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Snow—Bound at Eagle’s
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第3章
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"Hennicker’sitis!Leadon。"

Theostlerremountedhishorse,andtheothersfollowed。Thetrailpresentlyturnedintoabroadertrack,thatboresomesignsofapproachinghabitations,andattheendoffiveminutestheycameuponaclearing。Itwaspartofoneofthefragmentarymountainterraces,andformedbyitselfavastniche,orbracketedshelf,inthehollowflankofthemountainthat,toHale’sfirstglance,borearuderesemblancetoEagle’sCourt。Buttherewasneithermeadownoropenfield;thefewacresofgroundhadbeenwrestedfromtheforestbyaxeandfire,andunsightlystumpseverywheremarkedtherudeanddifficultattemptsatcultivation。Twoorthreeroughbuildingsofunplanedandunpaintedboards,connectedbyramblingsheds,stoodinthecentreoftheamphitheatre。Farfrombeingprotectedbytheencirclingrampart,itseemedtobetheselectedarenaforthecombatingelements。AwhirlwindfromtheouterabysscontinuallyfilledthiscaveofAEoluswithdrivingsnow,which,however,meltedasitfell,orwasquicklywhirledawayagain。

Afewdogsbarkedandranouttomeetthecavalcade,buttherewasnoothersignofanylifedisturbedorconcernedattheirapproach。

"IreckonHennickerain’thome,orhe’dhevbeenonthelookoutaforethis,"saidtheostler,dismountingandrappingonthedoor。

Afterasilence,afemalevoice,unintelligiblytotheothers,apparentlyhadsomecolloquywiththeostler,whoreturnedtotheparty。

"Mustgointhroughthekitchin——can’topenthedoorforthewind。"

Leavingtheirhorsesintheshed,theyenteredthekitchen,whichcommunicated,andpresentlycameuponasquareroomfilledwithsmokefromafireofgreenpinelogs。Thedoorsandwindowsweretightlyfastened;theonlyaircameinthroughthelarge—throatedchimneyinvoluminousgusts,whichseemedtomakethehollowshelloftheapartmentswellandexpandtothepointofbursting。

Despitethestingingoftheresinoussmoke,thetemperaturewasgratefultothebenumbedtravellers。Severalcushionlessarm—

chairs,suchaswereusedinbar—rooms,twotables,asideboard,halfbarandhalfcupboard,andarocking—chaircomprisedthefurniture,andafewbearandbuffaloskinscoveredthefloor。

Halesankintooneofthearm—chairs,and,withalazysatisfaction,partlybornofhisfatigueandpartlyfromsomenewly—discoveredappreciativefaculty,gazedaroundtheroom,andthenatthemistressofthehouse,withwhomtheothersweretalking。

Shewastall,gaunt,andwithered;inspiteofherevidentyears,hertwistedhairwasstilldarkandfull,andhereyesbrightandpiercing;hercomplexionandteethhadlongsincesuccumbedtothevitiatingeffectsoffrontiercookery,andherlipswerestainedwiththeyellowjuiceofabrier—woodpipesheheldinhermouth。

Theostlerhadexplainedtheirintrusion,andveiledtheircharacterunderthevagueepithetofa"huntingparty,"andwasnowevidentlydescribingthempersonally。Inhisnew—foundphilosophythefactthattheinterestofhishostessseemedtobeexcitedonlybythenamesofhiscompanions,thathehimselfwascarelessly,andevendeprecatingly,alludedtoasthe"strangerfromEagle’s"bytheostler,andcompletelyoverlookedbytheoldwoman,gavehimnoconcern。

"You’llhavetotalktoZenobiayourself。DodrotefI’mginetointerfere。SheknowsHennicker’sways,andifshechoosestotakeintransientsitain’tnofuneralo’mine。Zeenie!You,Zeenie!

Lookyer!"

Atall,lazy—looking,handsomegirlappearedonthethresholdofthenextroom,andwithahandoneachdoor—postslowlyswungherselfbackwardsandforwards,withoutentering。"Well,Maw?"

Theoldwomanbrieflyandunalluringlypicturedtheconditionofthetravellers。

"Pawain’there,"beganthegirldoubtfully,"and——Howdy,Dick!

isthatyou?"Theinterruptionwascausedbyherrecognitionoftheostler,andsheloungedintotheroom。Inspiteofaskimp,slatternlygown,whosestraightskirtclungtoherlowerlimbs,therewasaquaint,nymph—likecontourtoherfigure。Whetherfromlanguor,ill—health,ormoreprobablyfromamorbidconsciousnessofherownheight,shemovedwithaslightlyaffectedstoopthathadbecomeahabit。ItdidnotseemungracefultoHale,alreadyattractedbyherdelicateprofile,herlargedarkeyes,andacertainweirdresemblanceshehadtosomehalf—domesticateddryad。

"That’lldo,Maw,"shesaid,dismissingherparentwithanod。

"I’lltalktoDick。"

Asthedoorclosedontheoldwoman,Zenobialeanedherhandsonthebackofachair,andconfrontedtheadmiringeyesofDickwithagoddess—likeindifference。

"Nowwot’stheuseofyourplayin’thisyergameonme,Dick?

Wot’sthegoodofyourladlin’outthathogwashabouthuntin’?

HUNTIN’!I’lltellyerthehuntin’you—unshevbeenat!You’vebeenhuntin’GeorgeLeeandhisboyssinceanhourbeforesunup。

You’vebeenfollowin’ablindtrailuptotheRidge,untilthesnowgotupandhuntedYOUrighthere!You’vebeenwhoopin’andyellin’

andcircus—ridin’ontheroadslikeezyerwosComanches,andfrighteningallthewomenfolkwithinmiles——that’syourhuntin’!

You’vebeenclimbin’downPaw’soldslideatlast,andmakin’

tracksforheretosavetheskinsofthemcondemnedgovernmenthorsesoftheKempany!AndTHAT’Syourhuntin’!"

ToHale’ssurprise,aburstoflaughterfromthepartyfollowedthisspeech。Hetriedtojoinin,butthisridiculoussummaryoftheresultofhisenthusiasticsenseofdutylefthim——theonlyearnestbelievermortifiedandembarrassed。Norwashethelessconcernedashefoundthegirl’sdarkeyeshadrestedonceortwiceuponhimcuriously。Zenobialaughedtoo,and,lazilyturningthechairaround,droppedintoit。"AndbythistimeGeorgeLee’sloungin’backinhischyarandsmokin’hiscigyarsomewharinSacramento,"sheadded,stretchingherfeetouttothefire,andsuitingtheactiontothewordwithanimaginarycigarbetweenthelongfingersofathinandnotover—cleanhand。

"Wecave,Zeenie!"saidRawlins,whentheirhilarityhadsubsidedtoamoresubduedandscarcelylessflatteringadmirationoftheunconcernedgoddessbeforethem。"That’saboutthesizeofit。

Youkinrakedownthepile。Iforgotyou’reanoldfriendofGeorge’s。"

"He’sawhiteman!"saidthegirldecidedly。

"Yeusedtoknowhim?"continuedRawlins。

"Once。Pawain’tinthatlinenow,"shesaidsimply。

TherewassuchasublimeunconsciousnessofanymoraldegradationinvolvedinthisallusionthatevenHaleaccepteditwithoutashock。Sherosepresently,and,goingtothelittlesideboard,broughtoutanumberofglasses;theseshehandedtoeachoftheparty,andthen,producingademijohnofwhiskey,slungitdexterouslyandgracefullyoverherarm,sothatitrestedonherelbowlikeacradle,and,goingtoeachoneinsuccession,filledtheirglasses。Itobligedeachonetorisetoacceptthelibation,andasHaledidsoinhisturnhemetthedarkeyesofthegirlfullonhisown。Therewasapleasedcuriosityinherglancethatmadethismarriedmanofthirty—fivecolorasawkwardlyasaboy。

Thetenderofrefreshmentbeingunderstoodasatacitrecognitionoftheirclaimstoalargerhospitality,allfurtherrestraintwasremoved。Zenobiaresumedherseat,andplacingherelbowonthearmofherchair,andhersmallroundchininherhand,lookedthoughtfullyinthefire。"WhenIsayGeorgeLee’sawhiteman,itain’tbecauseIknowhim。It’shisgeneralgait。Wot’sheeverdonethat’sunderhandedormean?Nothin’!Youkantshowthepoormanhe’severtookapicayunefrom。Whenhe’shelpedhimselftoapileit’sbeenouterthembanksorthemexpresscompanies,thatthinkitmightyfinetobustupthemselves,andswindlethepoorfolkso’theirlastcent,andnobodytalkso’huntin’THEM!Anddoeshekeeptheirmoney?No;hepassesitroundamongtheboysthathelphim,andtheyputitincirculation。HEdon’tkeepitforhimself;heain’tgotfinehousesinFrisco;hedon’tkeepfasthorsesforshow。Likeeznotthecritterhedidthatjobwith——efitwashim——noneofyouboyswouldhaverid!Andhetakesalltheriskshimself;youkenbetyourlifethateverymanwithhimwassafeandawayaforeheturnedhisbackonyou—uns。"

"Hecertainlydropsalittleofhismoneyatdrawpoker,Zeenie,"

saidClinch,laughing。"HelostfivethousanddollarstoSheriffKellylastweek。"

"Well,Idon’thearofthesheriffhuntin’himtogiveitback,nordoIreckonKellyhandeditovertotheExpressitwastakenfrom。

IheardYOUwonsuthin’fromhimaspellago。Ireckonyou’vebeenhuntin’himtofindoutwharyoushouldreturnit。"ThelaughwasclearlyagainstClinch。Hewasabouttomakesomerallyingrejoinderwhentheyounggirlsuddenlyinterruptedhim。"Efyou’rewantin’tohuntsomebody,whydon’tyoutakehighergame?Thar’sthatJimHarkins:goforhim,andI’lljoinyou。"

"Harkins!"exclaimedClinchandHalesimultaneously。

"Yes,JimHarkins;doyouknowhim?"shesaid,glancingfromonetotheother。

"Oneofmyfriendsdo,"saidClinchlaughing;"butdon’tletthatstopyou。"

"AndYOU——overthere,"continuedZenobia,bendingherheadandeyestowardsHale。

"Thefactis——Ibelievehewasmybanker,"saidHale,withasmile。

"Idon’tknowhimpersonally。"

"Thenyou’dbetterhunthimbeforehedoesyou。"

"What’sHEdone,Zeenie?"askedRawlins,keenlyenjoyingthediscomfitureoftheothers。

"What?"Shestopped,threwherlongblackbraidsoverhershoulder,claspedherkneewithherhands,androckingbackwardsandforwards,sublimelyunconsciousoftheapparitionofaslimankleandhalf—dropped—offslipperfromunderhershortenedgown,continued,"Itmightn’tpleaseHIM,"shesaidslyly,noddingtowardsHale。

"Praydon’tmindme,"saidHale,withunnecessaryeagerness。

"Well,"saidZenobia,"IreckonyouallknowNedFalknerandtheExcelsiorDitch?"

"Yes,Falkner’sthesuperintendentofit,"saidRawlins。"Andasquaremantoo。Tharain’tanythingmeanabouthim。"

"Shake,"saidZenobia,extendingherhand。Rawlinsshooktheprofferedhandwitheagerspontaneousness,andthegirlresumed:

"He’saboutezgoodeztheymake’em——youbet。Well,youknowNedhasputallhismoney,andallhisstrength,andallhissabe,and——"

"Hisgoodlooks,"addedClinchmischievously。

"IntothatDitch,"continuedZenobia,ignoringtheinterruption。

"It’shismother,it’shissweetheart,it’shiseverything!Whenotherchapsofhisagewascavortin’roundFrisco,andhavin’highjinks,NedwasinhisDitch。’WaittilltheDitchisdone,’heusedtosay。’Waittillshebeginstoboom,andthenyoujuststandround。’Mor’nthat,hegotalltheboystoputintheirlastcent——fortheylovedNed,andlovehimnow,likeezefhewosawoman。"

"That’sso,"saidClinchandRawlinssimultaneously,"andhe’sworthit。"

"Well,"continuedZenobia,"theDitchdidn’tboomezsooneztheykalkilated。Andthentheboyskeptgettin’poorerandpoorer,andNedhekeptgettin’poorerandpoorerineverythingbuthishopefulnessandgrit。Thenhelooksaroundformorecapital。Andaboutthistime,thatcoyoteHarkinssmeltsuthin’niceupthere,andhegitsNedtogivehimcontrolofit,andhe’lllendhimhisnameandfixupacompany。Soonezhegetscontrol,thefirstthinghedoesistosaythatitwantshalfamilliono’moneytomakeitpay,andleviesanassessmentoftwohundreddollarsashare。That’snothin’forthemrichfellowstopay,orpretendtopay,butforboysongrubwagesitmeantonlyruin。Theycouldn’tpay,andhadtoforfeittheirsharesfornexttonothing。AndNedmadeonemoredesperateattempttosavethemandhimselfbyborrowingmoneyonhisshares;whenthathoundHarkinsgotwindofit,andletitbebuzzedaroundthattheDitchisafailure,andthathewasgoin’outofit;thatbroughtthesharesdowntonothing。AsNedcouldn’traiseadollar,thenewcompanyswoopeddownonhissharesforthedebtsTHEYhadputup,andlefthimandtheboystohelpthemselves。Nedcouldn’tbeartofacetheboysthathe’dhelpedtoruin,andputout,andain’tbeenheardfromsince。AfterHarkinshadgotridofNedandtheboyshemanagestopayoffthatwonderfuldebt,andsellsoutforahundredthousanddollars。Thatmoney——Ned’smoney——hesendstoSacramento,forhedon’tdaretotravelwithithimself,andiskalkilatin’toleavethekentry,forsomeoftheboysallowtokillhimonsight。Soefyou’rewantin’tohuntsuthin’,thar’syerchance,andyouneedn’tgointerthesnowtodoit。"

"Butsurelythelawcanrecoverthismoney?"saidHaleindignantly。

"Itisasinfamousarobberyas——"HestoppedashecaughtZenobia’seye。

"Ezlastnight’s,youweregoin’tosay。I’llcallitMORE。Themroadagentsdon’tpretendtobeyourfriend——buttakeyermoneyandruntheirrisks。Foreztothelaw——thatcan’thelpyer。"

"It’saskingame,andyoumightezwellexpecttorecoveragamblingdebtfromashort—cardsharp,"explainedClinch;"Falkneroughtershothimonsight。"

"Ortheboyslynchedhim,"suggestedRawlins。

"Ithink,"saidHale,morereflectively,"thatintheabsenceoflegalremedyamanofthatkindshouldhavebeenforcedunderstrongphysicalmenacetogiveuphisill—gottengains。Themoneywastheprimaryobject,andifthatcouldbegotwithoutbloodshed——

whichseemstomeauselesscrime——itwouldbequiteaseffective。

Ofcourse,iftherewasresistanceorretaliation,itmightbenecessarytokillhim。"

Hehadunconsciouslyfallenintohisolddidacticanddogmatichabitofspeech,andperhaps,underthespurofZenobia’seyes,hehadgivenitsomenaturalemphasis。Adeadsilencefollowed,inwhichtheothersregardedhimwithamusedandgratifiedsurprise,anditwasbrokenonlybyZenobiarisingandholdingoutherhand。

"Shake!"

Haleraiseditgallantly,andpressedhislipsontheonespotlessfinger。

"That’sgospeltruth。Andyouain’tthefirstwhitemantosayit。"

"Indeed,"laughedHale。"Whowastheother?"

"GeorgeLee!"

CHAPTERVI

Thelaughterthatfollowedwasinterruptedbyasuddenbarkingofthedogsintheouterclearing。Zenobiaroselazilyandstrodetothewindow。ItrelievedHaleofcertainembarrassingreflectionssuggestedbyhercomment。

"Efitain’tthatGod—forsakenfoolDickbringinguppassengersfromthesnow—boundupstageintheroad!IreckonI’VEgotsuthin’tosaytothat!"ButthelaterappearanceoftheapologeticDick,withtheassurancethatthepartycarriedapermissionfromherfather,grantedatthelowerstationinviewofsuchanemergency,checkedheractiveopposition。"That’slikePaw,"shesoliloquizedaggrievedly;"shuttin’usupandsettin’

dogsoneverybodyforaweek,andthenlettin’thewholestageservicepassthroughonedoorandoutatanother。Well,it’sHIS

houseandHISwhiskey,andtheykintakeit,buttheydon’tgetmetohelp’em。"

Theycertainlywerenotaprepossessingorgood—naturedacquisitiontotheparty。Apartfromthenaturalantagonismwhich,onsuchoccasions,thoseinpossessionalwaysfeeltowardsthenew—comer,theywerestronglyinclinedtoresistthedissatisfiedquerulousnessandaggressiveattitudeofthesefreshapplicantsforhospitality。Themostoffensiveonewasapersonwhoappearedtoexercisesomeauthorityovertheothers。Hewasloud,assuming,anddressedwithvulgarpretension。HequicklydisposedhimselfinthechairvacatedbyZenobia,andcalledforsomeliquor。

"Ireckonyou’llhevtohelpyourself,"saidRawlinsdryly,asthesummonsmetwithnoresponse。"Thereareonlytwowomeninthehouse,andIreckontheirhandsarefullalready。"

"Icallitd——dunciviltreatment,"saidtheman,raisinghisvoice;"andHennickerhadbettersingsmallerifhedon’twanthisolddenpulleddownsomeday。Heain’tanybetterthanmenthathevbeenpickedupaforenow。"

"Yououghtertoldhimthat,andmebbehe’dhevcomeoverwithyer,"

returnedRawlins。"He’samild,soft,easy—goingman,isHennicker!Ain’the,ColonelClinch?"

ThecasualmentionofClinch’snameproducedtheeffectwhichthespeakerprobablyintended。ThestrangerstaredatClinch,who,apparentlyobliviousoftheconversation,wasblinkinghiscoldgrayeyesatthefire。Droppinghisaggressivetonetomerequerulousness,themansoughtthewhiskeydemijohn,andhelpedhimselfandhiscompanions。Fortifiedbyliquorhereturnedtothefire。

"Ireckonyou’veheardaboutthisyerrobbery,Colonel,"hesaid,addressingClinch,withanattemptateasyfamiliarity。

Withoutraisinghiseyesfromthefire,Clinchbrieflyassented,"I

reckon。"

"I’mupyer,examiningintoit,fortheExpress。"

"Lostmuch?"askedRawlins。

"Notsomucheztheymighthev。ThatfoolHarkinshadahundredthousanddollarsingreenbackssealeduplikeanordinarypackageofathousanddollars,andgaveittoafriend,BillGuthrie,inthebanktopickoutsomeunlikelychapamongthepassengerstotakechargeofittoReno。Hewouldn’ttrusttheExpress。Ha!ha!"

Thedead,oppressivesilencethatfollowedhisemptylaughtermadeitseemalmostartificial。RawlinsheldhisbreathandlookedatClinch。Hale,withtheinstinctsofarefined,sensitiveman,turnedhotwiththeembarrassmentClinchshouldhaveshown。Forthatgentleman,withoutliftinghiseyesfromthefire,andwithnoapparentchangeinhisdemeanor,lazilyasked——

"Yedidn’tketchthenameo’thatpassenger?"

"Naturally,no!ForwhenGuthrieheardwhatwassaidaginhimhewouldn’tgivehisnameuntilheheardfromhim。"

"AndWHATwassaidaginhim?"askedClinchmusingly。

"Whatwouldbesaidaginamanthatgiveupthatsumo’money,likeachawoftobacco,fortheasking?Why,therewerebutthreemen,asfarezwekinhear,thatdidthejob。Andtherewerefourpassengersinside,armed,andthedriverandexpressmessengeronthebox。SixwererobbedbyTHREE!——theywereasweet—scentedlot!

Reckontheymusthevfeltmightysmall,forIheartheygotupandskedaddledfromthestationunderthepretextoflookin’fortherobbers。"Helaughedagain,andthelaughwasnoisilyrepeatedbyhisfivecompanionsattheotherendoftheroom。

Hale,whohadforgottenthatthestrangerwasonlyechoingapartofhisowncriticismofeighthoursbefore,wasonthepointofrisingwithburningcheeksandangryindignation,whenthelazilyupliftedeyeofClinchcaughthis,andabsolutelyheldhimdownwithitsparalyzinganddeadlysignificance。Murderitselfseemedtolookfromthosecruellyquietandremorselessgraypupils。ForamomentheforgothisownrageinthisglimpseofClinch’simplacableresentment;foramomenthefeltathrillofpityforthewretchwhohadprovokedit。HeremainedmotionlessandfascinatedinhischairasthelazylidsclosedlikeasheathoverClinch’seyesagain。Rawlins,whohadprobablyreceivedthesameglanceofwarning,remainedequallystill。

"Theyhaven’theardthelastofityet,youbet,"continuedtheinfatuatedstranger。"I’vegotalittlestatementhereforthenewspaper,"headded,drawingsomepapersfromhispocket;"suthin’

IjustrunoffinthecoachasIcamealong。Ireckonit’llshowthingsupinanewlight。It’stimethereshouldbesomechange。

Allthecussin’that’sbeenusuallydonehezbeenbythepassengersagintheexpressandstagecompanies。IproposethattheCompanyshoulddoalittlecussin’themselves。See?P’r’apsyoudon’tmindmyreadin’ittoye?It’sjustspicyenoughtosuitthemnewspaperchaps。"

"Goon,"saidColonelClinchquietly。

Themanclearedhisthroat,withthepreliminaryposeofauthorship,andhisfivefriends,towhomthecompositionwasevidentlynotunfamiliar,assumedanticipatorysmiles。

"Icallit’PrizePusillanimousPassengers。’Sortofrunseasyoffthetongue,youknow。

"’ItnowappearsthatthesuccessofthelatestagecoachrobberyneartheSummitwaslargelyduetothepusillanimity——nottouseamoreseriousword’"——Hestopped,andlookedexplanatorilytowardsClinch:"Ye’llseeinaminitwhatI’mgettin’atbythatpusillanimityofthepassengersthemselves。’Itnowtranspiresthattherewereonlythreerobberswhoattackedthecoach,andthatalthoughpassengers,driver,andexpressmessengerwerefullyarmed,andweredoublethenumberoftheirassailants,notashotwasfired。Wemeannoreflectionsuponthewell—knowncourageofYubaBill,northeexperienceandcoolnessofBracyTibbetts,thecourteousexpressmessenger,bothofwhomhavesinceconfessedtohavebeenmorethanastonishedattheChristianandlamb—likesubmissionoftheinsiders。Amusingstoriesofsomelaughableyetsickeningincidentsoftheoccasion——suchasgrownmenkneelingintheroad,andofferingtostripthemselvescompletely,iftheirliveswereonlyspared;ofoneofthepassengershidingundertheseat,andonlybeingdislodgedbypullinghiscoat—tails;ofincrediblesumspromised,andevenoffersofmenialservice,forthepreservationoftheirwretchedcarcases——arereceivedwiththegreatestgusto;butweareinpossessionoffactswhichmayleadtomoreseriousaccusations。Althoughoneofthepassengersissaidtohavelostalargesumofmoneyintrustedtohim,whileattemptingwithbarefacedeffronterytoestablisharival"carrying"businessinoneoftheExpressCompany’sowncoaches——’I

callthatagoodpoint。"Heinterruptedhimselftoallowtheunrestrainedapplauseofhisownparty。"Don’tyou?"

"It’sjusth—ll,"saidClinchmusingly。

"’Yettheaffair,"resumedthestrangerfromhismanuscript,"’islockedupingreatandsuspiciousmystery。ThepresenceofJacksonN。Stanner,Esq。’(that’sme),’specialdetectiveagenttotheCompany,andhisstaffintown,isaguarantythatthemysterywillbethoroughlyprobed。’HedtoputthatintopleasetheCompany,"

heagaindeprecatinglyexplained。"’Weareindebtedtothisgentlemanforthefacts。’"

"Thepintyouwanttomakeinthatarticle,"saidClinch,rising,butstilldirectinghisfaceandhisconversationtothefire,"ezfarezIkenseeezthatnothreemenkinbackdownsixunlesstheybecowards,orarewillingtobebackeddown。"

"That’sthepointwhatIstartfrom,"rejoinedStanner,"andworkup。Ileaveittoyouefitain’tso。"

"Ican’tsayezIagreewithyou,"saidtheColoneldryly。Heturned,andstillwithoutliftinghiseyeswalkedtowardsthedooroftheroomwhichZenobiahadentered。Thekeywasontheinside,butClinchgentlyopenedthedoor,removedthekey,andclosingthedooragainlockeditfromhisside。HaleandRawlinsfelttheirheartsbeatquickly;theothersfollowedClinch’sslowmovementsanddowncastmienwithamusedcuriosity。Afterlockingtheotheroutletfromtheroom,andputtingthekeysinhispocket,Clinchreturnedtothefire。Forthefirsttimeheliftedhiseyes;themannearesthimshrankbackinterror。

"Iamtheman,"hesaidslowly,takingdeliberatebreathbetweenhissentences,"whogaveupthosegreenbackstotherobbers。Iamoneofthethreepassengersyouhavelampoonedinthatpaper,andthesegentlemenbesidemearetheothertwo。"Hestoppedandlookedaroundhim。"Youdon’tbelievethatthreemencanbackdownsix!Well,I’llshowyouhowitcanbedone。Morethanthat,I’llshowyouhowONEmancandoit;for,bythelivingG—d,ifyoudon’thandoverthatpaperI’llkillyouwhereyousit!I’llgiveyouuntilIcountten;ifoneofyoumovesheandyouaredeadmen——

butYOUfirst!"

BeforehehadfinishedspeakingHaleandRawlinshadbothrisen,asifinconcert,withtheirweaponsdrawn。Halecouldnottellhoworwhyhehaddoneso,buthewasequallyconscious,withoutknowingwhy,offixinghiseyeononeoftheotherparty,andthatheshould,intheeventofanaffray,trytokillhim。Hedidnotattempttoreason;heonlyknewthatheshoulddohisbesttokillthatmanandperhapsothers。

"One,"saidClinch,liftinghisderringer,"two——three——"

"Lookhere,Colonel——IswearIdidn’tknowitwasyou。Come——d——mit!Isay——seehere,"stammeredStanner,withwhitecheeks,notdaringtoglanceforaidtohisstupefiedparty。

"Four——five——six——"

"Wait!Here!"Heproducedthepaperandthrewitonthefloor。

"Pickitupandhandittome。Seven——eight——"

Stannerhastilyscrambledtohisfeet,pickedupthepaper,andhandedittotheColonel。"Iwasonlyjoking,Colonel,"hesaid,withaforcedlaugh。

"I’mgladtohearit。Butasthisjokeisinblackandwhite,youwouldn’tmindsayingsointhesamefashion。TakethatpenandinkandwriteasIdictate。’IcertifythatIamsatisfiedthattheabovestatementisabasecalumnyagainstthecharactersofRingwoodClinch,RobertRawlins,andJohnHale,passengers,andthatIdoherebyapologizetothesame。’Signit。That’lldo。

Nowlettherestofyourpartysignaswitnesses。"

Theycompliedwithouthesitation;some,seizingtheopportunityoftreatingtheaffairasajoke,suggestedadrink。

"Excuseme,"saidClinchquietly,"butezthishouseain’tbigenoughformeandthatman,andezI’vegotbusinessatWildCatStationwiththispaper,IthinkI’llgowithoutdrinkin’。"Hetookthekeysfromhispocket,unlockedthedoors,andtakinguphisovercoatandrifleturnedasiftogo。

Rawlinsrosetofollowhim;Halealonehesitated。Therapidoccurrencesofthelasthalfhourgavehimnotimeforreflection。

Buthewasbynomeanssatisfiedofthelegalityofthelastacthehadaidedandabetted,althoughheadmitteditsrudejustice,andfelthewouldhavedonesoagain。Afearofthis,andaninstinctthathemightbeledintofurthercomplicationsifhecontinuedtoidentifyhimselfwithClinchandRawlins;thefactthattheyhadprofessedlyabandonedtheirquest,andthatitwasreallysupplantedbythepresenceofanauthorizedpartywhomtheyhadalreadycomeinconflictwith——allthisurgedhimtoremainbehind。

Ontheotherhand,theapparentdesertionofhiscomradesatthelastmomentwasopposedbothtohissenseofhonorandthelikinghehadtakentothem。Buthereflectedthathehadalreadyshownhisactivepartisanship,thathecouldbeoflittleservicetothematWildCatStation,andwouldbeonlyincreasingthedistancefromhishome;andaboveall,animpatientlongingforindependentactionfinallydecidedhim。"IthinkI’llstayhere,"hesaidtoClinch,"unlessyouwantme。"

Clinchcastaswiftandmeaningglanceattheenemy,butlookedapproval。"Keepyoureyesskinned,andyou’regoodforadozenof’em,"hesaidsottovoce,andthenturnedtoStanner。"I’mgoingtotakethispapertoWildCat。IfyouwanttocommunicatewithmehereafteryouknowwhereIamtobefound,unless——"hesmiledgrimly——"you’dliketoseemeoutsideforafewminutesbeforeI

go?"

"ItisamatterthatconcernstheStageCompany,notme,"saidStanner,withanattempttoappearathisease。

HaleaccompaniedClinchandRawlinsthroughthekitchentothestables。Theostler,Dick,hadalreadyreturnedtotherescueofthesnow—boundcoach。

"Ishouldn’tliketoleavemanymenalonewiththatcrowd,"saidClinch,pressingHale’shand;"andIwouldn’thaveallowedyourstayingbehindefIdidn’tknowIcouldbetmypileonyou。Yourofferin’tostayjustputsacleanfinishonit。Lookyer,Hale,I

didn’tcottonmuchtoyouatfirst;butefyoueverwantafriend,callonRingwoodClinch。"

"Thesamehere,oldman,"saidRawlins,extendinghishandasheappearedfromahurriedconferencewiththeoldwomanatthewoodshed,"andtrusttoZeenietogiveyouahintefthere’sanythin’underhandedgoin’on。Solong。"

Halfinclinedtoresentthisimpliedsuggestionofprotection,yethalfpleasedattheideaofaconfidencewiththehandsomegirlhehadseen,Halereturnedtotheroom。Awhispereddiscussionamongthepartyceasedonhisentering,andanawkwardsilencefollowed,whichHaledidnotattempttobreakashequietlytookhisseatagainbythefire。HewaspresentlyconfrontedbyStanner,whowithanaffectationofeasyfamiliaritycrossedovertothehearth。

"TheoldKernel’sd——dpepperyandhightonedwhenhe’sgotalittlemorethanhisreg’larthreefingerso’cornjuice,eh?"

"Imustbegyoutounderstanddistinctly,Mr。Stanner,"saidHale,withareturnofhishabitualprecisionofstatement,"thatI

regardanyslightingallusiontothegentlemanwhohasjustleftnotonlyasinexceedinglybadtastecomingfromYOU,butveryoffensivetomyself。Ifyoumeantoimplythathewasundertheinfluenceofliquor,itismydutytoundeceiveyou;hewassoperfectlyinpossessionofhisfacultiesastoexpressnotonlyhisownbutMYopinionofyourconduct。Youmustalsoadmitthathewasdiscriminatingenoughtoshowhisobjectiontoyourcompanybyleavingit。Iregretthatcircumstancesdonotmakeitconvenientformetoexercisethatprivilege;butifIamobligedtoputupwithyourpresenceinthisroom,Istronglyinsistthatitisnotmadeunendurablewiththeadditionofyourconversation。"

TheeffectofthisdeliberateandpassionlessdeclarationwasmorediscomposingtothepartythanClinch’sfury。Utterlyunaccustomedtotheideasandlanguagesuddenlyconfrontingthem,theywereunabletodeterminewhetheritwastherealexpressionofthespeaker,orwhetheritwasavaguebadinageoraffectationtowhichanyreplywouldinvolvetheminridicule。Inacountryterrorizedbypracticaljoking,theydidnotdoubtbutthatthiswasanewformofhoaxingcalculatedtoprovokesomeresponsethatwouldconstitutethemasvictims。TheimmediateeffectuponthemwasthatcompletesilenceinregardtohimselfthatHaledesired。Theydrewtogetheragainandconversedinwhispers,whileHale,withhiseyesfixedonthefire,gavehimselfuptosomewhatlateanduselessreflection。

Hecouldscarcelyrealizehisposition。Forhoweverhemightlookatit,withinaspaceoftwelvehourshehadnotonlychangedsomeofhismostcherishedopinions,buthehadactedinaccordancewiththatchangeinawaythatmadeitseemalmostimpossibleforhimevertorecant。Intheinterestsoflawandorderhehadengagedinanunlawfulanddisorderlypursuitofcriminals,andhadactuallycomeinconflictnotwiththecriminals,butwiththeonlypartyapparentlyauthorizedtopursuethem。Morethanthat,hewasfindinghimselfcommittedtoacertainsympathywiththecriminals。

Twenty—fourhoursago,ifanyonehadtoldhimthathewouldhavecondonedanillegalactforitsabstractjustice,orassistedtocommitanillegalactforthesamepurpose,hewouldhavefelthimselfinsulted。Thatheknewhewouldnotnowfeelitasaninsultperplexedhimstillmore。Inthesecircumstancesthefactthathewasseparatedfromhisfamily,andasitwerefromallhispastlifeandtraditions,byachanceaccident,didnotdisturbhimgreatly;indeed,hewasforthefirsttimealittledoubtfuloftheirprobablecriticismonhisinconsistency,andwasbynomeansinahurrytosubjecthimselftoit。

Liftinghiseyes,hewassuddenlyawarethatthedoorleadingtothekitchenwasslowlyopening。HehadthoughthehearditcreakonceortwiceduringhisdeliberatereplytoStanner。Itwasevidentlymovingnowsoastoattracthisattention,withoutdisturbingtheothers。ItpresentlyopenedsufficientlywidetoshowthefaceofZeenie,who,withagestureofcautiontowardshiscompanions,beckonedhimtojoinher。Herosecarelesslyasifgoingout,and,puttingonhishat,enteredthekitchenastheretreatingfigureoftheyounggirlglidedlightlytowardsthestables。Sheascendedafewopenstepsasiftoahay—loft,butstoppedbeforealowdoor。Pushingitopen,sheprecededhimintoasmallroom,apparentlyundertheroof,whichscarcelyallowedhertostandupright。Bythelightofastablelanternhangingfromabeamhesawthat,thoughpoorlyfurnished,itboresomeevidenceoffemininetasteandhabitation。Motioningtotheonlychair,sheseatedherselfontheedgeofthebed,withherhandsclaspingherkneesinherfamiliarattitude。Herfaceboretracesofrecentagitation,andhereyeswereshiningwithtears。Bythecloserlightofthelanternhewassurprisedtofinditwasfromlaughter。

"Ireckonedyou’dberightlonelydowntherewiththatStannercrowd,particklerlyafterthatlittlespeecho’your’n,soIseztoMawI’dgetyouupyerforaspell。MawandIheerdyouexhort’em!Mawallowedyouwoztalkin’afurrin’tongueallalong,butI——sakesalive!——Ihedtohumpmyselftokeepfrombustin’intoayellwhenyerjistdrawedthemWebster—unabridgedsentenceson’em。"Shestoppedandrockedbackwardsandforwardswithalaughthat,subduedbytheproximityoftheroofandthefearofbeingoverheard,wasbynomeansunmusical。"I’lltellyewhotgotme,though!Thatpartcommencing,’SuckamstancesoverwhichI’venocontroul。’"

"Oh,come!Ididn’tsaythat,"interruptedHale,laughing。

"’Don’tmakeitconvenientformetoexercisetheprivilegeofkickin’yerouttothatextent,’"shecontinued;"’butifIcannotdispensewithyourroom,theleastIcansayisthatit’sad——dsightbetterthanyourcompany——’orsuthin’likethat!Andthenthewayyoumindedyourstops,andletyourvoiceriseandfalljustezeasyezifyouwosaFirstReaderinlargetype。Why,theKernelwasn’tnowhere。HIScussin’didn’tcomewithinamileo’

yourn。ThatStannerjistturnedyaller。"

"I’mafraidyouarelaughingatme,"saidHale,notknowingwhethertobepleasedorvexedatthegirl’samusement。

"IreckonI’mtheonlyonethatdaredoit,then,"saidthegirlsimply。"TheKernelsezthewayyouturnedroundafterhe’ddonehiscussin’,andsaidyerbelievedyou’dstayandtaketheresponsibilityofthewholething——anddid,inthatkam,soft,did—

anybody—speak—to—mestyle——wastheneatestthinghe’dseenyet。

No!MawsaysIain’tmuchonmanners,butIknowamanwhenIseehim。"

ForaninstantHalegavehimselfuptothedeliciousflatteryofunexpected,unintended,andapparentlyuninterestedcompliment。

Becomingatlastalittleembarrassedunderthefrankcuriosityofthegirl’sdarkeyes,hechangedthesubject。

"Doyoualwayscomeupherethroughthestables?"heasked,glancingroundtheroom,whichwasevidentlyherown。

"Ireckon,"sheansweredhalfabstractedly。"There’saladderdownthartoMaw’sroom——"pointingtoatrapdoorbesidethebroadchimneythatservedasawall——"butit’shandiertheotherway,andnearerthebossesifyouwanttogetawayquick。"

Thispalpablesuggestion——borneoutbywhatherememberedoftheotherdomesticdetails——thatthehousehadbeenplannedwithreferencetosuddenforayorescapereawakenedhisformeruneasyreflections。Zeenie,whohadbeenwatchinghisface,added,"It’snoslouch,whenb’arorpaintershangroundnightsandstampedethestock,tobeabletoswingyourselfontoabosswheneveryouheararowgoingonoutside。"

"DoyoumeanthatYOU——"

"PawUSED,andIdoNOW,senseI’vecomeintotheroom。"Shepointedtoanondescriptgarment,halfcloak,halfhabit,hangingonthewall。"I’vebeenouterbedandonPitchpine’sbackasfarezthetrailfiveminutesarterIheardthefirstbellow。"

Haleregardedherwithundisguisedastonishment。TherewasnothingatallAmazonianorhorseyinhermanners,norwasthereeventherobustphysicalcontourthatmighthavebeendevelopedthroughsuchexperiences。Onthecontrary,sheseemedtobelazilyeffeminateinbodyandmind。Heedlessofhiscriticalsurveyofher,shebeckonedhimtodrawhischairnearer,and,lookingintohiseyes,said——

"WhateverpossessedYOUtotaketohuntin’men?"

Halewasstaggeredbythequestion,butneverthelessendeavoredtoexplain。Buthewassurprisedtofindthathisexplanationappearedstiltedeventohimself,and,hecouldnotdoubt,wasutterlyincomprehensibletothegirl。Shenoddedherhead,however,andcontinued——

"Thenyouhaven’tanythin’agin’George?"

"Idon’tknowGeorge,"saidHale,smiling。"Myproceedingwasagainstthehighwayman。"

"Well,HEwasthehighwayman。"

"Imean,itwastheprincipleIobjectedto——aprinciplethatI

considerhighlydangerous。"

"WellHEistheprincipal,fortheothersonlyHELPED,Ireckon,"

saidZeeniewithasigh,"andIreckonheISdangerous。"

Halesawitwasuselesstoexplain。Thegirlcontinued——

"WhatmadeyoustayhereinsteadofgoingonwiththeKernel?

Therewassuthin’elsebesidesyourwantingtomakethatStannertakewater。Whatisit?"

Alightsenseofthepropinquityofbeauty,ofherconfidence,oftheirisolation,oftheeloquenceofherdarkeyes,atfirsttemptedHaletoareplyofsimplegallantry;agraverconsiderationofthesamecircumstancesfrozeituponhislips。

"Idon’tknow,"hereturnedawkwardly。

"Well,I’lltellyou,"shesaid。"Youdidn’tcottontotheKernelandRawlinsmuchmorethanyoudidtoStanner。Theyain’tyourkind。"

InhisembarrassmentHaleblundereduponthethoughthehadhonorablyavoided。

"Suppose,"hesaid,withaconstrainedlaugh,"Ihadstayedtoseeyou。"

"IreckonIain’tyourkind,neither,"sherepliedpromptly。Therewasamomentarypausewhensheroseandwalkedtothechimney。

"It’sveryquietdownthere,"shesaid,stoopingandlisteningovertheroughly—boardedfloorthatformedtheceilingoftheroombelow。"Iwonderwhat’sgoingon。"

Inthebeliefthatthiswasadelicatehintforhisreturntothepartyhehadleft,Halerose,butthegirlpassedhimhurriedly,and,openingthedoor,castaquickglanceintothestablebeyond。

"JustasIreckoned——thehorsesaregonetoo。They’veskedaddled,"

shesaidblankly。

Haledidnotreply。Inhisembarrassmentamomentagotheideaoftakinganequallysuddendeparturehadflasheduponhim。Shouldhetakethisasajustificationofthatimpulse,orhow?Hestoodirresolutelygazingatthegirl,whoturnedandbegantodescendthestairssilently。Hefollowed。Whentheyreachedthelowerroomtheyfounditastheyhadexpected——deserted。

"IhopeIdidn’tdrivethemaway,"saidHale,withanuneasylookatthetroubledfaceofthegirl。"ForIreallyhadanideaofgoingmyselfamomentago。"

Sheremainedsilent,gazingoutofthewindow。Then,turningwithaslightshrugofhershoulders,saidhalfdefiantly:"What’stheusenow?Oh,Maw!theStannercrowdhasvamosedtheranch,andthisyerstrangerkalkilatestostay!"

CHAPTERVII

AweekhadpassedatEagle’sCourt——aweekofmingledcloudsandsunshinebyday,ofrainoverthegreenplateauandsnowonthemountainbynight。Eachmorninghadbroughtitsfreshgreennesstothewinter—girtdomain,andafreshcoatofdazzlingwhitetothebarrierthatseparateditsdwellersfromtheworldbeyond。Therewaslittlechangeintheencompassingwalloftheirprison;ifanything,thesnowycircleroundthemseemedtohavedrawnitslinesnearerdaybyday。Theimmediateresultofthisrestrictedlimithadbeentoconfinetherangeofcattletothemeadowsnearerthehouse,andatasafedistancefromthefringeofwildernessnowinvadedbytheprowlingtreadofpredatoryanimals。

Nevertheless,thetwofiguresloungingontheslopeatsunsetgaveverylittleindicationofanyseriousqualityinthesituation。

Indeed,sofarasappearanceswereconcerned,Kate,whowasreturningfromanafternoonstrollwithFalkner,exhibited,withfeminineinconsistency,adecidedreturntotheworldoffashionandconventionalityapparentlyjustasshewaseffectuallyexcludedfromit。Shehadnotonlydiscardedherwhitedressasaconcessiontothepracticalevidenceofthesurroundingwinter,butshehadalsobroughtoutafeatherhatandsablemuffwhichhadoncegracedafashionablesuburbofBoston。EvenFalknerhadexchangedhisslouchhatandpicturesqueserapeforabeaverovercoatandfurcapofHale’swhichhadbeenpresseduponhimbyKate,undertheexcuseoftheexigenciesoftheseason。Withinastone’sthrowofthethicket,turbulentwiththesavageforcesofnature,theywalkedwiththeabstractionofpeoplehearingonlytheirownvoices;inthefaceofthesolemnpeaksclothedwithwhiteausteritytheytalkedgravelyofdress。

"Idon’tmeantosay,"saidKatedemurely,"thatyou’retogiveuptheserapeentirely;youcanwearitonrainynightsandwhenyourideoverherefromyourfriend’shousetospendtheevening——forthesakeofoldtimes,"sheadded,withanunconsciousairofreferringtoanalreadyantiquatedfriendship;"butyoumustadmitit’salittletoogorgeousandtheatricalforthesunlightofdayandthepublichighway。"

"Butwhyshouldthatmakeitwrong,iftheexperienceofapeoplehasshownittobeagarmentbestfittedfortheirwantsandrequirements?"saidFalknerargumentatively。

"Butyouarenotoneofthosepeople,"saidKate,"andthatmakesallthedifference。Youlookdifferentlyandactdifferently,sothatthereissomethingirreconcilablebetweenyourclothesandyouthatmakesyoulookodd。"

"Andtolookodd,accordingtoyourcivilizedprejudices,istobewrong,"saidFalknerbitterly。

"Itistoseemdifferentfromwhatonereallyis——whichISwrong。

Now,youareaminingsuperintendent,youtellme。Thenyoudon’twanttolooklikeaSpanishbrigand,asyoudointhatserape。I

amsureifyouhadriddenuptoastage—coachwhileIwasinit,I’dhavehandedyoumywatchandpursewithoutaword。There!youarenotoffended?"sheadded,withalaugh,whichdidnot,however,concealacertainearnestness。"IsupposeIoughttohavesaidI

wouldhavegivenitgladlytosucharomanticfigure,andperhapshavegotoutanddancedasarabandorbolerowithyou——ifthatisthethingtodonowadays。Well!"shesaid,afteradangerouspause,"considerthatI’vesaidit。"

Hehadbeenwalkingalittlebeforeher,withhisfaceturnedtowardsthedistantmountain。Suddenlyhestoppedandfacedher。

"Youwouldhavegivenenoughofyourtimetothehighwayman,MissScott,aswouldhaveenabledyoutoidentifyhimforthepolice——

andnomore。Likeyourbrother,youwouldhavebeenwillingtosacrificeyourselfforthebenefitofthelawsofcivilizationandgoodorder。"

Ifadenialtothisassertioncouldhavebeenexpressedwithouttheuseofspeech,itwascertainlytransparentinthefaceandeyesoftheyounggirlatthatmoment。IfFalknerhadbeenlessself—

conscioushewouldhaveseenitplainly。ButKateonlyburiedherfaceinherliftedmuff,slightlyraisedherprettyshoulders,and,droppinghertremulouseyelids,walkedon。"Itseemsapity,"shesaid,afterapause,"thatwecannotpreserveourownmiserableexistencewithouttakingsomethingfromothers——sometimesevenalife!"Hestarted。"Andit’shorridtohavetoremindyouthatyouhaveyettokillsomethingfortheinvalid’ssupper,"shecontinued。"Isawahareinthefieldyonder。"

"Youmeanthatjackassrabbit?"hesaid,abstractedly。

"Whatyouplease。It’sapityyoudidn’ttakeyourguninsteadofyourrifle。"

"Ibroughttherifleforprotection。"

"Andashotgunisonlyaggressive,Isuppose?"

Falknerlookedatherforamoment,andthen,astheharesuddenlystartedacrosstheopenahundredyardsaway,broughttherifletohisshoulder。Alonginterval——asitseemedtoKate——elapsed;theanimalappearedtobealreadysafelyoutofrange,whentheriflesuddenlycracked;thehareboundedintheairlikeaball,anddroppedmotionless。Thegirllookedatthemarksmaninundisguisedadmiration。"Isitquitedead?"shesaidtimidly。

"Itneverknewwhatstruckit。"

"Itcertainlylookslessbrutalthanshootingitwithashotgun,asJohndoes,andthennotkillingitoutright,"saidKate。"I

hatewhatiscalledsportandsportsmen,butarifleseems——"

"What?"saidFalkner。

"More——gentlemanly。"

Shehadraisedherprettyheadintheair,and,withherhandshadinghereyes,waslookingaroundtheclearether,andsaidmeditatively,"Iwonder——nomatter。"

"Whatisit?"

"Oh,nothing。"

"Itissomething,"saidFalkner,withanamusedsmile,reloadinghisrifle。

"Well,youoncepromisedmeaneagle’sfeatherformyhat。Isn’tthatthinganeagle?"

"Iamafraidit’sonlyahawk。"

"Well,thatwilldo。Shootthat!"

Hereyesweresparkling。Falknerwithdrewhisownwithaslightsmile,andraisedhisriflewithprovokingdeliberation。

"Areyouquitesureit’swhatyouwant?"heaskeddemurely。

"Yes——quick!"

Nevertheless,itwassomeminutesbeforetheriflecrackedagain。

Thewheelingbirdsuddenlystruckthewindwithitswingsaslant,andthenfelllikeaplummetatadistancewhichshowedthedifficultyofthefeat。Falknerstartedfromhersidebeforethebirdreachedtheground。Hereturnedtoherafteralapseofafewmoments,bearingatrailingwinginhishand。"Youshallmakeyourchoice,"hesaidgayly。

"Areyousureitwaskilledoutright?"

"Headshotoff,"saidFalknerbriefly。

"Andbesides,thefallwouldhavekilledit,"saidKateconclusively。

"It’slovely。Isupposetheycallyouaverygoodshot?"

"They——who?"

"Oh!thepeopleyouknow——yourfriends,andtheirsisters。"

"GeorgeshootsbetterthanIdo,andhashadmoreexperience。I’veseenhimdothatwithapistol。Ofcoursenotsuchalongshot,butamoredifficultone。"

Katedidnotreply,butherfaceshowedaconvictionthatasanartisticandgentlemanlyperformanceitwasprobablyinferiortotheoneshehadwitnessed。Falkner,whohadpickeduptheharealso,againtookhisplacebyherside,astheyturnedtowardsthehouse。

"Doyourememberthedayyoucame,whenwewerewalkinghere,youpointedoutthatrockonthemountainwherethepooranimalshadtakenrefugefromthesnow?"saidKatesuddenly。

"Yes,"answeredFalkner;"theyseemtohavediminished。Iamafraidyouwereright;theyhaveeithereateneachotherorescaped。Letushopethelatter。"

"Ilookedatthemwithaglasseveryday,"saidKate,"andthey’vegotdowntoonlyfour。There’sabearandthatshabby,over—growncatyoucallaCalifornialion,andawolf,andacreaturelikeafoxorasquirrel。"

"It’sapitythey’renotallofakind,"saidFalkner。

"Why?"

"There’dbenothingtokeepthemfrombeingcomfortabletogether。"

"Onthecontrary,Ishouldthinkitwouldbesimplyawfultobeshutupentirelywithone’sownkind。"

"Thenyoubelieveitispossibleforthem,withtheirdifferentnaturesandhabits,tobehappytogether?"saidFalkner,withsuddenearnestness。

"Ibelieve,"saidKatehurriedly,"thatthebearandthelionfindthefoxandthewolfveryamusing,andthatthefoxandthewolf——"

"Well?"saidFalkner,stoppingshort。

"Well,thefoxandthewolfwillcarryawayamuchbetteropinionofthelionandbearthantheyhadbefore。"

Theyhadreachedthehousebythistime,andforsomeoccultreasonKatedidnotimmediatelyentertheparlor,whereshehadlefthersisterandtheinvalid,whohadalreadybeenpromotedtoasofaandacushionbythewindow,butproceededdirectlytoherownroom。

AsamanoeuvretoavoidmeetingMrs。Hale,itwasscarcelynecessary,forthatladywasalreadyinadvanceofheronthestaircase,asifshehadlefttheparlorforamomentbeforetheyenteredthehouse。Falkner,too,wouldhavepreferredthecompanyofhisownthoughts,butLee,apparentlytheonlyunpreoccupied,all—pervading,andboyishlyalertspiritintheparty,hailedhimfromwithin,andobligedhimtopresenthimselfonthethresholdoftheparlorwiththehareandhawk’swinghewasstillcarrying。

Eyingthelatterwithaffectedconcern,Leesaidgravely:"Ofcourse,ICANeatit,Ned,andIdaresayit’sthebestpartofthefowl,andthehareisn’tmorethanenoughforthewomen,butIhadnoideaweweresoreduced。Threehoursandahalfgunning,andonlyonehareandahawk’swing。It’sterrible。"

Perceivingthathisfriendwasalone,Falknerdroppedhisburdeninthehallandstroderapidlytohisside。"Lookhere,George,wemust,Imustleavethisplaceatonce。It’snousetalking;Icanstandthissortofthingnolonger。"

"NorcanI,withthedooropen。Shutit,andsaywhatyouwantquick,beforeMrs。Halecomesback。Haveyoufoundatrail?"

"No,no;that’snotwhatImean。"

"Well,itstrikesmeitoughttobe,ifyouexpecttogetaway。

HaveyouproposedtoBeaconStreet,andshethinksitratherprematureonaweek’sacquaintance?"

"No;but——"

"ButyouWILL,youmean?DON’T,justyet。"

"ButIcannotlivethisperpetuallie。"

"Thatdepends。Idon’tknowHOWyou’relyingwhenI’mnotwithyou。Ifyou’rewalkingroundwiththatgirl,singinghymnsandtalkingofyourclassinSunday—school,orifyou’reinsinuatingthatyou’reamillionaire,andthinkofbuyingtheplaceforasummerhotel,Ishouldsayyou’dbetterquitthatkindoflying。

But,ontheotherhand,Idon’tseethenecessityofyourdancingroundherewithashotgun,andyellingforHarkins’sblood,orcountingthatpackageofgreenbacksinthelapofMissScott,tobetruthful。Itseemstomethereoughttobesomethingbetweenthetwo。"

"But,George,don’tyouthink——youareonsuchgoodtermswithMrs。

Haleandhermother——thatyoumighttellthemthewholestory?

Thatis,tellitinyourownway;theywillhearanythingfromyou,andbelieveit。"

"Thankyou;butsupposeIdon’tbelieveinlying,either?"

"YouknowwhatImean!Youhaveaway,d——nit,ofmakingeverythingseemlikeamatterofcourse,andthemostnaturalthinggoing。"

"Well,supposeIdid。Areyoupreparedfortheworst?"

Falknerwassilentforamoment,andthenreplied,"Yes,anythingwouldbebetterthanthissuspense。"

"Idon’tagreewithyou。Thenyouwouldbewillingtohavethemforgiveus?"

"Idon’tunderstandyou。"

"Imeanthattheirforgivenesswouldbetheworstthingthatcouldhappen。Lookhere,Ned。Stopamoment;listenatthatdoor。Mrs。

Halehasthetreadofanangel,withthepervadingcapacityofacat。Nowlisten!Idon’tpretendtobeinlovewithanybodyhere,butifIwereIshouldhardlytakeadvantageofawoman’shelplessnessandsolitudewithasensationalstoryaboutmyself。

It’snotgivingherafairshow。Youknowshewon’tturnyououtofthehouse。"

"No,"saidFalkner,reddening;"butIshouldexpecttogoatonce,andthatwouldbemyonlyexcusefortellingher。"

"Go!where?Inyourpreoccupationwiththatgirlyouhaven’tevenfoundthetrailbywhichManuelescaped。Doyouintendtocampoutsidethehouse,andmakeeyesatherwhenshecomestothewindow?"

"BecauseyouthinknothingofflirtingwithMrs。Hale,"saidFalknerbitterly,"youcarelittle——"

"MydearNed,"saidLee,"thefactthatMrs。Halehasahusband,andknowsthatshecan’tmarryme,putsusonequalterms。Nothingthatshecouldlearnaboutmehereafterwouldmakeaflirtationwithmeanylesswrongthanitwouldbenow,ormakeherseemmoreavictim。CanyousaythesameofyourselfandthatPuritangirl?"

"Butyoudidnotadvisemetokeepalooffromher;onthecontrary,you——"

"Ithoughtyoumightmakethebestofthesituation,andpayhersomeattention,BECAUSEyoucouldnotgoanyfurther。"

"YouthoughtIwasutterlyheartlessandselfish,like——"

"Ned!"

Falknerwalkedrapidlytothefireplace,andreturned。

"Forgiveme,George——I’mafool——andanungratefulone。"

Leedidnotreplyatonce,althoughhetookandretainedthehandFalknerhadimpulsivelyextended。"Promiseme,hesaidslowly,afterapause,"thatyouwillsaynothingyettoeitherofthesewomen。Iaskitforyourownsake,andthisgirl’s,notformine。

If,onthecontrary,youaretemptedtodosofromanyQuixoticideaofhonor,rememberthatyouwillonlyprecipitatesomethingthatwillobligeyou,fromthatsamesenseofhonor,toseparatefromthegirlforever。"

"Idon’tunderstand。"

"Enough!"saidhe,withaquickreturnofhisoldrecklessgayety。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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