Chapter 9

           

           ThecommunityoffowlstowhichTesshadbeenappointedassupervisor,purveyor,nurse,surgeon,andfriend,madeitsheadquartersinanoldthatchedcottagestandinginanenclosurethathadoncebeenagarden,butwasnowatrampledandsandedsquare.Thehousewasoverrunwithivy,itschimneybeingenlargedbytheboughsoftheparasitetotheaspectofaruinedtower.Thelowerroomswereentirelygivenovertothebirds,whowalkedaboutthemwithaproprietaryair,asthoughtheplacehadbeenbuiltbythemselves,andnotbycertaindustycopyholderswhonowlayeastandwestinthechurchyard.Thedescendantsofthesebygoneownersfeltitalmostasaslighttotheirfamilywhenthehousewhichhadsomuchoftheiraffection,hadcostsomuchoftheirforefathers’money,andhadbeenintheirpossessionforseveralgenerationsbeforethed’Urbervillescameandbuilthere,wasindifferentlyturnedintoafowl-housebyMrsStoke-d’Urbervilleassoonasthepropertyfellintohandaccordingtolaw.“’TwasgoodenoughforChristiansingrandfather’stime,”theysaid.

           Theroomswhereindozensofinfantshadwailedattheirnursingnowresoundedwiththetappingofnascentchicks.Distractedhensincoopsoccupiedspotswhereformerlystoodchairssupportingsedateagriculturists.Thechimney-cornerandonceblazinghearthwasnowfilledwithinvertedbeehives,inwhichthehenslaidtheireggs;whileoutofdoorstheplotsthateachsucceedinghouseholderhadcarefullyshapedwithhisspadeweretornbythecocksinwildestfashion.

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 79 из 583