| |
| A LANTERN light from deeper in the barn | |
| Shone on a man and woman in the door | |
| And threw their lurching shadows on a house | |
| Near by, all dark in every glossy window. | |
| A horse’s hoof pawed once the hollow floor, | 5 |
| And the back of the gig they stood beside | |
| Moved in a little. The man grasped a wheel, | |
| The woman spoke out sharply, “Whoa, stand still!” | |
| “I saw it just as plain as a white plate,” | |
| She said, “as the light on the dashboard ran | 10 |
| Along the bushes at the roadside—a man’s face. | |
| You must have seen it too.” | |
| |
| “I didn’t see it. | |
| |
| Are you sure——” | |
| |
| “Yes, I’m sure!” | 15 |
| |
| “—it was a face?” | |
| |
| “Joel, I’ll have to look. I can’t go in, | |
| I can’t, and leave a thing like that unsettled. | |
| Doors locked and curtains drawn will make no difference. | |
| I always have felt strange when we came home | 20 |
| To the dark house after so long an absence, | |
| And the key rattled loudly into place | |
| Seemed to warn someone to be getting out | |
| At one door as we entered at another. | |
| What if I’m right, and someone all the time— | 25 |
| Don’t hold my arm!” | |
| |
| “I say it’s someone passing.” | |
| |
| “You speak as if this were a travelled road. | |
| You forget where we are. What is beyond | |
| That he’d be going to or coming from | 30 |
| At such an hour of night, and on foot too. | |
| What was he standing still for in the bushes?” | |
| |
| “It’s not so very late—it’s only dark. | |
| There’s more in it than you’re inclined to say. | |
| Did he look like——?” | 35 |
| |
| “He looked like anyone. | |
| I’ll never rest to-night unless I know. | |
| Give me the lantern.” | |
| |
| “You don’t want the lantern.” | |
| |
| She pushed past him and got it for herself. | 40 |
| |
| “You’re not to come,” she said. “This is my business. | |
| If the time’s come to face it, I’m the one | |
| To put it the right way. He’d never dare— | |
| Listen! He kicked a stone. Hear that, hear that! | |
| He’s coming towards us. Joel, go in—please. | 45 |
| Hark!—I don’t hear him now. But please go in.” | |
| |
| “In the first place you can’t make me believe it’s——” | |
| |
| “It is—or someone else he’s sent to watch. | |
| And now’s the time to have it out with him | |
| While we know definitely where he is. | 50 |
| Let him get off and he’ll be everywhere | |
| Around us, looking out of trees and bushes | |
| Till I sha’n’t dare to set a foot outdoors. | |
| And I can’t stand it. Joel, let me go!” | |
| |
| “But it’s nonsense to think he’d care enough.” | 55 |
| |
| “You mean you couldn’t understand his caring. | |
| Oh, but you see he hadn’t had enough— | |
| Joel, I won’t—I won’t—I promise you. | |
| We mustn’t say hard things. You mustn’t either.” | |
| |
| “I’ll be the one, if anybody goes! | 60 |
| But you give him the advantage with this light. | |
| What couldn’t he do to us standing here! | |
| And if to see was what he wanted, why | |
| He has seen all there was to see and gone.” | |
| |
| He appeared to forget to keep his hold, | 65 |
| But advanced with her as she crossed the grass. | |
| |
| “What do you want?” she cried to all the dark. | |
| She stretched up tall to overlook the light | |
| That hung in both hands hot against her skirt. | |
| |
| “There’s no one; so you’re wrong,” he said. | 70 |
| |
| “There is.— | |
| What do you want?” she cried, and then herself | |
| Was startled when an answer really came. | |
| |
| “Nothing.” It came from well along the road. | |
| |
| She reached a hand to Joel for support: | 75 |
| The smell of scorching woollen made her faint. | |
| |
| “What are you doing round this house at night?” | |
| |
| “Nothing.” A pause: there seemed no more to say. | |
| |
| And then the voice again: “You seem afraid. | |
| I saw by the way you whipped up the horse. | 80 |
| I’ll just come forward in the lantern light | |
| And let you see.” | |
| |
| “Yes, do.—Joel, go back!” | |
| |
| She stood her ground against the noisy steps | |
| That came on, but her body rocked a little. | 85 |
| |
| “You see,” the voice said. | |
| |
| “Oh.” She looked and looked. | |
| |
| “You don’t see—I’ve a child here by the hand.” | |
| |
| “What’s a child doing at this time of night——?” | |
| |
| “Out walking. Every child should have the memory | 90 |
| Of at least one long-after-bedtime walk. | |
| What, son?” | |
| |
| “Then I should think you’d try to find | |
| Somewhere to walk——” | |
| |
| “The highway as it happens— | 95 |
| We’re stopping for the fortnight down at Dean’s.” | |
| |
| “But if that’s all—Joel—you realize— | |
| You won’t think anything. You understand? | |
| You understand that we have to be careful. | |
| This is a very, very lonely place. | 100 |
| Joel!” She spoke as if she couldn’t turn. | |
| The swinging lantern lengthened to the ground, | |
| It touched, it struck it, clattered and went out. | |
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