A single vast gray cloud covered the country, from which the small rain and mist had just begun to blow down in wavy2 sheets, alternately thick and thin. The trees of the fields and plantations3 writhed4 like miserable5 men as the air wound its way swiftly among them: the lowest portions of their trunks, that had hardly ever been known to move, were visibly rocked by the fiercer gusts6, distressing7 the mind by its painful unwontedness, as when a strong man is seen to shed tears. Low-hanging boughs8 went up and down; high and erect9 boughs went to and fro; the blasts being so irregular, and divided into so many cross-currents, that neighbouring branches of the same tree swept the skies in independent motions, crossed each other, or became entangled10. Across the open spaces flew flocks of green and yellowish leaves, which, after travelling a long distance from their parent trees, reached the ground, and lay there with their under-sides upward.
As the rain and wind increased, and Fancy’s bonnet11-ribbons leapt more and more snappishly against her chin, she paused on entering Mellstock Lane to consider her latitude12, and the distance to a place of shelter. The nearest house was Elizabeth Endorfield’s, in Higher Mellstock, whose cottage and garden stood not far from the junction13 of that hamlet with the road she followed. Fancy hastened onward14, and in five minutes entered a gate, which shed upon her toes a flood of water-drops as she opened it.
“Come in, chiel!” a voice exclaimed, before Fancy had knocked: a promptness that would have surprised her had she not known that Mrs. Endorfield was an exceedingly and exceptionally sharp woman in the use of her eyes and ears.
Fancy went in and sat down. Elizabeth was paring potatoes for her husband’s supper.
Scrape, scrape, scrape; then a toss, and splash went a potato into a bucket of water.
Now, as Fancy listlessly noted15 these proceedings16 of the dame17, she began to reconsider an old subject that lay uppermost in her heart. Since the interview between her father and Dick, the days had been melancholy18 days for her. Geoffrey’s firm opposition19 to the notion of Dick as a son-inlaw was more than she had expected. She had frequently seen her lover since that time, it is true, and had loved him more for the opposition than she would have otherwise dreamt of doing — which was a happiness of a certain kind. Yet, though love is thus an end in itself, it must be believed to be the means to another end if it is to assume the rosy20 hues21 of an unalloyed pleasure. And such a belief Fancy and Dick were emphatically denied just now.
Elizabeth Endorfield had a repute among women which was in its nature something between distinction and notoriety. It was founded on the following items of character. She was shrewd and penetrating22; her house stood in a lonely place; she never went to church; she wore a red cloak; she always retained her bonnet indoors and she had a pointed23 chin. Thus far her attributes were distinctly Satanic; and those who looked no further called her, in plain terms, a witch. But she was not gaunt, nor ugly in the upper part of her face, nor particularly strange in manner; so that, when her more intimate acquaintances spoke24 of her the term was softened25, and she became simply a Deep Body, who was as long-headed as she was high. It may be stated that Elizabeth belonged to a class of suspects who were gradually losing their mysterious characteristics under the administration of the young vicar; though, during the long reign26 of Mr. Grinham, the parish of Mellstock had proved extremely favourable27 to the growth of witches.
While Fancy was revolving28 all this in her mind, and putting it to herself whether it was worth while to tell her troubles to Elizabeth, and ask her advice in getting out of them, the witch spoke.
“You be down — proper down,” she said suddenly, dropping another potato into the bucket.
Fancy took no notice.
“About your young man.”
Fancy reddened. Elizabeth seemed to be watching her thoughts. Really, one would almost think she must have the powers people ascribed to her.
“Father not in the humour for’t, hey?” Another potato was finished and flung in. “Ah, I know about it. Little birds tell me things that people don’t dream of my knowing.”
Fancy was desperate about Dick, and here was a chance — O, such a wicked chance — of getting help; and what was goodness beside love!
“I wish you’d tell me how to put him in the humour for it?” she said.
“That I could soon do,” said the witch quietly.
“Really? O, do; anyhow — I don’t care — so that it is done! How could I do it, Mrs. Endorfield?”
“Nothing so mighty29 wonderful in it.”
“Well, but how?”
“By witchery, of course!” said Elizabeth.
“No!” said Fancy.
“’Tis, I assure ye. Didn’t you ever hear I was a witch?”
“Well,” hesitated Fancy, “I have heard you called so.”
“And you believed it?”
“I can’t say that I did exactly believe it, for ’tis very horrible and wicked; but, O, how I do wish it was possible for you to be one!”
“So I am. And I’ll tell you how to bewitch your father to let you marry Dick Dewy.”
“Will it hurt him, poor thing?”
“Hurt who?”
“Father.”
“No; the charm is worked by common sense, and the spell can only be broke by your acting30 stupidly.”
Fancy looked rather perplexed31, and Elizabeth went on:
“This fear of Lizz — whatever ’tis —
By great and small;
She makes pretence32 to common sense,
And that’s all.
“You must do it like this.” The witch laid down her knife and potato, and then poured into Fancy’s ear a long and detailed33 list of directions, glancing up from the corner of her eye into Fancy’s face with an expression of sinister34 humour. Fancy’s face brightened, clouded, rose and sank, as the narrative35 proceeded. “There,” said Elizabeth at length, stooping for the knife and another potato, “do that, and you’ll have him by-long and by-late, my dear.”
“And do it I will!” said Fancy.
She then turned her attention to the external world once more. The rain continued as usual, but the wind had abated36 considerably37 during the discourse38. Judging that it was now possible to keep an umbrella erect, she pulled her hood39 again over her bonnet, bade the witch good-bye, and went her way.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
tempestuous
|
|
| adj.狂暴的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
wavy
|
|
| adj.有波浪的，多浪的，波浪状的，波动的，不稳定的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
plantations
|
|
| n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
writhed
|
|
| （因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
miserable
|
|
| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
gusts
|
|
| 一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
distressing
|
|
| a.使人痛苦的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
boughs
|
|
| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
erect
|
|
| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
entangled
|
|
| adj.卷入的；陷入的；被缠住的；缠在一起的v.使某人（某物/自己）缠绕，纠缠于（某物中），使某人（自己）陷入（困难或复杂的环境中）( entangle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
bonnet
|
|
| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
latitude
|
|
| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
junction
|
|
| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
onward
|
|
| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
proceedings
|
|
| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
dame
|
|
| n.女士 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
melancholy
|
|
| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
opposition
|
|
| n.反对，敌对 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
rosy
|
|
| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
hues
|
|
| 色彩( hue的名词复数 )； 色调； 信仰； 观点 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
penetrating
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
pointed
|
|
| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
spoke
|
|
| 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 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
softened
|
|
| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
reign
|
|
| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
favourable
|
|
| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
revolving
|
|
| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
acting
|
|
| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
perplexed
|
|
| adj.不知所措的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
pretence
|
|
| n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
detailed
|
|
| adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
sinister
|
|
| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
narrative
|
|
| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
abated
|
|
| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
considerably
|
|
| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
discourse
|
|
| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
hood
|
|
| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |