cressy-第9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！



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

infirmity　of　homicidal　purpose　and　become　enervating　of　eye　and

trigger…finger。　　And　when　Mr。　McKinstry　got　himself　appointed　as

school…trustee；　and　was　thereby　obliged　to　mingle　with　certain

Eastern　settlers；colleagues　on　the　Board；this　possible

weakening　of　the　old　sharply　drawn　sectional　line　between　〃Yanks〃

and　themselves　gave　her　grave　doubts　of　Hiram's　physical　stamina。



〃The　old　man's　worrits　hev　sorter　shook　out　a　little　of　his　sand；〃

she　had　explained。　　On　those　evenings　when　he　attended　the　Board；

she　sought　higher　consolation　in　prayer　meeting　at　the　Southern

Baptist　Church；　in　whose　exercises　her　Northern　and　Eastern

neighbors；　thinly　disguised　as　〃Baal〃　and　〃Astaroth；〃　were

generally　overthrown　and　their　temples　made　desolate。



If　Uncle　Ben's　progress　was　slower；　it　was　no　less　satisfactory。

Without　imagination　and　even　without　enthusiasm；　he　kept　on　with　a

dull　laborious　persistency。　　When　the　irascible　impatience　of

Rupert　Filgee　at　last　succumbed　to　the　obdurate　slowness　of　his

pupil；　the　master　himself；　touched　by　Uncle　Ben's　perspiring

forehead　and　perplexed　eyebrows；　often　devoted　the　rest　of　the

afternoon　to　a　gentle　elucidation　of　the　mysteries　before　him；

setting　copies　for　his　heavy　hand；　or　even　guiding　it　with　his　own；

like　a　child's；　across　the　paper。　　At　times　the　appalling

uselessness　of　Uncle　Ben's　endeavors　reminded　him　of　Rupert's

taunting　charge。　　Was　he　really　doing　this　from　a　genuine　thirst

for　knowledge？　　It　was　inconsistent　with　all　that　Indian　Spring

knew　of　his　antecedents　and　his　present　ambitions；　he　was　a　simple

miner　without　scientific　or　technical　knowledge；　his　already　slight

acquaintance　with　arithmetic　and　the　scrawl　that　served　for　his

signature　were　more　than　sufficient　for　his　needs。　　Yet　it　was　with

this　latter　sign…manual　that　he　seemed　to　take　infinite　pains。　　The

master；　one　afternoon；　thought　fit　to　correct　the　apparent　vanity

of　this　performance。



〃If　you　took　as　much　care　in　trying　to　form　your　letters　according

to　copy；　you'd　do　better。　　Your　signature　is　fair　enough　as　it　is。〃



〃But　it　don't　look　right；　Mr。　Ford；〃　said　Uncle　Ben；　eying　it

distrustfully；　〃somehow　it　ain't　all　there。〃



〃Why；　certainly　it　is。　　Look；　D　A　B　N　E　Ynot　very　plain；　it's

true；　but　there　are　all　the　letters。〃



〃That's　just　it；　Mr。　Ford；　them　AIN'T　all　the　letters　that　ORTER　be

there。　　I've　allowed　to　write　it　D　A　B　N　E　Y　to　save　time　and　ink；

but　it　orter　read　DAUBIGNY；〃　said　Uncle　Ben；　with　painful

distinctness。



〃But　that　spells　d'Aubigny！〃



〃It　are。〃



〃Is　that　your　name？〃



〃I　reckon。〃



The　master　looked　at　Uncle　Ben　doubtfully。　　Was　this　only　another

form　of　the　Dobell　illusion？　　〃Was　your　father　a　Frenchman？〃　he

asked　finally。



Uncle　Ben　paused　as　if　to　recall　the　trifling　circumstances　of　his

father's　nationality。　　〃No。〃



〃Your　grandfather？〃



〃I　reckon　not。　　At　least　ye　couldn't　prove　it　by　me。〃



〃Was　your　father　or　grandfather　a　voyageur　or　trapper；　or

Canadian？〃



〃They　were　from　Pike　County；　Mizzoori。〃



The　master　regarded　Uncle　Ben　still　dubiously。　　〃But　you　call

yourself　Dabney。　　What　makes　you　think　your　real　name　is　d'Aubigny？〃



〃That's　the　way　it　uster　be　writ　in　letters　to　me　in　the　States。

Hold　on。　　I'll　show　ye。〃　　He　deliberately　began　to　feel　in　his

pockets；　finally　extracting　his　old　purse　from　which　he　produced　a

crumpled　envelope；　and　carefully　smoothing　it　out；　compared　it　with

his　signature。



〃Thar；　you　see。　　It's　the　samed'Aubigny。〃



The　master　hesitated。　　After　all；　it　was　not　impossible。　　He

recalled　other　instances　of　the　singular　transformation　of　names　in

the　Californian　emigration。　　Yet　he　could　not　help　saying；　〃Then

you　concluded　d'Aubigny　was　a　better　name　than　Dabney？〃



〃Do　YOU　think　it's　better？〃



〃Women　might。　　I　dare　say　your　wife　would　prefer　to　be　called　Mrs。

d'Aubigny　rather　than　Dabney。〃



The　chance　shot　told。　　Uncle　Ben　suddenly　flushed　to　his　ears。



〃I　didn't　think　o'　that；〃　he　said　hurriedly。　　〃I　had　another　idee。

I　reckoned　that　on　the　matter　o'　holdin'　property　and　passin'　in

money　it　would　be　better　to　hev　your　name　put　on　the　square；　and　to

sorter　go　down　to　bed　rock　for　it；　eh？　　If　I　wanted　to　take　a　hand

in　them　lots　or　Ditch　shares；　for　instanceit　would　be　only　law　to

hev　it　made　out　in　the　name　o'　d'Aubigny。〃



Mr。　Ford　listened　with　certain　impatient　contempt。　　It　was　bad

enough　for　Uncle　Ben　to　have　exposed　his　weakness　in　inventing

fictions　about　his　early　education；　but　to　invest　himself　now　with

a　contingency　of　capital　for　the　sake　of　another　childish　vanity；

was　pitiable　as　it　was　preposterous。　　There　was　no　doubt　that　he

had　lied　about　his　school　experiences；　it　was　barely　probable　that

his　name　was　really　d'Aubigny；　and　it　was　quite　consistent　with　all

thiseven　setting　apart　the　fact　that　he　was　perfectly　well　known

to　be　only　a　poor　minerthat　he　should　lie　again。　　Like　most

logical　reasoners　Mr。　Ford　forgot　that　humanity　might　be　illogical

and　inconsistent　without　being　insincere。　　He　turned　away　without

speaking　as　if　indicating　a　wish　to　hear　no　more。



〃Some　o'　these　days；〃　said　Uncle　Ben；　with　dull　persistency；　〃I'll

tell　ye　suthen'。〃



〃I'd　advise　you　just　now　to　drop　it　and　stick　to　your　lessons；〃

said　the　master　sharply。



〃That's　so；〃　said　Uncle　Ben　hurriedly；　hiding　himself　as　it　were　in

an　all…encompassing　blush。　　〃In　course　lessons　first；　boys；　that's

the　motto。〃　　He　again　took　up　his　pen　and　assumed　his　old　laborious

attitude。　　But　after　a　few　moments　it　became　evident　that　either

the　master's　curt　dismissal　of　his　subject　or　his　own　preoccupation

with　it；　had　somewhat　unsettled　him。　　He　cleaned　his　pen

obtrusively；　going　to　the　window　for　a　better　light；　and　whistling

from　time　to　time　with　a　demonstrative　carelessness　and　a

depressing　gayety。　　He　once　broke　into　a　murmuring；　meditative

chant　evidently　referring　to　the　previous　conversation；　in　its

〃That's　soYer　we　goLessons　the　first；　boys；　Yo；　heave　O。〃　　The

rollicking　marine　character　of　this　refrain；　despite　its　utter

incongruousness；　apparently　struck　him　favorably；　for　he　repeated

it　softly；　occasionally　glancing　behind　him　at　the　master　who　was

coldly　absorbed　at　his　desk。　　Presently　he　arose；　carefully　put　his

books　away；　symmetrically　piling　them　in　a　pyramid　beside　Mr。

Ford's　motionless　elbow；　and　then　lifting　his　feet　with　high　but

gentle　steps　went　to　the　peg　where　his　coat　and　hat　were　hanging。

As　he　was　about　to　put　them　on　he　appeared　suddenly　struck　with　a

sense　of　indecorousness　in　dressing　himself　in　the　school；　and

taking　them　on　his　arm　to　the　porch　resumed　them　outside。　　Then

saying；　〃I　clean　disremembered　I'd　got　to　see　a　man。　　So　long；　till

to…morrow；〃　he　disappeared　whistling　softly。



The　old　woodland　hush　fell　back　upon　the　school。　　It　seemed　very

quiet　and　empty。　　A　faint　sense　of　remorse　stole　over　the　master。

Yet　he　remembered　that　Uncle　Ben　had　accepted　without　reproach　and

as　a　good　joke　much　more　direct　accusations　from　Rupert　Filgee；　and

that　he　himself　had　acted　from　a　conscientious　sense　of　duty

towards　the　man。　　But　a　conscientious　sense　of　duty　to　inflict　pain

upon　a　fellow…mortal　for　his　own　good　does　not　always　bring　perfect

serenity　to　the　inflicterpossibly　because；　in　the　defective

machinery　of　human　compensation；　pain　is　the　only　quality　that　is

apt　to　appear　in　the　illustration。　　Mr。　Ford　felt　uncomfortable；

and　being　so；　was　naturally　vexed　at　the　innocent　cause。　　Why

should　Uncle　Ben　be　offended　because　he　had　simply　declined　to

follow　his　weak　fabrications　any　further？　　This　was　his　return　for

having　tolerated　it　at　first！　　It　would　be　a　lesson　to　him

henceforth。　　Nevertheless　he　got　up　and　went　to　the　door。　　The

figure　of　Uncle　Ben　was　already　indistinct　among　the　leaves；　but

from　the　motion　of　his　shoulders　he　seemed　to　be　still　stepping

high　and　softly　as　if　not　yet　clear　of　insecure　and　engulfing

ground。



The　silence　still　continuing；　the　master　began　mechanically　to　look

over　the　desks　for　forgotten　or　mislaid　articles；　and　to　rearrange

the　pupils'　books　and　copies。　　A　few　heartsease　gathered　by　the

devoted　Octavia　Dean；　neatly　tied　with　a　black　thread　and　regularly

left　in　the　inkstand　cavity　of　Rupert's　desk；　were　still　lying　on

the　floor　where　they　had　been　always　hurled　with　equal　regularity

by　that　disdainful　Adonis。　　Picking　up　a　slate　from　under　a　bench；

his　attention　was　attracted　by　a　forgotten　cartoon　on　the　reverse

side。　　Mr。　Ford　at　once　recognized　it　as　the　work　of　that　youthful

but　eminent　caricaturist；　Johnny　Filgee。　　Broad　in　treatment；

comprehensive　in　subject；　liberal　in　detail　and　slate…pencilit

represented　Uncle　Ben　lying　on　the　floor　with　a　book　in　his　hand；

tyrannized　over　by　Rupert　Filgee　and　regarded　in　a　striking　profile

of　two　features　by　Cressy　McKinstry。　　The　daring　realism　of

introducing　the　names　of　each　character　on　their　legsperhaps

ideally　enlarged　for　that　purposeleft　no　doubt　of　their　identity。

Equally　daring　but　no　less　effective　was　the　rendering　of　a　limited

but　dramatic　conversation　between　the　parties　by　the　aid　of

emotional　balloons　attached　to　their　mouths　like　a　visible　gulp

bearing　the　respective　legends：　〃I　luv　you；〃　〃O　my；〃　and　〃You　git！〃



The　master　was　for　a　moment　startled　at　this　unlooked…for　but

graphic　testimony　to　the　fact　that　Uncle　Ben's　visits　to　the　school

were　not　only　known　but　commented　upon。　　The　small　eyes　of　those

youthful　observers　had　been　keener　than　his　own。　　He　had　again　been

stupidly　deceived；　in　spite　of　his　efforts。　　Love；　albeit　deficient

in　features　and　wearing　an　improperly　short　bell…shaped　frock；　had

boldly　re…entered　the　peaceful　school；　and　disturbing　complications

on　abnormal　legs　were　following　at　its　heels。





CHAPTER　V。





While　this　simple　pastoral　life　was　centred　around　the　school…house

in　the　clearing；　broken　only　by　an　occasional　warning　pistol…shot

in　the　direction　of　the　Harrison…McKinstry　boundaries；　the　more

business　part　of　Indian　Spring　was　overtaken　by　one　of　those　spasms

of　enterprise　peculiar　to　all　Californian　mining　settlements。　　The

opening　of　the　Eureka　Ditch　and　the　extension　of　stagecoach

communication　from　Big　Bluff　were　events　of　no　small　importance；

and　were　celebrated　on　the　same　day。　　The　double　occasion

overtaxing　even　the　fluent　rhetoric　of　the　editor　of　the　〃Star〃

left　him　struggling　in　the　metaphorical　difficulties　of　a　Pactolian

Spring；　which　he　had　rashly　turned　into　the　Ditch；　and　obliged　him

to　transfer　the　onerous　duty　of　writing　the　editorial　on　the　Big

Bluff　Extension　to　the　hands　of　the　Honorable　Abner　Dean；

Assemblyman　from　Angel's。　　The　loss　of　the　Honorable　Mr。　Dean's

right　eye　in　an　early　pioneer　fracas　did　not　prevent　him　from

looking　in