under the greenwood tree-第30章

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〃But　about　the　dress。　　Why　not　wear　the　one　you　wore　at　our　party？〃



〃That　sets　well；　but　a　girl　of　the　name　of　Bet　Tallor；　who　lives

near　our　house；　has　had　one　made　almost　like　it　（only　in　pattern；

though　of　miserably　cheap　stuff）；　and　I　couldn't　wear　it　on　that

account。　　Dear　me；　I　am　afraid　I　can't　go　now。〃



〃O　yes；　you　must；　I　know　you　will！〃　said　Dick；　with　dismay。　　〃Why

not　wear　what　you've　got　on？〃



〃What！　this　old　one！　　After　all；　I　think　that　by　wearing　my　gray　one

Saturday；　I　can　make　the　blue　one　do　for　Sunday。　　Yes；　I　will。　　A

hat　or　a　bonnet；　which　shall　it　be？　　Which　do　I　look　best　in？〃



〃Well；　I　think　the　bonnet　is　nicest；　more　quiet　and　matronly。〃



〃What's　the　objection　to　the　hat？　　Does　it　make　me　look　old？〃



〃O　no；　the　hat　is　well　enough；　but　it　makes　you　look　rather　tooyou

won't　mind　me　saying　it；　dear？〃



〃Not　at　all；　for　I　shall　wear　the　bonnet。〃



〃Rather　too　coquettish　and　flirty　for　an　engaged　young　woman。〃



She　reflected　a　minute。　　〃Yes；　yes。　　Still；　after　all；　the　hat　would

do　best；　hats　ARE　best；　you　see。　　Yes；　I　must　wear　the　hat；　dear

Dicky；　because　I　ought　to　wear　a　hat；　you　know。〃









PART　THE　FORTHAUTUMN









CHAPTER　I：　　GOING　NUTTING





Dick；　dressed　in　his　'second…best'　suit；　burst　into　Fancy's　sitting…

room　with　a　glow　of　pleasure　on　his　face。



It　was　two　o'clock　on　Friday；　the　day　be　fore　her　contemplated　visit

to　her　father；　and　for　some　reason　connected　with　cleaning　the

school　the　children　had　been　given　this　Friday　afternoon　for

pastime；　in　addition　to　the　usual　Saturday。



〃Fancy！　it　happens　just　right　that　it　is　a　leisure　half　day　with

you。　　Smart　is　lame　in　his　near…foot…afore；　and　so；　as　I　can't　do

anything；　I've　made　a　holiday　afternoon　of　it；　and　am　come　for　you

to　go　nutting　with　me！〃



She　was　sitting　by　the　parlour　window；　with　a　blue　frock　lying

across　her　lap　and　scissors　in　her　hand。



〃Go　nutting！　　Yes。　　But　I'm　afraid　I　can't　go　for　an　hour　or　so。〃



〃Why　not？　　'Tis　the　only　spare　afternoon　we　may　both　have　together

for　weeks。〃



〃This　dress　of　mine；　that　I　am　going　to　wear　on　Sunday　at　Yalbury；

I　find　it　fits　so　badly　that　I　must　alter　it　a　little；　after　all。　　I

told　the　dressmaker　to　make　it　by　a　pattern　I　gave　her　at　the　time；

instead　of　that；　she　did　it　her　own　way；　and　made　me　look　a　perfect

fright。〃



〃How　long　will　you　be？〃　he　inquired；　looking　rather　disappointed。



〃Not　long。　　Do　wait　and　talk　to　me；　come；　do；　dear。〃



Dick　sat　down。　　The　talking　progressed　very　favourably；　amid　the

snipping　and　sewing；　till　about　half…past　two；　at　which　time　his

conversation　began　to　be　varied　by　a　slight　tapping　upon　his　toe

with　a　walking…stick　he　had　cut　from　the　hedge　as　he　came　along。

Fancy　talked　and　answered　him；　but　sometimes　the　answers　were　so

negligently　given；　that　it　was　evident　her　thoughts　lay　for　the

greater　part　in　her　lap　with　the　blue　dress。



The　clock　struck　three。　　Dick　arose　from　his　seat；　walked　round　the

room　with　his　hands　behind　him；　examined　all　the　furniture；　then

sounded　a　few　notes　on　the　harmonium；　then　looked　inside　all　the

books　he　could　find；　then　smoothed　Fancy's　head　with　his　hand。

Still　the　snipping　and　sewing　went　on。



The　clock　struck　four。　　Dick　fidgeted　about；　yawned　privately；

counted　the　knots　in　the　table；　yawned　publicly；　counted　the　flies

on　the　ceiling；　yawned　horribly；　went　into　the　kitchen　and　scullery；

and　so　thoroughly　studied　the　principle　upon　which　the　pump　was

constructed　that　he　could　have　delivered　a　lecture　on　the　subject。

Stepping　back　to　Fancy；　and　finding　still　that　she　had　not　done；　he

went　into　her　garden　and　looked　at　her　cabbages　and　potatoes；　and

reminded　himself　that　they　seemed　to　him　to　wear　a　decidedly

feminine　aspect；　then　pulled　up　several　weeds；　and　came　in　again。

The　clock　struck　five；　and　still　the　snipping　and　sewing　went　on。



Dick　attempted　to　kill　a　fly；　peeled　all　the　rind　off　his　walking…

stick；　then　threw　the　stick　into　the　scullery　because　it　was　spoilt；

produced　hideous　discords　from　the　harmonium；　and　accidentally

overturned　a　vase　of　flowers；　the　water　from　which　ran　in　a　rill

across　the　table　and　dribbled　to　the　floor；　where　it　formed　a　lake；

the　shape　of　which；　after　the　lapse　of　a　few　minutes；　he　began　to

modify　considerably　with　his　foot；　till　it　was　like　a　map　of　England

and　Wales。



〃Well；　Dick；　you　needn't　have　made　quite　such　a　mess。〃



〃Well；　I　needn't；　I　suppose。〃　　He　walked　up　to　the　blue　dress；　and

looked　at　it　with　a　rigid　gaze。　　Then　an　idea　seemed　to　cross　his

brain。



〃Fancy。〃



〃Yes。〃



〃I　thought　you　said　you　were　going　to　wear　your　gray　gown　all　day

to…morrow　on　your　trip　to　Yalbury；　and　in　the　evening　too；　when　I

shall　be　with　you；　and　ask　your　father　for　you？〃



〃So　I　am。〃



〃And　the　blue　one　only　on　Sunday？〃



〃And　the　blue　one　Sunday。〃



〃Well；　dear；　I　sha'n't　be　at　Yalbury　Sunday　to　see　it。〃



〃No；　but　I　shall　walk　to　Longpuddle　church　in　the　afternoon　with

father；　and　such　lots　of　people　will　be　looking　at　me　there；　you

know；　and　it　did　set　so　badly　round　the　neck。〃



〃I　never　noticed　it；　and　'tis　like　nobody　else　would。〃



〃They　might。〃



〃Then　why　not　wear　the　gray　one　on　Sunday　as　well？　　'Tis　as　pretty

as　the　blue　one。〃



〃I　might　make　the　gray　one　do；　certainly。　　But　it　isn't　so　good；　it

didn't　cost　half　so　much　as　this　one；　and　besides；　it　would　be　the

same　I　wore　Saturday。〃



〃Then　wear　the　striped　one；　dear。〃



〃I　might。〃



〃Or　the　dark　one。〃



〃Yes；　I　might；　but　I　want　to　wear　a　fresh　one　they　haven't　seen。〃



〃I　see；　I　see；〃　said　Dick；　in　a　voice　in　which　the　tones　of　love

were　decidedly　inconvenienced　by　a　considerable　emphasis；　his

thoughts　meanwhile　running　as　follows：　　〃I；　the　man　she　loves　best

in　the　world；　as　she　says；　am　to　understand　that　my　poor　half…

holiday　is　to　be　lost；　because　she　wants　to　wear　on　Sunday　a　gown

there　is　not　the　slightest　necessity　for　wearing；　simply；　in　fact；

to　appear　more　striking　than　usual　in　the　eyes　of　Longpuddle　young

men；　and　I　not　there；　either。〃



〃Then　there　are　three　dresses　good　enough　for　my　eyes；　but　neither

is　good　enough　for　the　youths　of　Longpuddle；〃　he　said。



〃No；　not　that　exactly；　Dick。　　Still；　you　see；　I　do　wantto　look

pretty　to　themthere；　that's　honest！　　But　I　sha'n't　be　much

longer。〃



〃How　much？〃



〃A　quarter　of　an　hour。〃



〃Very　well；　I'll　come　in　in　a　quarter　of　an　hour。〃



〃Why　go　away？〃



〃I　mid　as　well。〃



He　went　out；　walked　down　the　road；　and　sat　upon　a　gate。　　Here　he

meditated　and　meditated；　and　the　more　he　meditated　the　more

decidedly　did　he　begin　to　fume；　and　the　more　positive　was　he　that

his　time　had　been　scandalously　trifled　with　by　Miss　Fancy　Daythat；

so　far　from　being　the　simple　girl　who　had　never　had　a　sweetheart

before；　as　she　had　solemnly　assured　him　time　after　time；　she　was；　if

not　a　flirt；　a　woman　who　had　had　no　end　of　admirers；　a　girl　most

certainly　too　anxious　about　her　frocks；　a　girl；　whose　feelings；

though　warm；　were　not　deep；　a　girl　who　cared　a　great　deal　too　much

how　she　appeared　in　the　eyes　of　other　men。　　〃What　she　loves　best　in

the　world；〃　he　thought；　with　an　incipient　spice　of　his　father's

grimness；　〃is　her　hair　and　complexion。　　What　she　loves　next　best；

her　gowns　and　hats；　what　she　loves　next　best；　myself；　perhaps！〃



Suffering　great　anguish　at　this　disloyalty　in　himself　and　harshness

to　his　darling；　yet　disposed　to　persevere　in　it；　a　horribly　cruel

thought　crossed　his　mind。　　He　would　not　call　for　her；　as　he　had

promised；　at　the　end　of　a　quarter　of　an　hour！　　Yes；　it　would　be　a

punishment　she　well　deserved。　　Although　the　best　part　of　the

afternoon　had　been　wasted　he　would　go　nutting　as　he　had　intended；

and　go　by　himself。



He　leaped　over　the　gate；　and　pushed　up　the　lane　for　nearly　two

miles；　till　a　winding　path　called　Snail…Creep　slope