five tales-第37章

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welling　on　each　leg；　and　disappeared　round　the　end　of　the　house　towards　the　kitchen　entrance。　　A　chill　came　over　Ashurst's　mood。　　Clods？　　With　all　the　good　will　in　the　world；　how　impossible　to　get　on　terms　with　them！　　And　yetsee　that　girl！　　Her　shoes　were　split；　her　hands　rough；　butwhat　was　it？　　Was　it　really　her　Celtic　blood；　as　Garton　had　said？she　was　a　lady　born；　a　jewel；　though　probably　she　could　do　no　more　than　just　read　and　write！

The　elderly；　clean…shaven　man　he　had　seen　last　night　in　the　kitchen　had　come　into　the　yard　with　a　dog；　driving　the　cows　to　their　milking。　Ashurst　saw　that　he　was　lame。

〃You've　got　some　good　ones　there！〃

The　lame　man's　face　brightened。　　He　had　the　upward　look　in　his　eyes　which　prolonged　suffering　often　brings。

〃Yeas；　they'm　praaper　buties；　gude　milkers　tu。〃

〃I　bet　they　are。〃

〃'Ope　as　yure　leg's　better；　zurr。〃

〃Thank　you；　it's　getting　on。〃

The　lame　man　touched　his　own：　〃I　know　what　'tes；　meself；　'tes　a　main　worritin'　thing；　the　knee。　　I've　a…'ad　mine　bad　this　ten　year。〃

Ashurst　made　the　sound　of　sympathy　which　comes　so　readily　from　those　who　have　an　independent　income；　and　the　lame　man　smiled　again。

〃Mustn't　complain；　thoughthey　mighty　near　'ad　it　off。〃

〃Ho！〃

〃Yeas；　an'　compared　with　what　'twas；　'tes　almost　so　gude　as　nu。〃

〃They've　put　a　bandage　of　splendid　stuff　on　mine。〃

〃The　maid　she　picks　et。　　She'm　a　gude　maid　wi'　the　flowers。　　There's　folks　zeem　to　know　the　healin'　in　things。　　My　mother　was　a　rare　one　for　that。　　'Ope　as　yu'll　zune　be　better；　zurr。　　Goo　ahn；　therr！〃

Ashurst　smiled。　　〃Wi'　the　flowers！〃　　A　flower　herself！

That　evening；　after　his　supper　of　cold　duck；　junket；　and　cider；　the　girl　came　in。

〃Please；　auntie　sayswill　you　try　a　piece　of　our　Mayday　cake？〃

〃If　I　may　come　to　the　kitchen　for　it。〃

〃Oh；　yes！　　You'll　be　missing　your　friend。〃

〃Not　I。　　But　are　you　sure　no　one　minds？〃

〃Who　would　mind？　　We　shall　be　very　pleased。〃

Ashurst　rose　too　suddenly　for　his　stiff　knee；　staggered；　and　subsided。　　The　girl　gave　a　little　gasp；　and　held　out　her　hands。　Ashurst　took　them；　small；　rough；　brown；　checked　his　impulse　to　put　them　to　his　lips；　and　let　her　pull　him　up。　　She　came　close　beside　him；　offering　her　shoulder。　　And　leaning　on　her　he　walked　across　the　room。　　That　shoulder　seemed　quite　the　pleasantest　thing　he　had　ever　touched。　　But；　he　had　presence　of　mind　enough　to　catch　his　stick　out　of　the　rack；　and　withdraw　his　hand　before　arriving　at　the　kitchen。

That　night　he　slept　like　a　top；　and　woke　with　his　knee　of　almost　normal　size。　　He　again　spent　the　morning　in　his　chair　on　the　grass　patch；　scribbling　down　verses；　but　in　the　afternoon　he　wandered　about　with　the　two　little　boys　Nick　and　Rick。　　It　was　Saturday；　so　they　were　early　home　from　school；　quick；　shy；　dark　little　rascals　of　seven　and　six；　soon　talkative；　for　Ashurst　had　a　way　with　children。　　By　four　o'clock　they　had　shown　him　all　their　methods　of　destroying　life；　except　the　tickling　of　trout；　and　with　breeches　tucked　up；　lay　on　their　stomachs　over　the　trout　stream；　pretending　they　had　this　accomplishment　also。　　They　tickled　nothing；　of　course；　for　their　giggling　and　shouting　scared　every　spotted　thing　away。　　Ashurst；　on　a　rock　at　the　edge　of　the　beech　clump；　watched　them；　and　listened　to　the　cuckoos；　till　Nick；　the　elder　and　less　persevering；　came　up　and　stood　beside　him。

〃The　gipsy　bogle　zets　on　that　stone；〃　he　said。

〃What　gipsy　bogie？〃

〃Dunno；　never　zeen　'e。　　Megan　zays　'e　zets　there；　an'　old　Jim　zeed　'e　once。　　'E　was　zettin'　there　naight　afore　our　pony　kickedin　father's　'ead。　　'E　plays　the　viddle。〃

〃What　tune　does　he　play？〃

〃Dunno。〃

〃What's　he　like？〃

〃'E's　black。　　Old　Jim　zays　'e's　all　over　'air。　　'E's　a　praaper　bogle。　'E　don'　come　only　at　naight。〃　　The　little　boy's　oblique　dark　eyes　slid　round。　　〃D'yu　think　'e　might　want　to　take　me　away？　　Megan's　feared　of　'e。〃

〃Has　she　seen　him？〃

〃No。　　She's　not　afeared　o'　yu。〃

〃I　should　think　not。　　Why　should　she　be？〃

〃She　zays　a　prayer　for　yu。〃

〃How　do　you　know　that；　you　little　rascal？〃

〃When　I　was　asleep；　she　said：　'God　bless　us　all；　an'　Mr。　Ashes。'　　I　yeard　'er　whisperin'。〃

〃You're　a　little　ruffian　to　tell　what　you　hear　when　you're　not　meant　to　hear　it！〃

The　little　boy　was　silent。　　Then　he　said　aggressively：

〃I　can　skin　rabbets。　　Megan；　she　can't　bear　skinnin'　'em。　　I　like　blood。〃

〃Oh！　you　do；　you　little　monster！〃

〃What's　that？〃

〃A　creature　that　likes　hurting　others。〃

The　little　boy　scowled。　　〃They'm　only　dead　rabbets；　what　us　eats。〃

〃Quite　right；　Nick。　　I　beg　your　pardon。〃

〃I　can　skin　frogs；　tu。〃

But　Ashurst　had　become　absent。　　〃God　bless　us　all；　and　Mr。　Ashes！〃　And　puzzled　by　that　sudden　inaccessibility；　Nick　ran　back　to　the　stream　where　the　giggling　and　shouts　again　uprose　at　once。

When　Megan　brought　his　tea；　he　said：

〃What's　the　gipsy　bogle；　Megan？〃

She　looked　up；　startled。

〃He　brings　bad　things。〃

〃Surely　you　don't　believe　in　ghosts？〃

〃I　hope　I　will　never　see　him。〃

〃Of　course　you　won't。　　There　aren't　such　things。　　What　old　Jim　saw　was　a　pony。〃

〃No！　　There　are　bogies　in　the　rocks；　they　are　the　men　who　lived　long　ago。〃

〃They　aren't　gipsies；　anyway；　those　old　men　were　dead　long　before　gipsies　came。〃

She　said　simply：　〃They　are　all　bad。〃

〃Why？　　If　there　are　any；　they're　only　wild；　like　the　rabbits。　　The　flowers　aren't　bad　for　being　wild；　the　thorn　trees　were　never　plantedand　you　don't　mind　them。　　I　shall　go　down　at　night　and　look　for　your　bogie；　and　have　a　talk　with　him。〃

〃Oh；　no！　Oh；　no！〃

〃Oh；　yes！　　I　shall　go　and　sit　on　his　rock。〃

She　clasped　her　hands　together：　〃Oh；　please！〃

〃Why！　　What　'does　it　matter　if　anything　happens　to　me？〃

She　did　not　answer；　and　in　a　sort　of　pet　he　added：

〃Well；　I　daresay　I　shan't　see　him；　because　I　suppose　I　must　be　off　soon。〃

〃Soon？〃

〃Your　aunt　won't　want　to　keep　me　here。〃

〃Oh；　yes！　　We　always　let　lodgings　in　summer。〃

Fixing　his　eyes　on　her　face；　he　asked：

〃Would　you　like　me　to　stay？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃I'm　going　to　say　a　prayer　for　you　to…night！〃

She　flushed　crimson；　frowned；　and　went　out　of　the　room。　　He　sat；　cursing　himself；　till　his　tea　was　stewed。　　It　was　as　if　he　had　hacked　with　his　thick　boots　at　a　clump　of　bluebells。　　Why　had　he　said　such　a　silly　thing？　　Was　he　just　a　towny　college　ass　like　Robert　Garton；　as　far　from　understanding　this　girl？

Ashurst　spent　the　next　week　confirming　the　restoration　of　his　leg；　by　exploration　of　the　country　within　easy　reach。　　Spring　was　a　revelation　to　him　this　year。　　In　a　kind　of　intoxication　he　would　watch　the　pink…white　buds　of　some　backward　beech　tree　sprayed　up　in　the　sunlight　against　the　deep　blue　sky；　or　the　trunks　and　limbs　of　the　few　Scotch　firs；　tawny　in　violent　light；　or　again；　on　the　moor；　the　gale…bent　larches　which　had　such　a　look　of　life　when　the　wind　streamed　in　their　young　green；　above　the　rusty　black　underboughs。　　Or　he　would　lie　on　the　banks；　gazing　at　the　clusters　of　dog…violets；　or　up　in　the　dead　bracken；　fingering　the　pink；　transparent　buds　of　the　dewberry；　while　the　cuckoos　called　and　yafes　laughed；　or　a　lark；　from　very　high；　dripped　its　beads　of　song。　　It　was　certainly　different　from　any　spring　he　had　ever　known；　for　spring　was　within　him；　not　without。　　In　the　daytime　he　hardly　saw　the　family；　and　when　Megan　brought　in　his　meals　she　always　seemed　too　busy　in　the　house　or　among　the　young　things　in　the　yard　to　stay　talking　long。　　But　in　the　evenings　he　installed　himself　in　the　window　seat　in　the　kitchen；　smoking　and　chatting　with　the　lame　man　Jim；　or　Mrs。　Narracombe；　while　the　girl　sewed；　or　moved　about；　clearing　the　supper　things　away。　　And　sometimes；　with　the　sensation　a　cat　must　feel　when　it　purrs；　he　would　become　conscious　that　Megan's　eyesthose　dew…grey　eyeswere　fixed　on　him　with　a　sort　of　lingering　soft　look　which　was　strangely　flattering。

It　was　on　Sunday　week　in　the　evening；　when　he　was　lying　in　the　orchard　listening　to　a　blackbird　and　composing　a　love　poem；　that　he　heard　the　gate　swing　to；　and　saw　the　girl　come　running　among　the　trees；　with　the　red…cheeked；　stolid　Joe　in　swift　pursuit。　　About　twenty　yards　away　the　chase　ended；　and　the　two　stood　fronting　each　other；　not　noticing　the　stranger　in　the　grassthe　b