under the greenwood tree-第22章

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moralizing；　which　might　tend　to　damage　the　airy…fairy　nature　that

Dick；　as　maiden　shrewdness　told　her；　had　accredited　her　with。　　Her

dead　silence　impressed　Geoffrey　with　the　notion　that　something　in

his　words　did　not　agree　with　her　educated　ideas；　and　he　changed　the

conversation。



〃Did　Fred　Shiner　send　the　cask　o'　drink；　Fancy？〃



〃I　think　he　did：　　O　yes；　he　did。〃



〃Nice　solid　feller；　Fred　Shiner！〃　said　Geoffrey　to　Dick　as　he　helped

himself　to　gravy；　bringing　the　spoon　round　to　his　plate　by　way　of

the　potato…dish；　to　obviate　a　stain　on　the　cloth　in　the　event　of　a

spill。



Now　Geoffrey's　eyes　had　been　fixed　upon　his　plate　for　the　previous

four　or　five　minutes；　and　in　removing　them　he　had　only　carried　them

to　the　spoon；　which；　from　its　fulness　and　the　distance　of　its

transit；　necessitated　a　steady　watching　through　the　whole　of　the

route。　　Just　as　intently　as　the　keeper's　eyes　had　been　fixed　on　the

spoon；　Fancy's　had　been　fixed　on　her　father's；　without　premeditation

or　the　slightest　phase　of　furtiveness；　but　there　they　were　fastened。

This　was　the　reason　why：



Dick　was　sitting　next　to　her　on　the　right　side；　and　on　the　side　of

the　table　opposite　to　her　father。　　Fancy　had　laid　her　right　hand

lightly　down　upon　the　table…cloth　for　an　instant；　and　to　her　alarm

Dick；　after　dropping　his　fork　and　brushing　his　forehead　as　a　reason；

flung　down　his　own　left　hand；　overlapping　a　third　of　Fancy's　with

it；　and　keeping　it　there。　　So　the　innocent　Fancy；　instead　of　pulling

her　hand　from　the　trap；　settled　her　eyes　on　her　father's；　to　guard

against　his　discovery　of　this　perilous　game　of　Dick's。　　Dick

finished　his　mouthful；　Fancy　finished；　her　crumb；　and　nothing　was

done　beyond　watching　Geoffrey's　eyes。　　Then　the　hands　slid　apart；

Fancy's　going　over　six　inches　of　cloth；　Dick's　over　one。　　Geoffrey's

eye　had　risen。



〃I　said　Fred　Shiner　is　a　nice　solid　feller；〃　he　repeated；　more

emphatically。



〃He　is；　yes；　he　is；〃　stammered　Dick；　〃but　to　me　he　is　little　more

than　a　stranger。〃



〃O；　sure。　　Now　I　know　en　as　well　as　any　man　can　be　known。　　And　you

know　en　very　well　too；　don't　ye；　Fancy？〃



Geoffrey　put　on　a　tone　expressing　that　these　words　signified　at

present　about　one　hundred　times　the　amount　of　meaning　they　conveyed

literally。



Dick　looked　anxious。



〃Will　you　pass　me　some　bread？〃　said　Fancy　in　a　flurry；　the　red　of

her　face　becoming　slightly　disordered；　and　looking　as　solicitous　as

a　human　being　could　look　about　a　piece　of　bread。



〃Ay；　that　I　will；〃　replied　the　unconscious　Geoffrey。　　〃Ay；〃　he

continued；　returning　to　the　displaced　idea；　〃we　are　likely　to　remain

friendly　wi'　Mr。　Shiner　if　the　wheels　d'run　smooth。〃



〃An　excellent　thinga　very　capital　thing；　as　I　should　say；〃　the

youth　answered　with　exceeding　relevance；　considering　that　his

thoughts；　instead　of　following　Geoffrey's　remark；　were　nestling　at　a

distance　of　about　two　feet　on　his　left　the　whole　time。



〃A　young　woman's　face　will　turn　the　north　wind；　Master　Richard：　　my

heart　if　'twon't。〃　　Dick　looked　more　anxious　and　was　attentive　in

earnest　at　these　words。　　〃Yes；　turn　the　north　wind；〃　added　Geoffrey

after　an　impressive　pause。　　〃And　though　she's　one　of　my　own　flesh

and　blood　。　。　。　〃



〃Will　you　fetch　down　a　bit　of　raw…mil'　cheese　from　pantry…shelf？〃

Fancy　interrupted；　as　if　she　were　famishing。



〃Ay；　that　I　will；　chiel；　chiel；　says　I；　and　Mr。　Shiner　only　asking

last　Saturday　night　。　。　。　cheese　you　said；　Fancy？〃



Dick　controlled　his　emotion　at　these　mysterious　allusions　to　Mr。

Shiner；the　better　enabled　to　do　so　by　perceiving　that　Fancy's

heart　went　not　with　her　father'sand　spoke　like　a　stranger　to　the

affairs　of　the　neighbourhood。　　〃Yes；　there's　a　great　deal　to　be　said

upon　the　power　of　maiden　faces　in　settling　your　courses；〃　he

ventured；　as　the　keeper　retreated　for　the　cheese。



〃The　conversation　is　taking　a　very　strange　turn：　　nothing　that　_I_

have　ever　done　warrants　such　things　being　said！〃　murmured　Fancy　with

emphasis；　just　loud　enough　to　reach　Dick's　ears。



〃You　think　to　yourself；　'twas　to　be；〃　cried　Enoch　from　his　distant

corner；　by　way　of　filling　up　the　vacancy　caused　by　Geoffrey's

momentary　absence。　　〃And　so　you　marry　her；　Master　Dewy；　and　there's

an　end　o't。〃



〃Pray　don't　say　such　things；　Enoch；〃　came　from　Fancy　severely；　upon

which　Enoch　relapsed　into　servitude。



〃If　we　be　doomed　to　marry；　we　marry；　if　we　be　doomed　to　remain

single；　we　do；〃　replied　Dick。



Geoffrey　had　by　this　time　sat　down　again；　and　he　now　made　his　lips

thin　by　severely　straining　them　across　his　gums；　and　looked　out　of

the　window　along　the　vista　to　the　distant　highway　up　Yalbury　Hill。

〃That's　not　the　case　with　some　folk；〃　he　said　at　length；　as　if　he

read　the　words　on　a　board　at　the　further　end　of　the　vista。



Fancy　looked　interested；　and　Dick　said；　〃No？〃



〃There's　that　wife　o'　mine。　　It　was　her　doom　to　be　nobody's　wife　at

all　in　the　wide　universe。　　But　she　made　up　her　mind　that　she　would；

and　did　it　twice　over。　　Doom？　　Doom　is　nothing　beside　a　elderly

womanquite　a　chiel　in　her　hands！〃



A　movement　was　now　heard　along　the　upstairs　passage；　and　footsteps

descending。　　The　door　at　the　foot　of　the　stairs　opened；　and　the

second　Mrs。　Day　appeared　in　view；　looking　fixedly　at　the　table　as

she　advanced　towards　it；　with　apparent　obliviousness　of　the　presence

of　any　other　human　being　than　herself。　　In　short；　if　the　table　had

been　the　personages；　and　the　persons　the　table；　her　glance　would

have　been　the　most　natural　imaginable。



She　showed　herself　to　possess　an　ordinary　woman's　face；　iron…grey

hair；　hardly　any　hips；　and　a　great　deal　of　cleanliness　in　a　broad

white　apron…string；　as　it　appeared　upon　the　waist　of　her　dark　stuff

dress。



〃People　will　run　away　with　a　story　now；　I　suppose；〃　she　began

saying；　〃that　Jane　Day's　tablecloths　are　as　poor　and　ragged　as　any

union　beggar's！〃



Dick　now　perceived　that　the　tablecloth　was　a　little　the　worse　for

wear；　and　reflecting　for　a　moment；　concluded　that　'people'　in　step…

mother　language　probably　meant　himself。　　On　lifting　his　eyes　he

found　that　Mrs。　Day　had　vanished　again　upstairs；　and　presently

returned　with　an　armful　of　new　damask…linen　tablecloths；　folded

square　and　hard　as　boards　by　long　compression。　　These　she　flounced

down　into　a　chair；　then　took　one；　shook　it　out　from　its　folds；　and

spread　it　on　the　table　by　instalments；　transferring　the　plates　and

dishes　one　by　one　from　the　old　to　the　new　cloth。



〃And　I　suppose　they'll　say；　too；　that　she　ha'n't　a　decent　knife　and

fork　in　her　house！〃



〃I　shouldn't　say　any　such　ill…natured　thing；　I　am　sure〃　began

Dick。　　But　Mrs。　Day　had　vanished　into　the　next　room。　　Fancy　appeared

distressed。



〃Very　strange　woman；　isn't　she？〃　said　Geoffrey；　quietly　going　on

with　his　dinner。　　〃But　'tis　too　late　to　attempt　curing。　　My　heart！

'tis　so　growed　into　her　that　'twould　kill　her　to　take　it　out。　　Ay；

she's　very　queer：　　you'd　be　amazed　to　see　what　valuable　goods　we've

got　stowed　away　upstairs。〃



Back　again　came　Mrs。　Day　with　a　box　of　bright　steel　horn…handled

knives；　silver…plated　forks；　carver；　and　all　complete。　　These　were

wiped　of　the　preservative　oil　which　coated　them；　and　then　a　knife

and　fork　were　laid　down　to　each　individual　with　a　bang；　the　carving

knife　and　fork　thrust　into　the　meat　dish；　and　the　old　ones　they　had

hitherto　used　tossed　away。



Geoffrey　placidly　cut　a　slice　with　the　new　knife　and　fork；　and　asked

Dick　if　he　wanted　any　more。



The　table　had　been　spread　for　the　mixed　midday　meal　of　dinner　and

tea；　which　was　common　among　frugal　countryfolk。　　〃The　parishioners

about　here；〃　continued　Mrs。　Day；　not　looking　at　any　living　being；

but　snatching　up　the　brown　delf　tea…things；　〃are　the　laziest；

gossipest；　poachest；　jailest　set　of　any　ever　I　came　among。　　And

they'll　talk　about　my　teapot　and　tea…things　next；　I　suppose！〃　　She

vanished　with　the　teapot；　cups；　and　saucers；　and　reappeared　wit