第12章
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  TheroadfromAngleburytoHolmstokeisingenerallevel;butthereisoneplacewhereasharpascentbreaksitsmonotony。Farmershomeward-boundfromtheformermarket-town,whotrotalltherestoftheway,walktheirhorsesupthisshortincline。

  Thenextevening,whilethesunwasyetbright,ahandsomenewgig,withalemon-colouredbodyandredwheels,wasspinningwestwardalongthelevelhighwayattheheelsofapowerfulmare。Thedriverwasayeomanintheprimeoflife,cleanlyshavenlikeanactor,hisfacebeingtonedtothatbluish-vermilionhuewhichsooftengracesathrivingfarmer’sfeatureswhenreturninghomeaftersuccessfuldealingsinthetown。Besidehimsatawoman,manyyearshisjunior——almost,indeed,agirl。Herfacetoowasfreshincolour,butitwasofatotallydifferentquality——softandevanescent,likethelightunderaheapofrose-petals。

  Fewpeopletravelledthisway,foritwasnotamainroad;andthelongwhiteribandofgravelthatstretchedbeforethemwasempty,saveofonesmallscarce-movingspeck,whichpresentlyresolveditselfintothefigureofboy,whowascreepingonatasnail’space,andcontinuallylookingbehindhim——theheavybundlehecarriedbeingsomeexcusefor,ifnotthereasonof,hisdilatoriness。Whenthebouncinggig-partyslowedatthebottomoftheinclineabovementioned,thepedestrianwasonlyafewyardsinfront。Supportingthelargebundlebyputtingonehandonhiship,heturnedandlookedstraightatthefarmer’swifeasthoughhewouldreadherthroughandthrough,pacingalongabreastofthehorse。

  Thelowsunwasfullinherface,renderingeveryfeature,shade,andcontourdistinct,fromthecurveofherlittlenostriltothecolourofhereyes。Thefarmer,thoughheseemedannoyedattheboy’spersistentpresence,didnotorderhimtogetoutoftheway;

  andthustheladprecededthem,hishardgazeneverleavingher,tilltheyreachedthetopoftheascent,whenthefarmertrottedonwithreliefinhislineaments——havingtakennooutwardnoticeoftheboywhatever。

  ’Howthatpoorladstaredatme!’saidtheyoungwife。

  ’Yes,dear;Isawthathedid。’

  ’Heisoneofthevillage,Isuppose?’

  ’Oneoftheneighbourhood。Ithinkheliveswithhismotheramileortwooff。’

  ’Heknowswhoweare,nodoubt?’

  ’Oyes。Youmustexpecttobestaredatjustatfirst,myprettyGertrude。’

  ’Ido,——thoughIthinkthepoorboymayhavelookedatusinthehopewemightrelievehimofhisheavyload,ratherthanfromcuriosity。’

  ’Ono,’saidherhusbandoff-handedly。’Thesecountryladswillcarryahundredweightoncetheygetitontheirbacks;besideshispackhadmoresizethanweightinit。Now,then,anothermileandI

  shallbeabletoshowyouourhouseinthedistance——ifitisnottoodarkbeforewegetthere。’Thewheelsspunround,andparticlesflewfromtheirperipheryasbefore,tillawhitehouseofampledimensionsrevealeditself,withfarm-buildingsandricksattheback。

  Meanwhiletheboyhadquickenedhispace,andturningupaby-lanesomemileandhalfshortofthewhitefarmstead,ascendedtowardstheleanerpastures,andsoontothecottageofhismother。

  Shehadreachedhomeafterherday’smilkingattheoutlyingdairy,andwaswashingcabbageatthedoorwayinthedeclininglight。

  ’Holdupthenetamoment,’shesaid,withoutpreface,astheboycameup。

  Heflungdownhisbundle,heldtheedgeofthecabbage-net,andasshefilleditsmesheswiththedrippingleavesshewenton,’Well,didyouseeher?’

  ’Yes;quiteplain。’

  ’Issheladylike?’

  ’Yes;andmore。Aladycomplete。’

  ’Issheyoung?’

  ’Well,she’sgrowedup,andherwaysbequiteawoman’s。’

  ’Ofcourse。Whatcolourisherhairandface?’

  ’Herhairislightish,andherfaceascomelyasalivedoll’s。’

  ’Hereyes,then,arenotdarklikemine?’

  ’No——ofabluishturn,andhermouthisveryniceandred;andwhenshesmiles,herteethshowwhite。’

  ’Isshetall?’saidthewomansharply。

  ’Icouldn’tsee。Shewassittingdown。’

  ’ThendoyougotoHolmstokechurchto-morrowmorning:she’ssuretobethere。Goearlyandnoticeherwalkingin,andcomehomeandtellmeifshe’stallerthanI。’

  ’Verywell,mother。Butwhydon’tyougoandseeforyourself?’

  ’_I_gotoseeher!Iwouldn’tlookupatherifsheweretopassmywindowthisinstant。ShewaswithMr。Lodge,ofcourse。Whatdidhesayordo?’

  ’Justthesameasusual。’

  ’Tooknonoticeofyou?’

  ’None。’

  Nextdaythemotherputacleanshirtontheboy,andstartedhimoffforHolmstokechurch。Hereachedtheancientlittlepilewhenthedoorwasjustbeingopened,andhewasthefirsttoenter。

  Takinghisseatbythefont,hewatchedalltheparishionersfilein。Thewell-to-doFarmerLodgecamenearlylast;andhisyoungwife,whoaccompaniedhim,walkeduptheaislewiththeshynessnaturaltoamodestwomanwhohadappearedthusforthefirsttime。

  Asallothereyeswerefixeduponher,theyouth’sstarewasnotnoticednow。

  Whenhereachedhomehismothersaid,’Well?’beforehehadenteredtheroom。

  ’Sheisnottall。Sheisrathershort,’hereplied。

  ’Ah!’saidhismother,withsatisfaction。

  ’Butshe’sverypretty——very。Infact,she’slovely。’

  Theyouthfulfreshnessoftheyeoman’swifehadevidentlymadeanimpressionevenonthesomewhathardnatureoftheboy。

  ’That’sallIwanttohear,’saidhismotherquickly。’Now,spreadthetable-cloth。Thehareyoucaughtisverytender;butmindthatnobodycatchesyou——You’venevertoldmewhatsortofhandsshehad。’

  ’Ihaveneverseen’em。Shenevertookoffhergloves。’

  ’Whatdidshewearthismorning?’

  ’Awhitebonnetandasilver-colouredgownd。Itwhewedandwhistledsoloudwhenitrubbedagainstthepewsthattheladycolouredupmorethaneverforveryshameatthenoise,andpulleditintokeepitfromtouching;butwhenshepushedintoherseat,itwhewedmorethanever。Mr。Lodge,heseemedpleased,andhiswaistcoatstuckout,andhisgreatgoldensealshunglikealord’s;butsheseemedtowishhernoisygowndanywherebutonher。’

  ’Notshe!However,thatwilldonow。’

  Thesedescriptionsofthenewly-marriedcouplewerecontinuedfromtimetotimebytheboyathismother’srequest,afteranychanceencounterhehadhadwiththem。ButRhodaBrook,thoughshemighteasilyhaveseenyoungMrs。Lodgeforherselfbywalkingacoupleofmiles,wouldneverattemptanexcursiontowardsthequarterwherethefarmhouselay。Neitherdidshe,atthedailymilkinginthedairyman’syardonLodge’soutlyingsecondfarm,everspeakonthesubjectoftherecentmarriage。Thedairyman,whorentedthecowsofLodge,andknewperfectlythetallmilkmaid’shistory,withmanlykindlinessalwayskeptthegossipinthecow-bartonfromannoyingRhoda。ButtheatmospherethereaboutwasfullofthesubjectduringthefirstdaysofMrs。Lodge’sarrival;andfromherboy’sdescriptionandthecasualwordsoftheothermilkers,RhodaBrookcouldraiseamentalimageoftheunconsciousMrsLodgethatwasrealisticasaphotograph。

  Onenight,twoorthreeweeksafterthebridalreturn,whentheboywasgonetobed,Rhodasatalongtimeovertheturfashesthatshehadrakedoutinfrontofhertoextinguishthem。Shecontemplatedsointentlythenewwife,aspresentedtoherinhermind’seyeovertheembers,thatsheforgotthelapseoftime。Atlast,weariedwithherday’swork,shetooretired。

  Butthefigurewhichhadoccupiedhersomuchduringthisandthepreviousdayswasnottobebanishedatnight。ForthefirsttimeGertrudeLodgevisitedthesupplantedwomaninherdreams。RhodaBrookdreamed——sinceherassertionthatshereallysaw,beforefallingasleep,wasnottobebelieved——thattheyoungwife,inthepalesilkdressandwhitebonnet,butwithfeaturesshockinglydistorted,andwrinkledasbyage,wassittinguponherchestasshelay。ThepressureofMrs。Lodge’spersongrewheavier;theblueeyespeeredcruellyintoherface;andthenthefigurethrustforwarditslefthandmockingly,soastomakethewedding-ringitworeglitterinRhoda’seyes。Maddenedmentally,andnearlysuffocatedbypressure,thesleeperstruggled;theincubus,stillregardingher,withdrewtothefootofthebed,only,however,tocomeforwardbydegrees,resumeherseat,andflashherlefthandasbefore。

  Gaspingforbreath,Rhoda,inalastdesperateeffort,swungoutherrighthand,seizedtheconfrontingspectrebyitsobtrusiveleftarm,andwhirleditbackwardtothefloor,startingupherselfasshedidsowithalowcry。

  ’O,mercifulheaven!’shecried,sittingontheedgeofthebedinacoldsweat;’thatwasnotadream——shewashere!’

  Shecouldfeelherantagonist’sarmwithinhergraspevennow——theveryfleshandboneofit,asitseemed。Shelookedonthefloorwhithershehadwhirledthespectre,buttherewasnothingtobeseen。

  RhodaBrooksleptnomorethatnight,andwhenshewentmilkingatthenextdawntheynoticedhowpaleandhaggardshelooked。Themilkthatshedrewquiveredintothepail;herhandhadnotcalmedevenyet,andstillretainedthefeelofthearm。Shecamehometobreakfastaswearilyasifithadbeensuppertime。

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