Faulkner Reader

by William Faulkner

  “They’re crazy, Squire,” Shreve said. “Whoever says this boy’s kidnapping—”

  Julio moved violently. “Crazy?” he said. “Dont I catcha heem, eh? Dont I see weetha my own eyes—”

  “You’re a liar,” Shreve said. “You never—”

  “Order, order,” Anse said, raising his voice.

  “You fellers shet up,” the squire said. “If they dont stay quiet, turn ’em out, Anse.” They got quiet. The squire looked at Shreve, then at Spoade, then at Gerald. “You know this young man?” he said to Spoade.

  “Yes, your honour,” Spoade said. “He’s just a country boy in school up there. He dont mean any harm. I think the marshal’ll find it’s a mistake. His father’s a congregational minister.”

  “H’m,” the squire said. “What was you doing, exactly?” I told him, he watching me with his cold, pale eyes. “How about it, Anse?”

  “Might have been,” Anse said. “Them durn furriners.”

  “I American,” Julio said. “I gotta da pape’.”

  “Where’s the gal?”

  “He sent her home,” Anse said.

  “Was she scared or anything?”

  “Not till Julio there jumped on the prisoner. They were just walking along the river path, towards town. Some boys swimming told us which way they went.”

  “It’s a mistake, Squire,” Spoade said. “Children and dogs are always taking up with him like that. He cant help it.”

  “H’m,” the squire said. He looked out of the window for a while. We watched him. I could hear Julio scratching himself. The squire looked back.

  “Air you satisfied the gal aint took any hurt, you, there?”

  “No hurt now,” Julio said sullenly.

  “You quit work to hunt for her?”

  “Sure I quit. I run. I run like hell. Looka here, looka there, then man tella me he seen him giva her she eat. She go weetha.”

  “H’m,” the squire said. “Well, son, I calculate you owe Julio something for taking him away from his work.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said. “How much?”

  “Dollar, I calculate.”

  I gave Julio a dollar.

  “Well,” Spoade said, “If that’s all—I reckon he’s discharged, your honour?”

  The squire didn’t look at him. “How far’d you run him, Anse?”

  “Two miles, at least. It was about two hours before we caught him.”

  “H’m,” the squire said. He mused a while. We watched him, his stiff crest, the spectacles riding low on his nose. The yellow shape of the window grew slowly across the floor, reached the wall, climbing, Dust motes whirled and slanted. “Six dollars.”

  “Six dollars?” Shreve said. “What’s that for?”

  “Six dollars,” the squire said. He looked at Shreve a moment, then at me again.

  “Look here.” Shreve said.

  “Shut up,” Spoade said. “Give it to him, bud, and let’s get out of here. The ladies are waiting for us. You got six dollars?”

  “Yes,” I said, I gave him six dollars.

  “Case dismissed,” he said.

  “You get a receipt,” Shreve said. “You get a signed receipt for that money.”

  The squire looked at Shreve mildly. “Case dismissed,” he said without raising his voice.

  “I’ll be damned—” Shreve said.

  “Come on here,” Spoade said, taking his arm. “Good afternoon, Judge. Much obliged.” As we passed out the door Julio’s voice rose again, violent, then ceased. Spoade was looking at me, his brown eyes quizzical, a little cold. “Well, bud, I reckon you’ll do your girl chasing in Boston after this.”

  “You damned fool,” Shreve said, “What the hell do you mean anyway, straggling off here, fooling with these damn wops?”

  “Come on,” Spoade said, “They must be getting impatient.”

  Mrs Bland was talking to them. They were Miss Holmes and Miss Daingerfield and they quit listening to her and looked at me again with that delicate and curious horror, their veils turned back upon their little white noses and their eyes fleeing and mysterious beneath the veils.

  “Quentin Compson,” Mrs Bland said, “What would your mother say? A young man naturally gets into scrapes, but to be arrested on foot by a country policeman. What did they think he’d done, Gerald?”

  “Nothing,” Gerald said.

  “Nonsense. What was it, you, Spoade?”

  “He was trying to kidnap that little dirty girl, but they caught him in time,” Spoade said.

  “Nonsense,” Mrs Bland said, but her voice sort of died away and she stared at me for a moment, and the girls drew their breaths in with a soft concerted sound. “Fiddlesticks,” Mrs Bland said briskly, “If that isn’t just like these ignorant lowclass Yankees. Get in, Quentin.”

  Shreve and I sat on two small collapsible seats. Gerald cranked the car and got in and we started.

  “Now, Quentin, you tell me what all this foolishness is about,” Mrs Bland said. I told them, Shreve hunched and furious on his little seat and Spoade sitting again on the back of his neck beside Miss Daingerfield.

  “And the joke is, all the time Quentin had us all fooled,” Spoade said. “All the time we thought he was the model youth that anybody could trust a daughter with, until the police showed him up at his nefarious work.”

  “Hush up, Spoade,” Mrs Bland said. We drove down the street and crossed the bridge and passed the house where the pink garment hung in the window. “That’s what you get for not reading my note. Why didnt you come and get it? Mr MacKenzie says he told you it was there.”

  “Yessum. I intended to, but I never went back to the room.”

  “You’d have let us sit there waiting I dont know how long, if it hadnt been for Mr MacKenzie. When he said you hadnt come back, that left an extra place, so we asked him to come. We’re very glad to have you anyway, Mr MacKenzie.” Shreve said nothing. His arms were folded and he glared straight ahead past Gerald’s cap. It was a cap for motoring in England. Mrs Bland said so. We passed that house, and three others, and another yard where the little girl stood by the gate. She didnt have the bread now, and her face looked like it had been streaked with coal dust. I waved my hand, but she made no reply, only her head turned slowly as the car passed, following us with her unwinking gaze. Then we ran beside the wall, our shadows running along the wall, and after a while we passed a piece of torn newspaper lying beside the road and I began to laugh again. I could feel it in my throat and I looked off into the trees where the afternoon slanted, thinking of afternoon and of the bird and the boys in swimming. But still I couldnt stop it and then I knew that if I tried too hard to stop it I’d be crying and I thought about how I’d thought about I could not be a virgin, with so many of them walking along in the shadows and whispering with their soft girlvoices lingering in the shadowy places and the words coming out and perfume and eyes you could feel not see, but if it was that simple to do it wouldnt be anything and if it wasnt anything, what was I and then Mrs Bland said, “Quentin? Is he sick, Mr MacKenzie?” and then Shreve’s fat hand touched my knee and Spoade began talking and I quit trying to stop it.

  “If that hamper is in his way, Mr MacKenzie, move it over on your side. I brought a hamper of wine because I think young gentlemen should drink wine, although my father, Gerald’s grandfather” ever do that Have you ever done that In the grey darkness a little light Iter hands locked about

  “They do, when they can get it,” Spoade said. “Hey, Shreve?” her knees her face looking at the sky the smell of honeysuckle upon her face and throat

  “Beer, too,” Shreve said. His hand touched my knee again. I moved my knee again, like a thin wash of lilac coloured paint talking about him bringing

  “You’re not a gentleman,” Spoade said, him between us until the shape of her blurred not with dark

  “No. I’m Canadian,” Shreve said. talking about him the oar blades winking him along winking the Cap made for motoring in England and all time rushing beneat
h and they two blurred within the other forever more he had been in the army had killed men

  “I adore Canada,” Miss Daingerfield said. “I think it’s marvellous.”

  “Did you ever drink perfume?” Spoade said. with one hand he could lift her to his shoulder and run with her running Running

  “No,” Shreve said. running the beast with two backs and she blurred in the winking oars running the swine of Euboeleus running coupled within how many Caddy

  “Neither did I,” Spoade said. I dont know too many there was something terrible in me terrible in me Father I have committed Have you ever done that We didnt we didnt do that did we do that

  “and Gerald’s grandfather always picked his own mint before breakfast, while the dew was still on it. He wouldnt even let old Wilkie touch it do you remember Gerald but always gathered it himself and made his own julep. He was as crotchety about his julep as an old maid, measuring everything by a recipe in his head. There was only one man he ever gave that recipe to; that was” we did how can you not know if it you’ll just wait I’ll tell you how it was it was a crime we did a terrible crime it cannot be hid you think it can but wait Poor Quentin youve never done that have you and I’ll tell you how it was I’ll tell Father then itll have to be because you love Father then we’ll have to go away amid the pointing and the horror the clean flame I’ll make you say we did I’m stronger than you I’ll make you know we did you thought it was them but it was me listen I fooled you all the time it was me you thought I was in the house where that damn honeysuckle trying not to think the swing the cedars the secret surges the breathing locked drinking the wild breath the yes Yes Yes yes “never be got to drink wine himself, but he always said that a hamper what book did you read that in the one where Geralds rowing suit of wine was a necessary part of any gentlemen’s picnic basket” did you love them Caddy did you love them When they touched me I died

  one minute she was standing there the next he was yelling and pulling at her dress they went into the hall and up the stairs yelling and shoving at her up the stairs to the bathroom door and stopped her back against the door and her arm across her face yelling and trying to shove her into the bathroom when she came in to supper T. P. was feeding him he started again just whimpering at first until she touched him then he yelled she stood there her eyes like cornered rats then I was running in the grey darkness it smelled of rain and all flower scents the damp warm air released and crickets sawing away in the grass pacing me with a small travelling island of silence Fancy watched me across the fence blotchy like a quilt on a line I thought damn that nigger he forgot to feed her again I ran down the hill in that vacuum of crickets like a breath travelling across a mirror she was lying in the water her head on the sand spit the water flowing about her hips there was a little more light in the water her skirt half saturated flopped along her flanks to the waters motion in heavy ripples going nowhere renewed themselves of their own movement I stood on the bank I could smell the honeysuckle on the water gap the air seemed to drizzle with honeysuckle and with the rasping of crickets a substance you could feel on the flesh

  is Benjy still crying

  I dont know yes I dont know

  poor Benjy

  I sat down on the bank the grass was damp a little then I found my shoes wet

  get out of that water are you crazy

  but she didnt move her face was a white blur framed out of the blur of the sand by her hair

  get out now

  she sat up then she rose her skirt flopped against her draining she climbed the bank her clothes flopping sat down

  why dont you wring it out do you want to catch cold

  yes

  the water sucked and gurgled across the sand spit and on in the dark among the willows across the shallow the water rippled like a piece of cloth holding still a little light as water does

  he’s crossed all the oceans all around the world

  then she talked about him clasping her wet knees her face tilted back in the grey light the smell of honeysuckle there was a light in mothers room and in Benjys where T. P. was putting him to bed

  do you love him

  her hand came out I didnt move it fumbled down my arm and she held my hand flat against her chest her heart thudding

  no no

  did he make you then he made you do it let him he was stronger than you and he tomorrow I’ll kill him I swear I will father neednt know until afterward and then you and I nobody need ever know we can take my school money we can cancel my matriculation Caddy you hate him dont you dont you

  she held my hand against her chest her heart thudding I turned and caught her arm

  Caddy you hate him dont you

  she moved my hand up against her throat her heart was hammering there

  poor Quentin

  her face looked at the sky it was low so low that all smells and sounds of night seemed to have been crowded down like under a slack tent especially the honeysuckle it had got into my breathing it was on her face and throat like paint her blood pounded against my hand I was leaning on my other arm it began to jerk and jump and I had to pant to get any air at all out of that thick grey honeysuckle

  yes I hate him I would die for him I’ve already died for him I die for him over and over again everytime this goes

  when I lifted my hand I could still feel crisscrossed twigs and grass burning into the palm

  poor Quentin

  she leaned back on her arms her hands locked about her knees

  youve never done that have you

  what done what

  that what I have what I did

  yes yes lots of times with lots of girls

  then I was crying her hand touched me again and I was crying against her damp blouse then she lying on her back looking past my head into the sky I could see a rim of white under her irises I opened my knife

  do you remember the day damuddy died when you sat down in the water in your drawers

  yes

  I held the point of the knife at her throat

  it wont take but a second just a second then I can do mine I can do mine then

  all right can you do yours by yourself

  yes the blades long enough Benjys in bed by now

  yes

  it wont take but a second I’ll try not to hurt

  all right

  will you close your eyes

  no like this you’ll have to push it harder

  touch your hand to it

  but she didnt move her eyes were wide open looking past my head at the sky

  Caddy do you remember how Dilsey fussed at you because your drawers were muddy

  dont cry

  Im not crying Caddy

  push it are you going to

  do you want me to

  yes push it

  touch your hand to it

  dont cry poor Quentin

  but I couldnt stop she held my head against her damp hard breast I could hear her heart going firm and slow now not hammering and the water gurgling among the willows in the dark and waves of honeysuckle coming up the air my arm and shoulder were twisted under me

  what is it what are you doing

  her muscles gathered I sat up

  its my knife I dropped it

  she sat up

  what time is it

  I dont know

  she rose to her feet I fumbled along the ground

  Im going let it go

  I could feel her standing there I could smell her damp clothes feeling her there

  its right here somewhere

  let it go you can find it tomorrow come on

  wait a minute I’ll find it

  are you afraid to

  here it is it was right here all the time

  was it come on

  I got up and followed we went up the hill the crickets hushing before us

  its funny how you can sit down and drop something and have to hunt all around for it

  the grey it was grey with dew slanting up into th
e grey sky then the trees beyond

  damn that honeysuckle I wish it would stop

  you used to like it

  we crossed the crest and went on toward the trees she walked into me she gave over a little the ditch was a black scar on the grey grass she walked into me again she looked at me and gave over we reached the ditch

  lets go this way

  what for

  lets see if you can still see Nancys bones I havent thought to look in a long time have you

  it was matted with vines and briers dark

  they were right here you cant tell whether you see them or not can you

  stop Quentin

  come on

  the ditch narrowed closed she turned toward the trees

  stop Quentin

  Caddy

  I got in front of her again

  Caddy

  stop it

  I held her

  Im stronger than you

  she was motionless hard unyielding but still

  I wont fight stop youd better stop

  Caddy dont Caddy

  it wont do any good dont you know it wont let me go

  the honeysuckle drizzled and drizzled I could hear the crickets watching us in a circle she moved back went around me on toward the trees

  you go on back to the house you neednt come

  I went on

  why dont you go on back to the house

  damn that honeysuckle

  we reached the fence she crawled through I crawled through when I rose from stooping he was coming out of the trees into the grey toward us coming toward us tall and flat and still even moving like he was still she went to him

  this is Quentin Im wet Im wet all over you dont have to if you dont want to

  their shadows one shadow her head rose it was above his on the sky higher their two heads

  you dont have to if you dont want to

  then not two heads the darkness smelled of rain of damp grass and leaves the grey light drizzling like rain the honeysuckle coming up in damp waves I could see her face a blur against his shoulder he held her in one arm like she was no bigger than a child he extended his hand