a first family of tasajara-第21节

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sunned　itself　on　a　southern　slope　of　luxury。　　It　had　been　described

as　〃princely〃　and　〃fairy…like；〃　by　a　grateful　reporter；　tourists

and　travelers　had　sung　its　praises　in　letters　to　their　friends　and

in　private　reminiscences；　for　it　had　dispensed　hospitality　to　most

of　the　celebrities　who　had　visited　the　coast。　　Nevertheless　its

charm　was　mainly　due　to　the　ruling　taste　of　Miss　Clementina

Harcourt；　who　had　astonished　her　father　by　her　marvelous　intuition

of　the　nice　requirements　and　elegant　responsibilities　of　their

position；　and　had　thrown　her　mother　into　the　pained　perplexity　of　a

matronly　hen；　who；　among　the　ducks'　eggs　intrusted　to　her　fostering

care；　had　unwittingly　hatched　a　graceful　but　discomposing　cygnet。



Indeed；　after　holding　out　feebly　against　the　siege　of　wealth　at

Tasajara　and　San　Francisco；　Mrs。　Harcourt　had　abandoned　herself

hopelessly　to　the　horrors　of　its　invasion；　had　allowed　herself　to

be　dragged　from　her　kitchen　by　her　exultant　daughters　and　set　up　in

black　silk　in　a　certain　conventional　respectability　in　the　drawing…

room。　　Strange　to　say；　her　commiserating　hospitality；　or　hospital…

like　ministration；　not　only　gave　her　popularity；　but　a　certain　kind

of　distinction。　　An　exaltation　so　sorrowfully　deprecated　by　its

possessor　was　felt　to　be　a　sign　of　superiority。　　She　was　spoken　of

as　〃motherly；〃　even　by　those　who　vaguely　knew　that　there　was

somewhere　a　discarded　son　struggling　in　poverty　with　a　helpless

wife；　and　that　she　had　sided　with　her　husband　in　disinheriting　a

daughter　who　had　married　unwisely。　　She　was　sentimentally　spoken　of

as　a　〃true　wife；〃　while　never　opposing　a　single　meanness　of　her

husband；　suggesting　a　single　active　virtue；　nor　questioning　her

right　to　sacrifice　herself　and　her　family　for　his　sake。　　With

nothing　she　cared　to　affect；　she　was　quite　free　from　affectation；

and　even　the　critical　Lawrence　Grant　was　struck　with　the　dignity

which　her　narrow　simplicity；　that　had　seemed　small　even　in　Sidon；

attained　in　her　palatial　hall　in　San　Francisco。　　It　appeared　to　be

a　perfectly　logical　conclusion　that　when　such　unaffectedness　and

simplicity　were　forced　to　assume　a　hostile　attitude　to　anybody；　the

latter　must　be　to　blame。



Since　the　festival　of　Tasajara　Mr。　Grant　had　been　a　frequent

visitor　at　Harcourt's；　and　was　a　guest　on　the　eve　of　his　departure

from　San　Francisco。　　The　distinguished　position　of　each　made　their

relations　appear　quite　natural　without　inciting　gossip　as　to　any

attraction　in　Harcourt's　daughters。　　It　was　late　one　afternoon　as

he　was　passing　the　door　of　Harcourt's　study　that　his　host　called

him　in。　　He　found　him　sitting　at　his　desk　with　some　papers　before

him　and　a　folded　copy　of　the　〃Clarion。〃　　With　his　back　to　the

fading　light　of　the　window　his　face　was　partly　in　shadow。



〃By　the　way；　Grant；〃　he　began；　with　an　assumption　of　carelessness

somewhat　inconsistent　with　the　fact　that　he　had　just　called　him　in；

〃it　may　be　necessary　for　me　to　pull　up　those　fellows　who　are

blackguarding　me　in　the　'Clarion。'〃



〃Why；　they　haven't　been　saying　anything　new？〃　asked　Grant；

laughingly；　as　he　glanced　towards　the　paper。



〃Nothat　isonly　a　rehash　of　what　they　said　before；〃　returned

Harcourt　without　opening　the　paper。



〃Well；〃　said　Grant　playfully；　〃you　don't　mind　their　saying　that

you're　NOT　the　original　pioneer　of　Tasajara；　for　it's　true；　nor

that　that　fellow　'Lige　Curtis　disappeared　suddenly；　for　he　did；　if

I　remember　rightly。　　But　there's　nothing　in　that　to　invalidate　your

rights　to　Tasajara；　to　say　nothing　of　your　five　years'　undisputed

possession。〃



〃Of　course　there's　no　LEGAL　question；〃　said　Harcourt　almost　sharply。

〃But　as　a　matter　of　absurd　report；　I　may　want　to　contradict　their

insinuations。　　And　YOU　remember　all　the　circumstances；　don't　you？〃



〃I　should　think　so！　　Why；　my　dear　fellow；　I've　told　it　everywhere！

here；　in　New　York；　Newport；　and　in　London；　by　Jove；　it's　one　of　my

best　stories！　　How　a　company　sent　me　out　with　a　surveyor　to　look　up

a　railroad　and　agricultural　possibilities　in　the　wilderness；　how

just　as　I　found　themand　a　rather　big　thing　they　made；　tooI　was

set　afloat　by　a　flood　and　a　raft；　and　drifted　ashore　on　your　bank；

and　practically　demonstrated　to　you　what　you　didn't　know　and　didn't

dare　to　hope　forthat　there　could　be　a　waterway　straight　to　Sidon

from　the　embarcadero。　　I've　told　what　a　charming　evening　we　had

with　you　and　your　daughters　in　the　old　house；　and　how　I　returned

your　hospitality　by　giving　you　a　tip　about　the　railroad；　and　how

you　slipped　out　while　we　were　playing　cards；　to　clinch　the　bargain

for　the　land　with　that　drunken　fellow；　'Lige　Curtis〃



〃What's　that？〃　interrupted　Harcourt；　quickly。



It　was　well　that　the　shadow　hid　from　Grant　the　expression　of

Harcourt's　face；　or　his　reply　might　have　been　sharper。　　As　it　was；

he　answered　a　little　stiffly：



〃I　beg　your　pardon〃



Harcourt　recovered　himself。　　〃You're　all　wrong！〃　he　said；　〃that

bargain　was　made　long　BEFORE；　I　never　saw　'Lige　Curtis　after　you

came　to　the　house。　　It　was　before　that；　in　the　afternoon；〃　he　went

on　hurriedly；　〃that　he　was　last　in　my　store。　　I　can　prove　it。〃

Nevertheless　he　was　so　shocked　and　indignant　at　being　confronted　in

his　own　suppressions　and　falsehoods　by　an　even　greater　and　more

astounding　misconception　of　fact；　that　for　a　moment　he　felt

helpless。　　What；　he　reflected；　if　it　were　alleged　that　'Lige　had

returned　again　after　the　loafers　had　gone；　or　had　never　left　the

store　as　had　been　said？　　Nonsense！　　There　was　John　Milton；　who　had

been　there　reading　all　the　time；　and　who　could　disprove　it。　　Yes；

but　John　Milton　was　his　discarded　son；his　enemy；perhaps　even

his　very　slanderer！



〃But；〃　said　Grant　quietly；　〃don't　you　remember　that　your　daughter

Euphemia　said　something　that　evening　about　the　land　Lige　had

OFFERED　you；　and　you　snapped　up　the　young　lady　rather　sharply　for

letting　out　secrets；　and　THEN　you　went　out？　　At　least　that's　my

impression。〃



It　was；　however；　more　than　an　impression；　with　Grant's　scientific

memory　for　characteristic　details　he　had　noticed　that　particular

circumstance　as　part　of　the　social　phenomena。



〃I　don't　know　what　Phemie　SAID；〃　returned　Harcourt；　impatiently。

〃I　KNOW　there　was　no　offer　pending；　the　land　had　been　sold　to　me

before　I　ever　saw　you。　　Whyyou　must　have　thought　me　up　to　pretty

sharp　practice　with　Curtiseh？〃　he　added；　with　a　forced　laugh。



Grant　smiled；　he　had　been　accustomed　to　hear　of　such　sharp　practice

among　his　business　acquaintance；　although　he　himself　by　nature　and

profession　was　incapable　of　it；　but　he　had　not　deemed　Harcourt　more

scrupulous　than　others。　　〃Perhaps　so；〃　he　said　lightly；　〃but　for

Heaven's　sake　don't　ask　me　to　spoil　my　reputation　as　a　raconteur

for　the　sake　of　a　mere　fact　or　two。　　I　assure　you　it's　a　mighty

taking　story　as　I　tell　itand　it　don't　hurt　you　in　a　business　way。

You're　the　hero　of　ithang　it　all！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Harcourt；　without　noticing　Grant's　half　cynical

superiority；　but　you'll　oblige　me　if　you　won't　tell　it　again　IN

THAT　WAY。　　There　are　men　here　mean　enough　to　make　the　worst　of　it。

It's　nothing　to　me；　of　course；　but　my　familythe　girls；　you　know

are　rather　sensitive。〃



〃I　had　no　idea　they　even　knew　it；much　less　cared　for　it；〃　said

Grant；　with　sudden　seriousness。　　〃I　dare　say　if　those　fellows　in

the　〃Clarion〃　knew　that　they　were　annoying　the　ladies　they'd　drop

it。　　Who's　the　editor？　　Look　hereleave　it　to　me；　I'll　look　into

it。　　Better　that　you　shouldn't　appear　in　the　matter　at　all。〃



〃You　understand　that　if　it　was　a　really　serious　matter；　Grant；〃

said　Harcourt　with　a　slight　attitude；　〃I　shouldn't　allow　any　one　to

take　my　place。〃



〃My　dear　fellow；　there'll　be　nobody　'called　out'　and　no　'shooting

at　sight；'　whatever　is　the　result　of　my　interference；〃　returned

Grant；　lightly。　　〃It'll　be　all　right。〃　　He　was　quite　aware　of　the

power　of　his　own　independent　position　and　the　fact　that　he　had　been

often　appealed　to　before　in　delicate　arbitration。



Harcourt　was　equally　conscious　of　this；　but　by　a　strange

inconsistency　now　felt　relieved　at　the　coolness　with　which　Grant

had　accepted　the　misconception　which　had　at　first　seemed　so

dangerous。　　If　he　were　ready　to　condone　what　he　thought　was　SHARP

PRACTICE；　he　could　not　be　less　lenient　with　the　real　facts　that

might　come　out；of　course　always　excepting　that　interpolated

consideration　in　the　bill　of　sale；　which；　however；　no　one　but　the

missing　Curtis　could　ever　discover。　　The　fact　that　a　man　of　Grant's

secure　position　had　interested　himself　in　this　matter　would　secure

him　from　the　working　of　that　personal　vulgar　jealousy　which　his

humbler　antecedents　had　provoked。　　And　if；　as　he　fancied；　Grant

really　cared　for　Clementina



〃As　you　like；〃　he　said；　with　half…affected　lightness；　〃and　now　let

us　talk　of　something　else。　　Clementina　has　been　thinking　of　getting

up　a　riding　party　to　San　Mateo　for　Mrs。　Ashwood。　　We　must　show　them