cressy-第5节

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〃And　Seth　Davisdoes　HE　intend　returning　too？〃



〃He！〃　　She　broke　into　a　light　girlish　laugh。　　〃I　reckon　not　much！

S'long's　I'm　here；　at　least。〃　　She　had　just　lifted　herself　to　a

sitting　posture　on　the　desk；　so　that　her　little　feet　swung　clear　of

the　floor　in　their　saucy　dance。　　Suddenly　she　brought　her　heels

together　and　alighted。　　〃So　that's　all？〃　she　asked。



〃Yes。〃



〃Kin　I　go　now？〃



〃Yes。〃



She　laid　her　books　one　on　the　top　of　the　other　and　lingered　an

instant。



〃Been　quite　well？〃　she　asked　with　indolent　politeness。



〃Yesthank　you。〃



〃You're　lookin'　right　peart。〃



She　walked　with　a　Southern　girl's　undulating　languor　to　the　door；

opened　it；　then　charged　suddenly　upon　Octavia　Dean；　twirled　her

round　in　a　wild　waltz　and　bore　her　away；　appearing　a　moment　after

on　the　playground　demurely　walking　with　her　arm　around　her

companion's　waist　in　an　ostentatious　confidence　at　once　lofty；

exclusive；　and　exasperating　to　the　smaller　children。



When　school　was　dismissed　that　afternoon　and　the　master　had

remained　to　show　Rupert　Filgee　how　to　prepare　Uncle　Ben's　tasks；

and　had　given　his　final　instructions　to　his　youthful　vicegerent；

that　irascible　Adonis　unburdened　himself　querulously：



〃Is　Cressy　McKinstry　comin'　reg'lar；　Mr。　Ford？〃



〃She　is；〃　said　the　master　dryly。　　After　a　pause　he　asked；　〃Why？〃



Rupert's　curls　had　descended　on　his　eyebrows　in　heavy　discontent。

〃It's　mighty　rough；　jest　ez　a　feller　reckons　he's　got　quit　of　her

and　her　jackass　bo'；　to　hev　her　prancin'　back　inter　school　agin；

and　rigged　out　like　ez　if　she'd　been　to　a　fire　in　a　milliner's

shop。〃



〃You　shouldn't　allow　your　personal　dislikes；　Rupert；　to　provoke　you

to　speak　of　a　fellow…scholar　in　that　wayand　a　young　lady；　too；〃

corrected　the　master　dryly。



〃The　woods　is　full　o'　sich　feller…scholars　and　sich　young　ladies；

if　yer　keer　to　go　a　gunning　for　'em；〃　said　Rupert　with　dark　and

slangy　significance。　　〃Ef　I'd　known　she　was　comin'　back　I'd〃he

stopped　and　brought　his　sunburnt　fist　against　the　seam　of　his

trousers　with　a　boyish　gesture；　〃I'd　hev　jist〃



〃What？〃　said　the　master　sharply。



〃I'd　hev　played　hookey　till　she　left　school　agin！　　It　moutn't　hev

bin　so　long；　neither；〃　he　added　with　a　mysterious　chuckle。



〃That　will　do；〃　said　the　master　peremptorily。　　〃For　the　present

you'll　attend　to　your　duty　and　try　to　make　Uncle　Ben　see　you're

something　more　than　a　foolish；　prejudiced　school…boy；　or；〃　he　added

significantly；　〃he　and　I　may　both　repent　our　agreement。　　Let　me

have　a　good　account　of　you　both　when　I　return。〃



He　took　his　hat　from　its　peg　on　the　wall；　and　in　obedience　to　a

suddenly　formed　resolution　left　the　school…room　to　call　upon　the

parents　of　Cressy　McKinstry。　　He　was　not　quite　certain　what　he

should　say；　but；　after　his　habit；　would　trust　to　the　inspiration　of

the　moment。　　At　the　worst　he　could　resign　a　situation　that　now

appeared　to　require　more　tact　and　delicacy　than　seemed　consistent

with　his　position；　and　he　was　obliged　to　confess　to　himself　that　he

had　lately　suspected　that　his　present　occupationthe　temporary

expedient　of　a　poor　but　clever　young　man　of　twentywas　scarcely

bringing　him　nearer　a　realization　of　his　daily　dreams。　　For　Mr。

Jack　Ford　was　a　youthful　pilgrim　who　had　sought　his　fortune　in

California　so　lightly　equipped　that　even　in　the　matter　of　kin　and

advisers　he　was　deficient。　　That　prospective　fortune　had　already

eluded　him　in　San　Francisco；　had　apparently　not　waited　for　him　in

Sacramento；　and　now　seemed　never　to　have　been　at　Indian　Spring。

Nevertheless；　when　he　was　once　out　of　sight　of　the　school…house　he

lit　a　cigar；　put　his　hands　in　his　pockets；　and　strode　on　with　the

cheerfulness　of　that　youth　to　which　all　things　are　possible。



The　children　had　already　dispersed　as　mysteriously　and　completely

as　they　had　arrived。　　Between　him　and　the　straggling　hamlet　of

Indian　Spring　the　landscape　seemed　to　be　without　sound　or　motion。

The　wooded　upland　or　ridge　on　which　the　schoolhouse　stood；　half　a

mile　further　on；　began　to　slope　gradually　towards　the　river；　on

whose　banks；　seen　from　that　distance；　the　town　appeared　to　have

been　scattered　irregularly　or　thrown　together　hastily；　as　if　cast

ashore　by　some　overflowthe　Cosmopolitan　Hotel　drifting　into　the

Baptist　church；　and　dragging　in　its　tail　of　wreckage　two　saloons

and　a　blacksmith's　shop；　while　the　County　Court…house　was　stranded

in　solitary　grandeur　in　a　waste　of　gravel　half　a　mile　away。　　The

intervening　flat　was　still　gashed　and　furrowed　by　the　remorseless

engines　of　earlier　gold…seekers。



Mr。　Ford　was　in　little　sympathy　with　this　unsuccessful　record　of

frontier　endeavorthe　fortune　HE　had　sought　did　not　seem　to　lie　in

that　directionand　his　eye　glanced　quickly　beyond　it　to　the　pine…

crested　hills　across　the　river；　whose　primeval　security　was　so　near

and　yet　so　inviolable；　or　back　again　to　the　trail　he　was　pursuing

along　the　ridge。　　The　latter　prospect　still　retained　its　semi…

savage　character　in　spite　of　the　occasional　suburban　cottages　of

residents；　and　the　few　outlying　farms　or　ranches　of　the　locality。

The　grounds　of　the　cottages　were　yet　uncleared　of　underbrush；　bear

and　catamount　still　prowled　around　the　rude　fences　of　the　ranches；

the　late　alleged　experience　of　the　infant　Snyder　was　by　no　means

improbable　or　unprecedented。



A　light　breeze　was　seeking　the　heated　flat　and　river；　and　thrilling

the　leaves　around　him　with　the　strong　vitality　of　the　forest。　　The

vibrating　cross…lights　and　tremulous　chequers　of　shade　cast　by　the

stirred　foliage　seemed　to　weave　a　fantastic　net　around　him　as　he

walked。　　The　quaint　odors　of　certain　woodland　herbs　known　to　his

scholars；　and　religiously　kept　in　their　desks；　or　left　like　votive

offerings　on　the　threshold　of　the　school…house；　recalled　all　the

primitive　simplicity　and　delicious　wildness　of　the　little　temple　he

had　left。　　Even　in　the　mischievous　glances　of　evasive　squirrels　and

the　moist　eyes　of　the　contemplative　rabbits　there　were　faint

suggestions　of　some　of　his　own　truants。　　The　woods　were　trembling

with　gentle　memories　of　the　independence　he　had　always　known　here

of　that　sweet　and　grave　retreat　now　so　ridiculously　invaded。



He　began　to　hesitate；　with　one　of　those　revulsions　of　sentiment

characteristic　of　his　nature：　　Why　should　he　bother　himself　about

this　girl　after　all？　　Why　not　make　up　his　mind　to　accept　her　as　his

predecessor　had　done？　　Why　was　it　necessary　for　him　to　find　her

inconsistent　with　his　ideas　of　duty　to　his　little　flock　and　his

mission　to　them？　　Was　he　not　assuming　a　sense　of　decorum　that　was

open　to　misconception？　　The　absurdity　of　her　school　costume；　and

any　responsibility　it　incurred；　rested　not　with　him　but　with　her

parents。　　What　right　had　he　to　point　it　out　to　them；　and　above　all

how　was　he　to　do　it？　　He　halted　irresolutely　at　what　he　believed

was　his　sober　second　thought；　but　which；　like　most　reflections　that

take　that　flattering　title；　was　only　a　reaction　as　impulsive　and

illogical　as　the　emotion　that　preceded　it。



Mr。　McKinstry's　〃snake　rail〃　fence　was　already　discernible　in　the

lighter　opening　of　the　woods；　not　far　from　where　he　had　halted。　　As

he　stood　there　in　hesitation；　the　pretty　figure　and　bright　gown　of

Cressy　McKinstry　suddenly　emerged　from　a　more　secluded　trail　that

intersected　his　own　at　an　acute　angle　a　few　rods　ahead　of　him。　　She

was　not　alone；　but　was　accompanied　by　a　male　figure　whose　arm　she

had　evidently　just　dislodged　from　her　waist。　　He　was　still　trying

to　resume　his　lost　vantage；　she　was　as　resolutely　evading　him　with

a　certain　nymph…like　agility；　while　the　sound　of　her　half…laughing；

half…irate　protest　could　be　faintly　heard。　　Without　being　able　to

identify　the　face　or　figure　of　her　companion　at　that　distance；　he

could　see　that　it　was　NOT　her　former　betrothed；　Seth　Davis。



A　superior　smile　crossed　his　face；　he　no　longer　hesitated；　but　at

once　resumed　his　former　path。　　For　some　time　Cressy　and　her

companion　moved　on　quietly　before　him。　　Then　on　reaching　the　rail…

fence　they　turned　abruptly　to　the　right；　were　lost　for　an　instant

in　the　intervening　thicket；　and　the　next　moment　Cressy　appeared

alone；　crossing　the　meadow　in　a　shorter　cut　towards　the　house；

having　either　scaled　the　fence　or　slipped　through　some　familiar

gap。　　Her　companion　had　disappeared。　　Whether　they　had　noticed　that

they　were　observed　he　could　not　determine。　　He　kept　steadily　along

the　trail　that　followed　the　line　of　fence　to　the　lane　that　led

directly　to　the　farm…building；　and　pushed　open　the　front　gate　as

Cressy's　light　dress　vanished　round　an　angle　at　the　rear　of　the

house。



The　house　of　the　McKinstrys　rose；　or　rather　stretched；　itself

before　him；　in　all　the　lazy　ungainliness　of　Southwestern

architecture。　　A　collection　of　temporary　make…shifts　of　boards；　of

logs；　of　canvas；　prematurely　decayed；　and　in　some　instances

abandoned　for　a　newer　erection；　or　degraded　to