英语天堂-第133章

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ay；　and　the　ground　littered　with　broken　pails；　cobs　of　corn；　and　other　slovenly　remains。　Here　and　there；　a　mildewed　jessamine　or　honeysuckle　hung　raggedly　from　some　ornamental　support；　which　had　been　pushed　to　one　side　by　being　used　as　a　horse…post。　What　once　was　a　large　garden　was　now　all　grown　over　with　weeds；　through　which；　here　and　there；　some　solitary　exotic　reared　its　forsaken　head。　What　had　been　a　conservatory　had　now　no　window…shades；　and　on　the　mouldering　shelves　stood　some　dry；　forsaken　flower…pots；　with　sticks　in　them；　whose　dried　leaves　showed　they　had　once　been　plants。
The　wagon　rolled　up　a　weedy　gravel　walk；　under　a　noble　avenue　of　China　trees；　whose　graceful　forms　and　ever…springing　foliage　seemed　to　be　the　only　things　there　that　neglect　could　not　daunt　or　alter；—like　noble　spirits；　so　deeply　rooted　in　goodness；　as　to　flourish　and　grow　stronger　amid　discouragement　and　decay。
The　house　had　been　large　and　handsome。　It　was　built　in　a　manner　common　at　the　South；　a　wide　verandah　of　two　stories　running　round　every　part　of　the　house；　into　which　every　outer　door　opened；　the　lower　tier　being　supported　by　brick　pillars。
But　the　place　looked　desolate　and　uncomfortable；　some　windows　stopped　up　with　boards；　some　with　shattered　panes；　and　shutters　hanging　by　a　single　hinge；—all　telling　of　coarse　neglect　and　discomfort。
Bits　of　board；　straw；　old　decayed　barrels　and　boxes；　garnished　the　ground　in　all　directions；　and　three　or　four　ferocious…looking　dogs；　roused　by　the　sound　of　the　wagon…wheels；　came　tearing　out；　and　were　with　difficulty　restrained　from　laying　hold　of　Tom　and　his　companions；　by　the　effort　of　the　ragged　servants　who　came　after　them。
“Ye　see　what　ye’d　get！”　said　Legree；　caressing　the　dogs　with　grim　satisfaction；　and　turning　to　Tom　and　his　companions。　“Ye　see　what　ye’d　get；　if　ye　try　to　run　off。　These　yer　dogs　has　been　raised　to　track　niggers；　and　they’d　jest　as　soon　chaw　one　on　ye　up　as　eat　their　supper。　So；　mind　yerself！　How　now；　Sambo！”　he　said；　to　a　ragged　fellow；　without　any　brim　to　his　hat；　who　was　officious　in　his　attentions。　“How　have　things　been　going？”
Fust　rate；　Mas’r。”
“Quimbo；”　said　Legree　to　another；　who　was　making　zealous　demonstrations　to　attract　his　attention；　“ye　minded　what　I　telled　ye？”
“Guess　I　did；　didn’t　I？”
These　two　colored　men　were　the　two　principal　hands　on　the　plantation。　Legree　had　trained　them　in　savageness　and　brutality　as　systematically　as　he　had　his　bull…dogs；　and；　by　long　practice　in　hardness　and　cruelty；　brought　their　whole　nature　to　about　the　same　range　of　capacities。　It　is　a　common　remark；　and　one　that　is　thought　to　militate　strongly　against　the　character　of　the　race；　that　the　negro　overseer　is　always　more　tyrannical　and　cruel　than　the　white　one。　This　is　simply　saying　that　the　negro　mind　has　been　more　crushed　and　debased　than　the　white。　It　is　no　more　true　of　this　race　than　of　every　oppressed　race；　the　world　over。　The　slave　is　always　a　tyrant；　if　he　can　get　a　chance　to　be　one。
Legree；　like　some　potentates　we　read　of　in　history；　governed　his　plantation　by　a　sort　of　resolution　of　forces。　Sambo　and　Quimbo　cordially　hated　each　other；　the　plantation　hands；　one　and　all；　cordially　hated　them；　and；　by　playing　off　one　against　another；　he　was　pretty　sure；　through　one　or　the　other　of　the　three　parties；　to　get　informed　of　whatever　was　on　foot　in　the　place。
Nobody　can　live　entirely　without　social　intercourse；　and　Legree　encouraged　his　two　black　satellites　to　a　kind　of　coarse　familiarity　with　him；—a　familiarity；　however；　at　any　moment　liable　to　get　one　or　the　other　of　them　into　trouble；　for；　on　the　slightest　provocation；　one　of　them　always　stood　ready；　at　a　nod；　to　be　a　minister　of　his　vengeance　on　the　other。
As　they　stood　there　now　by　Legree；　they　seemed　an　apt　illustration　of　the　fact　that　brutal　men　are　lower　even　than　animals。　Their　coarse；　dark；　heavy　features；　their　great　eyes；　rolling　enviously　on　each　other；　their　barbarous；　guttural；　half…brute　intonation；　their　dilapidated　garments　fluttering　in　the　wind；—were　all　in　admirable　keeping　with　the　vile　and　unwholesome　character　of　everything　about　the　place。
“Here；　you　Sambo；”　said　Legree；　“take　these　yer　boys　down　to　the　quarters；　and　here’s　a　gal　I’ve　got　for　you；”　said　he；　as　he　separated　the　mulatto　woman　from　Emmeline；　and　pushed　her　towards　him；—“I　promised　to　bring　you　one；　you　know。”
The　woman　gave　a　start；　and　drawing　back；　said；　suddenly；
“O；　Mas’r！　I　left　my　old　man　in　New　Orleans。”
“What　of　that；　you—；　won’t　you　want　one　here？　None　o’　your　words；—go　long！”　said　Legree；　raising　his　whip。
“Come；　mistress；”　he　said　to　Emmeline；　“you　go　in　here　with　me。”
A　dark；　wild　face　was　seen；　for　a　moment；　to　glance　at　the　window　of　the　house；　and；　as　Legree　opened　the　door；　a　female　voice　said　something；　in　a　quick；　imperative　tone。　Tom；　who　was　looking；　with　anxious　interest；　after　Emmeline；　as　she　went　in；　noticed　this；　and　heard　Legree　answer；　angrily；　“You　may　hold　your　tongue！　I’ll　do　as　I　please；　for　all　you！”
Tom　heard　no　more；　for　he　was　soon　following　Sambo　to　the　quarters。　The　quarters　was　a　little　sort　of　street　of　rude　shanties；　in　a　row；　in　a　part　of　the　plantation；　far　off　from　the　house。　They　had　a　forlorn；　brutal；　forsaken　air。　Tom’s　heart　sunk　when　he　saw　them。　He　had　been　comforting　himself　with　the　thought　of　a　cottage；　rude；　indeed；　but　one　which　he　might　make　neat　and　quiet；　and　where　he　might　have　a　shelf　for　his　Bible；　and　a　place　to　be　alone　out　of　his　laboring　hours。　He　looked　into　several；　they　were　mere　rude　shells；　destitute　of　any　species　of　furniture；　except　a　heap　of　straw；　foul　with　dirt；　spread　confusedly　over　the　floor；　which　was　merely　the　bare　ground；　trodden　hard　by　the　tramping　of　innumerable　feet。
“Which　of　these　will　be　mine？”　said　he；　to　Sambo；　submissively。
“Dunno；　ken　turn　in　here；　I　spose；”　said　Sambo；　“spects　thar’s　room　for　another　thar；　thar’s　a　pretty　smart　heap　o’　niggers　to　each　on　’em；　now；　sure；　I　dunno　what　I　’s　to　do　with　more。”
It　was　late　in　the　evening　when　the　weary　ocomupants　of　the　shanties　came　flocking　home；—men　and　women；　in　soiled　and　tattered　garments；　surly　and　uncomfortable；　and　in　no　mood　to　look　pleasantly　on　new…comers。　The　small　village　was　alive　with　no　inviting　sounds；　hoarse；　guttural　voices　contending　at　the　hand…mills　where　their　morsel　of　hard　corn　was　yet　to　be　ground　into　meal；　to　fit　it　for　the　cake　that　was　to　constitute　their　only　supper。　From　the　earliest　dawn　of　the　day；　they　had　been　in　the　fields；　pressed　to　work　under　the　driving　lash　of　the　overseers；　for　it　was　now　in　the　very　heat　and　hurry　of　the　season；　and　no　means　was　left　untried　to　press　every　one　up　to　the　top　of　their　capabilities。　“True；”　says　the　negligent　lounger；　“picking　cotton　isn’t　hard　work。”　Isn’t　it？　And　it　isn’t　much　inconvenience；　either；　to　have　one　drop　of　water　fall　on　your　head；　yet　the　worst　torture　of　the　inquisition　is　produced　by　drop　after　drop；　drop　after　drop；　falling　moment　after　moment；　with　monotonous　sucomession；　on　the　same　spot；　and　work；　in　itself　not　hard；　becomes　so；　by　being　pressed；　hour　after　hour；　with　unvarying；　unrelenting　sameness；　with　not　even　the　consciousness　of　free…will　to　take　from　its　tediousness。　Tom　looked　in　vain　among　the　gang；　as　they　poured　along；　for　companionable　faces。　He　saw　only　sullen；　scowling；　imbruted　men；　and　feeble；　discouraged　women；　or　women　that　were　not　women；—the　strong　pushing　away　the　weak；—the　gross；　unrestricted　animal　selfishness　of　human　beings；　of　whom　nothing　good　was　expected　and　desired；　and　who；　treated　in　every　way　like　brutes；　had　sunk　as　nearly　to　their　level　as　it　was　possible　for　human　beings　to　do。　To　a　late　hour　in　the　night　the　sound　of　the　grinding　was　protracted；　for　the　mills　were　few　in　number　compared　with　the　grinders；　and　the　weary　and　feeble　ones　were　driven　back　by　the　strong；　and　came　on　last　in　their　turn。
“Ho　yo！”　said　Sambo；　coming　to　the　mulatto　woman；　and　throwing　down　a　bag　of　corn　before　her；　“what　a　cuss　yo　name？”
“Lucy；”　said　the　woman。
“Wal；　Lucy；　yo　my　woman　now。　Yo　grind　dis　yer　corn；　and　get　my　supper　baked；　ye　har？”
“I　an’t　your　woman；　and　I　won’t　be！”　said　the　woman；　with　the　sharp；　sud