 | CHAPTER VI. Dukesborough tales |  |
6. CHAPTER VI.
Oh! what an argument was going on in Mr. Bill's breast. Vain had
been all efforts heretofore made to bring him in any way into collision
with the Lorribys. He had even kept himself out of all combinations
to get a little holiday by an innocent ducking, and useless had been all
appeals heretofore to his sympathies; for he was like the rest who had
been through the ordeal of the schools, and had grown to believe that
it did more good than harm. If it had been anybody but Betsy Ann
Acry, he would have been unmoved. But it was Betsy Ann Acry, and
he had been often heard to say that if Betsy Ann Acry should have to be
whipped, he should take upon himself the responsibility of seeing that
that must not be done. And now that contingency had come. What
ought to be done? How was this responsibility to be discharged?
Mr. Bill wished that the female Lorriby had stayed away that day.
He did not know exactly why he wished it, but he wished it. To add
to his other difficulties, Miss Betsy Ann had never given any token of
her reciprocation of his regard; for now that the novelty of the future
clerkship had worn away, she had returned to her old habit of never
seeming to notice that there was such a person as himself. But the
idea of a switch falling upon her whose body from the crown of her
other consideration, and he made up his mind to be as good as his
word, and take the responsibility. Just as the male Lorriby (the female
by his side) was about to raise the switch —
“Stop a minute, Mr. Larrabee!” he exclaimed, advancing in a highly
excited manner.
The teacher lowered his arm and retreated one step, looking a little
irresolute. His wife advanced one step, and looking straight at Mr.
Bill, her robust frame rose at least an inch higher.
“Mr. Larrabee! I — ah — don't exactly consider myself — ah — as
a scholar here now; because — ah — I expect to move to Dukesborough
in a few days, and keep store thar for Mr. Bland & Jones.”
To his astonishment, this announcement, so impressive heretofore,
failed of the slightest effect now, when, of all times, an effect was
desired. Mr. Lorriby, in answer to a sign from his wife, had recovered
his lost ground, and looked placidly upon him, but answered
nothing.
“I say,” repeated Mr. Bill distinctly, as if he supposed he had not
been heard, “I say that I expect in a few days to move to Dukesborough;
to live thar; to keep store thar for Mr. Bland & Jones.”
“Well, William, I think I have heard that before. I want to hear
you talk about it some time when it aint school time, and when we aint
so busy as we air now at the present.”
“Well, but —” persisted Mr. Bill.
“Well, but?” inquired Mr. Lorriby.
“Yes, sir,” answered the former, insistingly.
“Well, but what? Is this case got anything to do with it? Is she
got anything to do with it?”
“In cose it have not,” answered Mr. Bill, sadly.
“Well, what makes you tell us of it now, at the present?” Oh!
what a big word was that us, then, to Josiah Lorriby.
“Mr. Larrabee,” urged Mr. Bill, in as persuasive accents as he could
employ; “no, sir, Mr. Larrabee, it have not got anything to do with
it; but yit —”
“Well, yit what, William?”
“Well, Mr. Larrabee, I thought as I was a-goin to quit school soon,
and as I was a-goin to move to Dukesborough — as I was a-goin right
outen your school intoo Dukesborough as it war, to keep store thar,
may be you mout, as a favor, do me a favor before I left.”
“Well! may I be dinged, and then dug up and dinged over agin!”
This was said in a suppressed whisper by a person at my side.
“Beggin! beggin! ding his white-livered hide — beg-gin!”
“Why, William,” replied Mr. Lorriby, “ef it war convenant, and
the favor war not too much, it mout be that I mout grant it.”
“I thought you would, Mr. Larrabee. The favor aint a big one —
leastways, it aint a big one to you. It would be a mighty —” But
Mr. Bill thought he could hardly trust himself to say how big a one it
would be to himself.
“Well, what is it, William?”
“Mr. Larrabee!— sir, Mr. Larrabee, I ax it as a favor of you, not
to whip Betsy Ann — which is Miss Betsy Ann Acry.”
“Thar now!” groaned Seaborn, and bowed his head in despair.
The male Lorriby looked upon the female. Her face had relaxed
somewhat from its stern expression. She answered his glance by one
which implied a conditional affirmative.
“Ef Betsy Ann Acry will behave herself, and keep her impudence
to herself, I will let her off this time.”
All eyes turned to Betsy Ann. I never saw her look so fine as she
raised up her head, tossed her yellow ringlets back, and said in a tone
increasing in loudness from beginning to end:
“But Betsy Ann Acry won't do it.”
“Hello agin thar!” whispered Seaborn, and raised his head. His
dying hopes of a big row were revived. This was the last opportunity,
and he was as eager as if the last dollar he ever expected to make had
been pledged upon the event. I have never forgotten his appearance,
as with his legs wide apart, his hands upon his knees, his lips apart,
but his teeth firmly closed, he gazed upon that scene.
Lorriby, the male, was considerably disconcerted, and would have
compromised; but Lorriby, the female, again in an instant resumed
her hostile attitude, and this time her great eyes looked like two balls
of fire. She concentrated their gaze upon Betsy Ann with a ferocity
which was appalling. Betsy Ann tried to meet them, and did for one
moment; but in another she found she could not hold out longer; so
she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Mr. Bill could endure
no more. Both arms fairly flew out at full length.
“The fact ar,” he cried, “that I am goin to take the responsibility!
Conshequenches may be conshequenches, but I shall take the responsibility.”
His countenance was that of a man who had made up his
mind. It had come at last, and we were perfectly happy.
The female Lorriby turned her eyes from Betsy Ann and fixed them
steadily on Mr. Bill. She advanced a step forward, and raised her
arms and placed them on her sides. The male Lorriby placed himself
immediately behind his mate's right arm, while Rum, who seemed to
understand what was going on, came up, and standing on his mistress's
left, looked curiously up at Mr. Bill.
Seaborn Byne noticed this last movement. “Well, et that don't
beat creation! You in it too, is you?” he muttered through his teeth.
“Well, never do you mind. Ef I don't fix you and put you whar you'll
never know no more but what you've got a tail, may I be dinged, and
then,” etc.
It is true that Seaborn had been counted upon for a more important
work than the neutralising of Rum's forces; still, I knew that Mr.
Bill wanted and needed no assistance. We were all ready, however —
that is, I should say, all but Martin. He had no griefs, and therefore
no desires.
Such was the height of Mr. Bill's excitement that he did not even
seem to notice the hostile demonstrations of these numerous and
various foes. His mind was made up, and he was going right on to
his purpose.
“Mr. Larrabee,” he said firmly, “I am goin to take the responsibility.
I axed you as a favor to do me a favor before I left. I aint much used
to axin favors; but sich it war now. It seem as ef that favor cannot
be grant. Yea, sich is the circumstances. But it must be so.
Sense I have been here they aint been no difficulties betwixt you and
me, nor betwixt me and Miss Larrabee; and no nothin of the sort,
not even betwixt me and Rum. That dog have sometimes snap at my
legs; but I have bore it for peace, and wanted no fuss. Sich, therefore,
it was why I axed the favor as a favor. But it can't be hoped,
and so I takes the responsibility. Mr. Larrabee, sir, and you, Miss
Larrabee, I am goin from this school right intoo Dukesborough, straight
intoo Mr. Bland's store, to clerk thar. Sich bein all the circumstances,
I hates to do what I tells you I'm goin to do. But it can't be hoped,
it seem, and I ar goin to do it.”
Mr. Bill announced this conclusion in a very highly elevated tone.
“Oh, yes, ding your old hides of you!” I heard at my side.
“Mr. Larrabee, and you, Miss Larrabee,” continued the speaker, “I
does not desires that Betsy Ann Acry shall be whipped. I goes on to
say that as sich it ar, and as sich the circumstances, Betsy Ann Acry
can't be whipped whar I ar ef I can keep it from bein done.”
“You heerd that, didn't you?” asked Seaborn, low, but cruelly
triumphant; and Seaborn looked at Rum as if considering how he
should begin the battle with him.
Mrs. Lorriby seldom spoke. Whenever she did, it was to the point.
“Yes, but Weelliam Weelliams, you can't keep it from bein done.”
And she straightened herself yet taller, and raising her hands yet
higher upon her sides, changed the angle of elbows from obtuse to
acute.
“Yes, but I kin,” persisted Mr. Bill. “Mr. Larrabee! Mr. Larrabee!”
This gentleman had lowered his head, and was peering at Mr. Bill
through the triangular opening formed by his mate's side and arm.
The reason why Mr. Bill addressed him twice, was because he had
missed him when he threw the first address over her shoulder. The
last was sent through the triangle.
“Mr. Larrabee! I say it kin be done, and I'm goin to do it. Sir,
little as I counted on sich a case, yit still it ar so. Let the conshequenches
be what they be, both now and some futur day. Mr.
Larrabee, sir, that whippin that you was a-goin to give to Betsy Ann
Acry cannot fall upon her shoulders, and — that is, upon her shoulders,
and before my face. Instid of sich, sir, you may jest — instid of whippin
her, sir, you may — instid of her, give it, sir — notwithstandin and
nevertheless — you may give it to ME.”
| CHAPTER VI. Dukesborough tales | |