第84章

第84章thelibrarylookedtranquilenoughasienteredit,andthesibyl—ifsibylshewere—wasseatedsnuglyenoughinaneasy-chairatthechimney-corner.shehadonaredcloakandablackbonnet:orrather,abroad-brimmedgipsyhat,tieddownwithastripedhandkerchiefunderherchin.anextinguishedcandlestoodonthetable;shewasbendingoverthefire,andseemedreadinginalittleblackbook,likeaprayer-book,bythelightoftheblaze:shemutteredthewordstoherself,asmostoldwomendo,whilesheread;shedidnotdesistimmediatelyonmyentrance:itappearedshewishedtofinishaparagraph.

istoodontherugandwarmedmyhands,whichwererathercoldwithsittingatadistancefromthedrawing-roomfire.ifeltnowascomposedaseverididinmylife:therewasnothingindeedinthegipsy’sappearancetotroubleone’scalm.sheshutherbookandslowlylookedup;herhat-brimpartiallyshadedherface,yeticouldsee,assheraisedit,thatitwasastrangeone.itlookedallbrownandblack:elf-locksbristledoutfrombeneathawhitebandwhichpassedunderherchin,andcamehalfoverhercheeks,orratherjaws:hereyeconfrontedmeatonce,withaboldanddirectgaze.

“well,andyouwantyourfortunetold?”shesaid,inavoiceasdecidedasherglance,asharshasherfeatures.

“idon’tcareaboutit,mother;youmaypleaseyourself:butioughttowarnyou,ihavenofaith.”

“it’slikeyourimpudencetosayso:iexpecteditofyou;ihearditinyourstepasyoucrossedthethreshold.”

“didyou?you’veaquickear.”

“ihave;andaquickeyeandaquickbrain.”

“youneedthemallinyourtrade.”

“ido;especiallywheni’vecustomerslikeyoutodealwith.whydon’tyoutremble?”

“i’mnotcold.”

“whydon’tyouturnpale?”

“iamnotsick.”

“whydon’tyouconsultmyart?”

“i’mnotsilly.”

theoldcrone“nichered”alaughunderherbonnetandbandage;shethendrewoutashortblackpipe,andlightingitbegantosmoke.havingindulgedawhileinthissedative,sheraisedherbentbody,tookthepipefromherlips,andwhilegazingsteadilyatthefire,saidverydeliberately—“youarecold;youaresick;andyouaresilly.”

“proveit,”irejoined.

“iwill,infewwords.youarecold,becauseyouarealone:nocontactstrikesthefirefromyouthatisinyou.youaresick;becausethebestoffeelings,thehighestandthesweetestgiventoman,keepsfarawayfromyou.youaresilly,because,sufferasyoumay,youwillnotbeckonittoapproach,norwillyoustironesteptomeetitwhereitwaitsyou.”

sheagainputhershortblackpipetoherlips,andrenewedhersmokingwithvigour.

“youmightsayallthattoalmostanyonewhoyouknewlivedasasolitarydependentinagreathouse.”

“imightsayittoalmostanyone:butwoulditbetrueofalmostanyone?”

“inmycircumstances.”

“yes;justso,inyourcircumstances:butfindmeanotherpreciselyplacedasyouare.”

“itwouldbeeasytofindyouthousands.”

“youcouldscarcelyfindmeone.ifyouknewit,youarepeculiarlysituated:verynearhappiness;yes,withinreachofit.thematerialsareallprepared;thereonlywantsamovementtocombinethem.chancelaidthemsomewhatapart;letthembeonceapproachedandblissresults.”

“idon’tunderstandenigmas.inevercouldguessariddleinmylife.”

“ifyouwishmetospeakmoreplainly,showmeyourpalm.”

“andimustcrossitwithsilver,isuppose?”

“tobesure.”

igaveherashilling:sheputitintoanoldstocking-footwhichshetookoutofherpocket,andhavingtieditroundandreturnedit,shetoldmetoholdoutmyhand.idid.sheachedherfacetothepalm,andporedoveritwithouttouchingit.

“itistoofine,”saidshe.“icanmakenothingofsuchahandasthat;almostwithoutlines:besides,whatisinapalm?destinyisnotwrittenthere.”

“ibelieveyou,”saidi.

“no,”shecontinued,“itisintheface:ontheforehead,abouttheeyes,inthelinesofthemouth.kneel,andliftupyourhead.”

“ah!nowyouarecomingtoreality,”isaid,asiobeyedher.“ishallbegintoputsomefaithinyoupresently.”

ikneltwithinhalfayardofher.shestirredthefire,sothatarippleoflightbrokefromthedisturbedcoal:theglare,however,asshesat,onlythrewherfaceintodeepershadow:mine,itillumined.

“iwonderwithwhatfeelingsyoucametometo-night,”shesaid,whenshehadexaminedmeawhile.“iwonderwhatthoughtsarebusyinyourheartduringallthehoursyousitinyonderroomwiththefinepeopleflittingbeforeyoulikeshapesinamagic-lantern:justaslittlesympatheticcommunionpassingbetweenyouandthemasiftheywerereallymereshadowsofhumanforms,andnottheactualsubstance.”

“ifeeltiredoften,sleepysometimes,butseldomsad.”

“thenyouhavesomesecrethopetobuoyyouupandpleaseyouwithwhispersofthefuture?”

“noti.theutmostihopeis,tosavemoneyenoughoutofmyearningstosetupaschoolsomedayinalittlehouserentedbymyself.”

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

“ameannutrimentforthespirittoexiston:andsittinginthatwindow-seat(youseeiknowyourhabits)—”

“youhavelearnedthemfromtheservants.”

“ah!youthinkyourselfsharp.well,perhapsihave:tospeaktruth,ihaveanacquaintancewithoneofthem,mrs.poole—”

istartedtomyfeetwheniheardthename.

“youhave—haveyou?”thoughti;“thereisdiablerieinthebusinessafterall,then!”

“don’tbealarmed,”continuedthestrangebeing;“she’sasafehandismrs.poole:closeandquiet;anyonemayreposeconfidenceinher.but,asiwassaying:sittinginthatwindow-seat,doyouthinkofnothingbutyourfutureschool?haveyounopresentinterestinanyofthecompanywhooccupythesofasandchairsbeforeyou?istherenotonefaceyoustudy?onefigurewhosemovementsyoufollowwithatleastcuriosity?”

“iliketoobserveallthefacesandallthefigures.”

“butdoyouneversingleonefromtherest—oritmaybe,two?”

“idofrequently;whenthegesturesorlooksofapairseemtellingatale:itamusesmetowatchthem.”

“whattaledoyoulikebesttohear?”