At such times it was his habit to lean upon the new fence that circumscribed3 Hotel Helicon and dreamily smoke a cigar. He felt a blind desire to assassinate4 somebody, if he could only know who. Of course not Peck, for Peck, too,[82] was disconsolate5, but somebody, anybody who would claim the place of a successful rival.
One morning while he stood thus regaling himself with his tobacco and his misery6, Tolliver rode up, on a handsome horse this time, and, lifting his broad hat, bowed picturesquely7 and said:
“Good mornin,’ Kyernel, how’re ye this mornin’?”
Tolliver looked off over the valley and up at the sky which was flecked with tags of fleece-cloud.
“Hit look like hit mought rain in er day er two,” he remarked.
“Yes, I don’t know, quite likely,” said Crane, gazing evasively in another direction.
“I believe so,” was the cold answer.
Tolliver leaned over the pommel of his saddle-tree and combed his horse’s mane with his sinewy10 fingers. Meantime the expression in his face was one of exceeding embarrassment11 blent with cunning.
“Kyernel, c’u’d ye do a feller a leetle yerrent what’s of importance?” he asked with peculiar12 faltering13.
“Do what?” inquired Crane lifting his eye-brows and turning the cigar in his mouth.
“Jest a leetle frien’ly job o’ kindness,” said Tolliver, “jest ter please ask thet young leddy—thet Miss Crabb ’at I fotch up yer on er mule[83] tother day, ye know; well, jest ax her for me ef I moughtn’t come in an’ see ’er on pertic’lar an’ pressin’ business, ef ye please, sir.”
By this time the mountaineer’s embarrassment had become painfully apparent. Any good judge of human nature could have seen at once that he was almost overcome with the burden and worry of the matter in hand. His cheeks were pale and his eyes appeared to be fading into utter vacancy15 of expression. Crane told him that there was no need to be particularly formal, that if he would go in and ask for Miss Crabb she would see him in the parlor16.
“But, Kyernel, hit’s er private, sort er confidential17 confab ’at I must hev wi’ ’er, an’——”
“Oh, well, that’s all right, you’ll not be interrupted in the parlor.”
“Air ye pine blank shore of it, Kyernel?”
“Certainly.”
“Dead shore?”
“Quite, I assure you.”
Crane had become interested in Tolliver’s affair, whatever it might be. He could not keep from sharing the man’s evident intensity19 of mood, and all the time he was wondering what the matter could be. Certainly no common-place subject could so affect a man of iron like Tolliver. The poet’s lively imagination was all aglow20 over the mystery, but it could not formulate21 any reasonable theory of explanation.
Miss Crabb appeared in the parlor promptly22 and met Tolliver with a cordiality that, instead[84] of reassuring23 him, threw him into another fit of embarrassment from which he at first made no effort to recover. His wide-brimmed hat, as he twirled it on his knees, quivered convulsively in accord with the ague of excitement with which his whole frame was shaking. He made certain soundless movements with his lips, as if muttering to himself.
Miss Crabb at first did not notice his confusion, and went on talking rapidly, reiterating24 thanks for the kindness he had shown her in her recent mishap25, and managing to put into her voice some tones that to him sounded very tender and sweet.
“You don’t know—you can’t imagine, Mr. Tolliver, what I suffered during that awful night,” she said, turning her head to one side and drawing her chin under until it almost disappeared in the lace at her throat. “It was horrible.”
Tolliver looked at her helplessly, his mouth open, his eyes dull and sunken.
“How did you happen to discover me up there, anyway, Mr. Tolliver?” she demanded, leaning toward him and laughing a little.
“The dog he treed ye, an’ then I seed ye settin’ up ther’ er writin’ away,” he managed to say, a wave of relief passing over his face at the sound of his own voice.
“It was perfectly27 ridiculous, perfectly preposterous,” she exclaimed, “but I’m mighty28 thankful that I was not hurt.”
“Yes, well ye mought be, Miss Crabb,” he[85] stammered29 out. “Wonder ye wasn’t scrunched30 inter18 pieces an’ scattered31 all eround ther’.”
She slipped out her book, took a pencil from over her ear and made a note.
Tolliver eyed her dolefully. “How do you spell scrunched, Mr. Tolliver, in your dialect?” she paused to inquire.
“S—q—r—u—” he paused and shook his head, “S—q—k—no thet’s not hit—s—k—q—r—dorg ef I ken26 spell thet word—begging yer parding, hit air ’tirely too hard for me.” He settled so low in his chair that his knees appeared almost as high as his head.
“All right,” she cheerily exclaimed, “I can get it phonetically33. It’s a new word. I don’t think either Craddock or Johnson uses it, it’s valuable.”
There was a silence during which Miss Crabb thoughtfully drummed on her projecting front teeth with the end of her pencil.
Tolliver nerved himself and said:
“Miss Crabb I—I, well, ye know, I—that is, begging yer parding, but I hev something’ I want er say ter ye, ef ye please.” He glanced furtively34 around, as if suspecting that some person lay secreted35 among the curtains of a bay window hard by. And indeed, Dufour was there, lightly indulging in a morning nap, while the mountain breeze flowed over him. He was in a deep bamboo chair behind those very curtains.
“Oh, certainly, certainly, Mr. Tolliver, go on, I shall be delighted, charmed indeed, to hear what you have to say,” Miss Crabb responded, turning a fresh leaf of her note-book and putting on a hopeful look.
“I hope ye’ll stick ter thet after I’ve done said it ter ye,” he proceeded to say, “but dorg on me ef I know how ter begin sayin’ it.”
“Oh, just go right on, it’s all right; I assure you, Mr. Tolliver, I am very anxious to hear.”
“Mebbe ye air, I don’t dispute yer word, but I feel mighty onery all the same.”
“Proceed, Mr. Tolliver,” she continued after a pause, “proceed, I am listening with great interest.”
“What I’m ergwine ter state ter ye mought mek ye mad, but hit can’t be holp, I jest hev ter say it—I air jest erbleeged ter say it.”
His voice was husky and he was assuming a tragic37 air. Miss Crabb felt a strange thrill creep throughout her frame as a sudden suspicion seemed to leap back and forth38 between her heart and her brain.
“No, I assure you that I could not be angry with you, Mr. Tolliver, under any circumstances,” she murmured, “you have been so very kind to me.”
“Hit air awful confusin’ an’ hit mek a feller feel smaller ’n a mouse ter speak it right out, but then hit air no foolishness, hit air pine blank business.”
“Ef ye don’t like w’at I say, w’y I won’t blame ye a bit. I feel jest as if I wer a doin’ somethin’ ’at I hadn’t orter do, but my mammy she say I must, an’ that do everlastin’ly settle it.”
“Yes, your mother’s advice is always safe.”
“Safe, I shed say so! Hit’s mighty onsafe fer me not ter foller it, I kin14 tell ye. She’d thump41 my old gourd42 fer me in ermazin’ style ef I didn’t.”
“Thump my old gourd,” repeated Miss Crabb, making a note. “Go on, Mr. Tolliver, please.”
“S’pose I mought as well, seein’ ’at it has ter be said.” He paused, faltered43, and then proceeded: “Well, beggin’ yer parding, Miss Crabb, but ever sence ye wer’ down ther’ ter we all’s cabin, hit’s been a worryin’ my mammy and me, an’ we hev’ talked it all over an’ over.”
“Yes,” sighed Miss Crabb.
“Hit’s not the cost of them beads44, Miss Crabb, they air not wo’th much, but they was guv ter mammy by her aunt Mandy Ann Bobus, an’ she feel like she jest can’t give ’em up.”
Miss Crabb looked puzzled.
“Ef ye’ll jest erblige me an’ hand them beads over ter me, I’ll never say er wo’d ter nobody ner nothin.”
“Mr. Tolliver, what in the world do you[88] mean?” cried Miss Crabb, rising and standing45 before him with a face that flamed with sudden anger.
“Ye mought er tuck ’em kinder accidentally, ye know,” he suggested in a conciliatory tone, rising also.
“Mr. Tolliver!” she almost screamed.
“Ther’ now, be still, er ye’ll let ever’body know all erbout it,” he half whispered. “Hit’d be disgraceful.”
“Mr. Tolliver!”
“Sh-h-h! They’ll hear ye!”
“Get right out of this room, you—”
Just then Dufour, who had been slowly aroused from his nap and who while yet half asleep had overheard much of what had been said, stepped forth from behind the curtains and stood looking from one to the other of the excited actors in the little drama.
“What’s up?” he, demanded bluntly.
“He’s accusing me of stealing beads!” cried Miss Crabb. “He’s insulting me!”
“What!” exclaimed Dufour, glaring at Tolliver.
“I feel mighty onery a doin’ it,” said Tolliver, “but hit air pine blank mighty suspicious, Kyernel, hit air for a fac’.”
Dufour looked as if he hardly knew which he should do, laugh boisterously46, or fling Tolliver out of the window, but he quickly pulled himself together and said calmly:
“You are wrong, sir, and you must apologize.”
“Certingly, certingly,” said Tolliver, “thet air jest what I air a doin’. I beg parding er thousan’ times fer sayin’ what I hev, but, Kyernel, hit air a Lor’ a mighty’s truth, all the same, le’ me tell ye. Them beads was ther’ w’en she come, an’ they was gone w’en she was gone, an’—”
“Stop that! Take back those words or I’ll throw you—”
Dufour took a step towards Tolliver, but stopped suddenly when the latter drew a huge revolver with one hand and a long crooked47 bowie-knife with the other and said:
“No yer don’t, Kyernel, not by er good deal. Jest ye open yer bread-trap ergain an’ I’ll jest clean up this ole shanty48 in erbout two minutes.”
It may not be inferred how this bit of dramatic experience would have ended had not a lean, wizzen-faced mountain lad rushed in just then with a three-cornered piece of paper in his hand upon which was scrawled49 the following message:
“I hev fown them beeds. They wus in mi terbacker bag.”
The boy was panting and almost exhausted51. He had run all the way up the mountain from the Tolliver cabin.
“Hit air jest as I ’spected,” said Tolliver. “Mammy hev made a pine blank eejit of me again.” He handed the message to Dufour as[90] he spoke53. His pistol and knife had disappeared.
A full explanation followed, and at the end of a half-hour Tolliver went away crest-fallen but happy.
As for Miss Crabb she had made a number of valuable dialect notes.
Dufour promised not to let the rest of the guests know what had just happened in the parlor.
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1
irresistible
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| adj.非常诱人的，无法拒绝的，无法抗拒的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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circumscribed
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| adj.[医]局限的：受限制或限于有限空间的v.在…周围划线( circumscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；划定…范围；限制；限定 | |
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4
assassinate
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| vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤 | |
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disconsolate
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| adj.忧郁的，不快的 | |
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6
misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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7
picturesquely
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growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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9
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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10
sinewy
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| adj.多腱的，强壮有力的 | |
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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
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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faltering
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| 犹豫的，支吾的，蹒跚的 | |
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14
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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15
vacancy
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| n.（旅馆的）空位，空房，（职务的）空缺 | |
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16
parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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17
confidential
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| adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的 | |
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18
inter
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| v.埋葬 | |
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19
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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20
aglow
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| adj.发亮的；发红的；adv.发亮地 | |
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21
formulate
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| v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述 | |
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22
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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23
reassuring
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| a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的 | |
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24
reiterating
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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25
mishap
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| n.不幸的事，不幸；灾祸 | |
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26
ken
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| n.视野，知识领域 | |
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27
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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28
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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29
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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30
scrunched
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| v.发出喀嚓声( scrunch的过去式和过去分词 )；蜷缩；压；挤压 | |
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31
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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32
jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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33
phonetically
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| 按照发音地，语音学上 | |
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34
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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35
secreted
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| v.（尤指动物或植物器官）分泌( secrete的过去式和过去分词 )；隐匿，隐藏 | |
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36
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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37
tragic
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| adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的 | |
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38
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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pensively
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| adv.沉思地，焦虑地 | |
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40
hitched
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| （免费）搭乘他人之车( hitch的过去式和过去分词 )； 搭便车； 攀上； 跃上 | |
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41
thump
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| v.重击，砰然地响；n.重击，重击声 | |
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42
gourd
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| n.葫芦 | |
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43
faltered
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| （嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃 | |
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44
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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45
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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46
boisterously
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| adv.喧闹地，吵闹地 | |
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47
crooked
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| adj.弯曲的；不诚实的，狡猾的，不正当的 | |
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48
shanty
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| n.小屋，棚屋；船工号子 | |
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49
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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50
wilted
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| （使）凋谢，枯萎( wilt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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52
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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53
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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