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第9章

cressy-第9章

小说: cressy 字数: 每页4000字

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when she said SHE hadn't any hand in Cressy's engagement。  No more

she had!  And ez far ez that goes; no more did me; nor Seth Davis;

nor Cressy。〃  He paused; and lifting his heavy…lidded eyes to the

master for the second time; said reflectively; 〃Ye mustn't mind my

tellin' yeez betwixt man and manthat THE one ez is most

responsible for the makin' and breakin' o' that engagement is YOU!〃



〃Me!〃 said the master in utter bewilderment。



〃You!〃 repeated McKinstry quietly; reinstalling the hand Ford had

attempted to withdraw。  〃I ain't sayin' ye either know'd it or

kalkilated on it。  But it war so。  Ef ye'd hark to me; and meander

on a little; I'll tell ye HOW it war。  I don't mind walkin' a piece

YOUR way; for if we go towards the ranch; and the hounds see me;

they'll set up a racket and bring out the old woman; and then good…

by to any confidential talk betwixt you and me。  And I'm; somehow;

kammer out yer。〃



He moved slowly down the trail; still holding Ford's arm

confidentially; although; owing to his large protecting manner; he

seemed to offer a ridiculous suggestion of supporting HIM with his

wounded member。



〃When you first kem to Injin Spring;〃 he began; 〃Seth and Cressy

was goin' to school; boy and girl like; and nothin' more。  They'd

known each other from babiesthe Davises bein' our neighbors in

Kaintuck; and emigraten' with us from St。 Joe。  Seth mout hev

cottoned to Cress; and Cress to him; in course o' time; and there

wasn't anythin' betwixt the families to hev kept 'em from marryin'

when they wanted。  But there never war any words passed; and no

engagement。〃



〃But;〃 interrupted Ford hastily; 〃my predecessor; Mr。 Martin;

distinctly told me that there was; and that it was with YOUR

permission。〃



〃That's only because you noticed suthin' the first day you looked

over the school with Martin。  'Dad;' sez Cress to me; 'that new

teacher's very peart; and he's that keen about noticin' me and Seth

that I reckon you'd better giv out that we're engaged。'  'But are

you?' sez I。  'It'll come to that in the end;' sez Cress; 'and if

that yer teacher hez come here with Northern ideas o' society; it's

just ez well to let him see Injin Spring ain't entirely in the

woods about them things either。'  So I agreed; and Martin told you

it was all right; Cress and Seth was an engaged couple; and you was

to take no notice。  And then YOU ups and objects to the hull thing;

and allows that courtin' in school; even among engaged pupils;

ain't proper。〃



The master turned his eyes with some uneasiness to the face of

Cressy's father。  It was heavy but impassive。



〃I don't mind tellin' you; now that it's over; what happened。  The

trouble with me; Mr。 Ford; isI ain't kam! and YOU air; and that's

what got me。  For when I heard what you'd said; I got on that

mustang and started for the school…house to clean you out and giv'

you five minutes to leave Injin Spring。  I don't know ez you

remember that day。  I'd kalkilated my time so ez to ketch ye comin'

out o' school; but I was too airly。  I hung around out o' sight;

and then hitched my hoss to a buckeye and peeped inter the winder

to hev a good look at ye。  It was very quiet and kam。  There was

squirrels over the roof; yellow…jackets and bees dronin' away; and

kinder sleeping…like all around in the air; and jay…birds

twitterin' in the shingles; and they never minded me。  You were

movin' up and down among them little gals and boys; liftin' up

their heads and talkin' to 'em softly and quiet like; ez if you was

one of them yourself。  And they looked contented and kam。  And

onctI don't know if YOU remember ityou kem close up to the

winder with your hands behind you; and looked out so kam and quiet

and so far off; ez if everybody else outside the school was miles

away from you。  It kem to me then that I'd given a heap to hev had

the old woman see you thar。  It kem to me; Mr。 Ford; that there

wasn't any place for ME thar; and it kem to me; tooand a little

rough likethat mebbee there wasn't any place there for MY Cress

either!  So I rode away without disturbin' you nor the birds nor

the squirrels。  Talkin' with Cress that night; she said ez how it

was a fair sample of what happened every day; and that you'd always

treated her fair like the others。  So she allowed that she'd go

down to Sacramento; and get some things agin her and Seth bein'

married next month; and she reckoned she wouldn't trouble you nor

the school agin。  Hark till I've done; Mr。 Ford;〃 he continued; as

the young man made a slight movement of deprecation。  〃Well; I

agreed。  But arter she got to Sacramento and bought some fancy

fixin's; she wrote to me and sez ez how she'd been thinkin' the

hull thing over; and she reckoned that she and Seth were too young

to marry; and the engagement had better be broke。  And I broke it

for her。〃



〃But how?〃 asked the bewildered master。



〃Gin'rally with this gun;〃 returned McKinstry with slow gravity;

indicating the rifle he was carrying; 〃for I ain't kam。  I let on

to Seth's father that if I ever found Seth and Cressy together

again; I'd shoot him。  It made a sort o' coolness betwixt the

families; and hez given some comfort to them low…down Harrisons;

but even the law; I reckon; recognizes a father's rights。  And ez

Cress sez; now ez Seth's out o' the way; thar ain't no reason why

she can't go back to school and finish her eddication。  And I

reckoned she was right。  And we both agreed that ez she'd left

school to git them store clothes; it was only fair that she'd give

the school the benefit of 'em。〃



The case seemed more hopeless than ever。  The master knew that the

man beside him might hardly prove as lenient to a second objection

at his hand。  But that very reason; perhaps; impelled him; now that

he knew his danger; to consider it more strongly as a duty; and his

pride revolted from a possible threat underlying McKinstry's

confidences。  Nevertheless he began gently:



〃But you are quite sure you won't regret that you didn't avail

yourself of this broken engagement; and your daughter's outfitto

send her to some larger boarding…school in Sacramento or San

Francisco?  Don't you think she may find it dull; and soon tire of

the company of mere children when she has already known the

excitement of〃he was about to say 〃a lover;〃 but checked himself;

and added; 〃a young girl's freedom?〃



〃Mr。 Ford;〃 returned McKinstry; with the slow and fatuous

misconception of a one…ideaed man; 〃when I said just now that;

lookin' inter that kam; peaceful school of yours; I didn't find a

place for Cress; it warn't because I didn't think she OUGHTER hev a

place thar。  Thar was that thar wot she never had ez a little girl

with me and the old woman; and that she couldn't find ez a grownd

up girl in any boarding…schoolthe home of a child; that kind o'

innocent foolishness that I sometimes reckon must hev slipped outer

our emigrant wagon comin' across the plains; or got left behind at

St。 Joe。  She was a grownd girl fit to marry afore she was a child。

She had young fellers a…sparkin' her afore she ever played with 'em

ez boy and girl。  I don't mind tellin' you that it wern't in the

natur of Blair Rawlins' darter to teach her own darter any better;

for all she's been a mighty help to me。  So if it's all the same to

you; Mr。 Ford; we won't talk about a grownd up school; I'd rather

Cress be a little girl again among them other children。  I should

be a powerful sight more kam if I knowed that when I was away

huntin' stock or fightin' stakes with them Harrisons; that she was

a settin' there with them and the birds and the bees; and listenin'

to them and to you。  Mebbee there's been a little too many

scrimmages goin' on round the ranch sence she's been a child;

mebbee she orter know suthin' more of a man than a feller who

sparks her and fights for her。〃



The master was silent。  Had this dull; narrow…minded partisan

stumbled upon a tru

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