第 37 节
作者:铲除不公      更新:2021-10-21 08:52      字数:9321
  captains; pilots; boatswains; mates; able seamen; and other curious
  fauna of the marine world; but these were directly addressed to his
  father and Mrs。 Loveday; Anne being included at the clinching…point
  by a glance only。  He sometimes opened bottles of sweet cider for
  her; and then she thanked him; but even this did not lead to her
  encouraging his chat。
  One day when Anne was paring an apple she was left at table with the
  young man。  'I have made something for you;' he said。
  She looked all over the table; nothing was there save the ordinary
  remnants。
  'O I don't mean that it is here; it is out by the bridge at the
  mill…head。'
  He arose; and Anne followed with curiosity in her eyes; and with her
  firm little mouth pouted up to a puzzled shape。  On reaching the
  mossy mill…head she found that he had fixed in the keen damp draught
  which always prevailed over the wheel an AEolian harp of large size。
  At present the strings were partly covered with a cloth。  He lifted
  it; and the wires began to emit a weird harmony which mingled
  curiously with the plashing of the wheel。
  'I made it on purpose for you; Miss Garland;' he said。
  She thanked him very warmly; for she had never seen anything like
  such an instrument before; and it interested her。  'It was very
  thoughtful of you to make it;' she added。  'How came you to think of
  such a thing?'
  'O I don't know exactly;' he replied; as if he did not care to be
  questioned on the point。  'I have never made one in my life till
  now。'
  Every night after this; during the mournful gales of autumn; the
  strange mixed music of water; wind; and strings met her ear;
  swelling and sinking with an almost supernatural cadence。  The
  character of the instrument was far enough removed from anything she
  had hitherto seen of Bob's hobbies; so that she marvelled pleasantly
  at the new depths of poetry this contrivance revealed as existent in
  that young seaman's nature; and allowed her emotions to flow out yet
  a little further in the old direction; notwithstanding her late
  severe resolve to bar them back。
  One breezy night; when the mill was kept going into the small hours;
  and the wind was exactly in the direction of the water…current; the
  music so mingled with her dreams as to wake her:  it seemed to
  rhythmically set itself to the words; 'Remember me! think of me!'
  She was much impressed; the sounds were almost too touching; and she
  spoke to Bob the next morning on the subject。
  'How strange it is that you should have thought of fixing that harp
  where the water gushes!' she gently observed。  'It affects me almost
  painfully at night。  You are poetical; Captain Bob。  But it is too
  too sad!'
  'I will take it away;' said Captain Bob promptly。  'It certainly is
  too sad; I thought so myself。  I myself was kept awake by it one
  night。'
  'How came you to think of making such a peculiar thing?'
  'Well;' said Bob; 'it is hardly worth saying why。  It is not a good
  place for such a queer noisy machine; and I'll take it away。'
  'On second thoughts;' said Anne; 'I should like it to remain a
  little longer; because it sets me thinking。'
  'Of me?' he asked with earnest frankness。
  Anne's colour rose fast。
  'Well; yes;' she said; trying to infuse much plain matter…of…fact
  into her voice。  'Of course I am led to think of the person who
  invented it。'
  Bob seemed unaccountably embarrassed; and the subject was not
  pursued。  About half…an…hour later he came to her again; with
  something of an uneasy look。
  'There was a little matter I didn't tell you just now; Miss
  Garland;' he said。  'About that harp thing; I mean。  I did make it;
  certainly; but it was my brother John who asked me to do it; just
  before he went away。  John is very musical; as you know; and he said
  it would interest you; but as he didn't ask me to tell; I did not。
  Perhaps I ought to have; and not have taken the credit to myself。'
  'O; it is nothing!' said Anne quickly。  'It is a very incomplete
  instrument after all; and it will be just as well for you to take it
  away as you first proposed。'
  He said that he would; but he forgot to do it that day; and the
  following night there was a high wind; and the harp cried and moaned
  so movingly that Anne; whose window was quite near; could hardly
  bear the sound with its new associations。  John Loveday was present
  to her mind all night as an ill…used man; and yet she could not own
  that she had ill…used him。
  The harp was removed next day。  Bob; feeling that his credit for
  originality was damaged in her eyes; by way of recovering it set
  himself to paint the summer…house which Anne frequented; and when he
  came out he assured her that it was quite his own idea。
  'It wanted doing; certainly;' she said; in a neutral tone。
  'It is just about troublesome。'
  'Yes; you can't quite reach up。  That's because you are not very
  tall; is it not; Captain Loveday?'
  'You never used to say things like that。'
  'O; I don't mean that you are much less than tall!  Shall I hold the
  paint for you; to save your stepping down?'
  'Thank you; if you would。'
  She took the paint…pot; and stood looking at the brush as it moved
  up and down in his hand。
  'I hope I shall not sprinkle your fingers;' he observed as he
  dipped。
  'O; that would not matter!  You do it very well。'
  'I am glad to hear that you think so。'
  'But perhaps not quite so much art is demanded to paint a
  summer…house as to paint a picture?'
  Thinking that; as a painter's daughter; and a person of education
  superior to his own; she spoke with a flavour of sarcasm; he felt
  humbled and said
  'You did not use to talk like that to me。'
  'I was perhaps too young then to take any pleasure in giving pain;'
  she observed daringly。
  'Does it give you pleasure?'
  Anne nodded。
  'I like to give pain to people who have given pain to me;' she said
  smartly; without removing her eyes from the green liquid in her
  hand。
  'I ask your pardon for that。'
  'I didn't say I meant youthough I did mean you。'
  Bob looked and looked at her side face till he was bewitched into
  putting down his brush。
  'It was that stupid forgetting of 'ee for a time!' he exclaimed。
  'Well; I hadn't seen you for so very longconsider how many years!
  O; dear Anne!' he said; advancing to take her hand; 'how well we
  knew one another when we were children!  You was a queen to me then;
  and so you are now; and always。'
  Possibly Anne was thrilled pleasantly enough at having brought the
  truant village lad to her feet again; but he was not to find the
  situation so easy as he imagined; and her hand was not to be taken
  yet。
  'Very pretty!' she said; laughing。  'And only six weeks since Miss
  Johnson left。'
  'Zounds; don't say anything about that!' implored Bob。  'I swear
  that I nevernever deliberately loved herfor a long time
  together; that is; it was a sudden sort of thing; you know。  But
  towards youI have more or less honoured and respectfully loved
  you; off and on; all my life。  There; that's true。'
  Anne retorted quickly
  'I am willing; off and on; to believe you; Captain Robert。  But I
  don't see any good in your making these solemn declarations。'
  'Give me leave to explain; dear Miss Garland。  It is to get you to
  be pleased to renew an old promisemade years agothat you'll
  think o' me。'
  'Not a word of any promise will I repeat。'
  'Well; well; I won't urge 'ee today。  Only let me beg of you to get
  over the quite wrong notion you have of me; and it shall be my whole
  endeavour to fetch your gracious favour。'
  Anne turned away from him and entered the house; whither in the
  course of a quarter of an hour he followed her; knocking at her
  door; and asking to be let in。  She said she was busy; whereupon he
  went away; to come back again in a short time and receive the same
  answer。
  'I have finished painting the summer…house for you;' he said through
  the door。
  'I cannot come to see it。  I shall be engaged till supper…time。'
  She heard him breathe a heavy sigh and withdraw; murmuring something
  about his bad luck in being cut away from the starn like this。  But
  it was not over yet。  When supper…time came and they sat down
  together; she took upon herself to reprove him for what he had said
  to her in the garden。
  Bob made his forehead express despair。
  'Now; I beg you this one thing;' he said。  'Just let me know your
  whole mind。  Then I shall have a chance to confess my faults and
  mend them; or clear my conduct to your satisfaction。'
  She answered with quickness; but not loud enough to be heard by the
  old people at the other end of the table'Then; Captain Loveday; I
  will tell you one thing; one fault; that perhaps would have been
  more proper to my character than to yours。  You are too easily
  impressed by new faces; and that gives me a BAD OPINION of youyes;
  a BAD OPINION。'
  'O; that's it!' said Bob slowly; looking at her with the intense
  respect of a pupil for a master; her words being spoken in a manner
  so precisely between jest and earnest that he was in some doubt how
  they were to be received。  'Impressed by new faces。  It is wrong;
  certainly; of me。'
  The popping of a cork; and the pouring out of strong beer by the
  miller with a view to giving it a head;