小说园

第45部分（第4页）

learned　how　to　value　others　in　just　degree。　He　was　there　like　a

judgment。　Besides；　he　was　very　good…looking；　of　medium　stature；

but　beautifully　proportioned；　dark；　with　fine　colouring；　always

perfectly　healthy。

His　father　allowed　him　a　liberal　pocket…money；　besides　which

he　had　a　sort　of　post　as　assistant　to　his　chief。　Then　from　time

to　time　the　young　man　appeared　at　the　Marsh；　curiously

attractive；　well…dressed；　reserved；　having　by　nature　a　subtle；

refined　manner。　And　he　set　the　change　in　the　farm。

Fred；　the　younger　brother；　was　a　Brangwen；　large…boned；

blue…eyed；　English。　He　was　his　fathers　very　son；　the　two　men；

father　and　son；　were　supremely　at　ease　with　one　another。　Fred

was　succeeding　to　the　farm。

Between　the　elder　brother　and　the　younger　existed　an　almost

passionate　love。　Tom　watched　over　Fred　with　a　womans　poignant

attention　and　self…less　care。　Fred　looked　up　to　Tom　as　to

something　miraculous；　that　which　he　himself　would　aspire　to　be；

were　he　great　also。

So　that　after　Annas　departure；　the　Marsh　began　to　take　on　a

new　tone。　The　boys　were　gentlemen；　Tom　had　a　rare　nature　and　had

risen　high。　Fred　was　sensitive　and　fond　of　reading；　he　pondered

Ruskin　and　then　the　Agnostic　writings。　Like　all　the　Brangwens；

he　was　very　much　a　thing　to　himself；　though　fond　of　people；　and

indulgent　to　them；　having　an　exaggerated　respect　for　them。

There　was　a　rather　uneasy　friendship　between　him　and　one　of

the　young　Hardys　at　the　Hall。　The　two　households　were　different；

yet　the　young　men　met　on　shy　terms　of　equality。

It　was　young　Tom　Brangwen；　with　his　dark　lashes　and　beautiful

colouring；　his　soft；　inscrutable　nature；　his　strange　repose　and

his　informed　air；　added　to　his　position　in　London；　who　seemed　to

emphasize　the　superior　foreign　element　in　the　Marsh。　When　he

appeared；　perfectly　dressed；　as　if　soft　and　affable；　and　yet

quite　removed　from　everybody；　he　created　an　uneasiness　in

people；　he　was　reserved　in　the　minds　of　the　Cossethay　and

Ilkeston　acquaintances　to　a　different；　remote　world。

He　and　his　mother　had　a　kind　of　affinity。　The　affection

between　them　was　of　a　mute；　distant　character；　but　radical。　His

father　was　always　uneasy　and　slightly　deferential　to　his　eldest

son。　Tom　also　formed　the　link　that　kept　the　Marsh　in　real