the deliverance-第33部分

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ear　before。〃　At　Christopher's　entrance　he　paused　and　turned　his　pleasant；　ruddy　face　from　the　fresh　logs　which　he　had　been　watching。　〃So　you　want　to　have　a　look　at　my　tobaccy；　too？〃　he　added；　with　the　healthful　zest　of　a　child。　〃Well；　it's　worth　seein'；　if　I　do　say　so；　thar　hasn't　been　sech　leaves　raised　in　this　county　within　the　memory　of　man。〃

〃That's　so；〃　said　Christopher；　with　an　appreciative　glance。　〃I'm　looking　for　Jim；　but　he's　keeping　up　the　fires；　isn't　he？〃　Then　he　turned　quickly；　for　Tom　Spade；　who　with　young　Matthew　Field　had　been　critically　weighing　the　promise　of　Jacob's　crop；　broke　out　suddenly　into　a　boisterous　laugh。

〃Why；　I　declar'；　Mr。　Christopher；　if　you　ain't　lost　yo'　shadow！〃　he　exclaimed。

Christopher　regarded　him　blankly　for　a　moment；　and　then　joined　lightly　in　the　general　mirth。　〃Oh；　you　mean　Will　Fletcher；〃　he　returned。　〃There　was　a　pretty　girl　in　the　road　as　we　came　up；　and　I　couldn't　get　him　a　step　beyond　her。　Heaven　knows　what's　become　of　him　by　now！〃

〃I　bet　my　right　hand　that　was　Molly　Peterkin；〃　said　Tom。　〃If　anybody　in　these　parts　begins　to　talk　about　'a　pretty　gal；'　you　may　be　sartain　he's　meanin'　that　yaller…headed　limb　of　Satan。　Why；　I　stopped　my　Jinnie　goin'　with　her　a　year　ago。　Sech　women；　I　said　to　her；　are　fit　for　nobody　but　men　to　keep　company　with。〃

〃That's　so；　that's　so；〃　agreed　old　Jacob；　in　a　charitable　tone；　〃seein'　as　men　have　most　likely　made　'em　what　they　are；　an'　oughtn't　to　be　ashamed　of　thar　own　handiwork。〃

〃Now；　when　it　comes　to　yaller　hair　an'　blue　eyes；〃　put　in　Matthew　Field；　〃she　kin　hold　her　own　agin　any　wedded　wife　that　ever　made　a　man　regret　the　day　of　his　birth。　Many's　the　time　of　late　I've　gone　a　good　half…mile　to　git　out　of　that　gal's　way；　jest　as　I　used　to　cut　round　old　Fletcher's　pasture　when　I　was　a　boy　to　keep　from　passin'　by　his　redheart　cherry…tree　that　overhung　the　road。　Well；　well；　they　do　say　that　her　young　man；　Fred　Turner；　went　back　on　her；　an'　threw　her　on　her　father's　hands　two　days　befo'　the　weddin'。〃

〃It　was　hard　on　Sol；　now　you　come　to　think　of　it；〃　said　Tom。　〃He　told　me　himself　that　he　tried　to　git　the　three　who　ought　to　marry　her　to　draw　straws　for　the　one　who　was　to　be　the　happy　man；　but　they　all　backed　out　an'　left　her　high　an'　dry　an'　as　pretty　as　a　peach。　Fred　Turner　would　have　taken　his　chance；　he　said；　like　an　honest　man；　an'　he　was　terrible　down　in　the　mouth　when　I　saw　him；　for　he　was　near　daft　over　the　gal。〃

〃Well；　he　was　right；〃　admitted　Matthew；　after　reflection。　〃Why；　the　gal　sins　so　free　an'　easy　you　might　almost　fancy　her　a　man。〃

He　drew　back；　coughing；　for　Jim　came　in　with　a　long　green　log　and　laid　it　on　the　smouldering　fire；　which　glowed　crimson　under　the　heavy　smoke。

〃Here's　Sol；〃　said　the　young　man；　settling　the　log　with　his　foot。　〃I　told　him　you　were　on　your　way　to　the　house；　pa；　but　he　said　he　had　only　a　minute；　so　he　came　out　here。〃

〃Oh；　I've　jest　been　to　borrow　some　Jamaica　ginger　from　Mrs。　Weatherby；〃　explained　Sol　Peterkin；　carefully　closing　the　shutter　after　his　entrance。

〃My　wife's　took　so　bad　that　I'm　beginnin'　to　fear　she'll　turn　out　as　po'　a　bargain　as　the　last。　It's　my　luckI　always　knew　I　was　ill…fatedbut；　Lord　a…mercy；　how's　a　man　goin'　to　tell　the　state　of　a　woman's　innards　from　the　way　she　looks　on　top？　All　the　huggin'　in　the　world　won't　make　her　wink　an　eyelash；　an'　then　there'll　crop　out　heart　disease　or　dropsy　befo'　the　year　is　up。　When　I　think　of　the　trouble　I　had　pickin'　that　thar　woman　it　makes　me　downright　sick。　It　ain't　much　matter　about　the　colour　or　the　shape；　I　saida　freckled　face　an'　a　scrawny　waist　I　kin　standonly　let　it　be　the　quality　that　wears。　If　you　believe　it；　suh；　I　chose　the　very　ugliest　I　could　find；　thinkin'　that　the　Lord　might　be　mo'　willin'　to　overlook　heran'　now　this　is　what's　come　of　it。　She's　my　fourth；　too；　an'　I'll　begin　to　be　a　joke　when　I　go　out　lookin'　for　a　fifth。　Naw；　suh；　if　Mary　dies；　pure　shame　will　keep　me　a　widower　to　my　death。〃

〃Thar　ain't　but　one　thing　sartain　about　marriage；　in　my　mind；〃　commented　Matthew　Field；　〃an'　that　is　that　it　gits　most　of　its　colour　from　the　distance　that　comes　between。　The　more　your　mouth　waters　for　a　woman；　the　likelier　'tis　that　'tain't　the　woman　for　youthat's　my　way　of　thinkin'。　The　woman　a　man　don't　git　somehow　is　always　the　woman　he　ought　to　have　had。　It's　a　curious；　mixed…up　business；　however　you　look　at　it。〃

〃That's　so；〃　said　Tom　Spade；　〃I　always　noticed　it。　The　woman　who　is　your　wife　may　be　a　bouncin'　beauty；　an'　the　woman　who　ain't　may　be　as　ugly　as　sin；　but　you'd　go　twice　as　far　to　kiss　her　all　the　same。　Thar　is　always　a　sight　more　spice　about　the　woman　who　ain't。〃

〃Jest　look　at　Eliza；　now；〃　pursued　Matthew；　wrapped　in　the　thought　of　his　own　domestic　infelicities。　〃What　I　could　never　understand　about　Eliza　was　that　John　Sales　went　clean　to　the　dogs　because　he　couldn't　git　her。　To　think　of　sech　a　thing　happenin'；　jest　as　if　I　was　to　blame；　when　if　I'd　only　known　it　I　could　hev　turned　about　an'　taken　her　sister　Lizzie。　Thar　were　five　of　'em　in　all；　an'　I　settled　on　Eliza；　as　it　was；　with　my　eyes　blindfold。　Poor　Johnpoor　John！　It　was　sech　a　terrible　waste　of　wantin'。〃

〃Well；　it's　a　thing　to　stiddy　about；〃　said　old　Jacob；　with　a　sigh。　〃They　tell　me　now　that　that　po'　young　gal　of　Bill　Fletcher's　has　found　it　a　thorny　bed；　to　be　sho'。　Her　letters　are　all　bright　an'　pleasant　enough；　they　say；　filled　with　fine　clothes　an'　the　names　of　strange　places；　but　a　gentleman　who　met　her　somewhar　over　thar　wrote　Fletcher　that　her　husband　used　her　like　a　dumb　brute。〃

Christopher　started　and　looked　up　inquiringly。

〃Have　you　heard　anything　about　that；　Jim？〃　he　asked　in　a　queer　voice。

〃Nothin'　more。　Fletcher　told　me　he　had　written　to　her　to　come　home；　but　she　answered　that　she　would　stick　to　Wyndham　for　better　or　for　worse。　It's　a　great　pitythe　marriage　promised　so　well；　too。〃

〃Oh；　the　gal's　got　a　big　heart；　I　could　tell　it　from　her　eyes；〃　said　old　Jacob。　〃When　you　see　those　dark；　solemn　eyes；　lookin'　out　of　a　pale；　peaked　face；　it　means　thar's　a　heart　behind　'em；　an'　a　heart　that　bodes　trouble　some　day；　whether　it　be　in　man　or　woman。〃

Christopher　passed　his　hand　across　his　brow　and　stood　staring　vacantly　at　the　smouldering　logs。　He　could　not　tell　whether　the　news　saddened　or　rejoiced　him；　but；　at　least；　it　brought　Maria's　image　vividly　before　his　eyes。　The　spell　of　her　presence　was　over　him　again；　and　he　felt；　as　he　had　felt　on　that　last　evening；　the　mysterious　attraction　of　her　womanhood。　So　intense　was　the　visionary　appeal　that　it　had　for　the　moment　almost　the　effect　of　hallucination；　it　was　as　if　she　still　entreated　him　across　all　the　distance。　The　brooding　habit　of　his　mind　had　undoubtedly　done　much　to　conserve　his　emotion；　as　had　the　rural　isolation　in　which　he　lived。　In　a　city　life　the　four　years　would　probably　have　blotted　out　her　memory；　but　where　comparison　was　impossible；　and　lighter　distractions　almost　unheard　of；　what　chance　was　there　for　him　to　forget　the　single　passionate　experience　he　had　known？　Among　his　primitive　neighbours　Maria　had　flitted　for　a　time　like　a　bewildering　vision；　then　the　great　distant　world　had　caught　her　up　into　its　brightness；　and　the　desolate　waste　country　was　become　the　guardian　of　the　impression　she　had　left。

〃If　thar's　a　man　who　has　had　bad　luck　with　his　children；　it's　Bill　Fletcher；〃　old　Jacob　was　saying　thoughtfully。　〃He's　been　a　hard　man　an'　a　mean　one；　too；　an'　when　he　couldn't　beg　or　borrow　it's　my　opinion　that　he　never　hesitated　to　put　forth　his　hand　an'　steal。　Thar's　a　powerful　lot　of　judgment　in　dumb　happenin's；　an'　when　you　see　a　family　waste　out　an'　run　to　seed　like　that　it　usually　means　that　the　good　Lord　is　havin'　His　way　about　matters。　It　takes　a　mighty　sharp　eye　to　tell　the　difference　between　judgment　an'　misfortune；　an'　I've　seen　enough　in　this　world　to　know　that；　no　matter　how　skilfully　you　twist　up　good　an'　evil；　God　Almighty　may　be　a　long　time　in　the　unravelling；　but　He'll　straighten　'em　out　at　last。　Now　as　to　Bill　Fletcher；　his　sins　got　in　the　bone　an'　they're　workin'　out　in　the　blood。　Look　at　his　son　Billdidn't　he　come　out　of　the　army　to　drink　himself　to　death？　Then　his　granddaughter　Maria　has　gone　an'　mismarried　a　somebody；　an'　this　boy　that　he'd　set　his　heart　on　is　goin'　to　the　devil　so　precious　fast　that　he　ain't　got　time　to　look　behind　him。〃

〃Oh；　he's　young　yet；〃　suggested　Tom　Spade；　solemnly　wagging　his　head；　〃an'　Fletcher　says；　you　know；　that　he's　all　right　so　long　as　he　keeps　clear　of　Mr。　Christopher。　It's　Mr。　Christopher；　he　swears；　that's　been　the　ruin　of　him。〃

Christopher　met　this　with　a　sneer。　〃Why　does　he　let　him　dog　my　footsteps；　then？〃　he　inquired　with　a　laugh。　〃I　never　go　to　the　Hall；　and　yet　he's　always　after　me。〃

〃Bless　you；　suh；　it　ain't　any　question　of　lettin'　an'　thar　never　has　been　sence　the　boy　first　put　on　breeches。　Why；　when　I　refused　to　sell　him　whisky　at　my　sto'；　what　did　he　do　but　begin　smugglin'　it　out　from　town！　Fletcher　found　it　out　an'　blew　him　sky…high；　but　in　less　than　a　month　it　was　all　goin'　on　agin。〃

〃An'　the　funny　part　is；〃　said　Jim　Weatherby；　〃that　you　can't　dislike　Will　Fletcher；　however　much　you　try。　He's　a　kindhearted；　jolly　fellow；　in　spite　of　the　devil。〃

〃Or　in　spite　of　Mr。　Christopher；〃　added　Tom；　with　a　guffaw。

Frowning　heavily；　Christopher　turned　toward　the　door。

〃Oh；　you　ask　Will　Fletcher　who　is　his　best　friend；〃　he　said；　〃and　let　me　hear　his　answer。〃

With　an　abrupt　nod　to　Jacob；　he　went　out　of　the　tobacco　barn　and　along　the　little　path　to　the　road。　He　had　barely　reached　the　gate；　however；　when　Jim　Weatherby　ran　after　him　with　the　horseshoes；　and　offered　eagerly　to　come　over　in　the　morning　and　see　that　the　gray　mare　was　properly　shod。

〃I'm　handy　at　that　kind　of　thing；　you　know；〃　he　explained；　with　a　blush。

〃Well；　if　you　don't　mind；　I　wish　you　would　come；〃　Christopher　replied；　〃but　to　save　my　life　I　can't　see　why　you　are　so　ready　with　other　people's　jobs。〃

Then；　taking　the　horseshoes；　he　opened　the　gate　and　started　rapidly　toward　home。　His　mind　was　still　absorbed　by　old　Jacob's　news；　and　upon　reaching　the　house　he　was　about　to　pass　up　to　his　room；　when　Cynthia　called　him　from　the　little　platform　beyond　the　back　door；　and　going　out；　he　found　her　standing　pale　and　tearful　on　the