villa rubein and other stories-第43章

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scornful　look　came　over　Pasiance's　face；　and　once　she　said；　〃But

that's　all　nonsense；　isn't　it。。。？〃



Then　followed　a　long　passage　about　what　he　would　gain　if　he

succeeded；　about　all　that　he　was　risking；　the　impossibility　of

failure；　if　he　kept　his　wits　about　him。　　〃It's　only　a　matter　of　two

months　or　so；〃　he　went　on；　〃stay　where　you　are；　dear；　or　go　to　my

Dad。　　He'll　be　glad　to　have　you。　　There's　my　mother's　room。　　There's

no　one　to　say　'No'　to　your　fiddle　there；　you　can　play　it　by　the　sea；

and　on　dark　nights　you'll　have　the　stars　dancing　to　you　over　the

water　as　thick　as　bees。　　I've　looked　at　them　often；　thinking　of

you。。。。〃



Pasiance　had　whispered　to　me；　〃Don't　read　that　bit；〃　and　afterwards　I

left　it　out。。。。　　Then　the　sensuous　side　of　him　shows　up：　〃When　I've

brought　this　off；　there's　the　whole　world　before　us。　　There　are

places　I　can　take　you　to。　　There's　one　I　know；　not　too　warm　and　not

too　cold；　where　you　can　sit　all　day　in　the　shade　and　watch　the

creepers；　and　the　cocoa…palms；　still　as　still；　nothing　to　do　or　care

about；　all　the　fruits　you　can　think　of；　no　noise　but　the　parrots　and

the　streams；　and　a　splash　when　a　nigger　dives　into　a　water…hole。

Pasiance；　we'll　go　there！　　With　an　eighty…ton　craft　there's　no　sea　we

couldn't　know。　　The　world's　a　fine　place　for　those　who　go　out　to　take

it；　there's　lots　of　unknown　stuff'　in　it　yet。　　I'll　fill　your　lap；　my

pretty；　so　full　of　treasures　that　you　shan't　know　yourself。　　A　man

wasn't　meant　to　sit　at　home。。。。〃



Throughout　this　letterfor　all　its　real　passionone　could　feel　how

the　man　was　holding　to　his　purposethe　rather　sordid　purpose　of　this

venture。　　He's　unconscious　of　it；　for　he　is　in　love　with　her；　but　he

must　be　furthering　his　own　ends。　　He　is　vitalhorribly　vital！　　I

wonder　less　now　that　she　should　have　yielded。



What　visions　hasn't　he　dangled　before　her。　　There　was　physical

attraction；　tooI　haven't　forgotten　the　look　I　saw　on　her　face　at

Black　Mill。　　But　when　all's　said　and　done；　she　married　him；　because

she's　Pasiance　Voisey；　who　does　things　and　wants　〃to　get　back。〃　　And

she　lies　there　dying；　not　he　nor　any　other　man　will　ever　take　her

away。　　It's　pitiful　to　think　of　him　tingling　with　passion；　writing

that　letter　to　this　doomed　girl　in　that　dark　hole　of　a　saloon。　　〃I've

wanted　money；〃　he　wrote；　〃ever　since　I　was　a　little　chap　sitting　in

the　fields　among　the　cows。。。。　　I　want　it　for　you　now；　and　I　mean　to

have　it。　　I've　studied　the　thing　two　years；　I　know　what　I　know。。。。



The　moment　this　is　in　the　post　I　leave　for　London。　　There　are　a

hundred　things　to　look　after　still；　I　can't　trust　myself　within　reach

of　you　again　till　the　anchor's　weighed。　　When　I　re…christened　her　the

Pied　Witch；　I　thought　of　youyou　witch　to　me。。。。〃



There　followed　a　solemn　entreaty　to　her　to　be　on　the　path　leading　to

the　cove　at　seven　o'clock　on　Wednesday　evening　（that　is；　to…morrow）

when　he　would　come　ashore　and　bid　her　good…bye。　　It　was　signed；　〃Your

loving　husband；　Zachary　Pearse。。。。〃



I　lay　at　the　edge　of　that　cornfield　a　long　time；　it　was　very

peaceful。　　The　church　bells　had　begun　to　ring。　　The　long　shadows　came

stealing　out　from　the　sheaves；　woodpigeons　rose　one　by　one；　and

flapped　off　to　roost；　the　western　sky　was　streaked　with　red；　and　all

the　downs　and　combe　bathed　in　the　last　sunlight。　　Perfect　harvest

weather；　but　oppressively　still；　the　stillness　of　suspense。。。。



Life　at　the　farm　goes　on　as　usual。　　We　have　morning　and　evening

prayers。　　John　Ford　reads　them　fiercely；　as　though　he　were　on　the　eve

of　a　revolt　against　his　God。　　Morning　and　evening　he　visits　her；

comes　out　wheezing　heavily；　and　goes　to　his　own　room；　I　believe；　to

pray。　　Since　this　morning　I　haven't　dared　meet　him。　　He　is　a　strong

old　manbut　this　will　break　him　up。。。。









VII



〃KINGSWEAR；　Saturday；　i3tb　August。



It's　overI　leave　here　to…morrow；　and　go　abroad。



A　quiet　afternoonnot　a　breath　up　in　the　churchyard！　　I　was　there

quite　half　an　hour　before　they　came。　　Some　red　cows　had　strayed　into

the　adjoining　orchard；　and　were　rubbing　their　heads　against　the

railing。　　While　I　stood　there　an　old　woman　came　and　drove　them　away；

afterwards；　she　stooped　and　picked　up　the　apples　that　had　fallen

before　their　time。



〃The　apples　are　ripe　and　ready　to　fall；

Oh！　heigh…ho！　and　ready　to　fall；

There　came　an　old　woman　and　gathered　them　all；

Oh！　heigh…ho！　and　gathered　them　all。〃



。。。。。。They　brought　Pasiance　very　simplyno　hideous　funeral

trappings；　thank　Godthe　farm　hands　carried　her；　and　there　was　no

one　there　but　John　Ford；　the　Hopgoods；　myself；　and　that　young　doctor。

They　read　the　service　over　her　grave。　　I　can　hear　John　Ford's　〃Amen！〃

now。　　When　it　was　over　he　walked　away　bareheaded　in　the　sun；　without

a　word。　　I　went　up　there　again　this　evening；　and　wandered　amongst　the

tombstones。　　〃Richard　Voisey；〃　〃John；　the　son　of　Richard　and

Constance　Voisey；〃　〃Margery　Voisey；〃　so　many　generations　of　them　in

that　corner；　then　〃Richard　Voisey　and　Agnes　his　wife；〃　and　next　to　it

that　new　mound　on　which　a　sparrow　was　strutting　and　the　shadows　of

the　apple…trees　already　hovering。



I　will　tell　you　the　little　left　to　tell。。。。



On　Wednesday　afternoon　she　asked　for　me　again。



〃It's　only　till　seven；〃　she　whispered。　　〃He's　certain　to　come　then。

But　if　Iwere　to　die　firstthen　tell　himI'm　sorry　for　him。　　They

keep　saying：　'Don't　talkdon't　talk！'　Isn't　it　stupid？　　As　if　I

should　have　any　other　chance！　　There'll　be　no　more　talking　after　to…

night！　　Make　everybody　come；　pleaseI　want　to　see　them　all。　　When

you're　dying　you're　freer　than　any　other　timenobody　wants　you　to　do

things；　nobody　cares　what　you　say。。。。　　He　promised　me　I　should　do

what　I　liked　if　I　married　himI　never　believed　that　reallybut　now

I　can　do　what　I　like；　and　say　all　the　things　I　want　to。〃　　She　lay

back　silent；　she　could　not　after　all　speak　the　inmost　thoughts　that

are　in　each　of　us；　so　sacred　that　they　melt　away　at　the　approach　of

words。



I　shall　remember　her　like　thatwith　the　gleam　of　a　smile　in　her

half…closed　eyes；　her　red　lips　partedsuch　a　quaint　look　of　mockery；

pleasure；　regret；　on　her　little　round；　upturned　face；　the　room　white；

and　fresh　with　flowers；　the　breeze　guttering　the　apple…leaves　against

the　window。　　In　the　night　they　had　unhooked　the　violin　and　taken　it

away；　she　had　not　missed　it。。。。　　When　Dan　came；　I　gave　up　my　place　to

him。　　He　took　her　hand　gently　in　his　great　paw；　without　speaking。



〃How　small　my　hand　looks　there；〃　she　said；　〃too　small。〃　　Dan　put　it

softly　back　on　the　bedclothes　and　wiped　his　forehead。　　Pasiance　cried

in　a　sharp　whisper：　〃Is　it　so　hot　in　here？　　I　didn't　know。〃　　Dan　bent

down；　put　his　lips　to　her　fingers　and　left　the　room。



The　afternoon　was　long；　the　longest　I've　ever　spent。　　Sometimes　she

seemed　to　sleep；　sometimes　whispered　to　herself　about　her　mother；　her

grandfather；　the　garden；　or　her　catsall　sorts　of　inconsequent；

trivial；　even　ludicrous　memories　seemed　to　throng　her　mindnever

once；　I　think；　did　she　speak　of　Zachary；　but；　now　and　then；　she　asked

the　time。。。。　　Each　hour　she　grew　visibly　weaker。　　John　Ford　sat　by

her　without　moving；　his　heavy　breathing　was　often　the　only　sound；

sometimes　she　rubbed　her　fingers　on　his　hand；　without　speaking。　　It

was　a　summary　of　their　lives　together。　　Once　he　prayed　aloud　for　her

in　a　hoarse　voice；　then　her　pitiful；　impatient　eyes　signed　to　me。



〃Quick；〃　she　whispered；　〃I　want　him；　it's　all　socold。〃



I　went　out　and　ran　down　the　path　towards　the　cove。



Leaning　on　a　gate　stood　Zachary；　an　hour　before　his　time；　dressed　in

the　same　old　blue　clothes　and　leather…peaked　cap　as　on　the　day　when　I

saw　him　first。　　He　knew　nothing　of　what　had　happened。　　But　at　a

quarter　of　the　truth；　I'm　sure　he　divined　the　whole；　though　he　would

not　admit　it　to　himself。　　He　kept　saying；　〃It　can't　be。　　She'll　be

well　in　a　few　daysa　sprain！　D'　you　think　the　sea…voyage。。。。　　Is　she

strong　enough　to　be　moved　now　at　once？〃