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第36章

cressy-第36章

小说: cressy 字数: 每页4000字

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having been wronged。  Yet he could not help saying as he caught and

held her hand:



〃YOU have not doubted me; Cressy?  YOU have not allowed this

infamous raking up of things that are past and gone to alter your

feelings?〃



She looked at him abstractedly。  〃You think it might alter ANYBODY'S

feelings; then?〃



〃Nobody's who really loved another〃he stammered。



〃Don't let us talk of it any more;〃 she said suddenly stretching

out her arms; lifting them above her head with a wearied gesture;

and then letting them fall clasped before her in her old habitual

fashion。  〃It makes my head ache; what with Paw and Maw and the

rest of themI'm sick of it all。〃



She turned away as Ford drew back coldly and let her hand fall from

his arm。  She took a few steps forward; stopped; ran back to him

again; crushed his face and head in a close embrace; and then

seemed to dip like a bird into the tall bracken; and was gone。



The master stood for some moments chagrined and bewildered; it was

characteristic of his temperament that he had paid less heed to

what she told him than what he IMAGINED had passed between her

mother and herself。  She was naturally jealous of the lettershe

could forgive her for that; she had doubtless been twitted about

them; but he could easily explain them to her parentsas he would

have done to her。  But he was not such a fool as to elope with her

at such a moment; without first clearing his characterand knowing

more of hers。  And it was equally characteristic of him that in his

sense of injury he confounded her with the writer of the letters

as sympathizing with his correspondent in her estimate of his

character; and was quite carried away with the belief that he was

equally wronged by both。



It was not until he reached the schoolhouse that the evidences of

last night's outrage for a time distracted his mind from his

singular interview。  He was struck with the workmanlike manner in

which the locks had been restored; and the care that had evidently

been taken to remove the more obvious and brutal traces of

burglary。  This somewhat staggered his theory that Seth Davis was

the perpetrator; mechanical skill and thoughtfulness were not among

the lout's characteristics。  But he was still more disconcerted on

pushing back his chair to find a small india…rubber tobacco pouch

lying beneath it。  The master instantly recognized it: he had seen

it a hundred times beforeit was Uncle Ben's。  It was not there

when he had closed the room yesterday afternoon。  Either Uncle Ben

had been there last night; or had anticipated him this morning。

But in the latter case he would scarcely have overlooked his fallen

propertythat; in the darkness of the night; might have readily

escaped detection。  His brow darkened with a sudden conviction that

it was Uncle Ben who was the real and only offender; and that his

simplicity of the previous night was part of his deception。  A

sickening sense that he had been again dupedbut why or to what

purpose he hardly dared to thinkovercame him。  Who among these

strange people could he ever again trust?  After the fashion of

more elevated individuals; he had accepted the respect and kindness

of those he believed his inferiors as a natural tribute to his own

superiority; any change in THEIR feelings must therefore be

hypocrisy or disloyalty; it never occurred to him that HE might

have fallen below their standard。



The arrival of the children and the resumption of his duties for a

time diverted him。  But although the morning's exercise restored

the master's self…confidence; it cannot be said to have improved

his judgment。  Disdaining to question Rupert Filgee; as the

possible confidant of Uncle Ben; he answered the curious inquiries

of the children as to the broken doorlock with the remark that it

was a matter that he should have to bring before the Trustees of

the Board; and by the time that school was over and the pupils

dismissed he had quite resolved upon this formal disposition of it。

In spite of Cressy's warningrather because of itin the new

attitude he had taken towards her and her friends; he lingered in

the school…house until late。  He had occupied himself in drawing up

a statement of the facts; with an intimation that his continuance

in the school would depend upon a rigid investigation of the

circumstances; when he was aroused by the clatter of horses' hoofs。

The next moment the school…house was surrounded by a dozen men。



He looked up; half of them dismounted and entered the room。  The

other half remained outside darkening the windows with their

motionless figures。  Each man carried a gun before him on the

saddle; each man wore a rude mask of black cloth partly covering

his face。



Although the master was instinctively aware that he was threatened

by serious danger; he was far from being impressed by the arms and

disguise of his mysterious intruders。  On the contrary; the obvious

and glaring inconsistency of this cheaply theatrical invasion of

the peaceful school…house; of this opposition of menacing figures

to the scattered childish primers and text…books that still lay on

the desks around him; only extracted from him a half scornful smile

as he coolly regarded them。  The fearlessness of ignorance is often

as unassailable as the most experienced valor; and the awe…

inspiring invaders were at first embarrassed and then humanly

angry。  A lank figure to the right made a forward movement of

impotent rage; but was checked by the evident leader of the party。



〃Ef he likes to take it that way; there ain't no Regulators law

agin it; I reckon;〃 he said; in a voice which the master instantly

recognized as Jim Harrison's; 〃though ez a gin'ral thing they don't

usually find it FUN。〃  Then turning to the master he added; 〃Mister

Ford; ef that's the name you go by everywhere; we're wantin' a man

about your size。〃



Ford knew that he was in hopeless peril。  He knew that he was

physically defenceless and at the mercy of twelve armed and lawless

men。  But he retained a preternatural clearness of perception; and

audacity born of unqualified scorn for his antagonists; with a

feminine sharpness of tongue。  In a voice which astonished even

himself by its contemptuous distinctness; he said: 〃My name IS

Ford; but as I only SUPPOSE your name is Harrison perhaps you'll be

fair enough to take that rag from your face and show it to me like

a man。〃



The man removed the mask from his face with a slight laugh。



〃Thank you;〃 said Ford。  〃Now; perhaps you will tell me which one

of you gentlemen broke into the school…house; forced the lock of my

desk; and stole my papers。  If he is here I wish to tell him he is

not only a thief; but a cur and a coward; for the letters are a

woman'swhom he neither knows nor has the right to know。〃



If he had hoped to force a personal quarrel and trust his life to

the chance of a single antagonist; he was disappointed; for

although his unexpected attitude had produced some effect among the

group; and even attracted the attention of the men at the windows;

Harrison strode deliberately towards him。



〃That kin wait;〃 he said; 〃jest now we propose to take you and your

letters and drop 'em and you outer this yer township of Injin

Springs。  You kin take 'em back to the woman or critter you got 'em

of。  But we kalkilate you're a little too handy and free in them

sorter things to teach school round yer; and we kinder allow we

don't keer to hev our gals and boys eddicated up to your high…toned

standard。  So ef you choose to kem along easy we'll mak' you

comf'ble on a hoss we've got waitin' outside; an' escort you across

the line。  Ef you don'twe'll take you anyway。〃



The master cast a rapid glance around him。  In his quickness of

perception he had already noted that the led horse among the

cavalcade was fastened by a lariat to one of the riders so that

escape by flight was impossible; and that he had not 

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