desperate remedies-第64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！


that　heart　affair；　he　might　have　donebut　the　less　said　about　him
the　better。　　I　don't　know　what　we　should　have　done　if　Miss　Aldclyffe
had　insisted　upon　the　conditions　of　the　leases。　　Your　brother…in…
law；　the　steward；　had　a　hand　in　making　it　light　for　us；　I　know；　and
I　heartily　thank　him　for　it。'　　He　ceased　speaking；　and　looked　round
at　the　sky。

'Have　you　heard　o'　what's　happened？'　he　said　suddenly；　'I　was　just
coming　out　to　learn　about　it。'

'I　haven't　heard　of　anything。'

'It　is　something　very　serious；　though　I　don't　know　what。　　All　I　know
is　what　I　heard　a　man　call　out　bynowthat　it　very　much　concerns
somebody　who　lives　in　the　parish。'

It　seems　singular　enough；　even　to　minds　who　have　no　dim　beliefs　in
adumbration　and　presentiment；　that　at　that　moment　not　the　shadow　of
a　thought　crossed　Owen's　mind　that　the　somebody　whom　the　matter
concerned　might　be　himself；　or　any　belonging　to　him。　　The　event
about　to　transpire　was　as　portentous　to　the　woman　whose　welfare　was
more　dear　to　him　than　his　own；　as　any；　short　of　death　itself；　could
possibly　be；　and　ever　afterwards；　when　he　considered　the　effect　of
the　knowledge　the　next　half…hour　conveyed　to　his　brain；　even　his
practical　good　sense　could　not　refrain　from　wonder　that　he　should
have　walked　toward　the　village　after　hearing　those　words　of　the
farmer；　in　so　leisurely　and　unconcerned　a　way。　　'How　unutterably
mean　must　my　intelligence　have　appeared　to　the　eye　of　a　foreseeing
God；'　he　frequently　said　in　after…time。　　'Columbus　on　the　eve　of　his
discovery　of　a　world　was　not　so　contemptibly　unaware。'

After　a　few　additional　words　of　common…place　the　farmer　left　him；
and；　as　has　been　said；　Owen　proceeded　slowly　and　indifferently
towards　the　village。

The　labouring　men　had　just　left　work；　and　passed　the　park　gate；
which　opened　into　the　street　as　Owen　came　down　towards　it。　　They
went　along　in　a　drift；　earnestly　talking；　and　were　finally　about　to
turn　in　at　their　respective　doorways。　　But　upon　seeing　him　they
looked　significantly　at　one　another；　and　paused。　　He　came　into　the
road；　on　that　side　of　the　village…green　which　was　opposite　the　row
of　cottages；　and　turned　round　to　the　right。　　When　Owen　turned；　all
eyes　turned；　one　or　two　men　went　hurriedly　indoors；　and　afterwards
appeared　at　the　doorstep　with　their　wives；　who　also　contemplated
him；　talking　as　they　looked。　　They　seemed　uncertain　how　to　act　in
some　matter。

'If　they　want　me；　surely　they　will　call　me；'　he　thought；　wondering
more　and　more。　　He　could　no　longer　doubt　that　he　was　connected　with
the　subject　of　their　discourse。

The　first　who　approached　him　was　a　boy。

'What　has　occurred？'　said　Owen。

'O；　a　man　ha'　got　crazy…religious；　and　sent　for　the　pa'son。'

'Is　that　all？'

'Yes；　sir。　　He　wished　he　was　dead；　he　said；　and　he's　almost　out　of
his　mind　wi'　wishen　it　so　much。　　That　was　before　Mr。　Raunham　came。'

'Who　is　he？'　said　Owen。

'Joseph　Chinney；　one　of　the　railway…porters；　he　used　to　be　night…
porter。'

'Ahthe　man　who　was　ill　this　afternoon；　by　the　way；　he　was　told　to
come　to　the　Old　House　for　something；　but　he　hasn't　been。　　But　has
anything　else　happenedanything　that　concerns　the　wedding　to…day？'

'No；　sir。'

Concluding　that　the　connection　which　had　seemed　to　be　traced　between
himself　and　the　event　must　in　some　way　have　arisen　from　Cytherea's
friendliness　towards　the　man；　Owen　turned　about　and　went　homewards
in　a　much　quieter　frame　of　mindyet　scarcely　satisfied　with　the
solution。　　The　route　he　had　chosen　led　through　the　dairy…yard；　and
he　opened　the　gate。

Five　minutes　before　this　point　of　time；　Edward　Springrove　was
looking　over　one　of　his　father's　fields　at　an　outlying　hamlet　of
three　or　four　cottages　some　mile　and　a　half　distant。　　A　turnpike…
gate　was　close　by　the　gate　of　the　field。

The　carrier　to　Casterbridge　came　up　as　Edward　stepped　into　the　road；
and　jumped　down　from　the　van　to　pay　toll。　　He　recognized　Springrove。
'This　is　a　pretty　set…to　in　your　place；　sir；'　he　said。　　'You　don't
know　about　it；　I　suppose？'

'What？'　said　Springrove。

The　carrier　paid　his　dues；　came　up　to　Edward；　and　spoke　ten　words　in
a　confidential　whisper：　　then　sprang　upon　the　shafts　of　his　vehicle；
gave　a　clinching　nod　of　significance　to　Springrove；　and　rattled
away。

Edward　turned　pale　with　the　intelligence。　　His　first　thought　was；
'Bring　her　home！'

The　nextdid　Owen　Graye　know　what　had　been　discovered？　　He　probably
did　by　that　time；　but　no　risks　of　probability　must　be　run　by　a　woman
he　loved　dearer　than　all　the　world　besides。　　He　would　at　any　rate
make　perfectly　sure　that　her　brother　was　in　possession　of　the
knowledge；　by　telling　it　him　with　his　own　lips。

Off　he　ran　in　the　direction　of　the　old　manor…house。

The　path　was　across　arable　land；　and　was　ploughed　up　with　the　rest
of　the　field　every　autumn；　after　which　it　was　trodden　out　afresh。
The　thaw　had　so　loosened　the　soft　earth；　that　lumps　of　stiff　mud
were　lifted　by　his　feet　at　every　leap　he　took；　and　flung　against　him
by　his　rapid　motion；　as　it　were　doggedly　impeding　him；　and
increasing　tenfold　the　customary　effort　of　running；

But　he　ran　onuphill；　and　downhill；　the　same　pace　alikelike　the
shadow　of　a　cloud。　　His　nearest　direction；　too；　like　Owen's；　was
through　the　dairy…barton；　and　as　Owen　entered　it　he　saw　the　figure
of　Edward　rapidly　descending　the　opposite　hill；　at　a　distance　of　two
or　three　hundred　yards。　　Owen　advanced　amid　the　cows。

The　dairyman；　who　had　hitherto　been　talking　loudly　on　some　absorbing
subject　to　the　maids　and　men　milking　around　him；　turned　his　face
towards　the　head　of　the　cow　when　Owen　passed；　and　ceased　speaking。

Owen　approached　him　and　said

'A　singular　thing　has　happened；　I　hear。　　The　man　is　not　insane；　I
suppose？'

'Not　hehe's　sensible　enough；'　said　the　dairyman；　and　paused。　　He
was　a　man　noisy　with　his　associatesstolid　and　taciturn　with
strangers。

'Is　it　true　that　he　is　Chinney；　the　railway…porter？'

'That's　the　man；　sir。'　　The　maids　and　men　sitting　under　the　cows
were　all　attentively　listening　to　this　discourse；　milking
irregularly；　and　softly　directing　the　jets　against　the　sides　of　the
pail。

Owen　could　contain　himself　no　longer；　much　as　his　mind　dreaded
anything　of　the　nature　of　ridicule。　　'The　people　all　seem　to　look　at
me；　as　if　something　seriously　concerned　me；　is　it　this　stupid
matter；　or　what　is　it？'

'Surely；　sir；　you　know　better　than　anybody　else　if　such　a　strange
thing　concerns　you。'

'What　strange　thing？'

'Don't　you　know！　　His　confessing　to　Parson　Raunham。'

'What　did　he　confess？　　Tell　me。'

'If　you　really　ha'n't　heard；　'tis　this。　　He　was　as　usual　on　duty　at
the　station　on　the　night　of　the　fire　last　year；　otherwise　he
wouldn't　ha'　known　it。'

'Known　what？　　For　God's　sake　tell；　man！'

But　at　this　instant　the　two　opposite　gates　of　the　dairy…yard；　one　on
the　east；　the　other　on　the　west　side；　slammed　almost　simultaneously。

The　rector　from　one；　Springrove　from　the　other；　came　striding　across
the　barton。

Edward　was　nearest；　and　spoke　first。　　He　said　in　a　low　voice：　　'Your
sister　is　not　legally　married！　　His　first　wife　is　still　living！　　How
it　comes　out　I　don't　know！'

'O；　here　you　are　at　last；　Mr。　Graye；　thank　Heaven！'　said　the　rector
breathlessly。　　'I　have　been　to　the　Old　House；　and　then　to　Miss
Aldclyffe's　looking　for　yousomething　very　extraordinary。'　　He
beckoned　to　Owen；　afterwards　included　Springrove　in　his　glance；　and
the　three　stepped　aside　together。

'A　porter　at　the　station。　　He　was　a　curious　nervous　man。　　He　had
been　in　a　strange　state　all　day；　but　he　wouldn't　go　home。　　Your
sister　was　kind　to　him；　it　seems；　this　afternoon。　　When　she　and　her
husband　had　gone；　he　went　on　with　his　work；　shifting　luggage…vans。
Well；　he　got　in　the　way；　as　if　he　were　quite　lost　to　what　was　going
on；　and　they　sent　him　home　at　last。　　Then　he　wished　to　see　me。　　I
went　directly。　　There　was　something　on　his　mind；　he　said；　and　told
it。　　About　the　time　when　the　fire　of　last　November　twelvemonth　was
got　under；　whilst　he　was　by　himself　in　the　porter's　room；　almost
asleep；　somebody　came　to　the　station　and　tried　to　open　the　door。　　He
went　out　and　found　the　person　to　be　the　lady　he　had　accompanied　to
Carriford