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lane provided a convenient way out of the difficulty。
As Elaine pushed her way through she became aware of a man standing
just inside the lane； who made a movement forward to open the gate
for her。
〃Thank you。 I'm just getting out of the way of a wild…beast show；〃
she explained； 〃my mare is tolerant of motors and traction…engines；
but I expect camels … hullo；〃 she broke off； recognising the man as
an old acquaintance； 〃I heard you had taken rooms in a farmhouse
somewhere。 Fancy meeting you in this way。〃
In the not very distant days of her little…girlhood； Tom Keriway
had been a man to be looked upon with a certain awe and envy；
indeed the glamour of his roving career would have fired the
imagination； and wistful desire to do likewise； of many young
Englishmen。 It seemed to be the grown…up realisation of the games
played in dark rooms in winter fire…lit evenings； and the dreams
dreamed over favourite books of adventure。 Making Vienna his
headquarters； almost his home； he had rambled where he listed
through the lands of the Near and Middle East as leisurely and
thoroughly as tamer souls might explore Paris。 He had wandered
through Hungarian horse…fairs； hunted shy crafty beasts on lonely
Balkan hillsides； dropped himself pebble…wise into the stagnant
human pool of some Bulgarian monastery； threaded his way through
the strange racial mosaic of Salonika； listened with amused
politeness to the shallow ultra…modern opinions of a voluble editor
or lawyer in some wayside Russian town； or learned wisdom from a
chance tavern companion； one of the atoms of the busy ant…stream of
men and merchandise that moves untiringly round the shores of the
Black Sea。 And far and wide as he might roam he always managed to
turn up at frequent intervals； at ball and supper and theatre； in
the gay Hauptstadt of the Habsburgs； haunting his favourite cafes
and wine…vaults； skimming through his favourite news…sheets；
greeting old acquaintances and friends； from ambassadors down to
cobblers in the social scale。 He seldom talked of his travels； but
it might be said that his travels talked of him； there was an air
about him that a German diplomat once summed up in a phrase： 〃a man
that wolves have sniffed at。〃
And then two things happened； which he had not mapped out in his
route； a severe illness shook half the life and all the energy out
of him； and a heavy money loss brought him almost to the door of
destitution。 With something； perhaps； of the impulse which drives
a stricken animal away from its kind； Tom Keriway left the haunts
where he had known so much happiness； and withdrew into the shelter
of a secluded farmhouse lodging； more than ever he became to Elaine
a hearsay personality。 And now the chance meeting with the caravan
had flung her across the threshold of his retreat。
〃What a charming little nook you've got hold of；〃 she exclaimed
with instinctive politeness； and then looked searchingly round； and
discovered that she had spoken the truth； it really was charming。
The farmhouse had that intensely English look that one seldom sees
out of Normandy。 Over the whole scene of rickyard； garden；
outbuildings； horsepond and orchard； brooded that air which seems
rightfully to belong to out…of…the…way farmyards； an air of wakeful
dreaminess which suggests that here； man and beast and bird have
got up so early that the rest of the world has never caught them up
and never will。
Elaine dismounted； and Keriway led the mare round to a little
paddock by the side of a great grey barn。 At the end of the lane
they could see the show go past； a string of lumbering vans and
great striding beasts that seemed to link the vast silences of the
desert with the noises and sights and smells； the naphtha…flares
and advertisement hoardings and trampled orange…peel； of an endless
succession of towns。
〃You had better let the caravan pass well on its way before you get
on the road again；〃 said Keriway； 〃the smell of the beasts may make
your mare nervous and restive going home。〃
Then he called to a boy who was busy with a hoe among some
defiantly prosperous weeds； to fetch the lady a glass of milk and a
piece of currant loaf。
〃I don't know when I've seen anything so utterly charming and
peaceful；〃 said Elaine； propping herself on a seat that a pear…tree
had obligingly designed in the fantastic curve of its trunk。
〃Charming； certainly；〃 said Keriway； 〃but too full of the stress of
its own little life struggle to be peaceful。 Since I have lived
here I've learnt； what I've always suspected； that a country
farmhouse； set away in a world of its own； is one of the most
wonderful studies of interwoven happenings and tragedies that can
be imagined。 It is like the old chronicles of medieval Europe in
the days when there was a sort of ordered anarchy between feudal
lords and overlords； and burg…grafs； and mitred abbots； and prince…
bishops； robber barons and merchant guilds； and Electors and so
forth； all striving and contending and counter…plotting； and
interfering with each other under some vague code of loosely…
applied rules。 Here one sees it reproduced under one's eyes； like
a musty page of black…letter come to life。 Look at one little
section of it； the poultry…life on the farm。 Villa poultry； dull
egg…machines； with records kept of how many ounces of food they
eat； and how many pennyworths of eggs they lay； give you no idea of
the wonder…life of these farm…birds； their feuds and jealousies；
and carefully maintained prerogatives； their unsparing tyrannies
and persecutions； their calculated courage and bravado or
sedulously hidden cowardice； it might all be some human chapter
from the annals of the old Rhineland or medieval Italy。 And then；
outside their own bickering wars and hates； the grim enemies that
come up against them from the woodlands； the hawk that dashes among
the coops like a moss…trooper raiding the border； knowing well that
a charge of shot may tear him to bits at any moment。 And the
stoat； a creeping slip of brown fur a few inches long； intently and
unstayably out for blood。 And the hunger…taught master of craft；
the red fox； who has waited perhaps half the afternoon for his
chance while the fowls were dusting themselves under the hedge； and
just as they were turning supper…ward to the yard one has stopped a
moment to give her feathers a final shake and found death springing
upon her。 Do you know；〃 he continued； as Elaine fed herself and
the mare with morsels of currant…loaf； 〃I don't think any tragedy
in literature that I have ever come across impressed me so much as
the first one； that I spelled out slowly for myself in words of
three letters： the bad fox has got the red hen。 There was
something so dramatically complete about it； the badness of the
fox； added to all the traditional guile of his race； seemed to
heighten the horror of the hen's fate； and there was such a
suggestion of masterful malice about the word 'got。' One felt that
a countryside in arms would not get that hen away from the bad fox。
They used to think me a slow dull reader for not getting on with my
lesson； but I used to sit and picture to myself the red hen； with
its wings beating helplessly； screeching in terrified protest； or
perhaps； if he had got it by the neck； with beak wide agape and
silent； and eyes staring； as it left the farm…yard for ever。 I
have seen blood…spillings and down…crushings and abject defeat here
and there in my time； but the red hen has remained in my mind as
the type of helpless tragedy。〃 He was silent for a moment as if he
were again musing over the three…letter drama that had so dwelt in
his childhood's imagination。 〃Tell me some of the things you have
seen in your time；〃 was the request that was nearly on Elaine's
lips； but she hastily checked herself and substituted another。
〃Tell me more about the farm； please。〃
And he told her of a whole world； or rather of several intermingled
worlds； set apart in this sleepy hollow in the hills； of beast lore
and wood lore and farm craft； at times touching almost the border
of witchcraft … passing lightly here； not with the probing
eagerness of those who know nothing； but with the averted glance of
those who fear to see too much。 He told her of those things that
slept and those that prowled when the dusk fell； of strange hunting
cats； of the yard swine and the stalled cattle； of the farm folk
themselves； as curious and remote in their way； in their ideas and
fears and wants and tragedies； as the brutes and feathered stock
that they tended。 It seemed to Elaine as if a musty store of old…
world children's books had been fetched down from some cobwebbed
lumber…room and brought to life。 Sitting there in the little
paddock； grown thickly with tal