还乡The Return Of The Native-第82节
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Clym was curious enough to advance a little further and look in at the window。 To his astonishment there stood within the room Diggory Venn； no longer a reddleman； but exhibiting the strangely altered hues of an ordinary Christian countenance； white shirt…front； light flowered waistcoat； blue…spotted neckerchief； and bottle…green coat。 Nothing in this appearance was at all singular but the fact of its great difference from what he had formerly been。 Red； and all approach to red； was carefully excluded from every article of clothes upon him； for what is there that persons just out of harness dread so much as reminders of the trade which has enriched them？
Yeobright went round to the door and entered。
“I was so alarmed！” said Thomasin； smiling from one to the other。 “I couldn’t believe that he had got white of his own accord！ It seemed supernatural。”
“I gave up dealing in reddle last Christmas；” said Venn。 “It was a profitable trade； and I found that by that time I had made enough to take the dairy of fifty cows that my father had in his lifetime。 I always thought of getting to that place again if I changed at all； and now I am there。”
“How did you manage to bee white； Diggory？” Thomasin asked。
“I turned so by degrees； ma’am。”
“You look much better than ever you did before。”
Venn appeared confused； and Thomasin； seeing how inadvertently she had spoken to a man who might possibly have tender feelings for her still； blushed a little。 Clym saw nothing of this； and added good…humouredly—
“What shall we have to frighten Thomasin’s baby with； now you have bee a human being again？”
“Sit down； Diggory；” said Thomasin； “and stay to tea。”
Venn moved as if he would retire to the kitchen； when Thomasin said with pleasant pertness as she went on with some sewing； “Of course you must sit down here。 And where does your fifty…cow dairy lie； Mr。 Venn？”
“At Stickleford—about two miles to the right of Alderworth； ma’am； where the meads begin。 I have thought that if Mr。 Yeobright would like to pay me a visit sometimes he shouldn’t stay away for want of asking。 I’ll not bide to tea this afternoon； thank’ee； for I’ve got something on hand that must be settled。 ‘Tis Maypole…day tomorrow； and the Shadwater folk have clubbed with a few of your neighbours here to have a pole just outside your palings in the heath； as it is a nice green place。” Venn waved his elbow towards the patch in front of the house。 “I have been talking to Fairway about it；” he continued； “and I said to him that before we put up the pole it would be as well to ask Mrs。 Wildeve。”
“I can say nothing against it；” she answered。 “Our property does not reach an inch further than the white palings。”
“But you might not like to see a lot of folk going crazy round a stick； under your very nose？”
“I shall have no objection at all。”
Venn soon after went away； and in the evening Yeobright strolled as far as Fairway’s cottage。 It was a lovely May sunset； and the birch trees which grew on this margin of the vast Egdon wilderness had put on their new leaves； delicate as butterflies’ wings； and diaphanous as amber。 Beside Fairway’s dwelling was an open space recessed from the road； and here were now collected all the young people from within a radius of a couple of miles。 The pole lay with one end supported on a trestle； and women were engaged in wreathing it from the top downwards with wild…flowers。 The instincts of merry England lingered on here with exceptional vitality； and the symbolic customs which tradition has attached to each season of the year were yet a reality on Egdon。 Indeed； the impulses of all such outlandish hamlets are pagan still—in these spots homage to nature； self…adoration； frantic gaieties； fragments of Teutonic rites to divinities whose names are forgotten； seem in some way or other to have survived mediaeval doctrine。
Yeobright did not interrupt the preparations； and went home again。 The next morning； when Thomasin withdrew the curtains of her bedroom window； there stood the Maypole in the middle of the green； its top cutting into the sky。 It had sprung up in the night； or rather early morning； like Jack’s bean…stalk。 She opened the casement to get a better view of the garlands and posies that adorned it。 The sweet perfume of the flowers had already spread into the surrounding air； which； being free from every taint； conducted to her lips a full measure of the fragrance received from the spire of blossom in its midst。 At the top of the pole were crossed hoops decked with small flowers； beneath these came a milk…white zone of Maybloom； then a zone of bluebells； then of cowslips； then of lilacs； then of ragged…robins； daffodils； and so on； till the lowest stage was reached。 Thomasin noticed all these； and was delighted that the May revel was to be so near。
When afternoon came people began to gather on the green； and Yeobright was interested enough to look out upon them from the open window of his room。 Soon after this Thomasin walked out from the door immediately below and turned her eyes up to her cousin’s face。 She was dressed more gaily than Yeobright had ever seen her dressed since the time of Wildeve’s death； eighteen months before； since the day of her marriage even she had not exhibited herself to such advantage。
“How pretty you look today； Thomasin！” he said。
“Is it because of the Maypole？”
“Not altogether。” And then she blushed and dropped her eyes； which he did not specially observe； though her manner seemed to him to be rather peculiar； considering that she was only addressing himself。 Could it be possible that she had put on her summer clothes to please him？
He recalled her conduct towards him throughout the last few weeks； when they had often been working together in the garden； just as they had formerly done when they were boy and girl under his mother’s eye。 What if her interest in him were not so entirely that of a relative as it had formerly been？ To Yeobright any possibility of this sort was a serious matter； and he almost felt troubled at the thought of it。 Every pulse of loverlike feeling which had not been stilled during Eustacia’s lifetime had gone into the grave with her。 His passion for her had occurred too far on in his manhood to leave fuel enough on hand for another fire of that sort； as may happen with more boyish loves。 Even supposing him capable of loving again； that love would be a plant of slow and laboured growth； and in the end only small and sickly； like an autumn…hatched bird。
He was so distressed by this new plexity that when the enthusiastic brass band arrived and struck up； which it did about five o’clock； with apparently wind enough among its members to blow down his house； he withdrew from his rooms by the back door； went down the garden； through the gate in the hedge； and away out of sight。 He could not bear to remain in the presence of enjoyment today； though he had tried hard。
Nothing was seen of him for four hours。 When he came back by the same path it was dusk； and the dews were coating every green thing。 The boisterous music had ceased； but； entering the premises as he did from behind； he could not see if the May party had all gone till he had passed through Thomasin’s division of the house to the front door。 Thomasin was standing within the porch alone。
She looked at him reproachfully。 “You went away just when it began； Clym；” she said。
“Yes。 I felt I could not join in。 You went out with them； of course？”
“No； I did not。”
“You appeared to be dressed on purpose。”
“Yes； but I could not go out alone； so many people were there。 One is there now。”
Yeobright strained his eyes across the dark…green patch beyond the paling； and near the black form of the Maypole he discerned a shadowy figure； sauntering idly up and down。 “Who is it？” he said。
“Mr。 Venn；” said Thomasin。
“You might have asked him to e in； I think； Tamsie。
He has been very kind to you first and last。”
“I will now；” she said； and； acting on the impulse； went through the wicket to where Venn stood under the Maypole。
“It is Mr。 Venn； I think？” she inquired。
Venn started as if he had not seen her—artful man that he was—and said； “Yes。”
“Will you e in？”
“I am afraid that I—“
“I have seen you dancing this evening； and you had the very best of the girls for your partners。 Is it that you won’t e in because you wish to stand here； and think over the past hours of enjoyment？”
“Well； that’s partly it；” said Mr。 Venn； with ostentatious sentiment。 “But the main reason why I am biding here like this is that I want to wait till the moon rises。”
“To see how pretty the Maypole looks in the moonlight？”
“No。 To look for a glove that was dropped by one of the maidens。”
Thomasin was speechless with surprise。 That a man who had to walk some four or five miles to his home should wait here for such a reason pointed to only one conclusion—the man must be amazingly interested in that glove’s owner。
“Were you dancing with her； Diggory？” she asked； in a voice which revealed that he had made himself considerably more interesting to her by this disclosure。
“No；” he sighed。
“And you will not e in； then？�
