gs.earthabides-第55部分

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　long　before；　when　he　had　met　a　man　just　after　the　Great　Disaster；　and　had　turned；　and　walked　away　with　the　feeling　that　he　might　be　shot　in　the　back。　Yet；　after　that　first　memory；　he　was　not　afraid；　and　it　was　the　more　humiliating　that　he　was　not。　He　realized　that　Charlie　would　think　there　was　no　need　of　shooting。　He；　Ish；　had　e　off　second…best。　
　　He　was　in　the　depths　of　bitterness　as　he　walked　back　toward　his　own　house；　He　had　forgotten　how　deep　humiliation　would　be。　The　hammer　was　mere　weight　now；　not　a　symbol　of　power。　For　years　things　had　gone　easily；　and　he　had　been　a　leader。　But　after　all　he　was　not　so　different　from　the　strange　youth　that　he　now　could　hardly　remember。　The　youth　who　had　existed　in　the　old　days　before　the　Great　Disaster；　the　one　who　was　afraid　to　go　to　dances；　the　one　who　was　never　quite　at　ease　with　other　people；　and　had　never　been　a　leader。　He　had　changed　much；　he　had　outgrown　much；　but　he　could　not　outgrow　it　all。　
　　Then　as　he　came；　deep　in　bitterness；　through　the　door　of　the　old　house；　Em　was　there　waiting　for　him。　He　laid　down　the　hammer。　He　took　her　into　his　arms；　or　perhaps　she　took　him　into　hers；　he　was　not　sure。　But　after　that　he　felt　suddenly　a　new　confidence。　Sometimes　she　did　not　agree　with　him。　They　had　argued　just　the　night　before　about　Charlie；　but　in　the　end　he　knew　that　he　would　renew　his　confidence　from　her。　
　　They　sat　on　the　davenport；　and　he　poured　out　the　story。　He　did　not　wait　to　hear　what　she　thought；　but　he　felt　her　sympathy　flow　out　and　enfold　him。　He　felt　the　raw　edge　of　his　humiliation　healing　over。　She　spoke　at　last：　
　　〃You　shouldn't　have　done　it！　You　should　have　had　the　boys　to　back　you。　He　might　have　shot　you　right　there。　You're　strong　at　thinking　and　knowing　things；　not　in　meeting　a　man　like　that。〃　
　　Then　it　was　she　was　began　to　take　the　next　action。　
　　〃Go　get　Ezra　and　George　and　the　boys；〃　she　said。　〃No；　I'll　send　one　of　the　children。　No　one　can　move　in　on　us　like　this；　and　say　what　he　and　we　are　going　to　do！〃　
　　Yes；　Ish　realized；　he　had　been　wrong。　There　had　been　no　need　to　feel　again　the　Great　Loneliness。　Small　and　weak　though　it　might　be；　there　was　still　the　strength　of　The　Tribe　to　rally　warmly　about　him。　
　　George　was　the　first　to　e；　and　after　him；　Ezra。　Ish　caught　the　movement　as　Ezra's　quick　eyes　shifted　from　George　to　Em　and　back　again。　〃He　has　something；〃　Ish　thought；　〃he　wants　to　say　to　me　alone。〃　But　Ezra　made　no　attempt　to　gain　the　opportunity。　Instead　he　ended　by　looking　at　Em　in　a　half…embarrassed　manner。　
　　〃Molly's　had　to　lock　Evie　up　in　one　of　the　upstairs　rooms；〃　he　said。　Ish　could　tell　what　a　hard　matter　it　was　for　Ezra；　a　highly　polite　and　civilized　person；　to　have　to　speak　in　public　thus　about　the　burst　of　passion　that　had　suddenly　e　upon　a　half…witted　girl　at　a　man's　caresses。　
　　〃What's　to　keep　her　from　jumping　out　the　window　anyway？〃　said　Ish。　
　　〃Nothing；　I　guess；〃　said　Ezra。　
　　〃I　could　fix　up　some　bars；〃　said　George；　eagerly。　〃We　could　put　something　across　the　window；　all　right。〃　
　　They　all　laughed　a　little　in　spite　of　the　seriousness。　George　was　always　so　happy　to　do　a　little　more　carpentry　somewhere　on　the　houses。　But　it　was　obviously　impossible　to　keep　Evie　locked　up　for　the　rest　of　her　life。　
　　Just　then　Jack　and　Roger；　Ish's　own　sons；　came　in；　after　them；　Ralph；　who　was　the　last　of　that　trio。　
　　At　the　boys'　ing；　there　was　a　little　relaxing；　and　people　began　to　sit　down　and　make　themselves　fortable。　In　a　moment；　Ish　knew　they　would　all　expect　him　to　begin　to　say　something　and　he　felt　again　that　this　was　all　happening　too　rapidly。　What　he　was　actually　facing　was　almost　like　the　organization　of　a　new　state。　And　yet；　they　could　not　sit　down　quietly　and　start　out　by　writing　a　constitution　with　a　good　old…fashioned　preamble。　No；　a　particular　and　troublesome　situation　faced　them；　and　they　must　act　in　the　face　of　it。　
　　He　put　the　question　sharply：　〃What　are　we　going　to　do　about　Evie　and　this　Charlie？〃　
　　There　was　a　babble　of　talk；　and　almost　immediately　Ish　had　the　chilly　feeling　that　of　all　the　men；　only　Ezra　was　solidly　with　him。　The　boys；　even　George；　seemed　to　think　that　Charlie　might　bring　a　new　force　from　the　outside　to　enliven　and　enrich　the　life　of　The　Tribe。　If　he　liked　Evie；　so　much　the　better。　They　had　enough　loyalty　to　Ish　to　insist　that　Charlie　must　apologize　for　what　had　happened　this　morning。　But　it　was　evident　also；　Ish　felt；　that　they　all　considered　him　to　have　acted　precipitously…he　should　have　talked　with　the　rest　of　them　before　confronting　Charlie。　
　　Ish　brought　up　the　argument　that　they　could　not　afford　to　let　Evie　start　a　line　of　half…witted　children。　But　his　words　made　less　impression　than　he　had　thought　they　would。　Evie　had　always　been　a　part　of　the　boys'　life；　and　the　thought　that　there　would　be　others　around　of　the　same　kind　made　little　impression　upon　them。　They　could　not　think　far　enough　ahead　to　conceive　that　the　descendants　of　Evie　would　necessarily　mingle　with　the　rest　of　the　group　and　bring　the　whole　level　down。　
　　Then　curiously　enough；　George's　slow　mind　brought　forth　an　even　sounder　argument。　〃How　do　we　know；〃　he　said；　〃that　she　really　is　half…witted　anyway？　Maybe　it　was　just　all　that　trouble　she　had　when　she　was　a　little　girl　when　everybody　died　and　left　her　all　alone　to　take　care　of　herself。　That　would　put　anybody　crazy。　Maybe　she's　just　as　bright　as　any　of　us　really；　and　so　her　children　will　be　all　right。〃　
　　Though　Ish　could　not　imagine　Evie's　ever　having　normal　children；　still　there　might　be　something　to　the　argument；　and　he　saw　that　it　impressed　the　others；　except　Ezra。　In　fact；　there　was　almost　a　feeling　that　Charlie　was　a　benefactor　to　the　munity；　and　was　going　to　bring　Evie　into　it　again　as　a　normal　Part。　And　just　then　Ish　noticed　that　Ezra　was　really　wanting　to　say　something。　
　　Ezra　stood　up。　That　was　unusual　of　him；　too；　being　so　formal。　And　it　was　also　unusual　that　he　seemed　to　be　embarrassed。　His　florid　face　was　even　redder　than　usual；　and　he　glanced　back　and　forth；　particularly　at　Em；　it　seemed；　in　an　uncertain　manner。　
　　〃I've　got　to　say　something　more；〃　he　said。　〃I　talked　with　that　fellow；　Charlie；　last　night　after　we　went　home；　quite　a　while。　He'd　been　drinking　a　lot；　you　know…talked　pretty　freely。〃　He　paused；　and　Ish　noticed　again　his　half…embarrassed　glance　toward　Em。　〃He　boasted；　kind　of；　you　know。〃　And　now　Ezra　glanced　toward　the　boys；　as　if　realizing　that　they；　poor　half…savages；　would　not　know　really　what　a　civilized　man　was　discussing。　〃He　told　me　quite　a　bit　about　himself；　which　was　what　I　was　after。〃　
　　Again　he　paused；　and　Ish　could　not　remember　Ezra　ever　having　been　like　this　before。　〃e　on；　Ezra；〃　he　said。　〃Tell　us。　This　is　just　us。〃　
　　Suddenly　the　bonds　of　Ezra's　reticence　broke。　〃This　guy；　Charlie！〃　he　burst　out。　〃He's　rotten　inside　as　a　ten…day　fish。　Diseases；　Cupid's　diseases；　I　mean。　Hell；　he's　got　all　of　them　there　are！〃　
　　Ish　saw　the　news　visibly　shake　George's　big　body　as　if　it　had　been　a　jolting　blow　on　the　chest。　He　saw　the　flush　spread　over　Em's　creamy…colored　face。　To　the　boys　the　news　was　nothing。　They　did　not　know　what　Ezra　was　talking　about。　
　　Ezra　would　not　even　try　to　explain　to　the　boys　until　Em　had　left　the　room；　and　then　he　had　difficulties　because　the　whole　conception　of　disease　was　very　hazy　to　the　boys。　
　　As　Ezra　tried　his　explanation；　Ish　sat　feeling　his　thoughts　run　by　him　fast。　This　was　something　for　which　neither　the　old　life　nor　the　new　life　held　precedent。　He　knew　vaguely　that　lepers　had　been　restrained　by　law；　and　he　remembered　stories　of　leper　colonies。　A　typhoid…fever　carrier　might；　he　thought；　be　legally　kept　from　working　in　a　restaurant。　But　what　use　was　it　to　remember　such　precedents　anyway？　Now　there　was　no　law　of　the　land。　
　　〃Let　the　boys　go；〃　he　said　suddenly　to　Ezra。　〃This　is　for　us　to　talk　over　and　decide　on。〃　The　boys；　he　realized　suddenly；　were　disqualified　in　two　ways…they　did　not　know　the　dangers　of　disease　to　a　munity；　and　they　did　not　know　the　force　which　any　society　was　privileged　to　exert　in　its　own　defense。　
　　The　boys　filed　out；　in　spite　of　their　years　and　inches　and　paternity；　seeming　mere　children　again。　〃Keep　quiet　about　this；〃　Ezra　told　them。　
　　The　three　older　men　turned　to　each　other　again　after　the　younger　ones　had　gone。　
　　〃Let's　get　Em　back　in；〃　said　Ezra。　She　joined　them；　and　then　there　were　four。　
　　They　stood　for　a　minute　in　silence　as　if　under　the　actual　threat　of　danger。　There　was　a　feeling　of　death　in　the　air；　not　of　clean　death　in　the　open；　but　of　a　mean　and　defiling　death。　
　　〃Well；　what　about　it？〃　said　Ish；　knowing　that　he　must　take　the　lead　again。　
　　Once　the　silence　was　broken；　they　discussed　the　situation　fully。　They　were　agreed；　first　of　all；　that　The　Tribe　had　the　right　to　protect　itself　and　must　do　so。　They　would　look　for　no　more　law　or　precedent　than　the　primary　one　of　self…defense；　which　could　be　applied　to　a　munity；　as　well　as　to　a　person。　
　　Granted　the　right；　however；　and　the　necessity；　what　could　be　the　means？　Mere　warning；　〃Do　this　or　else！〃　they　all　agreed；　would　probably　be　useless　and　would　certainly　offer　no　sure　protection。　Once　the　thing　was　done；　the　punishment　which　they　could　mete　out　to　Charlie　would　be　mere　social　vengeance；　and　no　avail　against　the　spread　of　the　diseases。　They　had　no　means　of　actually　imprisoning　Charlie；　and　the　weight　of　all　that　responsibility；　if　they　should　improvise　a　jail　of　bars　and　locks；　would　be　too　much　for　a　small　munity　to　enforce　indefinitely。　The　obvious　thing　was　banishment。　They　could　merely　take　him　away　from　the　munity　and　tell　him　to　go　on。　He　could　manage　to　live　well　enough。　If　he　returned；　the　penalty　would　be　death。　
　　Death…they　stirred　uneasily　even　at　the　mention　of　it！　Now　it　had　been　a　long　time　since　there　had　been　either　war　or　execution。　That　their　society　might　have　to　inflict　such　a　final　penalty；　the　very　thought　was　strangely　disturbing　to　all　their　minds。　
　　〃But　what　about　it？〃　Em　seemed　to　voice　all　their　fears。　〃What　if　he　sneaks　back　somewhere？　After　all；　there　are　only　a　few　of　us　older　people；　and　he　makes　friends　easily　with　the　younger　ones。　What　if　he　makes　friends　with　some　of　the　boys　and　they　protect　him？　And　he　could　m