第36章

“Uponmyhonor，“saidJacksimply，“theyplayedlastnightforthefirsttime。Andtheyforcedmetoshowthem。But，“addedJackafterasignificantpause，“IthoughtitwouldmakethegamelivelierandbemoreofamorallessonifIgavethemnearlyallgoodpathands。SoIraninacolddeckonthem——thefirsttimeI everdidsuchathinginmylife。Ifixedupapackofcardssothatonehadthreetens，anotherthreejacks，andanotherthreequeens，andsoonuptothreeaces。Inaminutetheyhadalltumbledtothegame，andyouneversawsuchbetting。Everymanandwomantherebelievedheorshehadstruckasurething，andstakedaccordingly。Anewpanfulofbeanswasbroughton，andSeth，yourfriend，bankedforthem。Andatlasttheparsonrakedinthewholepile。“ “Isupposeyougavehimthethreeaces，“saidDr。Duchesnegloomily。 “Theparson，“saidJackslowly，“HADN’TASINGLEPAIRINHISHAND。 Itwasthestoniest，deadest，neatestBLUFFIeversaw。Andwhenhe’dfrightenedoffthelastmanwhoheldoutandlaidthatmeaslyhandofhisfacedownonthatpileofkings，queens，andaces，andlookedaroundthetableasherakedinthepile，therewasasmileofhumbleself-righteousnessonhisfacethatwasworthdoublethemoney。“ APUPILOFCHESTNUTRIDGE TheschoolmasterofChestnutRidgewasinterruptedinhisafter- schoolsolitudebytheclickofhoofandsoundofvoicesonthelittlebridlepaththatledtothescantclearinginwhichhisschoolhousestood。Helaiddownhispenasthefiguresofamanandwomanonhorsebackpassedthewindowsanddismountedbeforetheporch。Herecognizedthecomplacent，good-humoredfacesofMr。andMrs。Hoover，whoownedaneighboringranchofsomeimportanceandwhowereaccountedwelltodopeoplebythecommunity。Beingachildlesscouple，however，whiletheygenerouslycontributedtothesupportofthelittleschool，theyhadnotaddedtoitsflock，anditwaswithsomecuriositythattheyoungschoolmastergreetedthemandawaitedthepurportoftheirvisit。ThiswasprotractedindeliverythroughacertainpolitedalliancewiththerealsubjectcharacteristicoftheSouthwesternpioneer。 “Well，Almiry，“saidMr。Hoover，turningtohiswifeafterthefirstgreetingwiththeschoolmasterwasover，“thismakesmefeellikeoldtimes，youbet！Why，Iain’tbininsideaschoolhousesinceIwasknee-hightoagrasshopper。Thar’sthebenches，andthedesks，andthebooksandallthem’ab，abs，’jestliketheolddays。Dear！Dear！ButtheteacherinthosedayswasezoldandgrizzledezIbe——andsomeo’thescholars——nooffensetoyou，Mr。 Brooks——wasolderandbiggernoryou。Buttimesischanged:yetlook，Almiry，iftharain’tahunko’stalegingerbreadinthatdeskjestasitusterbe！Lord！howitallcomesback！EzIwassayin’onlyt’otherday，wecan’tbetoogratefultoourparentsforgivin’usaneddicationinouryouth；“andMr。Hoover，withtheairofrecallinganalmamaterofsequesteredgloomandcloisterederudition，gazedreverentlyaroundthenewpinewalls。 ButMrs。Hooverhereintervenedwithagraciousappreciationoftheschoolmaster’syouthafterherusualkindlyfashion。“Anddon’tyouforgetit，HiramHoover，thattheseyoungfolksofto-daykinteachtheoldschoolmastersof’waybackmore’nyouandIdreamof。 We’veheardofyourbooklarnin’，Mr。Brooks，aforethis，andwe’reproudtohevyouhere，eveniftheLordhasnotpleasedtogiveusthechildrentosendtoye。Butwe’vealwayspaidourshareinkeepinguptheschoolforothersthatwasmorefavored，andnowitlooksasifHehadnotforgottenus，andezif“——withasignificant，half-shyglanceatherhusbandandacorroboratingnodfromthatgentleman——“ezif，reelly，wemightbereckonin’tosendyouascholarourselves。“ Theyoungschoolmaster，sympatheticandsensitive，feltsomewhatembarrassed。Theallusiontohisextremeyouth，mollifiedthoughitwasbythesalveofpraisefromthetactfulMrs。Hoover，hadannoyedhim，andperhapsaddedtohisslightconfusionovertheinformationshevouchsafed。HehadnotheardofanylateadditiontotheHooverfamily，hewouldnothavebeenlikelyto，inhissecludedhabits；andalthoughhewasaccustomedtothenaiveanddirectsimplicityofthepioneer，hecouldscarcelybelievethatthisgoodladywasannouncingamaternalexpectation。Hesmiledvaguelyandbeggedthemtobeseated。 “Yesee，“saidMr。Hoover，droppinguponalowbench，“thewaythethingpansoutisthis。Almiry’sbrotherisapow’fulpreacherdownthecoastatSanAntonioandhezsettleddowntharwithabigFreeWillBaptistChurchcongregationandaheapo’landgotfromthemMexicans。Thar’saloto’poorSpanishandInjintrashthatbelongtotheland，andAlmiry’sbrotherhezsetaboutconvertin’ ’em，givin’’emconvickshionandreligion，thoughthemostof’emisPapistsandfollowersoftheScarletWoman。Tharwasanorphan，alittlegirlthathegotouterthehandso’thempriests，kindersnatchedasabrandfromtheburnin’，andhesenthertoustobebroughtupinthewayso’theLord，knowin’thatwehadnochildrenofourown。Butwethoughtsheoughtergetthebenefito’ schoolin’too，besidesourowncare，andwereckonedtobringherherereg’lartoschool。“ Relievedandpleasedtohelpthegood-naturedcoupleinthecareofthehomelesswaif，albeitsomewhatdoubtfuloftheirreligiousmethods，theschoolmastersaidhewouldbedelightedtonumberheramonghislittleflock。Hadshealreadyreceivedanytuition？ “Onlyfromthempadres，yeknow，thingsaboutsaints，VirginMarys，visions，andmiracles，“putinMrs。Hoover；“andwekinderthoughtezyouknowSpanishyoumightbeabletogetrido’theminexchangefor’convictiono’sins’and’justificationbyfaith，’yeknow。“ “I’mafraid，“saidMr。Brooks，smilingatthethoughtofdisplacingtheChurch’s“mysteries“forcertaincorybanticdisplaysandthaumaturgicalexhibitionshehadwitnessedattheDissenters’campmeeting，“thatImustleaveallthattoyou，andImustcautionyoutobecarefulwhatyoudolestyoualsoshakeherfaithinthealphabetandthemultiplicationtable。“ “Mebbeeyou’reright，“saidMrs。Hoover，mystifiedbutgood- natured；“butthar’sonethingmoreweoughtertellye。She’s—— she’satrifledarkcomplected。“ Theschoolmastersmiled。“Well？“hesaidpatiently。 “Sheisn’taniggernoranInjin，yeknow，butshe’skinderahalf- Spanish，half-MexicanInjin，whattheycall’mes——mes’“—— “Mestiza，“suggestedMr。Brooks；“ahalf-breedormongrel。“ “Ireckon。Nowtharwouldn’tbeanyobjectiontothat，eh？“saidMr。Hooveralittleuneasily。 “Notbyme，“returnedtheschoolmastercheerfully。“Andalthoughthisschoolisstate-aidedit’snota’publicschool’intheeyeofthelaw，soyouhaveonlythefoolishprejudicesofyourneighborstodealwith。“HehadrecognizedthereasonoftheirhesitationandknewthestrongracialantagonismheldtowardsthenegroandIndianbyMr。Hoover’sSouthwesterncompatriots，andhecouldnotrefrainfrom“rubbingitin。“ “Theykinsee，“interposedMrs。Hoover，“thatshe’snotanigger，forherhairdon’t’kink，’andafurrinInjin，ofcourse，isdifferentfromoneo’ourown。“ “IftheyhearherspeakSpanish，andyousimplysaysheisaforeigner，assheis，itwillbeallright，“saidtheschoolmastersmilingly。“Lethercome，I’lllookafterher。“ Muchrelieved，afterafewmorewordsthecoupletooktheirdeparture，theschoolmasterpromisingtocallthenextafternoonattheHoovers’ranchandmeethisnewscholar。“Yemightgiveusahintortwohowsheoughterbefixedupaforeshejoinstheschool。“ Theranchwasaboutfourmilesfromtheschoolhouse，andasMr。 BrooksdrewreinbeforetheHoovers’gateheappreciatedthedevotionofthecouplewhowerewillingtosendthechildthatdistancetwiceaday。Thehouse，withitsoutbuildings，wasonamoreliberalscalethanitsneighbors，andshowedfewofthemakeshiftsandhalf-heartedadvancestowardspermanentoccupationcommontotheSouthwesternpioneers，whoweremoreorlessnomadsininstinctandcircumstance。Hewasusheredintoawell-furnishedsittingroom，whoseglaringfreshnesswassubduedandrepressedbyblack-framedengravingsofscripturalsubjects。AsMr。Brooksglancedatthemandrecalledtheschoolroomsoftheoldmissions，withtheirmonasticshadowswhichhalfhidthegaudy，tinseledsaintsandflamingorensanguinedheartsuponthewalls，hefearedthatthelittlewaifofMotherChurchhadnotgainedanycheerfulnessintheexchange。 AssheenteredtheroomwithMrs。Hoover，herlargedarkeyes——themostnotablefeatureinhersmallface——seemedtosustaintheschoolmaster’sfancifulfearintheirhalf-frightenedwonder。ShewasclingingcloselytoMrs。Hoover’sside，asifrecognizingthegoodwoman’smaternalkindnessevenwhiledoubtfulofherpurpose； butontheschoolmasteraddressingherinSpanish，asingularchangetookplaceintheirrelativepositions。Aquicklookofintelligencecameintohermelancholyeyes，andwithitaslightconsciousnessofsuperioritytoherprotectorsthatwasembarrassingtohim。Fortherestheobservedmerelythatshewassmallandslightlybuilt，althoughherfigurewashiddeninalong“checkapron“orcalicopinaforewithsleeves——alocalgarment—— whichwasutterlyincongruouswithheroriginality。Herskinwasolive，incliningtoyellow，orrathertothatexquisiteshadeofbufftobeseeninthenewbarkofthemadrono。Herfacewasoval，andhermouthsmallandchildlike，withlittletosuggesttheaboriginaltypeinherotherfeatures。 Themaster’squestionselicitedfromthechildthefactthatshecouldreadandwrite，thatsheknewher“HailMary“andcreed(happilytheProtestantMrs。Hooverwasunabletofollowthisquestioning)，buthealsoelicitedthemoredisturbingfactthatherrepliesandconfidencessuggestedacertainfamiliarityandequalityofconditionwhichhecouldonlysetdowntohisownyouthfulnessofappearance。HewasapprehensivethatshemightevenmakesomeremarkregardingMrs。Hoover，andwasnotsorrythatthelatterdidnotunderstandSpanish。ButbeforehelefthemanagedtospeakwithMrs。Hooveraloneandsuggestedachangeinthecostumeofthepupilwhenshecametoschool。“Thebettersheisdressed，“suggestedthewilyyoungdiplomat，“thelesslikelyisshetoawakenanysuspicionofherrace。“ “Nowthat’sjestwhat’sbotherin’me，Mr。Brooks，“returnedMrs。