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a first family of tasajara-第10节

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ways; their strange instruments and stranger talk; captured his

fancy。  Kept in the background by his sisters when visitors came;

as an unpresentable feature in the household; he however managed to

linger near the strangers when; in company with Euphemia and

Clementina; after breakfast they strolled beneath the sparkling

sunlight in the rude garden inclosure along the sloping banks of

the creek。  It was with the average brother's supreme contempt that

he listened to his sisters' 〃practicin'〃 upon the goodness of these

superior beings; it was with an exceptional pity that he regarded

the evident admiration of the strangers in return。  He felt that in

the case of Euphemia; who sometimes evinced a laudable curiosity in

his pleasures; and a flattering ignorance of his reading; this

might be pardonable; but what any one could find in the useless

statuesque Clementina passed his comprehension。  Could they not see

at once that she was 〃just that kind of person〃 who would lie abed

in the morning; pretending she was sick; in order to make Phemie do

the housework; and make him; John Milton; clean her boots and fetch

things for her?  Was it not perfectly plain to them that her

present sickening politeness was solely with a view to extract from

them caramels; rock…candy; and gum drops; which she would meanly

keep herself; and perhaps some 〃buggy…riding〃 later?  Alas; John

Milton; it was not!  For standing there with her tall; perfectly…

proportioned figure outlined against a willow; an elastic branch of

which she had drawn down by one curved arm above her head; and on

which she leanedas everybody leaned against something in Sidon

the two young men saw only a straying goddess in a glorified

rosebud print。  Whether the clearly…cut profile presented to Rice;

or the full face that captivated Grant; each suggested possibilities

of position; pride; poetry; and passion that astonished while it

fascinated them。  By one of those instincts known only to the

freemasonry of the sex; Euphemia lent herself to this advertisement

of her sister's charms by subtle comparison with her own

prettinesses; and thus combined against their common enemy; man。



〃Clementina certainly is perfect; to keep her supremacy over that

pretty little sister;〃 thought Rice。



〃What a fascinating little creature to hold her own against that

tall; handsome girl;〃 thought Grant。



〃They're takin' stock o' them two fellers so as to gabble about 'em

when their backs is turned;〃 said John Milton gloomily to himself;

with a dismal premonition of the prolonged tea…table gossip he

would be obliged to listen to later。



〃We were very fortunate to make a landing at all last night;〃 said

Rice; looking down upon the still swollen current; and then raising

his eyes to Clementina。  〃Still more fortunate to make it where we

did。  I suppose it must have been the singing that lured us on to

the bank;as; you know; the sirens used to lure people;only with

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 

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