the argonauts of north liberty-第19节

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many　rugs　and　hangings　scattered　in　disorder　around　the　room；　and
apparently　purposeless；　except　for　color；　there　was　a　bamboo　lounge
as　large　as　a　divan；　with　two　or　three　cushions　disposed　on　it；　and
a　low　chair　that　seemed　the　incarnation　of　indolence。　　Opposed　to
this；　on　the　wall；　was　the　rigid　picture　of　her　grandfather；　who
had　apparently　retired　with　his　volume　further　into　the　canvas
before　the　spectacle　of　this　ungodly　opulence；　a　large　Bible　on　a
funereal　trestle…like　stand；　and　the　primmest　and　barest　of
writing…tables；　before　which　she　was　standing　as　at　a　sacrificial
altar。　　With　an　almost　mechanical　movement　she　closed　her　portfolio
as　her　husband　entered；　and　also　shut　the　lid　of　a　small　box　with　a
slight　snap。　　This　suggested　exclusion　of　him　from　her　previous
occupation；　whatever　it　might　have　been；　caused　a　faint　shadow　of
pain　to　pass　across　his　loving　eyes。　　He　cast　a　glance　at　his　wife
as　if　mutely　asking　her　to　sit　beside　him；　but　she　drew　a　chair　to
the　table；　and　with　her　elbow　resting　on　the　box；　resignedly
awaited　his　speech。

〃I　don't　mean　to　disturb　you；　darling；〃　he　said；　gently；　〃but　as　we
were　alone；　I　thought　we　might　have　one　of　our　old…fashioned　talks；
and〃

〃Don't　let　it　be　so　old…fashioned　as　to　include　North　Liberty
again；〃　she　interrupted；　wearily。　　〃We've　had　quite　enough　of　that
since　I　returned。〃

〃I　thought　you　found　fault　with　me　then　for　forgetting　the　past。
But　let　that　pass；　dear；　it　is　not　OUR　affairs　I　wanted　to　talk　to
you　about　now；〃　he　said；　stifling　a　sigh；　〃it's　about　your　friend。
Please　don't　misunderstand　what　I　am　going　to　say；　nor　that　I
interpose　except　from　necessity。〃

She　turned　her　dark　brown　eyes　in　his　direction；　but　her　glance
passed　abstractedly　over　his　head　into　the　garden。

〃It's　a　matter　perfectly　well　known　to　meand；　I　fear；　to　all　our
servants　alsothat　somebody　is　making　clandestine　visits　to　our
garden。　　I　would　not　trouble　you　before；　until　I　ascertained　the
object　of　these　visits。　　It　is　quite　plain　to　me　now　that　Dona
Rosita　is　that　object；　and　that　communications　are　secretly　carried
on　between　her　and　some　unknown　stranger。　　He　has　been　here　once　or
twice　before；　he　was　here　again　yesterday。　　Ezekiel　saw　him　and　saw
her。〃

〃Together？〃　asked　Mrs。　Demorest；　sharply。

〃No；　but　it　was　evident　that　there　was　some　understanding；　and　that
some　communication　passed　between　them。〃

〃Well？〃　said　Mrs。　Demorest；　with　repressed　impatience。

〃It　is　equally　evident；　Joan；　that　this　stranger　is　a　man　who　does
not　dare　to　approach　your　friend　in　her　own　house；　nor　more　openly
in　this；　but　who；　with　her　connivance；　uses　us　to　carry　on　an
intrigue　which　may　be　perfectly　innocent；　but　is　certainly
compromising　to　all　concerned。　　I　am　quite　willing　to　believe　that
Dona　Rosita　is　only　romantic　and　reckless；　but　that　will　not
prevent　her　from　becoming　a　dupe　of　some　rascal　who　dare　not　face
us　openly；　and　who　certainly　does　not　act　as　her　equal。〃

〃Well；　Rosita　is　no　chicken；　and　you　are　not　her　guardian。〃

There　was　a　vague　heartlessness；　more　in　her　voice　than　in　her
words；　that　touched　him　as　her　cold　indifference　to　himself　had
never　done；　and　for　an　instant　stung　his　crushed　spirit　to　revolt。
〃No〃　he　said；　sternly；　〃but　I　am　her　father's　FRIEND；　and　I　shall
not　allow　his　daughter　to　be　compromised　under　my　roof。〃

Her　eyes　sprang　up　to　meet　his　in　hatred　as　promptly　as　they　once
had　met　in　love。　　〃And　since　when；　Richard　Demorest；　have　you
become　so　particular？〃　she　began；　with　dry　asperity。　　〃Since　you
lured　ME　from　the　side　of　my　wedded　husband？　　Since　you　met　ME
clandestinely　in　trains　and　made　love　to　ME　under　an　assumed　name？
Since　you　followed　ME　to　my　house　under　the　pretext　of　being　my
husband's　friend；　and　forced　meyes；　forced　meto　see　you
secretly　under　my　mother's　roof？　　Did　you　think　of　compromising　ME
then？　　Did　you　think　of　ruining　my　reputation；　of　driving　my
husband　from　his　home　in　despair？　　Did　you　call　yourself　a　rascal
then？　　Did　you〃

〃Stop！〃　he　said；　in　a　voice　that　shook　the　rafters；　〃I　command　you；
stop！〃

She　had　gradually　worked　herself　from　a　deliberately　insulting
precision　into　an　hysterical；　and　it　is　to　be　feared　a　virtuous；
conviction　of　her　wrongs。　　Beginning　only　with　the　instinct　to
taunt　and　wound　the　man　before　her；　she　had　been　led　by　a　secret
consciousness　of　something　else　he　did　not　know　to　anticipate　his
reproach　and　justify　herself　in　a　wild　feminine　abandonment　of
emotion。　　But　she　stopped　at　his　words。　　For　a　moment　she　was　even
thrilled　again　by　the　strength　and　imperiousness　she　had　loved。

They　were　facing　each　other　after　five　years　of　mistaken　passion；
even　as　they　had　faced　each　other　that　night　in　her　mother's
kitchen。　　But　the　grave　of　that　dead　passion　yawned　between　them。
It　was　Joan　who　broke　the　silence；　that　after　her　single　outburst
seemed　to　fill　and　oppress　the　room。

〃As　far　as　Rosita　is　concerned；〃　she　said；　with　affected　calmness；
〃she　is　going　to…night。　　And　you　probably　will　not　be　troubled　any
longer　by　your　mysterious　visitor。〃

Whether　he　heeded　the　sarcastic　significance　of　her　last　sentence；
or　even　heard　her　at　all；　he　did　not　reply。　　For　a　moment　he　turned
his　blazing　eyes　full　upon　her；　and　then　without　a　word　strode　from
the　room。

She　walked　to　the　door　and　stood　uneasily　listening　in　the　passage
until　she　heard　the　clatter　of　hoofs　in　the　paved　patio；　and　knew
that　he　had　ordered　his　horse。　　Then　she　turned　back　relieved　to
her　room。

It　was　already　sunset　when　Demorest　drew　rein　again　at　the　entrance
of　the　corral；　and　the　last　stroke　of　the　Angelus　was　ringing　from
the　Mission　tower。　　He　looked　haggard　and　exhausted；　and　his　horse
was　flecked　with　foam　and　dirt。　　Wherever　he　had　been；　or　for　what
object；　or　whether；　objectless　and　dazed；　he　had　simply　sought　to
lose　himself　in　aimlessly　wandering　over　the　dry　yellow　hills　or　in
careering　furiously　among　his　own　wild　cattle　on　the　arid；　brittle
plain；　whether　he　had　beaten　all　thought　from　his　brain　with　the
jarring　leap　of　his　horse；　or　whether　he　had　pursued　some　vague　and
elusive　determination　to　his　own　door；　is　not　essential　to　this
brief　chronicle。　　Enough　that　when　he　dismounted　he　drew　a　pistol
from　his　holster　and　replaced　it　in　his　pocket。

He　had　just　pushed　open　the　gate　of　the　corral　as　he　led　in　his
horse　by　the　bridle；　when　he　noticed　another　horse　tethered　among
some　cotton　woods　that　shaded　the　outer　wall　of　his　garden。　　As　he
gazed；　the　figure　of　a　man　swung　lightly　from　one　of　the　upper
boughs　of　a　cotton…wood　on　the　wall　and　disappeared　on　the　other
side。　　It　was　evidently　the　clandestine　visitor。　　Demorest　was
in　no　mood　for　trifling。　　Hurriedly　driving　his　horse　into　the
enclosure　with　a　sharp　cut　of　his　riata；　he　closed　the　gate　upon
him；　slipped　past　the　intervening　space　into　the　patio；　and　then
unnoticed　into　the　upper　part　of　the　garden。　　Taking　a　narrow　by…
path　in　the　direction　of　the　cotton　woods　that　could　be　seen　above
the　wall；　he　presently　came　in　sight　of　the　object　of　his　search
moving　stealthily　towards　the　house。　　It　was　the　work　of　a　moment
only　to　dash　forward　and　seize　him；　to　find　himself　engaged　in　a
sharp　wrestle；　to　half　draw　his　pistol　as　he　struggled　with　his
captive　in　the　open。　　But　once　in　the　clearer　light；　he　started；
his　grasp　of　the　stranger　relaxed；　and　he　fell　back　in　bewildered
terror。

〃Edward　Blandford！　　Good　God！〃

The　pistol　had　dropped　from　his　hand　as　he　leaned　breathless
against　a　tree。　　The　stranger　kicked　the　weapon　contemptuously
aside。　　Then　quietly　adjusting　his　disordered　dress；　and　picking
the　brambles　from　his　sleeve；　he　said　with　the　same　air　of　disdain；
〃Yes！　　Edward　Blandford；　whom　you　thought　dead！　　There！　　I'm　not　a
ghostthough　you　tried　to　make　me　one　this　time；〃　he　said；
pointing　to　the　pistol。

Demorest　passed　his　hand　across　his　white　face。　　〃Then　it's　you
and　you　have　come　here　forforJoan？〃

〃For　Joan？〃　echoed　Blandford；　with　a　quick　scornful　laugh；　that
made　the　blood　flow　back　into　Demorest's　face　as　from　a　blow；　and
recalled　his　scattered　senses。　　〃For　Joan；〃　he　repeated。　　〃Not
much！〃

The　two　men　were　facing　each　other　in　irreconcilable　yet　confused
antagonism。　　Both　were　still　excited　and　combative　from　their　late
physical　struggle；　but　with　feelings　so　widely　different　that　it
would　have　been　impossible　for　either　to　have　comprehended　the
other。　　In　the　figure　that　had　apparently　risen　from　the　dead　to
confront　him；　Demorest　only　saw　the　man　he　had　unconsciously
wrongedthe　man　who　had　it　in　his　power　to　claim　Joan　and　exact　a
terrible　retribution！　　But　it　was　part　of　this　monstrous　and
irreconcilable　situation　that　Blandford　had　ceased　to　contemplate
it；　and　in　his　preoccupation　only　saw　the　actual　interference　of　a
man　whom　he　no　longer　hated；　but　had　begun　to　pity　and　despise。

He　glanced　coolly　around　him。　　〃Whatever　we've　got　to　say　to　each
other；〃　he　said　deliberately；　〃had　better　not　be　overheard。　　At
least　what　I　have　got　to　say　to　you。〃


CHAPTER　V


Demorest；　now　as　self…possessed　as　his　adversary；　haughtily　waved
his　hand　towards　the　path。　　They　walked　on　in　silence；　without　e