下载辰思小说免费APP
Darton，thefather，hadbeenaone-idea’dcharacter，withabuttoned-uppocketandachink-likeeyebrimmingwithcommercialsubtlety。InDartontheson，thistradesubtletyhadbecometransmutedintoemotional，andtheharshnesshaddisappeared；hewouldhavebeencalledasadmanbutforhisconstantcarenottodividehimselffromlivelyfriendsbypipingnotesoutofharmonywiththeirs。Contemplative，heallowedhismindtobeaquietmeeting-placeformemoriesandhopes。Sothat，naturallyenough，sincesucceedingtotheagriculturalcalling，anduptohispresentageofthirty-two，hehadneitheradvancednorrecededasacapitalist——astationaryresultwhichdidnotagitateoneofhisunambitious，unstrategicnature，sincehehadallthathedesired。
ThemotiveofhisexpeditiontonightshowedthesameabsenceofanxiousregardforNumberOne。
Thepartyrodeonintheslow，safetrotpropertonight-timeandbadroads，FarmerDarton’sheadjiggingratherunromanticallyupanddownagainstthesky，andhismotionsbeingrepeatedwithbolderemphasisbyhisfriendJaphethJohns；whilethoseofthelatterweretravestiedinjerksstilllesssoftenedbyartinthepersonoftheladwhoattendedthem。Apairofwhitishobjectshungoneoneachsideofthelatter，bumpingagainsthimateachstep，andstillfurtherspoilingthegraceofhisseat。Oncloseinspectiontheymighthavebeenperceivedtobeopenrushbaskets——onecontainingaturkey，andtheothersomebottlesofwine。
’D’yefeelyecanmeetyourfatelikeaman，neighbourDarton？’
askedJohns，breakingasilencewhichhadlastedwhilefive-and-
twentyhedgerowtreeshadglidedby。
Mr。Dartonwithahalf-laughmurmured，’Ay——callitmyfate！
Hangingandwivinggobydestiny。’Andthentheyweresilentagain。
Thedarknessthickenedrapidly，atintervalsshuttingdownonthelandinaperceptibleflap，likethewaveofawing。Thecustomarycloseofdaywasacceleratedbyasimultaneousblurringoftheair。
Withthefallofnighthadcomeamistjustdampenoughtoincommode，butnotsufficienttosaturatethem。Countrymenastheywere——born，asmaybesaid，withonlyanopendoorbetweenthemandthefourseasons——theyregardedthemistbutasanaddedobscuration，andignoreditshumidquality。
Theyweretravellinginadirectionthatwasenlivenedbynomoderncurrentoftraffic，theplaceofDarton’spilgrimagebeinganold-
fashionedvillage——oneoftheHintocks(severalvillagesofthatname，withadistinctiveprefixoraffix，lyingthereabout)——wherethepeoplemakethebestciderandcider-wineinallWessex，andwherethedunghillssmellofpomaceinsteadofstablerefuseaselsewhere。Thelanewassometimessonarrowthatthebramblesofthehedge，whichhungforwardlikeanglers’rodsoverastream，scratchedtheirhatsandcurry-combedtheirwhiskersastheypassed。
YetthisneglectedlanehadbeenahighwaytoQueenElizabeth’ssubjectsandthecavalcadesofthepast。Itsdaywasovernow，anditshistoryasanationalarterydoneforever。
’WhyIh
