a sappho of green springs-第10章

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Summit　wood？　　It's　the　cold　truth　I'm　tellin'　ye。〃



Mr。　Bowers　no　longer　doubted　it。　　Disappointed　as　he　undoubtedly

was　at　first；and　even　self…deceived；he　recognized　in　a　flash

the　grim　fact　that　the　boy　had　stated。　　He　recalled　the　apparition

of　the　sad…faced　woman　in　the　woodher　distressed　manner；　that　to

his　inexperienced　mind　now　took　upon　itself　the　agitated　trembling

of　disturbed　mystic　inspiration。　　A　sense　of　sadness　and　remorse

succeeded　his　first　shock　of　disappointment。



〃Well；　are　ye　going　to　buy　the　woods？〃　said　Bob；　eying　him　grimly。

〃Ye'd　better　say。〃



Mr。　Bowers　started。　　〃I　shouldn't　wonder；　Bob；〃　he　said；　with　a

smile；　gathering　up　his　reins。　　〃Anyhow；　I'm　comin'　back　to　see

your　mother　this　afternoon。　　And　meantime；　Bob；　you　keep　the　first

chance　for　me。〃



He　drove　away；　leaving　the　youthful　diplomatist　standing　with　his

bare　feet　in　the　dust。　　For　a　minute　or　two　the　young　gentleman

amused　himself　by　a　few　light　saltatory　steps　in　the　road。　　Then　a

smile　of　scornful　superiority；　mingled　perhaps　with　a　sense　of

previous　slights　and　unappreciation；　drew　back　his　little　upper

lip；　and　brightened　his　mottled　cheek。



〃I'd　like　ter　know；〃　he　said；　darkly；　〃what　this　yer　God…forsaken

famerly　would　do　without　ME！〃





CHAPTER　V





It　is　to　be　presumed　that　the　editor　and　Mr。　Hamlin　mutually　kept

to　their　tacit　agreement　to　respect　the　impersonality　of　the

poetess；　for　during　the　next　three　months　the　subject　was　seldom

alluded　to　by　either。　　Yet　in　that　period　White　Violet　had　sent　two

other　contributions；　and　on　each　occasion　Mr。　Hamlin　had　insisted

upon　increasing　the　honorarium　to　the　amount　of　his　former　gift。

In　vain　the　editor　pointed　out　the　danger　of　this　form　of

munificence；　Mr。　Hamlin　retorted　by　saying　that　if　he　refused　he

would　appeal　to　the　proprietor；　who　certainly　would　not　object　to

taking　the　credit　of　this　liberality。　　〃As　to　the　risks；〃　concluded

Jack；　sententiously；　〃I'll　take　them；　and　as　far　as　you're

concerned；　you　certainly　get　the　worth　of　your　money。〃



Indeed；　if　popularity　was　an　indiction；　this　had　become　suddenly

true。　　For　the　poetess's　third　contribution；　without　changing　its

strong　local　color　and　individuality；　had　been　an　unexpected

outburst　of　human　passiona　love…song；　that　touched　those　to　whom

the　subtler　meditative　graces　of　the　poetess　had　been　unknown。

Many　people　had　listened　to　this　impassioned　but　despairing　cry

from　some　remote　and　charmed　solitude；　who　had　never　read　poetry

before；　who　translated　it　into　their　own　limited　vocabulary　and

more　limited　experience；　and　were　inexpressibly　affected　to　find

that　they；　too；　understood　it；　it　was　caught　up　and　echoed　by　the

feverish；　adventurous；　and　unsatisfied　life　that　filled　that　day

and　time。　　Even　the　editor　was　surprised　and　frightened。　　Like　most

cultivated　men；　he　distrusted　popularity：　like　all　men　who　believe

in　their　own　individual　judgment；　he　doubted　collective　wisdom。

Yet　now　that　his　protegee　had　been　accepted　by　others；　he

questioned　that　judgment　and　became　her　critic。　　It　struck　him　that

her　sudden　outburst　was　strained；　it　seemed　to　him　that　in　this

mere　contortion　of　passion　the　sibyl's　robe　had　become　rudely

disarranged。　　He　spoke　to　Hamlin；　and　even　approached　the　tabooed

subject。



〃Did　you　see　anything　that　suggested　this　sort　of　business　inin

that　womanI　mean　inyour　pilgrimage；　Jack？〃



〃No；〃　responded　Jack；　gravely。　　〃But　it's　easy　to　see　she's　got

hold　of　some　hay…footed　fellow　up　there　in　the　mountains　with

straws　in　his　hair；　and　is　playing　him　for　all　he's　worth。　　You

won't　get　much　more　poetry　out　of　her；　I　reckon。〃



Is　was　not　long　after　this　conversation　that　one　afternoon；　when

the　editor　was　alone；　Mr。　James　Bowers　entered　the　editorial　room

with　much　of　the　hesitation　and　irresolution　of　his　previous　visit。

As　the　editor　had　not　only　forgotten　him；　but　even；　dissociated　him

with　the　poetess；　Mr。　Bowers　was　fain　to　meet　his　unresponsive　eye

and　manner　with　some　explanation。



〃Ye　disremember　my　comin'　here；　Mr。　Editor；　to　ask　you　the　name　o'

the　lady　who　called　herself　'White　Violet；'　and　how　you　allowed　you

couldn't　give　it；　but　would　write　and　ask　for　it？〃



Mr。　Editor；　leaning　back　in　his　chair；　now　remembered　the

occurrence；　but　was　distressed　to　add　that　the　situation　remained

unchanged；　and　that　he　had　received　no　such　permission。



〃Never　mind　THAT；　my　lad；〃　said　Mr。　Bowers；　gravely；　waving　his

hand。　　〃I　understand　all　that；　but；　ez　I've　known　the　lady　ever

since；　and　am　now　visiting　her　at　her　house　on　the　Summit；　I　reckon

it　don't　make　much　matter。〃



It　was　quite　characteristic　of　Mr。　Bowers's　smileless　earnestness

that　he　made　no　ostentation　of　this　dramatic　retort；　nor　of　the

undisguised　stupefaction　of　the　editor。



〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　have　met　White　Violet；　the　author　of

these　poems？〃　repeated　the　editor。



〃Which　her　name　is　Delatour；the　widder　Delatour；ez　she　has

herself　give　me　permission　to　tell　you；〃　continued　Mr。　Bowers；　with

a　certain　abstracted　and　automatic　precision　that　dissipated　any

suggestion　of　malice　in　the　reversed　situation。



〃Delatour！a　widow！〃　repeated　the　editor。



〃With　five　children；〃　continued　Mr。　Bowers。　　Then；　with　unalterable

gravity；　he　briefly　gave　an　outline　of　her　condition　and　the

circumstances　of　his　acquaintance　with　her。



〃But　I　reckoned　YOU　might　have　known　suthin'　o'　this；　though　she

never　let　on　you　did；〃　he　concluded；　eying　the　editor　with　troubled

curiosity。



The　editor　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　implicate　Mr。　Hamlin。　　He

said；　briefly；　〃I？　　Oh；　no！〃



〃Of　course；　YOU　might　not　have　seen　her？〃　said　Mr。　Bowers；　keeping

the　same　grave；　troubled　gaze　on　the　editor。



〃Of　course　not；〃　said　the　editor；　somewhat　impatient　under　the

singular　scrutiny　of　Mr。　Bowers；　〃and　I'm　very　anxious　to　know　how

she　looks。　　Tell　me；　what　is　she　like？〃



〃She　is　a　fine；　pow'ful；　eddicated　woman；〃　said　Mr。　Bowers；　with

slow　deliberation。　　〃Yes；　sir；a　pow'ful　woman；　havin'　grand　ideas

of　her　own；　and　holdin'　to　'em。〃　　He　had　withdrawn　his　eyes　from

the　editor；　and　apparently　addressed　the　ceiling　in　confidence。



〃But　what　does　she　look　like；　Mr。　Bowers？〃　said　the　editor；

smiling。



〃Well；　sir；　she　looksLIKEIT！　　Yes；〃with　deliberate　caution；

〃I　should　say；　just　like　it。〃



After　a　pause；　apparently　to　allow　the　editor　to　materialize　this

ravishing　description；　he　said；　gently；　〃Are　you　busy　just　now？〃



〃Not　very。　　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃



〃Well；　not　much　for　ME；　I　reckon；〃　he　returned；　with　a　deeper

respiration；　that　was　his　nearest　approach　to　a　sigh；　〃but　suthin'

perhaps　for　yourself　andanother。　　Are　you　married？〃



〃No；〃　said　the　editor；　promptly。



〃Nor　engaged　to　anyyoung　lady？〃with　great　politeness。



〃No。〃



〃Well；　mebbe　you　think　it　a　queer　thing　for　me　to　say；mebbe　you

reckon　you　KNOW　it　ez　well　ez　anybody；but　it's　my　opinion　that

White　Violet　is　in　love　with　you。〃



〃With　me？〃　ejaculated　the　editor；　in　a　hopeless　astonishment　that

at　last　gave　way　to　an　incredulous　and　irresistible　laugh。



A　slight　touch　of　pain　passed　over　Mr。　Bowers's　dejected　face；　but

left　the　deep　outlines　set　with　a　rude　dignity。　　〃It's　SO；〃　he

said；　slowly；　〃though；　as　a　young　man　and　a　gay　feller；　ye　may

think　it's　funny。〃



〃No；　not　funny；　but　a　terrible　blunder；　Mr。　Bowers；　for　I　give　you

my　word　I　know　nothing　of　the　lady　and　have　never　set　eyes　upon

her。〃



〃No；　but　she　has　on　YOU。　　I　can't　say；〃　continued　Mr。　Bowers；　with

sublime　naivete；　〃that　I'd　ever　recognize　you　from　her　description；

but　a　woman　o'　that　kind　don't　see　with　her　eyes　like　you　and　me；

but　with　all　her　senses　to　onct；　and　a　heap　more　that　ain't　senses

as　we　know　'em。　　The　same　eyes　that　seed　down　through　the　brush　and

ferns　in　the　Summit　woods；　the　same　ears　that　heerd　the　music　of

the　wind　trailin'　through　the　p