第 63 节
作者:温暖寒冬      更新:2024-04-09 19:50      字数:9268
  alias “bullheads;” which the lads looked at wistfully。
  The   damp   hay   that   must   be   scattered   and   turned   afresh   to…
  George Eliot                                                     ElecBook Classics
  … Page 254…
  Adam Bede                                      254
  morrow  was   not  a   cheering  sight  to  Mr。   Poyser;   who   during   hay
  and     corn   harvest    had    often   some    mental     struggles    as   to  the
  benefits   of   a   day   of   rest;   but  no   temptation   would   have   induced
  him to carry on any field…work; however early in the morning; on a
  Sunday;      for   had   not   Michael     Holdsworth      had    a  pair   of  oxen
  “sweltered” while he was ploughing on Good Friday? That was a
  demonstration that work on sacred days was a wicked thing; and
  with wickedness of any sort Martin Poyser was quite clear that he
  would have nothing to do; since money got by such means would
  never prosper。
  “It a’most makes your fingers itch to be at the hay now the sun
  shines     so;”   he    observed;     as   they    passed    through      the   “Big
  Meadow。”   “But   it’s   poor   foolishness   to   think   o’   saving   by   going
  against your conscience。 There’s that Jim Wakefield; as they used
  to call ‘Gentleman Wakefield;’ used to do the same of a Sunday as
  o’ week…days; and took no heed to right or wrong; as if there was
  nayther   God   nor   devil。   An’   what’s   he   come   to?   Why;   I   saw   him
  myself last market…day a…carrying a basket wi’ oranges in ’t。”
  “Ah; to be sure;” said Mrs。 Poyser; emphatically; “you make but
  a poor trap to catch luck if you go and bait it wi’ wickedness。 The
  money as is got so’s like to burn holes i’ your pocket。 I’d niver wish
  us to leave our lads a sixpence but what was got i’ the rightful way。
  And as for the weather; there’s One above makes it; and we must
  put up wi’t: it’s nothing of a plague to what the wenches are。”
  Notwithstanding   the   interruption   in   their   walk;   the   excellent
  habit which Mrs。 Poyser’s clock had of taking time by the forelock
  had secured their arrival at the village while it was still a quarter
  to two; though almost  every  one   who  meant  to  go  to  church  was
  already  within   the   churchyard   gates。   Those   who   stayed   at   home
  George Eliot                                                        ElecBook Classics
  … Page 255…
  Adam Bede                                       255
  were chiefly mothers; like Timothy’s Bess;   who  stood   at  her  own
  door nursing her baby and feeling as women feel in that position—
  that nothing else can be expected of them。
  It was not entirely to see Thias Bede’s funeral   that  the   people
  were standing about the churchyard so long before service began;
  that    was    their  common        practice。   The    women;      indeed;     usually
  entered   the   church   at   once;   and   the   farmers’   wives   talked   in   an
  undertone to each  other;   over  the   tall pews;   about  their  illnesses
  and   the   total   failure   of   doctor’s   stuff;   recommending   dandelion…
  tea;   and   other  home…made   specifics; as   far preferable—about  the
  servants; and their growing exorbitance as to wages; whereas the
  quality of their services declined from year to year; and there was
  no   girl   nowadays   to   be   trusted   any   further   than   you   could   see
  her—about the bad price Mr。 Dingall; the Treddleston grocer; was
  giving for butter; and the reasonable doubts that might be held as
  to his solvency; notwithstanding that  Mrs。   Dingall  was a   sensible
  woman; and they were all sorry for her; for she had very good kin。
  Meantime        the   men    lingered     outside;    and   hardly     any   of  them
  except      the   singers;     who    had     a   humming        and    fragmentary
  rehearsal to go through; entered the church until Mr。 Irwine was
  in   the   desk。   They   saw   no   reason   for   that   premature   entrance—
  what   could   they   do   in   church   if   they   were   there   before   service
  began?—and they did not conceive that any power in the universe
  could take it ill of them if they stayed out and talked a little about
  “bis’ness。”
  Chad   Cranage looks like   quite   a   new   acquaintance   to…day;   for
  he   has   got   his   clean   Sunday   face;   which   always   makes   his   little
  granddaughter  cry  at  him   as   a stranger。   But  an   experienced   eye
  would   have   fixed   on   him   at   once   as   the   village   blacksmith;   after
  George Eliot                                                          ElecBook Classics
  … Page 256…
  Adam Bede                                      256
  seeing the humble deference with which the big saucy fellow took
  off   his  hat   and   stroked     his  hair   to  the  farmers;     for  Chad    was
  accustomed   to   say   that   a   working…man   must   hold   a   candle   to   a
  personage       understood       to  be   as   black    as  he   was    himself     on
  weekdays; by which evil…sounding rule of conduct he meant what
  was;   after   all;   rather   virtuous   than   otherwise;   namely;   that   men
  who had horses to be shod must be treated with respect。 Chad and
  the rougher sort of workmen kept aloof from the grave under the
  white thorn; where the burial was going forward; but Sandy Jim;
  and   several   of   the   farm…labourers;   made   a   group   round   it;   and
  stood with their hats off; as fellow…mourners with the mother and
  sons。    Others     held   a  midway      position;   sometimes      watching      the
  group at the grave; sometimes listening to the conversation of the
  farmers; who stood in a knot near the church door; and were now
  joined by Martin Poyser; while his family passed into the church。
  On the outside of this knot stood Mr。 Casson; the landlord   of  the
  Donnithorne   Arms;   in   his   most   striking   attitude—that   is   to   say;
  with the forefinger of his right hand thrust between the buttons of
  his   waistcoat;   his   left   hand   in   his   breeches   pocket;   and   his   head
  very  much  on   one  side; looking;   on   the  whole; like   an   actor   who
  has only a mono…syllabic part entrusted to him; but feels sure that
  the audience discern his fitness for the leading business; curiously
  in contrast with old Jonathan Burge;   who  held   his   hands behind
  him and leaned  forward;   coughing asthmatically;   with  an   inward
  scorn of all knowingness that could not be turned  into  cash。   The
  talk was in rather a lower tone than usual to…day; hushed a little by
  the   sound   of   Mr。   Irwine’s   voice   reading   the   final   prayers   of   the
  burial…service。 They had all had their word of pity for poor Thias;
  but    now    they    had   got   upon    the   nearer    subject    of   their  own
  George Eliot                                                         ElecBook Classics
  … Page 257…
  Adam Bede                                      257
  grievances   against   Satchell;   the   Squire’s   bailiff;   who   played   the
  part    of  steward     so   far  as   it  was   not   performed       by   old  Mr。
  Donnithorne        himself;   for   that  gentleman      had    the  meanness      to
  receive   his   own   rents   and   make   bargains   about   his   own   timber。
  This    subject    of  conversation      was   an   additional    reason     for  not
  being loud; since Satchell himself might  presently  be  walking  up
  the    paved     road   to   the  church     door。    And    soon    they   became
  suddenly silent; for Mr。 Irwine’s voice had ceased; and the group
  round the white thorn was dispersing itself towards the church。
  They all   moved  aside; and   stood   with  their  hats   off;   while  Mr。
  Irwine     passed。    Adam     and    Seth    were   coming     next;   with    their
  mother between them; for Joshua Rann officiated as head sexton
  as well as clerk; and was not yet ready to follow the rector into the
  vestry。 But there was a pause before the three mourners came on:
  Lisbeth   had   turned   round   to   look   again   towards   the   grave!   Ah!
  There     was    nothing    now   but    the  brown     earth   under    the   white
  thorn。 Yet she cried less to…day than she had done any day  since
  her husband’s death。 Along with all her grief there was mixed an
  unusual sense of her own importance in having a “burial;” and in
  Mr。    Irwine’s     reading    a  special    service    for  her   husband;      and
  besides; she knew the funeral psalm was going to be sung for him。
  She felt this counter…excitem