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jeremy-第30部分
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caught: of cows; horses; walls; and treesas though in a kind of
magic mirror。
Another thing that Jeremy felt there; was that he was in a glass
cage swinging over the whole world。 If one shut one's eyes one could
easily fancy that one was swinging outswingingswinging; and
that; suddenly perhaps; the cage would be detached from the house
and go sailing; like a magic carpet; to Arabia and Persia; and
anywhere you pleased to command。
To…day the glass burnt like fire; and the green fields came floating
up to bo transfigured there like running water。 The house was
utterly still; the red glass door shut off the world。 Jeremy sat;
his arms tightly round Hamlet's neck; on the dirty floor; a strange
mixture of misery; weariness; fright; and anger。 There was already
in him a strain of impatience; so that he could not bear simply to
sit down and bewail something as; for instance; both his sisters
were doing at this moment。 He must act。 They could not bo happy
without their mother; he himself wanted her so badly that even now;
there in the flaming conservatory; if he had allowed himself to do
such a thing; he would have sat and cried and cried and cried。 But
he was not going to cry。 Mary and Helen could crythey were girls;
he was going to do something。
As he sat there; getting hotter and hotter; there grew; larger and
larger before his eyes; the figure of Terrible God。 That image of
Someone of a vast size sitting in the red…hot sky; his white beard
flowing; his eyes frowning; grew ever more and more awful。 Jeremy
stared up into the glass; his eyes blinking; the sweat beginning to
pour down his nose; and yet his body shivering with terror。 But he
had strung himself up to meet Him。 Somehow he was going to save his
mother and hinder her departure。 At an instant; inside him; he was
crying: 〃I want my mother! I want my mother!〃 like a little boy who
had been left in the street; and at the other; 〃You shan't have her!
You shan't have her!〃 as though someone were trying to steal his
Toy…Village or Hamlet away from him。 His sleepy; bemused; heated
brain wandered; in dazed fashion; back to his father's sermon of
that morning。 Abraham and Isaac! Abraham and Isaac!
Abraham and Isaac! Suddenly; as though through the flaming glass
something had been flung to him; an idea came。 Perhaps God; that
huge; ugly God was teasing the Coles just as once He had teased
Abraham。 Perhaps He wished to see whether they were truly obedient
as the Jampot had sometimes wished in the old days。 He was only; it
might be; pretending。 Perhaps He was demanding that one of them
should give up somethingsomething of great value。 Even Jeremy;
himself! 。 。 。
If he had to sacrifice something to save his mother; what would be
the hardest sacrifice? Would it be his Toy… Village; or Mary or
Helen; or his soldiers; or his paint… box; or his gold fish that he
had in a bowl; orNo; of course; he had known from the first what
would be hardestit would; of course; be Hamlet。
At this stage in his thinking he removed his arm from Hamlet's neck
and looked at the animal。 At the same moment the light that had
filled the glass…house with a fiery radiance that burnt to the very
heart of the place was clouded。 Above; in the sky; black; smoky
clouds; rolling in fold after fold; as though some demon were
flinging them out across the sky as one flings a carpet; piled up
and up; each one darker than the last。 The light vanished; the
conservatory was filled with a thick; murky glow; and far across the
fields; from the heart of the black wood; came the low rumble of
thunder。 But Jeremy did not hear that; he was busy with his
thoughts。 lie stared at the dog; who was lying stretched out on the
dirty floor; his nose between his toes。 It cannot truthfully be said
that the resolve that was forming in Jeremy's head had its birth in
any fine; noble idealisms。 It was as though some bully; seizing his
best marbles; had said: 〃I'll give you these back if you hand over
this week's pocket…money!〃 His attitude to the bully could not
truthfully be described as one of homage or reverence; rather was it
one of anger and impotent rebellion。
He loved Hamlet; and he loved his mother more than Hamlet; but he
was not moved by sentiment。 Grimly; his legs apart; his eyes shut
tight; as they were when he said his prayers; he made his challenge。
〃I'll give you Hamlet if you don't take Mother〃 A pause。 〃Only I
can't cut Hamlet's throat。 But I could lose him; if that would do。 。
。 Only you must take him nowI couldn't do it to…morrow。〃 His voice
began to tremble。 He was frightened。 He could feel behind his closed
eyes that the darkness had gathered。 The place seemed to be filled
with rolling smoke; and the house was so terribly still!
He said again: 〃You can take Hamlet。 He's my best thing。 You can
You can〃
There followed then; with the promptitude of a most admirably
managed theatrical climax; a peal of thunder that seemed to strike
the house with the iron hand of a giant。 Two more came; and then;
for a second; a silence; more deadly than all the earlier havoc。
Jeremy felt that God had leapt upon him。 He opened his eyes; turned
as though to run; and then saw; with a freezing check upon the very
beat of his heart; that Hamlet was gone。
V
There was no Hamlet!
In that second of frantic unreasoning terror he received a
conviction of God that no rationalistic training in later years was
able to remove。
There was no Hamlet!only the dusky dirty place with a black
torrent…driven world beyond it。 With a rush as of a thousand whips
slashing the air; the rain came down upon the glass。 Jeremy turned;
crying 〃Mother! Mother! I want Mother!〃 and flung himself at the red
glass doors; fumbling in his terror for the handle; he felt as
though the end of the world had come; such a panic had seized him as
only belongs to the most desperate of nightmares。 God had answered
him。 Hamlet was gone and in a moment Jeremy himself might be
seized 。 。 。
He felt frantically for the door; he beat upon the glass。
He cried 〃Mother! Mother! Mother!〃
He had found the door; but just as he turned the handle he was aware
of a new sound; heard distantly; through the rain。 Looking back he
saw; from behind a rampart of dusty flower…pots; first a head; then
a rough tousled body; then a tail that might be recognised amongst
all the tails of Christendom。
Hamlet (who had trained himself to meet with a fine natural show of
bravery every possible violence save only thunder) crept ashamed;
dirty and smiling towards his master。 God had only played His trick…
…Abraham and Isaac after all。
Then with a fine sense of victory and defiance Jeremy turned back;
looked up at the slashing rain; gazed out upon the black country; at
last seized Hamlet and dragging him out by his hind…legs; knelt
there in the dust and suffered himself to be licked until his face
was as though a snail had crossed over it。
The thunder passed。 Blue pushed up into the grey。 A cool air blew
through the world。
Nevertheless; deep in his heart; the terror remained。 In that moment
he had met God face to face; he had delivered his first challenge。
P。S。To the incredulous and cynical of heart authoritative evidence
can be shown to prove that it was on the evening of that Sunday that
Mrs。 Cole turned the corner towards recovery。
CHAPTER VIII
TO COW FARM!
I
This next episode in Jeremy's year has; be it thoroughly understood;
no plot nor climax to itit is simply the chronicle of an Odyssey。
Nor can it be said to have been anything but a very ordinary Odyssey
to the outside observer who; if he be a parent; will tell you that
going to the seaside with the family is the most bothering thing in
the world; and if he is a bachelor or old maid will tell you that
being in the same carriage with other people's children who are
going to the sea is an abominable business and the Law ought to have
something to say to it。
All through May; June and July Mrs。 Cole slowly pulled back to
something like her natural health。 The new infant; Barbara by name;
was as strong as a pony; and kicked and screamed and roared so that
the house was quite a new place。 Her arrival had done a great deal
for Helen; whose gaze had hitherto been concentrated entirely upon
herself; now she suddenly discovered a new element in life; and it
was found that she was 〃ideal with a baby〃 and 〃a great help to
nurse。〃 This made her more human; and Barbara; realising as babies
always do who understands and who does not; would behave with Helen
when she would behave with no one else。 Mary could not be expected
to transfer her allegiance from Jeremy; and then Barbara was
frightened at her spectacles; Jeremy; having Hamlet; did not need a
baby!
There came a fine hot morning towards the end of July when Miss
Jones said; suddenly; in the middle of the history lesson: 〃Saturday
week we go to Rafiel。〃 Jeremy choked; kicked Mary under the table;
and was generally impossible during the rest of the morning。 It was
Miss Jones's fault; she should have chosen her occasion more
carefully。 Before the evening Jeremy was standing in the corner for
drawing on his bedroom wall…pa
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