rudder grange-第25部分

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cheaper；　an'　may…be　be　jus'　as　good　to　begin　on。　　So　we　thought　of
Passaic　Falls；　up　to　Paterson；　an'　we　went　there；　an'　took　a　room
at　a　little　hotel；　an'　walked　over　to　the　falls。　　But　they　wasn't
no　good；　after　all；　for　there　wasn't　no　water　runnin'　over　em。
There　was　rocks　and　precipicers；　an'　direful　depths；　and　everything
for　a　good　falls；　except　water；　and　that　was　all　bein'　used　at　the
mills。　　'Well；　Miguel；'　says　I；　'this　is　about　as　nice　a　place　for
a　falls　as　ever　I　see；'　but〃

〃Miguel！〃　cried　Euphemia。　　〃Is　that　your　husband's　name？〃

〃Well；　no；〃　said　Pomona；　〃it　isn't。　　His　given　name　is　Jonas；　but　I
hated　to　call　him　Jonas；　an'　on　a　bridal　trip；　too。　　He　might　jus'
as　well　have　had　a　more　romantic…er　name；　if　his　parents　had　'a'
thought　of　it。　　So　I　determined　I'd　give　him　a　better　one；　while　we
was　on　our　journey；　anyhow；　an'　I　changed　his　name　to　Miguel；　which
was　the　name　of　a　Spanish　count。　　He　wanted　me　to　call　him　Jiguel；
because；　he　said；　that　would　have　a　kind　of　a　floating　smell　of　his
old　name；　but　I　didn't　never　do　it。　　Well；　neither　of　us　didn't
care　to　stay　about　no　dry　falls；　so　we　went　back　to　the　hotel　and
got　our　supper；　and　begun　to　wonder　what　we　should　do　next　day。　　He
said　we'd　better　put　it　off　and　dream　about　it；　and　make　up　our
minds　nex'　mornin'；　which　I　agreed　to；　an'；　that　evenin'；　as　we　was
sittin'　in　our　room　I　asked　Miguel　to　tell　me　the　story　of　his
life。　　He　said；　at　first；　it　hadn't　none；　but　when　I　seemed　a
kinder　put　out　at　this；　he　told　me　I　mustn't　mind；　an'　he　would
reveal　the　whole。　　So　he　told　me　this　story：

〃'My　grandfather；'　said　he；　'was　a　rich　and　powerful　Portugee；　a…
livin'　on　the　island　of　Jamaica。　　He　had　heaps　o'　slaves；　an'　owned
a　black　brigantine；　that　he　sailed　in　on　secret　voyages；　an'；　when
he　come　back；　the　decks　an'　the　gunnels　was　often　bloody；　but
nobody　knew　why　or　wherefore。　　He　was　a　big　man　with　black　hair　an'
very　violent。　　He　could　never　have　kept　no　help；　if　he　hadn't　owned
'em；　but　he　was　so　rich；　that　people　respected　him；　in　spite　of　all
his　crimes。　　My　grandmother　was　a　native　o'　the　Isle　o'　Wight。　　She
was　a　frail　an'　tender　woman；　with　yeller　hair；　and　deep　blue　eyes；
an'　gentle；　an'　soft；　an'　good　to　the　poor。　　She　used　to　take
baskits　of　vittles　aroun'　to　sick　folks；　an'　set　down　on　the　side
o'　their　beds　an'　read　〃The　Shepherd　o'　Salisbury　Plains〃　to　'em。
She　hardly　ever　speaked　above　her　breath；　an'　always　wore　white
gowns　with　a　silk　kerchief　a…folded　placidly　aroun'　her　neck。'
'Them　was　awful　different　kind　o'　people；'　I　says　to　him；　'I　wonder
how　they　ever　come　to　be　married。'　　'They　never　was　married；'　says
he。　　'Never　married！'　I　hollers；　a…jumpin'　up　from　my　chair；　'and
you　sit　there　carmly　an'　look　me　in　the　eye。'　　'Yes；'　says　he；
'they　was　never　married。　　They　never　met；　one　was　my　mother's
father；　and　the　other　one　my　father's　mother。　　'Twas　well　they　did
not　wed。'　　'I　should　think　so；'　said　I；　'an'　now；　what's　the　good
of　tellin'　me　a　thing　like　that？'

〃'It's　about　as　near　the　mark　as　most　of　the　stories　of　people's
lives；　I　reckon；'　says　he；　'an'　besides　I'd　only　jus'　begun　it。'

〃'Well；　I　don't　want　no　more；'　says　I；　an'　I　jus'　tell　this　story
of　his　to　show　what　kind　of　stories　he　told　about　that　time。　　He
said　they　was　pleasant　fictions；　but　I　told　him　that　if　he　didn't
look　out　he'd　hear　'em　called　by　a　good　deal　of　a　worse　kind　of　a
name　than　that。　　The　nex'　mornin'　he　asked　me　what　was　my　dream；
an'　I　told　him　I　didn't　have　exactly　no　dream　about　it；　but　my　idea
was　to　have　somethin'　real　romantic　for　the　rest　of　our　bridal
days。

〃'Well；'　says　he；　'what　would　you　like？　　I　had　a　dream；　but　it
wasn't　no　ways　romantic；　and　I'll　jus'　fall　in　with　whatever　you'd
like　best。'

〃'All　right；'　says　I；　'an'　the　most　romantic…est　thing　that　I　can
think　of　is　for　us　to　make…believe　for　the　rest　of　this　trip。　　We
can　make…believe　we're　anything　we　please；　an'　if　we　think　so　in
real　earnest　it　will　be　pretty　much　the　same　thing　as　if　we　really
was。　　We　aint　likely　to　have　no　chance　ag'in　of　being　jus'　what
we've　a　mind　to；　an'　so　let's　try　it　now。'

〃'What　would　you　have　a　mind　to　be？'　says　he。

〃'Well；'　says　I；　'let's　be　an　earl　an'　a　earl…ess。'

〃'Earl…ess'？　　says　he；　'there's　no　such　a　person。'

〃'Why；　yes　there　is；　of　course；'　I　says　to　him。　　'What's　a　she…earl
if　she　isn't　a　earl…ess？'

〃'Well；　I　don't　know；'　says　he；　'never　havin'　lived　with　any　of
'em；　but　we'll　let　it　go　at　that。　　An'　how　do　you　want　to　work　the
thing　out？'

〃'This　way；'　says　I。　　'You；　Miguel'

〃'Jiguel；'　says　he。

〃'The　earl；'　says　I；　not　mindin'　his　interruption；　'an'　me；　your
noble　earl…ess；　will　go　to　some　good　place　or　otherit　don't
matter　much　jus'　where；　and　whatever　house　we　live　in　we'll　call
our　castle　an'　we'll　consider　it's　got　draw…bridges　an'
portcullises　an'　moats　an'　secrit　dungeons；　an'　we'll　remember　our
noble　ancesters；　an'　behave　accordin'。　　An'　the　people　we　meet　we
can　make　into　counts　and　dukes　and　princes；　without　their　knowin'
anything　about　it；　an'　we　can　think　our　clothes　is　silk　an'　satin
an'　velwet；　all　covered　with　dimuns　an'　precious　stones；　jus'　as
well　as　not。'

〃'Jus'　as　well；'　says　he。

〃'An'　then；'　I　went　on；　'we　can　go　an'　have　chi…VAL…rous
adventures；or　make　believe　we're　havin'　'em；an'　build　up　a
atmosphere　of　romanticness　aroun'　us　that'll　carry　us　back'

〃'To　ole　Virginny；'　says　he。

〃'No；'　says　I；　'for　thousands　of　years；　or　at　least　enough　back　for
the　times　of　tournaments　and　chi…VAL…ry。'

〃'An'　so　your　idea　is　that　we　make　believe　all　these　things；　an'
don't　pay　for　none　of　'em；　is　it？'　says　he。

〃'Yes；'　says　I；　'an'　you；　Miguel'

〃'Jiguel；'　says　he。

〃'Can　ask　me；　if　you　don't　know　what　chi…VAL…ric　or　romantic　thing
you　ought　to　do　or　to　say　so　as　to　feel　yourself　truly　an'　reely　a
earl；　for　I've　read　a　lot　about　these　people；　an'　know　jus'　what
ought　to　be　did。'

〃Well；　he　set　himself　down　an'　thought　a　while；　an'　then　he　says；
'All　right。　　We'll　do　that；　an'　we'll　begin　to…morrow　mornin'；　for
I've　got　a　little　business　to　do　in　the　city　which　wouldn't　be
exactly　the　right　thing　for　me　to　stoop　to　after　I'm　a　earl；　so
I'll　go　in　an'　do　it　while　I'm　a　common　person；　an'　come　back　this
afternoon；　an　you　can　walk　about　an'　look　at　the　dry　falls；　an'
amuse　yourself　gen'rally；　till　I　come　back。'

〃'All　right；'　says　I；　an'　off　he　goes。

〃He　come　back　afore　dark；　an'　the　nex'　mornin'　we　got　ready　to
start　off。

〃'Have　you　any　particular　place　to　go？'　says　he。

〃'No；'　says　I；　'one　place　is　as　likely　to　be　as　good　as　another　for
our　style　o'　thing。　　If　it　don't　suit；　we　can　imagine　it　does。'

〃'That'll　do；'　says　he；　an'　we　had　our　trunk　sent　to　the　station；
and　walked　ourselves。　　When　we　got　there；　he　says　to　me；

〃Which　number　will　you　have；　five　or　seven？'

〃'Either　one　will　suit　me；　Earl　Miguel；'　says　I。

〃'Jiguel；'　says　he；　'an'　we'll　make　it　seven。　　An'　now　I'll　go　an'
look　at　the　time…table；　an'　we'll　buy　tickets　for　the　seventh
station　from　here。　　The　seventh　station；'　says　he；　comin'　back；　'is
Pokus。　　We'll　go　to　Pokus。'

〃So　when　the　train　come　we　got　in；　an'　got　out　at　Pokus。　　It　was　a
pretty　sort　of　a　place；　out　in　the　country；　with　the　houses
scattered　a　long　ways　apart；　like　stingy　chicken…feed。

〃'Let's　walk　down　this　road；'　says　he；　'till　we　come　to　a　good
house　for　a　castle；　an'　then　we　can　ask　'em　to　take　us　to　board；
an'　if　they　wont　do　it　we'll　go　to　the　next；　an'　so　on。'

〃'All　right；'　says　I；　glad　enough　to　see　how　pat　he　entered　into
the　thing。

〃We　walked　a　good　ways；　an'　passed　some　little　houses　that　neither
of　us　thought　would　do；　without　more　imaginin'　than　would　pay；　till
we　came　to　a　pretty　big　house　near　the　river；　which　struck　our
fancy　in　a　minute。　　It　was　a　stone　house；　an'　it　had　trees　aroun'
it；　there　was　a　garden　with　a　wall；　an'　things　seemed　to　suit
first…rate；　so　we　made　up　our　minds　right　off　that　we'd　try　this
place。

〃'You　wait　here　under　this　tree；'　says　he；　'an'　I'll　go　an'　ask　'em
if　they'll　take　us　to　board　for　a　while。'

〃So　I　waits；　an'　he　goes　up　to　the　gate；　an'　pretty　soon　he　comes
out　an'　says；　'All　right；　they'll　take　us；　an'　they'll　send　a　man
with　a　wheelbarrer　to　the　station　for　our　trunk。'　　So　in　we　goes。
The　man　was　a　country…like　lookin'　man；　an'　his　wife　was　a　very
pleasant　woman。　　The　house　wasn't　furnished　very　fine；　but　we
didn't　care　for　that；　an'　they　gave　us　a　big　room　that　had　rafters
instid　of　a　ceilin'；　an'　a　big　fire…place；　an'　that；　I　said；　was
jus'　exac'ly　what　we　wanted。　　The　room　was　almos'　like　a　donjon
itself；　which　he　said　he　reckoned　had　once　been　a　kitchin；　but　I
told　him　that　a　earl　hadn't　nothin'　to　do　with　kitchins；　an'　that
this　was　a　tapestry　chamber；　an'　I'd　tell　him　all　about　the　strange
figgers　on　the　embroidered　hangin's；　when　the　shadders　begun　to
fall。

〃It　rained　a　little　that　afternoon；　an'　we　stayed　in　our　room；　an'
hung　our　clothes　an'　things　about　on　nails　an'　hooks；　an'　made
believe　they　was　armor　an'　ancient　trophies　an'　portraits　of　a　long
line　of　ancesters。　　I　did　most　of　the　make…believin'　but　he　agreed
to　ev'rything。　　The　man　who　kep'　the　house's　wife　brought　us　our
supper　about　dark；　because　she　said　she　thought　we　might　like　to
have　it　together　cozy；　an'　so　we　did；　an'　was　glad　enough　of　it；
an'　after　supper　we　sat　before　the　fire…place；　where　we　made…
believe　the　flames　was　a…roarin'　an'　cracklin'　an'　a…lightin'　up
the　bright　places　on　the　armor　a…hangin'　aroun'；　while　the　storm
which　we　made…believewas　a…ragin'　an'　whirlin'　outside。　　I　told
him　a　long　story　about　a　lord　an'　a　lady；　which　was　two　or　three
stories　I　had　read；　run　together；　an'　we　had　a　splendid　time。　　It
all　seemed　real　real　to　me。〃



CHAPTER　XV。

IN　WHICH　TWO　NEW　FRIENDS　DISPORT　THEMSELVES。


〃The　nex'　mornin'　was　fine　an'　nice；〃　continued　Pomona；　〃an'　after
our　breakfast　had　been　brought　to　us；　we　went　out　in　the　grounds　to
take　a　walk。　　There　was　lots　of　trees　back　of　the　house；　with　walks
among　'em；　an'　altogether　it　was　so　ole…timey　an'　castleish　that　I
was　as　happy　as　a　lark。

〃'Come　along；　Earl　Miguel；'　I　says；　'let　us　tread　a　measure　'neath
thes