the golden fleece-第4节

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　thrusting　a　dagger　between　his　ribs。　　Reality；what　a　delight　it　is！　　The　actual　touch　and　feeling　of　the　spontaneous　natural　creature　have　been　so　buried　beneath　centuries　of　hypocrisy　and　humbug　that　we　have　ceased　to　believe　in　them　save　as　a　metaphysical　abstraction。　　But　even　as　water；　long　depressed　under…ground　in　perverse　channels；　surges　up　to　the　surface；　and　above　it；　at　last；　in　a　fountain　of　relief；　so　Nature；　after　enduring　ages　of　outrage　and　banishment；　leaps　back　to　her　rightful　domain　in　some　individual　whom　we　call　extraordinary　because　he　or　she　is　natural。　　Grace　Parsloe　did　not　seem　（regarded　as　to　her　temperament　and　quality）　to　belong　where　she　was：　therefore　she　was　a　delightful　incident　there。　　Had　she　been　met　with　in　the　days　of　the　Old　Testament；　or　in　the　depths　of　Persia　or　India　at　the　present　time；　even；　she　might　have　appeared　commonplace。　　But　here　she　was　in　conventional　costume；　with　conventional　manners。　　And；　just　as　the　nautch…girls；　and　other　Oriental　dancers　and　posturers；　wear　a　costume　which　suggests　nature　more　effectively　than　does　nature　itself；　so　did　Grace's　conventionality　suggest　to　Freeman　the　essential　absence　of　conventionality　more　forcibly　than　if　he　had　seen　her　clad　in　a　turban　and　translucent　caftan；　dancing　off　John　the　Baptist's　head；　or　driving　a　nail　into　that　of　Sisera。　　Grace　certainly　owed　much　of　her　importance　to　her　situation；　which　rendered　her　foreign　and　piquante。　　But；　then；　everything；　in　this　world；　is　relative。

Racial　types　seem　to　be　a　failure：　when　they　become　very　marked；　the　race　deteriorates　or　vanishes。　　In　the　counties　of　England；　after　only　a　thousand　years；　the　women　you　meet　in　the　rural　districts　and　country　towns　all　look　like　sisters。　　The　Asiatics；　of　course；　are　much　more　sunk　in　type　than　the　Anglo…　Saxons；　and　they　show　us　the　way　we　would　be　going。　　Only；　there　is　hope　in　rapid　transit　and　the　cosmopolitan　spirit；　and　especially　in　these　United　States；　which　bring　together　the　ends　of　the　earth；　and　place　side　by　side　a　descendant　of　the　Puritans　like　Freeman；　and　a　daughter　of　Irak…Ajemi。

〃What　are　you　coming　to　California　for；　Mr。　Freeman？〃

Freeman　had　already　told　her　what　he　had　been　in　the　Isthmus　for；to　paddle　in　miasmatic　swamps　with　a　view　to　the　possibility　of　a　canal　in　the　remote；　speculative　future。　　He　had　given　her　a　graphic　and　entertaining　picture　of　the　hideous　and　inconceivable　life　he　had　led　there　for　six　months；　from　which　he　had　emerged　the　only　member　of　a　party　of　nineteen　（whites；　blacks；　and　yellows）　who　was　not　either　dead　by　disease；　by　violence；　or　by　misadventure；　or　had　barely　escaped　with　life　and　a　shattered　constitution。　　Freeman；　after　emerging　from　the　miasmatic　hell　and　lake　of　Gehenna；　had　taken　a　succession　of　baths；　with　soap　and　friction；　had　been　attended　by　a　barber　and　a　tailor；　and　had　himself　attended　the　best　table　to　be　found　for　love　or　money　in　the　charming　town　of　Panama。　　He　had　also　spent　more　than　half　of　the　week　of　his　sojourn　there　in　sleep；　and　he　was　now　in　the　best　possible　condition；　physical　and　mental；　though　not；　he　admitted；　pecuniary。　　As　to　morals；　they　had　not　reached　that　discussion　yet。　　But；　in　all　that　he　did　say；　Freeman　exhibited　perfect　unreserve　and　frankness；　answering　without　hesitation　or　embarrassment　any　question　she　chose　to　ask　（and　she　asked　some　curious　ones）。

But　when　she　asked　him　such　an　innocent　thing　as　what　he　was　after　in　Californiaan　inquiry；　by　the　way；　put　more　in　idleness　than　out　of　curiosityFreeman　stroked　his　yellow　moustache　with　the　thumb　of　the　hand　that　held　his　Cuban　cigarette；　gazed　with　narrowed　eyelids　at　the　horizon；　and　for　some　time　made　no　reply　at　all。　　Finally　he　said　that　California　was　a　place　he　had　never　visited；　and　that　it　would　be　a　pity　to　have　been　so　near　it　and　yet　not　have　improved　the　opportunity　of　taking　a　look　at　it。

Grace　instantly　scented　a　mystery；　and　was　not　less　promptly　resolved　to　fathom　it。　　And　what　must　be　the　nature　of　a　mystery　attaching　to　a　handsome　man；　unmarried；　and　evidently　no　stranger　to　the　gentler　sex？　　Of　course　there　must　be　a　woman　in　it！　　Her　eyes　glowed　with　azure　fire。

〃You　have　some　acquaintances　in　California；　I　suppose？〃　she　said；　with　an　air　of　laborious　indifference。

〃Well；yes；　I　believe　I　have；〃　Freeman　admitted。

〃Have　they　lived　there　long？〃

〃No；　not　over　a　few　months。　　I　accidentally　heard　from　a　person　in　Panama。　　I　dropped　a　line　to　say　I　might　turn　up。〃

〃Sheyou　haven't　had　time　to　get　an　answer；　then？〃

Freeman　inhaled　a　deep　breath　through　his　cigarette；　tilted　his　head　back；　and　allowed　the　smoke　to　escape　slowly　through　his　nostrils。　　In　this　manner；　familiar　to　his　deep…designing　sex；　he　concealed　a　smile。　　Grace　was；　in　some　respects；　as　transparent　as　she　was　subtle。　　So　long　as　the　matter　in　hand　did　not　touch　her　emotions；　she　had　no　difficulty　in　maintaining　a　deceptive　surface；　but　emotion　she　could　not　disguise；　though　she　was　probably　not　aware　of　the　fact；　for　emotion　has　a　tendency　to　shut　one's　own　eyes　and　open　what　they　can　no　longer　see　in　one's　self　to　the　gaze　of　outsiders。

〃No；〃　he　said；　when　he　had　recovered　his　composure。　　〃But　that　won't　make　any　difference。　　We　are　on　rather　intimate　terms；　you　see。〃

〃Oh！　　Is　it　long　since　you　have　met？〃

〃Pretty　long；　at　least　it　seems　so　to　me。〃

Grace　turned；　and　looked　full　at　her　companion。　　He　did　not　meet　her　glance；　but　kept　his　profile　steadily　opposed；　and　went　on　smoking　with　a　dreamy　air；　as　if　lost　in　memories　and　anticipations；　sad；　yet　sweet。

〃Really；　Mr。　Freeman；　I　hardly　thought　you　have　always　seemed　to　care　so　little　about　anythingI　didn't　suspect　you　of　so　much　sentiment。〃

〃I　am　like　other　men；〃　he　returned；　with　a　sigh。　　〃My　affections　are　not　given　indiscriminately；　but　when　they　are　given；you　understand；I〃

〃Oh；　I　understand：　pray　don't　think　it　necessary　to　explain。　　I'm　sure　I'm　very　far　from　wishing　to　listen　to　confidences　about　another；to〃

〃Yes；　but　I　like　to　talk　about　it；〃　interposed　Freeman；　earnestly。　　〃I　haven't　had　a　chance　to　open　my　heart；　you　know；　for　at　least　six　months。　　And　though　you　and　I　haven't　known　each　other　long；　I　believe　you　to　be　capable　of　appreciating　what　a　man　feels　when　he　is　on　his　way　to　meet　some　one　who〃

〃Thank　you！　　You　are　most　considerate！　　But　I　shall　be　additionally　obliged　if　you　would　tell　me　in　what　respect　I　can　have　so　far　forgotten　myself　as　to　lead　you　to　think　me　likely　to　appreciate　anything　of　the　kind。　　I　assure　you；　Mr。　Freeman；　I　have　never　cared　for　any　one；　and　nothing　I　have　seen　since　I　left　home　makes　it　probable　that　I　shall　begin　now。〃

〃I　am　sorry　to　hear　that；〃　said　Freeman；　slowly　drawing　another　cigarette　out　of　his　bundle；　and　beginning　to　re…roll　it　with　a　dejected　air。

〃Indeed！〃

〃Yes：　the　fact　is；　I　had　hoped　that　you　had　begun　to　have　a　little　friendly　feeling　for　me。　　I　am　more　than　ready　to　reciprocate。〃

〃I　hope　you　will　spare　me　any　insults；　sir。　　I　have　no　one　to　protect　me；　but〃

〃I　assure　you；　I　mean　no　insult。　　You　cannot　help　knowing　that　I　think　you　as　beautiful　and　fascinating　a　woman　as　I　have　ever　met；　but　of　course　you　can't　help　being　beautiful　and　fascinating。　　Do　I　insult　you　by　having　eyes？　　If　so；　I　am　sorry；　but　you　will　have　to　make　the　best　of　it。〃

With　this；　he　turned　in　his　seat；　and　calmly　confronted　her。　　Beautiful　she　certainly　was；　at　that　moment；　but　it　was　the　beauty　of　an　angry　serpent。　　She　had　a　pencil　in　her　hand；　with　which；　a　little　while　before；　she　had　been　sketching　heads　of　some　of　the　passengers　in　her　little　notebook。　　She　was　now　handling　this　inoffensive　object　in　such　a　way　as　to　justify　the　fancy　that；　had　it　been　charged　with　a　deadly　poison　in　its　point；　instead　of　with　a　bit　of　plumbago　of　the　HH　quality；　she　would　have　driven　it　into　Freeman's　heart　then　and　there。

〃Is　it　no　insult；〃　said　she；　in　a　sibilant　voice；　〃to　talk　to　me　as　you　are　doing；　when　you　have　just　told　me　that　you　love　another　woman；　and　are　going　to　meet　her？〃

Freeman's　brows　gradually　knitted　themselves　in　a　frown　of　apparent　perplexity。　　〃I　must　say　I　don't　understand　you；〃　he　observed；　at　length。　　〃I　am　quite　sure　I　have　said　nothing　of　the　sort。　　How　could　I？〃

〃If　you　wish　to　quibble　about　words；　perhaps　not。　　But　was　not　that　your　meaning？〃

〃No；　it　wasn't。　　You　are　the　only　woman　who　has　been　in　my　thoughts　to…day。〃

〃Mr。　Freeman！〃

〃Well？〃

〃You　have　intimated　very　clearly　that　you　are　engagedmarried；　for　aught　I　know　to　a　woman　whom　you　are　now　on　your　way　to　meet〃

At　this　point　she　stopped。　　Freeman　had　interrupted　her　with　a　shout　of　laughter。

She　had　been　very　pale。　　She　now　flushed　all　over　her　face；　and　jumped　to　her　feet。

〃Sit　down；〃　he　said；　laying　a　hand　on　her　dress　and　（aided　by　a　lurch　of　the　vessel）　pulling　her　into　her　seat　again；　〃and　listen　to　me。　　And　then　I　shall　insist　upon　an　apology。　　This　is　too　much！〃

〃I　shall　ask　the　captain〃

〃You　will　not；　I　promise　you。　　Look　here！　　When　I　was　in　Panama；　I　met　there　a　fellow　I　used　to　know　in　New　York。　　He　told　me　that　he　had　recently　crossed　the　continent　with　Professor　Meschines；　who　used　to　teach　geology　and　botany　at　Yale　College；　when　he　and