登陆注册
14826900000132

第132章

This seemed feasible enough, for Turpin's speeches were not many or long, the fascination of the piece lying entirely in the action; and accordingly the play began, and at the appointed time Black Bess leapt into the grassy circle amid the plaudits of the spectators. At the turnpike scene, where Bess and Turpin are hotly pursued at midnight by the officers, and the half awake gatekeeper in his tasselled nightcap denies that any horseman has passed, Coggan uttered a broad-chested `Well done!' which could be heard all over the fair above the bleating, and Poorgrass smiled delightedly with a nice sense of dramatic contrast between our hero, who coolly leaps the gate, and halting justice in the form of his enemies, who must needs pull up cumbersomely and wait to be let through. At the death of Tom King, he could not refrain from seizing Coggan by the hand, and whispering, with tears in his eyes, `Of course he's not really shot, Jan - only seemingly!'

And when the last sad scene came on, and the body of the gallant and faithful Bess had to be carried out on a shutter by twelve volunteers from among the spectators, nothing could restrain Poorgrass from lending a hand, exclaiming, as he asked Jan to join him, `'Twill be something to tell of at Warren's in future years, Jan, and hand down to our children.' For many a year in Weatherbury, Joseph told, with the air of a man who had had experiences in his time, that he touched with his own hand the hoof of Bess as she lay upon the board upon his shoulder. If, as come thinkers hold, immortality consists in being enshrined in others' memories, then did Black Bess become immortal that day if she never had done so before.

Meanwhile Troy had added a few touches to his ordinary makeup far the character, the more effectually to disguise himself, and though he had felt faint qualms on first entering, the metamorphosis effected by judiciously `lining' his face with a wire rendered him safe from the eyes of Bathsheba and her men. Nevertheless, he was relieved when it was got through.

There was a second performance in the evening, and the tent was lighted up. Troy had taken his part very quietly this time, venturing to introduce a few speeches on occasion; and was just concluding it when, whilst standing at the edge of the circle contiguous to the first row of spectators, he observed within a yard of him the eye of a man darted keenly into his side features. Troy hastily shifted his position, after having recognized in the scrutineer the knavish bailiff Pennyways, his wife's sworn enemy, who still hung about the outskirts of Weatherbury.

At first Troy resolved to take no notice and abide by circumstances.

That he had been recognized by this man was highly probable; yet there was room for a doubt. Then the great objection he had felt to allowing news of his proximity to precede him to Weatherbury in the event of his return, based on a feeling that knowledge of his present occupation would discredit him still farther in his wife's eyes, returned in fall force.

Moreover, should he resolve not to return at all, a tale of his being alive and being in the neighbourhood would be awkward; and he was anxious to acquire knowledge of his wife's temporal affairs before deciding which to do.

In this dilemma Troy at once went out to reconnoitre. It occurred to him that to find Pennyways, and make a friend of him if possible, would be a very wise act. He had put on a thick beard borrowed from the establishment, and in this he wandered about the fair-field. It was now almost dark, and respectable people were getting their carts and gigs ready to go home.

The largest refreshment booth in the fair was provided by an innkeeper from a neighbouring town. This was considered an unexceptionable place for obtaining the necessary food and rest: Host Trencher (as he was jauntily called by the local newspaper) being a substantial man of high repute for catering through all the country round. The tent was divided into first and second-class compartments, and at the end of the first-class division was a yet farther enclosure for the most exclusive, fenced off from the body of the tent by a luncheon-bar, behind which the host himself stood, bustling about in white apron and shirt-sleeves, and looking as if he had never lived anywhere but under canvas all his life. In these penetralia were chairs and a table, which, on candles being lighted, made quite a cosy and luxurious show with an urn, plated tea and coffee pots, china teacups, and plum cakes.

Troy stood at the entrance to the booth, where a gipsy-woman was frying pancakes over a little fire of sticks and selling them at a penny apiece, and looked over the heads of the people within. He could see nothing of Pennyways, but he soon discerned Bathsheba through an opening into the reserved space at the farther end. Troy thereupon retreated, went round the tent into the darkness, and listened. He could hear Bathsheba's voice immediately inside the canvas; she was conversing with a man. A warmth overspread his face; surely she was riot so unprincipled as to flirt in a fair! He wondered if, then, she reckoned upon his death as an absolute certainty To get at the root of the matter, Troy took a penknife from his pocket and softly made two little cuts crosswise in the cloth, which, by folding back the corners, left a hole the size of a wafer. Close to this he placed his face, withdrawing it again in a movement of surprise, for his eye had been within twelve inches of the top of Bathsheba's head. It was too near to be convenient. He made another hole a little to one side and lower down, in a shaded place beside her chair, from which it was easy and safe to survey her by looking horizontally.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 恋上高跟鞋女郎

    恋上高跟鞋女郎

    爱情,就是一朵开到靡荼的花。而我们生活的真谛,就是不断跋涉,依旧无畏寻找这朵花的执著过程。迪希是个有远大抱负的英俊青年,在一场不慎卷入的并购阴谋中意外认识了美貌少女伊黛。两个年轻人,在爱情和职场这个交叠的大漩涡中几经挣扎、几经周折,在揭开每个人身上秘密的同时,也不可遏止地发现彼此就是心中的唯一。
  • 龙帝崛起之双龙帝

    龙帝崛起之双龙帝

    少年唐添与少女章月从小被家族的人嘲笑,只因这两兄妹没有龙脉,但在某一天两人意外得到两条王者神龙的血脉。从此两兄妹不凡,他们将嘲笑他之人斩杀,神挡杀神,魔挡杀魔。但在某一天,唐添的妹妹失踪了,唐添为寻找自己的妹妹而前往更高的地方。
  • 混迹在修真界的骷髅兵

    混迹在修真界的骷髅兵

    郝仁觉得自己很可怜,穿越的时候被空间风暴摧毁了肉身,无奈在冥界当了一个骷髅兵。本来幻想着,杀进天界夺得生命之水,重塑肉身,好娶一个漂亮的老婆,摆脱跟骷髅打交道的生活。结果两位冥主大战,自己不巧撞上了空间裂痕再次穿越……修真界生活好,妹子漂亮,宝物多多,最起码不用跟那些骷髅打交道了!等等……我特么怎么还是骷髅?郝仁欲哭无泪。于是乎,郝仁过街,人人喊打!“本人是修真界唯一可以修行的骷髅,没有之一,无法谦虚。”郝仁昂起自己的骷髅头。这是一只不甘“寂寞”的骷髅,为了努力变成一个“人”的奋斗史!同时这也是一只毫无节操的骷髅……(哪怕不上架,这次也不太监。)我写的东西,你们不爱看,总有人会喜欢看的!
  • 资本帝国

    资本帝国

    风云突变的二十一世纪,罗斯柴尔德的延续,摩根帝国的重生,是谁控制了美联储,挟持了华尔街,挟天子以令诸侯,是谁一次又一次创造财富的神话,借助人民币的崛起称雄世界,又是谁制造了反物质,令各国政府头痛不已,末日武器将怎样改变世界,资本帝国,现实与想象,金钱的战争,贪婪,是个好东西!
  • 益智妇幼的故事

    益智妇幼的故事

    童话是世界儿童文学中永不凋谢的花冠,是与我们少年儿童捉迷藏的小朋友。童话奠定了我们的人生基础,影响着我们的一生。因此应该把那些名篇珍品传给后代,陶冶后代。
  • 鬼暮

    鬼暮

    七个不同的诅咒面具。民国期间,七个面具不断流转于人手。可这些收藏面具的人,纷纷因各种事故去死。故而,又叫“撒旦的面具”今,21世纪,云千暮,一个初生牛犊不怕死的女孩要去探求这个百年诅咒。听,好像有什么声音响起。“滴答,滴答——”
  • 大杂兵

    大杂兵

    一个穿越小杂兵晋升大杂兵的奇妙宇宙冒险故事!
  • 修炼在凡间

    修炼在凡间

    修仙界东皇钟一脉惨遭灭门。唯一幸存者东冥被其师耗费修为庇佑,最后借助家族神器东皇钟开启了凡界之门,东冥独自进入凡间避难修炼。修仙界与凡间不变的定律只能进不能出。一个仙界之人在凡间又会有如何的壮举呢?凡间是否还存有其他的修仙者呢?在凡界修炼的主角又以何种身份再返仙界呢?本书将会为您一一揭晓,本书以生活为主。
  • 王源谁说蓝莓不爱你

    王源谁说蓝莓不爱你

    这一世,蓝莓的世界很少有人深入;这一世,王源很少深入不了别人的世界。而偏偏她—蓝莓,王源深入不了她的心……
  • 冬病夏治与调养

    冬病夏治与调养

    所谓冬病夏治,是对一些冬季容易发作或加重的疾病,在病情相对缓解的夏季进行适当的调治和补养,以预防或减少发作,乃至根治的特殊疗法。该法属自然疗法范畴,有着悠久的历史,起源于“天人合一”的中医理论。人体的阳气与自然界一样,生于春天,盛于夏天,收于秋天,藏于冬天。如果人体阳气不足,在寒冷的日子里就容易受到风寒袭击,导致一些慢性病症频繁发作或加重,比如慢性支气管炎、支气管哮喘、阻塞性肺气肿、肺源性心脏病等。寒冷还可以引起血管收缩,导致人体免疫功能下降。所以冬季也是心脑血管疾病、胃肠道疾病、风湿性关节疾病的高发季节。夏季是全年气温最高、阳气最为旺盛的时候。