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第28节

whirligigs-第28节

小说: whirligigs 字数: 每页4000字

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the Gorees sprawled in his disreputable office; at the end

of his row; spurned by the cronies whom he had gorged;

strangers dwelt in the halls of his fathers。



A cloud of dust was rolling; slowly up the parched

street; with something travelling in the midst of it。  A

little breeze wafted the cloud to one side; and a new;

brightly painted carryall; drawn by a slothful gray horse;

became visible。  The vehicle deflected from the middle

of the street as it neared Goree's office; and stopped in the

gutter directly in front of his door。



On the front seat sat a gaunt; tall man; dressed in

black broadcloth; his rigid hands incarcerated in yellow

kid gloves。  On the back seat was a lady who triumphed

over the June heat。  Her stout form was armoured in a

skintight silk dress of the description known as 〃change…

able;〃 being a gorgeous combination of shifting hues。

She sat erect; waving a much…omamented fan; with her

eyes fixed stonily far down the street。  However Martella

Garvey's heart might be rejoicing at the pleasures of her

new life; Blackjack had done his work with her exterior。

He had carved her countenance to the image of emptiness

and inanity; had imbued her with the stolidity of his

crags; and the reserve of his hushed interiors。  She always

seemed to hear; whatever her surroundings were; the

scaly…barks falling and pattering down the mountain…

side。  She could always hear the awful silence of Black…

jack sounding through the stillest of nights。



Goree watched this solemn equipage; as it drove to

his door; with only faint interest; but when the lank

driver wrapped the reins about his whip; awkwardly

descended; and stepped into the office; he rose unsteadily

to receive him; recognizing Pike Garvey; the new; the

transformed; the recently civilized。



The mountaineer took the chair Goree offered him。

They who cast doubts upon Garvey's soundness of mind

had a strong witness in the man's countenance。  His face

was too long; a dull saffron in hue; and immobile as a

statue's。  Pale…blue; unwinking round eyes without

lashes added to the singularity of his gruesome visage。

Goree was at a loss to account for the visit。



〃Everything all right at Laurel; Mr。 Garvey?〃  he

inquired。



〃Everything all right; sir; and mighty pleased is Missis

Garvey and me with the property。  Missis Garvey likes

yo' old place; and she likes the neighbourhood。  Society

is what she 'lows she wants; and she is gettin' of it。  The

Rogerses; the Hapgoods; the Pratts and the Troys hev

been to see Missis Garvey; and she hev et meals to most

of thar houses。  The best folks hev axed her to differ'nt

kinds of doin's。  I cyan't say; Mr。 Goree; that sech

things suits me  fur me; give me them thar。〃  Garvey's

huge; yellow…gloved hand flourished in the direction of

the mountains。  〃That's whar I b'long; 'mongst the

wild honey bees and the b'ars。  But that ain't what I

come fur to say; Mr。 Goree。  Thar's somethin' you got

what me and Missis Garvey wants to buy。〃



〃Buy!〃  echoed Goree。  〃From me?〃  Then he

laughed harshly。  〃I reckon you are mistaken about

that。  I reckon you are mistaken about that。  I sold out

to you; as you yourself expressed it; 'lock; stock and

barrel。' There isn't even a ramrod left to sell。〃



〃You've got it; and we 'uns want it。  'Take the

money;' says Missis Garvey; 'and buy it fa'r and

squared'。'〃



Goree shook his head。  〃The cupboard's bare;〃 he

said。



〃We've riz;〃 pursued the mountaineer; undetected

from his object; 〃a heap。  We was pore as possums;

and now we could hev folks to dinner every day。  We

been recognized; Missis Garvey says; by the best society。

But there's somethin' we need we ain't got。  She says

it ought to been put in the 'ventory ov the sale; but it

tain't thar。  'Take the money; then;' says she; 'and buy

it fa'r and squar'。〃'



〃Out with it;〃 said Goree; his racked nerves growing

impatient。



Garvey threw his slouch bat upon the table; and leaned

forward; fixing his unblinking eves upon Goree's。



〃There's a old feud;〃 he said distinctly and slowly;

〃'tween you 'uns and the Coltranes。〃



Goree frowned ominously。  To speak of his feud to

a feudist is a serious breach of the mountain etiquette。

The man from 〃back yan'〃 knew it as well as the lawyer

did。



〃Na offense;〃 he went on 〃but purely in the way of

business。  Missis Garvey hev studied all about feuds。

Most of the quality folks in the mountains hev 'em。  The

Settles and the Goforths; the Rankins and the Boyds; the

Silers and the Galloways; hev all been cyarin' on feuds

f'om twenty to a hundred year。  The last man to drap

was when yo' uncle; Jedge Paisley Goree; 'journed co't

and shot Len Coltrane f'om the bench。  Missis Garvey

and me; we come f'om the po' white trash。  Nobody

wouldn't pick a feud with we 'uns; no mo'n with a fam'ly

of tree…toads。  Quality people everywhar; says Missis

Garvey; has feuds。  We 'uns ain't quality; but we're

uyin' into it as fur as we can。  'Take the money; then;'

says Missis Garvey; 'and buy Mr。 Goree's feud; fa'r

and squar'。'〃



The squirrel hunter straightened a leg half across the

room; drew a roll of bills from his pocket; and threw them

on the table。



〃Thar's two hundred dollars; Mr。 Goree; what you

would call a fa'r price for a feud that's been 'lowed to

run down like yourn hev。  Thar's only you left to cyar'

on yo' side of it; and you'd make mighty po' killin'。  I'll

take it off yo' hands; and it'll set me and Missis Garvey

up among the quality。  Thar's the money。〃



The little roll of currency on the table slowly untwisted

itself; writhing and jumping as its folds relaxed。  In the

silence that followed Garvey's last speech the rattling of

the poker chips in the court…house could be plainly heard。

Goree knew that the sheriff had just won a pot; for the

subdued whoop with which he always greeted a victory

floated across the sqquare upon the crinkly heat waves。

Beads of moisture stood on Goree's brow。  Stooping; he

drew the wicker…covered demijohn from under the table;

and filled a tumbler from it。



〃A little corn liquor; Mr。 Garvey?  Of course you

are joking about what you spoke of?  Opens quite a

new market; doesn't it?  Feuds。  Prime; two…fifty to

three。  Feuds; slightly damaged  two hundred; I

believe you said; Mr。 Garvey?〃



Goree laughed self…consciously。



The mountaineer took the glass Goree handed him;

and drank the whisky without a tremor of the lids of

his staring eyes。  The lawyer applauded the feat by a

look of envious admiration。  He poured his own drink;

and took it like a drunkard; by gulps; and with shudders

at the smell and taste。



〃Two hundred;〃 repeated Garvey。  〃Thar's the money。〃



A sudden passion flared up in Goree's brain。  He

struck the table with his fist。  One of the bills flipped

over and touched his hand。  He flinched as if something

had stung him。



〃Do you come to me;〃 he shouted; 〃seriously with such

a ridiculous; insulting; darned…fool proposition?〃



〃It's fa'r and squar';〃 said the squirrel hunter; but he

reached out his hand as if to take back the money; and

then Goree knew that his own flurry of rage had not been

from pride or resentment; but from anger at himself;

knowing that he would set foot in the deeper depths that

were being opened to him。  He turned in an instant from

an outraged gentleman to an anxious chafferer recom…

mending his goods。



〃Don't be in a hurry; Garvey;〃 he said; his face crimson

and his speech thick。  〃I accept your p…p…proposition;

though it's dirt cheap at two hundred。  A t…trade's all

right when both p…purchaser and b…buyer are s…satisfied。

Shall I w…wrap it up for you; Mr。 Garvey?〃



Garvey rose; and shook out his broadcloth。  〃Missis

Garvev will be pleased。  You air out of it; and it stands

Coltrane and Garvey。  Just a scrap ov writin'; Mr。

Goree; you bein' a lawyer; to show we traded。〃



Goree seized a sheet of paper and a pen。  The money

was clutched in his moist hand。  Everything else sud…

denly seemed to grow trivial and light。



〃Bill of sale; by all means。  'Right; title; and interest

in and to' 。 。 。 'forever warrant and  ' No;

Garvey; we'll have to leave out that 'defend;'〃 said

Goree with a loud laugh。  〃You'll have to defend this

title yourself。〃



The mountaineer received the amazing screed that the

lawyer handed him; folded it with immense labour; and

laced it carefully in his pocket。



Goree was standing near the window。  〃Step here;

said; raising his finger; 〃and I'll show you your recently

purchased enemy。  There he goes; down the other side

of the street。〃



The mountaineer crooked his long frame to look

through the window in the direction indicated by the other。

Colonel Abner Coltrane; an erect; portly gentleman of

about fifty; wearing the inevitable long; double…breasted

frock coat

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