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Longstreth's answer. But he could guess what it would be.
Lawson appeared to be all Duane had thought him, and he
believed he was going to find out presently that he was worse.
The men seemed to be absent a good while, though that feeling
might have been occasioned by Duane's thrilling interest and
anxiety. Finally he heard heavy steps. Lawson came in alone. He
was leaden-faced, humiliated. Then something abject in him gave
place to rage. He strode the room; he cursed. Then Longstreth
returned, now appreciably calmer. Duane could not but decide
that he felt relief at the evident rejection of Lawson's
proposal.
"Don't fuss about it, Floyd," he said. "You see I can't help
it. We're pretty wild out here, but I can't rope my daughter
and give her to you as I would an unruly steer."
"Longstreth, I can MAKE her marry me," declared Lawson,
thickly.
"How?"
"You know the hold I got on you--the deal that made you boss of
this rustler gang?"
"It isn't likely I'd forget," replied Longstreth, grimly.
"I can go to Ray, tell her that, make her believe I'd tell it
broadcast--tell this ranger--unless she'd marry me."
Lawson spoke breathlessly, with haggard face and shadowed eyes.
He had no shame. He was simply in the grip of passion.
Longstreth gazed with dark, controlled fury at this relative.
In that look Duane saw a strong, unscrupulous man fallen into
evil ways, but still a man. It betrayed Lawson to be the wild
and passionate" target="_blank" title="a.易动情的；易怒的">passionate weakling. Duane seemed to see also how during
all the years of association this strong man had upheld the
weak one. But that time had gone for ever, both in intent on
Longstreth's part and in possibility. Lawson, like the great
majority of evil and unrestrained men on the border, had
reached a point where influence was futile. Reason had
degenerated. He saw only himself.
"But, Floyd, Ray's the one person on earth who must never know
I'm a rustler, a thief, a red-handed ruler of the worst gang on
the border," replied Longstreth, impressively.
Floyd bowed his head at that, as if the significance had just
occurred to him. But he was not long at a loss.
"She's going to find it out sooner or later. I tell you she
knows now there's something wrong out here. She's got eyes.
Mark what I say."
"Ray has changed, I know. But she hasn't any idea yet that her
daddy's a boss rustler. Ray's concerned about what she calls my
duty as mayor. Also I think she's not satisfied with my
explanations in regard to certain property."
Lawson halted in his restless walk and leaned against the stone
mantelpiece. He had his hands in his pockets. He squared
himself as if this was his last stand. He looked desperate, but
on the moment showed an absence of his usual nervous
excitement.
"Longstreth, that may well be true," he said. "No doubt all you
say is true. But it doesn't help me. I want the girl. If I
don't get her--I reckon we'll all go to hell!"
He might have meant anything, probably meant the worst. He
certainly had something more in mind. Longstreth gave a slight
start, barelyperceptible, like the switch of an awakening
tiger. He sat there, head down, stroking his mustache. Almost
Duane saw his thought. He had long experience in reading men
under stress of such emotion. He had no means to vindicate his
judgment, but his conviction was that Longstreth right then and
there decided that the thing to do was to kill Lawson. For
Duane's part he wondered that Longstreth had not come to such a
conclusion before. Not improbably the advent of his daughter
had put Longstreth in conflict with himself.
Suddenly he threw off a somber cast of countenance, and he
began to talk. He talked swiftly, persuasively, yet Duane
imagined he was talking to smooth Lawson's passion for the
moment. Lawson no more caught the fateful significance of a
line crossed, a limit reached, a decreedecided than if he had
not been present. He was obsessed with himself. How, Duane
wondered, had a man of his mind ever lived so long and gone so
far among the exacting conditions of the Southwest? The answer
was, perhaps, that Longstreth had guided him, upheld him,
protected him. The coming of Ray Longstreth had been the
entering-wedge of dissension.
Lawson appeared to be all Duane had thought him, and he
believed he was going to find out presently that he was worse.
The men seemed to be absent a good while, though that feeling
might have been occasioned by Duane's thrilling interest and
anxiety. Finally he heard heavy steps. Lawson came in alone. He
was leaden-faced, humiliated. Then something abject in him gave
place to rage. He strode the room; he cursed. Then Longstreth
returned, now appreciably calmer. Duane could not but decide
that he felt relief at the evident rejection of Lawson's
proposal.
"Don't fuss about it, Floyd," he said. "You see I can't help
it. We're pretty wild out here, but I can't rope my daughter
and give her to you as I would an unruly steer."
"Longstreth, I can MAKE her marry me," declared Lawson,
thickly.
"How?"
"You know the hold I got on you--the deal that made you boss of
this rustler gang?"
"It isn't likely I'd forget," replied Longstreth, grimly.
"I can go to Ray, tell her that, make her believe I'd tell it
broadcast--tell this ranger--unless she'd marry me."
Lawson spoke breathlessly, with haggard face and shadowed eyes.
He had no shame. He was simply in the grip of passion.
Longstreth gazed with dark, controlled fury at this relative.
In that look Duane saw a strong, unscrupulous man fallen into
evil ways, but still a man. It betrayed Lawson to be the wild
and passionate" target="_blank" title="a.易动情的；易怒的">passionate weakling. Duane seemed to see also how during
all the years of association this strong man had upheld the
weak one. But that time had gone for ever, both in intent on
Longstreth's part and in possibility. Lawson, like the great
majority of evil and unrestrained men on the border, had
reached a point where influence was futile. Reason had
degenerated. He saw only himself.
"But, Floyd, Ray's the one person on earth who must never know
I'm a rustler, a thief, a red-handed ruler of the worst gang on
the border," replied Longstreth, impressively.
Floyd bowed his head at that, as if the significance had just
occurred to him. But he was not long at a loss.
"She's going to find it out sooner or later. I tell you she
knows now there's something wrong out here. She's got eyes.
Mark what I say."
"Ray has changed, I know. But she hasn't any idea yet that her
daddy's a boss rustler. Ray's concerned about what she calls my
duty as mayor. Also I think she's not satisfied with my
explanations in regard to certain property."
Lawson halted in his restless walk and leaned against the stone
mantelpiece. He had his hands in his pockets. He squared
himself as if this was his last stand. He looked desperate, but
on the moment showed an absence of his usual nervous
excitement.
"Longstreth, that may well be true," he said. "No doubt all you
say is true. But it doesn't help me. I want the girl. If I
don't get her--I reckon we'll all go to hell!"
He might have meant anything, probably meant the worst. He
certainly had something more in mind. Longstreth gave a slight
start, barelyperceptible, like the switch of an awakening
tiger. He sat there, head down, stroking his mustache. Almost
Duane saw his thought. He had long experience in reading men
under stress of such emotion. He had no means to vindicate his
judgment, but his conviction was that Longstreth right then and
there decided that the thing to do was to kill Lawson. For
Duane's part he wondered that Longstreth had not come to such a
conclusion before. Not improbably the advent of his daughter
had put Longstreth in conflict with himself.
Suddenly he threw off a somber cast of countenance, and he
began to talk. He talked swiftly, persuasively, yet Duane
imagined he was talking to smooth Lawson's passion for the
moment. Lawson no more caught the fateful significance of a
line crossed, a limit reached, a decreedecided than if he had
not been present. He was obsessed with himself. How, Duane
wondered, had a man of his mind ever lived so long and gone so
far among the exacting conditions of the Southwest? The answer
was, perhaps, that Longstreth had guided him, upheld him,
protected him. The coming of Ray Longstreth had been the
entering-wedge of dissension.
- innocent [´inəsənt]
a.无罪的；单纯的 (初中英语单词) - conscience [´kɔnʃəns] n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词)
- goodness [´gudnis] n.优良；美德；精华 (初中英语单词)
- unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)
- swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)
- helpless [´helpləs] a.无助的，无依靠的 (初中英语单词)
- terribly [´terəbli] ad.可怕地 (初中英语单词)
- ashamed [ə´ʃeimd] a.惭愧；不好意思 (初中英语单词)
- strangely [´streindʒli] ad.奇怪地；陌生地 (初中英语单词)
- dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)
- well-known [,wel´nəun] a.著名的，众所周知的 (初中英语单词)
- working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
- willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
- miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)
- presently [´prezəntli] ad.不久；目前 (初中英语单词)
- absent [´æbsənt, əb´sent] a.不在的 vt.使缺席 (初中英语单词)
- relief [ri´li:f] n.救济；援救；减轻 (初中英语单词)
- evident [´evidənt] a.明显的，明白的 (初中英语单词)
- intent [in´tent] a.专心致志的 n.意图 (初中英语单词)
- possibility [,pɔsə´biliti] n.可能(性)；希望；前途 (初中英语单词)
- restless [´restləs] a.没有休息的 (初中英语单词)
- desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)
- absence [´æbsəns] n.不在，缺席；缺乏 (初中英语单词)
- reckon [´rekən] v.计算；认为；估计 (初中英语单词)
- barely [´beəli] ad.公开地；仅仅 (初中英语单词)
- reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)
- stress [stres] n.强调；压力 vt.强调 (初中英语单词)
- emotion [i´məuʃən] n.感情；情绪；激动 (初中英语单词)
- conviction [kən´vikʃən] n.定罪；确信，信服 (初中英语单词)
- conflict [´kɔnflikt, kən´flikt] n.&vi.战斗；抵触 (初中英语单词)
- countenance [´kauntinəns] n.面部表情；脸色；面容 (初中英语单词)
- passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)
- decree [di´kri:] n.法令；公告；天命 (初中英语单词)
- intensity [in´tensiti] a.激烈；强度；深度 (高中英语单词)
- appeal [ə´pi:l] vi.&n.请求；呼吁；上诉 (高中英语单词)
- sweetness [´swi:tnis] n.甜蜜；芳香；亲切 (高中英语单词)
- threshold [´θreʃhəuld] n.门槛；入门；开端 (高中英语单词)
- streak [stri:k] n.纹理 v.用线条(条纹) (高中英语单词)
- location [ləu´keiʃən] n.定位；位置；地方 (高中英语单词)
- squeeze [skwi:z] v.&n.压榨，榨取 (高中英语单词)
- hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
- sullen [´sʌlən] a.不高兴的 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- damned [dæmd] a.该死的 ad.非常，极 (高中英语单词)
- concerned [kən´sə:nd] a.有关的；担心的 (高中英语单词)
- strode [strəud] stride的过去式 (高中英语单词)
- passionate [´pæʃənit] a.易动情的；易怒的 (高中英语单词)
- significance [sig´nifikəns] n.意义；重要性 (高中英语单词)
- switch [switʃ] n.开关 v.转换 (高中英语单词)
- decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)
- southwest [,sauθ´west] n.&a.西南(方)(的) (高中英语单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- blackness [´blæknis] n.黑色；阴险 (英语四级单词)
- mustache [mə´stɑ:ʃ] n.髭，小胡子 (英语四级单词)
- impatiently [im´peiʃəntli] ad.不耐烦地，急躁地 (英语四级单词)
- prospective [prə´spektiv] a.预期的；未来的 (英语四级单词)
- breathlessly [´breθlisli] ad.气喘吁吁地 (英语四级单词)
- haggard [´hægəd] a.憔悴的 (英语四级单词)
- futile [´fju:tail] a.无用的，无益的 (英语四级单词)
- advent [´ædvent] n.来临；降临 (英语四级单词)
- somber [´sɔmbə] a.昏暗的；忧郁的 (英语四级单词)
- starlight [´stɑ:lait] n.星光 (英语六级单词)
- stealthily [´stelθili] ad.偷偷地，隐秘地 (英语六级单词)
- abject [´æbdʒekt] a.卑鄙的；可怜的 (英语六级单词)
- unruly [ʌn´ru:li] a.不守规则的 (英语六级单词)
- perceptible [pə´septəbl] a.看得出的；可理解的 (英语六级单词)
- exacting [ig´zæktiŋ] a.苛求的；严格的 (英语六级单词)
- dissension [di´senʃən] n.争论，纠纷 (英语六级单词)
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