villa rubein and other stories-第39章

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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　suddenly　thundered　out；

〃Pasiance！〃



She　looked　up　with　a　start；　threw　the　music　from　her；　and　resumed　her

place。



During　evening　prayers；　which　follow　every　night　immediately　on　food；

her　face　was　a　study　of　mutiny。　　She　went　to　bed　early。　　It　was

rather　late　when　we　broke　upfor　once　old　Ford　had　been　talking　of

his　squatter's　life。　　As　we　came　out；　Dan　held　up　his　hand。　　A　dog

was　barking。　　〃It's　Lass；〃　he　said。　　〃She'll　wake　Pasiance。〃



The　spaniel　yelped　furiously。　　Dan　ran　out　to　stop　her。　　He　was　soon

back。



〃Somebody's　been　in　the　orchard；　and　gone　off　down　to　the　cove。〃　　He

ran　on　down　the　path。　　I；　too；　ran；　horribly　uneasy。　　In　front；

through　the　darkness；　came　the　spaniel's　bark；　the　lights　of　the

coastguard　station　faintly　showed。　　I　was　first　on　the　beach；　the　dog

came　to　me　at　once；　her　tail　almost　in　her　mouth　from　apology。　　There

was　the　sound　of　oars　working　in　rowlocks；　nothing　visible　but　the

feathery　edges　of　the　waves。　　Dan　said　behind；　〃No　use！　　He's　gone。〃

His　voice　sounded　hoarse；　like　that　of　a　man　choking　with　passion。



〃George；〃　he　stammered；　〃it's　that　blackguard。　　I　wish　I'd　put　a

bullet　in　him。〃　　Suddenly　a　light　burned　up　in　the　darkness　on　the

sea；　seemed　to　swing　gently；　and　vanished。　　Without　another　word　we

went　back　up　the　hill。　　John　Ford　stood　at　the　gate　motionless；

indifferentnothing　had　dawned　on　him　as　yet。　　I　whispered　to　Dan；

〃Let　it　alone！〃



〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I'm　going　to　show　you。〃　　He　struck　a　match；　and

slowly　hunted　the　footsteps　in　the　wet　grass　of　the　orchard。　　〃Look

here！〃



He　stopped　under　Pasiance's　window　and　swayed　the　match　over　the

ground。　　Clear　as　daylight　were　the　marks　of　some　one　who　had　jumped

or　fallen。　　Dan　held　the　match　over　his　head。



〃And　look　there！〃　he　said。　　The　bough　of　an　apple…tree　below　the

window　was　broken。　　He　blew　the　match　out。



I　could　see　the　whites　of　his　eyes；　like　an　angry　animal's。



〃Drop　it；　Dan！〃　I　said。



He　turned　on　his　heel　suddenly；　and　stammered　out；　〃You're　right。〃



But　he　had　turned　into　John　Ford's　arms。



The　old　man　stood　there　like　some　great　force；　darker　than　the

darkness；　staring　up　at　the　window；　as　though　stupefied。　　We　had　not

a　word　to　say。　　He　seemed　unconscious　of　our　presence。　　He　turned

round；　and　left　us　standing　there。



〃Follow　him！〃　said　Dan。　　〃Follow　himby　God！　it's　not　safe。〃



We　followed。　　Bending；　and　treading　heavily；　he　went　upstairs。　　He

struck　a　blow　on　Pasiance's　door。　　〃Let　me　in！〃　he　said。　　I　drew　Dan

into　my　bedroom。　　The　key　was　slowly　turned；　her　door　was　flung　open；

and　there　she　stood　in　her　dressing…gown；　a　candle　in　her　hand；　her

face　crimson；　and　oh！　so　young；　with　its　short；　crisp　hair　and　round

cheeks。　　The　old　manlike　a　giant　in　front　of　herraised　his　hands；

and　laid　them　on　her　shoulders。



〃What's　this？　　Youyou've　had　a　man　in　your　room？〃



Her　eyes　did　not　drop。



〃Yes；〃　she　said。　　Dan　gave　a　groan。



〃Who？〃



〃Zachary　Pearse；〃　she　answered　in　a　voice　like　a　bell。



He　gave　her　one　awful　shake；　dropped　his　hands；　then　raised　them　as

though　to　strike　her。　　She　looked　him　in　the　eyes；　his　hands　dropped；

and　he　too　groaned。　　As　far　as　I　could　see；　her　face　never　moved。



〃I'm　married　to　him；〃　she　said；　〃d'　you　hear？　　Married　to　him。　　Go

out　of　my　room！〃　　She　dropped　the　candle　on　the　floor　at　his　feet；

and　slammed　the　door　in　his　face。　　The　old　man　stood　for　a　minute　as

though　stunned；　then　groped　his　way　downstairs。



〃Dan；〃　I　said；　〃is　it　true？〃



〃Ah！〃　he　answered；　〃it's　true；　didn't　you　hear　her？〃



I　was　glad　I　couldn't　see　his　face。



〃That　ends　it；〃　he　said　at　last；　〃there's　the　old　man　to　think　of。〃



〃What　will　he　do？〃



〃Go　to　the　fellow　this　very　night。〃　　He　seemed　to　have　no　doubt。

Trust　one　man　of　action　to　know　another。



I　muttered　something　about　being　an　outsiderwondered　if　there　was

anything　I　could　do　to　help。



〃Well；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃I　don't　know　that　I'm　anything　but　an

outsider　now；　but　I'll　go　along　with　him；　if　he'll　have　me。〃



He　went　downstairs。　　A　few　minutes　later　they　rode　out　from　the

straw…yard。　　I　watched　them　past　the　line　of　hayricks；　into　the

blacker　shadows　of　the　pines；　then　the　tramp　of　hoofs　began　to　fail

in　the　darkness；　and　at　last　died　away。



I've　been　sitting　here　in　my　bedroom　writing　to　you　ever　since；　till

my　candle's　almost　gone。　　I　keep　thinking　what　the　end　of　it　is　to

be；　and　reproaching　myself　for　doing　nothing。　　And　yet；　what　could　I

have　done？　　I'm　sorry　for　hersorrier　than　I　can　say。　　The　night　is

so　quietI　haven't　heard　a　sound；　is　she　asleep；　awake；　crying；

triumphant？



It's　four　o'clock；　I've　been　asleep。



They're　back。　　Dan　is　lying　on　my　bed。　　I'll　try　and　tell　you　his

story　as　near　as　I　can；　in　his　own　words。



〃We　rode；〃　he　said；　〃round　the　upper　way；　keeping　out　of　the　lanes；

and　got　to　Kingswear　by　half…past　eleven。　　The　horse…ferry　had

stopped　running；　and　we　had　a　job　to　find　any　one　to　put　us　over。　　We

hired　the　fellow　to　wait　for　us；　and　took　a　carriage　at　the　'Castle。'

Before　we　got　to　Black　Mill　it　was　nearly　one；　pitch…dark。　　With　the

breeze　from　the　southeast；　I　made　out　he　should　have　been　in　an　hour

or　more。　　The　old　man　had　never　spoken　to　me　once：　and　before　we　got

there　I　had　begun　to　hope　we　shouldn't　find　the　fellow　after　all。　　We

made　the　driver　pull　up　in　the　road；　and　walked　round　and　round；

trying　to　find　the　door。　　Then　some　one　cried；　'Who　are　you　？'



〃'John　Ford。'



〃'What　do　you　want？'　It　was　old　Pearse。



〃'To　see　Zachary　Pearse。'



〃The　long　window　out　of　the　porch　where　we　sat　the　other　day　was

open；　and　in　we　went。　　There　was　a　door　at　the　end　of　the　room；　and　a

light　coming　through。　　John　Ford　went　towards　it；　I　stayed　out　in　the

dark。



〃'Who's　that　with　you？'



〃'Mr。　Treffry。'



〃'Let　him　come　in！'　I　went　in。　　The　old　fellow　was　in　bed；　quite

still　on　his　pillows；　a　candle　by　his　side；　to　look　at　him　you'd

think　nothing　of　him　but　his　eyes　were　alive。　　It　was　queer　being

there　with　those　two　old　men！〃



Dan　paused；　seemed　to　listen；　then　went　on　doggedly。



〃'Sit　down；　gentleman；'　said　old　Pearse。　　'What　may　you　want　to　see

my　son　for？'　　John　Ford　begged　his　pardon；　he　had　something　to　say；

he　said；　that　wouldn't　wait。



〃They　were　very　polite　to　one　another；〃　muttered　Dan　。。。。



〃'Will　you　leave　your　message　with　me？'　said　Pearse。



〃'What　I　have　to　say　to　your　son　is　private。'



〃'I'm　his　father。'



〃'I'm　my　girl's　grandfather；　and　her　only　stand…by。'



〃'Ah！'　muttered　old　Pearse；　'Rick　Voisey's　daughter？'



〃'I　mean　to　see　your　son。'



〃Old　Pearse　smiled。　　Queer　smile　he's　got；　sort　of　sneering　sweet。



〃'You　can　never　tell　where　Zack　may　be；'　he　said。　　'You　think　I　want

to　shield　him。　　You're　wrong；　Zack　can　take　care　of　himself。'



〃'Your　son's　here！'　said　John　Ford。　　'I　know。'　　Old　Pearse　gave　us　a

very　queer　look。



〃'You　come　into　my　house　like　thieves　in　the　night；'　he　said；　'and

give　me　the　lie；　do　you？'



〃'Your　son　came　to　my　child's　room　like　a　thief　in　the　night；　it's

for　that　I　want　to　see　him；'　and　then；〃　said　Dan；　〃there　was　a　long

silence。　　At　last　Pearse　said：



〃'I　don't　understand；　has　he　played　the　blackguard？'



〃John　Ford　answered；　'He's　married　her；　or；　before　God；　I'd　kill

him。'



〃Old　Pearse　seemed　to　think　this　over；　never　moving　on　his　pillows。

'You　don't　know　Zack；'　he　said；　'I'm　sorry　for　you；　and　I'm　sorry　for

Rick　Voisey's　daughter；　but　you　don't　know　Zack。'



'Sorry！'　groaned　out　John　Ford；　'he's　stolen　my　child；　and　I'll

punish　him。'



〃'Punish！'　cried　old　Pearse；　'we　don't　take　punishment；　not　in　my

family。'



〃'Captain　Jan　Pearse；　as　sure　as　I　stand　here；　you　and　your