第 162 节
作者:温暖寒冬      更新:2024-04-09 19:50      字数:9171
  and make no home for herself i’ this world。”
  “But    suppose;”     said  Adam;     earnestly;    “suppose     there   was   a
  man as ’ud let her do just the same and not interfere with her—she
  might do a good deal o’ what she does now; just as well when she
  was   married   as   when   she   was   single。   Other   women   of   her   sort
  have     married—that’s       to  say;   not  just   like  her;  but   women      as
  preached      and    attended     on   the   sick  and    needy。    There’s    Mrs。
  Fletcher as she talks of。”
  A new light had broken in on Seth。 He turned round; and laying
  his   hand    on   Adam’s     shoulder;    said;  “Why;    wouldst     like  her  to
  marry thee; Brother?”
  Adam       looked    doubtfully    at  Seth’s    inquiring    eyes   and    said;
  “Wouldst be hurt if she was to be fonder o’ me than o’ thee?”
  “Nay;” said   Seth  warmly;   “how  canst  think   it?  Have   I   felt   thy
  trouble so little that I shouldna feel thy joy?”
  There was silence a few moments as they walked on; and then
  Seth said; “I’d no notion as thee’dst ever think of her for a wife。”
  “But  is   it  o’   any  use   to   think   of   her?”   said   Adam。   “What   dost
  say? Mother’s made me as I hardly know where   I   am;  with  what
  she’s been saying to me this forenoon。 She says she’s sure Dinah
  feels for me more than common; and ’ud be willing t’ have me。 But
  I’m afraid she speaks without book。 I want to know if thee’st seen
  anything。”
  “It’s a nice point to speak about;” said Seth; “and I’m afraid o’
  being wrong; besides; we’ve no right t’ intermeddle with people’s
  feelings when they wouldn’t tell ’em themselves。”
  Seth paused。
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  “But   thee   mightst   ask   her;”   he   said   presently。   “She   took   no
  offence  at me   for  asking; and   thee’st  more   right  than   I   had;   only
  thee ’t not in the Society。 But Dinah doesn’t hold wi’ them as are
  for keeping the Society so strict to themselves。 She doesn’t mind
  about making folks enter the Society; so as they’re fit t’ enter the
  kingdom        o’  God。    Some      o’  the   brethren      at  Treddles’on       are
  displeased with her for that。”
  “Where will she be the rest o’ the day?” said Adam。
  “She said she shouldn’t leave the farm again to…day;” said Seth;
  “because it’s her last Sabbath there; and she’s going t’ read out o’
  the big Bible wi’ the children。”
  Adam   thought—but   did   not   say—“Then   I’ll   go   this   afternoon;
  for   if   I   go   to   church;   my   thoughts   ’ull   be   with   her   all   the   while。
  They must sing th’ anthem without me to…day。”
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  Chapter LII
  Adam and Dinah
  t   was   about   three   o’clock   when   Adam   entered   the   farmyard
  Iand   roused   Alick   and          the  dogs    from   their   Sunday     dozing。
  Alick    said  everybody      was    gone   to  church     “but   th’  young
  missis”—so   he   called   Dinah—but   this   did   not   disappoint   Adam;
  although  the   “everybody”   was   so  liberal   as   to  include   Nancy   the
  dairymaid;       whose     works    of   necessity    were    not    unfrequently
  incompatible with church…going。
  There was perfect stillness about the house。 The doors were all
  closed;   and   the   very  stones   and   tubs   seemed   quieter   than   usual。
  Adam heard the water gently dripping from the   pump—that  was
  the only sound—and he knocked at the house door rather softly; as
  was suitable in that stillness。
  The door opened; and Dinah stood before him; colouring deeply
  with   the   great   surprise   of   seeing   Adam   at   this   hour;   when   she
  knew   it   was   his   regular   practice   to   be   at   church。   Yesterday   he
  would have said to her without any difficulty; “I came to see you;
  Dinah: I knew the rest were not at home。”   But  to…day  something
  prevented him from saying that; and he put out his hand to her in
  silence。   Neither   of   them   spoke;   and   yet   both   wished   they   could
  speak; as Adam entered; and they sat down。 Dinah took the chair
  she had just left; it was at the corner of the table near the window;
  and there was a book lying on the table; but it was not open。 She
  had been sitting perfectly still; looking at the small bit of clear fire
  in the bright grate。 Adam sat down opposite her;   in   Mr。   Poyser’s
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  three…cornered chair。
  “Your     mother    is  not   ill  again;  I  hope;   Adam?”      Dinah    said;
  recovering herself。 “Seth said she was well this morning。”
  “No; she’s very hearty to…day;” said Adam; happy in the signs of
  Dinah’s feeling at the sight of him; but shy。
  “There’s nobody at home; you see;” Dinah said; “but you’ll wait。
  You’ve been hindered from going to church to…day; doubtless。”
  “Yes;”   Adam   said;   and   then   paused;   before   he   added;   “I   was
  thinking about you: that was the reason。”
  This confession was very awkward and sudden;   Adam   felt;   for
  he    thought     Dinah     must    understand       all  he   meant。     But    the
  frankness of the words caused her immediately to interpret them
  into   a   renewal   of   his   brotherly   regrets   that   she   was   going   away;
  and she answered calmly; “Do not be careful and troubled for me;
  Adam。 I have all things and abound at Snowfield。 And my mind is
  at rest; for I am not seeking my own will in going。”
  “But  if  things   were   different;   Dinah;”   said   Adam;   hesitatingly。
  “If you knew things that perhaps you don’t know now 。 。 。 ”
  Dinah   looked   at   him   inquiringly;   but   instead   of   going   on;   he
  reached a chair and brought it near the corner of the table where
  she    was   sitting。  She    wondered;      and   was   afraid—and       the  next
  moment   her   thoughts   flew   to   the   past:   was   it   something   about
  those distant unhappy ones that she didn’t know?
  Adam looked at her。 It was so sweet to look at her eyes; which
  had   now   a   self…forgetful   questioning   in   them—for   a   moment   he
  forgot that he wanted to say anything; or that it was necessary to
  tell her what he meant。
  “Dinah;” he said suddenly; taking both her hands between his;
  “I love you with my whole heart and soul。 I love you next to God
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  who made me。”
  Dinah’s   lips   became   pale;   like   her   cheeks;   and   she   trembled
  violently  under  the  shock   of  painful   joy。   Her  hands   were   cold   as
  death  between Adam’s。 She   could   not   draw   them   away;   because
  he held them fast。
  “Don’t tell me you can’t love me; Dinah。 Don’t tell me we must
  part and pass our lives away from one another。”
  The tears were trembling in Dinah’s eyes; and they fell   before
  she could answer。 But she spoke in a quiet low voice。
  “Yes;   dear   Adam;   we   must   submit   to   another   Will。   We   must
  part。”
  “Not   if   you   love   me;   Dinah—not   if   you   love   me;”   Adam   said
  passionately。   “Tell   me—tell   me   if  you   can   love   me   better   than   a
  brother?”
  Dinah   was     too   entirely   reliant   on   the   Supreme      guidance     to
  attempt to achieve any end by a deceptive concealment。 She was
  recovering now from the first shock of emotion; and she looked at
  Adam with simple sincere eyes as she said; “Yes; Adam; my heart
  is   drawn   strongly   towards   you;   and   of   my   own   will;   if   I   had   no
  clear showing to the contrary; I could find my happiness in being
  near you and ministering to you continually。 I fear I should forget
  to   rejoice   and   weep   with   others;   nay;   I   fear   I   should   forget   the
  Divine presence; and seek no love but yours。”
  Adam      did  not   speak    immediately。      They    sat   looking    at  each
  other     in  delicious    silence—for      the   f