amy foster-第7章

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children　so　bold。　　He　got　his　food　at　the　back　door；



carried　it　in　both　hands　carefully　to　his　outhouse；



and；　sitting　alone　on　his　pallet；　would　make　the　sign



of　the　cross　before　he　began。　　Beside　the　same　pal…



let；　kneeling　in　the　early　darkness　of　the　short　days；



he　recited　aloud　the　Lord's　Prayer　before　he　slept。



Whenever　he　saw　old　Swaffer　he　would　bow　with



veneration　from　the　waist；　and　stand　erect　while



the　old　man；　with　his　fingers　over　his　upper　lip；　sur…



veyed　him　silently。　　He　bowed　also　to　Miss　Swaffer；



who　kept　house　frugally　for　her　fathera　broad…



shouldered；　big…boned　woman　of　forty…five；　with



the　pocket　of　her　dress　full　of　keys；　and　a　grey；



steady　eye。　　She　was　Churchas　people　said



（while　her　father　was　one　of　the　trustees　of　the



Baptist　Chapel）and　wore　a　little　steel　cross　at



her　waist。　　She　dressed　severely　in　black；　in　mem…



ory　of　one　of　the　innumerable　Bradleys　of　the



neighbourhood；　to　whom　she　had　been　engaged



some　twenty…five　years　agoa　young　farmer　who



broke　his　neck　out　hunting　on　the　eve　of　the　wed…



ding　day。　　She　had　the　unmoved　countenance　of



the　deaf；　spoke　very　seldom；　and　her　lips；　thin　like



her　father's；　astonished　one　sometimes　by　a　myste…



riously　ironic　curl。







〃These　were　the　people　to　whom　he　owed　alle…



giance；　and　an　overwhelming　loneliness　seemed　to



fall　from　the　leaden　sky　of　that　winter　without　sun…



shine。　　All　the　faces　were　sad。　　He　could　talk　to



no　one；　and　had　no　hope　of　ever　understanding



anybody。　　It　was　as　if　these　had　been　the　faces　of



people　from　the　other　worlddead　peoplehe



used　to　tell　me　years　afterwards。　　Upon　my　word；



I　wonder　he　did　not　go　mad。　　He　didn't　know



where　he　was。　　Somewhere　very　far　from　his　moun…



tainssomewhere　over　the　water。　　Was　this　Amer…



ica；　he　wondered？







〃If　it　hadn't　been　for　the　steel　cross　at　Miss



Swaffer's　belt　he　would　not；　he　confessed；　have



known　whether　he　was　in　a　Christian　country　at



all。　　He　used　to　cast　stealthy　glances　at　it；　and　feel



comforted。　　There　was　nothing　here　the　same　as　in



his　country！　　The　earth　and　the　water　were　differ…



ent；　there　were　no　images　of　the　Redeemer　by　the



roadside。　　The　very　grass　was　different；　and　the



trees。　　All　the　trees　but　the　three　old　Norway　pines



on　the　bit　of　lawn　before　Swaffer's　house；　and



these　reminded　him　of　his　country。　　He　had　been



detected　once；　after　dusk；　with　his　forehead　against



the　trunk　of　one　of　them；　sobbing；　and　talking　to



himself。　　They　had　been　like　brothers　to　him　at　that



time；　he　affirmed。　　Everything　else　was　strange。



Conceive　you　the　kind　of　an　existence　overshad…



owed；　oppressed；　by　the　everyday　material　appear…



ances；　as　if　by　the　visions　of　a　nightmare。　　At



night；　when　he　could　not　sleep；　he　kept　on　thinking



of　the　girl　who　gave　him　the　first　piece　of　bread　he



had　eaten　in　this　foreign　land。　　She　had　been



neither　fierce　nor　angry；　nor　frightened。　　Her　face



he　remembered　as　the　only　comprehensible　face



amongst　all　these　faces　that　were　as　closed；　as　mys…



terious；　and　as　mute　as　the　faces　of　the　dead　who



are　possessed　of　a　knowledge　beyond　the　compre…



hension　of　the　living。　　I　wonder　whether　the　mem…



ory　of　her　compassion　prevented　him　from　cutting



his　throat。　　But　there！　　I　suppose　I　am　an　old　sen…



timentalist；　and　forget　the　instinctive　love　of　life



which　it　takes　all　the　strength　of　an　uncommon　de…



spair　to　overcome。







〃He　did　the　work　which　was　given　him　with　an



intelligence　which　surprised　old　Swaffer。　　By…and…



by　it　was　discovered　that　he　could　help　at　the



ploughing；　could　milk　the　cows；　feed　the　bullocks



in　the　cattle…yard；　and　was　of　some　use　with　the



sheep。　　He　began　to　pick　up　words；　too；　very　fast；



and　suddenly；　one　fine　morning　in　spring；　he　res…



cued　from　an　untimely　death　a　grand…child　of　old



Swaffer。







〃Swaffer's　younger　daughter　is　married　to



Willcox；　a　solicitor　and　the　Town　Clerk　of　Cole…



brook。　　Regularly　twice　a　year　they　come　to　stay



with　the　old　man　for　a　few　days。　　Their　only　child；



a　little　girl　not　three　years　old　at　the　time；　ran　out



of　the　house　alone　in　her　little　white　pinafore；　and；



toddling　across　the　grass　of　a　terraced　garden；



pitched　herself　over　a　low　wall　head　first　into　the



horsepond　in　the　yard　below。







〃Our　man　was　out　with　the　waggoner　and　the



plough　in　the　field　nearest　to　the　house；　and　as　he



was　leading　the　team　round　to　begin　a　fresh　fur…



row；　he　saw；　through　the　gap　of　the　gate；　what　for



anybody　else　would　have　been　a　mere　flutter　of



something　white。　　But　he　had　straight…glancing；



quick；　far…reaching　eyes；　that　only　seemed　to　flinch



and　lose　their　amazing　power　before　the　immensity



of　the　sea。　　He　was　barefooted；　and　looking　as　out…



landish　as　the　heart　of　Swaffer　could　desire。　　Leav…



ing　the　horses　on　the　turn；　to　the　inexpressible　dis…



ust　of　the　waggoner　he　bounded　off；　going　over



the　ploughed　ground　in　long　leaps；　and　suddenly



appeared　before　the　mother；　thrust　the　child　into



her　arms；　and　strode　away。







〃The　pond　was　not　very　deep；　but　still；　if　he



had　not　had　such　good　eyes；　the　child　would　have



perishedmiserably　suffocated　in　the　foot　or　so　of



sticky　mud　at　the　bottom。　　Old　Swaffer　walked　out



slowly　into　the　field；　waited　till　the　plough　came



over　to　his　side；　had　a　good　look　at　him；　and　with…



out　saying　a　word　went　back　to　the　house。　　But



from　that　time　they　laid　out　his　meals　on　the　kitch…



en　table；　and　at　first；　Miss　Swaffer；　all　in　black　and



with　an　inscrutable　face；　would　come　and　stand　in



the　doorway　of　the　living…room　to　see　him　make　a



big　sign　of　the　cross　before　he　fell　to。　　I　believe　that



from　that　day；　too；　Swaffer　began　to　pay　him　reg…



ular　wages。







〃I　can't　follow　step　by　step　his　development。



He　cut　his　hair　short；　was　seen　in　the　village　and



along　the　road　going　to　and　fro　to　his　work　like



any　other　man。　　Children　ceased　to　shout　after　him。



He　became　aware　of　social　differences；　but　re…



mained　for　a　long　time　surprised　at　the　bare　pov…



erty　of　the　churches　among　so　much　wealth。　　He



couldn't　understand　either　why　they　were　kept　shut



up　on　week　days。　　There　was　nothing　to　steal　in



them。　　Was　it　to　keep　people　from　praying　too



often？　　The　rectory　took　much　notice　of　him　about



that　time；　and　I　believe　the　young　ladies　attempted



to　prepare　the　ground　for　his　conversion。　　They



could　not；　however；　break　him　of　his　habit　of　cross…



ing　himself；　but　he　went　so　far　as　to　take　off　the



string　with　a　couple　of　brass　medals　the　size　of　a



sixpence；　a　tiny　metal　cross；　and　a　square　sort　of



scapulary　which　he　wore　round　his　neck。　　He　hung



them　on　the　wall　by　the　side　of　his　bed；　and　he　was



still　to　be　heard　every　evening　reciting　the　Lord's



Prayer；　in　incomprehensible　words　and　in　a　slow；



fervent　tone；　as　he　had　heard　his　old　father　do　at



the　head　of　all　the　kneeling　family；　big　and　little；



on　every　evening　of　his　life。　　And　though　he　wore



corduroys　at　work；　and　a　slop…made　pepper…and…



salt　suit　on　Sundays；　strangers　would　turn　round



to　look　after　him　on　the　road。　　His　foreignness　had



a　peculiar　and　indelible　stamp。　　At　last　people　be…



came　used　to　see　him。　　But　they　never　became　used



to　him。　　His　rapid；　skimming　walk；　his　swarthy



complexion；　his　hat　cocked　on　the　left　ear；　his　hab…



it；　on　warm　evenings；　of　wearing　his　coat　over　one



shoulder；　like　a　hussar's　dolman；　his　manner　o