under the greenwood tree-第3章

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standing　up　and　blowing　forth　a　vehement　gust　of　breath。　　〃How　the

blood　do　puff　up　in　anybody's　head；　to　be　sure；　a…stooping　like

that！　　I　was　just　going　out　to　gate　to　hark　for　ye。〃　　He　then

carefully　began　to　wind　a　strip　of　brown　paper　round　a　brass　tap　he

held　in　his　hand。　　〃This　in　the　cask　here　is　a　drop　o'　the　right

sort〃　（tapping　the　cask）；　〃'tis　a　real　drop　o'　cordial　from　the　best

picked　applesSansoms；　Stubbards；　Five…corners；　and　suchlikeyou

d'mind　the　sort；　Michael？〃　（Michael　nodded。）　　〃And　there's　a

sprinkling　of　they　that　grow　down　by　the　orchard…railsstreaked

onesrail　apples　we　d'call　'em；　as　'tis　by　the　rails　they　grow；　and

not　knowing　the　right　name。　　The　water…cider　from　'em　is　as　good　as

most　people's　best　cider　is。〃



〃Ay；　and　of　the　same　make　too；〃　said　Bowman。　　〃'It　rained　when　we

wrung　it　out；　and　the　water　got　into　it；'　folk　will　say。　　But　'tis

on'y　an　excuse。　　Watered　cider　is　too　common　among　us。〃



〃Yes；　yes；　too　common　it　is！〃　said　Spinks　with　an　inward　sigh；

whilst　his　eyes　seemed　to　be　looking　at　the　case　in　an　abstract　form

rather　than　at　the　scene　before　him。　　〃Such　poor　liquor　do　make　a

man's　throat　feel　very　melancholyand　is　a　disgrace　to　the　name　of

stimmilent。〃



〃Come　in；　come　in；　and　draw　up　to　the　fire；　never　mind　your　shoes；〃

said　Mrs。　Dewy；　seeing　that　all　except　Dick　had　paused　to　wipe　them

upon　the　door…mat。　　〃I　am　glad　that　you've　stepped　up…along　at　last；

and；　Susan；　you　run　down　to　Grammer　Kaytes's　and　see　if　you　can

borrow　some　larger　candles　than　these　fourteens。　　Tommy　Leaf；　don't

ye　be　afeard！　　Come　and　sit　here　in　the　settle。〃



This　was　addressed　to　the　young　man　before　mentioned；　consisting

chiefly　of　a　human　skeleton　and　a　smock…frock；　who　was　very　awkward

in　his　movements；　apparently　on　account　of　having　grown　so　very　fast

that　before　he　had　had　time　to　get　used　to　his　height　he　was　higher。



〃Heeheeay！〃　replied　Leaf；　letting　his　mouth　continue　to　smile

for　some　time　after　his　mind　had　done　smiling；　so　that　his　teeth

remained　in　view　as　the　most　conspicuous　members　of　his　body。



〃Here；　Mr。　Penny；〃　resumed　Mrs。　Dewy；　〃you　sit　in　this　chair。　　And

how's　your　daughter；　Mrs。　Brownjohn？〃



〃Well；　I　suppose　I　must　say　pretty　fair。〃　　He　adjusted　his

spectacles　a　quarter　of　an　inch　to　the　right。　　〃But　she'll　be　worse

before　she's　better；　'a　b'lieve。〃



〃Indeedpoor　soul！　　And　how　many　will　that　make　in　all；　four　or

five？〃



〃Five；　they've　buried　three。　　Yes；　five；　and　she　not　much　more　than

a　maid　yet。　　She　do　know　the　multiplication　table　onmistakable　well。

However；　'twas　to　be；　and　none　can　gainsay　it。〃



Mrs。　Dewy　resigned　Mr。　Penny。　　〃Wonder　where　your　grandfather　James

is？〃　she　inquired　of　one　of　the　children。　　〃He　said　he'd　drop　in　to…

night。〃



〃Out　in　fuel…house　with　grandfather　William；〃　said　Jimmy。



〃Now　let's　see　what　we　can　do；〃　was　heard　spoken　about　this　time　by

the　tranter　in　a　private　voice　to　the　barrel；　beside　which　he　had

again　established　himself；　and　was　stooping　to　cut　away　the　cork。



〃Reuben；　don't　make　such　a　mess　o'　tapping　that　barrel　as　is　mostly

made　in　this　house；〃　Mrs。　Dewy　cried　from　the　fireplace。　　〃I'd　tap　a

hundred　without　wasting　more　than　you　do　in　one。　　Such　a　squizzling…

…and　squirting　job　as　'tis　in　your　hands！　　There；　he　always　was　such

a　clumsy　man　indoors。〃



〃Ay；　ay；　I　know　you'd　tap　a　hundred　beautiful；　AnnI　know　you

would；　two　hundred；　perhaps。　　But　I　can't　promise。　　This　is　a'　old

cask；　and　the　wood's　rotted　away　about　the　tap…hole。　　The　husbird　of

a　feller　Sam　Lawsonthat　ever　I　should　call'n　such；　now　he's　dead

and　gone；　poor　heart！took　me　in　completely　upon　the　feat　of　buying

this　cask。　　'Reub；'　says　he'a　always　used　to　call　me　plain　Reub；

poor　old　heart！'Reub；'　he　said；　says　he；　'that　there　cask；　Reub；

is　as　good　as　new；　yes；　good　as　new。　　'Tis　a　wine…hogshead；　the　best

port…wine　in　the　commonwealth　have　been　in　that　there　cask；　and　you

shall　have　en　for　ten　shillens；　Reub；''a　said；　says　he'he's

worth　twenty；　ay；　five…and…twenty；　if　he's　worth　one；　and　an　iron

hoop　or　two　put　round　en　among　the　wood　ones　will　make　en　worth

thirty　shillens　of　any　man's　money；　if'〃



〃I　think　I　should　have　used　the　eyes　that　Providence　gave　me　to　use

afore　I　paid　any　ten　shillens　for　a　jimcrack　wine…barrel；　a　saint　is

sinner　enough　not　to　be　cheated。　　But　'tis　like　all　your　family　was；

so　easy　to　be　deceived。〃



〃That's　as　true　as　gospel　of　this　member；〃　said　Reuben。



Mrs。　Dewy　began　a　smile　at　the　answer；　then　altering　her　lips　and

refolding　them　so　that　it　was　not　a　smile；　commenced　smoothing

little　Bessy's　hair；　the　tranter　having　meanwhile　suddenly　become

oblivious　to　conversation；　occupying　himself　in　a　deliberate　cutting

and　arrangement　of　some　more　brown　paper　for　the　broaching

operation。



〃Ah；　who　can　believe　sellers！〃　said　old　Michael　Mail　in　a　carefully…

cautious　voice；　by　way　of　tiding…over　this　critical　point　of

affairs。



〃No　one　at　all；〃　said　Joseph　Bowman；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　fully

agreeing　with　everybody。



〃Ay；〃　said　Mail；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　who　did　not　agree　with

everybody　as　a　rule；　though　he　did　now；　〃I　knowed　a'　auctioneering

feller　oncea　very　friendly　feller　'a　was　too。　　And　so　one　hot　day

as　I　was　walking　down　the　front　street　o'　Casterbridge；　jist　below

the　King's　Arms；　I　passed　a'　open　winder　and　see　him　inside；　stuck

upon　his　perch；　a…selling　off。　　I　jist　nodded　to　en　in　a　friendly

way　as　I　passed；　and　went　my　way；　and　thought　no　more　about　it。

Well；　next　day；　as　I　was　oilen　my　boots　by　fuel…house　door；　if　a

letter　didn't　come　wi'　a　bill　charging　me　with　a　featherbed；

bolster；　and　pillers；　that　I　had　bid　for　at　Mr。　Taylor's　sale。　　The

shim…faced　martel　had　knocked　'em　down　to　me　because　I　nodded　to　en

in　my　friendly　way；　and　I　had　to　pay　for　'em　too。　　Now；　I　hold　that

that　was　coming　it　very　close；　Reuben？〃



〃'Twas　close；　there's　no　denying；〃　said　the　general　voice。



〃Too　close；　'twas；〃　said　Reuben；　in　the　rear　of　the　rest。　　〃And　as

to　Sam　Lawsonpoor　heart！　now　he's　dead　and　gone　too！I'll

warrant；　that　if　so　be　I've　spent　one　hour　in　making　hoops　for　that

barrel；　I've　spent　fifty；　first　and　last。　　That's　one　of　my　hoops'

touching　it　with　his　elbow'that's　one　of　mine；　and　that；　and　that；

and　all　these。〃



〃Ah；　Sam　was　a　man；〃　said　Mr。　Penny；　contemplatively。



〃Sam　was！〃　said　Bowman。



〃Especially　for　a　drap　o'　drink；〃　said　the　tranter。



〃Good；　but　not　religiousgood；〃　suggested　Mr。　Penny。



The　tranter　nodded。　　Having　at　last　made　the　tap　and　hole　quite

ready；　〃Now　then；　Suze；　bring　a　mug；〃　he　said。　　〃Here's　luck　to　us；

my　sonnies！〃



The　tap　went　in；　and　the　cider　immediately　squirted　out　in　a

horizontal　shower　over　Reuben's　hands；　knees；　and　leggings；　and　into

the　eyes　and　neck　of　Charley；　who；　having　temporarily　put　off　his

grief　under　pressure　of　more　interesting　proceedings；　was　squatting

down　and　blinking　near　his　father。



〃There　'tis　again！〃　said　Mrs。　Dewy。



〃Devil　take　the　hole；　the　cask；　and　Sam　Lawson　too；　that　good　cider

should　be　wasted　like　this！〃　exclaimed　the　tranter。　　〃Your　thumb！

Lend　me　your　thumb；　Michael！　　Ram　it　in　here；　Michael！　　I　must　get　a

bigger　tap；　my　sonnies。〃



〃Idd　it　cold　inthide　te　hole？〃　inquired　Charley　of　Michael；　as　he

continued　in　a　stooping　posture　with　his　thumb　in　the　cork…hole。



〃What　wonderful　odds　and　ends　that　chiel　has　in　his　head　to　be

sure！〃　Mrs。　Dewy　admiringly　exclaimed　from　the　distance。　　〃I　lay　a

wager　that　he　thinks　more　about　how　'tis　inside　that　barrel　than　in

all　the　other　parts　of　the　world　put　together。〃



All　persons　present　put　on　a　speaking　countenance　of　admiration　for

the　cleverness　alluded　to；　in　the　midst　of　which　Reuben　returned。

The　operation　was　then　satisfactorily　performed；　when　Michael　arose

and　stretched　his　head　to　the　extremest　fraction　of　height　that　his

body　would　allow　of；　to　re…straighten　his