a first family of tasajara-第8章

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veranda。　　Added　to　an　extraordinary　and　unnecessary　clattering　with

their　feet；　they　accompanied　their　movements　with　a　singular

hissing　sound；　supposed　to　indicate　in　one　breath　the　fury　of　the

elements；　the　bustle　of　the　eager　crew；　and　the　wild　excitement　of

the　coming　conflict。　　When　the　last　shutter　was　cleared　away；　John

Milton；　with　the　cry　〃Man　the　starboard　guns！〃　dashed　into　the

store；　whose　floor　was　marked　by　the　muddy　footprints　of　yesterday's

buyers；　seized　a　broom　and　began　to　sweep　violently。　　A　cloud　of

dust　arose；　into　which　his　companion　at　once　precipitated　himself

with　another　broom　and　a　loud　BANG！　to　indicate　the　somewhat　belated

sound　of　cannon。　　For　a　few　seconds　the　two　boys　plied　their　brooms

desperately　in　that　stifling　atmosphere；　accompanying　each　long

sweep　and　puff　of　dust　out　of　the　open　door　with　the　report　of

explosions　and　loud　HA'S！　of　defiance；　until　not　only　the　store；

but　the　veranda　was　obscured　with　a　cloud　which　the　morning　sun

struggled　vainly　to　pierce。　　In　the　midst　of　this　tumult　and　dusty

confusionhappily　unheard　and　unsuspected　in　the　secluded　domestic

interior　of　the　buildinga　shrill　little　voice　arose　from　the　road。



〃Think　you're　mighty　smart；　don't　ye？〃



The　two　naval　heroes　stopped　in　their　imaginary　fury。　　and；　as　the

dust　of　conflict　cleared　away；　recognized　little　Johnny　Peters

gazing　at　them　with　mingled　inquisitiveness　and　envy。



〃Guess　ye　don't　know　what　happened　down　the　run　last　night；〃　he

continued　impatiently。　　〃'Lige　Curtis　got　killed；　or　killed

hisself！　　Blood　all　over　the　rock　down　thar。　　Seed　it；　myseff。　　Dad

picked　up　his　six…shooter；one　barrel　gone　off。　　My　dad　was　the

first　to　find　it　out；　and　he's　bin　to　Squire　Kerby　tellin'　him。〃



The　two　companions；　albeit　burning　with　curiosity；　affected

indifference　and　pre…knowledge。



〃Dad　sez　your　father　druv　'Lige　outer　the　store　lass　night！　　Dad

sez　your　father's　'sponsible。　　Dad　sez　your　father　ez　good　ez

killed　him。　　Dad　sez　the　squire'll　set　the　constable　on　your

father。　　Yah！〃　　But　here　the　small　insulter　incontinently　fled；

pursued　by　both　the　boys。　　Nevertheless；　when　he　had　made　good　his

escape；　John　Milton　showed　neither　a　disposition　to　take　up　his

former　nautical　role；　nor　to　follow　his　companion　to　visit　the

sanguinary　scene　of　Elijah's　disappearance。　　He　walked　slowly　back

to　the　store　and　continued　his　work　of　sweeping　and　putting　in

order　with　an　abstracted　regularity；　and　no　trace　of　his　former

exuberant　spirits。



The　first　one　of　those　instinctive　fears　which　are　common　to

imaginative　children；　and　often　assume　the　functions　of　premonition；

had　taken　possession　of　him。　　The　oddity　of　his　father's　manner　the

evening　before；　which　had　only　half　consciously　made　its　indelible

impression　on　his　sensitive　fancy；　had　recurred　to　him　with　Johnny

Peters's　speech。　　He　had　no　idea　of　literally　accepting　the　boy's

charges；　he　scarcely　understood　their　gravity；　but　he　had　a

miserable　feeling　that　his　father's　anger　and　excitement　last　night

was　because　he　had　been　discovered　hunting　in　the　dark　for　that

paper　of　'Lige　Curtis's。　　It　WAS　'Lige　Curtis's　paper；　for　he　had

seen　it　lying　there。　　A　sudden　dreadful　conviction　came　over　him

that　he　must　never；　never　let　any　one　know　that　he　had　seen　his

father　take　up　that　paper；　that　he　must　never　admit　it；　even　to　HIM。

It　was　not　the　boy's　first　knowledge　of　that　attitude　of　hypocrisy

which　the　grownup　world　assumes　towards　childhood；　and　in　which　the

innocent　victims　eventually　acquiesce　with　a　Machiavellian　subtlety

that　at　last　avenges　them；but　it　was　his　first　knowledge　that　that

hypocrisy　might　not　be　so　innocent。　　His　father　had　concealed

something　from　him；　because　it　was　not　right。



But　if　childhood　does　not　forget；　it　seldom　broods　and　is　not　above

being　diverted。　　And　the　two　surveyorsof　whose　heroic　advent　in　a

raft　John　Milton　had　only　heard　that　morning　with　their　traveled

ways；　their　strange　instruments　and　stranger　talk；　captured　his

fancy。　　Kept　in　the　background　by　his　sisters　when　visitors　came；

as　an　unpresentable　feature　in　the　household；　he　however　managed　to

linger　near　the　strangers　when；　in　company　with　Euphemia　and

Clementina；　after　breakfast　they　strolled　beneath　the　sparkling

sunlight　in　the　rude　garden　inclosure　along　the　sloping　banks　of

the　creek。　　It　was　with　the　average　brother's　supreme　contempt　that

he　listened　to　his　sisters'　〃practicin'〃　upon　the　goodness　of　these

superior　beings；　it　was　with　an　exceptional　pity　that　he　regarded

the　evident　admiration　of　the　strangers　in　return。　　He　felt　that　in

the　case　of　Euphemia；　who　sometimes　evinced　a　laudable　curiosity　in

his　pleasures；　and　a　flattering　ignorance　of　his　reading；　this

might　be　pardonable；　but　what　any　one　could　find　in　the　useless

statuesque　Clementina　passed　his　comprehension。　　Could　they　not　see

at　once　that　she　was　〃just　that　kind　of　person〃　who　would　lie　abed

in　the　morning；　pretending　she　was　sick；　in　order　to　make　Phemie　do

the　housework；　and　make　him；　John　Milton；　clean　her　boots　and　fetch

things　for　her？　　Was　it　not　perfectly　plain　to　them　that　her

present　sickening　politeness　was　solely　with　a　view　to　extract　from

them　caramels；　rock…candy；　and　gum　drops；　which　she　would　meanly

keep　herself；　and　perhaps　some　〃buggy…riding〃　later？　　Alas；　John

Milton；　it　was　not！　　For　standing　there　with　her　tall；　perfectly…

proportioned　figure　outlined　against　a　willow；　an　elastic　branch　of

which　she　had　drawn　down　by　one　curved　arm　above　her　head；　and　on

which　she　leanedas　everybody　leaned　against　something　in　Sidon

the　two　young　men　saw　only　a　straying　goddess　in　a　glorified

rosebud　print。　　Whether　the　clearly…cut　profile　presented　to　Rice；

or　the　full　face　that　captivated　Grant；　each　suggested　possibilities

of　position；　pride；　poetry；　and　passion　that　astonished　while　it

fascinated　them。　　By　one　of　those　instincts　known　only　to　the

freemasonry　of　the　sex；　Euphemia　lent　herself　to　this　advertisement

of　her　sister's　charms　by　subtle　comparison　with　her　own

prettinesses；　and　thus　combined　against　their　common　enemy；　man。



〃Clementina　certainly　is　perfect；　to　keep　her　supremacy　over　that

pretty　little　sister；〃　thought　Rice。



〃What　a　fascinating　little　creature　to　hold　her　own　against　that

tall；　handsome　girl；〃　thought　Grant。



〃They're　takin'　stock　o'　them　two　fellers　so　as　to　gabble　about　'em

when　their　backs　is　turned；〃　said　John　Milton　gloomily　to　himself；

with　a　dismal　premonition　of　the　prolonged　tea…table　gossip　he

would　be　obliged　to　listen　to　later。



〃We　were　very　fortunate　to　make　a　landing　at　all　last　night；〃　said

Rice；　looking　down　upon　the　still　swollen　current；　and　then　raising

his　eyes　to　Clementina。　　〃Still　more　fortunate　to　make　it　where　we

did。　　I　suppose　it　must　have　been　the　singing　that　lured　us　on　to

the　bank；as；　you　know；　the　sirens　used　to　lure　people；only　with

less　disastrous　consequences。〃



John　Milton　here　detected　three　glaring　errors；　first；　it　was　NOT

Clementina　who　had　sung；　secondly；　he　knew　that　neither　of　his

sisters　had　ever　read　anything　about　sirens；　but　he　had；　thirdly；

that　the　young　surveyor　was　glaringly　ignorant　of　local　phenomena

and　should　be　corrected。



〃It's　nothin'　but　the　current；〃　he　said；　with　that　feverish　youthful

haste　that　betrays　a　fatal　experience　of　impending　interruption。

〃It's　always　leavin'　drift　and　rubbish　from　everywhere　here。　　There

ain't　anythin'　that's　chucked　into　the　creek　above　that　ain't　bound

to　fetch　up　on　this　bank。　　Why；　there　was　two　sheep　and　a　dead　hoss

here　long　afore　YOU　thought　of　coming！〃　　He　did　not　understand　why

this　should　provoke　the　laughter　that　it　did；　and　to　prove　that　he

had　no　ulterior　meaning；　added　with　pointed　politeness；　〃So　IT　ISN'T

YOUR　FAULT；　you　knowYOU　couldn't　help　it；〃　supplementing　this

with　the　distinct　courtesy；　〃otherwise　you　wouldn't　have　come。〃



〃But　it　would　seem　that　your　visitors　are　not　all　as　accidental　as

your　brother　would　imply；　and　one；　at　least；　seems　to　have　been

expected　last　evening。　　You　remember　you　thought　we　were　a　Mr。

Parmlee；〃　said　Mr。　Rice　looking　at　Clementina。



It　would　be　strange　indeed；　he　thought；　if　the　beautiful　girl　were

not　surrounded　by　admirers。　　But　without　a　trace　of　self…

consciousness；　or　any　change　in　her　reposeful　face；　she　indicated

her　sister　with　a　slight　gesture；　and　said：　〃One　of　Phemie's

friends。　　He　gave　her　the　accordion。　　She's　very　popular。〃



〃And　I　suppose　YOU　are　very　hard　to　please？〃　he　said　with　a

tentative　smile。



She　looked　at　him　with　her　large；　clear　eyes；　and　that　absence　of

coquetry　or　changed　expression　in　her　beautiful　face　which　might

have　stood　for　indifference　or　dignity　as　she　said：　〃I　don't　know。

I　am　waiting　to　see。〃



But　here　Miss　Phemie　broke　in　saucily　with　the　assertion　that　Mr。

Parmlee　might　not　have　a　railroad　in　his　pocket；　but　that　at　least

he　didn't　have　to　wait　for　the　Flood　to　call　on　young　ladies；　nor

did　he　usually　come　in　pairs；　for　all　the　world　as　if　he　had　been

let　out　of　Noah's　Ark；　but　on　horseback　and　like　a　Christian　by　the

front　door。　　All　this　provokingly　and　bewitchingly　delivered；

however；　and　with　a　simulated　exaggeration　that　was　incited

apparently　more　by　Mr。　Lawrence　Grant's　evident　enjoyment　of　it；

than　by　any　desire　to　defend　the　absent　Parmlee。



〃But　where　is　the　front　door？〃　asked　Grant　laughingly。



The　young　girl　pointed　to　a　narrow　zigzag　path　that　ran　up　the　bank

beside　the　house　until　it　stopped　at　a　small　picketed　gate　on　the

level　of　the　road　and　store。



〃But　I　should　think　it　would　be　easier　to　have　a　door　and　private

passage　through　the　store；〃　said　Grant。



〃WE　don't；〃　said　the　young　lady　pertly；　〃we　have　nothing　to　do　with

the　store。　　I　go　in　to　see　paw　sometimes　when　he's　shutting　up　and

there's　nobody　there；　but　Clem　has　never　set　foot　in　it　since　we

came。　　It's　bad　enough　to　have　it　and　the　lazy　loafers　that　hang

around　it　as　near　to　us　as　they　are；　but　paw　built　the　house　in

such　a　fashion　that　we　ain't　troubled　by　their　noise；　and　we　might

be　t'other　side　of　the　creek　as　far　as　our　having　to　come　across

them。　　And　because　paw　has　to　sell　pork　and　flour；　we　haven't　any

call　to　go　there　and　watch　him　do　it。〃



The　two　men　glanced　at　each　other。　　This　reserve　and　fastidiousness

were　something　rare　in　a　pioneer　community。　　Harkutt's　manners

certainly　did　not　indicate　that　he　was　troubled　by　this

sensitiveness；　it　must　have　been　some　individual　temperament　of　his

daughters。　　Stephen　felt　his　respect　increase　for　the　goddess…like

Clementina；　Mr。　Lawrence　Grant　looked　at　Miss　Phemie　with　a

critical　smile。



〃But　you　must　be　very　limited　in　your　company；〃　he　said；　〃or　is　Mr。

Parmlee　not　a　customer　of　your　father's？〃



〃As　Mr。　Parmlee　does　not　come　to　us　through　the　store；　and　don't

talk　trade　to　me；　we　don't　know；〃　re