"Lord Dunsany - The Bad Old Woman In Black (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dunsany Lord)

The Bad Old Woman in Black

byLordDunsany




The bad old woman in black ran down the street of the
ox-butchers.
Windows at once were opened high up in those crazy
gables; heads were thrust out: it was she. Then there arose
thecounsel of anxious voices, calling sideways from window
towindow or across to opposite houses. Why was she there
withher sequins and bugles and old black gown? Why had she
lefther dreaded house? On what fell errand she hasted?
They watched her lean, lithe figure, and the wind in that
oldblack dress, and soon she was gone from the cobbled
streetand under the town's high gateway. She turned at
onceto her right and was hid from the view of the houses.
Then they all ran down to their doors, and small groups
formedon the pavement; there they took counsel together,
theeldest speaking first. Of what they had seen they said
nothing, for there was no doubt it was she; it was of the
futurethey spoke, and the future only.
In what notorious thing would her errand end? Whatgains
hadtempted her out from her fearful home? What brilliant
butsinful scheme had her genius planned? Above all, what
futureevil did this portend? Thus at first it was only
questions. And then the old grey-beards spoke, each one to
alittle group; they had seen her out before, had known her
whenshe was younger, and had noted the evil things that had
followedher goings: the small groups listened well to their
lowand earnest voices. No one asked questions now or
guessedat her infamous errand, but listened only to the
wiseold men who knew the things that had been, and who told
theyounger men of the dooms that had come before.
Nobody knew how many times she had left her dreaded
house; but the oldest recounted all the times that they
knew, and the way she had gone each time, and the doom that
hadfollowed her going; and two could remember the
earthquakethat there was in the street of the shearers.
So were there many tales of the times that were, told on
thepavement near the old green doors by the edge of the
cobbledstreet, and the experience that the aged men had
boughtwith their white hairs might be had cheap by the
young. But from all their experience only this was clear,
thatnever twice in their lives had she done the same
infamousthing, and that the same calamity twice had never
followedher goings. Therefore it seemed that means were
doubtfuland few for finding out what thing was about to