lin mclean-第6节

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these　shining　ones。　Perhaps　the　cow…puncher　would　not　stay　very　long。　Of

course　he　was　glad　to　see　him　again；　and　he　would　take　him　to　dine　at

some　obscure　place　this　first　evening。　But　this　was　not　Lin's　plan。　Frank

must　dine　with　him；　at　the　Parker　House。　Frank　demurred；　saying　it　was　he

that　should　be　host。



〃And；〃　he　added；　〃they　charge　up　high　for　wines　at　Parker's。〃　Then　for

the　twentieth　time　he　shifted　a　sidelong　eye　over　his　brother's　clothes。



〃You're　goin'　to　take　your　grub　with　me；〃　said　Lin。　〃That's　all　right；

I　guess。　And　there　ain't　any　'no'　about　it。　Things　is　not　the　same　like

as　if　father　was　livin'（his　voice　softened）and　here　to　see　me　come

home。　Now　I'm　good　for　several　dinners　with　wines　charged　up　high；　I

expect；　nor　it　ain't　nobody　in　this　world；　barrin'　just　Lin　McLean；　that

I've　any　need　to　ask　for　anything。　'Mr。　McLean；'　says　I　to　Lin；　'can　yu'

spare　me　some　cash？'　'Why；　to　be　sure；　you　bet！'　And　we'll　start　off　with

steamed　Duxbury　clams。〃　The　cow…puncher　slapped　his　pocket；　where　the

coin　made　a　muffled　chinking。　Then　he　said；　gruffly；　〃I　suppose

Swampscott's　there　yet？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Frank。　〃It's　a　dead　little　town；　is　Swampscott。〃



〃I　guess　I'll　take　a　look　at　the　old　house　tomorrow；〃　Lin　pursued。



〃Oh；　that's　been　pulled　down　since　I　forget　the　year　they　improved　that

block。〃



Lin　regarded　in　silence　his　brother；　who　was　speaking　so　jauntily　of　the

first　and　last　home　they　had　ever　had。



〃Seventy…nine　is　when　it　was；〃　continued　Frank。　〃So　you　can　save　the

trouble　of　travelling　away　down　to　Swampscott。〃



〃I　guess　I'll　go　to　the　graveyard；　anyway；〃　said　the　cow…puncher　in　his

offish　voice；　and　looking　fixedly　in　front　of　him。



They　came　into　Washington　Street；　and　again　the　elder　McLean　uneasily

surveyed　the　younger's　appearance。



But　the　momentary　chill　had　melted　from　the　heart　of　the　genial　Lin。

〃After　to…morrow；〃　said　he；　laying　a　hand　on　his　brother's　shoulder；　〃yu'

can　start　any　lead　yu'　please；　and　I　guess　I　can　stay　with　yu'　pretty

close；　Frank。〃



Frank　said　nothing。　He　saw　one　of　the　members　of　his　club　on　the　other

side　of　the　way；　and　the　member　saw　him；　and　Frank　caught　diverted

amazement　on　the　member's　face。　Lin's　hand　weighed　on　his　shoulder；　and

the　stress　became　too　great。　〃Lin；〃　said　he；　〃while　you're　running　with

our　crowd；　you　don't　want　to　wear　that　style　of　hat；　you　know。〃



It　may　be　that　such　words　can　in　some　way　be　spoken　at　such　a　time；　but

not　in　the　way　that　these　were　said。　The　frozen　fact　was　irrevocably

revealed　in　the　tone　of　Frank's　voice。



The　cow…puncher　stopped　dead　short；　and　his　hand　slid　off　his　brother's

shoulder。　〃You've　made　it　plain；〃　he　said；　evenly；　slanting　his　steady

eyes　down　into　Frank's。　〃You've　explained　yourself　fairly　well。　Run　along

with　your　crowd；　and　I'll　not　bother　yu'　more　with　comin'　round　and

causin'　yu'　to　feel　ashamed。　It's　a　heap　better　to　understand　these

things　at　once；　and　save　making　a　fool　of　yourself　any　longer　'n　yu'　need

to。　I　guess　there　ain't　no　more　to　be　said；　only　one　thing。　If　yu'　see　me

around　on　the　street；　don't　yu'　try　any　talk；　for　I'd　be　liable　to　close

your　jaw　up；　and　maybe　yu'd　have　more　of　a　job　explainin'　that　to　your

crowd　than　you've　had　makin'　me　see　what　kind　of　a　man　I've　got　for　a

brother。〃



Frank　found　himself　standing　alone　before　any　reply　to　these　sentences

had　occurred　to　him。　He　walked　slowly　to　his　club；　where　a　friend　joked

him　on　his　glumness。



Lin　made　a　sore　failure　of　amusing　himself　that　night；　and　in　the　bright；

hot　morning　he　got　into　the　train　for　Swampscott。　At　the　graveyard　he　saw

a　woman　lay　a　bunch　of　flowers　on　a　mound　and　kneel；　weeping。



〃There　ain't　nobody　to　do　that　for　this　one；〃　thought　the　cow…puncher；

and　looked　down　at　the　grave　he　had　come　to　see；　then　absently　gazed　at

the　woman。



She　had　stolen　away　from　her　daily　life　to　come　here　where　her　grief　was

shrined；　and　now　her　heart　found　it　hard　to　bid　the　lonely　place　goodbye。

So　she　lingered　long；　her　thoughts　sunk　deep　in　the　motionless　past。　When

she　at　last　looked　up；　she　saw　the　tall；　strange　man　re…enter　from　the

street　among　the　tombs；　and　deposit　on　one　of　them　an　ungainly　lump　of

flowers。　They　were　what　Lin　had　been　able　hastily　to　buy　in　Swampscott。

He　spread　them　gently　as　he　had　noticed　the　woman　do；　but　her　act　of

kneeling　he　did　not　imitate。　He　went　away　quickly。　For　some　hours　he　hung

about　the　little　town；　aimlessly　loitering；　watching　the　salt　water　where

he　used　to　swim。



〃Yu'　don't　belong　any　more；　Lin；〃　he　miserably　said　at　length；　and　took

his　way　to　Boston。



The　next　morning；　determined　to　see　the　sights；　he　was　in　New　York；　and

drifted　about　to　all　places　night　and　day；　till　his　money　was　mostly

gone；　and　nothing　to　show　for　it　but　a　somewhat　pleasure…beaten　face　and

a　deep　hatred　of　the　crowded；　scrambling　East。　So　he　suddenly　bought　a

ticket　for　Green　River；　Wyoming；　and　escaped　from　the　city　that　seemed　to

numb　his　good　humor。



When；　after　three　days；　the　Missouri　lay　behind　him　and　his　holiday；　he

stretched　his　legs　and　took　heart　to　see　out　of　the　window　the　signs　of

approaching　desolation。　And　when　on　the　fourth　day　civilization　was

utterly　emptied　out　of　the　world；　he　saw　a　bunch　of　cattle；　and；

galloping　among　them；　his　spurred　and　booted　kindred。　And　his　manner　took

on　that　alertness　a　horse　shows　on　turning　into　the　home　road。　As　the

stage　took　him　toward　Washakie；　old　friends　turned　up　every　fifty　miles

or　so；　shambling　out　of　a　cabin　or　a　stable；　and　saying；　in　casual　tones；

〃Hello；　Lin；　where've　you　been　at？〃



At　Lander；　there　got　into　the　stage　another　old　acquaintance；　the　Bishop

of　Wyoming。　He　knew　Lin　at　once；　and　held　out　his　hand；　and　his　greeting

was　hearty。



〃It　took　a　week　for　my　robes　to　catch　up　with　me；〃　he　said；　laughing。

Then；　in　a　little　while；　〃How　was　the　East？〃



〃First…rate；〃　said　Lin；　not　looking　at　him。　He　was　shy　of　the

conversation's　taking　a　moral　turn。　But　the　bishop　had　no　intention　of

revertingat　any　rate；　just　nowto　their　last　talk　at　Green　River；　and

the　advice　he　had　then　given。



〃I　trust　your　friends　were　all　well？〃　he　said。



〃I　guess　they　was　healthy　enough；〃　said　Lin。



〃I　suppose　you　found　Boston　much　changed？　It's　a　beautiful　city。〃



〃Good　enough　town　for　them　that　likes　it；　I　expect；〃　Lin　replied。



The　bishop　was　forming　a　notion　of　what　the　matter　must　be；　but　he　had　no

notion　whatever　of　what　now　revealed　itself。



〃Mr。　Bishop；〃　the　cow…puncher　said；　〃how　was　that　about　that　fellow　you

told　about　that's　in　the　Bible　somewheres？he　come　home　to　his　folks；

and　theywell　there　was　his　father　saw　him　comin'〃He　stopped；

embarrassed。



Then　the　bishop　remembered　the　wide…open　eyes；　and　how　he　had　noticed

them　in　the　church　at　the　agency　intently　watching　him。　And；　just　now；

what　were　best　to　say　he　did　not　know。　He　looked　at　the　young　man

gravely。



〃Have　yu'　got　a　Bible？〃　pursued　Lin。　〃For；　excuse　me；　but　I'd　like　yu'　to

read　that　onced。〃



So　the　bishop　read；　and　Lin　listened。　And　all　the　while　this　good

clergyman　was　perplexed　how　to　speakor　if　indeed　to　speak　at　this　time

at　allto　the　heart　of　the　man　beside　him　for　whom　the　parable　had　gone

so　sorely　wrong。　When　the　reading　was　done；　Lin　had　not　taken　his　eyes

from　the　bishop's　face。



〃How　long　has　that　there　been　wrote？〃　he　asked。



He　was　told　about　how　long。



〃Mr。　Bishop；〃　said　Lin；　〃I　ain't　got　good　knowledge　of　the　Bible；　and　I

never　figured　it　to　be　a　book　much　on　to　facts。　And　I　tell　you　I'm　more

plumb　beat　about　it's　having　that　elder　brother；　and　him　being　angry；

down　in　black　and　white　two　thousand　years　ago；　thanthan　if　I'd　seen　a

man　turn　water　into　wine；　for　I'd　have　knowed　that　ain't　so。　But　the

elder　brother　is　factsdead…sure　facts。　And　they　knowed　about　that；　and

put　it　down　just　the　same　as　life　two　thousand　years　ago！〃



〃Well；〃　said　the　bishop；　wisely　ignoring　the　challenge　as　to　miracles；　〃I

am　a　good　twenty　years　older　than　you；　and　all　that　time　I've　been

finding　more　facts　in　the　Bible　every　day　I　have　lived。〃



Lin　meditated。　〃I　guess　that　could　be；〃　he　said。　〃Yes；　after　that　yu've

been　a…readin'；　and　what　I　know　for　myself　that　I　didn't　know　till

lately；　I　guess　that　could　be。〃



Then　the　bishop　talked　with　exceeding　care；　nor　did　he　ask　uncomfortable

things；　or　moralize　visibly。　Thus　he　came　to　hear　how　it　had　fared　with

Lin　his　friend；　and　Lin　forgot　altogether　about　its　being　a　parson　he　was

delivering　the　fulness　of　his　heart　to。　〃And　come　to　think；〃　he

concluded；　〃it　weren't　home　I　had　went　to　back　East；　layin'　round　them

big　cities；　where　a　man　can't　help　but　feel　strange　all　the　week。　No；

sir！　Yu'　can　blow　in　a　thousand　dollars　like　I　did　in　New　York；　and　it'll

not　give　yu'　any　more　home　feelin'　than　what　cattle　has　put　in　a

stock…yard。　Nor　it　wouldn't　have　in　Boston　n