The Complete Essays of John Galsworthy — John Shaqi
The Complete Essays of John GalsworthyGalsworthy, John
General
The Complete Essays of John Galsworthy
Galsworthy, John
Essays
be haunted by those bewildering uncanny ones, flitting past ever from
the same direction? This time the mare did not follow, but stood
still; knowing as well as I that direction was quite lost. Soon, with a
whimper, she picked her way on again, smelling at the heather. And the
mist darkened!
Then, out of the heart of that dusky whiteness, came a tiny sound; we
stood, not breathing, turning our heads. I could see the mare's eye
fixed and straining at the vapour. The tiny sound grew till it became
the muttering of wheels. The mare dashed forward. The muttering ceased
untimely; but she did not stop; turning abruptly to the left, she slid,
scrambled, and dropped into a trot. The mist seemed whiter below us;
we were on the road. And involuntarily there came from me a sound,
not quite a shout, not quite an oath. I saw the mare's eye turn back,
faintly derisive, as who should say: Alone I did it! Then slowly,
comfortably, a little ashamed, we jogged on, in the mood of men and
horses when danger is over. So pleasant it seemed now, in one short
half-hour, to have passed through the circle-swing of the emotions, from
the ecstasy of hot recklessness to the clutching of chill fear. But
the meeting-point of those two sensations we had left out there on
the mysterious moor! Why, at one moment, had we thought it finer than
anything on earth to risk the breaking of our necks; and the next,
shuddered at being lost in the darkening mist with winter night fast
coming on?
And very luxuriously we turned once more into the lanes, enjoying the
past, scenting the future. Close to home, the first little eddy of
wind stirred, and the song of dripping twigs began; an owl hooted,
honey-soft, in the fog. We came on two farm hands mending the lane at
the turn of the avenue, and, curled on the top of the bank, their cosy
red collie pup, waiting for them to finish work for the day. He raised
his sharp nose and looked at us dewily. We turned down, padding softly
in the wet fox-red drifts under the beechtrees, whereon the last leaves
still flickered out in the darkening whiteness, that now seemed so
little eerie. We passed the grey-green skeleton of the farm-yard gate.
A hen ran across us, clucking, into the dusk. The maze drew her long,
home-coming snuffle, and stood still.
1910.
THE PROCESSION
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