按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃And you hadothers？〃 she asked in a kind of sacred awe。
〃A great many oncea necklace； and rings； and brooches； and a silly tiara that made me look a fright。 I never cared for them after the novelty of owning them wore off。 They are evil things； it seems to me； and should never be the gifts of love； for each one of those foolish stones stands for greed； and pride； and selfishness； and maybe crime。 That was my way of looking at them； of course； and whenever I wore my necklace I used to feel like asking pardon of every beggar that I passed。 'One link in this chain might make a man of you；' was what I wanted to saybut I never did。 Well； they are almost all gone now； some I sold and some I gave away。 This one will buy you medicine； I hope； and then it will give me more happiness than it has ever done before。〃
〃Oh； it is beautiful； beautiful；〃 sighed Molly beneath her breath； and then went to the little cracked mirror in the corner and held the diamond first to her ear and then against her hair。 〃They suit me；〃 she said at last； opening the bosom of her wrapper and trying it on her pretty throat； 〃they would make me look so splendid。 Oh； if I'd only had a lover who could give me things like this！〃
Maria； watching her； felt her heart contract suddenly with a pang of remembrance。 Jewels had been the one thing which Jack Wyndham had given her； for of the finer gifts of the spirit he had been beggared long before she knew him。 In the first months of his infatuation he had showered her with diamonds； and she had grown presently to see a winking mockery in each bauble that he tossed her。 Before the first year was ended she had felt her pride broken by the oppressiveness of the jewels that bedecked her body； like the mystic princess who was killed at last by the material weight of the golden crown upon her brow。
〃They could never make you happy； Molly。 How could they？ Come back and lie down； and let me put the ring away。 Perhaps I'd better take it to town myself。〃 But Molly would not open her closed hand on which the diamond shone； and long after Maria had cooked supper and gone back to the Hall the girl lay motionless； holding the ring against the light。 When Will came in from milking she showed it to him with a burst of joy。
〃Look！ Oh； look！ Isn't it like the sun？〃
He eyed it critically。
〃By Jove！ It must have cost cool hundreds！ I'll take it to town to…morrow and bring back the things you need。 It will get the baby clothes； too； so you won't have to bother about the sewing。〃
〃You shan't！ You shan't！〃 cried Molly in a passion of sobs。 〃It's mine。 She gave it to me； and you shan't take it away。 I don't want the medicine： it never does me any good； and I can make the baby clothes out of my old things。 I'll never； never give it up！〃
For an instant Will stared at her as if she had lost her senses。
〃Well； she was a fool to let you get it；〃 he said； as he flung himself out of the room。
CHAPTER IV。 In Which Mrs。 Blake's Eyes are Opened
Before the beauty of Maria's high magnanimity Christopher had felt himself thrust further into the abasement of his self…contempt。 Had she met his confession with reproach； with righteous aversion； with the horror he had half expected； it is possible that his heart might have recoiled into a last expression of defiance。 But there had been none of these things。 In his memory her face shone moonlike from its cloud of dark hair； and he saw upon it only the look of a great and sorrowful passion。 His wretchedness had drawn her closer； not put her further away； and he had felt the quiet of her tolerance not less gratefully than he had felt the fervour of her love。 Her forgiveness had been of the grandeur of her own nature； and its height and breadth had appealed； even apart from her emotion； to a mind that was accustomed to dwell daily on long reaches of unbroken space。 He had been bred on large things from his birthlarge horizons； large stretches of field and sky； large impulses； and large powers of hating； and he found now that a woman's presence filled to overflowing the empty vastness of his moods。
Reaching the yard； he saw Tucker sitting placidly on his bench； and； crossing the long grass； he flung himself down beside him with a sigh of pleasure in the beauty of the scene。
〃You're right； Uncle Tucker； it's all wonderful。 I never saw such a sunset in my life。〃
〃Ah； but you haven't seen it yet；〃 said Tucker。 〃I've been looking at it since it first caught that pile of clouds； and it grows more splendid every instant。 I'm not an overreligious body； I reckon； and I've always held that the best compliment you can pay God Almighty is to let Him go His own gait and quit advising Him； but； I declare； as I sat here just now I couldn't help being impertinent enough to pray that I might live to see another。〃
〃Well； it's a first…rate one； that's so。 It seems to shake a body out of the muck； somehow。〃
〃I shouldn't wonder if it did； and that's what I told two young fools who were up here just now asking me to patch up their first married quarrel。 'For heaven's sake； stop playing with mud and sit down and watch that sunset；' I said to 'em； and if you'll believe it； the girl actually dropped her jaws and replied she had to hurry back to shell her beans while the light lasted。 Beans！ Why； they'll make beans enough of their marriage； and so I told 'em。〃
Tapping his crutch gently on the ground； he paused and sat smiling broadly at the sunset。
For a time Christopher watched with him while the gold… and…crimson glory flamed beyond the twisted boughs of the old pine； then； turning his troubled face on Tucker's cheerful one； he asked deliberately：
〃Do you sometimes regret that you never married； Uncle Tucker？〃
〃Regret？〃 repeated Tucker softly。 〃Why； no。 I haven't time for itthere's too much else to think about。 Regret is a dangerous thing； my boy； you let a little one no bigger than a mustard seed into your heart； and before you know it you've hatched out a whole brood。 Why； if I began to regret that； heaven knows where I should stop。 I'd regret my leg and arm next； the pictures I might have painted； and the four years' war which we might have won。 No； no。 I'd change nothing； I tell younot a day； not an hour； not a single sin nor a single virtue。 They're all woven into the pattern of the whole； and I reckon the Lord knew the figure He had in mind。〃
〃Well； I'd like to pull a thread or two out of it；〃 returned Christopher moodily； squinting his eyes at the approaching form of Susan Spade； who came from the afterglow through the whitewashed gate。 〃Why； what's bringing her； I wonder？〃 he asked with evident displeasure。
To this inquiry Susan herself presently made answer as she walked with her determined tread across the little yard。
〃I've a bit of news for you； Mr。 Christopher； an' I reckon you'd ruther have it from my mouth than from Bill Fletcher's。 His back's up agin； the Lord knows why； an' he's gone an' moved his pasture fence so as to take in yo' old field that lies beside it。 He swars it's his； too； but Tom's ready to match him with a bigger oath that it's yours an' always has been。〃
〃Of course it's mine；〃 said Christopher coolly。 〃The meadow brook marks the