tales of trail and town-第23节
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stranger whom she wished to avoid was standing looking towards the
house。
How provoking! She glanced again; he was leaning against a tree
and was obviously as preoccupied as she was herself。 He was
actually sketching the ivy…covered gable of the library。 What
presumption! And he was sketching with his left hand。 A sudden
thrill of superstition came over her。 She moved eagerly forward
for a better view of him。 No! he had two arms!
But his quick eye had already caught sight of her; and before she
could retreat she could see that he had thrown away his sketch…book
and was hastening eagerly toward her。 Amazed and confounded she
would have flown; but her limbs suddenly refused their office; and
as he at last came near her with the cry of 〃Helen!〃 upon his lips;
she felt herself staggering; and was caught in his arms。
〃Thank God;〃 he said。 〃Then she HAS let you come to me!〃
She disengaged herself slowly and dazedly from him and stood
looking at him with wondering eyes。 He was bronzed and worn; there
was the second arm: but still it was HE。 And with the love; which
she now knew he had felt; looking from his honest eyes!
〃SHE has let me come!〃 she repeated vacantly。 〃Whom do you mean?〃
〃The duchess。〃
〃The duchess?〃
〃Yes。〃 He stopped suddenly; gazing at her blank face; while his
own grew ashy white。 〃Helen! For God's sake tell me! You have
not accepted him?〃
〃I have accepted no one;〃 she stammered; with a faint color rising
to her cheeks。 〃I do not understand you。〃
A look of relief came over him。 〃But;〃 he said amazedly; 〃has not
the duchess told you how I happen to be here? How; when you
disappeared from Paris long agowith my ambition crushed; and
nothing left to me but my old trade of the fighterI joined a
secret expedition to help the Chilian revolutionists? How I; who
might have starved as a painter; gained distinction as a partisan
general; and was rewarded with an envoyship in Europe? How I came
to Paris to seek you? How I found that even the pictureyour
picture; Helenhad been sold。 How; in tracing it here; I met the
duchess at Deep Hill; and learning you were with her; in a moment
of impulse told her my whole story。 How she told me that though
she was your best friend; you had never spoken of me; and how she
begged me not to spoil your chance of a good match by revealing
myself; and so awakening a pastwhich she believed you had
forgotten。 How she implored me at least to let her make a fair
test of your affections and your memory; and until then to keep
away from youand to spare you; Helen; and for your sake; I
consented。 Surely she has told this; NOW!〃
〃Not a word;〃 said Helen blankly。
〃Then you mean to say that if I had not haunted the park to…day; in
the hope of seeing you; believing that as you would not recognize
me with this artificial arm; I should not break my promise to her;
you would not have known I was even living。〃
〃No!yes!stay!〃 A smile broke over her pale face and left it
rosy。 〃I see it all now。 Oh; Philip; don't you understand? She
wanted only to try us!〃
There was a silence in the lonely wood; broken only by the trills
of a frightened bird whose retreat was invaded。
〃Not now! Please! Wait! Come with me!〃
The next moment she had seized Philip's left hand; and; dragging
him with her; was flying down the walk towards the house。 But as
they neared the garden door it suddenly opened on the duchess; with
her glasses to her eyes; smiling。
The General Don Felipe Ostrander did not buy Hamley Court; but he
and his wife were always welcome guests there。 And Sir James; as
became an English gentleman;amazed though he was at Philip's
singular return; and more singular incognito;afterwards gallantly
presented Philip's wife with Philip's first picture。
THE JUDGMENT OF BOLINAS PLAIN
The wind was getting up on the Bolinas Plain。 It had started the
fine alkaline dust along the level stage road; so that even that
faint track; the only break in the monotony of the landscape;
seemed fainter than ever。 But the dust cloud was otherwise a
relief; it took the semblance of distant woods where there was no
timber; of moving teams where there was no life。 And as Sue
Beasley; standing in the doorway of One Spring House that
afternoon; shading her sandy lashes with her small red hand;
glanced along the desolate track; even HER eyes; trained to the
dreary prospect; were once or twice deceived。
〃Sue!〃
It was a man's voice from within。 Sue took no notice of it; but
remained with her hand shading her eyes。
〃Sue! Wot yer yawpin' at thar?〃
〃Yawpin'〃 would seem to have been the local expression for her
abstraction; since; without turning her head; she answered slowly
and languidly: 〃Reckoned I see'd som' un on the stage road。 But
'tain't nothin' nor nobody。〃
Both voices had in their accents and delivery something of the
sadness and infinite protraction of the plain。 But the woman's had
a musical possibility in its long…drawn cadence; while the man's
was only monotonous and wearying。 And as she turned back into the
room again; and confronted her companion; there was the like
difference in their appearance。 Ira Beasley; her husband; had
suffered from the combined effects of indolence; carelessness;
misadventure; and disease。 Two of his fingers had been cut off by
a scythe; his thumb and part of his left ear had been blown away by
an overcharged gun; his knees were crippled by rheumatism; and one
foot was lame from ingrowing nails;deviations that; however; did
not tend to correct the original angularities of his frame。 His
wife; on the other hand; had a pretty figure; which still retained
they were childlessthe rounded freshness of maidenhood。 Her
features were irregular; yet not without a certain piquancy of
outline; her hair had the two shades sometimes seen in imperfect
blondes; and her complexion the sallowness of combined exposure and
alkaline assimilation。
She had lived there since; an angular girl of fifteen; she had been
awkwardly helped by Ira from the tail…board of the emigrant wagon
in which her mother had died two weeks before; and which was making
its first halt on the Californian plains; before Ira's door。 On
the second day of their halt Ira had tried to kiss her while she
was drawing water; and had received the contents of the bucket
instead;the girl knowing her own value。 On the third day Ira had
some conversation with her father regarding locations and stock。
On the fourth day this conversation was continued in the presence
of the girl; on the fifth day the three walked to Parson Davies'
house; four miles away; where Ira and Sue were married。 The
romance of a week had taken place within the confines of her
present view from the doorway; the episode of her life might have
been shut in in that last sweep of her sandy lashes。
Nevertheless; at that moment some instinct; she knew not what;
impelled her when her husband left the room to put down the dish
she was washing; and; with the towel lapped over her bare pretty
arms; to lean once more against the doorpost; lazily looking down
the plain。 A cylindrical cloud of dust trailing its tattered skirt
along the stage road suddenly assaulted the house; and for an
instant enveloped it。 As it whirled away again something emerged;
or rather dropped from its skirts behind the little cluster of low
bushes which encircled the 〃One Spring。〃 It was a man。
〃Thar! I knew it was suthin';〃 she began aloud; but the words
somehow died upon her lips。 Then she turned and walked towards the
inner door; wherein her husband had disappeared;but here stopped
again irresolutely。 Then she suddenly walked through the outer
door into the road and made directly for the spring。 The figure of
a man crouching; covered with dust; half rose from the bushes when
she reached them。 She was not frightened; for he seemed utterly
exhausted; and there was a singular mixture of shame; hesitation;
and entreaty in his broken voice as he gasped out:
〃Look here!I say! hide me somewhere; won't you? Just for a
little。 You seethe fact isI'm chased! They're hunting me
now;they're just behind me。 Anywhere will do till they go by!
Tell you all about it another time。 Quick! Please do!〃
In all this there was nothing dramatic nor even startling to her。
Nor did there seem to be any present danger impending to the man。
He did not look like a horse…thief nor a criminal。 And he had
tried to laugh; half…apologetically; half…bitterly;the
consciousness of a man who had to ask help of a woman at such a
moment。
She gave a quick glance towards the house。 He followed her eyes;
and said hurriedly: 〃Don't tell on me。 Don't let any one see me。
I'm trusting you。
〃Come;〃 she said suddenly。 〃Get on THIS side。〃
He understood her; and