第34章

类别:其他 作者:佚名字数:4315更新时间:18/12/27 08:54:32
Encouragedbythis,Mr。Hamlingotthemtolaughingagain,andthenproposedaracehomeintheirwetclothes,whichtheyaccepted,Mr。 Hamlin,forrespiratoryreasons,laggingintheirrearuntilhehadthesatisfactionofseeingthemcapturedbythehorrifiedMelindainfrontofthekitchen,whileheslippedpastherandregainedhisownroom。Herehechangedhissaturatedclothes,triedtorubawayacertainchillinessthatwascreepingoverhim,andlaydowninhisdressinggowntomiserablereflections。Hehadnearlydrownedthechildrenandoverexcitedhimself,inspiteofhispromisetothedoctor!Hewouldneveragainbeintrustedwiththecareoftheformernorbebelievedbythelatter! Buteventsarenotalwayslogicalinsequence。Mr。Hamlinwentcomfortablytosleepandintoaprofuseperspiration。Hewasawakenedbyarappingathisdoor,andopeningit,wassurprisedtofindMrs。Riverswithanxiousinquiriesastohiscondition。 “Indeed,“shesaid,withanemotionwhichevenherprimreservecouldnotconceal,“Ididnotknowuntilnowhowserioustheaccidentwas,andhowbutforyouandDivineProvidencemylittlegirlmighthavebeendrowned。ItseemsMelindasawitall。“ InwardlyobjurgatingthespyingMelinda,butrelievedthathisplaymateshadn’tbrokentheirpromiseofsecrecy,Mr。Hamlinlaughed。 “I’mafraidthatyourlittlegirlwouldn’thavegotintothewateratallbutforme——andyoumustgiveallthecreditofgettingherouttotheotherfellow。“HestoppedattheseverechangeinMrs。 Rivers’sexpression,andaddedquiteboyishlyandwithasuddendropfromhisusuallevity,“Butpleasedon’tkeepthechildrenawayfrommeforallthat,Mrs。Rivers。“ Mrs。Riversdidnot,andthenextdayJackandhiscompanionssoughtfreshplayingfieldsandsomenewstory-tellingpastures。 Indeed,itwasafinesighttoseethispale,handsome,elegantlydressedyoungfellowloungingalongbetweenablue-checkeredpinaforedgirlononesideandabarefootedboyontheother。Theranchmenturnedandlookedafterhimcuriously。One,arusticprodigal,reducedbydissipationtotheswine-husksofranching,sawfittoaccosthimfamiliarly。 “ThelasttimeIsawyoudealingpokerinSacramento,Mr。Hamlin,I didnotreckontofindyouuphereplayingwithacoupleofkids。“ “No!“respondedMr。Hamlinsuavely,“andyetIrememberIwasplayingwithsomecountryidiotsdownthere,andyouwereoneofthem。Well!understandthatuphereIpreferthekids。Don’tletmehavetoremindyouofit。“ Nevertheless,Mr。Hamlincouldnothelpnoticingthatforthenexttwoorthreedaysthereweremanycallersattheranchandthathewasobligedinhiswalkstoavoidthehighroadonaccountoftheimpertinentcuriosityofwayfarers。Someofthemwereofthatsexwhichhewouldnothavecontentedhimselfwithsimplycalling“curious。“ “Tothink,“saidMelindaconfidentlytohermistress,“thatthattharMrs。Stubbs,whowouldn’tgototheHightownHotelbecausetherewasaplayactressthar,hasbeensnoopin’roundheretwicesincethatyoungfellercame。“ Ofthisfact,however,Mr。Hamlinwasblissfullyunconscious。 Nevertheless,histemperwasgrowinguncertain;theangleofhissmartstrawhatwasbecomingaggressivetostrangers;hispolitenesssardonic。AndnowSundaymorninghadcomewithanatmosphereofstarchedpietyandwell-soapedrespectabilityattherancho,andthechildrenweretobetakenwiththerestofthefamilytotheday-longserviceatHightown。AstheseSabbathpilgrimagesfilledthemainroad,hewasfaintotakehimselfandhislonelinesstothetrailsandbyways,andeventoinvadethehauntsofsomeotherelegantoutcastslikehimself——towit,acrestedhawk,agracefulwildcatbeautifullymarked,andaneloquentlyreticentrattlesnake。Mr。Hamlineyedthemwithoutfear,andcertainlywithoutreproach。Theywerenotoutoftheirelement。 Suddenlyheheardhisnamecalledinastentoriancontralto。Animpatientejaculationrosetohislips,butdieduponthemasheturned。ItwascertainlyMelinda,butinhispresentsensitivelonelinessitstruckhimforthefirsttimethathehadneveractuallyseenherbeforeasshereallywas。Likemostmeninhisprofessionhewasaquickreaderofthoughtsandfaceswhenhewasinterested,andalthoughthiswasthesamerobust,long-limbed,sunburntgirlhehadmet,henowseemedtoseethroughhertripleincrustationofhumanvanity,conventionalpiety,andoutrageousSabbathfineryanhonest,sympatheticsimplicitythatcommandedhisrespect。 “Youarebackearlyfromchurch,“hesaid。 “Yes。Oneserviceisgoodenoughformewhentharain’tnospecialpreacher,“shereturned,“soIjestseztoSilas,’asIain’theretolistentothesisterscackleyekinputtothebuckboardanddrivemehomeezsoonezyouplease。’“ “AndsohisnameisSilas,“suggestedMr。Hamlincheerfully。 “Go’longwithyou,Mr。Hamlin,anddon’tpester,“shereturned,withheifer-likeplayfulness。“Well,Silasputto,andwhenwerosethehillhereIsawyourstrawhatpassin’inthegulch,andseztoSilas,sezI,’Yekinpulluphere,foroveryarisournewboarder,JackHamlin,andI’mgoin’totalkwithhim。’’Allright,’sezhe,’I’dsoonertrustyewiththatgayyounggamboliereverydayoftheweekthanwiththemsaintsdowntharonSunday。 Hedealsezstraightezheshoots,andisaboutasnighontoagentlemanastheymake’em。’“ ForonemomentortwoMissBirdonlysawJack’slonglashes。Whenhiseyesoncemoreliftedtheywereshining。“Andwhatdidyousay?“hesaid,withashortlaugh。 “Itoldhimheneedn’tbeChristopherColumbustohavediscoveredthat。“SheturnedwithalaughtowardJack,tobemetbytheword“shake,“andanoutstretchedthinwhitehandwhichgraspedherlargeredonewithafrank,fraternalpressure。 “Ididn’tcometotellyethat,“remarkedMissBirdasshesatdownonaboulder,tookoffheryellowhat,andrestackedhertawnymaneunderit,“butthis:IreckonedIwenttoSundaymeetin’asIoughtter。Ikalkilatedtohearconsiderableabout’Faith’and’Works,’ andsich,butIdidn’treckontohearallaboutyoufromtheLord’sPrayertotheDoxology。Youwereinthespecialprayersezawarnin’,inthesermonezatext;theypickedouthymnstofitye! Andalwaysadreffulexampleandavisitation。Andtheresto’thetuneitwasallgabble,gabblebythebrothersandsistersaboutyou。Ireckon,Mr。Hamlin,thattheyknoweverythingyoueverdidsinceyouwereknee-hightoagrasshopper,andagooddealmorethanyoueverthoughtofdoin’。Thewomenisalldeadsetonconvertin’yeandsavin’yebytheirownpreciousselves,andthemenisekallydeadsetongettin’rido’yeonthataccount。“ “AndwhatdidSethandMrs。Riverssay?“askedHamlincomposedly,butwithkindlingeyes。 “Theystuckupforyeezfareztheycould。ButyeseetheparsonhezgotaholtuponSeth,havin’caughthimkissin’aconvertatcampmeeting;andDeaconTurnerknowssuthinaboutMrs。Rivers’ssister,whokickedoverthepailandjumpedthefenceyearsago,andshe’safearda’him。ButwhatIwantedtotellyewasthatthey’reallcomin’upheretotakealookatye——someon’emto- night。Youain’tafeard,areye?“sheadded,withaloudlaugh。 “Well,itlooksratherdesperate,doesn’tit?“returnedJack,withdancingeyes。 “I’lltrustyeforallthat,“saidMelinda。“AndnowIreckonI’lltrotalongtotherancho。Yeneedn’tofferterseemehome,“sheadded,asJackmadeamovementtoaccompanyher。“Everybodyuphereain’tasfair-mindedezSilasandyou,andMelindaBirdhezacharactertolose!Solong!“Withthisshecanteredaway,alittleheavily,perhaps,adjustingheryellowhatwithbothhandsassheclattereddownthesteephill。 ThatafternoonMr。Hamlindrewlargelyonhisconvalescencetomountahalf-brokenmustang,andinspiteoftherisingafternoonwindtogallopalongthehighroadinquiteasmischievousandbreezyafashion。Hewaswonttoallowhismustang’snosetohangoverthehindrailsofwagonsandbuggiescontainingyoungcouples,andtodashaheadofsobercarryallsthatheldelderly“membersingoodstanding。“ Anaccomplishedrider,hepickedupandbroughtbacktheflyingparasolofMrs。DeaconStubbswithoutdismounting。Hefinallycamehomealittleblown,butdangerouslycomposed。 TherewastheusualSundayeveninggatheringatWindyHillRancho—— neighborsandtheirwives,deaconsandthepastor——buttheircuriositywasnotsatisfiedbythesightofMr。Hamlin,whokepthisownroomandhisowncounsel。Therewassomedesultoryconversation,chieflyonchurchtopics,foritwasvaguelyfeltthatadiscussionoftheadvisabilityorgettingridoftheguestoftheirhostwassomewhatdifficultunderthishost’sroof,withtheguestimpendingatanymoment。Thenadiversionwascreatedbysomeofthechurchchoirpracticingtheharmoniumwiththesingingofcertainmoreorlesslugubriousanthems。Mrs。Riverspresentlyjoinedin,andinasomewhatfadedsoprano,which,however,stillretainedconsiderablemusicaltasteandexpression,sang,“Come,yedisconsolate。“Thewindmoanedoverthedeep-throatedchimneyinaweirdharmonywiththemelancholyofthathumanappealasMrs。 Riverssangthefirstverse:—— “Come,yedisconsolate,where’eryelanguish,CometotheMercySeat,ferventlykneel; Herebringyourwoundedhearts——heretellyouranguish,EarthhasnosorrowthatHeavencannotheal!“ Apausefollowed,andthelong-drawn,half-humansighofthemountainwindoverthechimneyseemedtominglewiththewailoftheharmonium。Andthen,totheirthrilledastonishment,atenorvoice,high,clear,buttenderlypassionate,brokelikeaskylarkovertheirheadsinthelinesofthesecondverse:—— “Joyofthedesolate,Lightofthestraying,Hopeofthepenitent——fadelessandpure; HerespeakstheComforter,tenderlysaying,EarthhasnosorrowthatHeavencannotcure!“