green mansions-第32节

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　presented　itself；　after　old　Nuflo　had　sneaked　off　with　his　dogs。　　From　the　moment　of　his　departure　I　kept　a　close　watch　on　the　house；　as　one　watches　a　bush　in　which　a　bird　one　wishes　to　see　has　concealed　itself；　and　out　of　which　it　may　dart　at　any　moment　and　escape　unseen。

At　length　she　came　forth；　and　seeing　me　in　the　way；　would　have　slipped　back　into　hiding；　for；　in　spite　of　her　boldness　on　the　previous　day；　she　now　seemed　shyer　than　ever　when　I　spoke　to　her。

〃Rima；〃　I　said；　〃do　you　remember　where　we　first　talked　together　under　a　tree　one　morning；　when　you　spoke　of　your　mother；　telling　me　that　she　was　dead？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃I　am　going　now　to　that　spot　to　wait　for　you。　　I　must　speak　to　you　again　in　that　place　about　this　journey　to　Riolama。〃　　As　she　kept　silent；　I　added：　〃Will　you　promise　to　come　to　me　there？〃

She　shook　her　head；　turning　half　away。

〃Have　you　forgotten　our　compact；　Rima？〃

〃No；〃　she　returned；　and　then；　suddenly　coming　near；　spoke　in　a　low　tone：　〃I　will　go　there　to　please　you；　and　you　must　also　do　as　I　tell　you。〃

〃What　do　you　wish；　Rima？〃

She　came　nearer　still。　　〃Listen！　　You　must　not　look　into　my　eyes；　you　must　not　touch　me　with　your　hands。〃

〃Sweet　Rima；　I　must　hold　your　hand　when　I　speak　with　you。〃

〃No；　no；　no；〃　she　murmured；　shrinking　from　me；　and　finding　that　it　must　be　as　she　wished；　I　reluctantly　agreed。

Before　I　had　waited　long；　she　appeared　at　the　trysting…place；　and　stood　before　me；　as　on　a　former　occasion；　on　that　same　spot　of　clean　yellow　sand；　clasping　and　unclasping　her　fingers；　troubled　in　mind　even　then。　　Only　now　her　trouble　was　different　and　greater；　making　her　shyer　and　more　reticent。

〃Rime；　your　grandfather　is　going　to　take　you　to　Riolama。　　Do　you　wish　me　to　go　with　you？〃

〃Oh；　do　you　not　know　that？〃　　she　returned；　with　a　swift　glance　at　my　face。

〃How　should　I　know？〃

Her　eyes　wandered　away　restlessly。　　〃On　Ytaioa　you　told　me　a　hundred　things　which　I　did　not　know；〃　she　replied　in　a　vague　way；　wishing；　perhaps；　to　imply　that　with　so　great　a　knowledge　of　geography　it　was　strange　I　did　not　know　everything；　even　her　most　secret　thoughts。

〃Tell　me；　why　must　you　go　to　Riolama？〃

〃You　have　heard。　　To　speak　to　my　people。〃

〃What　will　you　say　to　them？　　Tell　me。〃

〃What　you　do　not　understand。　　How　tell　you？〃

〃I　understand　you　when　you　speak　in　Spanish。〃

〃Oh；　that　is　not　speaking。〃

〃Last　night　you　spoke　to　your　mother　in　Spanish。　　Did　you　not　tell　her　everything？〃

〃Oh　nonot　then。　　When　I　tell　her　everything　I　speak　in　another　way；　in　a　low　voicenot　on　my　knees　and　praying。　　At　night；　and　in　the　woods；　and　when　I　am　alone　I　tell　her。　　But　perhaps　she　does　not　hear　me；　she　is　not　here；　but　up　thereso　far！　　She　never　answers；　but　when　I　speak　to　my　people　they　will　answer　me。〃

Then　she　turned　away　as　if　there　was　nothing　more　to　be　said。

〃Is　this　all　I　am　to　hear　from　you；　Rimathese　few　words？〃　　I　exclaimed。　　〃So　much　did　you　say　to　your　grandfather；　so　much　to　your　dead　mother；　but　to　me　you　say　so　little！〃

She　turned　again；　and　with　eyes　cast　down　replied：

〃He　deceived　meI　had　to　tell　him　that；　and　then　to　pray　to　mother。　　But　to　you　that　do　not　understand；　what　can　I　say？　　Only　that　you　are　not　like　him　and　all　those　that　I　knew　at　Voa。　　It　is　so　differentand　the　same。　　You　are　you；　and　I　am　I；　why　is　itdo　you　know？〃

〃No；　yesI　know；　but　cannot　tell　you。　　And　if　you　find　your　people；　what　will　you　doleave　me　to　go　to　them？　　Must　I　go　all　the　way　to　Riolama　only　to　lose　you？〃

〃Where　I　am；　there　you　must　be。〃

〃Why？〃

〃Do　I　not　see　it　there？〃　　she　returned；　with　a　quick　gesture　to　indicate　that　it　appeared　in　my　face。

〃Your　sight　is　keen；　Rimakeen　as　a　bird's。　　Mine　is　not　so　keen。　Let　me　look　once　more　into　those　beautiful　wild　eyes；　then　perhaps　I　shall　see　in　them　as　much　as　you　see　in　mine。〃

〃Oh　no；　no；　not　that！〃　　she　murmured　in　distress；　drawing　away　from　me；　then　with　a　sudden　flash　of　brilliant　colour　cried：

〃Have　you　forgotten　the　compactthe　promise　you　made　me？〃

Her　words　made　me　ashamed；　and　I　could　not　reply。　　But　the　shame　was　as　nothing　in　strength　compared　to　the　impulse　I　felt　to　clasp　her　beautiful　body　in　my　arms　and　cover　her　face　with　kisses。　　Sick　with　desire；　I　turned　away　and；　sitting　on　a　root　of　the　tree；　covered　my　face　with　my　hands。

She　came　nearer：　I　could　see　her　shadow　through　my　fingers；　then　her　face　and　wistful；　compassionate　eyes。

〃Forgive　me；　dear　Rima；〃　I　said；　dropping　my　hands　again。　　〃I　have　tried　so　hard　to　please　you　in　everything！　　Touch　my　face　with　your　handonly　that；　and　I　will　go　to　Riolama　with　you；　and　obey　you　in　all　things。〃

For　a　while　she　hesitated；　then　stepped　quickly　aside　so　that　I　could　not　see　her；　but　I　knew　that　she　had　not　left　me；　that　she　was　standing　just　behind　me。　　And　after　waiting　a　moment　longer　I　felt　her　fingers　touching　my　skin；　softly；　trembling　over　my　cheek　as　if　a　soft…winged　moth　had　fluttered　against　it；　then　the　slight　aerial　touch　was　gone；　and　she；　too；　moth…like；　had　vanished　from　my　side。

Left　alone　in　the　wood；　I　was　not　happy。　　That　fluttering；　flattering　touch　of　her　finger…tips　had　been　to　me　like　spoken　language；　and　more　eloquent　than　language；　yet　the　sweet　assurance　it　conveyed　had　not　given　perfect　satisfaction；　and　when　I　asked　myself　why　the　gladness　of　the　previous　evening　had　forsaken　mewhy　I　was　infected　with　this　new　sadness　when　everything　promised　well　for　me；　I　found　that　it　was　because　my　passion　had　greatly　increased　during　the　last　few　hours；　even　during　sleep　it　had　been　growing；　and　could　no　longer　be　fed　by　merely　dwelling　in　thought　on　the　charms；　moral　and　physical；　of　its　object；　and　by　dreams　of　future　fruition。

I　concluded　that　it　would　be　best　for　Rima's　sake　as　well　as　my　own　to　spend　a　few　of　the　days　before　setting　out　on　our　journey　with　my　Indian　friends；　who　would　be　troubled　at　my　long　absence；　and；　accordingly；　next　morning　I　bade　good…bye　to　the　old　man；　promising　to　return　in　three　or　four　days；　and　then　started　without　seeing　Rima；　who　had　quitted　the　house　before　her　usual　time。　　After　getting　free　of　the　woods；　on　casting　back　my　eyes　I　caught　sight　of　the　girl　standing　under　an　isolated　tree　watching　me　with　that　vague；　misty；　greenish　appearance　she　so　frequently　had　when　seen　in　the　light　shade　at　a　short　distance。

〃Rima！〃　　I　cried；　hurrying　back　to　speak　to　her；　but　when　I　reached　the　spot　she　had　vanished；　and　after　waiting　some　time；　seeing　and　hearing　nothing　to　indicate　that　she　was　near　me；　I　resumed　my　walk；　half　thinking　that　my　imagination　had　deceived　me。

I　found　my　Indian　friends　home　again；　and　was　not　surprised　to　observe　a　distinct　change　in　their　manner　towards　me。　　I　had　expected　as　much；　and　considering　that　they　must　have　known　very　well　where　and　in　whose　company　I　had　been　spending　my　time；　it　was　not　strange。　　Coming　across　the　savannah　that　morning　I　had　first　begun　to　think　seriously　of　the　risk　I　was　running。　　But　this　thought　only　served　to　prepare　me　for　a　new　condition　of　things；　for　now　to　go　back　and　appear　before　Rima；　and　thus　prove　myself　to　be　a　person　not　only　capable　of　forgetting　a　promise　occasionally；　but　also　of　a　weak；　vacillating　mind；　was　not　to　be　thought　of　for　a　moment。

I　was　receivednot　welcomedquietly　enough；　not　a　question；　not　a　word；　concerning　my　long　absence　fell　from　anyone；　it　was　as　if　a　stranger　had　appeared　among　them；　one　about　whom　they　knew　nothing　and　consequently　regarded　with　suspicion；　if　not　actual　hostility。　　I　affected　not　to　notice　the　change；　and　dipped　my　hand　uninvited　in　the　pot　to　satisfy　my　hunger；　and　smoked　and　dozed　away　the　sultry　hours　in　my　hammock。　　Then　I　got　my　guitar　and　spent　the　rest　of　the　day　over　it；　tuning　it；　touching　the　strings　so　softly　with　my　finger…tips　that　to　a　person　four　yards　off　the　sound　must　have　seemed　like　the　murmur　or　buzz　of　an　insect's　wings；　and　to　this　scarcely　audible　accompaniment　I　murmured　in　an　equally　low　tone　a　new　song。

In　the　evening；　when　all　were　gathered　under　the　roof　and　I　had　eaten　again；　I　took　up　the　instrument　once　more；　furtively　watched　by　all　those　half…closed　animal　eyes；　and　swept　the　strings　loudly；　and　sang　aloud。　　I　sang　an　old　simple　Spanish　melody；　to　which　I　had　put　words　in　their　own　languagea　language　with　no　words　not　in　everyday　use；　in　which　it　is　so　difficult　to　express　feelings　out　of　and　above　the　common。　　What　I　had　been　constructing　and　practicing　all　the　afternoon　sotto　voce　was　a　kind　of　ballad；　an　extremely　simple　tale　of　a　poor　Indian　living　alone　with　his　young　family　in　a　season　of　dearth；　how　day　after　day　he　ranged　the　voiceless　woods；　to　return　each　evening　with　nothing　but　a　few　withered　sour　berries　in　his　hand；　to　find　his　lean；　large…eyed　wife　still　nursing　the　fire　that　cooked　nothing；　and　his　children　crying　for　food；　showing　their　bones　more　plainly　through　their　skins　every　day；　and　how；　without　anything　miraculous；　anything　wonderful；　happening；　that　barrenness　passed　from　earth；　and　the　garden　once　more　yielded　them　pumpkin　and　maize；　and　manioc；　the　wild　fruits　ripened；　and　the　birds　returned；　filling　the　forest　with　their　cries；　and　so　their　long　hunger　was　satisfied；　and　the　children　grew　sleek；　and　pl