ElizabethEndorfieldhadareputeamongwomenwhichwasinitsnaturesomethingbetweendistinctionandnotoriety。Itwasfoundedonthefollowingitemsofcharacter。Shewasshrewdandpenetrating;herhousestoodinalonelyplace;sheneverwenttochurch;sheworearedcloak;shealwaysretainedherbonnetindoorsandshehadapointedchin。ThusfarherattributesweredistinctlySatanic;andthosewholookednofurthercalledher,inplaintermsawitch。Butshewasnotgaunt,noruglyintheupperpartofherface,norparticularlystrangeinmanner;sothat,whenhermoreintimateacquaintancesspokeofherthetermwassoftened,andshebecamesimplyaDeepBody,whowasaslong—headedasshewashigh。
ItmaybestatedthatElizabeth,belongedtoaclassofsuspectswhoweregraduallylosingtheirmysteriouscharacteristicsundertheadministrationoftheyoungvicar;though,duringthelongreignofMr。Grinham,theparishofMellstockhadprovedextremelyfavourabletothegrowthofwitches。
WhileFancywasrevolvingallthisinhermind,andputtingittoherselfwhetheritwasworthwhiletotellhertroublestoElizabeth,andaskheradviceingettingoutofthem,thewitchspoke。
\"Youbedown——properdown,\"shesaidsuddenly,droppinganotherpotatointothebucket。
Fancytooknonotice。
\"Aboutyouryoungman。\"
Fancyreddened。Elizabethseemedtobewatchingherthoughts。
Really,onewouldalmostthinkshemusthavethepowerspeopleascribedtoher。
\"Fathernotinthehumourfor’t,hey?\"Anotherpotatowasfinishedandflungin。\"Ah,Iknowaboutit。Littlebirdstellmethingsthatpeopledon’tdreamofmyknowing。\"
FancywasdesperateaboutDick,andherewasachance——O,suchawickedchance——ofgettinghelp;andwhatwasgoodnessbesidelove!
\"Iwishyou’dtellmehowtoputhiminthehumourforit?\"shesaid。
\"ThatIcouldsoondo,\"saidthewitchquietly。
\"Really?O,do;anyhow——Idon’tcare——sothatitisdone!HowcouldIdoit,Mrs。Endorfield?\"
\"Nothingsomightywonderfulinit。\"
\"Well,buthow?\"
\"Bywitchery,ofcourse!\"saidElizabeth。
\"No!\"saidFancy。
\"’Tis,Iassureye。Didn’tyoueverhearIwasawitch?\"
\"Well,\"hesitatedFancy,\"Ihaveheardyoucalledso。\"
\"Andyoubelievedit?\"
\"Ican’tsaythatIdidexactlybelieveit,for’tisveryhorribleandwicked;but,O,howIdowishitwaspossibleforyoutobeone!\"
\"SoIam。AndI’lltellyouhowtobewitchyourfathertoletyoumarryDickDewy。\"
\"Willithurthim,poorthing?\"
\"Hurtwho?\"
\"Father。\"
\"No;thecharmisworkedbycommonsense,andthespellcanonlybebrokebyyouractingstupidly。\"
Fancylookedratherperplexed,andElizabethwenton:
\"ThisfearofLizz——whatever’tis—
Bygreatandsmall;
Shemakespretencetocommonsense,Andthat’sall。
\"Youmustdoitlikethis。\"Thewitchlaiddownherknifeandpotato,andthenpouredintoFancy’searalonganddetailedlistofdirections,glancingupfromthecornerofhereyeintoFancy’sfacewithanexpressionofsinisterhumour。Fancy’sfacebrightened,clouded,roseandsank,asthenarrativeproceeded。\"There,\"saidElizabethatlength,stoopingfortheknifeandanotherpotato,\"dothat,andyou’llhavehimby—longandby—late,mydear。\"
\"AnddoitIwill!\"saidFancy。
Shethenturnedherattentiontotheexternalworldoncemore。Theraincontinuedasusual,butthewindhadabatedconsiderablyduringthediscourse。Judgingthatitwasnowpossibletokeepanumbrellaerect,shepulledherhoodagainoverherbonnet,badethewitchgood—bye,andwentherway。
CHAPTERIV:THESPELL
Mrs。Endorfield’sadvicewasdulyfollowed。
\"Ibepropersorrythatyourdaughterisn’tsowellasshemightbe,\"saidaMellstockmantoGeoffreyonemorning。
\"Butisthereanythinginit?\"saidGeoffreyuneasily,asheshiftedhishattotheright。\"Ican’tunderstandthereport。Shedidn’tcomplaintomeabitwhenIsawher。\"
\"Noappetiteatall,theysay。\"
GeoffreycrossedtoMellstockandcalledattheschoolthatafternoon。Fancywelcomedhimasusual,andaskedhimtostayandtaketeawithher。
\"Ibe’n’tmuchfortea,thistimeo’day,\"hesaid,butstayed。
Duringthemealhewatchedhernarrowly。Andtohisgreatconsternationdiscoveredthefollowingunprecedentedchangeinthehealthygirl——thatshecutherselfonlyadiaphanoussliceofbread—
and—butter,and,layingitonherplate,passedthemeal—timeinbreakingitintopieces,buteatingnomorethanaboutone—tenthoftheslice。GeoffreyhopedshewouldsaysomethingaboutDick,andfinishupbyweeping,asshehaddoneafterthedecisionagainsthimafewdayssubsequenttotheinterviewinthegarden。Butnothingwassaid,andinduetimeGeoffreydepartedagainforYalburyWood。
\"’TistobehopedpoorMissFancywillbeabletokeeponherschool,\"saidGeoffrey’smanEnochtoGeoffreythefollowingweek,astheywereshovellingupant—hillsinthewood。
Geoffreystuckintheshovel,sweptsevenoreightantsfromhissleeve,andkilledanotherthatwasprowlingroundhisear,thenlookedperpendicularlyintotheearthasusual,waitingforEnochtosaymore。\"Well,whyshouldn’tshe?\"saidthekeeperatlast。
\"Thebakertoldmeyesterday,\"continuedEnoch,shakingoutanotheremmetthathadrunmerrilyuphisthigh,\"thatthebreadhe’veleftatthatthereschool—housethislastmonthwouldstarveanymouseinthethreecreations;that’twouldso!AndafterwardsIhadapinto’smalldownatMorrs’s,andthereIheardmore。\"
\"Whatmightthatha’been?\"
\"Thatsheusedtohaveapoundo’thebestrolledbutteraweek,regularasclockwork,fromDairymanViney’sforherself,aswellasjustsomuchsaltedforthehelpinggirl,andthe’oomanshecallsin;butnowthesamequantityd’lastherthreeweeks,andthen’tisthoughtedshethrowsitawaysour。\"
\"Finishdoingtheemmets,andcarrythebaghome—along。\"Thekeeperresumedhisgun,tuckeditunderhisarm,andwentonwithoutwhistlingtothedogs,whohoweverfollowed,withabearingmeanttoimplythattheydidnotexpectanysuchattentionswhentheirmasterwasreflecting。
OnSaturdaymorninganotecamefromFancy。Hewasnottotroubleaboutsendingherthecoupleofrabbits,aswasintended,becauseshefearedsheshouldnotwantthem。LaterinthedayGeoffreywenttoCasterbridgeandcalleduponthebutcherwhoservedFancywithfreshmeat,whichwasputdowntoherfather’saccount。
\"I’vecalledtopayupourlittlebill,NeighbourHaylock,andyoucangiemethechiel’saccountatthesametime。\"
Mr。Haylockturnedroundthreequartersofacircleinthemidstofaheapofjoints,alteredtheexpressionofhisfacefrommeattomoney,wentintoalittleofficeconsistingonlyofadoorandawindow,lookedveryvigorouslyintoabookwhichpossessedlengthbutnobreadth;andthen,seizingapieceofpaperandscribblingthereupon,handedthebill。
Probablyitwasthefirsttimeinthehistoryofcommercialtransactionsthatthequalityofshortnessinabutcher’sbillwasacauseoftribulationtothedebtor。\"Why,thisisn’tallshe’vehadinawholemonth!\"saidGeoffrey。
\"Everymossel,\"saidthebutcher——\"(now,Dan,takethatlegandshouldertoMrs。White’s,andthiselevenpoundheretoMr。
Martin’s)——you’vebeentreatinghertosmallerjointslately,tomythinking,Mr。Day?\"
\"Onlytwoorthreelittlescramrabbitsthislastweek,asIamalive——IwishIhad!\"
\"Well,mywifesaidtome——(Dan!nottoomuch,nottoomuchonthattrayatatime;bettergotwice)——mywifesaidtomeasshepostedupthebooks:shesays,\"MissDaymusthavebeensummerduringthathotmuggyweathermuchforus;fordependupon’t,\"shesays,\"she’vebeentryingJohnGrimmettunknowntous:seeheraccountelse。\"
’Tislittle,ofcourse,atthebestoftimes,beingonlyforone,butnow’tisnextkintonothing。\"
\"I’llinquire,\"saidGeoffreydespondingly。
HereturnedbywayofMellstock,andcalleduponFancy,infulfilmentofapromise。ItbeingSaturday,thechildrenwereenjoyingaholiday,andonenteringtheresidenceFancywasnowheretobeseen。Nan,thecharwoman,wassweepingthekitchen。
\"Where’smyda’ter?\"saidthekeeper。
\"Well,youseeshewastiredwiththeweek’steaching,andthismorningshesaid,\"Nan,Isha’n’tgetuptilltheevening。\"Yousee,Mr。Day,ifpeopledon’teat,theycan’twork;andasshe’vegie’dupeating,shemustgieupworking。\"
\"Haveyecarriedupanydinnertoher?\"
\"No;shedon’twantany。There,weallknowthatsuchthingsdon’tcomewithoutgoodreason——notthatIwishtosayanythingaboutabrokenheart,oranythingofthekind。\"
Geoffrey’sownheartfeltinconvenientlylargejustthen。Hewenttothestaircaseandascendedtohisdaughter’sdoor。
\"Fancy!\"
\"Comein,father。\"
Toseeapersoninbedfromanycausewhatever,onafineafternoon,isdepressingenough;andherewashisonlychildFancy,notonlyinbed,butlookingverypale。Geoffreywasvisiblydisturbed。
\"Fancy,Ididn’texpecttoseetheehere,chiel,\"hesaid。\"What’sthematter?\"
\"I’mnotwell,father。\"
\"How’sthat?\"
\"BecauseIthinkofthings。\"
\"Whatthingscanyouhavetothinko’somortalmuch?\"
\"Youknow,father。\"
\"YouthinkI’vebeencrueltotheeinsayingthatthatpennilessDicko’thinesha’n’tmarrythee,Isuppose?\"
Noanswer。
\"Well,youknow,Fancy,Idoitforthebest,andheisn’tgoodenoughforthee。Youknowthatwellenough。\"Hereheagainlookedatherasshelay。\"Well,Fancy,Ican’tletmyonlychieldie;andifyoucan’tlivewithouten,youmustha’en,Isuppose。\"
\"O,Idon’twanthimlikethat;allagainstyourwill,andeverythingsodisobedient!\"sighedtheinvalid。
\"No,no,’tisn’tagainstmywill。Mywishis,nowId’seehow’tishurtentheetolivewithouten,thatheshallmarrytheeassoonaswe’veconsideredalittle。That’smywishflatandplain,Fancy。
There,nevercry,mylittlemaid!Yououghttoha’criedafore;noneedo’cryingnow’tisallover。Well,howsoever,trytostepoverandseemeandmother—lawto—morrow,andha’abitofdinnerwi’
us。\"
\"And——Dicktoo?\"
\"Ay,Dicktoo,’far’sIknow。\"
\"AndWHENdoyouthinkyou’llhaveconsidered,father,andhemaymarryme?\"shecoaxed。
\"Well,there,saynextMidsummer;that’snotadaytoolongtowait。\"
OnleavingtheschoolGeoffreywenttothetranter’s。OldWilliamopenedthedoor。
\"IsyourgrandsonDickin’ithin,William?\"
\"No,notjustnow,Mr。Day。Thoughhe’vebeenathomeagooddeallately。\"
\"O,how’sthat?\"
\"Whatwi’onething,andwhatwi’t’other,he’sallinamope,asmightbesaid。Don’tseemthefellerheusedto。Ay,’awillsitstuddingandthinkingasif’aweregoingtoturnchapel—member,andthendonothingbuttraypseandwambleabout。Usedtobesuchachattyboy,too,Dickdid;andnow’adon’tspeakatall。Butwon’tyestepinside?Reubenwillbehomesoon,’ab’lieve。\"
\"No,thankyou,Ican’tstaynow。WillyejustaskDickifhe’lldomethekindnesstostepovertoYalburyto—morrowwithmyda’terFancy,ifshe’swellenough?Idon’tlikehertocomebyherself,nowshe’snotsoterribletoppinginhealth。\"
\"SoI’veheard。Ay,sure,I’lltellhimwithoutfail。\"
CHAPTERV:AFTERGAININGHERPOINT
ThevisittoGeoffreypassedoffasdelightfullyasavisitmighthavebeenexpectedtopassoffwhenitwasthefirstdayofsmoothexperienceinahithertoobstructedlove—course。Andthencameaseriesofseveralhappydays,ofthesameundisturbedserenity。
Dickcouldcourtherwhenhechose;stayawaywhenhechose,——whichwasnever;walkwithherbywindingstreamsandwaterfallsandautumnscenerytilldewsaridtwilightsentthemhome。AndthustheydrewnearthedayoftheHarvestThanksgiving,whichwasalsothetimechosenforopeningtheorganinMellstockChurch。
ItchancedthatDickonthatverydaywascalledawayfromMellstock。AyoungacquaintancehaddiedofconsumptionatCharmley,aneighbouringvillage,onthepreviousMonday,andDick,infulfilmentofalong—standingpromise,wastoassistincarryinghimtothegrave。WhenonTuesday,DickwenttowardstheschooltoacquaintFancywiththefact,itisdifficulttosaywhetherhisowndisappointmentatbeingdeniedthesightofhertriumphantdebutasorganist,wasgreaterthanhisvexationthathispetshouldonthisgreatoccasionbedeprivedofthepleasureofhispresence。
However,theintelligencewascommunicated。Sheboreitasshebestcould,notwithoutmanyexpressionsofregret,andconvictionsthatherperformancewouldbenothingtohernow。
Justbeforeeleveno’clockonSundayhesetoutuponhissaderrand。
Thefuneralwastobeimmediatelyafterthemorningservice,andastherewerefourgoodmilestowalk,drivingbeinginconvenient,itbecamenecessarytostartcomparativelyearly。Halfanhourlaterwouldcertainlyhaveansweredhispurposequiteaswell,yetatthelastmomentnothingwouldcontenthisardentmindbutthathemustgoamileoutofhiswayinthedirectionoftheschool,inthehopeofgettingaglimpseofhisLoveasshestartedforchurch。
Striking,therefore,intothelanetowardstheschool,insteadofacrosstheeweleasedirecttoCharmley,hearrivedoppositeherdoorashisgoddessemerged。
Ifeverawomanlookedadivinity,FancyDayappearedonethatmorningasshefloateddownthoseschoolsteps,intheformofanebulouscollectionofcoloursincliningtoblue。Withanaudacityunparalleledinthewholehistoryofvillage—school—mistressesatthisdate——partlyowing,nodoubt,topapa’srespectableaccumulationofcash,whichrenderedherprofessionnotaltogetheroneofnecessity——shehadactuallydonnedahatandfeather,andloweredherhithertoplainlylooped—uphair,whichnowfellabouthershouldersinaprofusionofcurls。PoorDickwasastonished:
hehadneverseenherlooksodistractinglybeautifulbefore,saveonChristmas—eve,whenherhairwasinthesameluxuriantconditionoffreedom。Buthisfirstburstofdelightedsurprisewasfollowedbylesscomfortablefeelings,assoonashisbrainrecovereditspowertothink。
Fancyhadblushed;——wasitwithconfusion?Shehadalsoinvoluntarilypressedbackhercurls。Shehadnotexpectedhim。
\"Fancy,youdidn’tknowmeforamomentinmyfuneralclothes,didyou?\"
\"Good—morning,Dick——no,really,Ididn’tknowyouforaninstantinsuchasadsuit。\"
Helookedagainatthegaytressesandhat。\"You’veneverdressedsocharmingbefore,dearest。\"
\"Iliketohearyoupraisemeinthatway,Dick,\"shesaid,smilingarchly。\"Itismeatanddrinktoawoman。DoIlooknicereally?\"
\"Fie!youknowit。Didyouremember,——Imeandidn’tyourememberaboutmygoingawayto—day?\"
\"Well,yes,Idid,Dick;but,youknow,Iwantedtolookwell;——
forgiveme。\"
\"Yes,darling;yes,ofcourse,——there’snothingtoforgive。No,I
wasonlythinkingthatwhenwetalkedonTuesdayandWednesdayandThursdayandFridayaboutmyabsenceto—day,andIwassosorryforit,yousaid,Fancy,sowereyousorry,andalmostcried,andsaiditwouldbenopleasuretoyoutobetheattractionofthechurchto—day,sinceIcouldnotbethere。\"
\"Mydearone,neitherwillitbesomuchpleasuretome……ButI
dotakealittledelightinmylife,Isuppose,\"shepouted。
\"Apartfrommine?\"
Shelookedathimwithperplexedeyes。\"Iknowyouarevexedwithme,Dick,anditisbecausethefirstSundayIhavecurlsandahatandfeathersinceIhavebeenherehappenstobetheverydayyouareawayandwon’tbewithme。Yes,sayitis,forthatisit!AndyouthinkthatallthisweekIoughttohaverememberedyouwouldn’tbehereto—day,andnothavecaredtobebetterdressedthanusual。
Yes,youdo,Dick,anditisratherunkind!\"
\"No,no,\"saidDickearnestlyandsimply,\"Ididn’tthinksobadlyofyouasthat。Ionlythoughtthat——ifYOUhadbeengoingaway,I
shouldn’thavetriednewattractionsfortheeyesofotherpeople。
ButthenofcourseyouandIaredifferent,naturally。\"
\"Well,perhapsweare。\"
\"Whateverwillthevicarsay,Fancy?\"
\"Idon’tfearwhathesaysintheleast!\"sheansweredproudly。
\"Buthewon’tsayanythingofthesortyouthink。No,no。\"
\"Hecanhardlyhaveconscienceto,indeed。\"
\"Nowcome,yousay,Dick,thatyouquiteforgiveme,forImustgo,\"
shesaidwithsuddengaiety,andskippedbackwardsintotheporch。
\"Comehere,sir;——sayyouforgiveme,andthenyoushallkissme;——
youneverhaveyetwhenIhaveworncurls,youknow。Yes,justwhereyouwanttosomuch,——yes,youmay!\"
Dickfollowedherintotheinnercorner,wherehewasprobablynotslowinavailinghimselfoftheprivilegeoffered。
\"Nowthat’satreatforyou,isn’tit?\"shecontinued。\"Good—bye,orIshallbelate。Comeandseemeto—morrow:you’llbetiredtonight。\"
Thustheyparted,andFancyproceededtothechurch。Theorganstoodononesideofthechancel,closetoandundertheimmediateeyeofthevicarwhenhewasinthepulpit,andalsoinfullviewofthecongregation。Hereshesatdown,forthefirsttimeinsuchaconspicuousposition,herseathavingpreviouslybeeninaremotespotintheaisle。
\"Goodheavens——disgraceful!Curlsandahatandfeather!\"saidthedaughtersofthesmallgentry,whohadeitheronlycurlyhairwithoutahatandfeather,orahatandfeatherwithoutcurlyhair。
\"Abonnetforchurchalways,\"saidsobermatrons。
ThatMr。Mayboldwasconsciousofherpresenceclosebesidehimduringthesermon;thathewasnotatallangryatherdevelopmentofcostume;thatheadmiredher,sheperceived。Butshedidnotseethathelovedherduringthatsermon—timeashehadneverlovedawomanbefore;thatherproximitywasastrangedelighttohim;andthathegloriedinhermusicalsuccessthatmorninginaspiritquitebeyondamerecleric’sgloryattheinaugurationofaneworderofthings。
Theoldchoir,withhumbledhearts,nolongertooktheirseatsinthegalleryasheretofore(whichwasnowgivenuptotheschool—
childrenwhowerenotsingers,andapupil—teacher),butwerescatteredaboutwiththeirwivesindifferentpartsofthechurch。
Havingnothingtodowithconductingtheserviceforalmostthefirsttimeintheirlives,theyallfeltawkward,outofplace,abashed,andinconveniencedbytheirhands。Thetranterhadproposedthattheyshouldstayawayto—dayandgonutting,butgrandfatherWilliamwouldnothearofsuchathingforamoment。
\"No,\"herepliedreproachfully,andquotedaverse\"Thoughthishascomeuponus,letnotourheartsbeturnedback,orourstepsgooutoftheway。\"
Sotheystoodandwatchedthecurlsofhairtrailingdownthebackofthesuccessfulrival,andthewavingofherfeather,assheswayedherhead。Afterafewtimidnotesanduncertaintouchesherplayingbecamemarkedlycorrect,andtowardstheendfullandfree。
But,whetherfromprejudiceorunbiassedjudgment,thevenerablebodyofmusicianscouldnothelpthinkingthatthesimplernotestheyhadbeenwonttobringforthweremoreinkeepingwiththesimplicityoftheiroldchurchthanthecrowdedchordsandinterludesitwasherpleasuretoproduce。
CHAPTERVI:INTOTEMPTATION
Thedaywasdone,andFancywasagainintheschool—house。Aboutfiveo’clockitbegantorain,andinratheradullframeofmindshewanderedintotheschoolroom,forwantofsomethingbettertodo。Shewasthinking——ofherloverDickDewy?Notprecisely。Ofhowwearyshewasoflivingalone:howunbearableitwouldbetoreturntoYalburyundertheruleofherstrange—temperedstep—
mother;thatitwasfarbettertobemarriedtoanybodythandothat;thateightorninelongmonthshadyettobelivedthrougheretheweddingcouldtakeplace。
AtthesideoftheroomwerehighwindowsofHam—hillstone,uponeithersillofwhichshecouldsitbyfirstmountingadeskandusingitasafootstool。Astheeveningadvancedheresheperchedherself,aswashercustomonsuchwetandgloomyoccasions,putonalightshawlandbonnet,openedthewindow,andlookedoutattherain。
ThewindowoverlookedafieldcalledtheGrove,anditwasthepositionfromwhichsheusedtosurveythecrownofDick’spassinghatintheearlydaysoftheiracquaintanceandmeetings。Notalivingsoulwasnowvisibleanywhere;therainkeptallpeopleindoorswhowerenotforcedabroadbynecessity,andnecessitywaslessimportunateonSundaysthanduringtheweek。
Sittinghereandthinkingagain——ofherlover,orofthesensationshehadcreatedatchurchthatday?——well,itisunknown——thinkingandthinkingshesawadarkmasculinefigurearisingintodistinctnessatthefurtherendoftheGrove——amanwithoutanumbrella。Nearerandnearerhecame,andsheperceivedthathewasindeepmourning,andthenthatitwasDick。Yes,inthefondnessandfoolishnessofhisyoungheart,afterwalkingfourmiles,inadrizzlingrainwithoutovercoatorumbrella,andinfaceofaremarkfromhislovethathewasnottocomebecausehewouldbetired,hehadmadeithisbusinesstowanderthismileoutofhiswayagain,fromsheerwishofspendingtenminutesinherpresence。
\"ODick,howwetyouare!\"shesaid,ashedrewupunderthewindow。
\"Why,yourcoatshinesasifithadbeenvarnished,andyourhat——mygoodness,there’sastreaminghat!\"
\"O,Idon’tmind,darling!\"saidDickcheerfully。\"Wetneverhurtsme,thoughIamrathersorryformybestclothes。However,itcouldn’tbehelped;welentalltheumbrellastothewomen。Idon’tknowwhenIshallgetmineback!\"
\"Andlook,there’sanastypatchofsomethingjustonyourshoulder。\"
\"Ah,that’sjapanning;itrubbedofftheclampsofpoorJack’scoffinwhenweloweredhimfromourshouldersuponthebier!I
don’tcareaboutthat,for’twasthelastdeedIcoulddoforhim;
and’tishardifyoucan’taffordacoatforanoldfriend。\"
Fancyputherhandtohermouthforhalfaminute。Underneaththepalmofthatlittlehandthereexistedforthathalf—minutealittleyawn。
\"Dick,Idon’tlikeyoutostandthereinthewet。Andyoumustn’tsitdown。Gohomeandchangeyourthings。Don’tstayanotherminute。\"
\"Onekissaftercomingsofar,\"hepleaded。
\"IfIcanreach,then。\"
Helookedratherdisappointedatnotbeinginvitedroundtothedoor。Shetwistedfromherseatedpositionandbentherselfdownwards,butnotevenbystandingontheplinthwasitpossibleforDicktogethislipsintocontactwithhersassheheldthem。
Bygreatexertionshemighthavereachedalittlelower;butthenshewouldhaveexposedherheadtotherain。
\"Nevermind,Dick;kissmyhand,\"shesaid,flingingitdowntohim。
\"Now,good—bye。\"
\"Good—bye。\"
Hewalkedslowlyaway,turningandturningagaintolookathertillhewasoutofsight。Duringtheretreatshesaidtoherself,almostinvoluntarily,andstillconsciousofthatmorning’striumph——\"I
likeDick,andIlovehim;buthowplainandsorryamanlooksintherain,withnoumbrella,andwetthrough!\"
Ashevanished,shemadeasiftodescendfromherseat;butglancingintheotherdirectionshesawanotherformcomingalongthesametrack。Itwasalsothatofaman。He,too,wasinblackfromtoptotoe;buthecarriedanumbrella。
Hedrewnearer,andthedirectionoftheraincausedhimsotoslanthisumbrellathatfromherheightabovethegroundhisheadwasinvisible,asshewasalsotohim。Hepassedinduetimedirectlybeneathher,andinlookingdownupontheexteriorofhisumbrellaherfeminineeyesperceivedittobeofsuperiorsilk——lesscommonatthatdatethansince——andofelegantmake。Hereachedtheentrancetothebuilding,andFancysuddenlylostsightofhim。
InsteadofpursuingtheroadwayasDickhaddonehehadturnedsharplyroundintoherownporch。
Shejumpedtothefloor,hastilyflungoffhershawlandbonnet,smoothedandpattedherhairtillthecurlshunginpassablecondition,andlistened。Noknock。Nearlyaminutepassed,andstilltherewasnoknock。Thentherearoseasoftseriesofraps,nolouderthanthetappingofadistantwoodpecker,andbarelydistinctenoughtoreachherears。Shecomposedherselfandflungopenthedoor。
IntheporchstoodMr。Maybold。
Therewasawarmflushuponhisface,andabrightflashinhiseyes,whichmadehimlookhandsomerthanshehadeverseenhimbefore。
\"Good—evening,MissDay。\"
\"Good—evening,Mr。Maybold,\"shesaid,inastrangestateofmind。
Shehadnoticed,beyondtheardenthueofhisface,thathisvoicehadasingulartremorinit,andthathishandshooklikeanaspenleafwhenhelaidhisumbrellainthecorneroftheporch。Withoutanotherwordbeingspokenbyeither,hecameintotheschoolroom,shutthedoor,andmovedclosetoher。Onceinside,theexpressionofhisfacewasnomorediscernible,byreasonoftheincreasingduskofevening。
\"Iwanttospeaktoyou,\"hethensaid;\"seriously——onaperhapsunexpectedsubject,butonewhichisalltheworldtome——Idon’tknowwhatitmaybetoyou,MissDay。\"
Noreply。
\"Fancy,Ihavecometoaskyouifyouwillbemywife?\"
Asapersonwhohasbeenidlyamusinghimselfwithrollingasnowballmightstartatfindinghehadsetinmotionanavalanche,sodidFancystartatthesewordsfromthevicar。Andinthedeadsilencewhichfollowedthem,thebreathingsofthemanandofthewomancouldbedistinctlyandseparatelyheard;andtherewasthisdifferencebetweenthem——hisrespirationsgraduallygrewquieterandlessrapidaftertheenunciationhers,fromhavingbeenlowandregular,increasedinquicknessandforce,tillshealmostpanted。
\"Icannot,Icannot,Mr。Maybold——Icannot!Don’taskme!\"shesaid。
\"Don’tanswerinahurry!\"heentreated。\"Anddolistentome。
Thisisnosuddenfeelingonmypart。Ihavelovedyouformorethansixmonths!Perhapsmylateinterestinteachingthechildrenherehasnotbeensosingle—mindedasitseemed。Youwillunderstandmymotive——likemebetter,perhaps,forhonestlytellingyouthatIhavestruggledagainstmyemotioncontinually,becauseI
havethoughtthatitwasnotwellformetoloveyou!ButI
resolvedtostrugglenolonger;Ihaveexaminedthefeeling;andtheloveIbearyouisasgenuineasthatIcouldbearanywoman!Iseeyourgreatcharm;Irespectyournaturaltalents,andtherefinementtheyhavebroughtintoyournature——theyarequiteenough,andmorethanenoughforme!Theyareequaltoanythingeverrequiredofthemistressofaquietparsonage—house——theplaceinwhichIshallpassmydays,whereveritmaybesituated。OFancy,Ihavewatchedyou,criticizedyouevenseverely,broughtmyfeelingstothelightofjudgment,andstillhavefoundthemrational,andsuchasanymanmighthaveexpectedtobeinspiredwithbyawomanlikeyou!Sothereisnothinghurried,secret,oruntowardinmydesiretodothis。Fancy,willyoumarryme?\"
Noanswerwasreturned。
\"Don’trefuse;don’t,\"heimplored。\"Itwouldbefoolishofyou——I
meancruel!Ofcoursewewouldnotlivehere,Fancy。IhavehadforalongtimetheofferofanexchangeoflivingswithafriendinYorkshire,butIhavehithertorefusedonaccountofmymother。
Therewewouldgo。Yourmusicalpowersshallbestillfurtherdeveloped;youshallhavewhateverpianoforteyoulike;youshallhaveanything,Fancy,anythingtomakeyouhappy——pony—carriage,flowers,birds,pleasantsociety;yes,youhaveenoughinyouforanysociety,afterafewmonthsoftravelwithme!Willyou,Fancy,marryme?\"
Anotherpauseensued,variedonlybythesurgingoftherainagainstthewindow——panes,andthenFancyspoke,inafaintandbrokenvoice。
\"Yes,Iwill,\"shesaid。
\"Godblessyou,myown!\"Headvancedquickly,andputhisarmouttoembraceher。Shedrewbackhastily。\"Nono,notnow!\"shesaidinanagitatedwhisper。\"Therearethings;——butthetemptationis,O,toostrong,andIcan’tresistitIcan’ttellyounow,butI
musttellyou!Don’t,please,don’tcomenearmenow!Iwanttothink,IcanscarcelygetmyselfusedtotheideaofwhatIhavepromisedyet。\"Thenextminutesheturnedtoadesk,buriedherfaceinherhands,andburstintoahystericalfitofweeping。\"O,leavemetomyself!\"shesobbed;\"leaveme!O,leaveme!\"
\"Don’tbedistressed;don’t,dearest!\"Itwaswithvisibledifficultythatherestrainedhimselffromapproachingher。\"Youshalltellmeatyourleisurewhatitisthatgrievesyouso;Iamhappy——beyondallmeasurehappy!——athavingyoursimplepromise。\"
\"Anddogoandleavemenow!\"
\"ButImustnot,injusticetoyou,leaveforaminute,untilyouareyourselfagain。\"
\"Therethen,\"shesaid,controllingheremotion,andstandingup;\"I
amnotdisturbednow。\"
Hereluctantlymovedtowardsthedoor。\"Good—bye!\"hemurmuredtenderly。\"I’llcometo—morrowaboutthistime。\"
CHAPTERVII:SECONDTHOUGHTS
Thenextmorningthevicarroseearly。ThefirstthinghedidwastowritealongandcarefullettertohisfriendinYorkshire。
Then,eatingalittlebreakfast,hecrossedthemeadowsinthedirectionofCasterbridge,bearinghisletterinhispocket,thathemightpostitatthetownoffice,andobviatethelossofonedayinitstransmissionthatwouldhaveresultedhadheleftitforthefoot—postthroughthevillage。
Itwasafoggymorning,andthetreesshedinnoisywater—dropsthemoisturetheyhadcollectedfromthethickair,anacornoccasionallyfallingfromitscuptotheground,incompanywiththedrippings。Inthemeads,sheetsofspiders’—web,almostopaquewithwet,hunginfoldsoverthefences,andthefallingleavesappearedineveryvarietyofbrown,green,andyellowhue。
Alowandmerrywhistlingwasheardonthehighwayhewasapproaching,thenthelightfootstepsofamangoinginthesamedirectionashimself。Onreachingthejunctionofhispathwiththeroad,thevicarbeheldDickDewy’sopenandcheerfulface。Dickliftedhishat,andthevicarcameoutintothehighwaythatDickwaspursuing。
\"Good—morning,Dewy。Howwellyouarelooking!\"saidMr。Maybold。
\"Yes,sir,Iamwell——quitewell!IamgoingtoCasterbridgenow,togetSmart’scollar;weleftitthereSaturdaytoberepaired。\"
\"IamgoingtoCasterbridge,sowe’llwalktogether,\"thevicarsaid。DickgaveahopwithonefoottoputhimselfinstepwithMr。
Maybold,whoproceeded:\"IfancyIdidn’tseeyouatchurchyesterday,Dewy。Orwereyoubehindthepier?\"
\"No;IwenttoCharmley。PoorJohnDunfordchosemetobeoneofhisbearersalongtimebeforehedied,andyesterdaywasthefuneral。OfcourseIcouldn’trefuse,thoughIshouldhavelikedparticularlytohavebeenathomeas’twasthedayofthenewmusic。\"
\"Yes,youshouldhavebeen。Themusicalportionoftheservicewassuccessful——verysuccessfulindeed;andwhatismoretothepurpose,noill—feelingwhateverwasevincedbyanyofthemembersoftheoldchoir。Theyjoinedinthesingingwiththegreatestgood—will。\"
\"’TwasnaturalenoughthatIshouldwanttobethere,Isuppose,\"
saidDick,smilingaprivatesmile;\"consideringwhotheorgan——
playerwas。\"
Atthisthevicarreddenedalittle,andsaid,\"Yes,yes,\"thoughnotatallcomprehendingDick’struemeaning,who,ashereceivednofurtherreply,continuedhesitatingly,andwithanothersmiledenotinghisprideasalover—
\"IsupposeyouknowwhatImean,sir?You’veheardaboutmeand——
MissDay?\"
TheredinMaybold’scountenancewentaway:heturnedandlookedDickintheface。
\"No,\"hesaidconstrainedly,\"I’veheardnothingwhateveraboutyouandMissDay。\"
\"Why,she’smysweetheart,andwearegoingtobemarriednextMidsummer。Wearekeepingitratherclosejustatpresent,because’tisagoodmanymonthstowait;butitisherfather’swishthatwedon’tmarrybefore,andofcoursewemustsubmit。Butthetime’illsoonslipalong。\"
\"Yes,thetimewillsoonslipalong——Timeglidesawayeveryday——
yes。\"
Mayboldsaidthesewords,buthehadnoideaofwhattheywere。Hewasconsciousofacoldandsicklythrillthroughouthim;andallhereasonedwasthisthattheyoungcreaturewhosegraceshadintoxicatedhimintomakingthemostimprudentresolutionofhislife,waslessanangelthanawoman。
\"Yousee,sir,\"continuedtheingenuousDick,\"’twillbebetterinonesense。Ishallbythattimebetheregularmanagerofabrancho’father’sbusiness,whichhasverymuchincreasedlately,andbusiness,whichwethinkofstartingelsewhere。Ithasverymuchincreasedlately,andweexpectnextyeartokeepa’extracoupleofhorses。We’vealreadyoureyeonone——brownasaberry,necklikearainbow,fifteenhands,andnotagrayhairinher——offeredusattwenty—fivewantacrown。AndtokippacewiththetimesIhavehadsomecardsprentedandIbegleavetohandyouone,sir。\"
\"Certainly,\"saidthevicar,mechanicallytakingthecardthatDickofferedhim。
\"IturninherebyGrey’sBridge,\"saidDick。\"Isupposeyougostraightonanduptown?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Good—morning,sir。\"
\"Good—morning,Dewy。\"
Mayboldstoodstilluponthebridge,holdingthecardasithadbeenputintohishand,andDick’sfootstepsdiedawaytowardsDurnoverMill。Thevicar’sfirstvoluntaryactionwastoreadthecardDEWYANDSON,TRANTERSANDHAULIERS,MELLSTOCK。