the fortunes of oliver horn-第46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！
at he had had his say。
Oliver turned quickly toward his host's chair。 For a moment he was so stunned and hurt that he could hardly trust himself to speak。 He looked up and saw the expression of pain on Margaret's face； and instantly remembered where he was and who was offending him。
〃Our house…servants； Mr。 Grant； are part of our home；〃 he said； in a low； determined voice； without a trace of anger。 〃Old Malachi； who was my father's body…servant； and who is now our butler； is as much beloved by everyone as if he were one of the family。 For myself； I can never remember the time when I did not love Malachi。〃
Before her father could answer； Margaret had her hand on Oliver's shoulder。
〃Don't tell all your good stories to father now；〃 she said； with a grateful smile。 〃Wait until after dinner； when we can all hear them。 Come； Mr。 Horn； I know you want to get the dust out of your eyes。〃 Then in an aside； 〃Don't mind him； Ollie。 It's only father's way； and he's the dearest father in the world when you understand him；〃 and she pressed his arm meaningly as they walked to the door。
Before they reached the threshold the gate swung to with a click； and a young man with a scythe slung over his shoulder strode up the path。 He was in the garb of a farm…hand； trousers tucked into his boots； shirt open at the throat； and head covered by a coarse straw hat。 This shaded a good…natured； sun… burnt face； lighted by two bright blue eyes。
〃Oh； here comes my brother John；〃 Margaret cried。 〃Hurry up； Johnhere's Mr。 Horn。〃
The young man quickened his pace； stopped long enough to hang the scythe on the porch…rail； lifted his hat from his head； and； running up the short flight of steps； held out his hand cordially to Oliver； who advanced to meet him。
〃Glad to see you； Mr。 Horn。 Madge has told us all about you。 Excuse my rigwe are short of men on the farm； and I took hold。 I'm glad of the chance； for I get precious little exercise since I left college。 You came from East Branch by morning stage； I suppose？ Oh； is that your trunk dumped out in the road？ What a duffer I was not to know。 Wait a minuteI'll bring it in；〃 and he sprang down the steps。
〃No； let me；〃 cried Oliver； running after him。 He had not thought of his trunk since he had helped stow it in the boot outside Ezra Pollard's gatebut then he had been on his way to Margaret's！
〃No； you won't。 Stay where you aredon't let him come； Madge。〃
The two young men raced down the path； Juno scampering after them。 John； who could outrun any man at Dartmouth； vaulted over the fence and had hold of the brass handle before Oliver could open the gate。
〃Fair…play！〃 cried Oliver； and they each grasped a handleeither one could have held it out at arm's length with one handand brought it up the garden… path； puffing away in pantomime as if it weighed a ton； and into the house。 There they deposited it in the bedroom that was to be Oliver's during the two days of his visit at Brookfield Farm； Margaret clapping her hands in high glee； and her mother holding back the door for them to pass in。
Silas Grant watched the young fellows until they disappeared inside the door； lifted himself slowly from his seat by his long arms； stretched himself； with a yawn； to his full height； and said aloud to himself as he pushed his chair back against the wall：
〃His father's got a negro for body…servant； has he； and a negro for butlerjust like 'em。 They all want somebody to wait on 'em。〃
At dinner Oliver sat on Mrs。 Grant's righther best ear； she saidMargaret next； and John opposite。 The father was at the foot； in charge of the carving… knife。
During the pauses in the talk Oliver's eyes wandered around the room； falling on the queer paper lining the wallshunting…scenes； with red…coated fox…hunters leaping five…barred gates； on the side… board covered with silver； but bare of a decanter only a pitcher filled with cider which Hopeful Prime； the servant； a woman of forty in spectacles； and who took part in the conversation； brought from the cellar； and finally on a family portrait that hung above the fireplace。 A portrait was always a loadstone to Oliver。
Mrs。 Grant had been watching his glance。
〃That's Mr。 Grant's great…uncleold Governor Shaw；〃 she said； with a pleased smile； 〃and the next one to it is Margaret's great…grandmother This one〃 and she turned partly in her chair and pointed to a face Oliver thought he had seen before； where； he couldn't remember〃is John Quincy Adams。 He was my father's most intimate friend；〃 and a triumphant expression overspread her face。
Oliver smiled； too； inwardly； to himself。 The talk； to his great surprise； reminded him of Kennedy Square。 Family portraits were an inexhaustible topic of conversation in most of its homes。 He had never thought before that people at the North had any ancestorsnone they were very proud of。
John looked up and winked。 〃Great scheme naming me after his Royal Highness；〃 he said； in an undertone。 〃Sure road to the White House； they thought I'd make a good third。〃
Mrs。 Grant went on； not having heard a word of John's aside： 〃This table you're eating from； once belonged to Mr。 Adams。 He gave it to my father； who often spent a week at a time with him in the White House。〃
〃And I wish he was there now；〃 interrupted Silas from the foot of the table。 〃He'd straighten out this snarl we're drifting into。 Looks to me as if there would be some powder burnt before this thing is over。 What do your people say about it？〃 and he nodded at Oliver。 He had served the turkey； and was now sharpening the carver for the boiled ham； trying the edge with his thumb； as Shylock did。
〃I haven't been at home for some time； sir；〃 replied Oliver； in a courteous tonehe intended to be polite to the end〃and so I cannot say。 My father's letters； seem to be very anxious； but mother doesn't think there'll be any trouble； at least she said so in her last letter。〃
Silas looked up from under the tufts of cotton… wool。 Were the mothers running the politics of the South； he wondered？
〃And there's another thing you folks might as well remember。 We're not going to let you break up the Union； and we're not going to pay you for your slaves； either；〃 and he plunged the fork into the ham that the spectacled waitress had laid before him and rose in his chair； the knife poised in his hand to carve it the better。
〃Mr。 Horn hasn't got any slaves to sell； father didn't you hear him say so？ His father freed his；〃 laughed Margaret。 Her father's positiveness never really worried her。 She rather liked it at times。 It was only because she had read in Oliver's face the impression her father was making upon him that she essayed to soften the force of his remarks。
〃I heard him； Margaret； I heard him。 Glad of itbut he's the only man from his parts that I ever heard who did。 The others won't give 'em up so easy。 They hung John Brown for trying to help the negroes free themselves； don't forget that。〃 Oliver looked up and knitted his brows。 Silas saw it。 〃I'm not meaning any offence to you； young man；〃 he said quickly； waving the knife toward Oliver。 〃I'm taking this question on broad grounds。 If I had my way I'd teach those slave…drivers〃 and he buried the knife in the yielding ham； 〃that〃
〃They did just right to hang him；〃 interrupted John。 〃Brown was a fanatic； and ought to have stayed at home。 No one is stronger than the law。 That's where old Ossawatomie Brown made a mistake。〃 Everybody was entitled to express his or her opinion in this house except the dear old mother。 Margaret's fearless independence of manner and thought had been nurtured in fertile soil。
Mrs。 Grant had been vainly trying to get the drift of the conversation； her hand behind her ear。
〃Parson Brown； did you say； John？ He married us； sir；〃 and she turned to Oliver。 〃He lived here over forty years。 The church that you passed was where he preached。〃
John laughed； and so did Silas； at the old lady's mistake； but Oliver only became the more attentive to his hostess。 He was profoundly grateful to the reverend gentleman for coming out of his grave at this opportune moment and diverting the talk into other channels。 Why did they want to bother him with all this talk about slavery and the South； when he was so happy he could hardly stay in his skin？ It set his teeth on edgehe wished that the dinner were over and everybody down at the bottom of the sea but Margaret； he had come to see his sweetheart not to talk slavery。
〃Yes； I saw the church；〃 and for the rest of the dinner； Oliver was entertained with the details in the life of the Rev。 Leonidas Brown； including his manner of preaching； the crowds who would go to hear him； the number converted under the good man's ministrations； to all of which Oliver listened with a closeness of attention that would have surprised those who knew him unless they had discovered that his elbow had found Margaret's during the recital； and that the biography of every member of Brown's congregation might have been added to that of the beloved pastor without wearying him in the slightest degree。
When the nuts were servedSilas broke his with his fingershis host made one more effort to draw Oliver into a discussion； but Margaret stopped it by exclaiming； sud
