a convert of the mission-第5节

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

mischievously　with　her　fan。



He　flushedand　then　burst　out　bluntly；　〃I　want　to　talk　with　you

about　your　soul。〃



〃My　what？〃



〃Your　immortal　soul；　unhappy　girl。〃



〃What　have　you　to　make　with　that？　　Are　you　a　devil？〃　　Her　eyes　grew

rounder；　though　she　faced　him　boldly。



〃I　am　a　Minister　of　the　Gospel；〃　he　said；　in　hurried　entreaty。

〃You　must　hear　me　for　a　moment。　　I　would　save　your　soul。〃



〃My　immortal　soul　lif　with　the　Padre　at　the　Missionyou　moost　seek

her　there！　　My　mortal　BODY；〃　she　added；　with　a　mischievous　smile；

〃say　to　you；　'good　a'　night；　Don　Esteban。'〃　　She　dropped　him　a

little　curtsy　andran　away。



〃One　moment；　Miss　Ramirez；〃　said　Masterton；　eagerly；　but　she　had

already　slipped　beyond　his　reach。　　He　saw　her　little　black　figure

passing　swiftly　beside　the　moonlit　wall；　saw　it　suddenly　slide　into

a　shadowy　fissure；　and　vanish。



In　his　blank　disappointment　he　could　not　bear　to　re…enter　the　house

he　had　left　so　sanguinely　a　few　moments　before；　but　walked　moodily

in　the　garden。　　His　discomfiture　was　the　more　complete　since　he

felt　that　his　defeat　was　owing　to　some　mistake　in　his　methods；　and

not　the　incorrigibility　of　his　subject。



Was　it　not　a　spiritual　weakness　in　him　to　have　resented　so　sharply

the　girl's　imputation　that　he　wished　to　make　love　to　her？　　He

should　have　borne　it　as　Christians　had　even　before　now　borne

slander　and　false　testimony　for　their　faith！　　He　might　even　have

ACCEPTED　it；　and　let　the　triumph　of　her　conversion　in　the　end　prove

his　innocence。　　Or　was　his　purpose　incompatible　with　that　sisterly

affection　he　had　so　often　preached　to　the　women　of　his　flock？　　He

might　have　taken　her　hand；　and　called　her　〃Sister　Pepita；〃　even　as

he　had　called　Deborah　〃Sister。〃　　He　recalled　the　fact　that　he　had

for　an　instant　held　her　struggling　in　his　arms：　he　remembered　the

thrill　that　the　recollection　had　caused　him；　and　somehow　it　now

sent　a　burning　blush　across　his　face。　　He　hurried　back　into　the

house。



The　next　day　a　thousand　wild　ideas　took　the　place　of　his　former

settled　resolution。　　He　would　seek　the　Padre；　this　custodian　of　the

young　girl's　soul；　he　would　convince　HIM　of　his　error；　or　beseech

him　to　give　him　an　equal　access　to　her　spirit！　　He　would　seek　the

uncle　of　the　girl；　and　work　upon　his　feelings。



Then　for　three　or　four　days　he　resolved　to　put　the　young　girl　from

his　mind；　trusting　after　the　fashion　of　his　kind　for　some　special

revelation　from　a　supreme　source　as　an　indication　for　his　conduct。

This　revelation　presently　occurred；　as　it　is　apt　to　occur　when

wanted。



One　evening　his　heart　leaped　at　the　familiar　sound　of　Pepita's

guitar　in　the　distance。　　Whatever　his　ultimate　intention　now；　he

hurriedly　ran　into　the　garden。　　The　sound　came　from　the　former

direction；　but　as　he　unhesitatingly　approached　the　Mission　wall；　he

could　see　that　she　was　not　upon　it；　and　as　the　notes　of　her　guitar

were　struck　again；　he　knew　that　they　came　from　the　other　side。　　But

the　chords　were　a　prelude　to　one　of　his　own　hymns；　and　he　stood

entranced　as　her　sweet；　childlike　voice　rose　with　the　very　words

that　he　had　sung。　　The　few　defects　were　those　of　purely　oral

imitation；　the　accents；　even　the　slight　reiteration　of　the　〃s；〃

were　Pepita's　own：





　　　　　Cheeldren　oof　the　Heavenly　King；

　　　　　As　ye　journey　essweetly　ssing；

　　　　　Essing　your　great　Redeemer's　praise；

　　　　　Glorioos　in　Hees　works　and　ways。





He　was　astounded。　　Her　recollection　of　the　air　and　words　was　the

more　wonderful；　for　he　remembered　now　that　he　had　only　sung　that

particular　hymn　once。　　But　to　his　still　greater　delight　and

surprise；　her　voice　rose　again　in　the　second　verse；　with　a　touch　of

plaintiveness　that　swelled　his　throat：





　　　　　We　are　traveling　home　to　God；

　　　　　In　the　way　our　farzers　trod；

　　　　　They　are　happy　now；　and　we

　　　　　Soon　their　happiness　shall　see。





The　simple；　almost　childish　wordsso　childish　that　they　might　have

been　the　fitting　creation　of　her　own　childish　lipshere　died　away

with　a　sweep　and　crash　of　the　whole　strings。　　Breathless　silence

followed；　in　which　Stephen　Masterton　could　feel　the　beatings　of　his

own　heart。



〃Miss　Ramirez；〃　he　called；　in　a　voice　that　scarcely　seemed　his　own。

There　was　no　reply。　　〃Pepita！〃　he　repeated；　it　was　strangely　like

the　accent　of　a　lover；　but　he　no　longer　cared。　　Still　the　singer's

voice　was　silent。



Then　he　ran　swiftly　beside　the　wall；　as　he　had　seen　her　run；　until

he　came　to　the　fissure。　　It　was　overgrown　with　vines　and　brambles

almost　as　impenetrable　as　an　abatis；　but　if　she　had　pierced　it　in

her　delicate　crape　dress；　so　could　he！　　He　brushed　roughly　through；

and　found　himself　in　a　glimmering　aisle　of　pear　trees　close　by　the

white　wall　of　the　Mission　church。



For　a　moment　in　that　intricate　tracing　of　ebony　and　ivory　made　by

the　rising　moon；　he　was　dazzled；　but　evidently　his　irruption　into

the　orchard　had　not　been　as　lithe　and　silent　as　her　own；　for　a

figure　in　a　parti…colored　dress　suddenly　started　into　activity；　and

running　from　the　wall；　began　to　course　through　the　trees　until　it

became　apparently　a　part　of　that　involved　pattern。　　Nothing

daunted；　however；　Stephen　Masterton　pursued；　his　speed　increased　as

he　recognized　the　flounces　of　Pepita's　barred　dress；　but　the　young

girl　had　the　advantage　of　knowing　the　locality；　and　could　evade　her

pursuer　by　unsuspected　turns　and　doubles。



For　some　moments　this　fanciful　sylvan　chase　was　kept　up　in　perfect

silence；　it　might　have　been　a　woodland　nymph　pursued　by　a　wandering

shepherd。　　Masterton　presently　saw　that　she　was　making　toward　a

tiled　roof　that　was　now　visible　as　projecting　over　the　presidio

wall；　and　was　evidently　her　goal　of　refuge。　　He　redoubled　his

speed；　with　skillful　audacity　and　sheer　strength　of　his　broad

shoulders　he　broke　through　a　dense　ceanothus　hedge　which　Pepita　was

swiftly　skirting；　and　suddenly　appeared　between　her　and　her　house。



With　her　first　cry；　the　young　girl　turned　and　tried　to　bury　herself

in　the　hedge；　but　in　another　stride　the　circuit　preacher　was　at　her

side；　and　caught　her　panting　figure　in　his　arms。



While　he　had　been　running　he　had　swiftly　formulated　what　he　should

do　and　what　he　should　say　to　her。　　To　his　simple　appeal　for　her

companionship　and　willing　ear　he　would　add　a　brotherly　tenderness；

that　should　invite　her　trustfulness　in　him；　he　would　confess　his

wrong　and　ask　her　forgiveness　of　his　abrupt　solicitations；　he　would

propose　to　teach　her　more　hymns；　they　would　practice　psalmody

together；　even　this　priest；　the　custodian　of　her　soul；　could　not

object　to　that；　but　chiefly　he　would　thank　her：　he　would　tell　her

how　she　had　pleased　him；　and　this　would　lead　to　more　serious　and

thoughtful　converse。　　All　this　was　in　his　mind　while　he　ran；　was

upon　his　lips　as　he　caught　her　and　for　an　instant　she　lapsed；

exhausted；　in　his　arms。　　But；　alas！　even　in　that　moment　he　suddenly

drew　her　toward　him；　and　kissed　her　as　only　a　lover　could！





The　wire　grass　was　already　yellowing　on　the　Tasajara　plains　with

the　dusty　decay　of　the　long；　dry　summer　when　Dr。　Duchesne　returned

to　Tasajara。　　He　came　to　see　the　wife　of　Deacon　Sanderson；　who；

having　for　the　twelfth　time　added　to　the　population　of　the

settlement；　was　not　〃doing　as　well〃　as　everybodyexcept；　possibly；

Dr。　Duchesneexpected。　　After　he　had　made　this　hollow…eyed；　over…

burdened；　undernourished　woman　as　comfortable　as　he　could　in　her

rude；　neglected　surroundings；　to　change　the　dreary　chronicle　of

suffering；　he　turned　to　the　husband；　and　said；　〃And　what　has　become

of　Mr。　Masterton；　who　used　to　be　in　yourvocation？〃　　A　long　groan

came　from　the　deacon。



〃Hallo！　　I　hope　he　has　not　had　a　relapse；〃　said　the　doctor；

earnestly。　　〃I　thought　I'd　knocked　all　that　nonsense　out　of　himI

beg　your　pardonI　mean；〃　he　added；　hurriedly；　〃he　wrote　to　me　only

a　few　weeks　ago　that　he　was　picking　up　his　strength　again　and　doing

well！〃



〃In　his　weak；　gross；　sinful　fleshyes；　no　doubt；〃　returned　the

Deacon；　scornfully；　〃and；　perhaps；　even　in　a　worldly　sense；　for

those　who　value　the　vanities　of　life；　but　he　is　lost　to　us；　for　all

time；　and　lost　to　eternal　life　forever。　　Not；〃　he　continued　in

sanctimonious　vindictiveness；　〃but　that　I　often　had　my　doubts　of

Brother　Masterton's　steadfastness。　　He　was　too　much　given　to

imagery　and　song。〃



〃But　what　has　he　done？〃　persisted　Dr。　Duchesne。



〃Done！　　He　has　embraced　the　Scarlet　Woman！〃



〃Dear　me！〃　said　the　doctor；　〃so　soon？　　Is　it　anybody　you　knew

here？not　anybody's　wife？　　Eh？〃



〃He　has　entered　the　Church　of　Rome；〃　said　the　Deacon；　indignantly；

〃he　has　forsaken　the　God　of　his　fathers　for　the　tents　of　the

idolaters；　he　is　the　consort　of　Papists　and　the　slave　of　the　Pope！〃



〃But　are　you　SURE？〃　said　Dr。　Duchesne；　with　perhaps　less　concern

than　before。



〃Sure；〃　returned　the　Deacon　angrily；