a ward of the golden gate-第4节

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political　caucus；　perhaps　we'd　better　return　to　the　Ladies'
Boudoir；　unless　there's　a　committee　sitting　there　too。〃

〃I　know　how　valuable　your　time　must　be；　as　you　are　all　business
men；〃　said　Hathaway；　turning　to　his　party；　in　an　equally　audible
tone；　〃but　before　you　go；　gentlemen；　you　must　let　me　offer　you　a
little　refreshment　in　a　private　room；〃　and　he　moved　naturally
towards　the　door。　　The　rival　fair；　who　had　already　risen　at　their
commander's　suggestion；　here　paused　awkwardly　over　an　embarrassing
victory。　　Should　they　go　or　stay？　　The　object　of　their　devotion；
however；　turned　curiously　towards　Hathaway。　　For　an　instant　their
eyes　met。　　The　young　girl　turned　carelessly　to　her　companions　and
said；　〃No；　stay　hereit's　the　public　parlor；〃　and　her　followers；
evidently　accustomed　to　her　authority；　sat　down　again。

〃A　galaxy　of　young　ladies　from　the　Convent　of　Santa　Clara；　Mr。
Hathaway；〃　explained　Captain　Stidger；　naively　oblivious　of　any
discourtesy　on　their　part；　as　he　followed　Hathaway's　glance　and
took　his　arm　as　they　moved　away。　　〃Not　the　least　of　our　treasures；
sir。　　Most　of　them　daughters　of　pioneersand　all　Californian　bred
and　educated。　　Connoisseurs　have　awarded　them　the　palm；　and　declare
that　for　Grace；　Intelligence；　and　Woman's　Highest　Charms　the　East
cannot　furnish　their　equal！〃　　Having　delivered　this　Parthian
compliment　in　an　oratorical　passage　through　the　doorway；　the
captain　descended；　outside；　into　familiar　speech。　　〃But　I　suppose
you　will　find　that　out　for　yourself　if　you　stay　here　long。　　San
Francisco　might　furnish　a　fitting　bride　to　California's　youngest
senator。〃

〃I　am　afraid　that　my　stay　here　must　be　brief；　and　limited　to
business；〃　said　Hathaway；　who　had　merely　noticed　that　the　principal
girl　was　handsome　and　original…looking。　　〃In　fact；　I　am　here　partly
to　see　an　old　acquaintanceColonel　Pendleton。〃

The　three　men　looked　at　each　other　curiously。　　〃Oh！　Harry
Pendleton；〃　said　Mr。　Hoskins；　incredulously　〃You　don't　know　HIM？〃

〃An　old　pioneerof　course；〃　interposed　Shear；　explanatorily　and
apologetically。　　〃Why；　in　Paul's　time　the　colonel　was　a　big　man
here。〃

〃I　understand　the　colonel　has　been　unfortunate；〃　said　Hathaway；
gravely；　〃but　in　MY　time　he　was　President　of　the　El　Dorado　Bank。〃

〃And　the　bank　hasn't　got　through　its　settlement　yet；〃　said　Hoskins
〃I　hope　YOU　ain't　expecting　to　get　anything　out　of　it？〃

〃No；〃　said　Hathaway；　smiling；　〃I　was　a　boy　at　that　time；　and　lived
up　to　my　salary。　　I　know　nothing　of　his　bank　difficulties；　but　it
always　struck　me　that　Colonel　Pendleton　was　himself　an　honorable
man。〃

〃It　ain't　that；〃　said　Captain　Stidger　energetically；　〃but　the
trouble　with　Harry　Pendleton　is　that　he　hasn't　grown　with　the
State；　and　never　adjusted　himself　to　it。　　And　he　won't。　　He　thinks
the　Millennium　was　between　the　fall　of　'49　and　the　spring　of　'50；
and　after　that　everything　dropped。　　He　belongs　to　the　old　days；
when　a　man's　simple　WORD　was　good　for　any　amount　if　you　knew　him；
and　they　say　that　the　old　bank　hadn't　a　scrap　of　paper　for　half
that　was　owing　to　it。　　That　was　all　very　well；　sir；　in　'49　and　'50；
andLuck；　but　it　won't　do　for　'59　and　'60；　andBusiness！　　And　the
old　man　can't　see　it。〃

〃But　he　is　ready　to　fight　for　it　now；　as　in　the　old　time；〃　said　Mr。
Slate；　〃and　that's　another　trouble　with　his　chronology。　　He's　done
more　to　keep　up　dueling　than　any　other　man　in　the　State；　and　don't
know　the　whole　spirit　of　progress　and　civilization　is　against　it。〃

It　was　impossible　to　tell　from　Paul　Hathaway's　face　whether　his
sympathy　with　Colonel　Pendleton's　foibles　or　his　assent　to　the
criticisms　of　his　visitors　was　the　truer。　　Both　were　no　doubt
equally　sincere。　　But　the　party　was　presently　engaged　in　the
absorption　of　refreshment；　which；　being　of　a　purely；　spirituous　and
exhilarating　quality；　tended　to　increase　their　good　humor　with　the
host　till　they　parted。　　Even　then　a　gratuitous　advertisement　of　his
virtues　and　their　own　intentions　in　calling　upon　him　was
oratorically　voiced　from　available　platforms　and　landings；　in　the
halls　and　stairways；　until　it　was　pretty　well　known　throughout　the
Golden　Gate　Hotel　that　the　Hon。　Mr。　Paul　Hathaway　had　arrived　from
Sacramento　and　had　received　a　〃spontaneous　ovation。〃

Meantime　the　object　of　it　had　dropped　into　an　easy…chair　by　the
window　of　his　room；　and　was　endeavoring　to　recall　a　less　profitable
memory。　　The　process　of　human　forgetfulness　is　not　a　difficult　one
between　the　ages　of　eighteen　and　twenty…six；　and　Paul　Hathaway　had
not　only　fulfilled　the　Mayor's　request　by　forgetting　the
particulars　of　a　certain　transfer　that　he　had　witnessed　in　the
Mayor's　office；　but　in　the　year　succeeding　that　request；　being
about　to　try　his　fortunes　in　the　mountains；　he　had　formally
constituted　Colonel　Pendleton　to　act　as　his　proxy　in　the
administration　of　Mrs。　Howard's　singular　Trust；　in　which；　however；
he　had　never　participated　except　yearly　to　sign　his　name。　　He　was；
consequently；　somewhat　astonished　to　have　received　a　letter　a　few
days　before　from　Colonel　Pendleton；　asking　him　to　call　and　see　him
regarding　it。

He　vaguely　remembered　that　it　was　eight　years　ago；　and　eight　years
had　worked　considerable　change　in　the　original　trustees；　greatest
of　all　in　his　superior　officer；　the　Mayor；　who　had　died　the　year
following；　leaving　his　trusteeship　to　his　successor　in　office；　whom
Paul　Hathaway　had　never　seen。　　The　Bank　of　El　Dorado；　despite　Mrs。
Howard's　sanguine　belief；　had　long　been　in　bankruptcy；　and；
although　Colonel　Pendleton　still　survived　it；　it　was　certain　that
no　other　president　would　succeed　to　his　office　as　trustee；　and　that
the　function　would　lapse　with　him。　　Paul　himself；　a　soldier　of
fortune；　although　habitually　lucky；　had　only　lately　succeeded　to　a
professionif　his　political　functions　could　be　so　described。　　Even
with　his　luck；　energy；　and　ambition；　while　everything　was　possible；
nothing　was　secure。　　It　seemed；　therefore；　as　if　the　soulless
official　must　eventually　assume　the　duties　of　the　two　sympathizing
friends　who　had　originated　them；　and　had　stood　in　loco　parentis　to
the　constructive　orphan。　　The　mother；　Mrs。　Howard；　had　disappeared
a　year　after　the　Trust　had　been　madeit　was　charitably　presumed　in
order　to　prevent　any　complications　that　might　arise　from　her
presence　in　the　country。　　With　these　facts　before　him；　Paul
Hathaway　was　more　concerned　in　wondering　what　Pendleton　could　want
with　him　than；　I　fear；　any　direct　sympathy　with　the　situation。　　On
the　contrary；　it　appeared　to　him　more　favorable　for　keeping　the
secret　of　Mrs。　Howard's　relationship；　which　would　now　die　with
Colonel　Pendleton　and　himself；　and　there　was　no　danger　of　any
emotional　betrayal　of　it　in　the　cold　official　administration　of　a
man　who　had　received　the　Trust　through　the　formal　hands　of
successive　predecessors。　　He　had　forgotten　the　time　limited　for　the
guardianship；　but　the　girl　must　soon　be　of　age　and　off　their　hands。
If　there　had　ever　been　any　romantic　or　chivalrous　impression　left
upon　his　memory　by　the　scene　in　the　mayor's　office；　I　fear　he　had
put　it　away　with　various　other　foolish　illusions　of　his　youth；　to
which　he　now　believed　he　was　superior。

Nevertheless；　he　would　see　the　colonel；　and　at　once；　and　settle　the
question。　　He　looked　at　the　address；　〃St。　Charles　Hotel。〃　　He
remembered　an　old　hostelry　of　that　name；　near　the　Plaza。　　Could　it
be　possible　that　it　had　survived　the　alterations　and　improvements
of　the　city？　　It　was　an　easy　walk　through　remembered　streets；　yet
with　changed　shops　and　houses　and　faces。　　When　he　reached　the
Plaza；　scarce　recognizable　in　its　later　frontages　of　brick　and
stone；　he　found　the　old　wooden　building　still　intact；　with　its
villa…like　galleries　and　verandas　incongruously　and　ostentatiously
overlooked　by　two　new　and　aspiring　erections　on　either　side。　　For
an　instant　he　tried　to　recall　the　glamour　of　old　days。　　He
remembered　when　his　boyish　eyes　regarded　it　as　the　crowning　work　of
opulence　and　distinction；　he　remembered　a　ball　given　there　on　some
public　occasion；　which　was　to　him　the　acme　of　social　brilliancy　and
display。　　How　tawdry　and　trivial　it　looked　beside　those　later　and
more　solid　structures！　　How　inconsistent　were　those　long　latticed
verandas　and　balconies；　pathetic　record　of　that　first　illusion　of
the　pioneers　that　their　climate　was　a　tropical　one！　　A　restaurant
and　billiard…saloon　had　aggrandized　all　of　the　lower　story；　but
there　was　still　the　fanlight；　over　which　the　remembered　title　of
〃St。　Charles；〃　in　gilded　letters；　was　now　reinforced　by　the　too
demonstrative　legend；　〃Apartments　and　Board；　by　the　Day　or　Week。〃
Was　it　possible　that　this　narrow；　creaking　staircase　had　once
seemed　to　him　the　broad　steps　of　Fame　and　Fortune？　　On　the　first
landing；　a　preoccupied　Irish　servant…girl；　with　a　mop；　directed　him
to　a　door　at　the　end　of　the　passage；　at　which　he　knocked。　　The　door
was　opened　by　a　grizzled　negro　servant；　who　was　still　holding　a
piece　of　oily　chamois…leather　in　his　hand；　and　the　contents　of　a
dueling…case；　scattered　upon　a　table　in　the　centre　of　the　room；
showed　what　had　been　his　occupation。　　Admitting　Hathaway　with　great
courtesy；　he　said：

〃Marse　Harry　bin　havin'　his　ole　trubble；　sah；　and　bin