cressy-第1章

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Cressy



by　Bret　Harte







CHAPTER　I。





As　the　master　of　the　Indian　Spring　school　emerged　from　the　pine

woods　into　the　little　clearing　before　the　schoolhouse；　he　stopped

whistling；　put　his　hat　less　jauntily　on　his　head；　threw　away　some

wild　flowers　he　had　gathered　on　his　way；　and　otherwise　assumed　the

severe　demeanor　of　his　profession　and　his　mature　agewhich　was　at

least　twenty。　　Not　that　he　usually　felt　this　an　assumption；　it　was

a　firm　conviction　of　his　serious　nature　that　he　impressed　others；

as　he　did　himself；　with　the　blended　austerity　and　ennui　of　deep　and

exhausted　experience。



The　building　which　was　assigned　to　him　and　his　flock　by　the　Board

of　Education　of　Tuolumne　County；　California；　had　been　originally　a

church。　　It　still　bore　a　faded　odor　of　sanctity；　mingled；　however；

with　a　later　and　slightly　alcoholic　breath　of　political　discussion；

the　result　of　its　weekly　occupation　under　the　authority　of　the

Board　as　a　Tribune　for　the　enunciation　of　party　principles　and

devotion　to　the　Liberties　of　the　People。　　There　were　a　few　dog…

eared　hymn…books　on　the　teacher's　desk；　and　the　blackboard　but

imperfectly　hid　an　impassioned　appeal　to　the　citizens　of　Indian

Spring　to　〃Rally〃　for　Stebbins　as　Supervisor。　　The　master　had　been

struck　with　the　size　of　the　black　type　in　which　this　placard　was

printed；　and　with　a　shrewd　perception　of　its　value　to　the　round

wandering　eyes　of　his　smaller　pupils；　allowed　it　to　remain　as　a

pleasing　example　of　orthography。　　Unfortunately；　although

subdivided　and　spelt　by　them　in　its　separate　letters　with　painful

and　perfect　accuracy；　it　was　collectively　known　as　〃Wally；〃　and　its

general　import　productive　of　vague　hilarity。



Taking　a　large　key　from　his　pocket；　the　master　unlocked　the　door

and　threw　it　open；　stepping　back　with　a　certain　precaution　begotten

of　his　experience　in　once　finding　a　small　but　sociable　rattlesnake

coiled　up　near　the　threshold。　　A　slight　disturbance　which　followed

his　intrusion　showed　the　value　of　that　precaution；　and　the　fact

that　the　room　had　been　already　used　for　various　private　and

peaceful　gatherings　of　animated　nature。　　An　irregular　attendance　of

yellow…birds　and　squirrels　dismissed　themselves　hurriedly　through

the　broken　floor　and　windows；　but　a　golden　lizard；　stiffened

suddenly　into　stony　fright　on　the　edge　of　an　open　arithmetic；

touched　the　heart　of　the　master　so　strongly　by　its　resemblance　to

some　kept…in　and　forgotten　scholar　who　had　succumbed　over　the　task

he　could　not　accomplish；　that　he　was　seized　with　compunction。



Recovering　himself；　and　re…establishing；　as　it　were；　the　decorous

discipline　of　the　room　by　clapping　his　hands　and　saying　〃Sho！〃　he

passed　up　the　narrow　aisle　of　benches；　replacing　the　forgotten

arithmetic；　and　picking　up　from　the　desks　here　and　there　certain

fragmentary　pieces　of　plaster　and　crumbling　wood　that　had　fallen

from　the　ceiling；　as　if　this　grove　of　Academus　had　been　shedding

its　leaves　overnight。　　When　he　reached　his　own　desk　he　lifted　the

lid　and　remained　for　some　moments　motionless；　gazing　into　it。　　His

apparent　meditation　however　was　simply　the　combined　reflection　of

his　own　features　in　a　small　pocket…mirror　in　its　recesses　and　a

perplexing　doubt　in　his　mind　whether　the　sacrifice　of　his　budding

moustache　was　not　essential　to　the　professional　austerity　of　his

countenance。　　But　he　was　presently　aware　of　the　sound　of　small

voices；　light　cries；　and　brief　laughter　scattered　at　vague　and

remote　distances　from　the　schoolhousenot　unlike　the　birds　and

squirrels　he　had　just　dispossessed。　　He　recognized　by　these　signs

that　it　was　nine　o'clock；　and　his　scholars　were　assembling。



They　came　in　their　usual　desultory　fashionthe　fashion　of　country

school…children　the　world　overirregularly；　spasmodically；　and

always　as　if　accidentally；　a　few　hand…in…hand；　others　driven　ahead

of　or　dropped　behind　their　elders；　some　in　straggling　groups　more

or　less　coherent　and　at　times　only　connected　by　far…off　intermediate

voices　scattered　on　a　space　of　half　a　mile；　but　never　quite　alone；

always　preoccupied　by　something　else　than　the　actual　business　on

hand；　appearing　suddenly　from　ditches；　behind　trunks；　and　between

fence…rails；　cropping　up　in　unexpected　places　along　the　road　after

vague　and　purposeless　detoursseemingly　going　anywhere　and

everywhere　but　to　school！　　So　unlooked…for；　in　fact；　was　their　final

arrival　that　the　master；　who　had　a　few　moments　before　failed　to

descry　a　single　torn　straw　hat　or　ruined　sun…bonnet　above　his

visible　horizon；　was　always　startled　to　find　them　suddenly　under　his

windows；　as　if；　like　the　birds；　they　had　alighted　from　the　trees。

Nor　was　their　moral　attitude　towards　their　duty　any　the　more　varied；

they　always　arrived　as　if　tired　and　reluctant；　with　a　doubting

sulkiness　that　perhaps　afterwards　beamed　into　a　charming　hypocrisy；

but　invariably　temporizing　with　their　instincts　until　the　last

moment；　and　only　relinquishing　possible　truancy　on　the　very

threshold。　　Even　after　they　were　marshalled　on　their　usual　benches

they　gazed　at　each　other　every　morning　with　a　perfectly　fresh

astonishment　and　a　daily　recurring　enjoyment　of　some　hidden　joke　in

this　tremendous　rencontre。



It　had　been　the　habit　of　the　master　to　utilize　these　preliminary

vagrancies　of　his　little　flock　by　inviting　them　on　assembling　to

recount　any　interesting　incident　of　their　journey　hither；　or

failing　this；　from　their　not　infrequent　shyness　in　expressing　what

had　secretly　interested　them；　any　event　that　had　occurred　within

their　knowledge　since　they　last　met。　　He　had　done　this；　partly　to

give　them　time　to　recover　themselves　in　that　more　formal　atmosphere；

and　partly；　I　fear；　because；　notwithstanding　his　conscientious

gravity；　it　greatly　amused　him。　　It　also　diverted　them　from　their

usual　round…eyed；　breathless　contemplation　of　himselfa　regular

morning　inspection　which　generally　embraced　every　detail　of　his

dress　and　appearance；　and　made　every　change　or　deviation　the　subject

of　whispered　comment　or　stony　astonishment。　　He　knew　that　they　knew

him　more　thoroughly　than　he　did　himself；　and　shrank　from　the

intuitive　vision　of　these　small　clairvoyants。



〃Well？〃　said　the　master　gravely。



There　was　the　usual　interval　of　bashful　hesitation；　verging　on

nervous　hilarity　or　hypocritical　attention。　　For　the　last　six

months　this　question　by　the　master　had　been　invariably　received

each　morning　as　a　veiled　pleasantry　which　might　lead　to　baleful

information　or　conceal　some　query　out　of　the　dreadful　books　before

him。　　Yet　this　very　element　of　danger　had　its　fascinations。　　Johnny

Filgee；　a　small　boy；　blushed　violently；　and；　without　getting　up；

began　hurriedly　in　a　high　key；　〃Tige　ith　got；〃　and　then　suddenly

subsided　into　a　whisper。



〃Speak　up；　Johnny；〃　said　the　master　encouragingly。



〃Please；　sir；　it　ain't　anythin'　he's　seednor　any　real　news；〃　said

Rupert　Filgee；　his　elder　brother；　rising　with　family　concern　and

frowning　openly　upon　Johnny；　〃it's　jest　his　foolishness；　he　oughter

be　licked。〃　　Finding　himself　unexpectedly　on　his　feet；　and

apparently　at　the　end　of　a　long　speech；　he　colored　also；　and　then

said　hurriedly；　〃Jimmy　SnyderHE　seed　suthin'。　　Ask　HIM！〃　and　sat

downa　recognized　hero。



Every　eye；　including　the　master's；　was　turned　on　Jimmy　Snyder。　　But

that　youthful　observer；　instantly　diving　his　head　and　shoulders

into　his　desk；　remained　there　gurgling　as　if　under　water。　　Two　or

three　nearest　him　endeavored　with　some　struggling　to　bring　him　to

an　intelligible　surface　again。　　The　master　waited　patiently。

Johnny　Filgee　took　advantage　of　the　diversion　to　begin　again　in　a

high　key；　〃Tige　ith　got　thix；〃　and　subsided。



〃Come；　Jimmy；〃　said　the　master；　with　a　touch　of　peremptoriness。

Thus　adjured；　Jimmy　Snyder　came　up　glowingly；　and　bristling　with

full　stops　and　exclamation　points。　　〃Seed　a　black　b'ar　comin'　outer

Daves'　woods；〃　he　said　excitedly。　　〃Nigh　to　me　ez　you　be。　　'N　big

ez　a