wessex tales-第18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！


every　descriptionnay；　bunches　of　mystic　herbs；　charms；　and　books
of　necromancy；　which　in　her　schoolgirl　time　she　would　have　ridiculed
as　folly。

'Damned　if　you　won't　poison　yourself　with　these　apothecary　messes
and　witch　mixtures　some　time　or　other；'　said　her　husband；　when　his
eye　chanced　to　fall　upon　the　multitudinous　array。

She　did　not　reply；　but　turned　her　sad；　soft　glance　upon　him　in　such
heart…swollen　reproach　that　he　looked　sorry　for　his　words；　and
added；　'I　only　meant　it　for　your　good；　you　know；　Gertrude。'

'I'll　clear　out　the　whole　lot；　and　destroy　them；'　said　she　huskily；
'and　try　such　remedies　no　more！'

'You　want　somebody　to　cheer　you；'　he　observed。　　'I　once　thought　of
adopting　a　boy；　but　he　is　too　old　now。　　And　he　is　gone　away　I　don't
know　where。'

She　guessed　to　whom　he　alluded；　for　Rhoda　Brook's　story　had　in　the
course　of　years　become　known　to　her；　though　not　a　word　had　ever
passed　between　her　husband　and　herself　on　the　subject。　　Neither　had
she　ever　spoken　to　him　of　her　visit　to　Conjuror　Trendle；　and　of　what
was　revealed　to　her；　or　she　thought　was　revealed　to　her；　by　that
solitary　heath…man。

She　was　now　five…and…twenty；　but　she　seemed　older。

'Six　years　of　marriage；　and　only　a　few　months　of　love；'　she
sometimes　whispered　to　herself。　　And　then　she　thought　of　the
apparent　cause；　and　said；　with　a　tragic　glance　at　her　withering
limb；　'If　I　could　only　again　be　as　I　was　when　he　first　saw　me！'

She　obediently　destroyed　her　nostrums　and　charms；　but　there　remained
a　hankering　wish　to　try　something　elsesome　other　sort　of　cure
altogether。　　She　had　never　revisited　Trendle　since　she　had　been
conducted　to　the　house　of　the　solitary　by　Rhoda　against　her　will；
but　it　now　suddenly　occurred　to　Gertrude　that　she　would；　in　a　last
desperate　effort　at　deliverance　from　this　seeming　curse；　again　seek
out　the　man；　if　he　yet　lived。　　He　was　entitled　to　a　certain
credence；　for　the　indistinct　form　he　had　raised　in　the　glass　had
undoubtedly　resembled　the　only　woman　in　the　world　whoas　she　now
knew；　though　not　thencould　have　a　reason　for　bearing　her　ill…will。
The　visit　should　be　paid。

This　time　she　went　alone；　though　she　nearly　got　lost　on　the　heath；
and　roamed　a　considerable　distance　out　of　her　way。　　Trendle's　house
was　reached　at　last；　however：　　he　was　not　indoors；　and　instead　of
waiting　at　the　cottage；　she　went　to　where　his　bent　figure　was
pointed　out　to　her　at　work　a　long　way　off。　　Trendle　remembered　her；
and　laying　down　the　handful　of　furze…roots　which　he　was　gathering
and　throwing　into　a　heap；　he　offered　to　accompany　her　in　her
homeward　direction；　as　the　distance　was　considerable　and　the　days
were　short。　　So　they　walked　together；　his　head　bowed　nearly　to　the
earth；　and　his　form　of　a　colour　with　it。

'You　can　send　away　warts　and　other　excrescences　I　know；'　she　said；
'why　can't　you　send　away　this？'　　And　the　arm　was　uncovered。

'You　think　too　much　of　my　powers！'　said　Trendle；　'and　I　am　old　and
weak　now；　too。　　No；　no；　it　is　too　much　for　me　to　attempt　in　my　own
person。　　What　have　ye　tried？'

She　named　to　him　some　of　the　hundred　medicaments　and　counterspells
which　she　had　adopted　from　time　to　time。　　He　shook　his　head。

'Some　were　good　enough；'　he　said　approvingly；　'but　not　many　of　them
for　such　as　this。　　This　is　of　the　nature　of　a　blight；　not　of　the
nature　of　a　wound；　and　if　you　ever　do　throw　it　off；　it　will　be　all
at　once。'

'If　I　only　could！'

'There　is　only　one　chance　of　doing　it　known　to　me。　　It　has　never
failed　in　kindred　afflictions；that　I　can　declare。　　But　it　is　hard
to　carry　out；　and　especially　for　a　woman。'

'Tell　me！'　said　she。

'You　must　touch　with　the　limb　the　neck　of　a　man　who's　been　hanged。'

She　started　a　little　at　the　image　he　had　raised。

'Before　he's　coldjust　after　he's　cut　down；'　continued　the　conjuror
impassively。

'How　can　that　do　good？'

'It　will　turn　the　blood　and　change　the　constitution。　　But；　as　I　say；
to　do　it　is　hard。　　You　must　get　into　jail；　and　wait　for　him　when
he's　brought　off　the　gallows。　　Lots　have　done　it；　though　perhaps　not
such　pretty　women　as　you。　　I　used　to　send　dozens　for　skin
complaints。　　But　that　was　in　former　times。　　The　last　I　sent　was　in
'13near　twenty　years　ago。'

He　had　no　more　to　tell　her；　and；　when　he　had　put　her　into　a　straight
track　homeward；　turned　and　left　her；　refusing　all　money　as　at　first。



CHAPTER　VIIA　RIDE



The　communication　sank　deep　into　Gertrude's　mind。　　Her　nature　was
rather　a　timid　one；　and　probably　of　all　remedies　that　the　white
wizard　could　have　suggested　there　was　not　one　which　would　have
filled　her　with　so　much　aversion　as　this；　not　to　speak　of　the
immense　obstacles　in　the　way　of　its　adoption。

Casterbridge；　the　county…town；　was　a　dozen　or　fifteen　miles　off；　and
though　in　those　days；　when　men　were　executed　for　horse…stealing；
arson；　and　burglary；　an　assize　seldom　passed　without　a　hanging；　it
was　not　likely　that　she　could　get　access　to　the　body　of　the　criminal
unaided。　　And　the　fear　of　her　husband's　anger　made　her　reluctant　to
breathe　a　word　of　Trendle's　suggestion　to　him　or　to　anybody　about
him。

She　did　nothing　for　months；　and　patiently　bore　her　disfigurement　as
before。　　But　her　woman's　nature；　craving　for　renewed　love；　through
the　medium　of　renewed　beauty　（she　was　but　twenty…five）；　was　ever
stimulating　her　to　try　what；　at　any　rate；　could　hardly　do　her　any
harm。　　'What　came　by　a　spell　will　go　by　a　spell　surely；'　she　would
say。　　Whenever　her　imagination　pictured　the　act　she　shrank　in　terror
from　the　possibility　of　it：　　then　the　words　of　the　conjuror；　'It
will　turn　your　blood；'　were　seen　to　be　capable　of　a　scientific　no
less　than　a　ghastly　interpretation；　the　mastering　desire　returned；
and　urged　her　on　again。

There　was　at　this　time　but　one　county　paper；　and　that　her　husband
only　occasionally　borrowed。　　But　old…fashioned　days　had　old…
fashioned　means；　and　news　was　extensively　conveyed　by　word　of　mouth
from　market　to　market；　or　from　fair　to　fair；　so　that；　whenever　such
an　event　as　an　execution　was　about　to　take　place；　few　within　a
radius　of　twenty　miles　were　ignorant　of　the　coming　sight；　and；　so
far　as　Holmstoke　was　concerned；　some　enthusiasts　had　been　known　to
walk　all　the　way　to　Casterbridge　and　back　in　one　day；　solely　to
witness　the　spectacle。　　The　next　assizes　were　in　March；　and　when
Gertrude　Lodge　heard　that　they　had　been　held；　she　inquired
stealthily　at　the　inn　as　to　the　result；　as　soon　as　she　could　find
opportunity。

She　was；　however；　too　late。　　The　time　at　which　the　sentences　were　to
be　carried　out　had　arrived；　and　to　make　the　journey　and　obtain
admission　at　such　short　notice　required　at　least　her　husband's
assistance。　　She　dared　not　tell　him；　for　she　had　found　by　delicate
experiment　that　these　smouldering　village　beliefs　made　him　furious
if　mentioned；　partly　because　he　half　entertained　them　himself。　　It
was　therefore　necessary　to　wait　for　another　opportunity。

Her　determination　received　a　fillip　from　learning　that　two　epileptic
children　had　attended　from　this　very　village　of　Holmstoke　many　years
before　with　beneficial　results；　though　the　experiment　had　been
strongly　condemned　by　the　neighbouring　clergy。　　April；　May；　June；
passed；　and　it　is　no　overstatement　to　say　that　by　the　end　of　the
last…named　month　Gertrude　well…nigh　longed　for　the　death　of　a
fellow…creature。　　Instead　of　her　formal　prayers　each　night；　her
unconscious　prayer　was；　'O　Lord；　hang　some　guilty　or　innocent　person
soon！'

This　time　she　made　earlier　inquiries；　and　was　altogether　more
systematic　in　her　proceedings。　　Moreover；　the　season　was　summer；
between　the　haymaking　and　the　harvest；　and　in　the　leisure　thus
afforded　him　her　husband　had　been　holiday…taking　away　from　home。

The　assizes　were　in　July；　and　she　went　to　the　inn　as　before。　　There
was　to　be　one　executiononly　onefor　arson。

Her　greatest　problem　was　not　how　to　get　to　Casterbridge；　but　what
means　she　should　adopt　for　obtaining　admission　to　the　jail。　　Though
access　for　such　purposes　had　formerly　never　been　denied；　the　custom
had　fallen　into　desuetude；　and　in　contemplating　her　possible
difficulties；　she　was　again　almost　driven　to　fall　back　upon　her
husband。　　But；　on　sounding　him　about　th