the choir invisible-第4节

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er　thongs；　once　shone　in　rainbow　hues　of　satin　slippers　and　silken　hose。　　A　sunbonnet　for　the　tiara　of　osprey　plumes；　a　dress　spun　and　woven　by　her　own　hand　out　of　her　own　flax；　instead　of　the　stiff　brocade；　log　hut　for　manor…house；　one　negro　boy　instead　of　troops　of　servants：　to　have　possessed　all　that；　to　have　been　brought　down　to　all　this；　and　not　to　have　been　ruined　by　it；　never　to　have　lost　distinction　or　been　coarsened　by　coarseness　never　to　have　parted　with　grace　of　manner　or　grace　of　spirit；　or　been　bent　or　broken　or　overclouded　in　character　and　ideals；it　was　all　this　that　made　her　in　his　eyes　a　great　woman；　a　great　lady。

He　held　her　in　such　reverence　that；　as　he　caught　the　serious　look　in　her　eyes　at　his　impulsive　question；　he　was　sorry　he　had　asked　it：　the　last　thing　he　could　ever　have　thought　of　doing　would　have　been　to　intrude　upon　the　privacy　of　her　reflections。　〃What　was　I　thinking　of？〃

There　was　a　short　silence　and　then　she　turned　to　him　eagerly；　brightly；　with　an　entire　change　of　voice　and　expression　〃But　the　news　from　townyou　haven't　told　me　the　news。〃　〃Oh；　there　is　any　amount　of　news！〃　he　cried；　glad　of　a　chance　to　retreat　from　his　intrusion。　And　he　began　lightly；　recklessly：　〃A　bookbinder　has　opened　a　shop　on　Cross　Streeta　capital　hand　at　the　business；　by　the　name　of　Leischmanand　he　will　bind　books　at　the　regular　market　prices　in　exchange　for　linen　rags；　maple　sugar；　and　goose…quills。　I　advise　you　to　keep　an　eye　on　your　geese；　if　the　major　once　takes　a　notion　to　have　his　old　Shakespeare　and　his　other　volumes；　that　had　their　bindings　knocked　off　in　crossing　the　Alleghanies；　elegantly　rebound。　You　can　tell　him　also　that　after　a　squirrel…hunt　in　Bourbon　County　the　farmers　counted　scalps；　and　they　numbered　five　thousand　five　hundred　and　eighty…nine；　so　that　he　is　not　the　only　one　who　has　trouble　with　his　corn。　And　then　you　can　tell　him　that　on　the　common　the　other　day　Nelson　Tapp　and　Willis　Tandy　had　a　fearful　fight　over　a　land…suit。　Now　it　was　Tandy　and　Tapp；　now　it　was　Tapp　and　Tandy；　but　they　went　off　at　last　and　drowned　themselves　and　the　memory　of　the　suit　in　a　bowl　of　sagamity。〃〃And　there　is　no　news　for　me；　I　suppose？〃

〃Oh　yes！　I　am　happy　to　inform　you　that　at　McIllvain's　you　can　now　buy　the　finest　Dutch　and　English　letter…paper；　gilt；　embossed；　or　marbled。〃

〃That　is　not　very　important；　I　have　no　correspondents。〃　〃Well；　a　saddlery　has　been　opened　by　two　fellows　from　London；　England；　and　you　can　now　buy　Amy　a　new　side…saddle。　She　needs　one。〃　〃Nor　is　that！　The　major　buys　the　saddles　for　the　family。〃　〃Well；　then；　as　I　came　out　on　Alain　Street；　I　passed　some　ladies　who　accused　me　of　being　on　my　way　here；　and　who　impressed　it　upon　me　that　I　must　tell　you　of　the　last　displays　of　women…wear：　painted　and　velvet　ribbons；　I　think　they　said；　and　crepe　scarfs；　and　chintzes　and　nankeens　and　moreens　and　sarcenets；　andoh　yes！…some　muslinette　jackets　tamboured　with　gold　and　silver。　　They　said　we　were　becoming　civilizedthat　the　town　would　soon　be　as　good　as　Williamsburg；　or　Annapolis；　or　Philadelphia　for　such　things。　　You　see　I　am　like　my　children：　I　remember　what　I　don't　understand。〃

〃I　understand　what　I　must　not　remember！　Don't　tell　me　of　those　things；〃　she　added。　〃They　remind　me　of　the　past；　they　make　me　think　of　Virginia。　I　wear　homespun　now；　and　am　a　Kentuckian。〃〃Well；　then；　the　Indians　fired　on　the　Ohio　packet…boat　near　Three　Islands　and　killed〃

〃Oh！〃　she　said；　with　pain　and　terror；　〃don't　tell　me　of　that；　either！　It　reminds　me　of　the　present。〃〃Well；　in　Holland　two　thousand　cats　have　been　put　into　the　corn…stores；　to　check　the　ravages　of　rats　and　mice；〃　he　said；　laughing。

〃What　is　the　news　from　France？　Do　be　serious！〃　〃In　New　York　some　Frenchmen；　seeing　their　flag　insulted　by　Englishmen　who　took　it　down　from　the　liberty…cap；　went　upstairs　to　the　room　of　an　English　officer　named　Codd；　seized　his　regimental　coat　and　tore　it　to　pieces。〃

〃I'm　glad　of　it！　It　was　a　very　proper　action！〃　〃But；　madam；　the　man　Codd　was　perfectly　innocent！〃　〃No　matter！　His　coat　was　guilty。　They　didn't　tear　him　to　pieces；　they　tore　his　coat。　Are　there　any　new　books　at　the　stores？〃

〃A　great　many！　I　have　spent　part　of　the　last　three　days　in　looking　over　them。　You　can　have　new　copies　of　your　old　favourites；　Joseph　Andrews；　or　Roderick　Random；　or　Humphrey　Clinker。　You　can　have　Goldsmith　and　Young；　and　Chesterfield　and　Addison。　There　is　Don　Quixote　and　Hudibras；　Gulliver　and　Hume；　Paley　and　Butler；　Hervey　and　Watts；　Lavater　and　Trenck；　Seneca　and　Gregory；　Nepos　and　even　Aspasia　Vindicatedto　say　nothing　of　Abelard　and　He1oise　and　Thomas　a　Kempis。　All　the　Voltaires　have　been　sold；　however；　and　the　Tom　Paines　went　off　at　a　rattling　gait。　By　the　way；　while　on　the　subject　of　books；　tell　the　major　that　we　have　raised　five　hundred　dollars　toward　buying　books　for　the　Transylvania　Library；　and　that　as　soon　as　my　school　is　out　I　am　to　go　East　as　a　purchasing　committee。　What　particularly　interests　me　is　that　I　am　going　to　Mount　Vernon；　to　ask　a　subscription　from　President　Washington。　Think　of　that！　Think　of　my　presenting　myself　there　with　my　tricoloured　cockade　a　Kentucky　Jacobin！〃　〃The　President　may　be　so　occupied　with　the　plots　of　you　Kentucky　jacobins；〃　she　said；　〃that　he　will　not　feel　much　like　supplying　you　with　more　literature。〃　Then　she　added；　looking　at　him　anxiously；　〃　And　so　you　are　going　away？〃

〃I'm　going；　and　I'm　glad　I'm　going。　I　have　never　set　eyes　on　a　great　man。　It　makes　my　heart　beat　to　think　of　it。　I　feel　as　a　young　Gaul　might　who　was　going　to　Rome　to　ask　Caesar　for　gold　with　which　to　overthrow　him。　Seriously；　it　would　be　a　dreadful　thing　for　the　country　if　a　treaty　should　be　ratified　with　England。　　There　is　not　a　democratic　society　from　Boston　to　Charleston　that　will　not　feel　enraged　with　the　President。　You　may　be　sure　that　every　patriot　in　Kentucky　will　be　outraged；　and　that　the　Governor　will　denounce　it　to　the　House。〃

〃There　is　news　from　France；　thenserious　news？〃〃Much；　much！　The　National　Convention　has　agreed　to　carry　into　full　effect　the　treaty　of　commerce　between　the　two　Republics；　and　the　French　and　American　flags　have　been　united　and　suspended　in　the　hall。　The　Dutch　have　declared　the　sovereignty　of　the　French；　and　French　and　Dutch　patriots　have　taken　St。　Martin's。　　The　English　have　declared　war　against　the　Dutch　and　granted　letters　of　marque　and　reprisals。　There　has　been　a　complete　change　in　the　Spanish　Ministry。　There　has　been　a　treaty　made　between　France　and　the　Grand　Duke　of　Tuscany。　The　French　fleet　is　in　the　West　Indies　and　has　taken　possession　of　Guadeloupe。　　All　French　emigrants　in　Switzerland　have　been　ordered　to　remove　ten　leagues　from　the　borders　of　France。　A　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　Austrians　are　hurrying　down　toward　the　Rhine；　to　be　reinforced　by　fifty　thousand　more。〃

He　had　run　over　these　items　with　the　rapidity　of　one　who　has　his　eye　on　the　map　of　the　world；　noting；　the　slightest　change　in　the　situation　of　affairs　that　could　affect　Kentucky；　and　she　listened　eagerly　like　one　no　less　interested。

〃But　the　treaty！　The　treaty！　The　open　navigation　of　the　Mississippi！〃　she　cried　impatiently。　〃The　last　news　is　that　the　treaty　will　certainly　be　concluded　and　the　open　navigation　of　the　Mississippi　assured　to　us　forever。　The　major　will　load　his　flatboats；　drift　down　to　New　Orleans；　sell　those　Spanish　fops　his　tobacco　for　its　weight　in　gems；　buy　a　mustang　to　ride　home　on；　and　if　not　robbed　and　murdered　by　the　land…pirates　on　the　way；　come　back　to　you　like　an　enormous　bumblebee　from　a　clover…field；　his　thighs　literally　packed　with　gold。〃

〃I　am　so　glad；　so　glad；　so　glad！〃　He　drew　from　his　pockets　a　roll。　〃Here　are　papers　for　two　months　back。　And　now　I've　something　else　to　tell　you。　That　is　one　of　the　things　I　came　for〃

As　he　said　this；　his　manner；　hitherto　full　of　humour　and　vivacity；　turned　grave；　and　his　voice；　sinking　to　a　lower　tone；　became　charged　with　sweetness。　It　was　the　voice　in　which　one　refined　and　sincere　soul　confides　to　another　refined　and　sincere　soul　the　secret　of　some　new　happiness　that　has　come　to　it。

But　noticing　the　negro　lad；　who　had　paused　in　his　work　several　paces　off　and　stood　watching　them；　he　said　to　her：

〃May　I　have　a　drink？〃　She　turned　to　the　negro：〃Go　to　the　spring…house　and　bring　some　water。〃The　lad　moved　away；　smiling　to　himself　and　shaking　his　head。

〃He　has　broken　all　my　pitchers；〃　she　added。　〃To…day　I　had　to　send　my　last　roll　of　linen　to　town　by　Amy　to　buy　more　queen's…ware。　The　moss　will　grow　on　the　bucket　before　he　gets　back。〃　When　the　boy　was　out　of　hearing；　she　turned　again　to　him：

〃What　is　it？　Tell　me　quickly。〃

〃I　have　had　news　from　Philadelphia。　The　case　is　at　last　decided　in　favour　of　the　heirs；　and　I　come　at　once　into　possession　of　my　share。　It　may　be　eight　or　ten　thousand　dollars。〃　His　voice　trembled　a　little　despite　himself。

She　took　his　hands　in　hers　with　a　warm；　close　pressure；　and　tears　of　joy　sprang　to　her　eyes。　The　whole　of　his　bare；　bleak　life　was　known　to　her；　its　half…starved　beginning；　its　early　merciless　buffeting；　the　upheaval　of　vast　circumstance　in　the　revolutionary　history　of　the　times　by　which　he　had　again　and　again　been　thrown　back　upon　his　own　undefended　strength；　and　stealthily　following　him　from　place　to　place；　always　clo