the doom of the griffiths-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



yourself　for　ever　and　ever　with　your　accursed　wiving！　　And　the　fair

harlot　sits　there；　in　her　mocking　modesty；　practising　the　mimming

airs　that　will　become　her　state　as　future　Lady　of　Bodowen。　　But　I

will　move　heaven　and　earth　before　that　false　woman　darken　the　doors

of　my　father's　house　as　mistress！〃



All　this　was　said　with　such　rapidity　that　Owen　had　no　time　for　the

words　that　thronged　to　his　lips。　　〃Father！〃　（he　burst　forth　at

length）　〃Father；　whosoever　told　you　that　Nest　Pritchard　was　a　harlot

told　you　a　lie　as　false　as　hell！　　Ay！　a　lie　as　false　as　hell！〃　he

added；　in　a　voice　of　thunder；　while　he　advanced　a　step　or　two　nearer

to　the　Squire。　　And　then；　in　a　lower　tone；　he　said　…



〃She　is　as　pure　as　your　own　wife；　nay；　God　help　me！　as　the　dear；

precious　mother　who　brought　me　forth；　and　then　left　mewith　no

refuge　in　a　mother's　heartto　struggle　on　through　life　alone。　　I

tell　you　Nest　is　as　pure　as　that　dear；　dead　mother！〃



〃Foolpoor　fool！〃



At　this　moment　the　childthe　little　Owenwho　had　kept　gazing　from

one　angry　countenance　to　the　other；　and　with　earnest　look；　trying　to

understand　what　had　brought　the　fierce　glare　into　the　face　where　till

now　he　had　read　nothing　but　love；　in　some　way　attracted　the　Squire's

attention；　and　increased　his　wrath。



〃Yes；〃　he　continued；　〃poor；　weak　fool　that　you　are；　hugging　the　child

of　another　as　if　it　were　your　own　offspring！〃　　Owen　involuntarily

caressed　the　affrighted　child；　and　half　smiled　at　the　implication　of

his　father's　words。　　This　the　Squire　perceived；　and　raising　his　voice

to　a　scream　of　rage；　he　went　on：



〃I　bid　you；　if　you　call　yourself　my　son；　to　cast　away　that　miserable；

shameless　woman's　offspring；　cast　it　away　this　instantthis

instant！〃



In　this　ungovernable　rage；　seeing　that　Owen　was　far　from　complying

with　his　command；　he　snatched　the　poor　infant　from　the　loving　arms

that　held　it；　and　throwing　it　to　his　mother；　left　the　house

inarticulate　with　fury。



Nestwho　had　been　pale　and　still　as　marble　during　this　terrible

dialogue；　looking　on　and　listening　as　if　fascinated　by　the　words　that

smote　her　heartopened　her　arms　to　receive　and　cherish　her　precious

babe；　but　the　boy　was　not　destined　to　reach　the　white　refuge　of　her

breast。　　The　furious　action　of　the　Squire　had　been　almost　without

aim；　and　the　infant　fell　against　the　sharp　edge　of　the　dresser　down

on　to　the　stone　floor。



Owen　sprang　up　to　take　the　child；　but　he　lay　so　still；　so　motionless；

that　the　awe　of　death　came　over　the　father；　and　he　stooped　down　to

gaze　more　closely。　　At　that　moment；　the　upturned；　filmy　eyes　rolled

convulsivelya　spasm　passed　along　the　bodyand　the　lips；　yet　warm

with　kissing；　quivered　into　everlasting　rest。



A　word　from　her　husband　told　Nest　all。　　She　slid　down　from　her　seat；

and　lay　by　her　little　son　as　corpse…like　as　he；　unheeding　all　the

agonizing　endearments　and　passionate　adjurations　of　her　husband。　　And

that　poor；　desolate　husband　and　father！　　Scarce　one　little　quarter　of

an　hour；　and　he　had　been　so　blessed　in　his　consciousness　of　love！　the

bright　promise　of　many　years　on　his　infant's　face；　and　the　new；　fresh

soul　beaming　forth　in　its　awakened　intelligence。　　And　there　it　was；

the　little　clay　image；　that　would　never　more　gladden　up　at　the　sight

of　him；　nor　stretch　forth　to　meet　his　embrace；　whose　inarticulate；

yet　most　eloquent　cooings　might　haunt　him　in　his　dreams；　but　would

never　more　be　heard　in　waking　life　again！　　And　by　the　dead　babe；

almost　as　utterly　insensate；　the　poor　mother　had　fallen　in　a　merciful

faintthe　slandered；　heart…pierced　Nest！　　Owen　struggled　against　the

sickness　that　came　over　him；　and　busied　himself　in　vain　attempts　at

her　restoration。



It　was　now　near　noon…day；　and　Ellis　Pritchard　came　home；　little

dreaming　of　the　sight　that　awaited　him；　but　though　stunned；　he　was

able　to　take　more　effectual　measures　for　his　poor　daughter's　recovery

than　Owen　had　done。



By…and…by　she　showed　symptoms　of　returning　sense；　and　was　placed　in

her　own　little　bed　in　a　darkened　room；　where；　without　ever　waking　to

complete　consciousness；　she　fell　asleep。　　Then　it　was　that　her

husband；　suffocated　by　pressure　of　miserable　thought；　gently　drew　his

hand　from　her　tightened　clasp；　and　printing　one　long　soft　kiss　on　her

white　waxen　forehead；　hastily　stole　out　of　the　room；　and　out　of　the

house。



Near　the　base　of　Moel　Gestit　might　be　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　Ty

Glaswas　a　little　neglected　solitary　copse；　wild　and　tangled　with

the　trailing　branches　of　the　dog…rose　and　the　tendrils　of　the　white

bryony。　　Toward　the　middle　of　this　thicket　a　deep　crystal　poola

clear　mirror　for　the　blue　heavens　aboveand　round　the　margin　floated

the　broad　green　leaves　of　the　water…lily；　and　when　the　regal　sun

shone　down　in　his　noonday　glory　the　flowers　arose　from　their　cool

depths　to　welcome　and　greet　him。　　The　copse　was　musical　with　many

sounds；　the　warbling　of　birds　rejoicing　in　its　shades；　the　ceaseless

hum　of　the　insects　that　hovered　over　the　pool；　the　chime　of　the

distant　waterfall；　the　occasional　bleating　of　the　sheep　from　the

mountaintop；　were　all　blended　into　the　delicious　harmony　of　nature。



It　had　been　one　of　Owen's　favourite　resorts　when　he　had　been　a　lonely

wanderera　pilgrim　in　search　of　love　in　the　years　gone　by。　　And

thither　he　went；　as　if　by　instinct；　when　he　left　Ty　Glas；　quelling

the　uprising　agony　till　he　should　reach　that　little　solitary　spot。



It　was　the　time　of　day　when　a　change　in　the　aspect　of　the　weather　so

frequently　takes　place；　and　the　little　pool　was　no　longer　the

reflection　of　a　blue　and　sunny　sky：　　it　sent　back　the　dark　and　slaty

clouds　above；　and；　every　now　and　then；　a　rough　gust　shook　the　painted

autumn　leaves　from　their　branches；　and　all　other　music　was　lost　in

the　sound　of　the　wild　winds　piping　down　from　the　moorlands；　which　lay

up　and　beyond　the　clefts　in　the　mountain…side。　　Presently　the　rain

came　on　and　beat　down　in　torrents。



But　Owen　heeded　it　not。　　He　sat　on　the　dank　ground；　his　face　buried

in　his　hands；　and　his　whole　strength；　physical　and　mental；　employed

in　quelling　the　rush　of　blood；　which　rose　and　boiled　and　gurgled　in

his　brain　as　if　it　would　madden　him。



The　phantom　of　his　dead　child　rose　ever　before　him；　and　seemed　to　cry

aloud　for　vengeance。　　And　when　the　poor　young　man　thought　upon　the

victim　whom　he　required　in　his　wild　longing　for　revenge；　he

shuddered；　for　it　was　his　father！



Again　and　again　he　tried　not　to　think；　but　still　the　circle　of

thought　came　round；　eddying　through　his　brain。　　At　length　he　mastered

his　passions；　and　they　were　calm；　then　he　forced　himself　to　arrange

some　plan　for　the　future。



He　had　not；　in　the　passionate　hurry　of　the　moment；　seen　that　his

father　had　left　the　cottage　before　he　was　aware　of　the　fatal　accident

that　befell　the　child。　　Owen　thought　he　had　seen　all；　and　once　he

planned　to　go　to　the　Squire　and　tell　him　of　the　anguish　of　heart　he

had　wrought；　and　awe　him；　as　it　were；　by　the　dignity　of　grief。　　But

then　again　he　durst　nothe　distrusted　his　self…controlthe　old

prophecy　rose　up　in　its　horrorhe　dreaded　his　doom。



At　last　he　determined　to　leave　his　father　for　ever；　to　take　Nest　to

some　distant　country　where　she　might　forget　her　firstborn；　and　where

he　himself　might　gain　a　livelihood　by　his　own　exertions。



But　when　he　tried　to　descend　to　the　various　little　arrangements　which

were　involved　in　the　execution　of　this　plan；　he　remembered　that　all

his　money　（and　in　this　respect　Squire　Griffiths　was　no　niggard）　was

locked　up　in　his　escritoire　at　Bodowen。　　In　vain　he　tried　to　do　away

with　this　matter…of…fact　difficulty；　go　to　Bodowen　he　must：　　and　his

only　hopenay　his　determinationwas　to　avoid　his　father。



He　rose　and　took　a　by…path　to　Bodowen。　　The　house　looked　even　more

gloomy　and　desolate　than　usual　in　the　heavy　down…pouring　rain；　yet

Owen　gazed　on　it　with　something　of　regretfor　sorrowful　as　his　days

in　it　had　been；　he　was　about　to　leave