part 1-第3部分

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startled　her；　they　would　simply　have　seemed　foolish



thin　chatter；　like　the　boasts　of　the　men　who　built　the　tower



of　Babel；　or　like　Axel's　plan　to　breed　ostriches　in　the　chicken



yard。　　From　what　evidence　Mrs。　Kronborg　formed　her



opinions　on　this　and　other　matters；　it　would　have　been



difficult　to　say；　but　once　formed；　they　were　unchangeable。



She　would　no　more　have　questioned　her　convictions　than



she　would　have　questioned　revelation。　　Calm　and　even…



tempered；　naturally　kind；　she　was　capable　of　strong　pre…



judices；　and　she　never　forgave。







　　　　　When　the　doctor　came　in　to　see　Thea；　Mrs。　Kronborg



was　reflecting　that　the　washing　was　a　week　behind；　and　de…



ciding　what　she　had　better　do　about　it。　　The　arrival　of　a



new　baby　meant　a　revision　of　her　entire　domestic　schedule；



and　as　she　drove　her　needle　along　she　had　been　working　out



new　sleeping　arrangements　and　cleaning　days。　　The　doctor



had　entered　the　house　without　knocking；　after　making



noise　enough　in　the　hall　to　prepare　his　patients。　　Thea



was　reading；　her　book　propped　up　before　her　in　the　sun…



light。



















　　　　　〃Mustn't　do　that；　bad　for　your　eyes；〃　he　said；　as　Thea



shut　the　book　quickly　and　slipped　it　under　the　covers。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　called　from　her　bed：　〃Bring　the　baby



here；　doctor；　and　have　that　chair。　　She　wanted　him　in　there



for　company。〃







　　　　　Before　the　doctor　picked　up　the　baby；　he　put　a　yellow



paper　bag　down　on　Thea's　coverlid　and　winked　at　her。



They　had　a　code　of　winks　and　grimaces。　　When　he　went　in



to　chat　with　her　mother；　Thea　opened　the　bag　cautiously；



trying　to　keep　it　from　crackling。　　She　drew　out　a　long　bunch



of　white　grapes；　with　a　little　of　the　sawdust　in　which　they



had　been　packed　still　clinging　to　them。　　They　were　called



Malaga　grapes　in　Moonstone；　and　once　or　twice　during　the



winter　the　leading　grocer　got　a　keg　of　them。　　They　were



used　mainly　for　table　decoration；　about　Christmas…time。



Thea　had　never　had　more　than　one　grape　at　a　time　before。



When　the　doctor　came　back　she　was　holding　the　almost



transparent　fruit　up　in　the　sunlight；　feeling　the　pale…green



skins　softly　with　the　tips　of　her　fingers。　　She　did　not　thank



him；　she　only　snapped　her　eyes　at　him　in　a　special　way



which　he　understood；　and；　when　he　gave　her　his　hand；



put　it　quickly　and　shyly　under　her　cheek；　as　if　she　were



trying　to　do　so　without　knowing　itand　without　his



knowing　it。







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　sat　down　in　the　rocking…chair。　　〃And　how's



Thea　feeling　to…day？〃







　　　　　He　was　quite　as　shy　as　his　patient；　especially　when　a



third　person　overheard　his　conversation。　　Big　and　hand…



some　and　superior　to　his　fellow　townsmen　as　Dr。　Archie



was；　he　was　seldom　at　his　ease；　and　like　Peter　Kronborg



he　often　dodged　behind　a　professional　manner。　　There



was　sometimes　a　contraction　of　embarrassment　and　self…



consciousness　all　over　his　big　body；　which　made　him　awk…



wardlikely　to　stumble；　to　kick　up　rugs；　or　to　knock　over



chairs。　　If　any　one　was　very　sick；　he　forgot　himself；　but　he



had　a　clumsy　touch　in　convalescent　gossip。



















　　　　　Thea　curled　up　on　her　side　and　looked　at　him　with



pleasure。　　〃All　right。　　I　like　to　be　sick。　　I　have　more　fun　then



than　other　times。〃







　　　　　〃How's　that？〃







　　　　　〃I　don't　have　to　go　to　school；　and　I　don't　have　to　prac…



tice。　　I　can　read　all　I　want　to；　and　have　good　things；〃



she　patted　the　grapes。　　〃I　had　lots　of　fun　that　time　I



mashed　my　finger　and　you　wouldn't　let　Professor　Wunsch



make　me　practice。　　Only　I　had　to　do　left　hand；　even　then。



I　think　that　was　mean。〃







　　　　　The　doctor　took　her　hand　and　examined　the　forefinger；



where　the　nail　had　grown　back　a　little　crooked。　　〃You



mustn't　trim　it　down　close　at　the　corner　there；　and　then　it



will　grow　straight。　　You　won't　want　it　crooked　when　you're



a　big　girl　and　wear　rings　and　have　sweethearts。〃







　　　　　She　made　a　mocking　little　face　at　him　and　looked　at　his



new　scarf…pin。　　〃That's　the　prettiest　one　you　ev…ER　had。



I　wish　you'd　stay　a　long　while　and　let　me　look　at　it。　　What



is　it？〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　laughed。　　〃It's　an　opal。　　Spanish　Johnny



brought　it　up　for　me　from　Chihuahua　in　his　shoe。　　I　had　it



set　in　Denver；　and　I　wore　it　to…day　for　your　benefit。〃







　　　　　Thea　had　a　curious　passion　for　jewelry。　　She　wanted



every　shining　stone　she　saw；　and　in　summer　she　was　always



going　off　into　the　sand　hills　to　hunt　for　crystals　and　agates



and　bits　of　pink　chalcedony。　　She　had　two　cigar　boxes　full



of　stones　that　she　had　found　or　traded　for；　and　she　imagined



that　they　were　of　enormous　value。　　She　was　always　plan…



ning　how　she　would　have　them　set。







　　　　　〃What　are　you　reading？〃　　The　doctor　reached　under　the



covers　and　pulled　out　a　book　of　Byron's　poems。　　〃Do　you



like　this？〃







　　　　　She　looked　confused；　turned　over　a　few　pages　rapidly；



and　pointed　to　〃My　native　land；　good…night。〃　　〃That；〃



she　said　sheepishly。







　　　　　〃How　about　‘Maid　of　Athens'？〃



















　　　　　She　blushed　and　looked　at　him　suspiciously。　　〃I　like



'There　was　a　sound　of　revelry；'〃　she　muttered。







　　　　　The　doctor　laughed　and　closed　the　book。　　It　was　clumsily



bound　in　padded　leather　and　had　been　presented　to　the



Reverend　Peter　Kronborg　by　his　Sunday…School　class　as



an　ornament　for　his　parlor　table。







　　　　　〃Come　into　the　office　some　day；　and　I'll　lend　you　a　nice



book。　　You　can　skip　the　parts　you　don't　understand。　　You



can　read　it　in　vacation。　　Perhaps　you'll　be　able　to　under…



stand　all　of　it　by　then。〃







　　　　　Thea　frowned　and　looked　fretfully　toward　the　piano。



〃In　vacation　I　have　to　practice　four　hours　every　day；　and



then　there'll　be　Thor　to　take　care　of。〃　　She　pronounced　it



〃Tor。〃







　　　　　〃Thor？　　Oh；　you've　named　the　baby　Thor？〃　exclaimed



the　doctor。







　　　　　Thea　frowned　again；　still　more　fiercely；　and　said　quickly；



〃That's　a　nice　name；　only　maybe　it's　a　littleold…



fashioned。〃　　She　was　very　sensitive　about　being　thought　a



foreigner；　and　was　proud　of　the　fact　that；　in　town；　her



father　always　preached　in　English；　very　bookish　English；



at　that；　one　might　add。







　　　　　Born　in　an　old　Scandinavian　colony　in　Minnesota；　Peter



Kronborg　had　been　sent　to　a　small　divinity　school　in



Indiana　by　the　women　of　a　Swedish　evangelical　mission；



who　were　convinced　of　his　gifts　and　who　skimped　and



begged　and　gave　church　suppers　to　get　the　long；　lazy　youth



through　the　seminary。　　He　could　still　speak　enough　Swed…



ish　to　exhort　and　to　bury　the　members　of　his　country



church　out　at　Copper　Hole；　and　he　wielded　in　his　Moon…



stone　pulpit　a　somewhat　pompous　English　vocabulary　he



had　learned　out　of　books　at　college。　　He　always　spoke



of　〃the　infant　Saviour；〃　〃our　Heavenly　Father；〃　etc。　　The



poor　man　had　no　natural；　spontaneous　human　speech。　　If



he　had　his　sincere　moments；　they　were　perforce　inarticu…



late。　　Probably　a　good　deal　of　his　pretentiousness　was　due















to　the　fact　that　he　habitually　expressed　himself　in　a　book…



learned　language；　wholly　remote　from　anything　personal；



native；　or　homely。　　Mrs。　Kronborg　spoke　Swedish　to　her



own　sisters　and　to　her　sister…in…law　Tillie；　and　colloquial



English　to　her　neighbors。　　Thea；　who　had　a　rather　sensitive



ear；　until　she　went　to　school　never　spoke　at　all；　except　in



monosyllables；　and　her　mother　was　convinced　that　she　was



tongue…tied。　　She　was　still　inept　in　speech　for　a　child　so



intelligent。　　Her　ideas　were　usually　clear；　but　she　seldom



attempted　to　explain　them；　even　at　school；　where　she



excelled　in　〃written　work〃　and　never　did　more　than　mutter



a　reply。







　　　　　〃Your　music　professor　stopped　me　on　the　street　to…day



and　asked　me　how　you　were；〃　said　the　doctor；　rising。



〃He'll　be　sick　himself；　trotting　around　in　this　slush　with



no　overcoat　or　overshoes。〃







　　　　　〃He's　poor；〃　said　Thea　simply。







　　　　　The　doctor　sighed。　　〃I'm　afraid　he's　worse　than　that。



Is　he　always　all　right　when　you　take　your　lessons？　　Never



acts　as　if　he'd　been　drinking？〃







　　　　　Thea　looked　angry　and　spoke　excitedly。　　〃He　knows　a



lot。　　More　than　anybody。　　I　don't　care　if　he　does　drink；



he's　old　and　poor。〃　　Her　voice　shook　a　little。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　spoke　up　from　the　next　room。　　〃He's　a



good　teacher；　doctor。　　It's　good　for　us　he　does　drink。　　He'd



never　be　in　a　little　place　like　this　if　he　didn't　have　some



weakness。　　These　women　that　teach　music　around　here



don't　know　nothing。　　I　wouldn't　have　my　child　wasting



time　with　them。　　If　Professor　Wunsch　goes　away；　Thea'll



have　nobody　to　take　from。　　He's　careful　with　his　scholars；



he　don't　use　bad　language。　　Mrs。　Kohler　is　always　present



when　Thea　takes　her　lesson。　　It's　all　right。〃　　Mrs。　Kronborg



spoke　calmly　and　judicially。　　One　could　see　that　she　had



thought　the　matter　out　before。







　　　　　〃I'm　glad　to　hear　that；　Mrs。　Kronborg。　　I　wish　we　could



get　the　old　man　off　his　bottle　and　keep　him　tidy。　　Do　you















suppose　if　I　gave　you　an　old　overcoat　you　could　get　him　to



wear　it？〃　　The　doctor　went　to　the　bedroom　door　and　Mrs。



Kronborg　looked　up　from　her　darning。







　　　　　〃Why；　yes；　I　guess　he'd　be　glad　of　it。　　He'll　take　most



anything　from　me。　　He　won't