padre ignacio-第4节

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breathed　upon；　and　there　between　the　short　headlands　came　a　sail；　gray

and　plain　against　the　flat　water。　The　priest　watched　through　his　glasses；

and　saw　the　gradual　sun　grow　strong　upon　the　canvas　of　the　barkentine。

The　message　from　his　world　was　at　hand；　yet　to…day　he　scarcely　cared　so

much。　Sitting　in　his　garden　yesterday；　he　could　never　have　imagined　such

a　change。　But　his　heart　did　not　hail　the　barkentine　as　usual。　Books；

music；　pale　paper；　and　printthis　was　all　that　was　coming　to　him；　

some　of　its　savor　had　gone；　for　the　siren　voice　of　Life　had　been　speaking

with　him　face　to　face；　and　in　his　spirit；　deep　down；　the　love　of　the

world　was　restlessly　answering　it。　Young　Gaston　showed　more　eagerness

than　the　Padre　over　this　arrival　of　the　vessel　that　might　be　bringing

Trovatore　in　the　nick　of　time。　Now　he　would　have　the　chance；　before　he

took　his　leave；　to　help　rehearse　the　new　music　with　the　choir。　He　would

be　a　missionary；　too：　a　perfectly　new　experience。



〃And　you　still　forgive　Verdi　the　sins　of　his　youth？〃　he　said　to　his　host。

〃I　wonder　if　you　could　forgive　mine？〃



〃Verdi　has　left　his　behind　him；〃　retorted　the　Padre。



〃But　I　am　only　twenty…five！〃　exclaimed　Gaston；　pathetically。



〃Ah；　don't　go　away　soon！〃　pleaded　the　exile。　It　was　the　first　unconcealed

complaint　that　had　escaped　him；　and　he　felt　instant　shame。



But　Gaston　was　too　much　elated　with　the　enjoyment　of　each　new　day　to

comprehend　the　Padre's　soul。　The　shafts　of　another's　pain　might　hardly

pierce　the　bright　armor　of　his　gaiety。　He　mistook　the　priest's　entreaty；

for　anxiety　about　his　own　happy　spirit。



〃Stay　here　under　your　care？〃　he　asked。　〃It　would　do　me　no　good；　Padre。

Temptation　sticks　closer　to　me　than　a　brother！〃　and　he　gave　that　laugh　of

his　which　had　disarmed　severer　judges　than　his　host。　〃By　next　week　I

should　have　introduced　some　sin　or　other　into　your　beautiful　Garden　of

Ignorance　here。　It　will　be　much　safer　for　your　flock　if　I　go　and　join　the

other　serpents　at　San　Francisco。〃



Soon　after　breakfast　the　Padre　had　his　two　mules　saddled；　and　he　and　his

guest　set　forth　down　the　hills　together　to　the　shore。　And；　beneath　the

spell　and　confidence　of　pleasant；　slow　riding　and　the　loveliness　of

everything；　the　young　man　talked　freely　of　himself。



〃And；　seriously；〃　said　he；　〃if　I　missed　nothing　else　at　Santa　Ysabel；　I

should　long　forhow　shall　I　say　it？for　insecurity；　for　danger；　and　of

all　kindsnot　merely　danger　to　the　body。　Within　these　walls；　beneath

these　sacred　bells；　you　live　too　safe　for　a　man　like　me。〃



〃Too　safe！〃　These　echoed　words　upon　the　lips　of　the　pale　Padre　were　a

whisper　too　light；　too　deep；　for　Gaston's　heedless　ear。



〃Why；〃　the　young　man　pursued　in　a　spirit　that　was　but　half　levity；

〃though　I　yield　often　to　temptation；　at　times　I　have　resisted　it；　and

here　I　should　miss　the　very　chance　to　resist。　Your　garden　could　never　be

Eden　for　me；　because　temptation　is　absent　from　it。〃



〃Absent！〃　Still　lighter；　still　deeper；　was　this　whisper　that　the　Padre

breathed。



〃I　must　find　life；〃　exclaimed　Gaston；　〃and　my　fortune　at　the　mines；　I

hope。　I　am　not　a　bad　fellow；　Father。　You　can　easily　guess　all　the　things

I　do。　I　have　never；　to　my　knowledge；　harmed　any　one。　I　didn't　even　try　to

kill　my　adversary　in　an　affair　of　honor。　I　gave　him　a　mere　flesh…wound；

and　by　this　time　he　must　be　quite　recovered。　He　was　my　friend。　But　as　he

came　between　me〃



Gaston　stopped；　and　the　Padre；　looking　keenly　at　him；　saw　the　violence

that　he　had　noticed　in　church　pass　like　a　flame　over　the　young　man's

handsome　face。



〃That's　nothing　dishonorable；〃　said　Gaston；　answering　the　priest's　look。

And　then；　because　this　look　made　him　not　quite　at　his　ease：　〃Perhaps　a

priest　might　feel　obliged　to　say　it　was　dishonorable。　She　and　her　father

werea　man　owes　no　fidelity　before　he　isbut　you　might　say　that　had

been　dishonorable。〃



〃I　have　not　said　so；　my　son。〃



〃I　did　what　every　gentleman　would　do。〃　insisted　Gaston。



〃And　that　is　often　wrong！〃　said　the　Padre；　gently　and　gravely。　〃But　I'm

not　your　confessor。〃



〃No；〃　said　Gaston；　looking　down。　〃And　it　is　all　over。　It　will　not　begin

again。　Since　leaving　New　Orleans　I　have　traveled　an　innocent　journey

straight　to　you。　And　when　I　make　my　fortune　I　shall　be　in　a　position　to

return　and〃



〃Claim　the　pressed　flowrer？〃　suggested　the　Padre。　He　did　not　smile。



〃Ah；　you　remember　how　those　things　are！〃　said　Gaston：　and　he　laughed　and

blushed。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Padre；　looking　at　the　anchored　barkentine；　〃I　remember

how　those　things　are。〃



For　a　while　the　vessel　and　its　cargo　and　the　landed　men　and　various

business　and　conversations　occupied　them。　But　the　freight　for　the　mission

once　seen　to；　there　was　not　much　else　to　detain　them。



The　barkentine　was　only　a　coaster　like　many　others　which　had　begun　to

fill　the　sea　a　little　more　of　late　years；　and　presently　host　and　guest

were　riding　homeward。　Side　by　side　they　rode；　companions　to　the　eye；　but

wide　apart　in　mood；　within　the　turbulent　young　figure　of　Gaston　dwelt　a

spirit　that　could　not　be　more　at　ease；　while　revolt　was　steadily　kindling

beneath　the　schooled　and　placid　mask　of　the　Padre。



Yet　still　the　strangeness　of　his　situation　in　such　a　remote；　resourceless

place　came　back　as　a　marvel　into　the　young　man's　lively　mind。　Twenty

years　in　prison；　he　thought；　and　hardly　aware　of　it！　And　he　glanced　at

the　silent　priest。　A　man　so　evidently　fond　of　music；　of　theaters；　of　the

world；　to　whom　pressed　flowers　had　meant　something　onceand　now

contented　to　bleach　upon　these　wastes！　Not　even　desirous　of　a　brief

holiday；　but　finding　an　old　organ　and　some　old　operas　enough　recreation！

〃It　is　his　age；　I　suppose；〃　thought　Gaston。　And　then　the　notion　of

himself　when　he　should　be　sixty　occurred　to　him；　and　he　spoke。



〃Do　you　know；　I　do　not　believe；〃　said　he；　〃that　I　should　ever　reach　such

contentment　as　yours。〃



〃Perhaps　you　will；〃　said　Padre　Ignacio；　in　a　low　voice。



〃Never！〃　declared　the　youth。　〃It　comes　only　to　the　few；　I　am　sure。〃



〃Yes。　Only　to　the　few；〃　murmured　the　Padre。



〃I　am　certain　that　it　must　be　a　great　possession；〃　Gaston　continued；　

〃and　yetand　yetdear　me！　life　is　a　splendid　thing！〃



〃There　are　several　ways　to　live　it；〃　said　the　Padre。



〃Only　one　for　me！〃　cried　Gaston。　〃Action；　men；　women；　thingsto　be　there；

to　be　known；　to　play　a　part；　to　sit　in　the　front　seats；　to　have　people

tell　one　another；　'There　goes　Gaston　Villere！'　and　to　deserve　one's

prominence。　Why；　if　I　was　Padre　of　Santa　Ysabel　del　Mar　for　twenty　years

no！　for　one　yeardo　you　know　what　I　should　have　done？　Some　day　it

would　have　been　too　much　for　me。　I　should　have　left　these　savages　to　a

pastor　nearer　their　own　level；　and　I　should　have　ridden　down　this　canyon

upon　my　mule；　and　stepped　on　board　the　barkentine；　and　gone　back　to　my

proper　sphere。　You　will　understand；　sir；　that　I　am　far　from　venturing　to
make　any　personal　comment。　I　am　only　thinking　what　a　world　of　difference

lies　between　natures　that　can　feel　as　alike　as　we　do　upon　so　many

subjects。　Why；　not　since　leaving　New　Orleans　have　I　met　any　one　with　whom

I　could　talk；　except　of　the　weather　and　the　brute　interests　common　to　us

all。　That　such　a　one　as　you　should　be　here　is　like　a　dream。〃



〃But　it　is　not　a　dream；〃　said　the　Padre。



〃And；　sirpardon　me　if　I　do　say　thisare　you　not　wasted　at　Santa

Ysabel　del　Mar？　I　have　seen　the　priests　at　the　other　missions。　They　are

the　sort　of　good　men　that　I　expected。　But　are　you　needed　to　save　such

souls　as　these？〃



〃There　is　no　aristocracy　of　souls；〃　said　the　Padre；　again　whispering。



〃But　the　body　and　the　mind！〃　cried　Gaston。　〃My　God；　are　they　nothing？　Do

you　think　that　they　are　given　to　us　for　nothing　but　a　trap？　You　cannot

teach　such　a　doctrine　with　your　library　there。　And　how　about　all　the

cultivated　men　and　women　away　from　whose　quickening　society　the　brightest

of　us　grow　numb？　You　have　held　out。　But　will　it　be　for　long？　Are　you

never　to　save　any　souls　of　your　own　kind？　Are　not　twenty　years　of

mesclados　enough？　No；　no！〃　finished　young　Gaston；　hot　with　his　unforeseen

eloquence；　〃I　should　ride　down　some　morning　and　take　the　barkentine。〃



Padre　Ignacio　was　silent　for　a　space。



〃I　have　not　offended　you？〃　asked　the　young　man。



〃No。　Anything　but　that。　You　are　surprised　that　I　shouldchooseto　stay

here。　Perhaps　you　may　have　wondered　how　I　came　to　be　here　at　all？〃



〃I　had　not　intended　any　impertinent〃



〃Oh　no。　Put　such　an　idea　out　of　your　head；　my　son。　You　may　remember　that

I　was　going　to　make　you　a　confession　about　my　operas。　Let　us　sit　down　in

this　shade。〃



So　they　picketed　the　mules　near　the　stream　and　sat　down。







IV



You　have　seen；〃　began　Padre　Ignacio；　〃what　sort　of　a　man　Iwas　once。

Indeed；　it　seems　very　strange　to　myself　that　you　should　have　been　here

not　twenty…four　hours　yet；　and　know　so　much　of　me。　For　there　has　come　no

one　else　at　al