the deliverance-第12部分

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When　Carraway　came　out；　Christopher　was　feeding　a　pack　of　hounds　from　a　tin　pan　of　coarse　corn　bread；　and　to　the　lawyer's　surprise　he　was　speaking　to　them　in　a　tone　that　sounded　almost　jocular。　Though　born　of　a　cringing　breed；　the　dogs　looked　contented　and　well　fed；　and　among　them　Carraway　recognised　his　friend　Spy；　who　had　followed　at　the　heels　of　Uncle　Boaz。

〃Here；　Miser；　this　is　yours；〃　the　young　man　was　saying。　〃There；　you　needn't　turn　up　your　nose；　it's　as　big　as　Blister's。　Down；　Spy；　I　tell　you；　you've　had　twice　your　share；　you　think　because　you're　the　best　looking　you're　to　be　the　best　fed；　too。〃

As　Carraway　left　the　steps　the　dogs　made　an　angry　rush　at　him；　to　be　promptly　checked　by　Christopher。

〃Back；　you　fools；　back；　I　say。　You'd　better　be　careful　how　you　walk　about　here；　sir；〃　he　added；　〃they'd　bite　as　soon　as　notall　of　them　except　Spy。

〃Good　fellow；　Spy；〃　returned　Carraway；　a　little　nervously；　and　the　hound　came　fawning　to　his　feet。　〃I　assure　you　I　have　no　intention　of　treading　upon　their　preserves；〃　he　hastened　to　explain；　〃but　I　should　like　a　word　with　you；　and　this　seems　to　be　the　only　opportunity　I'll　have；　as　I　return　to　town　to…morrow。〃

Christopher　threw　the　remaining　pieces　of　corn　bread　into　the　wriggling　pack；　set　the　pan　in　the　doorway；　and　wiped　his　hands　carelessly　upon　his　overalls。

〃Well；　I　don't　see　what　you've　got　to　say　to　me；〃　he　replied；　walking　rapidly　in　the　direction　of　the　well；　where　he　waited　for　the　other　to　join　him。

〃It's　about　the　place；　of　course；〃　returned　the　lawyer；　with　an　attempt　to　shatter　the　awkward　rustic　reserve。　〃I　understand　that　it　has　passed　into　your　possession。〃

The　young　man　nodded；　and；　drawing　out　his　clasp…knife；　fell　to　whittling　a　splinter　which　he　had　broken　from　the　well…brink。

〃In　that　case；〃　pursued　Carraway；　feeling　as　if　he　were　dashing　his　head　against　a　wall；　〃I　shall　address　myself　to　you　in　the　briefest　terms。　The　place；　I　suppose；　as　it　stands；　is　not　worth　much　to…day。　Even　good　land　is　cheap；　and　this　is　poor。〃

Again　Christopher　nodded；　intent　upon　his　whittling。　〃I　reckon　it　wouldn't　bring　more　than　nine　hundred；〃　he　responded　coolly。

〃Then　my　position　is　easy；　for　I　am　sure　you　will　consider　favourably　the　chance　to　sell　at　treble　its　actual　value。　I　am　authorised　to　offer　you　three　thousand　dollars　for　the　farm。〃

For　a　moment　Christopher　stared　at　him　in　silence；　then；　〃What　in　the　devil　do　you　want　with　it？〃　he　demanded。

〃I　am　not　acting　for　myself　in　the　matter；〃　returned　the　lawyer；　after　a　short　hesitation。　〃The　offer　is　made　through　me　by　another。　That　it　is　to　your　advantage　to　accept　it　is　my　honest　conviction。〃

Christopher　tossed　the　bit　of　wood　at　a　bedraggled　drake　that　waddled　off；　quacking　angrily。

〃Then　it's　Fletcher　behind　you；〃　he　said　in　the　same　cool　tones。

〃It　seems　to　me　that　is　neither　here　nor　there。　Naturally　Mr。　Fletcher　is　very　anxious　to　secure　the　land。　As　it　stands；　it　is　a　serious　inconvenience　to　him；　of　course。〃

Laughing；　Christopher　snapped　the　blade　of　his　knife。

〃Well；　you　may　tell　him　from　me；〃　he　retorted；　〃that　just　as　long　as　it　is　'a　serious　inconvenience　to　him'　it　shall　stand　as　it　is。　Why；　man；　if　Fletcher　wanted　that　broken　wheelbarrow　enough　to　offer　me　three　thousand　dollars　for　it；　I　wouldn't　let　him　have　it。　The　only　thing　I'd　leave　him　free　to　take；　if　I　could　help　it；　is　the　straight　road　to　damnation！〃

His　voice；　for　all　the　laughter；　sounded　brutal；　and　Carraway；　gazing　at　him　in　wonder；　saw　his　face　grow　suddenly　lustful　like　that　of　an　evil　deity。　The　beauty　was　still　there；　blackened　and　distorted；　a　beauty　that　he　felt　to　be　more　sinister　than　ugliness。　The　lawyer　was　in　the　presence　of　a　great　naked　passion；　and　involuntarily　he　lowered　his　eyes。

〃I　don't　think　he　understands　your　attitude；〃　he　said　quietly；　〃it　seems　to　himand　to　me　also；　I　honestly　affirmthat　you　would　reap　an　advantage　as　decided　as　his　own。〃

〃Nothing　is　to　my　advantage；　I　tell　you；　that　isn't　harm　to　him。　He　knows　it　if　he　isn't　as　big　a　fool　as　he　is　a　rascal。〃

〃Then　I　may　presume　that　you　are　entirely　convinced　in　your　own　mind　that　you　have　a　just　cause　for　the　stand　you　take？〃

〃Cause！〃　the　word　rapped　out　like　an　oath。　〃He　stole　my　home；　I　tell　you；　he　stole　every　inch　of　land　I　owned；　and　every　penny。　Where　did　he　get　the　money　to　buy　the　placehe　a　slave…overseer？　Where　did　he　get　it；　I　ask；　unless　he　had　been　stealing　for　twenty　years？〃

〃It　looks　ugly；　I　confess；〃　admitted　Carraway；　〃but　were　there　no　booksno　accounts　kept？〃

〃Oh；　he　settled　that；　of　course。　When　my　father　died；　and　we　asked　for　the　books；　where　were　they？

Burned；　he　saidburned　in　the　old　office　that　the　Yankees　fired。　He's　a　scoundrel；　I　tell　you；　sir；　and　I　know　him　to　the　core。　He's　a　rotten　scoundrel！〃

Carraway　caught　his　breath　quickly　and　drew　back　as　if　he　had　touched　unwittingly　a　throbbing　canker。　To　his　oversensitive　nature　these　primal　emotions　had　a　crudeness　that　was　vulgar　in　its　unrestraint。　He　beheld　it　allthe　old　wrong　and　the　new　hatredin　a　horrid　glare　of　light；　a　disgraceful　blaze　of　trumpets。　Here　there　was　no　cultured　evasion　of　the　conspicuous　vicenone　of　the　refinements　even　of　the　Christian　ethicsit　was　all　raw　and　palpitating　humanity。

〃Then　my　mission　is　quite　useless；〃　he　confessed。　〃I　can　only　add　that　I　am　sorrier　than　I　can　say　sorry　for　the　whole　thing；　too。　If　my　services　could　be　of　any　use　to　you　I　should　not　hesitate　to　offer　them；　but　so　far　as　I　see　there　is　absolutely　nothing　to　be　done。　An　old　crime；　as　you　know；　very　often　conforms　to　an　appearance　of　virtue。〃

He　held　out　his　hand；　Christopher　shook　it；　and　then　the　lawyer　went　back　into　the　house　to　bid　good…by　to　Mrs。　Blake。　When　he　came　out　a　few　moments　later；　and　passed　through　the　whitewashed　gate　into　the　sunken　road；　he　saw　that　Christopher　was　still　standing　where　he　had　left　him；　the　golden　afternoon　around　him；　and　the　bedraggled　ducks　paddling　at　his　feet。



VIII。　Treats　of　a　Passion　that　is　Not　Love

Over　a　distant　meadow　fluted　the　silver　whistle　of　a　partridge；　and　Christopher；　lifting　his　head；　noted　involuntarily　the　direction　of　the　sound。　A　covey　was　hatching　down　by　the　meadow　brook；　he　knewfor　not　a　summer　mating　nor　a　hidden　nest　had　escaped　his　eyesand　he　wondered　vaguely　if　the　young　birds　were　roaming　into　Fletcher's　wheatfield。　Then；　with　a　single　vigorous　movement　as　if　he　were　settling　his　thoughts　upon　him；　he　crossed　the　yard；　leaped　the　fence　by　the　barnyard；　and　started　briskly　along　the　edge　of　a　little　cattle　pasture；　where　a　strange　bull　bellowed　in　the　shadow　of　a　walnut…tree。　At　the　bottom　of　the　pasture　a　crumbling　rail　fence　divided　his　land　from　Fletcher's；　and　as　he　looked　over　the　festoons　of　poisonous　ivy　he　saw　Fletcher　himself　overseeing　the　last　planting　of　his　tobacco。　For　a　time　Christopher　watched　them　as　through　a　mistwatched　the　white　and　the　black　labourers；　the　brown　furrows　in　which　the　small　holes　were　bored；　the　wilted　plants　thrown　carelessly　in　place　and　planted　with　two　quick　pressures　of　a　bare；　earth…begrimed　foot。　He　smelled　the　keen　odours　released　by　the　sunshine　from　the　broken　soil；　he　saw　the　standing　beads　of　sweat　on　the　faces　of　the　plantersNegroes　with　swollen　lips　and　pleasant　eyes　like　those　of　kindly　animalsand　he　heard　the　coarse；　hectoring　voice　of　Fletcher；　who　stood　midway　of　the　naked　ground。　To　regard　the　man　as　a　mere　usurper　of　his　land　had　been　an　article　in　the　religious　creed　the　child　had　learned；　and　as　he　watched　him　now；　bearded；　noisy；　assured　of　his　possessions；　the　sight　lashed　him　like　the　strokes　of　a　whip　on　bleeding　flesh。　In　the　twenty…five　years　of　his　life　he　had　grown　fairly　gluttonous　of　hatehad　tended　it　with　a　passion　that　was　like　that　of　love。　Now　he　felt　that　he　had　never　really　had　enough　of　ithad　never　feasted　on　the　fruit　of　it　till　he　was　satisfiedhad　never　known　the　delight　of　wallowing　in　it　until　to…day。　Deep…rooted　like　an　instinct　as　the　feeling　was；　he　knew　now　that　there　had　been　hours　when；　for　very　weakness　of　his　nature；　he　had　almost　forgotten　that　he　meant　to　pay　back　Fletcher　in　the　end；　when　it　seemed；　after　all；　easier　merely　to　endure　and　forget　and　have　it　done。　Still　keeping　upon　his　own　land；　he　turned　presently　and　followed　a　little　brook　that　crossed　a　meadow　where　mixed　wild　flowers　were　strewn　loosely　in　the　grass。　The　bull　still　bellowed　in　the　shadow　of　the　walnut…tree；　and　he　found　himself　listening　with　pure　delight　to　the　savage　cries。　Reaching　at　last　a　point　where　the　brook　turned　westward　at　the　foot　of　a　low　green　hill；　he　threw　himself　over　the　dividing　rail　fence；　and　came；　at　the　end　of　a　minute's　hurried　walk；　to　the　old　Blake　graveyard；　midway　of　one　of　Fletcher's　fallow　fields。　The　gate　was　bricked　up；　after　the　superstitious　custom　of　many　country　burial　places；　but　he　climbed　the　old　moss…grown　wall；　where　poisonous　ivy　grew　rank　and　venomous；　and　landing　deep　in　the　periwinkle　that　carpeted　the　ground；　made　his　way　rapidly　to　the　flat　oblong　slab　beneath　which　his　father　lay。　The　marble　was　discoloured　by　long　rains　and　stained　with　bruised　periwinkle；　and　the　shallow　lettering　was　hidden　under　a　fall　of　dried　needles　from　a　little　stunted　fir…tree；　but；　leaning　over；　he　carefully　swept　the　dust　away　and　loosened　the　imprisoned　name　which　seemed　to　hover　like　a　spiritual　presence　upon　the　air。

〃HERE　LIES　ALL　THAT　IS　MORTAL　OF　CHRISTOPHER　BLAKE；　WHO　DIED　IN　THE　HOPE　OF　A　JOYFUL　RESURRECTION；　APRIL　12；　1786；　AGED　70　YEARS。　INTO　THY　HANDS；　O　LORD；　I　COMMIT　MY　SPIRIT。〃

Around　him　there　were　other　gravesgraves　of　all　dead　Blakes　for　two　hundred　years；　and　the　flat　tombstones　were　crowded　so　thickly　together　that　it　seemed　as　if　the　dead　must　lie　beneath　them　row　on　row。　It　was　all　in　deep　shadow；　fallen　slabs；　rank　periwinkle；　dust　and　mouldno　cheerful　sunshine　had　ever　penetrated　through　the　spreading　cedars　overhead。　Life　was　here；　but　it　was　the　shy　life　of　wild　creatures；　approaching　man　only　when　he　had　returned　to　earth。　A　mocking…bird　purled　a　love　note　in　the　twilight　of　a　great　black　cedar；　a　lizard　glided　like　a　gray　shadow　along　one　of　the　overturned　slabs；　and　at　his　entrance　a　rabbit　had　started　from　the　ivy　on　his　fat