Casterbridge had known many military and civil episodes; many happy times, and times less happy; and now came the time of her visitation. The scourge of cholera had been laid on the suffering country, and the low-lying purlieus of this ancient borough had more than their share of the infliction. Mixen Lane, in the Durnover quarter, and in Maumbry's parish, was where the blow fell most heavily. Yet there was a certain mercy in its choice of a date, for Maumbry was the man for such an hour.
The spread of the epidemic was so rapid that many left the town and took lodgings in the villages and farms. Mr. Maumbry's house was close to the most infected street, and he himself was occupied morn, noon, and night in endeavours to stamp out the plague and in alleviating the sufferings of the victims. So, as a matter of ordinary precaution, he decided to isolate his wife somewhere away from him for a while.
She suggested a village by the sea, near Budmouth Regis, and lodgings were obtained for her at Creston, a spot divided from the Casterbridge valley by a high ridge that gave it quite another atmosphere,though it lay no more than six miles off.
Thither she went. While she was rusticating in this place of safety, and her husband was slaving in the slums, she struck up an acquaintance with a lieutenant in the—st Foot, a Mr. Vannicock, who was stationed with his regiment at the Budmouth infantry barracks. As Laura frequently sat on the shelving beach, watching each thin wave slide up to her, and hearing, without heeding, its gnaw at the pebbles in its retreat, he often took a walk that way.
The acquaintance grew and ripened. Her situation, her history, her beauty, her age—a year or two above his own—all tended to make an impression on the young man's heart, and a reckless flirtation was soon in blithe progress upon that lonely shore.
It was said by her detractors afterwards that she had chosen her lodging to be near this gentleman, but there is reason to believe that she had never seen him till her arrival there. Just now Casterbridge was so deeply occupied with its own sad affairs—a daily burying of the dead and destruction of contaminated clothes and bedding—that it had little inclination to promulgate such gossip as may have reached its ears on the pair. Nobody long considered Laura in the tragic cloud which overhung all.
Meanwhile, on the Budmouth side of the hill the very mood of men was in contrast. The visitation there had been slight and much earlier, and normal occupations and pastimes had been resumed. Mr. Maumbry had arranged to see Laura twice a week in the open air, that she might run no risk from him; and, having heard nothing of the faint rumour, he met her as usual one dry and windy afternoon on the summit of the dividing hill, near where the high road from town to town crosses the old Ridge-way at right angles.
He waved his hand, and smiled as she approached, shouting to her: “We will keep this wall between us, dear.” (Walls formed the field-fences here.) “You mustn't be endangered. It won't be for long, with God's help!”
“I will do as you tell me, Jack. But you are running too much risk yourself, aren't you? I get little news of you; but I fancy you are.”
“Not more than others.”
Thus somewhat formally they talked, an insulating wind beating the wall between them like a mill-weir.
“But you wanted to ask me something?” he added.
“Yes. You know we are trying in Budmouth to raise some money for your sufferers; and the way we have thought of is by a dramatic performance. They want me to take a part.”
His face saddened. “I have known so much of that sort of thing, and all that accompanies it! I wish you had thought of some other way.”
She said lightly that she was afraid it was all settled. “You object to my taking a part, then? Of course—”
He told her that he did not like to say he positively objected. He wished they had chosen an oratorio, or lecture, or anything more in keeping with the necessity it was to relieve.
“But,” said she impatiently, “people won't come to oratorios or lectures! They will crowd to comedies and farces.”
“Well, I cannot dictate to Budmouth how it shall earn the money it is going to give us. Who is getting up this performance?”
“The boys of the—st.”
“Ah, yes; our old game!” replied Mr. Maumbry. “The grief of Casterbridge is the excuse for their frivolity. Candidly, dear Laura, I wish you wouldn't play in it. But I don't forbid you to. I leave the whole to your judgment.”
The interview ended, and they went their ways northward and southward. Time disclosed to all concerned that Mrs. Maumbry played in the comedy as the heroine, the lover's part being taken by Mr. Vannicock.
卡斯特橋曾歷經戰(zhàn)亂與和平時期,有歡樂的歲月,也有憂傷的日子,而現(xiàn)在則突降天災?;魜y在這片苦難的土地上肆虐,這個古老市鎮(zhèn)洼地上的區(qū)域則慘遭最嚴重的蹂躪。蒙布里的教區(qū)在鄧諾威區(qū)的米克森巷,是重災區(qū)。但是這惡疾選在蒙布里在任時爆發(fā),已經算是對人們的一種憐憫了。
疾病傳播得太快,許多人不得不離開鎮(zhèn)上到附近鄉(xiāng)下或農場暫住。蒙布里先生的房子距離受災最重的街區(qū)很近,而他每天早中晚都在努力撲滅病魔,緩解被感染的病人的痛苦。因此為了慎重起見,他決定讓妻子暫時離開,同自己隔離。
她想到了海邊的一個村莊,離巴德茅斯—里吉斯很近。她的住處被安排在了克雷斯頓,離卡斯特橋鎮(zhèn)不過六英里,然而有一道高高的山嶺將之與卡斯特橋所在的山谷隔絕開來,因此那里現(xiàn)在的氣氛完全不同。
她便去了該處,在這安全地帶過著鄉(xiāng)下生活。與此同時,她的丈夫正在貧民窟里日夜操勞。這時她認識了一位第Y步兵團的中尉,范尼科克先生,他所在的團正駐扎在巴德茅斯步兵營里。蘿拉常常坐在海灘邊的乘涼架下,望著一層層細浪緩緩爬上沙灘,漫不經心地傾聽浪花退去時沖蝕鵝卵石的聲音。而他則常常在那邊散步。
兩人很快從相識到相知。她的境遇、過往、美貌與年紀——比他年長一兩歲——都在這個年輕人心中刻下了深深的烙印,于是很快在那片孤獨的海灘上,兩人開始了毫無顧忌的調情嬉鬧。
事后,有些惡意詆毀她的人說她當初選這個地方住就是為了接近這位先生,但是我們有理由相信她在去之前與他從未謀面。而此時卡斯特橋正疲于應付自己的悲慘遭遇——每天都有人下葬,有被污染的衣物和寢具需要銷毀——因此就算有關于兩人的流言傳來,也無暇傳播。悲劇的陰云籠罩了一切,沒人有功夫理睬蘿拉的事。
與此同時,在山另一側的巴德茅斯,人們的情緒則大不相同。這邊受災情況很輕而且很早就過去了,現(xiàn)在已經恢復了正常的工作和娛樂。蒙布里先生設法每周去看蘿拉兩次,都是在露天里,以保證她不會被他感染,而且他絲毫沒有聽說那些隱約的傳聞。一個風大天干的下午,他如常與她在隔開兩地的山頂見面,附近就是連接各市鎮(zhèn)的公路,與古老的山脊路呈直角交叉。
他看到她走近,微笑著揮揮手,大聲對她喊:“親愛的,我們就隔著這個墻說話吧。”(在此地,田地之間都用矮土墻做籬笆。)“我一定不能讓你有危險。托上帝的福,應該不會太久了!”
“那我就照你的吩咐做吧,杰克。但是你自己卻在冒著巨大的風險,是不是?我沒有聽人說起你,但我猜你肯定是身處危險中?!?/p>
“我的風險并不比別人的更大。”
兩人就這樣一本正經地聊了一會兒,吹來一陣風拍打著中間那磨坊矮堰般的土墻。
“你好像有什么事情要問我是嗎?”他又補充了一句。
“有的。你知道,我們正想辦法在巴德茅斯籌款幫助你的受災民眾。我們想到的方式是戲劇表演。他們想讓我參加演出。”
他的臉色黯淡下來,“這事我再了解不過了,還有背后的各種花招!我希望你們能想點別的方法籌款?!?/p>
她輕描淡寫地說恐怕事情已經定下來了?!八阅惴磳ξ覅⒓友莩鍪菃??當然——”
他告訴她,他并不是說全然反對,但希望他們可以選擇清唱劇、演講,或者其他方式,好與救濟的目的更相稱一些。
“但是,”她有些不耐煩地說,“大家根本就不會去看清唱劇或者聽演講呀!他們只會擠著去看喜劇或者鬧劇?!?/p>
“是啊,我無法命令巴德茅斯人應該怎樣去賺那些要用在我們身上的錢。是誰來籌辦這次表演?”
“第Y步兵團的小伙子們。”
“噢,是了,那是我們的老把戲!”蒙布里先生回答,“卡斯特橋的苦難正是他們尋歡作樂的理由!坦率地說,親愛的蘿拉,我希望你不要參加演出。不過我不會禁止你這樣做,由你自己來做判斷吧?!?/p>
這次會面結束了,兩人便各奔南北。事后眾人才知曉,蒙布里太太在喜劇中扮演的是女主角,而她劇中的戀人一角則由范尼科克先生出演。