under the greenwood tree-第31章

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miles；　till　a　winding　path　called　Snail…Creep　sloped　up　a　hill　and

entered　a　hazel　copse　by　a　hole　hike　a　rabbit's　burrow。　　In　he

plunged；　vanished　among　the　bushes；　and　in　a　short　time　there　was　no

sign　of　his　existence　upon　earth；　save　an　occasional　rustling　of

boughs　and　snapping　of　twigs　in　divers　points　of　Grey's　Wood。



Never　man　nutted　as　Dick　nutted　that　afternoon。　　He　worked　like　a

galley　slave。　　Half…hour　after　half…hour　passed　away；　and　still　he

gathered　without　ceasing。　　At　last；　when　the　sun　had　set；　and

bunches　of　nuts　could　not　be　distinguished　from　the　leaves　which

nourished　them；　he　shouldered　his　bag；　containing　quite　two　pecks　of

the　finest　produce　of　the　wood；　about　as　much　use　to　him　as　two

pecks　of　stones　from　the　road；　strolled　down　the　woodland　track；

crossed　the　highway　and　entered　the　homeward　lane；　whistling　as　be

went。



Probably；　Miss　Fancy　Day　never　before　or　after　stood　so　low　in　Mr。

Dewy's　opinion　as　on　that　afternoon。　　In　fact；　it　is　just　possible

that　a　few　more　blue　dresses　on　the　Longpuddle　young　men's　account

would　have　clarified　Dick's　brain　entirely；　and　made　him　once　more　a

free　man。



But　Venus　had　planned　other　developments；　at　any　rate　for　the

present。　　Cuckoo…Lane；　the　way　he　pursued；　passed　over　a　ridge　which

rose　keenly　against　the　sky　about　fifty　yards　in　his　van。　　Here；

upon　the　bright　after…glow　about　the　horizon；　was　now　visible　an

irregular　shape；　which　at　first　he　conceived　to　be　a　bough　standing

a　little　beyond　the　line　of　its　neighbours。　　Then　it　seemed　to　move；

and；　as　he　advanced　still　further；　there　was　no　doubt　that　it　was　a

living　being　sitting　in　the　bank；　head　bowed　on　hand。　　The　grassy

margin　entirely　prevented　his　footsteps　from　being　heard；　and　it　was

not　till　he　was　close　that　the　figure　recognized　him。　　Up　it　sprang；

and　he　was　face　to　face　with　Fancy。



〃Dick；　Dick！　　O；　is　it　you；　Dick！〃



〃Yes；　Fancy；〃　said　Dick；　in　a　rather　repentant　tone；　and　lowering

his　nuts。



She　ran　up　to　him；　flung　her　parasol　on　the　grass；　put　her　little

head　against　his　breast；　and　then　there　began　a　narrative；

disjointed　by　such　a　hysterical　weeping　as　was　never　surpassed　for

intensity　in　the　whole　history　of　love。



〃O　Dick；〃　she　sobbed　out；　〃where　have　you　been　away　from　me？　　O；　I

have　suffered　agony；　and　thought　you　would　never　come　any　more！

'Tis　cruel；　Dick；　no　'tisn't；　it　is　justice！　　I've　been　walking

miles　and　miles　up　and　down　Grey's　Wood；　trying　to　find　you；　till　I

was　wearied　and　worn　out；　and　I　could　walk　no　further；　and　had　come

back　this　far！　　O　Dick；　directly　you　were　gone；　I　thought　I　had

offended　you　and　I　put　down　the　dress；　'tisn't　finished　now；　and　I

never　will　finish；　it；　and　I'll　wear　an　old　one　Sunday！　　Yes；　Dick；

I　will；　because　I　don't　care　what　I　wear　when　you　are　not　by　my

sideha；　you　think　I　do；　but　I　don't！and　I　ran　after　you；　and　I

saw　you　go　up　Snail…Creep　and　not　look　back　once；　and　then　you

plunged　in；　and　I　after　you；　but　I　was　too　far　behind。　　O；　I　did

wish　the　horrid　bushes　had　been　cut　down；　so　that　I　could　see　your

dear　shape　again！　　And　then　I　called　out　to　you；　and　nobody

answered；　and　I　was　afraid　to　call　very　loud；　lest　anybody　else

should　hear　me。　　Then　I　kept　wandering　and　wandering　about；　and　it

was　dreadful　misery；　Dick。　　And　then　I　shut　my　eyes　and　fell　to

picturing　you　looking　at　some　other　woman；　very　pretty　and　nice；　but

with　no　affection　or　truth　in　her　at　all；　and　then　imagined　you

saying　to　yourself；　〃Ah；　she's　as　good　as　Fancy；　for　Fancy　told　me　a

story；　and　was　a　flirt；　and　cared　for　herself　more　than　me；　so　now

I'll　have　this　one　for　my　sweetheart。〃　　O；　you　won't；　will　you；

Dick；　for　I　do　love　you　so！〃



It　is　scarcely　necessary　to　add　that　Dick　renounced　his　freedom

there　and　then；　and　kissed　her　ten　times　over；　and　promised　that　no

pretty　woman　of　the　kind　alluded　to　should　ever　engross　his

thoughts；　in　short；　that　though　he　had　been　vexed　with　her；　all　such

vexation　was　past；　and　that　henceforth　and　for　ever　it　was　simply

Fancy　or　death　for　him。　　And　then　they　set　about　proceeding

homewards；　very　slowly　on　account　of　Fancy's　weariness；　she　leaning

upon　his　shoulder；　and　in　addition　receiving　support　from　his　arm

round　her　waist；　though　she　had　sufficiently　recovered　from　her

desperate　condition　to　sing　to　him；　〃Why　are　you　wandering　here；　I

pray？〃　during　the　latter　part　of　their　walk。　　Nor　is　it　necessary　to

describe　in　detail　how　the　bag　of　nuts　was　quite　forgotten　until

three　days　later；　when　it　was　found　among　the　brambles　and　restored

empty　to　Mrs。　Dewy；　her　initials　being　marked　thereon　in　red　cotton；

and　how　she　puzzled　herself　till　her　head　ached　upon　the　question　of

how　on　earth　her　meal…bag　could　have　got　into　Cuckoo…Lane。







CHAPTER　II：　　HONEY…TAKING；　AND　AFTERWARDS







Saturday　evening　saw　Dick　Dewy　journeying　on　foot　to　Yalbury　Wood；

according　to　the　arrangement　with　Fancy。



The　landscape　being　concave；　at　the　going　down　of　the　sun　everything

suddenly　assumed　a　uniform　robe　of　shade。　　The　evening　advanced　from

sunset　to　dusk　long　before　Dick's　arrival；　and　his　progress　during

the　latter　portion　of　his　walk　through　the　trees　was　indicated　by

the　flutter　of　terrified　birds　that　had　been　roosting　over　the　path。

And　in　crossing　the　glades；　masses　of　hot　dry　air；　that　had　been

formed　on　the　hills　during　the　day；　greeted　his　cheeks　alternately

with　clouds　of　damp　night　air　from　the　valleys。　　He　reached　the

keeper…steward's　house；　where　the　grass…plot　and　the　garden　in　front

appeared　light　and　pale　against　the　unbroken　darkness　of　the　grove

from　which　he　had　emerged；　and　paused　at　the　garden　gate。



He　had　scarcely　been　there　a　minute　when　he　beheld　a　sort　of

procession　advancing　from　the　door　in　his　front。　　It　consisted　first

of　Enoch　the　trapper；　carrying　a　spade　on　his　shoulder　and　a　lantern

dangling　in　his　hand；　then　came　Mrs。　Day；　the　light　of　the　lantern

revealing　that　she　bore　in　her　arms　curious　objects　about　a　foot

long；　in　the　form　of　Latin　crosses　（made　of　lath　and　brown　paper

dipped　in　brimstonecalled　matches　by　bee…masters）；　next　came　Miss

Day；　with　a　shawl　thrown　over　her　head；　and　behind　all；　in　the

gloom；　Mr。　Frederic　Shiner。



Dick；　in　his　consternation　at　finding　Shiner　present；　was　at　a　loss

how　to　proceed；　and　retired　under　a　tree　to　collect　his　thoughts。



〃Here　I　be；　Enoch；〃　said　a　voice；　and　the　procession　advancing

farther；　the　lantern's　rays　illuminated　the　figure　of　Geoffrey；

awaiting　their　arrival　beside　a　row　of　bee…hives；　in　front　of　the

path。　　Taking　the　spade　from　Enoch；　he　proceeded　to　dig　two　holes　in

the　earth　beside　the　hives；　the　others　standing　round　in　a　circle；

except　Mrs。　Day；　who　deposited　her　matches　in　the　fork　of　an　apple…

tree　and　returned　to　the　house。　　The　party　remaining　were　now　lit　up

in　front　by　the　lantern　in　their　midst；　their　shadows　radiating　each

way　upon　the　garden…plot　like　the　spokes　of　a　wheel。　　An　apparent

embarrassment　of　Fancy　at　the　presence　of　Shiner　caused　a　silence　in

the　assembly；　during　which　the　preliminaries　of　execution　were

arranged；　the　matches　fixed；　the　stake　kindled；　the　two　hives　placed

over　the　two　holes；　and　the　earth　stopped　round　the　edges。　　Geoffrey

then　stood　erect；　and　rather　more；　to　straighten　his　backbone　after

the　digging。



〃They　were　a　peculiar　family；〃　said　Mr。　Shiner；　regarding　the　hives

reflectively。



Geoffrey　nodded。



〃Those　holes　will　be　the　grave　of　thousands！〃　said　Fancy。　　〃I　think

'tis　rather　a　cruel　thing　to　do。〃



Her　father　shook　his　head。　　〃No；〃　he　said；　tapping　the　hives　to

shake　the　dead　bees　from　their　cells；　〃if　you　suffocate　'em　this

way；　they　only　die　once：　　if　you　fumigate　'em　in　the　new　way；　they

come　to　life　again；　and　die　o'　starvation；　so　the　pangs　o'　death　be

twice　upon　'em。〃



〃I　incline　to　Fancy's　notion；〃　said　Mr。　Shiner；　laughing　lightly。



〃The　proper　way　to　take　honey；　so　that　t