Tom saw the window square light up and frame the familiar picture of a life’s mornings—the oasthouse, the lombardy poplar topping the barn, the little patch of distant fields seen between the oast and the jutting8 farmhouse9 gable. The bed was pulled up close to the window, to allow of the door being opened, and he could lie on his side and look straight out at the loved common things which perhaps he might never see just so again.
It all looked very quiet, and rather cold, and the early sunless light gave it a peculiar10 lifelessness, as if it was something painted, or cut in cardboard. Even Tom was conscious of its cold, dreamlike quality; he always said [63] that “the yard looked corpsy at break o’ day.” Then the distant view of little fields suddenly swam into golden light, as a long finger of sunlight stroked the barn-roofs, then stabbed in at the window, throwing a shaft11 of dancing golden motes12 across the room. Tom rose, climbed out of bed over Zacky, and in about three square feet of floor space shaved and dressed. Then he went downstairs, unlocked the house door and stole out to his last morning’s work.
No one was about; it was not till more than an hour later that the two antique farm-hands, Elphick and Juglery, came up from Worge Cottages. By that time Tom had milked the cows, mixed the chicken food, and driven the horses down to Forges field. He gave the two unskilled labourers their orders for the day as if he expected to be there to see them carried out. By that time Ivy13 was hunting for eggs, and Mrs. Beatup was struggling with the kitchen fire, while Mus’ Beatup, in practical, unlearned mood, had gone to the Sunk field to inspect the ewes.
As Ivy came out of the hen-house and crossed the yard, cheery, healthy, blowsy, with eggs in a bowl, Tom had a sudden thought of giving her Mr. Sumption’s message. But he held his tongue. He had meant what he said when he told the minister he was not going to meddle14. He had long been convinced of the fact that his sister knew her own business; besides, Jerry ... that lousy gipsy chap.... Pastor15 might say he was getting on valiant16, but all Dallington knew that he had been given seven days C.B. within a week of his joining.
So, with nothing for Ivy but a nod, Tom went in to breakfast. Time was short, but the breakfast was still in a rudimentary state. Mrs. Beatup fought with the kitchen fire among whorls of smoke, while Nell, coughing pathetically, laid the table. Harry17 in a fit of brotherly [64] love was cleaning Tom’s best boots ready for his journey to Lewes—no one ever went to Lewes in any but Sunday clothes.
“Oh, is that you, Tom? I hope as you aun’t in a hurry. This fire’s bewitched. Nell, give your brother a cut off the loaf. You’d better git started, Tom, or you’ll lose your train.”
So Tom’s last breakfast at Worge was eaten in confusion and mess, the family dropping in one by one for cuts off the loaf or helpings18 of cold bacon spotted19 with large blisters20 of grease. Last of all the breakfast arrived, in the shape of the tea-pot, and a special boiled egg for Tom. He was not able to do more than gulp21 down the egg and scald himself with the tea. Then it was time to go. He had already tied up a few little things in a handkerchief—a razor, a piece of soap, an old frosted Christmas card which for some obscure reason he treasured—so there was nothing to do but to say good-bye and beat it for Hailsham, a good seven miles.
Mus’ Beatup put down his tea-cup and looked solemn.
“Well, good-bye, my lad. I reckon you’ve got to go. Everyone’s off to fight now, seemingly, so I suppose you must do wot others do. Not that I think so much of this war as some folks seem to—it’s bin22 going on nigh two years now, and I can’t see as we’re any of us a penny the better off. Howsumdever....”
“He’s going to stop it,” said Nell, her face pink.
“Ho, is he? Well, I’ve no objection. Maybe I’ll write you a letter, Tom, when Maudie calves23.”
“I’d be much obliged if you would, faather, and tell me how the wheat does this year, and them new oats by the Street.”
“Good-bye, Tom,” said Harry. [65] “I shall miss you unaccountable.”
“And I’ll miss you, too,” said Zacky, “but there’ll be more room in the bed.”
Tom kissed them sheepishly all round, then walked out of the door without a word.
He was in the yard, when he heard footsteps creaking after him, and turned round to see his mother.
“Wait a bit, Tom,” she panted; “I’ll go wud you to the geate.”
He was surprised, but it did not strike him to say so. They walked down the drive together almost in silence, the boy hanging his head. Mrs. Beatup sniffed24 and choked repeatedly.
“Doan’t go near those Germans, Tom,” she said, when they came to a standstill. “If you do, you’ll be killed for certain sure.”
“I’ll go where I’m put, surelye,” said Tom gloomily.
“Well, be careful, that’s all. Kip well behind the other lads, and doan’t go popping your head over walls or meddling25 wud cannons26. And kip your feet dry, Tom, and doan’t git into temptation.”
“I promise, mother,” he mumbled27 against her neck, and they kissed each other many times before she let him go.
The Rifle Volunteer looked down from his sign, where he stood in the grey uniform and mutton-chop whiskers of an earlier dispensation, and stared at the stocky, shambling little figure that trudged28 its unwilling29 way to sacrifice—past Worge Cottages, stewing30 in the sunshine like pippins, past Egypt Farm (which Bill Putland would leave later and more conveniently in his father’s dog-cart), past the shop, with a glance half shy, half beseeching31, at the drawn32 blinds, past the willow33 pond, out of Sunday Street, into the long yellow road that led to the unsought, undesired adventure.
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1
slanting
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| 倾斜的，歪斜的 | |
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2
loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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3
hazy
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| adj.有薄雾的，朦胧的；不肯定的，模糊的 | |
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4
blues
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| n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐 | |
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lustreless
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| adj.无光泽的，无光彩的，平淡乏味的 | |
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6
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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7
rust
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| n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退 | |
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8
jutting
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| v.（使）突出( jut的现在分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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9
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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shaft
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| n.(工具的)柄，杆状物 | |
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12
motes
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| n.尘埃( mote的名词复数 )；斑点 | |
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13
ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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14
meddle
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| v.干预，干涉，插手 | |
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15
pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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16
valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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17
harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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18
helpings
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| n.（食物）的一份( helping的名词复数 )；帮助，支持 | |
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19
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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20
blisters
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| n.水疱( blister的名词复数 )；水肿；气泡 | |
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21
gulp
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| vt.吞咽，大口地吸（气）；vi.哽住；n.吞咽 | |
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22
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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23
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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24
sniffed
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| v.以鼻吸气，嗅，闻( sniff的过去式和过去分词 )；抽鼻子（尤指哭泣、患感冒等时出声地用鼻子吸气）；抱怨，不以为然地说 | |
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25
meddling
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| v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 ) | |
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26
cannons
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| n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 ) | |
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27
mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
trudged
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| vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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29
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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30
stewing
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| 炖 | |
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31
beseeching
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| adj.恳求似的v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的现在分词 ) | |
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32
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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33
willow
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| n.柳树 | |
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