CHAPTER IV

Mary Daccombe was wont¹ to reserve the problems of the working day until nightfall; and her husband solved them as best he could during those brief minutes that intervened between the extinction² of the candle and his first snore.  An honest but unsentimental man, love for his offspring had never particularly marked his mind.  He was contented³ that his sons should quarrel, and that Dick should thrash Davey when he felt so disposed, for it saved him the trouble.  He held that each did the other good, and he had neither pity nor particular regard to spare for either.

This cheerless fact now appeared, for on a night soon after Christmas, Mrs. Daccombe approached her husband upon a matter of sentiment, and won colder comfort from him than she expected.  He gave her an obvious opportunity to approach the subject, otherwise it is doubtful whether she would have had the courage to do so.  That day, to the farmer’s astonishment⁴ and gratification, Anthony Maybridge had come back from a brief Christmas vacation.  The holiday extended over a fortnight, and Daccombe fully⁵ believed that he had seen the p. 232last of his pupil; but Anthony returned, declared a renewed interest in matters agricultural, and gave the farmer to understand that he should continue to reside at Cross Ways for the present.

Now Jonathan laughed as he stretched himself on his bed; he laughed, and wondered what had brought young Maybridge again to the Moor⁶.  Whereupon his wife read him the riddle⁷.

“Not you, nor yet the work, nor yet the shooting,” she said.  “’Tis right as you should know, however, for trouble’s brewing⁸, if I can see, an’ ’tis our awn son will smart for it.”

“Us have all got to smart off an’ on, though how that moon-calf of a boy be going to hurt Dick or Davey, I can’t tell.”

“Not Davey, though ’twas him as found it out, I reckon.  Davey be venomous against his brother—always was, worse luck.  Dick rubs it into the bwoy, and his brother hurts him with bitter mouth-speech when he can.  ’Tis this way: that young gen’leman be getting a deal too fond of Jane Stanberry by the looks of it.  That’s what he’s comed back for, I reckon.  Davey spat⁹ it out essterday when Dick clouted¹⁰ his head.  Her wasn’t theer, so the boy up an’ said as Dick’s temper would weary the Dowl, an’ that Jane was looking away from him to a better.  Lucky I was by, else Dick would have done the li’l un a mischief¹¹.  He growed thunder-black, yet p. 233I could see by his wrath¹² be knowed the tale were more than Davey’s spite.”

“Them two takes after your family, mother, an’ no mistake.  Yet I hope they won’t turn gaol-birds, or else weak in their intellects.”

The woman felt the tears in her weary eyes.  She wiped them away, and turned in bed.

“They’m as God made ’em, master; please Him they’ll be better friends come Davey grows up.  But what must us do?”

“Do?  Nought¹³.”

“Surely you’ve got your son’s good at heart?  Think what ’tis for Dick to see that wicked girl coolin’, coolin’, by inches.  Gall¹⁴ for him, poor dear.”

But the man only laughed sleepily.  “Strongest wins in this world.  If Richard ban’t stout¹⁵ enough to keep his woman by his own arts, us can’t help him.”

“You might send this young chap ’bout his business.”

“An’ fling away two pound a week?  No, fay!  Girls is easier picked up than two pound a week.  Let Dick do what’s in him.  He ban’t ’feard of that slack-twisted, yellow-haired chap, be he?  Let him show the maiden¹⁶ which is the better man, an’ not come bleating¹⁷ to his mother, like a hungry lamb to a ewe.”

“He never comed hisself.”

p. 234“Well, what’s to hinder him from using his fistes?  Nought brings a man down in a girl’s eyes like a good hiding.  Let ’em settle it same way as the tomcats do.”

“I do b’lieve your heart be made o’ moor stone.”

“Good job if ’twas.  Ban’t no use being built o’ putty, nor yet o’ pity, ’pon Dartymoor.  Now shut your clack, an’ let me go to sleep.”

The woman sighed, and closed her eyes.

“I’ll tell Dick what you say.  Good night, master.”

1 wont   

adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯

参考例句：

• He was wont to say that children are lazy.他常常说小孩子们懒惰。
• It is his wont to get up early.早起是他的习惯。

2 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

3 contented   

adj.满意的，安心的，知足的

参考例句：

• He won't be contented until he's upset everyone in the office.不把办公室里的每个人弄得心烦意乱他就不会满足。
• The people are making a good living and are contented,each in his station.人民安居乐业。

4 astonishment   

n.惊奇，惊异

参考例句：

• They heard him give a loud shout of astonishment.他们听见他惊奇地大叫一声。
• I was filled with astonishment at her strange action.我对她的奇怪举动不胜惊异。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 moor   

n.荒野，沼泽；vt.(使)停泊；vi.停泊

参考例句：

• I decided to moor near some tourist boats.我决定在一些观光船附近停泊。
• There were hundreds of the old huts on the moor.沼地上有成百上千的古老的石屋。

7 riddle   

n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜

参考例句：

• The riddle couldn't be solved by the child.这个谜语孩子猜不出来。
• Her disappearance is a complete riddle.她的失踪完全是一个谜。

8 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

9 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

10 clouted   

adj.缀补的，凝固的v.（尤指用手）猛击，重打( clout的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He clouted his attacker. 他猛击进攻者。 来自互联网

11 mischief   

n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹

参考例句：

• Nobody took notice of the mischief of the matter. 没有人注意到这件事情所带来的危害。
• He seems to intend mischief.看来他想捣蛋。

12 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

13 nought   

n.／adj.无，零

参考例句：

• We must bring their schemes to nought.我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。
• One minus one leaves nought.一减一等于零。

14 gall   

v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难

参考例句：

• It galled him to have to ask for a loan.必须向人借钱使他感到难堪。
• No gall,no glory.没有磨难，何来荣耀。

16 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

17 bleating   

v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说

参考例句：

• I don't like people who go around bleating out things like that. 我不喜欢跑来跑去讲那种蠢话的人。 来自辞典例句
• He heard the tinny phonograph bleating as he walked in. 他步入室内时听到那架蹩脚的留声机在呜咽。 来自辞典例句