CHAPTER FIFTEEN

 In the mid-afternoon of that day Connor rested in his room, and David rested in the lake, floating with only his nose and lips out of water. Toward the center of the lake even the surface held the chill of the snows, but David floated in the warm shallows and looked up to the sky through a film of water. The tiny ripples¹ became immense air waves that rushed from mountain to mountain, dashed the clouds up and down, and then left the heavens placid² and windless.

 

He grew weary of this placidity³, and as he turned upon one side he heard a prolonged hiss⁴ from the shore. David rolled with the speed of a water moccasin and headed in with his arm flashing in a powerful stroke that presently brought him to the edge of the beach. He rose in front of old Abraham.

 

A painter should have seen them together—the time-dried body of the old man and the exuberant⁵ youth of the master. He looked on the servant with a stern kindness.

 

"What are you doing here without a covering for your head while the sun is hot? Did they let you come of their own accord, Abraham?"

 

"I slipped away," chuckled⁶ Abraham. "Isaac was in the patio⁷, but I went by him like a hawk-shadow. Then I ran among the trees. Hat? Well, no more have you a hat, David."

 

The master frowned, but his displeasure passed quickly and he led the way to the lowest terrace. They sat on the soft thick grass, with their feet in the hot sand of the beach, and as the wind stirred the tree above them a mottling of shadow moved across them.

 

"You have come to speak privately⁸ with me," said David. "What is it?"

 

But Abraham embraced his skinny knees and smiled at the lake, his jaw⁹ falling.

 

"It's not what it was," he said, and wagged his head. "It's a sad lake compared to what it was."

 

David controlled his impatience¹⁰.

 

"Tell me how it is changed."

 

"The color," said the old man. "Why, once, with a gallon of that blue you could have painted the whole sky." He shaded his face to look up, but so doing his glance ventured through the branches and close to the white-hot circle of the sun. His head dropped and he leaned on one arm.

 

"Look at the green of the grass," suggested David. "It will rest your eyes."

 

"Do you think my eyes are weak? No, I dropped my head to think how the world has fallen off in the last fifty years. It was all different in the days of John. But that was before you came to the valley."

 

"The sky was not the same?" queried¹¹ the master.

 

"And men, also," said Abraham instantly. "Ho, yes! John was a man; you will not see his like in these days."

 

David flushed, but he held back his first answer. "Perhaps."

 

"There is no 'perhaps.'"

 

Abraham spoke¹² with a decision that brought his jaw close up under his nose.

 

"He is my master," insisted Abraham, and, smiling suddenly, he whispered: "Mah ol' Marse Johnnie Cracken!"

 

"What's that?" called David.

 

Abraham stared at him with unseeing eyes. A mist of years drifted between them, and now the old man came slowly out of the past and found himself seated on the lawn in a lonely valley with great, naked mountains piled around it.

 

"What did you say?" repeated David.

 

Abraham hastily changed the subject.

 

"In those days if a stranger came to the Garden of Eden he did not stay. Aye, and in those days Abraham could have taken the strongest by the neck and pitched him through the gates. I remember when the men came over the mountains—long before you were born. Ten men at the gate, I remember, and they had guns. But when my master told them to go away they looked at him and they looked at each other, but after a while they went away."

 

Abraham rocked in an ecstasy¹³.

 

"No man could face my master. I remember how he sat on his horse that day."

 

"It was Rustir?" asked David eagerly.

 

"She was the queen of horses," replied the old man indirectly¹⁴, "and he was the king of men; there are no more men like my master, and there are no more horses like Rustir."

 

There was a pause, then David spoke.

 

"John was a good man and a strong man," he said, looking down at his own brown hands. "And Rustir was a fine mare¹⁵, but it is foolish to call her the best."

 

"There was never a horse like Rustir," said the old man monotonously¹⁶.

 

"Bah! What of Glani?"

 

"Yes, that is a good colt."

 

"A good colt! Come, Abraham! Have you ever opened your dim eyes and really looked at him? Name one fault."

 

"I have said Glani is a good colt," repeated Abraham, worried.

 

"Come, come! You have said Rustir was better."

 

"Glani is a good colt, but too heavy in the forehand. Far too heavy there."

 

The restraint of David snapped.

 

"It is false! Ephraim, Jacob, they all say that Glani is the greatest."

 

"They change like the masters," grumbled¹⁷ Abraham. "The servants change. They flatter and the master believes. But my master had an eye—he looked through a man like an eagle through mist. When I stood before my master my soul was naked; a wind blew through me. But I say John was one man; and there are no other horses like his mare Rustir. My master is silent; other men have words as heavy as their hands."

 

"Peace, Abraham, peace. You shame me. The Lord was far from me, and I spoke in anger, and I retract¹⁸ it."

 

"A word is a bullet that strikes men down, David. Let the wind blow on your face when your heart is hot."

 

"I confess my sin," said David, but his jaw was set.

 

"Confess your sins in silence."

 

"It is true."

 

He looked at Abraham as if he would be rid of him.

 

"You are angry to-day, Abraham."

 

"The law of the Garden has been broken."

 

"By whom?"

 

"David has unbarred the gate."

 

"Yes, to one man."

 

"It is enough."

 

"Peace, Abraham. You are old and look awry¹⁹. This one man is no danger. I could break him in my hands—so!"

 

"A strong man may be hopeless against words," said the oracular old man. "With a word he may set you on fire."

 

"Do you think me a tinder and dry grass? Set me on fire with a word?"

 

"An old man who looks awry had done it with a word. And see—again!"

 

There was a silence filled only by the sound of David's breathing and the slow curling of the ripples on the beach.

 

"You try me sorely, Abraham."

 

"Good steel will bend, but not break."

 

"Say no more of this man. He is harmless."

 

"Is that a command, David?"

 

"No—but at least be brief."

 

"Then I say to you, David, that he has brought evil into the valley."

 

The master burst into sudden laughter that carried away his anger.

 

"He brought no evil, Abraham. He brought only the clothes on his back."

 

"The serpent brought into the first Garden only his skin and his forked tongue."

 

"There was a devil in that serpent."

 

"Aye, and what of Benjamin?"

 

"Tell me your proofs, and let them be good ones, Abraham."

 

"I am old," said Abraham sadly, "but I am not afraid."

 

"I wait."

 

"Benjamin brought an evil image with him. It is the face of a great suhman, and he tempted²⁰ Joseph with it, and Joseph fell."

 

"The trinket of carved bone?" asked David.

 

"The face of a devil! Who was unhappy among us until Benjamin came? But with his charm he bought Joseph, and now Joseph walks alone and thinks unholy thoughts, and when he is spoken to he looks up first with a snake's eye before he answers. Is not this the work of Benjamin?"

 

"What would you have me do? Joseph has already paid for his fault with the pain of the whip."

 

"Cast out the stranger, David."

 

David mused²¹. At last he spoke. "Look at me, Abraham!"

 

The other raised his head and peered into the face of David, but presently his glance wavered and turned away.

 

"See," said David. "After Matthew died there was no one in the Garden who could meet my glance. But Benjamin meets my eye and I feel his thoughts before he speaks them. He is pleasant to me, Abraham."

 

"The voice of the serpent was pleasant to Eve," said Abraham.

 

The nostrils²² of David quivered.

 

"What is it that you call the trinket?"

 

"A great suhman. My people feared and worshiped him in the old days. A strong devil!"

 

"An idol²³!" said David. "What! Abraham, do you still worship sticks and stones? Have you been taught no more than that? Do you put a mind in the handiwork of a man?"

 

The head of Abraham fell.

 

"I am weak before you, David," he said. "I have no power to speak except the words of my master, which I remember. Now I feel you rise against me, and I am dust under your feet. Think of Abraham, then, as a voice in the wind, but hear that voice. I know, but I know not why I know, or how I know, there is evil in the valley, David. Cast it out!"

 

"I have broken bread and drunk milk with Benjamin. How can I drive him out of the valley?"

 

"Let him stay in the valley if you can keep him out of your mind. He is in your thoughts. He is with you like a shadow."

 

"He is not stronger than I," said the master.

 

"Evil is stronger than the greatest."

 

"It is cowardly to shrink from him before I know him."

 

"Have no fear of him—but of yourself. A wise man trembleth at his own strength."

 

"Tell me, Abraham—does the seed of Rustir know men? Do they know good and evil?"

 

"Yes, for Rustir knew my master."

 

"And has Glani ever bowed his head for any man saving for me?"

 

"He is a stubborn colt. Aye, he troubled me!"

 

"But I tell you, Abraham, he came to the hand of Benjamin!"

 

The old man blinked at the master.

 

"Then there was something in that hand," he said at last.

 

"There was nothing," said David in triumph. "I saw the bare palm."

 

"It is strange."

 

"You are wrong. Admit it."

 

"I must think, David."

 

"Yes," said the master kindly²⁴. "Here is my hand. Rise, and come with me to your house."

 

They went slowly, slowly up the terrace, Abraham clinging to the arm of the master.

 

"Also," said David, "he has come for only a little time. He will soon be gone. Speak no more of Benjamin."

 

"I have already spoken almost enough," said Abraham. "You will not forget."

1 ripples   

逐渐扩散的感觉( ripple的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The moon danced on the ripples. 月亮在涟漪上舞动。
• The sea leaves ripples on the sand. 海水在沙滩上留下了波痕。

2 placid   

adj.安静的，平和的

参考例句：

• He had been leading a placid life for the past eight years.八年来他一直过着平静的生活。
• You should be in a placid mood and have a heart-to- heart talk with her.你应该心平气和的好好和她谈谈心。

3 placidity   

n.平静，安静，温和

参考例句：

• Miss Pross inquired,with placidity.普洛丝小姐不动声色地问。
• The swift and indifferent placidity of that look troubled me.那一扫而过的冷漠沉静的目光使我深感不安。

4 hiss   

v.发出嘶嘶声；发嘘声表示不满

参考例句：

• We can hear the hiss of air escaping from a tire.我们能听到一只轮胎的嘶嘶漏气声。
• Don't hiss at the speaker.不要嘘演讲人。

5 exuberant   

adj.充满活力的；（植物）繁茂的

参考例句：

• Hothouse plants do not possess exuberant vitality.在温室里培养出来的东西，不会有强大的生命力。
• All those mother trees in the garden are exuberant.果园里的那些母树都长得十分茂盛。

6 chuckled   

轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She chuckled at the memory. 想起这件事她就暗自发笑。
• She chuckled softly to herself as she remembered his astonished look. 想起他那惊讶的表情，她就轻轻地暗自发笑。

7 patio   

n.庭院，平台

参考例句：

• Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there,I thought.我又忽然想到家里漂亮的院子，我能够在这里宁静地呆会。
• They had a barbecue on their patio on Sunday.星期天他们在院子里进行烧烤。

8 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

9 jaw   

n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训

参考例句：

• He delivered a right hook to his opponent's jaw.他给了对方下巴一记右钩拳。
• A strong square jaw is a sign of firm character.强健的方下巴是刚毅性格的标志。

10 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

11 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

12 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

13 ecstasy   

n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷

参考例句：

• He listened to the music with ecstasy.他听音乐听得入了神。
• Speechless with ecstasy,the little boys gazed at the toys.小孩注视着那些玩具，高兴得说不出话来。

14 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

15 mare   

n.母马，母驴

参考例句：

• The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
• The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。

16 monotonously   

adv.单调地，无变化地

参考例句：

• The lecturer phrased monotonously. 这位讲师用词单调。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The maid, still in tears, sniffed monotonously. 侍女还在哭，发出单调的抽泣声。 来自辞典例句

17 grumbled   

抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声

参考例句：

• He grumbled at the low pay offered to him. 他抱怨给他的工资低。
• The heat was sweltering, and the men grumbled fiercely over their work. 天热得让人发昏，水手们边干活边发着牢骚。

18 retract   

vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消

参考例句：

• The criminals should stop on the precipice, retract from the wrong path and not go any further.犯罪分子应当迷途知返，悬崖勒马，不要在错误的道路上继续走下去。
• I don't want to speak rashly now and later have to retract my statements.我不想现在说些轻率的话，然后又要收回自己说过的话。

19 awry   

adj.扭曲的，错的

参考例句：

• She was in a fury over a plan that had gone awry. 计划出了问题，她很愤怒。
• Something has gone awry in our plans.我们的计划出差错了。

20 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

21 mused   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

22 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

23 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

24 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。