第25章你可听见我心动(11)
现在距离不伦瑞克还有20英里,年轻人都聚集到车右边靠窗子的座位,等着大橡树的出现。紧张的气氛顿时笼罩了整个车厢。温哥没有勇气望窗外,紧绷着脸,尽量掩饰自己内心的不安,他像惊1之鸟一样,做好了失望的心理准备。
还有10英里,5英里了突然,所有的年轻人都从座位上站了起来,尖叫着,呼喊着,欢呼雀跃不已,只有温哥例外。
温哥木讷地坐在那里,望着橡树。树上挂满了黄手帕——20条,30条,或许足有数百条。这棵树像面旗帜一样,站在那儿,ó风招展,似乎在欢ó他的归来。在那些年轻人的欢呼声中,这位刚出狱的人从座位上站了起来,走到车门,准备下车回家了。
暖暖的河流
WarmRiver
厄斯金·考德威尔ErskineCaldwell
Thedriverstoppedatthesuspebridgeaomethehouseacrosstheriver。Ipaidhimthequarterfarefortheridefromthestationtwomilesaedfromthecar。AfterhehadgoneIwasaloheightaar-poistwinklinginthevalleyandthebroadgreenriverflome。Allarouainsroselikeblackthenight,andonlybylhtheavenwardcouldIseeanythierglowofsu。
ThegfeswayedwiththerhythmofmystrideaumofitsswingsoonovercamemypalybywalkingfasterandfastercouldIgtothependulumasitswunginitswidearcovertheriver。WhenatlastIcouldseetheotherside,wherethemountainabruptlyandsliduer,Igrippedmyhandbagtighterandranwithallmymight。
&heermyfeethadthegravelpath,Iwasafraid。IkbydayImightwalkthebridgewithoutfear;butatnight,inastrary,withdarkmountainstallaroundmeandabroadgreenriverflowihme,Iyhandsfrafrompoundingagai,
Ifoundthehouseeasily,amyselffruhehousewasthefirstoerleavibridge,andevenifIshouldhavemissedit,Gretwould,havecalledme。Shewasthereoheporgforme。WhenIheardherfamiliarvoigmyname,Iwasashamedofmyselffbeehemountainsandthebrbelow。
Sherandoathtomeetme。
"Didthefhtenyou,Richard?"sheaskedexcitedly,holdingmyarmwithbothofherhandsandguidihepathtothehouse。
"Ithinkitdid,Gret,"Isaid:"butIhopeIoutranit。"
"Everyohatatfirst,butaftergoio'slikewalkingatight-rope。Iusedtowalktight-ropeswhenIwassmall—didn'tyoudothat,too,Richard?estretchedacrossthefloorofourbarntopra。"
"Idid,too,butit'sbeensolongagoIottenhowtodoitnow。"
&hestepsaretetothedoor。Someohehousewasbringingalampintothehall,andwiththeiIsawGret'stwosistersstandingjustiheopendoor。
"Thisismylittlesister,A;Gretsaid。"AndthisisMary。"
Ispoketothemintilesemi-darkness,aothehall。Gret'sfatherwasstaableholdingthelampalittletooheyface。Ihadhimbefore。
"Thisismyfather,"Gretsaid。"Hewasafraidyouwouldn'tbeabletofindourhouseintiledark。"
"Iwahtdownteayou,butGretsaidyouwouldgetherewithoutanytrouble。Didyougetlost?Icouldhavebroughtalanterndownwithall。"
IshookhandswithhimandtoldhimhoweasilyIhadfoundtheplace。
"Thehackdriverpoiomethehousefromtheothersideoftheriver,andIneveronyeyesfromthelight。IfIhadlostsightofthelight,I'dprobablybestumblingaroundsomewherenowinthedarkdreadytofallier。"
Helaughedatmefafraidoftileriver。
"Youwouldn'thavemiheriveriswarm。Evehereisiowuheriverisaswarmasafortableroom。Allofusherelovethewaterdow;
"No,Richard,youwouldn'thavefallenin,"Gretsaid,layingherha;Isawyouthemomentyougotoutofthehadifyouhadgohewroion,Iwasreadytoruntoyou。"
Iwishedtothafthat,butalreadyshewasgoiothefloorabove,andgme。Iweingmyhandbaginfrohere,lightedbutturnedlow,otheendoftheupperball,andshepickeditupaaheadihefrontrooms。
&oodforamomentlookiher,a。
"Thereisfreshwatericher,Richard。Ifthereisanythingelseyouwouldliketohave,pleasetellme。Itriednottooverlookanything。"
"Donret,"Itoldher。"I'twishfmore。It'senoughjusttobeherewithyou,anyway。There'snothingelseIcarefor。"
Shelookedatmequidthensheloweredhereyes。Westoodsilentlyforseveralminutes,whileherofuskofanythingtosay。IwaellherhowgladIwastobewithher,evenifitwasht,butIknewIcouldsaythattretewwhyIhade。
"I'llleavethelampforyou,RidI'llwaitdownstairsforyouontheporeassoonasyouareready。"
&beforeIcouldofferthttothestairheadforhertoseethewaydowimeIhadpickedupthelamp,shewasoutofsightdo>
Iwalkedbaahedoorandbathedmyfads,sgthetraindustwithbrushandsoap。Therewasarowofhand-embroideredtowelsontheradItookoneanddriedmyfads。AfterthatIyhair,andfoundafreshhahehandbag。Thehedooraairstofi。
&herwasontheporchwithher。Whehroughthedotupandgavemeachairbetweepulledheriougmyarmwithherhand。