The Rainbow-虹(英文版)-第9部分

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him。　He　bent　down　to　it。

〃And　how's　your　little　girl？〃　he　asked。

〃Yes；　thank　you；　she　is　very　well；〃　was　the　reply；　a　phrase
of　polite　speech　in　a　foreign　language　merely。

〃Sit　you　down；〃　he　said。

And　she　sat　in　a　chair；　her　slim　arms；　ing　through　the
slits　of　her　cloak；　resting　on　her　lap。

〃You're　not　used　to　these　parts；〃　he　said；　still　standing　on
the　hearthrug　with　his　back　to　the　fire；　coatless；　looking　with
curious　directness　at　the　woman。　Her　selfpossession　pleased　him
and　inspired　him；　set　him　curiously　free。　It　seemed　to　him
almost　brutal　to　feel　so　master　of　himself　and　of　the
situation。

Her　eyes　rested　on　him　for　a　moment；　questioning；　as　she
thought　of　the　meaning　of　his　speech。

〃No；〃　she　said；　understanding。　〃Noit　is　strange。〃

〃You　find　it　middlin'　rough？〃　he　said。

Her　eyes　waited　on　him；　so　that　he　should　say　it　again。

〃Our　ways　are　rough　to　you；〃　he　repeated。

〃Yesyes；　I　understand。　Yes；　it　is　different；　it　is
strange。　But　I　was　in　Yorkshire〃

〃Oh；　well　then；〃　he　said；　〃it's　no　worse　here　than　what　they
are　up　there。〃

She　did　not　quite　understand。　His　protective　manner；　and　his
sureness；　and　his　intimacy；　puzzled　her。　What　did　he　mean？　If　he
was　her　equal；　why　did　he　behave　so　without　formality？

〃No〃　she　said；　vaguely；　her　eyes　resting　on
him。

She　saw　him　fresh　and　naive；　uncouth；　almost　entirely
beyond　relationship　with　her。　Yet　he　was　goodlooking；　with　his
fair　hair　and　blue　eyes　full　of　energy；　and　with　his　healthy
body　that　seemed　to　take　equality　with　her。　She　watched　him
steadily。　He　was　difficult　for　her　to　understand；　warm；　uncouth；
and　confident　as　he　was；　sure　on　his　feet　as　if　he　did　not　know
what　it　was　to　be　unsure。　What　then　was　it　that　gave　him　this
curious　stability？

She　did　not　know。　She　wondered。　She　looked　round　the　room　he
lived　in。　It　had　a　close　intimacy　that　fascinated　and　almost
frightened　her。　The　furniture　was　old　and　familiar　as　old
people；　the　whole　place　seemed　so　kin　to　him；　as　if　it　partook
of　his　being；　that　she　was　uneasy。

〃It　is　already　a　long　time　that　you　have　lived　in　this
houseyes？〃　she　asked。

〃I've　always　lived　here；〃　he　said。

〃Yesbut　your　peopleyour　family？〃

〃We've　been　here　above　two　hundred　years；〃　he　said。　Her　eyes
were　on　him　all　the　time；　wideopen　and　trying　to　grasp　him。　He
felt　that　he　was　there　for　her。

〃It　is　your　own　place；　the　house；　the
farm？〃

〃Yes；〃　he　said。　He　looked　down　at　her　and　met　her　look。　It
disturbed　her。　She　did　not　know　him。　He　was　a　foreigner；　they
had　nothing　to　do　with　each　other。　Yet　his　look　disturbed　her　to
knowledge　of　him。　He　was　so　strangely　confident　and　direct。

〃You　live　quite　alone？〃

〃Yesif　you　call　it　alone？〃

She　did　not　understand。　It　seemed　unusual　to　her。　What　was
the　meaning　of　it？

And　whenever　her　eyes；　after　watching　him　for　some　time；
inevitably　met　his；　she　was　aware　of　a　heat　beating　up　over　her
consciousness。　She　sat　motionless　and　in　conflict。　Who　was　this
strange　man　who　was　at　once　so　near　to　her？　What　was　happening
to　her？　Something　in　his　young；　warmtwinkling　eyes　seemed　to
assume　a　right　to　her；　to　speak　to　her；　to　extend　her　his
protection。　But　how？　Why　did　he　speak　to　her？　Why　were　his　eyes
so　certain；　so　full　of　light　and　confident；　waiting　for　no
permission　nor　signal？

Tilly　returned　with　a　large　leaf　and　found　the　two　silent。　At
once　he　felt　it　incumbent　on　him　to　speak；　now　the　servingwoman
had　e　back。

〃How　old　is　your　little　girl？〃　he　asked。

〃Four　years；〃　she　replied。

〃Her　father　hasn't　been　dead　long；　then？〃　he　asked。

〃She　was　one　year　when　he　died。〃

〃Three　years？〃

〃Yes；　three　years　that　he　is　deadyes。〃

Curiously　quiet　she　was；　almost　abstracted；　answering　these
questions。　She　looked　at　him　again；　with　some　maidenhood　opening
in　her　eyes。　He　felt　he　could　not　move；　neither　towards　her　nor
away　from　her。　Something　about　her　presence　hurt　him；　till　he
was　almost　rigid　before　her。　He　saw　the　girl's　wondering　look
rise　in　her　eyes。

Tilly　handed　her　the　butter　and　she　rose。

〃Thank　you　very　much；〃　she　said。　〃How　much　is　it？〃

〃We'll　make　th'　vicar　a　present　of　it；〃　he　said。　〃It'll　do
for　me　goin'　to　church。〃

〃It　'ud　look　better　of　you　if　you　went　to　church　and　took　th'
money　for　your　butter；〃　said　Tilly；　persistent　in　her　claim　to
him。

〃You'd　have　to　put　in；　shouldn't　you？〃　he　said。

〃How　much；　please？〃　said　the　Polish　woman　to　Tilly。　Brangwen
stood　by　and　let　be。

〃Then；　thank　you　very　much；〃　she　said。

〃Bring　your　little　girl　down　sometime　to　look　at　th'　fowls
and　horses；〃　he　said；〃if　she'd　like　it。〃

〃Yes；　she　would　like　it；〃　said　the　stranger。

And　she　went。　Brangwen　stood　dimmed　by　her　departure。　He
could　not　notice　Tilly；　who　was　looking　at　him　uneasily；　wanting
to　be　reassured。　He　could　not　think　of　anything。　He　felt　that　he
had　made　some　invisible　connection　with　the　strange　woman。

A　daze　had　e　over　his　mind；　he　had　another　centre　of
consciousness。　In　his　breast；　or　in　his　bowels；　somewhere　in　his
body；　there　had　started　another　activity。　It　was　as　if　a　strong
light　were　burning　there；　and　he　was　blind　within　it；　unable　to
know　anything；　except　that　this　transfiguration　burned　between
him　and　her；　connecting　them；　like　a　secret　power。

Since　she　had　e　to　the　house　he　went　about　in　a　daze；
scarcely　seeing　even　the　things　he　handled；　drifting；　quiescent；
in　a　state　of　metamorphosis。　He　submitted　to　that　which　was
happening　to　him；　letting　go　his　will；　suffering　the　loss　of
himself；　dormant　always　on　the　brink　of　ecstasy；　like　a　creature
evolving　to　a　new　birth。

She　came　twice　with　her　child　to　the　farm；　but　there　was　this
lull　between　them；　an　intense　calm　and　passivity　like　a　torpor
upon　them；　so　that　there　was　no　active　change　took　place。　He　was
almost　unaware　of　the　child；　yet　by　his　native　good　humour　he
gained　her　confidence；　even　her　affection；　setting　her　on　a
horse　to　ride；　giving　her　corn　for　the　fowls。

Once　he　drove　the　mother　and　child　from　Ilkeston；　picking
them　up　on　the　road。　The　child　huddled　close　to　him　as　if　for
love；　the　mother　sat　very　still。　There　was　a　vagueness；　like　a
soft　mist　over　all　of　them；　and　a　silence　as　if　their　wills　were
suspended。　Only　he　saw　her　hands；　ungloved；　folded　in　her　lap；
and　he　noticed　the　weddingring　on　her　finger。　It　excluded　him：
it　was　a　closed　circle。　It　bound　her　life；　the　weddingring；　it
stood　for　her　life　in　which　he　could　have　no　part。　Nevertheless；
beyond　all　this；　there　was　herself　and　himself　which　should
meet。

As　he　helped　her　down　from　the　trap；　almost　lifting　her；　he
felt　he　had　some　right　to　take　her　thus　between　his　hands。　She
belonged　as　yet　to　that　other；　to　that　which　was　behind。　But　he
must　care　for　her　also。　She　was　too　living　to　be　neglected。

Sometimes　her　vagueness；　in　which　he　was　lost；　made　him
angry；　made　him　rage。　But　he　held　himself　still　as　yet。　She　had
no　response；　no　being　towards　him。　It　puzzled　and　enraged　him；
but　he　submitted　for　a　long　time。　Then；　from　the　accumulated
troubling　of　her　ignoring　him；　gradually　a　fury　broke　out；
destructive；　and　he　wanted　to　go　away；　to　escape　her。

It　happened　she　came　down　to　the　Marsh　with　the　child　whilst
he　was　in　this　state。　Then　he　stood　over　against　her；　strong　and
heavy　in　his　revolt；　and　though　he　said　nothing；　still　she　felt
his　anger　and　heavy　impatience　grip　hold　of　her；　she　was　shaken
again　as　out　of　a　torpor。　Again　her　heart　stirred　with　a　quick；
outrunning　impulse；　she　looked　at　him；　at　the　stranger　who　was
not　a　gentleman　yet　who　insisted　on　ing　into　her　life；　and
the　pain　of　a　new　birth　in　herself　strung　all　her　veins　to　a　new
form。　She　would　have　to　begin　again；　to　find　a　new　being；　a　new
form；　to　respond　to　that　blind；　insistent　figure　standing　over
against　her。

A　shiver；　a　sickness　of　new　birth　passed　over　her；　the　flame
leaped　up　him；　under　his　skin。　She　wanted　it；　this　new　life　from
him；　with　him；　yet　she　must　defend　herself　against　it；　for　it
was　a　destruction。

As　he　worked　alone　on　the　land；　or　sat　up　with　his　ewes　at
lambing　time；　the　facts　and　material　of　his　daily　life　fell
away；　leaving　the　kernel　of　his　purpose　clean。　And　then　it　c