part 2-第15部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





cottonwood　grove　and　then　the　depot；　where　she　left　the



sidewalk　and　took　the　sandy　path　toward　Mexican　Town。



She　could　hear　the　scraping　of　violins　being　tuned；　the



tinkle　of　mandolins；　and　the　growl　of　a　double　bass。　　Where



had　they　got　a　double　bass？　　She　did　not　know　there　was



one　in　Moonstone。　　She　found　later　that　it　was　the　pro…















perty　of　one　of　Ramas's　young　cousins；　who　was　taking　it



to　Utah　with　him　to　cheer　him　at　his　〃job…a。〃







　　　　　The　Mexicans　never　wait　until　it　is　dark　to　begin　to



dance；　and　Thea　had　no　difficulty　in　finding　the　new　hall；



because　every　other　house　in　the　town　was　deserted。　　Even



the　babies　had　gone　to　the　ball；　a　neighbor　was　always



willing　to　hold　the　baby　while　the　mother　danced。　　Mrs。



Tellamantez　came　out　to　meet　Thea　and　led　her　in。　　Johnny



bowed　to　her　from　the　platform　at　the　end　of　the　room；



where　he　was　playing　the　mandolin　along　with　two　fiddles



and　the　bass。　　The　hall　was　a　long　low　room；　with　white…



washed　walls；　a　fairly　tight　plank　floor；　wooden　benches



along　the　sides；　and　a　few　bracket　lamps　screwed　to　the



frame　timbers。　　There　must　have　been　fifty　people　there；



counting　the　children。　　The　Mexican　dances　were　very



much　family　affairs。　　The　fathers　always　danced　again



and　again　with　their　little　daughters；　as　well　as　with　their



wives。　　One　of　the　girls　came　up　to　greet　Thea；　her　dark



cheeks　glowing　with　pleasure　and　cordiality；　and　intro…



duced　her　brother；　with　whom　she　had　just　been　dancing。



〃You　better　take　him　every　time　he　asks　you；〃　she　whis…



pered。　　〃He's　the　best　dancer　here；　except　Johnny。〃







　　　　　Thea　soon　decided　that　the　poorest　dancer　was　herself。



Even　Mrs。　Tellamantez；　who　always　held　her　shoulders



so　stiffly；　danced　better　than　she　did。　　The　musicians　did



not　remain　long　at　their　post。　　When　one　of　them　felt　like



dancing；　he　called　some　other　boy　to　take　his　instrument；



put　on　his　coat；　and　went　down　on　the　floor。　　Johnny；　who



wore　a　blousy　white　silk　shirt；　did　not　even　put　on　his　coat。







　　　　　The　dances　the　railroad　men　gave　in　Firemen's　Hall



were　the　only　dances　Thea　had　ever　been　allowed　to　go　to；



and　they　were　very　different　from　this。　　The　boys　played



rough　jokes　and　thought　it　smart　to　be　clumsy　and　to　run



into　each　other　on　the　floor。　　For　the　square　dances　there



was　always　the　bawling　voice　of　the　caller；　who　was　also



the　county　auctioneer。



















　　　　　This　Mexican　dance　was　soft　and　quiet。　　There　was　no



calling；　the　conversation　was　very　low；　the　rhythm　of　the



music　was　smooth　and　engaging；　the　men　were　graceful



and　courteous。　　Some　of　them　Thea　had　never　before　seen



out　of　their　working　clothes；　smeared　with　grease　from　the



round…house　or　clay　from　the　brickyard。　　Sometimes；　when



the　music　happened　to　be　a　popular　Mexican　waltz　song；



the　dancers　sang　it　softly　as　they　moved。　　There　were　three



little　girls　under　twelve；　in　their　first　communion　dresses；



and　one　of　them　had　an　orange　marigold　in　her　black　hair；



just　over　her　ear。　　They　danced　with　the　men　and　with



each　other。　　There　was　an　atmosphere　of　ease　and　friendly



pleasure　in　the　low；　dimly　lit　room；　and　Thea　could　not



help　wondering　whether　the　Mexicans　had　no　jealousies



or　neighborly　grudges　as　the　people　in　Moonstone　had。



There　was　no　constraint　of　any　kind　there　to…night；　but　a



kind　of　natural　harmony　about　their　movements；　their



greetings；　their　low　conversation；　their　smiles。







　　　　　Ramas　brought　up　his　two　young　cousins；　Silvo　and



Felipe；　and　presented　them。　　They　were　handsome；　smil…



ing　youths；　of　eighteen　and　twenty；　with　pale…gold　skins；



smooth　cheeks；　aquiline　features；　and　wavy　black　hair；



like　Johnny's。　　They　were　dressed　alike；　in　black　velvet



jackets　and　soft　silk　shirts；　with　opal　shirt…buttons　and



flowing　black　ties　looped　through　gold　rings。　　They　had



charming　manners；　and　low；　guitar…like　voices。　　They



knew　almost　no　English；　but　a　Mexican　boy　can　pay　a



great　many　compliments　with　a　very　limited　vocabulary。



The　Ramas　boys　thought　Thea　dazzlingly　beautiful。　　They



had　never　seen　a　Scandinavian　girl　before；　and　her　hair



and　fair　skin　bewitched　them。　　〃BLANCO　Y　ORO；　SEMEJANTE　LA



PASCUA！〃　　（White　and　gold；　like　Easter！）　they　exclaimed



to　each　other。　　Silvo；　the　younger；　declared　that　he



could　never　go　on　to　Utah；　that　he　and　his　double



bass　had　reached　their　ultimate　destination。　　The　elder



was　more　crafty；　he　asked　Miguel　Ramas　whether　there















would　be　〃plenty　more　girls　like　that　_A_　Salt　Lake；　may…



bee？〃







　　　　　Silvo；　overhearing；　gave　his　brother　a　contemptuous



glance。　　〃Plenty　more　A　PARAISO　may…bee！〃　he　retorted。



When　they　were　not　dancing　with　her；　their　eyes　followed



her；　over　the　coiffures　of　their　other　partners。　　That　was



not　difficult；　one　blonde　head　moving　among　so　many　dark



ones。







　　　　　Thea　had　not　meant　to　dance　much；　but　the　Ramas



boys　danced　so　well　and　were　so　handsome　and　adoring



that　she　yielded　to　their　entreaties。　　When　she　sat　out　a



dance　with　them；　they　talked　to　her　about　their　family



at　home；　and　told　her　how　their　mother　had　once　punned



upon　their　name。　　RAMA；　in　Spanish；　meant　a　branch；　they



explained。　　Once　when　they　were　little　lads　their　mother



took　them　along　when　she　went　to　help　the　women　deco…



rate　the　church　for　Easter。　　Some　one　asked　her　whether



she　had　brought　any　flowers；　and　she　replied　that　she　had



brought　her　〃ramas。〃　　This　was　evidently　a　cherished



family　story。







　　　　　When　it　was　nearly　midnight；　Johnny　announced　that



every　one　was　going　to　his　house　to　have　〃some　lil'　ice…



cream　and　some　lil'　MUSICA。〃　　He　began　to　put　out　the



lights　and　Mrs。　Tellamantez　led　the　way　across　the　square



to　her　CASA。　　The　Ramas　brothers　escorted　Thea；　and　as



they　stepped　out　of　the　door；　Silvo　exclaimed；　〃HACE



FRIO！〃　and　threw　his　velvet　coat　about　her　shoulders。







　　　　　Most　of　the　company　followed　Mrs。　Tellamantez；　and



they　sat　about　on　the　gravel　in　her　little　yard　while　she



and　Johnny　and　Mrs。　Miguel　Ramas　served　the　ice…cream。



Thea　sat　on　Felipe's　coat；　since　Silvo's　was　already　about



her　shoulders。　　The　youths　lay　down　on　the　shining　gravel



beside　her；　one　on　her　right　and　one　on　her　left。　　Johnny



already　called　them　〃LOS　ACOLITOS；〃　the　altar…boys。　　The



talk　all　about　them　was　low；　and　indolent。　　One　of　the



girls　was　playing　on　Johnny's　guitar；　another　was　picking















lightly　at　a　mandolin。　　The　moonlight　was　so　bright　that



one　could　see　every　glance　and　smile；　and　the　flash　of



their　teeth。　　The　moonflowers　over　Mrs。　Tellamantez's



door　were　wide　open　and　of　an　unearthly　white。　　The



moon　itself　looked　like　a　great　pale　flower　in　the　sky。







　　　　　After　all　the　ice…cream　was　gone；　Johnny　approached



Thea；　his　guitar　under　his　arm；　and　the　elder　Ramas　boy



politely　gave　up　his　place。　　Johnny　sat　down；　took　a　long



breath；　struck　a　fierce　chord；　and　then　hushed　it　with　his



other　hand。　　〃Now　we　have　some　lil'　SERENATA；　eh？　　You



wan'　a　try？〃







　　　　　When　Thea　began　to　sing；　instant　silence　fell　upon　the



company。　　She　felt　all　those　dark　eyes　fix　themselves　upon



her　intently。　　She　could　see　them　shine。　　The　faces　came



out　of　the　shadow　like　the　white　flowers　over　the　door。



Felipe　leaned　his　head　upon　his　hand。　　Silvo　dropped



on　his　back　and　lay　looking　at　the　moon；　under　the



impression　that　he　was　still　looking　at　Thea。　　When



she　finished　the　first　verse；　Thea　whispered　to　Johnny；



〃Again；　I　can　do　it　better　than　that。〃







　　　　　She　had　sung　for　churches　and　funerals　and　teachers；　but



she　had　never　before　sung　for　a　really　musical　people；　and



this　was　the　first　time　she　had　ever　felt　the　response　that



such　a　people　can　give。　　They　turned　themselves　and　all



they　had　over　to　her。　　For　the　moment　they　cared　about



nothing　in　the　world　but　what　she　was　doing。　　Their　faces



confronted　her；　open；　eager；　unprotected。　　She　felt　as　if



all　these　warm…blooded　people　debouched　into　her。　　Mrs。



Tellamantez's　fateful　resignation；　Johnny's　madness；　the



adoration　of　the　boy　who　lay　still　in　the　sand；　in　an　instant



these　things　seemed　to　be　within　her　instead　of　without；



as　if　they　had　come　from　her　in　the　first　place。







　　　　　When　she　finished；　her　listeners　broke　into　excited　mur…



mur。　　The　men　began　hunting　feverishly　for　cigarettes。



Famos　Serranos　the　barytone　bricklayer；　touched　Johnny's



arm；　gave　him　a　questioning　look；　then　heaved　a　deep















sigh。　　Johnny　dropped　on　his　elbow；　wiping　his　face　and



neck　and　hands　with　his　handkerchief。　　〃SENORITA；〃　he



panted；　〃if　you　sing　like　that　once　in　the　City　of　Mexico；



they　just…a　go　crazy。　　In　the　City　of　Mexico　they　ain't…a



sit　like　stumps　when　they　hear　that；　not…a　much！　　When



they　like；　they　just…a　give　you　the　town。〃







　　　　　Thea　laughed。　　She；　too；　was　excited。　　〃Think　so；



Johnny？　　Come；　sing　something　with　me。　　EL　PARRENO；　I



haven't　sung　that　for　a　long　time。〃







　　　　　Johnny　laughed　and　hugged　his　guitar。　　〃You　not…a



forget　him？〃　　He　began　teasing　his　strings。　　〃Come！〃　　He



threw　back　his　head；　〃ANOCHE…E…E〃











　　　　　　　　　　〃ANOCHE　ME　CONFESSE



　　　　　　　　　　　CON　UN　PADRE　CARMELITE；



　　　　　　　　　　　Y　ME