English
Therewassomehaulingtobedoneatthelowerendofthewood-lot,andEthanwasoutearlythenextday.
Thewintermorningwasasclearascrystal.
Thesunriseburnedredinapuresky,theshadowsontherimofthewood-lotweredarklyblue,andbeyondthewhiteandscintillatingfieldspatchesoffar-offforesthunglikesmoke.
Itwasintheearlymorningstillness,whenhismuscleswereswingingtotheirfamiliartaskandhislungsexpandingwithlongdraughtsofmountainair,thatEthandidhisclearestthinking.
HeandZeenahadnotexchangedawordafterthedooroftheirroomhadclosedonthem.
Shehadmeasuredoutsomedropsfromamedicine-bottleonachairbythebedand,afterswallowingthem,andwrappingherheadinapieceofyellowflannel,hadlaindownwithherfaceturnedaway.
Ethanundressedhurriedlyandblewoutthelightsothatheshouldnotseeherwhenhetookhisplaceatherside.
AshelaytherehecouldhearMattiemovingaboutinherroom,andhercandle,sendingitssmallrayacrossthelanding,drewascarcelyperceptiblelineoflightunderhisdoor.
Hekepthiseyesfixedonthelighttillitvanished.
Thentheroomgrewperfectlyblack,andnotasoundwasaudiblebutZeena’sasthmaticbreathing.
Ethanfeltconfusedlythatthereweremanythingsheoughttothinkabout,butthroughhistinglingveinsandtiredbrainonlyonesensationthrobbed:thewarmthofMattie’sshoulderagainsthis.
Whyhadhenotkissedherwhenheheldherthere?
Afewhoursearlierhewouldnothaveaskedhimselfthequestion.
Evenafewminutesearlier,whentheyhadstoodaloneoutsidethehouse,hewouldnothavedaredtothinkofkissingher.
Butsincehehadseenherlipsinthelamplighthefeltthattheywerehis.
Now,inthebrightmorningair,herfacewasstillbeforehim.
Itwaspartofthesun’sredandofthepureglitteronthesnow.
HowthegirlhadchangedsinceshehadcometoStarkfield!
Herememberedwhatacolourlessslipofathingshehadlookedthedayhehadmetheratthestation.
Andallthefirstwinter,howshehadshiveredwithcoldwhenthenortherlygalesshookthethinclapboardsandthesnowbeatlikehailagainsttheloose-hungwindows!
Hehadbeenafraidthatshewouldhatethehardlife,thecoldandloneliness;butnotasignofdiscontentescapedher.
ZeenatooktheviewthatMattiewasboundtomakethebestofStarkfieldsinceshehadn’tanyotherplacetogoto;butthisdidnotstrikeEthanasconclusive.
Zeena,atanyrate,didnotapplytheprincipleinherowncase.
Hefeltallthemoresorryforthegirlbecausemisfortunehad,inasense,indenturedhertothem.
MattieSilverwasthedaughterofacousinofZenobiaFrome’s,whohadinflamedhisclanwithmingledsentimentsofenvyandadmirationbydescendingfromthehillstoConnecticut,wherehehadmarriedaStamfordgirlandsucceededtoherfather’sthriving“drug”business.
UnhappilyOrinSilver,amanoffar-reachingaims,haddiedtoosoontoprovethattheendjustifiesthemeans.
Hisaccountsrevealedmerelywhatthemeanshadbeen;andtheseweresuchthatitwasfortunateforhiswifeanddaughterthathisbookswereexaminedonlyafterhisimpressivefuneral.
Hiswifediedofthedisclosure,andMattie,attwenty,wasleftalonetomakeherwayonthefiftydollarsobtainedfromthesaleofherpiano.
Forthispurposeherequipment,thoughvaried,wasinadequate.
Shecouldtrimahat,makemolassescandy,recite“Curfewshallnotringto-night,”andplay“TheLostChord”andapot-pourrifrom“Carmen.”
Whenshetriedtoextendthefieldofheractivitiesinthedirectionofstenographyandbook-keepingherhealthbrokedown,andsixmonthsonherfeetbehindthecounterofadepartmentstoredidnottendtorestoreit.
Hernearestrelationshadbeeninducedtoplacetheirsavingsinherfather’shands,andthough,afterhisdeath,theyungrudginglyacquittedthemselvesoftheChristiandutyofreturninggoodforevilbygivinghisdaughteralltheadviceattheirdisposal,theycouldhardlybeexpectedtosupplementitbymaterialaid.
ButwhenZenobia’sdoctorrecommendedherlookingaboutforsomeonetohelpherwiththehouse-worktheclaninstantlysawthechanceofexactingacompensationfromMattie.
Zenobia,thoughdoubtfulofthegirl’sefficiency,wastemptedbythefreedomtofindfaultwithoutmuchriskoflosingher;andsoMattiecametoStarkfield.
Zenobia’sfault-findingwasofthesilentkind,butnotthelesspenetratingforthat.
DuringthefirstmonthsEthanalternatelyburnedwiththedesiretoseeMattiedefyherandtrembledwithfearoftheresult.Thenthesituationgrewlessstrained.
Thepureair,andthelongsummerhoursintheopen,gavebacklifeandelasticitytoMattie,andZeena,withmoreleisuretodevotetohercomplexailments,grewlesswatchfulofthegirl’somissions;sothatEthan,strugglingonundertheburdenofhisbarrenfarmandfailingsaw-mill,couldatleastimaginethatpeacereignedinhishouse.
Therewasreally,evennow,notangibleevidencetothecontrary;butsincethepreviousnightavaguedreadhadhungonhissky-line.
ItwasformedofZeena’sobstinatesilence,ofMattie’ssuddenlookofwarning,ofthememoryofjustsuchfleetingimperceptiblesignsasthosewhichtoldhim,oncertainstainlessmornings,thatbeforenighttherewouldberain.
Hisdreadwassostrongthat,man-like,hesoughttopostponecertainty.
Thehaulingwasnotovertillmid-day,andasthelumberwastobedeliveredtoAndrewHale,theStarkfieldbuilder,itwasreallyeasierforEthantosendJothamPowell,thehiredman,backtothefarmonfoot,anddrivetheloaddowntothevillagehimself.
Hehadscrambleduponthelogs,andwassittingastrideofthem,closeoverhisshaggygrays,when,comingbetweenhimandtheirstreamingnecks,hehadavisionofthewarninglookthatMattiehadgivenhimthenightbefore.
“Ifthere’sgoingtobeanytroubleIwanttobethere,”washisvaguereflection,ashethrewtoJothamtheunexpectedordertounhitchtheteamandleadthembacktothebarn.
Itwasaslowtrudgehomethroughtheheavyfields,andwhenthetwomenenteredthekitchenMattiewasliftingthecoffeefromthestoveandZeenawasalreadyatthetable.
Herhusbandstoppedshortatsightofher.
Insteadofherusualcalicowrapperandknittedshawlsheworeherbestdressofbrownmerino,andaboveherthinstrandsofhair,whichstillpreservedthetightundulationsofthecrimping-pins,roseahardperpendicularbonnet,astowhichEthan’sclearestnotionwasthathehadtopayfivedollarsforitattheBettsbridgeEmporium.
Onthefloorbesideherstoodhisoldvaliseandabandboxwrappedinnewspapers.
“Why,whereareyougoing,Zeena?”heexclaimed.
“I’vegotmyshootingpainssobadthatI’mgoingovertoBettsbridgetospendthenightwithAuntMarthaPierceandseethatnewdoctor,”sheansweredinamatter-of-facttone,asifshehadsaidshewasgoingintothestore-roomtotakealookatthepreserves,oruptotheattictogoovertheblankets.
InspiteofhersedentaryhabitssuchabruptdecisionswerenotwithoutprecedentinZeena’shistory.
TwiceorthricebeforeshehadsuddenlypackedEthan’svaliseandstartedofftoBettsbridge,orevenSpringfield,toseektheadviceofsomenewdoctor,andherhusbandhadgrowntodreadtheseexpeditionsbecauseoftheircost.
Zeenaalwayscamebackladenwithexpensiveremedies,andherlastvisittoSpringfieldhadbeencommemoratedbyherpayingtwentydollarsforanelectricbatteryofwhichshehadneverbeenabletolearntheuse.
Butforthemomenthissenseofreliefwassogreatastoprecludeallotherfeelings.
HehadnownodoubtthatZeenahadspokenthetruthinsaying,thenightbefore,thatshehadsatupbecauseshefelt“toomean”tosleep:herabruptresolvetoseekmedicaladviceshowedthat,asusual,shewaswhollyabsorbedinherhealth.
Asifexpectingaprotest,shecontinuedplaintively;“Ifyou’retoobusywiththehaulingIpresumeyoucanletJothamPowelldrivemeoverwiththesorrelintimetoketchthetrainattheFlats.”
Herhusbandhardlyheardwhatshewassaying.
DuringthewintermonthstherewasnostagebetweenStarkfieldandBettsbridge,andthetrainswhichstoppedatCorburyFlatswereslowandinfrequent.
ArapidcalculationshowedEthanthatZeenacouldnotbebackatthefarmbeforethefollowingevening….
“IfI’dsupposedyou’d‘a’madeanyobjectiontoJothamPowell’sdrivingmeover-”shebeganagain,asthoughhissilencehadimpliedrefusal.
Onthebrinkofdepartureshewasalwaysseizedwithafluxofwords.
“AllIknowis,”shecontinued,“Ican’tgoonthewayIammuchlonger.
Thepainsareclearawaydowntomyanklesnow,orI’d‘a’walkedintoStarkfieldonmyownfeet,sooner’nputyouout,andaskedMichaelEadytoletmerideoveronhiswagontotheFlats,whenhesendstomeetthetrainthatbringshisgroceries.
I’d‘a’hadtwohourstowaitinthestation,butI’dsooner‘a’doneit,evenwiththiscold,thantohaveyousay-”
“OfcourseJotham’lldriveyouover,”Ethanrousedhimselftoanswer.
HebecamesuddenlyconsciousthathewaslookingatMattiewhileZeenatalkedtohim,andwithaneffortheturnedhiseyestohiswife.
Shesatoppositethewindow,andthepalelightreflectedfromthebanksofsnowmadeherfacelookmorethanusuallydrawnandbloodless,sharpenedthethreeparallelcreasesbetweenearandcheek,anddrewquerulouslinesfromherthinnosetothecornersofhermouth.
Thoughshewasbutsevenyearsherhusband’ssenior,andhewasonlytwenty-eight,shewasalreadyanoldwoman.
Ethantriedtosaysomethingbefittingtheoccasion,buttherewasonlyonethoughtinhismind:thefactthat,forthefirsttimesinceMattiehadcometolivewiththem,Zeenawastobeawayforanight.
Hewonderedifthegirlwerethinkingofittoo….
HeknewthatZeenamustbewonderingwhyhedidnotoffertodrivehertotheFlatsandletJothamPowelltakethelumbertoStarkfield,andatfirsthecouldnotthinkofapretextfornotdoingso;thenhesaid:“I’dtakeyouovermyself,onlyI’vegottocollectthecashforthelumber.”
Assoonasthewordswerespokenheregrettedthem,notonlybecausetheywereuntrue-therebeingnoprospectofhisreceivingcashpaymentfromHale-butalsobecauseheknewfromexperiencetheimprudenceoflettingZeenathinkhewasinfundsontheeveofoneofhertherapeuticexcursions.
Atthemoment,however,hisonedesirewastoavoidthelongdrivewithherbehindtheancientsorrelwhoneverwentoutofawalk.
Zeenamadenoreply:shedidnotseemtohearwhathehadsaid.Shehadalreadypushedherplateaside,andwasmeasuringoutadraughtfromalargebottleatherelbow.
“Itain’tdonemeaspeckofgood,butIguessImightaswelluseitup,”sheremarked;adding,asshepushedtheemptybottletowardMattie:“Ifyoucangetthetasteoutit’lldoforpickles.”
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