the argonauts of north liberty-第6节

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dominant　and　nasal　key　of　religious　and　practical　disapprobation。
〃Pity　you　wern't　tu　hum　afore；　ma'am；　considerin'　the　doins　that's
goin'　on　in　perfessed　Christians'　houses　arter　meetin'　on　the
Sabbath　Day。〃

〃What's　the　difficulty　now；　Ezekiel？〃　said　Mrs。　Blandford；　who　had
regained　her　rigorous　precision　once　more　under　the　decorous
security　of　her　own　roof。

〃Wa'al；　here　comes　an　entire　stranger　axin　for　Squire　Blandford。
And　when　I　tells　he　warn't　tu　hum〃

〃Not　at　home？〃　interrupted　Mrs。　Blandford；　with　a　slight　start。　　〃I
left　him　here。〃

〃Mebbee　so；　but　folks　nowadays　don't　'pear　to　keer　much　whether
they　break　the　Sabbath　or　not；　trapsen'　raound　town　in　and　arter
meetin'　hours；　ez　if　'twor　gin'ral　tranin'　dayand　hez　gone　out
agin。〃

〃Go　on；〃　said　Mrs。　Blandford；　curtly。

〃Wa'al；　the　stranger　sez；　sez　he；　'Show　me　the　way　to　the　stables；'
sez　he；　and　without　taken'　no　for　an　answer；　ups　and　meanders
through　the　hall；　outer　the　kitchen　inter　the　yard；　ez　if　he　was
justice　of　the　peace；　and　when　he　gets　there　he　sez；　'Fetch　out　his
hoss　and　harness　up；　and　be　blamed　quick　about　it；　and　tell　Ned
Blandford　that　Dick　Demorest　hez　got　to　leave　town　to…night；　and　ez
ther　ain't　a　blamed　puritanical　shadbelly　in　this　hull　town　ez
would　let　a　hoss　go　on　hire　Sunday　night；　he　guesses　he'll　hev　to
borry　his。'　　And　afore　I　could　say　Jack　Robinson；　he　tackles　the
hoss　up　and　drives　outer　the　yard；　flinging　this　two…dollar…and…a…
half…piece　behind　him　ez　if　I　wur　a　Virginia　slave　and　he　was　John
C。　Calhoun　hisself。　　I'd　a　chucked　it　after　him　if　it　hadn't　been
the　Lord's　Day；　and　it　mout　hev　provoked　disturbance。〃

〃Mr。　Demorest　is　worldly；　but　one　of　Edward's　old　friends；〃　said
Mrs。　Blandford；　with　a　slight　kindling　of　her　eyes；　〃and　he　would
not　have　refused　to　aid　him　in　what　might　be　an　errand　of　grace　or
necessity。　　You　can　keep　the　money；　Ezekiel；　as　a　gift；　not　as　a
wage。　　And　go　to　bed。　　I　will　sit　up　for　Mr。　Blandford。〃

She　passed　out　and　up　the　staircase　into　her　bedroom；　pausing　on
her　way　to　glance　into　the　empty　back　parlor　and　take　the　lamp　from
the　table。　　Here　she　noticed　that　her　husband　had　evidently　changed
his　clothes　again　and　taken　a　heavier　overcoat　from　the　closet。
Removing　her　own　wraps　she　again　descended　to　the　lower　apartment；
brought　out　the　volume　of　sermons；　placed　it　and　the　lamp　in　the
old　position；　and　with　her　abstracted　eyes　on　the　page　fell　into
her　former　attitude。　　Every　suggestion　of　the　passionate；　half…
frenzied　woman　in　the　kitchen　of　the　house　only　four　doors　away；
had　vanished；　one　would　scarcely　believe　she　had　ever　stirred　from
the　chair　in　which　she　had　formally　received　her　husband　two　hours
before。　　And　yet　she　was　thinking　of　herself　and　Demorest　in　that
kitchen。

His　prompt　and　decisive　response　to　her　appeal；　as　shown　in　this
last　bold　and　characteristic　action；　relieved；　while　it　half　piqued
her。　　But　the　overruling　destiny　which　had　enabled　her　to　bring　him
from　his　hotel　to　her　mother's　house　unnoticed；　had　protected　them
while　there；　had　arrested　a　dangerous　meeting　between　him　and
herself　and　her　husband　in　her　own　house；　impressed　her　more　than
all。　　It　imparted　to　her　a　hideous　tranquillity　born　of　the
doctrines　of　her　youthPredestination！　　She　reflected　with　secret
exultation　that　her　moral　resolution　to　fly　from　him　and　her
conscientiously　broken　promise　had　been　the　direct　means　of
bringing　him　there；　that　step　by　step　circumstances　not　in
themselves　evil　or　to　be　combated　had　led　her　along；　that　even　her
husband　and　mother　had　felt　it　their　duty　to　assist　towards　this
fateful　climax！　　If　Edward　had　never　kept　up　his　worldly
friendship；　if　she　had　never　been　restricted　and　compassed　in　her
own；　if　she　had　ever　known　the　freedom　of　other　girls；all　this
might　not　have　happened。　　She　had　been　elected　to　share　with
Demorest　and　her　husband　the　effects　of　their　ungodliness。　　She
was　no　longer　a　free　agent；　what　availed　her　resolutions？　　To
Demorest's　imperious　hope；　she　had　said；　〃God　knows。〃　　What　more
could　she　say？　　Her　small　red　lips　grew　white　and　compressed；　her
face　rigid；　her　eyes　hollow　and　abstracted；　she　looked　like　the
genius　of　asceticism　as　she　sat　there；　grimly　formulating　a
dogmatic　explanation　of　her　lawless　and　unlicensed　passion。

The　wind　had　risen　to　a　gale　without；　and　stirred　even　the　sealed
sepulchre　of　the　fireplace　with　dull　rumblings　and　muffled　moans。
At　times　the　hot…air　drum　in　the　corner　seemed　to　expand　as　with
some　pent…up　emotion。　　Strange　currents　of　air　crossed　the　empty
room　like　the　passage　of　unseen　spirits；　and　she　even　fancied　she
heard　whispers　at　the　window。　　This　caused　her　to　rise　and　open　it；
when　she　found　that　the　sleet　had　given　way　to　a　dry　feathery　snow
that　was　swarming　through　the　slits　of　the　shutter；　a　faint
reflection　from　the　already　whitened　fences　glimmered　in　the　panes。
She　shut　the　window　hastily；　with　a　little　shiver　of　cold。　　Where
was　Demorest　in　this　storm？　　Would　it　stop　him？　　She　thought　with
pride　now　of　the　dominant　energy　that　had　frightened　her；　and　knew
it　would　not。　　But　her　husband？what　kept　him？　　It　was　twelve
o'clock；　he　had　seldom　stayed　out　so　late　before。　　During　the　first
half　hour　of　her　reflections　she　had　been　relieved　by　his　absence；
she　had　even　believed　that　he　had　met　Demorest　in　the　town；　and　was
not　alarmed　by　it；　for　she　knew　that　the　latter　would　avoid　any
further　confidence；　and　cut　short　any　return　to　it。　　But　why　had
not　Edward　returned？　　For　an　instant　the　terrible　thought　that
something　had　happened；　and　that　they　might　both　return　together；
took　possession　of　her；　and　she　trembled。　　But　no；　Demorest；　who
had　already　taken　such　extreme　measures；　could　not　consistently
listen　to　any　suggestion　for　delay。　　As　her　only　danger　lay　in
Demorest's　presence；　the　absence　of　her　husband　caused　her　more
undefinable　uneasiness　than　actual　alarm。

The　room　had　become　cold　with　the　dying　out　of　the　dining…room　fire
that　warmed　the　drum。　　She　would　go　to　bed。　　She　nevertheless
arranged　the　room　again　with　a　singular　impression　that　she　was
doing　it　for　the　last　time　in　her　present　existing　circumstances；
and　placing　the　lamp　on　the　table　in　the　hall；　went　up　to　her　own
room。　　By　the　light　of　a　single　candle　she　undressed　herself
hastily；　said　her　prayers　punctiliously；　and　got　into　bed；　with　an
unexpected　relief　at　finding　herself　still　occupying　it　alone。
Then　she　fell　asleep　and　dreamed　of　Demorest。


CHAPTER　IV


When　Edward　Blandford　found　himself　alone　after　his　wife　had
undertaken　to　fulfil　his　abandoned　filial　duty　at　her　parents'
house；　he　felt　a　slight　twinge　of　self…reproach。　　He　could　not　deny
that　this　was　not　the　first　time　he　had　evaded　the　sterile　Sabbath
evenings　at　his　mother…in…law's；　or　that　even　at　other　times　he　was
not　in　accord　with　the　cold　and　colorless　sanctity　of　the　family。
Yet　he　remembered　that　when　he　picked　out　from　the　budding
womanhood　of　North　Liberty　this　pure；　scentless　blossom；　he　had
endured　the　privations　of　its　surroundings　with　a　sense　of　security
in　inhaling　the　atmosphere　in　which　it　grew；　and　knowing　the
integrity　of　its　descent。　　There　was　a　certain　pleasure　also　in
invading　this　seclusion　with　human　passion；　the　first　pressure　of
her　hand　when　they　were　kneeling　together　at　family　prayers　had　the
zest　without　the　sin　of　a　forbidden　pleasure；　the　first　kiss　he
had　given　her　with　their　heads　over　the　family　Bible　had　fairly
intoxicated　him　in　the　thin；　rarefied　air　of　their　surroundings。　　In
transplanting　this　blossom　to　his　own　home　with　the　fond　belief　that
it　would　eventually　borrow　the　hues　and　color　of　his　own　passion；　he
had　no　further　interest　in　the　house　he　had　left　behind。　　When　he
found；　however；　that　the　ancestral　influence　was　stronger　than　he
expected；　that　the　young　wife；　instead　of　assimilating　to　his
conditions；　had　imported　into　their　little　household　the　rigors　of
her　youthful　home；　he　had　been　chilled　and　disappointed。　　But　he
could　not　help　also　remembering　that　his　own　boyhood　had　been　spent
in　an　atmosphere　like　her　own　in　everything　but　its　sincerity　and
deep　conviction。　　His　father　had　recognized　the　business　value　of
placating　the　narrow　tyranny　of　the　respectable　well…to…do　religious
community；　and　had　become　a　conscious　hypocrite　and　a　popular
citizen。　　He　had　himself　been　under　that　influence；　and　it　was
partly　a　conviction　of　this　that　had　drawn　him　towards　her　as
something　genuine　and　real。　　It　occurred　to　him　now　for　the　first
time；　as　he　looked　around　upon　that　compromise　of　their　two　lives　in
this　chilly　artificial　home；　that　it　was　only　natural　that　she　would
prefer　the　more　truthful　austerities　of　her　mother's　house。　Had　she
detected　the　sham；　and　did　she　despise　him　for　it？

These　were　questions　which　seemed　to　bring　another　self…accusing
doubt　in　his　own　mind；　although；　without　his　being　conscious　of　it；
they　had　been　really　the　outcome　of　that　doubt。　　He　could　not　help
dwelling　on　the　singular　human　interest　she　had　taken　in　Demorest's
love　affair；　and　the　utterly　unexpected　emotion　she　had　shown。　　He
had　never　seen　her　as　charmingly　illogical；　capricious；　and
bewitc