the bohemian girl-第13部分

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snapping　turtle；　and　she'll　be　a　match　for　me。　　All　the　same；



they're　a　fine　bunch　of　old　dames　over　there。　　You　admire　them



yourself







〃No；　I　don't；　I　detest　them。〃







〃You　won't；　when　you　look　back　on　them　from　Stockholm　or



Budapest。　　Freedom　settles　all　that。　　Oh；　but　you're　the　real



Bohemian　Girl；　Clara　Vavrika！〃　　Nils　laughed　down　at　her　sullen



frown　and　began　mockingly　to　sing：







　　　　　　　〃Oh；　how　could　a　poor　gypsy　maiden　like　me



　　　　　　　Expect　the　proud　bride　of　a　baron　to　be？〃







Clara　clutched　his　shoulder。　　〃Hush；　Nils；　every　one　is　looking　at



you。〃







〃I　don't　care。　　They　can't　gossip。　　It's　all　in　the　family；　as



the　Ericsons　say　when　they　divide　up　little　Hilda's　patrimony



amongst　them。　　Besides；　we'll　give　them　something　to　talk　about



when　we　hit　the　trail。　　Lord；　it　will　be　a　godsend　to　them！　　They



haven't　had　anything　so　interesting　to　chatter　about　since　the



grasshopper　year。　　It'll　give　them　a　new　lease　of　life。　　And　Olaf



won't　lose　the　Bohemian　vote；　either。　　They'll　have　the　laugh　on



him　so　that　they'll　vote　two　apiece。　　They'll　send　him　to　Congress。



They'll　never　forget　his　barn　party；　or　us。　　They'll　always



remember　us　as　we're　dancing　together　now。　　We're　making　a　legend。　



Where's　my　waltz；　boys？〃　he　called　as　they　whirled　past　the



fiddlers。







The　musicians　grinned；　looked　at　each　other；　hesitated；　and



began　a　new　air；　and　Nils　sang　with　them；　as　the　couples　fell　from



a　quick　waltz　to　a　long；　slow　glide：







　　　　　　　　　　　〃When　other　lips　and　other　hearts



　　　　　　　　　　　　Their　tale　of　love　shall　tell；



　　　　　　　　　　　　In　language　whose　excess　imparts



　　　　　　　　　　　　The　power　they　feel　so　well。〃







The　old　women　applauded　vigorously。　　〃What　a　gay　one　he　is；



that　Nils！〃　　And　old　Mrs。　Svendsen's　cap　lurched　dreamily



from　side　to　side　to　the　flowing　measure　of　the　dance。







　　　　　　　　　　Of　days　that　have　as　ha…a…p…py　been；



　　　　　　　　　　And　you'll　remember　me。〃











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VII







The　moonlight　flooded　that　great；　silent　land。　　The　reaped



fields　lay　yellow　in　it。　　The　straw　stacks　and　poplar　windbreaks



threw　sharp　black　shadows。　　The　roads　were　white　rivers　of　dust。　



The　sky　was　a　deep；　crystalline　blue；　and　the　stars　were　few　and



faint。　　Everything　seemed　to　have　succumbed；　to　have　sunk　to　sleep；



under　the　great；　golden；　tender；　midsummer　moon。　　The　splendour　of



it　seemed　to　transcend　human　life　and　human　fate。　　The　senses　were



too　feeble　to　take　it　in；　and　every　time　one　looked　up　at　the　sky



one　felt　unequal　to　it；　as　if　one　were　sitting　deaf　under　the　waves



of　a　great　river　of　melody。　　Near　the　road；　Nils　Ericson　was　lying



against　a　straw　stack　in　Olaf's　wheat　field。　　His　own　life　seemed



strange　and　unfamiliar　to　him；　as　if　it　were　something　he　had　read



about；　or　dreamed；　and　forgotten。　　He　lay　very　still；　watching　the



white　road　that　ran　in　front　of　him；　lost　itself　among　the　fields；



and　then；　at　a　distance；　reappeared　over　a　little　hill。　　At　last；



against　this　white　band　he　saw　something　moving　rapidly；　and　he　got



up　and　walked　to　the　edge　of　the　field。　　〃She　is　passing　the　row　of



poplars　now；〃　he　thought。　　He　heard　the　padded　beat　of　hoofs　along



the　dusty　road；　and　as　she　came　into　sight　he　stepped　out　and　waved



his　arms。　　Then；　for　fear　of　frightening　the　horse；　he　drew　back



and　waited。　　Clara　had　seen　him；　and　she　came　up　at　a　walk。　　Nils



took　the　horse　by　the　bit　and　stroked　his　neck。







〃What　are　you　doing　out　so　late；　Clara　Vavrika？　　I　went　to　the



house；　but　Johanna　told　me　you　had　gone　to　your　father's。〃







〃Who　can　stay　in　the　house　on　a　night　like　this？　　Aren't　you



out　yourself？〃







〃Ah；　but　that's　another　matter。〃







Nils　turned　the　horse　into　the　field。







〃What　are　you　doing？　　Where　are　you　taking　Norman？〃







〃Not　far；　but　I　want　to　talk　to　you　tonight；　I　have　something　to



say　to　you。　　I　can't　talk　to　you　at　the　house；　with　Olaf　sitting



there　on　the　porch；　weighing　a　thousand　tons。〃







Clara　laughed。　　〃He　won't　be　sitting　there　now。　　He's　in　bed



by　this　time；　and　asleepweighing　a　thousand　tons。〃







Nils　plodded　on　across　the　stubble。　　〃Are　you　really　going



to　spend　the　rest　of　your　life　like　this；　night　after　night；



summer　after　summer？　　Haven't　you　anything　better　to　do　on　a　night



like　this　than　to　wear　yourself　and　Norman　out　tearing　across　the



country　to　your　father's　and　back？　　Besides；　your　father　won't



live　forever；　you　know。　　His　little　place　will　be　shut　up　or



sold；　and　then　you'll　have　nobody　but　the　Ericsons。　　You'll　have



to　fasten　down　the　hatches　for　the　winter　then。〃







Clara　moved　her　head　restlessly。　　〃Don't　talk　about　that。　　I



try　never　to　think　of　it。　　If　I　lost　Father　I'd　lose　everything；



even　my　hold　over　the　Ericsons。〃







〃Bah！　　You'd　lose　a　good　deal　more　than　that。　　You'd　lose



your　race；　everything　that　makes　you　yourself。　　You've　lost　a



good　deal　of　it　now。〃







〃Of　what？〃







〃Of　your　love　of　life；　your　capacity　for　delight。〃







Clara　put　her　hands　up　to　her　face。　　〃I　haven't；　Nils



Ericson；　I　haven't！　　Say　anything　to　me　but　that。　　I　won't　have



it！〃　she　declared　vehemently。







Nils　led　the　horse　up　to　a　straw　stack；　and　turned　to　Clara；



looking　at　her　intently；　as　he　had　looked　at　her　that　Sunday



afternoon　at　Vavrika's。　　〃But　why　do　you　fight　for　that　so？　　What



good　is　the　power　to　enjoy；　if　you　never　enjoy？　　Your　hands　are



cold　again；　what　are　you　afraid　of　all　the　time？　　Ah；　you're



afraid　of　losing　it；　that's　what's　the　matter　with　you！　　And　you



will；　Clara　Vavrika；　you　will！　　When　I　　used　to　know　youlisten；



you've　caught　a　wild　bird　in　your　hand；　haven't　you；　and　felt　its



heart　beat　so　hard　that　you　were　afraid　it　would　shatter　its



little　body　to　pieces？　　Well；　you　used　to　be　just　like　that；　a



slender；　eager　thing　with　a　wild　delight　inside　you。　　That　is　how



I　remembered　you。　　And　I　come　back　and　find　youa　bitter



woman。　　This　is　a　perfect　ferret　fight　here；　you　live　by　biting



and　being　bitten。　　Can't　you　remember　what　life　used　to　be？　　Can't



you　remember　that　old　delight？　　I've　never　forgotten　it；　or　known



its　like；　on　land　or　sea。〃







He　drew　the　horse　under　the　shadow　of　the　straw　stack。　



Clara　felt　him　take　her　foot　out　of　the　stirrup；　and　she　slid



softly　down　into　his　arms。　　He　kissed　her　slowly。　　He　was　a



deliberate　man；　but　his　nerves　were　steel　when　he　wanted



anything。　　Something　flashed　out　from　him　like　a　knife　out　of　a



sheath。　　Clara　felt　everything　slipping　away　f