a convert of the mission-第4节

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occurred。



He　was　turning　hurriedly　away　when　his　eyes　fell　upon　the　yellow

rose　still　lying　in　the　debris　where　he　had　thrown　itbut　still

pure；　fresh；　and　unfaded。　　He　picked　it　up　again；　with　a　singular

fancy　that　it　was　the　girl　herself；　and　carried　it　into　the　house。



As　he　placed　it　half　shyly　in　a　glass　on　his　table　a　wonderful

thought　occurred　to　him。　　Was　not　the　episode　of　last　night　a

special　providence？　　Was　not　that　young　girl；　wayward　and

childlike；　a　mere　neophyte　in　her　idolatrous　religion；　as　yet

unsteeped　in　sloth　and　ignorance；　presented　to　him　as　a　brand　to　be

snatched　from　the　burning？　　Was　not　this　the　opportunity　of

conversion　he　had　longed　forthis　the　chance　of　exercising　his

gifts　of　exhortation　that　he　had　been　hiding　in　the　napkin　of

solitude　and　seclusion？　　Nay；　was　not　all　this　PREDESTINED？　　His

illness；　his　consequent　exile　to　this　land　of　false　godsthis

contiguity　to　the　Missionwas　not　all　this　part　of　a　supremely

ordered　plan　for　the　girl's　salvationand　was　HE　not　elected　and

ordained　for　that　service？　　Nay；　more；　was　not　the　girl　herself　a

mere　unconscious　instrument　in　the　hands　of　a　higher　power；　was　not

her　voluntary　attempt　to　accompany　him　in　his　devotional　exercise　a

vague　stirring　of　that　predestined　force　within　her？　　Was　not　even

that　wantonness　and　frivolity　contrasted　with　her　childishness

which　he　had　at　first　misunderstoodthe　stirrings　of　the　flesh　and

the　spirit；　and　was　he　to　abandon　her　in　that　struggle　of　good　and

evil？



He　lifted　his　bowed　head；　that　had　been　resting　on　his　arm　before

the　little　flower　on　the　tableas　if　it　were　a　shrinewith　a

flash　of　resolve　in　his　blue　eyes。　　The　wrinkled　Concepcion　coming

to　her　duties　in　the　morning　scarcely　recognized　her　gloomily

abstracted　master　in　this　transfigured　man。　　He　looked　ten　years

younger。



She　met　his　greeting；　and　the　few　direct　inquiries　that　his　new

resolve　enabled　him　to　make　more　freely；　with　some　information

which　a　later　talk　with　the　shopkeeper；　who　had　a　fuller　English

vocabulary；　confirmed　in　detail。



〃YES！　truly　this　was　a　niece　of　the　Mission　gardener；　who　lived

with　her　uncle　in　the　ruined　wing　of　the　presidio。　　She　had　taken

her　first　communion　four　years　ago。　　Ah；　yes；　she　was　a　great

musician；　and　could　play　on　the　organ。　　And　the　guitar；　ah；　yesof

a　certainty。　　She　was　gay；　and　flirted　with　the　caballeros；　young

and　old；　but　she　cared　not　for　any。〃



Whatever　satisfaction　this　latter　statement　gave　Masterton；　he

believed　it　was　because　the　absence　of　any　disturbing　worldly

affection　would　make　her　an　easier　convert。



But　how　continue　this　chance　acquaintance　and　effect　her

conversion？　　For　the　first　time　Masterton　realized　the　value　of

expediency；　while　his　whole　nature　impelled　him　to　seek　her　society

frankly　and　publicly　and　exhort　her　openly；　he　knew　that　this　was

impossible；　still　more；　he　remembered　her　unmistakable　fright　at

his　first　expression　of　faith；　he　must　〃be　wise　as　the　serpent　and

harmless　as　the　dove。〃　　He　must　work　upon　her　soul　alone；　and

secretly。　　He；　who　would　have　shrunk　from　any　clandestine

association　with　a　girl　from　mere　human　affection；　saw　no　wrong　in

a　covert　intimacy　for　the　purpose　of　religious　salvation。　　Ignorant

as　he　was　of　the　ways　of　the　world；　and　inexperienced　in　the　usages

of　society；　he　began　to　plan　methods　of　secretly　meeting　her　with

all　the　intrigue　of　a　gallant。　　The　perspicacity　as　well　as　the

intuition　of　a　true　lover　had　descended　upon　him　in　this　effort　of

mere　spiritual　conquest。



Armed　with　his　information　and　a　few　Spanish　words；　he　took　the

yellow　Concepcion　aside　and　gravely　suborned　her　to　carry　a　note　to

be　delivered　secretly　to　Miss　Ramirez。　　To　his　great　relief　and

some　surprise　the　old　woman　grinned　with　intelligence；　and　her

withered　hand　closed　with　a　certain　familiar　dexterity　over　the

epistle　and　the　accompanying　gratuity。　　To　a　man　less　naively　one…

ideaed　it　might　have　awakened　some　suspicion；　but　to　the　more

sanguine　hopefulness　of　Masterton　it　only　suggested　the　fancy　that

Concepcion　herself　might　prove　to　be　open　to　conversion；　and　that

he　should　in　due　season　attempt　HER　salvation　also。　　But　that　would

be　later。　　For　Concepcion　was　always　with　him　and　accessible；　the

girl　was　not。



The　note；　which　had　cost　him　some　labor　of　composition；　simple　and

almost　businesslike　as　was　the　result；　ran　as　follows：



〃I　wish　to　see　you　upon　some　matter　of　grave　concern　to　yourself。

Will　you　oblige　me　by　coming　again　to　the　wall　of　the　Mission

tonight　at　early　candlelight？　　It　would　avert　worldly　suspicion　if

you　brought　also　your　guitar。〃



The　afternoon　dragged　slowly　on；　Concepcion　returned；　she　had；　with

great　difficulty；　managed　to　see　the　senorita；　but　not　alone；　she

had；　however；　slipped　the　note　into　her　hand；　not　daring　to　wait

for　an　answer。



In　his　first　hopefulness　Masterton　did　not　doubt　what　the　answer

would　be；　but　as　evening　approached　he　grew　concerned　as　to　the

girl's　opportunities　of　coming；　and　regretted　that　he　had　not　given

her　a　choice　of　time。



Before　his　evening　meal　was　finished　he　began　to　fear　for　her

willingness；　and　doubt　the　potency　of　his　note。　　He　was　accustomed

to　exhort　ORALLYperhaps　he　ought　to　have　waited　for　the　chance　of

SPEAKING　to　her　directly　without　writing。



When　the　moon　rose　he　was　already　in　the　garden。　　Lingering　at

first　in　the　shadow　of　an　olive　tree；　he　waited　until　the　moonbeams

fell　on　the　wall　and　its　crests　of　foliage。　　But　nothing　moved

among　that　ebony　tracery；　his　ear　was　strained　for　the　familiar

tinkle　of　the　guitarall　was　silent。　　As　the　moon　rose　higher　he

at　last　boldly　walked　to　the　wall；　and　listened　for　any　movement　on

the　other　side　of　it。　　But　nothing　stirred。　　She　was　evidently　NOT

cominghis　note　had　failed。



He　was　turning　away　sadly；　but　as　he　faced　his　home　again　he　heard

a　light　laugh　beside　him。　　He　stopped。　　A　black　shadow　stepped　out

from　beneath　his　own　almond　tree。　　He　started　when；　with　a　gesture

that　seemed　familiar　to　him；　the　upper　part　of　the　shadow　seemed　to

fall　away　with　a　long　black　mantilla　and　the　face　of　the　young　girl

was　revealed。



He　could　see　now　that　she　was　clad　in　black　lace　from　head　to　foot。

She　looked　taller；　older；　and　he　fancied　even　prettier　than　before。

A　sudden　doubt　of　his　ability　to　impress　her；　a　swift　realization

of　all　the　difficulties　of　the　attempt；　and；　for　the　first　time

perhaps；　a　dim　perception　of　the　incongruity　of　the　situation　came

over　him。



〃I　was　looking　for　you　on　the　wall；〃　he　stammered。



〃MADRE　DE　DIOS！〃　she　retorted；　with　a　laugh　and　her　old　audacity；

〃you　would　that　I　shall　ALWAYS　hang　there；　and　drop　upon　you　like　a

pear　when　you　shake　the　tree？　　No！〃



〃You　haven't　brought　your　guitar；〃　he　continued；　still　more

awkwardly；　as　he　noticed　that　she　held　only　a　long　black　fan　in　her

hand。



〃For　why？　　You　would　that　I　PLAY　it；　and　when　my　uncle　say　'Where

go　Pepita？　　She　is　loss；'　someone　shall　say；　'Oh！　I　have　hear　her

tink…a…tink　in　the　garden　of　the　Americano；　who　lif　alone。'　　And

thenit　ess　finish！〃



Masterton　began　to　feel　exceedingly　uncomfortable。　　There　was

something　in　this　situation　that　he　had　not　dreamed　of。　　But　with

the　persistency　of　an　awkward　man　he　went　on。



〃But　you　played　on　the　wall　the　other　night；　and　tried　to　accompany

me。〃



〃But　that　was　lass　night　and　on　the　wall。　　I　had　not　speak　to　you；

you　had　not　speak　to　me。　　You　had　not　sent　me　the　leetle　note　by

your　peon。〃　　She　stopped；　and　suddenly　opening　her　fan　before　her

face；　so　that　only　her　mischievous　eyes　were　visible；　added：　〃You

had　not　asked　me　then　to　come　to　hear　you　make　lof　to　me；　Don

Esteban。　　That　is　the　difference。〃



The　circuit　preacher　felt　the　blood　rush　to　his　face。　　Anger；

shame；　mortification；　remorse；　and　fear　alternately　strove　with

him；　but　above　all　and　through　all　he　was　conscious　of　a　sharp；

exquisite　pleasurethat　frightened　him　still　more。　　Yet　he　managed

to　exclaim：



〃No！　no！　You　cannot　think　me　capable　of　such　a　cowardly　trick？〃



The　girl　started；　more　at　the　unmistakable　sincerity　of　his

utterance　than　at　the　words；　whose　full　meaning　she　may　have　only

imperfectly　caught。



〃A　treek？　　A　treek？〃　she　slowly　and　wonderingly　repeated。　　Then

suddenly；　as　if　comprehending　him；　she　turned　her　round　black　eyes

full　upon　him　and　dropped　her　fan　from　her　face。



〃And　WHAT　for　you　ask　me　to　come　here　then？〃



〃I　wanted　to　talk　with　you；〃　he　began；　〃on　far　more　serious

matters。　　I　wished　to〃　but　he　stopped。　　He　could　not　address　this

quaint　child…woman　staring　at　him　in　black…eyed　wonder；　in　either

the　measured　or　the　impetuous　terms　with　which　he　would　have

exhorted　a　maturer　responsible　being。　　He　made　a　step　toward　her；

she　drew　back；　striking　at　his　extended　hand　half　impatiently；　half

mischievously　with　her　fan。



He　flush