Before seeing John again, Sally had lengthy5 speech with her new sweetheart, and he, a little dead to the danger of so doing, detailed6 at length his conversation with the cowman and explained the complete nature of his rival’s renunciation. This narrative7 set p. 59Timothy in a somewhat sorry light, and the fact that he unconsciously bore himself as a victor added to the unpleasant impression conveyed. Had Tim declared his own sorrow and shame, blamed himself and acknowledged John’s greatness with wholehearted or even simulated praise, the girl had accepted the position more readily; but as it was, young Chave, whose fear of rousing her pity for John rendered him less eloquent8 upon that theme than he felt disposed to be, by this very reticence9 and oblivion touching10 the other’s profound sorrow, awoke that pity he desired to stifle11. Indeed, his story moved Sarah unutterably. While her love for Tim was the light of her life, yet at this juncture12 her nature forced her to turn to the first man, and now she held herself guilty of wickedness in her treatment of him. An instinct toward abstract justice, rare in women, uplifted her in this strait; the stricken man clung to her mind and would not be banished13. Even before Timothy’s subsequent abasement14 and self-accusations, she could not forget the past or live even for an hour in the joy of the present. The very note of triumph in her loved one’s voice jarred upon her. It was, therefore, with feelings painfully mingled15 and heart distracted by many doubts that Sarah met John Aggett at last.
He was harsh enough—harsh to brutality—and for some subtle reason this attitude moved her to the p. 60step he least expected. Softness and kind speech might have sent Sarah weeping to Timothy after all; but the ferocity, despair and distraction16 of the big flaxen man confirmed her in a contrary course of action. She put her hands into his, cried out that, before God, she was his woman for all time, and that his woman she would remain until the end. John Aggett strangled his reason upon this loving declaration—as many a stronger spirit would have done. He told himself that his gigantic love might well serve for them both; he caressed17 the wanderer in love and called upon Heaven to hear his thanksgivings. New rosy-fledged hope sprang and soared in his heart at this unhoped blessing18, and for a few blissful days light returned to his face, elasticity19 to his step. He had steeled his soul to part with her; he had told himself the worst of the agony was over, but in reality the girl had come back into his life again before the real grief of his loss had bitten itself into his mind. Now, despite the inner whisper that told him his joy rested on the most futile20 foundations possible, he took her back as he had resigned her—in a whirlwind of emotion. And he assured himself that, having once yielded her up, neither men nor God could reasonably ask him to do so again.
Mrs. Belworthy it was who first penetrated21 the false pretence22 and mockery of the new understanding. Upon the strength of that discovery she p. 61communicated in secret with Timothy Chave, and bade him cultivate patience and be of good cheer despite the darkness of appearances. Sarah, indeed, shewed by no sign that she desired to turn from her bargain again; but the emptiness and aridity23 of these renewed relations could not be hidden. Even John grasped the truth after a fortnight of hollow lovemaking. He tried to reawaken the old romance, to galvanise a new interest into the old hopes and plans; but Sarah’s simulation too often broke down despite her best endeavours. Tears filled her eyes even while she clung most fiercely to him; her parents murmured their regrets that John should persist in ruining her life. Indeed, Mrs. Belworthy did more than murmur24; she took an occasion to speak strongly to the cowman; yet he shut his eyes to the truth and blundered blindly on, straining every nerve and racking his brain to discover means whereby Sarah might be won back to the old simple ways, to her former humility25 of ambition and simplicity26 of thought. But any restoration of the past conditions was impossible, for her mind had much expanded in Timothy’s keeping; and this fact did Aggett, by slow and bitter stages, at length receive and accept. With heart the sorer for his temporary flicker27 of renewed happiness, he tore himself from out a fool’s paradise and abandoned hope and Sarah once for all.
“’Tis vain to make believe any more,” he said to p. 62her. “God knows you’ve tried your hardest, but you ban’t built to throw dust in a body’s eyes. Your bread’s a-been leavened28 wi’ tears these many days, an’ your heart’s in arms against the falling out of things. ’Tis natural as it should be so. We’ve tried to come together again an’ failed. Us can do no more now.”
“Leave ’e I won’t; if you beat me away from ’e like a dog, like a dog I’ll come back again.”
“Leave me you must, Sally. I ban’t gwaine to spoil your butivul life for all time wi’ my love, though you come wi’ open arms an’ ax me to. Go to un free, an’ take my solemn word as I’ll rage against him no more. I’ll know you’m happy then; an’ that must be my happiness. I’ll never forget you comed twice to me o’ your own free will.”
“You’m a gude man—a gert saintly man—an’ God knows why I be so pitiful weak that anything born should have come between us, once I’d promised.”
“Many things comes between the bee an’ the butt29, the cup an’ the lip, men an’ women folks an’ their hopes o’ happiness. Please God you’ll fare happy wi’ him.”
“I don’t deserve it, if theer’s any justice in the sky.”
“Theer ban’t to my knowledge. Pray God He’ll be gude to ’e—then I’ll forgive the man. An’ the p. 63world won’t come to me for his character whether or no.”
She protested and wept; he was firm. For a little hour his lofty mood held and he completed the final act of renunciation before he slept. Knowing full well that Chave would never hear the truth from Sarah, he laid wait for him that night and met him in Postbridge at a late hour.
The men stood side by side in the empty, naked road that here crossed Dart30 by a pack-saddle bridge. The night was rough and cold but dry, and the wind wailing31 through naked beeches32, the river rattling33 harshly over its granite34 bed, chimed in unison35 with the recent sorrow of Timothy’s heart. When Sarah announced her determination, the youth had threatened self-destruction and foretold36 madness. Neither one thing nor the other happened, but he was sufficiently37 miserable38 and his sufferings had by no means grown blunted on this night as he plodded39 wearily through the village.
Aggett, moving out of the darkness, recognised his man and spoke40.
“Come you here—on to the bridge,” he said abruptly41. “Theer us’ll be out o’ the way o’ the world, an’ can sit ’pon the stones an’ I can say what’s to say.”
“There is nothing to talk about between us. If you knew how much I have suffered and am still suffering, you’d spare me more words.”
p. 64“Aw jimmery! You’m a poor whinin’ twoad—too slack-twisted for any full-grown woman, I should have reckoned. But your luck be in. She comed back to me for duty; now she’m gwaine back to you for love.”
“Does she know her own mind, John?”
“Ess fay, an’ allus did arter you come.”
Now Aggett briefly42 explained the events of the past fortnight and his own determination concerning Sarah, while the younger man felt his blood wake from its sleep and race again through his veins43. His treasure had not been lost and life was worth living yet. He had tact44 sufficient to make no comments upon the story. He spared John Aggett many words. But he gazed once or twice at the other’s heaving breast and wild eyes and told himself that the cowman was a being altogether beyond his power to understand. Then he crept away as quickly as he could and did not sleep until he had spoken with Sarah. On this occasion his account of events was framed in words of most meek45 and humble46 sort. He awarded Aggett full measure of praise, while upon himself he heaped sufficient obloquy47, feeling that he could very well afford to do so as a price for this return to paradise.
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1
astute
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| adj.机敏的，精明的 | |
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2
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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behooved
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| v.适宜( behoove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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lengthy
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| adj.漫长的，冗长的 | |
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6
detailed
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| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
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7
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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8
eloquent
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| adj.雄辩的，口才流利的；明白显示出的 | |
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9
reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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10
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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11
stifle
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| vt.使窒息；闷死；扼杀；抑止，阻止 | |
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12
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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13
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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abasement
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| n.滥用 | |
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15
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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16
distraction
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| n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐 | |
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caressed
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| 爱抚或抚摸…( caress的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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19
elasticity
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| n.弹性，伸缩力 | |
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20
futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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21
penetrated
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| adj. 击穿的，鞭辟入里的 动词penetrate的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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22
pretence
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| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
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23
aridity
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| n.干旱，乏味；干燥性；荒芜 | |
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24
murmur
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| n.低语，低声的怨言；v.低语，低声而言 | |
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25
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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26
simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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flicker
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| vi./n.闪烁，摇曳，闪现 | |
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28
leavened
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| adj.加酵母的v.使（面团）发酵( leaven的过去式和过去分词 )；在…中掺入改变的因素 | |
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29
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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30
dart
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| v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲 | |
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31
wailing
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| v.哭叫，哀号( wail的现在分词 )；沱 | |
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32
beeches
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| n.山毛榉( beech的名词复数 )；山毛榉木材 | |
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33
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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34
granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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35
unison
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| n.步调一致，行动一致 | |
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36
foretold
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| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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37
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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39
plodded
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| v.沉重缓慢地走（路）( plod的过去式和过去分词 )；努力从事；沉闷地苦干；缓慢进行（尤指艰难枯燥的工作） | |
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40
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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41
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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42
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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43
veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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44
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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45
meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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46
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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47
obloquy
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| n.斥责，大骂 | |
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