登陆注册
15456100000068

第68章 XXI. IN A STATE OF SIN(3)

"Huh! It would spoil him. You keep around that's all. Keep around."

Scipio was not to be probed; and I went, still baffled, to my repose.

No light burned in the cabin as I approached its door.

The Virginian's room was quiet and dark; and that Dr. MacBride slumbered was plainly audible to me, even before I entered. Go fishing with him! I thought, as I undressed. And I selfishly decided that the Judge might have this privilege entirely to himself. Sleep came to me fairly soon, in spite of the Doctor. I was wakened from it by my bed's being jolted--not a pleasant thing that night. I must have started. And it was the quiet voice of the Virginian that told me he was sorry to have accidentally disturbed me. This disturbed me a good deal more. But his steps did not go to the bunk house, as my sensational mind had suggested. He was not wearing much, and in the dimness he seemed taller than common. I next made out that he was bending over Dr.

Mac Bride. The divine at last sprang upright.

"I am armed," he said. "Take care. Who are you?"

"You can lay down your gun, seh. I feel like my spirit was going to bear witness. I feel like I might get an enlightening."

He was using some of the missionary's own language. The baffling I had been treated to by Scipio melted to nothing in this. Did living men petrify, I should have changed to mineral between the sheets. The Doctor got out of bed, lighted his lamp, and found a book; and the two retired into the Virginian's room, where I could hear the exhortations as I lay amazed. In time the Doctor returned, blew out his lamp, and settled himself. I had been very much awake, but was nearly gone to sleep again, when the door creaked and the Virginian stood by the Doctor's side.

"Are you awake, seh?"

"What? What's that? What is it?"

"Excuse me, seh. The enemy is winning on me. I'm feeling less inward opposition to sin."

The lamp was lighted, and I listened to some further exhortations. They must have taken half an hour. When the Doctor was in bed again, I thought that I heard him sigh. This upset my composure in the dark; but I lay face downward in the pillow, and the Doctor was soon again snoring. I envied him for a while his faculty of easy sleep. But I must have dropped off myself; for it was the lamp in my eyes that now waked me as he came back for the third time from the Virginian's room. Before blowing the light out he looked at his watch, and thereupon I inquired the hour of him.

"Three," said he.

I could not sleep any more now, and I lay watching the darkness.

"I'm afeared to be alone!" said the Virginian's voice presently in the next room. "I'm afeared." There was a short pause, and then he shouted very loud, "I'm losin' my desire afteh the sincere milk of the Word!"

"What? What's that? What?" The Doctor's cot gave a great crack as he started up listening, and I put my face deep in the pillow.

"I'm afeared! I'm afeared! Sin has quit being bitter in my belly."

"Courage, my good man." The Doctor was out of bed with his lamp again, and the door shut behind him. Between them they made it long this time. I saw the window become gray; then the corners of the furniture grow visible; and outside, the dry chorus of the blackbirds began to fill the dawn. To these the sounds of chickens and impatient hoofs in the stable were added, and some cow wandered by loudly calling for her calf. Next, some one whistling passed near and grew distant. But although the cold hue that I lay staring at through the window warmed and changed, the Doctor continued working hard over his patient in the next room.

Only a word here and there was distinct; but it was plain from the Virginian's fewer remarks that the sin in his belly was alarming him less. Yes, they made this time long. But it proved, indeed, the last one. And though some sort of catastrophe was bound to fall upon us, it was myself who precipitated the thing that did happen.

Day was wholly come. I looked at my own watch, and it was six. I had been about seven hours in my bed, and the Doctor had been about seven hours out of his. The door opened, and he came in with his book and lamp. He seemed to be shivering a little, and I saw him cast a longing eye at his couch. But the Virginian followed him even as he blew out the now quite superfluous light.

They made a noticeable couple in their underclothes: the Virginian with his lean racehorse shanks running to a point at his ankle, and the Doctor with his stomach and his fat sedentary calves.

"You'll be going to breakfast and the ladies, seh, pretty soon," said the Virginian, with a chastened voice. "But I'll worry through the day somehow without yu'. And to-night you can turn your wolf loose on me again."

Once more it was no use. My face was deep in the pillow, but I made sounds as of a hen who has laid an egg. It broke on the Doctor with a total instantaneous smash, quite like an ego.

He tried to speak calmly. "This is a disgrace. An infamous disgrace. Never in my life have I--" Words forsook him, and his face grew redder. "Never in my life--" He stopped again, because, at the sight of him being dignified in his red drawers, I was making the noise of a dozen hens. It was suddenly too much for the Virginian. He hastened into his room, and there sank on the floor with his head in his hands. The Doctor immediately slammed the door upon him, and this rendered me easily fit for a lunatic asylum. I cried into my pillow, and wondered if the Doctor would come and kill me. But he took no notice of me whatever. I could hear the Virginian's convulsions through the door, and also the Doctor furiously making his toilet within three feet of my head; and I lay quite still with my face the other way, for I was really afraid to look at him. When I heard him walk to the door in his boots, I ventured to peep; and there he was, going out with his bag in his hand. As I still continued to lie, weak and sore, and with a mind that had ceased an operation, the Virginian's door opened. He was clean and dressed and decent, but the devil still sported in his eye. I have never seen a creature more irresistibly handsome.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 女主光环buff

    女主光环buff

    总而言之,我是亲妈,所以我绝不虐女主。嗯~话说这就是一个外表冰山,内心深处更吐槽不断的女强文,男主。。。看着办吧,会听取读者的意见的~~
  • 提高学校规范化管理的质量

    提高学校规范化管理的质量

    学校的规范化管理,是为了实现素质教育的培养目标,把学校管理活动中最基本的、相对稳定的管理内容,通过制定切实可行的制度和规范,采取强制执行、严格训练和有效的思想教育,使之成为学校师生员工自觉遵守的习惯,内化为师生员工的素质,进而形成学校的传统,以达到管理非管理,似有似无的境界,并形成一定的常规。
  • 烧香坟

    烧香坟

    一百五十年前,金家曾收到一封书信,写道“葬世荒漠,活即为死,死即得生”。五十年前,金老九一行人带着一本旧书前往荒漠,从此音信全无。五十年后,断指老人带着一个孩子安居荒村,从此为巨坑添纸烧香。老人为何一夜失去双眼?金老九一行人为何离奇失踪?诡异的荒漠和那旧书到底有何关系?这一切的一切只等这孩子去寻找,也许他将找到自己,也许他会被......
  • 太子妃上位攻略

    太子妃上位攻略

    上一世,她本以为觅得良人,为自己谋夺了一份幸福,助他一步一步踏上皇位,却在封后前夕一朝被废,斩首示众。重来一遭,林清歌发誓要报复害她致死的人。人人都言太子多年病弱,性情暴戾,她偏偏迎难而上,入主东宫,这一世的她一步一步把负她的人踩在脚下。银针在手,医术傍身,美男在侧,天下我有!
  • 王俊凯之失魂少女1

    王俊凯之失魂少女1

    一个少女出生的时候因为她的血红色瞳孔接生产婆当场死亡家人为了不要她伤害人把她头发养的格外的长用头发遮住眼睛可是突然变故少女失去一魂在村子里面大开杀戒最终躲在树林里面最后被王俊凯发现领回家
  • 嗯!彬

    嗯!彬

    本作品写了ikon成员金振焕的妹妹金沛菡和金韩彬的故事大家要多多支持我哦
  • 大道斩天

    大道斩天

    我有斩神刀一把,灭仙弑神。荡尽天下不平事。这是一个刽子手提刀杀人,草根崛起的故事,也是一个屌丝逆袭仙子,神官的故事。
  • 末世大千世界

    末世大千世界

    天外陨石的到来改变了世界的格局,昆虫、兽类和植物开始变异,人类世界分崩离析,仅有一些幸存的人类艰难的生存着。世界上出现了很多奇怪的区域,这些被神秘力量笼罩着的地方,是根据电影、电视剧、游戏,还有各种文学作品形成的独立世界,幸存的人类开始进入这些世界冒险,成功通关后会获得里面的知识和物品,如果失败将会无声的死在里面。面对变异动植物的猎杀,幸存的人类只能进入独立世界冒险来获得对抗它们的能力和装备,生存成为了唯一的主旋律。
  • 对她一见钟情

    对她一见钟情

    (全本免费)在一个偶然的机会,她进了皇家贵族学院读中学。在这个学院里有三大校草,他们对刚进学院的她一见钟情,处处关照她。有不会的作业他们一个个争先恐后的教她,令她震惊不已……(作者QQ:2094793061)
  • 大神来袭求放年假

    大神来袭求放年假

    她是学校里的才女+美女,but她却是是个游戏迷+宅女+内心小白的学妹他表面不近人情的高冷学长,but他却是内心腹黑的坏坏学长曾经有人说过她好比经过打磨后的钻石坚硬而又美丽曾经有人说过他好比天上的明月清冷而又高傲,天生的上位者是从来不需要解释的他们两就如同银河系里离的最远的星星可偏偏他们两有相遇,相知,相爱…