the foreigner-第42章

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away　past　my　shoulder；　and　nearly　as　strong　as　I　am；　rides　like　a　cowboy；　and　is　as　good　after　the　cattle　as　I　am；　is　afraid　of　nothing；　and　dearly　loves　a　fight；　and；　I　regret　to　say；　he　gets　lots　of　it；　for　the　Galicians　are　always　after　him　for　their　feasts。　　He　is　a　great　singer；　you　know；　and　dances　much　too　well；　and　at　the　feasts；　as　I　suppose　you　know　quite　well；　there　are　always　fights。　　And　here　I　want　to　consult　you。　　I　very　nearly　sent　him　back　to　you　a　little　while　ago；　not　for　his　fault；　but；　I　regret　to　say；　for　mine。　　We　went　to　a　fool　show　among　the　Galicians；　and；　I　am　ashamed　to　say；　played　the　fool。　　There　was　the　deuce　of　a　row；　and　Mackenzie　and　I　were　in　a　tight　box；　for　a　dozen　or　so　of　our　Galician　friends　were　determined　upon　blood。　　They　got　some　of　mine　too；　for　they　were　using　their　knives；　and；　I　am　bound　to　say；　it　looked　rather　serious。　　At　this　juncture　that　young　beggar；　forgetting　all　my　good　training　in　the　manly　art；　and　reverting　to　his　Slavic　barbaric　methods　of　defence；　went　in　with　a　hand…spike；　yelling；　and；　I　regret　to　say；　cursing；　till　I　thought　he　had　gone　drunk　or　mad。　　Drunk；　he　was　not；　but　mad；well；　he　was　possessed　of　some　kind　of　demon　none　too　gentle　that　night。　　I　must　acknowledge　it　was　a　good　thing　for　us；　and　though　I　hate　to　think　of　the　whole　ghastly　business；　it　was　something　fine；　though；　to　see　him　raging　up　and　down　that　room；　taunting　them　for　cowards；　hurling　defiance；　and；　by　Jove；　looking　all　the　while　like　some　Greek　god　in　cowboy　outfit；　if　your　imagination　can　get　that。　　I　am　telling　you　the　whole　sickening　story；　because　I　must　treat　you　with　perfect　sincerity。　　I　assure　you　next　morning　I　was　sick　enough　of　myself　and　my　useless　life；　sick　enough　to　have　done　with　the　unhappy　and　disgraceful　farce　of　living；　but　for　your　sake　and　for　the　boy's　too；　I　couldn't　play　the　cad；　and　so　I　continue　to　live。

〃But　I　have　come　to　the　opinion　that　he　ought　not　to　stay　with　me。　As　I　said　before；　he　is　a　splendid　chap　in　many　ways；　but　I　am　afraid　in　these　surroundings　he　will　go　bad。　　He　is　clean　as　yet；　I　firmly　believe；　thank　God；　but　with　this　Colony　near　us　with　their　low　standard　of　morality；　and　to　be　quite　sincere；　in　the　care　of　such　a　man　as　I　am；　the　boy　stands　a　poor　chance。　　I　know　this　will　grieve　you；　but　it　is　best　to　be　honest。　　I　think　he　ought　to　go　to　you。　　I　must　refuse　responsibility　for　his　remaining　here。　　I　feel　like　a　beast　in　saying　this；　but　whatever　shred　of　honour　is　left　me　forces　me　to　say　it。〃

In　the　postscript　there　was　a　word　that　brought　not　a　little　hope　and　comfort。　　〃One　thing　in　addition。　　No　more　Galician　festivals　for　me。〃　　It　was　a　miserably　cruel　letter；　and　it　did　its　miserably　cruel　work　on　the　heart　of　the　little　white…faced　lady。　　She　laid　the　letter　down；　drew　from　a　box　upon　her　table　a　photo；　and　laid　it　before　her。　　It　was　of　two　young　men　in　football　garb；　in　all　the　glorious　pride　of　their　young　manhood。　　Long　she　gazed　upon　it　till　she　could　see　no　more；　and　then　went　to　pray。

It　took　Irma　some　days　of　thought　and　effort　to　prepare　the　answer　to　her　letter；　for　to　her；　as　to　Kalman；　English　had　become　easier　than　her　native　Russian。　　To　Jack　French　a　reply　went　by　return　mail。　　It　was　not　long；　but；　as　Jack　French　read；　the　easy　smile　vanished；　and　for　days　he　carried　in　his　face　the　signs　of　the　remorse　and　grief　that　gnawed　at　his　heart。　　Then　he　rode　alone　to　Wakota　to　take　counsel　with　his　friend　Brown。

As　he　read；　one　phrase　kept　repeating　itself　in　his　mind：　　〃The　responsibility　of　leaving　Kalman　with　you；　I　must　take。　　What　else　can　I　do？　　I　have　no　other　to　help　me。　　But　the　responsibility　for　what　you　make　him；　you　must　take。　　God　puts　it　on　you；　not　I。〃

〃The　responsibility　for　making　him　is　not　mine；〃　he　said　to　himself　impatiently。　　〃I　can　teach　him　a　lot　of　things；　but　I　can't　teach　him　morals。　　That　is　Brown's　business。　　He　is　a　preacher。　　If　he　can't　do　this；　what's　he　good　for？〃

And　so　he　argued　the　matter　with　himself　with　great　diligence；　and　even　with　considerable　heat　of　mind。　　He　made　no　pretence　to　goodness。　　He　was　no　saint；　nor　would　he　set　up　for　one。　　All　who　knew　him　knew　this；　and　none　better　than　Kalman。

〃I　may　not　be　a　saint；　but　I　am　no　hypocrite；　neither　will　I　play　the　part　for　any　one。〃　　In　this　thought　his　mind　took　eager　refuge；　and　he　turned　it　over　in　various　phrases　with　increasing　satisfaction。　　He　remembered　with　some　anxiety　that　Brown's　mental　processes　were　to　a　degree　lacking　in　subtlety。　　Brown　had　a　disconcertingly　simple　and　direct　method　of　dealing　with　the　most　complex　problems。　　If　a　thing　was　right；　it　was　right；　if　wrong；　it　was　wrong；　and　that　settled　the　matter　with　Brown。　　There　was　little　room　for　argument；　and　none　for　compromise。　　〃He　has　a　deucedly　awkward　conscience　too；〃　said　Jack　French；　〃and　it　is　apt　to　get　working　long　shifts。〃　　Would　he　show　his　sister…in…law's　letter？　　It　might　be　good　tactics；　but　that　last　page　would　not　help　him　much；　and　besides　he　shrank　from　introducing　her　name　into　the　argument。

As　he　approached　Wakota；　he　was　impatient　with　himself　that　he　was　so　keenly　conscious　of　the　need　of　arguments　to　support　his　appeal。　He　rode　straight　to　the　school；　and　was　surprised　to　find　Brown　sitting　there　alone；　with　a　shadow　on　his　usually　cheery　face。

〃Hello；　Brown！〃　he　cried；　as　he　entered　the　building；　〃another　holiday；　eh！　　Seems　to　me　you　get　more　than　your　share。〃

〃No；〃　said　Brown；　〃it　is　not　holidays　at　all。　　It　is　a　breaking　up。〃

〃What's　the　row；　epidemic　of　measles　or　something？〃

〃I　only　wish　it　were；〃　said　Brown；　〃small…pox　would　not　be　too　bad。〃　　Brown's　good…natured　face　was　smiling；　but　his　tone　told　of　gloom　in　his　heart。

〃What's　up；　Brown？〃　asked　French。

〃I'm　blue；　I'm　depressed；　I'm　in　a　funk。　　It　is　my　constitutional　weakness　that　I　cannot　stand〃

〃Oh；　let　it　go　at　that；　Brown；　and　get　on　with　the　facts。　　But　come　out　into　the　light。　　That's　the　thing　that　makes　me　fear　that　something　has　really　happened　that　you　are　moping　here　inside。　Nothing　wrong　in　the　home　I　hope；　Brown；　wife　and　baby　well？〃　said　French；　his　tone　becoming　more　kind　and　gentle。

〃No；　not　a　thing；　thank　God！　both　fine　and　fit；〃　said　Brown；　as　they　walked　out　of　the　school　and　down　the　river　path。　　〃My　school　has　folded　itself　up；　and；　like　the　Arab；　has　stolen　away。〃

〃Go　on　with　your　yarn。　　What　has　struck　your　school？〃

〃A　Polish　priest；　small　and　dark　and　dirty；　he　can't　help　the　first　two；　but　with　the　Eagle　River　running　through　the　country；　he　might　avoid　the　last。〃

〃What　is　he　up　to？〃

〃I　wish　I　knew。　　He　introduced　himself　by　ordering；　upon　pain　of　hell　fire；　that　no　child　attend　my　school；　consequently；　not　a　Galician　child　has　shown　up。〃

〃What　are　you　going　to　doquit？〃

〃Quit？〃　shouted　Brown；　springing　to　his　feet。

〃I　apologize；〃　said　French　hastily；　〃I　ought　to　have　known　better。〃

〃No；　I　am　not　going　to　quit；〃　said　Brown；　recovering　his　quiet　manner。　　〃If　he　wants　the　school；　and　will　undertake　to　run　it；　why；　I'll　give　him　the　building　and　the　outfit。〃

〃But；〃　said　French；　〃isn't　that　rather　funking　it？〃

〃Not　a　bit〃　said　Brown　emphatically。　　〃I　am　not　sent　here　to　proselytize。　　My　church　is　not　in　that　business。　　We　are　doing　business；　but　we　are　in　the　business　of　making　good　citizens。　We　tried　to　get　the　Government　to　establish　schools　among　the　Galicians。　　The　Government　declined。　　We　took　it　up；　and　hence　this　school。　　We　tried　to　get　Greek　Catholic　priests　from　Europe　to　look　after　the　religion　and　morals　of　these　people。　　We　absolutely　failed　to　get　a　decent　man　to　offer。　　Remember；　I　say　decent　man。　We　had　offers；　plenty　of　them；　but　we　could　not　lay　our　hands　on　a　single；　clean；　honest…minded　man　with　the　fear　of　God　in　his　heart；　and　the　desire　to　help　these　people。　　So；　as　I　say；　we　will　give　this　man　a　fair　chance；　and　if　he　makes　good；　I　will　back　him　up　and　say；　'God　bless　you。'　　But　he　won't　make　good；〃　added　Brown　gloomily；　〃from　the　way　he　starts　out。〃

French　waited；　and　Brown　went　on。　　〃He　was　called　to　marry　a　couple　the　other　day；　got　hopelessly　drunk；　charged　them　ten　dollars；　and　they　are　not　sure　whether　they　are　married　or　not。　　Last　Sunday　he　drummed　the