还乡The Return Of The Native-第30部分

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“If　you　choose　to　send　‘em　by　me；　miss；　and　a　note　to　tell　him　that　you　wish　to　say　no　more　to　him；　I’ll　take　it　for　you　quite　privately。　　That　would　be　the　most　straightforward　way　of　letting　him　know　your　mind。”
“Very　well；”　said　Eustacia。　　“e　towards　my　house；　and　I　will　bring　it　out　to　you。”
She　went　on；　and　as　the　path　was　an　infinitely　small　parting　in　the　shaggy　locks　of　the　heath；　the　reddleman　followed　exactly　in　her　trail。　　She　saw　from　a　distance　that　the　captain　was　on　the　bank　sweeping　the　horizon　with　his　telescope；　and　bidding　Venn　to　wait　where　he　stood　she　entered　the　house　alone。　
In　ten　minutes　she　returned　with　a　parcel　and　a　note；　and　said；　in　placing　them　in　his　hand；　“Why　are　you　so　ready　to　take　these　for　me？”
“Can　you　ask　that？”
“I　suppose　you　think　to　serve　Thomasin　in　some　way　by　it。　
Are　you　as　anxious　as　ever　to　help　on　her　marriage？”
Venn　was　a　little　moved。　　“I　would　sooner　have　married　her　myself；”　he　said　in　a　low　voice。　　“But　what　I　feel　is　that　if　she　cannot　be　happy　without　him　I　will　do　my　duty　in　helping　her　to　get　him；　as　a　man　ought。”
Eustacia　looked　curiously　at　the　singular　man　who　spoke　thus。　　What　a　strange　sort　of　love；　to　be　entirely　free　from　that　quality　of　selfishness　which　is　frequently　the　chief　constituent　of　the　passion；　and　sometimes　its　only　one！　The　reddleman’s　disinterestedness　was　so　well　deserving　of　respect　that　it　overshot　respect　by　being　barely　prehended；　and　she　almost　thought　it　absurd。　
“Then　we　are　both　of　one　mind　at　last；”　she　said。　
“Yes；”　replied　Venn　gloomily。　　“But　if　you　would　tell　me；　miss；　why　you　take　such　an　interest　in　her；　I　should　be　easier。　　It　is　so　sudden　and　strange。”
Eustacia　appeared　at　a　loss。　　“I　cannot　tell　you　that；　reddleman；”　she　said　coldly。　
Venn　said　no　more。　　He　pocketed　the　letter；　and；　bowing　to　Eustacia；　went　away。　
Rainbarrow　had　again　bee　blended　with　night　when　Wildeve　ascended　the　long　acclivity　at　its　base。　　On　his　reaching　the　top　a　shape　grew　up　from　the　earth　immediately　behind　him。　　It　was　that　of　Eustacia’s　emissary。　　He　slapped　Wildeve　on　the　shoulder。　　The　feverish　young　inn…keeper　and　ex…engineer　started　like　Satan　at　the　touch　of　Ithuriel’s　spear。　
“The　meeting　is　always　at　eight　o’clock；　at　this　place；”　said　Venn；　“and　here　we　are—we　three。”
“We　three？”　said　Wildeve；　looking　quickly　round。
“Yes；　you；　and　I；　and　she。　　This　is　she。”　　He　held　up　the　letter　and　parcel。　
Wildeve　took　them　wonderingly。　　“I　don’t　quite　see　what　this　means；”　he　said。　　“How　do　you　e　here？　　There　must　be　some　mistake。”
“It　will　be　cleared　from　your　mind　when　you　have　read　the　letter。　　Lanterns　for　one。”　　The　reddleman　struck　a　light；　kindled　an　inch　of　tallow…candle　which　he　had　brought；　and　sheltered　it　with　his　cap。　
“Who　are　you？”　said　Wildeve；　discerning　by　the　candle…light　an　obscure　rubicundity　of　person　in　his　panion。　
“You　are　the　reddleman　I　saw　on　the　hill　this　morning—why；
you　are　the　man　who“
“Please　read　the　letter。”
“If　you　had　e　from　the　other　one　I　shouldn’t　have　been　surprised；”　murmured　Wildeve　as　he　opened　the　letter　and　read。　　His　face　grew　serious。　


TO　MR。　　WILDEVE。　
After　some　thought　I　have　decided　once　and　for　all　that　we　must　hold　no　further　munication。　　The　more　I　consider　the　matter　the　more　I　am　convinced　that　there　must　be　an　end　to　our　acquaintance。　　Had　you　been　uniformly　faithful　to　me　throughout　these　two　years　you　might　now　have　some　ground　for　accusing　me　of　heartlessness；　but　if　you　calmly　consider　what　I　bore　during　the　period　of　your　desertion；　and　how　I　passively　put　up　with　your　courtship　of　another　without　once　interfering；　you　will；　I　think；　own　that　I　have　a　right　to　consult　my　own　feelings　when　you　e　back　to　me　again。　　That　these　are　not　what　they　were　towards　you　may；　perhaps；　be　a　fault　in　me；　but　it　is　one　which　you　can　scarcely　reproach　me　for　when　you　remember　how　you　left　me　for　Thomasin。
The　little　articles　you　gave　me　in　the　early　part　of　our　friendship　are　returned　by　the　bearer　of　this　letter。　　They　should　rightly　have　been　sent　back　when　I　first　heard　of　your　engagement　to　her。　
EUSTACIA。


By　the　time　that　Wildeve　reached　her　name　the　blankness　with　which　he　had　read　the　first　half　of　the　letter　intensified　to　mortification。　　“I　am　made　a　great　fool　of；　one　way　and　another；”　he　said　pettishly。　　“Do　you　know　what　is　in　this　letter？”
The　reddleman　hummed　a　tune。　
“Can’t　you　answer　me？”　asked　Wildeve　warmly。　
“Ru…um…tum…tum；”　sang　the　reddleman。
Wildeve　stood　looking　on　the　ground　beside　Venn’s　feet；　till　he　allowed　his　eyes　to　travel　upwards　over　Diggory’s　form；　as　illuminated　by　the　candle；　to　his　head　and　face。　　“Ha…ha！　Well；　I　suppose　I　deserve　it；　considering　how　I　have　played　with　them　both；”　he　said　at　last；　as　much　to　himself　as　to　Venn。　　“But　of　all　the　odd　things　that　ever　I　knew；　the　oddest　is　that　you　should　so　run　counter　to　your　own　interests　as　to　bring　this　to　me。”
“My　interests？”
“Certainly。　‘Twas　your　interest　not　to　do　anything　which　would　send　me　courting　Thomasin　again；　now　she　has　accepted　you—or　something　like　it。　　Mrs。　Yeobright　says　you　are　to　marry　her。　　‘Tisn’t　true；　then？”
“Good　Lord！　I　heard　of　this　before；　but　didn’t　believe　it。
When　did　she　say　so？”
Wildeve　began　humming　as　the　reddleman　had　done。
“I　don’t　believe　it　now；”　cried　Venn。　
“Ru…um…tum…tum；”　sang　Wildeve。　
“O　Lord—how　we　can　imitate！”　said　Venn　contemptuously。　
“I’ll　have　this　out。　　I’ll　go　straight　to　her。”
Diggory　withdrew　with　an　emphatic　step；　Wildeve’s　eye　passing　over　his　form　in　withering　derision；　as　if　he　were　no　more　than　a　heath…cropper。　When　the　reddleman’s　figure　could　no　longer　be　seen；　Wildeve　himself　descended　and　plunged　into　the　rayless　hollow　of　the　vale。
To　lose　the　two　women—he　who　had　been　the　well…beloved　of　both—was　too　ironical　an　issue　to　be　endured。　　He　could　only　decently　save　himself　by　Thomasin；　and　once　he　became　her　husband；　Eustacia’s　repentance；　he　thought；　would　set　in　for　a　long　and　bitter　term。　　It　was　no　wonder　that　Wildeve；　ignorant　of　the　new　man　at　the　back　of　the　scene；　should　have　supposed　Eustacia　to　be　playing　a　part。　　To　believe　that　the　letter　was　not　the　result　of　some　momentary　pique；　to　infer　that　she　really　gave　him　up　to　Thomasin；　would　have　required　previous　knowledge　of　her　transfiguration　by　that　man’s　influence。　　Who　was　to　know　that　she　had　grown　generous　in　the　greediness　of　a　new　passion；　that　in　coveting　one　cousin　she　was　dealing　liberally　with　another；　that　in　her　eagerness　to　appropriate　she　gave　way？
Full　of　this　resolve　to　marry　in　haste；　and　wring　the　heart　of　the　proud　girl；　Wildeve　went　his　way。　
Meanwhile　Diggory　Venn　had　returned　to　his　van；　where　he　stood　looking　thoughtfully　into　the　stove。　　A　new　vista　was　opened　up　to　him。　　But；　however　promising　Mrs。　Yeobright’s　views　of　him　might　be　as　a　candidate　for　her　niece’s　hand；　one　condition　was　indispensable　to　the　favour　of　Thomasin　herself；　and　that　was　a　renunciation　of　his　present　wild　mode　of　life。　　In　this　he　saw　little　difficulty。　
He　could　not　afford　to　wait　till　the　next　day　before　seeing　Thomasin　and　detailing　his　plan。　　He　speedily　plunged　himself　into　toilet　operations；　pulled　a　suit　of　cloth　clothes　from　a　box；　and　in　about　twenty　minutes　stood　before　the　van…lantern　as　a　reddleman　in　nothing　but　his　face；　the　vermilion　shades　of　which　were　not　to　be　removed　in　a　day。　　Closing　the　door　and　fastening　it　with　a　padlock；　Venn　set　off　towards　Blooms…End。
He　had　reached　the　white　palings　and　laid　his　hand　upon　the　gate　when　the　door　of　the　house　opened；　and　quickly　closed　again。　　A　female　form　had　glided　in。　　At　the　same　time　a　man；　who　had　seemingly　been　standing　with　the　woman　in　the　porch；　came　forward　from　the　house　till　he　was　face　to　face　with　Venn。　　It　was　Wildeve　again。　
“Man　alive；　you’ve　been　quick　at　it；”　said　Diggory　sarcastically。　
“And　you　slow；　as　you　will　find；”　said　Wildeve。　　“And；”　lowering　his　voice；　“you　may　as　well　go　back　again　now。　　I’ve　claimed　her；　and　got　her。　　Good　night；　reddleman！”　Thereupon　Wildeve　walked　away。
Venn’s　heart　sank　within　him；　though　it　had　not　risen　unduly　high。　　He　stood　leaning　over　the　palings　in　an　indecisive　mood　for　nearly　a　quarter　of　an　hour。　　Then　he　went　up　the　garden　path；　knocked；　and　asked　for　Mrs。　Yeobright。　
Instead　of　requesting　him　to　enter　she　came　to　the　porch。　　A　discourse　was　carried　on　between　them　in　low　measured　tones　for　the　space　of　ten　minutes　or　more。　　At　the　end　of　the　time　Mrs。　Yeobright　went　in；　and　Venn　sadly　retraced　his　steps　into　the　heath。　　When　he　had　again　regained　his　van　he　lit　the　lantern；　and　with　an　apathetic　face　at　once　began　to　pull　off　his　best　clothes；　till　in　the　course　of　a　few　minutes　he　reappeared　as　the　confirmed　and　irretrievable　reddleman　that　he　had　seemed　before。　


8　… Firmness　Is　Discovered　in　a　Gentle　Heart


On　that　evening　the　interior　of　Blooms…End；　though　cosy　and　fortable；　had　been　rather　silent。　　Clym　Yeobright　was　not　at　home。　　Since　the　Christmas　party　he　had　gone　on　a　few　days’　visit　to　a　friend　about　ten　miles　off。　
The　shadowy　form　seen　by　Venn　to　part　from　Wildeve　in　the　porch；　and　quickly　withdraw　into　the　house；　was　Thomasin’s。　On　entering　she　threw　down　a　cloak　which　had　been　carelessly　wrapped　round　her；　and　came　forward　to　the　light；　where　Mrs。　Yeobright　sat　at　her　work…table；　drawn　up　within　the　settle；　so　that　part　of　it　projected　into　the　chimney…corner。
“I　don’t　like　your　going　out　after　dark　alone；　Tamsin；”　said　her　aunt　quietly；　without　looking　up　from　her　work。　　“I　have　only　been　just　outside　the　door。”
“Well？”　inquired　Mrs。　Yeobright；　struck　by　a　change　in　the　tone　of　Thomasin’s　voice；　and　observing　her。　　Thomasin’s　cheek　was　flushed　to　a　pitch　far　beyond　that　which　it　had　reached　before　her　troubles；　and　her　eyes　glittered。　
“It　was　HE　who　knocked；”　she　said。　
“I　thought　as　much。”
“He　wishes　the　marriage　to　be　at　once。”
“Indeed！　What—is　he　anxious？”　Mrs。　Yeobright　directed　a　searching　look　upon　her　niece。　　“Why　did　not　Mr。　Wildeve　e　in？”
“He　did　not　wish　to。　　You　are　not　friends　with　him；　he　says。　　He　would　like　the　wedding　to　be　the　day　after　tomorrow；　qui