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〃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；
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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
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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 such … a
blithering idiot！
He tested the bath water…cold。 He shut it off and pulled the plug。 A promise of hot water all day long had been one inducement when Lazarus had rented this musty cave。 But the janitor turned off the water heater before he went to bed； and anyone looking for hot water later than nine was foolish。 Well； he qualified as foolish； and perhaps cold water would do more for his unstable condition than hot…but he had wanted a long； hot soak to soothe his nerves and help him think。
He had fallen in love with his mother。
Face it； Lazarus。 This is impossible； and you don't know how to handle it。 In more than two thousand years of one silly misadventure after the other this is the most preposterous predicament you ever got into。
Oh； sure； a son loves his mother。 As 〃Woodie Smith；〃 Lazarus had never doubted that。 He had always kissed his mother good…night （usually）； hugged her when he saw her （if he wasn't in a hurry）； remembered her birthday （almost alwayst； thanked her for cookies or cake she left out for him whenever he was out late （except when he forgot）； and sometimes had told her he loved her。
She had been a good mother。 She had never screamed at him （or at any of them；） and； when necessary； had used a switch at once and the matter was over with…never that Wait…till~your…father…gets…home routine。 Lazarus could still feel that peach swit~ch on his calves； it had caused him to levitate； better than Thurston the Great； at a very early age。
He recalled； too； that as he grew older； he found that he was proud of ihe way she looked…always neat and standing straight and invariably gracious to his friends…not like some of the mothers of other boys。
Oh； swe； a boy loves his mother…and Woodie had been blessed with one of the best。
But this was not what Lazarus felt toward Maureen John…
son Smith； lovely young matron； just his 〃own〃 age。 That visit this night had been delicious agony…for he had never in all his lives 'been so unbearably attracted； so sexually obsessed； by any… woman any where or when。 During …that short visit Lazarus had been forced to be most careful not to let his passion show…and… especially cautious not to appear too gallant； not be more than impersonally polite； not by expression or tone of voice or anything else risk arousing 。 Gramp's always…alert suspicions； not let Gramp suspect the storm of lust
…that had … raged up in him as soon as he touched her hand。
Lazarus looked down at proof of his passion； hard and tall； and slapped it。 〃What are you standing up for？ There's nothing doing for you。 This is the Bible Belt。〃
It was indeed！ Gramp did not believe in the Bible or live~ by Bible…Belt standards； yet Lazarus felt sure that； were he to
provoke it by breaching those standards； Gramp would shoot him quite dispassionately； on behalf of his son…in…law。 Possibly the old man would let the first shot go wide and give him a chance to run。 But Lazarus was not willing to bet his
life on it。 Gramp acting for his son…in…law might feel duty bound to shoot straight…and Lazarus knew how straight the old man could shoot；
Forget it； forget it； he was not going to give either Gramp or his father any reason to shoot； or even to be angry…and
…you forget it； too； you blind snake！ Lazarus wondered when his father would be home； and tried to remember how he looked…found his memory blurred。 Lazarus had always been closer to his Grandfather Johnson than to his father； not only had his father often been away on business； but also Gramp had been home in the daytime and willing to spend time with Woodie。
His other grandparents？ Somewhere in Ohio…… Cincinnati？
…No matter； his memory of them was so faint that it did not seem worthwhile to try to see them。
He had pleted all that he had intended to do in Kansas