Their last afternoon, a Saturday. They believed that Gregory was to return at seven; only Silas knew that he was to return at five. With the hoarding1 instinct that this knowledge might be useful to him, he kept it a secret. They were very silent, and remained close to one another, holding hands. How grave they were! They were very self-contained, husbanding all their strength. He knew that they meant to beard Gregory that evening, but he, Silas, equally, meant to outwit them, and he thought with satisfaction that his cunning was greater than theirs. He considered their silence with an irony2 more tragic3 than any of them knew. The pain that their company had cost him during the last ten days; the pain, too, which his own desire for their happiness had cost him; his angry, resentful love for them both; the strain of remaining true to his principles, and his vindictiveness4 (Christine! Christine! always 245Christine, recurrent, gnawing,) all this mingled5 in his mind to a state of folly6 with which he was almost unable prudently7 to deal. He acknowledged that he had been partly to blame. He had drawn8 out Nan’s confidences. But his temperament9 inclined him harshly towards self-flagellation....
“Only a little time now, Nan, before he’s here,” he said. “You’ll have much to tell him, much that’ll interest him. Remember, if you want any help, I’m here: Silas is here. Him being my brother, we understand one another, like you and Linnet understand one another. Blood brothers is close like lovers. Close as lovers.—But what call have I to talk of love, seeing I never knew it, nor wanted it?”
He went outside and sat on the doorstep, leaning his back against the closed door. The village street was deserted10, distant voices sounded from the green; in the faint warmth of the April sun the paint of the door smelt11 hot, and flies buzzed stickily in the corners of the woodwork. Silas sat there clasping his knees, and swaying slightly to the ironical12 rhythm of his own thoughts. He felt like a jailer, keeping those two imprisoned13 inside; they were happy, in spite of the imminent14 crisis; merely and childishly happy because they were together,—that sufficed; 246he had learnt during those ten days the perfection of their happiness. Nan had betrayed, under his questionings, more than she had probably intended to betray, and under the pain of defrauded15 envy he had accumulated a store of knowledge. They seemed to be one another; it was not so much sympathy that they enjoyed, as identity. Silas swayed himself slowly backwards16 and forwards; he put the tip of his tongue between his teeth and held it there; he tapped his boots softly together because of his enjoyment17. They were inside, talking; Gregory would be home soon. It tickled18 Silas’s fancy to think he had a surprise up his sleeve in store for them; he, the unwanted third! he, the ostracised of the village! they would soon learn, all of them, that he still had fangs19. He strained his ears to catch the first sound of the train, which, after stopping at Spalding, crossed the fenny20 country at some little distance. He wished for the dulled rumble21 indicative that the train was upon its journey and therefore that Gregory and Calthorpe were upon their way to Abbot’s Etchery along the dyke22, but at the same time he wished this hour prolonged, an hour so entirely23 after his own heart. He had so many revenges to take, so many old debts to wipe 247off, that no luxury of procrastination24 could be too great. Provided only, indeed, that the completion was sufficient, and sufficiently25 inevitable26; and as to this he had no misgivings27.
He never heard the train. He continued to hear only the distant shouts from the green, the small noises of insects, and the murmur28 within the room—not a continued murmur, only an intermittent29 one—and the first sound that drew him from his torpor30 of satisfaction was that of footsteps on the cobbles and Calthorpe’s voice, in its somewhat irritatingly cheery tones, “Friend Silas! well, I’ve brought back Gregory safe and sound, and how are you all at home?”
Gregory stood planted in the middle of the street watching his brother’s face for his greeting of Calthorpe. His throat heaved, and his suppressed violence, which was entirely apparent, made his stiff black travelling suit and bowler31 hat seem puerile32 and ridiculous. He was in one of those primitive33 moods when civilised trappings become laughable: an angry man in a bowler hat.... Not only angry, but convulsed with anxiety, and with a rage that prayed only to be released. Yes, even though that rage must destroy his soul, it craved34 for an outlet35. 248A man so minded would not have thanked the reassuring36 speech that drove back the straining rage as unwarrantable. The bag he carried was as paper in his hand. His limbs seemed to burst out of his clothes; strong muscle impatient for nakedness. His throat reared itself out of his collar. His hands protruded37 starkly38 from his cuffs39. Civilisation40 upon him was as preposterous41 as the naked man wrestling beneath was superb. He stood with his feet planted wide apart, in the attitude of one who awaits and encourages an attack.
Silas was petulant42 at being taken by surprise; “I didn’t expect you,” he said, as though he had been cheated of his due. “Well, now that we’re here, let us come in,” said Calthorpe, still good-humoured, but slightly uneasy; he would have liked the numbers increased, not fancying the part of sole interpreter between the brothers; was he to act as light to the one, and as sound to the other? The constant companionship of Gregory, and, above all, the railway journey that day, and the walk along the dyke, had convinced him that all was very far from well amongst the Denes. “No,” said Silas, standing43 up and stretching his arms crucifix-wise across the door, “you can’t go in there.”
249Gregory saw the gesture, which was intelligible44 enough, although he did not hear the words. A perverse45 relief swept over him, at having his worst dread46 confirmed. A horrible inarticulate noise broke from him, which made Calthorpe swing round in his direction. “Good God,” said Calthorpe appalled47, “it’s like a baboon,” and he continued to stare, expecting the noise to be repeated. Silas, too, had heard; “Yes—like a brute48,” he said, becoming transfigured with delight as he saw the certainty of man?uvring that brute with the cunning of his own intellect. Gregory never uttered a sound unless he was extraordinarily49 moved. “Tell him, Mr. Calthorpe,” said Silas, “that he can’t go into my cottage.”
“He wants to know why,” said Calthorpe, having delivered this message and received the answer from Gregory’s quivering fingers. “He looks as though he might spring upon you at any moment, Silas.” He watched, anxiously, first one and then the other.
“Yes—he doesn’t look as though he’d hold himself in much longer. Oh, you wouldn’t chuckle51 if you could see him.”
“Tell him to trust me and not to be a fool.”
250“He says, was it true?”
“Tell him first, that he must let me manage things.”
“I don’t like the look of this, Silas; I’m all in the dark.”
“Never mind, sir; you just tell him to trust me.”
“He’ll be at your throat if I don’t,” and the communication passed silently from Calthorpe to Gregory. “He says he will trust you a bit longer, but he wants to see things for himself.”
Silas appeared to be perplexed52 by his brother’s impatience53, and by the danger of Calthorpe putting two and two together.
“Ask him if he will wait till to-morrow,” he said, at length.
This suggestion so enraged54 Gregory that he leapt at his brother and was only warded55 off by Calthorpe’s appeasing56 gesture. He fell back a pace, and framed a message with shaking hands.
“He says,” said Calthorpe, “that he will be damned if he waits another five minutes. And I am damned myself, Silas,” added the honest instrument, “if I understand a word of this, or if I will go on letting you make a cat’s-paw of me for your black 251tricks. Call Mrs. Dene, who perhaps knows what you are up to.”
Silas was outwardly calm, but alert. He must lose no time in breaking up the trio.
“I shall explain everything to you, Mr. Calthorpe,” he said earnestly, still standing with his arms flung wide across the door, “but he’s a dangerous man, my brother. He’s in a dangerous temper. To tell you the truth, Mr. Calthorpe,” he ran on with extreme glibness57, “he suspects some one of tampering58 with his designs—but keep that for yourself. I’ve got the proofs inside my cottage, only I didn’t expect you so early. We must get him away. Tell him to go into his own place and change his clothes, and I’ll send his wife to him.”
“Surely you only have to look at him, Mr. Calthorpe.”
Calthorpe looked, and, having done so, he asked Gregory to go. “But I am damned if I understand,” he said again, taking off his hat and scratching his 252head. “You Denes are hard fellows to make out,” he added in an access of irritation62, seeing the expression on Silas’s face, and indeed he felt that his irritation was only small and petulant beside the anger of Gregory and the sardonic63 malevolence64 of Silas. If it were not for Nan, he would wash his hands of the whole lot of them. His easy-going philosophy of life was too greatly disturbed by the stress and inexplicable65 ferment66 of the Denes. He saw Gregory scowling67 in his indecision, than a message came from the able fingers, which he passed on to Silas. “He says he will wait for his wife in his own cottage.”
“Tell him she shall join him there,” said Silas grimly.
II
Devastation68 met Nan’s eyes when she hurried into her cottage. The white lace curtains were torn from the windows and the pictures lay scattered69 about the floor. Any ornament70 or attempt at decoration had been snatched from its place and flung across the room. In the midst of this wreckage71 stood Gregory, in his shirt sleeves, his chest heaving 253and his bronze forehead shining with sweat. He held out to Nan a paper upon which he had written, “Plain deel tables and chairs is good enough for us, without fal-lals.” She read it, and with tears running over her cheeks knelt down to gather up her broken china, collecting the pieces tenderly into the shreds72 of the curtains. Gregory came towards her and kicked the things away from her hand. She knelt upon the floor, gazing up at him without protest but with inexpressible sorrow. Every time she renewed her gesture of gathering up the shares, he scattered them again by a kick, until in discouragement she desisted, waiting for his next manifestation73. She dared not get up while he stood over her in his threatening attitude.
Silas came in; Nan found herself turning to him as towards a friend. Here, at least, was one who had some influence over Gregory! She felt herself the alien before the brothers.
Silas was sympathetic. Silas commiserated74. Let her go away for a little, and he would soothe75 Gregory. Gregory had behaved like a peevish76 child. He, Silas, would remonstrate77. He even patted Nan’s shoulder kindly78 as she passed him, drying her eyes, to leave the brothers together as she was bid.
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收听单词发音
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1
hoarding
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| n.贮藏；积蓄；临时围墙；囤积v.积蓄并储藏（某物）( hoard的现在分词 ) | |
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irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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vindictiveness
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| 恶毒；怀恨在心 | |
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mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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deserted
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| adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的 | |
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smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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12
ironical
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| adj.讽刺的，冷嘲的 | |
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imprisoned
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| 下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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imminent
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| adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的 | |
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defrauded
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| v.诈取，骗取( defraud的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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18
tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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19
fangs
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| n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座 | |
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20
fenny
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| adj.沼泽的；沼泽多的；长在沼泽地带的；住在沼泽地的 | |
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21
rumble
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| n.隆隆声；吵嚷；v.隆隆响；低沉地说 | |
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22
dyke
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| n.堤，水坝，排水沟 | |
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23
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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procrastination
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| n.拖延，耽搁 | |
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25
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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26
inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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27
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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28
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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29
intermittent
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| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
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30
torpor
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| n.迟钝；麻木；（动物的）冬眠 | |
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31
bowler
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| n.打保龄球的人，（板球的）投（球）手 | |
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32
puerile
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| adj.幼稚的，儿童的 | |
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33
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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34
craved
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| 渴望，热望( crave的过去式 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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35
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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36
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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37
protruded
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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38
starkly
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| adj. 变硬了的,完全的 adv. 完全,实在,简直 | |
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39
cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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40
civilisation
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| n.文明，文化，开化，教化 | |
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41
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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42
petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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43
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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44
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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45
perverse
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| adj.刚愎的；坚持错误的，行为反常的 | |
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46
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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47
appalled
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| v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的 | |
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48
brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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49
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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50
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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51
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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52
perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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53
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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54
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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55
warded
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| 有锁孔的，有钥匙榫槽的 | |
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56
appeasing
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| 安抚，抚慰( appease的现在分词 )； 绥靖（满足另一国的要求以避免战争） | |
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57
glibness
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| n.花言巧语；口若悬河 | |
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58
tampering
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| v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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59
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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60
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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61
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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62
irritation
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| n.激怒，恼怒，生气 | |
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63
sardonic
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| adj.嘲笑的，冷笑的，讥讽的 | |
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64
malevolence
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| n.恶意，狠毒 | |
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65
inexplicable
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| adj.无法解释的，难理解的 | |
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66
ferment
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| vt.使发酵；n./vt.（使）激动，（使）动乱 | |
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67
scowling
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| 怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 ) | |
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68
devastation
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| n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤 | |
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69
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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70
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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71
wreckage
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| n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏 | |
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72
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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73
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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74
commiserated
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| v.怜悯，同情( commiserate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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75
soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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76
peevish
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| adj.易怒的，坏脾气的 | |
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77
remonstrate
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| v.抗议，规劝 | |
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78
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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