the trees of pride-第6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！


　again　the　Squire　had　vanished　into　the　hole　in　the　wood。

〃He's　gone；〃　said　Treherne；　with　a　clang　of　finality　in　his　tones；　like　the　slamming　of　a　door。

〃Well；　suppose　he　has？〃　cried　the　lawyer；　roused　at　the　voice。　〃The　Squire　can　go　into　his　own　wood；　I　suppose！　What　the　devil's　all　the　fuss　about；　Mr。　Paynter？　　Don't　tell　me　you　think　there's　any　harm　in　that　plantation　of　sticks。〃

〃No；　I　don't；〃　said　Paynter；　throwing　one　leg　over　another　and　lighting　a　cigar。　　〃But　I　shall　stop　here　till　he　comes　out。〃

〃Very　well；〃　said　Ashe　shortly；　〃I'll　stop　with　you；　if　only　to　see　the　end　of　this　farce。〃

The　doctor　said　nothing；　but　he　also　kept　his　seat　and　accepted　one　of　the　American's　cigars。　　If　Treherne　had　been　attending　to　the　matter　he　might　have　noted；　with　his　sardonic　superstition；　a　curious　factthat；　while　all　three　men　were　tacitly　condemning　themselves　to　stay　out　all　night　if　necessary；　all；　by　one　blank　omission　or　oblivion；　assumed　that　it　was　impossible　to　follow　their　host　into　the　wood　just　in　front　of　them。　　But　Treherne；　though　still　in　the　garden；　had　wandered　away　from　the　garden　table；　and　was　pacing　along　the　single　line　of　trees　against　the　dark　sea。　They　had　in　their　regular　interstices；　showing　the　sea　as　through　a　series　of　windows；　something　of　the　look　of　the　ghost　or　skeleton　of　a　cloister；　and　he；　having　thrown　his　coat　once　more　over　his　neck；　like　a　cape；　passed　to　and　fro　like　the　ghost　of　some　not　very　sane　monk。

All　these　men；　whether　skeptics　or　mystics；　looked　back　for　the　rest　of　their　lives　on　that　night　as　on　something　unnatural。　They　sat　still　or　started　up　abruptly；　and　paced　the　great　garden　in　long　detours；　so　that　it　seemed　that　no　three　of　them　were　together　at　a　time；　and　none　knew　who　would　be　his　companion；　yet　their　rambling　remained　within　the　same　dim　and　mazy　space。　They　fell　into　snatches　of　uneasy　slumber；　these　were　very　brief；　and　yet　they　felt　as　if　the　whole　sitting；　strolling；　or　occasional　speaking　had　been　parts　of　a　single　dream。

Paynter　woke　once；　and　found　Ashe　sitting　opposite　him　at　a　table　otherwise　empty；　his　face　dark　in　shadow　and　his　cigar…end　like　the　red　eye　of　a　Cyclops。　　Until　the　lawyer　spoke；　in　his　steady　voice；　Paynter　was　positively　afraid　of　him。　He　answered　at　random　and　nodded　again；　when　he　again　woke　the　lawyer　was　gone；　and　what　was　opposite　him　was　the　bald；　pale　brow　of　the　doctor；　there　seemed　suddenly　something　ominous　in　the　familiar　fact　that　he　wore　spectacles。　And　yet　the　vanishing　Ashe　had　only　vanished　a　few　yards　away；　for　he　turned　at　that　instant　and　strolled　back　to　the　table。　With　a　jerk　Paynter　realized　that　his　nightmare　was　but　a　trick　of　sleep　or　sleeplessness；　and　spoke　in　his　natural　voice；　but　rather　loud。

〃So　you've　joined　us　again；　where's　Treherne？〃

〃Oh；　still　revolving；　I　suppose；　like　a　polar　bear　under　those　trees　on　the　cliff；〃　replied　Ashe；　motioning　with　his　cigar；　〃looking　at　what　an　older　（and　you　will　forgive　me　for　thinking　a　somewhat　better）　poet　called　the　wine…dark　sea。　　It　really　has　a　sort　of　purple　shade；　look　at　it。〃

Paynter　looked；　he　saw　the　wine…dark　sea　and　the　fantastic　trees　that　fringed　it；　but　he　did　not　see　the　poet；　the　cloister　was　already　empty　of　its　restless　monk。

〃Gone　somewhere　else；〃　he　said；　with　futility　far　from　characteristic。　〃He'll　be　back　here　presently。　　This　is　an　interesting　vigil；　but　a　vigil　loses　some　of　its　intensity　when　you　can't　keep　awake。　　Ah！　　Here's　Treherne；　so　we're　all　mustered；　as　the　politician　said　when　Mr。　Colman　came　late　for　dinner。　No；　the　doctor's　off　again。　　how　restless　we　all　are！〃　The　poet　had　drawn　near；　his　feet　were　falling　soft　on　the　grass；　and　was　gazing　at　them　with　a　singular　attentiveness。

〃It　will　soon　be　over；〃　he　said。

〃What？〃　snapped　Ashe　very　abruptly。

〃The　night；　of　course；〃　replied　Treherne　in　a　motionless　manner。　〃The　darkest　hour　has　passed。〃

〃Didn't　some　other　minor　poet　remark；〃　inquired　Paynter　flippantly；　〃that　the　darkest　hour　before　the　dawn？　My　God；　what　was　that？　It　was　like　a　scream。〃

〃It　was　a　scream；〃　replied　the　poet。　　〃The　scream　of　a　peacock。〃

Ashe　stood　up；　his　strong　pale　face　against　his　red　hair；　and　said　furiously：　　〃What　the　devil　do　you　mean？〃

〃Oh；　perfectly　natural　causes；　as　Dr。　Brown　would　say；〃　replied　Treherne。　　〃Didn't　the　Squire　tell　us　the　trees　had　a　shrill　note　of　their　own　when　the　wind　blew？　The　wind's　beating　up　again　from　the　sea；　I　shouldn't　wonder　if　there　was　a　storm　before　dawn。〃

Dawn　indeed　came　gradually　with　a　growing　noise　of　wind；　and　the　purple　sea　began　to　boil　about　the　dark　volcanic　cliffs。　The　first　change　in　the　sky　showed　itself　only　in　the　shapes　of　the　wood　and　the　single　stems　growing　darker　but　clearer；　and　above　the　gray　clump；　against　a　glimpse　of　growing　light；　they　saw　aloft　the　evil　trinity　of　the　trees。　　In　their　long　lines　there　seemed　to　Paynter　something　faintly　serpentine　and　even　spiral。　He　could　almost　fancy　he　saw　them　slowly　revolving　as　in　some　cyclic　dance；　but　this；　again；　was　but　a　last　delusion　of　dreamland；　for　a　few　seconds　later　he　was　again　asleep。　In　dreams　he　toiled　through　a　tangle　of　inconclusive　tales；　each　filled　with　the　same　stress　and　noise　of　sea　and　sea　wind；　and　above　and　outside　all　other　voices　the　wailing　of　the　Trees　of　Pride。

When　he　woke　it　was　broad　day；　and　a　bloom　of　early　light　lay　on　wood　and　garden　and　on　fields　and　farms　for　miles　away。　The　comparative　common　sense　that　daylight　brings　even　to　the　sleepless　drew　him　alertly　to　his　feet；　and　showed　him　all　his　companions　standing　about　the　lawn　in　similar　attitudes　of　expectancy。　There　was　no　need　to　ask　what　they　were　expecting。　　They　were　waiting　to　hear　the　nocturnal　experiences；　comic　or　commonplace　or　whatever　they　might　prove　to　be；　of　that　eccentric　friend；　whose　experiment　（whether　from　some　subconscious　fear　or　some　fancy　of　honor）　they　had　not　ventured　to　interrupt。　　Hour　followed　hour；　and　still　nothing　stirred　in　the　wood　save　an　occasional　bird。　The　Squire；　like　most　men　of　his　type；　was　an　early　riser；　and　it　was　not　likely　that　he　would　in　this　case　sleep　late；　it　was　much　more　likely；　in　the　excitement　in　which　he　had　left　them；　that　he　would　not　sleep　at　all。　　Yet　it　was　clear　that　he　must　be　sleeping；　perhaps　by　some　reaction　from　a　strain。　By　the　time　the　sun　was　high　in　heaven　Ashe　the　lawyer；　turning　to　the　others；　spoke　abruptly　and　to　the　point。

〃Shall　we　go　into　the　wood　now？〃　asked　Paynter；　and　almost　seemed　to　hesitate。

〃I　will　go　in；〃　said　Treherne　simply。　　Then；　drawing　up　his　dark　head　in　answer　to　their　glances；　he　added：

〃No；　do　not　trouble　yourselves。　　It　is　never　the　believer　who　is　afraid。〃

For　the　second　time　they　saw　a　man　mount　the　white　curling　path　and　disappear　into　the　gray　tangled　wood；　but　this　time　they　did　not　have　to　wait　long　to　see　him　again。

A　few　minutes　later　he　reappeared　in　the　woodland　gateway；　and　came　slowly　toward　them　across　the　grass。　　He　stopped　before　the　doctor；　who　stood　nearest；　and　said　something。　It　was　repeated　to　the　others；　and　went　round　the　ring　with　low　cries　of　incredulity。　　The　others　plunged　into　the　wood　and　returned　wildly；　and　were　seen　speaking　to　others　again　who　gathered　from　the　house；　the　wild　wireless　telegraphy　which　is　the　education　of　countryside　communities　spread　it　farther　and　farther　before　the　fact　itself　was　fully　realized；　and　before　nightfall　a　quarter　of　the　county　knew　that　Squire　Vane　had　vanished　like　a　burst　bubble。

Widely　as　the　wild　story　was　repeated；　and　patiently　as　it　was　pondered；　it　was　long　before　there　was　even　the　beginning　of　a　sequel　to　it。　In　the　interval　Paynter　had　politely　removed　himself　from　the　house　of　mourning；　or　rather　of　questioning；　but　only　so　far　as　the　village　inn；　for　Barbara　Vane　was　glad　of　the　traveler's　experience　and　sympathy；　in　addition　to　that　afforded　her　by　the　lawyer　and　doctor　as　old　friends　of　the　family。　　Even　Treherne　was　not　discouraged　from　his　occasional　visits　with　a　view　to　helping　the　hunt　for　the　lost　man。　The　five　held　many　counsels　round　the　old　garden　table；　at　which　the　unhappy　master　of　the　house　had　dined　for　the　last　time；　and　Barbara　wore　her　old　mask　of　s