下载辰思小说免费APP
Shemusedawhile，lookingoutwithfixedeyes。
"Thatiswhythebellrangsocheerfully，"shesaid。"Whentheolddieitiswell；theyhavehadtheirtime。Itiswhentheyoungdiethatthebellsweepdropsofblood。"
"Buttheoldlovelife？"hesaid；foritwassweettohearherspeak。
Sheraisedherselfonherelbow。
"Theylovelife，theydonotwanttodie，"sheanswered，"butwhatofthat？
Theyhavehadtheirtime。Theyknewthataman’slifeisthree—scoreyearsandten；theyshouldhavemadetheirplansaccordingly！
"Buttheyoung，"shesaid，"theyoung，cutdown，cruelly，whentheyhavenotseen，whentheyhavenotknown——whentheyhavenotfound——itisforthemthatthebellsweepblood。Iheardintheringingitwasanoldman。
Whentheolddie——Listentothebell！itislaughing——’Itisright，itisright；hehashadhistime。’Theycannotringsofortheyoung。"
Shefellbackexhausted；thehotlightdiedfromhereyes，andshelaylookingoutintothestreet。Byandbystragglersfromthefuneralbegantocomebackanddisappearhereandthereamongthehouses；thenallwasquiet，andthenightbegantosettledownuponthevillagestreet。
Afterward，whentheroomwasalmostdark，sothattheycouldnotseeeachother’sfaces，shesaid，"Itwillraintonight；"andmovedrestlesslyonthepillows。"Howterriblewhentherainfallsdownonyou。"
Hewonderedwhatshemeant，andtheysatoninthestilldarkeningroom。
Shemovedagain。
"Willyoupresentlytakemycloak——andnewgreycloakfrombehindthedoor—
—andgooutwithit。Youwillfindalittlegraveatthefootofthetallgum—tree；thewaterdripsoffthelong，pointedleaves；youmustcoveritupwiththat。"
Shemovedrestlesslyasthoughinpain。
Gregoryassented，andtherewassilenceagain。Itwasthefirsttimeshehadeverspokenofherchild。
"Itwassosmall，"shesaid；"itlivedsuchalittlewhile——onlythreehours。Theylaiditclosebyme，butIneversawit；Icouldfeelitbyme。"Shewaited；"itsfeetweresocold；Itooktheminmyhandtomakethemwarm，andmyhandclosedrightoverthemtheyweresolittle。"Therewasanuneventremblinginthevoice。"Itcreptclosetome；itwantedtodrink，itwantedtobewarm。"Shehardenedherself——"Ididnotloveit；
itsfatherwasnotmyprince；Ididnotcareforit；butitwassolittle。"
Shemovedherhand。"Theymighthavekissedit，oneofthem，beforetheyputitin。Itneverdidanyoneanyharminallitslittlelife。Theymighthavekissedit，oneofthem。"
Gregoryfeltthatsomeonewassobbingintheroom。
Lateonintheevening，whentheshutterwasclosedandthelamplighted，andtherain—dropsbeatontheroof，hetookthecloakfrombehindthedoorandwentawaywithit。Onhiswaybackhecalledatthevillagepost—
officeandbroughtbackaletter。Inthehallhestoodreadingtheaddress。Howcouldhefailtoknowwhosehandhadwrittenit？Hadhenotlongagostudiedthosecharactersonthetornfragmentsofpaperintheoldparlour？AburningpainwasatGregory’sheart。Ifnow，nowatthelast，oneshouldcome，shouldstepinbetween！Hecarriedtheletterintothebedroomandgaveittoher。"Bringmethelampnearer，"shesaid。Whenshehadreaditsheaskedforherdesk。
ThenGregorysatdowninthelamp—lightontheothersideofthecurtain，andheardthepencilmoveonthepaper。Whenhelookedroundthecurtainshewaslyingonthepillowmusing。Theopenletterlayatherside；sheglancedatitwithsofteyes。Themanwiththelanguideyelidsmusthavebeenstrangelymovedbeforehishandsetdownthosewords：
"Letmecomebacktoyou！Mydarling，letmeputmyhandroundyou，andguardyoufromalltheworld。Asmywifetheyshallnevertouchyou。I
havelearnttoloveyoumorewisely，moretenderly，thanofold；youshallhaveperfectfreedom。Lyndall，grandlittlewoman，foryourownsakebemywife！
"Whydidyousendthatmoneybacktome？Youarecrueltome；itisnotrightlydone。"
Sherolledthelittleredpencilsoftlybetweenherfingers，andherfacegrewverysoft。Yet：
"Itcannotbe，"shewrote；"Ithankyoumuchfortheloveyouhaveshownme；butIcannotlisten。Youwillcallmemad，foolish——theworldwoulddoso；butIknowwhatIneedandthekindofpathImustwalkin。Icannotmarryyou。Iwillalwaysloveyouforthesakeofwhatlaybymethosethreehours；butthereitends。Imustknowandsee，IcannotbeboundtoonewhomIloveasIloveyou。Iamnotafraidoftheworld——Iwillfighttheworld。Oneday——perhapsitmaybefaroff——IshallfindwhatIhavewantedallmylife；somethingnobler，strongerthanI，beforewhichIcankneeldown。Youlosenothingbynothavingmenow；Iamaweak，selfish，erringwoman。OnedayIshallfindsomethingtoworship，andthenIshallbe——"
"Nurse，"shesaid；"takemydeskaway；Iamsuddenlysosleepy；Iwillwritemoretomorrow。"Sheturnedherfacetothepillow；itwasthesuddendrowsinessofgreatweakness。Shehaddroppedasleepinamoment，andGregorymovedthedesksoftly，andthensatinthechairwatching。Hourafterhourpassed，buthehadnowishforrest，andsaton，hearingtheraincease，andthestillnightsettledowneverywhere。Ataquarter—pasttwelveherose，andtookalastlookatthebedwhereshelaysleepingsopeacefully；thenheturnedtogotohiscouch。Beforehehadreachedthedoorshehadstartedupandwascallinghimback。
"Youaresureyouhaveputitup？"shesaid，withalookofblankterroratthewindow。"Itwillnotfallopeninthenight，theshutter——youaresure？"
Hecomfortedher。Yes，itwastightlyfastened。
"Evenifitisshut，"shesaid，inawhisper，"youcannotkeepitout！Youfeelitcominginatfouro’clock，creeping，creeping，up，up；deadlycold！"Sheshuddered。
Hethoughtshewaswandering，andlaidherlittletremblingbodydownamongtheblankets。
"Idreamedjustnowthatitwasnotputup，"shesaid，lookingintohiseyes；"anditcreptrightinandIwasalonewithit。"
"Whatdoyoufear？"heasked，tenderly。
"TheGreyDawn，"shesaid，glancingroundatthewindow。"Iwasneverafraidofanything，never，whenIwasalittlechild，butIhavealwaysbeenafraidofthat。Youwillnotletitcomeintome？"
"No，no；Iwillstaywithyou，"hecontinued。
Butshewasgrowingcalmer。"No，youmustgotobed。Ionlyawokewithastart；youmustbetired。Iamchildish，thatisall；"butsheshiveredagain。
Hesatdownbesideher，aftersometimeshesaid："Willyounotrubmyfeet？"
Hekneltdownatthefootofthebedandtookthetinyfootinhishand；itwasswollenandunsightlynow，butashetouchedithebentdownandcovereditwithkisses。
"Itmakesitbetterwhenyoukissit；thankyou。Whatmakesyoualllovemeso？"Thendreamilyshemutteredtoherself："Notutterlybad，notquitebad——whatmakesthemalllovemeso？"
Kneelingthere，rubbingsoftly，withhischeekpressedagainstthelittlefoot，Gregorydroppedtosleepatlast。Howlongheknelttherehecouldnottell；butwhenhestartedupawakeshewasnotlookingathim。Theeyeswerefixedonthefarcorner，gaz
