whirligigs-第48节
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〃No； the description is imaginary。 Is your interest
in the old lady whom you describe a personal one？〃
〃Never saw her in my life。 She's painted entirely
from fancy。 She owns the little piece of property where I
earn my bread and butter … the Rancho de las Sombras。
I drove up to meet her according to arrangement with
her lawyer。〃
Octavia leaned against the wall of the telegraph office。
Was this possible？ And didn't he know？
〃Are you the manager of that ranch？〃 she asked
weakly。
〃I am；〃 said Teddy； with pride。
〃I am Mrs。 Beaupree；〃 said Octavia faintly； 〃but my
hair never would curl； and I was polite to the conductor。〃
For a moment that strange； grown…up look came back；
and removed Teddy miles away from her。
〃I hope you'll excuse me；〃 he said； rather awkwardly。
〃You see； I've been down here in the chaparral a year。
I hadn't heard。 Give me your checks； please； and I'll
have your traps loaded into the wagon。 Jos？will follow
with them。 We travel ahead in the buckboard。〃
Seated by Teddy in a feather…weight buckboard； behind
a pair of wild； cream…coloured Spanish ponies； Octavia
abandoned all thought for the exhilaration of the present。
They swept out of the little town and down the level road
toward the south。 Soon the road dwindled and dis…
appeared； and they struck across a world carpeted with
an endless reach of curly mesquite grass。 The wheels
made no sound。 The tireless ponies bounded ahead at
an unbroken gallop。 The temperate wind； made fragrant
by thousands of acres of blue and yellow wild flowers；
roared gloriously in their ears。 The motion was a雛ial；
ecstatic； with a thrilling sense of perpetuity in its effect。
Octavia sat silent； possessed by a feeling of elemental；
sensual bliss。 Teddy seemed to be wrestling with some
internal problem。
〃I'm going to call you madama；〃 he announced as the
result of his labours。 〃That is what the Mexicans will
call you they're nearly all Mexicans on the ranch；
you know。 That seems to me about the proper thing。〃
〃Very well； Mr。 Westlake；〃 said Octavia； primly。
〃Oh； now；〃 said Teddy； in some consternation； 〃that's
carrying the thing too far； isn't it？〃
〃Don't worry me with your beastly etiquette。 I'm
just beginning to live。 Don't remind me of anything
artificial。 If only this air could be bottled！ This much
alone is worth coming for。 Oh； look I there goes a deer！〃
〃Jack…rabbit；〃 said Teddy； without turning his head。
〃Could I might I drive？〃 suggested Octavia； pant…
ing； with rose…tinted cheeks and the eye of an eager child。
〃On one condition。 Could I might I smoke？ 〃
〃Forever！〃 cried Octavia； taking the lines with solemn
joy。 〃How shall I know which way to drive？〃
〃Keep her sou' by sou'east； and all sail set。 You see
that black speck on the horizon under that lowermost
Gulf cloud？ That's a group of live…oaks and a land…
mark。 Steer halfway between that and the little hill to
the left。 I'll recite you the whole code of driving rules
for the Texas prairies： keep the reins from under the
horses' feet； and swear at 'em frequent。〃
〃I'm too happy to swear； Ted。 Oh； why do people
buy yachts or travel in palace…cars； when a buckboard
and a pair of plugs and a spring morning like this can
satisfy all desire？〃
〃Now； I'll ask you；〃 protested Teddy； who was futilely
striking match after match on the dashboard； 〃not to
call those denizens of the air plugs。 They can kick out
a hundred miles between daylight and dark。〃 At last
he succeeded in snatching a light for his cigar from the
flame held in the hollow of his hands。
〃Room！〃 said Octavia； intensely。 〃That's what
produces the effect。 I know now what I've wanted
scope range room！ 〃
〃Smoking…room；〃 said Teddy； unsentimentally。 〃I
love to smoke in a buckboard。 The wind blows the smoke
into you and out again。 It saves exertion。〃
The two fell so naturally into their old…time goodfellow…
ship that it was only by degrees that a sense of the strange…
ness of the new relations between them came to be felt。
〃Madama；〃 said Teddy； wonderingly； 〃however did
you get it into your bead to cut the crowd and come down
here？ Is it a fad now among the upper classes to trot
off to sheep ranches instead of to Newport？〃
〃I was broke； Teddy；〃 said Octavia； sweetly； with her
interest centred upon steering safely between a Spanish
dagger plant and a clump of chaparral； 〃I haven't a
thing in the world but this ranch not even any other
home to go to。〃
〃Come； now；〃 said Teddy； anxiously but ineredu…
lously； 〃you don't mean it？〃
〃When my husband；〃 said Octavia； with a shy slurring
of the word； 〃died three months ago I thought I had a
reasonable amount of the world's goods。 His lawyer
exploded that theory in a sixty…minute fully illustrated
lecture。 I took to the sheep as a last resort。 Do you
happen to know of any fashionable caprice among the
gilded youth of Manhattan that induces them to abandon
polo and club windows to become managers of sheep
ranches？〃
〃It's easily explained in my case；〃 responded Teddy；
promptly。 〃I had to go to work。 I couldn't have earned
my board in New York； so I chummed a while with old
Sandford； one of the syndicate that owned the ranch before
Colonel Beaupree bought it； and got a place down here。
I wasn't manager at first。 I jogged around on ponies and
studied the business in detail； until I got all the points in
my head。 I saw where it was losing and what the reme…
dies were； and then Sandford put me in charge。 I get a
hundred dollars a month； and I earn it。〃
〃Poor Teddy！〃 said Octavia； with a smile。
〃You needn't。 I like it。 I save half my wages； and
I'm as hard as a water plug。 It beats polo。〃
〃Will it furnish bread and tea and jam for another out…
cast from civilization？〃
〃The spring shearing；〃 said the manager； 〃just cleaned
up a deficit in last year's business。 Wastefulness and
inattention have been the rule heretofore。 The autumn
clip will leave a small profit over all expenses。 Next
year there will be jam。〃
When； about four o'clock in the afternoon； the ponies
rounded a gentle； brush…covered hill； and then swooped；
like a double cream…coloured cyclone； upon the Rancho
de las Sombras； Octavia gave a little cry of delight。 A
lordly grove of magnificent live…oaks cast an area of
grateful； cool shade； whence the ranch had drawn its
name； 〃de las Sombras〃 of the shadows。 The house；
of red brick； one story； ran low and long beneath the trees。
Through its middle； dividing its six rooms in half； extended
a broad； arched passageway； picturesque with flowering
cactus and hanging red earthern jars。 A 〃gallery；〃 low
and broad； encircled the building。 Vines climbed about
it； and the adjacent ground was； for a space； covered with
transplanted grass and shrubs。 A little lake； long and
narrow； glimmered in the sun at the rear。 Further away
stood the shacks of the Mexican workers； the corrals；
wool sheds and shearing pens。 To the right lay the low
hills； splattered with dark patches of chaparral； to the
left the unbounded green prairie blending against the blue
heavens。
〃It's a home； Teddy；〃 said Octavia； breathlessly；
that's what it is it's a home。〃
〃Not so bad for a sheep ranch；〃 admitted Teddy； with
excusable pride。 〃I've been tinkering on it at odd times。〃
A Mexican youth sprang from somewhere in the grass；
and took charge of the creams。 The mistress and the
manager entered the house。
〃Here's Mrs。 MacIntyre；〃 said Teddy； as a placid；
neat； elderly lady came out upon the gallery to meet
them。 〃Mrs。 Mac； here's the boss。 Very likely she
will be wanting a hunk of ham and a dish of beans after
her drive。〃
Mrs。 MacIntyre； the housekeeper； as much a fixture
on the place as the lake or the live…oaks； received the
imputation of the ranch's resources of refreshment with
mild indignation； and was about to give it utterance when
Octavia spoke。
〃Oh； Mrs。 MacIntyre； don't apologize for Teddy。
Yes； I call him Teddy。 So does every one whom he
hasn't duped into taking him seriously。 You see； we
used to cut paper dolls and play jackstraws together ages
ago。 No one minds what he says。〃
〃No；〃 said Teddy； 〃no one minds what he says； just
so he doesn't do it again。〃
Octavia cast one of those subtle； sidelong glances
toward him from beneath her lowered eyelids a glance
that Teddy used to describe as an upper…cut。 But there
was nothing in his ingenuous； weather…tanned face to
warrant a suspicion that he was making an allusion
nothing。 Beyond a doubt； thought Octavia； he had
forgotten。
〃Mr。 Westlake likes his fun；〃 said Mrs。 Maclntyre； as
she conducted Octavia to her rooms。 〃But；〃 she added；
loyally； 〃people around here usually pay attention to
what he says when he talks in earnest。 I don't know
what would
