登陆注册
5159000000008

第8章

Shortlands T HE B RANGWENS went home to Beldover, the wedding-party gathered at Shortlands, the Criches' home.

It was a long, low old house, a sort of manor farm, that spread along the top of a slope just beyond the narrow little lake of Willey Water.Shortlands looked across a sloping meadow that might be a park, because of the large, solitary trees that stood here and there, across the water of the narrow lake, at the wooded hill that successfully hid the colliery valley beyond, but did not quite hide the rising smoke.Nevertheless, the scene was rural and picturesque, very peaceful, and the house had a charm of its own.

It was crowded now with the family and the wedding guests.The father, who was not well, withdrew to rest.Gerald was host.He stood in the homely entrance hall, friendly and easy, attending to the men.He seemed to take pleasure in his social functions, he smiled, and was abundant in hospitality.

The women wandered about in a little confusion, chased hither and thither by the three married daughters of the house.All the while there could be heard the characteristic, imperious voice of one Crich woman or another calling `Helen, come here a minute,' `Marjory, I want you -- here.' `Oh, I say, Mrs Witham --.' There was a great rustling of skirts, swift glimpses of smartly-dressed women, a child danced through the hall and back again, a maidservant came and went hurriedly.

Meanwhile the men stood in calm little groups, chatting, smoking, pretending to pay no heed to the rustling animation of the women's world.But they could not really talk, because of the glassy ravel of women's excited, cold laughter and running voices.They waited, uneasy, suspended, rather bored.But Gerald remained as if genial and happy, unaware that he was waiting or unoccupied, knowing himself the very pivot of the occasion.

Suddenly Mrs Crich came noiselessly into the room, peering about with her strong, clear face.She was still wearing her hat, and her sac coat of blue silk.

`What is it, mother?' said Gerald.

`Nothing, nothing!' she answered vaguely.And she went straight towards Birkin, who was talking to a Crich brother-in-law.

`How do you do, Mr Birkin,' she said, in her low voice, that seemed to take no count of her guests.She held out her hand to him.

`Oh Mrs Crich,' replied Birkin, in his readily-changing voice, `I couldn't come to you before.'

`I don't know half the people here,' she said, in her low voice.Her son-in-law moved uneasily away.

`And you don't like strangers?' laughed Birkin.`I myself can never see why one should take account of people, just because they happen to be in the room with one: why should I know they are there?'

`Why indeed, why indeed!' said Mrs Crich, in her low, tense voice.`Except that they are there.I don't know people whom I find in the house.The children introduce them to me -- "Mother, this is Mr So-and-so."I am no further.What has Mr So-and-so to do with his own name? -- and what have I to do with either him or his name?'

She looked up at Birkin.She startled him.He was flattered too that she came to talk to him, for she took hardly any notice of anybody.He looked down at her tense clear face, with its heavy features, but he was afraid to look into her heavy-seeing blue eyes.He noticed instead how her hair looped in slack, slovenly strands over her rather beautiful ears, which were not quite clean.Neither was her neck perfectly clean.Even in that he seemed to belong to her, rather than to the rest of the company;though, he thought to himself, he was always well washed, at any rate at the neck and ears.

He smiled faintly, thinking these things.Yet he was tense, feeling that he and the elderly, estranged woman were conferring together like traitors, like enemies within the camp of the other people.He resembled a deer, that throws one ear back upon the trail behind, and one ear forward, to know what is ahead.

`People don't really matter,' he said, rather unwilling to continue.

The mother looked up at him with sudden, dark interrogation, as if doubting his sincerity.

`How do you mean, matter? ' she asked sharply.

`Not many people are anything at all,' he answered, forced to go deeper than he wanted to.`They jingle and giggle.It would be much better if they were just wiped out.Essentially, they don't exist, they aren't there.'

She watched him steadily while he spoke.

`But we didn't imagine them,' she said sharply.

`There's nothing to imagine, that's why they don't exist.'

`Well,' she said, `I would hardly go as far as that.There they are, whether they exist or no.It doesn't rest with me to decide on their existence.

I only know that I can't be expected to take count of them all.You can't expect me to know them, just because they happen to be there.As far as I go they might as well not be there.'

`Exactly,' he replied.

`Mightn't they?' she asked again.

`Just as well,' he repeated.And there was a little pause.

`Except that they are there, and that's a nuisance,' she said.

`There are my sons-in-law,' she went on, in a sort of monologue.`Now Laura's got married, there's another.And I really don't know John from James yet.

They come up to me and call me mother.I know what they will say -- "how are you, mother?" I ought to say, "I am not your mother, in any sense."But what is the use? There they are.I have had children of my own.I suppose I know them from another woman's children.'

`One would suppose so,' he said.

She looked at him, somewhat surprised, forgetting perhaps that she was talking to him.And she lost her thread.

She looked round the room, vaguely.Birkin could not guess what she was looking for, nor what she was thinking.Evidently she noticed her sons.

`Are my children all there?' she asked him abruptly.

He laughed, startled, afraid perhaps.

`I scarcely know them, except Gerald,' he replied.

`Gerald!' she exclaimed.`He's the most wanting of them all.You'd never think it, to look at him now, would you?'

`No,' said Birkin.

The mother looked across at her eldest son, stared at him heavily for some time.

同类推荐
  • The Principles of Psychology

    The Principles of Psychology

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 宗睿僧正于唐国师所口受

    宗睿僧正于唐国师所口受

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 顾华玉集

    顾华玉集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 芝园遗编

    芝园遗编

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大明水记

    大明水记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 湘西往事:黑帮的童话(全集)

    湘西往事:黑帮的童话(全集)

    1992年,对金钱的渴望让小混混姚义杰迈入了冒险天堂的大门,让他走上飞黄腾达的血光生涯;在财富与刀枪的洗礼中,天生的血性、机警、单纯和残酷,帮助他登上人生的顶峰。二十多年后,“问题富豪”姚义杰富甲一方,总想金盆洗手、退隐江湖,但错综复杂的政商关系、千丝万缕的黑道恩仇早已将他牢牢绑定,动弹不得,直到枪毙安优的那颗子弹呼啸而至,躲开子弹的代价已经太多太大……时代在每一个人身上留下印记,留在姚义杰身上的要更深、更重一些。翻开本书,带您亲眼目睹30年社会巨变中,一代迷失青年的暴力成长史诗。
  • Jezebel's Daughter

    Jezebel's Daughter

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 爱恨千年劫

    爱恨千年劫

    寻寻觅觅千百年,当来到身边时,他确逃婚了,为了解释清楚自己就是他一生寻觅的爱人,女主走遍了千山万水,经历了生死劫难,当有一天可以自由的告诉他时,他已有了新欢!男主掐着她的脖子恶狠狠的说:“你敢再对她无礼,我就废了你!”女主睁大眼睛看着自己深爱的男人,咬着自己的下唇:“我会让你付出代价的!”--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • ON REGIMEN IN ACUTE DISEASES

    ON REGIMEN IN ACUTE DISEASES

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 诡域天图

    诡域天图

    一张虚幻的地图,指向传说中的圣域。一个诡异的迷局,引出千年前的秘密。利益面前,揭露人性的丑陋。面对永生的诱惑,主人公该何去何从。生死各有天命,善恶一念之间。亲情,友情,爱情,和自己的生命,利益的天平该向哪一端倾斜。在逆境中挣扎,为情所困,在传说中周旋,为爱厮杀。最终能否逃过天命。这是一个关于执念的故事,揭露面具背后的人生。悠悠冥墟千载雪,可曾封得住一丝执念?如果您有兴趣,不妨坐下来品一盏清茶,叙叙家常,聊聊人生。小胡子期待您的光临
  • 重生之喜获良缘

    重生之喜获良缘

    她在去婚纱店挑选婚纱的半路,不幸遭遇车祸,不料想居然重生成了邻家小妹;而他放弃国外的高薪工作,回国来开了自己的私人侦探社,接手的案子当中,就有她的车祸案,借大侦探之手,她不仅找到了自己车祸的真相,还意外收获了自己的良缘。
  • 太上浩元经

    太上浩元经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 假面帝妃

    假面帝妃

    云国36年婢女无意挽湿帕拭去那颈间一株毒砂,凤凰涅槃,暗藏背后之狠辣阴谋亦随其破晓。她遭屠国,爱人被杀,帝位被夺,惨被毁容,不过是胞妹的一手策划。皮囊裹面,她化身和亲的凤国公主,只为复仇。那碗堕胎药苦似毒水,药性极强,眼看腿间流出一大摊血,她虚弱的昏倒在大殿之上。他领将攻城,残暴无情,把她逼上绝境,却只为幼时一个誓言。“待我颠覆整片山河,我定来迎娶你为妻!”原来誓言会骗人,胎记能模仿,就连回忆都能造假。终是没想到,他日夜想念的,竟是那个被他夺国,毁容,伤害最大的她!那夜,城墙之上眼泪溶解着皮囊褪去,回忆一幕幕浮现眼前,爱她的人全都为她而死,她爱的也被处斩。泪干枯,今生她的执着太多,绝望太多。有的人死了,却还是活着。有的人活着,却早就该死。纵身一跃的瞬间,她的灵魂可还寂寞?
  • 名门皇妃

    名门皇妃

    前世舒和被极品人渣前男友逼迫跳江,一睁眼发现自己居然穿越了;再见极品前任,本姑娘亲和力爆表又有现代知识,就不信拉不住你这匹野马!诶等等,老是出现在梦里的帅哥是谁?这两个人怎么一言不合就刀剑相向?大家都在抢的令符又是什么东西?妈耶,这到底是附了谁的身?算了算了,本姑娘还是先溜为妙!想溜?哪有那么容易!
  • 中国式管理的30个大手段和40个小细节

    中国式管理的30个大手段和40个小细节

    本书通过对中国传统文化的分析,提炼出体现中国思想的管理方法和手段,并针对现代企业实际管理过程中产生的各种问题,提出较好的解决方案,让现代企业的管理者有所启示。