villa rubein and other stories-第21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！





Mr。　Treffry　stared　at　him。



〃Just　so；〃　he　said　drily；　〃but　you　see　there's　my　niece　to　be　thought

of。　　Look　here！　　We're　not　at　the　frontier　yet；　Mr。　Harz；　by　forty

miles；　it's　long　odds　we　don't　get　thereso；　don't　spoil　sport！〃　　He

pointed　to　the　left。



Harz　caught　the　glint　of　steel。　　They　were　already　crossing　the

railway。　　The　sigh　of　the　telegraph　wires　fluttered　above　them。



〃Hear　'em；〃　said　Mr。　Treffry；　〃but　if　we　get　away　up　the　mountains；

we'll　do　yet！〃　　They　had　begun　to　rise；　the　speed　slackened。　　Mr。

Treffry　rummaged　out　a　flask。



〃Not　bad　stuff；　Mr。　Harztry　it。　　You　won't？　　Mother's　milk！　　Fine

night；　eh？〃　　Below　them　the　valley　was　lit　by　webs　of　milky　mist　like

the　glimmer　of　dew　on　grass。



These　two　men　sitting　side　by　sideunlike　in　face；　age；　stature；

thought；　and　lifebegan　to　feel　drawn　towards　each　other；　as　if；　in

the　rolling　of　the　wheels；　the　snorting　of　the　horses；　the　huge　dark

space；　the　huge　uncertainty；　they　had　found　something　they　could

enjoy　in　common。　　The；　steam　from　the　horses'　flanks　and　nostrils

enveloped　them　with　an　odour　as　of　glue。



〃You　smoke；　Mr。　Harz？〃



Harz　took　the　proffered　weed；　and　lighted　it　from　the　glowing　tip　of

Mr。　Treffry's　cigar；　by　light　of　which　his　head　and　hat　looked　like

some　giant　mushroom。　　Suddenly　the　wheels　jolted　on　a　rubble　of　loose

stones；　the　carriage　was　swung　sideways。　　The　scared　horses；

straining　asunder；　leaped　forward；　and　sped　downwards；　in　the

darkness。



Past　rocks；　trees；　dwellings；　past　a　lighted　house　that　gleamed　and

vanished。　　With　a　clink　and　clatter；　a　flirt　of　dust　and　pebbles；　and

the　side　lamps　throwing　out　a　frisky　orange　blink；　the　carriage

dashed　down；　sinking　and　rising　like　a　boat　crossing　billows。　　The

world　seemed　to　rock　and　sway；　to　dance　up；　and　be　flung　flat　again。

Only　the　stars　stood　still。



Mr。　Treffry；　putting　on　the　brake；　muttered　apologetically：　〃A　little

out　o'hand！〃



Suddenly　with　a　headlong　dive；　the　carriage　swayed　as　if　it　would　fly

in　pieces；　slithered　along；　and　with　a　jerk　steadied　itself。　　Harz

lifted　his　voice　in　a　shout　of　pure　excitement。　　Mr。　Treffry　let　out

a　short　shaky　howl；　and　from　behind　there　rose　a　wail。　　But　the　hill

was　over　and　the　startled　horses　were　cantering　with　a　free；　smooth

motion。　　Mr。　Treffry　and　Harz　looked　at　each　other。









XVII



Mr。　Treffry　said　with　a　sort　of　laugh：　〃Near　go；　eh？　　You　drive？　　No？

That's　a　pity！　　Broken　most　of　my　bones　at　the　gamenothing　like

it！〃　　Each　felt　a　kind　of　admiration　for　the　other　that　he　had　not

felt　before。　　Presently　Mr。　Treffry　began：　〃Look　here；　Mr。　Harz；　my

niece　is　a　slip　of　a　thing；　with　all　a　young　girl's　notions！　　What

have　you　got　to　give　her；　eh？　　Yourself？　　That's　surely　not　enough；

mind　thissix　months　after　marriage　we　all　turn　out　much　the　samea

selfish　lot！　　Not　to　mention　this　anarchist　affair！



You're　not　of　her　blood；　nor　of　her　way　of　life；　nor　anythingit's

taking　chancesand〃　his　hand　came　down　on　the　young　man's　knee；

〃I'm　fond　of　her；　you　see。〃



〃If　you　were　in　my　place；〃　said　Harz；　〃would　you　give　her　up？〃



Mr。　Treffry　groaned。　　〃Lord　knows！〃



〃Men　have　made　themselves　before　now。　　For　those　who　don't　believe　in

failure；　there's　no　such　thing。　　Suppose　she　does　suffer　a　little？

Will　it　do　her　any　harm？　　Fair　weather　love　is　no　good。〃



Mr。　Treffry　sighed。



〃Brave　words；　sir！　　You'll　pardon　me　if　I'm　too　old　to　understand　'em

when　they're　used　about　my　niece。〃



He　pulled　the　horses　up；　and　peered　into　the　darkness。　　〃We're　going

through　this　bit　quietly；　if　they　lose　track　of　us　here　so　much　the

better。　　Dominique！　put　out　the　lamps。　　Soho；　my　beauties！〃　　The

horses　paced　forward　at　a　walk　the　muffled　beat　of　their　hoofs　in　the

dust　hardly　broke　the　hush。　　Mr。　Treffry　pointed　to　the　left：　〃It'll

be　another　thirty…five　miles　to　the　frontier。〃



They　passed　the　whitewashed　houses；　and　village　church　with　its

sentinel　cypress…trees。　　A　frog　was　croaking　in　a　runlet；　there　was　a

faint　spicy　scent　of　lemons。　　But　nothing　stirred。



It　was　wood　now　on　either　side；　the　high　pines；　breathing　their

fragrance　out　into　the　darkness；　and；　like　ghosts　amongst　them；　the

silver　stems　of　birch…trees。



Mr。　Treffry　said　gruffly：　〃You　won't　give　her　up？　　Her　happiness

means　a　lot　to　me。〃



〃To　you！〃　said　Harz：　〃to　him！　　And　I　am　nothing！　　Do　you　think　I

don't　care　for　her　happiness？　　Is　it　a　crime　for　me　to　love　her？〃



〃Almost；　Mr。　Harzconsidering。。。。〃



〃Considering　that　I've　no　money！　　Always　money！〃



To　this　sneer　Mr。　Treffry　made　no　answer；　clucking　to　his　horses。



〃My　niece　was　born　and　bred　a　lady；〃　he　said　at　last。　　〃I　ask　you

plainly　What　position　have　you　got　to　give　her？〃



〃If　she　marries　me；〃　said　Harz；　〃she　comes　into　my　world。　　You　think

that　I'm　a　common。。。。〃



Mr。　Treffry　shook　his　head：　〃Answer　my　question；　young　man。〃



But　the　painter　did　not　answer　it；　and　silence　fell。



A　light　breeze　had　sprung　up；　the　whispering　in　the　trees；　the

rolling　of　the　wheels　in　this　night　progress；　the　pine…drugged　air；

sent　Harz　to　sleep。　　When　he　woke　it　was　to　the　same　tune；　varied　by

Mr。　Treffry's　uneasy　snoring；　the　reins　were　hanging　loose；　and；

peering　out；　he　saw　Dominique　shuffling　along　at　the　horses'　heads。

He　joined　him；　and；　one　on　each　side；　they　plodded　up　and　up。　　A　haze

had　begun　to　bathe　the　trees；　the　stars　burnt　dim；　the　air　was

colder。　　Mr。　Treffry　woke　coughing。　　It　was　like　some　long　nightmare；

this　interminable　experience　of　muffled　sounds　and　shapes；　of

perpetual　motion；　conceived；　and　carried　out　in　darkness。　　But

suddenly　the　day　broke。　　Heralded　by　the　snuffle　of　the　horses；　light

began　glimmering　over　a　chaos　of　lines　and　shadows；　pale　as　mother…

o'…pearl。　　The　stars　faded；　and　in　a　smouldering　zigzag　the　dawn　fled

along　the　mountain　tops；　flinging　out　little　isles　of　cloud。　　From　a

lake；　curled　in　a　hollow　like　a　patch　of　smoke；　came　the　cry　of　a

water…bird。　　A　cuckoo　started　a　soft　mocking；　and　close　to　the

carriage　a　lark　flew　up。　　Beasts　and　men　alike　stood　still；　drinking

in　the　air…sweet　with　snows　and　dew；　and　vibrating　faintly　with　the

running　of　the　water　and　the　rustling　of　the　leaves。



The　night　had　played　sad　tricks　with　Mr。　Nicholas　Treffry；　his　hat

was　grey　with　dust；　his　cheeks　brownish…purple；　there　were　heavy

pouches　beneath　his　eyes；　which　stared　painfully。



〃We'll　call　a　halt；〃　he　said；　〃and　give　the　gees　their　grub；　poor

things。　　Can　you　find　some　water；　Mr。　Harz？　　There's　a　rubber　bucket

in　behind。



Can't　get　about　myself　this　morning；　make　that　lazy　fellow　of　mine

stir　his　stumps。〃



Harz　saw　that　he　had　drawn　off　one　of　his　boots；　and　stretched　the

foot　out　on　a　cushion。



〃You're　not　fit　to　go　farther；〃　he　said；　〃you're　ill。〃



〃Ill！〃　replied　Mr。　Treffry；　〃not　a　bit　of　it！〃



Harz　looked　at　him；　then　catching　up　the　bucket；　made　off　in　search

of　water。　　When　he　came　back　the　horses　were　feeding　from　an　india…

rubber　trough　slung　to　the　pole；　they　stretched　their　heads　towards

the　bucket；　pushing　aside　each　other's　noses。



The　flame　in　the　east　had　died；　but　the　tops　of　the　larches　were

bathed　in　a　gentle　radiance；　and　the　peaks　ahead　were　like　amber。

Everywhere　were　threads　of　water；　threads　of　snow；　and　little　threads

of　dewy　green；　glistening　like　gossamer。



Mr。　Treffry　called　out：　〃Give　me　your　arm；　Mr。　Harz；　I'd　like　to

shake　the　reefs　out　of　me。　　When　one　comes　to　stand　over　at　the

knees；　it's　no　such　easy　matter；　eh？〃　　He　groaned　as　he　put　his　foot

down；　and　gripped　the　young　man's　shoulder　as　in　a　vise。　　Presently

he　lowered　himself　on　to　a　stone。



〃'All　over　now！'　as　Chris　would　say　when　she　was　little；　nasty　temper

she　had　tookick　and　scream　on　the　floor！　　Never　lasted　long

though。。。。　　'Kiss　her！　take　her　up！　show　her　the　pictures！'　　Amazing

fond　of　pictures　Chris　was！〃　　He　looked　dubiously