Nan rose upright, crying aloud; the wind of terror had blown violently in upon the stillness of the gallery. Silas towered amongst the vats1; he wore an air of unearthly triumph and exaltation. “Nan! Nan!” he said, stretching up both arms with the gesture of the fanatic3 over the blood-offering. “What have you done? what have you done?” she cried. “Saved you,—bought you free,” he answered loudly, still lit up by his triumph, but she hid her face in her hands, and moaned, shuddering4.
Morgan stirred, and lay gazing without comprehension. He whispered Nan’s name; she started, and turned to him, but seeing his eyes opened she wildly laid her hand across them. “You mustn’t look,—you mustn’t look,” she said, distraught, in the effort to preserve him although she understood nothing herself.
In that absence of understanding she saw only 278Silas erect6 there with his arms still stretched out, as a sinner might stare into heaven, or a martyr7 into hell, accepting either, because enlightened as to both.
“Silas!” she called, unbearably8 alarmed.
“Builders and destroyers,” he replied from afar, and in the tone of one giving utterance9 to a quotation10 of secret familiarity.
“What am I to do?” she cried, in a lost whisper. She felt immeasurably removed from the succour of mankind, forced into the kindred of the Denes, amongst grotesque11 surroundings, and grotesque and terrible events, high above the comings and goings of the temperate12 world. There was no room in her mind for the thought that the body of Gregory was pitched sinking through the morass13 of that deadly cauldron. Then the word “Gregory!” came to her, and, wonderingly, she pronounced it aloud, “Gregory,” thereby14 bringing realisation upon herself, and the first conscious dismay.
She went to Silas and seized him by the arm.
“Silas, speak to me....”
He turned his eyes full upon her face.
“O God, can you see me?” she murmured, shrinking away.
“There was nothing else to be done,” he said.
“There was nothing else,” he repeated.
II
She perceived then that, according to the temper of his mind, there was indeed nothing else. She ceased to protest, overtaken by the actual consequence of his uncompromising creed16.
“You have killed Gregory,” she said.
A change came over him; his look of flaming justification17 died down.
“Hannah. Martin. Christine. Gregory,” he said sorrowfully.
Nan was crying; she was frightened by the monstrous19, fantastic extravagance of the scene. Silas must have decoyed her to the heart of some distorted maze20, where death was not solemn, nor grief venerable; and therein she was lost. Crying, her arm crooked21 across her eyes, she made her way over to Linnet, who had risen to his feet. “It’s soap,—soap,” she stammered22, taking refuge against him.
He held her, since no words could help, and she made herself as small as possible within his arm. Silas called out to him across the gallery, “I have 280thrown Gregory into the vat2,” pointing to the wrong vat, and forcing himself to laugh very loudly.
“But what is to become of you? madman!” Linnet exclaimed.
This was a new idea to Silas.
“Yes, I must think of getting away, it’s true,” he replied, suddenly busy; and he moved excitably in what he thought to be the direction of the door. But he had lost his bearings, and struck himself against the corner of a vat. “What’s that?” he called out. “I’ll have no nonsense,” he added, speaking in a tone of incipient23 panic which he tried to cover up by menace. “There is no time to be lost; I can’t be kept hanging about here, or I shall be taken. I must get away, and hide somewhere. I must hide in a barn. You will have to bring me food. The first thing to be done is to get away.” All the while he was speaking he moved about, groping amongst the vats, trying to find his way out, but amongst that number, where nothing helped him to distinguish one from the other, with each step he became more confusedly lost. “I’m blind!” he cried, at last standing5 stock-still, and from the anguish25 in his voice it might have been believed that he had never made the discovery before.
281Then he started to stride about, up and down, in and out of the gangways left between the vats, taking any opening that offered itself. Linnet tried to speak to him; he was interrupted, reasonable words fluttered vainly amongst the vibrant26 emotions with which Silas’s soul was strung. Neither Linnet nor Nan could have any cognisance of such a diapason. “You shall not come near me,” Silas shouted; “how am I to know you wouldn’t give me up? although I killed Gregory for you; and I loved Gregory.—We’ve destroyed one another. It’s right,—people like us ought to go. There’s no place for us. I can’t save myself,” he said, “I’m blind; every one can take advantage of me. How could I live hidden for weeks in the country? But I’ll give them trouble first....”
He was full of a crazy, hopeless defiance27; he turned upon them the wild flash of his sightless eyes. “It must end in defeat,” he said, “what match is a blind man for clear-seeing men? You had me at a disadvantage, all my life,—all of you! You were orderly, while I struggled. Gone under! but not as tamely as you think.” As he spoke28 he found the door that gave access to the outside stairs, and dragged it open, blundering out into the air on the 282iron landing. They saw him there, against the sky, silhouetted29 for a moment, before he disappeared on his reckless descent of the hazardous30 stair.
III
Evening was rapidly falling, but the coming of night would befriend him, since it could not hinder. As he reached the foot of the stair he stood for a moment in hesitation31. He listened. The tessellated square was silent, but for a drip of water off a gutter32 into one of the great butts33; no footsteps rang across the cobbles; no voice exclaimed “Why, Dene!”; no call from Nan or Linnet echoed down to him from above. He felt himself more utterly34 alone than ever in his life before, more finally at bay. Never for an instant did the idea of giving himself up cross his mind. He was calmer now than he had been up in the gallery, where he had bruised35 himself so cruelly against these serried36 vats. Here, at least, he had space around him; and out there, where he meant to go, would be still wider space, the flat freedom of the Fens37, the sky above his head, and night, the only ally that could begin to equalise his chances with other men.
But there would be uncertainty38. Always the uncertainty 283whether he had or had not been seen. He might be ringed about by pursuers closing in upon him, and not know it. He must make up his mind to that; he must make up his mind to the knowledge that defeat would overtake him in the end. This knowledge came to him with a strangely familiar quietness; it was as though it had been with him all his life, although he might not have given it a name.
In the silence of the evening he passed beyond the factory and gained the road on the top of the great dyke40 stretching across the Fens. Upon its eminence41 he paused, forlorn, uncertain, and derelict. That illumination which had sustained him before, seemed now to have deserted42 him; he no longer trod with the same assurance, but cautiously, afraid of making a false step and of slipping down the sides of the dyke, afraid of being seen, upright upon the skyline, yet not venturing to leave the road and to make his way across the flooded country. Yet as he stumbled on, he realised that therein lay his wisest course: the floods would reveal no footmarks, and he would be less conspicuous43 than erect on the height of the dyke. In so far as his hopelessness could devise a plan, that was the plan to follow. He struck across the road, and, crouching44 284on his heels, allowed himself to slither down the escarpment. At the bottom he found the water, icy about his ankles, and shivered at its sinister45 touch. Nevertheless, he plunged46 forward into it, his hands outstretched before him, determined47 to put all possible distance between himself and Abbot’s Etchery. Behind him the three chimneys of the factory vomited48 their black plumes49 of noiseless smoke that trailed across the sky, but of this he did not reckon; he was aware only of the cry of the curlew circling above him, and of the marshy50 ground that sucked back his steps beneath the water. He fought his way, each foot held down and his progress hampered51 as in a nightmare, and with an effort he dragged one foot after the other stickily out, ploughing onwards into the unknown breadth of the marshes52, ignorant of his surroundings, of whether night had fallen, concealing53 him, or whether the last bars of day still made of him a distinguishable mark. And, for his greater misery54 and discomfort55, as he advanced across the submerged fields, he came periodically to the ditches that were their boundaries, and knew them because his footing suddenly failed him and threw him forward into the water, pitching down upon hands and knees, so that 285presently he was drenched56, and the touch of the water which at first had been only about his ankles now conquered his body also, little by little, penetrating57 to his skin, glacial as the presaged58 touch of death. Still he advanced, striving towards no known prospective59 refuge, but merely, irrationally60, to increase the distance, without considering the paltriness61 of the help those few poor miles could afford him.
By now, although he could not be certain of it, night had fully18 come. A huge, low moon stole up above the horizon, and sailed slowly higher into the heavens over the flooded country. In its light the few bare trees stood up like twigs62, black and stark63; and still across the now shining expanse of water the blind man held on his laborious64, hindered way the splash of his steps breaking the placid65 surface into a ripple66 of jet and silver. He had no notion how far he might have gone; he was uncertain even whether he had succeeded in keeping straight in the same direction. Every now and then he came to a hillock of higher ground, which lifted him for the moment out of the floods, and every now and then he stumbled into a ditch, from which he extricated67 himself, his teeth chattering68; and all the time he walked with his hands groping before him, but 286they could not save him from the ditches that seemed to lie in wait for him and to take pleasure in trapping him unawares. He thought that he must have been walking half the night. Even the curlews had ceased to cry long since, and no owl39 hooted69 across the waste of waters. His extreme weariness deadened him; but fever reanimated him; and it was a conflict as to which would gain the advantage. At one moment he thought that he must sink down from exhaustion70, even into the floods; the next moment, a bout24 of fear and determination spurred him on, and he splashed forward, behind his groping hands, while obscure mutterings came in the immense silence of the night from his moving lips.
Morning found him crouching beside some meagre trees upon one of the hillocks out of reach of the water. His hair was matted, his eyes bloodshot, his clothes wet and dankly clinging to his limbs. He crouched71 as closely as possible to the ground, feeling about for the shelter of the trees, which, leafless as they were, offered no shelter at all. He crept about amongst them,—they might be half a dozen in number, a small clump;—he crept over the twenty square feet or so of the little island on which he was marooned72, and once or twice he 287seemed tempted73 to renew his passage through the water, for he cautiously adventured down to its edge, and stretched out his foot towards it, but, although he essayed this on different sides of the mound74, he always took his foot back shuddering as soon as he encountered the water, and withdrew himself in the same shambling, furtive75 fashion to the shelter of the trees.
It was here that in the afternoon he was found by the men who were out for his capture. They came beating across the flooded fields in extended order, as men beating for game. When they first descried76 him from a little way off, he still was stealing about his patch of refuge, rambling77 uneasily and without purpose, now coming down to the water’s edge, now out of sight over the curve of the hillock, now reappearing to slink between the trees. Uncouth78, haggard, his clothes torn and soiled, his hands always at their unhappy groping, his useless eyes turning hither and thither79, he resembled some half-crazy castaway that might have subsisted80 there for days on berries and foul81 water, too bemused now for further endeavour; too broken in spirit for any frenzy82 of despair; merely acquiescent83 in his climax84 of the long premonitory years; waiting for the end 288which, after all the riot and the burden, could not be otherwise than welcome.
IV
After that day clean April poured sunlight over the marshes. Flocks of plover85 settled on the emerging pasture; and the sea, whose presence was divined rather than seen over the edge of the fens, ceased to be a threat, and became a promise, for the peculiar86 void of the sky above it, where land stopped short, grew luminous87 with the transparency of shower-washed spaces. The very roads, the very railway line with its straight, shining metals, streamed away, avenues of promise and escape.
Like a great bowl opened to the gold-moted emptiness of heaven the country lay, recipient88 of the benediction89.
January-September, 1920.
The End
The End
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1
vats
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| varieties 变化，多样性，种类 | |
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vat
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| n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶 | |
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fanatic
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| n.狂热者，入迷者；adj.狂热入迷的 | |
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shuddering
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| v.战栗( shudder的现在分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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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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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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unbearably
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| adv.不能忍受地，无法容忍地；慌 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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quotation
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| n.引文，引语，语录；报价，牌价，行情 | |
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grotesque
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| adj.怪诞的，丑陋的；n.怪诞的图案，怪人（物） | |
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temperate
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| adj.温和的，温带的，自我克制的，不过分的 | |
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morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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creed
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| n.信条；信念，纲领 | |
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justification
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| n.正当的理由；辩解的理由 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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maze
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| n.迷宫，八阵图，混乱，迷惑 | |
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crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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vibrant
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| adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的 | |
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defiance
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| n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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silhouetted
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| 显出轮廓的，显示影像的 | |
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hazardous
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| adj.(有)危险的，冒险的；碰运气的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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gutter
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| n.沟，街沟，水槽，檐槽，贫民窟 | |
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butts
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| 笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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serried
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| adj.拥挤的；密集的 | |
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fens
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| n.（尤指英格兰东部的）沼泽地带( fen的名词复数 ) | |
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uncertainty
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| n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物 | |
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owl
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| n.猫头鹰，枭 | |
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dyke
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| n.堤，水坝，排水沟 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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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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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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vomited
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plumes
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| 羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物 | |
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marshy
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| adj.沼泽的 | |
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hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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marshes
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| n.沼泽，湿地( marsh的名词复数 ) | |
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concealing
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 ) | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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57
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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presaged
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| v.预示，预兆( presage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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irrationally
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| ad.不理性地 | |
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paltriness
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| n.不足取，无价值 | |
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twigs
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| 细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 ) | |
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stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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ripple
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| n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进 | |
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extricated
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| v.使摆脱困难，脱身( extricate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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hooted
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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marooned
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| adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的 | |
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tempted
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| v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词） | |
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mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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furtive
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| adj.鬼鬼崇崇的，偷偷摸摸的 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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78
uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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80
subsisted
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| v.（靠很少的钱或食物）维持生活，生存下去( subsist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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81
foul
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| adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规 | |
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82
frenzy
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| n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动 | |
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83
acquiescent
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| adj.默许的，默认的 | |
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84
climax
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| n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点 | |
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85
plover
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| n.珩，珩科鸟，千鸟 | |
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86
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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87
luminous
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| adj.发光的，发亮的；光明的；明白易懂的；有启发的 | |
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recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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benediction
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| n.祝福；恩赐 | |
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