小说园

第2部分（第4页）

household；　mad　when　anything　clumsy　or　gross　occurred。　Later；

when　his　three　children　were　growing　up；　and　he　seemed　a　staid；

almost　middle…aged　man；　he　turned　after　strange　women；　and

became　a　silent；　inscrutable　follower　of　forbidden　pleasure；

neglecting　his　indignant　bourgeois　。

Frank；　the　third　son；　refused　from　the　first　to　have　anything

to　do　with　learning。　From　the　first　he　hung　round　the

slaughter…house　which　stood　away　in　the　third　yard　at　the　back

of　the　farm。　The　Brangwens　had　always　killed　their　own　meat；　and

supplied　the　neighbourhood。　Out　of　this　grew　a　regular　butchers

business　in　connection　with　the　farm。

As　a　child　Frank　had　been　drawn　by　the　trickle　of　dark　blood

that　ran　across　the　pavement　from　the　slaughter…house　to　the

crew…yard；　by　the　sight　of　the　man　carrying　across　to　the

meat…shed　a　huge　side　of　beef；　with　the　kidneys　showing；

embedded　in　their　heavy　laps　of　fat。

He　was　a　handsome　lad　with　soft　brown　hair　and　regular

features　something　like　a　later　Roman　youth。　He　was　more　easily

excitable；　more　readily　carried　away　than　the　rest；　weaker　in

character。　At　eighteen　he　married　a　little　factory　girl；　a　pale；

plump；　quiet　thing　with　sly　eyes　and　a　wheedling　voice；　who

insinuated　herself　into　him　and　bore　him　a　child　every　year　and

made　a　fool　of　him。　When　he　had　taken　over　the　butchery

business；　already　a　growing　callousness　to　it；　and　a　sort　of

contempt　made　him　neglectful　of　it。　He　drank；　and　was　often　to

be　found　in　his　public　house　blathering　away　as　if　he　knew

everything；　when　in　reality　he　was　a　noisy　fool。

Of　the　daughters；　Alice；　the　elder；　married　a　collier　and

lived　for　a　time　stormily　in　Ilkeston；　before　moving　away　to

Yorkshire　with　her　numerous　young　family。　Effie；　the　younger；

remained　at　home。

The　last　child；　Tom；　was　considerably　younger　than　his

brothers；　so　had　belonged　rather　to　the　pany　of　his　sisters。

He　was　his　mothers　favourite。　She　roused　herself　to

determination；　and　sent　him　forcibly　away　to　a　grammar…school　in

Derby　when　he　was　twelve　years　old。　He　did　not　want　to　go；　and

his　father　would　have　given　way；　but　Mrs。　Brangwen　had　set　her

heart　on　it。　Her　slender；　pretty；　tightly…covered　body；　with

full　skirts；　was　now　the　centre　of　resolution　in　the　house；　and