第 2 节
作者:抵制日货      更新:2022-11-28 19:19      字数:9322
  Such was the mental and physical condition of the Man on the Beach
  on the 1st of January; 1869。
  It was a still; bright day; following a week of rain and wind。                   Low
  down the horizon still lingered a few white flecksthe flying squadrons of
  the stormas vague as distant sails。            Southward the harbor bar whitened
  occasionally but lazily; even the turbulent Pacific swell stretched its length
  wearily   upon   the   shore。     And   toiling   from   the   settlement   over   the   low
  sand     dunes;    a  carriage    at  last  halted   half   a  mile   from    the   solitary's
  dwelling。
  〃I   reckon   ye'll   hev   to   git   out   here;〃   said   the   driver;   pulling   up   to
  breathe his panting horses。         〃Ye can't git any nigher。〃
  There   was   a   groan   of   execration   from   the   interior   of   the   vehicle;   a
  hysterical     little  shriek;  and   one    or  two   shrill  expressions     of   feminine
  disapprobation;       but   the  driver   moved      not。   At    last  a  masculine     head
  expostulated from the window: 〃Look here; you agreed to take us to the
  house。     Why; it's a mile away at least!〃
  〃Thar; or tharabouts; I reckon;〃 said the driver; coolly crossing his legs
  on the box。
  〃It's   no   use   talking;   I   can   never   walk   through   this   sand   and   horrid
  glare;〃     said    a    female     voice     quickly     and    imperatively。         Then;
  apprehensively; 〃Well; of all the places!〃
  〃Well; I never!〃
  〃This DOES exceed everything。〃
  〃It's really TOO idiotic for anything。〃
  It was noticeable that while the voices betrayed the difference of age
  and   sex;   they   bore   a   singular   resemblance   to   each   other;   and   a   certain
  querulousness of pitch that was dominant。
  〃I reckon I've gone about as fur as I allow to go with them hosses;〃
  continued      the   driver   suggestively;     〃and   as  time's   vallyble;    ye'd   better
  unload。〃
  〃The   wretch   does   not   mean   to   leave   us   here   alone?〃   said   a   female
  voice in shrill indignation。         〃You'll wait for us; driver?〃 said a masculine
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  voice; confidently。
  〃How long?〃 asked the driver。
  There was a hurried consultation within。                 The words 〃Might send us
  packing!〃   〃May   take   all   night   to   get   him   to   listen   to   reason;〃   〃Bother!
  whole   thing   over   in   ten   minutes;〃   came   from   the   window。   The   driver
  meanwhile   had   settled   himself   back   in   his   seat;   and   whistled   in   patient
  contempt       of   a  fashionable       fare   that   didn't   know     its  own     mind     nor
  destination。       Finally;    the   masculine      head    was    thrust   out;   and;   with   a
  certain potential air of judicially ending a difficulty; said:
  〃You're   to   follow   us   slowly;   and   put   up   your   horses   in   the   stable   or
  barn until we want you。〃
  An   ironical   laugh   burst   from   the   driver。      〃Oh;   yesin   the   stable   or
  barnin   course。      But;   my  eyes   sorter   failin'   me;   mebbee;   now;  some   ev
  you younger folks will kindly pint out the stable or barn of the Kernel's。
  Woa!will   ye?woa!          Give   me   a   chance   to   pick   out   that   there   barn   or
  stable to put ye in!〃         This in arch confidence to the horses; who had not
  moved。
  Here     the   previous     speaker;    rotund;    dignified;    and    elderly;   alighted
  indignantly;   closely   followed   by   the   rest   of   the   party;   two   ladies   and   a
  gentleman。        One   of   the   ladies   was   past   the   age;   but   not   the   fashion;   of
  youth; and her Parisian dress clung over her wasted figure and well…bred
  bones      artistically    if  not   gracefully;     the   younger      lady;   evidently      her
  daughter;      was    crisp   and   pretty;   and   carried    off   the  aquiline    nose    and
  aristocratic emaciation of her mother with a certain piquancy and a dash
  that   was   charming。        The   gentleman   was   young;   thin;   with   the   family
  characteristics; but otherwise indistinctive。
  With one   accord   they all   faced directly  toward the   spot   indicated   by
  the driver's whip。        Nothing but the bare; bleak; rectangular outlines of the
  cabin of the Man on the Beach met their eyes。                      All else was a desolate
  expanse;   unrelieved   by   any   structure   higher   than   the   tussocks   of   scant
  beach grass that clothed it。          They were so utterly helpless that the driver's
  derisive laughter gave way at last to good humor and suggestion。                          〃Look
  yer;〃 he said finally; 〃I don't know ez it's your fault you don't know this
  kentry     ez   well   ez   you    do   Yurup;    so   I'll  drag   this   yer  team     over   to
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  Robinson's on the river; give the horses a bite; and then meander down this
  yer ridge; and wait for ye。         Ye'll see me from the Kernel's。〃            And without
  waiting for a reply; he swung his horses' heads toward the river; and rolled
  away。
  The   same   querulous   protest   that   had   come   from   the   windows   arose
  from the group; but vainly。          Then followed accusations and recrimination。
  〃It's   YOUR   fault;   you   might   have   written;   and   had   him   meet   us   at   the
  settlement。〃       〃You     wanted     to  take   him   by   surprise!〃     〃I   didn't。   You
  know if I'd written that we were coming; he'd have taken good care to run
  away from us。〃         〃Yes; to some more inaccessible place。〃                〃There can be
  none worse than this;〃 etc。; etc。          But it was so clearly evident that nothing
  was to be done but to go forward; that even in the midst of their wrangling
  they   straggled   on   in   Indian   file   toward   the   distant   cabin;   sinking   ankle…
  deep in the yielding sand; punctuating their verbal altercation with sighs;
  and only abating it at a scream from the elder lady。
  〃Where's Maria?〃
  〃Gone on ahead!〃 grunted the younger gentleman; in a bass voice; so
  incongruously large for him that it seemed to have been a ventriloquistic
  contribution by somebody else。
  It   was   too   true。   Maria;   after   adding   her   pungency   to   the   general
  conversation;   had   darted   on   ahead。        But   alas!   that   swift   Camilla;   after
  scouring the plain some two hundred feet with her demitrain; came to grief
  on   an   unbending   tussock   and   sat   down;   panting   but   savage。          As   they
  plodded   wearily   toward   her;   she   bit   her   red   lips;   smacked   them   on   her
  cruel little white teeth like a festive and sprightly ghoul; and lisped:
  〃You   DO   look   so   like   guys!      For   all   the   world   like   those   English
  shopkeepers   we   met   on   the   Righi;   doing   the   three…guinea   excursion   in
  their Sunday clothes!〃
  Certainly the spectacle of these exotically plumed bipeds; whose fine
  feathers   were   already   bedrabbled   by   sand   and   growing   limp   in   the   sea
  breeze;   was   somewhat   dissonant   with   the   rudeness   of   sea   and   sky   and
  shore。     A few gulls screamed at them; a loon; startled from the lagoon;
  arose   shrieking   and   protesting;   with   painfully   extended   legs;   in   obvious
  burlesque of the younger gentleman。               The elder lady felt the justice of her
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  gentle daughter's criticism; and retaliated with simple directness:
  〃Your skirt   is   ruined;  your hair   is   coming   down;  your   hat is half   off
  your   head;   and   your   shoesin   Heaven's   name;   Maria!   what   HAVE   you
  done with your shoes?〃
  Maria had exhibited a slim stockinged foot from under her skirt。 It was
  scarcely     three   fingers    broad;    with   an   arch   as  patrician    as   her  nose。
  〃Somewhere between here and the carriage;〃 she answered; 〃Dick can run
  back and find it; while he is looking for your brooch; mamma。                     Dick's so
  obliging。〃
  The   robust   voice   of   Dick   thundered;   but   the   wasted   figure   of   Dick
  feebly ploughed its way back; and returned with the missing buskin。
  〃I may as well carry them in my hand like the market girls at Saumur;
  for we have got to wade soon;〃 said Miss Maria; sinking her own ter