按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
prevailing degrees of local gentility。
He dropped her hand。 〃Ah！ does not Mademoiselle comprehend that it
is BECAUSE I am a gentleman that there is nothing between it and this？
Look！〃 he continued almost fiercely。 〃What if I told you it is the lawyer； it
is the doctor； it is the banker that brings me； a gentleman； to this； eh？ Ah；
bah！ What do I say？ This is honest； what I do！ But the lawyer； the banker；
the doctor； what are they？〃 He shrugged his shoulders； and pacing the
apartment with a furtive glance at the half anxious； half frightened girl；
suddenly stopped； dragged a small portmanteau from behind the heap of
bales and opened it。 〃Look； Mademoiselle；〃 he said； tremulously lifting a
handful of worn and soiled letters and papers。 〃Lookthese are the tools of
your banker； your lawyer； your doctor。 With this the banker will make you
66
… Page 67…
BY SHORE AND SEDGE
poor； the lawyer will prove you a thief； the doctor will swear you are crazy；
eh？ What shall you call the work of a gentlemanthis〃he dragged the
pile of cushions forward〃or this？〃
To the young girl's observant eyes some of the papers appeared to be
of a legal or official character； and others like bills of lading； with which
she was familiar。 Their half…theatrical exhibition reminded her of some
play she had seen； they might be the clue to some story； or the mere
worthless hoardings of a diseased fancy。 Whatever they were； de Ferrieres
did not apparently care to explain further； indeed； the next moment his
manner changed to his old absurd extravagance。 〃But this is stupid for
Mademoiselle to hear。 What shall we speak of？ Ah； what SHOULD we
speak of in Mademoiselle's presence？〃
〃But are not these papers valuable？〃 asked Rosey； partly to draw her
host's thoughts back to their former channel。
〃Perhaps。〃 He paused and regarded the young girl fixedly。 〃Does
Mademoiselle think so？〃
〃I don't know；〃 said Rosey。 〃How should I？〃
〃Ah！ if Mademoiselle thought soif Mademoiselle would deign〃 He
stopped again and placed his hand upon his forehead。 〃It might be so！〃 he
muttered。
〃I must go now；〃 said Rosey； hurriedly； rising with an awkward sense
of constraint。 〃Father will wonder where I am。〃
〃I shall explain。 I will accompany you； Mademoiselle。〃
〃No； no；〃 said Rosey； quickly； 〃he must not know I have been here！〃
She stopped。 The honest blush flew to her cheek； and then returned again；
because she had blushed。
De Ferrieres gazed at her with an exalted look。 Then drawing himself
to his full height； he said； with an exaggerated and indescribable gesture；
〃Go； my child； go。 Tell your father that you have been alone and
unprotected in the abode of poverty and suffering； butthat it was in the
presence of Armand de Ferrieres。〃
He threw open the door with a bow that nearly swept the ground； but
did not again offer to take her hand。 At once impressed and embarrassed at
this crowning incongruity； her pretty lip trembled between a smile and a
67
… Page 68…
BY SHORE AND SEDGE
cry as she said； 〃Good…night；〃 and slipped away into the darkness。
Erect and grotesque de Ferrieres retained the same attitude until the
sound of her footsteps was lost； when he slowly began to close the door。
But a strong arm arrested it from without； and a large carpeted foot
appeared at the bottom of the narrowing opening。 The door yielded； and
Mr。 Abner Nott entered the room。
IV
With an exclamation and a hurried glance around him； de Ferrieres
threw himself before the intruder。 But slowly lifting his large hand； and
placing it on his lodger's breast； he quietly overbore the sick man's feeble
resistance with an impact of power that seemed almost as moral as it was
physical。 He did not appear to take any notice of the room or its miserable
surroundings； indeed； scarcely of the occupant。 Still pushing him； with
abstracted eyes and immobile face； to the chair that Rosey had just quitted；
he made him sit down； and then took up his own position on the pile of
cushions opposite。 His usually underdone complexion was of watery
blueness； but his dull； abstracted glance appeared to exercise a certain
dumb； narcotic fascination on his lodger。
〃I mout；〃 said Nott； slowly； 〃hev laid ye out here on sight； without
enny warnin'； or dropped ye in yer tracks in Montgomery Street； wherever
ther was room to work a six…shooter in comf'ably？ Johnson； of Petaluny
him； ye know； ez had a game eyefetched Flynn comin' outer meetin' one
Sunday； and it was only on account of his wife； and she a second…hand one；
so to speak。 There was Walker； of Contra Costa； plugged that young
Sacramento chap； whose name I disremember； full o' holes just ez HE was
sayin' 'Good by' to his darter。 I mout hev done all this if it had settled
things to please me。 For while you and Flynn and that Sacramento chap ez
all about the same sort o' men； Rosey's a different kind from their sort o'
women。〃
〃Mademoiselle is an angel！〃 said de Ferrieres； suddenly rising； with an
excess of extravagance。 〃A saint！ Look！ I cram the lie； ha！ down his throat
who challenges it。〃
〃Ef by mam'selle ye mean my Rosey；〃 said Nott； quietly laying his
68
… Page 69…
BY SHORE AND SEDGE
powerful hands on de Ferrieres's shoulders； and slowly pinning him down
again upon his chair； 〃ye're about right； though she ain't mam'selle yet。 Ez
I was sayin'； I might hev killed you off…hand if I hed thought it would hev
been a good thing for Rosey。〃
〃For her？ Ah； well！ Look； I am ready；〃 interrupted de Ferrieres； again
springing to his feet； and throwing open his coat with both hands。 〃See！
here at my heartfire！〃
〃Ez I was sayin'；〃 continued Nott； once more pressing the excited man
down in his chair； 〃I might hev wiped ye outand mebbee ye wouldn't hev
keeredor YOU might hev wiped ME out； and I mout hev said； 'Thank'ee；'
but I reckon this ain't a case for what's comf'able for you and me。 It's
what's good for ROSEY。 And the thing to kalkilate is； what's to be done。〃
His small round eyes for the first time rested on de Ferrieres's face；
and were quickly withdrawn。 It was evident that this abstracted look；
which had fascinated his lodger； was merely a resolute avoidance of de
Ferrieres's glance； and it became apparent later that this avoidance was
due to a ludicrous appreciation of de Ferrieres's attractions。
〃And after we've done THAT we must kalkilate what Rosey is； and
what Rosey wants。 P'raps； ye allow； YOU know what Rosey is？ P'raps
you've seen her prance round in velvet bonnets and white satin slippers；
and sich。 P'raps you've seen her readin' tracks and v'yages； without waitin'
to spell a word； or catch her breath。 But that ain't the Rosey ez I know。 It's
a little child ez uster crawl in and out the tail…board of a Mizzouri wagon
on the alcali pizoned plains； where there wasn't another bit of God's mercy
on yearth to be seen for miles and miles。 It's a little gal as uster hunger and
thirst ez quiet and mannerly ez she now eats and drinks in plenty； whose
voice was ez steady with Injins yelling round her nest in the leaves on
Sweetwater ez in her purty cabin up yonder。 THAT'S the gal ez I know！
That's the Rosey ez my ole woman puts into my arms one night arter we
left Laramie when the fever was high； and sez； 'Abner；' sez she； 'the
chariot is swingin' low for me to…night； but thar ain't room in it for her or
you to git in or hitch on。 Take her and rare her； so we kin all jine on the
other shore；' sez she。 And I'd knowed the other shore wasn't no Kaliforny。
And that night； p'raps； the chariot swung lower than ever before； and my
69
… Page 70…
BY SHORE AND SEDGE
ole woman stepped into it； and left me and Rosey to creep on in the old
wagon alone。 It's them kind o' things；〃