还乡The Return Of The Native-第3部分

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The　form　was　so　much　like　an　organic　part　of　the　entire　motionless　structure　that　to　see　it　move　would　have　impressed　the　mind　as　a　strange　phenomenon。　　Immobility　being　the　chief　characteristic　of　that　whole　which　the　person　formed　portion　of；　the　discontinuance　of　immobility　in　any　quarter　suggested　confusion。
Yet　that　is　what　happened。　　The　figure　perceptibly　gave　up　its　fixity；　shifted　a　step　or　two；　and　turned　round。　　As　if　alarmed；　it　descended　on　the　right　side　of　the　barrow；　with　the　glide　of　a　water…drop　down　a　bud；　and　then　vanished。　　The　movement　had　been　sufficient　to　show　more　clearly　the　characteristics　of　the　figure；　and　that　it　was　a　woman’s。
The　reason　of　her　sudden　displacement　now　appeared。　　With　her　dropping　out　of　sight　on　the　right　side；　a　newer；　bearing　a　burden；　protruded　into　the　sky　on　the　left　side；　ascended　the　tumulus；　and　deposited　the　burden　on　the　top。　　A　second　followed；　then　a　third；　a　fourth；　a　fifth；　and　ultimately　the　whole　barrow　was　peopled　with　burdened　figures。　
The　only　intelligible　meaning　in　this　sky…backed　pantomime　of　silhouettes　was　that　the　woman　had　no　relation　to　the　forms　who　had　taken　her　place；　was　sedulously　avoiding　these；　and　had　e　thither　for　another　object　than　theirs。　　The　imagination　of　the　observer　clung　by　preference　to　that　vanished；　solitary　figure；　as　to　something　more　interesting；　more　important；　more　likely　to　have　a　history　worth　knowing　than　these　newers；　and　unconsciously　regarded　them　as　intruders。　　But　they　remained；　and　established　themselves；　and　the　lonely　person　who　hitherto　had　been　queen　of　the　solitude　did　not　at　present　seem　likely　to　return。


3　… The　Custom　of　the　Country


Had　a　looker…on　been　posted　in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　the　barrow；　he　would　have　learned　that　these　persons　were　boys　and　men　of　the　neighbouring　hamlets。　　Each；　as　he　ascended　the　barrow；　had　been　heavily　laden　with　furze　faggots；　carried　upon　the　shoulder　by　means　of　a　long　stake　sharpened　at　each　end　for　impaling　them　easily—two　in　front　and　two　behind。　　They　came　from　a　part　of　the　heath　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　the　rear；　where　furze　almost　exclusively　prevailed　as　a　product。　
Every　individual　was　so　involved　in　furze　by　his　method　of　carrying　the　faggots　that　he　appeared　like　a　bush　on　legs　till　he　had　thrown　them　down。　　The　party　had　marched　in　trail；　like　a　travelling　flock　of　sheep；　that　is　to　say；　the　strongest　first；　the　weak　and　young　behind。
The　loads　were　all　laid　together；　and　a　pyramid　of　furze　thirty　feet　in　circumference　now　occupied　the　crown　of　the　tumulus；　which　was　known　as　Rainbarrow　for　many　miles　round。　　Some　made　themselves　busy　with　matches；　and　in　selecting　the　driest　tufts　of　furze；　others　in　loosening　the　bramble　bonds　which　held　the　faggots　together。　　Others；　again；　while　this　was　in　progress；　lifted　their　eyes　and　swept　the　vast　expanse　of　country　manded　by　their　position；　now　lying　nearly　obliterated　by　shade。　　In　the　valleys　of　the　heath　nothing　save　its　own　wild　face　was　visible　at　any　time　of　day；　but　this　spot　manded　a　horizon　enclosing　a　tract　of　far　extent；　and　in　many　cases　lying　beyond　the　heath　country。　　None　of　its　features　could　be　seen　now；　but　the　whole　made　itself　felt　as　a　vague　stretch　of　remoteness。　
While　the　men　and　lads　were　building　the　pile；　a　change　took　place　in　the　mass　of　shade　which　denoted　the　distant　landscape。　　Red　suns　and　tufts　of　fire　one　by　one　began　to　arise；　flecking　the　whole　country　round。　　They　were　the　bonfires　of　other　parishes　and　hamlets　that　were　engaged　in　the　same　sort　of　memoration。　　Some　were　distant；　and　stood　in　a　dense　atmosphere；　so　that　bundles　of　pale　straw…like　beams　radiated　around　them　in　the　shape　of　a　fan。　　Some　were　large　and　near；　glowing　scarlet…red　from　the　shade；　like　wounds　in　a　black　hide。　　Some　were　Maenades；　with　winy　faces　and　blown　hair。　　These　tinctured　the　silent　bosom　of　the　clouds　above　them　and　lit　up　their　ephemeral　caves；　which　seemed　thenceforth　to　bee　scalding　caldrons。　　Perhaps　as　many　as　thirty　bonfires　could　be　counted　within　the　whole　bounds　of　the　district；　and　as　the　hour　may　be　told　on　a　clock…face　when　the　figures　themselves　are　invisible；　so　did　the　men　recognize　the　locality　of　each　fire　by　its　angle　and　direction；　though　nothing　of　the　scenery　could　be　viewed。　
The　first　tall　flame　from　Rainbarrow　sprang　into　the　sky；　attracting　all　eyes　that　had　been　fixed　on　the　distant　conflagrations　back　to　their　own　attempt　in　the　same　kind。　　The　cheerful　blaze　streaked　the　inner　surface　of　the　human　circle—now　increased　by　other　stragglers；　male　and　female—with　its　own　gold　livery；　and　even　overlaid　the　dark　turf　around　with　a　lively　luminousness；　which　softened　off　into　obscurity　where　the　barrow　rounded　downwards　out　of　sight。　　It　showed　the　barrow　to　be　the　segment　of　a　globe；　as　perfect　as　on　the　day　when　it　was　thrown　up；　even　the　little　ditch　remaining　from　which　the　earth　was　dug。　　Not　a　plough　had　ever　disturbed　a　grain　of　that　stubborn　soil。　　In　the　heath’s　barrenness　to　the　farmer　lay　its　fertility　to　the　historian。　　There　had　been　no　obliteration；　because　there　had　been　no　tending。　
It　seemed　as　if　the　bonfire…makers　were　standing　in　some　radiant　upper　story　of　the　world；　detached　from　and　independent　of　the　dark　stretches　below。　　The　heath　down　there　was　now　a　vast　abyss；　and　no　longer　a　continuation　of　what　they　stood　on；　for　their　eyes；　adapted　to　the　blaze；　could　see　nothing　of　the　deeps　beyond　its　influence。　　Occasionally；　it　is　true；　a　more　vigorous　flare　than　usual　from　their　faggots　sent　darting　lights　like　aides…de…camp　down　the　inclines　to　some　distant　bush；　pool；　or　patch　of　white　sand；　kindling　these　to　replies　of　the　same　colour；　till　all　was　lost　in　darkness　again。　　Then　the　whole　black　phenomenon　beneath　represented　Limbo　as　viewed　from　the　brink　by　the　sublime　Florentine　in　his　vision；　and　the　muttered　articulations　of　the　wind　in　the　hollows　were　as　plaints　and　petitions　from　the　“souls　of　mighty　worth”　suspended　therein。　
It　was　as　if　these　men　and　boys　had　suddenly　dived　into　past　ages；　and　fetched　therefrom　an　hour　and　deed　which　had　before　been　familiar　with　this　spot。　　The　ashes　of　the　original　British　pyre　which　blazed　from　that　summit　lay　fresh　and　undisturbed　in　the　barrow　beneath　their　tread。　　The　flames　from　funeral　piles　long　ago　kindled　there　had　shone　down　upon　the　lowlands　as　these　were　shining　now。　　Festival　fires　to　Thor　and　Woden　had　followed　on　the　same　ground　and　duly　had　their　day。　　Indeed；　it　is　pretty　well　known　that　such　blazes　as　this　the　heathmen　were　now　enjoying　are　rather　the　lineal　descendants　from　jumbled　Druidical　rites　and　Saxon　ceremonies　than　the　invention　of　popular　feeling　about　Gunpowder　Plot。　
Moreover　to　light　a　fire　is　the　instinctive　and　resistant　act　of　man　when；　at　the　winter　ingress；　the　curfew　is　sounded　throughout　Nature。　　It　indicates　a　spontaneous；　Promethean　rebelliousness　against　that　fiat　that　this　recurrent　season　shall　bring　foul　times；　cold　darkness；　misery　and　death。　　Black　chaos　es；　and　the　fettered　gods　of　the　earth　say；　Let　there　be　light。　
The　brilliant　lights　and　sooty　shades　which　struggled　upon　the　skin　and　clothes　of　the　persons　standing　round　caused　their　lineaments　and　general　contours　to　be　drawn　with　Dureresque　vigour　and　dash。　　Yet　the　permanent　moral　expression　of　each　face　it　was　impossible　to　discover；　for　as　the　nimble　flames　towered；　nodded；　and　swooped　through　the　surrounding　air；　the　blots　of　shade　and　flakes　of　light　upon　the　countenances　of　the　group　changed　shape　and　position　endlessly。　　All　was　unstable；　quivering　as　leaves；　evanescent　as　lightning。　　Shadowy　eye…sockets；　deep　as　those　of　a　death’s　head；　suddenly　turned　into　pits　of　lustre：　a　lantern…jaw　was　cavernous；　then　it　was　shining；　wrinkles　were　emphasized　to　ravines；　or　obliterated　entirely　by　a　changed　ray。　　Nostrils　were　dark　wells；　sinews　in　old　necks　were　gilt　mouldings；　things　with　no　particular　polish　on　them　were　glazed；　bright　objects；　such　as　the　tip　of　a　furze…hook　one　of　the　men　carried；　were　as　glass；　eyeballs　glowed　like　little　lanterns。　　Those　whom　Nature　had　depicted　as　merely　quaint　became　grotesque；　the　grotesque　became　preternatural；　for　all　was　in　extremity。　
Hence　it　may　be　that　the　face　of　an　old　man；　who　had　like　others　been　called　to　the　heights　by　the　rising　flames；　was　not　really　the　mere　nose　and　chin　that　it　appeared　to　be；　but　an　appreciable　quantity　of　human　countenance。　　He　stood　placently　sunning　himself　in　the　heat。　　With　a　speaker；　or　stake；　he　tossed　the　outlying　scraps　of　fuel　into　the　conflagration；　looking　at　the　midst　of　the　pile；　occasionally　lifting　his　eyes　to　measure　the　height　of　the　flame；　or　to　follow　the　great　sparks　which　rose　with　it　and　sailed　away　into　darkness。　　The　beaming　sight；　and　the　penetrating　warmth；　seemed　to　breed　in　him　a　cumulative　cheerfulness；　which　soon　amounted　to　delight。　　With　his　stick　in　his　hand　he　began　to　jig　a　private　minuet；　a　bunch　of　copper　seals　shining　and　swinging　like　a　pendulum　from　under　his　waistcoat：　he　also　began　to　sing；　in　the　voice　of　a　bee　up　a　flue—

“The　king’　call’d　down’　his　no…bles　all’；
By　one’；　by　two’；　by　three’；
Earl　Mar’…shal；　I’ll’　go　shrive’…the　queen’；
And　thou’　shalt　wend’　with　me’。
“A　boon’；　a　boon’；　quoth　Earl’　Mar…shal’；
And　fell’　on　his　bend’…ded　knee’；
That　what’…so…e’er’　the　queen’　shall　say’；
No　harm’　there…of’　may　be’。”

Want　of　breath　prevented　a　continuance　of　the　song；　and　the　breakdown　attracted　the　attention　of　a　firm…standing　man　of　middle　age；　who　kept　each　corner　of　his　crescent…shaped　mouth　rigorously　drawn　back　into　his　cheek；　as　if　to　do　away　with　any　suspicion　of　mirthfulness　which　might　erroneously　have　attached　to　him。
“A　fair　stave；　Grandfer　Cantle；　but　I　am　afeard　‘tis　too　much　for　the　mouldy　weasand　of　such　a　old　man　as　you；”　he　said　to　the　wrinkled　reveller。　　“Dostn’t　wish　th’　wast　three　sixes　again；　Grandfer；　as　you　was　when　you　first　learnt　to　sing　it？”
“Hey？”　said　Grandfer　Cantle；　stopping　in　his　dance。　
“Dostn’t　wish　wast　young　again；　I　say？　　There’s　a　hole　in　thy　poor　bellows　nowadays　seemingly。”
“But　there’s　good　art　in　me？　　If　I　couldn’t　make　a　little　wind　go　a　long　ways　I　should　seem　no　younger