a sappho of green springs-第28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！



Randolph　was　less　careful。



〃You　don't　really　mean　to　say；　major；〃　she　began　in　her　dryest；

grittiest　manner；　〃that　instead　of　sending　to　San　Francisco　for

some　skilled　master…mechanic；　you　are　going　to　listen　to　the

vagaries　of　a　conceited；　half…educated　farm…laborer；　and　employ

him？　　You　might　as　well　call　in　some　of　those　wizards　or　water…

witches　at　once。〃　　But　the　major；　like　many　other　well…managed

husbands　who　are　good…humoredly　content　to　suffer　in　the　sunshine

of　prosperity；　had　no　idea　of　doing　so　in　adversity；　and　the

prospect　of　being　obliged　to　go　back　to　youthful　struggles　had

recalled　some　of　the　independence　of　that　period。　　He　looked　up

quietly；　and　said：



〃If　his　conclusions　are　as　clear　and　satisfactory　to…morrow　as　they

were　to…day；　I　shall　certainly　try　to　secure　his　services。〃



〃Then　I　can　only　say　I　would　prefer　the　water…witch。　　He　at　least

would　not　represent　a　class　of　neighbors　who　have　made　themselves

systematically　uncivil　and　disagreeable　to　us。〃



〃I　am　afraid；　Josephine；　we　have　not　tried　to　make　ourselves

particularly　agreeable　to　THEM；〃　said　the　major。



〃If　that　can　only　be　done　by　admitting　their　equality；　I　prefer

they　should　remain　uncivil。　　Only　let　it　be　understood；　major；　that

if　you　choose　to　take　this　Tom…the…ploughboy　to　mend　your　well；　you

will　at　least　keep　him　there　while　he　is　on　the　property。〃



With　what　retort　the　major　would　have　kept　up　this　conjugal

discussion；　already　beginning　to　be　awkward　to　the　discreet

visitor；　is　not　known；　as　it　was　suddenly　stopped　by　a　bullet　from

the　rosebud　lips　of　the　ingenuous　Adele。



〃Why；　he's　very　handsome　when　his　face　is　clean；　and　his　hands　are

small　and　not　at　all　hard。　　And　he　doesn't　talk　the　least　bit　queer

or　common。〃



There　was　a　dead　silence。　　〃And　pray　where　did　YOU　see　him；　and

what　do　you　know　about　his　hands？〃　asked　Mrs。　Randolph；　in　her　most

desiccated　voice。　　〃Or　has　the　major　already　presented　you　to　him？

I　shouldn't　be　surprised。〃



〃No；　but〃hesitated　the　young　girl；　with　a　certain　mouse…like

audacity；〃when　you　sent　me　to　look　after　Miss　Mallory；　I　came　up

to　him　just　after　he　had　spoken　to　her；　and　he　stopped　to　ask　me

how　we　all　were；　and　if　Miss　Mallory　was　really　frightened　by　the

earthquake；　and　he　shook　hands　for　good　afternoonthat's　all。〃



〃And　who　taught　you　to　converse　with　common　strangers　and　shake

hands　with　them？〃　continued　Mrs。　Randolph；　with　narrowing　lips。



〃Nobody；　mamma；　but　I　thought　if　Miss　Mallory；　who　is　a　young　lady；

could　speak　to　him；　so　could　I；　who　am　not　out　yet。〃



〃We　won't　discuss　this　any　further　at　present；〃　said　Mrs。　Randolph；

stiffly；　as　the　major　smiled　grimly　at　Rose。　　〃The　earthquake　seems

to　have　shaken　down　in　this　house　more　than　the　chimneys。〃



It　certainly　had　shaken　all　power　of　sleep　from　the　eyes　of　Rose

when　the　household　at　last　dispersed　to　lie　down　in　their　clothes

on　the　mattresses　which　had　been　arranged　under　the　awnings。　　She

was　continually　starting　up　from　confused　dreams　of　the　ground

shaking　under　her；　or　she　seemed　to　be　standing　on　the　brink　of

some　dreadful　abyss　like　the　great　chasm　on　the　grain…field；　when

it　began　to　tremble　and　crumble　beneath　her　feet。　　It　was　near

morning　when；　unable　to　endure　it　any　longer；　she　managed　without

disturbing　the　sleeping　Adele；　who　occupied　the　same　curtained

recess　with　her；　to　slip　out　from　the　awning。　　Wrapped　in　a　thick

shawl；　she　made　her　way　through　the　encompassing　trees　and　bushes

of　the　garden　that　had　seemed　to　imprison　and　suffocate　her；　to　the

edge　of　the　grain…field；　where　she　could　breathe　the　fresh　air

beneath　an　open；　starlit　sky。　　There　was　no　moon　and　the　darkness

favored　her；　she　had　no　fears　that　weighed　against　the　horror　of

seclusion　with　her　own　fancies。　　Besides；　they　were　camping　OUT　of

the　house；　and　if　she　chose　to　sit　up　or　walk　about；　no　one　could

think　it　strange。　　She　wished　her　father　were　here　that　she　might

have　some　one　of　her　own　kin　to　talk　to；　yet　she　knew　not　what　to

say　to　him　if　he　had　come。　　She　wanted　somebody　to　sympathize　with

her　feelings；or　rather；　perhaps；　some　one　to　combat　and　even

ridicule　the　uneasiness　that　had　lately　come　over　her。　　She　knew

what　her　father　would　say；〃Do　you　want　to　go；　or　do　you　want　to

stay　here？　　Do　you　like　these　people；　or　do　you　not？〃　　She

remembered　the　one　or　two　glowing　and　enthusiastic　accounts　she　had

written　him　of　her　visit　here；　and　felt　herself　blushing　again。

What　would　he　think　of　Mrs。　Randolph's　opening　and　answering　the

telegram？　　Wouldn't　he　find　out　from　the　major　if　she　had　garbled

the　sense　of　his　dispatch？



Away　to　the　right；　in　the　midst　of　the　distant　and　invisible　wheat…

field；　there　was　the　same　intermittent　star；　which　like　a　living；

breathing　thing　seemed　to　dilate　in　glowing　respiration；　as　she　had

seen　it　the　first　night　of　her　visit。　　Mr。　Bent's　forge！　　It　must

be　nearly　daylight　now；　the　poor　fellow　had　been　up　all　night；　or

else　was　stealing　this　early　march　on　the　day。　　She　recalled

Adele's　sudden　eulogium　of　him。　　The　first　natural　smile　that　had

come　to　her　lips　since　the　earthquake　broke　up　her　nervous

restraint；　and　sent　her　back　more　like　her　old　self　to　her　couch。



But　she　had　not　proceeded　far　towards　the　tent；　when　she　heard　the

sound　of　low　voices　approaching　her。　　It　was　the　major　and　his

wife；　who；　like　herself；　had　evidently　been　unable　to　sleep；　and

were　up　betimes。　　A　new　instinct　of　secretiveness；　which　she　felt

was　partly　the　effect　of　her　artificial　surrounding；　checked　her

first　natural　instinct　to　call　to　them；　and　she　drew　back　deeper　in

the　shadow　to　let　them　pass。　　But　to　her　great　discomfiture　the

major　in　a　conversational　emphasis　stopped　directly　in　front　of

her。



〃You　are　wrong；　I　tell　you；　a　thousand　times　wrong。　　The　girl　is

simply　upset　by　this　earthquake。　　It's　a　great　pity　her　father

didn't　come　instead　of　telegraphing。　　And　by　Jove；　rather　than　hear

any　more　of　this；　I'll　send　for　him　myself；〃　said　the　major；　in　an

energetic　but　suppressed　voice。



〃And　the　girl　won't　thank　you；　and　you'll　be　a　fool　for　your

pains；〃　returned　Mrs。　Randolph；　with　dry　persistency。



〃But　according　to　your　own　ideas　of　propriety；　Mallory　ought　to　be

the　first　one　to　be　consultedand　by　me；　too。〃



〃Not　in　this　case。　　Of　course；　before　any　actual　engagement　is　on；

you　can　speak　of　Emile's　attentions。〃



〃But　suppose　Mallory　has　other　views。　　Suppose　he　declines　the

honor。　　The　man　is　no　fool。〃



〃Thank　you。　　But　for　that　very　reason　he　must。　　Listen　to　me；

major；　if　he　doesn't　care　to　please　his　daughter　for　her　own　sake；

he　will　have　to　do　so　for　the　sake　of　decency。　　Yes；　I　tell　you；

she　has　thoroughly　compromised　herselfquite　enough；　if　it　is　ever

known；　to　spoil　any　other　engagement　her　father　may　make。　　Why；　ask

Adele！　　The　day　of　the　earthquake　she　ABSOLUTELY　had　the　audacity

to　send　him　out　of　the　room　upstairs　into　your　study　for　her　fan；

and　then　follow　him　up　there　alone。　　The　servants　knew　it。　　I　knew

it；　for　I　was　in　her　room　at　the　time　with　Father　Antonio。　　The

earthquake　made　it　plain　to　everybody。　　Decline　it！　　No。　　Mr。

Mallory　will　think　twice　about　it　before　he　does　that。　　What's

that？　　Who's　there？〃



There　was　a　sudden　rustle　in　the　bushes　like　the　passage　of　some

frightened　animaland　then　all　was　still　again。





CHAPTER　V





The　sun；　an　hour　high；　but　only　just　topping　the　greenish　crests　of

the　wheat；　was　streaming　like　the　morning　breeze　through　the　open

length　of　Tom　Bent's　workshed。　　An　exaggerated　and　prolonged　shadow

of　the　young　inventor　himself　at　work　beside　his　bench　was

stretching　itself　far　into　the　broken…down　ranks　of　stalks　towards

the　invisible　road；　and　falling　at　the　very　feet　of　Rose　Mallory　as

she　emerged　from　them。



She　was　very　pale；　very　quiet；　and　very　determined。　　The　traveling

mantle　thrown　over　her　shoulders　was　dusty；　the　r