10.1 今伊 teh 興 rajíoh

Tē 10 Chiong

10.1 Taⁿ i teh hèng rajíoh

Connie chit-má ke chiâⁿ chheng-êng, khah chió lâng lâi Wragby ah. Clifford bô koh su-iàu in ah lah, i liân sí-tiong-ê mā bô ài ah. I piàn kah koài-koài. Taⁿ i teh hèng rajíoh, khai chi̍t kóa chîⁿ hak chi̍t tâi, chóng-sńg an-chng hó-sè. Sui-jiân tī Midland chit-chióng pháiⁿ só͘-chāi, i ū-sî mā thiaⁿ ē tio̍h Madrid a̍h Frankfurt.

I ū-sî chē kúi-nā tiám-cheng thiaⁿ hòng-sàng-thâu teh tân. Che hō͘ Connie kám-kak hó-sńg koh tio̍h-kiaⁿ. M̄-koh, i tō sī chē hia, bīn bô piáu-chêng, ná-chhiūⁿ tio̍h-bê kah sit hûn ê lâng, teh thiaⁿ, a̍h-sī ké-kúi teh thiaⁿ, he m̄-chai án-chóaⁿ kóng chiah hó ê tāi-chì.

I kám ū chèng-keng teh thiaⁿ? A̍h-sī che sī i tī sim-lāi ū tāi-chì ê sî ê chi̍t chióng chhui-bîn ê hong-sek? Connie mā m̄-chai. Yi bih tī ka-tī ê pâng-keng, a̍h-sī chhut-khì chhiūⁿ-nâ nih. Ū-sī yi kám-kak khióng-pò͘, chi̍t chióng choân jîn-lūi lóng tit-boeh khí-siáu ê khióng-pò͘.

M̄-koh, taⁿ Clifford tng-teh sóa hiòng kang-gia̍p oa̍h-tāng chit-chióng sin-kî ê sè-kài, piàn-sêng ná chi̍t chiah tōng-bu̍t, gōa-piáu ê khak tēng koh si̍t-iōng, lāi-té nńg-nńg, ko-ko, he tō ná chhiūⁿ sī hiān-tāi kang-gia̍p kap kim-iông sè-kài ê mô͘-hē a̍h liông-hē, sī ū-khak bô liông-kut ê tōng-bu̍t: in ê khak sī ki-khì ê kǹg-tih , thé-lāi kan-ta sī nńg-nńg ê ko, Connie yi ka-tī mā chin-chiàⁿ khòaⁿ kah sa lóng bô ah.

Yi mā iáu bē-tàng chū-iû, in-ūi Clifford su-iàu yi tī hia. Yi nā lī-khui, i tō ká-ná lia̍h chheⁿ-kông. I koài-kî ê ko hit pō͘-hun, kám-chêng kap jîn-sèng hit pō͘-hūn, tio̍h ân-ân óa-khò yi, ná-chhiūⁿ gín-á, chha-put-to chhiūⁿ gōng-á. Yi tio̍h tī hia, tī Wragby hia, chò Chatterley Hu-jîn, chò i ê bó͘. Nā bô, i tō ná-chhiūⁿ chi̍t ê gōng-á bê-sit tī iá-gōa.

Chit-chióng kiaⁿ-lâng ê óa-khò hō͘ Connie kám-kak chiâⁿ khióng-pò͘. Yi thiaⁿ tio̍h i kóng hiah-ê thòaⁿ-khang keng-lí, táng-sū, siàu-liân kho-ha̍k-ka, i ê gán-kong, i ê khoân-ui, kap i tùi hiah-ê si̍t-iōng jîn-sū ê kiaⁿ-lâng ê bu̍t-chit khoân-ui, chāi-chāi lóng hō͘ yi kiaⁿ tio̍h. I ka-tī mā í-keng sī chi̍t ê si̍t-iōng ê lâng, pēng-chhiáⁿ sī chi̍t ê khiàng koh ū khoân-ui ê lâng, sī chi̍t ê thâu-ke. Connie jīn-ûi he sī in-ūi tī i sèⁿ-miā gûi-ki ê sî-chūn, siū tio̍h Bolton Tt ê éng-hióng.

M̄-koh, chit ê khiàng koh si̍t-iōng ê lâng nā tī ka-tī ê kám-chêng seng-oa̍h, tō ná-chhiūⁿ chi̍t ê gōng-á. I chông-pài Connie, in bó͘, bē-su yi sī sîn. I tùi yi ê kî-koài, ná sîn ê chông-pài, tō ná-chhiūⁿ iá-bân lâng in-ūi kiaⁿ-hiâⁿ, a̍h oàn-hūn ngó͘-siōng ê khoân-ui chiah chông-pài hit ê khó-phà ê ngó͘-siōng. I só͘ su-iàu ê, kan-ta sī ài Connie li̍p-sè, li̍p sè kóng, yi bē lī-khui i, bē pàng-sak i.

"Clifford," yi kā i kóng -- m̄-koh che sī tī yi tit-tio̍h liâu-á ê só-sî í-āu -- "Lí kám chin-chiàⁿ ài góa seⁿ-gín-á?"

I iōng i he lio̍h-khóa put-an, phok-phok ê phú-sek ba̍k-chiu kā khòaⁿ chi̍t-ē.

"Nā bē chō-sêng lán tiong-kan ê piàn-hóa, góa sī bô ì-kiàn," i kóng.

"Siáⁿ-mih piàn-hòa?" yi mn̄g.

"Lí kap góa tiong-kan; lán ê sio-ài. Nā ē éng-hióng he, góa tō ē hoán-tùi. Ai-ah, góa tit-boeh ū ka-tī ê gín-á lah!"

Yi gāng-gāng khòaⁿ i. "Góa sī kóng, chit kúi kang, góa he khó-lêng ē koh tńg-lâi."

Yi iáu-sī gāng-gāng kā khòaⁿ, i kám-kak bô chū-chāi khí-lâi.

"Án-ne, lí sī bô ài góa ū gín-á sioh?" yi kóng.

"Góa kā lí kóng," i sûi ìn, ná-chhiūⁿ cháu-bô-lō͘ ê káu, "góa ài lah, chí-iàu he bē éng-hióng lí tùi góa ê ài. Nā ē éng-hióng, góa sí to hoán-tùi."

Connie kan-ta tiām-tiām, kám-kak sim-léng koh gê-siâu. Chit-chióng kóng-hoat ná-chhiūⁿ gōng-á. I í-keng m̄-chai i sī teh kóng siáⁿ.

"Oh, he bē kái-piàn góa tùi lí ê kám-kak lah," yi kóng, ōe tiong ū chhì.

"Tioh!" i kóng. "Tō sī ài án-ne! Nā án-ne, góa kin-pún bē kòa-ì. Góa sī kóng, chhù nih nā ū gín-á cháu-lâi cháu-khì, lán koh ē-tàng hō͘ i hó ê chiân-tô͘, án-ne chin-chiàⁿ hó. Án-ne góa tō ū tāi-chì thang phah-piàⁿ, góa chai he sī lí seⁿ ê gín-á, sī-m̄, chhin-ài ê? He mā ē ká-ná sī góa ka-tī ê gín-á. In-ūi chiah-ê lóng sī ūi-tioh lí. Lí chai che, sī-m̄, chhin-ài ê? Lāi-té bô góa, góa khang-khang. Tī sèⁿ-miā ê sū-kiāⁿ, lí chiah sī chú-kak. Che lí chai, sī-m̄? Góa sī kóng, góa ê khòaⁿ-hoat sī án-ne. Góa sī kóng, tùi lí lâi kóng, góa siáⁿ to m̄-sī. Góa sī ūi-tio̍h lí ê chiong-lâi chiah oa̍h tio̍h. Góa tùi ka-tī sī khang-khang."

Connie thiaⁿ tio̍h kan-ta lú bô-nāi, lú hoán-kám. Hit chióng ōe pòaⁿ-chin pòaⁿ-ké, chin khó-phà, ē pāi-hāi jîn-lūi ê seng-chûn. Siáⁿ-khoán ū lí-tì ê cha-po͘ ē kā cha-bó͘ kóng chit khoán ōe! M̄-koh cha-po͘ bô lí-tì ah. Siáⁿ-khoán ū chi̍t-sut-á kong-êng ê cha-po͘ ē kā chit-chióng khó-phà sèⁿ-miā chek-jīm ê tāng-tàⁿ pàng hō͘ cha-bó͘, koh kā yi pàng tī hia, tī khang-hi?

Liáu-āu, kòe pòaⁿ tiám-cheng, Connie thiaⁿ tio̍h Clifford iōng jia̍t-lia̍t ê siaⁿ-im kap Bolton Tt kóng-ōe, thàu-lō͘ i ka-tī tùi hit ê cha-bó͘ ê léng-léng jia̍t-chêng, bē-su yi chi̍t-pòaⁿ sī i ê chêng-hū, chi̍t-pòaⁿ sī i ê iáng-bú. Bolton Tt hó-lé-á thè i chhēng àm-lé-ho̍k, in-ūi chhù nih ū khì-gia̍p-kài tiōng-iàu ê lâng-kheh.

Connie chèng-keng ū-sî kám-kak chit-chūn yi boeh sí ah. Yi kám-kak khì hō͘ kî-koài ê ké-ōe, hō͘ pe̍h-chhi kiaⁿ-lâng ê chân-jím géng kah boeh sí. Clifford hán-tit ê sū-gia̍p hāu-lu̍t hō͘ yi tōa-tōa tio̍h-kiaⁿ, i tùi yi só͘ piáu-bêng ê chông-pài koh-khah hō͘ yi chheⁿ-kiaⁿ. In nn̄g-lâng tiong-kan í-keng bô siáⁿ ah. Kīn-lâi yi m̄-bat bak-tio̍h i, i mā m̄-bat kha̍p-tio̍h yi. I bô koh khan yi ê chhiú, jiû-jiû kā tēⁿ chi̍t-ē. Bô, koh in-ūi in án-ne lóng bô sio-kha̍p-tio̍h, i ê chông-pài ê piáu-bêng hō͘ yi chiok chiat-bôa. He sī thet-té sit-lêng chiá ê chân-jím. Yi kám-kak yi tit-boeh khí-siáu, nā-bô yi ē sí.

Yi chīn-liōng bih khì chhiū-nâ. Chi̍t kang ē-po͘, yi gāng-gāng chē tī John ê Ché hia khòaⁿ he léng-chúi but-leh but-leh, la̍h-tiûⁿ khàn-siú kiâⁿ lâi kàu yi ê sin-piⁿ.

"Góa koh phah chi̍t ki só-sî hō͘ lí ah, Hu-jîn!" i kóng, ná kiâⁿ-lé ná kā só-sî kau hō͘ yi.

"Chin to-siā!" yi kóng, gông-ngia̍h chi̍t-ē.

"Liâu-á bô chin chèng-chê, chhiáⁿ m̄-thang kiàn-koài," i kóng. "Góa chīn-liōng chèng-lí kòe ah."

"M̄-koh góa bô-ài mâ-hoân lí!" yi kóng.

"Oh, he bē mâ-hoan. Koh chi̍t lé-pài, góa ē kā ke-bó khoàn hó-sè. In bē kiaⁿ lí. Chá-àm óa lóng ē kā koán-kò͘, m̄-koh óa ē chīn-liōng mài khì chak-chō tio̍h lí."

"Lí bē chak-chō tio̍h góa lah," yi chú-tiuⁿ kóng. "Góa nā ē kiáu-jiáu tio̍h lí, góa lēng-khó mài khì liâu-á hia."

I iōng he chheⁿ-kìn ê nâ-sek ba̍k-chiu khòaⁿ yi. I khòaⁿ khí-lâi jîn-chû, m̄-koh léng-tām. M̄-koh siōng-bô i sin-thé kap cheng-sîn lóng kiān-choân, sui-bóng i khòaⁿ khí-lâi sán-sán, ū-pēⁿ. I teh ka-sàu.

"Lí teh ka-sàu," yi kóng.

"Bô siáⁿ -- sī kám-mō͘! Téng-kái hì-iām hó liáu, iáu sió-khóa ē sàu, m̄-koh che bô siáⁿ."

I kap yi lī hn̄g-hn̄g, m̄-khéng chiap-kīn yi. Yi chin chia̍p khì liâu-á hia, ū-sî chá-khí, ū-sî ē-tàu, m̄-koh i lóng bô tī hia. Tiāⁿ-tio̍h i sī thiâu-kò͘-ì phià-khui yi. I ài-boeh ū ka-tī ê sū-bi̍t.

--

第 10 章

10.1 今伊 teh 興 rajíoh

Connie 這馬加誠清閒, 較少人來 Wragby ah. Clifford 無 koh 需要 in ah lah, 伊連死忠 ê mā 無愛 ah. 伊變 kah 怪怪. 今伊 teh 興 rajíoh 開一寡錢 hak 一台, 總算安裝好勢. 雖然 tī Midland 這種歹所在, 伊有時 mā 聽會著 Madrid 抑 Frankfurt.

伊有時坐幾若點鐘聽放送頭 teh 霆. 這予 Connie 感覺好耍 koh 著驚. M̄-koh, 伊 tō 是坐遐, 面無表情, ná 像著迷 kah 失魂 ê 人, teh 聽, 抑是假鬼 teh 聽, 彼毋知按怎講才好 ê 代誌.

伊敢有正經 teh 聽? 抑是這是伊 tī 心內有代誌 ê 時 ê 一種催眠 ê 方式? Connie mā 毋知. 她覕 tī 家己 ê 房間, 抑是出去樹林 nih. 有時, 她感覺恐怖, 一種全人類攏得欲起痟 ê 恐怖.

M̄-koh, 今 Clifford 當 teh 徙向工業活動這種新奇 ê 世界, 變成 ná 一隻動物, 外表 ê 殼 tēng koh 實用, 內底軟軟, 膏膏, 彼 tō ná 像是現代工業 kap 金融世界 ê 毛蟹抑龍蝦, 是有殼無龍骨 ê 動物: in ê 殼是機器 ê 鋼鐵, 體內干焦是軟軟 ê 膏, Connie 她家己 mā 真正看 kah sa 攏無 ah.

她 mā 猶 bē-tàng 自由, 因為 Clifford 需要她 tī 遐. 她若離開, 伊 tō ká-ná 掠青狂. 伊怪奇 ê 膏彼部份, 感情 kap 人性彼部份, 著絚絚倚靠她, ná 像囡仔, 差不多像囡仔. 她著 tī 遐, tī Wragby 遐, 做 Chatterley 夫人, 估伊 ê 某. 若無, 伊 tō ná 像一个戇仔迷失 tī 野外.

這種驚人 ê 倚靠予 Connie 感覺誠恐怖. 伊聽著伊講 hiah-ê 礦空經理, 董事, 少年科學家, 伊 ê 眼光, 伊 ê 權威, kap 伊對 hiah-ê 實用人士 ê 驚人 ê 物質權威, 在在攏予她驚著. 伊家己 mā 已經是一个實用 ê 人, 並且是一个 khiàng koh 有權威 ê 人, 是一个頭家. Connie 認為彼是因為 tī 伊性命危機 ê 時陣, 受著 Bolton Tt ê 影響.

M̄-koh, 這个 khiàng koh 實用 ê 人若 tī 家己 ê 感情生活, tō ná 像一个戇仔. 伊崇拜 in 某 Connie, 袂輸她是神. 伊對她 ê 奇怪, ná 神 ê 崇拜, tō ná 像野蠻人因為驚惶, 抑怨恨偶像 ê 權威才崇拜彼个可怕 ê 偶像. 伊所需要 ê, 干焦是愛 Connie 立誓, 立誓講, 她袂離開伊, 袂放捒伊.

"Clifford," 她 kā 伊講 -- m̄-koh 這是 tī 她得著寮仔 ê 鎖匙以後 -- "你敢真正愛我生囡仔 ?"

伊用伊彼略可不安, 噗噗 ê 殕色目睭 kā 看一下.

"若袂造成咱中間 ê 變化, 我是無意見," 伊講.

"啥物變化?" 她問.

"你 kap 我中間; 咱 ê 相愛. 若會影響彼, 我 tō 會反對. Ai-ah, 我得欲有家己 ê 囡仔 lah!"

她 gāng-gāng 看伊. "我是講, 這幾工, 我彼可能會 koh 轉來."

她猶是 gāng-gāng kā 看, 伊感覺無自在起來.

"Án-ne, 你是無愛我有囡仔 sioh?" 她講.

"我 kā 你講," 伊隨應, ná 像走無路 ê 狗, "我愛 lah, 只要彼袂影響你對我 ê 愛. 若會影響, 我死都反對."

Connie 干焦恬恬, 感覺心冷 koh 㤉潲. 這種講法 ná 像戇仔. 伊已經毋知伊是 teh 講啥.

"Oh, 彼袂改變我對你 ê 感覺 lah," 她講, 話中有刺.

"著!" 伊講. "Tō 是愛 án-ne! 若 án-ne, 我根本袂掛意. 我是講, 厝 nih 若有囡仔, 咱 koh ē-tàng 予伊好 ê 前途, án-ne 真正好. Án-ne 我 tō 有代誌通拍拚, 我知彼是你生 ê 囡仔, 是毋是, 親愛 ê? 彼 mā 會 ká-ná 是我家已 ê 囡仔. 因為 chiah-ê 攏是為著你. 你知這, 是毋, 親愛 ê? 內底無我, 我空空. Tī 性命 ê 事件, 你才是主角. 這你知, 是毋? 我是講, 我 ê 看法是 án-ne. 我是講, 對你來講, 我啥都毋是. 我是為著你將來才活著. 我對家己是空空."

Connie 聽著干焦 lú 無奈, lú 反感. 彼種話半真半假, 真可怕, 會敗害人類 ê 生存. 啥款有理智 ê 查埔會 kā 查某講這款話! M̄-koh 查埔無理智 ah. 啥款有一屑仔光榮 ê 查埔會 kā 這種可怕性命責任 ê 重擔放予查某, koh kā 她放 tī 遐, tī 空虛?

了後, 過半點鐘, Connie 聽著 Clifford 用熱烈 ê 聲音 kap Bolton Tt 講話, 透露伊家己對彼个查某 ê 冷冷熱情, 袂輸她一半是伊 ê 情婦, 一半是伊 ê 養母. Bolton Tt 好禮仔替伊穿暗禮服, 因為厝 nih 有企業界重要 ê 人客.

Connie 正經有時感覺這陣她欲死 ah. 她感覺去予奇怪 ê 假話, 予白痴驚人 ê 殘忍研 kah 欲死. Clifford 罕得 ê 事業效率予她大大著驚, 伊對她所表明 ê 崇拜 koh 較予她青驚. In 兩人中間已經無啥 ah. 近來她 m̄-bat 沐著伊, 伊 mā m̄-bat 磕著她. 伊無 koh 牽她 ê 手, 柔柔 kā 捏一下. 無, koh 因為 in án-ne 攏無相磕著, 伊 ê 崇拜 ê 表明予她足折磨. 彼是徹底失能者 ê 殘忍. 她感覺她得欲起痟, 若無她會死.

她盡量覕去樹林. 一工下晡, 她 gāng-gāng 坐 tī John ê 井遐看彼冷水 but-leh but-leh, 獵場看守行來到她 ê 身邊.

"我 koh 拍一支鎖匙予你 ah, 夫人!" 伊講, ná 行禮 ná kā 鎖匙交予她.

"真多謝 !" 她講, gông-ngia̍h 一下.

"寮仔無真整齊, 請毋通見怪," 伊講. "我盡量整理過 ah."

"M̄-koh 我無愛麻煩你!" 她講.

"Oh, 彼袂麻煩. Koh 一禮拜, 我會 kā 雞母款好勢. In 袂驚你. 早暗 óa 攏會 kā 管顧, m̄-koh óa 會盡量莫去 chak-chō 著你."

"你袂 chak-chō 著我 lah," 她主張講. "我若會攪擾著你, 我寧可莫去寮仔遐."

伊用彼青 kìn ê 藍色目睭看她. 伊看起來仁慈, m̄-koh 冷淡. M̄-koh 上無伊身體 kap 精神攏健全, 雖罔伊看起來瘦瘦, 有病. 伊 teh 咳嗽.

"你 teh 咳嗽," 她講.

"無啥 -- 是感冒! 頂改肺炎好了, 猶小可會嗽, m̄-koh 這無啥."

伊 kap 她離遠遠, 毋肯接近她. 她真捷去寮仔遐, 有時早起, 有時下晝, m̄-koh 伊攏無 tī 遐. 定著伊是刁故意避開她. 伊愛欲有家己 ê 私密.

--

Chapter 10

10.1

Connie was a good deal alone now, fewer people came to Wragby. Clifford no longer wanted them. He had turned against even the cronies. He was queer. He preferred the radio, which he had installed at some expense, with a good deal of success at last. He could sometimes get Madrid or Frankfurt, even there in the uneasy Midlands.

And he would sit alone for hours listening to the loudspeaker bellowing forth. It amazed and stunned Connie. But there he would sit, with a blank entranced expression on his face, like a person losing his mind, and listen, or seem to listen, to the unspeakable thing.

Was he really listening? Or was it a sort of soporific he took, whilst something else worked on underneath in him? Connie did now know. She fled up to her room, or out of doors to the wood. A kind of terror filled her sometimes, a terror of the incipient insanity of the whole civilized species.

But now that Clifford was drifting off to this other weirdness of industrial activity, becoming almost a CREATURE, with a hard, efficient shell of an exterior and a pulpy interior, one of the amazing crabs and lobsters of the modern, industrial and financial world, invertebrates of the crustacean order, with shells of steel, like machines, and inner bodies of soft pulp, Connie herself was really completely stranded.

She was not even free, for Clifford must have her there. He seemed to have a nervous terror that she should leave him. The curious pulpy part of him, the emotional and humanly-individual part, depended on her with terror, like a child, almost like an idiot. She must be there, there at Wragby, a Lady Chatterley, his wife. Otherwise he would be lost like an idiot on a moor.

This amazing dependence Connie realized with a sort of horror. She heard him with his pit managers, with the members of his Board, with young scientists, and she was amazed at his shrewd insight into things, his power, his uncanny material power over what is called practical men. He had become a practical man himself and an amazingly astute and powerful one, a master. Connie attributed it to Mrs Bolton’s influence upon him, just at the crisis in his life.

But this astute and practical man was almost an idiot when left alone to his own emotional life. He worshipped Connie. She was his wife, a higher being, and he worshipped her with a queer, craven idolatry, like a savage, a worship based on enormous fear, and even hate of the power of the idol, the dread idol. All he wanted was for Connie to swear, to swear not to leave him, not to give him away.

’Clifford,’ she said to him—but this was after she had the key to the hut—’Would you really like me to have a child one day?’

He looked at her with a furtive apprehension in his rather prominent pale eyes.

’I shouldn’t mind, if it made no difference between us,’ he said.

’No difference to what?’ she asked.

’To you and me; to our love for one another. If it’s going to affect that, then I’m all against it. Why, I might even one day have a child of my own!’

She looked at him in amazement.
’I mean, it might come back to me one of these days.’

She still stared in amazement, and he was uncomfortable.

’So you would not like it if I had a child?’ she said.

’I tell you,’ he replied quickly, like a cornered dog, ‘I am quite willing, provided it doesn’t touch your love for me. If it would touch that, I am dead against it.’

Connie could only be silent in cold fear and contempt. Such talk was really the gabbling of an idiot. He no longer knew what he was talking about.

’Oh, it wouldn’t make any difference to my feeling for you,’ she said, with a certain sarcasm.

’There!’ he said. ‘That is the point! In that case I don’t mind in the least. I mean it would be awfully nice to have a child running about the house, and feel one was building up a future for it. I should have something to strive for then, and I should know it was your child, shouldn’t I, dear? And it would seem just the same as my own. Because it is you who count in these matters. You know that, don’t you, dear? I don’t enter, I am a cypher. You are the great I-am! as far as life goes. You know that, don’t you? I mean, as far as I am concerned. I mean, but for you I am absolutely nothing. I live for your sake and your future. I am nothing to myself’

Connie heard it all with deepening dismay and repulsion. It was one of the ghastly half-truths that poison human existence. What man in his senses would say such things to a woman! But men aren’t in their senses. What man with a spark of honour would put this ghastly burden of life-responsibility upon a woman, and leave her there, in the void?

Moreover, in half an hour’s time, Connie heard Clifford talking to Mrs Bolton, in a hot, impulsive voice, revealing himself in a sort of passionless passion to the woman, as if she were half mistress, half foster-mother to him. And Mrs Bolton was carefully dressing him in evening clothes, for there were important business guests in the house.

Connie really sometimes felt she would die at this time. She felt she was being crushed to death by weird lies, and by the amazing cruelty of idiocy. Clifford’s strange business efficiency in a way over-awed her, and his declaration of private worship put her into a panic. There was nothing between them. She never even touched him nowadays, and he never touched her. He never even took her hand and held it kindly. No, and because they were so utterly out of touch, he tortured her with his declaration of idolatry. It was the cruelty of utter impotence. And she felt her reason would give way, or she would die.

She fled as much as possible to the wood. One afternoon, as she sat brooding, watching the water bubbling coldly in John’s Well, the keeper had strode up to her.

’I got you a key made, my Lady!’ he said, saluting, and he offered her the key.

’Thank you so much!’ she said, startled.

’The hut’s not very tidy, if you don’t mind,’ he said. ‘I cleared it what I could.’

’But I didn’t want you to trouble!’ she said.

’Oh, it wasn’t any trouble. I am setting the hens in about a week. But they won’t be scared of you. I s’ll have to see to them morning and night, but I shan’t bother you any more than I can help.’

’But you wouldn’t bother me,’ she pleaded. ‘I’d rather not go to the hut at all, if I am going to be in the way.’

He looked at her with his keen blue eyes. He seemed kindly, but distant. But at least he was sane, and wholesome, if even he looked thin and ill. A cough troubled him.

’You have a cough,’ she said.

’Nothing—a cold! The last pneumonia left me with a cough, but it’s nothing.’

He kept distant from her, and would not come any nearer.
She went fairly often to the hut, in the morning or in the afternoon, but he was never there. No doubt he avoided her on purpose. He wanted to keep his own privacy.

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