cressy-第18节

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〃And　feeling　that；　you　brought　HIM？〃　said　Ford；　drawing　back。



〃Why　not？〃　she　replied　indolently。　　〃Even　if　he　had　seen　you；　I

could　have　managed　to　have　you　walk　home　with　me。〃



〃But　do　you　think　it's　quite　fair？　　Would　he　like　it？〃



〃Would　HE　like　it？〃　she　echoed　lazily。



〃Cressy；〃　said　the　young　man　earnestly；　gazing　into　her　shadowed

face。　　〃Have　you　given　him　any　right　to　object？　　Do　you　understand

me？〃



She　stopped　as　if　thinking。　　〃Do　you　want　me　to　call　him　in？〃　she

said　quietly；　but　without　the　least　trace　of　archness　or　coquetry。

〃Would　you　rather　he　were　hereor　shall　we　go　out　now　and　meet

him？　　I'll　say　you　just　came　as　I　was　going　out。〃



What　should　he　say？　　〃Cressy；〃　he　asked　almost　curtly；　〃do　you　love

me？〃



It　seemed　such　a　ridiculous　thing　to　ask；　holding　her　thus　in　his

arms；　if　it　were　true；　it　seemed　such　a　villainous　question；　if　it

were　not。



〃I　think　I　loved　you　when　you　first　came；〃　she　said　slowly。　　〃It

must　have　been　that　that　made　me　engage　myself　to　him；〃　she　added

simply。　　〃I　knew　I　loved　you；　and　thought　only　of　you　when　I　was

away。　　I　came　back　because　I　loved　you。　　I　loved　you　the　day　you

came　to　see　Maweven　when　I　thought　you　came　to　tell　her　of

Masters；　and　to　say　that　you　couldn't　take　me　back。〃



〃But　you　don't　ask　me　if　I　love　you？〃



〃But　you　doyou　couldn't　help　it　now；〃　she　said　confidently。



What　could　he　do　but　reply　as　illogically　with　a　closer　embrace；

albeit　a　slight　tremor　as　if　a　cold　wind　had　blown　across　the　open

window；　passed　over　him。　　She　may　have　felt　it　too；　for　she

presently　said；　〃Kiss　me　and　let　me　go。〃



〃But　we　must　have　a　longer　talk；　darlingwhenwhenothers　are

not　waiting。〃



〃Do　you　know　the　far　barn　near　the　boundary？〃　she　asked。



〃Yes。〃



〃I　used　to　take　your　books　there；　afternoons　totobe　with　you；〃

she　whispered；　〃and　Paw　gave　orders　that　no　one　was　to　come　nigh　it

while　I　was　there。　　Come　to…morrow；　just　before　sundown。〃



A　long　embrace　followed；　in　which　all　that　they　had　not　said

seemed；　to　them　at　least；　to　become　articulate　on　their　tremulous

and　clinging　lips。　　Then　they　separated；　he　unlocking　the　door

softly　to　give　her　egress　that　way。　　She　caught　up　a　book　from　a

desk　in　passing；　and　then　slipped　like　a　rosy　shaft　of　the　coming

dawn　across　the　fading　moonlight；　and　a　moment　after　her　slow

voice；　without　a　tremor　of　excitement；　was　heard　calling　to　her

companions。





CHAPTER　VII。





The　conversation　which　Johnny　Filgee　had　overheard　between　Uncle

Ben　and　the　gorgeous　stranger；　although　unintelligible　to　his

infant　mind；　was　fraught　with　some　significance　to　the　adult

settlers　of　Indian　Spring。　　The　town　itself；　like　most　interior

settlements；　was　originally　a　mining　encampment；　and　as　such　its

founders　and　settlers　derived　their　possession　of　the　soil　under

the　mining　laws　that　took　precedence　of　all　other　titles。　　But

although　that　title　was　held　to　be　good　even　after　the　abandonment

of　their　original　occupation；　and　the　establishment　of　shops；

offices；　and　dwellings　on　the　site　of　the　deserted　places；　the

suburbs　of　the　town　and　outlying　districts　were　more　precariously

held　by　squatters；　under　the　presumption　of　their　being　public　land

open　to　preemption；　or　the　settlement　of　school…land　warrants　upon

them。　　Few　of　the　squatters　had　taken　the　trouble　to　perfect　even

these　easy　titles；　merely　holding　〃possession〃　for　agricultural　or

domiciliary　purposes；　and　subject　only　to　the　invasion　of

〃jumpers；〃　a　class　of　adventurers　who；　in　the　abeyance　of

recognized　legal　title；　〃jumped〃　or　forcibly　seized　such　portions

of　a　squatter's　domains　as　were　not　protected　by　fencing　or

superior　force。　　It　was　therefore　with　some　excitement　that　Indian

Spring　received　the　news　that　a　Mexican　grant　of　three　square

leagues；　which　covered　the　whole　district；　had　been　lately

confirmed　by　the　Government；　and　that　action　would　be　taken　to

recover　possession。　　It　was　understood　that　it　would　not　affect　the

adverse　possessions　held　by　the　town　under　the　mining　laws；　but　it

would　compel　the　adjacent　squatters　like　McKinstry；　Davis；　Masters；

and　Filgee；　and　jumpers　like　the　Harrisons；　to　buy　the　legal　title；

or　defend　a　slow　but　losing　lawsuit。　　The　holders　of　the　grant

rich　capitalists　of　San　Franciscowere　open　to　compromise　to　those

in　actual　possession；　and　in　the　benefits　of　this　compromise　the

unscrupulous　〃jumper；〃　who　had　neither　sown　nor　reaped；　but　simply

dispossessed　the　squatter　who　had　done　both；　shared　equally　with

him。



A　diversity　of　opinion　as　to　the　effect　of　the　new　claim　naturally

obtained；　the　older　settlers　still　clung　to　their　experiences　of　an

easy　aboriginal　holding　of　the　soil；　and　were　sceptical　both　as　to

the　validity　and　justice　of　these　revived　alien　grants；　but　the

newer　arrivals　hailed　this　certain　tenure　of　legal　titles　as　a

guarantee　to　capital　and　an　incentive　to　improvement。　　There　was

also　a　growing　and　influential　party　of　Eastern　and　Northern　men；

who　were　not　sorry　to　see　a　fruitful　source　of　dissension　and

bloodshed　removed。　　The　feuds　of　the　McKinstrys　and　Harrisons；　kept

alive　over　a　boundary　to　which　neither　had　any　legal　claim；　would

seem　to　bring　them　hereafter　within　the　statute　law　regarding

ordinary　assaults　without　any　ethical　mystification。　　On　the　other

hand　McKinstry　and　Harrison　would　each　be　able　to　arrange　any

compromise　with　the　new　title　holders　for　the　lands　they　possessed；

or　make　over　that　〃actual　possession〃　for　a　consideration。　　It　was

feared　that　both　men；　being　naturally　lawless；　would　unite　to

render　any　legal　eviction　a　long　and　dangerous　process；　and　that

they　would　either　be　left　undisturbed　till　the　last；　or　would　force

a　profitable　concession。　　But　a　greater　excitement　followed　when　it

was　known　that　a　section　of　the　land　had　already　been　sold　by　the

owners　of　the　grant；　that　this　section　exactly　covered　the

debatable　land　of　the　McKinstry…Harrison　boundaries；　and　that　the

new　landlord　would　at　once　attempt　its　legal　possession。　　The

inspiration　of　genius　that　had　thus　effected　a　division　of　the

Harrison…McKinstry　combination　at　its　one　weak　spot　excited　even

the　admiration　of　the　sceptics。　　No　one　in　Indian　Spring　knew　its

real　author；　for　the　suit　was　ostensibly　laid　in　the　name　of　a　San

Francisco　banker。　　But　the　intelligent　reader　of　Johnny　Filgee's

late　experience　during　the　celebration　will　have　already　recognized

Uncle　Ben　as　the　man；　and　it　becomes　a　part　of　this　veracious

chronicle　at　this　moment　to　allow　him　to　explain；　not　only　his

intentions；　but　the　means　by　which　he　carried　them　out；　in　his　own

words。



It　was　one　afternoon　at　the　end　of　his　usual　solitary　lesson；　and

the　master　and　Uncle　Ben　were　awaiting　the　arrival　of　Rupert。

Uncle　Ben's　educational　progress　lately；　through　dint　of　slow

tenacity；　had　somewhat　improved；　and　he　had　just　completed　from

certain　forms　and　examples　in　a　book　before　him　a　〃Letter　to　a

Consignee〃　informing　him　that　he；　Uncle　Ben；　had　just　shipped　〃2

cwt。　Ivory　Elephant　Tusks；　80　peculs　of　rice　and　400bbls。　prime

mess　pork　from　Indian　Spring；〃　and　another　beginning　〃Honored

Madam；〃　and　conveying　in　admirably　artificial　phraseology　the

〃lamented　decease〃　of　the　lady's　husband　from　yellow　fever；

contracted　on　the　Gold　Coast；　and　Uncle　Ben　was　surveying　his　work

with　critical　satisfaction　when　the　master；　somewhat　impatiently；

consulted　his　watch。　　Uncle　Ben　looked　up。



〃I　oughter　told　ye　that　Rupe　didn't　kalkilate　to　come　to　day。〃



〃Indeedwhy　not？〃



〃I　reckon　because　I　told　him　he　needn't。　　I　allowed　toto　hev　a

little　private　talk　with　ye；　Mr。　Ford；　if　ye　didn't　mind。〃



Mr。　Ford's　face　did　not　shine　with　invitation。　　〃Very　well；〃　he

said；　〃only　remember　I　have　an　engagement　this　afternoon。〃



〃But　that　ain't　until　about　sundown；　said　Uncle　Ben　quietly。　　〃I

won't　keep　ye　ez　long　ez　that。〃



Mr。　Ford　glanced　quickly　at　Uncle　Ben　with　a　rising　color。　　〃What

do　you　know　of　my　engagements？〃　he　said　sharply。



〃Nothin'；　Mr。　Ford；〃　returned　Uncle　Ben　simply；　〃but　hevin'　bin

layin'　round；　lookin'　for　ye　here　and　at　the　hotel　for　four　or　five

days　allus　about　that　time　and　not　findin'　you；　I　rather　kalkilated

you　might　hev　suthin'　reg'lar　on　hand。〃



There　was　certainly　nothing　in　his　face　or　manner　to　indicate　the

least　evasion　or　deceit；　or　indeed　anything　but　his　usual　naivete；

perhaps　a　little　perturbed　and　preoccupied　by　what　he　was　going　to

say。　　〃I　had　an　idea　of　writin'　you　a　letter；〃　he　continued；

〃kinder　combinin'　practice　and　confidential　information；　you　know。

To　be　square　with　you；　Mr。　Ford；　in　pint　o'　fact；　I've　got　it　HERE。

But　ez　it　don't　seem　to　entirely　gibe　with　the　facts；　and　leaves　a

heap　o'　things　onsaid　and　onseen；　perhaps　it's　jest　ez　wall　ez　I

read　it　to　you　myselfputten'　in　a　word　here　and　there；　and

explainin'　it　gin'rally。　　Do　you　sabe？〃



The　mast