第37章

Hoover，withatroubledface，“foryouseesheisagrowin’girl，“ andsheconcluded，withsomeembarrassment，“Ican’tquitemakeupmymindhowtodressher。“ “Howoldisshe？“askedthemasterabruptly。 “Goin’ontwelve，but，“——andMrs。Hooveragainhesitated。 “Why，twoofmyscholars，theBromlygirls，areoverfourteen，“ saidthemaster，“andyouknowhowtheyaredressed；“butherehehesitatedinhisturn。IthadjustoccurredtohimthatthelittlewaifwasfromtheextremeSouth，andtheprecociousmaturityofthemixedracestherewaswellknown。Heevenremembered，tohisalarm，tohaveseenbridesoftwelveandmothersoffourteenamongthenativevillagers。Thismightalsoaccountforthesuggestionofequalityinhermanner，andevenforaslightcoquettishnesswhichhethoughthehadnoticedinherwhenhehadaddressedherplayfullyasamuchacha。“IshoulddressherinsomethingSpanish，“hesaidhurriedly，“somethingwhite，youknow，withplentyofflouncesandalittleblacklace，orablacksilkskirtandalacescarf，youknow。She’llbeallrightifyoudon’tmakeherlooklikeaservantoradependent，“headded，withashowofconfidencehewasfarfromfeeling。“Butyouhaven’ttoldmehername，“heconcluded。 “Aswe’rereckonin’toadopther，“saidMrs。Hoovergravely，“you’llgiveherours。“ “ButIcan’tcallher’MissHoover，’“suggestedthemaster；“what’sherfirstname？“ “Wewasthinkin’o’’SerafinaAnn，’“saidMrs。Hooverwithmoregravity。 “Butwhatishername？“persistedthemaster。 “Well，“returnedMrs。Hoover，withatroubledlook，“meandHiramconsiderit’saheathenishsortofnameforayounggal，butyou’llfinditinmybrother’sletter。“ShetookaletterfromunderthelidofalargeBibleonthetableandpointedtoapassageinit。 “Thechildwaschristened’Concepcion，’“readthemaster。“Why，that’soneoftheMarys！“ “Thewhich？“askedMrs。Hooverseverely。 “OneofthetitlesoftheVirginMary；’MariadelaConcepcion，’“ saidMr。Brooksglibly。 “Itdon’tsoundmuchlikeanythin’soChristiananddecentas’Maria’or’Mary，’“returnedMrs。Hooversuspiciously。 “Buttheabbreviation，’Concha，’isverypretty。Infactit’sjustthething，it’ssoverySpanish，“returnedthemasterdecisively。 “Andyouknowthatthesquawwhohangsabouttheminingcampiscalled’ReservationAnn，’andoldMrs。Parkins’snegrocookiscalled’AuntSerafina，’so’SerafinaAnn’istoosuggestive。 ’ConchaHoover’’sthename。“ “P’r’apsyou’reright，“saidMrs。Hoovermeditatively。 “Anddresshersoshe’lllooklikehernameandyou’llbeallright，“saidthemastergaylyashetookhisdeparture。 Nevertheless，itwaswithsomeanxietythenextmorningheheardthesoundofhoofsontherockybridlepathleadingtotheschoolhouse。HehadalreadyinformedhislittleflockoftheprobableadditiontotheirnumbersandtheirbreathlesscuriositynowaccentedtheappearanceofMr。Hooverridingpastthewindow，followedbyalittlefigureonhorseback，halfhiddeninthegracefulfoldsofaserape。Thenextmomenttheydismountedattheporch，theserapewascastaside，andthenewscholarentered。 Alittlealarmedeveninhisadmiration，themasterneverthelessthoughthehadneverseenamoredaintyfigure。Herheavilyflouncedwhiteskirtstoppedshortjustaboveherwhite-stockingedanklesandlittlefeet，hiddeninwhitesatin，low-quarteredslippers。Herblacksilk，shell-likejackethalfclaspedherstaylessbustcladinanunder-bodiceofsoftmuslinthatfaintlyoutlinedacontourwhichstruckhimasalreadywomanly。Ablacklaceveilwhichhadprotectedherhead，shehadonenteringslippeddowntohershoulderswithagracefulgesture，leavingoneendofitpinnedtoherhairbyaroseaboveherlittleyellowear。ThewholefigurewassoinconsistentwithitspresentsettingthatthemasterinwardlyresolvedtosuggestamodificationofittoMrs。 Hooverashe，withgreatgravity，however，ledthegirltotheseathehadpreparedforher。Mr。Hoover，whohadbeenassistingdisciplineasheconscientiouslybelievedbygazingwithhushed，reverentreminiscenceonthewalls，herewhisperedbehindhislargehandthathewouldcallforherat“fouro’clock“andtiptoedoutoftheschoolroom。Themaster，whofeltthateverythingwoulddependuponhisrepressingthechildren’sexuberantcuriosityandmaintainingthedisciplineoftheschoolforthenextfewminutes，withsupernaturalgravityaddressedtheyounggirlinSpanishandplacedbeforeherafewslightelementarytasks。Perhapsthestrangenessofthelanguage，perhapstheunwontedseriousnessofthemaster，perhapsalsotheimpassibilityoftheyoungstrangerherself，allcontributedtoarresttheexpandingsmilesonlittlefaces，tochecktheirwanderingeyes，andhushtheireagerwhispers。Bydegreesheadswereagainloweredovertheirtasks，thescratchingofpencilsonslates，andthefar-offrappingofWoodpeckersagainindicatedthenormalquietoftheschoolroom，andthemasterknewhehadtriumphed，andtheordealwaspast。 Butnotasregardedhimself，foralthoughthenewpupilhadacceptedhisinstructionswithchildlikesubmissiveness，andevenasitseemedtohimwithchildlikecomprehension，hecouldnothelpnoticingthatsheoccasionallyglancedathimwithademuresuggestionofsomeunderstandingbetweenthem，orasiftheywereplayingatmasterandpupil。Thisnaturallyannoyedhimandperhapsaddedasevererdignitytohismanner，whichdidnotappeartobeeffective，however，andwhichhefanciedsecretlyamusedher。 Wasshecovertlylaughingathim？Yetagainstthis，onceortwice，asherbigeyeswanderedfromhertaskovertheroom，theyencounteredthecuriousgazeoftheotherchildren，andhefanciedhesawanexchangeofthatfreemasonryofintelligencecommontochildreninthepresenceoftheireldersevenwhenstrangerstoeachother。Helookedforwardtorecesstoseehowshewouldgetonwithhercompanions；heknewthatthiswouldsettleherstatusintheschool，andperhapselsewhere。EvenherlimitedEnglishvocabularywouldnotinanywayaffectthatinstinctive，childliketestofsuperiority，buthewassurprisedwhenthehourofrecesscameandhehadexplainedtoherinSpanishandEnglishitspurpose，toseeherquietlyputherarmaroundthewaistofMatildaBromly，thetallestgirlintheschool，asthetwowhiskedthemselvesofftotheplayground。Shewasamerechildafterall！ Otherthingsseemedtoconfirmthisopinion。Later，whenthechildrenreturnedfromrecess，theyoungstrangerhadinstantlybecomeapopularidol，andhadevidentlydispensedherfavorsandpatronagegenerously。TheelderBromlygirlwaswearingherlaceveil，anotherhadpossessionofherhandkerchief，andathirddisplayedtherosewhichhadadornedherleftear，thingsofwhichthemasterwasobligedtotakenotewithaviewofreturningthemtotheprodigallittlebarbarianatthecloseofschool。Laterhewas，however，muchperplexedbythemysteriouspassageunderthedesksofsomeunknownobjectwhichapparentlywasmakingthecircuitoftheschool。Withtheannoyedconsciousnessthathewasperhapsunwittinglyparticipatinginsomegame，hefinally“nailedit“inthepossessionofDemosthenesWalker，agedsix，tothespontaneousoutcryof“Cotched！“fromthewholeschool。WhenproducedfromMasterWalker’sdeskincompanywithahornedtoadandapieceofgingerbread，itwasfoundtobeConcha’swhitesatinslipper，theyounggirlherself，meanwhile，bendingdemurelyoverhertaskwiththebereftfoottuckeduplikeabird’sunderherskirt。Themaster，reservingreproofofthisandotherenormitiesuntillater，contentedhimselfwithcommandingtheslippertobebroughttohim，whenhetookittoherwiththesatiricalremarkinSpanishthattheschoolroomwasnotadressingroom——Camaraparavestirse。Tohissurprise，however，shesmilinglyheldoutthetinystockingedfootwithasingularcombinationofthespoiledchildandthecoquettishsenorita，andremainedwithitextendedasifwaitingforhimtokneelandreplacetheslipper。Buthelaiditcarefullyonherdesk。 “Putitonatonce，“hesaidinEnglish。 Therewasnomistakingthetoneofhisvoice，whateverhislanguage。Conchadartedaquicklookathimlikethemomentaryresentmentofananimal，butalmostasquicklyhereyesbecamesuffused，andwithahurriedmovementsheputontheslipper。 “Please，sir，itdroppedoffandJimmySnyderpassediton，“saidasmallexplanatoryvoiceamongthebenches。 “Silence！“saidthemaster。 Nevertheless，hewasgladtoseethattheschoolhadnotnoticedthegirl’sfamiliarityeventhoughtheythoughthim“hard。“Hewasnotsureuponreflectionbutthathehadmagnifiedheroffenseandhadbeenunnecessarilysevere，andthisfeelingwasaugmentedbyhisoccasionallyfindingherlookingathimwiththemelancholy，wonderingeyesofachiddenanimal。Later，ashewasmovingamongthedesks’overlookingthetasksoftheindividualpupils，heobservedfromadistancethatherheadwasbentoverherdeskwhileherlipsweremovingasifrepeatingtoherselfherlesson，andthatafterwards，withaswiftlookaroundtheroomtoassureherselfthatshewasunobserved，shemadeahurriedsignofthecross。Itoccurredtohimthatthismighthavefollowedsomepenitentialprayerofthechild，andrememberinghertuitionbythepadresitgavehimanidea。HedismissedschoolafewmomentsearlierinorderthathemightspeaktoheralonebeforeMr。Hooverarrived。 Referringtotheslipperincidentandreceivingherassurancesthat“she“(theslipper)wasmuchtoolargeandfelloften“so，“afactreallyestablishedbydemonstration，heseizedhisopportunity。 “Buttellme，whenyouwerewiththepadreandyourslipperfelloff，youdidnotexpecthimtoputitonforyou？“ Conchalookedathimcoylyandthensaidtriumphantly，“Ah，no！buthewasapriest，andyouareayoungcaballero。“ YetevenafterthisaudacityMr。BrooksfoundhecouldonlyrecommendtoMr。Hooverachangeintheyounggirl’sslippers，theabsenceoftherose-pinnedveil，andthesubstitutionofasunbonnet。Fortheresthemusttrusttocircumstances。AsMr。 Hoover——whowithlargepaternaloptimismhadprofessedtoseealreadyanimprovementinher——helpedherintothesaddle，theschoolmastercouldnothelpnoticingthatshehadevidentlyexpectedhimtoperformthatactofcourtesy，andthatshelookedcorrespondinglyreproachful。