just david(公正的大卫)-第26章
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The man puffed for a moment in silence before he took his pipe from
his mouth。
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JUST DAVID
〃Well； sonny； I s'pose I may as well tell ye。 You'll have ter know it
sometime； seein' as 't won't be no secret long。 They've had a stroke o' bad
luckMr。 an' Mis' Holly has。〃
〃What is it？〃
The man hitched in his seat。
〃By sugar； boy； I s'pose if I tell ye； there ain't no sartinty that you'll
sense it at all。 I reckon it ain't in your class。〃
〃But what is it？〃
〃Well； it's moneyand one might as well talk moonshine to you as
money； I s'pose； but here goes it。 It's a thousand dollars； boy； that they
owed。 Here； like this；〃 he explained； rummaging his pockets until he had
found a silver dollar to lay on his open palm。 〃Now； jest imagine a
thousand of them； that's heaps an' heapsmore 'n I ever see in my life。〃
〃Like the stars？〃 guessed David。
The man nodded。
〃Ex…ACTLY！ Well； they owed thisMr。 an' Mis' Holly didand they
had agreed ter pay it next Sat'day。 And they was all right； too。 They had it
plum saved in the bank； an' was goin' ter draw it Thursday； ter make sure。
An' they was feelin' mighty pert over it； too； when ter…day along comes the
news that somethin's broke kersmash in that bank； an' they've shet it up。
An' nary a cent can the Hollys git nowan' maybe never。 Anyhow； not
'fore it's too late for this job。〃
〃But won't he wait？that man they owe it to？ I should think he'd have
to； if they didn't have it to pay。〃
〃Not much he will； when it's old Streeter that's got the mortgage on a
good fat farm like this！〃
David drew his brows together perplexedly。
〃What is aa mortgage？〃 he asked。 〃Is it anything like a porte…cochere？
I KNOW what that is； 'cause my Lady of the Roses has one； but we
haven't got thatdown here。〃
Perry Larson sighed in exasperation。
〃Gosh； if that ain't 'bout what I expected of ye！ No； it ain't even second
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JUST DAVID
cousin to aa…that thing you're a…talkin' of。 In plain wordin'； it's jest this：
Mr。 Holly； he says ter Streeter： 'You give me a thousand dollars and I'll pay
ye back on a sartin day； if I don't pay； you can sell my farm fur what it'll
bring； an' TAKE yer pay。 Well； now here 't is。 Mr。 Holly can't pay； an' so
Streeter will put up the farm fur sale。〃
〃What； with Mr。 and Mrs。 Holly LIVING here？〃
〃Sure！ Only they'll have ter git out； ye know。〃
〃Where'll they go？〃
〃The Lord knows； I don't。〃
〃And is THAT what they're crying forin there？because they've got
to go？〃
〃Sure！〃
〃But isn't there anything； anywhere； that can be done tostop it？〃
〃I don't see how； kid；not unless some one ponies up with the money
'fore next Sat'day；an' a thousand o' them things don't grow on ev'ry
bush；〃 he finished； gently patting the coin in his hand。
At the words a swift change came to David's face。 His cheeks paled
and his eyes dilated in terror。 It was as if ahead of him he saw a yawning
abyss； eager to engulf him。
〃And you sayMONEY wouldfix it？〃 he asked thickly。
〃Ex…ACT…ly！a thousand o' them； though； 't would take。〃
A dawning relief came into David's eyesit was as if he saw a bridge
across the abyss。
〃You meanthat there wouldn't ANYTHING do； only silver pieces
like those？〃 he questioned hopefully。
〃Sugar； kid； 'course there would！ Gosh； but you BE a checkerboard o'
sense an' nonsense； an' no mistake！ Any money would do the jobany
money！ Don't ye see？ Anything that's money。〃
〃Would g…gold do it？〃 David's voice was very faint now。
〃Sure！gold； or silver； or greenbacks； oror a check； if it had the
dough behind it。〃
David did not appear to hear the last。 With an oddly strained look he
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JUST DAVID
had hung upon the man's first words； but at the end of the sentence he only
murmured； 〃Oh； thank you；〃 and turned away。 He was walking slowly
now toward the house。 His head was bowed。 His step lagged。
〃Now； ain't that jest like that chap；〃 muttered the man； 〃ter slink off
like that as if he was a whipped cur。 I'll bet two cents an' a doughnut； too；
that in five minutes he'll be what he calls 'playin' it' on that 'ere fiddle o'
his。 An' I'll be derned； too； if I ain't curious ter see what he WILL make of
it。 It strikes me this ought ter fetch somethin' first cousin to a dirge！〃
On the porch steps David paused a breathless instant。 From the kitchen
came the sound of Mrs。 Holly's sobs and of a stern voice praying。 With a
shudder and a little choking cry the boy turned then and crept softly
upstairs to his room。
He played； too； as Perry Larson had wagered。 But it was not the
tragedy of the closed bank； nor the honor of the threatened farm…selling
that fell from his violin。 It was； instead； the swan song of a little pile of
goldgold which lay now in a chimney cupboard； but which was soon to
be placed at the feet of the mourning man and woman downstairs。 And in
the song was the sob of a boy who sees his house of dreams burn to ashes；
who sees his wonderful life and work out in the wide world turn to endless
days of weed…pulling and dirt…digging in a narrow valley。 There was in the
song； too； something of the struggle； the fierce yea and nay of the conflict。
But； at the end； there was the wild burst of exaltation of renunciation； so
that the man in the barn door below fairly sprang to his feet with an
angry：
〃Gosh！ if he hain't turned the thing into a jigdurn him！ Don't he know
more'n that at such a time as this？〃
Later； a very little later； the shadowy figure of the boy stood before
him。
〃I've been thinking；〃 stammered David； 〃that maybe Icould help；
about that money； you know。〃
〃Now； look a…here； boy；〃 exploded Perry； in open exasperation； 〃as I
said in the first place； this ain't in your class。 'T ain't no pink cloud sailin'
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JUST DAVID
in the sky； nor a bluebird singin' in a blackb'rry bush。 An' you might 'play
it'as you call ittill doomsday； an' 't wouldn't do no goodthough I'm
free ter confess that your playin' of them 'ere other things sounds real pert
an' chirky at times； but 't won't do no good here。〃
David stepped forward； bringing his small； anxious face full into the
moonlight。
〃But 't was the money； Perry； I meant about； the money；〃 he explained。
〃They were good to me and wanted me when there wasn't any one else
that did； and now I'd like to do something for them。 There aren't so
MANY pieces； and they aren't silver。 There's only one hundred and six of
them； I counted。 But maybe they 'd help some。 Itit would be astart。〃
His voice broke over the once beloved word； then went on with renewed
strength。 〃There； see！ Would these do？〃 And with both hands he held up to
view his cap sagging under its weight of gold。
Perry Larson's jaw fell open。 His eyes bulged。 Dazedly he reached out
and touched with trembling fingers the heap of shining disks that seemed
in the mellow light like little earth…born children of the moon itself。 The
next instant he recoiled sharply。
〃Great snakes； boy； where'd you git that money？〃 he demanded。
〃Of father。 He went to the far country； you know。〃
Perry Larson snorted angrily。
〃See here； boy； for once； if ye can； talk horse…sense！ Surely； even YOU
don't expect me ter believe that he's sent you that money fromfrom
where he's gone to！〃
〃Oh； no。 He left it。〃
〃Left it！ Why； boy； you know better！ There wa'n't a centhardly
found on him。〃
〃He gave it to me beforeby the roadside。〃
〃Gave it to you！ Where in the name of goodness has it been since？〃
〃In the little cupboard in my room； behind the books。〃
〃Great snakes！〃 muttered Perry Larson； reaching out his hand and
gingerly picking up one of the gold…pieces。
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David eyed him anxiously。
〃Won't theydo？〃 he faltered。 〃There aren't a thousand； there's only a
hundred and six； but〃
〃Do！〃 cut in the man； excitedly。 He had been examining the gold…piece
at close range。 〃Do！ Well； I reckon they'll do。 By Jiminy！and ter think
you've had this up yer sleeve all this time！ Well； I'll believe anythin' of yer
nowanythin'！ You can't stump me with nuthin'！ Come on。〃 And he
hurriedly led the way toward the house。
〃But they weren't up my sleeve；〃 corrected David； as he tried to keep
up with the long strides of the man。 〃I SAID they were in the cupboard in
my room。〃
There was no answer。 Larson had reached the porch steps； and had
paused there hesitatingly。 From the kitchen still came the sound of sobs。
Aside from that there was silence。 The boy； however； did not hesitate。 He
went straight up the steps and through the open kitchen door。 At the table
sat the man and the woman； their eyes covered with their hands。
With a swift overturning of his cap； David dumped his burden onto the
table； and stepped back respectfully。
〃If you please； sir； would thishelp any？〃 he asked。
At the jingle of the coins Simeon Holly and his wife lifted their heads
abruptly。 A half…uttered sob died on the woman's lips。 A quick cry came
from the man's。 He reached forth an eager hand and had almost clutched
the gold when a sudden change came to his face。 With a stern ejaculation
he drew back。
〃Boy； where did that money come from？〃 he challenged。
David sighed in a discouraged way。 It seemed that； always； the
showing of this gold mean't questioningeternal questioning。
〃Surely；〃 continued Simeon Holly； 〃you did not〃 With the boy's frank
gaze upturned to his； the man could not finish his sentence。
Befor
