the portygee-第53章
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no matterno matter if it is years and years。 And as for the
money and all that； if you disinherit her； oror whatever it is
they dowe don't care。 II hope you will。 Ishe〃
Captain Zelotes' voice broke in upon the impassioned outburst。
〃Steady； Al； steady； son；〃 he cautioned quietly。 〃I cal'late
you've said enough。 I don't think any more's necessary。 You'd
better go back to your desk now。〃
〃But； Grandfather； I want him to understand〃
〃I guess likely he does。 I should say you'd made it real plain。
Go now； Al。〃
Albert turned； but； with a shaking hand upon the doorknob； turned
back again。
〃I'mII'm sorry； Mr。 Fosdick；〃 he faltered。 〃II didn't mean
to say anything to hurt your feelings。 Butbut； you see；
Madelineshe and Iwe〃
He could not go on。 Fosdick's nod and answer were not unkindly。
〃All right； Speranza；〃 he said； 〃I'm not offended。 Hope I wasn't
too blunt； myself。 Good…day。〃
When the door had closed behind the young man he turned to Captain
Lote。
〃Sorry if I offended you； Snow；〃 he observed。 〃I threw in that
hint about marrying just to see what effect it would have； that's
all。〃
〃Um…hm。 So I judged。 Well； you saw； didn't you？〃
〃I did。 Say； Captain； except as a prospective son…in…law； and then
only because I don't see him in that lightI rather like that
grandson of yours。 He's a fine； upstanding young chap。〃
The captain made no reply。 He merely pulled at his beard。
However； he did not look displeased。
〃He's a handsome specimen； isn't he？〃 went on Fosdick。 〃No wonder
Madeline fell for his looks。 Those and the poetry together are a
combination hard to resistat her age。 And he's a gentleman。 He
handled himself mighty well while I was stringing him just now。〃
The beard tugging continued。 〃Um…hm；〃 observed Captain Zelotes
dryly； 〃he does pretty well for aSouth Harniss gentleman。 But
we're kind of wastin' time； ain't we； Mr。 Fosdick？ In spite of his
looks and his manners and all the rest； now that you've seen him
you still object to that engagement； I take it。〃
〃Why； yes； I do。 The boy is all right； I'm sure； but〃
〃Sartin； I understand。 I feel the same way about your girl。 She's
all right； I'm sure； but〃
〃We're agreed on everything； includin' the 'but。' And the 'but' is
that New York is one place and South Harniss is another。〃
〃Exactly。〃
〃So we don't want 'em to marry。 Fine。 First rate！ Only now we
come to the most important 'but' of all。 What are we going to do
about it？ Suppose we say no and they say yes and keep on sayin'
it？ Suppose they decide to get married no matter what we say。 How
are we goin' to stop it？〃
His visitor regarded him for a moment and then broke into a hearty
laugh。
〃Snow；〃 he declared； 〃you're all right。 You surely have the
faculty of putting your finger on the weak spots。 Of course we
can't stop it。 If these two young idiots have a mind to marry and
keep that mind； they WILL marry and we can't prevent it any more
than we could prevent the tide coming in to…morrow morning。 _I_
realized that this was a sort of fool's errand； my coming down
here。 I know that this isn't the age when parents can forbid
marriages and get away with it； as they used to on the stage in the
old plays。 Boys and girls nowadays have a way of going their own
gait in such matters。 But my wife doesn't see it in exactly that
way； and she was so insistent on my coming down here to stop the
thing if I could thatwell； I came。〃
〃I'm glad you did； Mr。 Fosdick； real glad。 And； although I agree
with you that the very worst thing to do； if we want to stop this
team from pullin' together； is to haul back on the bits and holler
'Whoa；' still I'm kind of hopeful that； maybe 。 。 。 humph！ I
declare； it looks as if I'd have to tell you another story。 I'm
gettin' as bad as Cap'n Hannibal Doane used to be； and they used to
call him 'The Rope Walk' 'cause he spun so many yarns。〃
Fosdick laughed again。 〃You may go as far as you like with your
stories； Captain；〃 he said。 〃I can grow fat on them。〃
〃Thanks。 Well； this ain't a story exactly； it just kind of makes
the point I'm tryin' to get at。 Calvin Bangs had a white mare one
time and the critter had a habit of runnin' away。 Once his wife；
Hannah J。； was in the buggy all by herself； over to the Ostable
Fair； Calvin havin' got out to buy some peanuts or somethin'。 The
mare got scared of the noise and crowd and bolted。 As luck would
have it； she went right through the fence and out onto the trottin'
track。 And around that track she went； hell bent for election。
All hands was runnin' alongside hollerin' 'Stop her！ Stop her！
'but not Calvinno SIR！ He waited till the mare was abreast of
him； the mare on two legs and the buggy on two wheels and Hannah
'most anywheres between the dasher and the next world； and then he
sung out： 'Give her her head； Hannah！ Give her her head。 She'll
stop when she runs down。'〃
He laughed and his visitor laughed with him。
〃I gather；〃 observed the New Yorker； 〃that you believe it the
better policy to give our young people their heads。〃
〃In reasonyes； I do。 It's my judgment that an affair like this
will hurry more and more if you try too hard to stop it。 If you
don't try at all so any one would notice it； it may run down and
stop of itself； the way Calvin's mare did。〃
Fosdick nodded reflectively。 〃I'm inclined to agree with you；〃 he
said。 〃But does that mean that they're to correspond； write love
letters； and all that？〃
〃Why； in reason； maybe。 If we say no to that； they'll write
anyhow； won't they？〃
〃Of course。 。 。 。 How would it do to get them to promise to write
nothing that their parents might not see？ Of course I don't mean
for your grandson to show you his letters before he sends them to
Madeline。 He's too old for that； and he would refuse。 But suppose
you asked him to agree to write nothing that Madeline would not be
willing to show her motheror me。 Do you think he would？〃
〃Maybe。 I'll ask him。 。 。 。 Yes； I guess likely he'd do that。〃
〃My reason for suggesting it is； frankly； not so much on account of
the young people as to pacify my wife。 I am not afraidnot very
much afraid of this love affair。 They are young； both of them。
Give them time； andas you say； Snow； the thing may run down；
peter out。〃
〃I'm in hopes 'twill。 It's calf love； as I see it； and I believe
'twill pay to give the calves rope enough。〃
〃So do I。 No； I'm not much troubled about the young people。 But
Mrs。 Fosdickwell； my trouble will be with her。 She'll want to
have your boy shot or jailed or hanged or something。〃
〃I presume likely。 I guess you'll have to handle her the way
another feller who used to live here in South Harniss said he
handled his wife。 'We don't never have any trouble at all；' says
he。 'Whenever she says yes or no； I say the same thing。 Later on；
when it comes to doin'； I do what I feel like。' 。 。 。 Eh？ You're
not goin'； are you； Mr。 Fosdick？〃
His visitor had risen and was reaching for his coat。 Captain
Zelotes also rose。
〃Don't hurry； don't hurry；〃 he begged。
〃Sorry； but I must。 I want to be back in New York tomorrow
morning。〃
〃But you can't； can you？ To do that you'll have to get up to
Boston or Fall River； and the afternoon train's gone。 You'd better
stay and have supper along with my wife and me； stay at our house
over night； and take the early train after breakfast to…morrow。〃
〃I wish I could； I'd like nothing better。 But I can't。〃
〃Sure？〃 Then； with a smile； he added： 〃Al needn't eat with us；
you know； if his bein' there makes either of you feel nervous。〃
Fosdick laughed again。 〃I think I should be willing to risk the
nervousness；〃 he replied。 〃But I must go； really。 I've hired a
chap at the garage here to drive me to Boston in his car and I'll
take the midnight train over。〃
〃Humph！ Well； if you must； you must。 Hope you have a comf'table
trip； Mr。 Fosdick。 Better wrap up warm； it's pretty nigh a five…
hour run to Boston and there's some cool wind over the Ostable
marshes this time of year。 Good…by； sir。 Glad to have had this
talk with you。〃
His visitor held out his hand。 〃So am I； Snow；〃
