silas marner(织工马南)-第25章
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Silas Marner 90
unrelentingly hard。 This was his system with his tenants： he
allowed them to get into arrears； neglect their fences； reduce their
stock； sell their straw； and otherwise go the wrong way—and then；
when he became short of money in consequence of this
indulgence； he took the hardest measures and would listen to no
appeal。 Godfrey knew all this； and felt it with the greater force
because he had constantly suffered annoyance from witnessing his
father’s sudden fits of unrelentingness； for which his own habitual
irresolution deprived him of all sympathy。 （He was not critical on
the faulty indulgence which preceded these fits； that seemed to
him natural enough。） Still； there was just the chance； Godfrey
thought； that his father’s pride might see this marriage in a light
that would induce him to hush it up； rather than turn his son out
and make the family the talk of the country for ten miles round。
This was the view of the case that Godfrey managed to keep
before him pretty closely till midnight； and he went to sleep
thinking that he had done with inward debating。 But when he
awoke in the still morning darkness he found it impossible to
reawaken his evening thoughts； it was as if they had been tired out
and were not to be roused to further work。 Instead of arguments
for confession； he could now feel the presence of nothing but its
evil consequences； the old dread of disgrace came back—the old
shrinking from the thought of raising a hopeless barrier between
himself and Nancy—the old disposition to rely on chances which
might be favourable to him； and save him from betrayal。 Why；
after all； should he cut off the hope of them by his own act？ He had
seen the matter in a wrong light yesterday。 He had been in a rage
with Dunstan； and had thought of nothing but a thorough break…
up of their mutual understanding； but what it would be really
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wisest for him to do was to try and soften his father’s anger against
Dunsey； and keep things as nearly as possible in their old
condition。 If Dunsey did not come back for a few days （and
Godfrey did not know but that the rascal had enough money in his
pocket to enable him to keep away still longer）； everything might
blow over。
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Chapter 9
odfrey rose and took his own breakfast earlier than usual；
but lingered in the wainscoted parlour till his younger
G
brothers had finished their meal and gone out； awaiting
his father； who always took a walk with his managing…man before
breakfast。 Every one breakfasted at a different hour in the Red
House； and the Squire was always the latest； giving a long chance
to a rather feeble morning appetite before he tried it。 The table
had been spread with substantial eatables nearly two hours before
he presented himself—a tall； stout man of sixty； with a face in
which the knit brow and rather hard glance seemed contradicted
by the slack and feeble mouth。 His person showed marks of
habitual neglect； his dress was slovenly； and yet there was
something in the presence of the old Squire distinguishable from
that of the ordinary farmers in the parish； who were perhaps every
whit as refined as he； but； having slouched their way through life
with a consciousness of being in the vicinity of their “betters”；
wanted that self…possession and authoritativeness of voice and
carriage which belonged to a man who thought of superiors as
remote existences with whom he had personally little more to do
than with America or the stars。 The Squire had been used to
parish homage all his life； used to the presupposition that his
family； his tankards； and everything that was his； were the oldest
and best； and as he never associated with any gentry higher than
himself； his opinion was not disturbed by comparison。
He glanced at his son as he entered the room； and said； “What；
sir！ haven’t you had your breakfast yet？” but there was no
pleasant morning greeting between them； not because of any
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unfriendliness； but because the sweet flower of courtesy is not a
growth of such homes as the Red House。
“Yes； sir；” said Godfrey； “I’ve had my breakfast； but I was
waiting to speak to you。”
“Ah！ well；” said the Squire； throwing himself indifferently into
his chair； and speaking in a ponderous coughing fashion； which
was felt in Raveloe to be a sort of privilege of his rank； while he cut
a piece of beef； and held it up before the deerhound that had come
in with him。 “Ring the bell for my ale； will you？ You youngsters’
business is your own pleasure； mostly。 There’s no hurry about it
for anybody but yourselves。”
The Squire’s life was quite as idle as his sons’； but it was a
fiction kept up by himself and his contemporaries in Raveloe that
youth was exclusively the period of folly； and that their aged
wisdom was constantly in a state of endurance mitigated by
sarcasm。 Godfrey waited； before he spoke again； until the ale had
been brought and the door closed—an interval during which Fleet；
the deerhound； had consumed enough bits of beef to make a poor
man’s holiday dinner。
“There’s been a cursed piece of ill…luck with Wildfire；” he
began； “happened the day before yesterday。”
“What！ broke his knees？” said the Squire； after taking a
draught of ale。 “I thought you knew how to ride better than that；
sir。 I never threw a horse down in my life。 If I had； I might ha’
whistled for another； for my father wasn’t quite so ready to
unstring as some other fathers I know of。 But they must turn over
a new leaf—they must。 What with mortgages and arrears； I’m as
short o’ cash as a roadside pauper。 And that fool Kimble says the
newspaper’s talking about peace。 Why； the country wouldn’t have
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a leg to stand on。 Prices ’ud run down like a jack； and I should
never get my arrears； not if I sold all the fellows up。 And there’s
that damned Fowler； I won’t put up with him any longer； I’ve told
Winthrop to go to Cox this very day。 The lying scoundrel told me
he’d be sure to pay me a hundred
