Жах Данвіча
Chapter 2
Isolatedamongstrangeinfluences,Laviniawasfondofwildandgrandioseday-dreamsandsingularoccupations; norwasherleisuremuchtakenupbyhouseholdcaresinahomefromwhichallstandardsoforderandcleanlinesshadlongsincedisappeared.
Therewasahideousscreamingwhichechoedaboveeventhehillnoisesandthedogs’barkingonthenightWilburwasborn,butnoknowndoctorormidwifepresidedathiscoming. Neighboursknewnothingofhimtillaweekafterward,whenOldWhateleydrovehissleighthroughthesnowintoDunwichVillageanddiscoursedincoherentlytothegroupofloungersatOsborne’sgeneralstore. Thereseemedtobeachangeintheoldman—anaddedelementoffurtivenessinthecloudedbrainwhichsubtlytransformedhimfromanobjecttoasubjectoffear—thoughhewasnotonetobeperturbedbyanycommonfamilyevent. Amidstitallheshowedsometraceofthepridelaternoticedinhisdaughter,andwhathesaidofthechild’spaternitywasrememberedbymanyofhishearersyearsafterward.
‘Idun’tkeerwhatfolksthink—efLavinny’sboylookedlikehispa,hewouldn’tlooklikenothin’yeexpeck. Yeneedn’tthinktheonlyfolksisthefolkshereabouts. Lavinny’sreadsome,an’hasseedsomethingsthemosto’yeonlytellabaout. Icalc’latehermanisasgoodahusban’asyekinfindthissideofAylesbury; an’efyeknowedasmuchabaoutthehillsasIdew,yewouldn’tastnobetterchurchweddin’norher’n. Letmetellyesuthin—somedayyewfolks’llhearachildo’Lavinny’sa-callin’itsfather’snameonthetopo’SentinelHill!’
TheonlypersonwhosawWilburduringthefirstmonthofhislifewereoldZechariahWhateley,oftheundecayedWhateleys,andEarlSawyer’scommon-lawwife,MamieBishop.
