第 4 节
作者:温暖寒冬      更新:2024-04-09 19:50      字数:9234
  same gentle modulation of voice as when he spoke to Seth。
  Gyp   jumped   and   gave   a   short   bark;   as     much   as   to   say;   “Of
  course。” Poor fellow; he had not a great range of expression。
  The  basket   was   the   one   which   on   workdays   held   Adam’s   and
  Seth’s   dinner;   and   no   official;   walking   in   procession;   could   look
  more   resolutely   unconscious   of   all   acquaintances   than   Gyp   with
  his basket; trotting at his master’s heels。
  On leaving  the  workshop   Adam   locked   the  door;   took   the   key
  out; and carried it to the house on the other side of the woodyard。
  It   was   a  low    house;    with   smooth     grey   thatch    and    buff   walls;
  looking     pleasant     and   mellow     in  the   evening    light。   The   leaded
  windows   were   bright   and   speckless;   and   the   door…stone   was   as
  clean   as   a   white   boulder   at   ebb   tide。   On   the   door…stone   stood   a
  clean old woman; in a dark…striped linen gown; a red kerchief; and
  a linen cap; talking to some speckled fowls which appeared to have
  been     drawn      towards     her   by   an    illusory   expectation      of  cold
  potatoes or  barley。   The   old   woman’s   sight  seemed   to  be  dim;   for
  she did not recognise Adam till he said; “Here’s the key; Dolly; lay
  it down for me in the house; will you?”
  “Aye;   sure;   but   wunna   ye   come   in;   Adam?   Miss   Mary’s   i’   th’
  house; and Mester Burge ’ull be back anon; he’d be glad t’ ha’ ye
  to supper wi’m; I’ll be’s warrand。”
  George Eliot                                                         ElecBook Classics
  … Page 18…
  Adam Bede                                    18
  “No; Dolly; thank you; I’m off home。 Good evening。”
  Adam hastened with long strides; Gyp close to his heels; out of
  the   workyard;     and   along    the  highroad    leading    away    from   the
  village and down to the valley。 As he reached the foot of the slope;
  an elderly horseman; with his portmanteau strapped behind him;
  stopped his horse when Adam had passed him; and turned round
  to have another long look at the stalwart  workman   in   paper  cap;
  leather breeches; and dark…blue worsted stockings。
  Adam; unconscious of the admiration he was exciting; presently
  struck   across   the   fields;   and   now   broke   out   into   the   tune   which
  had all day long been running in his head:
  “Let all thy converse be sincere;
  Thy conscience as the noonday clear;
  For God’s all…seeing eye surveys
  Thy secret thoughts; thy works and ways。
  George Eliot                                                     ElecBook Classics
  … Page 19…
  Adam Bede                                      19
  Chapter II
  The Preaching
  bout a quarter to seven there was an unusual appearance
  Aof excitement in the village of Hayslope; and through the
  whole      length   of  its  little  street;  from   the   Donnithorne
  Arms to the churchyard gate; the inhabitants had  evidently  been
  drawn out of their houses by something more than the pleasure of
  lounging in the evening sunshine。 The Donnithorne Arms stood at
  the   entrance   of   the   village;   and   a   small   farmyard   and   stackyard
  which   flanked   it;   indicating   that   there   was   a   pretty   take   of   land
  attached to the inn; gave the traveller a promise of good   feed  for
  himself     and   his   horse;   which    might    well   console    him    for  the
  ignorance      in  which   the   weather…beaten   sign   left   him   as     to   the
  heraldic   bearings   of   that   ancient   family;   the   Donnithornes。   Mr。
  Casson; the landlord; had been for some time standing at the door
  with his hands in his pockets; balancing himself on his heels and
  toes   and   looking   towards   a   piece   of   unenclosed   ground;   with   a
  maple in the middle of it; which he knew to be the destination of
  certain    grave…looking   men   and       women   whom        he   had  observed
  passing at intervals。
  Mr。   Casson’s   person   was   by   no   means   of   that   common   type
  which can be allowed to pass without description。 On a front view
  it appeared to consist principally of two spheres; bearing about the
  same relation to each other as the earth and the moon: that is to
  say;   the   lower    sphere    might    be  said;  at  a   rough    guess;   to  be
  thirteen   times   larger   than   the   upper   which   naturally   performed
  George Eliot                                                        ElecBook Classics
  … Page 20…
  Adam Bede                                        20
  the    function     of  a  mere     satellite   and    tributary。    But    here    the
  resemblance        ceased;     for  Mr。    Casson’s     head    was    not   at  all  a
  melancholy…looking satellite nor was it a “spotty globe;” as Milton
  has   irreverently   called   the   moon;   on   the   contrary;   no   head   and
  face could look more sleek and healthy; and its expression—which
  was   chiefly   confined   to   a   pair   of   round   and    ruddy   cheeks;      the
  slight   knot   and    interruptions      forming   the     nose   and    eyes   being
  scarcely      worth    mention—was          one    of  jolly   contentment;       only
  tempered   by   that   sense   of   personal   dignity   which   usually   made
  itself  felt in   his   attitude and   bearing。   This   sense   of  dignity   could
  hardly be considered excessive in a man   who  had been   butler  to
  “the     family”    for  fifteen    years;   and    who;    in   his  present     high
  position; was necessarily very much  in contact  with  his   inferiors。
  How  to  reconcile   his   dignity  with  the   satisfaction   of  his   curiosity
  by  walking  towards   the   Green   was   the   problem   that   Mr。   Casson
  had been revolving in his mind for the last five minutes; but when
  he had partly solved it by taking his hands out of his pockets; and
  thrusting them into the armholes of his waistcoat; by throwing his
  head      on    one    side;   and    providing       himself    with     an   air   of
  contemptuous indifference to whatever might fall under his notice;
  his    thoughts     were    diverted    by   the   approach      of  the   horseman
  whom   we   lately   saw   pausing   to   have   another   look   at   our   friend
  Adam;   and   who   now   pulled   up   at   the   door   of   the   Donnithorne
  Arms。
  “Take     off  the   bridle   and   give   him   a   drink;   ostler;”   said   the
  traveller to the lad in a smock…frock; who had come out of the yard
  at the sound of the horse’s hoofs。
  “Why; what’s up in your pretty village; landlord?” he continued;
  getting down。 “There seems to be quite a stir。”
  George Eliot                                                          ElecBook Classics
  … Page 21…
  Adam Bede                                        21
  “It’s   a   Methodis’   preaching; sir;   it’s   been   gev   hout   as   a   young
  woman’s a…going to preach on the Green;” answered Mr。 Casson;
  in a treble and wheezy voice; with a slightly mincing accent。 “Will
  you please to step in; sir; an’ tek somethink?”
  “No; I must be   getting  on   to  Rosseter。   I   only  want  a drink   for
  my  horse。   And   what  does  your  parson say;   I   wonder;   to   a   young
  woman preaching just under his nose?”
  “Parson Irwine; sir; doesn’t live here; he lives at Brox’on; over
  the hill there。 The parsonage here’s a tumble…down place; sir; not
  fit   for   gentry   to   live   in。   He   comes   here   to   preach   of   a   Sunday
  afternoon; sir; an’ puts up his hoss here。 It’s a grey cob; sir; an’ he
  sets great store by’t。 He’s allays put up his hoss here; sir; iver since
  before I hed the Donnithorne Arms。 I’m not this countryman; you
  may tell by my tongue; sir。 They’re cur’ous talkers i’ this country;
  sir; the gentry’s hard work to hunderstand ’em。 I was brought hup
  among the gentry; sir; an’ got the turn o’ their tongue when I was a
  bye。 Why; what do you think the folks here says for ‘hevn’t you?’—
  the   gentry;   you   know;   says;   ‘hevn’t   you’—well;   the   people   about
  here   says   ‘hanna   yey。’   It’s   what   they   call   the   dileck   as   is   spoke
  hereabout;       sir。  That’s   what   I’ve   heard    Squire    Donnithorne       say
  many a time; it’s the dileck; says he。”
  “Aye; aye;” said the stranger; smiling。 “I know