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第50节

whirligigs-第50节

小说: whirligigs 字数: 每页4000字

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to get back to the old life  to polo and lobsters and

theatres and balls。〃



〃Never cared much for balls;〃 said Teddy virtuously。



〃You're getting old; Teddy。 Your memory is failing。

Nobody ever knew you to miss a dance; unless it occurred

on the same night with another one which you attended。

And you showed such shocking bad taste; too; in dancing

too often with the same partner。 Let me see; what was

that Forbes girl's name  the one with wall eyes 

Mabel; wasn't it?〃



〃No; Ad閘e。 Mabel was the one with the bony

elbows。 That wasn't wall in Ad閘e's eyes。 It was soul。

We used to talk sonnets together; and Verlaine。 Just

then I was trying to run a pipe from the Pierian spring。〃



〃You were on the floor with her;〃 said Octavia; unde…

flected; 〃five times at the Hammersmiths'。〃



〃Hammersmiths' what? 〃 questioned Teddy; vacuously。



〃Ball  ball;〃 said Octavia; viciously。 〃What were

we talking of?〃



〃Eyes; I thought;〃 said Teddy; after some reflection;

〃and elbows。〃



〃Those Hammersmiths;〃 went on Octavia; in her

sweetest society prattle; after subduing an intense desire

to yank a handful of sunburnt; sandy hair from the head

lying back contentedly against the canvas of the steamer

chair; 〃had too much money。 Mines; wasn't it? It was

something that paid something to the ton。 You couldn't

get a glass of plain water in their house。 Everything at

that ball was dreadfully overdone。〃



〃It was;〃 said Teddy。



〃Such a crowd there was!〃 Octavia continued; con…

scious that she was talking the rapid drivel of a school…

girl describing her first dance。 〃The balconies were as

warm as the rooms。 I  lost  something at that ball。〃

The last sentence was uttered in a tone calculated to

remove the barbs from miles of wire。



〃So did I;〃 confessed Teddy; in a lower voice。



〃A glove;〃 said Octavia; falling back as the enemy

approached her ditches。



〃Caste;〃 said Teddy; halting his firing line without

loss。 〃I hobnobbed; half the evening with one of

Hammersmith's miners; a fellow who kept his hands in

his pockets; and talked like an archangel about reduction

plants and drifts and levels and sluice…boxes。〃



〃A pearl…gray glove; nearly new;〃 sighed Octavia;

mournfully。



〃A bang…up chap; that McArdle;〃 maintained Teddy

approvingly。 〃 A man who hated olives and elevators;

a man who handled mountains as croquettes; and built

tunnels in the air; a man who never uttered a word

of silly nonsense in his life。 Did you sign those lease…

renewal applications yet; madama? They've got to be

on file in the land office by the thirty…first。〃



Teddy turned his head lazily。 Octavia's chair was

vacant。



A certain centipede; crawling along the lines marked

out by fate; expounded the situation。 It was early one

morning while Octavia and Mrs。 Maclntyre were trim…

ming the honeysuckle on the west gallery。 Teddy had

risen and departed hastily before daylight in response

to word that a flock of ewes had been scattered from their

bedding ground during the night by a thunder…storm。



The centipede; driven by destiny; showed himself on

the floor of the gallery; and then; the screeches of the two

women giving him his cue; he scuttled with all his yellow

legs through the open door into the furthermost west

room; which was Teddy's。 Arming themselves with

domestic utensils selected with regard to their length;

Octavia and Mrs。 Maclntyre; with much clutching of

skirts and skirmishing for the position of rear guard in

the attacking force; followed。



Once outside; the centipede seemed to have disappeared;

and his prospective murderers began a thorough but

cautious search for their victim。



Even in the midst of such a dangerous and absorbing

adventure Octavia was conscious of an awed curiosity

on finding herself in Teddy's sanctum。 In that room

he sat alone; silently communing with those secret thoughts

that he now shared with no one; dreamed there whatever

dreams he now called on no one to interpret。



It was the room of a Spartan or a soldier。 In one

corner stood a wide; canvas…covered cot; in another; a

small bookcase; in another; a grim stand of Winchesters

and shotguns。 An immense table; strewn with letters;

papers and documents and surmounted by a set of pigeon…

holes; occupied one side。



The centipede showed genius in concealing himself

in such bare quarters。 Mrs。 Maclntyre was poking a

broom…handle behind the bookcase。 Octavia approached

Teddy's cot。 The room was just as the manager had left

it in his hurry。 The Mexican maid had not yet given it

her attention。 There was his big pillow with the imprint

of his head still in the centre。 She thought the horrid

beast might have climbed the cot and hidden itself to bite

Teddy。 Centipedes were thus cruel and vindictive

toward managers。



She cautiously overturned the pillow; and then parted

her lips to give the signal for reinforcements at sight of a

long; slender; dark object lying there。 But; repressing

it in time; she caught up a glove; a pearl…gray glove;

flattened  it might be conceived  by many; many

months of nightly pressure beneath the pillow of the man

who had forgotten the Hammersmiths' ball。 Teddy

must have left so hurriedly that morning that he had; for

once; forgotten to transfer it to its resting…place by day。

Even managers; who are notoriously wily and cunning;

are sometimes caught up with。



Octavia slid the gray glove into the bosom of her sum…

mery morning gown。 It was hers。 Men who put them…

selves within a strong barbed…wire fence; and remember

Hammersmith balls only by the talk of miners about sluice…

boxes; should not be allowed to possess such articles。



After all; what a paradise this prairie country was!

How it blossomed like the rose when you found things

that were thought to be lost! How delicious was that

morning breeze coming in the windows; fresh and sweet

with the breath of the yellow ratama blooms! Might one

not stand; for a minute; with shining; far…gazing eyes; and

dream that mistakes might be corrected?



Why was Mrs。 Maclntyre poking about so absurdly

with a broom?



〃I've found it;〃 said Mrs。 MacIntyre; banging the door。

〃Here it is。〃



〃Did you lose something? asked Octavia; with sweetly

polite non…interest。



〃The little devil!〃 said Mrs。 Maclntyre; driven to

violence。 〃Ye've no forgotten him alretty?〃



Between them they slew the centipede。 Thus was he

rewarded for his agency toward the recovery of things

lost at the Hammersmiths' ball。



It seems that Teddy; in due course; remembered the

glove; and when he returned to the house at sunset made

a secret but exhaustive search for it。 Not until evening;

upon the moonlit eastern gallery; did he find it。 It was

upon the hand that he had thought lost to him forever;

and so he was moved to repeat certain nonsense that he

had been commanded never; never to utter again。 Teddy's

fences were down。



This time there was no ambition to stand in the way;

and the wooing was as natural and successful as should

be between ardent shepherd and gentle shepherdess。



The prairies changed to a garden。 The Rancho de las

Sombras became the Ranch of Light。



A few days later Octavia received a letter from Mr。

Bannister; in reply to one she had written to him asking

some questions about her business。 A portion of the

letter ran as follows:



〃I am at a loss to account for your references to the

sheep ranch。 Two months after your departure to take

up your residence upon it; it was discovered that Colonel

Beaupree's title was worthless。 A deed came to light

showing that he disposed of the property before his death。

The matter was reported to your manager; Mr。 Westlake;

who at once repurchad the property。 It is entirely

beyond my powers of conjecture to imagine how you have

remained in ignorance of this fact。 I beg you that will

at once confer with that gentleman; who will; at least;

corroborate my statement。〃



Octavia sought Teddy; with battle in her eye。



〃What are you working on this ranch for?〃 she asked

once more。



〃One hundred  〃 he began to repeat; but saw in her

face that she knew。 She held Mr。 Bannister's letter in

her hand。 He knew that the game was up。



〃It's my ranch;〃 said Teddy; like a schoolboy detected

in evil。 〃It's a mighty poor manager that isn't able to

absorb the boss's business if you give him time。〃



〃Why were you working down here?〃 pursued Octavia

still struggling after the key to the riddle of Teddy。



〃To tell the truth; 'Tave;〃 said Teddy; with quiet

candour; 〃it wasn't for the salary。 That about kept me

in cigars and sunburn lotions。 I was sent south by my

doctor。 'Twas that right lung that was going to the bad

on account of over…exercise and strain at polo and gym…

nastics。 I needed climate and ozone and rest and things

of that sort。〃



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