those extraordinary twins-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Yes；　you　are；　too。　　You　are　going　to　be　good；　and　do　everything　I　tell
you；　like　a　dear；〃　and　she　tapped　his　cheek　affectionately　with　her
finger。　　〃Rowena；　take　the　prescription　and　go　in　the　kitchen　and　hunt　up
the　things　and　lay　them　out　for　me。　　I'll　sit　up　with　my　patient　the　rest
of　the　night；　doctor；　I　can't　trust　Nancy；　she　couldn't　make　Luigi　take
the　medicine。　　Of　course；　you'll　drop　in　again　during　the　day。　　Have　you
got　any　more　directions？〃

〃No；　I　believe　not；　Aunt　Patsy。　　If　I　don't　get　in　earlier；　I'll　be　along
by　early　candle…light；　anyway。　　Meantime；　don't　allow　him　to　get　out　of
his　bed。〃

Angelo　said；　with　calm　determination：

〃I　shall　be　baptized　at　two　o'clock。　　Nothing　but　death　shall　prevent
me。〃

The　doctor　said　nothing　aloud；　but　to　himself　he　said：

〃Why；　this　chap's　got　a　manly　side；　after　all！　　Physically　he's　a　coward；
but　morally　he's　a　lion。　　I'll　go　and　tell　the　others　about　this；　it　will
raise　him　a　good　deal　in　their　estimationand　the　public　will　follow
their　lead；　of　course。〃

Privately；　Aunt　Patsy　applauded　too；　and　was　proud　of　Angelo's　courage　in
the　moral　field　as　she　was　of　Luigi's　in　the　field　of　honor。

The　boy　Henry　was　troubled；　but　the　boy　Joe　said；　inaudibly；　and
gratefully；　〃We're　all　honky；　after　all；　and　no　postponement　on　account
of　the　weather。〃




CHAPTER　VIII

BAPTISM　OF　THE　BETTER　HALF

By　nine　o'clock　the　town　was　humming　with　the　news　of　the　midnight　duel；
and　there　were　but　two　opinions　about　it：　one；　that　Luigi's　pluck　in　the
field　was　most　praiseworthy　and　Angela's　flight　most　scandalous；　the
other；　that　Angelo's　courage　in　flying　the　field　for　conscience'　sake　was
as　fine　and　creditable　as　was　Luigi's　in　holding　the　field　in　the　face　of
the　bullets。　　The　one　opinion　was　held　by　half　of　the　town；　the　other　one
was　maintained　by　the　other　half。　　The　division　was　clean　and　exact；　and
it　made　two　parties；　an　Angela　party　and　a　Luigi　party。　　The　twins　had
suddenly　become　popular　idols　along　with　Pudd'nhead　Wilson；　and　haloed
with　a　glory　as　intense　as　his。　　The　children　talked　the　duel　all　the　way
to　Sunday…school；　their　elders　talked　it　all　the　way　to　church；　the　choir
discussed　it　behind　their　red　curtain；　it　usurped　the　place　of　pious
thought　in　the　〃nigger　gallery。〃

By　noon　the　doctor　had　added　the　news；　and　spread　it；　that　Count　Angelo；
in　spite　of　his　wound　and　all　warnings　and　supplications；　was　resolute　in
his　determination　to　be　baptized　at　the　hour　appointed。　　This　swept　the
town　like　wildfire；　and　mightily　reinforced　the　enthusiasm　of　the　Angelo
faction；　who　said；　〃If　any　doubted　that　it　was　moral　courage　that　took
him　from　the　field；　what　have　they　to　say　now！〃

Still　the　excitement　grew。　　All　the　morning　it　was　traveling　countryward；
toward　all　points　of　the　compass；　so；　whereas　before　only　the　farmers　and
their　wives　were　intending　to　come　and　witness　the　remarkable　baptism；
a　general　holiday　was　now　proclaimed　and　the　children　and　negroes
admitted　to　the　privileges　of　the　occasion。　　All　the　farms　for　ten　miles
around　were　vacated；　all　the　converging　roads　emptied　long　processions　of
wagons；　horses；　and　yeomanry　into　the　town。　　The　pack　and　cram　of　people
vastly　exceeded　any　that　had　ever　been　seen　in　that　sleepy　region　before。
The　only　thing　that　had　ever　even　approached　it；　was　the　time　long　gone
by；　but　never　forgotten；　nor　even　referred　to　without　wonder　and　pride；
when　two　circuses　and　a　Fourth　of　July　fell　together。　　But　the　glory　of
that　occasion　was　extinguished　now　for　good。　　It　was　but　a　freshet　to
this　deluge。

The　great　invasion　massed　itself　on　the　river…bank　and　waited　hungrily
for　the　immense　event。　　Waited；　and　wondered　if　it　would　really　happen；
or　if　the　twin　who　was　not　a　〃professor〃　would　stand　out　and　prevent　it。

But　they　were　not　to　be　disappointed。　　Angela　was　as　good　as　his　word。
He　came　attended　by　an　escort　of　honor　composed　of　several　hundred　of　the
best　citizens；　all　of　the　Angelo　party；　and　when　the　immersion　was
finished　they　escorted　him　back　home　and　would　even　have　carried　him　on
their　shoulders；　but　that　people　might　think　they　were　carrying　Luigi。

Far　into　the　night　the　citizens　continued　to　discuss　and　wonder　over　the
strangely　mated　pair　of　incidents　that　had　distinguished　and　exalted　the
past　twenty…four　hours　above　any　other　twenty…four　in　the　history　of
their　town　for　picturesqueness　and　splendid　interest；　and　long　before　the
lights　were　out　and　burghers　asleep　it　had　been　decided　on　all　hands　that
in　capturing　these　twins　Dawson's　Landing　had　drawn　a　prize　in　the　great
lottery　of　municipal　fortune。

At　midnight　Angelo　was　sleeping　peacefully。　　His　immersion　had　not　harmed
him；　it　had　merely　made　him　wholesomely　drowsy；　and　he　had　been　dead
asleep　many　hours　now。　　It　had　made　Luigi　drowsy；　too；　but　he　had　got
only　brief　naps；　on　account　of　his　having　to　take　the　medicine　every
three…quarters　of　an　hour…and　Aunt　Betsy　Hale　was　there　to　see　that　he
did　it。　　When　he　complained　and　resisted；　she　was　quietly　firm　with　him；
and　said　in　a　low　voice：

〃No…no；　that　won't　do；　you　mustn't　talk；　and　you　mustn't　retch　and　gag
that　way；　eitheryou'll　wake　up　your　poor　brother。〃

〃Well；　what　of　it；　Aunt　Betsy；　he〃

〃'Sh…h！　　Don't　make　a　noise；　dear。　　You　mustn't：　forget　that　your　poor
brother　is　sick　and〃

〃Sick；　is　he？　　Well；　I　wish　I〃

〃'Sh…h…h！　　Will　you　be　quiet；　Luigi！　　Here；　now；　take　the　rest　of　it
don't　keep　me　holding　the　dipper　all　night。　　I　declare　if　you　haven't
left　a　good　fourth　of　it　in　the　bottom！　　Come…that's　a　good

〃Aunt　Betsy；　don't　make　me！　　I　feel　like　I've　swallowed　a　cemetery；　I　do；
indeed。　　Do　let　me　rest　a　littlejust　a　little；　I　can't　take　any　more　of
the　devilish　stuff　now。〃

〃Luigi！　　Using　such　language　here；　and　him　just　baptized！　　Do　you　want
the　roof　to　fall　on　you？〃

〃I　wish　to　goodness　it　would！〃

〃Why；　you　dreadful　thing！　　I've　a　good　notion　tolet　that　blanket　alone；
do　you　want　your；　brother　to　catch　his　death？〃

〃Aunt　Betsy；　I've　got　to　have　it　off；　I'm　being　roasted　alive；　nobody
could　stand　ityou　couldn't　yourself。〃

〃Now；　then；　you're　sneezing　againI　just　expected　it。〃

〃Because　I've　caught　a　cold　in　my　head。　　I　always　do；　when　I　go　in　the
water　with　my　clothes　on。　　And　it　takes　me　weeks　to　get　over　it；　too。
I　think　it　was　a　shame　to　serve　me　so。〃

〃Luigi；　you　are　unreasonable；　you　know　very　well　they　couldn't　baptize
him　dry。　　I　should　think　you　would　be　willing　to　undergo　a　little
inconvenience　for　your　brother's　sake。〃

〃Inconvenience！　　Now　how　you　talk；　Aunt　Betsy。　　I　came　as　near　as
anything　to　getting　drowned　you　saw　that　yourself；　and　do　you　call　this
inconvenience？the　room　shut　up　as　tight　as　a　drum；　and　so　hot　the
mosquitoes　are　trying　to　get　out；　and　a　cold　in　the　head；　and　dying　for
sleep　and　no　chance　to　get　anyon　account　of　this　infamous　medicine　that
that　assassin　prescri〃

〃There；　you're　sneezing　again。　　I'm　going　down　and　mix　some　more　of　this
truck　for　you；　dear。〃




CHAPTER　IX

THE　DRINKLESS　DRUNK

During　Monday；　Tuesday；　and　Wednesday　the　twins　grew　steadily　worse；　but
then　the　doctor　was　summoned　South　to　attend　his　mother's　funeral；　and
they　got　well　in　forty…eight　hours。　　They　appeared　on　the　street　on
Friday；　and　were　welcomed　with　enthusiasm　by　the　new…born　parties；　the
Luigi　and　Angelo　factions。　　The　Luigi　faction　carried　its　strength　into
the　Democratic　party；　the　Angelo　faction　entered　into　a　combination　with
the　Whigs。　　The　Democrats　nominated　Luigi　for　alderman　under　the　new　city
government；　and　the　Whigs　put　up　Angelo　against　him。　　The　Democrats
nominated　Pudd'nhead　Wilson　for　mayor；　and　he　was　left　alone　in　this
glory；　for　the　Whigs　had　no　man　who　was　willing　to　enter　the　lists
against　such　a　formidable　opponent。　　No　politician　had　scored　such　a
compliment　as　this　before　in　the　history　of　the　Mississippi　Valley。

The　political　campaign　in　Dawson's　Landing　opened　in　a　pretty　warm
fashion；　and　waned　hotter　every　week。　　Luigi's　whole　heart　was　in　it；
and　even　Angelo　developed　a　surprising　amount　of　interest…which　was
natural；　because　he　was　not　merely　representing　Whigism；　a　matter　of　no
consequence