还乡The Return Of The Native-第76节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　have　been　but　little　more　buoyant；　so　fearfully　malignant　were　other　things。　　She　uttered　words　aloud。　　When　a　woman　in　such　a　situation；　neither　old；　deaf；　crazed；　nor　whimsical；　takes　upon　herself　to　sob　and　soliloquize　aloud　there　is　something　grievous　the　matter。　
“Can　I　go；　can　I　go？”　she　moaned。　　“He’s　not　GREAT　enough　for　me　to　give　myself　to—he　does　not　suffice　for　my　desire！。。。If　he　had　been　a　Saul　or　a　Bonaparte—　ah！　But　to　break　my　marriage　vow　for　him—it　is　too　poor　a　luxury！。。。And　I　have　no　money　to　go　alone！　And　if　I　could；　what　fort　to　me？　　I　must　drag　on　next　year；　as　I　have　dragged　on　this　year；　and　the　year　after　that　as　before。　　How　I　have　tried　and　tried　to　be　a　splendid　woman；　and　how　destiny　has　been　against　me！。。。I　do　not　deserve　my　lot！”　she　cried　in　a　frenzy　of　bitter　revolt。　　“O；　the　cruelty　of　putting　me　into　this　ill…conceived　world！　I　was　capable　of　much；　but　I　have　been　injured　and　blighted　and　crushed　by　things　beyond　my　control！　O；　how　hard　it　is　of　Heaven　to　devise　such　tortures　for　me；　who　have　done　no　harm　to　Heaven　at　all！”

The　distant　light　which　Eustacia　had　cursorily　observed　in　leaving　the　house　came；　as　she　had　divined；　from　the　cottage　window　of　Susan　Nunsuch。　　What　Eustacia　did　not　divine　was　the　occupation　of　the　woman　within　at　that　moment。　　Susan’s　sight　of　her　passing　figure　earlier　in　the　evening；　not　five　minutes　after　the　sick　boy’s　exclamation；　“Mother；　I　do　feel　so　bad！”　persuaded　the　matron　that　an　evil　influence　was　certainly　exercised　by　Eustacia’s　propinquity。　
On　this　account　Susan　did　not　go　to　bed　as　soon　as　the　evening’s　work　was　over；　as　she　would　have　done　at　ordinary　times。　　To　counteract　the　malign　spell　which　she　imagined　poor　Eustacia　to　be　working；　the　boy’s　mother　busied　herself　with　a　ghastly　invention　of　superstition；　calculated　to　bring　powerlessness；　atrophy；　and　annihilation　on　any　human　being　against　whom　it　was　directed。　　It　was　a　practice　well　known　on　Egdon　at　that　date；　and　one　that　is　not　quite　extinct　at　the　present　day。　
She　passed　with　her　candle　into　an　inner　room；　where；　among　other　utensils；　were　two　large　brown　pans；　containing　together　perhaps　a　hundredweight　of　liquid　honey；　the　produce　of　the　bees　during　the　foregoing　summer。　　On　a　shelf　over　the　pans　was　a　smooth　and　solid　yellow　mass　of　a　hemispherical　form；　consisting　of　beeswax　from　the　same　take　of　honey。　　Susan　took　down　the　lump；　and　cutting　off　several　thin　slices；　heaped　them　in　an　iron　ladle；　with　which　she　returned　to　the　living…room；　and　placed　the　vessel　in　the　hot　ashes　of　the　fireplace。　　As　soon　as　the　wax　had　softened　to　the　plasticity　of　dough　she　kneaded　the　pieces　together。　　And　now　her　face　became　more　intent。　　She　began　moulding　the　wax；　and　it　was　evident　from　her　manner　of　manipulation　that　she　was　endeavouring　to　give　it　some　preconceived　form。　　The　form　was　human。　
By　warming　and　kneading；　cutting　and　twisting；　dismembering　and　re…joining　the　incipient　image　she　had　in　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　produced　a　shape　which　tolerably　well　resembled　a　woman；　and　was　about　six　inches　high。　　She　laid　it　on　the　table　to　get　cold　and　hard。　　Meanwhile　she　took　the　candle　and　went　upstairs　to　where　the　little　boy　was　lying。　
“Did　you　notice；　my　dear；　what　Mrs。　Eustacia　wore　this　afternoon　besides　the　dark　dress？”
“A　red　ribbon　round　her　neck。”
“Anything　else？”
“No—except　sandal…shoes。”
“A　red　ribbon　and　sandal…shoes；”　she　said　to　herself。　
Mrs。　Nunsuch　went　and　searched　till　she　found　a　fragment　of　the　narrowest　red　ribbon；　which　she　took　downstairs　and　tied　round　the　neck　of　the　image。　　Then　fetching　ink　and　a　quilt　from　the　rickety　bureau　by　the　window；　she　blackened　the　feet　of　the　image　to　the　extent　presumably　covered　by　shoes；　and　on　the　instep　of　each　foot　marked　cross…lines　in　the　shape　taken　by　the　sandalstrings　of　those　days。　　Finally　she　tied　a　bit　of　black　thread　round　the　upper　part　of　the　head；　in　faint　resemblance　to　a　snood　worn　for　confining　the　hair。
Susan　held　the　object　at　arm’s　length　and　contemplated　it　with　a　satisfaction　in　which　there　was　no　smile。　　To　anybody　acquainted　with　the　inhabitants　of　Egdon　Heath　the　image　would　have　suggested　Eustacia　Yeobright。　
From　her　workbasket　in　the　window…seat　the　woman　took　a　paper　of　pins；　of　the　old　long　and　yellow　sort；　whose　heads　were　disposed　to　e　off　at　their　first　usage。　　These　she　began　to　thrust　into　the　image　in　all　directions；　with　apparently　excruciating　energy。　　Probably　as　many　as　fifty　were　thus　inserted；　some　into　the　head　of　the　wax　model；　some　into　the　shoulders；　some　into　the　trunk；　some　upwards　through　the　soles　of　the　feet；　till　the　figure　was　pletely　permeated　with　pins。　
She　turned　to　the　fire。　　It　had　been　of　turf；　and　though　the　high　heap　of　ashes　which　turf　fires　produce　was　somewhat　dark　and　dead　on　the　outside；　upon　raking　it　abroad　with　the　shovel　the　inside　of　the　mass　showed　a　glow　of　red　heat。　　She　took　a　few　pieces　of　fresh　turf　from　the　chimney…corner　and　built　them　together　over　the　glow；　upon　which　the　fire　brightened。　　Seizing　with　the　tongs　the　image　that　she　had　made　of　Eustacia；　she　held　it　in　the　heat；　and　watched　it　as　it　began　to　waste　slowly　away。　　And　while　she　stood　thus　engaged　there　came　from　between　her　lips　a　murmur　of　words。　
It　was　a　strange　jargon—the　Lord’s　Prayer　repeated　backwards—the　incantation　usual　in　proceedings　for　obtaining　unhallowed　assistance　against　an　enemy。　　Susan　uttered　the　lugubrious　discourse　three　times　slowly；　and　when　it　was　pleted　the　image　had　considerably　diminished。　　As　the　wax　dropped　into　the　fire　a　long　flame　arose　from　the　spot；　and　curling　its　tongue　round　the　figure　ate　still　further　into　its　substance。　　A　pin　occasionally　dropped　with　the　wax；　and　the　embers　heated　it　red　as　it　lay。　


8　… Rain；　Darkness；　and　Anxious　Wanderers


While　the　effigy　of　Eustacia　was　melting　to　nothing；　and　the　fair　woman　herself　was　standing　on　Rainbarrow；　her　soul　in　an　abyss　of　desolation　seldom　plumbed　by　one　so　young；　Yeobright　sat　lonely　at　Blooms…End。　He　had　fulfilled　his　word　to　Thomasin　by　sending　off　Fairway　with　the　letter　to　his　wife；　and　now　waited　with　increased　impatience　for　some　sound　or　signal　of　her　return。　　Were　Eustacia　still　at　Mistover　the　very　least　he　expected　was　that　she　would　send　him　back　a　reply　tonight　by　the　same　hand；　though；　to　leave　all　to　her　inclination；　he　had　cautioned　Fairway　not　to　ask　for　an　answer。　　If　one　were　handed　to　him　he　was　to　bring　it　immediately；　if　not；　he　was　to　go　straight　home　without　troubling　to　e　round　to　Blooms…End　again　that　night。　
But　secretly　Clym　had　a　more　pleasing　hope。　　Eustacia　might　possibly　decline　to　use　her　pen—it　was　rather　her　way　to　work　silently—and　surprise　him　by　appearing　at　his　door。　　How　fully　her　mind　was　made　up　to　do　otherwise　he　did　not　know。
To　Clym’s　regret　it　began　to　rain　and　blow　hard　as　the　evening　advanced。　　The　wind　rasped　and　scraped　at　the　corners　of　the　house；　and　filliped　the　eavesdroppings　like　peas　against　the　panes。　　He　walked　restlessly　about　the　untenanted　rooms；　stopping　strange　noises　in　windows　and　doors　by　jamming　splinters　of　wood　into　the　casements　and　crevices；　and　pressing　together　the　leadwork　of　the　quarries　where　it　had　bee　loosened　from　the　glass。　　It　was　one　of　those　nights　when　cracks　in　the　walls　of　old　churches　widen；　when　ancient　stains　on　the　ceilings　of　decayed　manor　houses　are　renewed　and　enlarged　from　the　size　of　a　man’s　hand　to　an　area　of　many　feet。　　The　little　gate　in　the　palings　before　his　dwelling　continually　opened　and　clicked　together　again；　but　when　he　looked　out　eagerly　nobody　was　there；　it　was　as　if　invisible　shapes　of　the　dead　were　passing　in　on　their　way　to　visit　him。　
Between　ten　and　eleven　o’clock；　finding　that　neither　Fairway　nor　anybody　else　came　to　him；　he　retired　to　rest；　and　despite　his　anxieties　soon　fell　asleep。　　His　sleep；　however；　was　not　very　sound；　by　reason　of　the　expectancy　he　had　given　way　to；　and　he　was　easily　awakened　by　a　knocking　which　began　at　the　door　about　an　hour　after。　　Clym　arose　and　looked　out　of　the　window。　　Rain　was　still　falling　heavily；　the　whole　expanse　of　heath　before　him　emitting　a　subdued　hiss　under　the　downpour。　　It　was　too　dark　to　see　anything　at　all。　
“Who’s　there？”　he　cried。　
Light　footsteps　shifted　their　position　in　the　porch；　and　he　could　just　distinguish　in　a　plaintive　female　voice　the　words；　“O　Clym；　e　down　and　let　me　in！”
He　flushed　hot　with　agitation。　　“Surely　it　is　Eustacia！”　he　murmured。　　If　so；　she　had　indeed　e　to　him　unawares。　
He　hastily　got　a　light；　dressed　himself；　and　went　down。　　On　his　flinging　open　the　door　the　rays　of　the　candle　fell　upon　a　woman　closely　wrapped　up；　who　at　once　came　forward。　
“Thomasin！”　he　exclaimed　in　an　indescribable　tone　of　disappointment。　　“It　is　Thomasin；　and　on　such　a　night　as　this！　O；　where　is　Eustacia？”
Thomasin　it　was；　wet；　frightened；　and　panting。　
“Eustacia？　　I　don’t　know；　Clym；　but　I　can　think；”　she　said　with　much　perturbation。　　“Let　me　e　in　and　rest—I　will　explain　this。　　There　is　a　great　trouble　brewing—my　husband　and　Eustacia！”
“What；　what？”
“I　think　my　husband　is　going　to　leave　me　or　do　something　dreadful—I　don’t　know　what—Clym；　will　you　go　and　see