Time passed, and the household on the Knap became again serene1 underthe composing influences of daily routine. A desultory2, verydesultory correspondence, dragged on between Sally Hall and Darton,who, not quite knowing how to take her petulant3 words on the nightof her brother's death, had continued passive thus long. Helena andher children remained at the dairy-house, almost of necessity, andDarton therefore deemed it advisable to stay away.
One day, seven months later on, when Mr. Darton was as usual at hisfarm, twenty miles from Hintock, a note reached him from Helena.
She thanked him for his kind offer about her children, which hermother-in-law had duly communicated, and stated that she would beglad to accept it as regarded the eldest4, the boy. Helena had, intruth, good need to do so, for her uncle had left her penniless, andall application to some relatives in the north had failed. Therewas, besides, as she said, no good school near Hintock to which shecould send the child.
On a fine summer day the boy came. He was accompanied half-way bySally and his mother--to the 'White Horse,' at Chalk Newton--wherehe was handed over to Darton's bailiff in a shining spring-cart, whomet them there.
He was entered as a day-scholar at a popular school at Casterbridge,three or four miles from Darton's, having first been taught byDarton to ride a forest-pony, on which he cantered to and from theaforesaid fount of knowledge, and (as Darton hoped) brought away apromising headful of the same at each diurnal6 expedition. Thethoughtful taciturnity into which Darton had latterly fallen wasquite dissipated by the presence of this boy.
When the Christmas holidays came it was arranged that he shouldspend them with his mother. The journey was, for some reason orother, performed in two stages, as at his coming, except that Dartonin person took the place of the bailiff, and that the boy andhimself rode on horseback.
Reaching the renowned7 'White Horse,' Darton inquired if Miss andyoung Mrs. Hall were there to meet little Philip (as they had agreedto be). He was answered by the appearance of Helena alone at thedoor.
'At the last moment Sally would not come,' she faltered8.
That meeting practically settled the point towards which these long-severed persons were converging9. But nothing was broached10 about itfor some time yet. Sally Hall had, in fact, imparted the firstdecisive motion to events by refusing to accompany Helena. She soongave them a second move by writing the following note'[Private.]
'DEAR CHARLES,--Living here so long and intimately with Helena, Ihave naturally learnt her history, especially that of it whichrefers to you. I am sure she would accept you as a husband at theproper time, and I think you ought to give her the opportunity. Youinquire in an old note if I am sorry that I showed temper (which itWASN'T) that night when I heard you talking to her. No, Charles, Iam not sorry at all for what I said then.--Yours sincerely, SALLYHALL.'
Thus set in train, the transfer of Darton's heart back to itsoriginal quarters proceeded by mere11 lapse12 of time. In the followingJuly, Darton went to his friend Japheth to ask him at last to fulfilthe bridal office which had been in abeyance13 since the previousJanuary twelvemonths.
'With all my heart, man o' constancy!' said Dairyman Johns warmly.
'I've lost most of my genteel fair complexion14 haymaking this hotweather, 'tis true, but I'll do your business as well as them thatlook better. There be scents16 and good hair-oil in the world yet,thank God, and they'll take off the roughest o' my edge. I'llcompliment her. "Better late than never, Sally Hall," I'll say.'
'It is not Sally,' said Darton hurriedly. 'It is young Mrs. Hall.'
Japheth's face, as soon as he really comprehended, became a pictureof reproachful dismay. 'Not Sally?' he said. 'Why not Sally? Ican't believe it! Young Mrs. Hall! Well, well--where's yourwisdom?'
Darton shortly explained particulars; but Johns would not bereconciled. 'She was a woman worth having if ever woman was,' hecried. 'And now to let her go!'
'But I suppose I can marry where I like,' said Darton.
'H'm,' replied the dairyman, lifting his eyebrows17 expressively18.
'This don't become you, Charles--it really do not. If I had donesuch a thing you would have sworn I was a curst no'thern fool to bedrawn off the scent15 by such a red-herring doll-oll-oll.'
Farmer Darton responded in such sharp terms to this laconic19 opinionthat the two friends finally parted in a way they had never partedbefore. Johns was to be no groomsman to Darton after all. He hadflatly declined. Darton went off sorry, and even unhappy,particularly as Japheth was about to leave that side of the county,so that the words which had divided them were not likely to beexplained away or softened20 down.
A short time after the interview Darton was united to Helena at asimple matter-of fact wedding; and she and her little girl joinedthe boy who had already grown to look on Darton's house as home.
For some months the farmer experienced an unprecedented21 happinessand satisfaction. There had been a flaw in his life, and it was asneatly mended as was humanly possible. But after a season thestream of events followed less clearly, and there were shades in hisreveries. Helena was a fragile woman, of little staying power,physically or morally, and since the time that he had originallyknown her--eight or ten years before--she had been severely22 tried.
She had loved herself out, in short, and was now occasionally givento moping. Sometimes she spoke23 regretfully of the gentilities ofher early life, and instead of comparing her present state with hercondition as the wife of the unlucky Hall, she mused24 rather on whatit had been before she took the first fatal step of clandestinelymarrying him. She did not care to please such people as those withwhom she was thrown as a thriving farmer's wife. She allowed thepretty trifles of agricultural domesticity to glide25 by her as sorrydetails, and had it not been for the children Darton's house wouldhave seemed but little brighter than it had been before.
This led to occasional unpleasantness, until Darton sometimesdeclared to himself that such endeavours as his to rectify26 earlydeviations of the heart by harking back to the old point mostlyfailed of success. 'Perhaps Johns was right,' he would say. 'Ishould have gone on with Sally. Better go with the tide and makethe best of its course than stem it at the risk of a capsize.' Buthe kept these unmelodious thoughts to himself, and was outwardlyconsiderate and kind.
This somewhat barren tract27 of his life had extended to less than ayear and a half when his ponderings were cut short by the loss ofthe woman they concerned. When she was in her grave he thoughtbetter of her than when she had been alive; the farm was a worseplace without her than with her, after all. No woman short ofdivine could have gone through such an experience as hers with herfirst husband without becoming a little soured. Her stagnantsympathies, her sometimes unreasonable28 manner, had covered a heartfrank and well meaning, and originally hopeful and warm. She lefthim a tiny red infant in white wrappings. To make life as easy aspossible to this touching29 object became at once his care.
As this child learnt to walk and talk Darton learnt to seefeasibility in a scheme which pleased him. Revolving30 the experimentwhich he had hitherto made upon life, he fancied he had gainedwisdom from his mistakes and caution from his miscarriages31.
What the scheme was needs no penetration32 to discover. Once more hehad opportunity to recast and rectify his ill-wrought situations byreturning to Sally Hall, who still lived quietly on under hermother's roof at Hintock. Helena had been a woman to lend pathosand refinement33 to a home; Sally was the woman to brighten it. Shewould not, as Helena did, despise the rural simplicities34 of afarmer's fireside. Moreover, she had a pre-eminent qualificationfor Darton's household; no other woman could make so desirable amother to her brother's two children and Darton's one as Sally--while Darton, now that Helena had gone, was a more promising5 husbandfor Sally than he had ever been when liable to reminders35 from anuncured sentimental36 wound.
Darton was not a man to act rapidly, and the working out of hisreparative designs might have been delayed for some time. But therecame a winter evening precisely37 like the one which had darkened overthat former ride to Hintock, and he asked himself why he shouldpostpone longer, when the very landscape called for a repetition ofthat attempt.
He told his man to saddle the mare38, booted and spurred himself witha younger horseman's nicety, kissed the two youngest children, androde off. To make the journey a complete parallel to the first, hewould fain have had his old acquaintance Japheth Johns with him.
But Johns, alas39! was missing. His removal to the other side of thecounty had left unrepaired the breach40 which had arisen between himand Darton; and though Darton had forgiven him a hundred times, asJohns had probably forgiven Darton, the effort of reunion in presentcircumstances was one not likely to be made.
He screwed himself up to as cheerful a pitch as he could without hisformer crony, and became content with his own thoughts as he rode,instead of the words of a companion. The sun went down; the boughsappeared scratched in like an etching against the sky; old crookedmen with faggots at their backs said 'Good-night, sir,' and Dartonreplied 'Good-night' right heartily41.
By the time he reached the forking roads it was getting as dark asit had been on the occasion when Johns climbed the directing-post.
Darton made no mistake this time. 'Nor shall I be able to mistake,thank Heaven, when I arrive,' he murmured. It gave him peculiarsatisfaction to think that the proposed marriage, like his first,was of the nature of setting in order things long awry42, and not amomentary freak of fancy.
Nothing hindered the smoothness of his journey, which seemed nothalf its former length. Though dark, it was only between five andsix o'clock when the bulky chimneys of Mrs. Hall's residenceappeared in view behind the sycamore-tree. On second thoughts heretreated and put up at the ale-house as in former time; and when hehad plumed43 himself before the inn mirror, called for something todrink, and smoothed out the incipient44 wrinkles of care, he walked onto the Knap with a quick step.
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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desultory
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| adj.散漫的，无方法的 | |
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petulant
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| adj.性急的，暴躁的 | |
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eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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diurnal
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| adj.白天的，每日的 | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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converging
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| adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集 | |
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broached
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| v.谈起( broach的过去式和过去分词 )；打开并开始用；用凿子扩大（或修光）；（在桶上）钻孔取液体 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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lapse
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| n.过失，流逝，失效，抛弃信仰，间隔；vi.堕落，停止，失效，流逝；vt.使失效 | |
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abeyance
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| n.搁置，缓办，中止，产权未定 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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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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scents
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| n.香水( scent的名词复数 )；气味；（动物的）臭迹；（尤指狗的）嗅觉 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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expressively
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| ad.表示(某事物)地；表达地 | |
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laconic
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| adj.简洁的；精练的 | |
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softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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unprecedented
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| adj.无前例的，新奇的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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spoke
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| 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 | |
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mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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glide
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| n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝 | |
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rectify
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| v.订正，矫正，改正 | |
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tract
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| n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林) | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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revolving
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| adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想 | |
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miscarriages
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| 流产( miscarriage的名词复数 ) | |
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penetration
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| n.穿透，穿人，渗透 | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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simplicities
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| n.简单，朴素，率直( simplicity的名词复数 ) | |
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reminders
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| n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信 | |
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sentimental
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| adj.多愁善感的，感伤的 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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awry
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| adj.扭曲的，错的 | |
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plumed
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| 饰有羽毛的 | |
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incipient
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| adj.起初的，发端的，初期的 | |
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