登陆注册
15402600000012

第12章

Oh,its easy enough,she said,descending from the pulpit and coming close to him to explain more vividly.You do it like this.Did you ever play a game of forfeits called "When is it?

where is it?what is it?"

No,never.

Ah,thats a pity,because writing a sermon is very much like playing that game.You take the text.You think,why is it?what is it?and so on.You put that down under "Generally."Then you proceed to the First,Secondly,and Thirdly.Papa wont have Fourthlys--says they are all my eye.Then you have a final Collectively,several pages of this being put in great black brackets,writing opposite,"LEAVE THIS OUT IF THE FARMERS ARE

FALLING ASLEEP."Then comes your In Conclusion,then A Few Words And I Have Done.Well,all this time you have put on the back of each page,"KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN"--I mean,she added,correcting herself,thats how I do in papas sermon-book,because otherwise he gets louder and louder,till at last he shouts like a farmer up a-field.Oh,papa is so funny in some things!

Then,after this childish burst of confidence,she was frightened,as if warned by womanly instinct,which for the moment her ardour had outrun,that she had been too forward to a comparative stranger.

Elfride saw her father then,and went away into the wind,being caught by a gust as she ascended the churchyard slope,in which gust she had the motions,without the motives,of a hoiden;the grace,without the self-consciousness,of a pirouetter.She conversed for a minute or two with her father,and proceeded homeward,Mr.Swancourt coming on to the church to Stephen.The wind had freshened his warm complexion as it freshens the glow of a brand.He was in a mood of jollity,and watched Elfride down the hill with a smile.

You little flyaway!you look wild enough now,he said,and turned to Stephen.But shes not a wild child at all,Mr.Smith.

As steady as you;and that you are steady I see from your diligence here.

I think Miss Swancourt very clever,Stephen observed.

Yes,she is;certainly,she is,said papa,turning his voice as much as possible to the neutral tone of disinterested criticism.

Now,Smith,Ill tell you something;but she mustnt know it for the world--not for the world,mind,for she insists upon keeping it a dead secret.Why,SHE WRITES MY SERMONS FOR ME OFTEN,and a very good job she makes of them!

She can do anything.

She can do that.The little rascal has the very trick of the trade.But,mind you,Smith,not a word about it to her,not a single word!

Not a word,said Smith.

Look there,said Mr.Swancourt.What do you think of my roofing?He pointed with his walking-stick at the chancel roof Did you do that,sir?

Yes,I worked in shirt-sleeves all the time that was going on.I pulled down the old rafters,fixed the new ones,put on the battens,slated the roof,all with my own hands,Worm being my assistant.We worked like slaves,didnt we,Worm?

Ay,sure,we did;harder than some here and there--hee,hee!said William Worm,cropping up from somewhere.Like slaves,a blieve--hee,hee!And werent ye foaming mad,sir,when the nails wouldnt go straight?Mighty I!There,tisnt so bad to cuss and keep it in as to cuss and let it out,is it,sir?

Well--why?

Because you,sir,when ye were a-putting on the roof,only used to cuss in your mind,which is,I suppose,no harm at all.

I dont think you know what goes on in my mind,Worm.

Oh,doant I,sir--hee,hee!Maybe Im but a poor wambling thing,sir,and cant read much;but I can spell as well as some here and there.Doant ye mind,sir,that blustrous night when ye asked me to hold the candle to ye in yer workshop,when you were making a new chair for the chancel?

Yes;what of that?

I stood with the candle,and you said you liked company,if twas only a dog or cat--maning me;and the chair wouldnt do nohow.

Ah,I remember.

No;the chair wouldnt do nohow.A was very well to look at;but,Lord!

同类推荐
  • 天马山房遗稿

    天马山房遗稿

    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。
  • Droll Stories

    Droll Stories

    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。
  • 广客谈

    广客谈

    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。
  • 乾道临安志

    乾道临安志

    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。
  • Prometheus Bound

    Prometheus Bound

    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。
热门推荐
  • 诱惑犯罪:总裁夫人萌萌哒

    诱惑犯罪:总裁夫人萌萌哒

    “宝贝乖乖,过来给我瞧瞧。”总裁大人戏谑一笑,向她勾了勾手指。总裁夫人抿抿嘴,把头一扭,萌萌地说:“坏人,我才不会过去呢!””是么?那你的意思就是让我上了?“总裁大人向玲珑可爱的小乖乖走来,眼前一片昏暗......甜文宠文,给你带来不一般的甜蜜故事。而MM的宗旨,就是为你的内心打下一份对爱的憧憬,了解爱的真谛。
  • 全民魔器

    全民魔器

    游戏中遭遇意外,醒来时发现无法登出,游戏因此成为了现实。魔法与剑的世界里,死宅段逸只有一身炼制的本事,若要寻找退出游戏的办法,他先得生存下去。让该死的魔法斗技全部消失,让全民魔器时代来临。
  • 世界科学博览3

    世界科学博览3

    本书是一部融知识性、趣味性、科学性于一体的科普类图书。力图全方位诠释科学领域的种种现象,引领读者进入精彩玄妙的科学世界,更加立体、真实地感受奇妙的科学之旅,使大家在享受阅读快感、学习科学知识的同时,获得更为广阔的文化视野、审美享受和想象空间。
  • 奉旨宠妻:霸爱小蛮妃

    奉旨宠妻:霸爱小蛮妃

    穿越之后,身为女警的顾薪影表示压力很大,前有渣父算计,后有皇子追杀,幸好学了一身医术毒术防防身,还抱上了专心研究宅斗算计人的娘亲大腿。某年某月,某小女子一根银针干倒某王爷,站在边上擦擦冷汗,这都什么事儿,她过她的小日子过得好好地,突然冒出这么多王爷皇子要扯着她步入阴谋圈。“再敢算计我信不信我回去告诉我娘,要你好好体会一下什么才是算计人的最高境界?”她踩着凳子瞪着面前的冷峻男人,狂霸酷拽地说着要回去“告状”。“本王需要算计你吗?”某男嘴角一撇,很淡定的从衣袖里掏出一卷明黄,“这是圣旨,快随为夫回去拜堂吧。”他从来都是来直接的,谁跟你绕圈子呢。
  • 赶灵人异界

    赶灵人异界

    新世界与冥界的故事,赶灵人的使命与冥灵的深渊。
  • 修真十书盘山语录卷

    修真十书盘山语录卷

    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。
  • 赖上温柔暴君:妖精难养也

    赖上温柔暴君:妖精难养也

    【原创作者社团『未央』出品】美丽的白领女子景遥,因为加班至凌晨,困顿之时掉落下水道,穿越到了一个未知的朝代——紫缭国。穿越到了紫缭国的年轻皇帝轩辕翼的床上,破坏了皇帝美人之间的好事,慌张逃窜却被轩辕翼霸道地捉回床上,一夜缠绵,景遥咬牙道:“轩辕翼,既然是你先招惹了我,就别想甩手走人,我景遥今生今世赖定你了!”一边是为了生存而千方百计诱惑君心,一边是惊觉心动却不愿深陷而步步后退。男追女,隔层纱,女追男,隔层山,难道只是想要好好爱你一辈子,也这么难吗?他是暴君,却惟独对女子从不伤害。他冷漠孤傲,拒人千里,却惟独对这个妖精般磨人缠人的女人无法抗拒。原来,心早已在那年那夜为她沉沦无法自拔。她伤心离去的背影,令他日夜难眠,念念不忘。脱去龙袍,走出深宫,原来天地广阔,江湖漫漫,那个妖精已经不知去向。既然赖上了我,既然带走了我的心,就由不得你想走便走。一路追寻,一路悲喜,繁花落定,尘埃消散,蓦然回首,你我原来一直不曾远离。。。。。。
  • 百合花房秘语

    百合花房秘语

    她是可怜的老乞丐,是“世界上最笨的贼”,还是所有诡计的始作俑者?家人间矛盾重重,多年的猜疑演变成难以化解的仇恨。谋杀似乎不可避免。然而,外婆死后,律师却不期而至!莫非老外婆已经知道自己的死期?莫非她已经猜到凶手是谁了。
  • 重新回忆

    重新回忆

    火箭的伤是落叶,葬与记忆,伴你我成长。当火箭脱离地球,冲向太空,怀念的却是助推器。若能改变,我愿改变设计,将太平洋上的助推器换成主体,重新回忆
  • 颤界

    颤界

    江枫自小拥有时空异能,却被封印,且看他破出封印,开启时空之门,穿越于无数世界,拥有无人企及的力量,踏上巅峰之路