a ward of the golden gate-第28节

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taking　a　bitter　but　wholesome　tonic。　　It　was　not　until　she　reached
the　bed　at　the　farther　end　of　the　ward　that　she　seemed　to　meet　with
any　check。

It　was　occupied　by　a　haggard　man；　with　a　long　white　moustache　and
features　that　seemed　wasted　by　inward　struggle　and　fever。　　At　the
first　sound　of　her　voice　he　turned　quickly　towards　her；　lifted
himself　on　his　elbow；　and　gazed　fixedly　in　her　face。

〃Kate　Howardby　the　Eternal！〃　he　said；　in　a　low　voice。

Despite　her　rigid　self…possession　the　woman　started；　glanced
hurriedly　around；　and　drew　nearer　to　him。

〃Pendleton！〃　she　said；　in　an　equally　suppressed　voice；　〃What；　in
God's　name；　are　you　doing　here？〃

〃Dying；　I　reckonsooner　or　later；〃　he　said　grimly；　〃that's　what
they　do　here。〃

〃Butwhat；〃　she　went　on　hurriedly；　still　glancing　over　her
shoulder　as　if　she　suspected　some　trick〃what　has　brought　you　to
this？〃

〃YOU！〃　said　the　colonel；　dropping　back　exhaustedly　on　his　pillow。
〃You　and　your　daughter。〃

〃I　don't　understand　you；〃　she　said　quickly；　yet　regarding　him　with
stern　rigidity。　　〃You　know　perfectly　well　I　have　NO　daughter。　　You
know　perfectly　well　that　I've　kept　the　word　I　gave　you　ten　years
ago；　and　that　I　have　been　dead　to　her　as　she　has　been　to　me。〃

〃I　know；〃　said　the　colonel；　〃that　within　the　last　three　months　I
have　paid　away　my　last　cent　to　keep　the　mouth　of　an　infernal
scoundrel　shut　who　KNOWS　that　you　are　her　mother；　and　threatens　to
expose　her　to　her　friends。　　I　know　that　I'm　dying　here　of　an　old
wound　that　I　got　when　I　shut　the　mouth　of　another　hound　who　was
ready　to　bark　at　her　two　years　after　you　disappeared。　　I　know　that
between　you　and　her　I've　let　my　old　nigger　die　of　a　broken　heart；
because　I　couldn't　keep　him　to　suffer　with　me；　and　I　know　that　I'm
here　a　pauper　on　the　State。　　I　know　that；　Kate；　and　when　I　say　it　I
don't　regret　it。　　I've　kept　my　word　to　YOU；　and；　by　the　Eternal；
your　daughter's　worth　it！　　For　if　there　ever　was　a　fair　and
peerless　creatureit's　your　child！〃

〃And　shea　rich　womanunless　she　squandered　the　fortune　I　gave
herlets　you　lie　here！〃　said　the　woman　grimly。

〃She　don't　know　it。〃

〃She　SHOULD　know　it！　　Have　you　quarreled？〃　　She　was　looking　at　him
keenly。

〃She　distrusts　me；　because　she　half　suspects　the　secret；　and　I
hadn't　the　heart　to　tell　her　all。〃

〃All？　　What　does　she　know？　　What　does　this　man　know？　　What　has　been
told　her？〃　she　said　rapidly。

〃She　only　knows　that　the　name　she　has　taken　she　has　no　right　to。〃

〃Right　to？　　Why；　it　was　written　on　the　TrustYerba　Buena。〃

〃No；　not　that。　　She　thought　it　was　a　mistake。　　She　took　the　name　of
Arguello。〃

〃What？〃　said　Mrs。　Argalls；　suddenly　grasping　the　invalid's　wrist
with　both　hands。　　〃What　name？〃　her　eyes　were　startled　from　their
rigid　coldness；　her　lips　were　colorless。

〃Arguello！　　It　was　some　foolish　schoolgirl　fancy　which　that　hound
helped　to　foster　in　her。　　Whywhat's　the　matter；　Kate？〃

The　woman　dropped　the　helpless　man's　wrist；　then；　with　an　effort；
recovered　herself　sufficiently　to　rise；　and；　with　an　air　of
increased　decorum；　as　if　the　spiritual　character　of　their　interview
excluded　worldly　intrusion；　adjusted　the　screen　around　his　bed；　so
as　partly　to　hide　her　own　face　and　Pendleton's。　　Then；　dropping
into　the　chair　beside　him；　she　said；　in　her　old　voice；　from　which
the　burden　of　ten　long　years　seemed　to　have　been　lifted；

〃Harry；　what's　that　you're　playing　on　me？〃

〃I　don't　understand　you；〃　said　Pendleton　amazedly。

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　you　don't　know　it；　and　didn't　tell　her
yourself？〃　she　said　curtly。

〃What？　　Tell　her　what？〃　he　repeated　impatiently。

〃That　Arguello　WAS　her　father！〃

〃Her　father？〃　　He　tried　to　struggle　to　his　elbow　again；　but　she
laid　her　hand　masterfully　upon　his　shoulder　and　forced　him　back。
〃Her　father！〃　he　repeated　hurriedly。　　〃Jose　Arguello！　　Great　God！
are　you　sure？〃

Quietly　and　yet　mechanically　gathering　the　scattered　tracts　from
the　coverlet；　and　putting　them　back；　one　by　one　in　her　reticule；
she　closed　it　and　her　lips　with　a　snap　as　she　uttered〃Yes。〃

Pendleton　remained　staring　at　her　silently；　〃Yes；〃　he　muttered；　〃it
may　have　been　some　instinct　of　the　child's；　or　some　diabolical
fancy　of　Briones'。　　But；〃　he　said　bitterly；　〃true　or　not；　she　has
no　right　to　his　name。〃

〃And　I　say　she　HAS。〃

She　had　risen　to　her　feet；　with　her　arms　folded　across　her　breast；
in　an　attitude　of　such　Puritan　composure　that　the　distant
spectators　might　have　thought　she　was　delivering　an　exordium　to　the
prostrate　man。

〃I　met　Jose　Arguello；　for　the　second　time；　in　New　Orleans；〃　she
said　slowly；　〃eight　years　ago。　　He　was　still　rich；　but　ruined　in
health　by　dissipation。　　I　was　tired　of　my　way　of　life。　　He　proposed
that　I　should　marry　him　to　take　care　of　him　and　legitimatize　our
child。　　I　was　forced　to　tell　him　what　I　had　done　with　her；　and　that
the　Trust　could　not　be　disturbed　until　she　was　of　age　and　her　own
mistress。　　He　assented。　　We　married；　but　he　died　within　a　year。　　He
died；　leaving　with　me　his　acknowledgment　of　her　as　his　child；　and
the　right　to　claim　her　if　I　chose。〃

〃And？〃interrupted　the　colonel　with　sparkling　eyes。

〃I　DON'T　CHOOSE。

〃Hear　me！〃　she　continued　firmly。　　〃With　his　name　and　my　own
mistress；　and　the　girl；　as　I　believed；　properly　provided　for　and
ignorant　of　my　existence；　I　saw　no　necessity　for　reopening　the
past。　　I　resolved　to　lead　a　new　life　as　his　widow。　　I　came　north。
In　the　little　New　England　town　where　I　first　stopped；　the　country
people　contracted　my　name　to　Mrs。　Argalls。　　I　let　it　stand　so。　　I
came　to　New　York　and　entered　the　service　of　the　Lord　and　the　bonds
of　the　Church；　Henry　Pendleton；　as　Mrs。　Argalls；　and　have　remained
so　ever　since。〃

〃But　you　would　not　object　to　Yerba　knowing　that　you　lived；　and
rightly　bore　her　father's　name？〃　said　Pendleton　eagerly。

The　woman　looked　at　him　with　compressed　lips。　　〃I　should。　　I　have
buried　all　my　past；　and　all　its　consequences。　　Let　me　not　seek　to
reopen　it　or　recall　them。〃

〃But　if　you　knew　that　she　was　as　proud　as　yourself；　and　that　this
very　uncertainty　as　to　her　name　and　parentage；　although　she　has
never　known　the　whole　truth；　kept　her　from　taking　the　name　and
becoming　the　wife　of　a　man　whom　she　loves？〃

〃Whom　she　loves！〃

〃Yes；　one　of　her　guardians…Hathawayto　whom　you　intrusted　her
when　she　was　a　child。〃

〃Paul　Hathawaybut　HE　knew　it。〃

〃Yes。　　But　SHE　does　not　know　he　does。　　He　has　kept　the　secret
faithfully；　even　when　she　refused　him。〃

She　was　silent　for　a　moment；　and　then　said；

〃So　be　it。　　I　consent。〃

〃And　you'll　write　to　her？〃　said　the　colonel　eagerly。

〃No。　　But　YOU　may；　and　if　you　want　them　I　will　furnish　you　with
such　proofs　as　you　may　require。〃

〃Thank　you。〃　　He　held　out　his　hand　with　such　a　happy　yet　childish
gratitude　upon　his　worn　face　that　her　own　trembled　slightly　as　she
took　it。　　〃Good…by！〃

〃I　shall　see　you　soon；〃　she　said。

〃I　shall　be　here；〃　he　said　grimly。

〃I　think　not；〃　she　returned；　with　the　first　relaxation　of　her
smileless　face；　and　moved　away。

As　she　passed　out　she　asked　to　see　the　house　surgeon。　　How　soon　did
he　think　the　patient　she　had　been　conversing　with　could　be　removed
from　the　hospital　with　safety？　　Did　Mrs。　Argalls　mean　〃far？〃　　Mrs。
Argalls　meant　as　far　as　THATtendering　her　card　and　eminently
respectable　address。　　Ah！perhaps　in　a　week。　　Not　before？　　Perhaps
before；　unless　complications　ensued；　the　patient　had　been　much　run
down　physically；　though；　as　Mrs。　Argalls　had　probably　noticed；　he
was　singularly　strong　in　nervous　will　force。　　Mrs。　Argalls　HAD
noticed　it；　and　considered　it　an　extraordinary　case　of　conviction
worthy　of　the　closest　watching　and　care。　　When　he　was　able　to　be
moved　she　would　send　her　own　carriage　and　her　own　physician　to
superintend　his　transfer。　　In　the　mean　time　he　was　to　want　for
nothing。　　Certainly；　he　had　given　very　little　trouble；　and；　in
fact；　wanted　very　little。　　Just　now　he　had　only　asked　for　paper；
pens；　and　ink。


CHAPTER　VIII。


As　Mrs。　Argalls's　carriage　rolled　into　Fifth　Avenue；　it　for　a
moment　narrowly　grazed　another　carriage；　loaded　with　luggage；
driving　up　to　a　hotel。　　The　abstracted　traveler　within　it　was　Paul
Hathaway；　who　had　returned　from　Europe　that　morning。

Paul　entered　the　hotel；　and；　going　to　the　register　mechanically；
turned　its　leaves　for　the　previous　arrivals；　with　the　same　hopeless
patience　that　had　for　the　last　six　weeks　accompanied　this　habitual
preliminary　performance　on　his　arrival　at　the　principal　European
hotels。　　For　he　had　lost　all　trace　of　Yerba；　Pendleton；　Milly；　and
the　Briones　from　the　day　of　their　departure。　　The　entire　party
seemed　to　have　separated　at　Basle；　and；　in　that　eight…hours'　start
they　had　of　him；　to　have　disappeared　to　the　four　cardinal　points。
He　had　lingered　a　few　days　in　London　to　transact　some　business；　he
would　linger　a　few　days　longer　in　New　York　before　returning　to　San
Francisco。

The　daily　papers　already　contained　his　name　in　the　list　of　the
steamer　passengers　who　arrived　that　morning。　　It　might　meet　HER
eye；　although　he　had　been　haunted　during　the　voyage　by　a　terrible
fancy　that　she　was　still　in　Europe；　and　had　either　hidden　herself
in　some　obscure　provincial　town　with　the　half…crazy　Pendlet