a first family of tasajara-第13部分

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less　disastrous　consequences。〃



John　Milton　here　detected　three　glaring　errors；　first；　it　was　NOT

Clementina　who　had　sung；　secondly；　he　knew　that　neither　of　his

sisters　had　ever　read　anything　about　sirens；　but　he　had；　thirdly；

that　the　young　surveyor　was　glaringly　ignorant　of　local　phenomena

and　should　be　corrected。



〃It's　nothin'　but　the　current；〃　he　said；　with　that　feverish　youthful

haste　that　betrays　a　fatal　experience　of　impending　interruption。

〃It's　always　leavin'　drift　and　rubbish　from　everywhere　here。　　There

ain't　anythin'　that's　chucked　into　the　creek　above　that　ain't　bound

to　fetch　up　on　this　bank。　　Why；　there　was　two　sheep　and　a　dead　hoss

here　long　afore　YOU　thought　of　coming！〃　　He　did　not　understand　why

this　should　provoke　the　laughter　that　it　did；　and　to　prove　that　he

had　no　ulterior　meaning；　added　with　pointed　politeness；　〃So　IT　ISN'T

YOUR　FAULT；　you　knowYOU　couldn't　help　it；〃　supplementing　this

with　the　distinct　courtesy；　〃otherwise　you　wouldn't　have　come。〃



〃But　it　would　seem　that　your　visitors　are　not　all　as　accidental　as

your　brother　would　imply；　and　one；　at　least；　seems　to　have　been

expected　last　evening。　　You　remember　you　thought　we　were　a　Mr。

Parmlee；〃　said　Mr。　Rice　looking　at　Clementina。



It　would　be　strange　indeed；　he　thought；　if　the　beautiful　girl　were

not　surrounded　by　admirers。　　But　without　a　trace　of　self…

consciousness；　or　any　change　in　her　reposeful　face；　she　indicated

her　sister　with　a　slight　gesture；　and　said：　〃One　of　Phemie's

friends。　　He　gave　her　the　accordion。　　She's　very　popular。〃



〃And　I　suppose　YOU　are　very　hard　to　please？〃　he　said　with　a

tentative　smile。



She　looked　at　him　with　her　large；　clear　eyes；　and　that　absence　of

coquetry　or　changed　expression　in　her　beautiful　face　which　might

have　stood　for　indifference　or　dignity　as　she　said：　〃I　don't　know。

I　am　waiting　to　see。〃



But　here　Miss　Phemie　broke　in　saucily　with　the　assertion　that　Mr。

Parmlee　might　not　have　a　railroad　in　his　pocket；　but　that　at　least

he　didn't　have　to　wait　for　the　Flood　to　call　on　young　ladies；　nor

did　he　usually　come　in　pairs；　for　all　the　world　as　if　he　had　been

let　out　of　Noah's　Ark；　but　on　horseback　and　like　a　Christian　by　the

front　door。　　All　this　provokingly　and　bewitchingly　delivered；

however；　and　with　a　simulated　exaggeration　that　was　incited

apparently　more　by　Mr。　Lawrence　Grant's　evident　enjoyment　of　it；

than　by　any　desire　to　defend　the　absent　Parmlee。



〃But　where　is　the　front　door？〃　asked　Grant　laughingly。



The　young　girl　pointed　to　a　narrow　zigzag　path　that　ran　up　the　bank

beside　the　house　until　it　stopped　at　a　small　picketed　gate　on　the

level　of　the　road　and　store。



〃But　I　should　think　it　would　be　easier　to　have　a　door　and　private

passage　through　the　store；〃　said　Grant。



〃WE　don't；〃　said　the　young　lady　pertly；　〃we　have　nothing　to　do　with

the　store。　　I　go　in　to　see　paw　sometimes　when　he's　shutting　up　and

there's　nobody　there；　but　Clem　has　never　set　foot　in　it　since　we

came。　　It's　bad　enough　to　have　it　and　the　lazy　loafers　that　hang

around　it　as　near　to　us　as　they　are；　but　paw　built　the　house　in

such　a　fashion　that　we　ain't　troubled　by　their　noise；　and　we　might

be　t'other　side　of　the　creek　as　far　as　our　having　to　come　across

them。　　And　because　paw　has　to　sell　pork　and　flour；　we　haven't　any

call　to　go　there　and　watch　him　do　it。〃



The　two　men　glanced　at　each　other。　　This　reserve　and　fastidiousness

were　something　rare　in　a　pioneer　community。　　Harkutt's　manners

certainly　did　not　indicate　that　he　was　troubled　by　this

sensitiveness；　it　must　have　been　some　individual　temperament　of　his

daughters。　　Stephen　felt　his　respect　increase　for　the　goddess…like

Clementina；　Mr。　Lawrence　Grant　looked　at　Miss　Phemie　with　a

critical　smile。



〃But　you　must　be　very　limited　in　your　company；〃　he　said；　〃or　is　Mr。

Parmlee　not　a　customer　of　your　father's？〃



〃As　Mr。　Parmlee　does　not　come　to　us　through　the　store；　and　don't

talk　trade　to　me；　we　don't　know；〃　responded　Phemie　saucily。



〃But　have　you　no　lady　acquaintancesneighborswho　also　avoid　the

store　and　enter　only　at　the　straight　and　narrow　gate　up　there？〃

continued　Grant　mischievously；　regardless　of　the　uneasy；　half…

reproachful　glances　of　Rice。



But　Phemie；　triumphantly　oblivious　of　any　satire；　answered

promptly：　〃If　you　mean　the　Pike　County　Billingses　who　live　on　the

turnpike　road　as　much　as　they　do　off　it；　or　the　six　daughters　of

that　Georgia　Cracker　who　wear　men's　boots　and　hats；　we　haven't。〃



〃And　Mr。　Parmlee；　your　admirer？〃　suggested　Rice。　　〃Hasn't　he　a

mother　or　sisters　here？〃



〃Yes；　but　they　don't　want　to　know　us；　and　have　never　called　here。〃



The　embarrassment　of　the　questioner　at　this　unexpected　reply；　which

came　from　the　faultless　lips　of　Clementina；　was　somewhat　mitigated

by　the　fact　that　the　young　woman's　voice　and　manner　betrayed

neither　annoyance　nor　anger。



Here；　however；　Harkutt　appeared　from　the　house　with　the　information

that　he　had　secured　two　horses　for　the　surveyors　and　their

instruments；　and　that　he　would　himself　accompany　them　a　part　of　the

way　on　their　return　to　Tasajara　Creek；　to　show　them　the　road。　　His

usual　listless　deliberation　had　given　way　to　a　certain　nervous　but

uneasy　energy。　　If　they　started　at　once　it　would　be　better；　before

the　loungers　gathered　at　the　store　and　confused　them　with　lazy

counsel　and　languid　curiosity。　　He　took　it　for　granted　that　Mr。

Grant　wished　the　railroad　survey　to　be　a　secret；　and　he　had　said

nothing；　as　they　would　be　pestered　with　questions。　　〃Sidon　was

inquisitiveand　old…fashioned。〃　　The　benefit　its　inhabitants　would

get　from　the　railroad　would　not　prevent　them　from　throwing

obstacles　in　its　way　at　first；　he　remembered　the　way　they　had　acted

with　a　proposed　wagon　road；in　fact；　an　idea　of　his　own；　something

like　the　railroad；　he　knew　them　thoroughly；　and　if　he　might　advise

them；　it　would　be　to　say　nothing　here　until　the　thing　was　settled。



〃He　evidently　does　not　intend　to　give　us　a　chance；〃　said　Grant

good…humoredly　to　his　companion；　as　they　turned　to　prepare　for

their　journey；　〃we　are　to　be　conducted　in　silence　to　the　outskirts

of　the　town　like　horse…thieves。〃



〃But　you　gave　him　the　tip　for　himself；〃　said　Rice　reproachfully；

〃you　cannot　blame　him　for　wanting　to　keep　it。〃



〃I　gave　it　to　him　in　trust　for　his　two　incredible　daughters；〃　said

Grant　with　a　grimace。　　〃But；　hang　it！　if　I　don't　believe　the　fellow

has　more　concern　in　it　than　I　imagined。〃



〃But　isn't　she　perfect？〃　said　Rice；　with　charming　abstraction。



〃Who？〃



〃Clementina；　and　so　unlike　her　father。〃



〃Discomposingly　so；〃　said　Grant　quietly。　　〃One　feels　in　calling　her

'Miss　Harkutt'　as　if　one　were　touching　upon　a　manifest　indiscretion。

But　here　comes　John　Milton。　　Well；　my　lad；　what　can　I　do　for　you？〃



The　boy；　who　had　been　regarding　them　from　a　distance　with　wistful

and　curious　eyes　as　they　replaced　their　instruments　for　the

journey；　had　gradually　approached　t