green mansions-第19节

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rds；　the　manifold　abuses　which　from　time　to　time　had　been　allowed　to　creep　into　it。　　The　old　man　was　pious；　but　like　many　of　his　class　in　my　country；　he　permitted　himself　to　indulge　in　very　free　criticisms　of　the　powers　above；　from　the　King　of　Heaven　down　to　the　smallest　saint　whose　name　figures　in　the　calendar。

〃These　things；　senor；〃　he　said；　〃are　not　properly　managed。　Consider　my　position。　　Here　am　I　compelled　for　my　sins　to　inhabit　this　wilderness　with　my　poor　granddaughter〃

〃She　is　not　your　granddaughter！〃　　I　suddenly　interrupted；　thinking　to　surprise　him　into　an　admission。

But　he　took　his　time　to　answer。　　〃Senor；　we　are　never　sure　of　anything　in　this　world。　　Not　absolutely　sure。　　Thus；　it　may　come　to　pass　that　you　will　one　day　marry；　and　that　your　wife　will　in　due　time　present　you　with　a　sonone　that　will　inherit　your　fortune　and　transmit　your　name　to　posterity。　　And　yet；　sir；　in　this　world；　you　will　never　know　to　a　certainty　that　he　is　your　son。〃

〃Proceed　with　what　you　were　saying；〃　I　returned；　with　some　dignity。

〃Here　we　are；〃　he　continued；　〃compelled　to　inhabit　this　land　and　do　not　meet　with　proper　protection　from　the　infidel。　　Now；　sir；　this　is　a　crying　evil；　and　it　is　only　becoming　in　one　who　has　the　true　faith；　and　is　a　loyal　subject　of　the　All…Powerful；　to　point　out　with　due　humility　that　He　is　growing　very　remiss　in　His　affairs；　and　is　losing　a　good　deal　of　His　prestige。　　And　what；　senor；　is　at　the　bottom　of　it？　　Favoritism。　　We　know　that　the　Supreme　cannot　Himself　be　everywhere；　attending　to　each　little　trick…track　that　arises　in　the　worldmatters　altogether　beneath　His　notice；　and　that　He　must；　like　the　President　of　Venezuela　or　the　Emperor　of　Brazil；　appoint　menangels　if　you　liketo　conduct　His　affairs　and　watch　over　each　district。　　And　it　is　manifest　that　for　this　country　of　Guayana　the　proper　person　has　not　been　appointed。　Every　evil　is　done　and　there　is　no　remedy；　and　the　Christian　has　no　more　consideration　shown　him　than　the　infidel。　　Now；　senor；　in　a　town　near　the　Orinoco　I　once　saw　on　a　church　the　archangel　Michael；　made　of　stone；　and　twice　as　tall　as　a　man；　with　one　foot　on　a　monster　shaped　like　a　cayman；　but　with　bat's　wings；　and　a　head　and　neck　like　a　serpent。　　Into　this　monster　he　was　thrusting　his　spear。　　That　is　the　kind　of　person　that　should　be　sent　to　rule　these　latitudesa　person　of　firmness　and　resolution；　with　strength　in　his　wrist。　　And　yet　it　is　probable　that　this　very　man…　…this　St。　　Michaelis　hanging　about　the　palace；　twirling　his　thumbs；　waiting　for　an　appointment；　while　other　weaker　men；　andHeaven　forgive　me　for　saying　itnot　above　a　bribe；　perhaps；　are　sent　out　to　rule　over　this　province。〃

On　this　string　he　would　harp　by　the　hour；　it　was　a　lofty　subject　on　which　he　had　pondered　much　in　his　solitary　life；　and　he　was　glad　of　an　opportunity　of　ventilating　his　grievance　and　expounding　his　views。　　At　first　it　was　a　pure　pleasure　to　hear　Spanish　again；　and　the　old　man；　albeit　ignorant　of　letters；　spoke　well；　but　this；　I　may　say；　is　a　common　thing　in　our　country；　where　the　peasant's　quickness　of　intelligence　and　poetic　feeling　often　compensate　for　want　of　instruction。　　His　views　also　amused　me；　although　they　were　not　novel。　　But　after　a　while　I　grew　tired　of　listening；　yet　I　listened　still；　agreeing　with　him；　and　leading　him　on　to　let　him　have　his　fill　of　talk；　always　hoping　that　he　would　come　at　last　to　speak　of　personal　matters　and　give　me　an　account　of　his　history　and　of　Rima's　origin。　　But　the　hope　proved　vain；　not　a　word　to　enlighten　me　would　he　drop；　however　cunningly　I　tempted　him。

〃So　be　it；〃　thought　I；　〃but　if　you　are　cunning；　old　man；　I　shall　be　cunning　tooand　patient；　for　all　things　come　to　him　who　waits。〃

He　was　in　no　hurry　to　get　rid　of　me。　　On　the　contrary；　he　more　than　hinted　that　I　would　be　safer　under　his　roof　than　with　the　Indians；　at　the　same　time　apologizing　for　not　giving　me　meat　to　eat。

〃But　why　do　you　not　have　meat？　　Never　have　I　seen　animals　so　abundant　and　tame　as　in　this　wood。〃　　Before　he　could　reply　Rima；　with　a　jug　of　water　from　the　spring　in　her　hand；　came　in；　glancing　at　me；　he　lifted　his　finger　to　signify　that　such　a　subject　must　not　be　discussed　in　her　presence；　but　as　soon　as　she　quitted　the　room　he　returned　to　it。

〃Senor；〃　he　said；　〃have　you　forgotten　your　adventure　with　the　snake？　　Know；　then；　that　my　grandchild　would　not　live　with　me　for　one　day　longer　if　I　were　to　lift　my　hand　against　any　living　creature。　　For　us；　senor；　every　day　is　fast…dayonly　without　the　fish。　　We　have　maize；　pumpkin；　cassava；　potatoes；　and　these　suffice。　　And　even　of　these　cultivated　fruits　of　the　earth　she　eats　but　little　in　the　house；　preferring　certain　wild　berries　and　gums；　which　are　more　to　her　taste；　and　which　she　picks　here　and　there　in　her　rambles　in　the　wood。　　And　I；　sir；　loving　her　as　I　do；　whatever　my　inclination　may　be；　shed　no　blood　and　eat　no　flesh。〃

I　looked　at　him　with　an　incredulous　smile。

〃And　your　dogs；　old　man？〃

〃My　dogs？　　Sir；　they　would　not　pause　or　turn　aside　if　a　coatimundi　crossed　their　pathan　animal　with　a　strong　odour。　　As　a　man　is；　so　is　his　dog。　　Have　you　not　seen　dogs　eating　grass；　sir；　even　in　Venezuela；　where　these　sentiments　do　not　prevail？　　And　when　there　is　no　meatwhen　meat　is　forbiddenthese　sagacious　animals　accustom　themselves　to　a　vegetable　diet。〃

I　could　not　very　well　tell　the　old　man　that　he　was　lying　to　methat　would　have　been　bad　policyand　so　I　passed　it　off。　　〃I　have　no　doubt　that　you　are　right；〃　I　said。　　〃I　have　heard　that　there　are　dogs　in　China　that　eat　no　meat；　but　are　themselves　eaten　by　their　owners　after　being　fattened　on　rice。　　I　should　not　care　to　dine　on　one　of　your　animals；　old　man。〃

He　looked　at　them　critically　and　replied：　〃Certainly　they　are　lean。〃

〃I　was　thinking　less　of　their　leanness　than　of　their　smell；〃　I　returned。　　〃Their　odour　when　they　approach　me　is　not　flowery；　but　resembles　that　of　other　dogs　which　feed　on　flesh；　and　have　offended　my　too　sensitive　nostrils　even　in　the　drawing…rooms　of　Caracas。　　It　is　not　like　the　fragrance　of　cattle　when　they　return　from　the　pasture。〃

〃Every　animal；〃　he　replied；　〃gives　out　that　odour　which　is　peculiar　to　its　kind〃；　an　incontrovertible　fact　which　left　me　nothing　to　say。

When　I　had　sufficiently　recovered　the　suppleness　of　my　limbs　to　walk　with　ease；　I　went　for　a　ramble　in　the　wood；　in　the　hope　that　Rima　would　accompany　me；　and　that　out　among　the　trees　she　would　cast　aside　that　artificial　constraint　and　shyness　which　was　her　manner　in　the　house。

It　fell　out　just　as　I　had　expected；　she　accompanied　me　in　the　sense　of　being　always　near　me；　or　within　earshot；　and　her　manner　was　now　free　and　unconstrained　as　I　could　wish；　but　little　or　nothing　was　gained　by　the　change。　　She　was　once　more　the　tantalizing；　elusive；　mysterious　creature　I　had　first　known　through　her　wandering；　melodious　voice。　　The　only　difference　was　that　the　musical；　inarticulate　sounds　were　now　less　often　heard；　and　that　she　was　no　longer　afraid　to　show　herself　to　me。　　This　for　a　short　time　was　enough　to　make　me　happy；　since　no　lovelier　being　was　ever　looked　upon；　nor　one　whose　loveliness　was　less　likely　to　lose　its　charm　through　being　often　seen。

But　to　keep　her　near　me　or　always　in　sight　was；　I　found；　impossible：　she　would　be　free　as　the　wind；　free　as　the　butterfly；　going　and　coming　at　her　wayward　will；　and　losing　herself　from　sight　a　dozen　times　every　hour。　　To　induce　her　to　walk　soberly　at　my　side　or　sit　down　and　enter　into　conversation　with　me　seemed　about　as　impracticable　as　to　tame　the　fiery…hearted　little　humming…bird　that　flashes　into　sight；　remains　suspended　motionless　for　a　few　seconds　before　your　face；　then；　quick　as　lightning；　vanishes　again。

At　length；　feeling　convinced　that　she　was　most　happy　when　she　had　me　out　following　her　in　the　wood；　that　in　spite　of　her　bird…like　wildness　she　had　a　tender；　human　heart；　which　was　easily　moved；　I　determined　to　try　to　draw　her　closer　by　means　of　a　little　innocent　stratagem。　　Going　out　in　the　morning；　after　calling　her　several　times　to　no　purpose；　I　began　to　assume　a　downcast　manner；　as　if　suffering　pain　or　depressed　with　grief；　and　at　last；　finding　a　convenient　exposed　root　under　a　tree；　on　a　spot　where　the　ground　was　dry　and　strewn　with　loose　yellow　sand；　I　sat　down　and　refused　to　go　any　further。　　For　she　always　wanted　to　lead　me　on　and　on；　and　whenever　I　paused　she　would　return　to　show　herself；　or　to　chide　or　encourage　me　in　her　mysterious　language。　All　her　pretty　little　arts　were　now　practiced　in　vain：　with　cheek　resting　on　my　hand；　I　still　sat；

So　my　eyes　fixed　on　that　patch　of　yellow　sand　at　my　feet；　watching　how　the　small　particles　glinted　like　diamond　dust　when　the　sunlight　touched　them。　　A　full　hour　passed　in　this　way；　during　which　I　encouraged　myself　by　saying　mentally：　〃This　is　a　contest　between　us；　and　the　most　patient　and　the　strongest　of　will；　which　should　be　the　man；　must　conquer。　　And　if　I　win　on　this　occasion；　it　will　be　easier　for　me　in　the　futureeasier　to　discover　those　things　which　I　am　resolved　to　know；　and　the　girl　must　reveal　to　me；　since　the　old　man　has　proved　impracticable。〃

Meanwhile　she　came　and　went　and　came　again；　and　at　last；　finding　that　I　was　not　to　be　moved；　she　approached　and　stood　near　me。　　Her