the fortunes of oliver horn-第54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！


metimes。〃

The　weak　and　strong　were　changing　places。　She　felt　the　man　in　him　now。

Nathan　was　in　the　library。　He　and　Malachi　had　been　taking　turns　at　Richard's　bedside。　Malachi　had　not　closed　his　eyes　all　night。　Nathan　came　out　into　the　hall　when　he　heard　Oliver's　voice；　and　put　his　hand　on　his　shoulder。

〃We　had　a　great　scare；　Ollie；〃　he　said；　〃but　he's　all　right　again；　thank　God！　He's　asleep　nowbetter　not　wake　him。〃　Then　he　put　on　his　coat　and　went　home。

Malachi　shook　his　head。　〃Sumpin's　de　matter　wid　him；　an'　dis　ain't　de　las'　ob　it。　Drapped　jes'　like　a　shote　when　he's　hit；　Marse　Oliver；〃　he　said；　in　a　low　whisper；　as　if　afraid　of　disturbing　his　master　on　the　floor　above。　〃I　was　a…layin'　out　his　clo'es　an'　he　called　quick　like；　'Malachi！　Malachi！'　an'　when　I　got　dar；　he　was　lyin'　on　de　flo'　wid　his　head　on　de　mat。　I　ain't　nebber　seen　Marse　Richard　do　like　dat　befo'〃　The　old　servant　trembled　as　he　spoke。　He　evidently　did　not　share　Nathan's　hopeful　views。　Neither　did　Dr。　Wallace；　although　he　did　not　say　so　to　anyone。

Their　fears；　however；　were　not　realized。　Richard　not　only　revived；　but　by　the　end　of　the　week　be　was　in　the　drawing…room　again；　Malachi；　in　accordance　with　the　time…honored　custom；　wheeling　out　his　chair；　puffing　up　the　cushions；　and；　with　a　wave　of　the　hand　and　a　sweeping　bow；　saying：

〃Yo'　ch'ar's　all　ready；　Marse　Richard。　Hope　you'se　feelin'　fine　dis　evenin'；　sah！〃

The　following　day　he　was　in　his　〃li'l'　room；〃　Oliver　　helping　him。　It　was　the　lifting　of　the　heavy　plate　of　the　motor　that　had　hurt　Richard；　so　Nathan　told　him；　not　the　same　motor　which　Oliver　remembered；　　another；　much　larger　and　built　on　different　lines。　The　inventor　now　used　twenty…four　cells　instead　of　ten；　and　the　magnets　had　been　wrapped　with　finer　wire。

These　days　in　the　shop　were　delightful　to　Oliver。　His　father　no　longer　treated　him　as　an　inexperienced　youth；　but　as　his　equal。　〃I　hope　you　will　agree　with　me；　my　son；〃　he　would　say；　or；　〃What　do　you　think　of　the　idea　of　using　a　'cam'　here　instead　of　a　lever？〃　or；　〃I　wish　you　would　find　the　last　issue　of　the　Review；　　and　tell　me　what　you　think　of　that　article　of　Latrobe's。　　He　puts　the　case　very　clearly；　it　seems　to　me；〃　etc。　And　Oliver　would　bend　his　head　in　attention　　and　try　to　follow　his　father's　lead；　wishing　all　the　time　that　he　could　really　be　of　use　to　the　man　he　revered　　beyond　all　others；　and　so　lighten　some　of　the　burdens　that　were　weighing　him　down。

And　none　the　less　joyful　were　the　hours　spent　with　his　mother。　All　the　old…time　affection；　the　devotion　of　a　lover…son；　were　lavished　upon　her。　And　she　was　so　supremely　happy　in　it　all。　Now　that　Richard　had　recovered；　there　was　no　other　cloud　on　her　horizon；　not　even　that　of　the　dreaded　mortgage　which　owing　to　some　payments　made　Richard　by　a　company　using　one　of　his　patents　had　been　extended　and　its　interest　paid　for　two　years　in　advance　in　deference　to　her　urgent　request。　All　anxiety　as　to　the　Northern　girl　had　happily　passed　out　of　her　mind。　If　Oliver　intended　　marrying　Miss　Grant　he　would　have　told　her；　she　knew。　Then　again；　he　was　so　much　stronger　and　wiser　nowso　much　more　thoughtful　than　he　had　beenso　much　more　able　to　keep　his　head　in　matters　of　this　kind。

As　his　position　was　different　with　his　father　in　the　〃li'l'　room〃　and　with　his　mother　in　the　stillness　of　her　chamberfor　often　they　talked　there　together　until　far　into　the　nightso　were　his　relations　altered　with　his　old　friends　and　neighbors　in　the　drawing…　room。　While　the　young　men　and　girls　filled　the　house　as　had　always　been　their　custom；　the　older　men；　as　well；　now　paid　their　respects　to　Richard　Horn's　son。

〃One　of　our　own　kind；〃　Judge　Bowman　said　to　Richard。　〃Does　you　credit；　Horna　son　to　be　proud　of。〃

Even　Amos　Cobb　came　to　look　him　over；　a　courtesy　which　pleased　Richard　who　greatly　admired　the　Vermonter；　　and　who　had　not　hesitated　to　express　his　good　opinion　of　him　on　more　than　one　occasion　before　his　own　and　Cobb's　friends。

〃A　man　of　force；　gentlemen；〃　Richard　had　said；　of　great　kindness　of　heart　and　with　a　wide　range　of　vision。　One　who　has　the　clearest　ideas　of　what　makes　for　the　good　of　his　country；　a　man　too；　not　ashamed　of　his　opinions　and　with　ample　courage　to　defend　them。　He　deserves　our　unqualified　respect；　not　our　criticism。〃

When　Cobb　heard　of　Richard's　outspoken　defence　of　him　he　at　once　called　on　the　inventor　at　his　workshop　a　thing　he　had　not　done　for　mouths；　and　asked　to　see　the　motor；　and　that　same　night　astonished　the　circles　about　the　club　tables；　by　remarking；　in　a　tone　of　voice　loud　enough　for　everybody　to　hear：　〃We　have　all　been　wrong　about　Horn。　He　has　got　hold　of　something　that　will　one　day　knock　steam　higher　than　Gilderoy's　kite。〃　A　friendship　was　thus　established　　between　the　two　which　had　become　closer　every　daythe　friendship　of　a　clearer　understanding；　　one　which　was　unbroken　during　the　rest　of　their　lives。

It　was　quite　natural；　therefore；　that　Amos　Cobb　should　be　among　Oliver's　earliest　callers。　He　must　have　been　pleased　with　his　inspection；　for　he　took　occasion　　at　the　club　to　say　to　Colonel　Clayton；　in　his　quick；　crisp　way：

〃Dropped　in　at　Horn's　last　night。　His　boy's　over　from　New　York。　Looks　like　a　different　man　since　he　quit　fooling　round　here　a　couple　of　years　ago。　Clean　cut　a　young　fellow　as　I've　seen　for　many　a　day。　Got　a　look　out　of　his　eyes　like　his　mother's。　Level…　headed　woman；　his　motherno　better　anywhere。　If　all　the　young　bloods　South　had　Oliver　Horn's　ideas　we　might　pull　through　this　crisis。〃

To　which　my　Lord　Chesterfield　of　Kennedy　Square　merely　replied　only　with　a　nod　of　the　head　and　a　drawing　together　of　the　eyebrows。　He　found　it　difficult　　to　tolerate　the　Vermonter　in　these　days　with　his　continued　tirades　against　〃The　epidemic　of　insanity　sweeping　over　the　South；〃　as　Cobb　would　invariably　put　it。


The　scribe　now　reaches　a　night　in　Oliver's　career　fraught　with　such　momentous　consequences　that　he　would　be　glad　to　leave　its　story　untold：

An　unforgettable　night　indeed；　both　for　those　who　were　assembled　there；　and　for　him　who　is　the　chronicler。　He　would　fain　lay　down　his　pen　to　recall　again　the　charm　and　the　sweetness　and　the　old…　time　flavor　of　that　drawing…room：　the　soft　lights　of　the　candles；　the　perfume　of　the　lilacs　coming　in　through　the　half…open　windows；　the　merry　laugh　of　the　joyous　girl　running　through　the　Square　to　be　ushered　by　Malachi　a　moment　later　into　the　presence　of　her　hostess；　there　to　make　her　courtesied　　obeisance　before　she　joined　a　group　of　young　people　around　one　of　the　red　damask…covered　sofas。　And　then　Richard；　dear　Richard；　with　his　white　hair　and　his　gracious　speech；　and　Miss　Clendenning　with　her　manners　of　foreign　courts；　and　the　sweet…voiced　hostess　of　the　mansion　moving　about　among　her　guests；　her　guests　who　were　her　neighbors　and　her　friends；　whose　children　were　like　her　own；　and　whose　joys　and　sorrows　were　hersguests；　neighbors；　　friends　many　of　whom　after　this　fatal　night　were　to　be　as　enemies　never　to　assemble　again　with　the　old…time　harmony　and　love。

Malachi　had　brewed　the　punch；　the　little　squat　glasses　were　set　out　beside　the　Canton　china　bowl；　for　it　was　the　night　of　the　weekly　musical　and　an　unusually　brilliant　company　had　assembled　in　honor　of　Oliver's　arrival　and　of　Richard's　recovery。

The　inventor　was　to　play　his　own　interpretations　of　Handel's　Largo；　a　favorite　selection　of　Ole　Bull；　and　one　which　the　inventor　and　the　great　virtuoso　had　played　together　some　years　before。

Miss　Clendenning　had　taken　her　place　at　the　piano；　Nathan　standing　beside　her　to　turn　the　leaves　of　the　accompaniment。

Richard　had　picked　up　his　violin；　tucked　it　under　his　chin；　poised　the　bow；　and　that　peculiar　hush　which　always　precedes　the　sounding　of　the　first　notes　on　evenings　of　this　kind　had　already　fallen　upon　the　room；　when　there　came　a　loud　rap　at　the　front　door　that　startled　everyone　and　the　next　instant　Colonel　Clayton　burst　in；　his　cheeks　flaming；　his　hat　still　on　his　head。

〃Ten　thousand　Yankees　will　be　here　in　the　morning；　　Horn！〃　be　gasped；　out　of　breath　with　his　run　across　the　Square；　holding　one　hand　to　his　side　as　he　spoke；　and　waving　an　open　telegram　in　the　other。　〃Stop！　This　is　no　time　for　fiddling。　They're　not　going　round　by　water；　they're　coming　here　by　train。　Read　that；〃　and　he　held　out　the　bit　of　paper。

The　Colonel's　sudden　entrance　and　the　startling　character　of　the　news；　had　brought　every　man　to　his　feet。

Richard　laid　down　his　violin；　read　the　telegram　quietly；　and　handed　it　back。

〃Well；　suppose　they　do　come；　Clayton？〃

His　voice　was　so　sustained；　and　his　manner　so　temperate；　　that　a　certain　calming　reassurance　was　felt。

〃Suppose　they　DO　come！　They'll　burn　the　town；　I　tell　you；〃　shouted　the　infuriated　man；　suddenly　　remembering　his　hat　and　handing　it　to　Malachi。　That's　what　they're　coming　for。　We　want　no　troops　in　our　streets；　and　the　Government　ought　to　know　it。　It's　an　outrage　to　send　armed　men　here　at　this　time！〃

〃You're　all　wrong；　Clayton；〃　answered　Richard；　without　raising　his　voice。　〃You　have　always　been　wrong　about　this　matter。　There　are　two　sides　to　this　question。　Virginia　troops　occupied　Harper's　Ferry　yesterday。　If　the　authorities　consider　that　more　troops　are　needed　to　protect　Washington；　that's　their　affair；　not