还乡The Return Of The Native-第3章

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“No；”　said　the　reddleman　abruptly。　　“It　is　getting　too　dark　for　you　to　see　much　of　her；　and；　more　than　that；　I　have　no　right　to　allow　you。　　Thank　God　she　sleeps　so　well；　I　hope　she　won’t　wake　till　she’s　home。”
“Who　is　she？　　One　of　the　neighbourhood？”
“’Tis　no　matter　who；　excuse　me。”
“It　is　not　that　girl　of　Blooms…End；　who　has　been　talked　about　more　or　less　lately？　　If　so；　I　know　her；　and　I　can　guess　what　has　happened。”
“’Tis　no　matter。。。。Now；　sir；　I　am　sorry　to　say　that　we　shall　soon　have　to　part　pany。　　My　ponies　are　tired；　and　I　have　further　to　go；　and　I　am　going　to　rest　them　under　this　bank　for　an　hour。”
The　elder　traveller　nodded　his　head　indifferently；　and　the　reddleman　turned　his　horses　and　van　in　upon　the　turf；　saying；　“Good　night。”　　The　old　man　replied；　and　proceeded　on　his　way　as　before。　
The　reddleman　watched　his　form　as　it　diminished　to　a　speck　on　the　road　and　became　absorbed　in　the　thickening　films　of　night。　　He　then　took　some　hay　from　a　truss　which　was　slung　up　under　the　van；　and；　throwing　a　portion　of　it　in　front　of　the　horses；　made　a　pad　of　the　rest；　which　he　laid　on　the　ground　beside　his　vehicle。　　Upon　this　he　sat　down；　leaning　his　back　against　the　wheel。　
From　the　interior　a　low　soft　breathing　came　to　his　ear。　　It　appeared　to　satisfy　him；　and　he　musingly　surveyed　the　scene；　as　if　considering　the　next　step　that　he　should　take。
To　do　things　musingly；　and　by　small　degrees；　seemed；　indeed；　to　be　a　duty　in　the　Egdon　valleys　at　this　transitional　hour；　for　there　was　that　in　the　condition　of　the　heath　itself　which　resembled　protracted　and　halting　dubiousness。　　It　was　the　quality　of　the　repose　appertaining　to　the　scene。　　This　was　not　the　repose　of　actual　stagnation；　but　the　apparent　repose　of　incredible　slowness。　　A　condition　of　healthy　life　so　nearly　resembling　the　torpor　of　death　is　a　noticeable　thing　of　its　sort；　to　exhibit　the　inertness　of　the　desert；　and　at　the　same　time　to　be　exercising　powers　akin　to　those　of　the　meadow；　and　even　of　the　forest；　awakened　in　those　who　thought　of　it　the　attentiveness　usually　engendered　by　understatement　and　reserve。　
The　scene　before　the　reddleman’s　eyes　was　a　gradual　series　of　ascents　from　the　level　of　the　road　backward　into　the　heart　of　the　heath。　　It　embraced　hillocks；　pits；　ridges；　acclivities；　one　behind　the　other；　till　all　was　finished　by　a　high　hill　cutting　against　the　still　light　sky。　　The　traveller’s　eye　hovered　about　these　things　for　a　time；　and　finally　settled　upon　one　noteworthy　object　up　there。　　It　was　a　barrow。　　This　bossy　projection　of　earth　above　its　natural　level　occupied　the　loftiest　ground　of　the　loneliest　height　that　the　heath　contained。　　Although　from　the　vale　it　appeared　but　as　a　wart　on　an　Atlantean　brow；　its　actual　bulk　was　great。　　It　formed　the　pole　and　axis　of　this　heathery　world。　
As　the　resting　man　looked　at　the　barrow　he　became　aware　that　its　summit；　hitherto　the　highest　object　in　the　whole　prospect　round；　was　surmounted　by　something　higher。　　It　rose　from　the　semiglobular　mound　like　a　spike　from　a　helmet。　　The　first　instinct　of　an　imaginative　stranger　might　have　been　to　suppose　it　the　person　of　one　of　the　Celts　who　built　the　barrow；　so　far　had　all　of　modern　date　withdrawn　from　the　scene。　　It　seemed　a　sort　of　last　man　among　them；　musing　for　a　moment　before　dropping　into　eternal　night　with　the　rest　of　his　race。　
There　the　form　stood；　motionless　as　the　hill　beneath。　　Above　the　plain　rose　the　hill；　above　the　hill　rose　the　barrow；　and　above　the　barrow　rose　the　figure。　　Above　the　figure　was　nothing　that　could　be　mapped　elsewhere　than　on　a　celestial　globe。
Such　a　perfect；　delicate；　and　necessary　finish　did　the　figure　give　to　the　dark　pile　of　hills　that　it　seemed　to　be　the　only　obvious　justification　of　their　outline。　　Without　it；　there　was　the　dome　without　the　lantern；　with　it　the　architectural　demands　of　the　mass　were　satisfied。　　The　scene　was　strangely　homogeneous；　in　that　the　vale；　the　upland；　the　barrow；　and　the　figure　above　it　amounted　only　to　unity。　　Looking　at　this　or　that　member　of　the　group　was　not　observing　a　plete　thing；　but　a　fraction　of　a　thing。　
The　form　was　so　much　like　an　organic　part　of　the　entire　motionless　structure　that　to　see　it　move　would　have　impressed　the　mind　as　a　strange　phenomenon。　　Immobility　being　the　chief　characteristic　of　that　whole　which　the　person　formed　portion　of；　the　discontinuance　of　immobility　in　any　quarter　suggested　confusion。
Yet　that　is　what　happened。　　The　figure　perceptibly　gave　up　its　fixity；　shifted　a　step　or　two；　and　turned　round。　　As　if　alarmed；　it　descended　on　the　right　side　of　the　barrow；　with　the　glide　of　a　water…drop　down　a　bud；　and　then　vanished。　　The　movement　had　been　sufficient　to　show　more　clearly　the　characteristics　of　the　figure；　and　that　it　was　a　woman’s。
The　reason　of　her　sudden　displacement　now　appeared。　　With　her　dropping　out　of　sight　on　the　right　side；　a　newer；　bearing　a　burden；　protruded　into　the　sky　on　the　left　side；　ascended　the　tumulus；　and　deposited　the　burden　on　the　top。　　A　second　followed；　then　a　third；　a　fourth；　a　fifth；　and　ultimately　the　whole　barrow　was　peopled　with　burdened　figures。　
The　only　intelligible　meaning　in　this　sky…backed　pantomime　of　silhouettes　was　that　the　woman　had　no　relation　to　the　forms　who　had　taken　her　place；　was　sedulously　avoiding　these；　and　had　e　thither　for　another　object　than　theirs。　　The　imagination　of　the　observer　clung　by　preference　to　that　vanished；　solitary　figure；　as　to　something　more　interesting；　more　important；　more　likely　to　have　a　history　worth　knowing　than　these　newers；　and　unconsciously　regarded　them　as　intruders。　　But　they　remained；　and　established　themselves；　and　the　lonely　person　who　hitherto　had　been　queen　of　the　solitude　did　not　at　present　seem　likely　to　return。


3　… The　Custom　of　the　Country


Had　a　looker…on　been　posted　in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　the　barrow；　he　would　have　learned　that　these　persons　were　boys　and　men　of　the　neighbouring　hamlets。　　Each；　as　he　ascended　the　barrow；　had　been　heavily　laden　with　furze　faggots；　carried　upon　the　shoulder　by　means　of　a　long　stake　sharpened　at　each　end　for　impaling　them　easily—two　in　front　and　two　behind。　　They　came　from　a　part　of　the　heath　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　the　rear；　where　furze　almost　exclusively　prevailed　as　a　product。　
Every　individual　was　so　involved　in　furze　by　his　method　of　carrying　the　faggots　that　he　appeared　like　a　bush　on　legs　till　he　had　thrown　them　down。　　The　party　had　marched　in　trail；　like　a　travelling　flock　of　sheep；　that　is　to　say；　the　strongest　first；　the　weak　and　young　behind。
The　loads　were　all　laid　together；　and　a　pyramid　of　furze　thirty　feet　in　circumference　now　occupied　the　crown　of　the　tumulus；　which　was　known　as　Rainbarrow　for　many　miles　round。　　Some　made　themselves　busy　with　matches；　and　in　selecting　the　driest　tufts　of　furze；　others　in　loosening　the　bramble　bonds　which　held　the　faggots　together。　　Others；　again；　while　this　was　in　progress；　lifted　their　eyes　and　swept　the　vast　expanse　of　country　manded　by　their　position；　now　lying　nearly　obliterated　by　shade。　　In　the　valleys　of　the　heath　nothing　save　its　own　wild　face　was　visible　at　any　time　of　day；　but　this　spot　manded　a　horizon　enclosing　a　tract　of　far　extent；　and　in　many　cases　lying　beyond　the　heath　country。　　None　of　its　features　could　be　seen　now；　but　the　whole　made　itself　felt　as　a　vague　stretch　of　remoteness。　
While　the　men　and　lads　were　building　the　pile；　a　change　took　place　in　the　mass　of　shade　which　denoted　the　distant　landscape。　　Red　suns　and　tufts　of　fire　one　by　one　began　to　arise；　flecking　the　whole　country　round。　　They　were　the　bonfires　of　other　parishes　and　hamlets　that　were　engaged　in　the　same　sort　of　memoration。　　Some　were　distant；　and　stood　in　a　dense　atmosphere；　so　that　bundles　of　pale　straw…like　beams　radiated　around　them　in　the　shape　of　a　fan。　　Some　were　large　and　near；　glowing　scarlet…red　from　the　shade；　like　wounds　in　a　black　hide。　　Some　were　Maenades；　with　winy　faces　and　blown　hair。　　These　tinctured　the　silent　bosom　of　the　clouds　above　them　and　lit　up　their　ephemeral　caves；　which　seemed　thenceforth　to　bee　scalding　caldrons。　　Perhaps　as　many　as　thirty　bonfires　could　be　counted　within　the　whole　bounds　of　the　district；　and　as　the　hour　may　be　told　on　a　clock…face　when