For instance, in the year 1878, the Panorama1 which had started with the Battle of Trafalgar and the Royal Gardens of Vauxhall, now gave thrilling if belated episodes of the Siege of Paris, and a gorgeous picture of the Queen being declared Empress of India at Delhi. The merry-go round not only went by steam, but was accompanied by a steam organ playing "The Swell2 Commercial" and "Married to a Mermaid3" unfalteringly from noon till night. In the shooting gallery men potted Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Dillon, and Charles Peace, instead of the Russian Czar or Nana Sahib of their youth, or the hated Boney of their fathers. It all moved with the times, and yet remained four or five years behind them. One came in contact with movements which had just ebbed4 from the country, waves that had rolled back everywhere except in these lonely rural districts where interests and hatreds5 came later and lingered longer than in more accessible parts.
The population had altered too. Old Gideon Teazel had died some years ago, and his son Jasper was boss in his place. He was unlike his father both in character and physique, an undersized little ruffian, seasoned by a long career in horse-stealing, who beat his wife openly on the caravan6 steps, and boasted that he had landed more flats at thimble-rig than any thimble-engro in England. He would have cheated the shirt off any man at the Show, and established a sort of ascendancy7 through sheer dread8 of his cunning. The only man who did not fear him was Mexico Bill, a half-breed in charge of the cocoanut shie. Mexico Bill feared only the man who could knock him out, and that man had not yet been found in Boarzell Fair. As a matter of fact he was usually pretty genial9 and docile10, but he had been wounded in the head by Indians long ago, and [Pg 352]sometimes went mad and ran amok. On these occasions the only thing to do was to trip him up, and enrol11 as many volunteers as possible to sit on him till he came to his senses.
There was no longer any fiddler at the Fair. Harry12 Backfield's successor had been a hurdy-gurdy which played dance music louder and more untiringly than any human arm could do. Dancing was still a vital part of the festivities, but it was more decorous than in the days when Reuben and Naomi had danced together to the tune13 of "Seth's House," or Robert and Bessie to "My Decided14 Decision." Only in the evening it became rowdy, when the sun had set and the mists had walled in the Show with nacreous battlements.
Joe and Caro joined the dancers on their arrival. It was the first time in her life that Caro had danced at the Fair, and the experience thrilled her as wonderfully as if it had not been just a link in the chain of a hundred new experiences. The hurdy-gurdy was playing "See me Dance the Polka," and off they skipped, to steps of their own, betraying in Dansay's case a hornpipe origin.
She saw people that she knew, but had no fear of betrayal, unless from Pete, who was, however, safe in the fighting-booth, now conveniently banished15 by public opinion to the outskirts16 of the Fair. Pete would "tell on" her, she knew, but no one else cared enough for Reuben to betray his daughter to him. She looked with kindly17 eyes on all the world as her accomplice—that all the world loves a lover is primarily the lover's point of view.
Besides, she was lost in the crowd which jigged18 and clumped19 around her, not even daunted20 by the unfamiliar21 waltz that the hurdy-gurdy struck up next. Nobody, except fanatics22, bothered about steps, so one could dance to any tune.
In time Caro grew tired, and they wandered off to the shooting-gallery and the merry-go-round. They[Pg 353] patronised the cocoanut shie, and won a gilt23 saucer at the hoop-là stall. In the gipsy's tent Caro was told that she would ride in a carriage with a lord, and have six fine children, all boys, while Dansay was promised such wealth that he would be able to throw gold to crossing-sweepers. They sat in the Panorama till it stuck fast at a gorgeous tableau24 of Britannia ruling the waves from what looked like a bath chair. Joe bought Caro a pie at the refreshment25 stall, and himself ate many beef rolls. She was overwhelmed by the lavish26 way he spent his money, and quite relieved for his sake when they went back to the dancing green.
The day had slipped by, and twilight27 was settling down on the Fair. The stalls flared28 up, a red glow streamed into the sky, and patched the shagginess of Boarzell's firs with crimson29 shreds30. The dancing had become more disorderly, the decent folk had retired31, and left the madder element to its revels33. The mass of the dancers was blurred34, confused in the grey smeeth. It seemed to invite Joe and Caro, for now in the thick of it one could give and take surreptitious kisses; some of the kisses were not even surreptitious—the love-making was becoming nearly as open as in the days when Reuben and Naomi had danced together. Caro was no longer shocked at the "goings-on," which had used to scandalise her in earlier years when she knew them scarcely more than by hearsay35. Her very innocence36 had made her easier to corrupt37, and she now joined in the revel32 with a delight scarcely less abandoned, if more na?ve, than that of the cottage wantons who bumped round her. It was all so new, and yet so natural, this kicking and capering38 to a jigging39 tune. Who would have imagined that the lonely bitter Caro, enviously40 watching the fun in earlier years, should now have both a partner and a lover? She laughed like a child at the thought.
Then suddenly her laughter died; her expression became fixed41, and she swayed a little in Joe's arms, as[Pg 354] she stared into the crowd of spectators. They were on the outskirts of the dancers, and quite close to them stood Pete. He had come out of the fighting-booth, still in his bruiser's dressing-gown, evidently to watch the fun. He was looking straight at Caro as she danced dishevelled, and both he and Dansay knew that he had recognised her. They saw his lips tighten42, and an angry look came on his face which his profession had not made more benevolent43 than Nature intended.
"Quick," muttered Joe, and he guided her cleverly enough through the pack of dancers, leading her out on the opposite side.
"Oh, Joe, he's seen us."
Dansay bit his lip—he was afraid so.
Caro began to cry.
"My f?ather will kill me, surelye."
She knew for certain that Pete would tell him, and then almost quite as certainly she would lose the adventure which had become life itself to her. She would be driven back into the old prison, the old loneliness, the old despair. She clung to Dansay, weeping and frantic44:
"Oh, Joe—d?an't let them find me. I can't lose you—I w?an't lose you—I love you so."
He was leading her away from the people, to the back of the stalls. He was nearly as miserable45 and aghast as she. For he had become extraordinarily46 fond of her during those few weeks, and the thought of losing her turned him cold. He had been a fool to bring her to the Fair.
"You must come away with me," he said abruptly47.
"Oh, Joe!"
It was a bold step, but he saw that none other would serve, and he realised that she was not the kind of woman to take advantage of him and make herself a permanent encumbrance48.
"Yes—there's nothing for it but that. We'll go[Pg 355] down and stay at the Camber. You'll be safe with me, and I've got a little money put by."
Considering how much she had already given him, it was perhaps strange that she shuddered49 a little at this open venture.
"You'll be good to me, Joe!"
"Won't I, just!"
Something in the wistfulness and humility50 of her appeal had touched him to the heart; he clasped her to him with a passion for once free from roughness, and for one moment at least had every intention of sticking to her for ever.
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收听单词发音
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1
panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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2
swell
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| vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强 | |
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3
mermaid
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| n.美人鱼 | |
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ebbed
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| （指潮水）退( ebb的过去式和过去分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落 | |
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hatreds
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| n.仇恨，憎恶( hatred的名词复数 )；厌恶的事 | |
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caravan
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| n.大蓬车；活动房屋 | |
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7
ascendancy
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| n.统治权，支配力量 | |
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8
dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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9
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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docile
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| adj.驯服的，易控制的，容易教的 | |
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enrol
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| v.（使）注册入学，（使）入学，（使）入会 | |
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harry
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| vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼 | |
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13
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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14
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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15
banished
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| v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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16
outskirts
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| n.郊外，郊区 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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18
jigged
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| v.（使）上下急动( jig的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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19
clumped
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| adj.[医]成群的v.（树、灌木、植物等的）丛、簇( clump的过去式和过去分词 )；（土、泥等）团；块；笨重的脚步声 | |
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daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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unfamiliar
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| adj.陌生的，不熟悉的 | |
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fanatics
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| 狂热者，入迷者( fanatic的名词复数 ) | |
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23
gilt
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| adj.镀金的；n.金边证券 | |
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24
tableau
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| n.画面，活人画（舞台上活人扮的静态画面） | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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26
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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27
twilight
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| n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期 | |
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28
Flared
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| adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词 | |
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29
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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30
shreds
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| v.撕碎，切碎( shred的第三人称单数 )；用撕毁机撕毁（文件） | |
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31
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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32
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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33
revels
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| n.作乐( revel的名词复数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉v.作乐( revel的第三人称单数 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉 | |
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34
blurred
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| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
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35
hearsay
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| n.谣传，风闻 | |
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36
innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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37
corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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38
capering
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| v.跳跃，雀跃( caper的现在分词 )；蹦蹦跳跳 | |
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39
jigging
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| n.跳汰选，簸选v.（使）上下急动( jig的现在分词 ) | |
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40
enviously
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| adv.满怀嫉妒地 | |
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41
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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42
tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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43
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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44
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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45
miserable
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| adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的 | |
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46
extraordinarily
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| adv.格外地；极端地 | |
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47
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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48
encumbrance
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| n.妨碍物，累赘 | |
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49
shuddered
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| v.战栗( shudder的过去式和过去分词 )；发抖；（机器、车辆等）突然震动；颤动 | |
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50
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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