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hold　of　the　Excelsior　until　she　had　left　that　port；　in　the　hope

that　it　would　be　believed　that　I　had　fallen　overboard。　　I　succeeded

in　secreting　myself；　but　was　discovered　at　the　same　time　that　the

unexpected　change　in　the　ship's　destination　rendered　concealment

unnecessary。　　As　we　did　not　put　in　at　Mazatlan；　nobody　suspected　my

discovery　in　the　hold　to　be　anything　but　the　accident　that　I　gave

it　out　to　be。　　I　felt　myself　saved　the　confrontation　of　the　woman

at　Mazatlan；　but　I　knew　she　would　pursue　me　to　San　Francisco。



〃The　strange　dispensation　of　Providence　that　brought　us　into　this

unknown　port　gave　me　another　hope　of　escape　and　oblivion。　　While

you　and　the　Commander　were　boarding　the　Excelsior；　I　slipped　from

the　cabin…window　into　the　water；　I　was　a　good　swimmer；　and　reached

the　shore　in　safety。　　I　concealed　myself　in　the　ditch　of　the

Presidio　until　I　saw　the　passengers'　boats　returning　with　them；

when　I　sought　the　safer　shelter　of　this　Mission。　　I　made　my　way

through　a　gap　in　the　hedge　and　lay　under　your　olive…trees；　hearing

the　voices　of　my　companions；　beyond　the　walls；　till　past　midnight。

I　then　groped　my　way　along　the　avenue　of　pear…trees　till　I　came　to

another　wall；　and　a　door　that　opened　to　my　accidental　touch。　　I

entered；　and　found　myself　here。　　You　know　the　rest。〃



He　had　spoken　with　the　rapid　and　unpent　fluency　of　a　man　who　cared

more　to　relieve　himself　of　an　oppressive　burden　than　to　impress　his

auditor；　yet　the　restriction　of　a　foreign　tongue　had　checked

repetition　or　verbosity。　　Without　imagination　he　had　been　eloquent；

without　hopefulness　he　had　been　convincing。　　Father　Esteban　rose；

holding　both　his　hands。



〃My　son；　in　the　sanctuary　which　you　have　claimed　there　is　no

divorce。　　The　woman　who　has　ruined　your　life　could　not　be　your

wife。　　As　long　as　her　first　husband　lives；　she　is　forever　his　wife；

bound　by　a　tie　which　no　human　law　can　sever！〃





CHAPTER　IX。



AN　OPEN…AIR　PRISON。





An　hour　after　mass　Father　Esteban　had　quietly　installed　Hurlstone

in　a　small　cell…like　apartment　off　the　refectory。　　The　household　of

the　priest　consisted　of　an　old　Indian　woman　of　fabulous　age　and

miraculous　propriety；　two　Indian　boys　who　served　at　mass；　a

gardener；　and　a　muleteer。　　The　first　three；　who　were　immediately　in

attendance　upon　the　priest；　were　cognizant　of　a　stranger's

presence；　but；　under　instructions　from　the　reverend　Padre；　were

loyally　and　superstitiously　silent；　the　vocations　of　the　gardener

and　muleteer　made　any　intrusion　from　them　impossible。　　A　breakfast

of　fruit；　tortillas；　chocolate；　and　red　wine；　of　which　Hurlstone

partook　sparingly　and　only　to　please　his　entertainer；　nevertheless

seemed　to　restore　his　strength；　as　it　did　the　Padre's　equanimity。

For　the　old　man　had　been　somewhat　agitated　during　mass；　and；　except

that　his　early　morning　congregation　was　mainly　composed　of　Indians；

muleteers；　and　small　venders；　his　abstraction　would　have　been

noticed。　　With　ready　tact　he　had　not　attempted；　by　further

questioning；　to　break　the　taciturnity　into　which　Hurlstone　had

relapsed　after　his　emotional　confession　and　the　priest's　abrupt

half…absolution。　　Was　it　possible　he　regretted　his　confidence；　or

was　it　possible　that　his　first　free　and　untrammeled　expression　of

his　wrongs　had　left　him　with　a　haunting　doubt　of　their　real

magnitude？



〃Lie　down　here；　my　son；〃　said　the　old　ecclesiastic；　pointing　to　a

small　pallet　in　the　corner；　〃and　try　to　restore　in　the　morning　what

you　have　taken　from　the　night。　　Manuela　will　bring　your　clothes

when　they　are　dried　and　mended；　meantime；　shift　for　yourself　in

Pepito's　serape　and　calzas。　　I　will　betake　me　to　the　Comandante　and

the　Alcalde；　to　learn　the　dispositions　of　your　party；　when　the　ship

will　sail；　and　if　your　absence　is　suspected。　　Peace　be　with　you；

son！　　Manuela；　attend　to　the　caballero；　and　see　you　chatter　not。〃



Without　doubting　the　substantial　truth　of　his　guest's　story；　the

good　Padre　Esteban　was　not　unwilling　to　have　it　corroborated　by

such　details　as　he　thought　he　could　collect　among　the　Excelsior's

passengers。　　His　own　experience　in　the　confessional　had　taught　him

the　unreliability　of　human　evidence；　and　the　vagaries　of　both

conscientious　and　unconscious　suppression。　　That　a　young；　good…

looking；　and　accomplished　caballero　should　have　been　the　victim　of

not　one；　but　even　many；　erotic　episodes；　did　not　strike　the　holy

father　as　being　peculiar；　but　that　he　should　have　been　brought　by　a

solitary　unfortunate　attachment　to　despair　and　renunciation　of　the

world　appeared　to　him　marvelous。　　He　was　not　unfamiliar　with　the

remorse　of　certain　gallants　for　peccadillos　with　other　men's　wives；

but　this　Americano's　self…abasement　for　the　sins　of　his　own　wife

as　he　foolishly　claimed　her　to　bewhom　he　hated　and　despised；

struck　Father　Esteban　as　a　miracle　open　to　suspicion。　　Was　there

anything　else　in　these　somewhat　commonplace　details　of　vulgar　and

low　intrigue　than　what　he　had　told　the　priest？　　Were　all　these

Americano　husbands　as　sensitive　and　as　gloomily　self…sacrificing

and　expiating？　　It　did　not　appear　so　from　the　manners　and　customs

of　the　others；from　those　easy　matrons　whose　complacent　husbands

had　abandoned　them　to　the　long　companionship　of　youthful　cavaliers

on　adventurous　voyages；　from　those　audacious　virgins；　who　had　the

freedom　of　married　women。　　Surely；　this　was　not　a　pious　and

sensitive　race；　passionately　devoted　to　their　domestic　affections！

The　young　stranger　must　be　either　deceiving　himor　an　exception　to

his　countrymen！



And　if　he　was　that　exceptionwhat　then？　　An　idea　which　had　sprung

up　in　Father　Esteban's　fancy　that　morning　now　took　possession　of　it

with　the　tenacity　of　a　growth　on　fertile　virgin　soil。　　The　good

Father　had　been　devoted　to　the　conversion　of　the　heathen　with　the

fervor　of　a　one…ideaed　man。　　But　his　successes　had　been　among　the

Indiansa　guileless；　harmless　race；　who　too　often　confounded　the

practical　benefits　of　civilization　with　the　abstract　benefits　of

the　Church；　and　their　instruction　had　been　simple　and　coercive。

There　had　been　no　necessity　for　argument　or　controversy；　the　worthy

priest's　skill　in　polemical　warfare　and　disputation　had　never　been

brought　into　play；　the　Comandante　and　Alcalde　were　as　punctiliously

orthodox　as　himself；　and　the　small　traders　and　artisans　were

hopelessly　docile　and　submissive。　　The　march　of　science；　which　had

been　stopped　by　the　local　fogs　of　Todos　Santos　some　fifty　years；

had　not　disturbed　the　simple　Aesculapius　of　the　province　with

heterodox　theories：　he　still　purged　and　bled　like　Sangrado；　and　met

the　priest　at　the　deathbed　of　his　victims　with　a　pious　satisfaction

that　had　no　trace　of　skeptical　contention。　　In　fact；　the　gentle

Mission　of　Todos　Santos　had　hitherto　presented　no　field　for　the

good　Father's　exalted　ambition；　nor　the　display　of　his　powers　as　a

zealot。　　And　here　was　a　splendid　opportunity。



The　conversion　of　this　dark；　impulsive；　hysterical　stranger　would

be　a　gain　to　the　fold；　and　a　triumph　worthy　of　his　steel。　　More

than　that；　if　he　had　judged　correctly　of　this　young　man's　mind　and

temperament；　they　seemed　to　contain　those　elements　of　courage　and

sacrificial　devotion　that　indicated　the　missionary　priesthood。

With　such　a　subaltern；　what　might　not　he；　Father　Esteban；

accomplish！　　Looking　further　into　the　future；　what　a　glorious

successor　might　be　left　to　his　unfinished　work　on　Todos　Santos！



Buried　in　these　reflections；　Padre　Esteban　sauntered　leisurely　up

the　garden；　that　gradually　ascended　the　slight　elevation　on　which

the　greater　part　of　the　pueblo　was　built。　　Through　a　low　gateway　in

the　wall　he　passed　on　to　the　crest　of　the　one　straggling　street　of

Todos　Santos。　　On　either　side　of　him　were　ranged　the　low　one…

storied；　deep…windowed　adobe　fondas　and　artisans'　dwellings；　with

low…pitched　roofs　of　dull　red　pipe…like　tiles。　　Absorbed　in　his

fanciful　dreams；　he　did　not　at　first　notice　that　those　dwellings

appeared　deserted；　and　that　even　the　Posada　opposite　him；　whose

courtyard　was　usually　filled　with　lounging　muleteers；　was　empty　and

abandoned。　　Looking　down　the　street　towards　the　plaza；　he　became

presently　aware　of　some　undefined　stirring　in　the　peaceful　hamlet。

There　was　an　unusual　throng　in　the　square；　and　afar　on　that　placid

surface　of　the　bay　from　which　the　fog　had　lifted；　the　two　or　three

fishing…boats　of　Todos　Santos　were　vaguely　pulling。　　But　the

strange　ship　was　gone。



A　feeling　of　intense　relief　and　satisfaction　followed。　　Father

Esteban　pulled　out　his　snuff…box　and　took　a　long　and　complacent

pinch。　　But　his　relief　was　quickly　changed　to　consternation　as　an

armed　cavalcade　rapidly　wheeled　out　of　the　plaza　and　cantered

towards　him；　with　the　unmistakable　spectacle　of　the　male　passengers

of　the　Excelsior　riding　two　and　two；　and　guarded　by　double　files　of

dragoons　on　each　side。



At　a　sign　from　the　priest　the　subaltern　reined　in　his　mustang；

halted　the　convoy；　a