the three partners-第19节

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Loo's　fear　of　scandal　and　his　utter　unmanliness。　　She　knew　he　was

not　in　love　with　Mrs。　Barker；　and　this　puzzled　her　when　she

considered　the　evident　risk　he　was　running　now。　　Her　face；　however；

betrayed　nothing。　　She　drew　back　from　Mrs。　Barker；　and；　with　an

indifferent　and　graceful　gesture　towards　the　door；　said；　as　she

leaned　against　the　mantel；　〃Go；　then；　and　see　this　much…abused

gentleman；　and　then　go　together　with　him　and　make　peace　with　your

husbandeven　on　those　terms。　　If　I　have　saved　you　from　the

consequences　of　your　folly　I　shall　be　willing　to　bear　even　HIS

blame。〃



〃Whatever　I　do；〃　said　Mrs。　Barker；　rising　hotly；　〃I　shall　not　stay

here　any　longer　to　be　insulted。〃　　She　flounced　out　of　the　room　and

swept　down　the　staircase　into　the　office。　　Here　she　found　an

overworked　clerk；　and　with　crimson　cheeks　and　flashing　eyes　wanted

to　know　why　in　her　own　father's　hotel　she　had　found　her　own

sitting…room　engaged；　and　had　been　obliged　to　wait　half　an　hour

before　she　could　be　shown　into　a　decent　apartment　to　remove　her　hat

and　cloak　in；　and　how　it　was　that　even　the　gentleman　who　had　kindly

escorted　her　had　evidently　been　unable　to　procure　her　any

assistance。　　She　said　this　in　a　somewhat　high　voice；　which　might

have　reached　the　ears　of　that　gentleman　had　he　been　in　the

vicinity。　　But　he　was　not；　and　she　was　forced　to　meet　the　somewhat

dazed　apologies　of　the　clerk　alone；　and　to　accompany　the

chambermaid　to　a　room　only　a　few　paces　distant　from　the　one　she　had

quitted。　　Here　she　hastily　removed　her　outer　duster　and　hat；　washed

her　hands；　and　consulted　her　excited　face　in　the　mirror；　with　the

door　ajar　and　an　ear　sensitively　attuned　to　any　step　in　the

corridor。　　But　all　this　was　effected　so　rapidly　that　she　was　at

last　obliged　to　sit　down　in　a　chair　near　the　half…opened　door；　and

wait。　　She　waited　five　minutestenbut　still　no　footstep。　　Then

she　went　out　into　the　corridor　and　listened；　and　then；　smoothing

her　face；　she　slipped　downstairs；　past　the　door　of　that　hateful

room；　and　reappeared　before　the　clerk　with　a　smiling　but　somewhat

pale　and　languid　face。　　She　had　found　the　room　very　comfortable；

but　it　was　doubtful　whether　she　would　stay　over　night　or　go　on　to

Hymettus。　　Had　anybody　been　inquiring　for　her？　　She　expected　to

meet　friends。　　No！　　And　her　escortthe　gentleman　who　came　with

herwas　possibly　in　the　billiard…room　or　the　bar？



〃Oh　no！　　He　was　gone；〃　said　the　clerk。



〃Gone！〃　echoed　Mrs。　Barker。　　〃Impossible！　　He　washe　was　here　only

a　moment　ago。〃



The　clerk　rang　a　bell　sharply。　　The　stableman　appeared。



〃That　tall；　smooth…faced　man；　in　a　high　hat；　who　came　with　the

lady；〃　said　the　clerk　severely　and　concisely；〃didn't　you　tell　me

he　was　gone？〃



〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　the　stableman。



〃Are　you　sure？〃　interrupted　Mrs。　Barker；　with　a　dazzling　smile

that；　however；　masked　a　sudden　tightening　round　her　heart。



〃Quite　sure；　miss；〃　said　the　stableman；　〃for　he　was　in　the　yard

when　Steptoe　came；　after　missing　the　coach。　　He　wanted　a　buggy　to

take　him　over　to　the　Divide。　　We　hadn't　one；　so　he　went　over　to　the

other　stables；　and　he　didn't　come　back；　so　I　reckon　he's　gone。　　I

remember　it；　because　Steptoe　came　by　a　minute　after　he'd　gone；　in

another　buggy；　and　as　he　was　going　to　the　Divide；　too；　I　wondered

why　the　gentleman　hadn't　gone　with　him。〃



〃And　he　left　no　message　for　me？　　He　said　nothing？〃　asked　Mrs。

Barker；　quite　breathless；　but　still　smiling。



〃He　said　nothin'　to　me　but　'Isn't　that　Steptoe　over　there？'　when

Steptoe　came　in。　　And　I　remember　he　said　it　kinder　suddentas　if

he　was　reminded　o'　suthin'　he'd　forgot；　and　then　he　asked　for　a

buggy。　　Ye　see；　miss；〃　added　the　man；　with　a　certain　rough

consideration　for　her　disappointment；　〃that's　mebbe　why　he　clean

forgot　to　leave　a　message。〃



Mrs。　Barker　turned　away；　and　ascended　the　stairs。　　Selfishness　is

quick　to　recognize　selfishness；　and　she　saw　in　a　flash　the　reason

of　Van　Loo's　abandonment　of　her。　　Some　fear　of　discovery　had

alarmed　him；　perhaps　Steptoe　knew　her　husband；　perhaps　he　had　heard

of　Mrs。　Horncastle's　possession　of　the　sitting…room；　perhapsfor

she　had　not　seen　him　since　their　playful　struggle　at　the　doorhe

had　recognized　the　woman　who　was　there；　and　the　selfish　coward　had

run　away。　　Yes；　Mrs。　Horncastle　was　right：　she　had　been　only　a

miserable　dupe。



Her　cheeks　blazed　as　she　entered　the　room　she　had　just　quitted；　and

threw　herself　in　a　chair　by　the　window。　　She　bit　her　lip　as　she

remembered　how　for　the　last　three　months　she　had　been　slowly

yielding　to　Van　Loo's　cautious　but　insinuating　solicitation；　from　a

flirtation　in　the　San　Francisco　hotel　to　a　clandestine　meeting　in

the　street；　from　a　ride　in　the　suburbs　to　a　supper　in　a　fast

restaurant　after　the　theatre。　　Other　women　did　it　who　were

fashionable　and　rich；　as　Van　Loo　had　pointed　out　to　her。　　Other

fashionable　women　also　gambled　in　stocks；　and　had　their　private

broker　in　a　〃Charley〃　or　a　〃Jack。〃　　Why　should　not　Mrs。　Barker　have

business　with　a　〃Paul〃　Van　Loo；　particularly　as　this　fast　craze

permitted　secret　meetings？for　business　of　this　kind　could　not　be

conducted　in　public；　and　permitted　the　fair　gambler　to　call　at

private　offices　without　fear　and　without　reproach。　　Mrs。　Barker's

vanity；　Mrs。　Barker's　love　of　ceremony　and　form；　Mrs。　Barker's

snobbishness；　were　flattered　by　the　attentions　of　this　polished

gentleman　with　a　foreign　name；　which　even　had　the　flavor　of

nobility；　who　never　picked　up　her　fan　and　handed　it　to　her　without

bowing；　and　always　rose　when　she　entered　the　room。　　Mrs。　Barker's

scant　schoolgirl　knowledge　was　touched　by　this　gentleman；　who　spoke

French　fluently；　and　delicately　explained　to　her　the　libretto　of　a

risky　opera　bouffe。　　And　now　she　had　finally　yielded　to　a　meeting

out　of　San　Franciscoand　an　ostensible　visitstill　as　a

speculatorto　one　or　two　mining　districtswith　HER　BROKER。　　This

was　the　boldest　of　her　stepsan　original　idea　of　the　fashionable

Van　Loowhich；　no　doubt；　in　time　would　become　a　craze；　too。　　But

it　was　a　long　stepand　there　was　a　streak　of　rustic　decorum　in

Mrs。　Barker's　naturethe　instinct　that　made　Kitty　Carter　keep　a

perfectly　secluded　and　distinct　sitting…room　in　the　days　when　she

served　her　father's　gueststhat　now　had　impelled　her　to　make　it　a

proviso　that　the　first　step　of　her　journey　should　be　from　her　old

home　in　her　father's　hotel。　　It　was　this　instinct　of　the　proprieties

that　had　revived　in　her　suddenly　at　the　door　of　the　old　sitting…room。



Then　a　new　phase　of　the　situation　flashed　upon　her。　　It　was　hard

for　her　vanity　to　accept　Van　Loo's　desertion　as　voluntary　and

final。　　What　if　that　hateful　woman　had　lured　him　away　by　some　trick

or　artfully　designed　message？　　She　was　capable　of　such　meanness　to

insure　the　fulfillment　of　her　prophecy。　　Or；　more　dreadful　thought；

what　if　she　had　some　hold　on　his　affectionsshe　had　said　that　he

had　pursued　her；　or；　more　infamous　still；　there　were　some　secret

understanding　between　them；　and　that　sheMrs。　Barkerwas　the　dupe

of　them　both！　　What　was　she　doing　in　the　hotel　at　such　a　moment？

What　was　her　story　of　going　to　Hymettus　but　a　lie　as　transparent　as

her　own？　　The　tortures　of　jealousy；　which　is　as　often　the　incentive

as　it　is　the　result　of　passion；　began　to　rack　her。　　She　had

probably　yet　known　no　real　passion　for　this　man；　but　with　the

thought　of　his　abandoning　her；　and　the　conception　of　his

faithlessness；　came　the　wish　to　hold　and　keep　him　that　was

dangerously　near　it。　　What　if　he　were　even　then　in　that　room；　the

room　where　she　had　said　she　would　not　stay　to　be　insulted；　and

they；　thus　secured　against　her　intrusion；　were　laughing　at　her　now？

She　half　rose　at　the　thought；　but　a　sound　of　a　horse's　hoofs　in　the

stable…yard　arrested　her。　　She　ran　to　the　window　which　gave　upon

it；　and；　crouching　down　beside　it；　listened　eagerly。　　The　clatter

of　hoofs　ceased；　the　stableman　was　talking　to　some　one；　suddenly

she　heard　the　stableman　say；　〃Mrs。　Barker　is　here。〃　　Her　heart

leaped；Van　Loo　had　returned。



But　here　the　voice　of　the　other　man　which　she　had　not　yet　heard

arose　for　the　first　time　clear　and　distinct。　　〃Are　you　quite　sure？

I　didn't　know　she　left　San　Francisco。〃



The　room　reeled　around　her。　　The　voice　was　George　Barker's；　her

husband！　　〃Very　well；〃　he　continued。　　〃You　needn't　put　up　my　horse

for　the　night。　　I　may　take　her　back　a　little　later　in　the　buggy。〃



In　another　moment　she　had　swept　down　the　passage；　and　burst　into

the　other　room。　　Mrs。　Horncastle　was　sitting　by　the　table　with　a

book　in　her　hand。　　She　started　as　the　half…maddened　woman　closed

the　door；　locked　it　behind　her；　and　cast　herself　on　her　knees　at

her　feet。



〃My　husband　is　here；〃　she　gasped。　　〃What　shall　I　do？　　In　heaven's

name　help　me！〃



〃Is　Van　Loo　still　here？〃　said　Mrs。　Horncastle　quickly。



〃No；　gone。　　He　went　when　I　came。〃



Mrs。　Horncastle　caught　her　hand　and　looked　intently　into　her

frightened　face。　　〃Then　what