cressy-第22章

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！



idiotic　mining　ruleswhich；　after　all；　are　binding　only　upon

sentimentand　which　your　success　has　proved　to　be　utterly

impractical？〃



〃There　WAS　another　reason；　Mr。　Ford；〃　said　Uncle　Ben；　wiping　away

an　embarrassed　smile　with　the　back　of　his　hand；　〃that　is；　to　be

square　with　you；　WHY　I　thought　of　consultin'　you。　　I　didn't　keer　to

have　McKinstry；　and〃he　added　hurriedly；　〃in　course　Harrison；　too；

know　that　I　bought　up　the　title　to　thur　boundary。〃



〃I　understand；〃　nodded　the　master。　　〃I　shouldn't　think　you　would。〃



〃Why　shouldn't　ye？〃　asked　Uncle　Ben　quickly。



〃WellI　don't　suppose　you　care　to　quarrel　with　two　passionate

men。〃



Uncle　Ben's　face　changed。　　Presently；　however；　with　his　hand　to　his

face；　he　managed　to　manipulate　another　smile；　only　it　appeared　for

the　purpose　of　being　as　awkwardly　wiped　away。



〃Say　ONE　passionate　man；　Mr。　Ford。〃



〃Well；　one　if　you　like；〃　returned　the　master　cheerfully。　　〃But　for

the　matter　of　that；　why　any？　　Comedo　you　mind　telling　me　why　you

bought　the　land　at　all？　　You　know　it's　of　little　value　to　any　but

McKinstry　and　Harrison。〃



〃Soppose；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　slowly；　with　a　great　affectation　of

wiping　his　ink…spotted　desk　with　his　sleeve；　〃soppose　that　I　had

got　kinder　tired　of　seein'　McKinstry　and　Harrison　allus　fightin'

and　scrimmagin'　over　their　boundary　line。　　Soppose　I　kalkilated

that　it　warn't　the　sort　o'　thing　to　induce　folks　to　settle　here。

Soppose　I　reckoned　that　by　gettin'　the　real　title　in　my　hands　I'd

have　the　deadwood　on　both　o'　them；　and　settle　the　thing　my　own　way；

eh？〃



〃That　certainly　was　a　very　laudable　intention；〃　returned　Mr。　Ford；

observing　Uncle　Ben　curiously；　〃and　from　what　you　said　just　now

about　one　passionate　man；　I　suppose　you　have　determined　already　WHO

to　favor。　　I　hope　your　public　spirit　will　be　appreciated　by　Indian

Spring　at　leastif　it　isn't　by　those　two　men。〃



〃You　lay　low　and　keep　dark　and　you'll　see；〃　returned　his　companion

with　a　hopefulness　of　speech　which　his　somewhat　anxious　eagerness

however　did　not　quite　bear　out。　　〃But　you're　not　goin'　yet；

surely；〃　he　added；　as　the　master　again　absently　consulted　his

watch。　　〃It's　on'y　half　past　four。　　It's　true　thar　ain't　any　more

to　tell；〃　he　added　simply；　〃but　I　had　an　idea　that　you　might　hev

took　to　this　yer　little　story　of　mine　more　than　you　'pear　to　be；

and　might　be　askin'　questions　and　kinder　bedevlin'　me　with　jokes　ez

to　what　I　was　goin'　to　doand　all　that。　　But　p'raps　it　don't　seem

so　wonderful　to　you　arter　all。　　Come　to　think　of　itsquarely　now；〃

he　said；　with　a　singular　despondency；　〃I'm　rather　sick　of　it

myselfeh？〃



〃My　dear　old　boy；〃　said　Ford；　grasping　both　his　hands；　with　a　swift

revulsion　of　shame　at　his　own　utterly　selfish　abstraction；　〃I　am

overjoyed　at　your　good　luck。　　More　than　that；　I　can　say　honestly；

old　fellow；　that　it　couldn't　have　fallen　in　more　worthy　hands；　or

to　any　one　whose　good　fortune　would　have　pleased　me　more。　　There！

And　if　I've　been　slow　and　stupid　in　taking　it　in；　it　is　because

it's　so　wonderful；　so　like　a　fairy　tale　of　virtue　rewardedas　if

you　were　a　kind　of　male　Cinderella；　old　man！〃　　He　had　no　intention

of　lyinghe　had　no　belief　that　he　was：　he　had　only　forgotten　that

his　previous　impressions　and　hesitations　had　arisen　from　the　very

fact　that　he　DID　doubt　the　consistency　of　the　story　with　his　belief

in　Uncle　Ben's　weakness。　　But　he　thought　himself　now　so　sincere

that　the　generous　reader；　who　no　doubt　is　ready　to　hail　the　perfect

equity　of　his　neighbor's　good　luck；　will　readily　forgive　him。



In　the　plenitude　of　this　sincerity；　Ford　threw　himself　at　full

length　on　one　of　the　long　benches；　and　with　a　gesture　invited　Uncle

Ben　to　make　himself　equally　at　his　ease。　　〃Come；〃　he　said　with

boyish　gayety；　〃let's　hear　your　plans；　old　man。　　To　begin　with；

who's　to　share　them　with　you？　　Of　course　there　are　'the　old　folks

at　home'　first；　then　you　have　brothersand　perhaps　sisters？〃　　He

stopped　and　glanced　with　a　smile　at　Uncle　Ben；　the　idea　of　there

being　a　possible　female　of　his　species　struck　his　fancy。



Uncle　Ben；　who　had　hitherto　always　exercised　a　severe　restraint

partly　from　respect　and　partly　from　cautionover　his　long　limbs　in

the　school…house；　here　slowly　lifted　one　leg　over　another　bench；

and　sat　himself　astride　of　it；　leaning　forward　on　his　elbow；　his

chin　resting　between　his　hands。



〃As　far　as　the　old　folks　goes；　Mr。　Ford；　I'm　a　kind　of　an　orphan。〃



〃A　KIND　of　orphan？〃　echoed　Ford。



〃Yes；〃　said　Uncle　Ben；　leaning　heavily　on　his　chin；　so　that　the

action　of　his　jaws　with　the　enunciation　of　each　word　slightly

jerked　his　head　forward　as　if　he　were　imparting　confidential

information　to　the　bench　before　him。　　〃Yes；　that　is；　you　see；　I'm

all　right　ez　far　as　the　old　man　goesHE'S　dead；　died　way　back　in

Mizzouri。　　But　ez　to　my　mother；　it's　sorter　betwixt　and　between

kinder　unsartain。　　You　see；　Mr。　Ford；　she　went　off　with　a　city

felleran　entire　stranger　to　meafore　the　old　man　died；　and

that's　wot　broke　up　my　schoolin'。　　Now　whether　she's　here；　there；

or　yon；　can't　be　found　out；　though　Squire　Tompkins　allowedand　he

were　a　lawyerthat　the　old　man　could　get　a　divorce　if　he　wanted；

and　that　you　see　would　make　me　a　whole　orphan；　ef　I　keerd　to　prove

title；　ez　the　lawyers　say。　　Wellthut　sorter　lets　the　old　folks

out。　　Then　my　brother　was　onc't　drowned　in　the　North　Platt；　and　I

never　had　any　sisters。　　That　don't　leave　much　family　for　plannin'

aboutdoes　it？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　master　reflectively；　gazing　at　Uncle　Ben；　〃unless

you　avail　yourself　of　your　advantages　now　and　have　one　of　your　own。

I　suppose　now　that　you　are　rich；　you'll　marry。〃



Uncle　Ben　slightly　changed　his　position；　and　then　with　his　finger

and　thumb　began　to　apparently　feed　himself　with　certain　crumbs

which　had　escaped　from　the　children's　luncheon…baskets　and　were

still　lying　on　the　bench。　　Intent　on　this　occupation　and　without

raising　his　eyes　to　the　master；　he　returned　slowly；　〃Well；　you　see；

I'm　sorter　married　already。〃



The　master　sat　up　quickly。



〃What；　YOU　marriednow？〃



〃Well；　perhaps　that's　a　question。　　It's　a　good　deal　like　my　beein'

an　orphanoncertain　and　onsettled。〃　　He　paused　to　pursue　an

evasive　crumb　to　the　end　of　the　bench　and　having　captured　it；　went

on：　〃It　was　when　I　was　younger　than　you　be；　and　she　warn't　very　old

neither。　　But　she　knew　a　heap　more　than　I　did；　and　ez　to　readin'

and　writin'；　she　was　thar；　I　tell　you；　every　time。　　You'd　hev

admired　to　see　her；　Mr。　Ford。〃　　As　he　paused　here　as　if　he　had

exhausted　the　subject；　the　master　said　impatiently；　〃Well；　where　is

she　now？〃



Uncle　Ben　shook　his　head　slowly。　　〃I　ain't　seen　her　sens　I　left

Mizzouri；　goin'　on　five　years　ago。〃



〃But　why　haven't　you？　　What　was　the　matter？〃　persisted　the　master。



〃Wellyou　seeI　runned　away。　　Not　SHE；　you　know；　but　II

scooted；　skedaddled　out　here。〃



〃But　what　for？〃　asked　the　master；　regarding　Uncle　Ben　with　hopeless

wonder。　　〃Something　must　have　happened。　　What　was　it？　　Was　she〃



〃She　WAS　a　good　schollard；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　gravely；　〃and　allowed　to

be　sech；　by　all。　　She　stood　about　so　high；〃　he　continued；　indicating

with　his　hand　a　medium　height。　　〃War　little　and　dark　complected。〃



〃But　you　must　have　had　some　reason　for　leaving　her？〃



〃I've　sometimes　had　an　idea；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　cautiously；　〃that

mebbee　runnin'　away　ran　in　some　fam'lies。　　Now；　there　war　my　mother

run　off　with　an　entire　stranger；　and　yer's　me　ez　run　off　by　myself。

And　what　makes　it　the　more　one…like　is　that　jest　as　dad　allus

allowed　he　could　get　a　devorce　agin　mother；　so　my　wife　could　hev

got　one　agin　me　for　leavin'　her。　　And　it's　almost　an　evenhanded

game　that　she　hez。　　It's　there　where　the　oncertainty　comes　in。〃



〃But　are　you　satisfied　to　remain　in　this　doubt？　or　do　you　propose；

now　that　you　are　able；　to　institute　a　thorough　search　for　her？〃



〃I　was　kalkilatin'　to　look　around　a　little；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　simply。



〃And　retur