with lee in virginia-第49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！



were　strangers　there。　　Some　of　the　people　living　along　the　road

might　notice　him　going　or　coming；　or　see　Dan　on　his　way　to

market；　and　might　come　and　ascertain　that　the　house　was

inhabited；　and　communicate　the　fact　to　their　old　neighbor。



〃I　will　see　her　myself；　Miss　Kingston；　and　tell　her　that　I　have　sent　a

patient　of　mine　to　take　up　his　quarters　here。　I　will　say　he　is　ready

to　pay　some　small　sum　weekly　as　long　as　he　occupies　the　house。　　I

have　no　doubt　she　would　be　willing　enough　to　let　you　have　it

without　that；　for　although　I　shall　say　nothing　actually　I　shall　let　her

guess　from　my　manner　that　it　is　a　wounded　Confederate；　and　that

will　be　enough　for　her。　　Still；　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　idea　of

getting　a　few　dollars　for　the　rent　of　an　empty　house　will　add　to　her

patriotism。　　People　of　her　class　are　generally　pretty　close…fisted；

and　she　will　look　upon　this　as　a　little　pocket…money。　　Good…by！　　I

shall　not　call　to…morrow；　but　will　be　round　next　day　again。〃



On　his　next　visit　the　doctor　told　Lucy　that　he　had　arranged　the

matter　with　her　landlady；　and　that　she　was　to　pay　a　dollar　a　week

as　rent。　　〃I　should　not　tell　your　patient　about　this；〃　he　said。　　〃It　will

look　to　him　as　if　I　considered　his　stay　was　likely　to　be　a　long　one；

and　it　might　fidget　him。〃



〃How　long　will　it　be；　doctor；　do　you　think？〃



〃That　I　cannot　say。　　If　all　goes　well；　he　ought　in　a　month　to　be

fairly　cured；　but　before　starting　upon　a　journey　which　will　tax　his

strength；　I　should　say　at　least　six　weeks。〃



Ten　days　later　Vincent　was　up；　and　able　to　get　about。　A　pile　of

grass　had　been　heaped　up　by　the　door；　so　that　he　could　sit　down　in

the　sun　and　enjoy　the　air。　　Lucy　was　in　high　spirits；　and　flitted　in

and　out　of　the　house；　sometimes　helping　Chloe；　at　others　talking　to

Vincent。



〃What　are　you　laughing　at？〃　she　asked　as　she　came　out　suddenly

on　one　of　these　occasions。



〃I　was　just　thinking；〃　he　said；　〃that　no　stranger　who　dropped　in

upon　us　would　dream　that　we　were　not　at　home　here。　　There　is　Dan

tidying　up　the　garden；　Chloe　is　quite　at　her　ease　in　the　kitchen；　and

you　and　I　might　pass　very　well　for　brother　and　sister。〃



〃I　don't　see　any　likeness　between　us…not　a　bit。〃



〃No；　there　is　no　personal　likeness；　but　I　meant　in　age　and　that　sort

of　thing。　　I　think；　altogether；　we　have　a　very　homelike　look。〃



〃The　illusion　would　be　very　quickly　dispelled　if　your　stranger　put

his　head　inside　the　door。　　Did　any　one　ever　see　such　a　bare　place？〃



〃Anyhow；　it's　very　comfortable；〃　Vincent　said；　〃though　I　grant　that

it　would　be　improved　by　a　little　furniture。〃



〃By　a　great　deal　of　furniture；　you　mean。　　Why；　there　isn　t　a　chair　in

the　house；　nor　a　carpet；　nor　a　curtain；　nor　a　cupboard；　nor　a　bed；　in

fact　all　there　is　is　the　rough　dresser　in　the　kitchen　and　that　plank

table；　and　your　bedstead。　　I　really　think　that's　all。　　Chloe　has　the

kettle　and　two　cooking…pots；　and　there　is　the　dish　and　six　plates　we

bought。〃



〃You　bought；　you　mean；〃　Vincent　interrupted。



〃We　bought；　sir；　this　is　a　joint　expedition。　　Then；　there　is　the　basin

and　a　pail。　　I　think　that　is　the　total　of　our　belongings。〃



〃Well；　you　see；　it　shows　how　little　one　can　be　quite　comfortable

upon；〃　Vincent　said。　　〃I　wonder　how　long　it　will　be　before　the

doctor　gives　me　leave　to　move。　　It　is　all　very　well　for　me　who　am

accustomed　to　campaigning；　but　it　is　awfully　rough　for　you。〃



〃Don't　you　put　your　impatience　down　to　my　account；　at　any　rate

until　you　begin　to　hear　me　grumble。　　It　is　just　your　own　

restlessness；　when　you　are　pretending　you　are　comfertable。〃



〃I　can　assure　you　that　I　am　not　restless；　and　that　I　am　in　no　hurry　at

all　to　be　off　on　my　own　account。　　I　am　perfectly　contented　with

everything。　　I　never　thought　I　was　lazy　before；　but　I　feel　as　if　I

could　do　with　a　great　deal　of　this　sort　of　thing。　　You　will　see　that

you　will　become　impatient　for　a　move　before　I　do。〃



〃We　shall　see；　sir。　　Anyhow；　I　am　glad　you　have　said　that；　because

now　whatever　you　may　feel　you　will　keep　your　impatience　to

yourself。〃



Another　four　weeks　passed　by　smoothly　and　pleasantly。　Dan　went

into　the　village　once　a　week　to　do　the　shopping；　and　the　doctor　had

reduced　his　visits　to　the　same　number。　He　would　have　come

oftener；　for　his　visits　to　the　lonely　cottage　amused　him；　but　he

feared　that　his　frequent　passage　in　his　buggy　might　attract　notice。　

So　far　no　one　else　had　broken　the　solitude　of　their　lives。　　If　the

doctor's　calls　had　been　noticed；　the　neighbors　had　not　taken　the

trouble　to　see　who　had　settled　down　in　Jenkins'　old　place。　　His

visits　were　very　welcome；　for　he　brought　newspapers　and　books；

the　former　being　also　purchased　by　Dan　whenever　he　went　into　the

village；　and　thus　they　learned　the　course　of　events　outside。



Since　Antietam　nothing　had　been　done　in　Northern　Virginia；　but

Burnside；　who　had　succeeded　McClellan；　was　preparing　another

great　army；　which　was　to　march　to　Richmond　and　crush　out　the

rebellion。　　Lee　was　standing　on　the　defensive。　　Along　the　whole

line　of　the　frontier；　from　New　Orleans　to　Tennessee；　desultory

fighting　was　going　on；　and　in　these　conflicts　the　Confederates　had

generally　the　worse　of　things；　having　there　no　generals　such　as

Lee；　Jackson；　and　Longatreet；　who　had　made　the　army　of　Virginia

almost　invincible。



At　the　last　of　these　visits　the　doctor　told　Vincent　that　he

considered　he　was　nearly　sufficiently　restored　in　health　to　be　able

to　start　on　their　journey。　



〃It　is　a　much　better　job　than　I　had　expected　it　would　turn　out。　　I

was　almost　afraid　that　your　shoulder　would　never　be　quite　square

again。　　However；　as　you　can　see　for　yourself　it　has　come　out　quite

right；　and　although　I　should　not　advise　you　to　put　any　great　strain

on　your　left　arm；　I　believe　that　in　a　very　short　time　it　will　be　as

strong　as　the　other。〃



〃And　now；　doctor；　what　am　I　in　debt　to　you？　Your　kindness　cannot

be　repaid；　but　your　medical　bill　I　will　discharge　as　soon　as　I　get

home。　　We　have　not　more　than　twenty　dollars　left　between　us；

which　is　little　enough　for　the　journey　there　is　before　us。　　You　can

rely　that　the　instant　I　get　to　Richmond　I　will　send　you　the　money。

There　is　no　great　difficulty　in　smuggling　letters　across　the

frontier。〃



〃I　am　very　pleased　to　have　been　able　to　be　of　service　to　you；〃　the

doctor　said。　　〃I　should　not　think　of　accepting　payment　for　aid

rendered　to　an　officer　of　our　army；　but　it　will　give　me　real　pleasure

to　receive　a　letter　saying　you　have　reached　home　in　safety。　　It　is　a

duty　to　do　all　we　can　for　the　brave　men　fighting　for　our　cause。　　As

I　have　told　you；　I　am　not　a　very　hot　partisan；　for　I　see　faults　on

both　sides。　　Still；　I　believe　in　the　principle　of　our　forefathers；　that

each　State　has　its　own　government　and　is　master　of　its　own　army；

joining　with　the　others　for　such　purposes　as　it　may　think　fit。　　If　I

had　been　a　fighting　man　I　should　certainly　have　joined　the　army　of

my　State；　but　as　it　is；　I　hope　I　can　do　more　good　by　staying　and

giving　such　aid　and　comfort　as　I　can　to　my　countrymen。　　You　will；

I　am　sure；　excuse　my　saying　that　I　think　you　must　let　me　aid　you　a

little　further。　　I　understand　you　to　say　that　Miss　Kingston　will　go　to

friends　in　Georgia；　and　I　suppose　you　will　see　her　safely　there。　

Then　you　have　a　considerable　journey　to　make　to　Richmond；　and

the　sum　that　you　possess　is　utterly　inadequate　for　all　this。　　It　will

give　me　real　pleasure　if　you　will　accept　the　loan　of　one　hundred

dollars；　which　you　can　repay　when　you　write　to　me　from

Richmond。　　You　will　need　money　for　the　sake　of　your　companions

rather　than　your　own。　　When　you　have　once　crossed　the　line　you

will　then　be　able　to　appear　in　your　proper　character。〃



〃Thank　you　greatly；　doctor。　　I　will　accept　your　offer　as　frankly　as　it

is　made。　　I　had　intended　telegraphing　for　money　as　soon　as　I　was

among　our　own　people；　but　there　would　be　delay　in　receiving　it；

and　it　will　be　much　more　pleasant　to　push　on　at　once。〃



〃By　the　way；　you　cannot　cross　at　Florence；　for　I　hear　that　Hood　has

fallen　back　across　the　river；　the　forces　advancing　against　him　from

this　side　being　too　strong　to　be　resisted。　　But　I　think　that　this　is　no

disadvantage　to　you；　for　it　would　have　been　far　more　difficult　to

pass　the　Federals　and　get　to　Florence　than　to　make　for　some　point

on　the　river　as　far　as　possible　from　the　contending　armies。〃



〃We　talked　that　over　the　last　time　you　were　here；　doctor；　and　you

know　we　agreed　it　was　better　to　run　the　risk　of　falling　into　the

hands　of　the　Yankee　troops　than　into　those　of　one　of　those　partisan

bands　whose　exploits　are　always　performed　at　a　distance　from　the

army。　　However；　if　Hood　has　retreated　across　the　Tennessee　there

is　an　end　of　that　plan；　and　we　must　take　some　other　route。　　Which

do　you　advise？〃



〃The　Yankees　will　be　strong　all　round　the　great　bend　of　the　river　to

the　west　of　Florence　and　along　the　line　to　the　east；　which　would；　of

course