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ssed middle twenties。〃
〃Well； I don't know exactly how old I am。 But I can't be younger than that。 I might be a bit older。〃 （Quite a bit； Gramp！） 〃But it's close enough that when I'm asked I just put down the Fourth of July； 1882。〃
〃Why that's my birthday！〃
（Yes； Mama； I know。） 〃Really； Mrs。 Smith？ I didn't mqan to steal your birthday。 I'll move over a few days…say the first of July。 Since I'm not certain anyhow。〃
484〃Oh； don't do that！ Father…you must bring Mr。 Bronson home for dinner on our joint birthday。〃
〃Do you think Brian would lik？that？〃〃Certainly he would！ I'll write to him about it。 He'll be
home long before then in any case。 You know Brian always says； 'Tfie more； the merrier！' We'll be expecting you； Mr。 Bronson。〃
〃Mrs。 Smith。 that's most kind of you； but I expect to leave on a long business trip on the first of July。〃
〃I think you have let Father scare you off。 Or is it the prospect o；f eating dinner with eight noisy children？ Never mind：
my husband will invite you himself…and then we will see what you say。〃
〃In the meantime； Maureen； stop crowding him； you've got him flustered。 Let me see something。 You two stand up；； side
by side。 Go ahead； Ted； she won't bite you。〃
〃Mrs。 Smith？〃
She shrugged and dimpled； then accepted his hand to get up out of her rocking chair。 〃Father always wants to 'see something。'〃 …
Lazarus stood by her； facing his grandfather； and tried to ignore her fragrance…a touch of toilet water； but mostly the
… …light； warm； delicious scent of sweet and healthy woman。 Lazarus was afraid to think about it； was careful not to let it show in his face。 …But it hit him like a heavy blow。
〃Mrrrph。 Both of you step up。 to the mantel and look at yourselves in the glass~ Ted； there was no typhoid epidemic down that way in 'eighty…two。 Nor 'eighty…three。〃
〃Really； sir？ Of course I can't remember。〃 （And I shouldn't have tossed in that flourish！ Sorry； Gramp。 Would you believe
the truth？ You might 。 。 out of all the men I've ever known。 Don't risk it； Bub； forget it！）
〃Nope。 Just the usual number of dumb fools too lazy to build their privies a proper distance from their wells。 Which I feel certain could not describe your parents。 Can't guess about your mother； but I think your father died with his hand on the throttle； still trying to gain control。 Maureen？〃
Mrs。 Smith stared at her reflection and that of their guest。 She said slowly； 〃Father 。 。 Mr。 Bronson and I look enough alike to be brother and sister。〃
〃No。 First cousins。 Although with Ned gone there's no way to prove it。 I think…〃 … …
Mr。 Johnson was interrupted by a yell from the front staircase landing： 〃Mama！ Cramp！ I want to be buttoned up！〃
Ira Johnson answered； 〃Woodie； you rapscallion； get back
… …upstairs！〃
Instead the child came down…small； male； freckled； and ginger…haired； dressed in …Dr。 Denton's with the seat flapping behind him。 He stared at Lazarus with beady； suspicious eyes。 Lazarus felt a shiver run down his spine and tried not to look at the child。
〃Who's that？〃
Mrs。 Smith said quickly； 〃Forgive me； Mr。 Bronson。〃 Then she added quietly； 〃e here； Woodrow。〃
Her father said； 〃Don't bother； Maureen。 I'll take him up
and blister his bottom…then I'll button him。〃
〃You and what six others？〃 the boy child demanded。
〃Me； myself； and a baseball bat。〃
Mrs。 Smith quietly and quickly attended to the child's needs； then hurried him out ？f the room and headed him up the stairs。 She returned and sat down。 … Her father said； 〃Maureen； that was just an excuse。 Woodie can button himself。 And he's too old for that baby outfit。 Put him in a nightshirt。〃
〃Father； shall we discuss it another time？〃
Mr。 Johnson shrugged。 〃I've overstepped again。 Ted； that one's the chessplayer。 He's a stem…winder。 Named for President Wilson； but he's not 'too proud to fight。' Mean little devil。〃
〃Father。〃
〃All right； all right…but it's true。 That's what I like about Woodie。 He'll go far。〃
Mrs。 Smith said； 〃Please excuse us； Mr。 Bronson。 My father and I sometimes differ a little about how to bring up a boy。 But we should not burden you with it。〃
〃Maureen； I simply won't let you make a 'Little Lord Fauntleroy' out of Woodie。〃
〃There's no danger of that； Father； he takes after you。 My father was in the War of 'Niy…eight； Mr。 Bronson； and the Insurrection…〃
〃And the Boxer Rebellion。〃…
〃…and he can't forget it…〃
〃Of course'not。 I keep my old Army thirty…eight under my pillow； my son…in…law being away。〃
〃Nor would I wish him to forget； I am proud of my father； Mr。 Bronson； and hope that all my sons will grow up with his same spirit。 But I want them to learn to speak politely； too。〃
〃Maureen； I would rather have Woodie sass me than be timid with me。 He'll learn to speak politely soon enough；
485
aolder boys will take care of that。 A lesson in manners punctuated with a black eye sticks。 I know from experience。〃
The discession was interrupted by the jingle of the doorbell。 ~〃That should be Nancy；〃 Mr。 Johnson said and got up to an~swer。 Lazarus heard Nancy say good…night to someone； then stood up himself to be introduced； and was not startled
… only because he had already picked out his eldest sister at church and knew that she looked like a young edition of Laz and Lor。 She spoke to him politely but rushed upstairs as
第68节
soon as she was excused。… …
… 〃Do sit down； Mr。 Bronson。〃 …
〃Thank 'you； Mrs。 Smith； but you were staying up …until your daughter returned。 She has； so I will leave。〃
〃Oh； there's no hurry； Father and I are night owls。〃
〃Thank you very much。 I enjoyed the coffee and the cake； and most especially the pany。 But it is time for me to say good…n；ight。 You have been most kind。〃
…。〃If you must； si~。 Will we see you at church on Sunday？〃 〃I expect to be there； ma'am。〃
？Lazarus drove home in a daze； body alert but thoughts elsewhere。 He reached his apartment； bolted himself in； checked
windows and blinds automatically。 stripped off his clothes。 and started a tub。 Then he looked grimly at himself in the bathroom mirror。 〃You stupid arsfardel；〃 he said with slow
？intensity。 〃You whirling son of a bitch。 Can't you do anything
…right？〃
No； apparently not； not even something as simple as getting reacquain…ted with his mother。 Gramp had been no problem； the old goat had given him no surprises…other than being shorter and smaller than Lazarus remembered。 He was just as grumpy； suspicious； cynical； formally polite； belligerent
…and delightful…as Lazarus had remembered。
There had been worrisome moments when he had 〃thrown himself on the mercy of the court。〃 But that gambit had paid off better than Lazarus had had any reason to hope…through an unsuspected family resemblance。 Lazarus not only had never seen Gramp's elder brother （dead before Woodie Smith was born）； but he had forgotten that there ev~r was an Edward Johnson。
Was 〃Uncle Ned〃 listed with the Families？ Ask Justin。 Never mind； not important。 Mother had put her finger on the correct answer： Lazarus resembled his grandfather。 And his mother； as Gramp had pointed out。 But that had resulted
486
487…only in conjectures concerning dear… old Uncle Ned and his 〃trifling ways；〃 ones that Mother did not mind listening to； once she was certain that her guest was not embarrassed。
Embarrassed？ It had changed his status from stranger to 〃cousin。〃 Lazarus wanted to kiss Uncle Ned and thank him for those 〃trifling ways〃 that made kinship plausible。 Gramp believed the theory…of course； it was his own…and his daughter seemed willing to treat it as a possible hypothesis。 Lazarus； it's just the inside track you need…if you weren't suc