an episode of fiddletown-第6章

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to　bring　the　child　home。　　Colonel　Starbottle；　who　had　been

exhibiting　for　some　time　a　certain　uneasiness　which　he　had

endeavored　to　overcome　by　repeated　stimulation；　finally　buttoned

his　coat　tightly　across　his　breast；　and　after　walking　unsteadily

once　or　twice　up　and　down　the　room；　suddenly　faced　his　wife　with

his　most　imposing　manner。



〃I　have　deferred；〃　said　the　colonel　with　an　exaggeration　of　port

that　increased　with　his　inward　fear；　and　a　growing　thickness　of

speech〃I　have　deferrI　may　say　poshponed　statement　o'　fack　thash

my　duty　ter　dishclose　ter　ye。　　I　did　no　wish　to　mar　sushine　mushal

happ'ness；　to　bligh　bud　o'　promise；　to　darken　conjuglar　sky　by

unpleasht　revelashun。　　Musht　be　doneby　God；　m'm；　musht　do　it　now。

The　chile　is　gone！〃



〃Gone！〃　echoed　Mrs。　Starbottle。



There　was　something　in　the　tone　of　her　voice；　in　the　sudden

drawing…together　of　the　pupils　of　her　eyes；　that　for　a　moment

nearly　sobered　the　colonel；　and　partly　collapsed　his　chest。



〃I'll　splain　all　in　a　minit；〃　he　said　with　a　deprecating　wave　of

the　hand。　　〃Everything　shall　be　splained。　　The…the…the…melencholly

event　wish　preshipitate　our　happ'nessthe　myster'us　prov'nice　wish

releash　youreleash　chile！　hunerstan？releash　chile。　　The　mom't

Tretherick　dieall　claim　you　have　in　chile　through　himdie　too。

Thash　law。　　Who's　chile　b'long　to？　　Tretherick？　　Tretherick　dead。

Chile　can't　b'long　dead　man。　　Damn　nonshense　b'long　dead　man。　　I'sh

your　chile？　no！　whose　chile　then？　　Chile　b'long　to　'ts　mother。

Unnerstan？〃



〃Where　is　she？〃　said　Mrs。　Starbottle；　with　a　very　white　face　and　a

very　low　voice。



〃I'll　splain　all。　　Chile　b'long　to　'ts　mother。　　Thash　law。　　I'm

lawyer；　leshlator；　and　American　sis'n。　　Ish　my　duty　as　lawyer；　as

leshlator；　and　'merikan　sis'n　to　reshtore　chile　to　suff'rin　mother

at　any　cossany　coss。〃



〃Where　is　she？〃　repeated　Mrs。　Starbottle；　with　her　eyes　still　fixed

on　the　colonel's　face。



〃Gone　to　'ts　m'o'r。　　Gone　East　on　shteamer；　yesserday。　　Waffed　by

fav'rin　gales　to　suff'rin　p'rent。　　Thash　so！〃



Mrs。　Starbottle　did　not　move。　　The　colonel　felt　his　chest　slowly

collapsing；　but　steadied　himself　against　a　chair；　and　endeavored　to

beam　with　chivalrous　gallantry　not　unmixed　with　magisterial

firmness　upon　her　as　she　sat。



〃Your　feelin's；　m'm；　do　honor　to　yer　sex；　but　conshider　situashun。

Conshider　m'or's　feelingsconshider　MY　feelin's。〃　　The　colonel

paused；　and　flourishing　a　white　handkerchief；　placed　it　negligently

in　his　breast；　and　then　smiled　tenderly　above　it；　as　over　laces　and

ruffles；　on　the　woman　before　him。　　〃Why　should　dark　shed…der　cass

bligh　on　two　sholes　with　single　beat？　　Chile's　fine　chile；　good

chile；　but　summonelse　chile！　　Chile's　gone；　Clar'；　but　all　ish'n't

gone；　Clar'。　　Conshider　dearesht；　you　all's　have　me！〃



Mrs。　Starbottle　started　to　her　feet。　　〃YOU！〃　she　cried；　bringing

out　a　chest　note　that　made　the　chandeliers　ring〃You　that　I

married　to　give　my　darling　food　and　clothesYOU！　a　dog　that　I

whistled　to　my　side　to　keep　the　men　off　meYOU！〃



She　choked　up；　and　then　dashed　past　him　into　the　inner　room；　which

had　been　Carry's；　then　she　swept　by　him　again　into　her　own　bedroom；

and　then　suddenly　reappeared　before　him；　erect；　menacing；　with　a

burning　fire　over　her　cheekbones；　a　quick　straightening　of　her

arched　brows　and　mouth；　a　squaring　of　jaw；　and　ophidian　flattening

of　the　head。



〃Listen！〃　she　said　in　a　hoarse；　half…grown　boy's　voice。　　〃Hear　me！

If　you　ever　expect　to　set　eyes　on　me　again；　you　must　find　the

child。　　If　you　ever　expect　to　speak　to　me　again；　to　touch　me；　you

must　bring　her　back。　　For　where　she　goes；　I　go；　you　hear　me！　　Where

she　has　gone；　look　for　me。〃



She　struck　out　past　him　again　with　a　quick　feminine　throwing…out　of

her　arms　from　the　elbows　down；　as　if　freeing　herself　from　some

imaginary　bonds；　and　dashing　into　her　chamber；　slammed　and　locked

the　door。　　Colonel　Starbottle；　although　no　coward；　stood　in

superstitious　fear　of　an　angry　woman；　and；　recoiling　as　she　swept

by；　lost　his　unsteady　foothold　and　rolled　helplessly　on　the　sofa。

Here；　after　one　or　two　unsuccessful　attempts　to　regain　his

foothold；　he　remained；　uttering　from　time　to　time　profane　but　not

entirely　coherent　or　intelligible　protests；　until　at　last　he

succumbed　to　the　exhausting　quality　of　his　emotions；　and　the

narcotic　quantity　of　his　potations。



Meantime；　within；　Mrs。　Starbottle　was　excitedly　gathering　her

valuables　and　packing　her　trunk；　even　as　she　had　done　once　before

in　the　course　of　this　remarkable　history。　　Perhaps　some

recollection　of　this　was　in　her　mind；　for　she　stopped　to　lean　her

burning　cheeks　upon　her　hand；　as　if　she　saw　again　the　figure　of　the

child　standing　in　the　doorway；　and　heard　once　more　a　childish　voice

asking；　〃Is　it　Mamma？〃　　But　the　epithet　now　stung　her　to　the　quick；

and　with　a　quick；　passionate　gesture　she　dashed　it　away　with　a　tear

that　had　gathered　in　her　eye。　　And　then　it　chanced　that；　in　turning

over　some　clothes；　she　came　upon　the　child's　slipper　with　a　broken

sandal　string。　　She　uttered　a　great　cry　herethe　first　she　had

utteredand　caught　it　to　her　breast；　kissing　it　passionately　again

and　again；　and　rocking　from　side　to　side　with　a　motion　peculiar　to

her　sex。　　And　then　she　took　it　to　the　window；　the　better　to　see　it

through　her　now　streaming　eyes。　　Here　she　was　taken　with　a　sudden

fit　of　coughing　that　she　could　not　stifle　with　the　handkerchief　she

put　to　her　feverish　lips。　　And　then　she　suddenly　grew　very　faint。

The　window　seemed　to　recede　before　her；　the　floor　to　sink　beneath

her　feet；　and　staggering　to　the　bed；　she　fell　prone　upon　it　with

the　sandal　and　handkerchief　pressed　to　her　breast。　　Her　face　was

quite　pale；　the　orbit　of　her　eyes　dark；　and　there　was　a　spot　upon

her　lip；　another　on　her　handkerchief；　and　still　another　on　the

white　counterpane　of　the　bed。



The　wind　had　risen；　rattling　the　window　sashes　and　swaying　the

white　curtains　in　a　ghostly　way。　　Later；　a　gray　fog　stole　softly

over　the　roofs；　soothing　the　wind…roughened　surfaces；　and　in…

wrapping　all　things　in　an　uncertain　light　and　a　measureless　peace。

She　lay　there　very　quietfor　all　her　troubles；　still　a　very　pretty

bride。　　And　on　the　other　side　of　the　bolted　door　the　gallant

bridegroom；　from　his　temporary　couch；　snored　peacefully。





A　week　before　Christmas　Day；　1870；　the　little　town　of　Genoa；　in　the

State　of　New　York；　exhibited；　perhaps　more　strongly　than　at　any

other　time；　the　bitter　irony　of　its　founders　and　sponsors。　　A

driving　snowstorm　that　had　whitened　every　windward　hedge；　bush；

wall；　and　telegraph　pole；　played　around　this　soft　Italian　Capital；

whirled　in　and　out　of　the　great　staring　wooden　Doric　columns　of　its

post　office　and　hotel；　beat　upon　the　cold　green　shutters　of　its

best　houses；　and　powdered　the　angular；　stiff；　dark　figures　in　its

streets。　　From　the　level　of　the　street；　the　four　principal　churches

of　the　town　stood　out　starkly；　even　while　their　misshapen　spires

were　kindly　hidden　in　the　low；　driving　storm。　　Near　the　railroad

station；　the　new　Methodist　chapel；　whose　resemblance　to　an　enormous

locomotive　was　further　heightened　by　the　addition　of　a　pyramidal

row　of　front　steps；　like　a　cowcatcher；　stood　as　if　waiting　for　a

few　more　houses　to　be　hitched　on　to　proceed　to　a　pleasanter

location。　　But　the　pride　of　Genoathe　great　Crammer　Institute　for

Young　Ladiesstretched　its　bare　brick　length　and　reared　its　cupola

plainly　from　the　bleak　Parnassian　hill　above　the　principal　avenue。

There　was　no　evasion　in　the　Crammer　Institute　of　the　fact　that　it

was　a　public　institution。　　A　visitor　upon　its　doorsteps；　a　pretty

face　at　its　window；　were　clearly　visible　all　over　the　township。



The　shriek　of　the　engine　of　the　four…o'clock　Northern　express

brought　but　few　of　the　usual　loungers　to　the　depot。　　Only　a　single

passenger　alighted；　and　was　driven　away　in　the　solitary　waiting

sleigh　toward　the　Genoa　Hotel。　　And　then　the　train　sped　away　again；

with　that　passionless　indifference　to　human　sympathies　or　curiosity

peculiar　to　express　trains；　the　one　baggage　truck　was　wheeled　into

the　station　again；　the　station　door　was　locked；　and　the

stationmaster　went　home。



The　locomotive　whistle；　however；　awakened　the　guilty　consciousness

of　three　young　ladies　of　the　Crammer　Institute；　who　were　even　then

surreptitiously　regaling　themselves　in　the　bakeshop　and

confectionery　saloon　of　Mistress　Phillips　in　a　by…lane。　　For　even

the　admirable　regulations　of　the　Institute　failed　to　entirely

develop　the　physical　and　moral　natures　of　its　pupils。　　They

conformed　to　the　excellent　dietary　rules　in　public；　and　in　private

drew　upon　the　luxurious　rations　of　their　village　caterer。　　They

attended　church　with　exemplary　formality；　and　flirted　informally

during　service　with　the　village　beaux。　　They　received　the　best　and

most　judicious　instruction　during　school　hours；　and　devoured　the

trashiest　novels　during　recess。　　The　result　of　which　was　an

aggregation　of　quite　healthy；　quite　human；　and　very　charming　young

creatures　that　reflected　infinite　credit　on　the　Institute。　　Even

Mistress　Phillips；　to　whom　they　owed　vast　sums；　exhilarated　by　the

exuberant　spirits　and　youthful　freshness　of　her　guests；　declared

that　the　sight　of　〃them　young　things〃　did　her　good；　and　had　even

been　known　to　shield　them　by　shameless　equivocation。



〃Four　o'clock；　girls！　and；　if　we're　not　back　to　prayers　by　five；

we'll　be　missed；〃　said　the　tallest　of　these　foolish　virgins；　with

an　aquiline　nose；　and　certain　quiet　elan　that　bespoke　the　leader；

as　she　rose　from　her　seat。　　〃Have　you　got　the　books；　Addy？〃　　Addy

displayed　three　dissipated…looking　novels　under　her　waterproof。

〃And　the　provisions；　Carry？〃　　Carry　showed　a　suspicious　parcel

filling　the　pocket　of　her　sack。　　〃All　right；　then。　　Come；　girls；

trudgeCharge　it；〃　she　added；　nodding　to　her　host　as　they　passed

toward　the　door。　　〃I'll　pay　you　when　my　quarter's　allowance　comes。〃



〃No；　Kate；〃　interposed　Carry；　producing　her　purse；　〃let　me　pay；

it's　my　turn。〃



〃Never！〃　said　Kate；　arching　her　black　brows　loftily；　〃even　if　you

do　have　rich　relatives；　and　regular　remittances　from　California。

Never！　　Come；　girls；　forward；　march！〃



As　they　opened　the　door；　a　gust　of　wind　nearly　took　them　off　their

feet。　　Kindhearted　Mrs。　Phillips　was　alarmed。　　〃Sakes　alive；　galls！

ye　mussn't　go　out　in　sich　weather。　　Better　let　me　send　word　to　the

Institoot；　and　make　ye　up　a　nice　bed　tonight　in　my　parlor。〃　　But

the　last　sentence　was　lost　in　a　chorus　of　half…suppressed　shrieks

as　the　girls；　hand　in　hand；　ran　down　the　steps　into　the　storm；　and

were　at　once　whirled　away。



The　short　December　day；　unlit　by　any　sunset　glow；　was　failing　fast。

It　was　quite　dark　already；　and　the　air　was　thick　with　driving　snow。

For　some　distance　their　high　spirits；　youth；　and　even　inexperience

kept　them　bravely　up；　but；　in　ambitiously　attempting　a　short　cut

from　the　highro