The Duplicity of Hargraves文档格式.docx
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The Duplicity of Hargraves文档格式.docx
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anditcertainlywashighinthewaistandfullintheskirt.
ButtheMajor,withallhisqueerclothes,hisimmenseareaofplaited,ravelingshirtbosom,andthelittleblackstringtiewiththebowalwaysslippingononeside,bothwassmiledatandlikedinMrs.Vardeman'
sselectboardinghouse.Someoftheyoungdepartmentclerkswouldoften"
stringhim,"
astheycalledit,gettinghimstarteduponthesubjectdearesttohim--thetraditionsandhistoryofhisbelovedSouthland.DuringhistalkshewouldquotefreelyfromtheAnecdotesandReminiscences.Buttheywereverycarefulnottolethimseetheirdesigns,forinspiteofhissixty-eightyearshecouldmaketheboldestofthemuncomfortableunderthesteadyregardofhispiercinggrayeyes.
MissLydiawasaplump,littleoldmaidofthirty-five,withsmoothlydrawn,tightlytwistedhairthatmadeherlookstillolder.Old-fashioned,too,shewas;
butantebellumglorydidnotradiatefromherasitdidfromtheMajor.Shepossessedathriftycommonsense,anditwasshewhohandledthefinancesofthefamily,andmetallcomerswhentherewerebillstopay.TheMajorregardedboardbillsandwashbillsascontemptiblenuisances.Theykeptcominginsopersistentlyandsooften.Why,theMajorwantedtoknow,couldtheynotbefiledandpaidinalumpsumatsomeconvenientperiod--saywhentheAnecdotesandReminiscenceshadbeenpublishedandpaidfor?
MissLydiawouldcalmlygoonwithhersewingandsay,"
We'
llpayaswegoaslongasthemoneylasts,andthenperhapsthey'
llhavetolumpit."
MostofMrs.Vardeman'
sboarderswereawayduringtheday,beingnearlyalldepartmentclerksandbusinessmen;
buttherewasoneofthemwhowasaboutthehouseagreatdealfrommorningtonight.ThiswasayoungmannamedHenryHopkinsHargraves--everyoneinthehouseaddressedhimbyhisfullname--whowasengagedatoneofthepopularvaudevilletheaters.Vaudevillehasrisentosucharespectableplaneinthelastfewyears,andMr.Hargraveswassuchamodestandwell-manneredperson,thatMrs.Vardemancouldfindnoobjectiontoenrollinghimuponherlistofboarders.
AtthetheaterHargraveswasknownasanall-rounddialectcomedian,havingalargerepertoireofGerman,Irish,Swede,andblack-facespecialties.ButMr.Hargraveswasambitious,andoftenspokeofhisgreatdesiretosucceedinlegitimatecomedy.
ThisyoungmanappearedtoconceiveastrongfancyforMajorTalbot.WheneverthatgentlemanwouldbeginhisSouthernreminiscences,orrepeatsomeoftheliveliestoftheanecdotes,Hargravescouldalwaysbefound,themostattentiveamonghislisteners.
ForatimetheMajorshowedaninclinationtodiscouragetheadvancesofthe"
playactor,"
asheprivatelytermedhim;
butsoontheyoungman'
sagreeablemannerandindubitableappreciationoftheoldgentleman'
sstoriescompletelywonhimover.
Itwasnotlongbeforethetwowerelikeoldchums.TheMajorsetaparteachafternoontoreadtohimthemanuscriptofhisbook.DuringtheanecdotesHargravesneverfailedtolaughatexactlytherightpoint.TheMajorwasmovedtodeclaretoMissLydiaonedaythatyoungHargravespossessedremarkableperceptionandagratifyingrespectfortheoldregime.Andwhenitcametotalkingofthoseolddays--ifMajorTalbotlikedtotalk,Mr.Hargraveswasentrancedtolisten.
Likealmostalloldpeoplewhotalkofthepast,theMajorlovedtolingeroverdetails.Indescribingthesplendid,almostroyal,daysoftheoldplanters,hewouldhesitateuntilhehadrecalledthenameofthenegrowhoheldhishorse,ortheexactdateofcertainminorhappenings,orthenumberofbalesofcottonraisedinsuchayear;
butHargravesnevergrewimpatientorlostinterest.Onthecontrary,hewouldadvancequestionsonavarietyofsubjectsconnectedwiththelifeofthattime,andheneverfailedtoextractreadyreplies.
Thefoxhunts,the'
possumsuppers,thehoe-downsandjubileesinthenegroquarters,thebanquetsintheplantation-househall,wheninvitationswentforfiftymilesaround;
theoccasionalfeudswiththeneighboringgentry;
theMajor'
sduelwithRathboneCulbertsonaboutKittyChalmers,whoafterwardmarriedaThwaiteofSouthCarolina;
andprivateyachtracesforfabuloussumsonMobileBay;
thequaintbeliefs,improvidenthabits,andloyalvirtuesoftheoldslaves--alltheseweresubjectsthatheldboththeMajorandHargravesabsorbedforhoursatatime.
Sometimes,atnight,whentheyoungmanwouldbecomingupstairstohisroomafterhisturnatthetheaterwasover,theMajorwouldappearatthedoorofhisstudyandbeckonarchlytohim.Goingin,Hargraveswouldfindalittletablesetwithadecanter,sugarbowl,fruit,andabigbunchoffreshgreenmint.
"
Itoccurredtome,"
theMajorwouldbegin--hewasalwaysceremonious--"
thatperhapsyoumighthavefoundyourdutiesatthe--atyourplaceofoccupation--sufficientlyarduoustoenableyou,Mr.Hargraves,toappreciatewhatthepoetmightwellhavehadinhismindwhenhewrote,'
tiredNature'
ssweetrestorer'
--oneofourSouthernjuleps."
ItwasafascinationtoHargravestowatchhimmakeit.Hetookrankamongartistswhenhebegan,andhenevervariedtheprocess.Withwhatdelicacyhebruisedthemint;
withwhatexquisitenicetyheestimatedtheingredients;
withwhatsolicitouscarehecappedthecompoundwiththescarletfruitglowingagainstthedarkgreenfringe!
Andthenthehospitalityandgracewithwhichheofferedit,aftertheselectedoatstrawshadbeenplungedintoitstinklingdepths!
AfteraboutfourmonthsinWashington,MissLydiadiscoveredonemorningthattheywerealmostwithoutmoney.TheAnecdotesandReminiscenceswascompleted,butpublishershadnotjumpedatthecollectedgemsofAlabamasenseandwit.TherentalofasmallhousewhichtheystillownedinMobilewastwomonthsinarrears.Theirboardmoneyforthemonthwouldbedueinthreedays.MissLydiacalledherfathertoaconsultation.
Nomoney?
saidhewithasurprisedlook."
Itisquiteannoyingtobecalledonsofrequentlyforthesepettysums,Really,I--"
TheMajorsearchedhispockets.Hefoundonlyatwo-dollarbill,whichhereturnedtohisvestpocket.
Imustattendtothisatonce,Lydia,"
hesaid."
KindlygetmemyumbrellaandIwillgodowntownimmediately.Thecongressmanfromourdistrict,GeneralFulghum,assuredmesomedaysagothathewouldusehisinfluencetogetmybookpublishedatanearlydate.Iwillgotohishotelatonceandseewhatarrangementhasbeenmade."
WithasadlittlesmileMissLydiawatchedhimbuttonhis"
FatherHubbard"
anddepart,pausingatthedoor,ashealwaysdid,tobowprofoundly.
Thatevening,atdark,hereturned.ItseemedthatCongressmanFulghumhadseenthepublisherwhohadtheMajor'
smanuscriptforreading.Thatpersonhadsaidthatiftheanecdotes,etc.,werecarefullypruneddownaboutone-half,inordertoeliminatethesectionalandclassprejudicewithwhichthebookwasdyedfromendtoend,hemightconsideritspublication.
TheMajorwasinawhiteheatofanger,butregainedhisequanimity,accordingtohiscodeofmanners,assoonashewasinMissLydia'
spresence.
Wemusthavemoney,"
saidMissLydia,withalittlewrinkleabovehernose."
Givemethetwodollars,andIwilltelegraphtoUncleRalphforsometo-night."
TheMajordrewasmallenvelopefromhisuppervestpocketandtosseditonthetable.
Perhapsitwasinjudicious,"
hesaidmildly,"
butthesumwassomerelynominalthatIboughtticketstothetheaterto-night.It'
sanewwardrama,Lydia.IthoughtyouwouldbepleasedtowitnessitsfirstproductioninWashington.IamtoldthattheSouthhasveryfairtreatmentintheplay.IconfessIshouldliketoseetheperformancemyself."
MissLydiathrewupherhandsinsilentdespair.
Still,astheticketswerebought,theymightaswellbeused.Sothatevening,astheysatinthetheaterlisteningtothelivelyoverture,evenMissLydiawasmindedtorelegatetheirtroubles,forthehour,tosecondplace.TheMajor,inspotlesslinen,withhisextr
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