子浪小说

第18部分（第3页）

consider　as　a　real；　separate　thing。　She　was　too　much　the　centre

of　her　own　universe；　too　little　aware　of　anything　outside。

The　first　person　she　met；　who　affected　her　as　a　real；

living　person；　whom　she　regarded　as　having　definite　existence；

was　Baron　Skrebensky；　her　mothers　friend。　He　also　was　a　Polish

exile；　who　had　taken　orders；　and　had　received　from　Mr。　Gladstone

a　small　country　living　in　Yorkshire。

When　Anna　was　about　ten　years　old；　she　went　with　her　mother

to　spend　a　few　days　with　the　Baron　Skrebensky。　He　was　very

unhappy　in　his　red…brick　vicarage。　He　was　vicar　of　a　country

church；　a　living　worth　a　little　over　two　hundred　pounds　a　year；

but　he　had　a　large　parish　containing　several　collieries；　with　a

new；　raw；　heathen　population。　He　went　to　the　north　of　England

expecting　homage　from　the　mon　people；　for　he　was　an

aristocrat。　He　was　roughly；　even　cruelly　received。　But　he　never

understood　it。　He　remained　a　fiery　aristocrat。　Only　he　had　to

learn　to　avoid　his　parishioners。

Anna　was　very　much　impressed　by　him。　He　was　a　smallish　man

with　a　rugged；　rather　crumpled　face　and　blue　eyes　set　very　deep

and　glowing。　His　wife　was　a　tall　thin　woman；　of　noble　Polish

family；　mad　with　pride。　He　still　spoke　broken　English；　for　he

had　kept　very　close　to　his　wife；　both　of　them　forlorn　in　this

strange；　inhospitable　country；　and　they　always　spoke　in　Polish

together。　He　was　disappointed　with　Mrs。　Brangwens　soft；　natural

English；　very　disappointed　that　her　child　spoke　no　Polish。

Anna　loved　to　watch　him。　She　liked　the　big；　new；　rambling

vicarage；　desolate　and　stark　on　its　hill。　It　was　so　exposed；　so

bleak　and　bold　after　the　Marsh。　The　Baron　talked　endlessly　in

Polish　to　Mrs。　Brangwen；　he　made　furious　gestures　with　his

hands；　his　blue　eyes　were　full　of　fire。　And　to　Anna；　there　was　a

significance　about　his　sharp；　flinging　movements。　Something　in

her　responded　to　his　extravagance　and　his　exuberant　manner。　She

thought　him　a　very　wonderful　person。　She　was　shy　of　him；　she

liked　him　to　talk　to　her。　She　felt　a　sense　of　freedom　near

him。

She　never　could　tell　how　she　knew　it；　but　she　did　know　that

he　was　a　knight　of　Malta。　She　could　never　remember　whether　she

had　seen　his　star；　or　cross；　of　his　order　or　not；　but　it　flashed

in　her　mind；　like　a　symbol。　He　at　any　rate　represented　to　the

child　the　real　world；　where　kings　and　lords　and　princes　moved

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