登陆注册
5453500000132

第132章

She musingly turned to withdraw, passing near an altar-tomb, the oldest of them all, on which was a recumbent figure.In the dusk she had not noticed it before, and would hardly have noticed it now but for an odd fancy that the effigy moved.As soon as she drew close to it she discovered all in a moment that the figure was a living person; and the shock to her sense of not having been alone was so violent that she was quite overcome, and sank down nigh to fainting, not however till she had recognized Alec d'Urberville in the form.

He leapt off the slab and supported her.

`I saw you come in,' he said smiling, `and got up there not to interrupt your meditations.A family gathering, is it not, with these old fellows under us here? Listen.'

He stamped with his heel heavily on the floor; whereupon there arose a hollow echo from below.

`That shook them a bit, I'll warrant!' he continued.`And you thought I was the mere stone reproduction of one of them.But no.The old order changeth.The little finger of the sham d'Urberville can do more for you than the whole dynasty of the real underneath....Now command me.What shall I do?'

`Go away!' she murmured.

`I will - I'll look for your mother,' said he blandly.But in passing her he whispered: `Mind this; you'll be civil yet!'

When he was gone she bent down upon the entrance to the vaults, and said--`Why am I on the wrong side of this door!'

In the meantime Marian and Izz Huett had journeyed onward with the chattels of the ploughman in the direction of their land of Canaan - the Egypt of some other family who had left it only that morning.But the girls did not for a long time think of where they were going.Their talk was of Angel Clare and Tess, and Tess's persistent lover, whose connection with her previous history they had partly heard and partly guessed ere this.

`'Tisn't as though she had never known him afore,' said Marian.`His having won her once makes all the difference in the world.'Twould be a thousand pities if he were to tole her away again.Mr Clare can never be anything to us, Izz; and why should we grudge him to her, and not try to mend this quarrel? If he could only know what straits she's put to, and what's hovering round, he might come to take care of his own.'

`Could we let him know?'

They thought of this all the way to their destination; but the bustle of re-establishment in their new place took up all their attention then.

But when they were settled, a month later, they heard of Clare's approaching return, though they had learnt nothing more of Tess.Upon that, agitated anew by their attachment to him, yet honourably disposed to her, Marian uncorked the penny ink-bottle they shared, and a few lines were concocted between the two girls.HONOUR'D SIR - Look to your Wife if you do love her as much as she do love you.For she is sore put to by an Enemy in the shape of a Friend.Sir, there is one near her who ought to be Away.A woman should not be try'd beyond her Strength, and continual dropping will wear away a Stone - ay, more - a Diamond.

FROM TWO WELL-WISHERS.This they addressed to Angel Clare at the only place they had ever heard him to be connected with, Emminster Vicarage; after which they continued in a mood of emotional exaltation at their own generosity, which made them sing in hysterical snatches and weep at the same time.END OF PHASE THE SIXTH PHASE THE SEVENTH Fulfilment Chapter 53 It was evening at Emminster Vicarage.The two customary candles were burning under their green shades in the Vicar's study, but he had not been sitting there.Occasionally he came in, stirred the small fire which sufficed for the increasing mildness of the spring, and went out again; sometimes pausing at the front door, going on to the drawing-room, then returning again to the front door.

It faced westward, and though gloom prevailed inside, there was still light enough without to see with distinctness.Mrs Clare, who had been sitting in the drawing-room, followed him hither.

`Plenty of time yet,' said the Vicar.`He doesn't reach Chalk-Newton till six, even if the train should be punctual, and ten miles of country-road, five of them in Crimmercrock Lane, are not jogged over in a hurry by our old horse.'

`But he has done it in an hour with us, my dear.'

`Years ago.'

Thus they passed the minutes, each well knowing that this was only waste of breath, the one essential being simply to wait.

At length there was a slight noise in the lane, and the old pony-chaise appeared indeed outside the railings.They saw alight therefrom a form which they affected to recognize, but would actually have passed by in the street without identifying had he not got out of their carriage at the particular moment when a particular person was due.

Mrs Clare rushed through the dark passage to the door, and her husband came more slowly after her.

The new arrival, who was just about to enter, saw their anxious faces in the doorway and the gleam of the west in their spectacles because they confronted the last rays of day; but they could only see his shape against the light.

`O, my boy, my boy - home again at last!' cried Mrs Clare, who cared no more at that moment for the stains of heterodoxy which had caused all this separation than for the dust upon his clothes.What woman, indeed, among the most faithful adherents of the truth, believes the promises and threats of the Word in the sense in which she believes in her own children, or would not throw her theology to the wind if weighed against their happiness?

As soon as they reached the room where the candies were lighted she looked at his face.

`O, it is not Angel - not my son - the Angel who went away!' she cried in all the irony of sorrow, as she turned herself aside.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 明伦汇编人事典含忍部

    明伦汇编人事典含忍部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 到灯塔去(伍尔夫文集)

    到灯塔去(伍尔夫文集)

    《到灯塔去》描写一次大战后拉姆齐教授一家和几个亲密朋友在苏格兰某岛屿上度假的一段生活。作者企图在这部情节非常简单的小说中探讨人生的意义和自我的本质,指出自我有可能逃脱流逝不息的时间的魔掌并不顾死亡的威胁而长存不朽。灯塔塔尖的闪光即象征拉姆齐之人的灵魂之光。本书的意识流写作手法十分值得注意,如视角转换,两种时间,象征手法,音乐结构,借鉴绘画等。
  • 迂言百则

    迂言百则

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 落花弄影

    落花弄影

    他是修道之人,一生追寻长生,只为守护那一株冰莲花。几世轮回,终究没能护住她,这一世,我不会再让人伤你丝毫情到底是什么,是一闪而逝的欢愉,念念不忘的等待,还是长长久久的陪伴
  • 沐风乘雨

    沐风乘雨

    遥影后的人生目标是:拍戏and拍戏。然而易谨改变了她的拍戏计划让她开始沉迷于老公的怀抱............
  • 墨宝:书法传世名作

    墨宝:书法传世名作

    《仲尼梦奠帖》是中华十大传世名帖之一,曾被称为“世之欧行第一书”,为唐代著名书法家欧阳询所作。欧阳询书法为“初唐四家”之一。此帖共78字,无款印,用墨淡而不浓,且是秃笔疾书,转折自如,无一笔不妥,无一笔凝滞,上下脉络映带清晰,结构稳重沉实,运笔从容,气韵流畅,体方而笔圆,妩媚而刚劲,为欧阳询晚年所书,清劲绝尘,书法笔力苍劲古茂。《仲尼梦奠帖》纸本,纵25.5厘米,横33.6厘米,被历代书法家称之为稀世之珍。
  • 仙剑问情6

    仙剑问情6

    灵漪逃婚,南海孟章盛怒难平,率众神冰冻罗浮。数百年景色清明的道家仙山,一下子成了人间炼狱。更有六七十位青春年少前途无量的上清北子殉难。如此浩劫,上清道家即使再清静无为也要拼死报仇。为死难的同门,更为上清一门的千年清誉。 其实南海这次行动主要还是为调皮山震虎,他们的最终?标是要取代统辖整个内陆水系的四渎龙族。在此次规模空前的战役中,醒言利用“炼神化虚”竟消灭了上古巨猿神将无支祁,让南海一方人心浮动,阵脚大乱。琼彤也不可小觑,跳入熔岩勇斗火焰蛛母,数秒击退凤凰神女绚。她缘何不惧烈??她的身份究竟如何?司幽冥戒中的鬼王来到烛幽鬼方后发现什么惊天秘密?请看《仙剑问情》第六部。
  • 别让人生输给了心情

    别让人生输给了心情

    生活是一碗五味俱全的汤,酸甜苦辣咸每种味道都要品尝。然而,如何在恶劣的环境中保持一颗健康快乐的心是每个人的人生必修课。你的心情你做主,有了这本教你调控情绪的快乐宝典,你就是一个快乐的人,一个能将坏情绪踢出九霄云外的人。
  • 专家诊治乳腺疾病(谷臻小简·AI导读版)

    专家诊治乳腺疾病(谷臻小简·AI导读版)

    本书主要介绍乳腺疾病的病症及诊治办法;本书尽选常见病、多发病,聘请相关专家编写该病的来龙去脉、诊断、治疗、护理、预防……凡病人或家属可能之疑问,悉数详尽解述。此书10余万字,包括数百条目,或以问诊方式,一问一答,十分明确;或分章节段落,一事一叙一目了然。
  • 尽头

    尽头

    华语世界最受尊敬的写作者之一,作家唐诺最新散文巨制。以尽头为坐标,探究此时此地我们的现实处境。阿城、朱天文、梁文道激赏推荐。尽头,常在远方,有时候却是现实。探究尽头,为的是眺望远方与抵达远方的喜悦,是试图超越此时此地此身的努力。以尽头为坐标,反观现实,则可发现我们身处何时何地,我们遗忘了什么,错失了什么。作家唐诺,将萦绕多年的念头付诸笔端,以独有的诗性而思辨的语言,铸成四十五万字的鸿篇巨制。关于远方,关于写作,更关乎我们身处的现实。