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第10章

a phyllis of the sierras-第10章

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be a sprinkling odor cologne and peppermint all over the country。〃



〃He set your shoulder as well as any doctor;〃 said Minty。



〃That's bone…settin'; and a nat'ral gift;〃 returned Sharpe; as

triumphantly as his habitual depression would admit; 〃it ain't

conceit and finikin got out o' books!  Well;〃 he added; after a

pause; 〃wot's happened?〃



Minty's face slightly changed。  〃Nothin'; I kem back to get some

things;〃 she said shortly; moving away。



〃And ye saw HIM?〃



〃Ye…e…s;〃 drawled Minty; carelessly; still retreating。



〃Bixby was along here about noon。  He says the stranger was suthin'

high and mighty in his own country; and them 'Frisco millionaires

are quite sweet on him。  Where are ye goin'?〃



〃In the house。〃



〃Well; look yer; Minty。  Now that you're here; ye might get up a

batch o' hot biscuit for supper。  Dinner was that promiscous and

experimental to…day; along o' Richelieu's nat'ral foolin'; that I

think I could git outside of a little suthin' now; if only to prop

up a kind of innard sinkin' that takes me。  Ye ken tell me the news

at supper。〃



Later; however; when Mr。 Sharpe had quitted his forge for the night

and; seated at his domestic board; was; with a dismal presentiment

of future indigestion; voraciously absorbing his favorite meal of

hot saleratus biscuits swimming in butter; he had apparently

forgotten his curiosity concerning Mainwaring and settled himself

to a complaining chronicle of the day's mishaps。  〃Nat'rally;

havin' an extra lot o' work on hand and no time for foolin'; what

does that ornery Richelieu get up and do this mornin'?  Ye know

them ridiklus specimens that he's been chippin' outer that ledge

that the yearth slipped from down the run; and litterin' up the

whole shanty with 'em。  Well; darn my skin! if he didn't run a heap

of 'em; mixed up with coal; unbeknowned to me; in the forge; to

make what he called a 'fire essay' of 'em。  Nat'rally; I couldn't

get a blessed iron hot; and didn't know what had gone of the fire;

or the coal either; for two hours; till I stopped work and raked

out the coal。  That comes from his hangin' round that saw…mill in

the woods; and listenin' to Bradley's high…falutin' talk about

rocks and strata and sich。〃



〃But Bradley don't go a cent on minin'; Pop;〃 said Minty。  〃He sez

the woods is good enough for him; and there's millions to be made

when the railroad comes along; and timber's wanted。〃



〃But until then he's got to keep hisself; to pay wages; and keep

the mill runnin'。  Onless it's; ez Bixby says; that he hopes to get

that Englishman to rope in some o' them 'Frisco friends of his to

take a hand。  Ye didn't have any o' that kind o' talk; did ye?〃



〃No; not THAT kind o' talk;〃 said Minty。



〃Not THAT kind o' talk!〃 repeated her father with aggrieved

curiosity; 〃Wot kind; then?〃



〃Well;〃 said Minty; lifting her black eyes to her father's; 〃I

ain't no account; and you ain't no account either。  You ain't got

no college education; ain't got no friends in 'Frisco; and ain't

got no high…toned style; I can't play the pianner; jabber French;

nor get French dresses。  We ain't got no fancy 'Shallet;' as they

call it; with a first…class view of nothing; but only a shanty on

dry rock。  But; afore I'D take advantage of a lazy; gawky boyfor

it ain't anything else; though he's good meanin' enoughthat

happened to fall sick in MY house; and coax and cosset him; and

wrap him in white cotton; and mother him; and sister him; and Aunt

Sukey him; and almost dry…nuss him gin'rally; jist to get him sweet

on me and on mine; and take the inside track of othersI'D be an

Injin!  And if you'd allow it; Pop; you'd be wuss nor a nigger!〃



〃Sho!〃 said her father; kindling with that intense gratification

with which the male receives any intimation of alien feminine

weakness。  〃It ain't that; Minty; I wanter know!〃



〃It's jist that; Pop; and I ez good ez let 'em know I seed it。  I

ain't a fool; if some folks do drop their eyes and pertend to wipe

the laugh out of their noses with a handkerchief when I let out to

speak。  I mayn't be good enough kempany〃



〃Look yer; Minty;〃 interrupted the blacksmith; sternly; half rising

from his seat with every trace of his former weakness vanished from

his hardset face; 〃do you mean to say that they put on airs to ye

to MY darter?〃



〃No;〃 said Minty quickly; 〃the men didn't; and don't you; a man;

mix yourself up with women's meannesses。  I ken manage 'em; Pop;

with one hand。〃



Mr。 Sharpe looked at his daughter's flashing black eyes。  Perhaps

an uneasy recollection of the late Mrs。 Sharpe's remarkable

capacity in that respect checked his further rage。



〃No。  Wot I was sayin';〃 resumed Minty; 〃ez that I mayn't be

thought by others good enough to keep kempany with baronetts ez is

to bethough baronetts mightn't objectbut I ain't mean enough to

try to steal away some ole woman's darling boy in England; or snatch

some likely young English girl's big brother outer the family

without sayin' by your leave。  How'd you like it if Richelieu was

growed up; and went to sea;and it would be like his peartness;

and he fell sick in some foreign land; and some princess or other

skyulged HIM underhand away from us?〃



Probably owing to the affair of the specimens; the elder Sharpe did

not seem to regard the possible mesalliance of Richelieu with

extraordinary disfavor。  〃That boy is conceited enough with hair

ile and fine clothes for anything;〃 he said plaintively。  〃But

didn't that Louise Macy hev a feller alreadythat Captain Greyson?

Wot's gone o' him?〃



〃That's it;〃 said Minty: 〃he kin go out in the woods and whistle

now。  But all the same; she could hitch him in again at any time if

the other stranger kicked over the traces。  That's the style over

there at The Lookout。  There ain't ez much heart in them two women

put together ez would make a green gal flush up playin' forfeits。

It's all in their breed; Pop。  Love ain't going to spile their

appetites and complexions; give 'em nose…bleed; nor put a drop o'

water into their eyes in all their natural born days。  That's wot

makes me mad。  Ef I thought that Loo cared a bit for that child I

wouldn't mind; I'd just advise her to make him get up and getpack

his duds out o' camp; and go home and not come back until he had a

written permit from his mother; or the other baronet in office。〃



〃Looks sorter ef some one orter interfere;〃 said the blacksmith;

reflectively。  〃'Tain't exackly a case for a vigilance committee;

tho' it's agin public morals; this sorter kidnappin' o' strangers。

Looks ez if it might bring the country into discredit in England。〃



〃Well; don't YOU go and interfere and havin' folks say ez my nose

was put out o' jint over there;〃 said Minty; curtly。  〃There's

another Englishman comin' up from 'Frisco to see him to…morrow。  Ef

he ain't scooped up by Jenny Bradley he'll guess there's a nigger

in the fence somewhere。  But there; Pop; let it drop。  It's a bad

aig; anyway;〃 she concluded; rising from the table; and passing her

hands down her frock and her shapely hips; as if to wipe off

further contamination of the subject。  〃Where's Richelieu agin?〃



〃Said he didn't want supper; and like ez not he's gone over to see

that fammerly at the Summit。  There's a little girl thar he's

sparkin'; about his own age。〃



〃His own age!〃 said Minty; indignantly。  〃Why; she's double that;

if she's a day。  Wellif he ain't the triflinest; conceitednest

little limb that ever grew!  I'd like to know where he got it from

it wasn't mar's style。〃



Mr。 Sharpe smiled darkly。  Richelieu's precocious gallantry

evidently was not considered as gratuitous as his experimental

metallurgy。  But as his eyes followed his daughter's wholesome;

Phyllis…like figure; a new idea took possession of him: needless to

say; however; it was in the line of another personal aggrievement;

albeit it took the form of religious ref

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