the bohemian girl-第7部分

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hand　　〃Hongarie。　You　know　Hongarie？　　You　wait！〃　　He　pushed　Nils



down　on　the　bench；　and　went　through　the　back　door　of　his　saloon。







Nils　looked　at　Clara；　who　sat　frigidly　with　her　white　skirts



drawn　tight　about　her。　　〃He　didn't　tell　you　he　had　asked　me　to



come；　did　he？　　He　wanted　a　party　and　proceeded　to　arrange　it。



Isn't　he　fun？　　Don't　be　cross；　let's　give　him　a　good　time。〃







Clara　smiled　and　shook　out　her　skirt。　　〃Isn't　that　like



Father？　　And　he　has　sat　here　so　meekly　all　day。　　Well；　I　won't



pout。　　I'm　glad　you　came。　　He　doesn't　have　very　many　good　times　now



any　more。　　There　are　so　few　of　his　kind　left。　　The　second



generation　are　a　tame　lot。〃







Joe　came　back　with　a　flask　in　one　hand　and　three　wine　glasses



caught　by　the　stems　between　the　fingers　of　the　other。　　These　he



placed　on　the　table　with　an　air　of　ceremony；　and；　going　behind



Nils；　held　the　flask　between　him　and　the　sun；　squinting　into　it



admiringly。　　〃You　know　dis；　Tokai？　　A　great　friend　of　mine；　he



bring　dis　to　me；　a　present　out　of　Hongarie。　　You　know　how　much　it



cost；　dis　wine？　　Chust　so　much　what　it　weigh　in　gold。　　Nobody　but



de　nobles　drink　him　in　Bohemie。　　Many；　many　years　I　save　him　up；



dis　Tokai。〃　　Joe　whipped　out　his　official　corkscrew　and　delicately



removed　the　cork。　　〃De　old　man　die　what　bring　him　to　me；　an'　dis



wine　he　lay　on　his　belly　in　my　cellar　an'　sleep。　　An'　now；〃



carefully　pouring　out　the　heavy　yellow　wine；　〃an'　now　he　wake　up；



and　maybe　he　wake　us　up；　too！〃　　He　carried　one　of　the　glasses　to



his　daughter　and　presented　it　with　great　gallantry。







Clara　shook　her　head；　but；　seeing　her　father's　disappointment；



relented。　　〃You　taste　it　first。　　I　don't　want　so　much。〃







Joe　sampled　it　with　a　beatific　expression；　and　turned　to　Nils。　



〃You　drink　him　slow；　dis　wine。　　He　very　soft；　but　he　go　down　hot。　



You　see！〃







After　a　second　glass　Nils　declared　that　he　couldn't　take　any



more　without　getting　sleepy。　　〃Now　get　your　fiddle；　Vavrika；〃　he



said　as　he　opened　his　flute　case。







But　Joe　settled　back　in　his　wooden　rocker　and　wagged　his　big



carpet　slipper。　　〃No…no…no…no…no…no…no！　　No　play　fiddle　now　any



more：　too　much　ache　in　de　finger；〃　waving　them；　〃all…a…time



rheumatic。　　You　play　de　flute；　te…tety…tetety…te。　　Bohemie　songs。〃







〃I've　forgotten　all　the　Bohemian　songs　I　used　to　play　with　you



and　Johanna。　　But　here's　one　that　will　make　Clara　pout。　　You



remember　how　her　eyes　used　to　snap　when　we　called　her　the　Bohemian



Girl？〃　　Nils　lifted　his　flute　and　began　〃When　Other　Lips　and　Other



Hearts；〃　and　Joe　hummed　the　air　in　a　husky　baritone；　waving



his　carpet　slipper。　　〃Oh…h…h；　das…a　fine　music；〃　he　cried；　clapping



his　hands　as　Nils　finished。　　〃Now　'Marble　Halls；　Marble　Halls'！



Clara；　you　sing　him。〃







Clara　smiled　and　leaned　back　in　her　chair；　beginning　softly：







　　　　　　　I　dreamt　that　I　dwelt　in　ma…a…arble　halls；



　　　　　　　　　　With　vassals　and　serfs　at　my　knee；〃







and　Joe　hummed　like　a　big　bumblebee。







〃There's　one　more　you　always　played；〃　Clara　said　quietly；　〃I



remember　that　best。〃　　She　locked　her　hands　over　her　knee　and　began



〃The　Heart　Bowed　Down；〃　and　sang　it　through　without　groping　for　the



words。　　She　was　singing　with　a　good　deal　of　warmth　when　she　came　to



the　end　of　the　old　song：







　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃For　memory　is　the　only　friend



　　　　　　　　　　　　　That　grief　can　call　its　own。〃







Joe　flashed　out　his　red　silk　handkerchief　and　blew　his　nose；



shaking　his　head。　　〃No…no…no…no…no…no…no！　　Too　sad；　too　sad！　　I　not



like…a　dat。　　Play　quick　somet'ing　gay　now。〃







Nils　put　his　lips　to　the　instrument；　and　Joe　lay　back　in　his



chair；　laughing　and　singing；　〃Oh；　Evelina；　Sweet　Evelina！〃　　Clara



laughed；　too。　　Long　ago；　when　she　and　Nils　went　to　high　school；　the



model　student　of　their　class　was　a　very　homely　girl　in　thick



spectacles。　　Her　name　was　Evelina　Oleson；　she　had　a　long；　swinging



walk　which　somehow　suggested　the　measure　of　that　song；　and　they



used　mercilessly　to　sing　it　at　her。







〃Dat　ugly　Oleson　girl；　she　teach　in　de　school；〃　Joe　gasped；



〃an'　she　still　walks　chust　like　dat；　yup…a；　yup…a；　yup…a；　chust



like　a　camel　she　go！　　Now；　Nils；　we　have　some　more　li'l　drink。　　Oh；



yes…yes…yes…yes…yes…yes…yes！　　Dis　time　you　haf　to　drink；　and



Clara　she　haf　to；　so　she　show　she　not　jealous。　　So；　we　all　drink　to



your　girl。　　You　not　tell　her　name；　eh？　　No…no…no；　I　no　make　you



tell。　　She　pretty；　eh？　　She　make　good　sweetheart？　　I　bet！〃　　Joe



winked　and　lifted　his　glass。　　〃How　soon　you　get　married？〃







Nils　screwed　up　his　eyes。　　〃That　I　don't　know。　　When　she　says。〃







Joe　threw　out　his　chest。　　〃Das…a　way　boys　talks。　　No　way　for



mans。　　Mans　say；　'You　come　to　de　church；　an'　get　a　hurry　on　you。'



Das…a　way　mans　talks。〃







〃Maybe　Nils　hasn't　got　enough　to　keep　a　wife；〃　put　in　Clara



ironically。　　〃How　about　that；　Nils？〃　she　asked　him　frankly；　as　if



she　wanted　to　know。







Nils　looked　at　her　coolly；　raising　one　eyebrow。　　〃oh；　I　can



keep　her；　all　right。〃







〃The　way　she　wants　to　be　kept？〃







〃With　my　wife；　I'll　decide　that；〃　replied　Nils　calmly。　　〃I'll



give　her　what's　good　for　her。〃







Clara　made　a　wry　face。　　〃You'll　give　her　the　strap；　I　expect；



like　old　Peter　Oleson　gave　his　wife。〃







〃When　she　needs　it；〃　said　Nils　lazily；　locking　his　hands



behind　his　head　and　squinting　up　through　the　leaves　of　the　cherry



tree。　　〃Do　you　remember　the　time　I　squeezed　the　cherries　all　over



your　clean　dress；　and　Aunt　Johanna　boxed　my　ears　for　me？　　My



gracious；　weren't　you　mad！　　You　had　both　hands　full　of　cherries；



and　I　squeezed　'em　and　made　the　juice　fly　all　over　you。　　I　liked　to



have　fun　with　you；　you'd　get　so　mad。〃







〃We　did　have　fun；　didn't　we？　　None　of　the　other　kids　ever



had　so　much　fun。　　We　knew　how　to　play。〃







Nils　dropped　his　elbows　on　the　table　and　looked　steadily



across　at　her。　　〃I've　played　with　lots　of　girls　since；　but　I



haven't　found　one　who　was　such　good　fun。〃







Clara　laughed。　　The　late　afternoon　sun　was　shining　full　in　her



face；　and　deep　in　the　back　of　her　eyes　there　shone　something　fiery；



like　the　yellow　drops　of　Tokai　in　the　brown　glass　bottle。　　〃Can　you



still　play；　or　are　you　only　pretending？〃







〃I　can　play　better　than　I　used　to；　and　harder。〃







〃Don't　you　ever　work；　then？〃　　She　had　not　intended　to　say　it。　



It　slipped　out　because　she　was　confused　enough　to　say　just　the



wrong　thing。







〃I　work　between　times。〃　　Nils'　steady　gaze　still　beat　upon　her。　



〃Don't　you　worry　about　my　working；　Mrs。　Ericson。　　You're　getting



like　all　the　rest　of　them。〃　　He　reached　his　brown；　warm　hand　across



the　table　and　dropped　it　on　Clara's；　which　was　cold　as　an



icicle。　　〃Last　call　for　play；　Mrs。　Ericson！〃　　Clara　shivered；　and



suddenly　her　hands　and　cheeks　grew　warm。　　Her　fingers　lingered　in



his　a　moment；　and　they　looked　at　each　other　earnestly。　　Joe　Vavrika



had　put　the　mouth　of　the　bottle　to　his　lips　and　was　swallowing　the



last　drops　of　the　Tokai；　standing。　　The　sun；　just　about　to　sink



behind　his　shop；　glistened　on　the　bright　glass；　on　his　flushed　face



and　curly　yellow　hair。　　〃Look；〃　Clara　whispered；　〃that's　the　way　I



want　to　grow　old。〃











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI







On　the　day　of　Olaf　Ericson's　barn…raising；　his　wife；　for　once



in　a　way；　rose　early。　　Johanna　Vavrika　had　been　baking　cakes　and



frying　and　boiling　and　spicing　meats　for　a　week　beforehand；　but　it



was　not　until　the　day　before　the　party　was　to　take　place　that　Clara



showed　any　interest　in　it。　Then　she　was　seized　with　one　of　her



fitful　spasms　of　energy；　and　took　the　wagon　and　little　Eric　and



spent　the　day　on　Plum　Creek；　gathering　vines　and　swamp　goldenrod



to　decorate　the　barn。







By　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　buggies　and　wagons　began　to



arrive　at　the　big　unpainted　building　in　front　of　Olaf's　house。　



When　Nils　and　his　mother　came　at　five；　there　were　more　than　fifty



people　in　the　barn；　and　a　great　drove　of　children。　　On　the　ground



floor　stood　six　long　tables；　set　with　the　crockery　of　seven



flourishing　Ericson　families；　lent　for　the　occasion。　　In　the　middle



of　each　table　was　a　big　yellow　pumpkin；　hollowed　out　and　filled



with　woodbine。　　In　one　corner　of　the　barn；　behind　a　pile　of　green…



and…white　striped　watermelons；　was　a　circle　of　chairs　for　the　old



people；　the　younger　guests　sat　on　bushel　measures　or　barbed…wire



spools；　and　the　children　tumbled　about　in　the　haymow。　　The　box



stalls　Clara　had　converted　into　booths。　　The　framework　was　hidden



by　goldenrod　and　sheaves　of　wheat；　and　the　partitions　were　covered



'With　wild　grapevines　full　of　fruit。　　At　one　of　these　Johanna



Vavrika　watched　over　her　cooked　meats；　enough　to　provision　an　army；



and　at　the　next　her　kitchen　girls　had　ranged　the　ice…cream



freezers；　and　Clara　was　already　cutting　pies　and　cakes



against　the　hour　of　serving。　　At　the　third　stall；　little　Hilda；　in



a　bright　pink　lawn　dress；　dispensed　lemonade　throughout　the



afternoon。　　Olaf；　as　a　public　man；　had　thought　it　inadvisable



to　serve　beer　in　his　barn；　but　Joe　Vavrika　had　come　over　with　two



demijohns　concealed　in　his　buggy；　and　after　his　arrival　the　wagon



shed　was　much　frequented　by　the　men。







〃Hasn't　Cousin　Clara　fixed　things　lovely？〃　little　Hilda



whispered；　when　Nils　went　up　to　her　stall　and　asked　for　lemonade。







Nils　leaned　agains