English version of three strangers.docx

English version of three strangers.docx

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Englishversionofthreestrangers

TheThreeStrangers（1883）

AmongthefewfeaturesofagriculturalEnglandwhichretainanappearancebutlittlemodifiedbythelapseofcenturies,maybereckonedthehigh,grassyandfurzydowns,coombs,orewe-leases,astheyareindifferentlycalled,thatfillalargeareaofcertaincountiesinthesouthandsouth-west.Ifanymarkofhumanoccupationismetwithhereon,itusuallytakestheformofthesolitarycottageofsomeshepherd.

    Fiftyyearsagosuchalonelycottagestoodonsuchadown,andmaypossiblybestandingtherenow.Inspiteofitsloneliness,however,thespot,byactualmeasurement,wasnotmorethanfivemilesfromacounty-town.Yetthataffecteditlittle.Fivemilesofirregularupland,duringthelonginimicalseasons,withtheirsleets,snows,rains,andmists,affordwithdrawingspaceenoughtoisolateaTimonoraNebuchadnezzar;muchless,infairweather,topleasethatlessrepellenttribe,thepoets,philosophers,artists,andotherswho'conceiveandmeditateofpleasantthings.'

    Someoldearthencamporbarrow,someclumpoftrees,atleastsomestarvedfragmentofancienthedgeisusuallytakenadvantageofintheerectionoftheseforlorndwellings.But,inthepresentcase,suchakindofshelterhadbeendisregarded.HigherCrowstairs,asthehousewascalled,stoodquitedetachedandundefended.Theonlyreasonforitsprecisesituationseemedtobethecrossingoftwofootpathsatrightangleshardby,whichmayhavecrossedthereandthusforagoodfivehundredyears.Hencethehousewasexposedtotheelementsonallsides.But,thoughthewinduphereblewunmistakablywhenitdidblow,andtherainhithardwheneveritfell,thevariousweathersofthewinterseasonwerenotquitesoformidableonthecoombastheywereimaginedtobebydwellersonlowground.Therawrimeswerenotsoperniciousasinthehollows,andthefrostswerescarcelysosevere.Whentheshepherdandhisfamilywhotenantedthehousewerepitiedfortheirsufferingsfromtheexposure,theysaidthatuponthewholetheywerelessinconveniencedby'wuzzesandflames'（hoarsesandphlegms）thanwhentheyhadlivedbythestreamofasnugneighbouringvalley.

    ThenightofMarch28,182-,waspreciselyoneofthenightsthatwerewonttocallforththeseexpressionsofcommiseration.Thelevelrainstormsmotewalls,slopes,andhedgesliketheclothyardshaftsofSenlacandCrecy.Suchsheepandoutdooranimalsashadnoshelterstoodwiththeirbuttockstothewinds;whilethetailsoflittlebirdstryingtoroostonsomescraggythornwereblowninside-outlikeumbrellas.Thegable-endofthecottagewasstainedwithwet,andtheeavesdroppingsflappedagainstthewall.Yetneverwascommiserationfortheshepherdmoremisplaced.Forthatcheerfulrusticwasentertainingalargepartyinglorificationofthechristeningofhissecondgirl.

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    Theguestshadarrivedbeforetherainbegantofall,andtheywereallnowassembledinthechieforlivingroomofthedwelling.Aglanceintotheapartmentateighto'clockonthiseventfuleveningwouldhaveresultedintheopinionthatitwasascosyandcomfortableanookascouldbewishedforinboisterousweather.Thecallingofitsinhabitantwasproclaimedbyanumberofhighly-polishedsheep-crookswithoutstemsthatwerehungornamentallyoverthefireplace,thecurlofeachshiningcrookvaryingfromtheantiquatedtypeengravedinthepatriarchalpicturesofoldfamilyBiblestothemostapprovedfashionofthelastlocalsheep-fair.Theroomwaslightedbyhalf-a-dozencandles,havingwicksonlyatriflesmallerthanthegreasewhichenvelopedthem,incandlesticksthatwereneverusedbutathigh-days,holy-days,andfamilyfeasts.Thelightswerescatteredabouttheroom,twoofthemstandingonthechimney-piece.Thispositionofcandleswasinitselfsignificant.Candlesonthechimney-piecealwaysmeantaparty.

    Onthehearth,infrontofaback-brandtogivesubstance,blazedafireofthorns,thatcrackled'likethelaughterofthefool.'

    Nineteenpersonsweregatheredhere.Ofthese,fivewomen,wearinggownsofvariousbrighthues,satinchairsalongthewall;girlsshyandnotshyfilledthewindow-bench;fourmen,includingCharleyJakethehedge-carpenter,ElijahNewtheparish-clerk,andJohnPitcher,aneighbouringdairyman,theshepherd'sfather-in-law,lolledinthesettle;ayoungmanandmaid,whowereblushingovertentativepourparlersonalife-companionship,satbeneaththecorner-cupboard;andanelderlyengagedmanoffiftyorupwardmovedrestlesslyaboutfromspotswherehisbetrothedwasnottothespotwhereshewas.Enjoymentwasprettygeneral,andsomuchthemoreprevailedinbeingunhamperedbyconventionalrestrictions.Absoluteconfidenceineachother'sgoodopinionbegatperfectease,whilethefinishingstrokeofmanner,amountingtoatrulyprincelyserenity,waslenttothemajoritybytheabsenceofanyexpressionortraitdenotingthattheywishedtogetonintheworld,enlargetheirminds,ordoanyeclipsingthingwhatever--whichnowadayssogenerallynipsthebloomandbonhomieofallexceptthetwoextremesofthesocialscale.

    ShepherdFennelhadmarriedwell,hiswifebeingadairyman'sdaughterfromavaleatadistance,whobroughtfiftyguineasinherpocket--andkeptthemthere,tilltheyshouldberequiredforministeringtotheneedsofacomingfamily.Thisfrugalwomanhadbeensomewhatexercisedastothecharacterthatshouldbegiventothegathering.Asit-stillpartyhaditsadvantages;butanundisturbedpositionofeaseinchairsandsettleswasapttoleadonthementosuchanunconscionabledealoftopingthattheywouldsometimesfairlydrinkthehousedry.Adancing-partywasthealternative;butthis,whileavoidingtheforegoingobjectiononthescoreofgooddrink,hadacounterbalancingdisadvantageinthematterofgoodvictuals,theravenousappetitesengenderedbytheexercisecausingimmensehavocinthebuttery.ShepherdessFennelfellbackupontheintermediateplanofminglingshortdanceswithshortperiodsoftalkandsinging,soastohinderanyungovernablerageineither.Butthisschemewasentirelyconfinedtoherowngentlemind:

theshepherdhimselfwasinthemoodtoexhibitthemostrecklessphasesofhospitality.

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    Thefiddlerwasaboyofthoseparts,abouttwelveyearsofage,whohadawonderfuldexterityinjigsandreels,thoughhisfingersweresosmallandshortastonecessitateaconstantshiftingforthehighnotes,fromwhichhescrambledbacktothefirstpositionwithsoundsnotofunmixedpurityoftone.Atseventheshrilltweedle-deeofthisyoungsterhadbegun,accompaniedbyaboomingground-bassfromElijahNew,theparish-clerk,whohadthoughtfullybroughtwithhimhisfavouritemusicalinstrument,theserpent.Dancingwasinstantaneous,Mrs.Fennelprivatelyenjoiningtheplayersonnoaccounttoletthedanceexceedthelengthofaquarterofanhour.

    ButElijahandtheboy,intheexcitementoftheirposition,quiteforgottheinjunction.Moreover,OliverGiles,amanofseventeen,oneofthedancers,whowasenamouredofhispartner,afairgirlofthirty-threerollingyears,hadrecklesslyhandedanewcrown-piecetothemusicians,asabribetokeepgoingaslongastheyhadmuscleandwind.Mrs.Fennel,seeingthesteambegintogenerateonthecountenancesofherguests,crossedoverandtouchedthefiddler'selbowandputherhandontheserpent'smouth.Buttheytooknonotice,andfearingshemightlosehercharacterofgenialhostessifsheweretointerferetoomarkedly,sheretiredandsatdownhelpless.Andsothedancewhizzedonwithcumulativefury,theperformersmovingintheirplanet-likecourses,directandretrograde,fromapogeetoperigee,tillthehandofthewell-kickedclockatthebottomoftheroomhadtravelledoverthecircumferenceofanhour.

    WhilethesecheerfuleventswereincourseofenactmentwithinFennel'spastoraldwelling,anincidenthavingconsiderablebearingonthepartyhadoccurredinthegloomynightwithout.Mrs.Fennel'sconcernaboutthegrowingfiercenessofthedancecorrespondedinpointoftimewiththeascentofahumanfiguretothesolitaryhillofHigherCrowstairsfromthedirectionofthedistanttown.Thispersonagestrodeonthroughtherainwithoutapause,followingthelittle-wornpathwhich,furtheroninitscourse,skirtedtheshepherd'scottage.

    Itwasnearlythetimeoffullmoon,andonthisaccount,thoughtheskywaslinedwithauniformsheetofdrippingcloud,ordinaryobjectsoutofdoorswerereadilyvisible.Thesadwanlightrevealedthelonelypedestriantobeamanofsuppleframe;hisgaitsuggestedthathehadsomewhatpassedtheperiodofperfectandinstinctiveagility,thoughnotsofarastobeotherwisethanrapidofmotionwhenoccasionrequired.Ataroughguess,hemighthavebeenaboutfortyyearsofage.Heappearedtall,butarecruitingsergeant,orotherpersonaccustomedtothejudgingofmen'sheightsbytheeye,wouldhavediscernedthatthiswaschieflyowingtohisgauntness,andthathewasnotmorethanfive-feet-eightornine.

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    Notwithstandingtheregularityofhistread,therewascautioninit,asinthatofonewhomentallyfeelshisway;anddespitethefactthatitwasnotablackcoatnoradarkgarmentofanysortthathewore,therewassomethingabouthimwhichsuggestedthathenaturallybelongedtotheblack-coatedtribesofmen.Hisclotheswereoffustian,andhisbootshobnailed,yetinhisprogressheshowednotthemud-accustomedbearingofhobnailedandfustianedpeasantry.

    Bythetimethathehadarrivedabreastoftheshepherd'spremisestherainc