"Minerva!"
"Yassah"—she answered soberly.
"You have been a faithful servant to me," Norton began, "you have never lied——"
"An' I ain't gwine ter begin now, sah."
He searched her black face keenly:
"Did Tom slip back here to see Miss Helen while I was away on this last trip?"
Minerva looked at Andy, fumbled2 with her apron3, started to speak, hesitated and finally admitted feebly:
"Yassah!"
Andy's eyes fairly bulged4:
"De Lordy, major, I didn't know dat, sah!"
Norton glanced at him:
"Shut up!"
"You ain't gwine ter be hard on 'em, major?" Minerva pleaded.
He ignored her interruption and went on evenly:
"How many times did he come?"
"Twice, sah."
"He sho come in de night time den5!" Andy broke in. "I nebber seed 'im once!"[Pg 429]
Norton bent6 close:
"How long did he stay?"
Minerva fidgeted, hesitated again and finally said:
"Once he stay about er hour——"
"And the other time?"
She looked in vain for a way of escape, the perspiration8 standing9 in beads10 on her shining black face:
"He stay all night, sah."
A moment of stillness followed. Norton's eyes closed, and his face became a white mask. He breathed deeply and then spoke11 quietly:
"You—you knew they were married?"
"Yassah!" was the quick reply. "I seed 'em married. Miss Helen axed me, sah."
Andy lifted his hands in solemn surprise and walled his eyes at Minerva:
"Well, 'fore12 Gawd!"
Another moment of silence and Andy's mouth was still open with wonder when a call like the crack of a revolver suddenly rang through the room:
"Andy!"
The negro dropped to his knees and lifted his hands:
"Don't do nuttin' ter me, sah! 'Fore de Lawd, major, I 'clare I nebber knowed it! Dey fool me, sah—I'd a tole you sho!"
Norton frowned:
"Shut your mouth and get up."
"Yassah!" Andy cried. "Hit's shet an' I'se up!"
He scrambled13 to his feet and watched his master.
"You and Minerva go down that back stairway into[Pg 430] the basement, fasten the windows and lock the doors."
Andy's eyes were two white moons in the shadows as he cried through chattering14 teeth:
"G—g—odder mighty—what—what's de matter, major?"
"Do as I tell you, quick!"
Andy dodged15 and leaped toward the door:
"R—right away, sah!"
"Pay no attention to anything Mr. Tom may say to you——"
"Nasah," Andy gasped16. "I pay no 'tension ter nobody, sah!"
"When you've fastened everything below, do the same on this floor and come back here—I want you."
"Y-y-yas—sah! R-r-r-right a-way, sah!"
Andy backed out, beckoning17 frantically18 to Minerva. She ignored him and watched Norton as he turned toward a window and looked vaguely20 out. As Andy continued his frantic19 calls she slipped to the doorway21 and whispered:
"G'long! I be dar in er minute. You po' fool, you can't talk nohow. You're skeered er de major. I'm gwine do my duty now, I'm gwine ter tell him sumfin' quick——"
Norton wheeled on her with sudden fury:
"Do as I tell you! Do as I tell you!"
Minerva dodged at each explosion, backing away. She paused and extended her hand pleadingly:
"Can't I put in des one little word, sah?"
"Not another word!" he thundered, advancing on her—"Go!"
"Yassah!"[Pg 431]
"Go! I tell you!"
Dodging23 again, she hurried below to join Andy. Norton turned back into the room and stood staring at something that gleamed with sinister24 brightness from the top of the little writing desk. An electric lamp with crimson25 shade seemed to focus every ray of light on the shining steel and a devil in the shadows pointed26 a single finger and laughed:
"It's ready—just where you laid it!"
He took a step toward the desk, stopped and gripped the back of the settee, steadied himself, and glared at the thing with fascination27. He walked unsteadily to the chair in front of the desk and stared again. His hand moved to grasp the revolver and hesitated. And then, the last thought of pity strangled, he gripped the handle, lifted it with quick familiar touch, grasped the top clasp, loosed the barrel, threw the cylinder28 open and examined the shells, dropped them into his hand and saw that there were no blanks. One by one he slowly replaced them, snapped the cylinder in place and put the weapon in his pocket.
He glanced about the room furtively29, walked to each of the tall French windows, closed the shutters30 and carefully drew the heavy draperies. He turned the switch of the electric lights, extinguishing all in the room save the small red one burning on the desk. He would need that in a moment.
He walked softly to the foot of the stairs and called:
"Tom!"
Waiting and receiving no answer he called again:
"Tom! Tom!"
A door opened above and the boy answered:
"Well?"[Pg 432]
"Just a word, my son," the gentle voice called.
"I've nothing to say, sir! We're packing our trunks to leave at once."
"Yes, yes, I understand," the father answered tenderly. "You're going, of course, and it can't be helped—but just a minute, my son; we must say good-by in a decent way, you know—and—I've something to show you before you go"—the voice broke—"you—won't try to leave without seeing me?"
There was a short silence and the answer came in friendly tones:
"I'll see you. I'll be down in a few minutes."
The father murmured:
"Thank God!"
He hurried back to the library, unlocked a tiny drawer in the desk, drew out a plain envelope from which he took the piece of paper on which was scrawled31 the last message from the boy's mother. His hand trembled as he read and slowly placed it in a small pigeon-hole.
He took his pen and began to write rapidly on a pad of legal cap paper.
While he was still busy with his writing, in obedience32 to his orders, Andy and Minerva returned. They stopped at the doorway and peeped in cautiously before entering. Astonished and terrified to find the room so dimly lighted they held a whispered conference in the hall:
"Better not go in dar, chile!" Andy warned.
"Ah, come on, you fool!" Minerva insisted. "He ain't gwine ter hurt us!"
"I tell ye he's wild—he's gone crazy, sho's yer born! I kin22 feel dem fingers playin' on my windpipe now!"[Pg 433]
"What's he doin' dar at dat desk?" Minerva asked.
"He's writin' good-by ter dis world, I'm tellin' ye, an' hit's time me an' you wuz makin' tracks!"
"Ah, come on!" the woman urged.
Andy hung back and shook his head:
"Nasah—I done bin33 in dar an' got my dose!"
"You slip up behin' him an' see what he's writin'," Minerva suggested.
"Na, you slip up!"
"You're de littlest an' makes less fuss," she argued.
"Yes, but you'se de biggest an' you las' de longest in er scrimmage——"
"Ah, go on!" she commanded, getting behind Andy and suddenly pushing him into the room.
He rushed back into her arms, but she pushed him firmly on:
"G'long, I tell ye, fool, an' see what he's doin'. I back ye up."
Andy balked34 and she pressed him another step:
"G'long!"
He motioned her to come closer, whispering:
"Ef yer gwine ter stan' by me, for de Lawd's sake stan' by me—don't stan' by de do'!"
Seeing that retreat was cut off and he was in for it, the negro picked his way cautiously on tip-toe until he leaned over the chair and tried to read what his master was writing.
Norton looked up suddenly:
"Andy!"
He jumped in terror:
"I—I—didn't see nuttin', major! Nasah! I nebber seed a thing, sah!"
Norton calmly lifted his head and looked into the[Pg 434] black face that had been his companion so many years:
"I want you to see it!"
"Oh!" Andy cried with surprised relief, "you wants me to see hit"—he glanced at Minerva and motioned her to come nearer. "Well, dat's different, sah. Yer know I wouldn't er tried ter steal er glimpse of it ef I'd knowed ye wuz gwine ter show it ter me. I allers is er gemman, sah!"
Norton handed him the paper:
"I taught you to read and write, Andy. You can do me a little service to-night—read that!"
"Yassah—yassah," he answered, pompously35, adjusting his coat and vest. He held the paper up before him, struck it lightly with the back of his hand and cleared his throat:
"Me an' you has bin writin' fer de newspapers now 'bout7 fifteen years—yassah"—he paused and hurriedly read the document. "Dis yo' will, sah? An' de Lawd er mussy, 'tain't more'n ten lines. An' dey hain't nary one er dem whereases an' haremditaments aforesaids, like de lawyers puts in dem in de Cote House—hit's des plain writin"—he paused again—"ye gives de house, an' ten thousand dollars ter Miss Helen an' all yer got ter de Columnerzation Society ter move de niggers ter er place er dey own!"—he paused again and walled his eyes at Minerva. "What gwine come er Mr. Tom?"
Norton's head sank:
"He'll be rich without this! Sign your name here as a witness," he said shortly, picking up the pen.
Andy took the pen, rolled up his sleeve carefully, bent over the desk, paused and scratched his head:
"Don't yer think, major, dat's er terrible pile er money ter fling loose 'mongst er lot er niggers?"[Pg 435]
Norton's eyes were dreaming again and Andy went on insinuatingly36: "Now, wouldn't hit be better, sah, des ter pick out one good reliable nigger dat yer knows pussonally—an' move him?"
Norton looked up impatiently:
"Sign it!"
"Yassah! Cose, sah, you knows bes', sah, but 'pears ter me lak er powerful waste er good money des flingin' it broadcast!"
Norton lifted his finger warningly and Andy hastened to sign his name with a flourish of the pen. He looked at it admiringly:
"Dar now! Dey sho know dat's me! I practise on dat quereque two whole mont's——"
Norton folded the will, placed it in an envelope, addressed it and lifted his drawn37 face:
"Tell the Clerk of the Court that I executed this will to-night and placed it in this desk"—his voice became inaudible a moment and went on—"Ask him to call for it to-morrow and record it for me."
Minerva, who had been listening and watching with the keenest interest, pressed forward and asked in a whisper:
"Yassah, but whar's you gwine ter be? You sho ain't gwine ter die ter-night?"
Norton quietly recovered himself and replied angrily:
"Do I look as if I were dying?"
"Nasah!—But ain't dey no way dat I kin help ye, major? De young folks is gwine ter leave, sah——"
"They are not going until I'm ready!" was the grim answer.
"Nasah, but dey's gwine," the black woman replied tenderly. "Ye can't stop 'em long. Lemme plead fur[Pg 436] 'em, sah! You wuz young an' wild once, major"—the silvery gray head sank low and the white lips quivered—"you take all yer money frum Mister Tom—what he care fer dat now wid love singin' in his heart? Young folks is young folks——"
Norton lifted his head and stared as in a dream.
"Won't ye hear me, sah? Can't I go upstairs an' speak de good word ter Mister Tom now an' tell him hit's all right?"
A sudden idea flashed into Norton's mind.
The ruse38 would be the surest and quickest way to get Tom into the room alone.
"Yes, yes," he answered, glancing at her. "You can say that to him now——"
Minerva laughed:
"I kin go right up dar to his room now an' tell 'im dat you're er waitin' here wid yer arms open an' yer heart full er love an' fergiveness?"
"Yes, go at once"—he paused—"and keep Miss Helen there a few minutes. I want to see him first—you understand——"
"Yassah! yassah!" Minerva cried, hastening to the door followed by Andy. "I understands, I understands"—she turned on Andy. "Ye hear dat, you fool nigger? Ain't I done tole you dat hit would all come out right ef I could des say de good word? Gloree! We gwine ter hab dat weddin' all over agin! You des wait till yer seen dat cake I gwine ter bake——"
With a quick turn she was about to pass through the door when Andy caught her sleeve:
"Miss Minerva!"
"Yas, honey!"
"Miss Minerva," he repeated, nervously39 glancing at[Pg 437] Norton, "fer Gawd's sake don't you leave me now! You'se de only restful pusson in dis house!"
With a triumphant40 laugh Minerva whispered:
"I'll be right back in a minute, honey!"
Norton had watched with apparent carelessness until Minerva had gone. He sprang quickly to his feet, crossed the room and spoke in an excited whisper:
"Andy!"
"Yassah!"
"Go down to that front gate and stay there. Turn back anybody who tries to come in. Don't you allow a soul to enter the lawn."
"I'll do de best I kin, sah," he replied hastening toward the door.
Norton took an angry step toward him:
"You do exactly as I tell you, sir!"
Andy jumped and replied quickly:
"Yassah, but ef dem serenaders come back here you know dey ain't gwine pay no 'tensun ter no nigger talkin' to 'em—dat's what dey er celebratin' erbout——"
Norton frowned and was silent a moment:
"Say that I ask them not to come in."
"I'll tell 'em, sah, but I spec I'll hatter climb er tree 'fore I explains hit to 'em—but I tell 'em, sah—yassah."
As Andy slowly backed out, Norton said sternly:
"I'll call you when I want you. Stay until I do!"
"Yassah," Andy breathed softly as he disappeared trembling and wondering.
点击
收听单词发音
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1
collapse
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| vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷 | |
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2
fumbled
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| （笨拙地）摸索或处理（某事物）( fumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 乱摸，笨拙地弄； 使落下 | |
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3
apron
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| n.围裙；工作裙 | |
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4
bulged
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| 凸出( bulge的过去式和过去分词 )； 充满； 塞满（某物） | |
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5
den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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6
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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7
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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8
perspiration
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| n.汗水；出汗 | |
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9
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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10
beads
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| n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链 | |
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11
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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12
fore
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| adv.在前面；adj.先前的；在前部的；n.前部 | |
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13
scrambled
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| v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞 | |
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14
chattering
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| n. （机器振动发出的）咔嗒声，(鸟等)鸣，啁啾 adj. 喋喋不休的，啾啾声的 动词chatter的现在分词形式 | |
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15
dodged
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| v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避 | |
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16
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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17
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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18
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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19
frantic
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| adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的 | |
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20
vaguely
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| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
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21
doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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22
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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23
dodging
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| n.避开，闪过，音调改变v.闪躲( dodge的现在分词 )；回避 | |
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24
sinister
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| adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的 | |
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25
crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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26
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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27
fascination
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| n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋 | |
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28
cylinder
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| n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸 | |
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29
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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30
shutters
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| 百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门 | |
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31
scrawled
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| 乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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33
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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34
balked
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| v.畏缩不前，犹豫( balk的过去式和过去分词 )；（指马）不肯跑 | |
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35
pompously
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| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
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36
insinuatingly
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37
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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38
ruse
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| n.诡计，计策；诡计 | |
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39
nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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40
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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