The Rainbow-虹(英文版)-第45章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


came　in　a　red　glare　through　the　big　opening　in　the　clouds；　she
said　again；　〃It　is　beyond〃。

Dawn　and　sunset　were　the　feet　of　the　rainbow　that　spanned　the
day；　and　she　saw　the　hope；　the　promise。　Why　should　she　travel
any　further？

Yet　she　always　asked　the　question。　As　the　sun　went　down　in
his　fiery　winter　haste；　she　faced　the　blazing　close　of　the
affair；　in　which　she　had　not　played　her　fullest　part；　and　she
made　her　demand　still：　〃What　are　you　doing；　making　this　big
shining　motion？　What　is　it　that　you　keep　so　busy　about；　that
you　will　not　let　us　alone？〃

She　did　not　turn　to　her　husband；　for　him　to　lead　her。　He　was
apart　from　her；　with　her；　according　to　her　different　conceptions
of　him。　The　child　she　might　hold　up；　she　might　toss　the　child
forward　into　the　furnace；　the　child　might　walk　there；　amid　the
burning　coals　and　the　incandescent　roar　of　heat；　as　the　three
witnesses　walked　with　the　angel　in　the　fire。

Soon；　she　felt　sure　of　her　husband。　She　knew　his　dark　face
and　the　extent　of　its　passion。　She　knew　his　slim；　vigorous　body；
she　said　it　was　hers。　Then　there　was　no　denying　her。　She　was　a
rich　woman　enjoying　her　riches。

And　soon　again　she　was　with　child。　Which　made　her　satisfied
and　took　away　her　discontent。　She　forgot　that　she　had　watched
the　sun　climb　up　and　pass　his　way；　a　magnificent　traveller
surging　forward。　She　forgot　that　the　moon　had　looked　through　a
window　of　the　high；　dark　night；　and　nodded　like　a　magic
recognition；　signalled　to　her　to　follow。　Sun　and　moon　travelled
on；　and　left　her；　passed　her　by；　a　rich　woman　enjoying　her
riches。　She　should　go　also。　But　she　could　not　go；　when　they
called；　because　she　must　stay　at　home　now。　With　satisfaction　she
relinquished　the　adventure　to　the　unknown。　She　was　bearing　her
children。

There　was　another　child　ing；　and　Anna　lapsed　into　vague
content。　If　she　were　not　the　wayfarer　to　the　unknown；　if　she
were　arrived　now；　settled　in　her　builded　house；　a　rich　woman；
still　her　doors　opened　under　the　arch　of　the　rainbow；　her
threshold　reflected　the　passing　of　the　sun　and　moon；　the　great
travellers；　her　house　was　full　of　the　echo　of　journeying。

She　was　a　door　and　a　threshold；　she　herself。　Through　her
another　soul　was　ing；　to　stand　upon　her　as　upon　the
threshold；　looking　out；　shading　its　eyes　for　the　direction　to
take。



CHAPTER　VII

THE　CATHEDRAL

During　the　first　year　of　her　marriage；　before　Ursula　was
born；　Anna　Brangwen　and　her　husband　went　to　visit　her　mother's
friend；　the　Baron　Skrebensky。　The　latter　had　kept　a　slight
connection　with　Anna's　mother；　and　had　always　preserved　some
officious　interest　in　the　young　girl；　because　she　was　a　pure
Pole。

When　Baron　Skrebensky　was　about　forty　years　old；　his　wife
died；　and　left　him　raving；　disconsolate。　Lydia　had　visited　him
then；　taking　Anna　with　her。　It　was　when　the　girl　was　fourteen
years　old。　Since　then　she　had　not　seen　him。　She　remembered　him
as　a　small　sharp　clergyman　who　cried　and　talked　and　terrified
her；　whilst　her　mother　was　most　strangely　consoling；　in　a
foreign　language。

The　little　Baron　never　quite　approved　of　Anna；　because　she
spoke　no　Polish。　Still；　he　considered　himself　in　some　way　her
guardian；　on　Lensky's　behalf；　and　he　presented　her　with　some
old；　heavy　Russian　jewellery；　the　least　valuable　of　his　wife's
relics。　Then　he　lapsed　out　of　the　Brangwen's　life　again；　though
he　lived　only　about　thirty　miles　away。

Three　years　later　came　the　startling　news　that　he　had　married
a　young　English　girl　of　good　family。　Everybody　marvelled。　Then
came　a　copy　of　〃The　History　of　the　Parish　of　Briswell；　by
Rudolph；　Baron　Skrebensky；　Vicar　of　Briswell。〃　It　was　a　curious
book；　incoherent；　full　of　interesting　exhumations。　It　was
dedicated：　〃To　my　wife；　Millicent　Maud　Pearse；　in　whom　I　embrace
the　generous　spirit　of　England。〃

〃If　he　embraces　no　more　than　the　spirit　of　England；〃　said　Tom
Brangwen；　〃it's　a　bad　look…out　for　him。〃

But　paying　a　formal　visit　with　his　wife；　he　found　the　new
Baroness　a　little；　creamy…skinned；　insidious　thing　with
red…brown　hair　and　a　mouth　that　one　must　always　watch；　because
it　curved　back　continually　in　an　inprehensible；　strange　laugh
that　exposed　her　rather　prominent　teeth。　She　was　not　beautiful；
yet　Tom　Brangwen　was　immediately　under　her　spell。　She　seemed　to
snuggle　like　a　kitten　within　his　warmth；　whilst　she　was　at　the
same　time　elusive　and　ironical；　suggesting　the　fine　steel　of　her
claws。

The　Baron　was　almost　dotingly　courteous　and　attentive　to　her。
She；　almost　mockingly；　yet　quite　happy；　let　him　dote。　Curious
little　thing　she　was；　she　had　the　soft；　creamy；　elusive　beauty
of　a　ferret。　Tom　Brangwen　was　quite　at　a　loss；　at　her　mercy；　and
she　laughed；　a　little　breathlessly；　as　if　tempted　to　cruelty。
She　did　put　fine　torments　on　the　elderly　Baron。

When　some　months　later　she　bore　a　son；　the　Baron　Skrebensky
was　loud　with　delight。

Gradually　she　gathered　a　circle　of　acquaintances　in　the
county。　For　she　was　of　good　family；　half　Venetian；　educated　in
Dresden。　The　little　foreign　vicar　attained　to　a　social　status
which　almost　satisfied　his　maddened　pride。

Therefore　the　Brangwens　were　surprised　when　the　invitation
came　for　Anna　and　her　young　husband　to　pay　a　visit　to　Briswell
vicarage。　For　the　Skrebenskys　were　now　moderately　well　off；
Millicent　Skrebensky　having　some　fortune　of　her　own。

Anna　took　her　best　clothes；　recovered　her　best　high…school
manner；　and　arrived　with　her　husband。　Will　Brangwen；　ruddy；
bright；　with　long　limbs　and　a　small　head；　like　some　uncouth
bird；　was　not　changed　in　the　least。　The　little　Baroness　was
smiling；　showing　her　teeth。　She　had　a　real　charm；　a　kind　of
joyous　coldness；　laughing；　delighted；　like　some　weasel。　Anna　at
once　respected　her；　and　was　on　her　guard　before　her；
instinctively　attracted　by　the　strange；　childlike　surety　of　the
Baroness；　yet　mistrusting　it；　fascinated。　The　little　baron　was
now　quite　white…haired；　very　brittle。　He　was　wizened　and
wrinkled；　yet　fiery；　unsubdued。　Anna　looked　at　his　lean　body；　at
his　small；　fine　lean　legs　and　lean　hands　as　he　sat　talking；　and
she　flushed。　She　recognized　the　quality　of　the　male　in　him；　his
lean；　concentrated　age；　his　informed　fire；　his　faculty　for
sharp；　deliberate　response。　He　was　so　detached；　so　purely
objective。　A　woman　was　thoroughly　outside　him。　There　was　no
confusion。　So　he　could　give　that　fine；　deliberate　response。

He　was　something　separate　and　interesting；　his　hard；
intrinsic　being；　whittled　down　by　age　to　an　essentiality　and　a
directness　almost　death…like；　cruel；　was　yet　so　unswervingly
sure　in　its　action；　so　distinct　in　its　surety；　that　she　was
attracted　to　him。　She　watched　his　cool；　hard；　separate　fire；
fascinated　by　it。　Would　she　rather　have　it　than　her　husband's
diffuse　heat；　than　his　blind；　hot　youth？

She　seemed　to　be　breathing　high；　sharp　air；　as　if　she　had
just　e　out　of　a　hot　room。　These　strange　Skrebenskys　made　her
aware　of　another；　freer　element；　in　which　each　person　was
detached　and　isolated。　Was　not　this　her　natural　element？　Was　not
the　close　Brangwen　life　stifling　her？

Meanwhile　the　little　baroness；　with　always　a　subtle　light
stirring　of　her　full；　lustrous；　hazel　eyes；　was　playing　with
Will　Brangwen。　He　was　not　quick　enough　to　see　all　her　movements。
Yet　he　watched　her　steadily；　with　unchanging；　lit…up　eyes。　She
was　a　strange　creature　to　him。　But　she　had　no　power　over　him。
She　flushed；　and　was　irritated。　Yet　she　glanced　again　and　again
at　his　dark；　living　face；　curiously；　as　if　she　despised　him。　She
despised　his　uncritical；　unironical　nature；　it　had　nothing　for
her。　Yet　it　angered　her　as　if　she　were　jealous。　He　watched　her
with　deferential　interest　as　he　would　watch　a　stoat　playing。　But
he　himself　was　not　implicated。　He　was　different　in　kind。　She　was
all　lambent；　biting　flames；　he　was　a　red　fire　glowing　steadily。
She　could　get　nothing　out　of　him。　So　she　made　him　flush　darkly
by　assuming　a　biting；　subtle　class…superiority。　He　flushed；　but
still　he　did　not　object。　He　was　too　different。

Her　little　boy　came　in　with　the　nurse。　He　was　a　quick；　slight
child；　with　fine　perceptiveness；　and　a　cool　transitoriness　in
his　interest。　At　once　he　treated　Will　Brangwen　as　an　outsider。
He　stayed　by　Anna　for　a　moment；　acknowledged　her；　then　was　gone
again；　quick；　observant；　restless；　with　a　glance　of　interest　at
everything。

The　father　adored　him；　and　spoke　to　him　in　Polish。　It　was
queer；　the　stiff；　aristocratic　manner　of　the　father　with　the
child；　the　distance　in　the　relationship；　the　classic　fatherhood
on　the　one　hand；　the　filial　subordination　on　the　other。　They
played　together；　in　their　different　degrees　very　separate；　two
different　beings；　differing　as　it　were　in　rank　rather　than　in
relationship。　And　the　baroness　smiled；　smiled；　smiled；　always
smiled；　showing　her　rather　protruding　teeth；　having　always　a
mysterious　attraction　and　charm。

Anna　realized　how　different　her　own　life　might　have　been；　how
different　her　own　living。　Her　soul　stirred；　she　became　as
another　person。　Her　intimacy　with　her　husband　passed　away；　the
curious　enveloping　Brangwen　intimacy；　so　warm；　so　close；　so
stifling；　when　one　seemed　always　to　be　in　contact　with　the　other
person；　like　a　blood…relation