under the greenwood tree-第32章

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twice　upon　'em。〃



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



〃The　proper　way　to　take　honey；　so　that　the　bees　be　neither　starved

nor　murdered；　is　a　puzzling　matter；〃　said　the　keeper　steadily。



〃I　should　like　never　to　take　it　from　them；〃　said　Fancy。



〃But　'tis　the　money；〃　said　Enoch　musingly。　　〃For　without　money　man

is　a　shadder！〃



The　lantern…light　had　disturbed　many　bees　that　had　escaped　from

hives　destroyed　some　days　earlier；　and；　demoralized　by　affliction；

were　now　getting　a　living　as　marauders　about　the　doors　of　other

hives。　　Several　flew　round　the　head　and　neck　of　Geoffrey；　then

darted　upon　him　with　an　irritated　bizz。



Enoch　threw　down　the　lantern；　and　ran　off　and　pushed　his　head　into　a

currant　bush；　Fancy　scudded　up　the　path；　and　Mr。　Shiner　floundered

away　helter…skelter　among　the　cabbages。　　Geoffrey　stood　his　ground；

unmoved　and　firm　as　a　rock。　　Fancy　was　the　first　to　return；　followed

by　Enoch　picking　up　the　lantern。　　Mr。　Shiner　still　remained

invisible。



〃Have　the　craters　stung　ye？〃　said　Enoch　to　Geoffrey。



〃No；　not　muchon'y　a　little　here　and　there；〃　he　said　with　leisurely

solemnity；　shaking　one　bee　out　of　his　shirt　sleeve；　pulling　another

from　among　his　hair；　and　two　or　three　more　from　his　neck。　　The　rest

looked　on　during　this　proceeding　with　a　complacent　sense　of　being

out　of　it；much　as　a　European　nation　in　a　state　of　internal

commotion　is　watched　by　its　neighbours。



〃Are　those　all　of　them；　father？〃　said　Fancy；　when　Geoffrey　had

pulled　away　five。



〃Almost　all；though　I　feel　one　or　two　more　sticking　into　my

shoulder　and　side。　　Ah！　there's　another　just　begun　again　upon　my

backbone。　　You　lively　young　mortals；　how　did　you　get　inside　there？

However；　they　can't　sting　me　many　times　more；　poor　things；　for　they

must　be　getting　weak。　　They　mid　as　well　stay　in　me　till　bedtime　now；

I　suppose。〃



As　he　himself　was　the　only　person　affected　by　this　arrangement；　it

seemed　satisfactory　enough；　and　after　a　noise　of　feet　kicking

against　cabbages　in　a　blundering　progress　among　them；　the　voice　of

Mr。　Shiner　was　heard　from　the　darkness　in　that　direction。



〃Is　all　quite　safe　again？〃



No　answer　being　returned　to　this　query；　he　apparently　assumed　that

he　might　venture　forth；　and　gradually　drew　near　the　lantern　again。

The　hives　were　now　removed　from　their　position　over　the　holes；　one

being　handed　to　Enoch　to　carry　indoors；　and　one　being　taken　by

Geoffrey　himself。



〃Bring　hither　the　lantern；　Fancy：　　the　spade　can　bide。〃



Geoffrey　and　Enoch　then　went　towards　the　house；　leaving　Shiner　and

Fancy　standing　side　by　side　on　the　garden…plot。



〃Allow　me；〃　said　Shiner；　stooping　for　the　lantern　and　seizing　it　at

the　same　time　with　Fancy。



〃I　can　carry　it；〃　said　Fancy；　religiously　repressing　all　inclination

to　trifle。　　She　had　thoroughly　considered　that　subject　after　the

tearful　explanation　of　the　bird…catching　adventure　to　Dick；　and　had

decided　that　it　would　be　dishonest　in　her；　as　an　engaged　young

woman；　to　trifle　with　men's　eyes　and　hands　any　more。　　Finding　that

Shiner　still　retained　his　hold　of　the　lantern；　she　relinquished　it；

and　he；　having　found　her　retaining　it；　also　let　go。　　The　lantern

fell；　and　was　extinguished。　　Fancy　moved　on。



〃Where　is　the　path？〃　said　Mr。　Shiner。



〃Here；〃　said　Fancy。　　〃Your　eyes　will　get　used　to　the　dark　in　a

minute　or　two。〃



〃Till　that　time　will　ye　lend　me　your　hand？〃　　Fancy　gave　him　the

extreme　tips　of　her　fingers；　and　they　stepped　from　the　plot　into　the

path。



〃You　don't　accept　attentions　very　freely。〃



〃It　depends　upon　who　offers　them。〃



〃A　fellow　like　me；　for　instance。〃　　A　dead　silence。



〃Well；　what　do　you　say；　Missie？〃



〃It　then　depends　upon　how　they　are　offered。〃



〃Not　wildly；　and　yet　not　careless…like；　not　purposely；　and　yet　not

by　chance；　not　too　quick　nor　yet　too　slow。〃



〃How　then？〃　said　Fancy。



〃Coolly　and　practically；〃　he　said。　　〃How　would　that　kind　of　love　be

taken？〃



〃Not　anxiously；　and　yet　not　indifferently；　neither　blushing　nor

pale；　nor　religiously　nor　yet　quite　wickedly。〃



〃Not　at　all。〃



Geoffrey　Day's　storehouse　at　the　back　of　his　dwelling　was　hung　with

bunches　of　dried　horehound；　mint；　and　sage；　brown…paper　bags　of

thyme　and　lavender；　and　long　ropes　of　clean　onions。　　On　shelves　were

spread　large　red　and　yellow　apples；　and　choice　selections　of　early

potatoes　for　seed　next　year；vulgar　crowds　of　commoner　kind　lying

beneath　in　heaps。　　A　few　empty　beehives　were　clustered　around　a　nail

in　one　corner；　under　which　stood　two　or　three　barrels　of　new　cider

of　the　first　crop；　each　bubbling　and　squirting　forth　from　the　yet

open　bunghole。



Fancy　was　now　kneeling　beside　the　two　inverted　hives；　one　of　which

rested　against　her　lap；　for　convenience　in　operating　upon　the

contents。　　She　thrust　her　sleeves　above　her　elbows；　and　inserted　her

small　pink　hand　edgewise　between　each　white　lobe　of　honeycomb；

performing　the　act　so　adroitly　and　gently　as　not　to　unseal　a　single

cell。　　Then　cracking　the　piece　off　at　the　crown　of　the　hive　by　a

slight　backward　and　forward　movement；　she　lifted　each　portion　as　it

was　loosened　into　a　large　blue　platter；　placed　on　a　bench　at　her

side。



〃Bother　these　little　mortals！〃　said　Geoffrey；　who　was　holding　the

light　to　her；　and　giving　his　back　an　uneasy　twist。　　〃I　really　think

I　may　as　well　go　indoors　and　take　'em　out；　poor　things！　for　they

won't　let　me　alone。　　There's　two　a　stinging　wi'　all　their　might　now。

I'm　sure　I　wonder　their　strength　can　last　so　long。〃



〃All　right；　friend；　I'll　hold　the　candle　whilst　you　are　gone；〃　said

Mr。　Shiner；　leisurely　taking　the　light；　and　allowing　Geoffrey　to

depart；　which　he　did　with　his　usual　long　paces。



He　could　hardly　have　gone　round　to　the　house…door　when　other

footsteps　were　heard　approaching　the　outbuilding；　the　tip　of　a

finger　appeared　in　the　hole　through　which　the　wood　latch　was　lifted；

and　Dick　Dewy　came　in；　having　been　all　this　time　walking　up　and　down

the　wood；　vainly　waiting　for　Shiner's　departure。



Fancy　looked　up　and　welcomed　him　rather　confusedly。　　Shiner　grasped

the　candlestick　more　firmly；　and；　lest　doing　this　in　silence　should

not　imply　to　Dick　with　sufficient　force　that　he　was　quite　at　home

and　cool；　he　sang　invincibly　…





〃'King　Arthur　he　had　three　sons。'〃





〃Father　here？〃　said　Dick。



〃Indoors；　I　think；〃　said　Fancy；　looking　pleasantly　at　him。



Dick　surveyed　the　scene；　and　did　not　seem　inclined　to　hurry　off　just

at　that　moment。　　Shiner　went　on　singing





〃'The　miller　was　drown'd　in　his　pond；

The　weaver　was　hung　in　his　yarn；

And　the　d…　ran　away　with　the　little　tail…or；

With　the　broadcloth　under　his　arm。'〃





〃That's　a　terrible　crippled　rhyme；　if　that's　your　rhyme！〃　said　Dick；

with　a　grain　of　superciliousness　in　his　tone。



〃It's　no　use　your　complaining　to　me　about　the　rhyme！〃　said　Mr。

Shiner。　　〃You　must　go　to　the　man　that　made　it。〃



Fancy　by　this　time　had　acquired　confidence。



〃Taste　a　bit；　Mr。　Dewy；〃　she　said；　holding　up　to　him　a　small

circular　piece　of　honeycomb　that　had　been　the　last　in　the　row　of

layers；　remaining　still　on　her　knees　and　flinging　back　her　head　to

look　in　his　face；　〃and　then　I'll　taste　a　bit　too。〃



〃And　I；　if　you　please；〃　said　Mr。　Shiner。　　Nevertheless　the　farmer

looked　superior；　as　if　he　could　even　now　hardly　join　the　trifling

from　very　importance　of　station；　and　after　receiving　the　honeycomb

from　Fancy；　he　turned　it　over　in　his　hand　till　the　cells　began　to　be

crushed；　and　the　liquid　honey　ran　down　from　his　fingers　in　a　thin

string。



Suddenly　a　faint　cry　from　Fancy　caused　them　to　gaze　at　her。



〃What's　the　matter；　dear？〃　said　Dick。



〃It　is　nothing；　but　O…o！　a　bee　has　stung　the　inside　of　my　lip！　　He

was　in　one　of　the　cells　I　was　eating！〃



〃We　must　keep　down　the　swelling；　or　it　may　be　serious！〃　said　Shiner；

stepping　up　and　kneeling　beside　her。　　〃Let　me