under the greenwood tree-第28章

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〃But　surely　you　know？〃　said　Dick；　with　great　apparent　surprise。

〃Yes；　yes！　　Ha…ha！〃　smiting　the　landlord　under　the　ribs　in　return。



〃Why；　what？　　Yes；　yes；　ha…ha！〃



〃You　know；　of　course！〃



〃Yes；　of　course！　　Butthat　isI　don't。〃



〃Why　aboutbetween　that　young　lady　and　me？〃　nodding　to　the　window

of　the　room　that　Fancy　occupied。



〃No；　not　I！〃　said　the　innkeeper；　bringing　his　eyes　into　circles。



〃And　you　don't！〃



〃Not　a　word；　I'll　take　my　oath！〃



〃But　you　laughed　when　I　laughed。〃



〃Ay；　that　was　me　sympathy；　so　did　you　when　I　laughed！〃



〃Really；　you　don't　know？　　Goodnessnot　knowing　that！〃



〃I'll　take　my　oath　I　don't！〃



〃O　yes；〃　said　Dick；　with　frigid　rhetoric　of　pitying　astonishment；

〃we're　engaged　to　be　married；　you　see；　and　I　naturally　look　after

her。〃



〃Of　course；　of　course！　　I　didn't　know　that；　and　I　hope　ye'll　excuse

any　little　freedom　of　mine；　Mr。　Dewy。　　But　it　is　a　very　odd　thing；　I

was　talking　to　your　father　very　intimate　about　family　matters　only

last　Friday　in　the　world；　and　who　should　come　in　but　Keeper　Day；　and

we　all　then　fell　a…talking　o'　family　matters；　but　neither　one　o'

them　said　a　mortal　word　about　it；　knowen　me　too　so　many　years；　and　I

at　your　father's　own　wedding。　　'Tisn't　what　I　should　have　expected

from　an　old　neighbour！〃



〃Well；　to　say　the　truth；　we　hadn't　told　father　of　the　engagement　at

that　time；　in　fact；　'twasn't　settled。〃



〃Ah！　the　business　was　done　Sunday。　　Yes；　yes；　Sunday's　the　courting

day。　　Heu…heu！〃



〃No；　'twasn't　done　Sunday　in　particular。〃



〃After　school…hours　this　week？　　Well；　a　very　good　time；　a　very

proper　good　time。〃



〃O　no；　'twasn't　done　then。〃



〃Coming　along　the　road　to…day　then；　I　suppose？〃



〃Not　at　all；　I　wouldn't　think　of　getting　engaged　in　a　dog…cart。〃



〃Dammymight　as　well　have　said　at　once；　the　WHEN　be　blowed！

Anyhow；　'tis　a　fine　day；　and　I　hope　next　time　you'll　come　as　one。〃



Fancy　was　duly　brought　out　and　assisted　into　the　vehicle；　and　the

newly　affianced　youth　and　maiden　passed　up　the　steep　hill　to　the

Ridgeway；　and　vanished　in　the　direction　of　Mellstock。







CHAPTER　III：　　A　CONFESSION







It　was　a　morning　of　the　latter　summer…time；　a　morning　of　lingering

dews；　when　the　grass　is　never　dry　in　the　shade。　　Fuchsias　and

dahlias　were　laden　till　eleven　o'clock　with　small　drops　and　dashes

of　water；　changing　the　colour　of　their　sparkle　at　every　movement　of

the　air；　and　elsewhere　hanging　on　twigs　like　small　silver　fruit。

The　threads　of　garden　spiders　appeared　thick　and　polished。　　In　the

dry　and　sunny　places；　dozens　of　long…legged　crane…flies　whizzed　off

the　grass　at　every　step　the　passer　took。



Fancy　Day　and　her　friend　Susan　Dewy　the　tranter's　daughter；　were　in

such　a　spot　as　this；　pulling　down　a　bough　laden　with　early　apples。

Three　months　had　elapsed　since　Dick　and　Fancy　had　journeyed　together

from　Budmouth；　and　the　course　of　their　love　had　run　on　vigorously

during　the　whole　time。　　There　had　been　just　enough　difficulty

attending　its　development；　and　just　enough　finesse　required　in

keeping　it　private；　to　lend　the　passion　an　ever…increasing　freshness

on　Fancy's　part；　whilst；　whether　from　these　accessories　or　not；

Dick's　heart　had　been　at　all　times　as　fond　as　could　be　desired。　　But

there　was　a　cloud　on　Fancy's　horizon　now。



〃She　is　so　well　offbetter　than　any　of　us；〃　Susan　Dewy　was　saying。

〃Her　father　farms　five　hundred　acres；　and　she　might　marry　a　doctor

or　curate　or　anything　of　that　kind　if　she　contrived　a　little。〃



〃I　don't　think　Dick　ought　to　have　gone　to　that　gipsy…party　at　all

when　he　knew　I　couldn't　go；〃　replied　Fancy　uneasily。



〃He　didn't　know　that　you　would　not　be　there　till　it　was　too　late　to

refuse　the　invitation；〃　said　Susan。



〃And　what　was　she　like？　　Tell　me。〃



〃Well；　she　was　rather　pretty；　I　must　own。〃



〃Tell　straight　on　about　her；　can't　you！　　Come；　do；　Susan。　　How　many

times　did　you　say　he　danced　with　her？〃



〃Once。〃



〃Twice；　I　think　you　said？〃



〃Indeed　I'm　sure　I　didn't。〃



〃Well；　and　he　wanted　to　again；　I　expect。〃



〃No；　I　don't　think　he　did。　　She　wanted　to　dance　with　him　again　bad

enough；　I　know。　　Everybody　does　with　Dick；　because　he's　so　handsome

and　such　a　clever　courter。〃



〃O；　I　wish！How　did　you　say　she　wore　her　hair？〃



〃In　long　curls；and　her　hair　is　light；　and　it　curls　without　being

put　in　paper：　　that's　how　it　is　she's　so　attractive。〃



〃She's　trying　to　get　him　away！　yes；　yes；　she　is！　　And　through

keeping　this　miserable　school　I　mustn't　wear　my　hair　in　curls！　　But

I　will；　I　don't　care　if　I　leave　the　school　and　go　home；　I　will　wear

my　curls！　　Look；　Susan；　do！　is　her　hair　as　soft　and　long　as　this？〃

Fancy　pulled　from　its　coil　under　her　hat　a　twine　of　her　own　hair；

and　stretched　it　down　her　shoulder　to　show　its　length；　looking　at

Susan　to　catch　her　opinion　from　her　eyes。



〃It　is　about　the　same　length　as　that；　I　think；〃　said　Miss　Dewy。



Fancy　paused　hopelessly。　　〃I　wish　mine　was　lighter；　like　hers！〃　she

continued　mournfully。　　〃But　hers　isn't　so　soft；　is　it？　　Tell　me；

now。〃



〃I　don't　know。〃



Fancy　abstractedly　extended　her　vision　to　survey　a　yellow　butterfly

and　a　red…and…black　butterfly　that　were　flitting　along　in　company；

and　then　became　aware　that　Dick　was　advancing　up　the　garden。



〃Susan；　here's　Dick　coming；　I　suppose　that's　because　we've　been

talking　about　him。〃



〃Well；　then；　I　shall　go　indoors　nowyou　won't　want　me；〃　and　Susan

turned　practically　and　walked　off。



Enter　the　single…minded　Dick；　whose　only　fault　at　the　gipsying；　or

picnic；　had　been　that　of　loving　Fancy　too　exclusively；　and　depriving

himself　of　the　innocent　pleasure　the　gathering　might　have　afforded

him；　by　sighing　regretfully　at　her　absence；who　had　danced　with　the

rival　in　sheer　despair　of　ever　being　able　to　get　through　that　stale；

flat；　and　unprofitable　afternoon　in　any　other　way；　but　this　she

would　not　believe。



Fancy　had　settled　her　plan　of　emotion。　　To　reproach　Dick？　　O　no；　no。

〃I　am　in　great　trouble；〃　said　she；　taking　what　was　intended　to　be　a

hopelessly　melancholy　survey　of　a　few　small　apples　lying　under　the

tree；　yet　a　critical　ear　might　have　noticed　in　her　voice　a　tentative

tone　as　to　the　effect　of　the　words　upon　Dick　when　she　uttered　them。



〃What　are　you　in　trouble　about？　　Tell　me　of　it；〃　said　Dick

earnestly。　　〃Darling；　I　will　share　it　with　'ee　and　help　'ee。〃



〃No；　no：　　you　can't！　　Nobody　can！〃



〃Why　not？　　You　don't　deserve　it；　whatever　it　is。　　Tell　me；　dear。〃



〃O；　it　isn't　what　you　think！　　It　is　dreadful：　　my　own　sin！〃



〃Sin；　Fancy！　as　if　you　could　sin！　　I　know　it　can't　be。〃



〃'Tis；　'tis！〃　said　the　young　lady；　in　a　pretty　little　frenzy　of

sorrow。　　〃I　have　done　wrong；　and　I　don't　like　to　tell　it！　　Nobody

will　forgive　me；　nobody！　and　you　above　all　will　not！　。　。　。　I　have

allowed　myself　totofl〃



〃What；not　flirt！〃　he　said；　controlling　his　emotion　as　it　were　by　a

sudden　pressure　inward　from　his　surface。　　〃And　you　said　only　the　day

before　yesterday　that　you　hadn't　flirted　in　your　life！〃



〃Yes；　I　did；　and　that　was　a　wicked　story！　　I　have　let　another　love

me；　and〃



〃Good　G！　　Well；　I'll　forgive　you；yes；　if　you　couldn't　help　it；

yes；　I　will！〃　said　the　now　dismal　Dick。　　〃Did　you　encourage　him？〃



〃O；I　don't　know；yesno。　　O；　I　think　so！〃



〃Who　was　it？〃　　A　pause。　　〃Tell　me！〃



〃Mr。　Shiner。〃



After　a　silence　that　was　only　disturbed　by　the　fall　of　an　apple；　a

long…checked　sigh　from　Dick；　and　a　sob　from　Fancy；　he　said　with　real

austerity　…



〃Tell　it　all；every　word！〃



〃He　looked　at　me；　and　I　looked　at　him；　and　he　said；　〃Will　you　let　me

show　you　how　to　catch　bullfinches　down　here　by　the　stream？〃　　And　I

wanted　to　know　very　muchI　did　so　long　to　have　a　bullfinch！　　I

couldn't　help　that　and　I　said；　〃Yes！〃　and　then　he　said；　〃Come　here。〃

And　I　went　with　him　down　to　the　lovely　river；　and　then　he　said　to

me；　〃Look　and　see　how　I　do　it；