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1、ChapterIONEeveningoflatesummer,beforethenineteenthcenturyhadreachedone-thirdofitsspan,ayoungmanandwoman,thelattercarryingachild,wereapproachingthelargevillageofWeydon-Priors,inUpperWessex,onfoot.Theywereplainlybutnotillclad,thoughthethickhoarofdustwhichhadacc
2、umulatedontheirshoesandgarmentsfromanobviouslylongjourneylentadisadvantageousshabbinesstotheirappearancejustnow.Themanwasoffinefigure,swarthy,andsterninaspect;andheshowedinprofileafacialanglesoslightlyinclinedastobealmostperpendicular.Heworeashortjacketofbrow
3、ncorduroy,newerthantheremainderofhissuit,whichwasafustianwaistcoatwithwhitehornbuttons,breechesofthesame,tannedleggings,andastrawhatoverlaidwithblackglazedcanvas.Athisbackhecarriedbyaloopedstraparushbasket,fromwhichprotrudedatoneendthecrutchofahayknife,awimbl
4、eforhay-bondsbeingalsovisibleintheaperture.Hismeasured,springlesswalkwasthewalkoftheskilledcountrymanasdistinctfromthedesultoryshambleofthegenerallabourer;whileintheturnandplantofeachfoottherewas,further,adoggedandcynicalindifferencepersonaltohimself,showingi
5、tspresenceevenintheregularlyinterchangingfustianfolds,nowintheleftleg,nowintheright,ashepacedalong.Whatwasreallypeculiar,however,inthiscouple'sprogress,andwouldhaveattractedtheattentionofanycasualobserverotherwisedisposedtooverlookthem,wastheperfectsilencethe
6、ypreserved.Theywalkedsidebysideinsuchawayastosuggestafaroffthelow,easy,confidentialchatofpeoplefullofreciprocity;butoncloserviewitcouldbediscernedthatthemanwasreading,orpretendingtoread,aballadsheetwhichhekeptbeforehiseyeswithsomedifficultybythehandthatwaspas
7、sedthroughthebasketstrap.Whetherthisapparentcauseweretherealcause,orwhetheritwereanassumedonetoescapeanintercoursethatwouldhavebeenirksometohim,nobodybuthimselfcouldhavesaidprecisely;buthistaciturnitywasunbroken,andthewomanenjoyednosocietywhateverfromhisprese
8、nce.Virtuallyshewalkedthehighwayalone,saveforthechildshebore.Sometimestheman'sbentelbowalmosttouchedhershoulder,forshekeptasclosetohissideaswaspossiblewithoutactualcontact;butsheseemedtoh
