首页 >出版文学> McTeague>第26章

第26章

  Hedeparted;thecompanywasprofoundlyimpressed。
  Abouttwentyminuteslater,whenMarcusSchoulerwasentertainingtheguestsbyeatingalmonds,shellsandall,Mr。Sieppestartedtohisfeet,watchinhand。
  “Haf-bastelevun,“heshouted。“Attention!Derdimehafarrive,shtopeferyting。Wedepart。“
  Thiswasasignalfortremendousconfusion。Mr。Sieppeimmediatelythrewoffhispreviousairofrelaxation,thecalf’sheadwasforgotten,hewasonceagaintheleaderofvastenterprises。
  “Tome,tome,“hecried。“Mommer,dertervins,Owgooste。“
  Hemarshalledhistribetogether,withtremendouscommandinggestures。Thesleepingtwinsweresuddenlyshakenintoadazedconsciousness;Owgooste,whomthealmond-eatingofMarcusSchoulerhadpetrifiedwithadmiration,wassmackedtoarealizationofhissurroundings。
  OldGrannis,withacertaindelicacythatwasoneofhischaracteristics,feltinstinctivelythattheguests——themereoutsiders——shoulddepartbeforethefamilybeganitsleave-takingofTrina。Hewithdrewunobtrusively,afterahastygood-nighttothebrideandgroom。Therestfollowedalmostimmediately。
  “Well,Mr。Sieppe,“exclaimedMarcus,“wewon’tseeeachotherforsometime。“MarcushadgivenuphisfirstintentionofjoiningintheSieppemigration。HespokeinalargewayofcertainaffairsthatwouldkeephiminSanFranciscotillthefall。Oflatehehadentertainedambitionsofaranchlife,hewouldbreedcattle,hehadalittlemoneyandwasonlylookingforsomeone“togoinwith。“Hedreamedofacowboy’slifeandsawhimselfinanentrancingvisioninvolvingsilverspursanduntamedbronchos。HetoldhimselfthatTrinahadcasthimoff,thathisbestfriendhad“playedhimforasucker,“thatthe“propercaper“wastowithdrawfromtheworldentirely。
  “Ifyouhearofanybodydownthere,“hewenton,speakingtoMr。Sieppe,“thatwantstogoinforranching,whyjustletmeknow。“
  “Soh,soh,“answeredMr。Sieppeabstractedly,peeringaboutforOwgooste’scap。
  MarcusbadetheSieppesfarewell。HeandHeisewentouttogether。Oneheardthem,astheydescendedthestairs,discussingthepossibilityofFrenna’splacebeingstillopen。
  ThenMissBakerdepartedafterkissingTrinaonbothcheeks。
  Selinawentwithher。Therewasonlythefamilyleft。
  Trinawatchedthemgo,onebyone,withanincreasingfeelingofuneasinessandvagueapprehension。Soontheywouldallbegone。
  “Well,Trina,“exclaimedMr。Sieppe,“goot-py;perhapsyougomevisitussomedime。“
  Mrs。Sieppebegancryingagain。
  “Ach,Trina,venshallIeferseeyouagain?“
  TearscametoTrina’seyesinspiteofherself。Sheputherarmsaroundhermother。
  “Oh,sometime,sometime,“shecried。ThetwinsandOwgoosteclungtoTrina’sskirts,frettingandwhimpering。
  McTeaguewasmiserable。Hestoodapartfromthegroup,inacorner。Noneofthemseemedtothinkofhim;hewasnotofthem。
  “Writetomeveryoften,mamma,andtellmeabouteverything——aboutAugustandthetwins。“
  “Itisdime,“criedMr。Sieppe,nervously。“Goot-py,Trina。
  Mommer,Owgooste,saygoot-py,denwemustgo。Goot-py,Trina。“Hekissedher。Owgoosteandthetwinswereliftedup。“Gome,gome,“insistedMr。Sieppe,movingtowardthedoor。
  “Goot-py,Trina,“exclaimedMrs。Sieppe,cryingharderthanever。“Doktor——whereisderdoktor——Doktor,pegoottoher,eh?pevairygoot,eh,won’tyou?Zumday,Dokter,youvillhafadaughter,denyouknowberhapshowIfeel,yes。“
  Theywerestandingatthedoorbythistime。Mr。Sieppe,halfwaydownthestairs,keptcalling“Gome,gome,wemissderdrain。“
  Mrs。SieppereleasedTrinaandstarteddownthehall,thetwinsandOwgoostefollowing。Trinastoodinthedoorway,lookingafterthemthroughhertears。Theyweregoing,going。Whenwouldsheeverseethemagain?Shewastobeleftalonewiththismantowhomshehadjustbeenmarried。
  Asuddenvagueterrorseizedher;sheleftMcTeagueandrandownthehallandcaughthermotheraroundtheneck。
  “Idon’tWANTyoutogo,“shewhisperedinhermother’sear,sobbing。“Oh,mamma,I——I’m’fraid。“
  “Ach,Trina,youpreakmyheart。Don’tgry,poorleetlegirl。“SherockedTrinainherarmsasthoughshewereachildagain。“Poorleetlescairtgirl,don’gry——soh——soh——
  soh,dere’snuttuntope’fraidoaf。Dere,gotoyourhoasban’。Listen,popper’sgallingagain;goden;goot-by。“
  SheloosenedTrina’sarmsandstarteddownthestairs。Trinaleanedoverthebanisters,straininghereyesafterhermother。
  “Whatisut,Trina?“
  “Oh,good-by,good-by。“
  “Gome,gome,wemissderdrain。“
  “Mamma,oh,mamma!“
  “Whatisut,Trina?“
  “Good-by。“
  “Goot-py,leetledaughter。“
  “Good-by,good-by,good-by。“
  Thestreetdoorclosed。Thesilencewasprofound。
  ForanothermomentTrinastoodleaningoverthebanisters,lookingdownintotheemptystairway。Itwasdark。Therewasnobody。They——herfather,hermother,thechildren——hadlefther,leftheralone。Shefacedabouttowardtherooms——facedherhusband,facedhernewhome,thenewlifethatwastobeginnow。
  Thehallwasemptyanddeserted。Thegreatflataroundherseemednewandhugeandstrange;shefelthorriblyalone。
  EvenMariaandthehiredwaiterweregone。Ononeofthefloorsabovesheheardababycrying。Shestoodthereaninstantinthedarkhall,inherweddingfinery,lookingabouther,listening。Fromtheopendoorofthesitting-
  roomstreamedagoldbaroflight。
  Shewentdownthehall,bytheopendoorofthesitting-
  room,goingontowardthehalldoorofthebedroom。
  Asshesoftlypassedthesitting-roomsheglancedhastilyin。Thelampsandthegaswereburningbrightly,thechairswerepushedbackfromthetablejustastheguestshadleftthem,andthetableitself,abandoned,deserted,presentedtoviewthevagueconfusionofitsdishes,itsknivesandforks,itsemptyplattersandcrumplednapkins。
  Thedentistsatthereleaningonhiselbows,hisbacktowardher;againstthewhiteblurofthetablehelookedcolossal。
  Abovehisgiantshouldersrosehisthick,redneckandmaneofyellowhair。Thelightshonepinkthroughthegristleofhisenormousears。
  Trinaenteredthebedroom,closingthedoorafterher。Atthesound,sheheardMcTeaguestartandrise。
  “Isthatyou,Trina?“
  Shedidnotanswer;butpausedinthemiddleoftheroom,holdingherbreath,trembling。
  Thedentistcrossedtheoutsideroom,partedthechenilleportieres,andcamein。Hecametowardherquickly,makingasiftotakeherinhisarms。Hiseyeswerealight。
  “No,no,“criedTrina,shrinkingfromhim。Suddenlyseizedwiththefearofhim——theintuitivefemininefearofthemale——herwholebeingquailedbeforehim。Shewasterrifiedathishuge,square-cuthead;hispowerful,salientjaw;hishuge,redhands;hisenormous,resistlessstrength。
  “No,no——I’mafraid,“shecried,drawingbackfromhimtotheothersideoftheroom。
  “Afraid?“answeredthedentistinperplexity。“Whatareyouafraidof,Trina?I’mnotgoingtohurtyou。Whatareyouafraidof?“
  What,indeed,wasTrinaafraidof?Shecouldnottell。ButwhatdidsheknowofMcTeague,afterall?Whowasthismanthathadcomeintoherlife,whohadtakenherfromherhomeandfromherparents,andwithwhomshewasnowleftalonehereinthisstrange,vastflat?
  “Oh,I’mafraid。I’mafraid,“shecried。
  McTeaguecamenearer,satdownbesideherandputonearmaroundher。
  “Whatareyouafraidof,Trina?“hesaid,reassuringly。“I
  don’twanttofrightenyou。“
  Shelookedathimwildly,heradorablelittlechinquivering,thetearsbrimminginhernarrowblueeyes。