第4章
加入书架 A- A+

  Thewholemindofthemanwas,asshetoldherself,withinhergrasp。Hemighthavetakenthetwentypounds;hemighthavetakenitandspentit,thoughitwasnothisown;butyethewasnothief。Norwasheamadman。

  NomanmoresaneinpreachingthegospelofhisLord,inmakingintelligibletotheignorantthepromisesofhisSaviour,evergotintoaparishpulpit,ortaughtinaparishschool。Theintellectofthemanwasasclearasrunningwaterinallthingsnotappertainingtohisdailylife,anditsdifficulties。Hecouldbelogicalwithavengeance——sologicalastocauseinfinitetroubletohiswife,who,withallhergoodsense,wasnotlogical。AndhehadGreekathisfingers’ends——ashisdaughterverywellknew。AndeventothisdayhewouldsometimesrecitetothemEnglishpoetry,linesafterlines,stanzasuponstanzas,inasweetlowmelancholyvoice,onlongwintereveningswhenoccasionallytheburdenofhistroubleswouldbelightertohimthanwasusual。BooksinLatinandinFrenchhereadwithasmucheaseasinEnglish,andtookdelightinsuchascametohim,whenhewouldcondescendtoacceptsuchloansfromthedeanery。Andtherewasattimesalightnessofheartabouttheman。InthecourseofthelastwinterhehadtranslatedintoGreekirregularversetheverynobleballadofLordBateman,maintainingtherhythmandtherhyme,andhadrepeateditwithuncouthgleetillhisdaughterknewitallbyheart。

  Andwhentherehadcometohimafive—poundnotefromsomeadmiringmagazineeditorasthepriceofthesame——stillthroughthedean’shands——hehadbrighteneduphisheartandhadthoughtforanhourortwothatevenyettheworldwouldsmileuponhim。Hiswifeknewwellthathewasnotmad;butyetsheknewthatthereweredarkmomentswithhim,inwhichhismindwassomuchastraythathecouldnotjustlybecalledtoaccountastowhathemightrememberandwhathemightforget。Howwoulditbepossibletoexplainallthistoajudgeandjury,sothattheymightneithersaythathewasdishonest,noryetthathewasmad?

  ’Perhapshepickeditup,andhadforgotten,’herdaughtersaidtoher。

  Perhapsitwasso,butshemightnotasyetadmitasmucheventoherchild。

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