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第30章

cressy-第30章

小说: cressy 字数: 每页4000字

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thoughts; nor prevent him from detecting a singular occurrence。

The nearly level sun was; after its old fashion; already hanging

the shadowed tassels of the pine boughs like a garland on the wall。

But the shadow seemed to have suddenly grown larger and more

compact; and he turned; with a quick consciousness of some

interposing figure at the pane。  Nothing however was to be seen。

Yet so impressed had he been that he walked to the door and stepped

from the porch to discover the intruder。  The clearing was

deserted; there was a slight rustling in the adjacent laurels; but

no human being was visible。  Nevertheless the old feeling of

security and isolation which had never been quite the same since

Mr。 McKinstry's confession; seemed now to have fled the sylvan

school…house altogether; and he somewhat angrily closed his desk;

locked it; and determined to go home。



His way lay through the first belt of pines towards the mining…

flat; but to…day from some vague impulse he turned and followed the

ridge。  He had not proceeded far when he perceived Rupert Filgee

lounging before him on the trail; and at a little distance further

on his brother Johnny。  At the sight of these two favorite pupils

Mr。 Ford's heart smote him with a consciousness that he had of late

neglected them; possibly because Rupert's lofty scorn of the

〃silly〃 sex was not as amusing to him as formerly; and possibly

because Johnny's curiosity had been at times obtrusive。  He however

quickened his pace and joined Rupert; laying his hand familiarly as

of old on his shoulder。  To his surprise the boy received his

advances with some constraint and awkwardness; glancing uneasily in

the direction of Johnny。  A sudden idea crossed Mr。 Ford's mind。



〃Were you looking for me at the schoolroom just now?〃



〃No; sir。〃



〃You didn't look in at the window to see if I was there?〃 continued

the master。



〃No; sir。〃



The master glanced at Rupert。  Truth…telling was a part of Rupert's

truculent temper; although; as the boy had often bitterly remarked;

it had always 〃told agin' him。〃



〃All right;〃 said the master; perfectly convinced。  〃It must have

been my fancy; but I thought somebody looked inor passed by the

window。〃



But here Johnny; who had overheard the dialogue and approached

them; suddenly threw himself upon his brother's unoffending legs

and commenced to beat and pull them about with unintelligible

protests。  Rupert; without looking down; said quietly; 〃Quit that

nowI won't; I tell ye;〃 and went through certain automatic

movements of dislodging Johnny as if he were a mere impeding puppy。



〃What's the matter; Johnny?〃 said the master; to whom these

gyrations were not unfamiliar。



Johnny only replied by a new grip of his brother's trousers。



〃Well; sir;〃 said Rupert; slightly recovering his dimples and his

readiness; 〃Johnny; yer; wants me to tell ye something。  Ef he

wasn't the most original self…cocking; God…forsaken liar in Injin

Springef he didn't lie awake in his crib mornin's to invent lies

fer the day; I wouldn't mind tellin' ye; and would hev told you

before。  However; since you ask; and since you think you saw

somebody around the school…house; Johnny yer allows that Seth Davis

is spyin' round and followin' ye wherever you go; and he dragged me

down yer to see it。  He says he saw him doggin' ye。〃



〃With a knife and pithtolth;〃 added Johnny's boundless imagination;

to the detriment of his limited facts。



Mr。 Ford looked keenly from the one to the other; but rather with a

suspicion that they were cognizant of his late fracas than belief

in the truth of Johnny's statement。



〃And what do YOU think of it; Rupert?〃 he asked carelessly。



I think; sir;〃 said Rupert; 〃that allowin'for onctthat Johnny

ain't lying; mebbee it's Cressy McKinstry that Seth's huntin'

round; and knowin' that she's always runnin' after you〃he

stopped; and reddening with a newborn sense that his fatal

truthfulness had led him into a glaring indelicacy towards the

master; hurriedly added: 〃I mean; sir; that mebbee it's Uncle Ben

he's jealous of; now that he's got rich enough for Cressy to hev

him; and knowin' he comes to school in the afternoon perhaps〃



〃'Tain't either!〃 broke in Johnny promptly。  〃Theth's over ther

beyond the thchool; and Crethy's eatin' ithecream at the bakerth

with Uncle Ben。〃



〃Well; suppose she is; Seth don't know it; silly!〃 answered Rupert;

sharply。  Then more politely to the master: 〃That's it!  Seth has

seen Uncle Ben gallivanting with Cressy and thinks he's bringing

her over yer。  Don't you see?〃



The master however did not see but one thing。  The girl who had

only two days ago carelessly left it to him to explain a compromising

situation to her motherthis girl who had precipitated him into a

frontier fight to the peril of his position and her good name; was

calmly eating ices with an available suitor without the least

concern of the past!  The connection was perhaps illogical; but it

was unpleasant。  It was the more awkward from the fact that he

fancied that not only Rupert's beautiful eyes; but even the infant

Johnny's round ones; were fixed upon him with an embarrassed

expression of hesitating and foreboding sympathy。



〃I think Johnny believes what he saysdon't you; Johnny?〃 he

smiled with an assumption of cheerful ease; 〃but I see no necessity

just yet for binding Seth Davis over to keep the peace。  Tell me

about yourself; Rupe。  I hope Uncle Ben doesn't think of changing

his young tutor with his good fortune?〃



〃No; sir;〃 returned Rupert brightening; 〃he promises to take me to

Sacramento with him as his private secretary or confidential clerk;

you know; efef〃he hesitated again with very un…Rupert…like

caution; 〃ef things go as he wants 'em。〃  He stopped awkwardly and

his brown eyes became clouded。  〃Like ez not; Mr。 Ford; he's only

foolin' meandHIMSELF。〃  The boy's eyes sought the master's

curiously。



〃I don't know about that;〃 returned Mr。 Ford uneasily; with a

certain recollection of Uncle Ben's triumph over his own

incredulity; 〃he surely hasn't shown himself a fool or a boaster so

far。  I consider your prospect a very fair one; and I wish you joy

of it; my boy。〃  He ran his fingers through Rupert's curls in his

old caressing fashion; the more tenderly perhaps that he fancied he

still saw symptoms of stormy and wet weather in the boy's brown

eyes。  〃Run along home; both of you; and don't worry yourselves

about me。〃



He turned away; but had scarcely proceeded half a dozen yards

before he felt a tug at his coat。  Looking down he saw the

diminutive Johnny。  〃They'll be comin' home thith way;〃 he said;

reaching up in a hoarse confidential whisper。



〃Who?〃



〃Crethy and 'im。〃



But before the master could make any response to this presumably

gratifying information; Johnny had rejoined his brother。  The two

boys waved their hands towards him with the same diffident and

mysterious sympathy that left him hesitating between a smile and a

frown。  Then he proceeded on his way。  Nevertheless; for no other

reason than that he felt a sudden distaste to meeting any one; when

he reached the point where the trail descended directly to the

settlement; he turned into a longer and more solitary detour by the

woods。



The sun was already so low that its long rays pierced the forest

from beneath; and suffused the dim colonnade of straight pine

shafts with a golden haze; while it left the dense intercrossed

branches fifty feet above in deeper shadow。  Walking in this yellow

twilight; with his feet noiselessly treading down the yielding

carpet of pine needles; it seemed to the master that he was passing

through the woods in a dream。  There was no sound but the dull

intermittent double knock of the wood…pecker; or the drowsy croak

of some early roosting bird; all suggestion of the settlement; with

all traces of human contiguity; were left far beh

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