Faulkner Reader

by William Faulkner

  We went to Caddy’s room. She sat down at the mirror. She stopped her hands and looked at me.

  “Why, Benjy. What is it.” she said. “You mustn’t cry. Caddy’s not going away. See here.” she said. She took up the bottle and took the stopper out and held it to my nose. “Sweet. Smell. Good.”

  I went away and I didn’t hush, and she held the bottle in her hand, looking at me.

  “Oh.” she said. She put the bottle down and came and put her arms around me. “So that was it. And you were trying to tell Caddy and you couldn’t tell her. You wanted to, but you couldn’t, could you. Of course Caddy wont. Of course Caddy wont. Just wait till I dress.”

  Caddy dressed and took up the bottle again and we went down to the kitchen.

  “Dilsey.” Caddy said, “Benjy’s got a present for you.” She stooped down and put the bottle in my hand. “Hold it out to Dilsey, now.” Caddy held my hand out and Dilsey took the bottle.

  “Well I’ll declare.” Dilsey said, “If my baby aint give Dilsey a bottle of perfume. Just look here, Roskus.”

  Caddy smelled like trees. “We dont like perfume ourselves.” Caddy said.

  She smelled like trees.

  “Come on, now.” Dilsey said, “You too big to sleep with folks. You a big boy now. Thirteen years old. Big enough to sleep by yourself in Uncle Maury’s room.” Dilsey said.

  Uncle Maury was sick. His eye was sick, and his mouth. Versh took his supper up to him on the tray.

  “Maury says he’s going to shoot the scoundrel.” Father said. “I told him he’d better not mention it to Patterson before hand.” He drank.

  “Jason.” Mother said.

  “Shoot who, Father.” Quentin said. “What’s Uncle Maury going to shoot him for.”

  “Because he couldn’t take a little joke.” Father said.

  “Jason.” Mother said, “How can you. You’d sit right there and see Maury shot down in ambush, and laugh.”

  “Then Maury’d better stay out of ambush.” Father said.

  “Shoot who, Father.” Quentin said, “Who’s Uncle Maury going to shoot.”

  “Nobody.” Father said. “I dont own a pistol.”

  Mother began to cry. “If you begrudge Maury your food, why aren’t you man enough to say so to his face. To ridicule him before the children, behind his back.”

  “Of course I dont.” Father said, “I admire Maury He is invaluable to my own sense of racial superiority. I wouldn’t swap Maury for a matched team. And do you know why, Quentin.”

  “No, sir.” Quentin said.

  “Et ego in arcadia I have forgotten the latin for hay.” Father said. “There, there.” he said, “I was just joking.” He drank and set the glass down and went and put his hand on Mother’s shoulder.

  “It’s no joke.” Mother said. “My people are every bit as well born as yours. Just because Maury’s health is bad.”

  “Of course.” Father said. “Bad health is the primary reason for all life. Created by disease, within putrefaction, into decay. Versh.”

  “Sir.” Versh said behind my chair.

  “Take the decanter and fill it.”

  “And tell Dilsey to come and take Benjamin up to bed.” Mother said.

  “You a big boy.” Dilsey said, “Caddy tired sleeping with you. Hush now, so you can go to sleep.” The room went away, but I didn’t hush, and the room came back and Dilsey came and sat on the bed, looking at me.

  “Aint you going to be a good boy and hush.” Dilsey said. “You aint, is you. See can you wait a minute, then.”

  She went away. There wasn’t anything in the door Then Caddy was in it.

  “Hush.” Caddy said. “I’m coming.”

  I hushed and Dilsey turned back the spread and Caddy got in between the spread and the blanket. She didn’t take off her bathrobe.

  “Now.” she said, “Here I am.” Dilsey came with a blanket and spread it over her and tucked it around her.

  “He be gone in a minute.” Dilsey said. “I leave the light on in your room.”

  “All right.” Caddy said. She snuggled her head beside mine on the pillow. “Goodnight, Dilsey.”

  “Goodnight, honey.” Dilsey said. The room went black. Caddy smelled like trees.

  We looked up into the tree where she was.

  “What she seeing, Versh.” Frony whispered.

  “Shhhhhhh.” Caddy said in the tree. Dilsey said,

  “You come on here.” She came around the corner of the house. “Whyn’t you all go on up stairs, like your paw said, stead of slipping out behind my back. Where’s Caddy and Quentin.”

  “I told her not to climb up that tree.” Jason said. “I’m going to tell on her.”

  “Who in what tree.” Dilsey said. She came and looked up into the tree. “Caddy.” Dilsey said. The branches began to shake again.

  “You, Satan.” Dilsey said. “Come down from there.”

  “Hush.” Caddy said, “Dont you know Father said to be quiet.” Her legs came in sight and Dilsey reached up and lifted her out of the tree.

  “Aint you got any better sense than to let them come around here.” Dilsey said.

  “I couldn’t do nothing with her.” Versh said.

  “What you all doing here.” Dilsey said. “Who told you to come up to the house.”

  “She did.” Frony said. “She told us to come.”

  “Who told you you got to do what she say.” Dilsey said. “Get on home, now.” Frony and T. P. went on. We couldn’t see them when they were still going away.

  “Out here in the middle of the night.” Dilsey said. She took me up and we went to the kitchen.

  “Slipping out behind my back.” Dilsey said. “When you knowed it’s past your bedtime.”

  “Shhhh, Dilsey.” Caddy said. “Dont talk so loud. We’ve got to be quiet.”

  “You hush your mouth and get quiet, then,” Dilsey said. “Where’s Quentin.”

  “Quentin’s mad because he had to mind me tonight.” Caddy said. “He’s still got T. P.’s bottle of lightning bugs.”

  “I reckon T. P. can get along without it.” Dilsey said. “You go and find Quentin, Versh. Roskus say he seen him going towards the barn.” Versh went on. We couldn’t see him.

  “They’re not doing anything in there.” Caddy said. “Just sitting in chairs and looking.”

  “They dont need no help from you all to do that.” Dilsey said. We went around the kitchen.

  Where you want to go now, Luster said. You going back to watch them knocking ball again. We done looked for it over there. Here. Wait a minute. You wait right here while I go back and get that ball. I done thought of something.

  The kitchen was dark. The trees were black on the sky. Dan came waddling out from under the steps and chewed my ankle. I went around the kitchen, where the moon was. Dan came scuffling along, into the moon.

  “Benjy.” T. P. said in the house.

  The flower tree by the parlor window wasn’t dark, but the thick trees were. The grass was buzzing in the moonlight where my shadow walked on the grass.

  “You, Benjy.” T. P. said in the house. “Where you hiding. You slipping off. I knows it.”

  Luster came back. Wait, he said. Here. Dont go over there. Miss Quentin and her beau in the swing yonder. You come on this way. Come back here, Benjy.

  It was dark under the trees. Dan wouldn’t come. He stayed in the moonlight. Then I could see the swing and I began to cry.

  Come away from there, Benjy, Luster said. You know Miss Quentin going to get mad.

  It was two now, and then one in the swing. Caddy came fast, white in the darkness.

  “Benjy,” she said. “How did you slip out. Where’s Versh.”

  She put her arms around me and I hushed and held to her dress and tried to pull her away.

  “Why, Benjy.” she said. “What is it. T. P.” she called.

  The one in the swing got up and came, and I cried and pulled Caddy’s dress.

  “Benjy.” Caddy said. “It
’s just Charlie. Dont you know Charlie.”

  “Where’s his nigger.” Charlie said. “What do they let him run around loose for.”

  “Hush, Benjy.” Caddy said. “Go away, Charlie. He doesn’t like you.” Charlie went away and I hushed. I pulled at Caddy’s dress.

  “Why, Benjy.” Caddy said. “Aren’t you going to let me stay here and talk to Charlie awhile.”

  “Call that nigger.” Charlie said. He came back. I cried louder and pulled at Caddy’s dress.

  “Go away, Charlie.” Caddy said. Charlie came and put his hands on Caddy and I cried more. I cried loud.

  “No, no.” Caddy said. “No. No.”

  “He cant talk.” Charlie said. “Caddy.”

  “Are you crazy.” Caddy said. She began to breathe fast. “He can see. Dont. Dont.” Caddy fought. They both breathed fast. “Please. Please.” Caddy whispered.

  “Send him away.” Charlie said.

  “I will.” Caddy said. “Let me go.”

  “Will you send him away.” Charlie said.

  “Yes.” Caddy said. “Let me go.” Charlie went away. “Hush.” Caddy said. “He’s gone.” I hushed. I could hear her and feel her chest going.

  “I’ll have to take him to the house.” she said. She took my hand.

  “I’m coming.” she whispered.

  “Wait” Charlie said. “Call the nigger.”

  “No.” Caddy said. “I’ll come back. Come on, Benjy.”

  “Caddy.” Charlie whispered, loud. We went on. “You better come back. Are you coming back.” Caddy and I were running. “Caddy.” Charlie said. We ran out into the moonlight, toward the kitchen.

  “Caddy.” Charlie said.

  Caddy and I ran. We ran up the kitchen steps, onto the porch, and Caddy knelt down in the dark and held me. I could hear her and feel her chest. “I wont.” she said. “I wont anymore, ever. Benjy. Benjy.” Then she was crying, and I cried, and we held each other. “Hush.” she said. “Hush. I wont anymore.” So I hushed and Caddy got up and we went into the kitchen and turned the light on and Caddy took the kitchen soap and washed her mouth at the sink, hard. Caddy smelled like trees.

  I kept a telling you to stay away from there, Luster said. They sat up in the swing, quick. Quentin had her hands on her hair. He had a red tie

  You old crazy loon, Quentin said. I’m going to tell Dilsey about the way you let him follow everywhere I go. I’m going to make her whip you good.

  “I couldn’t stop him.” Luster said. “Come on here, Benjy.”

  “Yes you could.” Quentin said. “You didn’t try. You were both snooping around after me. Did Grandmother send you all out here to spy on me.” She jumped out of the swing. “If you dont take him right away this minute and keep him away, I’m going to make Jason whip you.”

  “I cant do nothing with him.” Luster said. “You try it if you think you can.”

  “Shut your mouth.” Quentin said. “Are you going to get him away.”

  “Ah, let him stay.” he said. He had a red tie. The sun was red on it. “Look here, Jack.” He struck a match and put it in his mouth. Then he took the match out of his mouth. It was still burning. “Want to try it.” he said. I went over there. “Open your mouth.” he said. I opened my mouth. Quentin hit the match with her hand and it went away.

  “Goddamn you.” Quentin said. “Do you want to get him started. Dont you know he’ll beller all day. I’m going to tell Dilsey on you.” She went away running.

  “Here, kid.” he said. “Hey. Come on back. I aint going to fool with him.”

  Quentin ran on to the house. She went around the kitchen.

  “You played hell then, Jack.” he said. “Aint you.”

  “He cant tell what you saying.” Luster said. “He deef and dumb.”

  “Is.” he said. “How long’s he been that way.”

  “Been that way thirty-three years today.” Luster said. “Born loony. Is you one of them show folks.”

  “Why.” he said.

  “I dont ricklick seeing you around here before.” Luster said.

  “Well, what about it.” he said.

  “Nothing.” Luster said. “I going tonight.”

  He looked at me.

  “You aint the one can play a tune on that saw, is you.” Luster said.

  “It’ll cost you a quarter to find that out.” he said. He looked at me. “Why dont they lock him up.” he said. “What’d you bring him out here for.”

  “You aint talking to me.” Luster said. “I cant do nothing with him. I just come over here looking for a quarter I lost so I can go to the show tonight. Look like now I ain’t going to get to go.” Luster looked on the ground. “You aint got no extra quarter, is you.” Luster said.

  “No.” he said. “I aint.”

  “I reckon I just have to find that other one, then.” Luster said. He put his hand in his pocket. “You dont want to buy no golf ball neither, does you.” Luster said.

  “What kind of ball.” he said.

  “Golf ball.” Luster said. “I dont want but a quarter.”

  “What for.” he said. “What do I want with it.”

  “I didn’t think you did.” Luster said. “Come on here, mulehead.” he said. “Come on here and watch them knocking that ball. Here. Here something you can play with along with that jimson weed.” Luster picked it up and gave it to me. It was bright.

  “Where’d you get that.” he said. His tie was red in the sun, walking.

  “Found it under this here bush.” Luster said. “I thought for a minute it was that quarter I lost.”

  He came and took it.

  “Hush.” Luster said. “He going to give it back when he done looking at it.”

  “Agnes Mabel Becky.” he said. He looked toward the house.

  “Hush.” Luster said. “He fixing to give it back.”

  He gave it to me and I hushed.

  “Who come to see her last night.” he said.

  “I dont know.” Luster said. “They comes every night she can climb down that tree. I dont keep no track of them.”

  “Damn if one of them didn’t leave a track.” he said. He looked at the house. Then he went and lay down in the swing. “Go away.” he said. “Dont bother me.”

  “Come on here.” Luster said. “You done played hell now. Time Miss Quentin get done telling on you.”

  We went to the fence and looked through the curling flower spaces. Luster hunted in the grass.

  “I had it right here.” he said. I saw the flag flapping, and the sun slanting on the broad grass.

  “They’ll be some along soon.” Luster said. “There some now, but they going away. Come on and help me look for it.”

  We went along the fence.

  “Hush.” Luster said. “How can I make them come over here, if they aint coming. Wait. They’ll be some in a minute. Look yonder. Here they come.”

  I went along the fence, to the gate, where the girls passed with their booksatchels. “You, Benjy.” Luster said. “Come back here.”

  You cant do no good looking through the gate, T. P. said. Miss Caddy done gone long ways away. Done got married and left you. You cant do no good, holding to the gate and crying. She cant hear you.

  What is it he wants, T. P. Mother said. Cant you play with him and keep him quiet.

  He wants to go down yonder and look through the gate, T. P. said.

  Well, he cannot do it, Mother said. It’s raining. You will just have to play with him and keep him quiet. You, Benjamin.

  Aint nothing going to quiet him, T. P. said. He think if he down to the gate, Miss Caddy come back.

  Nonsense, Mother said.

  I could hear them talking. I went out the door and I couldn’t hear them, and I went down to the gate, where the girls passed with their booksatchels. They looked at me, walking fast, with their heads turned. I tried to say, but they went on, and I went along the fence, trying to say, and they went faster. Then they were running and I came to the corner of the fence
and I couldn’t go any further, and I held to the fence, looking after them and trying to say.

  “You, Benjy.” T. P. said. “What you doing, slipping out. Dont you know Dilsey whip you.”

  “You cant do no good, moaning and slobbering through the fence.” T. P. said. “You done skeered them chillen. Look at them, walking on the other side of the street.”

  How did he get out, Father said. Did you leave the gate unlatched when you came in, Jason.

  Of course not, Jason said. Dont you know I’ve got better sense than to do that. Do you think I wanted anything like this to happen. This family is bad enough, God knows. I could have told you, all the time. I reckon you’ll send him to Jackson, now. If Mrs Burgess dont shoot him first.

  Hush, Father said.

  I could have told you, all the time, Jason said.

  It was open when I touched it, and I held to it in the twilight. I wasn’t crying, and I tried to stop, watching the girls coming along in the twilight. I wasn’t crying.

  “There he is.”

  They stopped.

  “He cant get out. He wont hurt anybody, anyway. Come on.”

  “I’m scared to. I’m scared. I’m going to cross the street.”

  “He cant get out.”

  I wasn’t crying.

  “Don’t be a ’fraid cat. Come on.”

  They came on in the twilight. I wasn’t crying, and I held to the gate. They came slow.

  “I’m scared.”

  “He wont hurt you. I pass here every day. He just runs along the fence.”

  They came on. I opened the gate and they stopped, turning. I was trying to say, and I caught her, trying to say, and she screamed and I was trying to say and trying and the bright shapes began to stop and I tried to get out. I tried to get it off of my face, but the bright shapes were going again. They were going up the hill to where it fell away and I tried to cry. But when I breathed in, I couldn’t breathe out again to cry, and I tried to keep from falling off the hill and I fell off the hill into the bright, whirling shapes.

  Here, loony, Luster said. Here come some. Hush your slobbering and moaning, now.

  They came to the flag. He took it out and they hit, then he put the flag back.

  “Mister.” Luster said.

  He looked around. “What.” he said.