ragged lady, v1-第13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！


morning；　like　the　hymns　and　shouts　of　a　saturnalian　rout　going　in　holiday
processional　to　sacrifice　to　their　gods。　　Words　of　fierce　Hebrew　poetry
burned　in　his　thought；　the　warnings　and　the　accusals　and　the
condemnations　of　the　angry　prophets；　and　he　stood　rapt　from　his　own　time
and　place　in　a　dream　of　days　when　the　Most　High　stooped　to　commune　face
to　face　with　His　ministers；　while　the　young　voices　of　those　forgetful　or
ignorant　of　Him；　called　to　his　own　youth；　and　the　garlanded　chariots；
with　their　banners　and　their　streamers　passed　on　the　road　beneath　him　and
out　of　sight　in　the　shadow　of　the　woods　beyond。

When　the　prize　was　given　to　the　Middlemount　coach　at　the　Center　the
landlord　took　the　flag；　and　gallantly　transferred　it　to　Mrs。　Milray；　and
Mrs。　Milray　passed　it　up　to　Clementina；　and　bade　her；　〃Wave　it；　wave　it！〃

The　village　street　was　thronged　with　people　that　cheered；　and　swung　their
hats　and　handkerchiefs　to　the　coach　as　it　left　the　judges'　stand　and
drove　under　the　triumphal　arch；　with　the　other　coaches　behind　it。　　Then
Atwell　turned　his　horses　heads　homewards；　and　at　the　brisker　pace　with
which　people　always　return　from　festivals　or　from　funerals；　he　left　the
village　and　struck　out　upon　the　country　road　with　his　long　escort　before
him。　　The　crowd　was　quick　to　catch　the　courteous　intention　of　the
victors；　and　followed　them　with　applause　as　far　beyond　the　village
borders　as　wind　and　limb　would　allow；　but　the　last　noisy　boy　had　dropped
off　breathless　before　they　reached　a　half…finished　house　in　the　edge　of
some　woods。　　A　line　of　little　children　was　drawn　up　by　the　road…side
before　it；　who　watched　the　retinue　with　grave　eagerness；　till　the
Middlemount　coach　came　in　full　sight。　　Then　they　sprang　into　the　air；　and
beating　their　hands　together；　screamed；　〃Clem！　　Clem！　　Oh　it's　Clem！〃
and　jumped　up　and　down；　and　a　shabby　looking　work　worn　woman　came　round
the　corner　of　the　house　and　stared　up　at　Clementina　waving　her　banner
wildly　to　the　children；　and　shouting　unintelligible　words　to　them。　　The
young　people　on　the　coach　joined　in　response　to　the　children；　some
simply；　some　ironically；　and　one　of　the　men　caught　up　a　great　wreath　of
flowers　which　lay　at　Clementina's　feet；　and　flung　it　down　to　them；　the
shabby　woman　quickly　vanished　round　the　corner　of　the　house　again。　　Mrs。
Milray　leaned　over　to　ask　the　landlord；　〃Who　in　the　world　are
Clementina's　friends？〃

〃Why　don't　you　know？〃　　he　retorted　in　abated　voice。　　〃Them's　her　brothas
and　sistas。〃

〃And　that　woman？〃

〃The　lady　at　the　conna？　　That's　her　motha。〃

When　the　event　was　over；　and　all　the　things　had　been　said　and　said　again；
and　there　was　nothing　more　to　keep　the　spring　and　summer　months　from
going　up　to　their　rooms　to　lie　down；　and　the　fall　and　winter　months　from
trying　to　get　something　to　eat；　Mrs。　Milray　found　herself　alone　with
Clementina。

The　child　seemed　anxious　about　something；　and　Mrs。　Milray；　who　wanted　to
go　and　lie　down；　too；　asked　a　little　impatiently；　〃What　is　it；
Clementina？〃

〃Oh；　nothing。　　Only　I　was　afraid　maybe　you　didn't　like　my　waving　to　the
children；　when　you　saw　how　queea　they　looked。〃　　Clementina's　lips
quivered。

〃Did　any　of　the　rest　say　anything？〃

〃I　know　what　they　thought。　　But　I　don't　care！　　I　should　do　it　right　over
again！〃

Mrs。　Milray's　happiness　in　the　day's　triumph　was　so　great　that　she　could
indulge　a　generous　emotion。　　She　caught　the　girl　in　her　arms。　　〃I　want　to
kiss　you；　I　want　to　hug　you；　Clementina！〃

The　notion　of　a　dance　for　the　following　night　to　celebrate　the　success　of
the　house　in　the　coaching　parade　came　to　Mrs。　Milray　aver　a　welsh…rarebit
which　she　gave　at　the　close　of　the　evening。　　The　party　was　in　the　charge
of　Gregory；　who　silently　served　them　at　their　orgy　with　an　austerity　that
might　have　conspired　with　the　viand　itself　against　their　dreams；　if　they
had　not　been　so　used　to　the　gloom　of　his　ministrations。　　He　would　not
allow　the　waitresses　to　be　disturbed　in　their　evening　leisure；　or　kept
from　their　sleep　by　such　belated　pleasures；　and　when　he　had　provided　the
materials　for　the　rarebit；　he　stood　aloof；　and　left　their　combination　to
Mrs。　Milray　and　her　chafing…dish。

She　had　excluded　Clementina　on　account　of　her　youth；　as　she　said　to　one
of　the　fall　and　winter　months；　who　came　in　late；　and　noticed　Clementina's
absence　with　a　〃Hello！　　Anything　the　matter　with　the　Spirit　of　Summer？〃
Clementina　had　become　both　a　pet　and　a　joke　with　these　months　before　the
parade　was　over；　and　now　they　clamored　together；　and　said　they　must　have
her　at　the　dance　anyway。　　They　were　more　tepidly　seconded　by　the　spring
and　summer　months；　and　Mrs。　Milray　said；　〃Well；　then；　you'll　have　to　all
subscribe　and　get　her　a　pair　of　dancing　slippers。〃　　They　pressed　her　for
her　meaning；　and　she　had　to　explain　the　fact　of　Clementina's　destitution；
which　that　additional　fold　of　cheese…cloth　had　hidden　so　well　in　the
coaching　tableau　that　it　had　never　been　suspected。　　The　young　men
entreated　her　to　let　them　each　buy　a　pair　of　slippers　for　the　Spirit　of
Summer；　which　she　should　wear　in　turn　for　the　dance　that　she　must　give
each　of　them；　and　this　made　Mrs。　Milray　declare　that；　no；　the　child
should　not　come　to　the　dance　at　all；　and　that　she　was　not　going　to　have
her　spoiled。　　But；　before　the　party　broke　up；　she　promised　that　she　would
see　what　could　be　done；　and　she　put　it　very　prettily　to　the　child　the
next　day；　and　waited　for　her　to　say；　as　she　knew　she　must；　that　she　could
not　go；　and　why。　　They　agreed　that　the　cheese…cloth　draperies　of　the
Spirit　of　Summer　were　surpassingly　fit　for　the　dance；　but　they　had　to
agree　that　this　still　left　the　question　of　slippers　untouched。　　It
remained　even　more　hopeless　when　Clementina　tried　on　all　of　Mrs。　Milray's
festive　shoes；　and　none　of　her　razorpoints　and　high　heels　would　avail。
She　went　away　disappointed；　but　not　yet　disheartened；　youth　does　not　so
easily　renounce　a　pleasure　pressed　to　the　lips；　and　Clementina　had　it　in
her　head　to　ask　some　of　the　table　girls　to　help　her　out。　　She　meant　to
try　first　with　that　big　girl　who　had　helped　her　put　on　the　shoeman's
bronze　slippers；　and　she　hurried　through　the　office；　pushing　purblindly
past　Fane　without　looking　his　way；　when　he　called　to　her　in　the　deference
which　he　now　always　used　with　her；　〃Here's　a　package　here　for　you；
ClementinaMiss　Claxon；〃　and　he　gave　her　an　oblong　parcel；　addressed　in
a　hand　strange　to　her。　　〃Who　is　it　from？〃　she　asked；　innocently；　and　Fane
replied　with　the　same　ingenuousness：　〃I'm　sure　I　don't　know。〃　　Afterwards
he　thought　of　having　retorted；　〃I　haven't　opened　it；〃　but　still　without
being　certain　that　he　would　have　had　the　courage　to　say　it。

Clementina　did　not　think　of　opening　it　herself；　even　when　she　was　alone
in　her　little　room　above　Mrs。　Atwell's；　until　she　had　carefully　felt　it
over；　and　ascertained　that　it　was　a　box　of　pasteboard；　three　or　four
inches　deep　and　wide；　and　eight　or　ten　inches　long。　　She　looked　at　the
address　again；　〃Miss　Clementina　Claxon；〃　and　at　the　narrow　notched　ribbon
which　tied　it；　and　noted　that　the　paper　it　was　wrapped　in　was　very　white
and　clean。　　Then　she　sighed；　and　loosed　the　knot；　and　the　paper　slipped
off　the　box；　and　at　the　same　time　the　lid　fell　off；　and　the　shoe　man's
bronze　slippers　fell　out　upon　the　floor。

Either　it　must　be　a　dream　or　it　must　be　a　joke；　it　could　not　be　both　real
and　earnest；　somebody　was　trying　to　tease　her；　such　flattery　of　fortune
could　not　be　honestly　meant。　　But　it　went　to　her　head；　and　she　was　so
giddy　with　it　as　she　caught　the　slippers　from　the　floor；　and　ran　down　to
Mrs。　Atwell；　that　she　knocked　against　the　sides　of　the　narrow　staircase。

〃What　is　it？　　What　does　it　mean？　　Who　did　it？〃　she　panted；　with　the
slippers　in　her　hand。　　〃Whe'e　did　they　come　from？〃　　She　poured　out　the
history　of　her　trying　on　these　shoes；　and　of　her　present　need　of　them　and
of　their　mysterious　coming；　to　meet　her　longing　after　it　had　almost
ceased　to　be　a　hope。　　Mrs。　Atwell　closed　with　her　in　an　exultation　hardly
short　of　a　clapping　the　hands。　　Her　hair　was　gray；　and　the　girl's　hair
still　hung　in　braids　down　her　back；　but　they　were　of　the　same　age　in
their　transport；　which　they　referred　to　Mrs。　Milray；　and　joined　with　her
in　glad　but　fruitless　wonder　who　had　sent　Clementina　the　shoes。　　Mrs。
Atwell　held　that　the　help　who　had　seen　the　girl　trying　them　on　had
clubbed　together　and　got　them　for　her　at　the　time；　and　had　now　given　them
to　her　for　the　honor　she　had　done　the　Middlemount　House　in　the　parade。
Mrs。　Milray　argued　that　the　spring　and　summer　months　had　secretly
dispatched　some　fall　and　winter　month　to　ransack　the　stores　at
Middlemount　Centre　for　them。　　Clementina　believed　that　they　came　from　the
shoe　man　himself；　who　had　always　wanted　to　send　them；　in　the　hope　that
she　would　keep　them；　and　had　merely　happened　to　send　them　just　then　in
that　moment　of　extremity　when　she　was　helpless　against　them。　　Each
conjecture　involved　improbabilities　so　gross　that　it　left　the　field　free
to　any　opposite　theory。

Rumor　of　the　fact　could　not　fail　to　go　through　the　house；　and　long　before
his　day's　work　was　done　it　reached　the　chef；　and　amused　him　as　a　piece　of
the　Boss's　luck。　　He　was　smoki