The wooden house had a dreary3, dilapidated look; the weathered, neglected appearance of barns and stables was depressing. It was through a neighboring gap in the fence that Marston's team had brought their lifeless master home; and Edgar had seen enough to realize that the man must have grown slack and nerveless before he had succumbed4. The farm had broken down Marston's strength and courage, and now another man, less gifted in many ways, had taken it in charge. Edgar wondered how he would succeed; but in spite of a few misgivings5 he had confidence in George.
After a while the latter, who had been examining Marston's farming books, came out, looking grave; he had worn a serious air since their arrival.
"There'll have to be a change," he said. "Dick's accounts have given me something to think about. I believe I'm beginning to understand now how his money went."
"I suppose you haven't got the new program cut and dried yet?" Edgar suggested.
George was seldom precipitate6.
"No," he answered. "I've a few ideas in my mind."
"Won't you have some trouble about finances, if the alterations7 are extensive?"
"I'll have to draw on my private account, unless Herbert will assist."
"Herbert won't do anything of the kind," said Edgar decidedly.
George, making no answer, called Grierson from the stable.
"You'll drive in to the settlement after breakfast to-morrow, Tom," he said. "Tell the man I'll keep the team, if he'll knock off twenty dollars, and he can have his check when he likes. Then bring out the flour and groceries."
"I suppose I won't be going in again for a while; we'll be too busy?"
"It's very likely," said Edgar, knowing his comrade's temperament9.
"Then I wonder if I could draw a pound or two?" asked Grierson diffidently.
"Why?" George questioned him. "The Immigration people would see that you had some money before they let you in."
"I've four pounds now; I want to send something home at once."
"Ah!" said George. "I see. How much did you leave your wife?"
"About three pounds, sir; I had to bring enough to pass me at Quebec."
"Then if you give me what you have, I'll let you have a check for twice as much on an English bank. Better get your letter written."
Grierson's look was very expressive10 as he turned away with a word of thanks; and Edgar smiled at George.
"You have bought that fellow—for an advance of four pounds," he said.
George showed a little embarrassment11.
"I was thinking of the woman," he explained.
Then he pointed12 to the prairie.
"There's a rig coming. It looks like visitors."
Soon afterward13, Grant, whom they had met on the train, drew up his team and helped his daughter down.
"We were passing and thought we'd look in," he said. "Found out yesterday that you were located here."
George called Grierson to take the team, and leading the new arrivals to the house, which was still in disorder14, he found them seats in the kitchen. It was rather roughly and inadequately15 furnished, and Edgar had decided8 that Sylvia had spent little of her time there. After they had talked for a while, a man, dressed in blue duck trousers, a saffron-colored shirt, and an old slouch hat, which he did not remove, walked in, carrying a riding quirt. Grant returned his greeting curtly16, and then the man addressed George.
"I heard you were running this place," he said.
"That's correct."
"Then I put in the wheat on your summer fallow; Mrs. Marston told me to. Thought I'd come along and let you have the bill."
His manner was assertively17 offhand18, and George did not ask him to sit down.
"It's a very second-rate piece of work," George said. "You might have used the land-packer more than you did."
"It's good enough. Anyway, I'll trouble you for the money."
Edgar was sensible of indignation mixed with amusement. This overbearing fellow did not know George Lansing.
"I think you had better take off your hat before we go any farther—it's customary. Then you may tell me what I owe you."
The man looked astonished, but he complied with the suggestion, and afterward stated his charge, which was unusually high. Edgar noticed that Grant was watching George with quiet interest.
"I suppose you have a note from Mrs. Marston fixing the price?"
The other explained that the matter had been arranged verbally.
"Was anybody else present when you came to terms?" George asked.
"You can quit feeling, and pay up!" exclaimed the stranger. "I've told you how much it is."
"The trouble is that you're asking nearly double the usual charge per acre."
Grant smiled approvingly, but the man advanced with a truculent19 air to the table at which George was sitting.
"I've done the work; that's good enough for me."
"You have done it badly, but I'll give you a check now, based on the regular charge, which should come to"—George made a quick calculation on a strip of paper and handed it to the man. "This is merely because you seem in a hurry. If you're not satisfied, you can wait until I get an answer from Mrs. Marston; or I'll ask some of my neighbors to arbitrate."
The man hesitated, with anger in his face.
"I guess I'll take the check," he said sullenly20.
Crossing the floor, George took a pen and some paper from a shelf.
"Sit here," he said, when he came back, "and write me a receipt."
The other did as he was bidden, and George pointed toward the door.
"That's settled; I won't keep you."
The man looked hard at him, and then went quietly out; and Grant leaned back in his seat with a soft laugh.
"You fixed21 him," he remarked. "He has the name of being a tough."
"I suppose an Englishman newly out is considered lawful22 prey23."
"A few of them deserve it," Grant returned dryly. "But let that go.
What do you think of the place?"
George felt that he could trust the farmer. He had spent a depressing day, during which all he saw had discouraged him. Marston had farmed in a singularly wasteful24 manner; fences and outbuildings were in very bad repair; half the implements25 were useless; and it would be a long and costly26 task to put things straight.
"I feel that I'll have my hands full. In fact, I'm a little worried about it; there are so many changes that must be made."
"Sure. Where are you going to begin?"
"By getting as much summer fallowing as possible done on the second quarter-section. The first has been growing wheat for some time; I'll sew part of that with timothy. There's one bit of stiff land I might put in flax. I've thought of trying corn for the silo."
"Timothy and a silo?" commented Grant.
"You're going in for stock, then? It means laying out money, and a slow return."
"I'm afraid so. Still, you can't grow cereals year after year on this light soil. It's a wasteful practise that will have to be abandoned, as people here seem to be discovering. Grain won't pay at sixteen bushels to the acre."
"A sure thing," Grant agreed. "I'm sticking right to wheat, but that's because I'm too old to change my system, and I'm on black soil, which holds out longer."
"But you're taking the nature out of it."
"It will see me through if I fallow," said Grant. "When I've done with it and sell out, somebody else can experiment with mixed crops and stock-raising. That's going to become the general plan, but it's costly at the beginning." Then he rose. "I'll walk round the place with you."
They went out, and the girl fell behind with Edgar. He had learned that her name was Flora27.
"Mr. Lansing seems to understand farming," she remarked. "He didn't tell us he had been on the prairie before."
"He hasn't told you now," Edgar pointed out.
"George never does tell things about himself unless there's a reason."
"He soon got rid of the fellow who sowed the crop."
Edgar laughed.
"I knew the man would meet with a surprise. George's abilities are not, as a rule, obvious at first sight. People find them out by accident, and then they're somewhat startled."
"You're evidently an admirer of his. Do you mean to go in for farming?"
"I am, though I wouldn't have him suspect it," said Edgar. "In answer to the other question, I haven't made up my mind. Farming as it's carried on in this country seems to be a rather arduous28 occupation. In the meanwhile, I'm undergoing what English people seem to think of as the Canadian cure; that is, I've been given a chance for readjusting my ideas and developing my character."
"Under Mr. Lansing's guidance?"
Edgar realized that the girl was less interested in him than in George, but he did not resent this.
"You're smart. I believe my people entertained some idea of that nature; George is considered safe. Still, to prevent any misapprehension, I'd better point out that my chief failings are a fondness for looking at the amusing side of things and a slackness in availing myself of my opportunities. As an instance of the latter defect, I'm boring you by talking about Lansing."
Flora regarded him with a quiet smile.
"It struck me that you were saying something about yourself."
"I suppose that's true," Edgar admitted. "It clears the ground."
"For what?"
"For an extension of our acquaintance, among other things."
"Do you want it extended?"
They had stopped at the edge of a hollow filled with tall, harsh grass, and Edgar studied her while he considered his answer. There was nothing that suggested coquetry in the faint amusement she displayed; this was a girl with some depth of character, though he realized that she was pretty. She carried herself well; she was finely and strongly made; her gray eyes were searching; and she had a rather commanding manner. Her hair was a warm brown, clustering low on a smooth forehead; nose and lips and chin were firmly molded.
"Yes," he answered candidly29; "I'm feeling the strangeness of the country, and I've an idea that both George and I may need friends in it. It strikes me that you and your father would prove useful ones."
"Well," she said, "he's sometimes called hard, and he's a little prejudiced on certain points, but he can be very staunch to those he takes a liking30 to."
"I believe," Edgar rejoined, "that also applies to you; I don't mean the first of it."
Flora changed the subject.
"I gather that you're not favorably impressed with the place."
"I'm not. If I had to farm it, I'd feel scared; and I don't think George is happy. It's hard to understand how Marston let it get into such a state."
"He was unfitted for the work, and he was further handicapped."
"How?" Edgar asked.
"You may have noticed that while economy ruled outside, the house is remarkably31 well furnished. The money Marston spent in Winnipeg stores should have gone into the land."
Edgar nodded; he did not agree with George's opinion of Sylvia.
"You don't seem to approve of the way Mrs. Marston managed things. It's rather curious. I always thought her pretty capable in some respects."
"That's very possible," said Flora with a hint of dryness.
"After all, it may not have been her fault," Edgar suggested. "Marston was a generous fellow; he may have insisted on thinking first of her comfort."
"Then she ought to have stopped him," said Flora firmly. "Do you think a woman should let a man spoil his one chance of success in order to surround her with luxury?"
"The answer's obvious."
A dazzling flash of lightning leaped from the mass of somber32 cloud overhead, and they turned back toward the house, which George and Grant reached soon afterward. Grant said that he must get home before the storm broke, and Grierson brought out his spirited team. It had grown nearly dark; a curious leaden haze33 obscured the prairie; and when the man was getting into his light, spring-seated wagon34, a jagged streak35 of lightning suddenly reft the gloom and there was a deafening36 roll of thunder. The horses started. Grant fell backward from the step, dropping the reins37; and while the others stood dazzled by the flash, the terrified animals backed the vehicle with a crash against the stable. Then they plunged38 madly forward toward the fence, with the reins trailing along the ground. Flora had got in before her father, and she was now helpless.
It was too late when Grant got up; Grierson and Edgar were too far away, and the latter stood still, wondering with a thrill of horror what the end would be; he did not think the horses saw the thin wire fence, and the gap in it was narrow. If they struck a post in going through, the vehicle would overturn. Then George, running furiously, sprang at the horses' heads, and went down, still holding on. He was dragged along a few yards, but the pace slackened, and Edgar ran forward with Grierson behind him. For a few moments there was a savage39 struggle, but they stopped and held the team, until Grant coolly cleared the reins and flung them to his daughter.
"Stick tight while I get up, and then watch out," he said to the others.
He was seated in another moment, the girl quietly making room for him; then, to Edgar's astonishment40, he lashed41 the frantic42 horses with the whip, and, plunging43 forward, they swept madly through the opening in the fence, with the wagon jolting44 from rut to rut. A minute or two afterward they had vanished into the thick obscurity that veiled the waste of grass, and there was a dazzling flash and a stunning45 roll of thunder. George, flushed and breathless, looked around with a soft laugh.
"Grant has pretty good nerve," he said.
"That's so, sir," Grierson agreed. "Strikes me he'll take some of the wickedness out of his team before he gets them home. I noticed that Miss Grant didn't look the least bit afraid."
Then a deluge46 of rain drove them into the house, where Edgar sat smoking thoughtfully; for what Flora Grant had said about Sylvia had a disturbing effect on him. It looked as if her selfish regard for her comfort had hampered47 Marston in his struggle; and though Edgar had never had much faith in Sylvia, this was painful to contemplate48. Moreover, George cherished a steadfast49 regard for her, which complicated things; but Edgar prudently50 decided that the matter was a delicate one and must be left to the people most concerned. After all, Miss Grant might be mistaken.
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1
dingy
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| adj.昏暗的，肮脏的 | |
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moodiness
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| n.喜怒无常；喜怒无常，闷闷不乐；情绪 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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4
succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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5
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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6
precipitate
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| adj.突如其来的；vt.使突然发生；n.沉淀物 | |
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7
alterations
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| n.改动( alteration的名词复数 )；更改；变化；改变 | |
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8
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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9
temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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12
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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15
inadequately
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| ad.不够地；不够好地 | |
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16
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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assertively
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| 断言地，独断地 | |
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offhand
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| adj.临时，无准备的；随便，马虎的 | |
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19
truculent
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| adj.野蛮的，粗野的 | |
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20
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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21
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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23
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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24
wasteful
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| adj.（造成）浪费的，挥霍的 | |
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25
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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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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27
flora
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| n.(某一地区的)植物群 | |
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28
arduous
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| adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的 | |
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candidly
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| adv.坦率地，直率而诚恳地 | |
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30
liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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31
remarkably
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| ad.不同寻常地，相当地 | |
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32
somber
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| adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的 | |
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33
haze
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| n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊 | |
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34
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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35
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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36
deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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reins
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| 感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带 | |
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38
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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39
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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40
astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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41
lashed
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| adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥 | |
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42
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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43
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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44
jolting
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| adj.令人震惊的 | |
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45
stunning
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| adj.极好的；使人晕倒的 | |
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46
deluge
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| n./vt.洪水，暴雨，使泛滥 | |
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47
hampered
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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48
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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49
steadfast
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| adj.固定的，不变的，不动摇的；忠实的；坚贞不移的 | |
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50
prudently
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| adv. 谨慎地，慎重地 | |
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