Amy Foster.docx

Amy Foster.docx

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AmyFoster

AMYFOSTER

byJosephConradKennedyisacountrydoctor,andlivesinCole-

brook,ontheshoresofEastbay.ThehighgroundrisingabruptlybehindtheredroofsofthelittletowncrowdsthequaintHighStreetagainstthewallwhichdefendsitfromthesea.Beyondthesea-walltherecurvesformilesinavastandregularsweepthebarrenbeachofshingle,withthevillageofBrenzettstandingoutdarklyacrossthewater,aspireinaclumpoftrees;andstillfurtherouttheperpendicularcolumnofalighthouse,look-

inginthedistancenobiggerthanaleadpencil,marksthevanishing-pointoftheland.Thecoun-

tryatthebackofBrenzettislowandflat,butthebayisfairlywellshelteredfromtheseas,andocca-

sionallyabigship,windboundorthroughstressofweather,makesuseoftheanchoringgroundamileandahalfduenorthfromyouasyoustandatthebackdoorofthe"ShipInn"inBrenzett.

Adilapidatedwindmillnearbyliftingitsshatteredarmsfromamoundnoloftierthanarubbishheap,andaMartellotowersquattingatthewater'sedgehalfamiletothesouthoftheCoastguardcottages,arefamiliartotheskippersofsmallcraft.Thesearetheofficialseamarksforthepatchoftrust-

worthybottomrepresentedontheAdmiraltychartsbyanirregularovalofdotsenclosingseveralfig-

uressix,withatinyanchorengravedamongthem,andthelegend"mudandshells"overall.

ThebrowoftheuplandovertopsthesquaretoweroftheColebrookChurch.Theslopeisgreenandloopedbyawhiteroad.Ascendingalongthisroad,youopenavalleybroadandshal-

low,awidegreentroughofpasturesandhedgesmerginginlandintoavistaofpurpletintsandflowinglinesclosingtheview.

InthisvalleydowntoBrenzettandColebrookanduptoDarnford,themarkettownfourteenmilesaway,liesthepracticeofmyfriendKennedy.

HehadbegunlifeassurgeonintheNavy,andafterwardshadbeenthecompanionofafamoustraveller,inthedayswhentherewerecontinentswithunexploredinteriors.Hispapersonthefaunaandfloramadehimknowntoscientificsocie-

ties.Andnowhehadcometoacountrypractice--fromchoice.Thepenetratingpowerofhismind,actinglikeacorrosivefluid,haddestroyedhisambition,Ifancy.Hisintelligenceisofascientificorder,ofaninvestigatinghabit,andofthatunappeasablecuriositywhichbelievesthatthereisaparticleofageneraltruthineverymys-

tery.

Agoodmanyyearsagonow,onmyreturnfromabroad,heinvitedmetostaywithhim.Icamereadilyenough,andashecouldnotneglecthispatientstokeepmecompany,hetookmeonhisrounds--thirtymilesorsoofanafternoon,some-

times.Iwaitedforhimontheroads;thehorsereachedaftertheleafytwigs,and,sittinginthedogcart,IcouldhearKennedy'slaughthroughthehalf-opendoorleftopenofsomecottage.Hehadabig,heartylaughthatwouldhavefittedamantwicehissize,abriskmanner,abronzedface,andapairofgrey,profoundlyattentiveeyes.Hehadthetalentofmakingpeopletalktohimfreely,andaninexhaustiblepatienceinlisteningtotheirtales.

Oneday,aswetrottedoutofalargevillageintoashadybitofroad,Isawonourlefthandalow,blackcottage,withdiamondpanesinthewindows,acreeperontheendwall,aroofofshingle,andsomerosesclimbingonthericketytrellis-workofthetinyporch.Kennedypulleduptoawalk.A

woman,infullsunlight,wasthrowingadrippingblanketoveralinestretchedbetweentwooldap-

ple-trees.Andasthebobtailed,long-neckedchest-

nut,tryingtogethishead,jerkedthelefthand,coveredbyathickdogskinglove,thedoctorraisedhisvoiceoverthehedge:

"How'syourchild,Amy?

"

Ihadthetimetoseeherdullface,red,notwithamantlingblush,butasifherflatcheekshadbeenvigorouslyslapped,andtotakeinthesquatfigure,thescanty,dustybrownhairdrawnintoatightknotatthebackofthehead.Shelookedquiteyoung.Withadistinctcatchinherbreath,hervoicesoundedlowandtimid.

"He'swell,thankyou."

Wetrottedagain."Ayoungpatientofyours,"Isaid;andthedoctor,flickingthechest-

nutabsently,muttered,"Herhusbandusedtobe."

"Sheseemsadullcreature,"Iremarkedlist-

lessly.

"Precisely,"saidKennedy."Sheisverypas-

sive.It'senoughtolookattheredhandshangingattheendofthoseshortarms,atthoseslow,prom-

inentbrowneyes,toknowtheinertnessofhermind--aninertnessthatonewouldthinkmadeitever-

lastinglysafefromallthesurprisesofimagina-

tion.Andyetwhichofusissafe?

Atanyrate,suchasyouseeher,shehadenoughimaginationtofallinlove.She'sthedaughterofoneIsaacFoster,whofromasmallfarmerhassunkintoashepherd;thebeginningofhismisfortunesdatingfromhisrunawaymarriagewiththecookofhiswidowedfather--awell-to-do,apoplecticgrazier,whopassionatelystruckhisnameoffhiswill,andhadbeenheardtoutterthreatsagainsthislife.

Butthisoldaffair,scandalousenoughtoserveasamotiveforaGreektragedy,arosefromthesimi-

larityoftheircharacters.Thereareothertrage-

dies,lessscandalousandofasubtlerpoignancy,arisingfromirreconcilabledifferencesandfromthatfearoftheIncomprehensiblethathangsoverallourheads--overallourheads...."

Thetiredchestnutdroppedintoawalk;andtherimofthesun,allredinaspecklesssky,touchedfamiliarlythesmoothtopofaploughedriseneartheroadasIhadseenittimesinnumerabletouchthedistanthorizonofthesea.Theuniformbrownnessoftheharrowedfieldglowedwitharosytinge,asthoughthepowderedclodshadsweatedoutinminutepearlsofbloodthetoilofuncountedploughmen.Fromtheedgeofacopseawaggonwithtwohorseswasrollinggentlyalongtheridge.

Raisedaboveourheadsuponthesky-line,itloomedupagainsttheredsun,triumphantlybig,enor-

mous,likeachariotofgiantsdrawnbytwoslow-

steppingsteedsoflegendaryproportions.Andtheclumsyfigureofthemanploddingattheheadoftheleadinghorseprojecteditselfontheback-

groundoftheInfinitewithaheroicuncouthness.

Theendofhiscarter'swhipquiveredhighupintheblue.Kennedydiscoursed.

"She'stheeldestofalargefamily.AttheageoffifteentheyputherouttoserviceattheNewBarnsFarm.IattendedMrs.Smith,thetenant'swife,andsawthatgirlthereforthefirsttime.

Mrs.Smith,agenteelpersonwithasharpnose,madeherputonablackdresseveryafternoon.I

don'tknowwhatinducedmetonoticeheratall.

Therearefacesthatcallyourattentionbyacu-

riouswantofdefinitenessintheirwholeaspect,as,walkinginamist,youpeerattentivelyatavagueshapewhich,afterall,maybenothingmorecu-

riousorstrangethanasignpost.Theonlypecu-

liarityIperceivedinherwasaslighthesitationinherutterance,asortofpreliminarystammerwhichpassesawaywiththefirstword.Whensharplyspokento,shewasapttoloseherheadatonce;butherheartwasofthekindest.Shehadneverbeenheardtoexpressadislikeforasinglehumanbeing,andshewastendertoeverylivingcreature.ShewasdevotedtoMrs.Smith,toMr.Smith,totheirdogs,cats,canaries;andastoMrs.Smith'sgreyparrot,itspeculiaritiesexerciseduponheraposi-

tivefascination.Nevertheless,whenthatoutland-

ishbird,attackedbythecat,shriekedforhelpinhumanaccents,sheranoutintotheyardstoppingherears,anddidnotpreventthecrime.ForMrs.

Smiththiswasanotherevidenceofherstupidity;

ontheotherhand,herwantofcharm,inviewofSmith'swell-knownfrivolousness,wasagreatrec-

commendation.Hershort-sightedeyeswouldswimwithpityforapoormouseinatrap,andshehadbeenseenoncebysomeboysonherkneesinthewetgrasshelpingatoadindifficulties.Ifit'strue,assomeGermanfellowhassaid,thatwithoutphos-

phorusthereisnothought,itisstillmoretruethatthereisnokindnessofheartwithoutacertainamountofimagination.Shehadsome.Shehadevenmorethanisnecessarytounderstandsuffer-

ingandtobemovedbypity.Shefellinloveun-

dercircumstancesthatleavenoroomfordoubtinthematter;foryouneedimaginationtoformanotionofbeautyatall,andstillmoretodiscoveryouridealinanunfamiliarshape.

"Howthisaptitudecametoher,whatitdidfeedupon,isaninscrutablemystery.Shewasborninthevillage,andhadneverbeenfurtherawayfromitthanColebrookorperhapsDarnford.

ShelivedforfouryearswiththeSmiths.NewBarnsisanisolatedfarmhouseamileawayfromtheroad,andshewascontenttolookdayafterdayatthesamefields,hollows,rises;atthetreesandthehedgerows;atthefacesofthefourmenaboutthefarm,alwaysthesame--dayafterday,monthaftermonth,yearafteryear.Shenevershowedadesireforconversation,and,asitseemedtome,shedidnotknowhowtosmile.SometimesofafineSundayafternoonshewouldputonherbestdress,apairofstoutboots,alargegreyhattrimmedwithablackfeather（I'veseenherinthatfinery）,seizeanabsurdlyslenderparasol,climbovertwostiles,trampoverthreefieldsandalongtwohundredyardsofroad--neverfurther.TherestoodFoster'scottage.Shewouldhelphermothertogivetheirteatotheyoungerchildren,washupthecrockery,kissthelittleones,andgobacktothefarm.Thatwasall.Alltherest,allthechange,alltherelaxation.Sheneverseemedtowishforanythingmore.Andthenshefellinlove.

Shefellinlovesilently,obstinately--perhapshelp-

lessly.Itcameslowly,butwhenitcameitworkedlikeapowerfulspell;itwasloveastheAncientsunderstoodit:

anirresistibleandfatefulimpulse--

apossession!

Yes,itwasinhertobeco