cressy-第27节

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truculent　temper；　although；　as　the　boy　had　often　bitterly　remarked；

it　had　always　〃told　agin'　him。〃



〃All　right；〃　said　the　master；　perfectly　convinced。　　〃It　must　have

been　my　fancy；　but　I　thought　somebody　looked　inor　passed　by　the

window。〃



But　here　Johnny；　who　had　overheard　the　dialogue　and　approached

them；　suddenly　threw　himself　upon　his　brother's　unoffending　legs

and　commenced　to　beat　and　pull　them　about　with　unintelligible

protests。　　Rupert；　without　looking　down；　said　quietly；　〃Quit　that

nowI　won't；　I　tell　ye；〃　and　went　through　certain　automatic

movements　of　dislodging　Johnny　as　if　he　were　a　mere　impeding　puppy。



〃What's　the　matter；　Johnny？〃　said　the　master；　to　whom　these

gyrations　were　not　unfamiliar。



Johnny　only　replied　by　a　new　grip　of　his　brother's　trousers。



〃Well；　sir；〃　said　Rupert；　slightly　recovering　his　dimples　and　his

readiness；　〃Johnny；　yer；　wants　me　to　tell　ye　something。　　Ef　he

wasn't　the　most　original　self…cocking；　God…forsaken　liar　in　Injin

Springef　he　didn't　lie　awake　in　his　crib　mornin's　to　invent　lies

fer　the　day；　I　wouldn't　mind　tellin'　ye；　and　would　hev　told　you

before。　　However；　since　you　ask；　and　since　you　think　you　saw

somebody　around　the　school…house；　Johnny　yer　allows　that　Seth　Davis

is　spyin'　round　and　followin'　ye　wherever　you　go；　and　he　dragged　me

down　yer　to　see　it。　　He　says　he　saw　him　doggin'　ye。〃



〃With　a　knife　and　pithtolth；〃　added　Johnny's　boundless　imagination；

to　the　detriment　of　his　limited　facts。



Mr。　Ford　looked　keenly　from　the　one　to　the　other；　but　rather　with　a

suspicion　that　they　were　cognizant　of　his　late　fracas　than　belief

in　the　truth　of　Johnny's　statement。



〃And　what　do　YOU　think　of　it；　Rupert？〃　he　asked　carelessly。



I　think；　sir；〃　said　Rupert；　〃that　allowin'for　onctthat　Johnny

ain't　lying；　mebbee　it's　Cressy　McKinstry　that　Seth's　huntin'

round；　and　knowin'　that　she's　always　runnin'　after　you〃he

stopped；　and　reddening　with　a　newborn　sense　that　his　fatal

truthfulness　had　led　him　into　a　glaring　indelicacy　towards　the

master；　hurriedly　added：　〃I　mean；　sir；　that　mebbee　it's　Uncle　Ben

he's　jealous　of；　now　that　he's　got　rich　enough　for　Cressy　to　hev

him；　and　knowin'　he　comes　to　school　in　the　afternoon　perhaps〃



〃'Tain't　either！〃　broke　in　Johnny　promptly。　　〃Theth's　over　ther

beyond　the　thchool；　and　Crethy's　eatin'　ithecream　at　the　bakerth

with　Uncle　Ben。〃



〃Well；　suppose　she　is；　Seth　don't　know　it；　silly！〃　answered　Rupert；

sharply。　　Then　more　politely　to　the　master：　〃That's　it！　　Seth　has

seen　Uncle　Ben　gallivanting　with　Cressy　and　thinks　he's　bringing

her　over　yer。　　Don't　you　see？〃



The　master　however　did　not　see　but　one　thing。　　The　girl　who　had

only　two　days　ago　carelessly　left　it　to　him　to　explain　a　compromising

situation　to　her　motherthis　girl　who　had　precipitated　him　into　a

frontier　fight　to　the　peril　of　his　position　and　her　good　name；　was

calmly　eating　ices　with　an　available　suitor　without　the　least

concern　of　the　past！　　The　connection　was　perhaps　illogical；　but　it

was　unpleasant。　　It　was　the　more　awkward　from　the　fact　that　he

fancied　that　not　only　Rupert's　beautiful　eyes；　but　even　the　infant

Johnny's　round　ones；　were　fixed　upon　him　with　an　embarrassed

expression　of　hesitating　and　foreboding　sympathy。



〃I　think　Johnny　believes　what　he　saysdon't　you；　Johnny？〃　he

smiled　with　an　assumption　of　cheerful　ease；　〃but　I　see　no　necessity

just　yet　for　binding　Seth　Davis　over　to　keep　the　peace。　　Tell　me

about　yourself；　Rupe。　　I　hope　Uncle　Ben　doesn't　think　of　changing

his　young　tutor　with　his　good　fortune？〃



〃No；　sir；〃　returned　Rupert　brightening；　〃he　promises　to　take　me　to

Sacramento　with　him　as　his　private　secretary　or　confidential　clerk；

you　know；　efef〃he　hesitated　again　with　very　un…Rupert…like

caution；　〃ef　things　go　as　he　wants　'em。〃　　He　stopped　awkwardly　and

his　brown　eyes　became　clouded。　　〃Like　ez　not；　Mr。　Ford；　he's　only

foolin'　meandHIMSELF。〃　　The　boy's　eyes　sought　the　master's

curiously。



〃I　don't　know　about　that；〃　returned　Mr。　Ford　uneasily；　with　a

certain　recollection　of　Uncle　Ben's　triumph　over　his　own

incredulity；　〃he　surely　hasn't　shown　himself　a　fool　or　a　boaster　so

far。　　I　consider　your　prospect　a　very　fair　one；　and　I　wish　you　joy

of　it；　my　boy。〃　　He　ran　his　fingers　through　Rupert's　curls　in　his

old　caressing　fashion；　the　more　tenderly　perhaps　that　he　fancied　he

still　saw　symptoms　of　stormy　and　wet　weather　in　the　boy's　brown

eyes。　　〃Run　along　home；　both　of　you；　and　don't　worry　yourselves

about　me。〃



He　turned　away；　but　had　scarcely　proceeded　half　a　dozen　yards

before　he　felt　a　tug　at　his　coat。　　Looking　down　he　saw　the

diminutive　Johnny。　　〃They'll　be　comin'　home　thith　way；〃　he　said；

reaching　up　in　a　hoarse　confidential　whisper。



〃Who？〃



〃Crethy　and　'im。〃



But　before　the　master　could　make　any　response　to　this　presumably

gratifying　information；　Johnny　had　rejoined　his　brother。　　The　two

boys　waved　their　hands　towards　him　with　the　same　diffident　and

mysterious　sympathy　that　left　him　hesitating　between　a　smile　and　a

frown。　　Then　he　proceeded　on　his　way。　　Nevertheless；　for　no　other

reason　than　that　he　felt　a　sudden　distaste　to　meeting　any　one；　when

he　reached　the　point　where　the　trail　descended　directly　to　the

settlement；　he　turned　into　a　longer　and　more　solitary　detour　by　the

woods。



The　sun　was　already　so　low　that　its　long　rays　pierced　the　forest

from　beneath；　and　suffused　the　dim　colonnade　of　straight　pine

shafts　with　a　golden　haze；　while　it　left　the　dense　intercrossed

branches　fifty　feet　above　in　deeper　shadow。　　Walking　in　this　yellow

twilight；　with　his　feet　noiselessly　treading　down　the　yielding

carpet　of　pine　needles；　it　seemed　to　the　master　that　he　was　passing

through　the　woods　in　a　dream。　　There　was　no　sound　but　the　dull

intermittent　double　knock　of　the　wood…pecker；　or　the　drowsy　croak

of　some　early　roosting　bird；　all　suggestion　of　the　settlement；　with

all　traces　of　human　contiguity；　were　left　far　behind。　　It　was

therefore　with　a　strange　and　nervous　sense　of　being　softly　hailed

by　some　woodland　sprite　that　he　seemed　to　hear　his　own　name　faintly

wafted　upon　the　air。　　He　turned　quickly；　it　was　Cressy；　panting

behind　him！　　Even　then；　in　her　white　closely　gathered　skirts；　her

bared　head　and　graceful　arching　neck　bent　forward；　her　flying

braids　freed　from　the　straw　hat　which　she　had　swung　from　her　arm　so

as　not　to　impede　her　flight；　there　was　so　much　of　the　following

Maenad　about　her　that　he　was　for　an　instant　startled。



He　stopped；　she　bounded　to　him；　and　throwing　her　arms　around　his

neck　with　a　light　laugh；　let　herself　hang　for　a　moment　breathless

on　his　breast。　　Then　recovering　her　speech　she　said　slowly：



〃I　started　on　an　Injin　trot　after　you；　just　as　you　turned　off　the

trail；　but　you'd　got　so　far　ahead　while　I　was　shaking　myself　clear

of　Uncle　Ben　that　I　had　to　jist　lope　the　whole　way　through　the

woods　to　catch　up。〃　　She　stopped；　and　looking　up　into　his　troubled

face　caught　his　cheeks　between　her　hands；　and　bringing　his　knit

brows　down　to　the　level　of　her　humid　blue　eyes　said；　〃You　haven't

kissed　me　yet。　　What's　the　matter？〃



〃Doesn't　it　strike　you　that　I　might　ask　that　question；　considering

that　it's　three　days　since　I've　seen　you；　and　that　you　left　me；　in

a　rather　awkward　position；　to　explain　matters　to　your　mother？〃　he

said　coldly。　　He　had　formulated　the　sentence　in　his　mind　some

moments　before；　but　now　that　it　was　uttered；　it　appeared　singularly

weak　and　impotent。



〃That's　so；〃　she　said　with　a　frank　laugh；　burying　her　face　in　his

waistcoat。　　〃You　see；　dandy　boy〃his　pet　name〃I　reckoned　for

that　reason　we'd　better　lie　low　for　a　day　or　two。　　Well；〃　she

continued；　untying　his　cravat　and　retying　it　again；　〃how　DID　you

crawl　out　of　it？〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　say　your　mother　did　not　tell　you？〃　he　asked

indignantly。



〃Why　should　she？〃　returned　Cressy　lazily。　　〃She　never　talks　to　me

of　these　things；　honey。〃



〃And　you　knew　nothing　about　it？〃



Cressy　shook　her　head；　and　then　winding　one　of　her　long　braids

around　the　young　man's　neck；　offered　the　end　of　it　to　his　mouth；

and　on　his　sternly　declining　it；　took　it　in　her　own。



Yet　even　her　ignorance　of　what　had　really　happened　did　not　account

to　the　master　for　the　indifference　of　her　long　silence；　and　albeit

conscious　of　some　inefficiency　in　his　present　unheroic　attitude；　he

continued　sarcastically；　〃May　I　ask　WHAT　you　imagined　would　happen

when　you　left　me？〃



〃Well；〃　said　Cressy　confidently；　〃I　reckoned；　chile；　you　could　lie

as　well　as　the　next　man；　and　that；　being　gifted；　you'd　sling　Maw

something　new　and　purty。　　Why；　I　ain't　got　no　fancy；　but　I　fixed　up

something　against　Paw's　questioning　ME。　　I　made　that　conceited

Masters　promise　to　swear　that　HE　was　in　the　barn　with　me。　　Then　I

calculated　to　tell　Paw　that　you　came　meandering　along　just　before

Maw　popped　in；　and　that　I　skedaddled　to　join　Masters。　　Of　course；〃

she　added　q