2006/5/10/수요일 수업자료- The Man Who Loved Jane Austen2

[trinity]

After a few more minutes she came to the edge of the woods, which bounded a broad meadow. Covered now in swirls of mist frosted by the light of a neat-full moon, the grassy field had taken on an otherworldly look, like one of the fairy-tale landscapes she was forever imaging in her dreams. At the end of the path she hovered like a frightened deer, huddling in a pool of darkness beneath the dripping trees, until he should appear.

   Presently, she heard the drumming of muffled hoofbeats from the far side of the meadow. Willing her joyously thudding heart to be still, Jane boldly detached herself from the sheltering shadows and advanced into the open, anxious not to waste a precious moment of the brief time they would have together.

   Slowly a horseman emerged from the mist. Spying her moving through the grass, he altered the course of his great black steed to intercept her. Within seconds he reined to a halt beside her. His face was obscured beneath the brim of the tall hat he wore, and she ran forward to meet him as he dismounted. “I prayed you would come,” she laughed, prepared to throw herself into his arms.

   But instead of the joyous response she was anticipating, the rider nervously swept the tall hat from his head. The moonlight struck his plain, sun-reddened features and she saw to her mortification that he was not the one fro whom she had so anxiously waited, but an awkward young servant named Simmons.

   “Sorry, miss,” the nervous messenger stammered, “the gentleman went away in a great hurry after the troops came. He had asked me to come and tell you if he could not get here himself tonight.”

   Jane felt herself flushing beneath the servant’s questioning gaze. Her bitter disappointment at the broken rendezvous was overlaid by a sudden pang of fear. For young Simmons was a groom from her brother’s stables, and she wondered how much he knew … or would tell.

   “Oh … I see,” she said, forcing her voice to remain calm, and wondering what motive the servant must be imaging had brought her to the lonely meadow at this ungodly hour. “Thank you, Simmons.”

   His unlined, honest features betraying no hint that he thought the situation odd or particularly scandalous, Simmons fumbled in the pocket of his greatcoat and produced a folded letter sealed with wax. “This is for you, miss,” he stammered, bowing slightly and extending the letter to her.

   “From heim?” Abandoning all pretense of calm, Jane eagerly accepted th enveloped and attempted to read the address in the dim light.

   “No, miss. It’s the letter you sent to him,” Simmons replied. And in his voice Jane heard something that sounded like sympathy as he hurried to explain. “The gentleman had already gone before it could be gotten to him.”

   Simmons paused then, as if considering his next words carefully. “There was such a row up at the manor house,” he finally continued. “Well, I thought you’d want to have your letter back…”

   Jane tucked the letter into the folds of her cloak and looked up at him, realizing that in the groom she had found an ally who would not betray her indiscretion. “Thank you, Simmons,” she said again. “That was very thoughtful of you.”

   She hesitated awkwardly, aware that such loyalty should be rewarded. “I am afraid I have no money with me at the moment?” she began. But before she could suggest that she would have something for him on the morrow Simmons cut her off with a wave of one big, work-hardened hand.

   “Don’t you worry, miss,” the young groom assured her with dignity, “I didn’t come here for money. The gentleman was very good to me while he was here.” Then his broad features creased in a smile and in a gentler tone he asked, “Shall I see you home now, miss?”

   “Thank you, no,” Jane replied, the little catch in her voice promising that tears would very soon follow. “It is only a short walk. You have been very good.”

   Simmons bowed again, then, taking a step backward he put on his tall hat and climbed back onto the black horse. Once mounted he looked down at Jane and leaned closer so she could hear. “I never met no one like him,” he said softly. “He’s the best gentleman I ever knew.”