the choir invisible-第31章

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　be　held　and　ordered。〃

The　school…master　tightened　his　grasp　on　the　reins。　〃Get　down！　I　don't　trust　you。〃

O'Bannon　held　a　short　heavy　whip。　He　threw　this　into　the　air　and　caught　it　by　the　little　end。

The　school…teacher　sprang　to　seize　it；　but　O'Bannon　lifted　it　backward　over　his　shoulder；　and　then　raising　himself　high　in　his　stirrups；　brought　it　down。　The　master　saw　it　coming　and　swerved　so　that　it　grazed　his　ear；　but　it　cut　into　the　wound　on　his　neck　with　a　coarse；　ugly；　terrific　blow　and　the　blood　spurted。　With　a　loud　cry　of　agony　and　horror；　he　reeled　and　fell　backward　dizzy　and　sick　and　nigh　to　fainting。　The　next　moment　in　the　deadly　silence　of　a　wild　beast　attacking　to　kill；　he　was　on　his　feet；　seized　the　whip　before　it　could　fall　again；　flung　it　away；　caught　O'Bannon's　arm　and　planting　his　foot　against　the　horse's　shoulder；　threw　his　whole　weight　backward。　The　saddle　turned；　the　horse　sprang　aside；　and　he　fell　again；　pulling　O'Bannon　heavily　down　on　him。

There　in　the　blood…dyed　dust　of　the　old　woodland　street；　where　bison　and　elk；　stag　and　lynx；　wolf　and　cougar　and　bear　had　gored　or　torn　each　other　during　the　centuries　before；　there　on　the　same　level；　glutting　their　passion；　their　hatred；　their　revenge；　the　men　fought　out　their　strengththe　strength　of　that　King　of　Beasts　whose　den　is　where　it　should　be：　in　a　man's　spirit。

A　few　afternoons　after　this　a　group　of　rough　young　fellows　were　gathered　at　Peter's　shop。　The　talk　had　turned　to　the　subject　of　the　fight：　and　every　one　had　thrown　his　gibe　at　O'Bannon；　who　had　taken　it　with　equal　good　nature。　》From　this　they　had　chaffed　him　on　his　fondness　for　a　practical　joke　and　his　awkward　riding；　and　out　of　this；　he　now　being　angry；　grew　a　bet　with　Horatio　Turpin　that　he　could　ride　the　latter's　filly；　standing　hitched　to　the　fence　of　the　shop。　He　was　to　ride　it　three　times　around　the　enclosure；　and　touch　it　once　each　time　in　the　flank　with　the　spur　which　the　young　horseman　took　from　his　heel。

At　the　first　prick　of　it；　the　high…spirited　mettlesome　animal；　scarcely　broken；　reared　and　sprang　forward；　all　but　unseating　him。　　He　dropped　the　reins　and　instinctively　caught　its　mane；　at　the　same　time　pressing　his　legs　more　closely　in　against　the　animal's　sides；　thus　driving　the　spur　deeper。　They　shouted　to　him　to　lie　down；　to　fall　off；　as　they　saw　the　awful　danger　ahead；　for　the　maddened　filly；　having　run　wildly　around　the　enclosure　several　times；　turned　and　rushed　straight　toward　the　low　open　doors　of　the　smithy　and　the　pasture　beyond。　But　he　would　not　release　his　clutch；　and　with　his　body　bent　a　little　forward；　he　received　the　blow　of　the　projecting　shingles　full　on　his　head　as　the　mare　shot　from　under　him　into　the　shop；　scraping　him　off。

They　ran　to　him　and　lifted　him　out　of　the　sooty　dust　and　laid　him　on　the　soft　green　grass。　But　of　consciousness　there　was　never　to　be　more　for　him：　his　jest　had　reached　its　end。

XVI

IT　was　early　summer　now。　In　the　depths　of　the　greening　woods　the　school…master　lay　reading：

〃And　thus　it　passed　on　from　Candlemass　until　after　Easter　that　the　month　of　May　was　come；　when　every　lusty　heart　beginneth　to　blossom　and　to　bring　forth　fruit；　for　like　as　herbs　and　trees　bring　forth　fruit　and　flourish　in　May；　in　likewise；　every　lusty　heart　that　is　any　manner　a　lover　springeth　and　flourisheth　in　lusty　deeds。　For　it　giveth　unto　all　lovers　couragethat　lusty　month　of　Mayin　something　to　constrain　him　to　some　manner　of　thing　more　in　that　month　than　in　any　other　month。　For　diverse　causes：　For　then　all　herbs　and　trees　renew　a　man　and　woman；　and；　in　likewise；　lovers　call　again　to　their　mind　old　gentleness　and　old　service　and　many　kind　deeds　that　were　forgotten　by　negligence。　For　like　as　winter　rasure　doth　always　erase　and　deface　green　summer；　so　fareth　it　by　unstable　love　in　man　and　woman。　For　in　many　persons　there　is　no　stability；。。。for　a　little　blast　of　winter's　rasure；　anon　we　shall　deface　and　lay　apart　true　love　（for　little　or　naught）；　that　cost　so　much。　This　is　no　wisdom　nor　stability；　but　it　is　feebleness　of　nature　and　great　disworship　whomever　useth　this。　Therefore　like　as　May　month　flowereth　and　flourisheth　in　many　gardens；　so　in　likewise　let　every　man　of　worship　flourish　his　heart　in　this　world：　first　unto　God；　and　next　unto　the　joy　of　them　that　he　promised　his　faith　unto；　for　there　was　never　worshipful　man　nor　worshipful　woman　but　they　loved　one　better　than　the　other。　And　worship　in　arms　may　never　be　foiled；　but　first　reserve　the　honour　to　God；　and　secondly　the　quarrel　must　come　of　thy　lady；　and　such　love　I　call　virtuous　love。　But　nowsdays　men　cannot　love　seven　nights　but　they　must　have　all　their　desires。。。　Right　so　fareth　love　nowadays；　soon　hot；　soon　cold：　this　is　no　stability。　But　the　old　love　was　not　so。　Men　and　women　could　love　together　seven　years。。。and　then　was　love　truth　and　faithfulness。　And　lo！　In　likewise　was　used　love　in　King　Arthur's　days。　Wherefore　I　liken　love　nowadays　unto　summer　and　winter；　for　like　the　one　is　hot　and　the　other　cold；　so　fareth　love　nowadays。〃。。。。。。。

He　laid　the　book　aside　upon　the　grass；　sat　up；　and　mournfully　looked　about　him。　Effort　was　usually　needed　to　withdraw　his　mind　from　those　low…down　shadowy　centuries　over　into　which　of　late　by　means　of　the　book；　as　by　means　of　a　bridge　spanning　a　known　and　an　unknown　land；　he　had　crossed；　and　wonder…stricken　had　wandered；　but　these　words　brought　him　swiftly　home　to　the　country　of　his　own　sorrow。　Unstable　love！　feebleness　of　nature！　one　blast　of　a　cutting　winter　wind　and　lo！　green　summer　defaced：　the　very　phrases　seemed　shaped　by　living　lips　close　to　the　ear　of　his　experience。　　It　was　in　this　spot　a　few　weeks　ago　that　he　had　planned　his　future　with　Amy：　these　were　the　acres　he　would　buy；　on　this　hill…top　he　would　build；　here；　home…sheltered；　wife…anchored；　the　warfare　of　his　flesh　and　spirit　ended；　he　could　begin　to　put　forth　all　his　strength　upon　the　living　of　his　life。　Had　any　frost　ever　killed　the　bud　of　nature's　hope　more　unexpectedly　than　this　landscape　now　lay　blackened　before　him？　　And　had　any　summer　ever　cost　so　much？　What　could　strike　a　man　as　a　more　mortal　wound　than　to　lose　the　woman　he　had　loved　and　in　losing　her　see　her　lose　her　loveliness？　As　the　end　of　it　all；　he　now　found　himself　sitting　on　the　blasted　rock　of　his　dreams　in　the　depths　of　the　greening　woods。　He　was　well　again　by　this　time　and　conscious　of　that　retightened　grasp　upon　health　and　redder　stir　of　life　with　which　the　great　Mother…nurse；　if　she　but　dearly　love　a　man；　will　tend　him　and　mend　him　and　set　him　on　his　feet　again　from　a　bed　of　wounds　or　sickness。　It　had　happened　to　him　also　that　with　this　reflushing　of　his　blood　there　had　reached　him　the　voice　of　Summer　advancing　northward　to　all　things　and　making　all　things　common　in　their　awakening　and　their　aim。

He　knew　of　old　the　pipe　of　this　imperious　Shepherd；　sounding　along　the　inner　vales　of　his　being；　herding　him　toward　universal　fellowship　with　seeding　grass　and　breeding　herb　and　every　heart…holding　creature　of　the　woods。　He　perfectly　recognized　the　sway　of　the　thrilling　pipe；　he　perfectly　realized　the　joy　of　the　jubilant　fellowship。　And　it　was　with　eyes　the　more　mournful　therefore　that　he　gazed　in　purity　about　him　at　the　universal　miracle　of　old　life　passing　into　new　life；　at　the　divinely　appointed　and　divinely　fulfilled　succession　of　forms；　at　the　unrent　mantle　of　the　generations　being　visibly　woven　around　him　under　the　golden　goads　of　the　sun。　〃　。。。for　like　as　herbs　bring　forth　fruit　and　flourish　in　May；　in　likewise；　every　heart　that　is　in　any　manner　a　lover　spingeth　and　flourisheth　in　lusty　deeds。〃　。　。　。　But　all　this　must　come；　must　spend　itself；　must　pass　him　by；　as　a　flaming　pageant　dies　away　from　a　beholder　who　is　forbidden　to　kindle　his　own　torch　and　claim　his　share　of　its　innocent　revels。　He　too　had　laid　his　plans　to　celebrate　his　marriage　at　the　full　tide　of　the　Earth's　joy；　and　these　plans　had　failed　him。

But　while　the　school…master　thus　was　gloomily　contemplating　the　end　of　his　relationship　with　Amy　and　her　final　removal　from　the　future　of　his　life；　in　reality　another　and　larger　trouble　was　looming　close　ahead。　A　second　landscape　had　begun　to　beckon　not　like　his　poor　little　frost…killed　field；　not　of　the　earth　at　all；　b