gs.earthabides-第68部分

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　　As　Ish　drew　near；　Charlie…nonchalantly　almost…reached　out　with　his　right　arm；　and　put　it　around　Evie　and　drew　her　close　to　him。　She　seemed　surprised；　but　yielded　fortably。　Charlie　looked　at　Ish；　and　Ish　knew　that　this　was　the　crisis　of　open　defiance。　
　　Ish　mutely　accepted　the　challenge；　he　felt　calmer　now。　This　was　no　time　to　let　anger　disturb　one's　thoughts。　Now　that　there　was　action；　he　could　think　more　clearly。　
　　〃All　of　you　go　somewhere　for　a　while！〃　he　said　loudly。　There　was　no　need　for　finesse　or　excuses；　they　all　knew　something　was　going　to　happen。　
　　〃I　want　to　talk　to　Charlie　here　alone　for　a　few　minutes。　Ezra；　you　take　Evie　over　to　Molly's。　She　needs　her　hair　bed。〃　
　　There　was　no　argument；　everybody　left　so　readily　that　they　must　really　have　been　a　little　frightened。　By　having　Ezra　go；　Ish　was　losing　his　best　ally；　but　to　have　had　him　stay　would　have　been　a　confession　of　weakness　before　all　of　the　others；　including　Charlie。　
　　Then　the　two　of　them　were　left　there　alone…Ish　standing；　as　he　had　been　when　he　spoke；　Charlie；　still　sitting。　Charlie　made　no　gesture　of　rising；　so　Ish　too　sat　down。　He　would　not　stand　when　the　other　sat　so　lazily。　Charlie　was　still　wearing　his　vest；　although　he　had　no　coat　on　and　had　unbuttoned　the　vest　so　that　it　hung　loosely　from　him。　There　were　six　feet　between　them　as　they　sat　on　the　ground　and　looked　at　each　other。　Ish　saw　no　reason　to　beat　about　the　bush。　
　　〃All　I　want　to　say　is　that　you　must　quit　this　with　Evie。〃　
　　Charlie　was　equally　direct。　
　　〃Who　says　so？〃　
　　Ish　considered　for　words。　He　might　say　〃we〃　but　that　was　vague。　If　he　could　have　said　〃We；　the　people〃　that　would　have　been　better；　but　he　knew　that　Charlie　would　think　it　ridiculous。　He　did　not　want　to　pause　longer；　and　so　he　spoke。　〃I　say　so。〃　
　　Charlie　said　nothing　in　return；　he　sat　there。　He　picked　up　a　few　little　pebbles　from　the　ground　and　idly　twitched　them　with　his　left　hand；　throwing　them　here　and　there。　He　could　not　have　stated；　any　more　clearly；　his　disrespect。　
　　At　last　Charlie　spoke。　〃There's　lots　of　old　wise…cracks　you　can　say　when　any　guy　says　to　you　'I　say　so。'　You　know　what　they　are；　so　let's　skip　them。　I'm　reasonable；　though。　Why　don't　you　tell　me　just　why　you　want　me　to　lay　off　Evie？　She　your　girl；　maybe？〃　
　　Ish　spoke　quickly。　
　　〃This　is　it；〃　he　said。　〃It's　simple　enough。　We're　a　pretty　good　bunch　of　people　here；　not　mental　giants；　any　of　us　I　guess；　but　still　nobody　too　downright　stupid。　We　don't　want　a　lot　of　little　half…witted　brats　running　in　on　us；　the　sort　of　children　Evie　would　have。〃　
　　Only　when　he　had　stopped　speaking；　did　he　realize　that　by　speaking　at　all　in　reply　to　Charlie's　question；　he　had　made　a　mistake。　Like　any　intellectual；　he　had　been　happy　to　stop　manding　and　begin　arguing；　and　so　he　had　admitted　that　his　mand　was　non…effective。　Now；　in　spite　of　himself；　he　felt　in　second　place；　with　Charlie　the　leader。　
　　〃Hell！〃　said　Charlie。　〃What　makes　you　think　she's　been　around　here　all　this　time　and　not　had　plenty　of　chances　to　have　kids　with　all　those　boys　around；　if　she　was　going　to　have　any？〃　
　　〃The　boys　never　touched　Evie；〃　said　Ish。　〃She　was　something　they　grew　up　with；　she　was　taboo。　And　besides；　all　the　boys　were　married　off　as　early　as　they　could　be。〃　
　　He　was　still　arguing；　and　was　perhaps　at　the　bad　end　of　the　argument。　
　　〃So　you　say　again！〃　Charlie's　words　had　the　confident　ring　of　the　voice　of　a　man　feeling　himself　in　control。　〃What　you　really　ought　to　be　glad　for　is　that　I　picked　on　that　one　around　here；　the　only　one　old　enough　who　ain't　married　already。　What　if　I'd　liked　one　of　the　others；　and　she；　me？　Then　you　might　have　a　pretty　mess　on　your　hands。　You　better　be　glad　I　was　so　agreeable。〃　
　　Ish　thought　wildly　for　something　to　say。　What　more　could　be　said？　You　could　not　threaten　with　the　police　or　say　that　the　district　attorney　might　be　interested。　He　had　flung　the　challenge　and　been　met　head　on。　
　　No；　there　was　nothing　more　to　say。　Ish　got　up；　turned　on　his　heel；　and　walked　off。　He　had　a　sudden　quick　memory　in　his　mind　of　once　long　before；　when　he　had　met　a　man　just　after　the　Great　Disaster；　and　had　turned；　and　walked　away　with　the　feeling　that　he　might　be　shot　in　the　back。　Yet；　after　that　first　memory；　he　was　not　afraid；　and　it　was　the　more　humiliating　that　he　was　not。　He　realized　that　Charlie　would　think　there　was　no　need　of　shooting。　He；　Ish；　had　e　off　second…best。　
　　He　was　in　the　depths　of　bitterness　as　he　walked　back　toward　his　own　house；　He　had　forgotten　how　deep　humiliation　would　be。　The　hammer　was　mere　weight　now；　not　a　symbol　of　power。　For　years　things　had　gone　easily；　and　he　had　been　a　leader。　But　after　all　he　was　not　so　different　from　the　strange　youth　that　he　now　could　hardly　remember。　The　youth　who　had　existed　in　the　old　days　before　the　Great　Disaster；　the　one　who　was　afraid　to　go　to　dances；　the　one　who　was　never　quite　at　ease　with　other　people；　and　had　never　been　a　leader。　He　had　changed　much；　he　had　outgrown　much；　but　he　could　not　outgrow　it　all。　
　　Then　as　he　came；　deep　in　bitterness；　through　the　door　of　the　old　house；　Em　was　there　waiting　for　him。　He　laid　down　the　hammer。　He　took　her　into　his　arms；　or　perhaps　she　took　him　into　hers；　he　was　not　sure。　But　after　that　he　felt　suddenly　a　new　confidence。　Sometimes　she　did　not　agree　with　him。　They　had　argued　just　the　night　before　about　Charlie；　but　in　the　end　he　knew　that　he　would　renew　his　confidence　from　her。　
　　They　sat　on　the　davenport；　and　he　poured　out　the　story。　He　did　not　wait　to　hear　what　she　thought；　but　he　felt　her　sympathy　flow　out　and　enfold　him。　He　felt　the　raw　edge　of　his　humiliation　healing　over。　She　spoke　at　last：　
　　〃You　shouldn't　have　done　it！　You　should　have　had　the　boys　to　back　you。　He　might　have　shot　you　right　there。　You're　strong　at　thinking　and　knowing　things；　not　in　meeting　a　man　like　that。〃　
　　Then　it　was　she　was　began　to　take　the　next　action。　
　　〃Go　get　Ezra　and　George　and　the　boys；〃　she　said。　〃No；　I'll　send　one　of　the　children。　No　one　can　move　in　on　us　like　this；　and　say　what　he　and　we　are　going　to　do！〃　
　　Yes；　Ish　realized；　he　had　been　wrong。　There　had　been　no　need　to　feel　again　the　Great　Loneliness。　Small　and　weak　though　it　might　be；　there　was　still　the　strength　of　The　Tribe　to　rally　warmly　about　him。　
　　George　was　the　first　to　e；　and　after　him；　Ezra。　Ish　caught　the　movement　as　Ezra's　quick　eyes　shifted　from　George　to　Em　and　back　again。　〃He　has　something；〃　Ish　thought；　〃he　wants　to　say　to　me　alone。〃　But　Ezra　made　no　attempt　to　gain　the　opportunity。　Instead　he　ended　by　looking　at　Em　in　a　half…embarrassed　manner。　
　　〃Molly's　had　to　lock　Evie　up　in　one　of　the　upstairs　rooms；〃　he　said。　Ish　could　tell　what　a　hard　matter　it　was　for　Ezra；　a　highly　polite　and　civilized　person；　to　have　to　speak　in　public　thus　about　the　burst　of　passion　that　had　suddenly　e　upon　a　half…witted　girl　at　a　man's　caresses。　
　　〃What's　to　keep　her　from　jumping　out　the　window　anyway？〃　said　Ish。　
　　〃Nothing；　I　guess；〃　said　Ezra。　
　　〃I　could　fix　up　some　bars；〃　said　George；　eagerly。　〃We　could　put　something　across　the　window；　all　right。〃　
　　They　all　laughed　a　little　in　spite　of　the　seriousness。　George　was　always　so　happy　to　do　a　little　more　carpentry　somewhere　on　the　houses。　But　it　was　obviously　impossible　to　keep　Evie　locked　up　for　the　rest　of　her　life。　
　　Just　then　Jack　and　Roger；　Ish's　own　sons；　came　in；　after　them；　Ralph；　who　was　the　last　of　that　trio。　
　　At　the　boys'　ing；　there　was　a　little　relaxing；　and　people　began　to　sit　down　and　make　themselves　fortable。　In　a　moment；　Ish　knew　they　would　all　expect　him　to　begin　to　say　something　and　he　felt　again　that　this　was　all　happening　too　rapidly。　What　he　was　actually　facing　was　almost　like　the　organization　of　a　new　state。　And　yet；　they　could　not　sit　down　quietly　and　start　out　by　writing　a　constitution　with　a　good　old…fashioned　preamble。　No；　a　particular　and　troublesome　situation　faced　them；　and　they　must　act　in　the　face　of　it。　
　　He　put　the　question　sharply：　〃What　are　we　going　to　do　about　Evie　and　this　Charlie？〃　
　　There　was　a　babble　of　talk；　and　almost　immediately　Ish　had　the　chilly　feeling　that　of　all　the　men；　only　Ezra　was　solidly　with　him。　The　boys；　even　George