第5章
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  Butthepositionlastreached——thechimney—corner——was,afterall,themostattractivesideoftheparallelogram。Itwaslargeenoughtoadmit,inadditiontoGeoffreyhimself;Geoffrey’swife,herchair,andherwork—table,entirelywithinthelineofthemantel,withoutdangeroreveninconveniencefromtheheatofthefire;andwasspaciousenoughoverheadtoallowoftheinsertionofwoodpolesforthehangingofbacon,whichwerecloakedwithlongshredsofsoot,floatingonthedraughtlikethetatteredbannersonthewallsofancientaisles。

  Thesepointswerecommontomostchimneycornersoftheneighbourhood;butonefeaturetherewaswhichmadeGeoffrey’sfiresidenotonlyanobjectofinteresttocasualaristocraticvisitors——towhomeverycottagefiresidewasmoreorlessacuriosity——buttheadmirationoffriendswhowereaccustomedtofireplacesoftheordinaryhamletmodel。Thispeculiaritywasalittlewindowinthechimney—back,almostoverthefire,aroundwhichthesmokecreptcaressinglywhenitlefttheperpendicularcourse。Thewindow—boardwascuriouslystampedwithblackcircles,burntthereonbytheheatedbottomsofdrinking—cups,whichhadrestedthereafterpreviouslystandingonthehotashesofthehearthforthepurposeofwarmingtheircontents,theresultgivingtotheledgethelookofanenvelopewhichhaspassedthroughinnumerablepost—offices。

  Fancywasglidingabouttheroompreparingdinner,herheadincliningnowtotheright,nowtotheleft,andsingingthetipsandendsoftunesthatsprangupinhermindlikemushrooms。ThefootstepsofMrs。Daycouldbeheardintheroomoverhead。Fancywentfinallytothedoor。

  \"Father!Dinner。\"

  Atallsparefigurewasseenadvancingbythewindowwithperiodicalsteps,andthekeeperenteredfromthegarden。Heappearedtobeamanwhowasalwayslookingdown,asiftryingtorecollectsomethinghesaidyesterday。Thesurfaceofhisfacewasfissuredratherthanwrinkled,andoverandunderhiseyeswerefoldswhichseemedasakindofexterioreyelids。Hisnosehadbeenthrownbackwardsbyablowinapoachingfray,sothatwhenthesunwaslowandshininginhisface,peoplecouldseefarintohishead。Therewasinhimaquietgrimness,whichwouldinhismomentsofdispleasurehavebecomesurliness,haditnotbeentemperedbyhonestyofsoul,andwhichwasoftenwrongheadednessbecausenotalliedwithsubtlety。

  Althoughnotanextraordinarilytaciturnmanamongfriendsslightlyricherthanhimself,heneverwastedwordsuponoutsiders,andtohistrapperEnochhisideaswereseldomconveyedbyanyothermeansthannodsandshakesofthehead。Theirlongacquaintancewitheachother’sways,andthenatureoftheirlabours,renderedwordsbetweenthemalmostsuperfluousasvehiclesofthought,whilstthecoincidenceoftheirhorizons,andtheastonishingequalityoftheirsocialviews,bystartlingthekeeperfromtimetotimeasverydamagingtothetheoryofmasterandman,strictlyforbadeanyindulgenceinwordsascourtesies。

  BehindthekeepercameEnoch(whohadbeenassistinginthegarden)

  atthewell—consideredchronologicaldistanceofthreeminutes——anintervalofnon—appearanceonthetrapper’spartnotarrivedatwithoutsomereflection。Fourminuteshadbeenfoundtoexpressindifferencetoindoorarrangements,andsimultaneousnesshadimpliedtoogreatananxietyaboutmeals。

  \"Alittleearlierthanusual,Fancy,\"thekeepersaid,ashesatdownandlookedattheclocks。\"ThatEzekielSaunderso’thineistearingonaforeThomasWoodagain。\"

  \"Ikeptinthemiddlebetweenthem,\"saidFancy,alsolookingatthetwoclocks。

  \"BettersticktoThomas,\"saidherfather。\"There’sahealthybeatinThomasthatwouldleadamantoswearbyenoffhand。Heisastrueasthetowntime。Howisityourstap—motherisn’there?\"

  AsFancywasabouttoreply,therattleofwheelswasheard,and\"Weh—hey,Smart!\"inMr。RichardDewy’svoicerolledintothecottagefromroundthecornerofthehouse。

  \"Hullo!there’sDewy’scartcomeforthee,Fancy——Dickdriving——

  aforetime,too。Well,asktheladtohavepot—luckwithus。\"

  DickonenteringmadeapointofimplyingbyhisgeneralbearingthathetookaninterestinFancysimplyasinoneofthesameraceandcountryashimself;andtheyallsatdown。Dickcouldhavewishedhermannerhadnotbeensoentirelyfreefromallapparentconsciousnessofthoseaccidentalmeetingsoftheirs:butheletthethoughtpass。Enochsatdiagonallyatatableafaroff;underthecornercupboard,anddrankhisciderfromalongperpendicularpintcup,havingtallfir—treesdoneinbrownonitssides,Hethrewoccasionalremarksintothegeneraltideofconversation,andwiththisadvantagetohimself;thatheparticipatedinthepleasuresofatalk(slightasitwas)atmeal—times,withoutsaddlinghimselfwiththeresponsibilityofsustainingit。

  \"Whydon’tyourstap—mothercomedown,Fancy?\"saidGeoffrey。

  \"You’llexcuseher,MisterDick,she’salittlequeersometimes。\"

  \"Oyes,——quite,\"saidRichard,asifhewereinthehabitofexcusingpeopleeveryday。

  \"Shed’belongtothatclassofwomankindthatbecomesecondwives:

  arumclassrather。\"

  \"Indeed,\"saidDick,withsympathyforanindefinitesomething。

  \"Yes;and’tistryingtoafemale,especiallyifyou’vebeenafirstwife,asshehey。\"

  \"Verytryingitmustbe。\"

  \"Yes:youseeherfirsthusbandwasayoungman,wholethergotoofar;infact,sheusedtokickupBob’s—a—dyingattheleastthingintheworld。AndwhenI’dmarriedherandfounditout,Ithought,thinksI,\"’Tistoolatenowtobegintocure’e;\"andsoIletherbide。Butshe’squeer,——veryqueer,attimes!\"

  \"I’msorrytohearthat。\"

  \"Yes:there;wivesbesuchaprovokingclasso’society,becausethoughtheybeneverright,theybenevermorethanhalfwrong。\"

  Fancyseemeduneasyundertheinflictionofthishouseholdmoralizing,whichmighttendtodamagetheairy—fairynaturethatDick,asmaidenshrewdnesstoldher,hadaccreditedherwith。HerdeadsilenceimpressedGeoffreywiththenotionthatsomethinginhiswordsdidnotagreewithhereducatedideas,andhechangedtheconversation。

  \"DidFredShinersendthecasko’drink,Fancy?\"

  \"Ithinkhedid:Oyes,hedid。\"

  \"Nicesolidfeller,FredShiner!\"saidGeoffreytoDickashehelpedhimselftogravy,bringingthespoonroundtohisplatebywayofthepotato—dish,toobviateastainontheclothintheeventofaspill。

  NowGeoffrey’seyeshadbeenfixeduponhisplateforthepreviousfourorfiveminutes,andinremovingthemhehadonlycarriedthemtothespoon,which,fromitsfulnessandthedistanceofitstransit,necessitatedasteadywatchingthroughthewholeoftheroute。Justasintentlyasthekeeper’seyeshadbeenfixedonthespoon,Fancy’shadbeenfixedonherfather’s,withoutpremeditationortheslightestphaseoffurtiveness;buttheretheywerefastened。

  Thiswasthereasonwhy:

  Dickwassittingnexttoherontherightside,andonthesideofthetableoppositetoherfather。Fancyhadlaidherrighthandlightlydownuponthetable—clothforaninstant,andtoheralarmDick,afterdroppinghisforkandbrushinghisforeheadasareason,flungdownhisownlefthand,overlappingathirdofFancy’swithit,andkeepingitthere。SotheinnocentFancy,insteadofpullingherhandfromthetrap,settledhereyesonherfather’s,toguardagainsthisdiscoveryofthisperilousgameofDick’s。Dickfinishedhismouthful;Fancyfinished,hercrumb,andnothingwasdonebeyondwatchingGeoffrey’seyes。Thenthehandsslidapart;

  Fancy’sgoingoversixinchesofcloth,Dick’soverone。Geoffrey’seyehadrisen。

  \"IsaidFredShinerisanicesolidfeller,\"herepeated,moreemphatically。

  \"Heis;yes,heis,\"stammeredDick;\"buttomeheislittlemorethanastranger。\"

  \"O,sure。NowIknowenaswellasanymancanbeknown。Andyouknowenverywelltoo,don’tye,Fancy?\"

  Geoffreyputonatoneexpressingthatthesewordssignifiedatpresentaboutonehundredtimestheamountofmeaningtheyconveyedliterally。

  Dicklookedanxious。

  \"Willyoupassmesomebread?\"saidFancyinaflurry,theredofherfacebecomingslightlydisordered,andlookingassolicitousasahumanbeingcouldlookaboutapieceofbread。

  \"Ay,thatIwill,\"repliedtheunconsciousGeoffrey。\"Ay,\"hecontinued,returningtothedisplacedidea,\"wearelikelytoremainfriendlywi’Mr。Shinerifthewheelsd’runsmooth。\"

  \"Anexcellentthing——averycapitalthing,asIshouldsay,\"theyouthansweredwithexceedingrelevance,consideringthathisthoughts,insteadoffollowingGeoffrey’sremark,werenestlingatadistanceofabouttwofeetonhisleftthewholetime。

  \"Ayoungwoman’sfacewillturnthenorthwind,MasterRichard:myheartif’twon’t。\"Dicklookedmoreanxiousandwasattentiveinearnestatthesewords。\"Yes;turnthenorthwind,\"addedGeoffreyafteranimpressivepause。\"Andthoughshe’soneofmyownfleshandblood……\"

  \"Willyoufetchdownabitofraw—mil’cheesefrompantry—shelf?\"

  Fancyinterrupted,asifshewerefamishing。

  \"Ay,thatIwill,chiel;chiel,saysI,andMr。ShineronlyaskinglastSaturdaynight……cheeseyousaid,Fancy?\"

  DickcontrolledhisemotionatthesemysteriousallusionstoMr。

  Shiner,——thebetterenabledtodosobyperceivingthatFancy’sheartwentnotwithherfather’s——andspokelikeastrangertotheaffairsoftheneighbourhood。\"Yes,there’sagreatdealtobesaiduponthepowerofmaidenfacesinsettlingyourcourses,\"heventured,asthekeeperretreatedforthecheese。

  \"Theconversationistakingaverystrangeturn:nothingthat_I_

  haveeverdonewarrantssuchthingsbeingsaid!\"murmuredFancywithemphasis,justloudenoughtoreachDick’sears。

  \"Youthinktoyourself;’twastobe,\"criedEnochfromhisdistantcorner,bywayoffillingupthevacancycausedbyGeoffrey’smomentaryabsence。\"Andsoyoumarryher,MasterDewy,andthere’sanendo’t。\"

  \"Praydon’tsaysuchthings,Enoch,\"camefromFancyseverely,uponwhichEnochrelapsedintoservitude。

  \"Ifwebedoomedtomarry,wemarry;ifwebedoomedtoremainsingle,wedo,\"repliedDick。

  Geoffreyhadbythistimesatdownagain,andhenowmadehislipsthinbyseverelystrainingthemacrosshisgums,andlookedoutofthewindowalongthevistatothedistanthighwayupYalburyHill。

  \"That’snotthecasewithsomefolk,\"hesaidatlength,asifhereadthewordsonaboardatthefurtherendofthevista。

  Fancylookedinterested,andDicksaid,\"No?\"

  \"There’sthatwifeo’mine。Itwasherdoomtobenobody’swifeatallinthewideuniverse。Butshemadeuphermindthatshewould,anddidittwiceover。Doom?Doomisnothingbesideaelderlywoman——quiteachielinherhands!\"

  Amovementwasnowheardalongtheupstairspassage,andfootstepsdescending。Thedooratthefootofthestairsopened,andthesecondMrs。Dayappearedinview,lookingfixedlyatthetableassheadvancedtowardsit,withapparentobliviousnessofthepresenceofanyotherhumanbeingthanherself。Inshort,ifthetablehadbeenthepersonages,andthepersonsthetable,herglancewouldhavebeenthemostnaturalimaginable。

  Sheshowedherselftopossessanordinarywoman’sface,iron—greyhair,hardlyanyhips,andagreatdealofcleanlinessinabroadwhiteapron—string,asitappeareduponthewaistofherdarkstuffdress。

  \"Peoplewillrunawaywithastorynow,Isuppose,\"shebegansaying,\"thatJaneDay’stableclothsareaspoorandraggedasanyunionbeggar’s!\"

  Dicknowperceivedthatthetableclothwasalittletheworseforwear,andreflectingforamoment,concludedthat’people’instep—

  motherlanguageprobablymeanthimself。OnliftinghiseyeshefoundthatMrs。Dayhadvanishedagainupstairs,andpresentlyreturnedwithanarmfulofnewdamask—linentablecloths,foldedsquareandhardasboardsbylongcompression。Thesesheflounceddownintoachair;thentookone,shookitoutfromitsfolds,andspreaditonthetablebyinstalments,transferringtheplatesanddishesonebyonefromtheoldtothenewcloth。

  \"AndIsupposethey’llsay,too,thatsheha’n’tadecentknifeandforkinherhouse!\"

  \"Ishouldn’tsayanysuchill—naturedthing,Iamsure——\"beganDick。ButMrs。Dayhadvanishedintothenextroom。Fancyappeareddistressed。

  \"Verystrangewoman,isn’tshe?\"saidGeoffrey,quietlygoingonwithhisdinner。\"But’tistoolatetoattemptcuring。Myheart!

  ’tissogrowedintoherthat’twouldkillhertotakeitout。Ay,she’sveryqueer:you’dbeamazedtoseewhatvaluablegoodswe’vegotstowedawayupstairs。\"

  BackagaincameMrs。Daywithaboxofbrightsteelhorn—handledknives,silver—platedforks,carver,andallcomplete。Thesewerewipedofthepreservativeoilwhichcoatedthem,andthenaknifeandforkwerelaiddowntoeachindividualwithabang,thecarvingknifeandforkthrustintothemeatdish,andtheoldonestheyhadhithertousedtossedaway。

  Geoffreyplacidlycutaslicewiththenewknifeandfork,andaskedDickifhewantedanymore。

  Thetablehadbeenspreadforthemixedmiddaymealofdinnerandtea,whichwascommonamongfrugalcountryfolk。\"Theparishionersabouthere,\"continuedMrs。Day,notlookingatanylivingbeing,butsnatchingupthebrowndelftea—things,\"arethelaziest,gossipest,poachest,jailestsetofanyeverIcameamong。Andthey’lltalkaboutmyteapotandtea—thingsnext,Isuppose!\"Shevanishedwiththeteapot,cups,andsaucers,andreappearedwithatea—serviceinwhitechina,andapacketwrappedinbrownpaper。

  Thiswasremoved,togetherwithfoldsoftissue—paperunderneath;

  andabrilliantsilverteapotappeared。

  \"I’llhelptoputthethingsright,\"saidFancysoothingly,andrisingfromherseat。\"Ioughttohavelaidoutbetterthings,I

  suppose。But\"(heresheenlargedherlookssoastoincludeDick)

  \"Ihavebeenawayfromhomeagooddeal,andImakeshockingblundersinmyhousekeeping。\"Smilesandsuavitywerethendispensedallaroundbythisbrightlittlebird。

  Afteralittlemorepreparationandmodification,Mrs。Daytookherseatattheheadofthetable,andduringthelatterorteadivisionofthemeal,presidedwithmuchcomposure。Itmaycausesomesurprisetolearnthat,nowhervagarywasover,sheshowedherselftobeanexcellentpersonwithmuchcommonsense,andevenareligiousseriousnessoftoneonmatterspertainingtoherafflictions。

  CHAPTERVII:DICKMAKESHIMSELFUSEFUL

  TheeffectofGeoffrey’sincidentalallusionstoMr。ShinerwastorestrainaconsiderableflowofspontaneouschatthatwouldotherwisehaveburstfromyoungDewyalongthedrivehomeward。Andacertainremarkhehadhazardedtoher,inrathertoobluntandeageramanner,kepttheyoungladyherselfevenmoresilentthanDick。Onbothsidestherewasanunwillingnesstotalkonanybutthemosttrivialsubjects,andtheirsentencesrarelytookalargerformthancouldbeexpressedintwoorthreewords。

  OwingtoFancybeinglaterinthedaythanshehadpromised,thecharwomanhadgivenupexpectingher;whereuponDickcoulddonolessthanstayandseehercomfortablytidedoverthedisagreeabletimeofenteringandestablishingherselfinanemptyhouseafteranabsenceofaweek。Theadditionalfurnitureandutensilsthathadbeenbrought(acanaryandcageamongtherest)weretakenoutofthevehicle,andthehorsewasunharnessedandputintheplotopposite,wheretherewassometendergrass。Dicklightedthefirealreadylaid;andactivitybegantoloosentheirtonguesalittle。

  \"There!\"saidFancy,\"weforgottobringthefire—irons!\"

  Shehadoriginallyfoundinhersitting—room,tobearouttheexpression’nearlyfurnished’whichtheschool—managerhadusedinhislettertoher,atable,threechairs,afender,andapieceofcarpet。This’nearly’hadbeensupplementedhithertobyakindfriend,whohadlentherfire—ironsandcrockeryuntilsheshouldfetchsomefromhome。

  Dickattendedtotheyounglady’sfire,usinghiswhip—handleforapokertillitwasspoilt,andthenflourishingahurdlestickfortheremainderofthetime。

  \"Thekettleboils;nowyoushallhaveacupoftea,\"saidFancy,divingintothehampershehadbrought。

  \"Thankyou,\"saidDick,whosedrivehadmadehimreadyforsome,especiallyinhercompany。

  \"Well,here’sonlyonecup—and—saucer,asIbreathe!Whatevercouldmotherbethinkingabout?Doyoumindmakingshift,Mr。Dewy?\"

  \"Notatall,MissDay,\"saidthatcivilperson。

  \"——Andonlyhavingacupbyitself?orasaucerbyitself?\"

  \"Don’tmindintheleast。\"

  \"Whichdoyoumeanbythat?\"

  \"Imeanthecup,ifyoulikethesaucer。\"

  \"Andthesaucer,ifIlikethecup?\"

  \"Exactly,MissDay。\"

  \"Thankyou,Mr。Dewy,forIlikethecupdecidedly。Stopaminute;

  therearenospoonsnow!\"Shedivedintothehamperagain,andattheendoftwoorthreeminuteslookedupandsaid,\"Isupposeyoudon’tmindifIcan’tfindaspoon?\"

  \"Notatall,\"saidtheagreeableRichard。

  \"Thefactis,thespoonshaveslippeddownsomewhere;rightundertheotherthings。Oyes,here’sone,andonlyone。Youwouldratherhaveonethannot,Isuppose,Mr。Dewy?\"

  \"Rathernot。Ineverdidcaremuchaboutspoons。\"

  \"ThenI’llhaveit。Idocareaboutthem。Youmuststirupyourteawithaknife。Wouldyoumindliftingthekettleoff,thatitmaynotboildry?\"

  Dickleapttothefireplace,andearnestlyremovedthekettle。

  \"There!youdiditsowildlythatyouhavemadeyourhandblack。Wealwaysusekettle—holders;didn’tyoulearnhousewiferyasfarasthat,Mr。Dewy?Well,nevermindthesootonyourhand。Comehere。

  Iamgoingtorinsemine,too。\"

  Theywent’toabasinshehadplacedinthebackroom。\"ThisistheonlybasinIhave,\"shesaid。\"Turnupyoursleeves,andbythattimemyhandswillbewashed,andyoucancome。\"

  Herhandswereinthewaternow。\"O,howvexing!\"sheexclaimed。

  \"There’snotadropofwaterleftforyou,unlessyoudrawit,andthewellisIdon’tknowhowmanyfurlongsdeep;allthatwasinthepitcherIusedforthekettleandthisbasin。Doyouminddippingthetipsofyourfingersinthesame?\"

  \"Notatall。AndtosavetimeIwon’twaittillyouhavedone,ifyouhavenoobjection?\"

  Thereuponheplungedinhishands,andtheypaddledtogether。Itbeingthefirsttimeinhislifethathehadtouchedfemalefingersunderwater,Dickdulyregisteredthesensationasratheraniceone。

  \"Really,Ihardlyknowwhicharemyownhandsandwhichareyours,theyhavegotsomixeduptogether,\"shesaid,withdrawingherownverysuddenly。

  \"Itdoesn’tmatteratall,\"saidDick,\"atleastasfarasIamconcerned。\"

  \"There!notowel!Whoeverthinksofatoweltillthehandsarewet?\"

  \"Nobody。\"

  \"’Nobody。’Howverydullitiswhenpeoplearesofriendly!Comehere,Mr。Dewy。Nowdoyouthinkyoucouldliftthelidofthatboxwithyourelbow,andthen,withsomethingorother,takeoutatowelyouwillfindunderthecleanclothes?BeSUREdon’ttouchanyofthemwithyourwethands,forthethingsatthetopareallStarchedandIroned。\"

  Dickmanaged,bytheaidofaknifeandfork,toextractatowelfromunderamuslindresswithoutwettingthelatter;andforamomentheventuredtoassumeatoneofcriticism。

  \"Ifearforthatdress,\"hesaid,astheywipedtheirhandstogether。

  \"What?\"saidMissDay,lookingintotheboxatthedressalludedto。

  \"O,Iknowwhatyoumean——thatthevicarwillneverletmewearmuslin?\"

  \"Yes。\"

  \"Well,Iknowitiscondemnedbyallordersinthechurchasflaunting,andunfitforcommonwearforgirlswho’vetheirlivingtoget;hutwe’llsee。\"

  \"Intheinterestofthechurch,Ihopeyoudon’tspeakseriously。\"

  \"Yes,Ido;butwe’llsee。\"Therewasacomelydeterminationonherlip,verypleasanttoabeholderwhowasneitherbishop,priest,nordeacon。\"IthinkIcanmanageanyvicar’sviewsaboutmeifhe’sunderforty。\"

  Dickratherwishedshehadneverthoughtofmanagingvicars。

  \"Icertainlyshallbegladtogetsomeofyourdelicioustea,\"hesaidinratherafreeway,yetmodestly,asbecameoneinapositionbetweenthatofvisitorandinmate,andlookingwistfullyathislonelysaucer。

  \"SoshallI。Nowisthereanythingelsewewant,MrDewy?\"

  \"Ireallythinkthere’snothingelse,MissDay。\"

  Shepreparedtositdown,lookingmusinglyoutofthewindowatSmart’senjoymentoftherichgrass。\"Nobodyseemstocareaboutme,\"shemurmured,withlargelosteyesfixedupontheskybeyondSmart。

  \"PerhapsMr。Shinerdoes,\"saidDick,inthetoneofaslightlyinjuredman。

  \"Yes,Iforgot——hedoes,Iknow。\"DickprecipitatelyregrettedthathehadsuggestedShiner,sinceithadproducedsuchamiserableresultasthis。

  \"I’llwarrantyou’llcareforsomebodyverymuchindeedanotherday,won’tyou,Mr。Dewy?\"shecontinued,lookingveryfeelinglyintothemathematicalcentreofhiseyes。

  \"Ah,I’llwarrantIshall,\"saidDick,feelinglytoo,andlookingbackintoherdarkpupils,whereupontheywereturnedaside。

  \"Imeant,\"shewenton,preventinghimfromspeakingjustashewasgoingtonarrateaforciblestoryabouthisfeelings;\"ImeantthatnobodycomestoseeifIhavereturned——noteventhevicar。\"

  \"Ifyouwanttoseehim,I’llcallatthevicaragedirectlywehavehadsometea。\"

  \"No,no!Don’tlethimcomedownhere,whateveryoudo,whilstIaminsuchastateofdisarrangement。Parsonslooksomiserableandawkwardwhenone’shouseisinamuddle;walkingabout,andmakingimpossiblesuggestionsinquaintacademicphrasestillyourfleshcreepsandyouwishthemdead。Doyoutakesugar?\"

  Mr。Mayboldwasatthisinstantseencomingupthepath。

  \"There!That’shecoming!HowIwishyouwerenothereI——thatis,howawkward——dear,dear!\"sheexclaimed,withaquickascentofbloodtoherface,andirritatedwithDickratherthanthevicar,asitseemed。

  \"Praydon’tbealarmedonmyaccount,MissDay——good—afternoon!\"

  saidDickinahuff,puttingonhishat,andleavingtheroomhastilybytheback—door。

  Thehorsewascaughtandputin,andonmountingtheshaftstostarthesawthroughthewindowthevicar,standinguponsomebookspiledinachair,anddrivinganailintothewall;Fancy,withademureglance,holdingthecanary—cageuptohim,asifshehadneverinherlifethoughtofanythingbutvicarsandcanaries。

  CHAPTERVIII:DICKMEETSHISFATHER

  ForseveralminutesDickdrovealonghomeward,withtheinnereyeofreflectionsoanxiouslysetonhispassagesatarmswithFancy,thattheroadandscenerywereasathinmistovertherealpicturesofhismind。Wassheacoquette?Thebalancebetweentheevidencethatshedidlovehimandthatshedidnotwassonicelystruck,thathisopinionhadnostability。Shehadlethimputhishanduponhers;shehadallowedhergazetodropplumbintothedepthsofhis——hisintohers——threeorfourtimes;hermannerhadbeenveryfreewithregardtothebasinandtowel;shehadappearedvexedatthementionofShiner。Ontheotherhand,shehaddrivenhimaboutthehouselikeaquietdogorcat,saidShinercaredforher,andseemedanxiousthatMr。Mayboldshoulddothesame。

  ThinkingthusashenearedthehandpostatMellstockCross,sittingonthefrontboardofthespringcart——hislegsontheoutside,andhiswholeframejiggingupanddownlikeacandle—flametothetimeofSmart’strotting——whoshouldheseecomingdownthehillbuthisfatherinthelightwagon,quiveringupanddownonasmallerscaleofshakes,thosemerelycausedbythestonesintheroad。Theyweresooncrossingeachother’sfront。

  \"Weh—hey!\"saidthetrantertoSmiler。

  \"Weh—hey!\"saidDicktoSmart,inanechoofthesamevoice。

  \"Th’sthauledherback,Isuppose?\"Reubeninquiredpeaceably。

  \"Yes,\"saidDick,withsuchaclinchingperiodattheendthatitseemedhewasnevergoingtoaddanotherword。Smiler,thinkingthisthecloseoftheconversation,preparedtomoveon。

  \"Weh—hey!\"saidthetranter。\"Itelltheewhatitis,Dick。Thattheremaidistakingupthythoughtsmorethan’sgoodforthee,mysonny。Thou’rtneverhappynowunlessth’rtmakingthyselfmiserableaboutherinonewayoranother。\"

  \"Idon’tknowaboutthat,father,\"saidDickratherstupidly。

  \"ButIdo——Wey,Smiler!——’Odrotthewomen,’tisnothingelsewi’

  ’emnowadaysbutgettingyoungmenandleading’emastray。\"

  \"Pooh,father!youjustrepeatwhatallthecommonworldsays;

  that’sallyoudo。\"

  \"Theworld’saverysensiblefelleronthingsinjineral,Dick;verysensibleindeed。\"

  Dicklookedintothedistanceatavastexpanseofmortgagedestate。

  \"IwishIwasasrichasasquirewhenhe’saspoorasacrow,\"hemurmured;\"I’dsoonaskFancysomething。\"

  \"Iwishsotoo,wi’allmyheart,sonny;thatIdo。Well,mindwhatbeestabout,that’sall。\"

  Smartmovedonasteportwo。\"Supposingnow,father,——We—hey,Smart!——Ididthinkalittleabouther,andIhadachance,whichI

  ha’n’t;don’tyouthinkshe’saverygoodsortof——of——one?\"

  \"Ay,good;she’sgoodenough。Whenyou’vemadeupyourmindtomarry,takethefirstrespectablebodythatcomestohand——she’sasgoodasanyother;theybeallalikeinthegroundwork;’tisonlyintheflourishesthere’sadifference。She’sgoodenough;butIcan’tseewhatthenationayoungfellerlikeyou——wiacomfortablehouseandhome,andfatherandmothertotakecareo’thee,andwhosent’eetoaschoolsogoodthat’twashardlyfairtotheotherchildren——shouldwanttogoholleringafterayoungwomanfor,whenshe’squietlymakingahusbandinherpocket,andnottroubledbychicknorchiel,tomakeapoverty—stric’wifeandfamilyofher,andneitherhat,cap,wig,norwaistcoattoset’emupwith:bedrownedifIcanseeit,andthat’sthelongandtheshorto’t,mysonny。\"

  DicklookedatSmart’sears,thenupthehill;butnoreasonwassuggestedbyanyobjectthatmethisgaze。

  \"Foraboutthesamereasonthatyoudid,father,Isuppose。\"

  \"Dangit,mysonny,thou’stgotmethere!\"Andthetrantergaveventtoagrimadmiration,withthemienofamanwhowastoomagnanimousnottoappreciateartisticallyaslightrapontheknuckles,eveniftheywerehisown。

  \"Whetherorno,\"saidDick,\"Iaskedherathinggoingalongtheroad。\"

  \"Cometothat,isit?Turk!won’tthymotherbeinataking!Well,she’sready,Idon’tdoubt?\"

  \"Ididn’taskheranythingabouthavingme;andifyou’llletmespeak,I’lltell’eewhatIwanttoknow。Ijustsaid,Didshecareaboutme?\"

  \"Piph—ph—ph!\"

  \"Andthenshesaidnothingforaquarterofamile,andthenshesaidshedidn’tknow。Now,whatIwanttoknowis,whatwasthemeaningofthatspeech?\"Thelatterwordswerespokenresolutely,asifhedidn’tcarefortheridiculeofallthefathersincreation。

  \"Themeaningofthatspeechis,\"thetranterreplieddeliberately,\"thatthemeaningismeanttoberatherhidatpresent。Well,Dick,asanhonestfathertothee,Idon’tpretendtodenywhatyoud’knowwellenough;thatis,thatherfatherbeingratherbetterinthepocketthanwe,Ishouldwelcomeherreadyenoughifitmustbesomebody。\"

  \"Butwhatd’yethinkshereallydidmean?\"saidtheunsatisfiedDick。

  \"I’mafeardIamnoto’muchaccountinguessing,especiallyasI

  wasnottherewhenshesaidit,andseeingthatyourmotherwastheonly’oomanIevercam’intosuchclosequartersasthatwith。\"

  \"Andwhatdidmothersaytoyouwhenyouaskedher?\"saidDickmusingly。

  \"Idon’tseethatthatwillhelp’ee。\"

  \"Theprincipleisthesame。\"

  \"Well——ay:whatdidshesay?Let’ssee。Iwasoilingmyworking—

  daybootswithouttaking’emoff,andwi’myheadhangingdown,whenshejustbrushedonbythegardenhatchlikeaflitteringleaf。

  \"Ann,\"Isaid,saysI,andthen,——but,DickI’mafeard’twillbenohelptothee;forweweresucharumcouple,yourmotherandI,leastwaysonehalfwas,thatismyself——andyourmother’scharmswasmoreinthemannerthanthematerial。\"

  \"Nevermind!\"Ann,\"saidyou。\"

  \"’Ann,’saidI,asIwassaying……’Ann,’IsaidtoherwhenI

  wasoilingmyworking—daybootswi’myheadhangingdown,’Woothaeme?’……WhatcamenextIcan’tquitecallupatthisdistanceo’

  time。Perhapsyourmotherwouldknow,——she’sgotabettermemoryforherlittletriumphsthanI。However,thelongandtheshorto’

  thestoryisthatweweremarriedsomehow,asIfoundafterwards。

  ’TwasonWhiteTuesday,——MellstockClubwalkedthesameday,everymantwoandtwo,andafineday’twas,——hotasfire,——howthesundidstrikedownuponmybackgoingtochurch!Iwellcanmindwhatabatho’sweatingIwasin,bodyandsoul!ButFancewillha’

  thee,Dick——shewon’twalkwithanotherchap——nosuchgoodluck。\"

  \"Idon’tknowaboutthat,\"saidDick,whippingatSmart’sflankinafancifulway,which,asSmartknew,meantnothinginconnectionwithgoingon。\"There’sPa’sonMaybold,too——that’sallagainstme。\"

  \"Whatabouthe?She’sneverbeenstuffingintothyinnocentheartthathe’sinhovewithher?Lord,thevanityo’maidens!\"

  \"No,no。Buthecalled,andshelookedathiminsuchaway,andatmeinsuchaway——quitedifferentthewayswere,——andasIwascomingoff,therewashehangingupherbirdcage。\"

  \"Well,whyshouldn’tthemanhangupherbird—cage?Turkseizeitall,what’sthatgottodowi’it?Dick,thatthoubeestawhite—

  lyveredchapIdon’tsay,butifthoubeestn’tasmadasacappel—

  facedbull,letmesmilenomore。\"

  \"O,ay。\"

  \"Andwhat’sthinknow,Dick?\"

  \"Idon’tknow。\"

  \"Here’sanotherprettykettleo’fishforthee。Whod’yethink’sthebitterweedinourbeingturnedout?Didourpartytell’ee?\"

  \"No。Why,Pa’sonMaybold,Isuppose。\"

  \"Shiner,——becausehe’sinlovewiththyyoungwoman,andd’wanttoseeheryoungfiguresittingupatthatqueerinstrument,andheryoungfingersrum—strumminguponthekeys。\"

  AsharpadoofsweetandbitterwasgoingoninDickduringthiscommunicationfromhisfather。\"Shiner’safool!——no,that’snotit;Idon’tbelieveanysuchthing,father。Why,Shinerwouldnevertakeaboldsteplikethat,unlessshe’dbeenalittlemadeupto,andhadtakenitkindly。Pooh!\"

  \"Who’stosayshedidn’t?\"

  \"Ido。\"

  \"Themorefoolyou。\"

  \"Why,fatherofme?\"

  \"Hassheeverdonemoretothee?\"

  \"No。\"

  \"Thenshehasdoneasmuchtohe——rot’em!Now,Dick,thisishowamaidis。She’llswearshe’sdyingforthee,andsheisdyingforthee,andshewilldieforthee;butshe’llflingalookovert’othershoulderatanotheryoungfeller,thoughneverleavingoffdyingfortheejustthesame。\"

  \"She’snotdyingforme,andsoshedidn’tflingalookathim。\"

  \"Butshemaybedyingforhim,forshelookedatthee。\"

  \"Idon’tknowwhattomakeofitatall,\"saidDickgloomily。

  \"AllIcanmakeofitis,\"thetrantersaid,raisinghiswhip,arranginghisdifferentjointsandmuscles,andmotioningtothehorsetomoveon,\"thatifyoucan’treadamaid’smindbyhermotions,natured’seemtosaythou’stoughttobeabachelor。Clk,clk!Smiler!\"Andthetrantermovedon。

  DickheldSmart’sreinfirmly,andthewholeconcernofhorse,cart,andmanremainedrootedinthelane。Hewlongthisconditionwouldhavelastedisunknown,hadnotDick’sthoughts,afteraddingupnumerousitemsofmisery,graduallywanderedroundtothefactthatassomethingmustbedone,itcouldnotbedonebystayingthereallnight。

  Reachinghomehewentuptohisbedroom,shutthedoorasifheweregoingtobeseennomoreinthislife,andtakingasheetofpaperanduncorkingtheink—bottle,hebeganaletter。Thedignityofthewriter’smindwassopowerfullyapparentineverylineofthiseffusionthatitobscuredthelogicalsequenceoffactsandintentionstoanappreciabledegree;anditwasnotatallcleartoareaderwhetherhethereandthenleftofflovingMissFancyDay;

  whetherhehadneverlovedherseriously,andnevermeantto;

  whetherhehadbeendyinguptothepresentmoment,andnowintendedtogetwellagain;orwhetherhehadhithertobeeningoodhealth,andintendedtodieforherforthwith。

  Heputthisletterinanenvelope,sealeditup,directeditinasternhandwritingofstraightdashes——easyflourishesbeingrigorouslyexcluded。Hewalkedwithitinhispocketdownthelaneinstridesnotaninchlessthanthreefeetlong。Reachinghergateheputonaresoluteexpression——thenputitoffagain,turnedbackhomeward,toreuphisletter,andsatdown。

  Thatletterwasaltogetherinawrongtone——thathemustown。A

  heartlessman—of—the—worldtonewaswhatthejuncturerequired。

  Thatheratherwantedher,andratherdidnotwanther——thelatterforchoice;hutthatasamemberofsocietyhedidn’tmindmakingaqueryinjauntyterms,whichcouldonlybeansweredinthesameway:

  didshemeananythingbyherbearingtowardshim,ordidshenot?

  Thisletterwasconsideredsosatisfactoryineverywaythat,beingputintothehandsofalittleboy,andtheordergiventhathewastorunwithittotheschool,hewastoldinadditionnottolookbehindhimifDickcalledafterhimtobringithack,buttorunalongwithitjustthesame。Havingtakenthisprecautionagainstvacillation,Dickwatchedhismessengerdowntheroad,andturnedintothehousewhistlinganairinsuchghastlyjerksandstarts,thatwhistlingseemedtobetheacttheveryfurthestremovedfromthatwhichwasinstinctiveinsuchayouth。

  Theletterwasleftasordered:thenextmorningcameandpassed——

  andnoanswer。Thenext。Thenext。Fridaynightcame。Dickresolvedthatifnoanswerorsignweregivenbyherthenextday,onSundayhewouldmeetherfacetoface,andhaveitalloutbywordofmouth。

  \"Dick,\"saidhisfather,cominginfromthegardenatthatmoment——

  ineachhandahiveofbeestiedinaclothtopreventtheiregress—

  —\"Ithinkyou’dbettertakethesetwoswarmsofbeestoMrs。

  Maybold’sto—morrow,insteado’me,andI’llgowi’Smilerandthewagon。\"

  Itwasarelief;forMrs。Maybold,thevicar’smother,whohadjusttakenintoherheadafancyforkeepingbees(pleasantlydisguisedunderthepretenceofitsbeinganeconomicalwishtoproduceherownhoney),livednearthewatering—placeofBudmouth—Regis,tenmilesoff,andthebusinessoftransportingthehivesthitherwouldoccupythewholeday,andtosomeextentannihilatethevacanttimebetweenthiseveningandthecomingSunday。Thebestspring—cartwaswashedthroughout,theaxlesoiled,andthebeesplacedthereinforthejourney。

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