贝壳电子书 > 英文原著电子书 > the silverado squatters >

第13章

the silverado squatters-第13章

小说: the silverado squatters 字数: 每页4000字

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!




he was a perfect; unoffending gentleman in word and act。  

Take his clay pipe from him; and he was fit for any society 

but that of fools。  Quiet as he was; there burned a deep; 

permanent excitement in his dark blue eyes; and when this 

grave man smiled; it was like sunshine in a shady place。



Mrs。 Hanson (NEE; if you please; Lovelands) was more 

commonplace than her lord。  She was a comely woman; too; 

plump; fair…coloured; with wonderful white teeth; and in her 

print dresses (chosen by Rufe) and with a large sun…bonnet 

shading her valued complexion; made; I assure you; a very 

agreeable figure。  But she was on the surface; what there was 

of her; out…spoken and loud…spoken。  Her noisy laughter had 

none of the charm of one of Hanson's rare; slow…spreading 

smiles; there was no reticence; no mystery; no manner about 

the woman:  she was a first…class dairymaid; but her husband 

was an unknown quantity between the savage and the nobleman。  

She was often in and out with us; merry; and healthy; and 

fair; he came far seldomer … only; indeed; when there was 

business; or now and again; to pay a visit of ceremony; 

brushed up for the occasion; with his wife on his arm; and a 

clean clay pipe in his teeth。  These visits; in our forest 

state; had quite the air of an event; and turned our red 

canyon into a salon。



Such was the pair who ruled in the old Silverado Hotel; among 

the windy trees; on the mountain shoulder overlooking the 

whole length of Napa Valley; as the man aloft looks down on 

the ship's deck。  There they kept house; with sundry horses 

and fowls; and a family of sons; Daniel Webster; and I think 

George Washington; among the number。  Nor did they want 

visitors。  An old gentleman; of singular stolidity; and 

called Breedlove … I think he had crossed the plains in the 

same caravan with Rufe … housed with them for awhile during 

our stay; and they had besides a permanent lodger; in the 

form of Mrs。 Hanson's brother; Irvine Lovelands。  I spell 

Irvine by guess; for I could get no information on the 

subject; just as I could never find out; in spite of many 

inquiries; whether or not Rufe was a contraction for Rufus。  

They were all cheerfully at sea about their names in that 

generation。  And this is surely the more notable where the  

names are all so strange; and even the family names appear to 

have been coined。  At one time; at least; the ancestors of 

all these Alvins and Alvas; Loveinas; Lovelands; and 

Breedloves; must have taken serious council and found a 

certain poetry in these denominations; that must have been; 

then; their form of literature。  But still times change; and 

their next descendants; the George Washingtons and Daniel 

Websters; will at least be clear upon the point。  And anyway; 

and however his name should be spelt; this Irvine Lovelands 

was the most unmitigated Caliban I ever knew。



Our very first morning at Silverado; when we were full of 

business; patching up doors and windows; making beds and 

seats; and getting our rough lodging into shape; Irvine and 

his sister made their appearance together; she for 

neighbourliness and general curiosity; he; because he was 

working for me; to my sorrow; cutting firewood at I forget 

how much a day。  The way that he set about cutting wood was 

characteristic。  We were at that moment patching up and 

unpacking in the kitchen。  Down he sat on one side; and down 

sat his sister on the other。  Both were chewing pine…tree 

gum; and he; to my annoyance; accompanied that simple 

pleasure with profuse expectoration。  She rattled away; 

talking up hill and down dale; laughing; tossing her head; 

showing her brilliant teeth。  He looked on in silence; now 

spitting heavily on the floor; now putting his head back and 

uttering a loud; discordant; joyless laugh。  He had a tangle 

of shock hair; the colour of wool; his mouth was a grin; 

although as strong as a horse; he looked neither heavy nor 

yet adroit; only leggy; coltish; and in the road。  But it was 

plain he was in high spirits; thoroughly enjoying his visit; 

and he laughed frankly whenever we failed to accomplish what 

we were about。  This was scarcely helpful:  it was even; to 

amateur carpenters; embarrassing; but it lasted until we 

knocked off work and began to get dinner。  Then Mrs。 Hanson 

remembered she should have been gone an hour ago; and the 

pair retired; and the lady's laughter died away among the 

nutmegs down the path。  That was Irvine's first day's work in 

my employment … the devil take him!



The next morning he returned and; as he was this time alone; 

he bestowed his conversation upon us with great liberality。  

He prided himself on his intelligence; asked us if we knew 

the school ma'am。  HE didn't think much of her; anyway。  He 

had tried her; he had。  He had put a question to her。  If a 

tree a hundred feet high were to fall a foot a day; how long 

would it take to fall right down?  She had not been able to 

solve the problem。  〃She don't know nothing;〃 he opined。  He 

told us how a friend of his kept a school with a revolver; 

and chuckled mightily over that; his friend could teach 

school; he could。  All the time he kept chewing gum and 

spitting。  He would stand a while looking down; and then he 

would toss back his shock of hair; and laugh hoarsely; and 

spit; and bring forward a new subject。  A man; he told us; 

who bore a grudge against him; had poisoned his dog。  〃That 

was a low thing for a man to do now; wasn't it?  It wasn't 

like a man; that; nohow。  But I got even with him:  I pisoned 

HIS dog。〃  His clumsy utterance; his rude embarrassed manner; 

set a fresh value on the stupidity of his remarks。  I do not 

think I ever appreciated the meaning of two words until I 

knew Irvine … the verb; loaf; and the noun; oaf; between 

them; they complete his portrait。  He could lounge; and 

wriggle; and rub himself against the wall; and grin; and be 

more in everybody's way than any other two people that I ever 

set my eyes on。  Nothing that he did became him; and yet you 

were conscious that he was one of your own race; that his 

mind was cumbrously at work; revolving the problem of 

existence like a quid of gum; and in his own cloudy manner 

enjoying life; and passing judgment on his fellows。  Above 

all things; he was delighted with himself。  You would not 

have thought it; from his uneasy manners and troubled; 

struggling utterance; but he loved himself to the marrow; and 

was happy and proud like a peacock on a rail。



His self…esteem was; indeed; the one joint in his harness。  

He could be got to work; and even kept at work; by flattery。  

As long as my wife stood over him; crying out how strong he 

was; so long exactly he would stick to the matter in hand; 

and the moment she turned her back; or ceased to praise him; 

he would stop。  His physical strength was wonderful; and to 

have a woman stand by and admire his achievements; warmed his 

heart like sunshine。  Yet he was as cowardly as he was 

powerful; and felt no shame in owning to the weakness。  

Something was once wanted from the crazy platform over the 

shaft; and he at once refused to venture there … 〃did not 

like;〃 as he said; 〃foolen' round them kind o' places;〃 and 

let my wife go instead of him; looking on with a grin。  

Vanity; where it rules; is usually more heroic:  but Irvine 

steadily approved himself; and expected others to approve 

him; rather looked down upon my wife; and decidedly expected 

her to look up to him; on the strength of his superior 

prudence。



Yet the strangest part of the whole matter was perhaps this; 

that Irvine was as beautiful as a statue。  His features were; 

in themselves; perfect; it was only his cloudy; uncouth; and 

coarse expression that disfigured them。  So much strength 

residing in so spare a frame was proof sufficient of the 

accuracy of his shape。  He must have be

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的