amy foster-第2章
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She fell in love silently； obstinatelyperhaps help…
lessly。 It came slowly； but when it came it worked
like a powerful spell； it was love as the Ancients
understood it： an irresistible and fateful impulse
a possession！ Yes； it was in her to become haunted
and possessed by a face； by a presence； fatally； as
though she had been a pagan worshipper of form
under a joyous skyand to be awakened at last
from that mysterious forgetfulness of self； from
that enchantment； from that transport； by a
fear resembling the unaccountable terror of a
brute。 。 。 。〃
With the sun hanging low on its western limit；
the expanse of the grass…lands framed in the coun…
ter…scarps of the rising ground took on a gorgeous
and sombre aspect。 A sense of penetrating sad…
ness； like that inspired by a grave strain of music；
disengaged itself from the silence of the fields。
The men we met walked past slow； unsmiling； with
downcast eyes； as if the melancholy of an over…bur…
dened earth had weighted their feet； bowed their
shoulders； borne down their glances。
〃Yes；〃 said the doctor to my remark； 〃one
would think the earth is under a curse； since of all
her children these that cling to her the closest are
uncouth in body and as leaden of gait as if their
very hearts were loaded with chains。 But here on
this same road you might have seen amongst these
heavy men a being lithe； supple； and long…limbed；
straight like a pine with something striving up…
wards in his appearance as though the heart with…
in him had been buoyant。 Perhaps it was only the
force of the contrast； but when he was passing one
of these villagers here； the soles of his feet did not
seem to me to touch the dust of the road。 He
vaulted over the stiles； paced these slopes with a
long elastic stride that made him noticeable at a
great distance； and had lustrous black eyes。 He
was so different from the mankind around that；
with his freedom of movement； his softa little
startled； glance； his olive complexion and graceful
bearing； his humanity suggested to me the nature
of a woodland creature。 He came from there。〃
The doctor pointed with his whip； and from the
summit of the descent seen over the rolling tops of
the trees in a park by the side of the road； appeared
the level sea far below us； like the floor of an im…
mense edifice inlaid with bands of dark ripple； with
still trails of glitter； ending in a belt of glassy
water at the foot of the sky。 The light blur of
smoke； from an invisible steamer； faded on the
great clearness of the horizon like the mist of a
breath on a mirror； and； inshore； the white sails of
a coaster； with the appearance of disentangling
themselves slowly from under the branches； floated
clear of the foliage of the trees。
〃Shipwrecked in the bay？〃 I said。
〃Yes； he was a castaway。 A poor emigrant
from Central Europe bound to America and washed
ashore here in a storm。 And for him； who knew
nothing of the earth； England was an undiscovered
country。 It was some time before he learned its
name； and for all I know he might have expected
to find wild beasts or wild men here； when； crawling
in the dark over the sea…wall； he rolled down the
other side into a dyke； where it was another miracle
he didn't get drowned。 But he struggled instinc…
tively like an animal under a net； and this blind
struggle threw him out into a field。 He must have
been； indeed； of a tougher fibre than he looked to
withstand without expiring such buffetings； the
violence of his exertions； and so much fear。 Later
on； in his broken English that resembled curiously
the speech of a young child； he told me himself that
he put his trust in God； believing he was no longer
in this world。 And trulyhe would addhow was
he to know？ He fought his way against the rain
and the gale on all fours； and crawled at last
among some sheep huddled close under the lee of a
hedge。 They ran off in all directions； bleating in
the darkness； and he welcomed the first familiar
sound he heard on these shores。 It must have been
two in the morning then。 And this is all we know
of the manner of his landing； though he did not
arrive unattended by any means。 Only his grisly
company did not begin to come ashore till much
later in the day。 。 。 。〃
The doctor gathered the reins； clicked his
tongue； we trotted down the hill。 Then turning；
almost directly； a sharp corner into the High
Street； we rattled over the stones and were home。
Late in the evening Kennedy； breaking a spell
of moodiness that had come over him； returned to
the story。 Smoking his pipe； he paced the long
room from end to end。 A reading…lamp concen…
trated all its light upon the papers on his desk；
and； sitting by the open window； I saw； after the
windless； scorching day； the frigid splendour of a
hazy sea lying motionless under the moon。 Not a
whisper； not a splash； not a stir of the shingle； not
a footstep； not a sigh came up from the earth be…
lownever a sign of life but the scent of climbing
jasmine； and Kennedy's voice； speaking behind me；
passed through the wide casement； to vanish out…
side in a chill and sumptuous stillness。
〃。 。 。 The relations of shipwrecks in the
olden time tell us of much suffering。 Often the
castaways were only saved from drowning to die
miserably from starvation on a barren coast； oth…
ers suffered violent death or else slavery； passing
through years of precarious existence with people
to whom their strangeness was an object of suspi…
cion； dislike or fear。 We read about these things；
and they are very pitiful。 It is indeed hard upon
a man to find himself a lost stranger； helpless；
incomprehensible； and of a mysterious origin； in
some obscure corner of the earth。 Yet amongst all
the adventurers shipwrecked in all the wild parts of
the world there is not one； it seems to me； that ever
had to suffer a fate so simply tragic as the man I
am speaking of； the most innocent of adventurers
cast out by the sea in the bight of this bay； almost
within sight from this very window。
〃He did not know the name of his ship。 Indeed；
in the course of time we discovered he did not even
know that ships had names'like Christian peo…
ple'； and when； one day； from the top of the Tal…
fourd Hill； he beheld the sea lying open to his view；
his eyes roamed afar； lost in an air of wild surprise；
as though he had never seen such a sight before。
And probably he had not。 As far as I could make
out； he had been hustled together with many others
on board an emigrant…ship lying at the mouth of
the Elbe； too bewildered to take note of his sur…
roundings； too weary to see anything； too anxious
to care。 They were driven below into the 'tween…
deck and battened down from the very start。 It
was a low timber dwellinghe would saywith
wooden beams overhead； like the houses in his coun…
try； but you went into it down a ladder。 It was
very large； very cold； damp and sombre； with places
in the manner of wooden boxes where people had to
sleep； one above another； and it kept on rocking all
ways at once all the time。 He crept into one of
these boxes and laid down there in the clothes in
which he had left his home many days before； keep…
ing his bundle and his stick by his side。 People
groaned； children cried； water dripped； the lights
went out； the walls of the place creaked； and every…
thing was being shaken so that in one's little box
one dared not lift one's head。 He had lost touch
with his only companion （a young man from the
same valley； he said）； and all the time a great noise
of wind went on outside and heavy blows fell
boom！ boom！ An awful sickness overcame him；
even to the point of making him neglect his pray…
ers。 Besides； one could not tell whether it was
morning or evening。 It seemed always to be night
in that place。
〃Before that he had been travelling a long； long
time on the iron track。 He looked out of the win…
dow； which had a wonderfully clear glass in it； and
the trees； the houses； the fields； and the long roads
seemed to fly round and round about him till his
head swam。 He gave me to understand that he had
on his passage beheld uncounted multitudes of peo…
plewhole nationsall dressed in such clothes as
the rich wear。 Once he was made to get out of the
carriage； and slept through a night on a bench in
a house of bricks with his bundle under his head；
and once for many hours he had to sit on a floor of
flat stones dozing； with his knees up and with his
bundle between his feet。 There was a roof over him；
which seemed made of glass； and was so high that
the tallest mountain…pine he had ever seen would
have had room to grow under it。 Steam…machines
rolled in at one end and out at the other。 People
swarmed more than you can see on a feast…day
round the miraculous Holy Image in the yard of
the Carmelite Convent down in the plains where；
before he left his home； he drove his mother in a
wooden carta pious old woman who wanted to
offer prayers and make a vow for his safety。 He
could not give me an idea of how large and lofty
and full of noise and smoke and gloom； and clang
of iron； the place was； but some one had told him
it was called Berlin。 Then they rang a bell； and
another steam…machine came in； and again he was
taken on and on through a land that wearied his
eyes by its flatness without a single bit of a hill to
be seen anywhere。 One more night he spent shut
up in a building like a good stable with a litter of
straw on the floor； guarding his bundle amongst a
lot of men； of whom not one could understand a
single word he said。 In the morning they were all
led down to the stony shores of an extremely broad
muddy river； flowing not between hills but between
houses that seemed immense。 There was a steam…
machine that went on the water； and they all stood
upon it packed tight； only now there were with
them many women and children who made much
noise。 A cold rain fell； the wind blew in his face；
