cressy-第20节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



And　if　I've　been　slow　and　stupid　in　taking　it　in；　it　is　because

it's　so　wonderful；　so　like　a　fairy　tale　of　virtue　rewardedas　if

you　were　a　kind　of　male　Cinderella；　old　man！〃　　He　had　no　intention

of　lyinghe　had　no　belief　that　he　was：　he　had　only　forgotten　that

his　previous　impressions　and　hesitations　had　arisen　from　the　very

fact　that　he　DID　doubt　the　consistency　of　the　story　with　his　belief

in　Uncle　Ben's　weakness。　　But　he　thought　himself　now　so　sincere

that　the　generous　reader；　who　no　doubt　is　ready　to　hail　the　perfect

equity　of　his　neighbor's　good　luck；　will　readily　forgive　him。



In　the　plenitude　of　this　sincerity；　Ford　threw　himself　at　full

length　on　one　of　the　long　benches；　and　with　a　gesture　invited　Uncle

Ben　to　make　himself　equally　at　his　ease。　　〃Come；〃　he　said　with

boyish　gayety；　〃let's　hear　your　plans；　old　man。　　To　begin　with；

who's　to　share　them　with　you？　　Of　course　there　are　'the　old　folks

at　home'　first；　then　you　have　brothersand　perhaps　sisters？〃　　He

stopped　and　glanced　with　a　smile　at　Uncle　Ben；　the　idea　of　there

being　a　possible　female　of　his　species　struck　his　fancy。



Uncle　Ben；　who　had　hitherto　always　exercised　a　severe　restraint

partly　from　respect　and　partly　from　cautionover　his　long　limbs　in

the　school…house；　here　slowly　lifted　one　leg　over　another　bench；

and　sat　himself　astride　of　it；　leaning　forward　on　his　elbow；　his

chin　resting　between　his　hands。



〃As　far　as　the　old　folks　goes；　Mr。　Ford；　I'm　a　kind　of　an　orphan。〃



〃A　KIND　of　orphan？〃　echoed　Ford。



〃Yes；〃　said　Uncle　Ben；　leaning　heavily　on　his　chin；　so　that　the

action　of　his　jaws　with　the　enunciation　of　each　word　slightly

jerked　his　head　forward　as　if　he　were　imparting　confidential

information　to　the　bench　before　him。　　〃Yes；　that　is；　you　see；　I'm

all　right　ez　far　as　the　old　man　goesHE'S　dead；　died　way　back　in

Mizzouri。　　But　ez　to　my　mother；　it's　sorter　betwixt　and　between

kinder　unsartain。　　You　see；　Mr。　Ford；　she　went　off　with　a　city

felleran　entire　stranger　to　meafore　the　old　man　died；　and

that's　wot　broke　up　my　schoolin'。　　Now　whether　she's　here；　there；

or　yon；　can't　be　found　out；　though　Squire　Tompkins　allowedand　he

were　a　lawyerthat　the　old　man　could　get　a　divorce　if　he　wanted；

and　that　you　see　would　make　me　a　whole　orphan；　ef　I　keerd　to　prove

title；　ez　the　lawyers　say。　　Wellthut　sorter　lets　the　old　folks

out。　　Then　my　brother　was　onc't　drowned　in　the　North　Platt；　and　I

never　had　any　sisters。　　That　don't　leave　much　family　for　plannin'

aboutdoes　it？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　master　reflectively；　gazing　at　Uncle　Ben；　〃unless

you　avail　yourself　of　your　advantages　now　and　have　one　of　your　own。

I　suppose　now　that　you　are　rich；　you'll　marry。〃



Uncle　Ben　slightly　changed　his　position；　and　then　with　his　finger

and　thumb　began　to　apparently　feed　himself　with　certain　crumbs

which　had　escaped　from　the　children's　luncheon…baskets　and　were

still　lying　on　the　bench。　　Intent　on　this　occupation　and　without

raising　his　eyes　to　the　master；　he　returned　slowly；　〃Well；　you　see；

I'm　sorter　married　already。〃



The　master　sat　up　quickly。



〃What；　YOU　marriednow？〃



〃Well；　perhaps　that's　a　question。　　It's　a　good　deal　like　my　beein'

an　orphanoncertain　and　onsettled。〃　　He　paused　to　pursue　an

evasive　crumb　to　the　end　of　the　bench　and　having　captured　it；　went

on：　〃It　was　when　I　was　younger　than　you　be；　and　she　warn't　very　old

neither。　　But　she　knew　a　heap　more　than　I　did；　and　ez　to　readin'

and　writin'；　she　was　thar；　I　tell　you；　every　time。　　You'd　hev

admired　to　see　her；　Mr。　Ford。〃　　As　he　paused　here　as　if　he　had

exhausted　the　subject；　the　master　said　impatiently；　〃Well；　where　is

she　now？〃



Uncle　Ben　shook　his　head　slowly。　　〃I　ain't　seen　her　sens　I　left

Mizzouri；　goin'　on　five　years　ago。〃



〃But　why　haven't　you？　　What　was　the　matter？〃　persisted　the　master。



〃Wellyou　seeI　runned　away。　　Not　SHE；　you　know；　but　II

scooted；　skedaddled　out　here。〃



〃But　what　for？〃　asked　the　master；　regarding　Uncle　Ben　with　hopeless

wonder。　　〃Something　must　have　happened。　　What　was　it？　　Was　she〃



〃She　WAS　a　good　schollard；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　gravely；　〃and　allowed　to

be　sech；　by　all。　　She　stood　about　so　high；〃　he　continued；　indicating

with　his　hand　a　medium　height。　　〃War　little　and　dark　complected。〃



〃But　you　must　have　had　some　reason　for　leaving　her？〃



〃I've　sometimes　had　an　idea；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　cautiously；　〃that

mebbee　runnin'　away　ran　in　some　fam'lies。　　Now；　there　war　my　mother

run　off　with　an　entire　stranger；　and　yer's　me　ez　run　off　by　myself。

And　what　makes　it　the　more　one…like　is　that　jest　as　dad　allus

allowed　he　could　get　a　devorce　agin　mother；　so　my　wife　could　hev

got　one　agin　me　for　leavin'　her。　　And　it's　almost　an　evenhanded

game　that　she　hez。　　It's　there　where　the　oncertainty　comes　in。〃



〃But　are　you　satisfied　to　remain　in　this　doubt？　or　do　you　propose；

now　that　you　are　able；　to　institute　a　thorough　search　for　her？〃



〃I　was　kalkilatin'　to　look　around　a　little；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　simply。



〃And　return　to　her　if　you　find　her？〃　continued　the　master。



〃I　didn't　say　that；　Mr。　Ford。〃



〃But　if　she　hasn't　got　a　divorce　from　you　that's　what　you'll　have

to　do；　and　what　you　ought　to　doif　I　understand　your　story。　　For

by　your　own　showing；　a　more　causeless；　heartless；　and　utterly

inexcusable　desertion　than　yours；　I　never　heard　of。〃



〃Do　you　think　so？〃　said　Uncle　Ben　with　exasperating　simplicity。



〃Do　I　think　so？〃　repeated　Mr。　Ford；　indignantly。　　〃Everybody'll

think　so。　　They　can't　think　otherwise。　　You　say　you　deserted　her；

and　you　admit　she　did　nothing　to　provoke　it。〃



〃No；〃　returned　Uncle　Ben　quickly；　〃nothin'。　　Did　I　tell　you；　Mr。

Ford；　that　she　could　play　the　pianner　and　sing？〃



〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Ford；　curtly；　rising　impatiently　and　crossing　the

room。　　He　was　more　than　half　convinced　that　Uncle　Ben　was　deceiving

him。　　Either　under　the　veil　of　his　hide…bound　simplicity　he　was　an

utterly　selfish；　heartless；　secretive　man；　or　else　he　was　telling

an　idiotic　falsehood。



〃I'm　sorry　I　can　neither　congratulate　you　nor　condole　with　you　on

what　you　have　just　told　me。　　I　cannot　see　that　you　have　the　least

excuse　for　delaying　a　single　moment　to　search　for　your　wife　and

make　amends　for　your　conduct。　　And　if　you　want　my　opinion　it

strikes　me　as　being　a　much　more　honorable　way　of　employing　your　new

riches　than　mediating　in　your　neighbors'　squabbles。　　But　it's

getting　late　and　I'm　afraid　we　must　bring　our　talk　to　an　end。　　I

hope　you'll　think　this　over　before　we　meet　againand　think

differently。〃



Nevertheless；　as　they　both　left　the　schoolhouse；　Mr。　Ford　lingered

over　the　locking　of　the　door　to　give　Uncle　Ben　a　final　chance　for

further　explanation。　　But　none　came。　　The　new　capitalist　of　Indian

Spring　regarded　him　with　an　intensification　of　his　usual　half　sad；

half　embarrassed　smile；　and　only　said：　〃You　understand　this　yer's　a

secret；　Mr。　Ford？〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　Ford　with　ill…concealed　irritation。



〃'Bout　my　bein'　sorter　married？〃



〃Don't　be　alarmed；〃　he　responded　dryly；　〃it's　not　a　taking　story。〃



They　separated；　Uncle　Ben；　more　than　ever　involved　in　his　usual

unsatisfactory　purposes；　wending　his　way　towards　his　riches；　the

master　lingering　to　observe　his　departure　before　he　plunged；　in

virtuous　superiority；　into　the　woods　that　fringed　the　Harrison　and

McKinstry　boundaries。





CHAPTER　VIII。





The　religious　attitude　which　Mrs。　McKinstry　had　assumed　towards　her

husband's　weak　civilized　tendencies　was　not　entirely　free　from

human　rancor。　　That　strong　loyal　nature　which　had　unsexed　itself

in　the　one　idea　of　duty；　now　that　duty　seemed　to　be　no　longer

appreciated　took　refuge　in　her　forgotten　womanhood　and　in　the

infinitesimally　small　arguments；　resources；　and　manoeuvres　at　its

command。　　She　had　conceived　a　singular　jealousy　of　this　daughter

who　had　changed　her　husband's　nature；　and　who　had　supplanted　the

traditions　of　the　household　life；　she　had　acquired　an　exaggerated

depreciation　of　those　feminine　charms　which　had　never　been　a　factor

in　her　own　domestic　happiness。　　She　saw　in　her　husband's　desire　to

mitigate　the　savage　austerities　of　their　habits　only　a　weak

concession　to　the　powers　of　beauty　and　adornmentdegrading

vanities　she　had　never　known　in　their　life…long　struggle　for

frontier　supremacythat　had　never　brought　them　victorious　out　of

that　struggle。　　〃Frizzles；〃　〃furblows；〃　and　〃fancy　fixin's〃　had

never　helped　them　in　their　exodus　across　the　plains；　had　never

taken　the　place　of　swift　eyes；　quick　ears；　strong　hands；　and

endurance；　had　never　nursed　the　sick　or　bandaged　the　wounded。　　When

envy　or　jealousy　invades　the　female　heart　after　forty　it　is　apt　to

bring　a　bitterness　which　knows　no　attenuating　compensation　in　that

coquetry；　emulation；　passionate　appeal；　or　innocent　tenderness；

which　makes　tolerable　the　jealous　caprices　of　the　younger　woman。

The　struggle　for　rivalry　is　felt　to　be　hopeless；　the　power　of

imitation　is