"The coal-oil barrel?"
"Yes,—you'd ought to have laid a few boards of top of the heap, and it wouldn't have shifted with people trampin'. You must have let ten gallons run down that iron pipe—and how did you ever get it drove so far? I suppose that joke cost you as much as five dollars, but I'd say it was cheap at ten."
In vain I assured Andy that I was innocent; he only laughed the harder, reiterating10 his belief that I beat the Dutch and that I was a natural born play-actor; that the[Pg 238] Griggs episode, charming as it had been, was discounted by my latest histrionic venture.
By the dim light of my lantern, Marion, Paul and I viewed the wreck11 of the Waydean Oil Well when I reached home. Our coal-oil barrel, exhumed12 from the loose earth that had covered it, had been rolled away from the edge of the hole, leaving the iron pipe exposed. The ground was packed hard with the trampling13 of many feet.
"I didn't think there could be such a crowd of people in the country, except at a funeral or an auction14 sale," said Marion indignantly. "I was just enraged15 to sit in the house and see them pass through the yard as if it were a common. I'll never forgive William Wedder—I wish I had never baked him a pie."
"I hope he'll have to live on hygienic wheat biscuits when he gets home," I responded. "I hope his wife has learned to cook them in two hundred ways, and whether they're mashed16, stewed17, fried, pied, creamed, puddinged or jellied, he'll have[Pg 239] disappointment three times a day of finding that they are still the same old wheat biscuits. That'll be punishment enough for him, but it won't make Peter believe I didn't do this, and by this time he must have got Roper's letter cancelling the agreement."
"I suppose we'll have to give up the place in the end," said Marion, with a sigh.
"Don't let Paul hear," I said in a low tone, "or he'll make the dickens of a row."
At that moment Paul was leaning over the edge dangling18 a long string into the well; fishing, I supposed, in my ignorance. For days he had been going about with a dreamy look on his face that betokened19 a secret play of absorbing interest. I drew a breath of relief when I saw that he didn't look up at Marion's unguarded remark. All would have been well had I not been so misguided as to make a suggestion that aroused Marion's sense of duty and her persistent20 belief that I tried to shirk mine.
"Paul," said she, and even in that one word I detected the compassionate21 severity suitable to the extraction of a tooth—"do you know that we'll have to leave——"
[Pg 240]
"Marion," I implored22, "wait till we get him into the house—he'll rouse the neighborhood."
I should have known better than to protest. Once started in the track of duty nothing short of a disastrous23 collision would stop her. She did pause, but merely to make a remark to me that led to a sharp altercation24. We forgot our rule never to give way to our angry passions before Paul; indeed, he was so unusually silent that we didn't remember his presence until we were suddenly struck dumb by a shrill25 exclamation26 of impatient wrath27 that arose from the other side of the well.
"Dar-r-n it!" he ejaculated, with petrifying28 distinctness.
If he had turned into a quick-firing gun and dropped a shell at our feet the effect could not have been more paralyzing. Our boy had been carefully screened, not only from evil, but from vulgarity; he had never gone to Sunday school, nor been left to the care of a nursemaid. His companions were his toys and domestic pets; other children he had seen only from a distance, and he[Pg 241] regarded them as curious, but not interesting, little animals. His face reflected the purity of his mind. I hesitate to say so, for obvious reasons, but his face at the age of seven was simply angelic; I mean, of course, normally, not when his mouth was wide open in the act of expressing bodily or mental anguish29. And this is not merely his mother's opinion and mine; it is Aunt Sophy's also. Indeed, Aunt Sophy, who is never tired of drawing attention to his remarkable30 resemblance to a photograph of me as a boy, has gone much farther, and has given utterance31 to thoughts that we only think.
Therefore, we turned to each other in dumb amazement32; then I raised the lantern to make sure that it really was Paul who had spoken. He was getting up from his crouching33 position and the light showed that his little mouth was tightly set and that his wide-open eyes sparkled like stars. Even as we stared at him his lips parted again, and again he said: "Dar-r-r-n it!"
I am thankful that the well was partially34 covered and that I was able to keep Marion[Pg 242] from sliding into it. "Paul!" she cried in horror, "oh, Paul!"
I hastened to follow her lead. "Paul," I said, with fierce sternness, "what do you mean, sir?"
"I mean," he replied accusingly, "that it's all spoiled. They've taken fright at your squabbling and put out their lamps."
Again we stared at each other in questioning silence. What had taken fright we knew not, but we did know that we had squabbled.
"Where did you hear that dreadful word?" demanded Marion.
"Darn?" queried35 Paul, with innocent pride. "I heard William Wedder say something when the coal-oil barrel rolled on his foot, and when I asked him 'I beg your pardon?' he couldn't remember what he had said, then when I kept on asking him to try to remember he said it must have been an exclamation called darn. I think it's ever so much nicer than bother or good gracious."
"It's a vulgar word, and only vulgar people use it," I commented reprovingly.
[Pg 243]
"Why, father, William said that when Joe Wrigley's horse stood up on his hind36 legs you said——"
"Paul," I interrupted hurriedly, "you said something took fright, and——"
"Hush37!" said he, in a mysterious whisper, coming close to me. "It was the fairies. William said if we made an oil well and didn't say anything about it, they'd be sure to come to fill their lamps, and they have. I saw three of them climbing up my rope ladder when you frightened them off."
"Then you knew that William made this?" I exclaimed.
"Of course. I helped him to bury the barrel so that the fairies wouldn't know it wasn't a real natural well. He said if we kept it a secret it would be a pleasant surprise to you when I showed you the fairies. Hush! They're climbing up the rope ladder again. Peep down through that crack and you'll see them—very—ve—ry—quietly. There now—stand back. I'm going to help them up over the edge."
The next morning Peter Waydean came over to see me, his face wreathed in smiles,[Pg 244] his manner most cordial. "Mr. Carton," he said genially38, "I ain't on the hunt for oil wells this morning, but I was on my way to thank you for the trouble you took in rigging up that one when I met your little boy coming over to see me."
"Paul!" I exclaimed—"to see you?"
Peter nodded. "Great head on that little chap," he said. "'I don't want you to be angry at father about the oil well,' he says to me, 'for William and I made it together, and father didn't know anything about it,' says he, standing39 up straight and stiff. Then he told me the whole business, and although it turned out a good thing for me, I'm glad to know it was that scoundrel Wedder that tried to play it off, and not you. Paul was so tickled40 at me pretending to believe he really seen fairies that when he wanted me to say that I'd sell the farm to you just the same, I hadn't the heart to tell him it was sold."
"Sold?"
"Yes,—you see, I thought you had played that trick on me and I was so mad yesterday that when along comes another[Pg 245] agent twice as keen to buy as them other two I jumped at the chance of selling. 'Name your price,' says he, 'to sell on the spot.' 'Six thousand,' says I, at a bluff41. 'Done,' says he; and in five minutes the agreement was signed."
"Well," I said, with a sigh, "I suppose we'll have to move."
"Oh, I don't know," said Peter encouragingly. "Perhaps the party don't want to live here; though, considering the price," he added, with a shrewd smile, "he didn't buy just for speculation42. They say he's got a fine place in the city and heaps of money, and he's just got married again to a widow. I might as well have asked another thousand, I believe."
"What is his name?" I asked, with sudden interest.
"Fairman. He owns—what—Mr. Carton, what's the——"
I relaxed my tense grip of his arm. "His first name?" I demanded eagerly.
"Joseph, I think. What's the matter?"
I am afraid my explanation was not very clear to Peter. I could not tell him the[Pg 246] cause of my excitement, nor mention the fact that I had saved Mr. Fairman's life several times in one day, for that would have savored43 of boastfulness; so I hinted that when we were boys together Mr. Fairman had saved my life and had ever since regarded me with the highest esteem44. Thus I preserved the main fact of our connection, only disguising it enough to let Marion see incidentally afterwards how careful I was to avoid the appearance of vainglory.
Now when I rushed into the house to tell Marion that Mr. Fairman had bought Waydean, I did so with the innocent exuberance45 of expectant delight with which children, not too sophisticated, view brown paper parcels that are delivered at their homes during the Christmas season. Marion's first thought, I could swear, was similar to mine; I could not mistake the vivid flash of happy gratitude46 that illumined her face, nor the sudden exclamation that was checked at the parting of her lips, yet her tone, when she did speak, expressed the utmost mystification. "Why,—how strange!" said she.
[Pg 247]
For an instant I did not comprehend her mental attitude, but I am remarkably47 adaptable48, not by nature, but by training, and by a swift turn I avoided plunging49 headlong into an awkward situation. It would show a want of delicacy50, a sordid51 mind, a vulgar expectancy52, were I not to ignore the thought that we had both almost uttered. Even though I saw an equine nose, a flowing tail and four legs protruding53 through the brown paper, I must not guess it was a rocking horse; above all, I must not hope it was to be mine.
"Yes," I remarked, with innocent bewilderment, "it is very strange. I wonder why he bought it."
Truly I have learned a thing or two. My wife regarded me with admiration54 that she scarcely tried to hide. I had saved Mr. Fairman's life without adding a cubit to my stature55 in her estimation, but by this trifling56 observance of the proprieties57, this delicate expression of native refinement58, I stood exalted59 upon a pedestal.
"I wonder," repeated Marion, after me, in deep conjecture60, "why he—bought—it?"
[Pg 248]
Our eyes met. In hers I could see a faraway amused sparkle; in my own I permitted a faint twinkle, then we both looked in another direction.
"Perhaps," I ventured cautiously, "Aunt Sophy will write and tell us."
"Perhaps she will," said Marion.
The reward of unconscious virtue61 arrived by the next mail, in the guise62 of a long letter from Mrs. Fairman.
"......I can scarcely realize that it is only three days since we said good-by," she wrote, "it seems so long ago. Of course we have been travelling most of the time and this is really the first chance I have had to write and tell you about the trip, and how constantly I think of your kindness to me, and what good reason I have to be grateful for the advice that had so much to do with my present happiness. Indeed, I confessed to Joseph how I was influenced by Henry's opinion, and he was quite affected63. He keeps saying to me: 'A fine young man—a noble young man!' He describes to me over and over again how[Pg 249] admirably Henry acted in the presence of danger the morning of our wedding; he says he hasn't a doubt but that for Henry's coolness and resource we wouldn't be married now. The thought makes me shudder64! I suppose that is why I feel so nervous about him when he is out of sight; I am so afraid of another accident.
"But really, Marion, he hasn't been away from me for more than half an hour at a time, he is so devoted65. Of course, with such large interests he has business to look after, but he does it altogether by telegrams. It amazes me to see the number he sends off, and I'm getting quite used to the shoals that arrive, but at first the sight of them made me feel quite ill. He never looks to see if there are more than ten words, and yesterday's hotel bill had an item of $7.62 for telegrams!
"Somehow I have been thinking a great deal of your poor Uncle Philip lately. I think it must be the resemblance I see in Henry to him that has brought him so vividly66 before me—and I have come to the conclusion that I was too hard on him about[Pg 250] the farming. Of course he spent a great deal of money on it, but the spending gave him pleasure, and if he had taken to horse-racing or gambling67, or something worse, as so many men do, I would have had real cause to complain. I am older now, and I see that married men when they get to a certain age are inclined to fret68 and chafe69, and perhaps bolt, if they are tethered with too short a rope. I see, too, that I didn't do Philip any good by trying to keep him from farming. Now, dear Marion, I have something to write that will not offend you, I hope. I tried to say it last week, but I couldn't quite get my courage up, for you have a little bit of a temper, dear, and I knew that if I saw your eyes flash I would get flustered70 and make a bungle71 of it. You know I always supposed it was Henry's own determination that kept him from buying any implements72 but a spade, a rake and a hoe, but from something Paul said I have surmised73 that it was because you made him promise not to. Perhaps, at the time, that was a wise precaution, but you are differently situated74 now, and you should modify[Pg 251] your views. Of course Henry will do exactly as you say, and never let you see what it costs him, and although I admire his common sense about saving money, I admire him much more for his unselfish, uncomplaining devotion to your ideas. I believe if he thought it would give you any pleasure he would go and cut off his little finger on the chopping block in the woodshed. But I would advise you strongly, Marion (since you need have no fear for the future), to let him spend all the money he wishes on the farm, and to keep all sorts of fancy stock. Let him go ahead for a year at least and take all the pleasure he can out of it, and you'll find it will pay in the end. There's just one thing I would shut down on, if I were you (though I don't think it's likely he'd want to do it, but you never can tell how far they may go if they once get started), that is, underdraining. I don't know anything about overdrains, but I do know that underdrains are simply ruinous, and if you keep Henry from underdraining I don't believe he can waste much money. Now, dear Marion, write soon and let your[Pg 252] poor old aunt know that you are not offended by this suggestion."
Marion stopped reading, covered her face with her hands and laughed hysterically75, exclaiming, "Oh, how funny! You poor,—poor, down-trodden creature!"
I was dumb with astonishment76 at first,—there was much food for reflection in the letter,—but what surprised me most was the absence of any allusion77 to Mr. Fairman's buying the farm. "Is that all?" I asked, with breathless incredulity.
It wasn't. Marion found another sheet marked, "Later."
"Joseph came in a few minutes ago and handed me one of those telegrams to read. Imagine my astonishment at finding he has bought Waydean for Henry! It seems that on our wedding-day he made up his mind to do this, and never said a word to me about it. If he had I certainly would have said he was too late. How fortunate, after all, that your bargain with Peter fell through. I think Joseph is more pleased to be able to make Henry a present of [Pg 253]Waydean than about anything that has happened since we saw you last, and I can't tell you how glad I am. You see, Marion, Henry can go ahead with perfect confidence."
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1
swarmed
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| 密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去 | |
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2
pedestrians
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| n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 ) | |
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3
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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4
solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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prying
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| adj.爱打听的v.打听，刺探（他人的私事）( pry的现在分词 )；撬开 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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petroleum
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| n.原油，石油 | |
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facetious
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| adj.轻浮的，好开玩笑的 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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reiterating
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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wreck
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| n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难 | |
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12
exhumed
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| v.挖出，发掘出( exhume的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
trampling
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| 踩( trample的现在分词 )； 践踏； 无视； 侵犯 | |
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auction
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| n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖 | |
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15
enraged
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| 使暴怒( enrage的过去式和过去分词 )； 歜； 激愤 | |
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16
mashed
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| a.捣烂的 | |
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stewed
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| adj.焦虑不安的，烂醉的v.炖( stew的过去式和过去分词 )；煨；思考；担忧 | |
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18
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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betokened
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| v.预示，表示( betoken的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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compassionate
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| adj.有同情心的，表示同情的 | |
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implored
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| 恳求或乞求（某人）( implore的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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altercation
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| n.争吵，争论 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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exclamation
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| n.感叹号，惊呼，惊叹词 | |
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wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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petrifying
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| v.吓呆，使麻木( petrify的现在分词 )；使吓呆，使惊呆；僵化 | |
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anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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crouching
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的现在分词 ) | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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hush
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| int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静 | |
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genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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tickled
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| （使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐 | |
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41
bluff
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| v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗 | |
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42
speculation
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| n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机 | |
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43
savored
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| v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的过去式和过去分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝 | |
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44
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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45
exuberance
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| n.丰富；繁荣 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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48
adaptable
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| adj.能适应的，适应性强的，可改编的 | |
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49
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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50
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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51
sordid
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| adj.肮脏的，不干净的，卑鄙的，暗淡的 | |
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52
expectancy
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| n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额 | |
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53
protruding
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| v.（使某物）伸出，（使某物）突出( protrude的现在分词 )；凸 | |
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54
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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55
stature
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| n.（高度）水平，（高度）境界，身高，身材 | |
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56
trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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57
proprieties
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| n.礼仪，礼节；礼貌( propriety的名词复数 )；规矩；正当；合适 | |
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58
refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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59
exalted
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| adj.(地位等)高的，崇高的；尊贵的，高尚的 | |
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60
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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61
virtue
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| n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力 | |
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62
guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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64
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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65
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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66
vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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67
gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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68
fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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69
chafe
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| v.擦伤；冲洗；惹怒 | |
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70
flustered
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| adj.慌张的；激动不安的v.使慌乱，使不安( fluster的过去式和过去分词) | |
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71
bungle
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| v.搞糟；n.拙劣的工作 | |
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72
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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73
surmised
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| v.臆测，推断( surmise的过去式和过去分词 )；揣测；猜想 | |
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74
situated
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| adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的 | |
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75
hysterically
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| ad. 歇斯底里地 | |
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76
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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77
allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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