the major-第18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！



〃Don't！〃　cried　the　girl；　〃or　rather；　do；　and　stay。　　There's　enough　of　something；　and　Joe　will　look　after　the　horses。〃　　She　put　her　hands　to　her　lips　and　called；　〃J…o…o…e！〃

A　voice　from　the　woods　answered　her；　followed　by　Joe　himself。　〃Here；　Joe；　take　the　horses　and　unsaddle　them　and　tether　them　out　somewhere。〃

Despite　Kathleen's　fears　there　was　dinner　enough　for　all。

〃This　is　perfectly　stunning！〃　said　Romayne；　glancing　round　the　little　clearing　and　up　at　the　trees　waving　overhead；　through　the　interstices　of　whose　leafy　canopy　showed　patches　of　blue　sky。　〃Gorgeous；　by　Jove！　　Words　are　futile　things　for　really　great　moments。〃

〃Ripping；〃　said　Nora；　smiling　impudently　into　his　face。　　〃Awfully　jolly！　　A…1！　　Top　hole！　　That's　the　lot；　I　think；　according　to　the　best　authorities。　　Do　you　know　any　others？〃

〃I　beg　pardon；　what？〃　said　Romayne；　looking　up　from　his　fried　pork　and　potatoes。

〃Those　are　all　I　have　learned　in　English　at　least；〃　said　Nora。　　〃I　am　keen　for　some　more。　　They　are　Oxford；　I　believe。　　Have　you　any　others？〃

Mr。　Romayne　diverted　his　attention　from　his　dinner。　　〃What　is　she　talking　about；　Miss　Gwynne？　　I　confess　to　be　entirely　absorbed　in　these　fried　potatoes。〃

〃Words；　words；　Mr。　Romayne；　vocabulary；　adjectives；〃　replied　Nora。

〃Ah；〃　said　Romayne；　〃but　why　should　one　worry　about　words；　especially　adjectives；　when　one　has　such　divine　realities　as　these　to　deal　with？〃

〃Have　some　muffles；　Mr。　Romayne；〃　said　Nora。

〃Muffles？　　Now　what　may　muffles　be？〃

〃Muffles　are　a　cross　between　muffins　and　waffles。〃

〃Please　elucidate　their　nature　and　origin；〃　said　Mr。　Romayne。

〃Let　me　show　you；〃　said　Kathleen。　　She　sprang　up；　dived　into　the　cabin　and　returned　with　a　large；　round；　hard　biscuit　in　her　hand。　〃This　is　Hudson　Bay　hard　tack；　the　stand…by　of　all　western　people　Hudson　Bay　freighters　and　cowboys；　old　timers　and　tenderfeet　alike　swear　by　it。　　See；　you　moisten　it　slightly　in　water；　fry　it　in　boiling　fat；　sugar　it　and　keep　hot　till　served。　　Thus　Hudson　Bay　hard　tack　becomes　muffles。〃

〃Marvellous！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Romayne；　〃and　truly　delicious！　　And　to　think　that　the　Savoy　chef　knows　nothing　about　muffles！　　But　now　that　my　first　faintness　is　removed　and　the　mystery　of　muffles　is　solved；　may　I　inquire　just　what　you　are　doing　up　here　to…day；　Miss　Gwynne？　　What　is　the　business　on　hand；　I　mean？〃

〃Oh；　Nora　is　getting　out　some　logs　for　building　and　firewood　for　next　winter。　　The　logs；　you　see；　are　cut　during　the　winter　and　hauled　to　the　dump　there。〃

〃Dump！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Romayne　faintly。

〃Yes。　　The　bank　there　where　you　dump　the　logs　into　the　creek　below。〃

〃But　what　exactly　has　Miss　Nora　to　do　with　all　this？〃

〃I？〃　enquired　Nora；　〃I　only　boss　the　job。〃

〃Don't　you　believe　her；〃　said　Mrs。　Waring…Gaunt。　　〃I　happen　to　remember　one　winter　day　coming　upon　this　young　lady　in　these　very　woods　driving　her　team　and　hauling　logs　to　the　dump　while　Sam　and　Joe　did　the　cutting。　　Ask　the　boys　there？　　And　why　shouldn't　she？〃　continued　Mrs。　Waring…Gaunt。　　〃She　can　run　a　farm；　with　garden；　pigs　and　poultry　thrown　in；　open　a　coal　mine　and〃

〃Nonsense！〃　exclaimed　Nora；　〃the　boys　here　do　it　all。　　Mother　furnishes　the　head　work。〃

〃Oh；　Nora！〃　protested　Kathleen；　〃you　know　you　manage　everything。　Isn't　that　true；　boys？〃

〃She's　the　hull　works　herself；〃　said　Sam。　　〃Ain't　she；　Joe？〃

〃You　bet　yeh；〃　said　Joe；　husky　with　the　muffles。

〃She's　a　corker；〃　continued　Sam；　〃double　compressed；　compensating；　forty　horsepower；　ain't　she；　Joe？〃

〃You　bet　yeh！〃　adding；　for　purpose　of　emphasis；　〃By　gar！〃

〃Six　cylinder；　self…starter；〃　continued　Sam　with　increasing　enthusiasm。

〃Self…starter；〃　echoed　Joe；　going　off　into　a　series　of　choking　chuckles。　　〃Sure　t'ing；　by　gar！〃　　Joe；　having　safely　disposed　of　the　muffles；　gave　himself　up　to　unrestrained　laughter；　throwing　back　his　head；　slapping　his　knees　and　repeating　at　intervals；　〃Self…starter；　by　gar！〃

So　infectious　was　his　laughter　that　the　whole　company　joined　in。

〃Cut　it　out；　boys；〃　said　Nora。　　〃You　are　all　talking　rot；　you　know；　and　what　about　you；〃　she　added；　turning　swiftly　upon　her　sister。　〃Who　runs　the　house；　I'd　like　to　know；　and　looks　after　everything　inside；　and　does　the　sewing？　　This　outfit　of　mine；　for　instance？　And　her　own　outfit？〃

〃Oh；　Nora；〃　protested　Kathleen；　the　colour　rising　in　her　face。

〃Did　you　make　your　own　costume？〃　inquired　Mr。　Romayne。

〃She　did　that；〃　said　Nora；　〃and　mine　and　mother's；　and　she　makes　father's　working　shirts。〃

〃Oh；　Nora；　stop；　please。　　You　know　I　do　very　little。〃

〃She　makes　the　butter　as　well。〃

〃They're　a　pair；〃　said　Sam　in　a　low　growl；　but　perfectly　audible　to　the　company；　〃a　regular　pair；　eh；　Joe？〃

〃Sure　t'ing；〃　replied　Joe；　threatening　to　go　off　again　into　laughter；　but　held　in　check　by　a　glance　from　Nora。

For　an　hour　they　lingered　over　the　meal。　　Then　Nora；　jumping　up　quickly；　took　Mrs。　Waring…Gaunt　with　her　to　superintend　the　work　at　the　dump；　leaving　Mr。　Romayne　reclining　on　the　grass　smoking　his　pipe　in　abandoned　content；　while　Kathleen　busied　herself　clearing　away　and　washing　up　the　dishes。

〃May　I　help？〃　inquired　Mr。　Romayne；　when　the　others　had　gone。

〃Oh；　no；〃　replied　Kathleen。　　〃Just　rest　where　you　are；　please；　just　take　it　easy；　I'd　really　rather　you　would；　and　there's　nothing　to　do。〃

〃I　am　not　an　expert　at　this　sort　of　thing；〃　said　Mr。　Romayne；　〃but　at　least　I　can　dry　dishes。　　I　learned　that　much　on　the　veldt。〃

〃In　South　Africa？　　You　were　in　the　war？〃　replied　Kathleen；　giving　him　a　towel。

〃Yes；　I　had　a　go　at　it。〃

〃It　must　have　been　terribleto　think　of　actually　killing　men。〃

〃It　is　not　pleasant；〃　replied　Romayne；　shrugging　his　shoulders；　〃but　it　has　to　be　done　sometimes。〃

〃Oh；　do　you　think　so？　　It　does　not　seem　as　if　it　should　be　necessary　at　any　time；〃　said　the　girl　with　great　earnestness。　　〃I　can't　believe　it　is　either　right　or　necessary　ever　to　kill　men；　and　as　for　the　Boer　War；　don't　you　think　everybody　agrees　now　that　it　was　unnecessary？〃

Mr。　Romayne　was　always　prepared　to　defend　with　the　ardour　of　a　British　soldier　the　righteousness　of　every　war　in　which　the　British　Army　has　ever　been　engaged。　　But　somehow　he　found　it　difficult　to　conduct　an　argument　in　favour　of　war　against　this　girl　who　stood　fronting　him　with　a　look　of　horror　in　her　face。

〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Romayne；　〃I　believe　there　is　something　to　be　said　on　both　sides。　　No　doubt　there　were　blunders　in　the　early　part　of　the　trouble；　but　eventually　war　had　to　come。〃

〃But　that's　just　it；〃　cried　the　girl。　　〃Isn't　that　the　way　it　is　always？　　In　the　early　stages　of　a　quarrel　it　is　so　easy　to　come　to　an　understanding　and　to　make　peace；　but　after　the　quarrel　has　gone　on；　then　war　becomes　inevitable。　　If　only　every　dispute　could　be　submitted　to　the　judgment　of　some　independent　tribunal。　　Nations　are　just　like　people。　　They　see　things　solely　from　their　own　point　of　view。　　Do　you　know；　Mr。　Romayne；　there　is　no　subject　upon　which　I　feel　so　keenly　as　upon　the　subject　of　war。　　I　just　loathe　and　hate　and　dread　the　thought　of　war。　　I　think　perhaps　I　inherit　this。　My　mother；　you　know；　belongs　to　the　Friends；　and　she　sees　so　clearly　the　wickedness　and　the　folly　of　war。　　And　don't　you　think　that　all　the　world　is　seeing　this　more　clearly　to…day　than　ever　before？〃

There　was　nothing　new　in　this　argument　or　in　this　position　to　Mr。　Romayne；　but　somehow；　as　he　looked　at　the　girl's　eager；　enthusiastic　face；　and　heard　her　passionate　denunciation　of　war；　he　found　it　difficult　to　defend　the　justice　of　war　under　any　circumstances　whatever。

〃I　entirely　agree　with　you；　Miss　Gwynne；　that　war　is　utterly　horrible；　that　it　is　silly；　that　it　is　wicked。　　I　would　rather　not　discuss　it　with　you；　but　I　can't　help　feeling　that　there　are　circumstances　that　make　it　necessary　and　right　for　men　to　fight。〃

〃You　don't　wish　to　discuss　this　with　me？〃　said　Kathleen。　　〃I　am　sorry；　for　I　have　always　wished　to　hear　a　soldier　who　is　also〃　the　girl　hesitated　for　a　moment〃a　gentleman　and　a　Christian〃

〃Thank　you；　Miss　Gwynne；〃　said　Romayne；　with　quiet　earnestness。

〃Discuss　the　reasons　why　war　is　ever　necessary。〃

〃It　is　a　very　big　subject；〃　said　Mr。　Romayne；　〃and　some　day　I　should　like　to　give　you　my　point　of　view。　　There　are　multitudes　of　people　in　Britain　to…day；　Miss　Gwynne；　who　would　agree　with　you。　Lots　of　books　have　been　written　on　both　sides。　　I　have　listened　to　hours　and　hours　of　discussion；　so　that　you　can　easily　see　that　there　is　much　to　be　said　on　both　sides。　　I　always　come　back；　however；　to　the　point　that　among　nations　of　similar　ethical　standards　and　who　are　equally　anxious　to　preserve　the　peace　of　the　world；　arbitration　as　a　method　of　settling　disputes　ought　to　be　perfectly　simple　and　easy。　　It　is　only　when　you　have　to　deal　with　nations　whose　standards　of　ethics　are　widely　dissimilar　or　who　are　possessed　with　another　ambition　than　that　of　preserving　the　peace　of　the　world　that　you　get　into　difficulty。〃

〃I　see　your　point；〃　replied　Kathleen；　〃but　I　also　see　that　just　there　you　allow　for　all　sorts　of　prejudice　to　enter　and　for　the　indulgence　in　unfair　argument　and　special　pleading。　　But　there；　we　are　finished；〃　she　said；　〃and　you　do　not　wish　to　discuss　this　just　now。〃

〃Some　time；　Miss　Gwynne；　we　shall　have　this　out；　and　I