompantry—shelf?\"
Fancyinterrupted,asifshewerefamishing。
\"Ay,thatIwill,chiel;chiel,saysI,andMr。ShineronlyaskinglastSaturdaynight……cheeseyousaid,Fancy?\"
DickcontrolledhisemotionatthesemysteriousallusionstoMr。
Shiner,——thebetterenabledtodosobyperceivingthatFancy’sheartwentnotwithherfather’s——andspokelikeastrangertotheaffairsoftheneighbourhood。\"Yes,there’sagreatdealtobesaiduponthepowerofmaidenfacesinsettlingyourcourses,\"heventured,asthekeeperretreatedforthecheese。
\"Theconversationistakingaverystrangeturn:nothingthat_I_
haveeverdonewarrantssuchthingsbeingsaid!\"murmuredFancywithemphasis,justloudenoughtoreachDick’sears。
\"Youthinktoyourself;’twastobe,\"criedEnochfromhisdistantcorner,bywayoffillingupthevacancycausedbyGeoffrey’smomentaryabsence。\"Andsoyoumarryher,MasterDewy,andthere’sanendo’t。\"
\"Praydon’tsaysuchthings,Enoch,\"camefromFancyseverely,uponwhichEnochrelapsedintoservitude。
\"Ifwebedoomedtomarry,wemarry;ifwebedoomedtoremainsingle,wedo,\"repliedDick。
Geoffreyhadbythistimesatdownagain,andhenowmadehislipsthinbyseverelystrainingthemacrosshisgums,andlookedoutofthewindowalongthevistatothedistanthighwayupYalburyHill。
\"That’snotthecasewithsomefolk,\"hesaidatlength,asifhereadthewordsonaboardatthefurtherendofthevista。
Fancylookedinterested,andDicksaid,\"No?\"
\"There’sthatwifeo’mine。Itwasherdoomtobenobody’swifeatallinthewideuniverse。Butshemadeuphermindthatshewould,anddidittwiceover。Doom?Doomisnothingbesideaelderlywoman——quiteachielinherhands!\"
Amovementwasnowheardalongtheupstairspassage,andfootstepsdescending。Thedooratthefootofthestairsopened,andthesecondMrs。Dayappearedinview,lookingfixedlyatthetableassheadvancedtowardsit,withapparentobliviousnessofthepresenceofanyotherhumanbeingthanherself。Inshort,ifthetablehadbeenthepersonages,andthepersonsthetable,herglancewouldhavebeenthemostnaturalimaginable。
Sheshowedherselftopossessanordinarywoman’sface,iron—greyhair,hardlyanyhips,andagreatdealofcleanlinessinabroadwhiteapron—string,asitappeareduponthewaistofherdarkstuffdress。
\"Peoplewillrunawaywithastorynow,Isuppose,\"shebegansaying,\"thatJaneDay’stableclothsareaspoorandraggedasanyunionbeggar’s!\"
Dicknowperceivedthatthetableclothwasalittletheworseforwear,andreflectingforamoment,concludedthat’people’instep—
motherlanguageprobablymeanthimself。OnliftinghiseyeshefoundthatMrs。Dayhadvanishedagainupstairs,andpresentlyreturnedwithanarmfulofnewdamask—linentablecloths,foldedsquareandhardasboardsbylongcompression。Thesesheflounceddownintoachair;thentookone,shookitoutfromitsfolds,andspreaditonthetablebyinstalments,transferringtheplatesanddishesonebyonefromtheoldtothenewcloth。
\"AndIsupposethey’llsay,too,thatsheha’n’tadecentknifeandforkinherhouse!\"
\"Ishouldn’tsayanysuchill—naturedthing,Iamsure——\"beganDick。ButMrs。Dayhadvanishedintothenextroom。Fancyappeareddistressed。
\"Verystrangewoman,isn’tshe?\"saidGeoffrey,quietlygoingonwithhisdinner。\"But’tistoolatetoattemptcuring。Myheart!
’tissogrowedintoherthat’twouldkillhertotakeitout。Ay,she’sveryqueer:you’dbeamazedtoseewhatvaluablegoodswe’vegotstowedawayupstairs。\"
BackagaincameMrs。Daywithaboxofbrightsteelhorn—handledknives,silver—platedforks,carver,andallcomplete。Thesewerewipedofthepreservativeoilwhichcoatedthem,andthenaknifeandforkwerelaiddowntoeachindividualwithabang,thecarvingknifeandforkthrustintothemeatdish,andtheoldonestheyhadhithertousedtossedaway。
Geoffreyplacidlycutaslicewiththenewknifeandfork,andaskedDickifhewantedanymore。
Thetablehadbeenspreadforthemixedmiddaymealofdinnerandtea,whichwascommonamongfrugalcountryfolk。\"Theparishionersabouthere,\"continuedMrs。Day,notlookingatanylivingbeing,butsnatchingupthebrowndelftea—things,\"arethelaziest,gossipest,poachest,jailestsetofanyeverIcameamong。Andthey’lltalkaboutmyteapotandtea—thingsnext,Isuppose!\"Shevanishedwiththeteapot,cups,andsaucers,andreappearedwithatea—serviceinwhitechina,andapacketwrappedinbrownpaper。
Thiswasremoved,togetherwithfoldsoftissue—paperunderneath;
andabrilliantsilverteapotappeared。
\"I’llhelptoputthethingsright,\"saidFancysoothingly,andrisingfromherseat。\"Ioughttohavelaidoutbetterthings,I
suppose。But\"(heresheenlargedherlookssoastoincludeDick)
\"Ihavebeenawayfromhomeagooddeal,andImakeshockingblundersinmyhousekeeping。\"Smilesandsuavitywerethendispensedallaroundbythisbrightlittlebird。
Afteralittlemorepreparationandmodification,Mrs。Daytookherseatattheheadofthetable,andduringthelatterorteadivisionofthemeal,presidedwithmuchcomposure。Itmaycausesomesurprisetolearnthat,nowhervagarywasover,sheshowedherselftobeanexcellentpersonwithmuchcommonsense,andevenareligiousseriousnessoftoneonmatterspertainingtoherafflictions。
CHAPTERVII:DICKMAKESHIMSELFUSEFUL
TheeffectofGeoffrey’sincidentalallusionstoMr。ShinerwastorestrainaconsiderableflowofspontaneouschatthatwouldotherwisehaveburstfromyoungDewyalongthedrivehomeward。Andacertainremarkhehadhazardedtoher,inrathertoobluntandeageramanner,kepttheyoungladyherselfevenmoresilentthanDick。Onbothsidestherewasanunwillingnesstotalkonanybutthemosttrivialsubjects,andtheirsentencesrarelytookalargerformthancouldbeexpressedintwoorthreewords。
OwingtoFancybeinglaterinthedaythanshehadpromised,thecharwomanhadgivenupexpectingher;whereuponDickcoulddonolessthanstayandseehercomfortablytidedoverthedisagreeabletimeofenteringandestablishingherselfinanemptyhouseafteranabsenceofaweek。Theadditionalfurnitureandutensilsthathadbeenbrought(acanaryandcageamongtherest)weretakenoutofthevehicle,andthehorsewasunharnessedandputintheplotopposite,wheretherewassometendergrass。Dicklightedthefirealreadylaid;andactivitybegantoloosentheirtonguesalittle。
\"There!\"saidFancy,\"weforgottobringthefire—irons!\"
Shehadoriginallyfoundinhersitting—room,tobearouttheexpression’nearlyfurnished’whichtheschool—managerhadusedinhislettertoher,atable,threechairs,afender,andapieceofcarpet。This’nearly’hadbeensupplementedhithertobyakindfriend,whohadlentherfire—ironsandcrockeryuntilsheshouldfetchsomefromhome。
Dickattendedtotheyounglady’sfire,usinghiswhip—handleforapokertillitwasspoilt,andthenflourishingahurdlestickfortheremainderofthetime。
\"Thekettleboils;nowyoushallhaveacupoftea,\"saidFancy,divingintothehampershehadbrought。
\"Thankyou,\"saidDick,whosedrivehadmadehimreadyforsome,especiallyinhercompany。
\"Well,here’sonlyonecup—and—saucer,asIbreathe!Whatevercouldmotherbethinkingabout?Doyoumindmakingshift,Mr。Dewy?\"
\"Notatall,MissDay,\"saidthatcivilperson。
\"——Andonlyhavingacupbyitself?orasaucerbyitself?\"
\"Don’tmindintheleast。\"
\"Whichdoyoumeanbythat?\"
\"Imeanthecup,ifyoulikethesaucer。\"
\"Andthesaucer,ifIlikethecup?\"
\"Exactly,MissDay。\"
\"Thankyou,Mr。Dewy,forIlikethecupdecidedly。Stopaminute;
therearenospoonsnow!\"Shedivedintothehamperagain,andattheendoftwoorthreeminuteslookedupandsaid,\"Isupposeyoudon’tmindifIcan’tfindaspoon?\"
\"Notatall,\"saidtheagreeableRichard。
\"Thefactis,thespoonshaveslippeddownsomewhere;rightundertheotherthings。Oyes,here’sone,andonlyone。Youwouldratherhaveonethannot,Isuppose,Mr。Dewy?\"
\"Rathernot。Ineverdidcaremuchaboutspoons。\"
\"ThenI’llhaveit。Idocareaboutthem。Youmuststirupyourteawithaknife。Wouldyoumindliftingthekettleoff,thatitmaynotboildry?\"
Dickleapttothefireplace,andearnestlyremovedthekettle。
\"There!youdiditsowildlythatyouhavemadeyourhandblack。Wealwaysusekettle—holders;didn’tyoulearnhousewiferyasfarasthat,Mr。Dewy?Well,nevermindthesootonyourhand。Comehere。
Iamgoingtorinsemine,too。\"
Theywent’toabasinshehadplacedinthebackroom。\"ThisistheonlybasinIhave,\"shesaid。\"Turnupyoursleeves,andbythattimemyhandswillbewashed,andyoucancome。\"
Herhandswereinthewaternow。\"O,howvexing!\"sheexclaimed。
\"There’snotadropofwaterleftforyou,unlessyoudrawit,andthewellisIdon’tknowhowmanyfurlongsdeep;allthatwasinthepitcherIusedforthekettleandthisbasin。Doyouminddippingthetipsofyourfingersinthesame?\"
\"Notatall。AndtosavetimeIwon’twaittillyouhavedone,ifyouhavenoobjection?\"
Thereuponheplungedinhishands,andtheypaddledtogether。Itbeingthefirsttimeinhislifethathehadtouchedfemalefingersunderwater,Dickdulyregisteredthesensationasratheraniceone。
\"Really,Ihardlyknowwhicharemyownhandsandwhichareyours,theyhavegotsomixeduptogether,\"shesaid,withdrawingherownverysuddenly。
\"Itdoesn’tmatteratall,\"saidDick,\"atleastasfarasIamconcerned。\"
\"There!notowel!Whoeverthinksofatoweltillthehandsarewet?\"
\"Nobody。\"
\"’Nobody。’Howverydullitiswhenpeoplearesofriendly!Comehere,Mr。Dewy。Nowdoyouthinkyoucouldliftthelidofthatboxwithyourelbow,andthen,withsomethingorother,takeoutatowelyouwillfindunderthecleanclothes?BeSUREdon’ttouchanyofthemwithyourwethands,forthethingsatthetopareallStarchedandIroned。\"
Dickmanaged,bytheaidofaknifeandfork,toextractatowelfromunderamuslindresswithoutwettingthelatter;andforamomentheventuredtoassumeatoneofcriticism。
\"Ifearforthatdress,\"hesaid,astheywipedtheirhandstogether。
\"What?\"saidMissDay,lookingintotheboxatthedressalludedto。
\"O,Iknowwhatyoumean——thatthevicarwillneverletmewearmuslin?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Well,Iknowitiscondemnedbyallordersinthechurchasflaunting,andunfitforcommonwearforgirlswho’vetheirlivingtoget;hutwe’llsee。\"
\"Intheinterestofthechurch,Ihopeyoudon’tspeakseriously。\"
\"Yes,Ido;butwe’llsee。\"Therewasacomelydeterminationonherlip,verypleasanttoabeholderwhowasneitherbishop,priest,nordeacon。\"IthinkIcanmanageanyvicar’sviewsaboutmeifhe’sunderforty。\"
Dickratherwishedshehadneverthoughtofmanagingvicars。
\"Icertainlyshallbegladtogetsomeofyourdelicioustea,\"hesaidinratherafreeway,yetmodestly,asbecameoneinapositionbetweenthatofvisitorandinmate,andlookingwistfullyathislonelysaucer。
\"SoshallI。Nowisthereanythingelsewewant,MrDewy?\"
\"Ireallythinkthere’snothingelse,MissDay。\"
Shepreparedtositdown,lookingmusinglyoutofthewindowatSmart’senjoymentoftherichgrass。\"Nobodyseemstocareaboutme,\"shemurmured,withlargelosteyesfixedupontheskybeyondSmart。
\"PerhapsMr。Shinerdoes,\"saidDick,inthetoneofaslightlyinjuredman。
\"Yes,Iforgot——hedoes,Iknow。\"DickprecipitatelyregrettedthathehadsuggestedShiner,sinceithadproducedsuchamiserableresultasthis。
\"I’llwarrantyou’llcareforsomebodyverymuchindeedanotherday,won’tyou,Mr。Dewy?\"shecontinued,lookingveryfeelinglyintothemathematicalcentreofhiseyes。
\"Ah,I’llwarrantIshall,\"saidDick,feelinglytoo,andlookingbackintoherdarkpupils,whereupontheywereturnedaside。
\"Imeant,\"shewenton,preventinghimfromspeakingjustashewasgoingtonarrateaforciblestoryabouthisfeelings;\"ImeantthatnobodycomestoseeifIhavereturned——noteventhevicar。\"
\"Ifyouwanttoseehim,I’llcallatthevicaragedirectlywehavehadsometea。\"
\"No,no!Don’tlethimcomedownhere,whateveryoudo,whilstIaminsuchastateofdisarrangement。Parsonslooksomiserableandawkwardwhenone’shouseisinamuddle;walkingabout,andmakingimpossiblesuggestionsinquaintacademicphrasestillyourfleshcreepsandyouwishthemdead。Doyoutakesugar?\"
Mr。Mayboldwasatthisinstantseencomingupthepath。
\"There!That’shecoming!HowIwishyouwerenothereI——thatis,howawkward——dear,dear!\"sheexclaimed,withaquickascentofbloodtoherface,andirritatedwithDickratherthanthevicar,asitseemed。
\"Praydon’tbealarmedonmyaccount,MissDay——good—afternoon!\"
saidDickinahuff,puttingonhishat,andleavingtheroomhastilybytheback—door。
Thehorsewascaughtandputin,andonmountingtheshaftstostarthesawthroughthewindowthevicar,standinguponsomebookspiledinachair,anddrivinganailintothewall;Fancy,withademureglance,holdingthecanary—cageuptohim,asifshehadneverinherlifethoughtofanythingbutvicarsandcanaries。
CHAPTERVIII:DICKMEETSHISFATHER
ForseveralminutesDickdrovealonghomeward,withtheinnereyeofreflectionsoanxiouslysetonhispassagesatarmswithFancy,thattheroadandscenerywereasathinmistovertherealpicturesofhismind。Wassheacoquette?Thebalancebetweentheevidencethatshedidlovehimandthatshedidnotwassonicelystruck,thathisopinionhadnostability。Shehadlethimputhishanduponhers;shehadallowedhergazetodropplumbintothedepthsofhis——hisintohers——threeorfourtimes;hermannerhadbeenveryfreewithregardtothebasinandtowel;shehadappearedvexedatthementionofShiner。Ontheotherhand,shehaddrivenhimaboutthehouselikeaquietdogorcat,saidShinercaredforher,andseemedanxiousthatMr。Mayboldshoulddothesame。
ThinkingthusashenearedthehandpostatMellstockCross,sittingonthefrontboardofthespringcart——hislegsontheoutside,andhiswholeframejiggingupanddownlikeacandle—flametothetimeofSmart’strotting——whoshouldheseecomingdownthehillbuthisfatherinthelightwagon,quiveringupanddownonasmallerscaleofshakes,thosemerelycausedbythestonesintheroad。Theyweresooncrossingeachother’sfront。
\"Weh—hey!\"saidthetrantertoSmiler。
\"Weh—hey!\"saidDicktoSmart,inanechoofthesamevoice。
\"Th’sthauledherback,Isuppose?\"Reubeninquiredpeaceably。
\"Yes,\"saidDick,withsuchaclinchingperiodattheendthatitseemedhewasnevergoingtoaddanotherword。Smiler,thinkingthisthecloseoftheconversation,preparedtomoveon。
\"Weh—hey!\"saidthetranter。\"Itelltheewhatitis,Dick。Thattheremaidistakingupthythoughtsmorethan’sgoodforthee,mysonny。Thou’rtneverhappynowunlessth’rtmakingthyselfmiserableaboutherinonewayoranother。\"
\"Idon’tknowaboutthat,father,\"saidDickratherstupidly。
\"ButIdo——Wey,Smiler!——’Odrotthewomen,’tisnothingelsewi’
’emnowadaysbutgettingyoungmenandleading’emastray。\"
\"Pooh,father!youjustrepeatwhatallthecommonworldsays;
that’sallyoudo。\"
\"Theworld’saverysensiblefelleronthingsinjineral,Dick;verysensibleindeed。\"
Dicklookedintothedistanceatavastexpanseofmortgagedestate。
\"IwishIwasasrichasasquirewhenhe’saspoorasacrow,\"hemurmured;\"I’dsoonaskFancysomething。\"
\"Iwishsotoo,wi’allmyheart,sonny;thatIdo。Well,mindwhatbeestabout,that’sall。\"
Smartmovedonasteportwo。\"Supposingnow,father,——We—hey,Smart!——Ididthinkalittleabouther,andIhadachance,whichI
ha’n’t;don’tyouthinkshe’saverygoodsortof——of——one?\"
\"Ay,good;she’sgoodenough。Whenyou’vemadeupyourmindtomarry,takethefirstrespectablebodythatcomestohand——she’sasgoodasanyother;theybeallalikeinthegroundwork;’tisonlyintheflourishesthere’sadifference。She’sgoodenough;butIcan’tseewhatthenationayoungfellerlikeyou——wiacomfortablehouseandhome,andfatherandmothertotakecareo’thee,andwhosent’eetoaschoolsogoodthat’twashardlyfairtotheotherchildren——shouldwanttogoholleringafterayoungwomanfor,whenshe’squietlymakingahusbandinherpocket,andnottroubledbychicknorchiel,tomakeapoverty—stric’wifeandfamilyofher,andneitherhat,cap,wig,norwaistcoattoset’emupwith:bedrownedifIcanseeit,andthat’sthelongandtheshorto’t,mysonny。\"
DicklookedatSmart’sears,thenupthehill;butnoreasonwassuggestedbyanyobjectthatmethisgaze。
\"Foraboutthesamereasonthatyoudid,father,Isuppose。\"
\"Dangit,mysonny,thou’stgotmethere!\"Andthetrantergaveventtoagrimadmiration,withthemienofamanwhowastoomagnanimousnottoappreciateartisticallyaslightrapontheknuckles,eveniftheywerehisown。
\"Whetherorno,\"saidDick,\"Iaskedherathinggoingalongtheroad。\"
\"Cometothat,isit?Turk!won’tthymotherbeinataking!Well,she’sready,Idon’tdoubt?\"
\"Ididn’taskheranythingabouthavingme;andifyou’llletmespeak,I’lltell’eewhatIwanttoknow。Ijustsaid,Didshecareaboutme?\"
\"Piph—ph—ph!\"
\"Andthenshesaidnothingforaquarterofamile,andthenshesaidshedidn’tknow。Now,whatIwanttoknowis,whatwasthemeaningofthatspeech?\"Thelatterwordswerespokenresolutely,asifhedidn’tcarefortheridiculeofallthefathersincreation。
\"Themeaningofthatspeechis,\"thetranterreplieddeliberately,\"thatthemeaningismeanttoberatherhidatpresent。Well,Dick,asanhonestfathertothee,Idon’tpretendtodenywhatyoud’knowwellenough;thatis,thatherfatherbeingratherbetterinthepocketthanwe,Ishouldwelcomeherreadyenoughifitmustbesomebody。\"
\"Butwhatd’yethinkshereallydidmean?\"saidtheunsatisfiedDick。
\"I’mafeardIamnoto’muchaccountinguessing,especiallyasI
wasnottherewhenshesaidit,andseeingthatyourmotherwastheonly’oomanIevercam’intosuchclosequartersasthatwith。\"
\"Andwhatdidmothersaytoyouwhenyouaskedher?\"saidDickmusingly。
\"Idon’tseethatthatwillhelp’ee。\"
\"Theprincipleisthesame。\"
\"Well——ay:whatdidshesay?Let’ssee。Iwasoilingmyworking—
daybootswithouttaking’emoff,andwi’myheadhangingdown,whenshejustbrushedonbythegardenhatchlikeaflitteringleaf。
\"Ann,\"Isaid,saysI,andthen,——but,DickI’mafeard’twillbenohelptothee;forweweresucharumcouple,yourmotherandI,leastwaysonehalfwas,thatismyself——andyourmother’scharmswasmoreinthemannerthanthematerial。\"
\"Nevermind!\"Ann,\"saidyou。\"
\"’Ann,’saidI,asIwassaying……’Ann,’IsaidtoherwhenI
wasoilingmyworking—daybootswi’myheadhangingdown,’Woothaeme?’……WhatcamenextIcan’tquitecallupatthisdistanceo’
time。Perhapsyourmotherwouldknow,——she’sgotabettermemoryforherlittletriumphsthanI。However,thelongandtheshorto’
thestoryisthatweweremarriedsomehow,asIfoundafterwards。
’TwasonWhiteTuesday,——MellstockClubwalkedthesameday,everymantwoandtwo,andafineday’twas,——hotasfire,——howthesundidstrikedownuponmybackgoingtochurch!Iwellcanmindwhatabatho’sweatingIwasin,bodyandsoul!ButFancewillha’
thee,Dick——shewon’twalkwithanotherchap——nosuchgoodluck。\"
\"Idon’tknowaboutthat,\"saidDick,whippingatSmart’sflankinafancifulway,which,asSmartknew,meantnothinginconnectionwithgoingon。\"There’sPa’sonMaybold,too——that’sallagainstme。\"
\"Whatabouthe?She’sneverbeenstuffingintothyinnocentheartthathe’sinhovewithher?Lord,thevanityo’maidens!\"
\"No,no。Buthecalled,andshelookedathiminsuchaway,andatmeinsuchaway——quitedifferentthewayswere,——andasIwascomingoff,therewashehangingupherbirdcage。\"
\"Well,whyshouldn’tthemanhangupherbird—cage?Turkseizeitall,what’sthatgottodowi’it?Dick,thatthoubeestawhite—
lyveredchapIdon’tsay,butifthoubeestn’tasmadasacappel—
facedbull,letmesmilenomore。\"
\"O,ay。\"
\"Andwhat’sthinknow,Dick?\"
\"Idon’tknow。\"
\"Here’sanotherprettykettleo’fishforthee。Whod’yethink’sthebitterweedinourbeingturnedout?Didourpartytell’ee?\"
\"No。Why,Pa’sonMaybold,Isuppose。\"
\"Shiner,——becausehe’sinlovewiththyyoungwoman,andd’wanttoseeheryoungfiguresittingupatthatqueerinstrument,andheryoungfingersrum—strumminguponthekeys。\"
AsharpadoofsweetandbitterwasgoingoninDickduringthiscommunicationfromhisfather。\"Shiner’safool!——no,that’snotit;Idon’tbelieveanysuchthing,father。Why,Shinerwouldnevertakeaboldsteplikethat,unlessshe’dbeenalittlemadeupto,andhadtakenitkindly。Pooh!\"
\"Who’stosayshedidn’t?\"
\"Ido。\"
\"Themorefoolyou。\"
\"Why,fatherofme?\"
\"Hassheeverdonemoretothee?\"
\"No。\"
\"Thenshehasdoneasmuchtohe——rot’em!Now,Dick,thisishowamaidis。She’llswearshe’sdyingforthee,andsheisdyingforthee,andshewilldieforthee;butshe’llflingalookovert’othershoulderatanotheryoungfeller,thoughneverleavingoffdyingfortheejustthesame。\"
\"She’snotdyingforme,andsoshedidn’tflingalookathim。\"
\"Butshemaybedyingforhim,forshelookedatthee。\"
\"Idon’tknowwhattomakeofitatall,\"saidDickgloomily。
\"AllIcanmakeofitis,\"thetrantersaid,raisinghiswhip,arranginghisdifferentjointsandmuscles,andmotioningtothehorsetomoveon,\"thatifyoucan’treadamaid’smindbyhermotions,natured’seemtosaythou’stoughttobeabachelor。Clk,clk!Smiler!\"Andthetrantermovedon。
DickheldSmart’sreinfirmly,andthewholeconcernofhorse,cart,andmanremainedrootedinthelane。Hewlongthisconditionwouldhavelastedisunknown,hadnotDick’sthoughts,afteraddingupnumerousitemsofmisery,graduallywanderedroundtothefactthatassomethingmustbedone,itcouldnotbedonebystayingthereallnight。
Reachinghomehewentuptohisbedroom,shutthedoorasifheweregoingtobeseennomoreinthislife,andtakingasheetofpaperanduncorkingtheink—bottle,hebeganaletter。Thedignityofthewriter’smindwassopowerfullyapparentineverylineofthiseffusionthatitobscuredthelogicalsequenceoffactsandintentionstoanappreciabledegree;anditwasnotatallcleartoareaderwhetherhethereandthenleftofflovingMissFancyDay;
whetherhehadneverlovedherseriously,andnevermeantto;
whetherhehadbeendyinguptothepresentmoment,andnowintendedtogetwellagain;orwhetherhehadhithertobeeningoodhealth,andintendedtodieforherforthwith。
Heputthisletterinanenvelope,sealeditup,directeditinasternhandwritingofstraightdashes——easyflourishesbeingrigorouslyexcluded。Hewalkedwithitinhispocketdownthelaneinstridesnotaninchlessthanthreefeetlong。Reachinghergateheputonaresoluteexpression——thenputitoffagain,turnedbackhomeward,toreuphisletter,andsatdown。
Thatletterwasaltogetherinawrongtone——thathemustown。A
heartlessman—of—the—worldtonewaswhatthejuncturerequired。
Thatheratherwantedher,andratherdidnotwanther——thelatterforchoice;hutthatasamemberofsocietyhedidn’tmindmakingaqueryinjauntyterms,whichcouldonlybeansweredinthesameway:
didshemeananythingbyherbearingtowardshim,ordidshenot?
Thisletterwasconsideredsosatisfactoryineverywaythat,beingputintothehandsofalittleboy,andtheordergiventhathewastorunwithittotheschool,hewastoldinadditionnottolookbehindhimifDickcalledafterhimtobringithack,buttorunalongwithitjustthesame。Havingtakenthisprecautionagainstvacillation,Dickwatchedhismessengerdowntheroad,andturnedintothehousewhistlinganairinsuchghastlyjerksandstarts,thatwhistlingseemedtobetheacttheveryfurthestremovedfromthatwhichwasinstinctiveinsuchayouth。
Theletterwasleftasordered:thenextmorningcameandpassed——
andnoanswer。Thenext。Thenext。Fridaynightcame。Dickresolvedthatifnoanswerorsignweregivenbyherthenextday,onSundayhewouldmeetherfacetoface,andhaveitalloutbywordofmouth。
\"Dick,\"saidhisfather,cominginfromthegardenatthatmoment——
ineachhandahiveofbeestiedinaclothtopreventtheiregress—
—\"Ithinkyou’dbettertakethesetwoswarmsofbeestoMrs。
Maybold’sto—morrow,insteado’me,andI’llgowi’Smilerandthewagon。\"
Itwasarelief;forMrs。Maybold,thevicar’smother,whohadjusttakenintoherheadafancyforkeepingbees(pleasantlydisguisedunderthepretenceofitsbeinganeconomicalwishtoproduceherownhoney),livednearthewatering—placeofBudmouth—Regis,tenmilesoff,andthebusinessoftransportingthehivesthitherwouldoccupythewholeday,andtosomeextentannihilatethevacanttimebetweenthiseveningandthecomingSunday。Thebestspring—cartwaswashedthroughout,theaxlesoiled,andthebeesplacedthereinforthejourney。