cressy-第23章

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



〃And　return　to　her　if　you　find　her？〃　continued　the　master。



〃I　didn't　say　that；　Mr。　Ford。〃



〃But　if　she　hasn't　got　a　divorce　from　you　that's　what　you'll　have

to　do；　and　what　you　ought　to　doif　I　understand　your　story。　　For

by　your　own　showing；　a　more　causeless；　heartless；　and　utterly

inexcusable　desertion　than　yours；　I　never　heard　of。〃



〃Do　you　think　so？〃　said　Uncle　Ben　with　exasperating　simplicity。



〃Do　I　think　so？〃　repeated　Mr。　Ford；　indignantly。　　〃Everybody'll

think　so。　　They　can't　think　otherwise。　　You　say　you　deserted　her；

and　you　admit　she　did　nothing　to　provoke　it。〃



〃No；〃　returned　Uncle　Ben　quickly；　〃nothin'。　　Did　I　tell　you；　Mr。

Ford；　that　she　could　play　the　pianner　and　sing？〃



〃No；〃　said　Mr。　Ford；　curtly；　rising　impatiently　and　crossing　the

room。　　He　was　more　than　half　convinced　that　Uncle　Ben　was　deceiving

him。　　Either　under　the　veil　of　his　hide…bound　simplicity　he　was　an

utterly　selfish；　heartless；　secretive　man；　or　else　he　was　telling

an　idiotic　falsehood。



〃I'm　sorry　I　can　neither　congratulate　you　nor　condole　with　you　on

what　you　have　just　told　me。　　I　cannot　see　that　you　have　the　least

excuse　for　delaying　a　single　moment　to　search　for　your　wife　and

make　amends　for　your　conduct。　　And　if　you　want　my　opinion　it

strikes　me　as　being　a　much　more　honorable　way　of　employing　your　new

riches　than　mediating　in　your　neighbors'　squabbles。　　But　it's

getting　late　and　I'm　afraid　we　must　bring　our　talk　to　an　end。　　I

hope　you'll　think　this　over　before　we　meet　againand　think

differently。〃



Nevertheless；　as　they　both　left　the　schoolhouse；　Mr。　Ford　lingered

over　the　locking　of　the　door　to　give　Uncle　Ben　a　final　chance　for

further　explanation。　　But　none　came。　　The　new　capitalist　of　Indian

Spring　regarded　him　with　an　intensification　of　his　usual　half　sad；

half　embarrassed　smile；　and　only　said：　〃You　understand　this　yer's　a

secret；　Mr。　Ford？〃



〃Certainly；〃　said　Ford　with　ill…concealed　irritation。



〃'Bout　my　bein'　sorter　married？〃



〃Don't　be　alarmed；〃　he　responded　dryly；　〃it's　not　a　taking　story。〃



They　separated；　Uncle　Ben；　more　than　ever　involved　in　his　usual

unsatisfactory　purposes；　wending　his　way　towards　his　riches；　the

master　lingering　to　observe　his　departure　before　he　plunged；　in

virtuous　superiority；　into　the　woods　that　fringed　the　Harrison　and

McKinstry　boundaries。





CHAPTER　VIII。





The　religious　attitude　which　Mrs。　McKinstry　had　assumed　towards　her

husband's　weak　civilized　tendencies　was　not　entirely　free　from

human　rancor。　　That　strong　loyal　nature　which　had　unsexed　itself

in　the　one　idea　of　duty；　now　that　duty　seemed　to　be　no　longer

appreciated　took　refuge　in　her　forgotten　womanhood　and　in　the

infinitesimally　small　arguments；　resources；　and　manoeuvres　at　its

command。　　She　had　conceived　a　singular　jealousy　of　this　daughter

who　had　changed　her　husband's　nature；　and　who　had　supplanted　the

traditions　of　the　household　life；　she　had　acquired　an　exaggerated

depreciation　of　those　feminine　charms　which　had　never　been　a　factor

in　her　own　domestic　happiness。　　She　saw　in　her　husband's　desire　to

mitigate　the　savage　austerities　of　their　habits　only　a　weak

concession　to　the　powers　of　beauty　and　adornmentdegrading

vanities　she　had　never　known　in　their　life…long　struggle　for

frontier　supremacythat　had　never　brought　them　victorious　out　of

that　struggle。　　〃Frizzles；〃　〃furblows；〃　and　〃fancy　fixin's〃　had

never　helped　them　in　their　exodus　across　the　plains；　had　never

taken　the　place　of　swift　eyes；　quick　ears；　strong　hands；　and

endurance；　had　never　nursed　the　sick　or　bandaged　the　wounded。　　When

envy　or　jealousy　invades　the　female　heart　after　forty　it　is　apt　to

bring　a　bitterness　which　knows　no　attenuating　compensation　in　that

coquetry；　emulation；　passionate　appeal；　or　innocent　tenderness；

which　makes　tolerable　the　jealous　caprices　of　the　younger　woman。

The　struggle　for　rivalry　is　felt　to　be　hopeless；　the　power　of

imitation　is　gone。　　Of　her　forgotten　womanhood　Mrs。　McKinstry

revived　only　a　capacity　to　suffer　meanly　and　inflict　mean　suffering

upon　others。　　In　the　ruined　castle　of　her　youth；　and　the　falling　in

of　banqueting　hall　and　bower；　the　dungeon　and　torture…chamber

appeared　to　have　been　left；　or；　to　use　her　own　metaphor；　she　had

querulously　complained　to　the　parson　that；　〃Accordin'　to　some

folks；　she　mout　hev　bin　the　barren　fig…tree　e…lected　to　bear

persimmums。〃



Her　methods　were　not　entirely　different　from　those　employed　by　her

suffering　sisterhood　in　like　emergencies。　　The　unlucky　Hiram；

〃worrited　by　stock；〃　was　hardly　placated　or　consoled　by　learning

from　her　that　it　was　only　the　result　of　his　own　weakness；　acting

upon　the　'cussedness　of　the　stock…dispersing　Harrisons；　the

perplexity　into　which　he　was　thrown　by　the　news　of　the　new　legal

claim　to　his　land　was　not　soothed　by　the　suggestion　that　it　was　a

trick　of　that　Yankee　civilization　to　which　he　was　meanly　succumbing。

She　who　had　always　been　a　rough　but　devoted　nurse　in　sickness　was

now　herself　overtaken　by　vague　irregular　disorders　which　involved

the　greatest　care　and　the　absence　of　all　exciting　causes。　　The

attendance　of　McKinstry　and　Cressy　at　a　〃crazy　quilting　party〃　had

brought　on　〃blind　chills；〃　the　importation　of　a　melodeon　for　Cressy

to　play　on　had　superinduced　an　〃innerd　rash；〃　and　a　threatened

attack　of　〃palsy　creeps〃　had　only　been　warded　off　by　the　timely

postponement　of　an　evening　party　suggested　by　her　daughter。　　The　old

nomadic　instinct；　morbidly　excited　by　her　discontent；　caused　her　to

lay　artful　plans　for　a　further　emigration。　　She　knew　she　had　the

germs　of　〃mash　fever〃　caught　from　the　adjacent　river；　she　related

mysterious　information；　gathered　in　〃class　meeting；〃　of　the　superior

facilities　for　stock　raising　on　the　higher　foot…hills；　she

resuscitated　her　dead　and　gone　Missouri　relations　in　her　daily

speech；　to　a　manifest　invidious　comparison　with　the　living；　she

revived　even　the　incidents　of　her　early　married　life　with　the　same

baleful　intent。　　The　acquisition　of　a　few　〃biled　shirts〃　by　Hiram

for　festive　appearances　with　Cressy　painfully　reminded　her　that　he

had　married　her　in　〃hickory；〃　she　further　accented　the　change　by

herself　appearing　in　her　oldest　clothes；　on　the　hypothesis　that　it

was　necessary　for　some　one　to　keep　up　the　traditions　of　the　past。



Her　attitude　towards　Cressy　would　have　been　more　decided　had　she

ever　possessed　the　slightest　influence　over　her；　or　had　even

understood　her　with　the　intuitive　sympathies　of　the　maternal

relations。　　Yet　she　went　so　far　as　to　even　openly　regret　the

breaking　off　of　the　match　with　Seth　Davis；　whose　family；　at　least；

still　retained　the　habits　and　traditions　she　revered；　but　she　was

promptly　silenced　by　her　husband　informing　her　that　words　〃that　had

to　be　tuk　back〃　had　already　passed　between　him　and　Seth's　father；

and　that；　according　to　those　same　traditions；　blood　was　more　likely

to　be　spilled　than　mingled。　　Whether　she　was　only　withheld　from

attempting　a　reconciliation　herself　through　lack　of　tact　and

opportunity　remains　to　be　seen。　　For　the　present　she　encouraged

Masters's　attentions　under　a　new　and　vague　idea　that　a　flirtation

which　distracted　Cressy　from　her　studies　was　displeasing　to

McKinstry　and　inimical　to　his　plans。　　Blindly　ignorant　of　Mr。

Ford's　possible　relations　to　her　daughter；　and　suspecting　nothing；

she　felt　towards　him　only　a　dull　aversion　as　being　the　senseless

pivot　of　her　troubles。　　Seeing　no　one；　and　habitually　closing　her

ears　to　any　family　allusion　to　Cressy's　social　triumphs；　she　was

unaware　of　even　the　popular　admiration　their　memorable　waltz　had

excited。



On　the　morning　of　the　day　that　Uncle　Ben　had　confided　to　the　master

his　ingenious　plan　for　settling　the　boundary　disputes；　the　barking

of　McKinstry's　yellow　dog　announced　the　approach　of　a　stranger　to

the　ranch。　　It　proved　to　be　Mr。　Staceynot　only　as　dazzl