a first family of tasajara-第30节

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game；　and　that's　what　you　don't　want。〃



Her　voice　was　as　imperious　as　it　had　been　previously　listless。　　And

it　was　the　first　time　he　had　ever　known　her　to　use　slang。



It　seemed　as　startling　as　if　it　had　fallen　from　the　marble　lips

above　him。



〃But　I've　promised　him　that　we　should　go　together　to　my　lawyer　to…

morrow；　and　begin　a　suit　against　the　proprietors　of　the　'Clarion。'〃



〃Do　nothing　of　the　kind。　　Get　rid　of　Grant's　assistance　in　this

matter；　and　see　the　'Clarion'　proprietor　yourself。　　What　sort　of　a

man　is　he？　　Can　you　invite　him　to　your　house？〃



〃I　have　never　seen　him；　I　believe　he　lives　at　San　Jose。　　He　is　a

wealthy　man　and　a　large　land　owner　there。　　You　understand　that

after　the　first　article　appeared　in　his　paper；　and　I　knew　that　he

had　employed　your　brotheralthough　Grant　says　that　he　had　nothing

to　do　with　it　and　left　Fletcher　on　account　of　itI　could　have　no

intercourse　with　him。　　Even　if　I　invited　him　he　would　not　come。〃



〃He　MUST　come。　　Leave　it　to　ME。〃　　She　stopped　and　resumed　her

former　impassive　manner。　　〃I　had　something　to　say　to　you　too；

father。　　Mr。　Shipley　proposed　to　me　the　day　we　went　to　San　Mateo。〃



Her　father's　eyes　lit　with　an　eager　sparkle。　　〃Well；〃　he　said

quickly。



〃I　reminded　him　that　I　had　known　him　only　a　few　weeks；　and　that　I

wanted　time　to　consider。〃



〃Consider！　　Why；　Clemmy；　he's　one　of　the　oldest　Boston　families；

rich　from　his　father　and　grandfatherrich　when　I　was　a　shopkeeper

and　your　mother〃



〃I　thought　you　liked　Grant？〃　she　said　quietly。



〃Yes；　but　if　YOU　have　no　choice　nor　feeling　in　the　matter；　why

Shipley　is　far　the　better　man。　　And　if　any　of　the　scandal　should

come　to　his　ears〃



〃So　much　the　better　that　the　hesitation　should　come　from　me。　　But

if　you　think　it　better；　I　can　sit　down　here　and　write　to　him　at

once　declining　the　offer。〃　　She　moved　towards　the　desk。



〃No！　No！　　I　did　not　mean　that；〃　said　Harcourt　quickly。　　〃I　only

thought　that　if　he　did　hear　anything　it　might　be　said　that　he　had

backed　out。〃



〃His　sister　knows　of　his　offer；　and　though　she　don't　like　it　nor

me；　she　will　not　deny　the　fact。　　By　the　way；　you　remember　when　she

was　lost　that　day　on　the　road　to　San　Mateo？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　she　was　with　your　son；　John　Milton；　all　the　time；　and　they

lunched　together　at　Crystal　Spring。　　It　came　out　quite　accidentally

through　the　hotel…keeper。〃



Harcourt's　brow　darkened。　　〃Did　she　know　him　before？〃



〃I　can't　say；　but　she　does　now。〃



Harcourt's　face　was　heavy　with　distrust。　　〃Taking　Shipley's　offer

and　these　scandals　into　consideration；　I　don't　like　the　look　of

this；　Clementina。〃



〃I　do；〃　said　the　girl　simply。



Harcourt　gazed　at　her　keenly　and　with　the　shadow　of　distrust　still

upon　him。　　It　seemed　to　be　quite　impossible；　even　with　what　he　knew

of　her　calmly　cold　nature；　that　she　should　be　equally　uninfluenced

by　Grant　or　Shipley。　　Had　she　some　steadfast；　lofty　ideal；　or

perhaps　some　already　absorbing　passion　of　which　he　knew　nothing？

She　was　not　a　girl　to　betray　itthey　would　only　know　it　when　it

was　too　late。　　Could　it　be　possible　that　there　was　still　something

between　her　and　'Lige　that　he　knew　nothing　of？　　The　thought　struck

a　chill　to　his　breast。　　She　was　walking　towards　the　door；　when　he

recalled　himself　with　an　effort。



〃If　you　think　it　advisable　to　see　Fletcher；　you　might　run　down　to

San　Jose　for　a　day　or　two　with　your　mother；　and　call　on　the　Ramirez。

They　may　know　him　or　somebody　who　does。　　Of　course　if　YOU　meet　him

and　casually　invite　him　it　would　be　different。〃



〃It's　a　good　idea；〃　she　said　quickly。　　〃I'll　do　it；　and　speak　to

mother　now。〃



He　was　struck　by　the　change　in　her　face　and　voice；　they　had　both

nervously　lightened；　as　oddly　and　distinctly　as　they　had　before

seemed　to　grow　suddenly　harsh　and　aggressive。　　She　passed　out　of

the　room　with　girlish　brusqueness；　leaving　him　alone　with　a　new　and

vague　fear　in　his　consciousness。





A　few　hours　later　Clementina　was　standing　before　the　window　of　the

drawing…room　that　overlooked　the　outskirts　of　the　town。　　The

moonlight　was　flooding　the　vast　bluish　Tasajara　levels　with　a　faint

lustre；　as　if　the　waters　of　the　creek　had　once　more　returned　to

them。　　In　the　shadow　of　the　curtain　beside　her　Grant　was　facing　her

with　anxious　eyes。



〃Then　I　must　take　this　as　your　final　answer；　Clementina？〃



〃You　must。　　And　had　I　known　of　these　calumnies　before；　had　you　been

frank　with　me　even　the　day　we　went　to　San　Mateo；　my　answer　would

have　been　as　final　then；　and　you　might　have　been　spared　any　further

suspense。　　I　am　not　blaming　you；　Mr。　Grant；　I　am　willing　to　believe

that　you　thought　it　best　to　conceal　this　from　me；even　at　that

time　when　you　had　just　pledged　yourself　to　find　out　its　truth　or

falsehood；yet　my　answer　would　have　been　the　same。　　So　long　as

this　stain　rests　on　my　father's　name　I　shall　never　allow　that　name

to　be　coupled　with　yours　in　marriage　or　engagement；　nor　will　my

pride　or　yours　allow　us　to　carry　on　a　simple　friendship　after　this。

I　thank　you　for　your　offer　of　assistance；　but　I　cannot　even　accept

that　which　might　to　others　seem　to　allow　some　contingent　claim。　　I

would　rather　believe　that　when　you　proposed　this　inquiry　and　my

father　permitted　it；　you　both　knew　that　it　put　an　end　to　any　other

relations　between　us。〃



〃But；　Clementina；　you　are　wrong；　believe　me！　　Say　that　I　have　been

foolish；　indiscreet；　mad；still　the　few　who　knew　that　I　made　these

inquiries　on　your　father's　behalf　know　nothing　of　my　hopes　of　YOU！〃



〃But　I　do；　and　that　is　enough　for　me。〃



Even　in　the　hopeless　preoccupation　of　his　passion　he　suddenly

looked　at　her　with　something　of　his　old　critical　scrutiny。　　But　she

stood　there　calm；　concentrated；　self…possessed　and　upright。　　Yes！

it　was　possible　that　the　pride　of　this　Southwestern　shopkeepers

daughter　was　greater　than　his　own。



〃Then　you　banish　me；　Clementina？〃



〃It　is　we　whom　YOU　have　banished。〃



〃Good…night。〃



〃Good…by。〃



He　bent　for　an　instant　over　her　cold　hand；　and　then　passed　out　into

the　hall。　　She　remained　listening　until　the　front　door　closed

behind　him。　　Then　she　ran　swiftly　through　the　hall　and　up　the

staircase；　with　an　alacrity　that　seemed　impossible　to　the　stately

goddess　of　a　moment　before。　　When　she　had　reached　her　bedroom　and

closed　the　door；　so　exuberant　still　and　so　uncontrollable　was　her

levity　and　action；　that　without　going　round　the　bed　which　stood

before　her　in　the　centre　of　the　room；　she　placed　her　two　hands　upon

it　and　lightly　vaulted　sideways　across　it　to　reach　the　window。

There　she　watched　the　figure　of　Grant　crossing　the　moonlit　square。

Then　turning　back　into　the　half…lit　room；　she　ran　to　the　small

dressing…glass　placed　at　an　angle　on　a　toilet　table　against　the

wall。　　With　her　palms　grasping　her　knees　she　stooped　down　suddenly

and　contemplated　the　mirror。　　It　showed　what　no　one　but　Clementina

had　ever　seen；and　she　herself　only　at　rare　intervals；the

laughing　eyes　and　soul　of　a　self…satisfied；　material…minded；

ordinary　country…girl！





CHAPTER　X。





But　Mr。　Lawrence　Grant's　character　in　certain　circumstances　would

seem　to　have　as　startling　and　inexplicable　contradictions　as

Clementina　Harcourt's；　and　three　days　later　he　halted　his　horse　at

the　entrance　of　Los　Gatos　Rancho。　　The　Home　of　the　Catsso　called

from　the　catamounts　which　infested　the　localitywhich　had　for　over

a　century　lazily　basked　before　one　of　the　hottest　canyons　in　the

Coast　Range；　had　lately　been　stirred　into　some　activity　by　the

American；　Don　Diego　Fletcher；　who　had　bought　it；　put　up　a　saw…mill；

and　deforested　the　canyon。　　Still　there　remained　enough　suggestion

of　a　feline　haunt　about　it　to　make　Grant　feel　as　if　he　had　tracked

hither　some　stealthy　enemy；　in　spite　of　the　peaceful　intimation

conveyed　by　the　sign　on　a　rough　boarded　shed　at　the　wayside；　that

the　〃Los　Gatos　Land　and　Lumber　Company〃　held　their　office　there。



A　cigarette…smoking　peon　lounged　before　the　door。　　Yes；　Don　Diego

was　there；　but　as　he　had　arrived　from　Santa　Clara　only　last　night

and　was　going　to　Colonel　Ramirez　that　afternoon；　he　was　engaged。

Unless　the　business　was　importantbut　the　cool；　determined　manner

of　Grant；　even　more　than　his　words；　signified　that　it　WAS

important；　and　the　servant　led　the　way　to　Don　Diego's　presence。



There　certainly　was　nothing　in　the　appearance　of　this　sylvan

proprietor　and　newspaper　capitalist　to　justify　Grant's　suspicion　of

a　surreptitious　foe。　　A　handsome　man　scarcely　older　than　himself；

in　spite　of　a　wavy　mass　of　perfectly　white　hair　which　contrasted

singularly　with　his　brown　mustache　and　dark　sunburned　face。　　So

disguising　was　the　effect　of　these　contradictions；　that　he　not　only

looked　unlike　anybody　else；　but　even　his　nationality　seemed　to　be　a

matter　of　doubt。　　Only　his　eyes；　light　blue　and　intelligent；　which

had　a　singular　expression　of　gentleness　and　worry；　appeared

indiv