under the greenwood tree-第25章

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man　two　and　two；　and　a　fine　day　'twas；hot　as　fire；how　the　sun

did　strike　down　upon　my　back　going　to　church！　　I　well　can　mind　what

a　bath　o'　sweating　I　was　in；　body　and　soul！　　But　Fance　will　ha'

thee；　Dickshe　won't　walk　with　another　chapno　such　good　luck。〃



〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　said　Dick；　whipping　at　Smart's　flank　in　a

fanciful　way；　which；　as　Smart　knew；　meant　nothing　in　connection　with

going　on。　　〃There's　Pa'son　Maybold；　toothat's　all　against　me。〃



〃What　about　he？　　She's　never　been　stuffing　into　thy　innocent　heart

that　he's　in　hove　with　her？　　Lord；　the　vanity　o'　maidens！〃



〃No；　no。　　But　he　called；　and　she　looked　at　him　in　such　a　way；　and　at

me　in　such　a　wayquite　different　the　ways　were；and　as　I　was

coming　off；　there　was　he　hanging　up　her　birdcage。〃



〃Well；　why　shouldn't　the　man　hang　up　her　bird…cage？　　Turk　seize　it

all；　what's　that　got　to　do　wi'　it？　　Dick；　that　thou　beest　a　white…

lyvered　chap　I　don't　say；　but　if　thou　beestn't　as　mad　as　a　cappel…

faced　bull；　let　me　smile　no　more。〃



〃O；　ay。〃



〃And　what's　think　now；　Dick？〃



〃I　don't　know。〃



〃Here's　another　pretty　kettle　o'　fish　for　thee。　　Who　d'ye　think's

the　bitter　weed　in　our　being　turned　out？　　Did　our　party　tell　'ee？〃



〃No。　　Why；　Pa'son　Maybold；　I　suppose。〃



〃Shiner；because　he's　in　love　with　thy　young　woman；　and　d'want　to

see　her　young　figure　sitting　up　at　that　queer　instrument；　and　her

young　fingers　rum…strumming　upon　the　keys。〃



A　sharp　ado　of　sweet　and　bitter　was　going　on　in　Dick　during　this

communication　from　his　father。　　〃Shiner's　a　fool！no；　that's　not

it；　I　don't　believe　any　such　thing；　father。　　Why；　Shiner　would　never

take　a　bold　step　like　that；　unless　she'd　been　a　little　made　up　to；

and　had　taken　it　kindly。　　Pooh！〃



〃Who's　to　say　she　didn't？〃



〃I　do。〃



〃The　more　fool　you。〃



〃Why；　father　of　me？〃



〃Has　she　ever　done　more　to　thee？〃



〃No。〃



〃Then　she　has　done　as　much　to　herot　'em！　　Now；　Dick；　this　is　how　a

maid　is。　　She'll　swear　she's　dying　for　thee；　and　she　is　dying　for

thee；　and　she　will　die　for　thee；　but　she'll　fling　a　look　over

t'other　shoulder　at　another　young　feller；　though　never　leaving　off

dying　for　thee　just　the　same。〃



〃She's　not　dying　for　me；　and　so　she　didn't　fling　a　look　at　him。〃



〃But　she　may　be　dying　for　him；　for　she　looked　at　thee。〃



〃I　don't　know　what　to　make　of　it　at　all；〃　said　Dick　gloomily。



〃All　I　can　make　of　it　is；〃　the　tranter　said；　raising　his　whip；

arranging　his　different　joints　and　muscles；　and　motioning　to　the

horse　to　move　on；　〃that　if　you　can't　read　a　maid's　mind　by　her

motions；　nature　d'seem　to　say　thou'st　ought　to　be　a　bachelor。　　Clk；

clk！　　Smiler！〃　　And　the　tranter　moved　on。



Dick　held　Smart's　rein　firmly；　and　the　whole　concern　of　horse；　cart；

and　man　remained　rooted　in　the　lane。　　Hew　long　this　condition　would

have　lasted　is　unknown；　had　not　Dick's　thoughts；　after　adding　up

numerous　items　of　misery；　gradually　wandered　round　to　the　fact　that

as　something　must　be　done；　it　could　not　be　done　by　staying　there　all

night。



Reaching　home　he　went　up　to　his　bedroom；　shut　the　door　as　if　he　were

going　to　be　seen　no　more　in　this　life；　and　taking　a　sheet　of　paper

and　uncorking　the　ink…bottle；　he　began　a　letter。　　The　dignity　of　the

writer's　mind　was　so　powerfully　apparent　in　every　line　of　this

effusion　that　it　obscured　the　logical　sequence　of　facts　and

intentions　to　an　appreciable　degree；　and　it　was　not　at　all　clear　to

a　reader　whether　he　there　and　then　left　off　loving　Miss　Fancy　Day；

whether　he　had　never　loved　her　seriously；　and　never　meant　to；

whether　he　had　been　dying　up　to　the　present　moment；　and　now　intended

to　get　well　again；　or　whether　he　had　hitherto　been　in　good　health；

and　intended　to　die　for　her　forthwith。



He　put　this　letter　in　an　envelope；　sealed　it　up；　directed　it　in　a

stern　handwriting　of　straight　dasheseasy　flourishes　being

rigorously　excluded。　　He　walked　with　it　in　his　pocket　down　the　lane

in　strides　not　an　inch　less　than　three　feet　long。　　Reaching　her　gate

he　put　on　a　resolute　expressionthen　put　it　off　again；　turned　back

homeward；　tore　up　his　letter；　and　sat　down。



That　letter　was　altogether　in　a　wrong　tonethat　he　must　own。　　A

heartless　man…of…the…world　tone　was　what　the　juncture　required。

That　he　rather　wanted　her；　and　rather　did　not　want　herthe　latter

for　choice；　hut　that　as　a　member　of　society　he　didn't　mind　making　a

query　in　jaunty　terms；　which　could　only　be　answered　in　the　same　way：

did　she　mean　anything　by　her　bearing　towards　him；　or　did　she　not？



This　letter　was　considered　so　satisfactory　in　every　way　that；　being

put　into　the　hands　of　a　little　boy；　and　the　order　given　that　he　was

to　run　with　it　to　the　school；　he　was　told　in　addition　not　to　look

behind　him　if　Dick　called　after　him　to　bring　it　hack；　but　to　run

along　with　it　just　the　same。　　Having　taken　this　precaution　against

vacillation；　Dick　watched　his　messenger　down　the　road；　and　turned

into　the　house　whistling　an　air　in　such　ghastly　jerks　and　starts；

that　whistling　seemed　to　be　the　act　the　very　furthest　removed　from

that　which　was　instinctive　in　such　a　youth。



The　letter　was　left　as　ordered：　　the　next　morning　came　and　passed

and　no　answer。　　The　next。　　The　next。　　Friday　night　came。　　Dick

resolved　that　if　no　answer　or　sign　were　given　by　her　the　next　day；

on　Sunday　he　would　meet　her　face　to　face；　and　have　it　all　out　by

word　of　mouth。



〃Dick；〃　said　his　father；　coming　in　from　the　garden　at　that　moment

in　each　hand　a　hive　of　bees　tied　in　a　cloth　to　prevent　their　egress…

…〃I　think　you'd　better　take　these　two　swarms　of　bees　to　Mrs。

Maybold's　to…morrow；　instead　o'　me；　and　I'll　go　wi'　Smiler　and　the

wagon。〃



It　was　a　relief；　for　Mrs。　Maybold；　the　vicar's　mother；　who　had　just

taken　into　her　head　a　fancy　for　keeping　bees　（pleasantly　disguised

under　the　pretence　of　its　being　an　economical　wish　to　produce　her

own　honey）；　lived　near　the　watering…place　of　Budmouth…Regis；　ten

miles　off；　and　the　business　of　transporting　the　hives　thither　would

occupy　the　whole　day；　and　to　some　extent　annihilate　the　vacant　time

between　this　evening　and　the　coming　Sunday。　　The　best　spring…cart

was　washed　throughout；　the　axles　oiled；　and　the　bees　placed　therein

for　the　journey。









PART　THE　THIRDSUMMER









CHAPTER　I：　　DRIVING　OUT　OF　BUDMOUTH







An　easy　bend　of　neck　and　graceful　set　of　head；　full　and　wavy　bundles

of　dark…brown　hair；　light　fall　of　little　feet；　pretty　devices　on　the

skirt　of　the　dress；　clear　deep　eyes；　in　short；　a　bunch　of　sweets：

it　was　Fancy！　　Dick's　heart　went　round　to　her　with　a　rush。



The　scene　was　the　corner　of　Mary　Street　in　Budmouth…Regis；　near　the

King's　statue；　at　which　point　the　white　angle　of　the　last　house　in

the　row　cut　perpendicularly　an　embayed　and　nearly　motionless　expanse

of　salt　water　projected　from　the　outer　oceanto…day　lit　in　bright

tones　of　green　and　opal。　　Dick　and　Smart　had　just　emerged　from　the

street；　and　there　on　the　right；　against　the　brilliant　sheet　of

liquid　colour；　stood　Fancy　Day；　and　she　turned　and　recognized　him。



Dick　suspended　his　thoughts　of　the　letter　and　wonder　at　how　she　came

there　by　driving　close　to　the　chains　of　the　Esplanadeincontinently

displacing　two　chairmen；　who　had　just　come　to　life　for　the　summer　in

new　clean　shirts　and　revivified　clothes；　and　being　almost　displaced

in　turn　by　a　rigid　boy　rattling　along　with　a　baker's　cart；　and

looking　neither　to　the　right　nor　the　left。　　He　asked　if　she　were

going　to　Mellstock　that　night。



〃Yes；　I'm　waiting　for　the　carrier；〃　she　replied；　seeming；　too；　to

suspend　thoughts　of　the　letter。



〃Now　I　can　drive　you　home　nicely；　and　you　save　half　an　hour。　　Will

ye　come　with　me？〃



As　Fancy's　power　to　will　anything　seemed　to　have　departed　in　some

mysterious　manner　at　that　moment；　Dick　settled　the　matter　by　getting

out　and　assisting　her　into　the　vehicle　without　another　word。



The　temporary　flush　upon