villa rubein and other stories-第38章

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one　of　Pasiance's　cats　rubbing　itself　against　her　skirts。　　At　the

sight　of　us　she　hugged　herself。



〃Where's　grandfather？〃　asked　Pasiance。　　The　old　lady　shook　her　head。



〃Is　it　a　row？〃　　Mrs。　Hopgood　wriggled；　and　wriggled；　and　out　came：



〃Did　you　get　yure　tay；　my　pretty？　　No？　　Well；　that's　a　pity；　yu'll　be

falin'　low…like。〃



Pasiance　tossed　her　head；　snatched　up　the　cat；　and　ran　indoors。　　I

remained　staring　at　Mrs。　Hopgood。



〃Dear…dear；〃　she　clucked；〃　poor　lamb。　　So　to　spake　it's〃　and　she

blurted　out　suddenly；　〃chuckin'　full　of　wra…ath；　he　is。　　Well；

there！〃



My　courage　failed　that　evening。　　I　spent　it　at　the　coastguard

station；　where　they　gave　me　bread　and　cheese　and　some　awful　cider。　　I

passed　the　kitchen　as　I　came　back。　　A　fire　was　still　burning　there；

and　two　figures；　misty　in　the　darkness；　flitted　about　with　stealthy

laughter　like　spirits　afraid　of　being　detected　in　a　carnal…meal。

They　were　Pasiance　and　Mrs。　Hopgood；　and　so　charming　was　the　smell　of

eggs　and　bacon；　and　they　had　such　an　air　of　tender　enjoyment　of　this

dark　revel；　that　I　stifled　many　pangs；　as　I　crept　hungry　up　to　bed。



In　the　middle　of　the　night　I　woke　and　heard　what　I　thought　was

screaming；　then　it　sounded　like　wind　in　trees；　then　like　the　distant

shaking　of　a　tambourine；　with　the　high　singing　of　a　human　voice。

Suddenly　it　stoppedtwo　long　notes　came　wailing　out　like　sobsthen

utter　stillness；　and　though　I　listened　for　an　hour　or　more　there　was

no　other　sound　。。。。









IV



〃4th　August　。



。。。。。。For　three　days　after　I　wrote　last；　nothing　at　all　happened

here。　　I　spent　the　mornings　on　the　cliff　reading；　and　watching　the

sun…sparks　raining　on　the　sea。　　It's　grand　up　there　with　the　gorse

all　round；　the　gulls　basking　on　the　rocks；　the　partridges　calling　in

the　corn；　and　now　and　then　a　young　hawk　overhead。　　The　afternoons　I

spent　out　in　the　orchard。　　The　usual　routine　goes　on　at　the　farm　all

the　timecow…milking；　bread…baking；　John　Ford　riding　in　and　out；

Pasiance　in　her　garden　stripping　lavender；　talking　to　the　farm　hands；

and　the　smell　of　clover；　and　cows　and　hay；　the　sound　of　hens　and　pigs

and　pigeons；　the　soft　drawl　of　voices；　the　dull　thud　of　the　farm

carts；　and　day　by　day　the　apples　getting　redder。　　Then；　last　Monday；

Pasiance　was　away　from　sunrise　till　sunsetnobody　saw　her　gonobody

knew　where　she　had　gone。　　It　was　a　wonderful；　strange　day；　a　sky　of

silver…grey　and　blue；　with　a　drift　of　wind…clouds；　all　the　trees

sighing　a　little；　the　sea　heaving　in　a　long；　low　swell；　the　animals

restless；　the　birds　silent；　except　the　gulls　with　their　old　man's

laughter　and　kitten's　mewing。



A　something　wild　was　in　the　air；　it　seemed　to　sweep　across　the　downs

and　combe；　into　the　very　house；　like　a　passionate　tune　that　comes

drifting　to　your　ears　when　you're　sleepy。　　But　who　would　have　thought

the　absence　of　that　girl　for　a　few　hours　could　have　wrought　such

havoc！　　We　were　like　uneasy　spirits；　Mrs。　Hopgood's　apple　cheeks

seemed　positively　to　wither　before　one's　eyes。　　I　came　across　a

dairymaid　and　farm　hand　discussing　it　stolidly　with　very　downcast

faces。　　Even　Hopgood；　a　hard…bitten　fellow　with　immense　shoulders；

forgot　his　imperturbability　so　far　as　to　harness　his　horse；　and

depart　on　what　he　assured　me　was　〃just　a　wild…guse　chaace。〃　　It　was

long　before　John　Ford　gave　signs　of　noticing　that　anything　was　wrong；

but　late　in　the　afternoon　I　found　him　sitting　with　his　hands　on　his

knees；　staring　straight　before　him。　　He　rose　heavily　when　he　saw　me；

and　stalked　out。　　In　the　evening；　as　I　was　starting　for　the

coastguard　station　to　ask　for　help　to　search　the　cliff；　Pasiance

appeared；　walking　as　if　she　could　hardly　drag　one　leg　after　the

other。　　Her　cheeks　were　crimson；　she　was　biting　her　lips　to　keep

tears　of　sheer　fatigue　out　of　her　eyes。　　She　passed　me　in　the　doorway

without　a　word。　　The　anxiety　he　had　gone　through　seemed　to　forbid　the

old　man　from　speaking。　　He　just　came　forward；　took　her　face　in　his

hands；　gave　it　a　great　kiss；　and　walked　away。　　Pasiance　dropped　on

the　floor　in　the　dark　passage；　and　buried　her　face　on　her　arms。

〃Leave　me　alone！〃　was　all　she　would　say。　　After　a　bit　she　dragged

herself　upstairs。　　Presently　Mrs。　Hopgood　came　to　me。



〃Not　a　word　out　of　heran'　not　a　bite　will　she　ate；　an'　I　had　a　pie

all　readyscrumptious。　　The　good　Lord　knows　the　truthshe　asked　for

brandy；　have　you　any　brandy；　sir？　　Ha…apgood'e　don't　drink　it；　an'

Mister　Ford　'e　don't　allaow　for　anything　but　caowslip　wine。〃



I　had　whisky。



The　good　soul　seized　the　flask；　and　went　off　hugging　it。　　She

returned　it　to　me　half　empty。



〃Lapped　it　like　a　kitten　laps　milk。　　I　misdaoubt　it's　straong；　poor

lamb；　it　lusened　'er　tongue　praaperly。　　'I've　a…done　it；'　she　says　to

me；　'Mums…I've　a…done　it；'　an'　she　laughed　like　a　mad　thing；　and

then；　sir；　she　cried；　an'　kissed　me；　an'　pusshed　me　thru　the　door。

Gude　Lard！　What　is　't　she's　a…done。。。？〃



It　rained　all　the　next　day　and　the　day　after。　　About　five　o'clock

yesterday　the　rain　ceased；　I　started　off　to　Kingswear　on　Hopgood's

nag　to　see　Dan　Treffry。　　Every　tree；　bramble；　and　fern　in　the　lanes

was　dripping　water；　and　every　bird　singing　from　the　bottom　of　his

heart。　　I　thought　of　Pasiance　all　the　time。　　Her　absence　that　day　was

still　a　mystery；　one　never　ceased　asking　oneself　what　she　had　done。

There　are　people　who　never　grow　upthey　have　no　right　to　do　things。

Actions　have　consequencesand　children　have　no　business　with

consequences。



Dan　was　out。　　I　had　supper　at　the　hotel；　and　rode　slowly　home。　　In

the　twilight　stretches　of　the　road；　where　I　could　touch　either　bank

of　the　lane　with　my　whip；　I　thought　of　nothing　but　Pasiance　and　her

grandfather；　there　was　something　in　the　half　light　suited　to　wonder

and　uncertainty。　　It　had　fallen　dark　before　I　rode　into　the　straw…

yard。　　Two　young　bullocks　snuffled　at　me；　a　sleepy　hen　got　up　and　ran

off　with　a　tremendous　shrieking。　　I　stabled　the　horse；　and　walked

round　to　the　back。　　It　was　pitch　black　under　the　apple…trees；　and　the

windows　were　all　darkened。　　I　stood　there　a　little；　everything

smelled　so　delicious　after　the　rain；　suddenly　I　had　the　uncomfortable

feeling　that　I　was　being　watched。　　Have　you　ever　felt　like　that　on　a

dark　night？　　I　called　out　at　last：　〃Is　any　one　there？〃　　Not　a　sound！

I　walked　to　the　gate…nothing！　　The　trees　still　dripped　with　tiny；

soft；　hissing　sounds；　but　that　was　all。　　I　slipped　round　to　the

front；　went　in；　barricaded　the　door；　and　groped　up　to　bed。　　But　I

couldn't　sleep。　　I　lay　awake　a　long　while；　dozed　at　last；　and　woke

with　a　jump。　　A　stealthy　murmur　of　smothered　voices　was　going　on

quite　close　somewhere。　　It　stopped。　　A　minute　passed；　suddenly　came

the　soft　thud　as　of　something　falling。　　I　sprang　out　of　bed　and

rushed　to　the　window。　　Nothingbut　in　the　distance　something　that

sounded　like　footsteps。　　An　owl　hooted；　then　clear　as　crystal；　but

quite　low；　I　heard　Pasiance　singing　in　her　room：



〃The　apples　are　ripe　and　ready　to　fall。

Oh！　heigh…ho！　and　ready　to　fall。〃



I　ran　to　her　door　and　knocked。



〃What　is　it？〃　she　cried。



〃Is　anything　the　matter？〃



〃Matter？〃



〃Is　anything　the　matter？〃



〃Ha…ha…ha…ha！　　Good…night！〃　then　quite　low；　I　heard　her　catch　her

breath；　hard；　sharply。　　No　other　answer；　no　other　sound。



I　went　to　bed　and　lay　awake　for　hours。。。。



This　evening　Dan　came；　during　supper　he　handed　Pasiance　a　roll　of

music；　he　had　got　it　in　Torquay。　　The　shopman；　he　said；　had　told　him

that　it　was　a　〃corker。〃



It　was　Bach's　〃Chaconne。〃　　You　should　have　seen　her　eyes　shine；　her

fingers　actually　tremble　while　she　turned　over　the　pages。　　Seems　odd

to　think　of　her　worshipping　at　the　shrine　of　Bach　as　odd　as　to　think

of　a　wild　colt　running　of　its　free　will　into　the　shafts；　but　that's

just　it　with　her　you　can　never　tell。　　〃Heavenly！〃　she　kept　saying。



John　Ford　put　down　his　knife　and　fork。



〃Heathenish　stuff！〃　he　muttered；　and　sudd