to-morrow-第6部分

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leaning　against　the　wall。







　　　　　　　　　　Oh；　ho；　ho　Rio！







　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　fare　thee　well；







　　　　　　　　　　　　　My　bonnie　young　girl；







　　　　　　　　　　We're　bound　to　Rio　Grande







〃Capstan　song；〃　he　explained。　　Her　teeth　chat…



tered。







〃You　are　cold；〃　he　said。　　〃Here's　that　affair



of　yours　I　picked　up。〃　　She　felt　his　hands　about



her；　wrapping　her　closely。　　〃Hold　the　ends　to…



gether　in　front；〃　he　commanded。







〃What　did　you　come　here　for？〃　she　asked；　re…



pressing　a　shudder。







〃Five　quid；〃　he　answered；　promptly。　　〃We　let



our　spree　go　on　a　little　too　long　and　got　hard　up。〃







〃You've　been　drinking？〃　she　said。







〃Blind　three　days；　on　purpose。　　I　am　not　given



that　waydon't　you　think。　　There's　nothing　and



nobody　that　can　get　over　me　unless　I　like。　　I　can



be　as　steady　as　a　rock。　　My　chum　sees　the　paper



this　morning；　and　says　he　to　me：　'Go　on；　Harry：



loving　parent。　　That's　five　quid　sure。'　　So　we



scraped　all　our　pockets　for　the　fare。　　Devil　of　a



lark！〃







〃You　have　a　hard　heart；　I　am　afraid；〃　she



sighed。







〃What　for？　　For　running　away？　　Why！　he



wanted　to　make　a　lawyer's　clerk　of　mejust　to



please　himself。　　Master　in　his　own　house；　and　my



poor　mother　egged　him　onfor　my　good；　I　sup…



pose。　　Well；　thenso　long；　and　I　went。　　No；　I



tell　you：　the　day　I　cleared　out；　I　was　all　black　and



blue　from　his　great　fondness　for　me。　　Ah！　he　was



always　a　bit　of　a　character。　　Look　at　that　shovel



now。　　Off　his　chump？　　Not　much。　　That's　just



exactly　like　my　dad。　　He　wants　me　here　just　to



have　somebody　to　order　about。　　However；　we　two



were　hard　up；　and　what's　five　quid　to　himonce



in　sixteen　hard　years？〃







〃Oh；　but　I　am　sorry　for　you。　　Did　you　never



want　to　come　back　home？〃







〃Be　a　lawyer's　clerk　and　rot　herein　some　such



place　as　this？〃　he　cried　in　contempt。　　〃What！　if



the　old　man　set　me　up　in　a　home　to…day；　I　would



kick　it　down　about　my　earsor　else　die　there　be…



fore　the　third　day　was　out。〃







〃And　where　else　is　it　that　you　hope　to　die？〃







〃In　the　bush　somewhere；　in　the　sea；　on　a　blamed



mountain…top　for　choice。　　At　home？　　Yes！　the



world's　my　home；　but　I　expect　I'll　die　in　a　hospital



some　day。　　What　of　that？　　Any　place　is　good



enough；　as　long　as　I've　lived；　and　I've　been　every…



thing　you　can　think　of　almost　but　a　tailor　or　a



soldier。　　I've　been　a　boundary　rider；　I've　sheared



sheep；　and　humped　my　swag；　and　harpooned　a



whale。　　I've　rigged　ships；　and　prospected　for　gold；



and　skinned　dead　bullocks；and　turned　my　back



on　more　money　than　the　old　man　would　have



scraped　in　his　whole　life。　　Ha；　ha！〃







He　overwhelmed　her。　　She　pulled　herself　to…



gether　and　managed　to　utter；　〃Time　to　rest



now。〃







He　straightened　himself　up；　away　from　the　wall；



and　in　a　severe　voice　said；　〃Time　to　go。〃







But　he　did　not　move。　　He　leaned　back　again；



and　hummed　thoughtfully　a　bar　or　two　of　an　out…



landish　tune。







She　felt　as　if　she　were　about　to　cry。　　〃That's



another　of　your　cruel　songs；〃　she　said。







〃Learned　it　in　Mexicoin　Sonora。〃　　He　talked



easily。　　〃It　is　the　song　of　the　Gambucinos。　　You



don't　know？　　The　song　of　restless　men。　　Nothing



could　hold　them　in　one　placenot　even　a　woman。



You　used　to　meet　one　of　them　now　and　again；　in



the　old　days；　on　the　edge　of　the　gold　country；　away



north　there　beyond　the　Rio　Gila。　　I've　seen　it。　　A



prospecting　engineer　in　Mazatlan　took　me　along



with　him　to　help　look　after　the　waggons。　　A



sailor's　a　handy　chap　to　have　about　you　anyhow。



It's　all　a　desert：　cracks　in　the　earth　that　you　can't



see　the　bottom　of；　and　mountainssheer　rocks



standing　up　high　like　walls　and　church　spires；　only



a　hundred　times　bigger。　　The　valleys　are　full　of



boulders　and　black　stones。　　There's　not　a　blade　of



grass　to　see；　and　the　sun　sets　more　red　over　that



country　than　I　have　seen　it　anywhereblood…red



and　angry。　　It　IS　fine。〃







〃You　do　not　want　to　go　back　there　again？〃



she　stammered　out。







He　laughed　a　little。　　〃No。　　That's　the　blamed



gold　country。　　It　gave　me　the　shivers　sometimes



to　look　at　itand　we　were　a　big　lot　of　men　together；



mind；　but　these　Gambucinos　wandered　alone。



They　knew　that　country　before　anybody　had　ever



heard　of　it。　　They　had　a　sort　of　gift　for　prospect…



ing；　and　the　fever　of　it　was　on　them　too；　and　they



did　not　seem　to　want　the　gold　very　much。　　They



would　find　some　rich　spot；　and　then　turn　their　backs



on　it；　pick　up　perhaps　a　littleenough　for　a



spreeand　then　be　off　again；　looking　for　more。



They　never　stopped　long　where　there　were　houses；



they　had　no　wife；　no　chick；　no　home；　never　a　chum。



You　couldn't　be　friends　with　a　Gambucino；　they



were　too　restlesshere　to…day；　and　gone；　God



knows　where；　to…morrow。　　They　told　no　one　of



their　finds；　and　there　has　never　been　a　Gambucino



well　off。　　It　was　not　for　the　gold　they　cared；　it　was



the　wandering　about　looking　for　it　in　the　stony



country　that　got　into　them　and　wouldn't　let　them



rest；　so　that　no　woman　yet　born　could　hold　a　Gam…



bucino　for　more　than　a　week。　　That's　what　the



song　says。　　It's　all　about　a　pretty　girl　that　tried



hard　to　keep　hold　of　a　Gambucino　lover；　so　that　he



should　bring　her　lots　of　gold。　　No　fear！　　Off　he



went；　and　she　never　saw　him　again。〃







〃What　became　of　her？〃　she　breathed　out。







〃The　song　don't　tell。　　Cried　a　bit；　I　daresay。



They　were　the　fellows：　kiss　and　go。　　But　it's　the



looking　for　a　thinga　something　。　。　。　　Sometimes



I　think　I　am　a　sort　of　Gambucino　myself。〃







〃No　woman　can　hold　you；　then；〃　she　began　in



a　brazen　voice；　which　quavered　suddenly　before　the



end。







〃No　longer　than　a　week；〃　he　joked；　playing



upon　her　very　heartstrings　with　the　gay；　tender



note　of　his　laugh；　〃and　yet　I　am　fond　of　them



all。　　Anything　for　a　woman　of　the　right　sort。



The　scrapes　they　got　me　into；　and　the　scrapes　they



got　me　out　of！　　I　love　them　at　first　sight。　　I've



fallen　in　love　with　you　already；　MissBessie's　your



nameeh？〃







She　backed　away　a　little；　and　with　a　trembling



laugh：







〃You　haven't　seen　my　face　yet。〃







He　bent　forward　gallantly。　　〃A　little　pale：　it



suits　some。　　But　you　are　a　fine　figure　of　a　girl；　Miss



Bessie。〃







She　was　all　in　a　flutter。　　Nobody　had　ever　said



so　much　to　her　before。







His　tone　changed。　　〃I　am　getting　middling



hungry；　though。　　Had　no　breakfast　to…day。



Couldn't　you　scare　up　some　bread　from　that　tea



for　me；　or〃







She　was　gone　already。　　He　had　been　on　the　point



of　asking　her　to　let　him　come　inside。　　No　matter。



Anywhere　would　do。　　Devil　of　a　fix！　　What　would



his　chum　think？







〃I　didn't　ask　you　as　a　beggar；〃　he　said；　jest…



ingly；　taking　a　piece　of　bread…and…butter　from　the



plate　she　held　before　him。　　〃I　asked　as　a　friend。



My　dad　is　rich；　you　know。〃







〃He　starves　himself　for　your　sake。〃







〃And　I　have　starved　for　his　whim；〃　he　said；　tak…



ing　up　another　piece。







〃All　he　has　in　the　world　is　for　you；〃　she



pleaded。







〃Yes；　if　I　come　here　to　sit　on　it　like　a　dam'　toad



in　a　hole。　　Thank　you；　and　what　about　the　shovel；



eh？　　He　always　had　a　queer　way　of　showing　his



love。〃







〃I　could　bring　him　round　in　a　week；〃　she　sug…



gested；　timidly。







He　was　too　hungry　to　answer　her；　and；　holding



the　plate　submissively　to　his　hand；　she　began　to



whisper　up　to　him　in　a　quick；　panting　voice。　　He



listened；　amazed；　eating　slower　and　slower；　till　at



last　his　jaws　stopped　altogether。　　〃That's　his



game；　is　it？〃　he　said；　in　a　rising　tone　of　scathing



contempt。　　An　ungovernable　movement　of　his　arm



sent　the　plate　flying　out　of　her　fingers。　　He　shot



out　a　violent　curse。







She　shrank　from　him；　putting　her　hand　against



the　wall。







〃No！〃　he　raged。　　〃He　expects！　　Expects　ME



for　his　rotten　money！　。　。　。　。　　Who　wants　his



home？　　Madnot　he！　　Don't　you　think。　　He



wants　his　own　way。　　He　wanted　to　turn　me　into　a



miserable　lawyer's　clerk；　and　now　he　wants　to　make



of　me　a　blamed　tame　rabbit　in　a　cage。　　Of　me！　　Of



me！〃　　His　subdued　angry　laugh　frightened　her



now。







〃The　whole　world　ain't　a　bit　too　big　for　me　to



spread　my　elbows　in；　I　can　tell　youwhat's　your



nameBessielet　alone　a　dam'　parlour　in　a　hutch。



Marry！　　He　wants　me　to　marry　and　settle！　　And



as　likely　as　not　he　has　looked　out　the　girl　too



dash　my　soul！　　And　do　you　know　the　Judy；　may



I　ask？〃







She　shook　all　over　with　noiseless　dry　sobs；　but



he　was　fuming　and　fretting　too　much　to　notice　her



distress。　　He　bit　his　thumb　with　rage　at　the　mere



idea。　　A　window　rattled　up。







〃A　grinning；　information　fellow；〃　pronounced



old　Hagberd　dogmatically；　in　measured　tones。



And　the　sound　of　his　voice　seemed　to　Bessie　to　make



the　night　itself　madto　pour　insanity　and　dis…



aster　on　the　earth。　　〃Now　I　know　what's　wrong



with　the　people　here；　my　dear。　　Why；　of　course！



With　this　mad　chap　going　about。　　Don't　you　have



anything　to　do　with　him；　Bessie。　　Bessie；　I　say！〃







They　stood　as　if　dumb。　　The　old　man　fidgeted



and　mumbled　to　himself　at　the　window。　　Suddenly



he　cried；　piercingly：　〃BessieI　see　you。