Things were not comfortable in the house, and I did nothing to make them better. To be sure, I kept my promise of talking to Reuben, but I'm afraid that I did not even do that in a manner to be of any use. I met Mr. Harrod as I passed out into the stable-yard, and he asked me how I did? That alone put me out.
To have been asked how I did by any one that morning would have annoyed me, but to be asked how I did by the man who was somehow connected with my doing ill annoyed me specially2. I fancied it would have been in better taste if he had not remarked upon a body's appearance when she was looking her worst; and anyhow it seemed to me an unnecessary formality. I feel really ashamed now to write down such nonsense, but there is no doubt that such were my feelings at the time. I do not think that I even answered him by anything more than a "good-morning," but passed on as though I had the affairs of the world on my shoulders.
I found Reuben rubbing down the mare3 who was to go into town with father. She neighed as I came in, and stretched out her neck. I had no sugar, but she licked my hand nevertheless; and I remembered Reuben's compliment to me about my ability to win the love of beasts. It consoled me a little at a time when I thought I should always stand aloof4, not only from the love but even from the comradeship of human beings. And it gave me courage to say what I wanted to say to Reuben. It was something to know that I was at least the old man's favorite.
"Reuben," I began, plunging5 boldly into the matter, "whatever[119] made you behave so badly to father's bailiff when he came round the place?"
There had been a special cause of complaint that very morning when father had first taken Mr. Harrod round the farm, so I had a handle upon which to begin.
"Don't you know," I went on, "that this gentleman has got to be master over you?"
"Master!" repeated Reuben, stopping his work, and looking straight at me; "no, miss, I knows nothing about that."
I had used the word on purpose to draw out the whole sting at once.
"Yes," continued I, "he's going to be father's bailiff."
"Well," explained I, trying neither to laugh nor to be annoyed, "that means that he is going to manage the land and give orders the same as father, so that there'll be two masters instead of one."
Reuben continued rubbing down the mare's coat till it began to shine like satin.
"I've heard tell," answered he at last, "there's something in the Book that says a man don't have no call to serve two masters."
This time I did laugh outright7. "Oh, that's different, Reuben," said I—"that's different; but these two masters will both be good, and both will want you to do the same thing."
"Do ye know that for sure, miss?" asked Reuben, again, and I had a lurking8 suspicion that he did not ask in a perfectly9 teachable spirit. "I've heard tell as when there be two masters, they always wants a man to do just the opposite things."
I paused a moment. I did not know what to answer, for it seemed to me as though there might be a great deal of truth in this.
But I said, bravely, "Oh no, Reuben."
Reuben scratched his head. "Well, miss, Farmer Maliphant, he have been my master fifteen year come Michaelmas, and he have been a good master to me. Many another would have turned me away because o' the drink. It was chill work at times down there on the marsh10 when I was with the sheep, and the drink was a comfort. I nigh upon died o' the drink, but Farmer Maliphant he have been patient with me, and he give me another chance when others would have sacked me without a word. And now I be what parson calls a reformed character."
"Well, you are quite right to avoid drinking, Reuben," said I, chiefly because I did not know what to say.
[120]
"Yes; but I don't mind tellin' you, miss," continued Reuben, confidentially11, "that farmer he have more to do with making a pious12 man of me than parson had; not but what I respec's the Church; but bless you, parson wouldn't ha' given me nothing for giving up o' my bad ways, and where's the use of doing violence to yerself if ye ain't a goin' to get something by it?"
Reuben wiped his brow. This long and unwonted effort of speech was almost too much for him.
"Nay13, parson he didn't offer me no reward," added he, "but farmer he did. He says to me, 'Reuben,' he says, 'if you give up the drink you shall stay on as long as I'm above-ground;' and three times I backslided, I did, and three times he give me another chance; and now as I'm a respectable party, and a honor to any club as I might belong to, I means to stick to my old master, and not be for going after follerin' any other mammon whatsomever."
I brightened up at this declaration.
"Well, I'm glad of that, Reuben," said I. "I'm sure we none of us want you to leave us after all these years."
"Lord bless you, I ain't a-going to leave," answered he, simply.
"Then that's all right," answered I. "If you have made up your mind to do as you're bid, I know father will be true to his word, and will never turn you off so long as he is alive."
"Ay, the master'll be true to his word," echoed the old man, nodding his head, "and I'll be true to mine, but I won't go follerin' after no new masters. One master's enough for me, and him only will I serve."
He gave the mare a smack14 upon her haunches, and turned her off; the light of reason faded from his face, and I knew that it was absolutely useless to say another word to him on the subject. I turned to go within, and in the porch, with a bowl in her hand, stood Deborah facing me, with an exasperating15 smile on her wide red face, and something more than usually aggressive in her broad, strong figure. I looked round and saw that the gate of the yard was open, and that Mr. Harrod, with his heavy boots and gaiters on, ready for work, stood just behind me. I could have cried with vexation.
"Mr. Maliphant is waiting," said he, going up to the animal that Reuben had just finished harnessing, and fastening the last buckle16 himself. "I'll drive the cart round to the front myself." And he took the reins17 and jumped up while Reuben, in gloomy silence, tightened19 up one of the straps21. I went and opened the gates, and with a nod of thanks to me, Mr. Harrod dashed out.
[121]
I cannot tell whether it was the strap20 that he had fastened himself, or whether the one that had been Reuben's doing, but something galled22 the mare. She reared and began to kick. Without a smile upon his face, and without moving an inch, Reuben said, "Ay, it takes a man to hold that mare."
"You fool!" cried I, quite forgetting myself. "It isn't the man, it's the harness."
I flew down the gravel23 after the cart. The horse was still kicking violently. Every muscle on Mr. Harrod's dark face was set in hard lines.
"Leave her alone," cried he, as I approached; "don't touch her."
Something in his voice cowed me, and apparently24 cowed the horse also, for she was quiet in an instant, her sides only quivering with nervousness. I sprang to her and unloosed the cruel strap. She turned to me, and I held her by the bridle25 and patted her neck. Mr. Harrod got down and examined the cart. Fortunately it was not materially hurt.
"What can Reuben have been about to tighten18 that so," said I. "It was enough to madden any horse."
He did not answer.
"I'm afraid he was angry at your giving him an order," said I. "You must excuse him. He's an obstinate26 old fellow, but he is a good servant, and he has been with us many years."
"It's the most natural thing in the world that he should dislike me at first," answered Trayton Harrod, with that smile of his that was such a quick, short flash. "I rather like the sort of people who resent interference. But I don't suppose it was his doing for a moment. I buckled27 this up wrong."
He pointed28 to his part of the job. Father came up, and they drove off quietly together. I went back into the yard, musing29 on his words.
"I don't believe you'll find Mr. Harrod an unjust master, Reuben," said I.
Reuben took no notice; but Deborah laughed, and said, grimly:
"Well, he's a fine-grown young man, anyhow; and he'll know how to drive a mare, I don't doubt."
But I paid no attention to her words. I was wondering why Mr. Harrod had said that he rather liked people who resented interference.
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1
urn
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| n.（有座脚的）瓮；坟墓；骨灰瓮 | |
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2
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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3
mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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5
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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6
stolid
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| adj.无动于衷的，感情麻木的 | |
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7
outright
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| adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的 | |
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8
lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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9
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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10
marsh
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| n.沼泽，湿地 | |
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11
confidentially
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| ad.秘密地，悄悄地 | |
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12
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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13
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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14
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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15
exasperating
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| adj. 激怒的 动词exasperate的现在分词形式 | |
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16
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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17
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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18
tighten
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| v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧 | |
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19
tightened
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| 收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧 | |
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20
strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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21
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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22
galled
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| v.使…擦痛( gall的过去式和过去分词 )；擦伤；烦扰；侮辱 | |
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23
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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24
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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25
bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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26
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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27
buckled
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| a. 有带扣的 | |
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28
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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29
musing
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| n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式 | |
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