"Why had I? You borrowed it."
"Well, I borrowed it and it was a lot of trouble, and now you ought to take it back."
Ultimately Hawker said, "Oh, let's both go!"
On this journey Hawker made a long speech to his friend, and at the end of it he exclaimed: "And now do you think she cares so much for Oglethorpe? Why, she as good as told me that he was only a very great friend."
Hollanden wagged his head dubiously3. "What a woman says doesn't amount to shucks. It's the way she says it—that's what counts. Besides," he cried in a brilliant afterthought, "she wouldn't tell you, anyhow, you fool!"
"You're an encouraging brute," said Hawker, with a rueful grin.
Later the Worcester girls seized upon Hollanden and piled him high with ferns and mosses4. They dragged the long gray lichens5 from the chins of venerable pines, and ran with them to Hollanden, and dashed them into his arms. "Oh, hurry up, Hollie!" they cried, because with his great load he frequently fell behind them in the march. He once positively6 refused to carry these things another step. Some distance farther on the road he positively refused to carry this old truck another step. When almost to the inn he positively refused to carry this senseless rubbish another step. The Worcester girls had such vivid contempt for his expressed unwillingness7 that they neglected to tell him of any appreciation8 they might have had for his noble struggle.
As Hawker and Miss Fanhall proceeded slowly they heard a voice ringing through the foliage9: "Whoa! Haw! Git-ap, blast you! Haw! Haw, drat your hides! Will you haw? Git-ap! Gee10! Whoa!"
Hawker said, "The others are a good ways ahead. Hadn't we better hurry a little?"
The girl obediently mended her pace.
"Whoa! haw! git-ap!" shouted the voice in the distance. "Git over there, Red, git over! Gee! Git-ap!" And these cries pursued the man and the maid.
At last Hawker said, "That's my father."
"Where?" she asked, looking bewildered.
"Back there, driving those oxen."
The voice shouted: "Whoa! Git-ap! Gee! Red, git over there now, will you? I'll trim the shin off'n you in a minute. Whoa! Haw! Haw! Whoa! Git-ap!"
Hawker repeated, "Yes, that's my father."
"Oh, is it?" she said. "Let's wait for him."
Presently a team of oxen waddled12 into view around the curve of the road. They swung their heads slowly from side to side, bent13 under the yoke14, and looked out at the world with their great eyes, in which was a mystic note of their humble15, submissive, toilsome lives. An old wagon16 creaked after them, and erect17 upon it was the tall and tattered18 figure of the farmer swinging his whip and yelling: "Whoa! Haw there! Git-ap!" The lash19 flicked20 and flew over the broad backs of the animals.
"Hello, father!" said Hawker.
"Whoa! Back! Whoa! Why, hello, William, what you doing here?"
"Oh, just taking a walk. Miss Fanhall, this is my father. Father——"
"How d' you do?" The old man balanced himself with care and then raised his straw hat from his head with a quick gesture and with what was perhaps a slightly apologetic air, as if he feared that he was rather over-doing the ceremonial part.
The girl later became very intent upon the oxen. "Aren't they nice old things?" she said, as she stood looking into the faces of the team. "But what makes their eyes so very sad?"
"I dunno," said the old man.
She was apparently21 unable to resist a desire to pat the nose of the nearest ox, and for that purpose she stretched forth22 a cautious hand. But the ox moved restlessly at the moment and the girl put her hand apprehensively23 behind herself and backed away. The old man on the wagon grinned. "They won't hurt you," he told her.
"They won't bite, will they?" she asked, casting a glance of inquiry24 at the old man and then turning her eyes again upon the fascinating animals.
"No," said the old man, still grinning, "just as gentle as kittens."
She approached them circuitously25. "Sure?" she said.
"Sure," replied the old man. He climbed from the wagon and came to the heads of the oxen. With him as an ally, she finally succeeded in patting the nose of the nearest ox. "Aren't they solemn, kind old fellows? Don't you get to think a great deal of them?"
"Well, they're kind of aggravating26 beasts sometimes," he said. "But they're a good yoke—a good yoke. They can haul with anything in this region."
"It doesn't make them so terribly tired, does it?" she said hopefully. "They are such strong animals."
"No-o-o," he said. "I dunno. I never thought much about it."
With their heads close together they became so absorbed in their conversation that they seemed to forget the painter. He sat on a log and watched them.
Ultimately the girl said, "Won't you give us a ride?"
"Sure," said the old man. "Come on, and I'll help you up." He assisted her very painstakingly27 to the old board that usually served him as a seat, and he clambered to a place beside her. "Come on, William," he called. The painter climbed into the wagon and stood behind his father, putting his hand on the old man's shoulder to preserve his balance.
"Which is the near ox?" asked the girl with a serious frown.
"Git-ap! Haw! That one there," said the old man.
"And this one is the off ox?"
"Yep."
"Well, suppose you sat here where I do; would this one be the near ox and that one the off ox, then?"
"Nope. Be just same."
"Then the near ox isn't always the nearest one to a person, at all? That ox there is always the near ox?"
"Yep, always. 'Cause when you drive 'em a-foot you always walk on the left side."
"Well, I never knew that before."
After studying them in silence for a while, she said, "Do you think they are happy?"
"I dunno," said the old man. "I never thought." As the wagon creaked on they gravely discussed this problem, contemplating28 profoundly the backs of the animals. Hawker gazed in silence at the meditating29 two before him. Under the wagon Stanley, the setter, walked slowly, wagging his tail in placid30 contentment and ruminating31 upon his experiences.
At last the old man said cheerfully, "Shall I take you around by the inn?"
Hawker started and seemed to wince32 at the question. Perhaps he was about to interrupt, but the girl cried: "Oh, will you? Take us right to the door? Oh, that will be awfully33 good of you!"
"Why," began Hawker, "you don't want—you don't want to ride to the inn on an—on an ox wagon, do you?"
"Well——" he protested.
"Let 'er be, William," interrupted the old man. "Let 'er do what she wants to. I guess everybody in th' world ain't even got an ox wagon to ride in. Have they?"
"No, indeed," she returned, while withering Hawker again.
"Gee! Gee! Whoa! Haw! Git-ap! Haw! Whoa! Back!"
After these two attacks Hawker became silent.
"Gee! Gee! Gee there, blast—s'cuse me. Gee! Whoa! Git-ap!"
All the boarders of the inn were upon its porches waiting for the dinner gong. There was a surge toward the railing as a middle-aged35 woman passed the word along her middle-aged friends that Miss Fanhall, accompanied by Mr. Hawker, had arrived on the ox cart of Mr. Hawker's father.
Hawker helped the girl to alight, and she paused for a moment conversing37 with the old man about the oxen. Then she ran smiling up the steps to meet the Worcester girls.
"Oh, such a lovely time! Those dear old oxen—you should have been with us!"
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1
stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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mosses
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| n. 藓类, 苔藓植物 名词moss的复数形式 | |
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lichens
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| n.地衣( lichen的名词复数 ) | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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unwillingness
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| n. 不愿意，不情愿 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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gee
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| n.马；int.向右！前进！，惊讶时所发声音；v.向右转 | |
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11
sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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waddled
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| v.（像鸭子一样）摇摇摆摆地走( waddle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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yoke
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| n.轭；支配；v.给...上轭，连接，使成配偶 | |
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15
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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16
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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17
erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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18
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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19
lash
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| v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛 | |
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20
flicked
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| （尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的过去式和过去分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等） | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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apprehensively
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| adv.担心地 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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circuitously
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| 曲折地 | |
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aggravating
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| adj.恼人的，讨厌的 | |
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painstakingly
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| adv. 费力地 苦心地 | |
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contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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meditating
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| a.沉思的，冥想的 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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ruminating
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| v.沉思( ruminate的现在分词 )；反复考虑；反刍；倒嚼 | |
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32
wince
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| n.畏缩，退避，（因痛苦，苦恼等)面部肌肉抽动；v.畏缩，退缩，退避 | |
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33
awfully
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| adv.可怕地，非常地，极端地 | |
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withering
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| 使人畏缩的，使人害羞的，使人难堪的 | |
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middle-aged
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| adj.中年的 | |
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36
subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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conversing
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| v.交谈，谈话( converse的现在分词 ) | |
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