第16章 NUISANCES,NECESSARY AND OTHERWISE(3)

On the porch steps stood a very pretty,but frightened-looking young woman with a boy perhaps ten years old at her side.Upon catching sight of Mrs.Holly she burst into a torrent of unintelligible words,supplemented by numerous and vehement gestures.

Mrs.Holly shrank back,and cast appealing eyes toward her husband who at that moment had come across the yard from the barn.

"Simeon,can you tell what she wants?"

At sight of the newcomer on the scene,the strange woman began again,with even more volubility.

"No,"said Simeon Holly,after a moment's scowling scrutiny of the gesticulating woman."She's talking French,I think.And she wants--something.""Gosh!I should say she did,"muttered Perry Larson."An'whatever 't is,she wants it powerful bad."

"Are you hungry?"questioned Mrs.Holly timidly.

"Can't you speak English at all?"demanded Simeon Holly.

The woman looked from one to the other with the piteous,pleading eyes of the stranger in the strange land who cannot understand or make others understand.She had turned away with a despairing shake of her head,when suddenly she gave a wild cry of joy and wheeled about,her whole face alight.

The Hollys and Perry Larson saw then that David had come out onto the porch and was speaking to the woman--and his words were just as unintelligible as the woman's had been.

Mrs.Holly and Perry Larson stared.Simeon Holly interrupted David with a sharp--"Do you,then,understand this woman,boy?"

"Why,yes!Didn't you?She's lost her way,and--"But the woman had hurried forward and was pouring her story into David's ears.

At its conclusion David turned to find the look of stupefaction still on the others'faces.

"Well,what does she want?"asked Simeon Holly crisply.

"She wants to find the way to Francois Lavelle's house.He's her husband's brother.She came in on the train this morning.Her husband stopped off a minute somewhere,she says,and got left behind.He could talk English,but she can't.She's only been in this country a week.She came from France.""Gorry!Won't ye listen ter that,now?"cried Perry Larson admiringly."Reads her just like a book,don't he?There's a French family over in West Hinsdale--two of 'em,I think.What'll ye bet 't ain't one o'them?""Very likely,"acceded Simeon Holly,his eyes bent disapprovingly on David's face.It was plain to be seen that Simeon Holly's attention was occupied by David,not the woman.

"An',say,Mr.Holly,"resumed Perry Larson,a little excitedly,"you know I was goin'over ter West Hinsdale in a day or two ter see Harlow about them steers.Why can't I go this afternoon an'tote her an'the kid along?"

"Very well,"nodded Simeon Holly curtly,his eyes still on David's face.

Perry Larson turned to the woman,and by a flourish of his arms and a jumble of broken English attempted to make her understand that he was to take her where she undoubtedly wished to go.The woman still looked uncomprehending,however,and David promptly came to the rescue,saying a few rapid words that quickly brought a flood of delighted understanding to the woman's face.

"Can't you ask her if she's hungry?"ventured Mrs.Holly,then.

"She says no,thank you,"translated David,with a smile,when he had received his answer."But the boy says he is,if you please.""Then,tell them to come into the kitchen,"directed Mrs.Holly,hurrying into the house.

"So you're French,are you?"said Simeon Holly to David.

"French?Oh,no,sir,"smiled David,proudly."I'm an American.

Father said I was.He said I was born in this country.""But how comes it you can speak French like that?""Why,I learned it."Then,divining that his words were still unconvincing,he added:"Same as I learned German and other things with father,out of books,you know.Didn't you learn French when you were a little boy?""Humph!"vouchsafed Simeon Holly,stalking away without answering the question.

Immediately after dinner Perry Larson drove away with the woman and the little boy.The woman's face was wreathed with smiles,and her last adoring glance was for David,waving his hand to her from the porch steps.

In the afternoon David took his violin and went off toward the hill behind the house for a walk.He had asked Mrs.Holly to accompany him,but she had refused,though she was not sweeping or dusting at the time.She was doing nothing more important,apparently,than making holes in a piece of white cloth,and sewing them up again with a needle and thread.

David had then asked Mr.Holly to go;but his refusal was even more strangely impatient than his wife's had been.

"And why,pray,should I go for a useless walk now--or any time,for that matter?"he demanded sharply.

David had shrunk back unconsciously,though he had still smiled.

"Oh,but it wouldn't be a useless walk,sir.Father said nothing was useless that helped to keep us in tune,you know.""In tune!"

"I mean,you looked as father used to look sometimes,when he felt out of tune.And he always said there was nothing like a walk to put him back again.I--I was feeling a little out of tune myself to-day,and I thought,by the way you looked,that you were,too.So I asked you to go to walk.""Humph!Well,I--That will do,boy.No impertinence,you understand!"And he had turned away in very obvious anger.

David,with a puzzled sorrow in his heart had started alone then,on his walk.