under the greenwood tree-第17章

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hee！〃



They　all　assented　to　this；　not　with　any　sense　of　humiliating　Leaf　by

disparaging　him　after　an　open　confession；　but　because　it　was　an

accepted　thing　that　Leaf　didn't　in　the　least　mind　having　no　head；

that　deficiency　of　his　being　an　unimpassioned　matter　of　parish

history。



〃But　I　can　sing　my　treble！〃　continued　Thomas　Leaf；　quite　delighted

at　being　called　a　fool　in　such　a　friendly　way；　〃I　can　sing　my　treble

as　well　as　any　maid；　or　married　woman　either；　and　better！　　And　if

Jim　had　lived；　I　should　have　had　a　clever　brother！　　To…morrow　is

poor　Jim's　birthday。　　He'd　ha'　been　twenty…six　if　he'd　lived　till

to…morrow。〃



〃You　always　seem　very　sorry　for　Jim；〃　said　old　William　musingly。



〃Ah！　　I　do。　　Such　a　stay　to　mother　as　he'd　always　ha'　been！　　She'd

never　have　had　to　work　in　her　old　age　if　he　had　continued　strong；

poor　Jim！〃



〃What　was　his　age　when　'a　died？〃



〃Four　hours　and　twenty　minutes；　poor　Jim。　　'A　was　born　as　might　be

at　night；　and　'a　didn't　last　as　might　be　till　the　morning。　　No；　'a

didn't　last。　　Mother　called　en　Jim　on　the　day　that　would　ha'　been

his　christening　day　if　he　had　lived；　and　she's　always　thinking　about

en。　　You　see　he　died　so　very　young。〃



〃Well；　'twas　rather　youthful；〃　said　Michael。



〃Now　to　my　mind　that　woman　is　very　romantical　on　the　matter　o'

children？〃　said　the　tranter；　his　eye　sweeping　his　audience。



〃Ah；　well　she　mid　be；〃　said　Leaf。　　〃She　had　twelve　regular　one　after

another；　and　they　all；　except　myself；　died　very　young；　either　before

they　was　born　or　just　afterwards。〃



〃Pore　feller；　too。　　I　suppose　th'st　want　to　come　wi'　us？〃　the

tranter　murmured。



〃Well；　Leaf；　you　shall　come　wi'　us　as　yours　is　such　a　melancholy

family；〃　said　old　William　rather　sadly。



〃I　never　see　such　a　melancholy　family　as　that　afore　in　my　life；〃

said　Reuben。　　〃There's　Leaf's　mother；　poor　woman！　　Every　morning　I

see　her　eyes　mooning　out　through　the　panes　of　glass　like　a　pot…sick

winder…flower；　and　as　Leaf　sings　a　very　high　treble；　and　we　don't

know　what　we　should　do　without　en　for　upper　G；　we'll　let　en　come　as

a　trate；　poor　feller。〃



〃Ay；　we'll　let　en　come；　'a　b'lieve；〃　said　Mr。　Penny；　looking　up；　as

the　pull　happened　to　be　at　that　moment。



〃Now；〃　continued　the　tranter；　dispersing　by　a　new　tone　of　voice

these　digressions　about　Leaf；　〃as　to　going　to　see　the　pa'son；　one　of

us　might　call　and　ask　en　his　meaning；　and　'twould　be　just　as　well

done；　but　it　will　add　a　bit　of　flourish　to　the　cause　if　the　quire

waits　on　him　as　a　body。　　Then　the　great　thing　to　mind　is；　not　for

any　of　our　fellers　to　be　nervous；　so　before　starting　we'll　one　and

all　come　to　my　house　and　have　a　rasher　of　bacon；　then　every　man…jack

het　a　pint　of　cider　into　his　inside；　then　we'll　warm　up　an　extra

drop　wi'　some　mead　and　a　bit　of　ginger；　every　one　take　a　thimbleful…

…just　a　glimmer　of　a　drop；　mind　ye；　no　more；　to　finish　off　his　inner

manand　march　off　to　Pa'son　Mayble。　　Why；　sonnies；　a　man's　not

himself　till　he　is　fortified　wi'　a　bit　and　a　drop？　　We　shall　be　able

to　look　any　gentleman　in　the　face　then　without　shrink　or　shame。〃



Mail　recovered　from　a　deep　meditation　and　downward　glance　into　the

earth　in　time　to　give　a　cordial　approval　to　this　line　of　action；　and

the　meeting　adjourned。







CHAPTER　IV：　　INTERVIEW　WITH　THE　VICAR







At　six　o'clock　the　next　day；　the　whole　body　of　men　in　the　choir

emerged　from　the　tranter's　door；　and　advanced　with　a　firm　step　down

the　lane。　　This　dignity　of　march　gradually　became　obliterated　as

they　went　on；　and　by　the　time　they　reached　the　hill　behind　the

vicarage　a　faint　resemblance　to　a　flock　of　sheep　might　have　been

discerned　in　the　venerable　party。　　A　word　from　the　tranter；　however；

set　them　right　again；　and　as　they　descended　the　hill；　the　regular

tramp；　tramp；　tramp　of　the　united　feet　was　clearly　audible　from　the

vicarage　garden。　　At　the　opening　of　the　gate　there　was　another　short

interval　of　irregular　shuffling；　caused　by　a　rather　peculiar　habit

the　gate　had；　when　swung　open　quickly；　of　striking　against　the　bank

and　slamming　back　into　the　opener's　face。



〃Now　keep　step　again；　will　ye？〃　said　the　tranter。　　〃It　looks　better；

and　more　becomes　the　high　class　of　arrant　which　has　brought　us

here。〃　　Thus　they　advanced　to　the　door。



At　Reuben's　ring　the　more　modest　of　the　group　turned　aside；　adjusted

their　hats；　and　looked　critically　at　any　shrub　that　happened　to　lie

in　the　line　of　vision；　endeavouring　thus　to　give　a　person　who

chanced　to　look　out　of　the　windows　the　impression　that　their

request；　whatever　it　was　going　to　be；　was　rather　a　casual　thought

occurring　whilst　they　were　inspecting　the　vicar's　shrubbery　and

grass…plot　than　a　predetermined　thing。　　The　tranter；　who；　coming

frequently　to　the　vicarage　with　luggage；　coals；　firewood；　etc。；　had

none　of　the　awe　for　its　precincts　that　filled　the　breasts　of　most　of

the　others；　fixed　his　eyes　firmly　on　the　knocker　during　this

interval　of　waiting。　　The　knocker　having　no　characteristic　worthy　of

notice；　he　relinquished　it　for　a　knot　in　one　of　the　door…panels；　and

studied　the　winding　lines　of　the　grain。



〃O；　sir；　please；　here's　Tranter　Dewy；　and　old　William　Dewy；　and

young　Richard　Dewy；　O；　and　all　the　quire　too；　sir；　except　the　boys；

a…come　to　see　you！〃　said　Mr。　Maybold's　maid…servant　to　Mr。　Maybold；

the　pupils　of　her　eyes　dilating　like　circles　in　a　pond。



〃All　the　choir？〃　said　the　astonished　vicar　（who　may　be　shortly

described　as　a　good…looking　young　man　with　courageous　eyes；　timid

mouth；　and　neutral　nose）；　abandoning　his　writing　and　looking　at　his

parlour…maid　after　speaking；　like　a　man　who　fancied　he　had　seen　her

face　before　but　couldn't　recollect　where。



〃And　they　looks　very　firm；　and　Tranter　Dewy　do　turn　neither　to　the

right　hand　nor　to　the　left；　but　stares　quite　straight　and　solemn

with　his　mind　made　up！〃



〃O；　all　the　choir；〃　repeated　the　vicar　to　himself；　trying　by　that

simple　device　to　trot　out　his　thoughts　on　what　the　choir　could　come

for。



〃Yes；　every　man…jack　of　'em；　as　I　be　alive！〃　　（The　parlour…maid　was

rather　local　in　manner；　having　in　fact　been　raised　in　the　same

village。）　　〃Really；　sir；　'tis　thoughted　by　many　in　town　and　country

that〃



〃Town　and　country！Heavens；　I　had　no　idea　that　I　was　public

property　in　this　way！〃　said　the　vicar；　his　face　acquiring　a　hue

somewhere　between　that　of　the　rose　and　the　peony。　　〃Well；　'It　is

thought　in　town　and　country　that'〃



〃It　is　thought　that　you　be　going　to　get　it　hot　and　strongexcusen

my　incivility；　sir。〃



The　vicar　suddenly　recalled　to　his　recollection　that　he　had　long　ago

settled　it　to　be　decidedly　a　mistake　to　encourage　his　servant　Jane

in　giving　personal　opinions。　　The　servant　Jane　saw　by　the　vicar's

face　that　he　recalled　this　fact　to　his　mind；　and　removing　her

forehead　from　the　edge　of　the　door；　and　rubbing　away　the　indent　that

edge　had　made；　vanished　into　the　passage　as　Mr。　Maybold　remarked；

〃Show　them　in；　Jane。〃



A　few　minutes　later　a　shuffling　and　jostling　（reduced　to　as　refined

a　form　as　was　compatible　with　the　nature　of　shuffles　and　jostles）

was　heard　in　the　passage；　then　an　earnest　and　prolonged　wiping　of

shoes；　conveying　the　notion　that　volumes　of　mud　had　to　be　removed；

but　the　roads　being　so　clean　that　not　a　particle　of　dirt　appeared　on

the　choir's　boots　（those　of　all　the　elder　members　being　newly　oiled；

and　Dick's　brightly　polished）；　this　wiping　might　have　been　set　down

simply　as　a　desire　to　show　that　respectable　men　had　no　wish　to　take

a　mean　advantage　of　clean　roads　for　curtailing　proper　ceremonies。

Next　there　came　a　powerful　whisper　from　the　same　quarter：…



〃Now　stand　stock…still　there；　my　sonnies；　one　and　all！　　And　don't

make　no　noise；　and　keep　your　backs　close　to　the　wall；　that　company

may　pass　in　and　out　easy　if　they　want　to　without　squeezing　through

ye：　　and　we　two　are　enough　to　go　in。〃　。　。　。　The　voice　was　the

tranter's。



〃I　wish　I　could　go　in　too