还乡The Return Of The Native-第79节

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though　he　meant　to　adhere　to　Eustacia’s　instructions　to　the　letter；　to　deposit　her　where　she　wished　and　to　leave　her；　should　that　be　her　will；　the　spell　that　she　had　cast　over　him　intensified；　and　his　heart　was　beating　fast　in　the　anticipated　futility　of　such　mands　in　the　face　of　a　mutual　wish　that　they　should　throw　in　their　lot　together。
He　would　not　allow　himself　to　dwell　long　upon　these　conjectures；　maxims；　and　hopes；　and　at　twenty　minutes　to　twelve　he　again　went　softly　to　the　stable；　harnessed　the　horse；　and　lit　the　lamps；　whence；　taking　the　horse　by　the　head；　he　led　him　with　the　covered　car　out　of　the　yard　to　a　spot　by　the　roadside　some　quarter　of　a　mile　below　the　inn。　
Here　Wildeve　waited；　slightly　sheltered　from　the　driving　rain　by　a　high　bank　that　had　been　cast　up　at　this　place。　　Along　the　surface　of　the　road　where　lit　by　the　lamps　the　loosened　gravel　and　small　stones　scudded　and　clicked　together　before　the　wind；　which；　leaving　them　in　heaps；　plunged　into　the　heath　and　boomed　across　the　bushes　into　darkness。　　Only　one　sound　rose　above　this　din　of　weather；　and　that　was　the　roaring　of　a　ten…hatch　weir　to　the　southward；　from　a　river　in　the　meads　which　formed　the　boundary　of　the　heath　in　this　direction。　
He　lingered　on　in　perfect　stillness　till　he　began　to　fancy　that　the　midnight　hour　must　have　struck。　　A　very　strong　doubt　had　arisen　in　his　mind　if　Eustacia　would　venture　down　the　hill　in　such　weather；　yet　knowing　her　nature　he　felt　that　she　might。　　“Poor　thing！　‘tis　like　her　ill…luck；”　he　murmured。　
At　length　he　turned　to　the　lamp　and　looked　at　his　watch。　
To　his　surprise　it　was　nearly　a　quarter　past　midnight。　　He　now　wished　that　he　had　driven　up　the　circuitous　road　to　Mistover；　a　plan　not　adopted　because　of　the　enormous　length　of　the　route　in　proportion　to　that　of　the　pedestrian’s　path　down　the　open　hillside；　and　the　consequent　increase　of　labour　for　the　horse。　
At　this　moment　a　footstep　approached；　but　the　light　of　the　lamps　being　in　a　different　direction　the　er　was　not　visible。　　The　step　paused；　then　came　on　again。　
“Eustacia？”　said　Wildeve。　
The　person　came　forward；　and　the　light　fell　upon　the　form　of　Clym；　glistening　with　wet；　whom　Wildeve　immediately　recognized；　but　Wildeve；　who　stood　behind　the　lamp；　was　not　at　once　recognized　by　Yeobright。
He　stopped　as　if　in　doubt　whether　this　waiting　vehicle　could　have　anything　to　do　with　the　flight　of　his　wife　or　not。　　The　sight　of　Yeobright　at　once　banished　Wildeve’s　sober　feelings；　who　saw　him　again　as　the　deadly　rival　from　whom　Eustacia　was　to　be　kept　at　all　hazards。　　Hence　Wildeve　did　not　speak；　in　the　hope　that　Clym　would　pass　by　without　particular　inquiry。　
While　they　both　hung　thus　in　hesitation　a　dull　sound　became　audible　above　the　storm　and　wind。　　Its　origin　was　unmistakable—it　was　the　fall　of　a　body　into　the　stream　in　the　adjoining　mead；　apparently　at　a　point　near　the　weir。　
Both　started。　　“Good　God！　can　it　be　she？”　said　Clym。　
“Why　should　it　be　she？”　said　Wildeve；　in　his　alarm　forgetting　that　he　had　hitherto　screened　himself。　
“Ah！that’s　you；　you　traitor；　is　it？”　cried　Yeobright。　　“Why　should　it　be　she？　　Because　last　week　she　would　have　put　an　end　to　her　life　if　she　had　been　able。　　She　ought　to　have　been　watched！　Take　one　of　the　lamps　and　e　with　me。”
Yeobright　seized　the　one　on　his　side　and　hastened　on；
Wildeve　did　not　wait　to　unfasten　the　other；　but　followed　at　once　along　the　meadow　track　to　the　weir；　a　little　in　the　rear　of　Clym。　
Shadwater　Weir　had　at　its　foot　a　large　circular　pool；　fifty　feet　in　diameter；　into　which　the　water　flowed　through　ten　huge　hatches；　raised　and　lowered　by　a　winch　and　cogs　in　the　ordinary　manner。　　The　sides　of　the　pool　were　of　masonry；　to　prevent　the　water　from　washing　away　the　bank；　but　the　force　of　the　stream　in　winter　was　sometimes　such　as　to　undermine　the　retaining　wall　and　precipitate　it　into　the　hole。　　Clym　reached　the　hatches；　the　framework　of　which　was　shaken　to　its　foundations　by　the　velocity　of　the　current。　　Nothing　but　the　froth　of　the　waves　could　be　discerned　in　the　pool　below。　　He　got　upon　the　plank　bridge　over　the　race；　and　holding　to　the　rail；　that　the　wind　might　not　blow　him　off；　crossed　to　the　other　side　of　the　river。　　There　he　leant　over　the　wall　and　lowered　the　lamp；　only　to　behold　the　vortex　formed　at　the　curl　of　the　returning　current。　
Wildeve　meanwhile　had　arrived　on　the　former　side；　and　the　light　from　Yeobright’s　lamp　shed　a　flecked　and　agitated　radiance　across　the　weir　pool；　revealing　to　the　ex…engineer　the　tumbling　courses　of　the　currents　from　the　hatches　above。　　Across　this　gashed　and　puckered　mirror　a　dark　body　was　slowly　borne　by　one　of　the　backward　currents。　
“O；　my　darling！”　exclaimed　Wildeve　in　an　agonized　voice；　and；　without　showing　sufficient　presence　of　mind　even　to　throw　off　his　greatcoat；　he　leaped　into　the　boiling　caldron。　
Yeobright　could　now　also　discern　the　floating　body；　though　but　indistinctly；　and　imagining　from　Wildeve’s　plunge　that　there　was　life　to　be　saved　he　was　about　to　leap　after。　　Bethinking　himself　of　a　wiser　plan；　he　placed　the　lamp　against　a　post　to　make　it　stand　upright；　and　running　round　to　the　lower　part　of　the　pool；　where　there　was　no　wall；　he　sprang　in　and　boldly　waded　upwards　towards　the　deeper　portion。　　Here　he　was　taken　off　his　legs；　and　in　swimming　was　carried　round　into　the　centre　of　the　basin；　where　he　perceived　Wildeve　struggling。　
While　these　hasty　actions　were　in　progress　here；　Venn　and　Thomasin　had　been　toiling　through　the　lower　corner　of　the　heath　in　the　direction　of　the　light。　　They　had　not　been　near　enough　to　the　river　to　hear　the　plunge；　but　they　saw　the　removal　of　the　carriage　lamp；　and　watched　its　motion　into　the　mead。　　As　soon　as　they　reached　the　car　and　horse　Venn　guessed　that　something　new　was　amiss；　and　hastened　to　follow　in　the　course　of　the　moving　light。　　Venn　walked　faster　than　Thomasin；　and　came　to　the　weir　alone。　
The　lamp　placed　against　the　post　by　Clym　still　shone　across　the　water；　and　the　reddleman　observed　something　floating　motionless。　　Being　encumbered　with　the　infant；　he　ran　back　to　meet　Thomasin。
“Take　the　baby；　please；　Mrs。　Wildeve；”　he　said　hastily。　　“Run　home　with　her；　call　the　stable　lad；　and　make　him　send　down　to　me　any　men　who　may　be　living　near。　　Somebody　has　fallen　into　the　weir。”
Thomasin　took　the　child　and　ran。　　When　she　came　to　the　covered　car　the　horse；　though　fresh　from　the　stable；　was　standing　perfectly　still；　as　if　conscious　of　misfortune。　　She　saw　for　the　first　time　whose　it　was。　　She　nearly　fainted；　and　would　have　been　unable　to　proceed　another　step　but　that　the　necessity　of　preserving　the　little　girl　from　harm　nerved　her　to　an　amazing　self…control。　In　this　agony　of　suspense　she　entered　the　house；　put　the　baby　in　a　place　of　safety；　woke　the　lad　and　the　female　domestic；　and　ran　out　to　give　the　alarm　at　the　nearest　cottage。　
Diggory；　having　returned　to　the　brink　of　the　pool；　observed　that　the　small　upper　hatches　or　floats　were　withdrawn。　　He　found　one　of　these　lying　upon　the　grass；　and　taking　it　under　one　arm；　and　with　his　lantern　in　his　hand；　entered　at　the　bottom　of　the　pool　as　Clym　had　done。　　As　soon　as　he　began　to　be　in　deep　water　he　flung　himself　across　the　hatch；　thus　supported　he　was　able　to　keep　afloat　as　long　as　he　chose；　holding　the　lantern　aloft　with　his　disengaged　hand。　　Propelled　by　his　feet；　he　steered　round　and　round　the　pool；　ascending　each　time　by　one　of　the　back　streams　and　descending　in　the　middle　of　the　current。　
At　first　he　could　see　nothing。　　Then　amidst　the　glistening　of　the　whirlpools　and　the　white　clots　of　foam　he　distinguished　a　woman’s　bonnet　floating　alone。　　His　search　was　now　under　the　left　wall；　when　something　came　to　the　surface　almost　close　beside　him。　　It　was　not；　as　he　had　expected；　a　woman；　but　a　man。　　The　reddleman　put　the　ring　of　the　lantern　between　his　teeth；　seized　the　floating　man　by　the　collar；　and；　holding　on　to　the　hatch　with　his　remaining　arm；　struck　out　into　the　strongest　race；　by　which　the　unconscious　man；　the　hatch；　and　himself　were　carried　down　the　stream。　　As　soon　as　Venn　found　his　feet　dragging　over　the　pebbles　of　the　shallower　part　below　he　secured　his　footing　and　waded　towards　the　brink。　　There；　where　the　water　stood　at　about　the　height　of　his　waist；　he　flung　away　the　hatch；　and　attempted　to　drag　forth　the　man。　　This　was　a　matter　of　great　difficulty；　and　he　found　as　the　reason　that　the　legs　of　the　unfortunate　stranger　were　tightly　embraced　by　the　arms　of　another　man；　who　had　hitherto　been　entirely　beneath　the　surface。　
At　this　moment　his　heart　bounded　to　hear　footsteps　running　towards　him；　and　two　men；　roused　by　Thomasin；　appeared　at　the　brink　above。　　They　ran　to　where　Venn　was；　and　helped　him　in　lifting　out　the　apparently　drowned　persons；　separating　them；　and　laying　them　out　upon　the　grass。　　Venn　turned　the　light　upon　their　faces。　　The　one　who　had　been　uppermost　was　Yeobright；　he　who　had　been　pletely　submerged　was　Wildeve。　
“Now　we　must　search　the　hole　again；”　said　Venn。　
“A　woman　is　in　there　somewhere。　　Get　a　pole。”
One　of　the　men　went　to　the　footbridge　and　tore　off　the　handrail。　　The　reddleman　and　the　two　others　then　entered　the　water　together　from　below　as　before；　and　with　their　united　force　probed　the　pool　forwards　to　where　it　slope