Запретный лес
I. The Coming of the Minister
DidtheDevilusetheplaceasastrongholdandseducethefoolishintoitsshadows?Coulditbesaidofalostsoul,Iturinantiquamsilvam?
Davidwaslesssuperstitiousthanmostmen,buthehadtooreadyafancyandamindtoowellstoredwithlearningtobeeasyatthethought.Alreadyhefeltthathehadfoundanantagonist.WasWoodileetoproveafrontier-postforGod’sservantagainstthehorridmysteriesofheathendom?...Hegaveasuddenstart,foravoicehadsoundedbehindhim.
Thevoicewassinging--acharmagainstbogleswhichherememberedhimselfusingasachild:
"Weary,Ovie,gangawa’,
Hasteyefurtho’housean’ha’,
Owerthemuiranddountheburn,
Wearie,Ovie,ne’erreturn."
Agrotesquefigureemergedfromthedusk.Itwasatallfellow,whoseemedtohavebeenbrokeninthemiddle,forhewalkedalmostdoubledup.Hisface,seeninthehalf-light,wasthatofamanofthirtyorso,withafullblackbeardandredprotuberantlips.Hisclotheswereruinous,anoldleatherjerkinwhichgapedateveryseam,raggedsmall-clothesoffrieze,andforhosenawrappingofdirtyclouts.Therewerenoshoesonhisfeet,andhisunwashedfacewasdarkasaberry.Inhishandhehadalongashpole,andonhisheadabluecowlsotightthatitwasalmostaskull-cap.
DavidrecognizedthefigureforDaftGibbie,thevillagenatural,whohadgreetedhimwithmewingandshoutingathisordination.Intheclachanstreethehadseemedanordinarydeformedidiot--whatwasknownlocallyasan"object"--butuponthistwilighthilltophewaslikeanuncouthrevenantfromanolderworld.
