Mr. Sumption, after one or two abortive6 attempts at persuading Ivy to take his boy, tried to detach Jerry from the vain quest which was spoiling these precious days.
“There’s many another girl that would have you, Jerry—and a better match, too, for a clergyman’s son.”
“I know there is—and I’ve had ’em—and thrown ’em away again. She’s the only one I’ve ever wanted for keeps.”
When he heard this, Mr. Sumption felt as if his heart would break.
At last came the end of Jerry’s leave. It was starless dusk, with clouds swagging on the thundery wind. Pools and spills of white light came from the west, making the fields look ghostly in the dripping swale. At Worge a scent7 of withering8 corn-stalks came from the fields where the crops had been cut at last, and as Jerry stood in the doorway9 the first dead leaves of the year fell on his shoulders.
“Come out with me, Ivy. It’s for the last time, and I hate your kitchen with the ceiling on my head, and your mother spannelling round.”
Ivy was in a good humour. The joy of freedom was already upon her—she felt confident, and knew that there would be no lapses this evening. So she put a shawl over her head and went out with him. They [93] passed through the yard and the orchard10 into the grass-fields by Forges Wood.
The field was tangled11 and soggy, full of coarse, sour grass. In the dip of it, by the wood’s edge, toadstools spread dim tents, or squashed invisibly underfoot, as the twilight12 drank up all colours save white and grey.
“I’ve trod on a filthy13 toadstool, and my foot’s all over scum,” said Ivy, rubbing her shoe in the grass. “Let’s git through the h?adge, Jerry, into the dry stubble.”
“This is a better place to say good-bye.”
“We’ll say good-bye in the house. Now, none of your nonsense, Jerry Sumption”—as he put his arm round her waist.
“But it’s my last evening.”
“Well, I’ve come for a walk. Wot more d’you want? I’m naun for cuddling, if that’s wot you’re after. I’ll give you a kiss, full and fair, when we say good-bye in the house, but there’s to be no lovering under h?adges.”
“You’ve been unkind all along. You’ve spoilt my leave.”
“That’s your own fault, surelye. I’ve bin14 straight wud you.”
He laughed bitterly. Then his laugh broke into a gipsy whine15.
“Ivy, are you sure—quite sure you’ll never love me?”
“Quite sure—as I’ve told you a dunnamany times.”
“But I don’t mean now ... some day ... Ivy?”
In the dusk his face showed white as the toadstools at her feet, but she stood firm, for his sake as well as her own.
“It’s no use talking about ‘some day’—I tell you it’s never.”
[94]
“Never!—and you’ve let me hold you and kiss you....”
“Only now and then—saum as I’d let any nice lad.”
His eyes blazed.
“You little bitch!”
“Mind your words, my boy—and leave hoald of my arm, and come into the next field, or I’ll git hoame.”
But he did not move, and his grip on her arm tightened16.
“I want you. I reckon you don’t know what that means when I say I want you, or you wouldn’t be so damn cruel. Ivy, I can’t leave you like this. I can’t go back to camp knowing I’m just nothing to you. You must give me some sort of hope. It’s not fair to have led me on——”
“I never led you on——”
Her limbs were shaking. An unaccountable terror had seized her—a terror of him, with his hot, gripping hand and blazing eyes, of the field so dim and sour, its grass scummy with the spilth of trampled17 toadstools, of the wood close by with its spindled ashes and clumping18 oaks....
“Let me go!” she cried suddenly, in a weak frightened voice.
For answer he pulled her into his arms, and held her with her breast bruised19 against his.
“I shan’t let you go—I’ll never let you go. Come into the wood, Ivy. Don’t be afraid ... I love you.... Come into the wood—there’s nothing to be afraid of. I wouldn’t hurt you for worlds.”
He tried to pick her up and carry her, but she struggled desperately20 and broke free.
[95]
“This has justabout finished it all, Jerry Sumption. You’re a beast—I’ll never let you come nigh me agaun. You’ve a-done for yourself. I’ve bin good to you and straight wud you, and I’d have gone on being friends; but now I’ve a-done wud you for good.”
Her voice broke with rage, and she turned to run home. But he grabbed her again, and this time she could not escape. He was a small man, and she was a big whacking21 girl; but madness was in him, and his arms were like iron clamps.
“You shan’t get shut of me like that. I tell you I mean to have you ... and wot’s more I’ll make you have me. I’ll break your pride—I’ll make you want to have me, ask me to take you.”
Ivy screamed.
“Scream away. No one ull hear. I’ve got you, and I’m damned if I let you go till I please.... To-morrow you’ll be on your knees, begging me to take you and save you.”
He clapped his hand over her mouth, and forced back her head, kissing her strained and aching neck till she screamed with pain as well as with fright. Her cries were stilled under his palm, her head swam, her strength was leaving her ... she was down on one knee ... then suddenly, she could never remember how, she was free, and running, running as she had never run before, her breath sobbing22 in her throat—across the field of the toadstools and sour grass, away from the shadow of Forges Wood, in the orchard, to see the gable of Worge rising against the pewter—grey of the clouds that hid the moon.
At the orchard edge she had the sense to stop and tidy herself. There was no longer any fear of pursuit—if indeed she had ever been pursued. She had dropped her shawl in the field, her blouse was torn open at the neck, her hair was down on her shoulders, and her face all blotched with excitement and tears. Also, a new experience, she was trembling from head to foot, and her shaking hands could scarcely fasten her blouse and twist up her hair.
[96]
“You beast!” she sobbed23, as she fumbled24; “you beast! You dirty gipsy!”
Then an unaccountable longing25 seized her for her mother—she longed to throw her arms round her mother’s neck and cry upon her shoulder. With a little plaintive26 moan she started off again for the house, but by the time she reached the doorstep the craving27 had passed.
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1
ivy
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| n.常青藤，常春藤 | |
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2
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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3
lapses
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| n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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abortive
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| adj.不成功的，发育不全的 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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9
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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10
orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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11
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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12
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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13
filthy
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| adj.卑劣的；恶劣的，肮脏的 | |
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14
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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15
whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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17
trampled
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| 踩( trample的过去式和过去分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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18
clumping
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| v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的现在分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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19
bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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whacking
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| adj.（用于强调）巨大的v.重击，使劲打( whack的现在分词 ) | |
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22
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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sobbed
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| 哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说 | |
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24
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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25
longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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