登陆注册
5292700000020

第20章 THE WAITING SUPPER(13)

He found his way to the churchyard,and first ascertained where lay the two relations he had left alive at his departure;then he observed the gravestones of other inhabitants with whom he had been well acquainted,till by degrees he seemed to be in the society of all the elder Froom-Everard population,as he had known the place.

Side by side as they had lived in his day here were they now.They had moved house in mass.

But no tomb of Mr.Bellston was visible,though,as he had lived at the manor-house,it would have been natural to find it here.In truth Nicholas was more anxious to discover that than anything,being curious to know how long he had been dead.Seeing from the glimmer of a light in the church that somebody was there cleaning for Sunday he entered,and looked round upon the walls as well as he could.But there was no monument to her husband,though one had been erected to the Squire.

Nicholas addressed the young man who was sweeping.'I don't see any monument or tomb to the late Mr.Bellston?''O no,sir;you won't see that,'said the young man drily.

'Why,pray?'

'Because he's not buried here.He's not Christian-buried anywhere,as far as we know.In short,perhaps he's not buried at all;and between ourselves,perhaps he's alive.'

Nicholas sank an inch shorter.'Ah,'he answered.

'Then you don't know the peculiar circumstances,sir?''I am a stranger here--as to late years.''Mr.Bellston was a traveller--an explorer--it was his calling;you may have heard his name as such?''I remember.'Nicholas recalled the fact that this very bent of Mr.

Bellston's was the incentive to his own roaming.

'Well,when he married he came and lived here with his wife and his wife's father,and said he would travel no more.But after a time he got weary of biding quiet here,and weary of her--he was not a good husband to the young lady by any means--and he betook himself again to his old trick of roving--with her money.Away he went,quite out of the realm of human foot,into the bowels of Asia,and never was heard of more.He was murdered,it is said,but nobody knows;though as that was nine years ago he's dead enough in principle,if not in corporation.His widow lives quite humble,for between her husband and her brother she's left in very lean pasturage.'Nicholas went back to the Buck's Head without hovering round her dwelling.This then was the explanation which she had wanted to make.Not dead,but missing.How could he have expected that the first fair promise of happiness held out to him would remain untarnished?She had said that she was free;and legally she was free,no doubt.Moreover,from her tone and manner he felt himself justified in concluding that she would be willing to run the risk of a union with him,in the improbability of her husband's existence.

Even if that husband lived,his return was not a likely event,to judge from his character.A man who could spend her money on his own personal adventures would not be anxious to disturb her poverty after such a lapse of time.

Well,the prospect was not so unclouded as it had seemed.But could he,even now,give up Christine?

CHAPTER VII

Two months more brought the year nearly to a close,and found Nicholas Long tenant of a spacious house in the market-town nearest to Froom-Everard.A man of means,genial character,and a bachelor,he was an object of great interest to his neighbours,and to his neighbours'wives and daughters.But he took little note of this,and had made it his business to go twice a week,no matter what the weather,to the now farmhouse at Froom-Everard,a wing of which had been retained as the refuge of Christine.He always walked,to give no trouble in putting up a horse to a housekeeper whose staff was limited.

The two had put their heads together on the situation,had gone to a solicitor,had balanced possibilities,and had resolved to make the plunge of matrimony.'Nothing venture,nothing have,'Christine had said,with some of her old audacity.

With almost gratuitous honesty they had let their intentions be widely known.Christine,it is true,had rather shrunk from publicity at first;but Nicholas argued that their boldness in this respect would have good results.With his friends he held that there was not the slightest probability of her being other than a widow,and a challenge to the missing man now,followed by no response,would stultify any unpleasant remarks which might be thrown at her after their union.To this end a paragraph was inserted in the Wessex papers,announcing that their marriage was proposed to be celebrated on such and such a day in December.

His periodic walks along the south side of the valley to visit her were among the happiest experiences of his life.The yellow leaves falling around him in the foreground,the well-watered meads on the left hand,and the woman he loved awaiting him at the back of the scene,promised a future of much serenity,as far as human judgment could foresee.On arriving,he would sit with her in the 'parlour'

of the wing she retained,her general sitting-room,where the only relics of her early surroundings were an old clock from the other end of the house,and her own piano.Before it was quite dark they would stand,hand in hand,looking out of the window across the flat turf to the dark clump of trees which hid further view from their eyes.

'Do you wish you were still mistress here,dear?'he once said.

'Not at all,'said she cheerfully.'I have a good enough room,and a good enough fire,and a good enough friend.Besides,my latter days as mistress of the house were not happy ones,and they spoilt the place for me.It was a punishment for my faithlessness.Nic,you do forgive me?Really you do?'

同类推荐
  • 送叶秀才赴举兼呈吕

    送叶秀才赴举兼呈吕

    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。
  • 佛说大方广师子吼经

    佛说大方广师子吼经

    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。
  • 类证治裁

    类证治裁

    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。
  • The Path of the King

    The Path of the King

    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。
  • 陈氏香谱

    陈氏香谱

    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
  • 异世灵控师

    异世灵控师

    这片陌生的大陆上,灵师是所有人仰望的职业!从灵徒、灵士、灵师、灵使到灵圣,每一步都异常艰辛!沐风原本只想安安静静的过日子,无奈人生不如意之事十有八九!既然你要我不平凡,那我就不平凡给你看!且看沐风如何步步成长,震惊大陆!
  • 为美好的世界献上穿越者

    为美好的世界献上穿越者

    意外死亡的杨威穿越到了美好世界从智障女神,阿克娅得到了名为创造的能力。“什么,是恶龙?!莫慌出来吧幻想大剣?天魔失墜!什么,是邪神?!莫慌看我天之锁,乖离剑二连发!什么,是阿克娅......去死吧阿克西斯教徒!看我乖离剑无限连发!”书友群:967636723验证答案:滑稽大仙
  • 二少爷的宠妻日常

    二少爷的宠妻日常

    少爷说,在太夫人的屋子里面不会有好吃的,所以她积极申请,去了少爷的屋子,少爷说,做三等丫头虽然可以在厨房,但是吃不到精致的点心,也不能出去玩,所以她积极的成为了二等丫鬟,少爷说,他四处去做生意,可以看到好多好吃好玩的,但是不能带二等丫鬟出去,只能带一等丫鬟,所以她努力成为一等丫鬟。少爷说,做姨娘只能在小桌子吃饭,而且只能吃青菜萝卜,所以她努力成为少爷夫人。可是……少爷没说,做夫人肚子里面要塞娃娃,塞了娃娃不能吃不能跑不能出去玩,少爷!!奴婢不明白做夫人有什么好!
  • 世外良田

    世外良田

    乾坤镯,定乾坤,空间虽小,良田无数。你,油嘴滑舌好吃懒做的那个,我不是你的主人。我认输了行不行?求你还我平静的小日子!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~新坑《海棠春色》,欢迎各位大大跳坑,某人会非常努力填坑滴~~~
  • 若你爱我如初

    若你爱我如初

    一颗心脏一个承诺,将原本没有交集的两人牵扯在一起。他冷漠无情,看见她眼中的悲伤,却会莫名疼惜。对他而言,宋世熙只是他许下的一个承诺。他娶她,对她温柔,给她所有的宠爱与纵容,仅仅只是源自一颗心脏的疼惜。在他爱人回归之时,在他找回空白过去之时,他们的距离却是那么近又那么地远。当真相揭露,他们的爱情又该何去何从?一次无心之错,她用背影结束他们所有的纠缠.....=============曾经,他们在浪漫的巴黎街头奔跑,在美丽的塞纳河畔幸福地拥抱;他站在紫色的薰衣草花田,供她描绘;他温暖的怀抱,是她坚实的避风港。曾经,幸福如此简单。他说“宋世熙,我可以给你所有,唯独给不了你爱情。”她说“纪若然,我爱上你了,怎么办?”当她以为幸福常在时,一场争执将一切揭露。.........当她从楼梯滚下,模糊的视线,望着那高大的身影,“你的孩子没了,是否该庆祝一番?”原来,你的脚步,只能陪我到这里。原来,我的幸福,到这里就是尽头。=============她来过他的世界,却连一个过客都不是,因为他从未给过她停留的余地。沉默之中,只有思念诉说着悲哀,你过得怎样?别来无恙?问不了,忘不掉,想着,念着…..经年后,一场神秘的画展,将一切再次呈现。你看得到吗?我心中唯一的爱,我是如此的想念,你知道吗?关于你的记忆那个遥远的地方.......有我。
  • 夏娃一号(两性港湾丛书)

    夏娃一号(两性港湾丛书)

    瞧,在两性港湾里,有两条船,一条叫亚当号,一条叫夏娃号。它们轻轻相拥,幽幽唼喋,在远离风暴的地方创造风暴……哦,在两性港湾里,泊着亚当号、夏娃号。召唤它们的是港弯的温馨,托载它们的是永恒的波涛……本书是《两性港湾丛书》之—“夏娃一号”,书中所收录的散文作品,作者们用它们细腻的手笔,讲述了一个个充满回忆、温馨、浪漫、悲伤与欢乐的男女的内心世界和感情世界。
  • 三界独尊

    三界独尊

    天帝之子江尘,转生在一个被人欺凌的诸侯少年身上,从此踏上一段轰杀各种天才的逆袭之路。在江尘面前,谁也没资格自称天才,因为,没有哪一个天才,能比天帝之子更懂天。天才?顺我者天,逆我者渣!
  • 劫仙道

    劫仙道

    她亦仙亦妖——妖孽一个!被爹坑了,去玩儿穿越——坑妹纸啊!遇见妖孽师傅一枚,把她疼把她宠——犯花痴了!啥,妖孽师傅还兼职妖孽相公——是个好主意!还有两个卖的了萌,犯得了二的美女做丫鬟——好极好极!耶,怎么蹦出一帮子二逼美貌青年不让她成亲——收拾他们!玩儿转仙陆,闹翻天外天,捣乱在异世,重回尘世成救主......女主大喊不公,怎么啥事儿都让她摊上了?!欧阳子玥:“相公~~~”李浮生:“累了吧,咱俩玩儿去,交给那些家伙们就行啦!”一帮子欢乐多的二B青年:紫鸢(椤鸢):水淼!陪我去逛街,姐姐又被大哥拐跑啦!婆娑(椤娑):清明大人......姐姐让我来拿东西。水淼:大哥,姐姐,你俩怎么又把鸢儿扔一边啦!(窃喜)小鸢宝贝,走,我陪你!清明:知道了,让大哥以后轻点儿!嫂嫂,那小身板儿......炙:啊啊啊!那两个家伙,怎么就知道玩儿啊!(苦恼中)我不管,去妓、院啦!曲沫:花好月圆,独缺美人啊!额,美女(双眼放光),啥,你是嫂嫂叫来的!?夜冥:喏,新研究出来的药。小玥啊,这药啊,可厉害了!也不能白拿是吧,替我在你姐姐那儿美言几句?......无根:大哥,嫂嫂,炙......你们,又无视我!(画圈圈)凡人:练体——修身——渡心【每层分前中后三期】修仙者:筑基——凝丹——修神——修法——融丹——铸仙牌【每层前中后三期】仙师——仙王——仙皇——仙君——仙宗——仙尊——仙帝【每层分一至九等】桃靥:爱小说,读者作者,有兴趣者,————————文文有些慢热啦,不过越往后越精彩哦~————————
  • 庶女妖娆:误惹痴王爷

    庶女妖娆:误惹痴王爷

    因为电梯出事而穿,她穿越成了富家的庶出小姐。凭借一身的聪明才智,她终于在这尊卑分明的家族里有了一席之地,却又遇到了古代版“神经病”王爷……商业斗智,王府宫斗,还要与几个优秀男人进行爱怨纠缠。从王府走出,上了战场,生死几折,终于看清自己心中所爱,以为尘埃落定,却又遇宫倾国变,两个爱自己的男人,一场生死对决,顾长歌该如何抉择?
  • 萌宅千姬变

    萌宅千姬变

    某个倒霉的宅男因勇救小萝莉丧命,接着穿越到平行世界的地球,变成一名十五岁的少女,发现这个地球有异能和魔法,还和异世界的入侵者展开过真-世界大战,而自己也获得了变身二次元少女的能力。于是,某重生加变身的死宅开始了‘她’在平行世界狂拽酷炫吊炸天的新生活……主角:“狂拽酷炫个妹啊!别人都是召唤二次元妹子,我怎么就自己变二次元妹子了?这不科学!”(PS1请不要太期待)(PS2准备丧病的写十几个结局)(PS3:本书Q群:243364036)