友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!阅读过程发现任何错误请告诉我们,谢谢!! 报告错误
九色书籍 返回本书目录 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 进入书吧 加入书签

villa rubein and other stories-第39章

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!




are in each of us; so sacred that they melt away at the approach of

words。



I shall remember her like thatwith the gleam of a smile in her

half…closed eyes; her red lips partedsuch a quaint look of mockery;

pleasure; regret; on her little round; upturned face; the room white;

and fresh with flowers; the breeze guttering the apple…leaves against

the window。  In the night they had unhooked the violin and taken it

away; she had not missed it。。。。  When Dan came; I gave up my place to

him。  He took her hand gently in his great paw; without speaking。



〃How small my hand looks there;〃 she said; 〃too small。〃  Dan put it

softly back on the bedclothes and wiped his forehead。  Pasiance cried

in a sharp whisper: 〃Is it so hot in here?  I didn't know。〃  Dan bent

down; put his lips to her fingers and left the room。



The afternoon was long; the longest I've ever spent。  Sometimes she

seemed to sleep; sometimes whispered to herself about her mother; her

grandfather; the garden; or her catsall sorts of inconsequent;

trivial; even ludicrous memories seemed to throng her mindnever

once; I think; did she speak of Zachary; but; now and then; she asked

the time。。。。  Each hour she grew visibly weaker。  John Ford sat by

her without moving; his heavy breathing was often the only sound;

sometimes she rubbed her fingers on his hand; without speaking。  It

was a summary of their lives together。  Once he prayed aloud for her

in a hoarse voice; then her pitiful; impatient eyes signed to me。



〃Quick;〃 she whispered; 〃I want him; it's all socold。〃



I went out and ran down the path towards the cove。



Leaning on a gate stood Zachary; an hour before his time; dressed in

the same old blue clothes and leather…peaked cap as on the day when I

saw him first。  He knew nothing of what had happened。  But at a

quarter of the truth; I'm sure he divined the whole; though he would

not admit it to himself。  He kept saying; 〃It can't be。  She'll be

well in a few daysa sprain! D' you think the sea…voyage。。。。  Is she

strong enough to be moved now at once?〃



It was painful to see his face; so twisted by the struggle between

his instinct and his vitality。  The sweat poured down his forehead。

He turned round as we walked up the path; and pointed out to sea。

There was his steamer。  〃I could get her on board in no time。

Impossible!  What is it; then?  Spine?  Good God!  The doctors。。。。

Sometimes they'll do wonders!〃  It was pitiful to see his efforts to

blind himself to the reality。



〃It can't be; she's too young。  We're walking very slow。〃  I told him

she was dying。



For a second I thought he was going to run away。  Then he jerked up

his head; and rushed on towards the house。  At the foot of the

staircase he gripped me by the shoulder。



〃It's not true!〃 he said; 〃she'll get better now I'm here。  I'll

stay。  Let everything go。  I'll stay。〃



〃Now's the time;〃 I said; 〃to show you loved her。  Pull yourself

together; man!〃  He shook all over。



〃Yes!〃 was all he answered。  We went into her room。  It seemed

impossible she was going to die; the colour was bright in her cheeks;

her lips trembling and pouted as if she had just been kissed; her

eyes gleaming; her hair so dark and crisp; her face so young。。。。



Half an hour later I stole to the open door of her room。  She was

still and white as the sheets of her bed。  John Ford stood at the

foot; and; bowed to the level of the pillows; his head on his

clenched fists; sat Zachary。  It was utterly quiet。  The guttering of

the leaves had ceased。  When things have come to a crisis; how little

one feelsno fear; no pity; no sorrow; rather the sense; as when a

play is over; of anxiety to get away!



Suddenly Zachary rose; brushed past me without seeing; and ran

downstairs。



Some hours later I went out on the path leading to the cove。  It was

pitch…black; the riding light of the Pied Witch was still there;

looking no bigger than a firefly。  Then from in front I heard

sobbinga man's sobs; no sound is quite so dreadful。  Zachary Pearse

got up out of the bank not ten paces off。



I had no heart to go after him; and sat down in the hedge。  There was

something subtly akin to her in the fresh darkness of the young

night; the soft bank; the scent of honeysuckle; the touch of the

ferns and brambles。  Death comes to all of us; and when it's over

it's over; but this blind businessof those left behind



A little later the ship whistled twice; her starboard light gleamed

faintlyand that was all。。。。









VIII



〃TORQUAY; 30th October 。



。。。。Do you remember the letters I wrote you from Moor Farm nearly

three years ago?  To…day I rode over there。  I stopped at Brixham on

the way for lunch; and walked down to the quay。  There had been a

showerbut the sun was out again; shining on the sea; the brown…red

sails; and the rampart of slate roofs。



A trawler was lying there; which had evidently been in a collision。

The spiky…bearded; thin…lipped fellow in torn blue jersey and sea…

boots who was superintending the repairs; said to me a little

proudly:



〃Bane in collision; zurr; like to zee over her?〃  Then suddenly

screwing up his little blue eyes; he added:



〃Why; I remembers yu。  Steered yu along o' the young lady in this yer

very craft。〃



It was Prawle; Zachary Pearse's henchman。



〃Yes;〃 he went on; 〃that's the cutter。〃



〃And Captain Pearse?〃



He leant his back against the quay; and spat。  〃He was a pra…aper

man; I never zane none like 'en。〃



〃Did you do any good out there?〃



Prawle gave me a sharp glance。



〃Gude?  No; t'was arrm we done; vrom ztart to finishhad trouble all

the time。  What a man cude du; the skipper did。  When yu caan't du

right; zome calls it 'Providence'!  'Tis all my eye an' Betty Martin!

What I zay es; 'tis these times; there's such a dale o' folk; a dale

of puzzivantin' fellers; the world's to small。〃



With these words there flashed across me a vision of Drake crushed

into our modern life by the shrinkage of the world; Drake caught in

the meshes of red tape; electric wires; and all the lofty appliances

of our civilization。  Does a type survive its age; live on into times

that have no room for it?  The blood is thereand sometimes there's

a throw…back。。。。  All fancy!  Eh?



〃So;〃 I said; 〃you failed?〃



Prawle wriggled。



〃I wudden' goo for to zay that; zurr'tis an ugly word。  Da…am!〃 he

added; staring at his boots; 〃'twas thru me tu。  We were along among

the haythen; and I mus' nades goo for to break me leg。  The capt'n he

wudden' lave me。  'One Devon man;' he says to me; 'don' lave

anotherr。'  We werr six days where we shuld ha' been tu; when we got

back to the ship a cruiser had got her for gun…runnin'。〃



〃And what has become of Captain Pearse?〃



Prawle answered; 〃Zurr; I belave 'e went to China; 'tis onsartin。〃



〃He's not dead?〃



Prawle looked at me with a kind of uneasy anger。



〃Yu cudden' kell 'en!  'Tis true; mun 'll die zome day。  But therr's

not a one that'll show better zport than Capt'n Zach'ry Pearse。〃



I believe that; he will be hard to kill。  The vision of him comes up;

with his perfect balance; defiant eyes; and sweetish smile; the way

the hair of his beard crisped a little; and got blacker on the

cheeks; the sort of desperate feeling he gave; that one would never

get the better of him; that he would never get the better of himself。



I took leave of Prawle and half a crown。  Before I was off the quay I

heard him saying to a lady; 〃Bane in collision; marm!  Like to zee

over her?〃



After lunch I rode on to Moor。  The old place looked much the same;

but the apple…trees were stripped of fruit; and their leaves

beginning to go yellow and fall。  One of Pasiance's cats passed me in

the orchard hunting a bird; still with a ribbon round its neck。  John

Ford showed me all his latest improvements; but never by word or sign

alluded to the past。  He inquired after Dan; back in New Zealand now;

without much interest; his stubbly beard and hair have whitened; he

has grown very stout; and I noticed that his legs are not well under

control; he often stops to lean on his stick。  He was very ill last

winter; and sometimes; they say; will go straight off to sleep in the

middle of a sentence。



I managed to get a few minutes with the Hopgoods。  We talked of

Pasiance sitting in the kitchen under a row of plates; with that

clinging smell of wood…smoke; bacon; and age bringing up memories; as

nothing but scents can。  The dear old lady's hair; drawn so nicely

down her forehead on each side from the centre of her cap; has a few

thin silver lines; and her face is a thought more wrinkled。  The

tears still come into her eyes when she talks of her 〃lamb。〃



Of Zachary I heard nothing; but she told me of old Pearse's death。



〃Therr they found 'en; zo to spake; deadin th' sun; but Ha…apgood

can tell yu;〃 and Hop
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!