whirligigs-第45节

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〃Pardon　my　indirectness；〃　said　Lorison；　〃I　will　ask

one。　　In　this　room　to…night　you　pronounced　me　to　be　a

husband。　　You　afterward　spoke　of　additional　rites　or

performances　that　either　should　or　could　be　effected。　　I

paid　little　attention　to　your　words　then；　but　I　am　hungry

to　hear　them　repeated　now。　　As　matters　stand；　am　I

married　past　all　help？〃



〃You　are　as　legally　and　as　firmly　bound；〃　said　the

priest；　〃as　though　it　had　been　done　in　a　cathedral；　in　the

presence　of　thousands。　　The　additional　observances　I

referred　to　are　not　necessary　to　the　strictest　legality　of　the

act；　but　were　advised　as　a　precaution　for　the　future　

for　convenience　of　proof　in　such　contingencies　as　wills；

inheritances　and　the　like。〃



Lorison　laughed　harshly。



〃Many　thanks；〃　he　said。　　〃Then　there　is　no　mistake；

and　I　am　the　happy　benedict。　　I　suppose　I　should　go

stand　upon　the　bridal　corner；　and　when　my　wife　gets

through　walking　the　streets　she　will　look　me　up。〃



Father　Rogan　regarded　him　calmly。



〃My　son；〃　he　said；　〃when　a　man　and　woman　come　to

me　to　be　married　I　always　marry　them。　　I　do　this　for　the

sake　of　other　people　whom　they　might　go　away　and　marry

if　they　did　not　marry　each　other。　　As　you　see；　I　do　not

seek　your　confidence；　but　your　case　seems　to　me　to　be

one　not　altogether　devoid　of　interest。　　Very　few　marriages

that　have　come　to　my　notice　have　brought　such　well…

expressed　regret　within　so　short　a　time。　　I　will　hazard

one　question：　were　you　not　under　the　impression

that　you　loved　the　lady　you　married；　at　the　time　you

did　so；〃



〃Loved　her！〃　　cried　Lorison；　wildly。　　〃Never　so　well

as　now；　though　she　told　me　she　deceived　and　sinned　and

stole。　　Never　more　than　now；　when；　perhaps；　she　is

laughing　at　the　fool　she　cajoled　and　left；　with　scarcely　a

word；　to　return　to　God　only　knows　what　particular　line

of　her　former　folly。〃



Father　Rooan　answered　nothing。　　During　the　silence

that　succeeded；　he　sat　with　a　quiet　expectation　beaming

in　his　full；　lambent　eye。



〃If　you　would　listen　　〃　began　Lorison。　　The

priest　held　up　his　hand。



〃As　I　hoped；〃　he　said。　　〃I　thought　you　would　trust

me。　　Wait　but　a　moment。〃　　He　brought　a　long　clay

pipe；　filled　and　lighted　it。



〃Now；　my　son；〃　he　said。



Lorison　poured　a　twelve　month's　accumulated　con…

fidence　into　Father　Rogan's　ear。　　He　told　all；　not　sparing

himself　or　omitting　the　facts　of　his　past；　the　events　of　the

night；　or　his　disturbing　conjectures　and　fears。



〃The　main　point；〃　said　the　priest；　when　he　had　con…

cluded；　〃seems　to　me　to　be　this　　are　you　reasonably

sure　that　you　love　this　woman　whom　you　have　married？〃



〃Why；〃　exclaimed　Lorisoii；　rising　impulsively　to　his

feet　…　〃why　should　I　deny　it？　　But　look　at　me　　am

fish；　flesh　or　fowl？　　That　is　the　main　point　to　me；

assure　you。〃



〃I　understand　you；〃　said　the　priest；　also　risino；；　and

laying　down　his　pipe。　　〃The　situation　is　one　that　has

taxed　the　endurance　of　much　older　men　than　you　　in

fact；　especially　much　older　men　than　you。　　I　will　try　to

relieve　you　from　it；　and　this　night。　　You　shall　see　for

yourself　into　exactly　what　predicament　you　have　fallen；

and　how　you　shall；　possibly；　be　extricated。　　There　is　no

evidence　so　credible　as　that　of　the　eyesight。〃



Father　Rogan　moved　about　the　room；　and　donned　a

soft　black　hat。　　Buttoning　his　coat　to　his　throat；　he

laid　his　hand　on　the　doorknob。　　〃Let　us　walk；〃

he　said。



The　two　went　out　upon　the　street。　　The　priest　turned

his　face　down　it；　and　Lorison　walked　with　him　through　a

squalid　district；　where　the　houses　loomed；　awry　and

desoiate…looking；　high　above　them。　　Presently　they　turned

into　a　less　dismal　side　street；　where　the　houses　were　smaller；

and；　though　hinting　of　the　most　meagre　comfort；　lacked

the　concentrated　wretchedness　of　the　more　populous

byways。



At　a　segregated；　two…story　house　Father　Rogan　halted；

and　mounted　the　steps　with　the　confidence　of　a　familiar

visitor。　　He　ushered　Lorison　into　a　narrow　hallway；

faintly　lighted　by　a　cobwebbed　hanging　lamp。　　Almost

immediately　a　door　to　the　right　opened　and　a　dingy　Irish…

woman　protruded　her　head。



〃Good　evening　to　ye；　Mistress　Geehan；〃　said　the

priest；　unconsciously；　it　seemed；　falling　into　a　delicately

flavoured　brogue。　　〃And　is　it　yourself　can　tell　me　if

Norah　has　gone　out　again；　the　night；　maybe？〃



〃Oh；　it's　yer　blissid　reverence！　　Sure　and　I　can　tell

ye　the　same。　　The　purty　darlin'　wint　out；　as　usual；　but　a

bit　later。　　And　she　says：　'Mother　Geehan；'　says　she；　'it's

me　last　noight　out；　praise　the　saints；　this　noight　is！'　And；

oh；　yer　reverence；　the　swate；　beautiful　drame　of　a　dress　she

had　this　toime！　　White　satin　and　silk　and　ribbons；　and

lace　about　the　neck　and　arrums　　'twas　a　sin；　yer

reverence；　the　gold　was　spint　upon　it。〃



The　priest　heard　Lorison　catch　his　breath　painfully；

and　a　faint　smile　flickered　across　his　own　clean…cut

mouth。



〃Well；　then；　Mistress　Geehan；〃　said　he；　〃I'll　just

step　upstairs　and　see　the　bit　boy　for　a　minute；　and　I'll

take　this　Gentleman　up　with　me。〃



〃He's　awake；　thin；〃　said　the　woman。　　'I've　just

come　down　from　sitting　wid　him　the　last　hour；　tilling　him

fine　shtories　of　ould　County　Tyrone。　　'Tis　a　greedy　gos…

soon；　it　is；　yer　riverence；　for　me　shtories。〃



〃Small　the　doubt；〃　said　Father　Rogan。　　〃There's　no

rocking　would　put　him　to　slape　the　quicker；　I'm　thinking。〃



Amid　the　woman's　shrill　protest　against　the　retort；　the

two　men　ascended　the　steep　stairway。　　The　priest　pushed

open　the　door　of　a　room　near　its　top。



〃Is　that　you　already；　sister？〃　　drawled　a　sweet；　childish

voice　from　the　darkness。



〃It's　only　ould　Father　Denny　come　to　see　ye；　darlin'；

and　a　foine　gentleman　I've　brought　to　make　ye　a　gr…r…and

call。　　And　ye　resaves　us　fast　aslape　in　bed！　　Shame　on

yez　manners！〃



〃Oh；　Father　Denny；　is　that　you？　　I'm　glad。　　And

will　you　light　the　lamp；　please？　　It's　on　the　table　by　the

door。　　And　quit　talking　like　Mother　Geehan；　Father

Denny。〃



The　priest　lit　the　lamp；　and　Lorison　saw　a　tiny；　towsled…

haired　boy；　with　a　thin；　delicate　face；　sitting　up　in　a　small

bed　in　a　corner。　　Quickly；　also；　his　rapid　glance　con…

sidered　the　room　and　its　contents。　　It　was　furnished　with

more　than　comfort；　and　its　adornments　plainly　indicated

a　woman's　discerning　taste。　　An　open　door　beyond

revealed　the　blackness　of　an　adjoining　room's　interior。



The　boy　clutched　both　of　Father　Rogan's　hands。　　〃I'm

so　glad　you　came；〃　he　said；　〃but　why　did　you　come　in

the　night？　　Did　sister　send　you？〃



〃Off　wid　ye！　　Am　I　to　be　sint　about；　at　me　age；　as

was　Terence　McShane；　of　Ballymahone？　　I　come　on　me

own　r…r…responsibility。〃



Lorison　had　also　advanced　to　the　boy's　bedside。　　He

was　fond　of　children；　and　the　wee　fellow；　laving　himself

down　to　sleep　alone　ill　that　dark　room；　stirred…his　heart。



〃Aren't　you　afraid；　little　man？〃　　he　asked；　stooping

down　beside　him。



〃Sometimes；〃　answered　the　boy；　with　a　shy　smile；

〃when　the　rats　make　too　much　noise。　　But　nearly　every

night；　when　sister　goes　out；　Molt…her　Geehan　stays　a　while

with　me；　and　tells　me　funny　stories。　　I'm　not　often

afraid；　sir。〃



〃This　brave　little　gentleman；〃　said　Father　Rogan；　〃is

a　scholar　of　mine。　　Every　day　from　half…past　six　to　half…

past　eight　　when　sister　comes　for　him　　he　stops　in

my　study；　and　we　find　out　what's　in　the　inside　of　books。

He　knows　multiplication；　division　and　fractions；　and

he's　troubling　me　to　begin　wid　the　chronicles　of　Ciaran

of　Clonmaciioise；　Corurac　McCullenan　and　Cuan　O'Loc…

hain；　the　gr…r…reat　Irish　histhorians。〃　　The　boy　was

evidently　accustomed　to　the　priest's　Celtic　pleasantries。

A　little；　appreciative　grin　was　all　the　attention　the　insin…

nation　of　pedantry　received。



Lorison；　to　have　saved　his　life；　could　not　have　put　to

the　child　one　of　those　vital　questions　that　were　wildly

beating　about；　unanswered；　in　his　own　brain。　　The　little

fellow　was　very　like　Norah；　he　had　the　same　shining

hair　and　candid　eyes。



〃Oh；　Father　Denny；〃　cried　the　boy；　suddenly；　〃I

forgot　to　tell　you！　　Sister　is　not　going　away　at　night　any

more！　　She　told　me　so　when　she　kissed　me　good　night　as

she　was　leaving。　　And　she　said　she　was　so　happy；　and

then　she　cried。　　Wasn't　that　queer？　　But　I'm　glad；

aren't　you？〃



〃Yes；　lad。　　And　now；　ye　omadhaun；　go　to　sleep；　and

say　good　night；　we　must　be　going。〃



〃Which　shall　I　do　first；　Father　Denny？〃



〃Faith；　he's　caught　me　again！　　Wait　till　I　get　the

sassenach　into　the　annals　of　Tageruach；　the　hagiographer；

I'll　give　him　enough　of　the　Irish　idiom　to　make　him　more

respectful。〃



The　light　was　out；　and　the　small；　brave　voice　bidding

them　good　night　from　the　dark　room。　　They　groped

downstairs；　and　tore　away　from　the　garrulity　of　Mother

Geehan。



Again　the　priest　steered　them　through　the　dim　ways；

but　this　time　in　another　direction。　　His　conductor　was

serenel