小说园

第5部分（第1页）

he　knew　that　the　idea　of　a　life　among　such　people　as　the

foreigner　was　ridiculous。

Yet　he　dreamed　of　it；　and　stuck　to　his　dreams；　and　would　not

have　the　reality　of　Cossethay　and　Ilkeston。　There　he　sat

stubbornly　in　his　corner　at　the　〃Red　Lion〃；　smoking　and　musing

and　occasionally　lifting　his　beer…pot；　and　saying　nothing；　for

all　the　world　like　a　gorping　farm…labourer；　as　he　said

himself。

Then　a　fever　of　restless　anger　came　upon　him。　He　wanted　to　go

away……right　away。　He　dreamed　of　foreign　parts。　But　somehow

he　had　no　contact　with　them。　And　it　was　a　very　strong　root　which

held　him　to　the　Marsh；　to　his　own　house　and　land。

Then　Effie　got　married；　and　he　was　left　in　the　house　with

only　Tilly；　the　cross…eyed　woman…servant　who　had　been　with　them

for　fifteen　years。　He　felt　things　ing　to　a　close。　All　the

time；　he　had　held　himself　stubbornly　resistant　to　the　action　of

the　monplace　unreality　which　wanted　to　absorb　him。　But　now　he

had　to　do　something。

He　was　by　nature　temperate。　Being　sensitive　and　emotional；

his　nausea　prevented　him　from　drinking　too　much。

But；　in　futile　anger；　with　the　greatest　of　determination　and

apparent　good　humour；　he　began　to　drink　in　order　to　get　drunk。

〃Damn　it；〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃you　must　have　it　one　road　or

another……you　cant　hitch　your　horse　to　the　shadow　of　a

gate…post……if　youve　got　legs　youve　got　to　rise　off　your

backside　some　time　or　other。〃

So　he　rose　and　went　down　to　Ilkeston；　rather　awkwardly　took

his　place　among　a　gang　of　young　bloods；　stood　drinks　to　the

pany；　and　discovered　he　could　carry　it　off　quite　well。　He　had

an　idea　that　everybody　in　the　room　was　a　man　after　his　own

heart；　that　everything　was　glorious；　everything　was　perfect。

When　somebody　in　alarm　told　him　his　coat　pocket　was　on　fire；　he

could　only　beam　from　a　red；　blissful　face　and　say

〃Iss…all…ri…ight……iss…al…ri…ight……its　a

right……let　it　be；　let　it　be〃　and　he　laughed

with　pleasure；　and　was　rather　indignant　that　the　others　should

think　it　unnatural　for　his　coat　pocket　to　burn：……it　was　the