the doom of the griffiths-第8章

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

in　it　had　been；　he　was　about　to　leave　it　for　many　many　years；　if　not

for　ever。　　He　entered　by　a　side　door　opening　into　a　passage　that　led

to　his　own　room；　where　he　kept　his　books；　his　guns；　his　fishing…

tackle；　his　writing　materials；　et　cetera。



Here　he　hurriedly　began　to　select　the　few　articles　he　intended　to

take；　for；　besides　the　dread　of　interruption；　he　was　feverishly

anxious　to　travel　far　that　very　night；　if　only　Nest　was　capable　of

performing　the　journey。　　As　he　was　thus　employed；　he　tried　to

conjecture　what　his　father's　feelings　would　be　on　finding　that　his

once…loved　son　was　gone　away　for　ever。　　Would　he　then　awaken　to

regret　for　the　conduct　which　had　driven　him　from　home；　and　bitterly

think　on　the　loving　and　caressing　boy　who　haunted　his　footsteps　in

former　days？　　Or；　alas！　would　he　only　feel　that　an　obstacle　to　his

daily　happinessto　his　contentment　with　his　wife；　and　his　strange；

doting　affection　for　the　childwas　taken　away？　　Would　they　make

merry　over　the　heir's　departure？　　Then　he　thought　of　Nestthe　young

childless　mother；　whose　heart　had　not　yet　realized　her　fulness　of

desolation。　　Poor　Nest！　so　loving　as　she　was；　so　devoted　to　her

childhow　should　he　console　her？　　He　pictured　her　away　in　a　strange

land；　pining　for　her　native　mountains；　and　refusing　to　be　comforted

because　her　child　was　not。



Even　this　thought　of　the　home…sickness　that　might　possibly　beset　Nest

hardly　made　him　hesitate　in　his　determination；　so　strongly　had　the

idea　taken　possession　of　him　that　only　by　putting　miles　and　leagues

between　him　and　his　father　could　he　avert　the　doom　which　seemed

blending　itself　with　the　very　purposes　of　his　life　as　long　as　he

stayed　in　proximity　with　the　slayer　of　his　child。



He　had　now　nearly　completed　his　hasty　work　of　preparation；　and　was

full　of　tender　thoughts　of　his　wife；　when　the　door　opened；　and　the

elfish　Robert　peered　in；　in　search　of　some　of　his　brother's

possessions。　　On　seeing　Owen　he　hesitated；　but　then　came　boldly

forward；　and　laid　his　hand　on　Owen's　arm；　saying；



〃Nesta　yr　buten！　　How　is　Nest　yr　buten？〃



He　looked　maliciously　into　Owen's　face　to　mark　the　effect　of　his

words；　but　was　terrified　at　the　expression　he　read　there。　　He　started

off　and　ran　to　the　door；　while　Owen　tried　to　check　himself；　saying

continually；　〃He　is　but　a　child。　　He　does　not　understand　the　meaning

of　what　he　says。　　He　is　but　a　child！〃　　Still　Robert；　now　in　fancied

security；　kept　calling　out　his　insulting　words；　and　Owen's　hand　was

on　his　gun；　grasping　it　as　if　to　restrain　his　rising　fury。



But　when　Robert　passed　on　daringly　to　mocking　words　relating　to　the

poor　dead　child；　Owen　could　bear　it　no　longer；　and　before　the　boy　was

well　aware；　Owen　was　fiercely　holding　him　in　an　iron　clasp　with　one

hand；　while　he　struck　him　hard　with　the　other。



In　a　minute　he　checked　himself。　　He　paused；　relaxed　his　grasp；　and；

to　his　horror；　he　saw　Robert　sink　to　the　ground；　in　fact；　the　lad　was

half…stunned；　half…frightened；　and　thought　it　best　to　assume

insensibility。



Owenmiserable　Owenseeing　him　lie　there　prostrate；　was　bitterly

repentant；　and　would　have　dragged　him　to　the　carved　settle；　and　done

all　he　could　to　restore　him　to　his　senses；　but　at　this　instant　the

Squire　came　in。



Probably；　when　the　household　at　Bodowen　rose　that　morning；　there　was

but　one　among　them　ignorant　of　the　heir's　relation　to　Nest　Pritchard

and　her　child；　for　secret　as　he　tried　to　make　his　visits　to　Ty　Glas；

they　had　been　too　frequent　not　to　be　noticed；　and　Nest's　altered

conductno　longer　frequenting　dances　and　merry…makingswas　a

strongly　corroborative　circumstance。　　But　Mrs。　Griffiths'　influence

reigned　paramount；　if　unacknowledged；　at　Bodowen；　and　till　she

sanctioned　the　disclosure；　none　would　dare　to　tell　the　Squire。



Now；　however；　the　time　drew　near　when　it　suited　her　to　make　her

husband　aware　of　the　connection　his　son　had　formed；　so；　with　many

tears；　and　much　seeming　reluctance；　she　broke　the　intelligence　to

himtaking　good　care；　at　the　same　time；　to　inform　him　of　the　light

character　Nest　had　borne。　　Nor　did　she　confine　this　evil　reputation

to　her　conduct　before　her　marriage；　but　insinuated　that　even　to　this

day　she　was　a　〃woman　of　the　grove　and　brake〃for　centuries　the　Welsh

term　of　opprobrium　for　the　loosest　female　characters。



Squire　Griffiths　easily　tracked　Owen　to　Ty　Glas；　and　without　any　aim

but　the　gratification　of　his　furious　anger；　followed　him　to　upbraid

as　we　have　seen。　　But　he　left　the　cottage　even　more　enraged　against

his　son　than　he　had　entered　it；　and　returned　home　to　hear　the　evil

suggestions　of　the　stepmother。　　He　had　heard　a　slight　scuffle　in

which　he　caught　the　tones　of　Robert's　voice；　as　he　passed　along　the

hall；　and　an　instant　afterwards　he　saw　the　apparently　lifeless　body

of　his　little　favourite　dragged　along　by　the　culprit　Owenthe　marks

of　strong　passion　yet　visible　on　his　face。　　Not　loud；　but　bitter　and

deep　were　the　evil　words　which　the　father　bestowed　on　the　son；　and　as

Owen　stood　proudly　and　sullenly　silent；　disdaining　all　exculpation　of

himself　in　the　presence　of　one　who　had　wrought　him　so　much　graverso

fatal　an　injuryRobert's　mother　entered　the　room。　　At　sight　of　her

natural　emotion　the　wrath　of　the　Squire　was　redoubled；　and　his　wild

suspicions　that　this　violence　of　Owen's　to　Robert　was　a　premeditated

act　appeared　like　the　proven　truth　through　the　mists　of　rage。　　He

summoned　domestics　as　if　to　guard　his　own　and　his　wife's　life　from

the　attempts　of　his　son；　and　the　servants　stood　wondering　aroundnow

gazing　at　Mrs。　Griffiths；　alternately　scolding　and　sobbing；　while　she

tried　to　restore　the　lad　from　his　really　bruised　and　half…unconscious

state；　now　at　the　fierce　and　angry　Squire；　and　now　at　the　sad　and

silent　Owen。　　And　hehe　was　hardly　aware　of　their　looks　of　wonder

and　terror；　his　father's　words　fell　on　a　deadened　ear；　for　before　his

eyes　there　rose　a　pale　dead　babe；　and　in　that　lady's　violent　sounds

of　grief　he　heard　the　wailing　of　a　more　sad；　more　hopeless　mother。

For　by　this　time　the　lad　Robert　had　opened　his　eyes；　and　though

evidently　suffering　a　good　deal　from　the　effects　of　Owen's　blows；　was

fully　conscious　of　all　that　was　passing　around　him。



Had　Owen　been　left　to　his　own　nature；　his　heart　would　have　worked

itself　to　doubly　love　the　boy　whom　he　had　injured；　but　he　was

stubborn　from　injustice；　and　hardened　by　suffering。　　He　refused　to

vindicate　himself；　he　made　no　effort　to　resist　the　imprisonment　the

Squire　had　decreed；　until　a　surgeon's　opinion　of　the　real　extent　of

Robert's　injuries　was　made　known。　　It　was　not　until　the　door　was

locked　and　barred；　as　if　upon　some　wild　and　furious　beast；　that　the

recollection　of　poor　Nest；　without　his　comforting　presence；　came　into

his　mind。　　Oh！　thought　he；　how　she　would　be　wearying；　pining　for　his

tender　sympathy；　if；　indeed；　she　had　recovered　the　shock　of　mind

sufficiently　to　be　sensible　of　consolation！　　What　would　she　think　of

his　absence？　　Could　she　imagine　he　believed　his　father's　words；　and

had　left　her；　in　this　her　sore　trouble　and　bereavement？　　The　thought

madened　him；　and　he　looked　around　for　some　mode　of　escape。



He　had　been　confined　in　a　small　unfurnished　room　on　the　first　floor；

wainscoted；　and　carved　all　round；　with　a　massy　door；　calculated　to

resist　the　attempts　of　a　dozen　strong　men；　even　had　he　afterward　been

able　to　escape　from　the　house　unseen；　unheard。　　The　window　was　placed

（as　is　common　in　old　Welsh　houses）　over　the　fire…place；　with

branching　chimneys　on　either　hand；　forming　a　sort　of　projection　on

the　outside。　　By　this　outlet　his　escape　was　easy；　even　had　he　been

less　determined　and　desperate　than　he　was。　　And　when　he　had

descended；　with　a　little　care；　a　little　winding；　he　might　elude　all

observation　and　pursue　his　original　intention　of　going　to　Ty　Glas。



The　storm　had　abated；　and　watery　sunbeams　were　gilding　the　bay；　as