第 48 节
作者:温暖寒冬      更新:2024-04-09 19:50      字数:9230
  said Mrs。 Poyser。 “We’ve all had our turn at bein’ young; I reckon;
  be’t good luck or ill。”
  “But she must learn   to  ’commodate   herself  to  young  women;”
  said Mr。 Poyser; “for it isn’t to be   counted   on as   Adam and Seth
  ’ull   keep   bachelors   for   the   next   ten   year   to   please   their   mother。
  That ’ud be unreasonable。 It isn’t right for old nor young nayther
  to make a bargain all o’ their own side。 What’s good for one’s good
  all round i’ the long run。 I’m no friend to young fellows a…marrying
  afore they know the difference atween a crab an’ a apple; but they
  may wait o’er long。”
  “To   be   sure;”   said   Mrs。   Poyser;   “if   you   go   past   your   dinner…
  time; there’ll be little relish o’ your meat。 You turn it o’er an’ o’er
  wi’ your fork; an’ don’t eat it after all。 You find faut wi’ your meat;
  an’ the faut’s all i’ your own stomach。”
  Hetty   now   came   back   from   the   pantry   and   said;   “I   can   take
  Totty now; Aunt; if you like。”
  “Come; Rachel;” said Mr。 Poyser; as his wife seemed to hesitate;
  seeing  that  Totty  was   at  last   nestling   quietly;   “thee’dst  better   let
  Hetty  carry  her  upstairs;   while   thee   tak’st   thy   things   off。   Thee   ’t
  tired。 It’s time thee wast in bed。 Thee ’t  bring  on   the   pain   in   thy
  side again。”
  “Well;   she   may   hold   her   if   the   child   ’ull   go   to   her;”   said   Mrs。
  Poyser。   Hetty  went  close   to  the   rocking…chair;   and   stood   without
  her  usual   smile;   and  without  any  attempt  to  entice   Totty;   simply
  waiting for her aunt to give the child into her hands。
  “Wilt go to Cousin Hetty; my dilling; while mother gets ready to
  go to bed? Then Totty shall go into Mother’s bed; and sleep there
  all night。”
  Before     her   mother   had     done    speaking;      Totty   had    given   her
  George Eliot                                                           ElecBook Classics
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  Adam Bede                                      195
  answer in an unmistakable manner; by knitting her brow; setting
  her   tiny   teeth   against   her   underlip;   and   leaning   forward   to   slap
  Hetty on the arm with her utmost force。 Then; without speaking;
  she nestled to her mother again。
  “Hey; hey;” said Mr。 Poyser; while Hetty stood without moving;
  “not    go   to  Cousin     Hetty?    That’s    like  a  babby。    Totty’s    a  little
  woman; an’ not a babby。”
  “It’s   no   use   trying   to   persuade   her;”   said   Mrs。   Poyser。   “She
  allays takes against Hetty when she isn’t well。 Happen she’ll go to
  Dinah。”
  Dinah;   having   taken   off   her   bonnet   and   shawl;       had   hitherto
  kept quietly seated in the background; not liking to thrust herself
  between Hetty and what was considered Hetty’s proper work。 But
  now   she   came   forward;   and;   putting   out   her   arms;   said;   “Come
  Totty; come   and let  Dinah  carry  her  upstairs   along  with  Mother:
  poor; poor Mother! she’s so tired—she wants to go to bed。”
  Totty    turned    her   face   towards    Dinah;    and   looked   at    her   an
  instant; then lifted herself up; put out her little arms; and let Dinah
  lift her from her mother’s lap。 Hetty turned away without any sign
  of   ill   humour;   and;   taking   her   hat   from   the   table;   stood   waiting
  with   an    air  of  indifference;     to  see  if  she  should    be   told   to  do
  anything else。
  “You may make the door fast now; Poyser; Alick’s been come in
  this   long   while;”   said   Mrs。   Poyser;   rising   with   an   appearance   of
  relief from her low chair。 “Get me the matches down; Hetty; for I
  must have the rushlight burning i’ my room。 Come; Father。”
  The heavy wooden bolts began to roll in   the  house   doors; and
  old     Martin     prepared      to   move;     by    gathering      up    his   blue
  handkerchief; and   reaching   his   bright   knobbed   walnut…tree   stick
  George Eliot                                                         ElecBook Classics
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  Adam Bede                                      196
  from the corner。 Mrs。 Poyser then led the way out of the kitchen;
  followed by the grandfather; and Dinah with Totty in her arms—
  all going to bed by twilight; like the birds。 Mrs。 Poyser; on her way;
  peeped   into   the   room   where   her   two   boys   lay;   just   to   see   their
  ruddy round cheeks on the pillow; and to hear for a moment their
  light regular breathing。
  “Come; Hetty; get to bed;” said Mr。 Poyser; in a soothing tone;
  as he himself turned to go upstairs。 “You didna mean to be late; I’ll
  be   bound;   but   your   aunt’s   been   worrited   to…day。   Good…night;   my
  wench; good…night。”
  George Eliot                                                        ElecBook Classics
  … Page 197…
  Adam Bede                                     197
  Chapter XV
  The Two Bed…Chambers
  etty and Dinah both slept in   the   second  story;   in   rooms
  Hadjoining each other; meagrely furnished rooms; with no
  blinds to shut out the light; which was now beginning to
  gather     new    strength    from   the   rising   of  the  moon—more         than
  enough strength to enable Hetty to move about and undress with
  perfect    comfort。    She    could   see   quite   well   the  pegs   in  the   old
  painted   linen…press   on   which   she   hung   her   hat   and       gown;   she
  could see the head of every pin on her red cloth pin…cushion; she
  could see a reflection of herself in the old…fashioned looking…glass;
  quite as distinct as was needful; considering that she had only to
  brush   her   hair   and   put   on   her   night…cap。   A   queer   old   looking…
  glass!   Hetty   got   into   an   ill   temper   with   it   almost   every   time   she
  dressed。 It had been considered a handsome glass in its day; and
  had   probably   been   bought   into   the   Poyser   family   a   quarter   of   a
  century before; at a sale of genteel household furniture。 Even now
  an   auctioneer   could   say   something   for   it:   it   had   a   great   deal   of
  tarnished      gilding   about    it;  it  had  a  firm  mahogany       base;   well
  supplied with drawers; which opened with a decided jerk and sent
  the contents leaping out from the farthest corners; without giving
  you the trouble of reaching them; above all; it had a brass candle…
  socket on each side; which would give it an aristocratic air to the
  very   last。   But   Hetty   objected   to   it   because   it   had   numerous   dim
  blotches     sprinkled     over   the   mirror;    which    no   rubbing     would
  remove;       and    because;     instead     of  swinging      backwards       and
  George Eliot                                                        ElecBook Classics
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  Adam Bede                                       198
  forwards; it was fixed in an upright position; so that she could only
  get one good view of her head and neck;   and   that  was   to  be   had
  only by sitting down on a low chair before her dressing…table。 And
  the   dressing…table   was   no   dressing…table   at   all;   but   a      small   old
  chest of drawers; the most awkward thing in the world to sit down
  before;   for   the   big   brass   handles   quite   hurt   her   knees;   and   she
  couldn’t      get   near     the   glass    at  all   comfortably。       But    devout
  worshippers        never    allow   inconveniences        to  prevent     them    from
  performing their religious rites; and Hetty this evening was more
  bent on her peculiar form of worship than usual。
  Having taken off her gown and white kerchief; she drew a key
  from     the   large    pocket     that   hung     outside    her    petticoat;    and;
  unlocking one of the lower drawers   in   the  chest;   reached   from it
  two short bits of wax candle—secretly bought at Treddleston—and
  stuck them in the two brass sockets。 Then she drew forth a bundle
  of   matches   and   lighted   the   candles;   and   last   of   all;   a   small   red…
  framed   shilling   looking…glass;   without   blotches。   It   was          into   this
  small   glass   that   she   chose   to   look   first   after   seating   herself。   She
  looked   into   it;   smiling   and   turning   her   head   on   one   side;   for   a
  minute; then laid it down and took out her brush and comb from
  an upper drawer。 She   was   going  to  let  down   her  hair;   and make
  herself look