CHAPTER X. A CALIFORNIA WIDOW.

 John Miles eyed the woman curiously¹. There did not seem much that was feminine left in her. Life in the wilderness² had made her as bold and self-reliant as a man. She was not compelled to plead for woman's rights. She resolutely³ took a man's rights, and was prepared to maintain them against all comers.

 

"I rather think you can take care of yourself, ma'am," he said.

 

"You can bet your bottom dollar on that, stranger," said the woman, cheerfully. "Brown—that's my husband—knew what I was. We was ekal partners—Brown and me—and he knew too much to tread on me."

 

"I'm glad I wasn't Brown," thought John Miles. "When I marry, it'll be a woman, and not a man in petticoats."[Pg 94]

 

"If you're hungry, stranger," said the woman, "just jump off that horse of yours, and come in. I can give you a square meal, and I reckon you haven't had one lately."

 

"You are right, Mrs. Brown," said Miles, dismounting with alacrity⁴. "My provisions are dry and stale, and I shall enjoy a square meal amazingly. But I ought to tell you that last night I was robbed of a bag of gold-dust, and I have nothing to pay you."

 

"Who asks for pay?" returned the woman. "I don't keep a hotel, but I'm tired of eating alone. I want to see how it seems to have a man setting opposite me agin. So come in, and I won't keep you waiting long."

 

"Thank you, Mrs. Brown. If you don't mind, I'll light my pipe, and sit out here till I've had a smoke."

 

"You can smoke inside if you want to. I always let Brown. It makes me feel better, now that he's pegged⁵ out, that I didn't deny him any of his little comforts."

 

"Clearly Mrs. Brown was a cons[Pg 95]iderate wife," thought Miles; "but she doesn't look like a woman to fall in love with."

 

Tying his horse, he threw himself down on the grass, and enjoyed the luxury of a smoke while Mrs. Brown was heard bustling⁶ about inside, preparing the square meal which she had promised to her unexpected guest.

 

Presently she reappeared.

 

"The victuals⁷ is ready, if you are, stranger," she said.

 

"I am ready, Mrs. Brown," said Miles, rising at once, and entering the cabin.

 

The cabin was rough, and ill-adapted to a fastidious tenant⁸, but it looked comfortable. What attracted Miles most, however, was a table set in the middle of the floor, covered with a substantial and appetizing meal. Mrs. Brown was a fair cook—perhaps her only feminine accomplishment⁹. She placed Miles at the head of the table, and seated herself opposite him. She watched his attacks upon the fare she had provided with evident satisfaction.

 

"I hope you like it," she said.[Pg 96]

 

"Mrs. Brown, I haven't tasted anything so good for a long time."

 

She nodded, with a pleased look.

 

"Brown allus liked my cookin," she said. "He had a good appetite most generally, and it was a pleasure to see him eat. It's kinder lonesome cookin' for yourself. Then, too, it takes away my appetite sittin' down alone to eat."

 

"You must be very lonely, Mrs. Brown."

 

"Yes, its lonesome like bein' a widder. I'm kinder used to seein' a man about the house."

 

"So I suppose."

 

"Be you a married man?" asked the lady, pointedly¹⁰.

 

"No, ma'am."

 

"How old be you?"

 

"Twenty-eight," answered Miles, rather amused.

 

"Then you're old enough to get married?"

 

"Oh yes, I am old enough."

 

"Be you in love with any girl?"

 

"The old woman's getting curious," thought Miles. "However, I don't mind gratifying her curiosity."[Pg 97]

 

"No, I'm not in love," he replied.

 

Mrs. Brown eyed him thoughtfully. She seemed to be revolving¹¹ some plan in her mind.

 

"Take a good look at me, stranger," she said, bracing¹² herself up, as if on exhibition.

 

"Certainly," said John Miles, considerably¹³ astonished.

 

"I want to ask you a few questions."

 

"Go ahead, Mrs. Brown."

 

"Am I hump-backed?"

 

"Certainly not. Who said you were?"

 

"Just attend to my questions, if you please, stranger. Am I squint-eyed?"

 

"Mrs. Brown must be crazy," thought Miles. However, he answered in the negative.

 

"Am I as homely¹⁴ as a hedge-fence?" pursued the widow.

 

"Has anybody been calling you so? If so, tell me who it is."

 

"Never you mind, stranger. Am I old and wrinkled?"

 

"Certainly she's out of her mind," thought Miles. "I must humor her."[Pg 98]

 

"I think you are a very good-looking woman," he said, soothingly¹⁵.

 

"No, I'm not," said the strong-minded lady, "but at the same time I ain't a scarecrow."

 

"Certainly not."

 

"Don't talk too much, stranger. I expect you're surprised at my questions, but I'll come to the p'int at once. I'm tired of livin' here alone. I didn't think I'd miss Brown so much. He wasn't any great shakes of a man, but he was better than nothing. He was company for me, Brown was, in the long evenin's, and I miss him. I've made up my mind to take on somebody in his place, and I reckon I'd like to engage you, stranger. Will you marry me?"

 

Mrs. Brown did not blush when she asked this extraordinary question. She was entirely¹⁶ self-possessed, and could not have been cooler, if she had been transacting¹⁷ an ordinary piece of business.

 

John Miles had never before received a proposal of marriage. He felt as awkward and confused as a young girl, and began to hesitate and stammer¹⁸.[Pg 99]

 

"Really, Mrs. Brown," he began, "you have taken me by surprise."

 

"I expect I have," said the widow, "but I'll give you time to think it over. Brown left me I pretty comfortable, though I did more to get the property together than he. You wouldn't think it, perhaps, but I've got five thousand dollars in gold hid away somewheres near, and there's a claim not far away, that belongs to me, and will pay for workin'."

 

"I am glad you are so well off, Mrs. Brown," said Miles.

 

"If you marry me," continued the widow, "you can work that claim. You're a strong, able-bodied man, and a year from now, if you want to, we'll go to the city, and settle down. I'm older than you; but a matter of a few years don't make much difference. You were robbed, you told me?"

 

"Yes, of all that I had."

 

"How much was it?"

 

"About two hundred dollars."

 

"That ain't much."

 

[Pg 100]

 

"It's a good deal when it's all you have," answered Miles.

 

"If you marry me you won't miss it," said Mrs. Brown. "I won't give you my money right off, for you might run off with it, but at the end of the first year you shall have half of it. There's a parson a few miles up the ca?on, at Dirt Hole, that will marry us any time we ride over. What do you say, stranger?"

 

It was an embarrassing moment for John Miles. He had no desire to succeed the deceased Brown, notwithstanding the little property he had left behind him. Mrs. Brown did not in the least resemble the wife of whom he had sometimes dreamed. But how could he decline without exciting the resentment¹⁹ of that singular female? He bore in mind that Mrs. Brown carried a revolver, and she might take a notion to shoot him down. He must temporize²⁰.

 

"Your proposal is a very kind and flattering one, Mrs. Brown, but I don't care to marry just at present. I want to go to the city and try my fortune. I've only lately arrived in California,[Pg 101] and I am not ready to settle down yet."

 

To his relief Mrs. Brown accepted his objection in good part.

 

"No offence, stranger," she said. "I didn't know how you might feel about it. I've made you a fair offer."

 

"Indeed you have. The time may come when I shall return, and—"

 

"I won't promise to wait for you, stranger. Somebody else may happen along that'll take the situation."

 

"It would be too much to expect you to wait for me, I admit."

 

"All right, stranger. You've answered fair, and now we'll let the matter drop."

 

When Miles left the cabin he carried with him an addition to his stock of provisions, for which he was indebted to Mrs. Brown's liberality. It was evident that she bore no malice²¹, notwithstanding her suit had been rejected.

1 curiously   

adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地

参考例句：

• He looked curiously at the people.他好奇地看着那些人。
• He took long stealthy strides. His hands were curiously cold.他迈着悄没声息的大步。他的双手出奇地冷。

2 wilderness   

n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠

参考例句：

• She drove the herd of cattle through the wilderness.她赶着牛群穿过荒野。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

3 resolutely   

adj.坚决地，果断地

参考例句：

• He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
• He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。

4 alacrity   

n.敏捷，轻快，乐意

参考例句：

• Although the man was very old,he still moved with alacrity.他虽然很老，动作仍很敏捷。
• He accepted my invitation with alacrity.他欣然接受我的邀请。

5 pegged   

v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平

参考例句：

• They pegged their tent down. 他们钉好了账篷。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She pegged down the stairs. 她急忙下楼。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

7 victuals   

n.食物；食品

参考例句：

• A plateful of coarse broken victuals was set before him.一盘粗劣的剩余饭食放到了他的面前。
• There are no more victuals for the pig.猪没有吃的啦。

8 tenant   

n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用

参考例句：

• The tenant was dispossessed for not paying his rent.那名房客因未付房租而被赶走。
• The tenant is responsible for all repairs to the building.租户负责对房屋的所有修理。

9 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

10 pointedly   

adv.尖地，明显地

参考例句：

• She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。
• The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

12 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

13 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

14 homely   

adj.家常的，简朴的；不漂亮的

参考例句：

• We had a homely meal of bread and cheese.我们吃了一顿面包加乳酪的家常便餐。
• Come and have a homely meal with us,will you?来和我们一起吃顿家常便饭，好吗？

15 soothingly   

adv.抚慰地，安慰地；镇痛地

参考例句：

• The mother talked soothingly to her child. 母亲对自己的孩子安慰地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He continued to talk quietly and soothingly to the girl until her frightened grip on his arm was relaxed. 他继续柔声安慰那姑娘，她那因恐惧而紧抓住他的手终于放松了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

17 transacting   

v.办理（业务等）( transact的现在分词 )；交易，谈判

参考例句：

• buyers and sellers transacting business 进行交易的买方和卖方
• The court was transacting a large volume of judicial business on fairly settled lines. 法院按衡平原则审理大量案件。 来自辞典例句

18 stammer   

n.结巴，口吃；v.结结巴巴地说

参考例句：

• He's got a bad stammer.他口吃非常严重。
• We must not try to play off the boy troubled with a stammer.我们不可以取笑这个有口吃病的男孩。

19 resentment   

n.怨愤，忿恨

参考例句：

• All her feelings of resentment just came pouring out.她一股脑儿倾吐出所有的怨恨。
• She cherished a deep resentment under the rose towards her employer.她暗中对她的雇主怀恨在心。

20 temporize   

v.顺应时势；拖延

参考例句：

• Celia had decided long ago she would never temporize on that.西莉亚早就认定，在这上面她绝不能妥协。
• I can't permit you to temporize any longer.我不能允许你再拖延时间了。

21 malice   

n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋

参考例句：

• I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
• There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。