小说园

第16部分（第3页）

bearded　farmer　jerked　his　head　at　Anna。

〃Ay；〃　said　Brangwen；　deprecating。

〃I　did…na　know　thad　one　that　old。〃

〃No；　its　my　mississ。〃

〃Oh；　thats　it！〃　And　the　man　looked　at　Anna　as　if　she　were

some　odd　little　cattle。　She　glowered　with　black　eyes。

Brangwen　left　her　there；　in　charge　of　the　barman；　whilst　he

went　to　see　about　the　selling　of　some　young　stirks。　Farmers；

butchers；　drovers；　dirty；　uncouth　men　from　whom　she　shrank

instinctively　stared　down　at　her　as　she　sat　on　her　seat；　then

went　to　get　their　drink；　talking　in　unabated　tones。　All　was　big

and　violent　about　her。

〃Whose　child　met　that　be？〃　they　asked　of　the　barman。

〃It　belongs　to　Tom　Brangwen。〃

The　child　sat　on　in　neglect；　watching　the　door　for　her

father。　He　never　came；　many；　many　men　came；　but　not　he；　and　she

sat　like　a　shadow。　She　knew　one　did　not　cry　in　such　a　place。　And

every　man　looked　at　her　inquisitively；　she　shut　herself　away

from　them。

A　deep；　gathering　coldness　of　isolation　took　hold　on　her。　He

was　never　ing　back。　She　sat　on；　frozen；　unmoving。

When　she　had　bee　blank　and　timeless　he　came；　and　she

slipped　off　her　seat　to　him；　like　one　e　back　from　the　dead。

He　had　sold　his　beast　as　quickly　as　he　could。　But　all　the

business　was　not　finished。　He　took　her　again　through　the

hurtling　welter　of　the　cattle…market。

Then　at　last　they　turned　and　went　out　through　the　gate。　He

was　always　hailing　one　man　or　another；　always　stopping　to　gossip

about　land　and　cattle　and　horses　and　other　things　she　did　not

understand；　standing　in　the　filth　and　the　smell；　among　the　legs

and　great　boots　of　men。　And　always　she　heard　the　questions：

〃What　lass　is　that；　then？　I　didnt　know　thad　one　o　that

age。〃

〃It　belongs　to　my　missis。〃

Anna　was　very　conscious　of　her　derivation　from　her　mother；　in

the　end；　and　of　her　alienation。

But　at　last　they　were　away；　and　Brangwen　went　with　her　into　a