第50章

第50章ishouldhavebeenafraidtotouchahorsewhenalone,butwhentoldtodoit,iwasdisposedtoobey.iputdownmymuffonthestile,andwentuptothetallsteed;iendeavouredtocatchthebridle,butitwasaspiritedthing,andwouldnotletmecomenearitshead;imadeeffortoneffort,thoughinvain:meantime,iwasmortallyafraidofitstramplingfore-feet.thetravellerwaitedandwatchedforsometime,andatlasthelaughed.

“isee,”hesaid,“themountainwillneverbebroughttomahomet,soallyoucandoistoaidmahomettogotothemountain;imustbegofyoutocomehere.”

icame.“excuseme,”hecontinued:“necessitycompelsmetomakeyouuseful.”helaidaheavyhandonmyshoulder,andleaningonmewithsomestress,limpedtohishorse.havingoncecaughtthebridle,hemastereditdirectlyandsprangtohissaddle;grimacinggrimlyashemadetheeffort,foritwrenchedhissprain.“now,”saidhe,releasinghisunderlipfromahardbite,“justhandmemywhip;itliesthereunderthehedge.”

isoughtitandfoundit.

“thankyou;nowmakehastewiththelettertohay,andreturnasfastasyoucan.”

atouchofaspurredheelmadehishorsefirststartandrear,andthenboundaway;thedogrushedinhistraces;allthreevanished,

“likeheaththat,inthewilderness,

thewildwindwhirlsaway.”

itookupmymuffandwalkedon.theincidenthadoccurredandwasgoneforme:itwasanincidentofnomoment,noromance,nointerestinasense;yetitmarkedwithchangeonesinglehourofamonotonouslife.myhelphadbeenneededandclaimed;ihadgivenit:iwaspleasedtohavedonesomething;trivial,transitorythoughthedeedwas,itwasyetanactivething,andiwaswearyofanexistenceallpassive.thenewface,too,waslikeanewpictureintroducedtothegalleryofmemory;anditwasdissimilartoalltheothershangingthere:firstly,becauseitwasmasculine;and,secondly,becauseitwasdark,strong,andstern.ihaditstillbeforemewhenienteredhay,andslippedtheletterintothepost-office;isawitasiwalkedfastdown-hillallthewayhome.whenicametothestile,istoppedaminute,lookedroundandlistened,withanideathatahorse’shoofsmightringonthecausewayagain,andthatariderinacloak,andagytrash-likenewfoundlanddog,mightbeagainapparent:isawonlythehedgeandapollardwillowbeforeme,risingupstillandstraighttomeetthemoonbeams;iheardonlythefaintestwaftofwindroamingfitfulamongthetreesroundthornfield,amiledistant;andwheniglanceddowninthedirectionofthemurmur,myeye,traversingthehall-front,caughtalightkindlinginawindow:itremindedmethatiwaslate,andihurriedon.