lady baltimore-第23部分

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　step；　out　of　the　white　man's　world　into　the　blackest　Congo。　Even　the　well…inhabited　quarter　of　Kings　Port　（and　I　had　now　come　within　this　limited　domain）　holds　narrow　lanes　and　recesses　which　teem　and　swarm　with　negroes。　As　cracks　will　run　through　fine　porcelain；　so　do　these　black　rifts　of　Africa　lurk　almost　invisible　among　the　gardens　and　the　houses。　The　picture　that　these　places　offered；　tropic；　squalid；　and　fecund；　often　caused　me　to　walk　through　them　and　watch　the　basking　population；　the　intricate；　broken　wooden　galleries；　the　rickety　outside　stair　cases；　the　red　and　yellow　splashes　of　color　on　the　clothes　lines；　the　agglomerate　rags　that　stuffed　holes　in　decaying　roofs　or　hung　nakedly　on　human　frames；　the　small；　choked　dwellings；　bursting　open　at　doors　and　windows　with　black；　round…eyed　babies　as　an　overripe　melon　bursts　with　seeds；　the　children　playing　marbles　in　the　court；　the　parents　playing　cards　in　the　room；　the　grandparents　smoking　pipes　on　the　porch；　and　the　great…grandparents　stairs　gazing　out　at　you　like　creatures　from　the　Old　Testament　or　the　jungle。　From　the　jungle　we　had　stolen　them；　North　and　South　had　stolen　them　together；　long　ago；　to　be　slaves；　not　to　be　citizens；　and　now　here　they　were；　the　fruits　of　our　theft；　and　for　some　reason　（possibly　the　Teuton　was　the　reason）　that　passage　from　the　Book　c'　Exodus　came　into　my　head：　〃For　I　the　Lord　thy　God　am　a　jealous　God；　visiting　the　iniquity　of　the　fathers　upon　the　children。〃

These　thoughts　were　interrupted　by　sounds　as　of　altercation。　I　had　nearly　reached　the　end　of　the　lane；　where　I　should　again　emerge　into　the　White　man's　world；　and　where　I　was　now　walking　the　lane　spread　into　a　broader　space　with　ells　and　angles　and　rotting　steps；　and　habitations　mostly　too　ruinous　to　be　inhabited。　It　was　from　a　sashless　window　in　one　of　these　that　the　angry　voices　came。　The　first　words　which　were　distinct　aroused　my　interest　quite　beyond　the　scale　of　an　ordinary　altercation：

〃Calls　you'self　a　reconstuckted　niggah？〃

This　was　said　sharply　and　with　prodigious　scorn。　The　answer　which　it　brought　was　lengthy　and　of　such　a　general　sullen　incoherence　that　I　could　make　out　only　a　frequent　repetition　of　〃custom　house；〃　and　that　somebody　was　going　to　take　care　of　somebody　hereafter。

Into　this　the　first　voice　broke　with　tones　of　highest　contempt　and　rapidity：

〃President　gwine　to　gib　brekfus'　an'　dinnah　an　suppah　to　de　likes　ob　you　fo'　de　whole　remaindah　oh　youh　wuthless　nat'ral　life？　Get　out　ob　my　sight；　you　reconstuckted　niggah。　I　come　out　oh　de　St。　Michael。〃

There　came　through　the　window　immediately　upon　this　sounds　of　scuffling　and　of　a　fall；　and　then　cries　for　help　which　took　me　running　into　the　dilapidated　building。　Daddy　Ben　lay　on　the　floor；　and　a　thick；　young　savage　was　kicking　him。　In　some　remarkable　way　I　thought　of　the　solidity　of　their　heads；　and　before　the　assailant　even　knew　that　he　had　a　witness；　I　sped　forward；　aiming　my　kettle…supporter；　and　with　its　sharp　brass　edge　I　dealt　him　a　crack　over　his　shin　with　astonishing　accuracy。　It　was　a　dismal　howl　that　he　gave；　and　as　he　turned　he　got　from　me　another　crack　upon　the　other　shin。　I　had　no　time　to　be　alarmed　at　my　deed；　or　I　think　that　I　should　have　been　very　much　so；　I　am　a　man　above　all　of　peace；　and　physical　encounters　are　peculiarly　abhorrent　to　me；　but；　so　far　from　assailing　me；　the　thick；　young　savage；　with　the　single　muttered　remark；　〃He　hit　me　fuss；〃　got　himself　out　of　the　house　with　the　most　agreeable　rapidity。

Daddy　Ben　sat　up；　and　his　first　inquiry　greatly　reassured　me　as　to　his　state。　He　stared　at　my　paper　bundle。　〃You　done　make　him　hollah　wid　dat；　sah！〃

I　showed　him　the　kettle…supporter　through　a　rent　in　its　wrapping；　and　I　assisted　him　to　stand　upright。　His　injuries　proved　fortunately　to　be　slight　（although　I　may　say　here　that　the　shock　to　his　ancient　body　kept　him　away　for　a　few　days　from　the　churchyard）；　and　when　I　began　to　talk　to　him　about　the　incident；　he　seemed　unwilling　to　say　much　in　answer　to　my　questions。　And　when　I　offered　to　accompany　him　to　where　he　lived；　he　declined　altogether；　assuring　me　that　it　was　close；　and　that　he　could　walk　there　as　well　as　if　nothing　had　happened　to　him；　but　upon　my　asking　him　if　I　was　on　the　right　way　to　the　carpenter's　shop；　he　looked　at　me　curiously。

〃No　use　you　gwine　dab；　sah。　Dat　shop　close　up。　He　not　wukkin；　dis　week；　and　dat　why　fo'　I　jaw　him　jus'　now　when　you　come　in　an'　stop　him。　He　de　cahpentah；　my　gran'son；　Cha's　Coteswuth。〃



XII：　From　the　Bedside

Next　morning　when　I　saw　the　weltering　sky　I　resigned　myself　to　a　day　of　dullness；　yet　before　its　end　I　had　caught　a　bright　new　glimpse　of　John　Mayrant's　abilities；　and　also　had　come；　through　tribulation；　to　a　further　understanding　of　the　South；　so　that　I　do　not；　to…day；　regret　the　tribulation。　As　the　rain　disappointed　me　of　two　outdoor　expeditions；　to　which　I　had　been　for　some　little　while　looking　forward；　I　dedicated　most　of　my　long　morning　to　a　sadly　neglected　correspondence；　and　trusted　that　the　expeditions；　as　soon　as　the　next　fine　weather　visited　Kings　Port；　would　still　be　in　store　for　me。　Not　only　everybody　in　town　here；　but　Aunt　Carola；　up　in　the　North　also；　had　assured　me　that　to　miss　the　sight　of　Live　Oaks　when　the　azaleas　in　the　gardens　of　that　country　seat　were　in　flower　would　be　to　lose　one　of　the　rarest　and　most　beautiful　things　which　could　be　seen　anywhere；　and　so　I　looked　out　of　my　window　at　the　furious　storm；　hoping　that　it　might　not　strip　the　bushes　at　Live　Oaks　of　their　bloom；　which　recent　tourists　at　Mrs。　Trevise's　had　described　as　drawing　near　the　zenith　of　its　luxuriance。　The　other　excursion　to　Udolpho　with　John　Mayrant　was　not　so　likely　to　fall　through。　Udolpho　was　a　sort　of　hunting　lodge　or　country　club　near　Tern　Creek　and　an　old　colonial　church；　so　old　that　it　bore　the　royal　arms　upon　a　shield　still　preserved　as　a　sign　of　its　colonial　origin。　A　note　from　Mayrant；　received　at　breakfast；　informed　me　that　the　rain　would　take　all　pleasure　from　such　an　excursion；　and　that　he　should　seize　the　earliest　opportunity　the　weather　might　afford　to　hold　me　to　my　promise。　The　wet　gale；　even　as　I　sat　writing；　was　beating　down　some　of　the　full…blown　flowers　in　the　garden　next　Mrs。　Trevise's　house；　and　as　the　morning　wore　on　I　watched　the　paths　grow　more　strewn　with　broken　twigs　and　leaves。

I　filled　my　correspondence　with　accounts　of　Daddy　Ben　and　his　grandson；　the　carpenter；　doubtless　from　some　pride　in　my　part　in　that；　but　also　because　it　had　become；　through　thinking　it　over；　even　more　interesting　to…day　than　it　had　been　at　the　moment　of　its　occurrence；　and　in　replying　to　a　sort　of　postscript　of　Aunt　Carola's　in　which　she　hurriedly　wrote　that　she　had　forgotten　to　say　she　had　heard　the　La　Heu　family　in　South　Carolina　was　related　to　the　Bombos；　and　should　be　obliged　to　me　if　I　would　make　inquiries　about　this；　I　told　her　that　it　would　be　easy；　and　then　described　to　her　the　Teuton；　plying　his　〃antiquity〃　trade　externally　while　internally　cherishing　his　collected　skulls　and　nursing　his　scientific　rage。　All　my　letters　were　the　more　abundant　concerning　these　adventures　of　mine　from　my　having　kept　entirely　silent　upon　them　at　Mrs。　Trevise's　tea…table。　I　dreaded　Juno　when　let　loose　upon　the　negro　question；　and　the　fact　that　I　was　beginning　to　understand　her　feelings　did　not　at　all　make　me　wish　to　be　deafened　by　them。　Neither　Juno；　therefore；　nor　any　of　them　learned　a　word　from　me　about　the　kettle…supporter　incident。　What　I　did　take　pains　to　inform　the　assembled　company　was　my　gratification　that　the　report　of　Mr。　Mayrant's　engagement　being　broken　was　unfounded；　and　this　caused　Juno　to　observe　that　in　that　case　Miss　Rieppe　must　have　the　most　imperative　reasons　for　uniting　herself　to　such　a　young　man。

Unintimidated　by　the　rain；　this　formidable　creature　had　taken　herself　off　to　her　nephew's　bedside　almost　immediately　after　breakfast；　and　later　in　the　day　I；　too；　risked　a　drenching　for　the　sake　of　ordering　the　packing…box　that　I　needed。　When　I　returned；　it　was　close　on　tea…time；　I　had　seen　Mrs。　Weguelin　St。　Michael　send　out　the　hot　coffee　to　the　conductor；　and　I　had　found　a　negro　carpenter　whose　week　it　happily　was　to　stay　sober；　and　now　I　learned　that；　when　tea　should　be　finished；　the　poetess　had　in　store　for　us；　as　a　treat；　her　ode。

Our　evening　meal　was　not　plain　sailing；　even　for　the　veteran　navigation　of　Mrs。　Trevise；　Juno　had　returned　from　the　bedside　very　plainly　dis…　pleased　（she　was　always　candid　even　when　silent）　by　something　which　had　happened　there；　and　before　the　joyful　moment　came　when　we　all　learned　what　this　was；　a　very　gouty　Boston　lady　who　had　arrived　with　her　husband　from　Florida　on　her　way　Northand　whose　nature　you　will　readily　grasp　when　I　tell　you　that　we　found　ourselves　speaking　of　the　man　as　Mrs。　Braintree's　husband　and　never　as　Mr。　Braintreethis　crippled　lady；　who　was　of　a　candor　equal　to　Juno's；　embarked　upon　a　conversation　with　Juno　that　compelled　Mrs。　Trevise　to　tinkle　her　bell　for　Daphne　after　only　two　remarks　had　been　exchanged。

I　had　been　sorry　at　first　that　here　in　this　Southern　boarding…house　Boston　should　be　represented　only　by　a　lady　who　appeared　to　unite　in　herself　all　the　stony　products　of　that　city；　and　none　of　the　others；　for　she　was　as　convivial　as　a　statue　and　as　well…informed　as　a　spelling…book；　she　stood　no　more　for　the　whole　of　Boston　than　did　Juno　for　the　whole　of　Kings　Port。　But　my　sorrow　grew　less　when　I　found　that　in　Mrs。　Braintree　we　had　indeed　a　capable　match　for　her　Southern　counterpart。　Juno；　according　to　her　custom；　had　remembered　something　objectionable　that　had　been　perpetrated　in　1865　by　the　Northern　vandals。

〃Edward；〃　said　Mrs。　Braintree　to　her　husband；　in　a　frightfully　clear　voice；　〃it　was　at　Chambersburg；　was　it　not；　that　the　Southern　vandals　burned　the　house　in　which　were　your　father's　title…deeds？〃

Edward；　who；　it　appeared；　had　fought　through　the　whole　Civil　War；　and　was　in　consequence　perfectly　good…humored　and　peaceable　in　his　feelings　upon　that　subject；　replied　hastily　and　amiably：　〃Oh；　yes；　yes！　Why；　I　believe　it　was！〃

But　this　availed　nothing；　Juno　bent　her　great　height　forward；　and　addressed　Mrs。　Braintree。　〃This　is　the　first　time　I　have　been　told　Southerners　were　vandals。〃

〃You　will　never　be　able　to　say　that　aga