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第43章

lay morals-第43章

小说: lay morals 字数: 每页4000字

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old; miry woodland; and so far from men and society; that  the traffic on the Great North Road spoke to him in the  intervals of slumber。



THE GREAT NORTH ROAD CHAPTER III …  JONATHAN HOLDAWAY



NANCE descended the tower stair; pausing at every step。  She  was in no hurry to confront her uncle with bad news; and she  must dwell a little longer on the rich note of Mr。 Archer's  voice; the charm of his kind words; and the beauty of his  manner and person。  But; once at the stair…foot; she threw  aside the spell and recovered her sensible and workaday self。

Jonathan was seated in the middle of the settle; a mug of ale  beside him; in the attitude of one prepared for trouble; but  he did not speak; and suffered her to fetch her supper and  eat of it; with a very excellent appetite; in silence。  When  she had done; she; too; drew a tankard of home…brewed; and  came and planted herself in front of him upon the settle。

'Well?' said Jonathan。

'My lord has run away;' said Nance。

'What?' cried the old man。

'Abroad;' she continued; 'run away from creditors。  He said  he had not a stiver; but he was drunk enough。  He said you  might live on in the castle; and Mr。 Archer would pay you;  but you was to look for no more wages; since he would be glad  of them himself。'

Jonathan's face contracted; the flush of a black; bilious  anger mounted to the roots of his hair; he gave an  inarticulate cry; leapt upon his feet; and began rapidly  pacing the stone floor。  At first he kept his hands behind  his back in a tight knot; then he began to gesticulate as he  turned。

'This man … this lord;' he shouted; 'who is he?  He was born  with a gold spoon in his mouth; and I with a dirty straw。  He  rolled in his coach when he was a baby。  I have dug and  toiled and laboured since I was that high … that high。'  And  he shouted again。  'I'm bent and broke; and full of pains。   D' ye think I don't know the taste of sweat?  Many's the  gallon I've drunk of it … ay; in the midwinter; toiling like  a slave。  All through; what has my life been?  Bend; bend;  bend my old creaking back till it would ache like breaking;  wade about in the foul mire; never a dry stitch; empty belly;  sore hands; hat off to my Lord Redface; kicks and ha'pence;  and now; here; at the hind end; when I'm worn to my poor  bones; a kick and done with it。'  He walked a little while in  silence; and then; extending his hand; 'Now you; Nance  Holdaway;' says he; 'you come of my blood; and you're a good  girl。  When that man was a boy; I used to carry his gun for  him。  I carried the gun all day on my two feet; and many a  stitch I had; and chewed a bullet for。  He rode upon a horse;  with feathers in his hat; but it was him that had the shots  and took the game home。  Did I complain?  Not I。  I knew my  station。  What did I ask; but just the chance to live and die  honest?  Nance Holdaway; don't let them deny it to me … don't  let them do it。  I've been as poor as Job; and as honest as  the day; but now; my girl; you mark these words of mine; I'm  getting tired of it。'

'I wouldn't say such words; at least;' said Nance。

'You wouldn't?' said the old man grimly。  'Well; and did I  when I was your age?  Wait till your back's broke and your  hands tremble; and your eyes fail; and you're weary of the  battle and ask no more but to lie down in your bed and give  the ghost up like an honest man; and then let there up and  come some insolent; ungodly fellow … ah! if I had him in  these hands!  〃Where's my money that you gambled?〃 I should  say。  〃Where's my money that you drank and diced?〃  〃Thief!〃  is what I would say; 〃Thief!〃' he roared; '〃Thief〃'

'Mr。 Archer will hear you if you don't take care;' said  Nance; 'and I would be ashamed; for one; that he should hear  a brave; old; honest; hard…working man like Jonathan Holdaway  talk nonsense like a boy。'

'D' ye think I mind for Mr。 Archer?' he cried shrilly; with a  clack of laughter; and then he came close up to her; stooped  down with his two palms upon his knees; and looked her in the  eyes; with a strange hard expression; something like a smile。   'Do I mind for God; my girl?' he said; 'that's what it's come  to be now; do I mind for God?'

'Uncle Jonathan;' she said; getting up and taking him by the  arm; 'you sit down again; where you were sitting。  There; sit  still; I'll have no more of this; you'll do yourself a  mischief。  Come; take a drink of this good ale; and I'll warm  a tankard for you。  La; we'll pull through; you'll see。  I'm  young; as you say; and it's my turn to carry the bundle; and  don't you worry your bile; or we'll have sickness; too; as  well as sorrow。'

'D' ye think that I'd forgotten you?' said Jonathan; with  something like a groan; and thereupon his teeth clicked to;  and he sat silent with the tankard in his hand and staring  straight before him。

'Why;' says Nance; setting on the ale to mull; 'men are  always children; they say; however old; and if ever I heard a  thing like this; to set to and make yourself sick; just when  the money's failing。  Keep a good heart up; you haven't kept  a good heart these seventy years; nigh hand; to break down  about a pound or two。  Here's this Mr。 Archer come to lodge;  that you disliked so much。  Well; now you see it was a clear  Providence。  Come; let's think upon our mercies。  And here is  the ale mulling lovely; smell of it; I'll take a drop myself;  it smells so sweet。  And; Uncle Jonathan; you let me say one  word。  You've lost more than money before now; you lost my  aunt; and bore it like a man。  Bear this。'

His face once more contracted; his fist doubled; and shot  forth into the air; and trembled。  'Let them look out!' he  shouted。  'Here; I warn all men; I've done with this foul  kennel of knaves。  Let them look out!'

'Hush; hush! for pity's sake;' cried Nance。

And then all of a sudden he dropped his face into his hands;  and broke out with a great hiccoughing dry sob that was  horrible to hear。  'O;' he cried; 'my God; if my son hadn't  left me; if my Dick was here!' and the sobs shook him; Nance  sitting still and watching him; with distress。  'O; if he  were here to help his father!' he went on again。  'If I had a  son like other fathers; he would save me now; when all is  breaking down; O; he would save me!  Ay; but where is he?   Raking taverns; a thief perhaps。  My curse be on him!' he  added; rising again into wrath。

'Hush!' cried Nance; springing to her feet: 'your boy; your  dead wife's boy … Aunt Susan's baby that she loved … would  you curse him?  O; God forbid!'

The energy of her address surprised him from his mood。  He  looked upon her; tearless and confused。  'Let me go to my  bed;' he said at last; and he rose; and; shaking as with  ague; but quite silent; lighted his candle; and left the  kitchen。

Poor Nance! the pleasant current of her dreams was all  diverted。  She beheld a golden city; where she aspired to  dwell; she had spoken with a deity; and had told herself that  she might rise to be his equal; and now the earthly ligaments  that bound her down had been tightened。  She was like a tree  looking skyward; her roots were in the ground。  It seemed to  her a thing so coarse; so rustic; to be thus concerned about  a loss in money; when Mr。 Archer; fallen from the sky…level  of counts and nobles; faced his changed destiny with so  immovable a courage。  To weary of honesty; that; at least; no  one could do; but even to name it was already a disgrace; and  she beheld in fancy her uncle; and the young lad; all laced  and feathered; hand upon hip; bestriding his small horse。   The opposition seemed to perpetuate itself from generation to  generation; one side still doomed to the clumsy and the  servile; the other born to beauty。

She thought of the golden zones in which gentlemen were bred;  and figured with so excellent a grace; zones in which wisdom  and smooth words; white linen and slim hands; were the mark  of the desired inhabitants; where low temptations were  unknown; and honesty no virtue; but a thing as natural as  breathing。



THE GREAT NORTH ROAD CHAPTER IV … MINGLING THREADS



IT was nearly seven before Mr。 Archer left his apartment。  On  the landing he found another door b

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