Their trip, as such, had been something of a failure. They had gone on as far as Falmouth, but here he had given way to her entreaties3 to return home. This they could not very well do without repassing through Pen-zephyr, at which place they had now again arrived.
In the train she had seen a weekly local paper, and read there a paragraph detailing the inquest on Charles. It was added that the funeral was to take place at his native town of Redrutin on Friday.
After reading this she had shown no reluctance4 to enter the fatal neighbourhood of the tragedy, only stipulating5 that they should take their rest at a different lodging6 from the first; and now comparatively braced7 up and calm—indeed a cooler creature altogether than when last in the town, she said to David that she wanted to walk out for a while, as they had plenty of time on their hands.
‘To a shop as usual, I suppose, mee deer?’
‘Partly for shopping,’ she said. ‘And it will be best for you, dear, to stay in after trotting8 about so much, and have a good rest while I am gone.’
He assented9; and Baptista sallied forth10. As she had stated, her first visit was made to a shop, a draper’s. Without the exercise of much choice she purchased a black bonnet11 and veil, also a black stuff gown; a black mantle12 she already wore. These articles were made up into a parcel which, in spite of the saleswoman’s offers, her customer said she would take with her. Bearing it on her arm she turned to the railway, and at the station got a ticket for Redrutin.
Thus it appeared that, on her recovery from the paralyzed mood of the former day, while she had resolved not to blast utterly13 the happiness of her present husband by revealing the history of the departed one, she had also determined14 to indulge a certain odd, inconsequent, feminine sentiment of decency15, to the small extent to which it could do no harm to any person. At Redrutin she emerged from the railway carriage in the black attire16 purchased at the shop, having during the transit17 made the change in the empty compartment18 she had chosen. The other clothes were now in the bandbox and parcel. Leaving these at the cloak-room she proceeded onward19, and after a wary20 survey reached the side of a hill whence a view of the burial ground could be obtained.
It was now a little before two o’clock. While Baptista waited a funeral procession ascended21 the road. Baptista hastened across, and by the time the procession entered the cemetery22 gates she had unobtrusively joined it.
In addition to the schoolmaster’s own relatives (not a few), the paragraph in the newspapers of his death by drowning had drawn2 together many neighbours, acquaintances, and onlookers23. Among them she passed unnoticed, and with a quiet step pursued the winding24 path to the chapel25, and afterwards thence to the grave. When all was over, and the relatives and idlers had withdrawn, she stepped to the edge of the chasm26. From beneath her mantle she drew a little bunch of forget-me-nots, and dropped them in upon the coffin27. In a few minutes she also turned and went away from the cemetery. By five o’clock she was again in Pen-zephyr.
‘You have been a mortal long time!’ said her husband, crossly. ‘I allowed you an hour at most, mee deer.’
‘It occupied me longer,’ said she.
‘Well—I reckon it is wasting words to complain. Hang it, ye look so tired and wisht that I can’t find heart to say what I would!’
‘I am—weary and wisht, David; I am. We can get home to-morrow for certain, I hope?’
‘We can. And please God we will!’ said Mr. Heddegan heartily28, as if he too were weary of his brief honeymoon29. ‘I must be into business again on Monday morning at latest.’
They left by the next morning steamer, and in the afternoon took up their residence in their own house at Giant’s Town.
The hour that she reached the island it was as if a material weight had been removed from Baptista’s shoulders. Her husband attributed the change to the influence of the local breezes after the hot-house atmosphere of the mainland. However that might be, settled here, a few doors from her mother’s dwelling30, she recovered in no very long time much of her customary bearing, which was never very demonstrative. She accepted her position calmly, and faintly smiled when her neighbours learned to call her Mrs. Heddegan, and said she seemed likely to become the leader of fashion in Giant’s Town.
Her husband was a man who had made considerably31 more money by trade than her father had done: and perhaps the greater profusion32 of surroundings at her command than she had heretofore been mistress of, was not without an effect upon her. One week, two weeks, three weeks passed; and, being pre-eminently a young woman who allowed things to drift, she did nothing whatever either to disclose or conceal33 traces of her first marriage; or to learn if there existed possibilities—which there undoubtedly34 did—by which that hasty contract might become revealed to those about her at any unexpected moment.
While yet within the first month of her marriage, and on an evening just before sunset, Baptista was standing35 within her garden adjoining the house, when she saw passing along the road a personage clad in a greasy36 black coat and battered37 tall hat, which, common enough in the slums of a city, had an odd appearance in St. Maria’s. The tramp, as he seemed to be, marked her at once—bonnetless and unwrapped as she was her features were plainly recognizable—and with an air of friendly surprise came and leant over the wall.
‘What! don’t you know me?’ said he.
She had some dim recollection of his face, but said that she was not acquainted with him.
‘Why, your witness to be sure, ma’am. Don’t you mind the man that was mending the church-window when you and your intended husband walked up to be made one; and the clerk called me down from the ladder, and I came and did my part by writing my name and occupation?’
Baptista glanced quickly around; her husband was out of earshot. That would have been of less importance but for the fact that the wedding witnessed by this personage had not been the wedding with Mr. Heddegan, but the one on the day previous.
‘I’ve had a misfortune since then, that’s pulled me under,’ continued her friend. ‘But don’t let me damp yer wedded38 joy by naming the particulars. Yes, I’ve seen changes since; though ’tis but a short time ago—let me see, only a month next week, I think; for ’twere the first or second day in August.’
‘Yes—that’s when it was,’ said another man, a sailor, who had come up with a pipe in his mouth, and felt it necessary to join in (Baptista having receded39 to escape further speech). ‘For that was the first time I set foot in Giant’s Town; and her husband took her to him the same day.’
A dialogue then proceeded between the two men outside the wall, which Baptista could not help hearing.
‘Ay, I signed the book that made her one flesh,’ repeated the decayed glazier. ‘Where’s her goodman?’
‘About the premises40 somewhere; but you don’t see ’em together much,’ replied the sailor in an undertone. ‘You see, he’s older than she.’
‘Older? I should never have thought it from my own observation,’ said the glazier. ‘He was a remarkably41 handsome man.’
‘Handsome? Well, there he is—we can see for ourselves.’
David Heddegan had, indeed, just shown himself at the upper end of the garden; and the glazier, looking in bewilderment from the husband to the wife, saw the latter turn pale.
Now that decayed glazier was a far-seeing and cunning man—too far-seeing and cunning to allow himself to thrive by simple and straightforward42 means—and he held his peace, till he could read more plainly the meaning of this riddle43, merely adding carelessly, ‘Well—marriage do alter a man, ’tis true. I should never ha’ knowed him!’
He then stared oddly at the disconcerted Baptista, and moving on to where he could again address her, asked her to do him a good turn, since he once had done the same for her. Understanding that he meant money, she handed him some, at which he thanked her, and instantly went away.
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收听单词发音
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1
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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2
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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3
entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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4
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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5
stipulating
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| v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的现在分词 )；规定，明确要求 | |
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6
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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7
braced
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| adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来 | |
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8
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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9
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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11
bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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12
mantle
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| n.斗篷，覆罩之物，罩子；v.罩住，覆盖，脸红 | |
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13
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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14
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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15
decency
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| n.体面，得体，合宜，正派，庄重 | |
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16
attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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17
transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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18
compartment
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| n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间 | |
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19
onward
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| adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先 | |
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20
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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21
ascended
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
cemetery
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| n.坟墓，墓地，坟场 | |
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23
onlookers
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| n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 ) | |
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24
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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25
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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chasm
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| n.深坑，断层，裂口，大分岐，利害冲突 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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28
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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29
honeymoon
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| n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月 | |
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30
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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31
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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32
profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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33
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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34
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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35
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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36
greasy
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| adj. 多脂的，油脂的 | |
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37
battered
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| adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损 | |
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38
wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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39
receded
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| v.逐渐远离( recede的过去式和过去分词 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题 | |
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40
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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41
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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42
straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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43
riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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