the deliverance-第28部分

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eart？

His　face　grew　dark；　and　Uncle　Boaz；　coming　in　to　stir　the　fire；　glanced　up　at　him　and　sighed。

〃You　sho'　do　look　down　in　de　mouf；　Marse　Chris；〃　he　observed。

Christopher　started　and　then　laughed　blankly。　〃Well；　I'm　not　proof　against　troubles；　I　reckon；〃　he　returned。　〃They're　things　none　of　us　can　keep　clear　of；　you　know。〃

Uncle　Boaz　chuckled　under　his　breath。　〃Go　'way　f'om　yer；　Marse　Chris；　w'at　you　know　'bout　troubleyou　ain'　even　mah'ed　yet。〃

〃Now；　now；　Boaz；　don't　be　putting　any　ideas　against　marriage　in　his　head；〃　broke　in　the　old　lady。　〃He　has　remained　single　too　long　as　it　is；　for；　as　dear　old　Bishop　Deane　used　to　say；　it　is　surely　the　duty　of　every　gentleman　to　take　upon　himself　the　provision　of　at　least　one　helpless　female。　Not　that　I　wish　you　to　enter　into　marriage　hastily；　my　son；　or　for　any　merely　sentimental　reasons；　but　I　am　sure；　as　things　are；　I　believe　one　may　have　a　great　many　trials　even　if　one　remains　single；　and　though　I　know；　of　course；　that　I've　had　my　share　of　trouble；　still　I　never　blamed　your　poor　father　one　instantnot　even　for　the　loss　of　my　six　children；　which　certainly　would　not　have　happened　if　I　had　not　married　him。　But；　as　I've　often　told　you；　my　dear；　I　think　marriage　should　be　rightly　regarded　more　as　a　duty　than　as　a　pleasure。　Your　Aunt　Susannah　always　said　it　was　like　choosing　a　partner　at　a　ball；　for　my　part；　I　think　it　resembles　more　the　selecting　of　a　brand　of　flour。〃

〃And　to　think　that　she　once　cried　herself　sick　because　Christopher　went　hunting　during　the　honeymoon！〃　exclaimed　Tucker；　with　his　pleasant　laugh。

〃Ah；　life　is　long；　and　one's　honeymoon　is　only　a　month；　brother；〃　retorted　the　old　lady；　〃and　I'm　not　saying　anything　against　love；　you　know；　when　it　comes　to　that。　Properly　conducted；　it　is　a　very　pleasant　form　of　entertainment。　I've　enjoyed　it　mightily　myself；　but　I'm　nearing　seventy；　and　the　years　of　love　seem　very　small　when　I　look　back。　There　are　many　interesting　things　in　a　long　life；　and　love　for　a　man　is　only　one　among　them；　which　brings　me；　after　all；　to　the　conclusion　that　the　substance　of　anybody's　house　is　a　large　price　to　pay　for　a　single　feeling。〃

Christopher　leaned　over　her　and　held　out　his　arms。

〃It　is　your　bedtime；　mothershall　I　carry　you　across？〃　he　asked；　and　as　the　old　lady　nodded；　he　lifted　her　as　if　she　were　a　child　and　held　her　closely　against　his　breast；　feeling　his　tenderness　revive　at　the　clasp　of　her　fragile　hands。　When　he　placed　her　upon　her　bed；　he　kissed　her　good…night　and　went　up　the　narrow　staircase；　stooping　carefully　to　avoid　the　whitewashed　ceiling　above。

Once　in　his　room；　he　threw　off　his　coat　and　sat　down　upon　the　side　of　his　narrow　bed；　glancing　contemptuously　at　his　bare　brown　arms；　which　showed　through　the　openings　in　his　blue　shirt　sleeves。　He　was　still　smarting　from　the　memory　of　the　sudden　selfconsciousness　he　had　felt　downstairs；　and　a　pricking　sensitiveness　took　possession　of　him；　piercing　like　needles　through　the　boorish　indifference　he　had　worn。　All　at　once　he　realised　that　he　was　ashamed　of　himselfashamed　of　his　ignorance；　his　awkwardness；　his　brutalityand　with　the　shame　there　awoke　the　slow　anger　of　a　sullen　beast。　Fate　had　driven　him　like　a　whipped　hound　to　the　kennel；　but　he　could　still　snarl　back　his　defiance　from　the　shadow　of　his　obscurity。　The　strong　masculine　beauty　of　his　facethe　beauty；　as　Cynthia　had　said；　of　the　young　Davidconfronted　him　in　the　little　greenish　mirror　above　the　bureau；　and　in　the　dull　misery　of　the　eyes　he　read　those　higher　possibilities；　which　even　to…day　he　could　not　regard　without　a　positive　pang。　What　he　might　have　been　seemed　forever　struggling　in　his　look　with　what　he　was；　like　the　Scriptural　wrestle　between　the　angel　of　the　Lord　and　the　brute。　The　soul；　distorted；　bruised；　defeated；　still　lived　within　him；　and　it　was　this　that　brought　upon　him　those　hours　of　mortal　anguish　which　he　had　so　vainly　tried　to　drown　in　his　glass。　From　the　mirror　his　gaze　passed　to　his　red　and　knotted　hand；　with　its　blunted　nails；　and　the　straight　furrow　grew　deeper　between　his　eyebrows。　He　remembered　suddenly　that　his　earliest　ambitionthe　ambition　of　his　childhoodhad　been　that　of　a　gentlemanly　scholar　of　the　old　order。　He　had　meant　to　sit　in　a　library　and　read　Horace；　or　to　complete　the　laborious　translation　of　the　〃Iliad〃　which　his　father　had　left　unfinished。　Then　his　studies　had　ended　abruptly　with　the　Greek　alphabet；　and　from　the　library　he　had　passed　out　to　the　plough。　In　the　years　of　severe　physical　labour　which　followed　he　had　felt　the　spirit　of　the　student　go　out　of　him　forever；　and　after　a　few　winter　nights；　when　he　fell　asleep　over　his　books；　he　had　sunk　slowly　to　the　level　of　the　small　tobacco　growers　among　whom　he　lived。　With　him　also　was　the　curse　of　apathythat　hereditary　instinct　to　let　the　single　throw　decide　the　issue；　so　characteristic　of　the　reckless　Blakes。　For　more　than　two　hundred　years　his　people　had　been　gay　and　careless　livers　on　this　very　soil；　among　them　all　he　knew　of　not　one　who　had　gone　without　the　smallest　of　his　desires；　nor　of　one　who　had　permitted　his　left　hand　to　learn　what　his　right　one　cast　away。　Big；　blithe；　mettlesome；　they　passed　before　him　in　a　long；　comely　line；　flushed　with　the　pleasant　follies　which　had　helped　to　sap　the　courage　in　their　descendants'　veins。

At　first　he　had　made　a　pitiable　attempt　to　remain　〃within　his　class；〃　but　gradually；　as　time　went　on；　this；　too；　had　left　him；　and　in　the　end　he　had　grown　to　feel　a　certain　pride　in　the　ignorance　he　had　formerly　despiseda　clownish　scorn　of　anything　above　the　rustic　details　of　his　daily　life。　There　were　days　even　when　he　took　a　positive　pleasure　in　the　degree　of　his　abasement；　when　but　for　his　blind　mother　he　would　have　gone　dirty；　spoken　in　dialect；　and　eaten　with　the　hounds。　What　he　dreaded　most　now　were　the　rare　moments　of　illumination　in　which　he　beheld　his　degradation　by　a　blaze　of　lightmoments　such　as　this　when　he　seemed　to　stand　alone　upon　the　edge　of　the　world；　with　the　devil　awaiting　him　when　he　should　turn　at　last。　Years　ago　he　had　escaped　these　periods　by　strong　physical　exertion；　working　sometimes　in　the　fields　until　he　dropped　upon　the　earth　and　lay　like　a　log　for　hours。　Later；　he　had　yielded　to　drink　when　the　darkness　closed　over　him；　and　upon　several　occasions　he　had　sat　all　night　with　a　bottle　of　whisky　in　Tom　Spade's　store。　Both　methods　he　felt　now　to　be　ineffectual；　fatigue　could　not　deaden　nor　could　whisky　drown　the　bitterness　of　his　soul。　One　thing　remained；　and　that　was　to　glut　his　hatred　until　it　should　lie　quiet　like　a　gorged　beast。

Steps　sounded　all　at　once　upon　the　staircase；　and　after　a　moment　the　door　opened　and　Cynthia　entered。

〃Did　you　see　Fletcher's　boy；　Christopher？〃　she　asked。　〃His　grandfather　was　over　here　looking　for　him。〃

〃Fletcher　over　here？　Well；　of　all　the　impudence！〃

〃He　was　very　uneasy；　but　he　stopped　long　enough　to　ask　me　to　persuade　you　to　part　with　the　farm。　He'd　give　three　thousand　dollars　down　for　it；　he　said。〃

She　dusted　the　bureau　abstractedly　with　her　checked　apron　and　then　stood　looking　wistfully　into　the　mirror。

〃Is　that　so？　If　he'd　give　me　three　million　I　wouldn't　take　it；〃　answered　Christopher。

〃It　seems　a　mistake；　dear；〃　said　Cynthia　softly；　〃of　course；　I'd　hate　to　oblige　Fletcher；　too；　but　we　are　so　poor；　and　the　money　would　mean　so　much　to　us。　I　used　to　feel　as　you　do；　but　somehow　I　seem　all　worn　out　nowsoul　as　well　as　body。　I　haven't　the　strength　left　to　hate。〃

〃Well；　I　have；〃　returned　Christopher　shortly；　〃and　I'll　have　it　when　I'm　gasping　over　my　last　breath。　You　needn't　bother　about　that　business；　Cynthia；　I　can　keep　up　the　family　record　on　my　own　account。　What's　the　proverb　about　us'a　Blake　can　hate　twice　as　long　as　most　men　can　love'that's　my　way；　you　know。〃

〃You　didn't　finish　it；〃　said　Cynthia；　turning　from　the　bureau；　〃it's　all　downstairs　in　the　'Life　of　Bolivar　Blake'；　you　remember　Colonel　Byrd　got　it　off　in　a　toast　at　a　wedding　breakfast；　and　Great…grandfather　Bolivar　was　so　proud　of　it　he　had　it　carved　above　his　library　door。〃

〃High　and　mighty　old　chap；　wasn't　he？　But　what's　the　rest？〃

〃What　he　really　said　was：　'A　Blake　can　hate　twice　as　long　as　most　men　can　love；　and　love　twice　as　long　as　most　men　can　live。'〃

Christopher　looked　down　suddenly　at　his　great　bronzed　hands。　〃Oh；　he　needn't　have　stuck　the　tail　of　it　on；〃　he　remarked　carelessly；　〃but　the　first　part　has　a　bully　sound。〃

When　Cynthia　had　gone；　he　undressed　and　threw　himself　on　the　bed；　but　there　was　a　queer　stinging　sensation　in　his　veins；　and　he　could　not　sleep。　Rising　presently；　he　opened　the　window；　and　in　the　frosty　October　air　stood　looking　through　the　darkness　to　the　light　that　twinkled　in　the　direction　of　Blake　Hall。　Faint　stars　were　shining　overhead；　and　against　the　indistinct　horizon　something　obscure　and　black　was　dimly　outlinedperhaps　the　great　clump　of　oaks　that　surrounded　the　old　brick　walls。　Somewhere　by　that　glimmer　of　light　he　knew　that　Fletcher　sat　hugging　his　ambition　like　a　miser；　gloating　over　the　grandson　who　would　grow　up　to　redeem　his　name。　For　the　weak；　foolish…mouthed　boy　Christopher　at　this　moment　knew　neither　tolerance　nor　compassion；　and　if　he　stooped　to　touch　him；　he　felt　that　it　was　merely　as　he　would　grasp　a　stick　which　Fletcher　had　taken　for　his　own　defense。　The　boy　himself　might　live　or　die；　prosper　or　fail；　it　made　little　difference。　The　main　thing　was　that　in　the　end　Bill　Fletcher　should　be　hated　by　his　grandson　as　he　was　hated　by　the　man　whom　he　had　wronged。



CHAPTER　IX。　As　the　Twig　is　Bent

It　was　two　weeks　after　this　that　Fletcher；　looking　up　from　his　coffee　and　cakes　one　morning；　demanded　querulously　〃Whar's　Will；　Saidie？　It　seems　to　me　he　sleeps　late　these　days。〃

〃Oh；　he　was　up　hours　ago；〃　responded　Miss　Saidie；　from　behind　the　florid　silver　service。　〃I　believe　he　has　gone　rabbit　hunting　with　that　young　Blake。　〃

Fletcher　laid　down　his　knife　and　fork　and　glowered　suspiciously　upon　his　sister；　the　syrup　from　his　last　mouthful　hanging　in　drops　on　his　coarse　gray　beard。

〃With　young　Blake！　Why；　what's　the　meaning　of　that？〃　he　inquired。

〃It's　only　that　Will's　taken　to　him；　I　think。　Thar's　no　harm　in　this　hunting　rabbits　that　I　can　see；　and　it　keeps　the　child　out　of　doors；　anyway。　Fresh　air　is　what