\"Why,thatbluefrockyouworelastweek。\"
\"Doesn’tsetwellroundtheneck。Icouldn’twearthat。\"
\"ButIshan’tcare。\"
\"No,youwon’tmind。\"
\"Well,thenit’sallright。Becauseyouonlycarehowyoulooktome,doyou,dear?Ionlydressforyou,that’scertain。\"
\"Yes,butyouseeIcouldn’tappearinitagainverywell。\"
\"Anystrangegentlemanyoumidmeetinyourjourneymightnoticethesetofit,Isuppose。Fancy,meninlovedon’tthinksomuchabouthowtheylooktootherwomen。\"Itisdifficulttosaywhetheratoneofplayfulbanterorofgentlereproachprevailedinthespeech。
\"Wellthen,Dick,\"shesaid,withgood—humouredfrankness,\"I’llownit。Ishouldn’tlikeastrangertoseemedressedbadly,eventhoughIaminlove。’Tisournature,Isuppose。\"
\"Youperfectwoman!\"
\"Yes;ifyoulaythestresson’woman,’\"shemurmured,lookingatagroupofhollyhocksinflower,roundwhichacrowdofbutterflieshadgatheredlikefemaleidlersroundabonnet—shop。
\"Butaboutthedress。Whynotweartheoneyouworeatourparty?\"
\"Thatsetswell,butagirlofthenameofBetTallor,wholivesnearourhouse,hashadonemadealmostlikeit(onlyinpattern,thoughofmiserablycheapstuff),andIcouldn’twearitonthataccount。Dearme,IamafraidIcan’tgonow。\"
\"Oyes,youmust;Iknowyouwill!\"saidDick,withdismay。\"Whynotwearwhatyou’vegoton?\"
\"What!thisoldone!Afterall,IthinkthatbywearingmygrayoneSaturday,IcanmaketheblueonedoforSunday。Yes,Iwill。A
hatorabonnet,whichshallitbe?WhichdoIlookbestin?\"
\"Well,Ithinkthebonnetisnicest,morequietandmatronly。\"
\"What’stheobjectiontothehat?Doesitmakemelookold?\"
\"Ono;thehatiswellenough;butitmakesyoulookrathertoo——youwon’tmindmesayingit,dear?\"
\"Notatall,forIshallwearthebonnet。\"
\"——Rathertoocoquettishandflirtyforanengagedyoungwoman。\"
Shereflectedaminute。\"Yes;yes。Still,afterall,thehatwoulddobest;hatsAREbest,yousee。Yes,Imustwearthehat,dearDicky,becauseIoughttowearahat,youknow。\"
PARTTHEFORTH——AUTUMN
CHAPTERI:GOINGNUTTING
Dick,dressedinhis’second—best’suit,burstintoFancy’ssitting—
roomwithaglowofpleasureonhisface。
Itwastwoo’clockonFriday,thedaybeforehercontemplatedvisittoherfather,andforsomereasonconnectedwithcleaningtheschoolthechildrenhadbeengiventhisFridayafternoonforpastime,inadditiontotheusualSaturday。
\"Fancy!ithappensjustrightthatitisaleisurehalfdaywithyou。Smartislameinhisnear—foot—afore,andso,asIcan’tdoanything,I’vemadeaholidayafternoonofit,andamcomeforyoutogonuttingwithme!\"
Shewassittingbytheparlourwindow,withabluefrocklyingacrossherlapandscissorsinherhand。
\"Gonutting!Yes。ButI’mafraidIcan’tgoforanhourorso。\"
\"Whynot?’Tistheonlyspareafternoonwemaybothhavetogetherforweeks。\"
\"Thisdressofmine,thatIamgoingtowearonSundayatYalbury;——
IfinditfitssobadlythatImustalteritalittle,afterall。I
toldthedressmakertomakeitbyapatternIgaveheratthetime;
insteadofthat,shediditherownway,andmademelookaperfectfright。\"
\"Howlongwillyoube?\"heinquired,lookingratherdisappointed。
\"Notlong。Dowaitandtalktome;come,do,dear。\"
Dicksatdown。Thetalkingprogressedveryfavourably,amidthesnippingandsewing,tillabouthalf—pasttwo,atwhichtimehisconversationbegantobevariedbyaslighttappinguponhistoewithawalking—stickhehadcutfromthehedgeashecamealong。
Fancytalkedandansweredhim,butsometimestheanswersweresonegligentlygiven,thatitwasevidentherthoughtslayforthegreaterpartinherlapwiththebluedress。
Theclockstruckthree。Dickarosefromhisseat,walkedroundtheroomwithhishandsbehindhim,examinedallthefurniture,thensoundedafewnotesontheharmonium,thenlookedinsideallthebookshecouldfind,thensmoothedFancy’sheadwithhishand。
Stillthesnippingandsewingwenton。
Theclockstruckfour。Dickfidgetedabout,yawnedprivately;
countedtheknotsinthetable,yawnedpublicly;countedthefliesontheceiling,yawnedhorribly;wentintothekitchenandscullery,andsothoroughlystudiedtheprincipleuponwhichthepumpwasconstructedthathecouldhavedeliveredalectureonthesubject。
SteppingbacktoFancy,andfindingstillthatshehadnotdone,hewentintohergardenandlookedathercabbagesandpotatoes,andremindedhimselfthattheyseemedtohimtowearadecidedlyfeminineaspect;thenpulledupseveralweeds,andcameinagain。
Theclockstruckfive,andstillthesnippingandsewingwenton。
Dickattemptedtokillafly,peeledalltherindoffhiswalking—
stick,thenthrewthestickintothescullerybecauseitwasspoilt,producedhideousdiscordsfromtheharmonium,andaccidentallyoverturnedavaseofflowers,thewaterfromwhichraninarillacrossthetableanddribbledtothefloor,whereitformedalake,theshapeofwhich,afterthelapseofafewminutes,hebegantomodifyconsiderablywithhisfoot,tillitwaslikeamapofEnglandandWales。
\"Well,Dick,youneedn’thavemadequitesuchamess。\"
\"Well,Ineedn’t,Isuppose。\"Hewalkeduptothebluedress,andlookedatitwitharigidgaze。Thenanideaseemedtocrosshisbrain。
\"Fancy。\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Ithoughtyousaidyouweregoingtowearyourgraygownalldayto—morrowonyourtriptoYalbury,andintheeveningtoo,whenI
shallbewithyou,andaskyourfatherforyou?\"
\"SoIam。\"
\"AndtheblueoneonlyonSunday?\"
\"AndtheblueoneSunday。\"
\"Well,dear,Isha’n’tbeatYalburySundaytoseeit。\"
\"No,butIshallwalktoLongpuddlechurchintheafternoonwithfather,andsuchlotsofpeoplewillbelookingatmethere,youknow;anditdidsetsobadlyroundtheneck。\"
\"Inevernoticedit,and’tislikenobodyelsewould。\"
\"Theymight。\"
\"ThenwhynotwearthegrayoneonSundayaswell?’Tisasprettyastheblueone。\"
\"Imightmakethegrayonedo,certainly。Butitisn’tsogood;itdidn’tcosthalfsomuchasthisone,andbesides,itwouldbethesameIworeSaturday。\"
\"Thenwearthestripedone,dear。\"
\"Imight。\"
\"Orthedarkone。\"
\"Yes,Imight;butIwanttowearafreshonetheyhaven’tseen。\"
\"Isee,Isee,\"saidDick,inavoiceinwhichthetonesofloveweredecidedlyinconveniencedbyaconsiderableemphasis,histhoughtsmeanwhilerunningasfollows:\"I,themanshelovesbestintheworld,asshesays,amtounderstandthatmypoorhalf—
holidayistobelost,becauseshewantstowearonSundayagownthereisnottheslightestnecessityforwearing,simply,infact,toappearmorestrikingthanusualintheeyesofLongpuddleyoungmen;andInotthere,either。\"
\"Thentherearethreedressesgoodenoughformyeyes,butneitherisgoodenoughfortheyouthsofLongpuddle,\"hesaid。
\"No,notthatexactly,Dick。Still,yousee,Idowant——tolookprettytothem——there,that’shonest!ButIsha’n’tbemuchlonger。\"
\"Howmuch?\"
\"Aquarterofanhour。\"
\"Verywell;I’llcomeininaquarterofanhour。\"
\"Whygoaway?\"
\"Imidaswell。\"
Hewentout,walkeddowntheroad,andsatuponagate。Herehemeditatedandmeditated,andthemorehemeditatedthemoredecidedlydidhebegintofume,andthemorepositivewashethathistimehadbeenscandalouslytrifledwithbyMissFancyDay——that,sofarfrombeingthesimplegirlwhohadneverhadasweetheartbefore,asshehadsolemnlyassuredhimtimeaftertime,shewas,ifnotaflirt,awomanwhohadhadnoendofadmirers;agirlmostcertainlytooanxiousaboutherfrocks;agirl,whosefeelings,thoughwarm,werenotdeep;agirlwhocaredagreatdealtoomuchhowsheappearedintheeyesofothermen。\"Whatshelovesbestintheworld,\"hethought,withanincipientspiceofhisfather’sgrimness,\"isherhairandcomplexion。Whatshelovesnextbest,hergownsandhats;whatshelovesnextbest,myself,perhaps!\"
Sufferinggreatanguishatthisdisloyaltyinhimselfandharshnesstohisdarling,yetdisposedtopersevereinit,ahorriblycruelthoughtcrossedhismind。Hewouldnotcallforher,ashehadpromised,attheendofaquarterofanhour!Yes,itwouldbeapunishmentshewelldeserved。Althoughthebestpartoftheafternoonhadbeenwastedhewouldgonuttingashehadintended,andgobyhimself。
Heleapedoverthegate,andpushedupthelanefornearlytwomiles,tillawindingpathcalledSnail—Creepslopedupahillandenteredahazelcopsebyaholehikearabbit’sburrow。Inheplunged,vanishedamongthebushes,andinashorttimetherewasnosignofhisexistenceuponearth,saveanoccasionalrustlingofboughsandsnappingoftwigsindiverspointsofGrey’sWood。
NevermannuttedasDicknuttedthatafternoon。Heworkedlikeagalleyslave。Half—hourafterhalf—hourpassedaway,andstillhegatheredwithoutceasing。Atlast,whenthesunhadset,andbunchesofnutscouldnotbedistinguishedfromtheleaveswhichnourishedthem,heshoulderedhisbag,containingquitetwopecksofthefinestproduceofthewood,aboutasmuchusetohimastwopecksofstonesfromtheroad,strolleddownthewoodlandtrack,crossedthehighwayandenteredthehomewardlane,whistlingasbewent。
Probably,MissFancyDayneverbeforeorafterstoodsolowinMr。
Dewy’sopinionasonthatafternoon。Infact,itisjustpossiblethatafewmorebluedressesontheLongpuddleyoungmen’saccountwouldhaveclarifiedDick’sbrainentirely,andmadehimoncemoreafreeman。
ButVenushadplannedotherdevelopments,atanyrateforthepresent。Cuckoo—Lane,thewayhepursued,passedoveraridgewhichrosekeenlyagainsttheskyaboutfiftyyardsinhisvan。Here,uponthebrightafter—glowaboutthehorizon,wasnowvisibleanirregularshape,whichatfirstheconceivedtobeaboughstandingalittlebeyondthelineofitsneighbours。Thenitseemedtomove,and,asheadvancedstillfurther,therewasnodoubtthatitwasalivingbeingsittinginthebank,headbowedonhand。Thegrassymarginentirelypreventedhisfootstepsfrombeingheard,anditwasnottillhewasclosethatthefigurerecognizedhim。Upitsprang,andhewasfacetofacewithFancy。
\"Dick,Dick!O,isityou,Dick!\"
\"Yes,Fancy,\"saidDick,inaratherrepentanttone,andloweringhisnuts。
Sheranuptohim,flungherparasolonthegrass,putherlittleheadagainsthisbreast,andthentherebegananarrative,disjointedbysuchahystericalweepingaswasneversurpassedforintensityinthewholehistoryoflove。
\"ODick,\"shesobbedout,\"wherehaveyoubeenawayfromme?O,I
havesufferedagony,andthoughtyouwouldnevercomeanymore!
’Tiscruel,Dick;no’tisn’t,itisjustice!I’vebeenwalkingmilesandmilesupanddownGrey’sWood,tryingtofindyou,tillI
wasweariedandwornout,andIcouldwalknofurther,andhadcomebackthisfar!ODick,directlyyouweregone,IthoughtIhadoffendedyouandIputdownthedress;’tisn’tfinishednow,andI
neverwillfinish,it,andI’llwearanoldoneSunday!Yes,Dick,Iwill,becauseIdon’tcarewhatIwearwhenyouarenotbymyside——ha,youthinkIdo,butIdon’t!——andIranafteryou,andI
sawyougoupSnail—Creepandnotlookbackonce,andthenyouplungedin,andIafteryou;butIwastoofarbehind。O,Ididwishthehorridbusheshadbeencutdown,sothatIcouldseeyourdearshapeagain!AndthenIcalledouttoyou,andnobodyanswered,andIwasafraidtocallveryloud,lestanybodyelseshouldhearme。ThenIkeptwanderingandwanderingabout,anditwasdreadfulmisery,Dick。AndthenIshutmyeyesandfelltopicturingyoulookingatsomeotherwoman,veryprettyandnice,butwithnoaffectionortruthinheratall,andthenimaginedyousayingtoyourself,\"Ah,she’sasgoodasFancy,forFancytoldmeastory,andwasaflirt,andcaredforherselfmorethanme,sonowI’llhavethisoneformysweetheart。\"O,youwon’t,willyou,Dick,forIdoloveyouso!\"
ItisscarcelynecessarytoaddthatDickrenouncedhisfreedomthereandthen,andkissedhertentimesover,andpromisedthatnoprettywomanofthekindalludedtoshouldeverengrosshisthoughts;inshort,thatthoughhehadbeenvexedwithher,allsuchvexationwaspast,andthathenceforthandforeveritwassimplyFancyordeathforhim。Andthentheysetaboutproceedinghomewards,veryslowlyonaccountofFancy’sweariness,sheleaninguponhisshoulder,andinadditionreceivingsupportfromhisarmroundherwaist;thoughshehadsufficientlyrecoveredfromherdesperateconditiontosingtohim,\"Whyareyouwanderinghere,I
pray?\"duringthelatterpartoftheirwalk。Norisitnecessarytodescribeindetailhowthebagofnutswasquiteforgottenuntilthreedayslater,whenitwasfoundamongthebramblesandrestoredemptytoMrs。Dewy,herinitialsbeingmarkedthereoninredcotton;
andhowshepuzzledherselftillherheadacheduponthequestionofhowonearthhermeal—bagcouldhavegotintoCuckoo—Lane。
CHAPTERII:HONEY—TAKING,ANDAFTERWARDS
SaturdayeveningsawDickDewyjourneyingonfoottoYalburyWood,accordingtothearrangementwithFancy。
Thelandscapebeingconcave,atthegoingdownofthesuneverythingsuddenlyassumedauniformrobeofshade。TheeveningadvancedfromsunsettodusklongbeforeDick’sarrival,andhisprogressduringthelatterportionofhiswalkthroughthetreeswasindicatedbytheflutterofterrifiedbirdsthathadbeenroostingoverthepath。
Andincrossingtheglades,massesofhotdryair,thathadbeenformedonthehillsduringtheday,greetedhischeeksalternatelywithcloudsofdampnightairfromthevalleys。Hereachedthekeeper—steward’shouse,wherethegrass—plotandthegardeninfrontappearedlightandpaleagainsttheunbrokendarknessofthegrovefromwhichhehademerged,andpausedatthegardengate。
Hehadscarcelybeenthereaminutewhenhebeheldasortofprocessionadvancingfromthedoorinhisfront。ItconsistedfirstofEnochthetrapper,carryingaspadeonhisshoulderandalanterndanglinginhishand;thencameMrs。Day,thelightofthelanternrevealingthatsheboreinherarmscuriousobjectsaboutafootlong,intheformofLatincrosses(madeoflathandbrownpaperdippedinbrimstone——calledmatchesbybee—masters);nextcameMissDay,withashawlthrownoverherhead;andbehindall,inthegloom,Mr。FredericShiner。
Dick,inhisconsternationatfindingShinerpresent,wasatalosshowtoproceed,andretiredunderatreetocollecthisthoughts。
\"HereIbe,Enoch,\"saidavoice;andtheprocessionadvancingfarther,thelantern’sraysilluminatedthefigureofGeoffrey,awaitingtheirarrivalbesidearowofbee—hives,infrontofthepath。TakingthespadefromEnoch,heproceededtodigtwoholesintheearthbesidethehives,theothersstandingroundinacircle,exceptMrs。Day,whodepositedhermatchesintheforkofanapple—
treeandreturnedtothehouse。Thepartyremainingwerenowlitupinfrontbythelanternintheirmidst,theirshadowsradiatingeachwayuponthegarden—plotlikethespokesofawheel。AnapparentembarrassmentofFancyatthepresenceofShinercausedasilenceintheassembly,duringwhichthepreliminariesofexecutionwerearranged,thematchesfixed,thestakekindled,thetwohivesplacedoverthetwoholes,andtheearthstoppedroundtheedges。Geoffreythenstooderect,andrathermore,tostraightenhisbackboneafterthedigging。
\"Theywereapeculiarfamily,\"saidMr。Shiner,regardingthehivesreflectively。
Geoffreynodded。
\"Thoseholeswillbethegraveofthousands!\"saidFancy。\"Ithink’tisratheracruelthingtodo。\"
Herfathershookhishead。\"No,\"hesaid,tappingthehivestoshakethedeadbeesfromtheircells,\"ifyousuffocate’emthisway,theyonlydieonce:ifyoufumigate’eminthenewway,theycometolifeagain,anddieo’starvation;sothepangso’deathbetwiceupon’em。\"
\"IinclinetoFancy’snotion,\"saidMr。Shiner,laughinglightly。
\"Theproperwaytotakehoney,sothatthebeesbeneitherstarvednormurdered,isapuzzlingmatter,\"saidthekeepersteadily。
\"Ishouldlikenevertotakeitfromthem,\"saidFancy。
\"But’tisthemoney,\"saidEnochmusingly。\"Forwithoutmoneymanisashadder!\"
Thelantern—lighthaddisturbedmanybeesthathadescapedfromhivesdestroyedsomedaysearlier,and,demoralizedbyaffliction,werenowgettingalivingasmaraudersaboutthedoorsofotherhives。SeveralflewroundtheheadandneckofGeoffrey;thendarteduponhimwithanirritatedbizz。
Enochthrewdownthelantern,andranoffandpushedhisheadintoacurrantbush;Fancyscuddedupthepath;andMr。Shinerflounderedawayhelter—skelteramongthecabbages。Geoffreystoodhisground,unmovedandfirmasarock。Fancywasthefirsttoreturn,followedbyEnochpickingupthelantern。Mr。Shinerstillremainedinvisible。
\"Havethecratersstungye?\"saidEnochtoGeoffrey。
\"No,notmuch——on’yalittlehereandthere,\"hesaidwithleisurelysolemnity,shakingonebeeoutofhisshirtsleeve,pullinganotherfromamonghishair,andtwoorthreemorefromhisneck。Therestlookedonduringthisproceedingwithacomplacentsenseofbeingoutofit,——muchasaEuropeannationinastateofinternalcommotioniswatchedbyitsneighbours。
\"Arethoseallofthem,father?\"saidFancy,whenGeoffreyhadpulledawayfive。
\"Almostall,——thoughIfeeloneortwomorestickingintomyshoulderandside。Ah!there’sanotherjustbegunagainuponmybackbone。Youlivelyyoungmortals,howdidyougetinsidethere?
However,theycan’tstingmemanytimesmore,poorthings,fortheymustbegettingweak。Theymidaswellstayinmetillbedtimenow,Isuppose。\"
Ashehimselfwastheonlypersonaffectedbythisarrangement,itseemedsatisfactoryenough;andafteranoiseoffeetkickingagainstcabbagesinablunderingprogressamongthem,thevoiceofMr。Shinerwasheardfromthedarknessinthatdirection。
\"Isallquitesafeagain?\"
Noanswerbeingreturnedtothisquery,heapparentlyassumedthathemightventureforth,andgraduallydrewnearthelanternagain。
Thehiveswerenowremovedfromtheirpositionovertheholes,onebeinghandedtoEnochtocarryindoors,andonebeingtakenbyGeoffreyhimself。
\"Bringhitherthelantern,Fancy:thespadecanbide。\"
GeoffreyandEnochthenwenttowardsthehouse,leavingShinerandFancystandingsidebysideonthegarden—plot。
\"Allowme,\"saidShiner,stoopingforthelanternandseizingitatthesametimewithFancy。
\"Icancarryit,\"saidFancy,religiouslyrepressingallinclinationtotrifle。Shehadthoroughlyconsideredthatsubjectafterthetearfulexplanationofthebird—catchingadventuretoDick,andhaddecidedthatitwouldbedishonestinher,asanengagedyoungwoman,totriflewithmen’seyesandhandsanymore。FindingthatShinerstillretainedhisholdofthelantern,sherelinquishedit,andhe,havingfoundherretainingit,alsoletgo。Thelanternfell,andwasextinguished。Fancymovedon。
\"Whereisthepath?\"saidMr。Shiner。
\"Here,\"saidFancy。\"Youreyeswillgetusedtothedarkinaminuteortwo。\"
\"Tillthattimewillyelendmeyourhand?\"Fancygavehimtheextremetipsofherfingers,andtheysteppedfromtheplotintothepath。
\"Youdon’tacceptattentionsveryfreely。\"
\"Itdependsuponwhooffersthem。\"
\"Afellowlikeme,forinstance。\"Adeadsilence。
\"Well,whatdoyousay,Missie?\"
\"Itthendependsuponhowtheyareoffered。\"
\"Notwildly,andyetnotcareless—like;notpurposely,andyetnotbychance;nottooquicknoryettooslow。\"
\"Howthen?\"saidFancy。
\"Coollyandpractically,\"hesaid。\"Howwouldthatkindoflovebetaken?\"
\"Notanxiously,andyetnotindifferently;neitherblushingnorpale;norreligiouslynoryetquitewickedly。\"
\"Notatall。\"
GeoffreyDay’sstorehouseatthebackofhisdwellingwashungwithbunchesofdriedhorehound,mint,andsage;brown—paperbagsofthymeandlavender;andlongropesofcleanonions。Onshelveswerespreadlargeredandyellowapples,andchoiceselectionsofearlypotatoesforseednextyear;——vulgarcrowdsofcommonerkindlyingbeneathinheaps。Afewemptybeehiveswereclusteredaroundanailinonecorner,underwhichstoodtwoorthreebarrelsofnewciderofthefirstcrop,eachbubblingandsquirtingforthfromtheyetopenbunghole。
Fancywasnowkneelingbesidethetwoinvertedhives,oneofwhichrestedagainstherlap,forconvenienceinoperatinguponthecontents。Shethrusthersleevesaboveherelbows,andinsertedhersmallpinkhandedgewisebetweeneachwhitelobeofhoneycomb,performingtheactsoadroitlyandgentlyasnottounsealasinglecell。Thencrackingthepieceoffatthecrownofthehivebyaslightbackwardandforwardmovement,sheliftedeachportionasitwasloosenedintoalargeblueplatter,placedonabenchatherside。
\"Bothertheselittlemortals!\"saidGeoffrey,whowasholdingthelighttoher,andgivinghisbackanuneasytwist。\"IreallythinkImayaswellgoindoorsandtake’emout,poorthings!fortheywon’tletmealone。There’stwoastingingwi’alltheirmightnow。
I’msureIwondertheirstrengthcanlastsolong。\"
\"Allright,friend;I’llholdthecandlewhilstyouaregone,\"saidMr。Shiner,leisurelytakingthelight,andallowingGeoffreytodepart,whichhedidwithhisusuallongpaces。
Hecouldhardlyhavegoneroundtothehouse—doorwhenotherfootstepswereheardapproachingtheoutbuilding;thetipofafingerappearedintheholethroughwhichthewoodlatchwaslifted,andDickDewycamein,havingbeenallthistimewalkingupanddownthewood,vainlywaitingforShiner’sdeparture。
Fancylookedupandwelcomedhimratherconfusedly。Shinergraspedthecandlestickmorefirmly,and,lestdoingthisinsilenceshouldnotimplytoDickwithsufficientforcethathewasquiteathomeandcool,hesanginvincibly—
\"’KingArthurhehadthreesons。’\"
\"Fatherhere?\"saidDick。
\"Indoors,Ithink,\"saidFancy,lookingpleasantlyathim。
Dicksurveyedthescene,anddidnotseeminclinedtohurryoffjustatthatmoment。Shinerwentonsinging\"’Themillerwasdrown’dinhispond,Theweaverwashunginhisyarn,Andthed—ranawaywiththelittletail—or,Withthebroadclothunderhisarm。’\"
\"That’saterriblecrippledrhyme,ifthat’syourrhyme!\"saidDick,withagrainofsuperciliousnessinhistone。
\"It’snouseyourcomplainingtomeabouttherhyme!\"saidMr。
Shiner。\"Youmustgotothemanthatmadeit。\"
Fancybythistimehadacquiredconfidence。
\"Tasteabit,Mr。Dewy,\"shesaid,holdinguptohimasmallcircularpieceofhoneycombthathadbeenthelastintherowoflayers,remainingstillonherkneesandflingingbackherheadtolookinhisface;\"andthenI’lltasteabittoo。\"
\"AndI,ifyouplease,\"saidMr。Shiner。Neverthelessthefarmerlookedsuperior,asifhecouldevennowhardlyjointhetriflingfromveryimportanceofstation;andafterreceivingthehoneycombfromFancy,heturneditoverinhishandtillthecellsbegantobecrushed,andtheliquidhoneyrandownfromhisfingersinathinstring。
SuddenlyafaintcryfromFancycausedthemtogazeather。
\"What’sthematter,dear?\"saidDick。
\"Itisnothing,butO—o!abeehasstungtheinsideofmylip!HewasinoneofthecellsIwaseating!\"
\"Wemustkeepdowntheswelling,oritmaybeserious!\"saidShiner,steppingupandkneelingbesideher。\"Letmeseeit。\"
\"No,no!\"
\"JustletMEseeit,\"saidDick,kneelingontheotherside:andaftersomehesitationshepresseddownherlipwithonefingertoshowtheplace。\"O,Ihope’twillsoonhebetter!Idon’tmindastinginordinaryplaces,hutitissobaduponyourlip,\"sheaddedwithtearsinhereyes,andwrithingalittlefromthepain。
ShinerheldthelightabovehisheadandpushedhisfaceclosetoFancy’s,asiftheliphadbeenshownexclusivelytohimself,uponwhichDickpushedcloser,asifShinerwerenotthereatall。
\"Itisswelling,\"saidDicktoherrightaspect。
\"Itisn’tswelling,\"saidShinertoherleftaspect。
\"Isitdangerousonthelip?\"criedFancy。\"Iknowitisdangerousonthetongue。\"
\"Ono,notdangerous!\"answeredDick。
\"Ratherdangerous,\"hadansweredShinersimultaneously。
\"Imusttrytobearit!\"saidFancy,turningagaintothehives。
\"Hartshorn—and—oilisagoodthingtoputtoit,MissDay,\"saidShinerwithgreatconcern。
\"Sweet—oil—and—hartshornI’vefoundtobeagoodthingtocurestings,MissDay,\"saidDickwithgreaterconcern。
\"Wehavesomemixedindoors;wouldyoukindlyrunandgetitforme?\"shesaid。
Now,whetherbyinadvertence,orwhetherbymischievousintention,theindividualityoftheYOUwassocarelesslydenotedthatbothDickandShinersprangtotheirfeetliketwinacrobats,andmarchedabreasttothedoor;bothseizedthelatchandliftedit,andcontinuedmarchingon,shouldertoshoulder,inthesamemannertothedwelling—house。Notonlyso,butenteringtheroom,theymarchedasbeforestraightuptoMrs。Day’schair,lettingthedoorintheoakpartitionslamsoforcibly,thattherowsofpewteronthedresserranglikeabell。
\"Mrs。Day,Fancyhasstungherlip,andwantsyoutogivemethehartshorn,please,\"saidMr。Shiner,veryclosetoMrs。Day’sface。
\"O,Mrs。Day,Fancyhasaskedmetobringoutthehartshorn,please,becauseshehasstungherlip!\"saidDick,alittleclosertoMrs。
Day’sface。
\"Well,menalive!that’snoreasonwhyyoushouldeatme,I
suppose!\"saidMrs。Day,drawingback。
Shesearchedinthecorner—cupboard,producedthebottle,andbegantodustthecork,therim,andeveryotherpartverycarefully,Dick’shandandShiner’shandwaitingsidebyside。
\"Whichisheadman?\"saidMrs。Day。\"Now,don’tcomemumbudgetingsocloseagain。Whichisheadman?\"
Neitherspoke;andthebottlewasinclinedtowardsShiner。Shiner,asahigh—classman,wouldnotlookintheleasttriumphant,andturnedtogooffwithitasGeoffreycamedownstairsafterthesearchinhislinenforconcealedbees。
\"O——thatyou,MasterDewy?\"
Dickassuredthekeeperthatitwas;andtheyoungmanthendetermineduponaboldstrokefortheattainmentofhisend,forgettingthattheworstofboldstrokesisthedisastrousconsequencestheyinvolveiftheyfail。
\"I’vecomeonpurposetospeaktoyouveryparticular,Mr。Day,\"hesaid,withacrushingemphasisintendedfortheearsofMr。Shiner,whowasvanishingroundthedoor—postatthatmoment。
\"Well,I’vebeenforcedtogoupstairsandunrindmyself,andshakesomebeesouto’me\"saidGeoffrey,walkingslowlytowardstheopendoor,andstandingonthethreshold。\"Theyoungrascalsgotintomyshirtandwouldn’tbequietnohow。\"
Dickfollowedhimtothedoor。
\"I’vecometospeakawordtoyou,\"herepeated,lookingoutatthepalemistcreepingupfromthegloomofthevalley。\"Youmayperhapsguesswhatitisabout。\"
Thekeeperloweredhishandsintothedepthsofhispockets,twirledhiseyes,balancedhimselfonhistoes,lookedasperpendicularlydownwardasifhisglancewereaplumb—line,thenhorizontally,collectingtogetherthecracksthatlayabouthisfacetilltheywereallintheneighbourhoodofhiseyes。
\"MaybeIdon’tknow,\"hereplied。
Dicksaidnothing;andthestillnesswasdisturbedonlybysomesmallbirdthatwasbeingkilledbyanowlintheadjoiningwood,whosecrypassedintothesilencewithoutminglingwithit。
\"I’veleftmyhatupinchammer,\"saidGeoffrey;\"waitwhileIstepupandgeten。\"
\"I’llbeinthegarden,\"saidDick。
Hewentroundbyasidewicketintothegarden,andGeoffreywentupstairs。ItwasthecustominMellstockanditsvicinitytodiscussmattersofpleasureandordinarybusinessinsidethehouse,andtoreservethegardenforveryimportantaffairs:acustomwhich,asissupposed,originatedinthedesirabilityofgettingawayatsuchtimesfromtheothermembersofthefamilywhentherewasonlyoneroomforlivingin,thoughitwasnowquiteasfrequentlypractisedbythosewhosufferedfromnosuchlimitationtothesizeoftheirdomiciles。
Thehead—keeper’sformappearedintheduskygarden,andDickwalkedtowardshim。Theelderpausedandleantovertherailofapiggerythatstoodontheleftofthepath,uponwhichDickdidthesame;
andtheybothcontemplatedawhitishshadowyshapethatwasmovingaboutandgruntingamongthestrawoftheinterior。
\"I’vecometoaskforFancy,\"saidDick。
\"I’dasliefyouhadn’t。\"
\"Whyshouldthatbe,Mr。Day?\"
\"Becauseitmakesmesaythatyou’vecometoaskwhatyebe’n’tlikelytohave。Haveyecomeforanythingelse?\"
\"Nothing。\"
\"ThenI’lljusttell’eeyou’vecomeonaveryfoolisherrand。D’yeknowwhathermotherwas?\"
\"No。\"
\"Ateacherinalandedfamily’snursery,whowasfoolishenoughtomarrythekeeperofthesameestablishment;forIwasonlyakeeperthen,thoughnowI’veadozenotherironsinthefireasstewardhereformylord,whatwiththetimbersalesandtheyearlyfellings,andthegravelandsandsalesandonethingand’tother。
However,d’yethinkFancypickeduphergoodmanners,thesmoothturnofhertongue,hermusicalnotes,andherknowledgeofbooks,inahomelyholelikethis?\"
\"No。\"
\"D’yeknowwhere?\"
\"No。\"
\"Well,whenIwenta—wanderingafterhermother’sdeath,shelivedwithheraunt,whokeptaboarding—school,tillherauntmarriedLawyerGreen——amanassharpasaneedle——andtheschoolwasbrokeup。Didyeknowthatthenshewenttothetraining—school,andthathernamestoodfirstamongtheQueen’sscholarsofheryear?\"
\"I’veheardso。\"
\"AndthatwhenshesatforhercertificateasGovernmentteacher,shehadthehighestofthefirstclass?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Well,anddoyeknowwhatIliveinsuchamiserlywayforwhenI’vegotenoughtodowithoutit,andwhyImakeherworkasaschoolmistressinsteadoflivinghere?\"
\"No。\"
\"Thatifanygentleman,whoseeshertobehisequalinpolish,shouldwanttomarryher,andshewanttomarryhim,hesha’n’tbesuperiortoherinpocket。Nowdoyethinkafterthisthatyoubegoodenoughforher?\"
\"No。\"
\"Thengood—nightt’ee,MasterDewy。\"
\"Good—night,Mr。Day。\"
ModestDick’sreplyhadfaltereduponhistongue,andheturnedawaywonderingathispresumptioninaskingforawomanwhomhehadseenfromthebeginningtobesosuperiortohim。
CHAPTERIII:FANCYINTHERAIN
Thenextsceneisatempestuousafternooninthefollowingmonth,andFancyDayisdiscoveredwalkingfromherfather’shometowardsMellstock。
Asinglevastgraycloudcoveredthecountry,fromwhichthesmallrainandmisthadjustbeguntoblowdowninwavysheets,alternatelythickandthin。Thetreesofthefieldsandplantationswrithedlikemiserablemenastheairwounditswayswiftlyamongthem:thelowestportionsoftheirtrunks,thathadhardlyeverbeenknowntomove,werevisiblyrockedbythefiercergusts,distressingthemindbyitspainfulunwontedness,aswhenastrongmanisseentoshedtears。Low—hangingboughswentupanddown;
highanderectboughswenttoandfro;theblastsbeingsoirregular,anddividedintosomanycross——currents,thatneighbouringbranchesofthesametreeswepttheskiesinindependentmotions,crossedeachother,orbecameentangled。
Acrosstheopenspacesflewflocksofgreenandyellowishleaves,which,aftertravellingalongdistancefromtheirparenttrees,reachedtheground,andlaytherewiththeirunder——sidesupward。
Astherainandwindincreased,andFancy’sbonnet——ribbonsleaptmoreandmoresnappishlyagainstherchin,shepausedonenteringMellstockLanetoconsiderherlatitude,andthedistancetoaplaceofshelter。ThenearesthousewasElizabethEndorfield’s,inHigherMellstock,whosecottageandgardenstoodnotfarfromthejunctionofthathamletwiththeroadshefollowed。Fancyhastenedonward,andinfiveminutesenteredagate,whichsheduponhertoesafloodofwater—dropsassheopenedit。
\"Comein,chiel!\"avoiceexclaimed,beforeFancyhadknocked:apromptnessthatwouldhavesurprisedherhadshenotknownthatMrs。
Endorfieldwasanexceedinglyandexceptionallysharpwomanintheuseofhereyesandears。
Fancywentinandsatdown。Elizabethwasparingpotatoesforherhusband’ssupper。
Scrape,scrape,scrape;thenatoss,andsplashwentapotatointoabucketofwater。
Now,asFancylistlesslynotedtheseproceedingsofthedame,shebegantoreconsideranoldsubjectthathayuppermostinherheart。
SincetheinterviewbetweenherfatherandDick,thedayshadbeenmelancholydaysforher。Geoffrey’sfirmoppositiontothenotionofDickasason—in—lawwasmorethanshehadexpected。Shehadfrequentlyseenherloversincethattime,itistrue,andhadlovedhimmorefortheoppositionthanshewouldhaveotherwisedreamtofdoing——whichwasahappinessofacertainkind。Yet,thoughloveisthusanendinitself,itmustbebelievedtobethemeanstoanotherendifitistoassumetherosyhuesofanunalloyedpleasure。AndsuchabeliefFancyandDickwereemphaticallydeniedjustnow。