第8章

类别:其他 作者:Gene Stratton-Porter字数:11503更新时间:18/12/13 16:09:15
\"Theregoeshisfootthroughit!\"criedMargaret。 \"Wesley,heshallnotruinmyhammock。\" \"Ofcourseheshan\'t!\"saidWesley。\"Wait,Billy,letmeshowyou。\" ThereuponheexplainedtoBillythatladieswearingbeautifulwhitedressessatinhammocks,solittleboysmustnotputtheirdustyfeetinthem。Billyimmediatelysat,andallowedhisfeettoswing。 \"Margaret,\"saidWesleyafteralongsilenceontheporch,\"isn\'tittruethatifBillyhadbeenahalf-starvedsorecat,dog,oranimalofanysort,thatyouwouldhavepitied,andhelpedcareforit,andbeengladtoseemegetanypleasureoutofitIcould?\" \"Yes,\"saidMargaretcoldly。 \"ButbecauseIbroughtachildwithanimmortalsoul,thereisnowelcome。\" \"Thatisn\'tachild,it\'sananimal。\" \"Youjustsaidyouwouldhavewelcomedananimal。\" \"Notawildone。Imeantatamebeast。\" \"Billyisnotabeast!\"saidWesleyhotly。\"Heisaverydearlittleboy。Margaret,you\'vealwaysdonethechurch-goingandBiblereadingforthisfamily。Howdoyoureconcilethat`SufferlittlechildrentocomeuntoMe\' withthewayyouaretreatingBilly?\" Margaretarose。\"Ihaven\'ttreatedthatchild。Ihaveonlylethimalone。Icanbarelyholdmyself。Heneedsthehidetannedaboutoffhim!\" \"Ifyou\'dcaredtolookathisbody,you\'dknowthatyoucouldn\'tfindaplacetostrikewithoutcuttingintoarawspot,\"saidWesley。\"Besides,Billyhasnotdoneathingforwhichachildshouldbepunished。Heisonlyfulloflife,notraining,andwithaboy\'sloveofmischief。 Hedidabuseyourkittens,butanhourbeforeIsawhimriskhislifetosaveonefrombeingrunover。Hemindswhatyoutellhim,anddoesn\'tdoanythingheistoldnotto。 Hethinksofhisbrotherandsisterrightawaywhenanythingpleaseshim。Hetookthatstingingmedicinewiththegritofabulldog。Heisjustabullylittlechap,andIlovehim。\" \"Ohgoodheavens!\"criedMargaret,goingintothehouseasshespoke。 Sintonsatstill。AtlastBillytiredoftheswing,cametohimandleanedhisslightbodyagainstthebigknee。 \"AmIgoingtosleephere?\"heasked。 \"Sureyouare!\"saidSinton。 BillyswunghisfeetashelaidacrossWesley\'sknee。 \"Comeon,\"saidWesley,\"Imustcleanyouupforbed。\" \"Youhavetobejustawfulcleanhere,\"announcedBilly。 \"Iliketobeclean,youfeelsogood,afterthehurtisover。\" Sintonregisteredthatremark,andworkedwithespecialtendernessasheredressedtheailingplacesandwashedthedustfromBilly\'sfeetandhands。 \"Wherecanhesleep?\"heaskedMargaret。 \"I\'msureIdon\'tknow,\"sheanswered。 \"Oh,Icansleepistanyplace,\"saidBilly。\"Onthefloororanywhere。Home,Isleeponpa\'scoatonastore- box,andJimmyandBelletheysleeponthestorebox,too。 \"Isleepbetweenthem,so\'sIdon\'trolloffandcrackmyhead。Ain\'tyougotastoreboxandaoldcoat?\" Wesleyaroseandopenedafoldinglounge。Thenhebroughtanarmloadofcleanhorseblanketsfromacloset。 \"Thesedon\'tlooklikethenicewhitebedalittleboyshouldhave,Billy,\"hesaid,\"butwe\'llmakethemdo。 Thiswillbeatastoreboxallhollow。\" Billytookalongleapforthelounge。Whenhefounditbounced,heproceededtobounce,untilhewastired。 Bythattimetheblanketshadtoberefolded。WesleyhadBillytakeoneendandhelp,whilebothofthemseemedtoenjoythejob。ThenBillylaydownandcurledupinhisclotheslikeasmalldog。Butsleepwouldnotcome。 Finallyhesatup。Hestaredaroundrestlessly。Thenhearose,wenttoWesley,andleanedagainsthisknee。Hepickeduptheboyandfoldedhisarmsaroundhim。Billysighedinrapturouscontent。 \"Thatbedfeelssolostlike,\"hesaid。\"Jimmyalwaysjabbedmeononeside,andBelleontheother,andsoI knewIwasthere。Doyouknowwheretheyare?\" \"Theyarewithkindpeoplewhogavethemafinesupper,acleanbed,andwillalwaystakegoodcareofthem。\" \"IwishtIwas——\"BillyhesitatedandlookedearnestlyatWesley。\"ImeanIwishtheywashere。\" \"YouareaboutallIcanmanage,Billy,\"saidWesley。 Billysatup。\"Can\'tshemanageanything?\"heasked,wavingtowardMargaret。 \"Indeed,yes,\"saidWesley。\"Shehasmanagedmefortwentyyears。\" \"My,butshemadeyounice!\"saidBilly。\"Ijustloveyou。 Iwishtshe\'dtakeJimmyandBelleandmakethemniceasyou。\" \"Sheisn\'tstrongenoughtodothat,Billy。Theywillgrowintoagoodboyandgirlwheretheyare。\" BillyslidfromWesley\'sarmsandwalkedtowardMargaretuntilhereachedthemiddleoftheroom。Thenhestopped,andatlastsatonthefloor。Finallyhelaydownandclosedhiseyes。\"Thisfeelsmorelikemybed; ifonlyJimmyandBellewasheretocrowdupalittle,soitwasn\'tsoalonelike。\" \"Won\'tIdo,Billy?\"askedWesleyinahuskyvoice。 Billymovedrestlessly。\"Seemslike——seemsliketowardnightasifabodygotkindo\'lonesomeforawomanperson——likeher。\" BillyindicatedMargaretandthenclosedhiseyessotighthissmallfacewrinkled。 Soonhewasupagain。\"WishtIhadSnap,\"hesaid。 \"Oh,IistwishtIhadSnap!\" \"IthoughtyoulaidaboardonSnapandjumpedonit,\"saidWesley。 \"Wedid!\"criedBilly——\"oh,yououghttoheardhimsqueal!\"Billylaughedloudly,thenhisfaceclouded。 \"ButIwantSnaptolaybesidemesobadnow——thatifhewashereI\'dgivehimapieceofmychicken,\'for,Iateany。 Doyoulikedogs?\" \"Yes,Ido,\"saidWesley。 Billywasupinstantly。\"WouldyoulikeSnap?\" \"IamsureIwould,\"saidWesley。 \"Wouldshe?\"BillyindicatedMargaret。Andthenheansweredhisownquestion。\"Butofcourse,shewouldn\'t,cosshelikescats,anddogschasescats。 Oh,dear,IthoughtforaminutemaybeSnapcouldcomehere。\"Billylaydownandclosedhiseyesresolutely。 Suddenlytheyflewopen。\"Doesithurttobedead?\" hedemanded。 \"Nothinghurtsyouafteryouaredead,Billy,\"saidWesley。 \"Yes,butImeandoesithurtgettingtobedead?\" \"Sometimesitdoes。Itdidnothurtyourfather,Billy。 Itcamesoftlywhilehewasasleep。\" \"Itistcamesoftly?\" \"Yes。\" \"Ikindo\'wishthewasn\'tdead!\"saidBilly。\"\'CourseI liketostaywithyou,andthefriedchicken,andthenicesoftbed,and——andeverything,andIliketobeclean,buthetookustotheshow,andhegotusgum,andheneverhurtuswhenhewasn\'tdrunk。\" Billydrewadeepbreath,andtightlyclosedhiseyes。 Butverysoontheyopened。Thenhesatup。HelookedatWesleypitifully,andthenheglancedatMargaret。 \"Youdon\'tlikeboys,doyou?\"hequestioned。 \"Ilikegoodboys,\"saidMargaret。 Billywasatherkneeinstantly。\"Wellsay,I\'magoodboy!\"heannouncedjoyously。 \"Idonotthinkboyswhohurthelplesskittensandpulloutturkeys\'tailsaregoodboys。\" \"Yes,butIdidn\'thurtthekittens,\"explainedBilly。 \"Theygotmad\'boutistalittlefunandscratchedeachother。 Ididn\'ts\'posethey\'dactlikethat。AndIdidn\'tpulltheturkey\'stail。IistheldontothefirstthingI grabbed,andtheturkeypulled。Honest,itwastheturkeypulled。\"HeturnedtoWesley。\"Youtellher! Didn\'ttheturkeypull?Ididn\'tknowitstailwasloose,didI?\" \"Idon\'tthinkyoudid,Billy,\"saidWesley。 BillystaredintoMargaret\'scoldface。\"Sometimesatnight,Bellesitsonthefloor,andIlaymyheadinherlap。 Icouldpullupachairandlaymyheadinyourlap。 Likethis,Imean。\"Billypulledupachair,climbedonitandlaidhisheadonMargaret\'slap。Thenheshuthiseyesagain。Margaretcouldhavelookedlittlemorerepulsedifhehadbeenasnake。Billywassoonup。 \"My,butyourlapishard,\"hesaid。\"Andyouareagooddealfatter\'anBelle,too!\"Heslidfromthechairandcamebacktothemiddleoftheroom。 \"OhbutIwishthewasn\'tdead!\"hecried。ThefloodbrokeandBillyscreamedindesperation。 Outofthenightasoft,warmyoungfigureflashedthroughthedoorandwithaswoopcaughthiminherarms。 Shedroppedintoachair,nestledhimclosely,droopedherfragrantbrownheadoverhislittlebullet-eyedredone,androckedsoftlywhileshecroonedoverhim—— \"Billy,boy,wherehaveyoubeen? Oh,Ihavebeentoseekawife,She\'sthejoyofmylife,Butthenshe\'sayoungthingandshecan\'tleavehermammy!\" Billyclungtoherfrantically。Elnorawipedhiseyes,kissedhisface,swayedandsang。 \"Whyaren\'tyouasleep?\"sheaskedatlast。 \"Idon\'tknow,\"saidBilly。\"Itried。ItriedawfulhardcosIthoughthewantedmeto,butitistwouldn\'tcome。 PleasetellherItried。\"HeappealedtoMargaret。 \"Hedidtrytogotosleep,\"admittedMargaret。 \"Maybehecan\'tsleepinhisclothes,\"suggestedElnora。 \"Haven\'tyouanolddressingsacque?Icouldrollthesleeves。\" Margaretgotanoldsacque,andElnoraputitonBilly。 Thenshebroughtabasinofwaterandbathedhisfaceandhead。Shegatheredhimupandbegantorockagain。 \"Haveyougotapa?\"askedBilly。 \"No,\"saidElnora。 \"Ishedeadlikemine?\" \"Yes。\" \"Didithurthimtodie?\" \"Idon\'tknow。\" Billywaswideawakeagain。\"Itdidn\'thurtmypa,\" heboasted;\"heistdiedwhilehewasasleep。Hedidn\'tevenknowitwascoming。\" \"Iamgladofthat,\"saidElnora,pressingthesmallheadagainstherbreastagain。 Billyescapedherhandandsatup。\"IguessIwon\'tgotosleep,\"hesaid。\"Itmight`comesoftly\'andgetme。\" \"Itwon\'tgetyou,Billy,\"saidElnora,rockingandsingingbetweensentences。\"Itdoesn\'tgetlittleboys。 Itjusttakesbigpeoplewhoaresick。\" \"Wasmypasick?\" \"Yes,\"saidElnora。\"Hehadadreadfulsicknessinsidehimthatburned,andmadehimdrinkthings。 Thatwaswhyhewouldforgethislittleboysandgirl。 Ifhehadbeenwell,hewouldhavegottenyougoodthingstoeat,cleanclothes,andhadthemostfunwithyou。\" Billyleanedagainstherandclosedhiseyes,andElnorarockedhopefully。 \"IfIwasdeadwouldyoucry?\"hewasupagain。 \"Yes,Iwould,\"saidElnora,grippinghimcloseruntilBillyalmostsquealedwiththeembrace。 \"Doyoulovemetightasthat?\"hequestionedblissfully。 \"Yes,bushelsandbushels,\"saidElnora。\"Betterthananylittleboyinthewholeworld。\" BillylookedatMargaret。\"Shedon\'t!\"hesaid。 \"She\'dbegladifitwouldgetme`softly,\'rightnow。 Shedon\'twantmehere\'tall。\" Elnorasmotheredhisfaceagainstherbreastandrocked。 \"Youloveme,don\'tyou?\" \"Iwill,ifyouwillgotosleep。\" \"Everysingledayyouwillgivemeyourdinnerforthebologna,won\'tyou,\"saidBilly。 \"Yes,Iwill,\"repliedElnora。\"ButyouwillhaveasgoodlunchasIdoafterthis。Youwillhavemilk,eggs,chicken,allkindsofgoodthings,littlepies,andcakes,maybe。\" Billyshookhishead。\"Iamgoingbackhomesoonasitislight,\"hesaid,\"shedon\'twantme。ShethinksI\'mabadboy。She\'sgoingtowhipme——ifheletsher。 Shesaidso。Iheardher。Oh,Iwishhehadn\'tdied! Iwanttogohome。\"Billyshriekedagain。 Mrs。ComstockhadstartedtowalkslowlytomeetElnora。 ThegirlhadbeensolatethathermotherreachedtheSintongateandfollowedthepathuntilthepictureinsidebecamevisible。ElnorahadtoldheraboutWesleytakingBillyhome。Mrs。ComstockhadsomecuriositytoseehowMargaretboretheunexpectedadditiontoherfamily。Billy\'svoice,raisedwithexcitement,wasplainlyaudible。ShecouldseeElnoraholdinghim,andhearhisexcitedwail。Wesley\'sfacewasdrawnandhaggard,andMargaret\'ssetanddefiant。AveryimpofperversityenteredthebreastofMrs。Comstock。 \"Hoity,toity!\"shesaidasshesuddenlyappearedinthedoor。\"BlestifIeverheardamanmakingsoundslikethatbefore!\" Billyceasedsuddenly。Mrs。Comstockwastall,angular,andherhairwasprematurelywhite。Shewasonlythirty-six,althoughsheappearedfifty。Buttherewasanexpressiononherusuallycoldfacethatwasattractivejustthen,andBillywasinsearchofattractions。 \"HaveIstayedtoolate,mother?\"askedElnoraanxiously。 \"Itrulyintendedtocomestraightback,butIthoughtIcouldrockBillytosleepfirst。Everythingisstrange,andhe\'ssonervous。\" \"Isthatyourma?\"demandedBilly。 \"Yes。\" \"Doessheloveyou?\" \"Ofcourse!\" \"Mymotherdidn\'tloveme,\"saidBilly。\"Shewentawayandleftme,andnevercameback。Shedon\'tcarewhathappenstome。Youwouldn\'tgoawayandleaveyourlittlegirl,wouldyou?\"questionedBilly。 \"No,\"saidKatharineComstock,\"andIwouldn\'tleavealittleboy,either。\" BillybeganslidingfromElnora\'sknees。 \"Doyoulikeboys?\"hequestioned。 \"IfthereisanythingIloveitisaboy,\"saidMrs。 Comstockassuringly。Billywasonthefloor。 \"Doyoulikedogs?\" \"Yes。Almostaswellasboys。IamgoingtobuyadogassoonasIcanfindagoodone。\" Billyswepttowardherwithawhoop。 \"Doyouwantaboy?\"heshouted。 KatharineComstockstretchedoutherarms,andgatheredhimin。 \"Ofcourse,Iwantaboy!\"sherejoiced。 \"Maybeyou\'dliketohaveme?\"offeredBilly。 \"SureIwould,\"triumphedMrs。Comstock。\"Anyonewouldliketohaveyou。Youarejustarealboy,Billy。\" \"WillyoutakeSnap?\" \"I\'dliketohaveSnapalmostaswellasyou。\" \"Mother!\"breathedElnoraimploringly。\"Don\'t!Oh,don\'t! Hethinksyoumeanit!\" \"AndsoIdomeanit,\"saidMrs。Comstock。\"I\'lltakehiminajiffy。Ithrowawayenoughtofeedalittletykelikehimeveryday。Hischatterwouldbegreatcompanywhileyouaregone。Bloodsooncanbepurifiedwithrightfoodandbaths,andasforSnap,Imeanttobuyabulldog,butpossiblySnapwillservejustaswell。 AllIaskofadogistobarkattherighttime。I\'lldotherest。Wouldyouliketocomeandbemyboy,Billy?\" BillyleanedagainstMrs。Comstock,reachedhisarmsaroundherneckandgrippedherwithallhispunymight。 \"Youcanwhipmeallyouwantto,\"hesaid。\"Iwon\'tmakeasound。\" Mrs。Comstockheldhimcloselyandherhardfacewassoftening;ofthattherecouldbenodoubt。 \"Now,whywouldanyonewhipanicelittleboylikeyou?\"sheaskedwonderingly。 \"She\"——BillyfromhisrefugewavedtowardMargaret——\"shewasgoingtowhipme\'causehercatsfought,whenItiedtheirtailstogetherandhungthemoverthelinetodry。HowdidIknowheroldcatswouldfight?\" Mrs。Comstockbegantolaughsuddenly,andtryasshewouldshecouldnotstopsosoonasshedesired。 Billystudiedher。 \"Haveyougotturkeys?\"hedemanded。 \"Yes,flocksofthem,\"saidMrs。Comstock,vainlystrugglingtosuppresshermirth,andsettleherfaceinitsaccustomedlines。 \"Aretheirtailsfast?\"demandedBilly。 \"Why,Ithinkso,\"marvelledMrs。Comstock。 \"Hersain\'t!\"saidBillywiththewavetowardMargaretthatwasbecomingfamiliar。\"Herturkeypulled,anditstailcomedrightoff。She\'sgoingtowhipmeifheletsher。Ididn\'tknowtheturkeywouldpull。Ididn\'tknowitstailwouldcomeoff。Iwon\'tevertouchoneagain,willI?\" \"Ofcourse,youwon\'t,\"saidMrs。Comstock。\"Andwhat\'smore,Idon\'tcareifyoudo!I\'dratherhaveafinelittlemanlikeyouthanalltheturkeysinthecountry。 Letthemlosetheiroldtailsiftheywantto,andletthecatsfight。Catsandturkeysdon\'tcomparewithboys,whoaregoingtobefinebigmensomeofthesedays。\" ThenBillyandMrs。Comstockhuggedeachotherrapturously,whiletheiraudiencestaredinsilentamazement。 \"Youlikeboys!\"exultedBilly,andhisheaddroppedagainstMrs。Comstockinunspeakablecontent。 \"Yes,andifIdon\'thavetocarryyouthewholewayhome,wemuststartrightnow,\"saidMrs。Comstock。 \"Youaregoingtobeasleepbeforeyouknowit。\" Billyopenedhiseyesandbracedhimself。\"Icanwalk,\"hesaidproudly。 \"Allright,wemuststart。Come,Elnora!Good-night,folks!\" Mrs。ComstocksetBillyonthefloor,andarosegrippinghishand。\"Youtaketheotherside,Elnora,andwewillhelphimasmuchaswecan,\"shesaid。 ElnorastaredpiteouslyatMargaret,thenatWesley,andaroseinwhite-facedbewilderment。 \"Billy,areyougoingtoleavewithoutevensayinggood- byetome?\"askedWesley,withagulp。 BillyheldtighttoMrs。ComstockandElnora。 \"Good-bye!\"hesaidcasually。\"I\'llcomeandseeyousometime。\" WesleySintongaveasmotheredsob,andstrodefromtheroom。 Mrs。Comstockstartedtowardthedoor,draggingatBillywhileElnorapulledback,butMrs。Sintonwasbeforethem,hereyesflashing。 \"KateComstock,youthinkyouaremightysmart,don\'tyou?\"shecried。 \"Iain\'tinthelunaticasylum,whereyoubelong,anyway,\"saidMrs。Comstock。\"IamsmartenoughtotelladandyboywhenIseehim,andI\'mgoodandgladtogethim。I\'lllovetohavehim!\" \"Well,youwon\'thavehim!\"exclaimedMargaretSinton。 \"ThatboyisWesley\'s!Hefoundhim,andbroughthimhere。 Youcan\'tcomeinandtakehimlikethat!Letgoofhim!\" \"Notmuch,Iwon\'t!\"criedMrs。Comstock。\"Leavethepoorsicklittlesoulhereforyoutobeat,becausehedidn\'tknowjusthowtohandlethings!Ofcourse,he\'llmakemistakes。Hemusthavealotofteaching,butnotthekindhe\'llgetfromyou!Clearoutofmyway!\" \"Youletgoofourboy,\"orderedMargaret。 \"Why?Doyouwanttowhiphim,beforehecangotosleep?\"jeeredMrs。Comstock。 \"No,Idon\'t!\"saidMargaret。\"He\'sWesley\'s,andnobodyshalltouchhim。Wesley!\" WesleySintonappearedbehindMargaretinthedoorway,andsheturnedtohim。\"MakeKateComstockletgoofourboy!\"shedemanded。 \"Billy,shewantsyounow,\"saidWesleySinton。\"Shewon\'twhipyou,andshewon\'tletanyoneelse。Youcanhavestacksofgoodthingstoeat,rideinthecarriage,andhaveagreattime。Won\'tyoustaywithus?\" BillydrewawayfromMrs。ComstockandElnora。 HefacedMargaret,hiseyesshrewdwithunchildishwisdom。 Necessityhadtaughthimtostrikethehotiron,todrivethehardbargain。 \"CanIhaveSnaptoliveherealways?\"hedemanded。 \"Yes,youcanhaveallthedogsyouwant,\"saidMargaretSinton。 \"CanIsleepcloseenoughso\'sIcantouchyou?\" \"Yes,youcanmoveyourloungeupsothatyoucanholdmyhand,\"saidMargaret。 \"Doyoulovemenow?\"questionedBilly。 \"I\'lltrytoloveyou,ifyouareagoodboy,\"saidMargaret。 \"ThenIguessI\'llstay,\"saidBilly,walkingovertoher。 OutinthenightElnoraandhermotherwentdowntheroadinthemoonlight;everyfewrodsMrs。Comstocklaughedaloud。 \"Mother,Idon\'tunderstandyou,\"sobbedElnora。 \"Well,maybewhenyouhavegonetohighschoollongeryouwill,\"saidMrs。Comstock。\"Anyway,yousawmebringMagSintontohersenses,didn\'tyou?\" \"Yes,Idid,\"answeredElnora,\"butIthoughtyouwereinearnest。SodidBilly,andUncleWesley,andAuntMargaret。\" \"Well,wasn\'tI?\"inquiredMrs。Comstock。 \"ButyoujustsaidyoubroughtAuntMargaretto!\" \"Well,didn\'tI?\" \"Idon\'tunderstandyou。\" \"That\'sthereasonIamrecommendingmoreschooling!\" Elnoratookhercandleandwenttobed。Mrs。Comstockwasfeelingtoogoodtosleep。Twiceoflateshereallyhadenjoyedherselfforthefirstinsixteenyears,andgreedinessformoreofthesamefeelingcreptintoherbloodlikeintoxication。Asshesatbroodingalonesheknewthetruth。ShewouldhavelovedtohavetakenBilly。 Shewouldnothavemindedhismischief,hischatter,orhisdog。 Hewouldhavemeantadistractionfromherselfthatshegreatlyneeded;shewasevensincereaboutthedog。 ShehadintendedtotellWesleytobuyheroneattheveryfirstopportunity。HerlastthoughtwasofBilly。 Shechuckledsoftly,forshewasnotsaintly,andnowsheknewhowshecouldevenalongscorewithMargaretandWesleyinamannerthatwouldfillhersoulwithgrimsatisfaction。 CHAPTERVIII WHEREINTHELIMBERLOSTTEMPTSELNORA,ANDBILLY BURIESHISFATHER ImmediatelyafterdinneronSundayWesleySintonstoppedattheComstockgatetoaskifElnorawantedtogototownwiththem。Billysatbesidehimandhedidnotappearasifhewereonhiswaytoafuneral。 Elnorasaidshehadtostudyandcouldnotgo,butshesuggestedthathermothertakeherplace。Mrs。Comstockputonherhatandwentatonce,whichsurprisedElnora。 ShedidnotknowthathermotherwasanxiousforanopportunitytospeakwithSintonalone。Elnoraknewwhyshewasrepeatedlycautionednottoleavetheirland,ifshewentspecimenhunting。 Shestudiedtwohoursandwasseverallessonsaheadofherclasses。Therewasnousetogofurther。Shewouldtakeawalkandseeifshecouldgatheranycaterpillarsorfindanyfreshlyspuncocoons。Shesearchedthebushesandlowtreesbehindthegardenandallaroundtheedgeofthewoodsontheirland,andhavinglittlesuccess,atlastcametotheroad。AlmostthefirstthornbushsheexaminedyieldedaPolyphemuscocoon。Elnoraliftedherheadwiththeinstinctofahunteronthechase,andbeganwork。Shereachedtheswampbeforesheknewit,carryingfivefinecocoonsofdifferentspeciesasherreward。 Shepushedbackherhairandgazedaroundlongingly。Afewrodsinsideshethoughtshesawcocoonsonabush,towhichshewent,andfoundseveral。Senseofcautionwasrapidlyvanishing;shewasinafairwaytoforgeteverythingandplungeintotheswampwhenshethoughtsheheardfootstepscomingdownthetrail。Shewentback,andcameoutalmostfacingPeteCorson。 Thatendedherdifficulty。Shehadknownhimsincechildhood。 WhenshesatonthefrontbenchoftheBrushwoodschoolhouse,Petehadbeenoneofthebigboysatthebackoftheroom。 Hehadbeenroughandwild,butsheneverhadbeenafraidofhim,andoftenhehadgivenherprettythingsfromtheswamp。 \"Whatluck!\"shecried。\"IpromisedmotherIwouldnotgoinsidetheswampalone,andwillyoulookatthecocoonsI\'vefound!Therearemorejustscreamingformetocomegetthem,becausetheleaveswillfallwiththefirstfrost,andthenthejaysandcrowswillbegintotearthemopen。Ihaven\'tmuchtime,sinceI\'mgoingtoschool。 Youwillgowithme,Pete!Pleasesayyes!Justalittleway!\" \"Whatarethosethings?\"askedtheman,hiskeenblackeyesstaringather。 \"Theyarethecasesthesebigcaterpillarsspinforwinter,andinthespringtheycomeoutgreatnightmoths,andIcansellthem。Oh,Pete,IcansellthemforenoughtotakemethroughhighschoolanddressmesoliketheothersthatIdon\'tlookdifferent,andifIhaveverygoodluckIcansavesomeforcollege。Pete,pleasegowithme?\" \"Whydon\'tyougolikeyoualwayshave?\" \"Well,thetruthis,Ihadalittlescare,\"saidElnora。 \"Ineverdidmeantogoalone;sometimesIsortofwanderedinsidefartherthanIintended,chasingthings。YouknowDuncangavemeFreckles\'sbooks,andIhavebeengatheringmothslikehedid。LatelyIfoundIcouldsellthem。 IfIcanmakeacompletecollection,Icangetthreehundreddollarsforit。Threesuchcollectionswouldtakemealmostthroughcollege,andI\'vefouryearsinthehighschoolyet。That\'salongtime。Imightcollectthem。\" \"Caneverykindthereisbefoundhere?\" \"No,notallofthem,butwhenIgetmorethanIneedofonekind,Icantradethemwithcollectorsfarthernorthandwest,soIcancompletesets。It\'stheonlywayIseetoearnthemoney。LookwhatIhavealready。BiggrayCecropiascomefromthiskind;brownPolyphemusfromthat,andgreenLunasfromthese。Youaren\'tworkingonSunday。 Gowithmeonlyanhour,Pete!\" Themanlookedathernarrowly。Shewasyoung,wholesome,andbeautiful。Shewasinnocent,intenselyinearnest,andsheneededthemoney,heknewthat。 \"Youdidn\'ttellmewhatscaredyou,\"hesaid。 \"Oh,IthoughtIdid!WhyyouknowIhadFreckles\'sboxpackedfullofmothsandspecimens,andoneeveningIsoldsometotheBirdWoman。NextmorningIfoundanotetellingmeitwasn\'tsafetogoinsidetheswamp。 Thatsortofscaredme。IthinkI\'llgoalone,ratherthanmissthechance,butI\'dbesohappyifyouwouldtakecareofme。ThenIcouldgoanywhereIchose,becauseifImiredyoucouldpullmeout。Youwilltakecareofme,Pete?\" \"Yes,I\'lltakecareofyou,\"promisedPeteCorson。 \"Goody!\"saidElnora。\"Let\'sstartquick!AndPete,youlookattheseclosely,andwhenyouarehuntingorgoingalongtheroad,ifonedanglesunderyournose,youcutoffthelittletwigandsaveitforme,willyou?\" \"Yes,I\'llsaveyouallIsee,\"promisedPete。HepushedbackhishatandfollowedElnora。Sheplungedfearlesslyamongbushes,overunderbrush,andacrossdeadlogs。 Oneminuteshewascryingwildly,thatherewasabigone,thenextshewasreachingforalimbaboveherheadoronherkneesoverturningdeadleavesunderahickoryoroaktree,orworkingasideblackmuckwithherbarehandsasshesearchedforburiedpupaecases。ForthefirsthourPetebentbackbushesandfollowed,carryingwhatElnoradiscovered。Thenhefoundone。 \"Isthisthekindofthingyouarelookingfor?\"heaskedbashfully,ashepresentedawildcherrytwig。 \"OhPete,that\'saPromethea!Ididn\'tevenhopetofindone。\" \"What\'sthebirdlike?\"askedPete。 \"Almostblackwings,\"saidElnora,\"withclay-colourededges,andthemostwonderfulwine-colouredflushovertheundersideifit\'samale,andstrongerwineaboveandbelowifit\'safemale。Oh,aren\'tIhappy!\" \"Howwoulditdotomakewhatyouhaveintoabunchthatwecouldleavehere,andcomebackforthem?\" \"Thatwouldbeallright。\" RelievedofhisloadPetebeganwork。First,henarrowlyexaminedthecocoonsElnorahadfound。Hequestionedherastowhatotherkindswouldbelike。Hebegantousetheeyesofatrainedwoodmanandhunterinherbehalf。 Hesawseveralsoeasily,andmovedthroughtheforestsosoftly,thatElnoraforgotthemothsinwatchinghim。 Presentlyshewascarryingthespecimens,andhewasmakingthetripsofinvestigationtoseewhichwasacocoonandwhichacurledleaf,orhewasonhiskneesdiggingaroundstumps。Asheworkedhekeptaskingquestions。 Whatkindoflogswerebesttolookbeside,whattreeswerepupaecasesmostlikelytobeunder;onwhatbushesdidcaterpillarsspinmostfrequently?Timepassed,asitalwaysdoeswhenone\'soccupationisabsorbing。 WhentheSintonstookMrs。Comstockhome,theystoppedtoseeElnora。Shewasnotthere。Mrs。Comstockcalledattheedgeofherwoodsandreceivednoreply。 ThenWesleyturnedanddrovebacktotheLimberlost。 HeleftMargaretandMrs。ComstockholdingtheteamandentertainingBilly,whileheenteredtheswamp。 ElnoraandPetehadmadeawidetrailbehindthem。 BeforeSintonhadthoughtofcalling,heheardvoicesandapproachedwithsomecaution。SoonhesawElnora,herflushedfacebeamingasshebentwithanarmloadoftwigsandbranchesandtalkedtoakneelingman。 \"Nowgocautiously!\"shewassaying。\"IamjustsurewewillfindanImperialishere。It\'stheirverykindofaplace。There!WhatdidItellyou!Isn\'tthatsplendid? Oh,Iamsogladyoucamewithme!\" Wesleystoodstaringinspeechlessastonishment,forthemanhadarisen,brushedthedirtfromhishands,andheldouttoElnoraasmallshiningdarkpupacase。 AshisfacecameintoviewSintonalmostcriedout,forhewastheonemanofallothersWesleyknewwithwhomhemostfearedforElnora\'ssafety。Shehadhimonhiskneesdiggingpupaecasesforherfromtheswamp。 \"Elnora!\"calledSinton。\"Elnora!\" \"Oh,UncleWesley!\"criedthegirl。\"Seewhatluckwe\'vehad!Iknowwehaveadozenandahalfcocoonsandwehavethreepupaecases。It\'smuchhardertogetthecasesbecauseyouhavetodigforthem,andyoucan\'tseewheretolook。ButPeteisfineatit!He\'sfoundthree,andhesayshewillkeepwatchbesidetheroads,andthroughthewoodswhilehehunts。Isn\'tthatsplendidofhim?UncleWesley,thereisacollegeoverthereonthewesternedgeoftheswamp。Lookclosely,andyoucanseethegreatdomeupamongtheclouds。\" \"Ishouldsayyouhavehadluck,\"saidWesley,strivingtomakehisvoicenatural。\"ButIthoughtyouwerenotcomingtotheswamp?\" \"Well,Iwasn\'t,\"saidElnora,\"butIcouldn\'tfindmanyanywhereelse,honest,Icouldn\'t,andjustassoonasIcametotheedgeIbegantoseethemhere。Ikeptmypromise。Ididn\'tcomeinalone。Petecamewithme。