A broad smile broke over his black countenance1:
"Fight it out! Fight it out!" he exclaimed with a quick movement toward the table. "Yassah, I'm gwine do it, too, I is!"
He paused before the array of filled glasses of the iced beverage2, saluted3 silently, and raised one high over his head to all imaginary friends who might be present. His eye rested on the portrait of General Lee. He bowed and saluted again. Further on hung Stonewall Jackson. He lifted his glass to him, and last to Norton's grandfather in his blue and yellow colonial regimentals. He pressed the glass to his thirsty lips and waved the julep a jovial4 farewell with the palm of his left hand as he poured it gently but firmly down to the last drop.
He smacked5 his lips, drew a long breath and sighed:
"Put ernuff er dat stuff inside er me, I kin6 fight er wil'cat! Yassah, an' I gwine do it. I gwine ter be rough wid her, too! Rough wid her, I is!"
He seized another glass and drained half of it, drew[Pg 356] himself up with determination, walked to the door leading to the hall toward the kitchen and called:
"Miss Minerva!"
Receiving no answer, he returned quickly to the tray and took another drink:
"Rough wid her—dat's de way—rough wid her!"
He pulled his vest down with a vicious jerk, bravely took one step, paused, reached back, picked up his glass again, drained it, and walked to the door.
"Miss Minerva!" he called loudly and fiercely.
From the kitchen came the answer in tender tones:
"Yas—honey!"
Andy retreated hastily to the table and took another drink before the huge but smiling figure appeared in the doorway7.
"Did my true love call?" she asked softly.
Andy groaned8, grasped a glass and quickly poured another drink of Dutch courage down. "Yassam, Miss Minerva, I thought I hear yer out dar——"
Minerva giggled9 as lightly as she could considering her two hundred and fifty pounds:
"Yas, honey, hit's little me!"
Andy had begun to feel the bracing10 effects of the two full glasses of mint juleps. He put his hands in his pockets, walked with springing strides to the other end of the room, returned and squared himself impressively before Minerva. Before he could speak his courage began to fail and he stuttered:
"M-M-M-Miss Minerva!"
The good-humored, shining black face was raised in sharp surprise:
"What de matter wid you, man, er hoppin' roun' over de flo' lak er flea11 in er hot skillet?"[Pg 357]
Andy saw that the time had come when he must speak unless he meant to again ignominiously12 surrender. He began boldly:
"Miss Minerva! I got somethin' scandalous ter say ter you!"
She glared at him, the whites of her eyes shining ominously13, crossed the room quickly and confronted Andy:
"Don't yer dar' say nuttin' scandalizin' ter me, sah!"
His eyes fell and he moved as if to retreat. She nudged him gently:
"G'long, man, what is it?"
He took courage:
"I got ter 'fess ter you, m'am, dat I'se tangled14 up wid annuder 'oman!"
The black face suddenly flashed with wrath15, and her figure was electric with battle. The very pores of her dusky skin seemed to radiate war.
"Who bin16 tryin' ter steal you?" she cried. "Des sho' her ter me, an' we see who's who!"
Andy waved his hands in a conciliatory self-accusing gesture:
"Yassam—yassam! But I make er fool outen myse'f about her—hit's Miss Cleo!"
"Cleo!" Minerva gasped18, staggering back until her form collided with the table and rattled19 the glasses on the tray. At the sound of the tinkling20 glass, she turned, grasped a mint julep, and drank the whole of it at a single effort.
Andy, who had been working on a figure in the rug with the toe of his shoe during his confession21, looked up, saw that she had captured his inspiration, and sprang back in alarm.[Pg 358]
Minerva paused but a moment for breath and rushed for him:
"Dat yaller Jezebel!—tryin' ter fling er spell over you—but I gwine ter save ye, honey!"
Andy retreated behind the lounge, his ample protector hot on his heels:
"Yassam!" he cried, "but I don't want ter be saved!"
Before he had finished the plea, she had pinned him in a corner and cut off retreat.
"Of course yer don't!" she answered generously. "No po' sinner ever does. But don't yer fret22, honey, I'se gwine ter save ye in spite er yosef! Yer needn't ter kick, yer needn't ter scramble23, now's de time ye needs me, an I'se gwine ter stan' by ye. Nuttin' kin shake me loose now!"
She took a step toward him and he vainly tried to dodge24. It was useless. She hurled25 her ample form straight on him and lifted her arms for a generous embrace:
"Lordy, man, dat make me lub yer er hundred times mo!"
Andy made up his mind in a sudden burst of courage to fight for his life. If she once got those arms about him he was gone. He grasped them roughly and stayed the onset26:
"Yassam!" he answered warningly. "But I got ter 'fess up ter you now de whole truf. I bin er deceivin' you 'bout17 myself. I'se er bad nigger, Miss Minerva, an' I hain't worthy27 ter be you' husban'!"
"G'long, chile, I done know dat all de time!" she laughed.
Andy walled his eyes at her uneasily, and she continued:[Pg 359]
"But I likes ter hear ye talk humble28 dat a way—hit's a good sign."
He shook his head impatiently:
"But ye don't know what I means!"
"Why, of cose, I does!" she replied genially29. "I always knowed dat I wuz high above ye. I'se black, but I'se pure ez de drivellin' snow. I always knowed, honey, dat ye wern't my equal. But ye can't help dat. I'se er born 'ristocrat. My mudder was er African princess. My grandmudder wuz er queen—an' I'se er cook!"
Andy stamped his foot with angry impatience30;
"Yassam—but ye git dat all wrong!"
"Cose, you' Minerva understan's when ye comes along side er yo' true love dat ye feels humble——"
"Nobum! Nobum!" he broke in emphatically—"ye got dat all wrong—all wrong!" He paused, drew a chair to the table and motioned her to a seat opposite.
"Des lemme tell ye now," he continued with determined31 kindness. "Ye see I got ter 'fess de whole truf ter you. Tain't right ter fool ye."
Minerva seated herself, complacently32 murmuring:
"Yassah, dat's so, Brer Andy."
He leaned over the table and looked at her a moment solemnly:
"I gotter 'fess ter you now, Miss Minerva, dat I'se always bin a bad nigger—what dey calls er pizen bad nigger—I'se er wife beater!"
Minerva's eyes walled in amazement33:
"No?"
"Yassam," he went on seriously. "When I wuz married afore I got de habit er beatin' my wife!"
"Beat her?"
Andy shook his head dolefully:[Pg 360]
"Yassam. Hit's des lak I tell ye. I hates ter 'fess hit ter you, m'am, but I formed de habit, same ez drinkin' licker—I beat her! I des couldn't keep my hands offen her. I beat her scandalous! I pay no tenshun to her hollerin!—huh!—de louder she holler, 'pears lak de harder I beat her!"
"My, my, ain't dat terrible!" she gasped.
"Yassam——"
"Scandalous!"
"Dat it is——"
"Sinful!"
"Jes so!" he agreed sorrowfully.
"But man!" she cried ecstatically, "dat's what I calls er husband!"
"Hey?"
"Dat's de man fer me!"
He looked at her in dismay, snatched the decanter, poured himself a straight drink of whiskey, gulped34 it down, leaned over the table and returned to his task with renewed vigor35:
"But I kin see, m'am, dat yer don't know what I means! I didn't des switch 'er wid er cowhide er de buggy whip! I got in er regular habit er lammin' her wid anything I git hold of—wid er axe36 handle or wid er fire shovel——"
"Well, dat's all right," Minerva interrupted admiringly. "She had de same chance ez you! I takes my chances. What I wants is er husban'—a husban' dat's got de sand in his gizzard! Dat fust husban' er mine weren't no good 'tall—nebber hit me in his life but once—slap me in de face one day, lak dat!"
She gave a contemptuous imitation of the trivial blow with the palms of her hands.[Pg 361]
"An' what'd you do, m'am?" Andy asked with sudden suspicion.
"Nuttin' 'tall!" she said with a smile. "I des laf, haul off, kinder playful lak, an' knock 'im down wid de flatiron——"
Andy leaped to his feet and walked around the table toward the door:
"Wid de flatiron!" he repeated incredulously.
"Didn't hit 'im hard!" Minerva laughed. "But he tumble on de flo' lak er ten-pin in er bowlin' alley37. I stan' dar waitin' fer 'im ter git up an' come ergin, an' what ye reckon he done?"
"I dunno, m'am," Andy sighed, wiping the perspiration38 from his forehead.
Minerva laughed joyously39 at the memory of the scene:
"He jump up an' run des lak er turkey! He run all de way down town, an' bless God ef he didn't buy me a new calico dress an' fotch hit home ter me. He warn't no man at all! I wuz dat sorry fer 'im an' dat ershamed er him I couldn't look 'im in de face ergin. I gits er divorce frum him——"
She paused, rose, and looked at Andy with tender admiration40:
"But, Lordy, honey, you an' me's gwine ter have joyful41 times!"
Andy made a break for the door but she was too quick for him. With a swift swinging movement, astonishing in its rapidity for her size, she threw herself on him and her arms encircled his neck:
"I'se yo' woman an' you'se my man!" she cried with a finality that left her victim without a ray of hope. He was muttering incoherent protests when Helen's laughing voice came to his rescue:[Pg 362]
"Oho!" she cried, with finger uplifted in a teasing gesture.
Minerva loosed her grip on Andy overwhelmed with embarrassment42, while he crouched43 behind her figure crying:
"'Twa'n't me, Miss Helen—'twa'n't me!"
Helen continued to laugh while Andy grasped the tray and beat a hasty retreat.
Helen approached Minerva teasingly:
"Why, Aunt Minerva!"
The big, jovial black woman glanced at her:
"G'way, chile—g'way frum here!"
"Aunt Minerva, I wouldn't have thought such a thing of you!" Helen said demurely44.
Minerva broke into a jolly laugh and faced her tormentor45:
"Yassum, honey, I spec hit wuz all my fault. Love's such foolishness—yer knows how dat is yosef!"
A look of rapture46 overspread Helen's face:
"Such a sweet, wonderful foolishness, Aunt Minerva!"—she paused and her voice was trembling when she added—"It makes us all akin47, doesn't it?"
"Yassam, an' I sho' is glad ter see you so happy!"
"Oh, I'm too happy, Aunt Minerva, it frightens me"—she stopped, glanced at the door, drew nearer and continued in low tones: "I've just left Tom out there on the lawn, to ask you to do something for me."
"Yassam."
"I want you to tell the major our secret to-night. He'll be proud and happy in his victory and I want him to know at once."
The black woman shook her head dubiously:[Pg 363]
"Tell him yosef, honey!"
"But I'm afraid. The major frightens me. When I look into his deep eyes I feel that he has the power to crush the soul out of my body and that he will do it if I make him very angry."
"Dat's 'cause yer deceives him, child."
"Please tell him for us, Aunt Minerva! Oh, you've been so good to me! For the past weeks I've been in heaven. It seems only a day instead of a month since he told me his love and then it seems I've lived through all eternity48 since I first felt his arms about me. Sitting out there in the moonlight by his side I forget that I'm on earth, forget that there's a pain or a secret in it. I'm just in heaven. I have to pinch myself to see if it's real"—she smiled and pinched her arm—"I'm afraid I'll wake up and find it only a dream!"
"Well, yer better wake up just er minute an' tell de major—Mister Tom got ter have it out wid him."
"Yes, I know, and that's what scares me. Won't you tell him for us right away? Get him in a good humor, make him laugh, say a good word for us and then tell him. Tell him how useless it will be to oppose us. He can't hold out long against Tom, he loves him so."
"Mr. Tom want me ter tell de major ter-night? He ax yer ter see me?"
"No. He doesn't know what I came for. I just decided49 all of a sudden to come. I want to surprise him. He is going to tell his father himself to-night. But somehow I'm afraid, Aunt Minerva. I want you to help us. You will, won't you?"
The black woman shook her head emphatically:
"Nasah, I ain't gwine ter git mixed up in dis thing!"[Pg 364]
"Aunt Minerva!"
"Nasah—I'se skeered!"
"Ah, please?"
"Nasah!"
"Please——"
"Na, na, na!"
"Aunt Minerva——"
"Na———"
The girl's pleading eyes were resistless and the black lips smiled:
"Cose I will, chile! Cose I will—I'll see 'im right away. I'll tell him de minute I lays my eyes on 'im."
She turned to go and ran squarely into Norton as he strode into the room. She stopped and stammered50:
"Why—why—wuz yer lookin' fer me, major?"
Norton gazed at her a moment and couldn't call his mind from its painful train of thought. He spoke51 finally with sharp accent:
"No. I want to see Cleo."
Helen slipped behind Minerva:
"Stay and tell him now. I'll go."
"No, better wait," was her low reply, as she watched Norton furtively52. "I don't like de way his eyes er spittin' fire."
Norton turned to Minerva sharply:
"Find Cleo and tell her I wish to see her immediately!"
"Yassah—yassah!" Minerva answered, nervously53, whispering to Helen: "Come on, honey—git outen here—come on!"
Helen followed mechanically, glancing timidly back over her shoulder at Norton's drawn54 face.
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收听单词发音
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1
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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smacked
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| 拍，打，掴( smack的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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7
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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8
groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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9
giggled
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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10
bracing
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| adj.令人振奋的 | |
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flea
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| n.跳蚤 | |
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ignominiously
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| adv.耻辱地，屈辱地，丢脸地 | |
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ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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14
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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15
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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17
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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18
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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19
rattled
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| 慌乱的，恼火的 | |
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tinkling
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| n.丁当作响声 | |
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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fret
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| v.(使)烦恼；(使)焦急；(使)腐蚀，(使)磨损 | |
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23
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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onset
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| n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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28
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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genially
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| adv.亲切地，和蔼地；快活地 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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31
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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complacently
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| adv. 满足地, 自满地, 沾沾自喜地 | |
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33
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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34
gulped
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| v.狼吞虎咽地吃，吞咽( gulp的过去式和过去分词 )；大口地吸（气）；哽住 | |
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35
vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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40
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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41
joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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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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43
crouched
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| v.屈膝，蹲伏( crouch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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45
tormentor
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| n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
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46
rapture
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| n.狂喜；全神贯注；着迷；v.使狂喜 | |
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47
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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48
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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49
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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50
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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52
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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53
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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54
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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