按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
juicy and red； but Totty spent no time in useless regrets； and she
was already sucking the third juiciest when Adam said； “There
now； Totty； you’ve got your cherries。 Run into the house with ’em
to Mother—she wants you—she’s in the dairy。 Run in this
minute—there’s a good little girl。”
He lifted her up in his strong arms and kissed her as he spoke； a
ceremony which Totty regarded as a tiresome interruption to
cherry…eating； and when he set her down she trotted off quite
silently towards the house； sucking her cherries as she went along。
“Tommy； my lad； take care you’re not shot for a little thieving
bird；” said Adam； as he walked on towards the currant…trees。
He could see there was a large basket at the end of the row：
Hetty would not be far off； and Adam already felt as if she were
looking at him。 Yet when he turned the corner she was standing
with her back towards him； and stooping to gather the low…
hanging fruit。 Strange that she had not heard him coming！
Perhaps it was because she was making the leaves rustle。 She
George Eliot ElecBook Classics
… Page 289…
Adam Bede 289
started when she became conscious that some one was near—
started so violently that she dropped the basin with the currants in
it； and then； when she saw it was Adam； she turned from pale to
deep red。 That blush made his heart beat with a new happiness。
Hetty had never blushed at seeing him before。
“I frightened you；” he said； with a delicious sense that it didn’t
signify what he said； since Hetty seemed to feel as much as he did；
“let me pick the currants up。”
That was soon done； for they had only fallen in a tangled mass
on the grass…plot； and Adam； as he rose and gave her the basin
again； looked straight into her eyes with the subdued tenderness
that belongs to the first moments of hopeful love。
Hetty did not turn away her eyes； her blush had subsided； and
she met his glance with a quiet sadness； which contented Adam
because it was so unlike anything he had seen in her before。
“There’s not many more currants to get；” she said； “I shall soon
ha’ done now。”
“I’ll help you；” said Adam； and he fetched the large basket；
which was nearly full of currants； and set it close to them。
Not a word more was spoken as they gathered the currants。
Adam’s heart was too full to speak； and he thought Hetty knew all
that was in it。 She was not indifferent to his presence after all； she
had blushed when she saw him； and then there was that touch of
sadness about her which must surely mean love； since it was the
opposite of her usual manner； which had often impressed him as
indifference。 And he could glance at her continually as she bent
over the fruit； while the level evening sunbeams stole through the
thick apple…tree boughs； and rested on her round cheek and neck
as if they too were in love with her。 It was to Adam the time that a
George Eliot ElecBook Classics
… Page 290…
Adam Bede 290
man can least forget in after…life； the time when he believes that
the first woman he has ever loved betrays by a slight something—a
word； a tone； a glance； the quivering of a lip or an eyelid—that she
is at least beginning to love him in return。 The sign is so slight； it is
scarcely perceptible to the ear or eye—he could describe it to no
one—it is a mere feather…touch； yet it seems to have changed his
whole being； to have merged an uneasy yearning into a delicious
unconsciousness of everything but the present moment。 So much
of our early gladness vanishes utterly from our memory： we can
never recall the joy with which we laid our heads on our mother’s
bosom or rode on our father’s back in childhood。 Doubtless that
joy is wrought up into our nature； as the sunlight of long…past
mornings is wrought up in the soft mellowness of the apricot； but
it is gone for ever from our imagination； and we can only believe in
the joy of childhood。 But the first glad moment in our first love is a
vision which returns to us to the last； and brings with it a thrill of
feeling intense and special as the recurrent sensation of a sweet
odour breathed in a far…off hour of happiness。 It is a memory that
gives a more exquisite touch to tenderness； that feeds the madness
of jealousy and adds the last keenness to the agony of despair。
Hetty bending over the red bunches； the level rays piercing the
screen of apple…tree boughs； the length of bushy garden beyond；
his own emotion as he looked at her and believed that she was
thinking of him； and that there was no need for them to talk—
Adam remembered it all to the last moment of his life。
And Hetty？ You know quite well that Adam was mistaken
about her。 Like many other men； he thought the signs of love for
another were signs of love towards himself。 When Adam was
approaching unseen by her； she was absorbed as usual in thinking
George Eliot ElecBook Classics
… Page 291…
Adam Bede 291
and wondering about Arthur’s possible return。 The sound of any
man’s footstep would have affected her just in the same way—she
would have felt it might be Arthur before she had time to see； and
the blood that forsook her cheek in the agitation of that
momentary feeling would have rushed back again at the sight of
any one else just as much as at the sight of Adam。 He was not
wrong in thinking that a change had come over Hetty： the
anxieties and fears of a first passion； with which she was
trembling； had become stronger than vanity； had given her for the
first time that sense of helpless dependence on another’s feeling
which awakens the clinging deprecating womanhood even in the
shallowest girl that can ever experience it； and creates in her a
sensibility to kindness which f