Part 23 (1/2)
”Yas, suh, dat's whut I's er doin' jest ez fast ez I kin.”
”Peters,” said Starbuck, ”I don't like to ask a man his business when he's in my house.”
”I reckon business is the right word, Starbuck,” and moving closer to Kintchin he demanded: ”Somebody got a mortgage on yo' feet so you can't move 'em?”
”Wha'fo'?” replied the negro, ducking his head.
”You keep on a standin' thar when you see I want to talk to Starbuck.”
”W'y, bless yo' life, you's so entertainin' I kain't hardly t'ar myse'f loose. Wheneber you talks it puts me in de min' o' er fiddle.”
”But it don't make you move yo' feet, you scoundrel.”
”No, suh, ef I moved my feet when de fiddle wuz gwine folks would think I wuz er dancin' an' da'd turn me outen de church, an' I doan want 'em ter do dat. Hurts er man's business w'en he's turned outen de church.”
Peters addressed himself to Jasper. ”Well, you have teached that n.i.g.g.e.r nearly enough impudence to break his neck.”
”Didn't know I was sich a good teacher, Lije. Don't you want a few lessons? Go on, Kintchin.” The negro slowly went away, looking back and shaking his head, and Starbuck added: ”Peters, I'm afraid I'll have to furgit my raisin' an' ask you what you want.”
”I want to give you the opportunity to have some sense.”
”Well, now, Lije, it's mighty kind of you to be givin' out that sort of artickle. Puts me in mind of the old feller that give away his s.h.i.+rts when he didn't have none to spare.”
”Good natchul talk, Starbuck--natchul as the squawk of a duck. But I didn't come here to swop the perlitenesses of the season.”
”No?” said Starbuck.
”You know I have been out of the neighborhood an' ain't had a chance to talk business until lately.”
”That's so.”
”And you ought to know what that business is.”
”Yes, I know.”
”Even if a man is gittin' old, Starbuck, thar ain't no reason why he should be a fool.”
”That's a fact, Lije.”
”And the biggest fool in the world, Starbuck, is the man that won't keep out of trouble when he kin.”
”That's true.”
”Starbuck, ain't yo' eyes wide enough open to see that I kin ruin you?”
”Yes, Lije, with his eyes half shet a man kin see a rattlesnake.”
”Then with both of 'em wide open he ought to see a panther.”
”I'm a lookin' at you.”
”That's all right, Starbuck. But we've pa.s.sed the time fur beatin' about the bush.”