第26章你可听见我心动(12)
"Isthisthefirsttimeyouhavebeehemountains,Richard?"herfatheraskedme,turninginhise。
"I'vehinahundredmilesofherebefore,sir。It'sadifferenttryuphere,butIsupposeyouwouldthinkthesameaboutthecoast,wouldn'tyou?"
"Oh,butFatherusedtoliveinNorfolk,"Gretsaid。"Didn'tyou,Father?"
"Ilivedthereforhreeyears。"
Therewassomethingelsehewouldsay,andbothofuswaitedforhimtoue。
"Fatherisamastermeic,"Gretwhisperedtome。"Heworksintherailroadshops。"
"Yes,"hesaidafterawhile。"I'velivedinmahereiswhereIwishtostay。"
Myfirstthoughtwastoaskhimwhyhepreferredthemountaiions,butsuddenlyIwasawarethatbothhearaweewaboutit。
Afterawhilehespokeagain,toGret,butasthoughhewerespeakingtosomeoheporch,afourthpersonwhomIhadfailedtoseeinthedarkness。Iwaited,teed,forhimtoue。
&movedherchairafewiniiohoutsouhoftheriverdcovereduslikeablaonaight。
&quretdtheirlslosttheirmother,"hesaid,almostinaudibly,bendingforwardoverhiskneesandgazingoutacrree;afterwelosttheirmother,Icamebaountainstolive。I'tstayinNorfolk,andI'tstanditinBaltimore。ThiswastheohwhereIdpeace。Gretremembershermother,butherofyouderstandhowitiswithme。HermotherandIwereborhemountains,aogetherforalmosttwehenaftersheleftus,Imovedaway,foolishlybelievingthatIcet。ButIwaswrong。OfcourseIwaswrong。Amanetthemotherofhis,eventhoughheknowshewillneverseeheragain。"
&ede,andIyeyesfromherdarklyframedprofilebesideme。Theriverbelowusmadenosound,butthewarmthofitsvaporwouldhatitwasstillthere。
&herhadbentfartherforwardinhistilhisarmswererestingonhisknees,atoseesomeohersidehoaintopaboveit。Hiseyesstraiheshaftoflightthatcamethroughtheopendooronthemahere。Tearsfellfromhisfacelikefragmentsofstars,burningintohisquiveringhandsuntiltheywereoutofsight。
&illiupahroughthedoorway。Hishugeshadowfellupodmeashestoodtheremomentarilybefiurnedaowardhimbut,eventhoughheassingfromsight,Iyeyesuponhim。
&edclainstme,squeezingherfihehollowofmyhandandtougmyshoulderwithhercheeksasthoughsheweretryihingfromthem。Herfather'sfootstepsgrewfailastweolongerhearhim。
Somewherebelowus,alongthebankoftheriver,araihevalley,gahroughthenight。Oallyitslightsflashedthroughtheopeningsinthedarkness,danthebroadgreenriverlikephtsih,aallicechoofitssteelrumbledagainstthehighwallsofthemountaiclaspedherhandstightlyovermyhaertips。
"Richard,whydidyoue?"
Hervoigledwiththesgmetallicechoofthetrainthatnowseemedfaroff。
Ihadexpectedtupintomyface,butwheoher,Isawthatshewasgazingfardownintothevalley,dowersoftheriver。SheknewwhyIhade,butshedidnotwishtohearmesay>
IdidnotknowwhyIhadetoseeher,now。IhadlikedGretdIhaddesiredheraboveanyoneelseIkIottellherthatIlovedher,afterhavingheardherfatherspeakoflove。IwassorryIhade,nheardhimspeakofGretotherashedid。Ikwouldgiveherselftome,becauseshelovedme;butIhadnothingtogiveheriurn。Shewasbeautiful,verybeautiful,andIhaddesiredher。Thatwasbefore。IeveragainthinkofherasIhadeprepared。
"Whydidyoue,Richard?"
"Why?"
"Yes,Richard;why?"
MyeyesdwhatIfeltwasthememoryofthestar-poistwinklingdowninthevalleyahoftheriverflowihecaressersasshetouchedmyarm。
"Richard,pleasetellmewhyyoucame。"
"Idon'tknowwhyIcame,Gret。"
"Ifyouonlylovedme。asIloveyou,Richard,youhy。"
Herfirembledinmyhand。Iknewshelovedme。Therehadbeennodoubtinmymindfrrete。
"PerhapsIshouldnothavee,"Isaid。"Imadeamistake,Gret。Ishouldhavestayedaway。"
"Butyouwillbehereht,Richard。Yearlyinthem。Youaren'tsorrythatyoucame,forjustthisshorttime,areyou,Richard?"
"I'mnotsorrythatIamhere,Gret,butIshouldnothavee。Ididn'tknoasdoianyrighttoehere。Peoplewholoveeachotheraretheo;
"Butyoudolovemejustalittle,don'tyou,Richard?You'tpossiblylovemenearlysomuchasIloveyou,but'tyoutellmethatyoudolovemejustalittle?I'llfeelmuchhappierafteryouhavegone,Richard。"
"Idon'tknow,"Isaid,trembling。
"Richard,please—"