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cressy-第2章

小说: cressy 字数: 每页4000字

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

ez a hoss; 'n snarlin'! 'n snappin'!like gosh!  Kem alongker

clump torords me。  Reckoned he'd skeer me!  Didn't skeer me worth a

cent。  I heaved a rock at himI did now!〃 (in defiance of murmurs

of derisive comment)〃'n he slid。  Ef he'd kem up furder I'd hev

up with my slate and swotted him over the snootbet your boots!〃



The master here thought fit to interfere; and gravely point out

that the habit of striking bears as large as a horse with a school…

slate was equally dangerous to the slate (which was also the

property of Tuolumne County) and to the striker; and that the verb

〃to swot〃 and the noun substantive 〃snoot〃 were likewise

indefensible; and not to be tolerated。  Thus admonished Jimmy

Snyder; albeit unshaken in his faith in his own courage; sat down。



A slight pause ensued。  The youthful Filgee; taking advantage of

it; opened in a higher key; 〃Tige ith〃but the master's attention

was here diverted by the searching eyes of Octavia Dean; a girl of

eleven; who after the fashion of her sex preferred a personal

recognition of her presence before she spoke。  Succeeding in

catching his eye; she threw back her long hair from her shoulders

with an easy habitual gesture; rose; and with a faint accession of

color said:



〃Cressy McKinstry came home from Sacramento。  Mrs。 McKinstry told

mother she's comin' back here to school。〃



The master looked up with an alacrity perhaps inconsistent with his

cynical austerity。  Seeing the young girl curiously watching him

with an expectant smile; he regretted it。  Cressy McKinstry; who

was sixteen years old; had been one of the pupils he had found at

the school when he first came。  But as he had also found that she

was there in the extraordinary attitude of being 〃engaged〃 to one

Seth Davis; a fellow…pupil of nineteen; and as most of the

courtship was carried on freely and unceremoniously during school…

hours with the full permission of the master's predecessor; the

master had been obliged to point out to the parents of the devoted

couple the embarrassing effects of this association on the

discipline of the school。  The result had been the withdrawal of

the lovers; and possibly the good…will of the parents。  The return

of the young lady was consequently a matter of some significance。

Had the master's protest been accepted; or had the engagement

itself been broken off?



Either was not improbable。  His momentary loss of attention was

Johnny Filgee's great gain。



〃Tige;〃 said Johnny; with sudden and alarming distinctness; 〃ith

got thix pupthsmothly yaller。〃



In the laugh which followed this long withheld announcement of an

increase in the family of Johnny's yellow and disreputable setter

〃Tiger;〃 who usually accompanied him to school and howled outside;

the master joined with marked distinctness。  Then he said; with

equally marked severity; 〃Books!〃  The little levee was ended; and

school began。



It continued for two hours with short sighs; corrugations of small

foreheads; the complaining cries and scratchings of slate pencils

over slates; and other signs of minor anguish among the more

youthful of the flock; and with more or less whisperings; movements

of the lips; and unconscious soliloquy among the older pupils。  The

master moved slowly up and down the aisle with a word of

encouragement or explanation here and there; stopping with his

hands behind him to gaze abstractedly out of the windows to the

wondering envy of the little ones。  A faint hum; as of invisible

insects; gradually pervaded the school; the more persistent droning

of a large bee had become dangerously soporific。  The hot breath of

the pines without had invaded the doors and windows; the warped

shingles and weather…boarding at times creaked and snapped under

the rays of the vertical and unclouded sun。  A gentle perspiration

broke out like a mild epidemic in the infant class; little curls

became damp; brief lashes limp; round eyes moist; and small eyelids

heavy。  The master himself started; and awoke out of a perilous

dream of other eyes and hair to collect himself severely。  For the

irresolute; half…embarrassed; half…lazy figure of a man had halted

doubtingly before the porch and open door。  Luckily the children;

who were facing the master with their backs to the entrance; did

not see it。



Yet the figure was neither alarming nor unfamiliar。  The master at

once recognized it as Ben Dabney; otherwise known as 〃Uncle Ben;〃 a

good…humored but not over…bright miner; who occupied a small cabin

on an unambitious claim in the outskirts of Indian Spring。  His

avuncular title was evidently only an ironical tribute to his

amiable incompetency and heavy good…nature; for he was still a

young man with no family ties; and by reason of his singular

shyness not even a visitor in the few families of the neighborhood。

As the master looked up; he had an irritating recollection that Ben

had been already haunting him for the last two days; alternately

appearing and disappearing in his path to and from school as a more

than usually reserved and bashful ghost。  This; to the master's

cynical mind; clearly indicated that; like most ghosts; he had

something of essentially selfish import to communicate。  Catching

the apparition's half…appealing eye; he proceeded to exorcise it

with a portentous frown and shake of the head; that caused it to

timidly wane and fall away from the porch; only however to reappear

and wax larger a few minutes later at one of the side windows。  The

infant class hailing his appearance as a heaven…sent boon; the

master was obliged to walk to the door and command him sternly

away; when; retreating to the fence; he mounted the uppermost rail;

and drawing a knife from his pocket; cut a long splinter from the

rail; and began to whittle it in patient and meditative silence。

But when recess was declared; and the relieved feelings of the

little flock had vent in the clearing around the schoolhouse; the

few who rushed to the spot found that Uncle Ben had already

disappeared。  Whether the appearance of the children was too

inconsistent with his ghostly mission; or whether his heart failed

him at the last moment; the master could not determine。  Yet;

distasteful as the impending interview promised to be; the master

was vaguely and irritatingly disappointed。



A few hours later; when school was being dismissed; the master

found Octavia Dean lingering near his desk。  Looking into the

girl's mischievous eyes; he good…humoredly answered their

expectation by referring to her morning's news。  〃I thought Miss

McKinstry had been married by this time;〃 he said carelessly。



Octavia; swinging her satchel like a censer; as if she were

performing some act of thurification over her completed tasks;

replied demurely: 〃Oh no! dear nonot THAT。〃



〃So it would seem;〃 said the master。



〃I reckon she never kalkilated to; either;〃 continued Octavia;

slyly looking up from the corner of her lashes。



〃Indeed!〃



〃Noshe was just funning with Seth Davisthat's all。〃



〃Funning with him?〃



〃Yes; sir。  Kinder foolin' him; you know。〃



〃Kinder foolin' him!〃



For an instant the master felt it his professional duty to protest

against this most unmaidenly and frivolous treatment of the

matrimonial engagement; but a second glance at the significant face

of his youthful auditor made him conclude that her instinctive

knowledge of her own sex could be better trusted than his imperfect

theories。  He turned towards his desk without speaking。  Octavia

gave an extra swing to her satchel; tossing it over her shoulder

with a certain small coquettishness and moved towards the door。  As

she did so the infant Filgee from the safe vantage of the porch

where he had lingered was suddenly impelled to a crowning audacity!

As if struck with an original idea; but apparently addressing

himself to space; he cri

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