cressy-第8章

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〃Do。　　Some　from　the　Dobell　school　you　uster　go　to；〃　suggested　the

darkly　ironical　Rupert。　　〃They　was　iron…clad　injin…rubber；　warn't

they？〃



〃Never　you　mind　wot　they　were；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　good…humoredly。

〃Look　at　that　string　of　'C's'　in　that　line。　　There's　nothing　mean

about　THEM。〃



He　put　his　pen　between　his　teeth；　raised　himself　slowly　on　his

legs；　and　shading　his　eyes　with　his　hand　from　the　severe

perspective　of　six　feet；　gazed　admiringly　down　upon　his　work。

Rupert；　with　his　hands　in　his　pockets　and　his　back　to　the　window；

cynically　assisted　at　the　inspection。



〃Wot's　that　sick　worm　at　the　bottom　of　the　page？〃　he　asked。



〃Wot　might　you　think　it　wos？〃　said　Uncle　Ben　beamingly。



〃Looks　like　one　o'　them　snake　roots　you　dig　up　with　a　little　mud

stuck　to　it；〃　returned　Rupert　critically。



〃That's　my　name。〃



They　both　stood　looking　at　it　with　their　heads　very　much　on　one

side。　　〃It　ain't　so　bad　as　the　rest　you've　done。　　It　MIGHT　be　your

name。　　That　ez；　it　don't　look　like　anythin'　else；〃　suggested

Rupert；　struck　with　a　new　idea　that　it　was　perhaps　more　professional

occasionally　to　encourage　his　pupil。　　〃You　might　get　on　in　course　o'

time。　　But　what　are　you　doin'　all　this　for？〃　he　asked　suddenly。



〃Doin'　what？〃



〃This　yer　comin'　to　school　when　you　ain't　sent；　and　you　ain't　got

no　call　to　goyou；　a　grown…up　man！〃



The　color　deepened　in　Uncle　Ben's　face　to　the　back　of　his　ears。　〃Wot

would　you　giv'　to　know；　Roop？　　S'pose　I　reckoned　some　day　to　make　a

strike　and　sorter　drop　inter　saciety　easyeh？　　S'pose　I　wanted　to

be　ready　to　keep　up　my　end　with　the　other　fellers；　when　the　time

kem？　　To　be　able　to　sling　po'try　and　read　novels　and　sicheh？〃



An　expression　of　infinite　and　unutterable　scorn　dawned　in　the　eyes

of　Rupert。　　〃You　do？　　Well；〃　he　repeated　with　slow　and　cutting

deliberation；　〃I'll　tell　you　what　you're　comin'　here　for；　and　the

only　thing　that　makes　you　come。〃



〃What？〃



〃It'ssomegirl！〃



Uncle　Ben　broke　into　a　boisterous　laugh　that　made　the　roof　shake；

stamping　about　and　slapping　his　legs　till　the　crazy　floor　trembled。

But　at　that　moment　the　master　stepped　to　the　perch　and　made　a　quiet

but　discomposing　entrance。





CHAPTER　IV。





The　return　of　Miss　Cressida　McKinstry　to　Indian　Spring　and　her

interrupted　studies　was　an　event　whose　effects　were　not　entirely

confined　to　the　school。　　The　broken　engagement　itself　seemed　of

little　moment　in　the　general　estimation　compared　to　her　resumption

of　her　old　footing　as　a　scholar。　　A　few　ill…natured　elders　of　her

own　sex；　and　naturally　exempt　from　the　discriminating　retort　of　Mr。

McKinstry's　〃shot…gun；〃　alleged　that　the　Seminary　at　Sacramento　had

declined　to　receive　her；　but　the　majority　accepted　her　return　with

local　pride　as　a　practical　compliment　to　the　educational　facilities

of　Indian　Spring。　　The　Tuolumne　〃Star；〃　with　a　breadth　and　eloquence

touchingly　disproportionate　to　its　actual　size　and　quality　of　type

and　paper；　referred　to　the　possible　〃growth　of　a　grove　of　Academus

at　Indian　Spring；　under　whose　cloistered　boughs　future　sages　and

statesmen　were　now　meditating；〃　in　a　way　that　made　the　master　feel

exceedingly　uncomfortable。　　For　some　days　the　trail　between　the

McKinstrys'　ranch　and　the　school…house　was　lightly　patrolled　by

reliefs　of　susceptible　young　men；　to　whom　the　enfranchised　Cressida；

relieved　from　the　dangerous　supervision　of　the　Davis…McKinstry

clique；　was　an　object　of　ambitious　admiration。　　The　young　girl

herself；　who；　in　spite　of　the　master's　annoyance；　seemed　to　be

following　some　conscientious　duty　in　consecutively　arraying　herself

in　the　different　dresses　she　had　bought；　however　she　may　have

tantalized　her　admirers　by　this　revelation　of　bridal　finery；　did　not

venture　to　bring　them　near　the　limits　of　the　play…ground。　　It

struck　the　master　with　some　surprise　that　Indian　Spring　did　not　seem

to　trouble　itself　in　regard　to　his　own　privileged　relations　with　its

rustic　enchantress；　the　young　men　clearly　were　not　jealous　of　him；

no　matron　had　suggested　any　indecorum　in　a　young　girl　of　Cressy's

years　and　antecedents　being　intrusted　to　the　teachings　of　a　young

man　scarcely　her　senior。　　Notwithstanding　the　attitude　which　Mr。

Ford　had　been　pleased　to　assume　towards　her；　this　implied　compliment

to　his　supposed　monastic　vocations　affected　him　almost　as

uncomfortably　as　the　〃Star's〃　extravagant　eulogium。　　He　was　obliged

to　recall　certain　foolish　experiences　of　his　own　to　enable　him　to

rise　superior　to　this　presumption　of　his　asceticism。



In　pursuance　of　his　promise　to　McKinstry；　he　had　procured　a　few

elementary　books　of　study　suitable　to　Cressy's　new　position；

without；　however；　taking　her　out　of　the　smaller　classes　or　the

discipline　of　the　school。　　In　a　few　weeks　he　was　enabled　to　further

improve　her　attitude　by　making　her　a　〃monitor〃　over　the　smaller

girls；　thereby　dividing　certain　functions　with　Rupert　Filgee；　whose

ministrations　to　the　deceitful　and　〃silly〃　sex　had　been　characterized

by　perhaps　more　vigilant　scorn　and　disparagement　than　was　necessary。

Cressy　had　accepted　it　as　she　had　accepted　her　new　studies；　with　an

indolent　good…humor；　and　at　times　a　frankly　supreme　ignorance　of

their　abstract　or　moral　purpose　that　was　discouraging。　　〃What's　the

good　of　that？〃　she　would　ask；　lifting　her　eyes　abruptly　to　the

master。　　Mr。　Ford；　somewhat　embarrassed　by　her　look；　which　always；

sooner　or　later；　frankly　confessed　itself　an　excuse　for　a　perfectly

irrelevant　examination　of　his　features　in　detail；　would　end　in

giving　her　some　severely　practical　answer。　　Yet；　if　the　subject

appealed　to　any　particular　idiosyncrasy　of　her　own；　she　would

speedily　master　the　study。　　A　passing　predilection　for　botany　was

provoked　by　a　single　incident。　　The　master　deeming　this　study　a

harmless　young…lady…like　occupation；　had　one　day　introduced　the

topic　at　recess；　and　was　met　by　the　usual　answer。　　〃But　suppose；〃　he

continued　artfully；　〃somebody　sent　you　anonymously　some　flowers。〃



〃Her　ho！〃　suggested　Johnny　Filgee　hoarsely；　with　bold　bad

recklessness。　　Ignoring　the　remark　and　the　kick　with　which　Rupert

had　resented　it　on　the　person　of　his　brother；　the　master　continued：



〃And　if　you　couldn't　find　out　who　sent　them；　you　would　want　at

least　to　know　what　they　were　and　where　they　grew。〃



〃Ef　they　grew　anywhere　'bout　yer　we　could　tell　her　that；〃　said　a

chorus　of　small　voices。



The　master　hesitated。　　He　was　conscious　of　being　on　delicate

ground。　　He　was　surrounded　by　a　dozen　pairs　of　little　keen　eyes

from　whom　Nature　had　never　yet　succeeded　in　hiding　her　secrets

eyes　that　had　waited　for　and　knew　the　coming　up　of　the　earliest

flowers；　little　fingers　that　had　never　turned　the　pages　of　a　text…

book；　but　knew　where　to　scrape　away　the　dead　leaves　above　the　first

anemone；　or　had　groped　painfully　among　the　lifeless　branches　in

forgotten　hollows　for　the　shy　dog…rose；　unguided　little　feet　that

had　instinctively　made　their　way　to　remote　southern　slopes　for　the

first　mariposas；　or　had　unerringly　threaded　the　tule…hidden　banks

of　the　river　for　flower…de…luce。　　Convinced　that　he　could　not　hold

his　own　on　their　level；　he　shamelessly　struck　at　once　above　it。



〃Suppose　that　one　of　those　flowers；〃　he　continued；　〃was　not　like

the　rest；　that　its　stalks　and　leaves；　instead　of　being　green　and

soft；　were　white　and　stringy　like　flannel　as　if　to　protect　it　from

cold；　wouldn't　it　be　nice　to　be　able　to　say　at　once　that　it　had

lived　only　in　the　snow；　and　that　some　one　must　have　gone　all　that

way　up　there　above　the　snow　line　to　pick　it？〃　　The　children；　taken

aback　by　this　unfair　introduction　of　a　floral　stranger；　were

silent。　　Cressy　thoughtfully　accepted　botany　on　those　possibilities。

A　week　later　she　laid　on　the　master's　desk　a　limp…looking　plant

with　a　stalk　like　heavy　frayed　worsted　yarn。　　〃It　ain't　much　to　look

at　after　all；　is　it？〃　she　said。　　〃I　reckon　I　could　cut　a　better　one

with　scissors　outer　an　old　cloth　jacket　of　mine。〃



〃And　you　found　it　here？〃　asked　the　master　in　surprise。



〃I　got　Masters　to　look　for　it　when　he　was　on　the　Summit。　　I　described

it　to　him。　　I　didn't　allow　he　had　the　gumption　to　get　it。　　But

he　did。〃



Although　botany　languished　slightly　after　this　vicarious　effort；　it

kept　Cressy　in　fresh　bouquets；　and　extending　its　gentle　influence

to　her　friends　and　acquaintances　became　slightly　confounded　with

horticulture；　led　to　the　planting　of　one　or　two　gardens；　and　was

accepted　in　school　as　an　implied　concession　to　berries；　apples；　and

nuts。　　In　reading　and　writing　Cressy　greatly　improved；　with　a

marked　decrease　in　grammatical　solecisms；　although　she　still

retained　certain　characteristic　words；　and　always　her　own　slow

Southwestern；　half　musical　intonation。　　This　languid　deliberation

was　particularly　noticeable　in　her　reading　aloud；　and　gave　the

studied　and　measured　rhetoric　a　charm　of　which　her　careless

colloquial　speech　was　incapable。　　Even　the　〃Fifth　Reader；〃　with　its

imposing　passages　from　the　English　classics　carefully　selected　with

a　view　of　paralyzing　small；　hesitating；　or　hurried　voices；　in

Cressy's　hands　became　no　longer　an　unintelligible　incantation。　　She

had　quietly　mastered　the　difficulties　of　pronunciation　by　some

instinctive　sense　of　euphony　if　not　of　comprehension。　　The　master

with　his　eyes　closed　hardly　recognized　his　pupil。　　Whether　or　not

she　understood　what　she　read　he　hesitated　to　inquire；　no　doubt；　as

with　her　other　studies；　she　knew　what　attracted　her。　　Rupert

Filgee；　a　sympathetic　if　not　always　a　correct　reader；　who　boldly

took　four　and　five　syllabled　fences　flying　only　to　come　to　grief

perhaps　in　the　ditch　of　some　rhetorical　pause　beyond；　alone

expressed　his　scorn　of　her　performance。　　Octavia　Dean；　torn　between

her　hopeless　affection　for　this　beautiful　but　inaccessible　boy；　and

her　soul…friendship　for　this　bigger　but　many…frocked　girl；　studied

the　master's　face　with　watchful　anxiety。



It　is　needless　to　say　that　Hiram　McKinstry　was；　in　the　intervals　of

stake…driving　and　stock…hunting；　heavily　contented　with　this　latest

evidence　of　his　daughter's　progress。　　He　even　intimated　to　the

master　that　her　reading　being　an　accomplishment　that　could　be

exercised　at　home　was　conducive　to　that　〃kam〃　in　which　he　was　so

deficient。　　It　was　also　rumored　that　Cressy's　oral　rendering　of

Addison's　〃Reflections　in　Westminster　Abbey〃　and　Burke's

〃Indictment　of　Warren　Hastings；〃　had　beguiled　him　one　evening　from

improving　an　opportunity　to　〃plug〃　one　of　Harrison's　boundary

〃raiders。〃



The　master　shared　in　Cressy's　glory　in　the　public　eye。　　But

although　Mrs。　McKinstry　did　not　materially　change　her　attitude　of

tolerant　good…nature　towards　him；　he　was　painfully　conscious　that

she　looked　upon　her　daughter's　studies　and　her　husband's　interests

in　them　as　a　weakness　that　might　in　course　of　time　produce

infirmity　of　homicidal　purpose　and　become　enervating　of