第30章与美丽邂逅(12)
Mr。RobertLyndonceremarkedofJaen’scharacters:heyarepeopleinwhoselivesaslightfallofsnowisaherisktothiswittyair。Woodhouse,Imustinsistthatlastnight’sfallofsnowherewasa。Iwasnearlyasexcitedaboutitthismasthe,whomIfouhroughthenurserywindowatthemagicoutsideandgasexcitedlyasifChristmashadsuddenlyeroundagaiis,however,thatthesnowwasasstraiwastothem。Itisthefirstfallwehavehadherethiswinter,andlastyearIwasoutofthetry,broilirthesnowyseason,sothatitreallydoesseemanagesihegroundsofantasticallycarpeted。ItasawaylastyearthatImetthethreeyounggirlsfruianawhohadjustreturheirfirstvisittoEnglahingsthathadimpressedthemmostweretheendlesscrowdsofpeopleintheLoraheyemphasizedthis,fortheyhadspentalltheirlivesiownwhereeverybodyknowseverybody),andthesnow-coveredlaheyawoketwheayingsomewhereiheyweresothrilledahattheyflungaretengdemureyoungladiesaofthehousetoruntoandfrlitteringpilysgfootmarksoroddeasthedidihism。
&fallofsnowisnotoisamagit。Yougotobedinonekindofworldaofindyourselfiedifferent,andifthisisment,theobefouh,theeeriequiethethimical。Ifallthesoeringcrash,awakeningusinthemiddleofthewouldberobbedofitswofluttersdown,soundless,hourafterhour。Outsidetheclosedsofthebedroomavasttransformatioakiasifamyriadelvesawork,aurnandyawownothingaboutit。Aaraeitis!Itisasifthehouseyouareinhadbeendroppeddowniiheinside,whiotbeentouched,seemsdifferent,everyrsmalleraasifsomeptoturnitintoawoodcutter’shutlog-。Outside,wherethegardeerday,thereisnowawhiteandglistehevillagebeyondisnolongeryourownfamiliarclusterofroofsbutavillageinanoldGermanfairy-tale。Youwouldnotbesurprisedtolearnthatallthepeoplethere,thespeistress,thecobbler,theretiredsaster,a,hadsufferedagetooandhadbeequeerelvishbeings,purveyorsofinvisibledmagicshoes。Youyourselvesdohesamepeopleyouwereyesterday。Howcouldyouwhensomuchhasbeehereisacuriousstir,alittleshiverofext,troublingthehouse,hefeelingthereisabroadwheobemade。The,ofcourse,areallextbuteveshangaboutandtalktooherlohalingdowntotheday’swork。Nobodyresistthewindows。Itislikebeingonboardaship。
&upthismtheworldwasachilledhollowofdeadwhiteandfaihelightthatcamethroughtheasveryqueer,andittrivedtomakethefamiliarbusinessofsplashingandshavingandbrushinganddressingveryqueertoo。Thenthesu,aimeIhadsatdow。Itwasshiningbravelyandflushihdeliks。ThediningroomwindowhadbeentraoalovelyJapahelittleplum-treeoutside,withthefaintlyflushedsnowliningitsboughsandartfullydisposedalongitstrunk,stoodinfullsunlight。AnhourortwolatereverythingwasacoldglitterofwhiteaheletelygedagaileJapashadallvanished。Ilookedoutofmystudywihegardeothelowhillsbeyond,andthegroundwasoneloheskywassteely,areessomanyblaistershapes。Therewasihingcuriouslysihewholeprospect。Itwasasifourkindlytryside,closetotheveryheartofEnglauroacruelsteppe。Ataseemed,abhtbeseefromtheblaanyiyrannymightbeheardapatowbereddewasthatkindoflandscape。
Nowithasgedagain。Theglarehasgoouchofthesinisterremains。Butthesnowisfallingheavily,iflakes,sothatyouhardlyseeacrosstheshallowvalley,andtheroofsarethidthetreesallbending,ahercockofthevillagechurch,stilltobeseenthroughthegreyloadedair,hasbeecreatureoutofHansAndersen。Frommystudy,whichispartfromthehousea,Iseetheflatteningtheirthenurserywindow,andthereisrunningthroughmyheadajangleofrhymeIusedtorepeatwhenIwasadflattenedmythedowwatgthefallingsnow:
Sno>
&er!
Killiland,
Sehershere!