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oor。〃
Again Christopher nodded； intent upon his whittling。 〃I reckon it wouldn't bring more than nine hundred；〃 he responded coolly。
〃Then my position is easy； for I am sure you will consider favourably the chance to sell at treble its actual value。 I am authorised to offer you three thousand dollars for the farm。〃
For a moment Christopher stared at him in silence； then； 〃What in the devil do you want with it？〃 he demanded。
〃I am not acting for myself in the matter；〃 returned the lawyer； after a short hesitation。 〃The offer is made through me by another。 That it is to your advantage to accept it is my honest conviction。〃
Christopher tossed the bit of wood at a bedraggled drake that waddled off； quacking angrily。
〃Then it's Fletcher behind you；〃 he said in the same cool tones。
〃It seems to me that is neither here nor there。 Naturally Mr。 Fletcher is very anxious to secure the land。 As it stands； it is a serious inconvenience to him； of course。〃
Laughing； Christopher snapped the blade of his knife。
〃Well； you may tell him from me；〃 he retorted； 〃that just as long as it is 'a serious inconvenience to him' it shall stand as it is。 Why； man； if Fletcher wanted that broken wheelbarrow enough to offer me three thousand dollars for it； I wouldn't let him have it。 The only thing I'd leave him free to take； if I could help it； is the straight road to damnation！〃
His voice； for all the laughter； sounded brutal； and Carraway； gazing at him in wonder； saw his face grow suddenly lustful like that of an evil deity。 The beauty was still there； blackened and distorted； a beauty that he felt to be more sinister than ugliness。 The lawyer was in the presence of a great naked passion； and involuntarily he lowered his eyes。
〃I don't think he understands your attitude；〃 he said quietly； 〃it seems to himand to me also； I honestly affirmthat you would reap an advantage as decided as his own。〃
〃Nothing is to my advantage； I tell you； that isn't harm to him。 He knows it if he isn't as big a fool as he is a rascal。〃
〃Then I may presume that you are entirely convinced in your own mind that you have a just cause for the stand you take？〃
〃Cause！〃 the word rapped out like an oath。 〃He stole my home； I tell you； he stole every inch of land I owned； and every penny。 Where did he get the money to buy the placehe a slave…overseer？ Where did he get it； I ask； unless he had been stealing for twenty years？〃
〃It looks ugly； I confess；〃 admitted Carraway； 〃but were there no booksno accounts kept？〃
〃Oh； he settled that； of course。 When my father died； and we asked for the books； where were they？
Burned； he saidburned in the old office that the Yankees fired。 He's a scoundrel； I tell you； sir； and I know him to the core。 He's a rotten scoundrel！〃
Carraway caught his breath quickly and drew back as if he had touched unwittingly a throbbing canker。 To his oversensitive nature these primal emotions had a crudeness that was vulgar in its unrestraint。 He beheld it allthe old wrong and the new hatredin a horrid glare of light； a disgraceful blaze of trumpets。 Here there was no cultured evasion of the conspicuous vicenone of the refinements even of the Christian ethicsit was all raw and palpitating humanity。
〃Then my mission is quite useless；〃 he confessed。 〃I can only add that I am sorrier than I can say sorry for the whole thing； too。 If my services could be of any use to you I should not hesitate to offer them； but so far as I see there is absolutely nothing to be done。 An old crime； as you know； very often conforms to an appearance of virtue。〃
He held out his hand； Christopher shook it； and then the lawyer went back into the house to bid good…by to Mrs。 Blake。 When he came out a few moments later； and passed through the whitewashed gate into the sunken road； he saw that Christopher was still standing where he had left him； the golden afternoon around him； and the bedraggled ducks paddling at his feet。
VIII。 Treats of a Passion that is Not Love
Over a distant meadow fluted the silver whistle of a partridge； and Christopher； lifting his head； noted involuntarily the direction of the sound。 A covey was hatching down by the meadow brook； he knewfor not a summer mating nor a hidden nest had escaped his eyesand he wondered vaguely if the young birds were roaming into Fletcher's wheatfield。 Then； with a single vigorous movement as if he were settling his thoughts upon him； he crossed the yard； leaped the fence by the barnyard； and started briskly along the edge of a little cattle pasture； where a strange bull bellowed in the shadow of a walnut…tree。 At the bottom of the pasture a crumbling rail fence divided his land from Fletcher's； and as he looked over the festoons of poisonous ivy he saw Fletcher himself overseeing the last planting of his tobacco。 For a time Christopher watched them as through a mistwatched the white and the black labourers； the brown furrows in which the small holes were bored； the wilted plants thrown carelessly in place and planted with two quick pressures of a bare； earth…begrimed foot。 He smelled the keen odours released by the sunshine from the broken soil； he saw the standing beads of sweat on the faces of the plantersNegroes with swollen lips and pleasant eyes like those of kindly animalsand he heard the coarse； hectoring voice of Fletcher； who stood midway of the naked ground。 To regard the man as a mere usurper of his land had been an article in the religious creed the child had learned； and as he watched him now； bearded； noisy； assured of his possessions； the sight lashed him like the strokes of a whip on bleeding flesh。 In the twenty…five years of his life he had grown fairly gluttonous of hatehad tended it with a passion that was like that of love。 Now he felt that he had never really had enough of ithad never feasted on the fruit of it till he was satisfiedhad never known the delight of wallowing in it until to…day。 Deep…rooted like an instinct as the feeling was； he knew now that there had been hours when； for very weakness of his nature； he had almost forgotten that he meant to pay back Fletcher in the end； when it seemed； after all； easier merely to endure and forget and have it done。 Still keeping upon his own land； he turned presently and followed a little brook that crossed a meadow where mixed wild flowers were strewn loosely in the grass。 The bull still bellowed in the shadow of the walnut…tree； and he found himself listening with pure delight to the savage cries。 Reaching at last a point where the brook turned westward at the foot of a low green hill； he threw himself over the dividing rail fence； and came； at the end of a minute's hurried walk； to the old Blake graveyard； midway of one of Fletcher's fallow fields。 The gate was bricked up； after the superstitious custom of many country burial places； but he climbed the old moss…grown wall； where poisonous ivy grew rank and venomous； and landing deep in the periwinkle that carpeted the ground； made his way rapidly to the flat oblong slab beneath which his father lay。 The marble was discoloured by long rains and stained with bruised periwinkle； and the shallow lettering was hidden under a fall of dried needles from a lit