cressy-第31章

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

all　traces　of　human　contiguity；　were　left　far　behind。　　It　was

therefore　with　a　strange　and　nervous　sense　of　being　softly　hailed

by　some　woodland　sprite　that　he　seemed　to　hear　his　own　name　faintly

wafted　upon　the　air。　　He　turned　quickly；　it　was　Cressy；　panting

behind　him！　　Even　then；　in　her　white　closely　gathered　skirts；　her

bared　head　and　graceful　arching　neck　bent　forward；　her　flying

braids　freed　from　the　straw　hat　which　she　had　swung　from　her　arm　so

as　not　to　impede　her　flight；　there　was　so　much　of　the　following

Maenad　about　her　that　he　was　for　an　instant　startled。



He　stopped；　she　bounded　to　him；　and　throwing　her　arms　around　his

neck　with　a　light　laugh；　let　herself　hang　for　a　moment　breathless

on　his　breast。　　Then　recovering　her　speech　she　said　slowly：



〃I　started　on　an　Injin　trot　after　you；　just　as　you　turned　off　the

trail；　but　you'd　got　so　far　ahead　while　I　was　shaking　myself　clear

of　Uncle　Ben　that　I　had　to　jist　lope　the　whole　way　through　the

woods　to　catch　up。〃　　She　stopped；　and　looking　up　into　his　troubled

face　caught　his　cheeks　between　her　hands；　and　bringing　his　knit

brows　down　to　the　level　of　her　humid　blue　eyes　said；　〃You　haven't

kissed　me　yet。　　What's　the　matter？〃



〃Doesn't　it　strike　you　that　I　might　ask　that　question；　considering

that　it's　three　days　since　I've　seen　you；　and　that　you　left　me；　in

a　rather　awkward　position；　to　explain　matters　to　your　mother？〃　he

said　coldly。　　He　had　formulated　the　sentence　in　his　mind　some

moments　before；　but　now　that　it　was　uttered；　it　appeared　singularly

weak　and　impotent。



〃That's　so；〃　she　said　with　a　frank　laugh；　burying　her　face　in　his

waistcoat。　　〃You　see；　dandy　boy〃his　pet　name〃I　reckoned　for

that　reason　we'd　better　lie　low　for　a　day　or　two。　　Well；〃　she

continued；　untying　his　cravat　and　retying　it　again；　〃how　DID　you

crawl　out　of　it？〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　say　your　mother　did　not　tell　you？〃　he　asked

indignantly。



〃Why　should　she？〃　returned　Cressy　lazily。　　〃She　never　talks　to　me

of　these　things；　honey。〃



〃And　you　knew　nothing　about　it？〃



Cressy　shook　her　head；　and　then　winding　one　of　her　long　braids

around　the　young　man's　neck；　offered　the　end　of　it　to　his　mouth；

and　on　his　sternly　declining　it；　took　it　in　her　own。



Yet　even　her　ignorance　of　what　had　really　happened　did　not　account

to　the　master　for　the　indifference　of　her　long　silence；　and　albeit

conscious　of　some　inefficiency　in　his　present　unheroic　attitude；　he

continued　sarcastically；　〃May　I　ask　WHAT　you　imagined　would　happen

when　you　left　me？〃



〃Well；〃　said　Cressy　confidently；　〃I　reckoned；　chile；　you　could　lie

as　well　as　the　next　man；　and　that；　being　gifted；　you'd　sling　Maw

something　new　and　purty。　　Why；　I　ain't　got　no　fancy；　but　I　fixed　up

something　against　Paw's　questioning　ME。　　I　made　that　conceited

Masters　promise　to　swear　that　HE　was　in　the　barn　with　me。　　Then　I

calculated　to　tell　Paw　that　you　came　meandering　along　just　before

Maw　popped　in；　and　that　I　skedaddled　to　join　Masters。　　Of　course；〃

she　added　quickly；　tightening　her　hold　of　the　master　as　he　made　a

sudden　attempt　at　withdrawal；　〃I　didn't　let　on　to　Masters　WHY　I

wanted　him　to　promise；　or　that　you　were　there。〃



〃Cressy；〃　said　Ford；　irritated　beyond　measure；　〃are　you　mad；　or　do

you　think　I　am？〃



The　girl's　face　changed。　　She　cast　a　half　frightened；　half

questioning　glance　at　his　eyes　and　then　around　the　darkening　aisle。

〃If　we're　going　to　quarrel；　Jack；〃　she　said　hurriedly；　〃don't　let's

do　it　BEFORE　FOLKS。〃



〃In　the　name　of　Heaven；〃　he　said；　following　her　eyes　indignantly；

〃what　do　you　mean？〃



〃I　mean；〃　she　said；　with　a　slight　shiver　of　resignation　and　scorn；

〃if　youoh　dear！　if　IT'S　ALL　going　to　be　like　THEM；　let's　keep　it

to　ourselves。〃



He　gazed　at　her　in　hopeless　bewilderment。　　Did　she　really　mean　that

she　was　more　frightened　at　the　possible　revelation　of　their

disagreement　than　of　their　intimacy？



〃Come；〃　she　continued　tenderly；　still　glancing；　however；　uneasily

around　her；　〃come！　　We'll　be　more　comfortable　in　the　hollow。　　It's

only　a　step。〃　　Still　holding　him　by　her　braid　she　half　led；　half

dragged　him　away。　　To　the　right　was　one　of　those　sudden　depressions

in　the　ground　caused　by　the　subsidence　of　the　earth　from　hidden

springs　and　the　uprooting　of　one　or　two　of　the　larger　trees。　　When

she　had　forced　him　down　this　declivity　below　the　level　of　the

needle…strewn　forest　floor；　she　seated　him　upon　a　mossy　root；　and

shaking　out　her　skirts　in　a　half　childlike；　half　coquettish　way；

comfortably　seated　herself　in　his　lap；　with　her　arm　supplementing

the　clinging　braid　around　his　neck。



〃Now　hark　to　me；　and　don't　holler　so　loud；〃　she　said　turning　his

face　to　her　questioning　eyes。　　〃What's　gone　of　you　anyway；　nigger

boy？〃　　It　should　be　premised　that　Cressy's　terms　of　endearment　were

mainly　negro…dialectical；　reminiscences　of　her　brief　babyhood；　her

slave…nurse；　and　the　only　playmates　she　had　ever　known。



Still　implacable；　the　master　coldly　repeated　the　counts　of　his

indictment　against　the　girl's　strange　indifference　and　still

stranger　entanglements；　winding　up　by　setting　forth　the　whole　story

of　his　interview　with　her　mother；　his　forced　defence　of　the　barn；

Seth's　outspoken　accusation；　and　their　silent　and　furious　struggle

in　the　loft。　　But　if　he　had　expected　that　this　daughter　of　a

Southwestern　fighter　would　betray　any　enthusiasm　over　her　lover's

participation　in　one　of　their　characteristic　feudsif　he　looked

for　any　fond　praise　for　his　own　prowess；　he　was　bitterly　mistaken。

She　loosened　her　arm　from　his　neck　of　her　own　accord；　unwound　the

braid；　and　putting　her　two　little　hands　clasped　between　her　knees；

crossed　her　small　feet　before　her；　and；　albeit　still　in　his　lap；

looked　the　picture　of　languid　dejection。



〃Maw　ought　to　have　more　sense；　and　you　ought　to　have　lit　out　of　the

window　after　me；〃　she　said　with　a　lazy　sigh。　　〃Fightin'　ain't　in

your　lineit's　too　much　like　THEM。　　That　Seth's　sure　to　get　even

with　you。〃



〃I　can　protect　myself；〃　he　said　haughtily。　　Nevertheless　he　had　a

depressing　consciousness　that　his　lithe　and　graceful　burden　was

somewhat　in　the　way　of　any　heroic　expression。



〃Seth　can　lick　you　out　of　your　boots；　chile；〃　she　said　with　naive

abstraction。　　Then；　as　he　struggled　to　secure　an　upright　position；

〃Don't　git　riled；　honey。　　Of　course　you'd　let　them　kill　you　before

YOU'D　give　in。　　But　that's　their　best　holtthat's　their　trade！

That's　all　they　can　dodon't　you　see？　　That's　where　YOU'RE　not

like　THEMthat's　why　you're　not　their　low　down　kind！　　That's　why

you're　my　boythat's　why　I　love　you！〃



She　had　thrown　her　whole　weight　again　upon　his　shoulders　until　she

had　forced　him　back　to　his　seat。　　Then；　with　her　locked　hands　again

around　his　neck；　she　looked　intently　into　his　face。　　The　varying

color　dropped　from　her　cheeks；　her　eyes　seemed　to　grow　larger；　the

same　look　of　rapt　absorption　and　possession　that　had　so　transfigured

her　young　face　at　the　ball　was　fixed　upon　it　now。　　Her　lips　parted

slightly；　she　seemed　to　murmur　rather　than　speak：



〃What　are　these　people　to　us？　　What　are　Seth's　jealousies；　Uncle

Ben's　and　Masters's　foolishness；　Paw　and　Maw's　quarr'ls　and

tantrums　to　you　and　me；　dear？　　What　is　it　what　THEY　think；　what

they　reckon；　what　they　plan　out；　and　what　they　set　themselves

againstto　us？　　We　love　each　other；　we　belong　to　each　other；

without　their　help　or　their　hindrance。　　From　the　time　we　first　saw

each　other　it　was　so；　and　from　that　time　Paw　and　Maw；　and　Seth　and

Masters；　and　even　YOU　and　ME；　dear；　had　nothing　else　to　do。　　That

was　love　as　I　know　it；　not　Seth's　sneaking　rages；　and　Uncle　Ben's

sneaking　fooleries；　and　Masters's　sneaking　conceit；　but　only　love。

And　knowing　that；　I　let　Seth　rage；　and　Uncle　Ben　dawdle；　and

Masters　trifleand　for　what？　　To　keep　them　from　me　and　my　boy。

They　were　satisfied；　and　we　were　happy。〃



Vague　and