Запретный лес

I. The Coming of the Minister

           DidtheDevilusetheplaceasastrongholdandseducethefoolishintoitsshadows?Coulditbesaidofalostsoul,Iturinantiquamsilvam?

           Davidwaslesssuperstitiousthanmostmen,buthehadtooreadyafancyandamindtoowellstoredwithlearningtobeeasyatthethought.Alreadyhefeltthathehadfoundanantagonist.WasWoodileetoproveafrontier-postforGod’sservantagainstthehorridmysteriesofheathendom?...Hegaveasuddenstart,foravoicehadsoundedbehindhim.

           Thevoicewassinging--acharmagainstbogleswhichherememberedhimselfusingasachild:

           "Weary,Ovie,gangawa’,

           Hasteyefurtho’housean’ha’,

           Owerthemuiranddountheburn,

           Wearie,Ovie,ne’erreturn."

           Agrotesquefigureemergedfromthedusk.Itwasatallfellow,whoseemedtohavebeenbrokeninthemiddle,forhewalkedalmostdoubledup.Hisface,seeninthehalf-light,wasthatofamanofthirtyorso,withafullblackbeardandredprotuberantlips.Hisclotheswereruinous,anoldleatherjerkinwhichgapedateveryseam,raggedsmall-clothesoffrieze,andforhosenawrappingofdirtyclouts.Therewerenoshoesonhisfeet,andhisunwashedfacewasdarkasaberry.Inhishandhehadalongashpole,andonhisheadabluecowlsotightthatitwasalmostaskull-cap.

           DavidrecognizedthefigureforDaftGibbie,thevillagenatural,whohadgreetedhimwithmewingandshoutingathisordination.Intheclachanstreethehadseemedanordinarydeformedidiot--whatwasknownlocallyasan"object"--butuponthistwilighthilltophewaslikeanuncouthrevenantfromanolderworld.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 26 из 389