the crusade of the excelsior-第33节

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the　young　senorita？〃　continued　Dona　Isabel；　without　replying；　〃that

any　caballero　and　senorita　shall　see　each　other　in　the　patio；　and

not　under　a　balcony？that　they　may　speak　with　the　lips；　and　not

the　fan？〃



〃Wellyes；〃　said　Brace。



〃Then　my　brother　has　arranged　it　as　so。　　He　have　much　hear　the　Dona

Barbara　Brimmer　when　she　make　talk　of　these　things　frequently；　and

he　is　informed　and　impressed　much。　　He　will　truly　have　that　you

will　come　of　the　corridor；　and　not　the　garden；　for　me；　and　that　I

shall　have　no　duenna　but　the　Dona　Barbara。　　This　does　not　make　you

happy；　you　American　idiot　boy！〃



It　did　not。　　The　thought　of　carrying　on　a　flirtation　under　the

fastidious　Boston　eye　of　Mrs。　Brimmer；　instead　of　under　the

discreet　and　mercenarily　averted　orbs　of　Dona　Ursula；　did　not

commend　itself　pleasantly　to　Brace。



〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　returned　quickly。　　〃We　will　go　into　the　corridor；　in

the　fashion　of　my　country〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Dona　Isabel　dubiously。



〃AFTER　we　have　walked　in　the　garden　in　the　fashion　of　YOURS。

That's　only　fair；　isn't　it？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Dona　Isabel　gravely；　〃that's　what　the　Comandante　will

call　'internation…al　courtesy。'〃



The　young　man　slipped　his　arm　around　the　young　diplomatist's　waist；

and　they　walked　on　in　decorous　silence　under　the　orange…trees。



〃It　seems　to　me；〃　said　Brace　presently；　〃that　Mrs。　Brimmer　has　a

good　deal　to　say　up　your　way？〃



〃Ah；　yes；　but　what　will　you？　　It　is　my　brother　who　has　love　for

her。〃



〃But；〃　said　Brace；　stopping　suddenly；　〃doesn't　he　know　that　she　has

a　husband　living？〃



Dona　Isabel　lifted　her　lashes　in　childlike　wonder。



〃Always！　you　idiot　American　boy。　　That　is　why。　　Ah；　Mother　of　God！

my　brother　is　discreet。　　He　is　not　a　maniac；　like　you；　to　come

after　a　silly　muchacha　like　me。〃



The　response　which　Brace　saw　fit　to　make　to　this　statement　elicited

a　sharp　tap　upon　the　knuckles　from　Dona　Isabel。



〃Tell　to　me；〃　she　said　suddenly；　〃is　not　that　a　custom　of　your

country？〃



〃What？　　THAT？〃



〃No；　insensate。　　To　attend　a　married　senora？〃



〃Not　openly。〃



〃Ah；　that　is　wrong；〃　said　Dona　Isabel　meditatively；　moving　the

point　of　her　tiny　slipper　on　the　gravel。　　〃Then　it　is　the　young

girl　that　shall　come　in　the　corridor　and　the　married　lady　on　the

balcony？〃



〃Well；　yes。〃



〃Good…by；　ape！〃



She　ran　swiftly　down　the　avenue　of　palms　to　a　small　door　at　the

back　of　the　house；　turned；　blew　a　kiss　over　the　edge　of　her　fan　to

Brace；　and　disappeared。　　He　hesitated　a　moment　or　two；　then　quickly

rescaling　the　wall；　dropped　into　the　lane　outside；　followed　it　to

the　gateway　of　the　casa；　and　entered　the　patio　as　Dona　Isabel

decorously　advanced　from　a　darkened　passage　to　the　corridor。

Although　the　hour　of　siesta　had　passed；　her　sister；　Miss　Chubb；　the

Alcalde；　and　Mrs。　Brimmer　were　still　lounging　here　on　sofas　and

hammocks。



It　would　have　been　difficult　for　a　stranger　at　a　first　glance　to

discover　the　nationality　of　the　ladies。　　Mrs。　Brimmer　and　her

friend　Miss　Chubb　had　entirely　succumbed　to　the　extreme　dishabille

of　the　Spanish　toiletnot　without　a　certain　languid　grace　on　the

part　of　Mrs。　Brimmer；　whose　easy　contour　lent　itself　to　the

stayless　bodice；　or　a　certain　bashful；　youthful　naivete　on　the　part

of　Miss　Chubb；　the　rounded　dazzling　whiteness　of　whose　neck　and

shoulders　half　pleased　and　half　frightened　her　in　her　low；　white；

plain　camisaunder　the　lace　mantilla。



〃It　is　SUCH　a　pleasure　to　see　you　again；　Mr。　Brace；〃　said　Mrs。

Brimmer；　languidly　observing　the　young　man　through　the　sticks　of

her　fan；　〃I　was　telling　Don　Ramon　that　I　feared　Dona　Ursula　had

frightened　you　away。　　I　told　him　that　your　experience　of　American

society　might　have　caused　you　to　misinterpret　the　habitual　reserve

of　the　Castilian；〃　she　continued　with　the　air　of　being　already　an

alien　of　her　own　country；　〃and　I　should　be　only　too　happy　to

undertake　the　chaperoning　of　both　these　young　ladies　in　their

social　relations　with　our　friends。　　And　how　is　dear　Mr。　Banks？　and

Mr。　Crosby？　whom　I　so　seldom　see　now。　　I　suppose；　however；　business

has　its　superior　attractions。〃



But　Don　Ramon；　with　impulsive　gallantry；　would　notnay；　COULD　not

for　a　moment　tolerate　a　heresy　so　alarming。　　It　was　simply　wildly

impossible。　　For　why？　　In　the　presence　of　Dona　Barbarait　exists

not　in　the　heart　of　man！



〃YOU　cannot；　of　course；　conceive　it；　Don　Ramon；〃　said　Mrs。　Brimmer；

with　an　air　of　gentle　suffering；　〃but　I　fear　it　is　sadly　true　of

the　American　gentlemen。　　They　become　too　absorbed　in　their

business。　　They　forget　their　duty　to　our　sex　in　their　selfish

devotion　to　affairs　in　which　we　are　debarred　from　joining　them；　and

yet　they　wonder　that　we　prefer　the　society　of　men　who　are　removed

by　birth；　tradition；　and　position　from　this　degrading　kind　of

selfishness。〃



〃But　that　was　scarcely　true　of　your　own　husband。　　HE　was　not　only　a

successful　man　in　business；　but　we　can　see　that　he　was　equally

successful　in　his　relations　to　at　least　one　of　the　fastidious　sex；〃

said　Brace；　maliciously　glancing　at　Don　Ramon。



Mrs。　Brimmer　received　the　innuendo　with　invulnerable　simplicity。



〃Mr。　Brimmer　is；　I　am　happy　to　say；　NOT　a　business　man。　　He　entered

into　certain　contracts　having　more　or　less　of　a　political

complexion；　and　carrying　with　them　the　genius　but　not　the　material

results　of　trade。　　That　he　is　not　a　business　manand　a　successful

onemy　position　here　at　the　present　time　is　a　sufficient　proof；〃

she　said　triumphantly。　　〃And　I　must　also　protest；〃　she　added；　with

a　faint　sigh；　〃against　Mr。　Brimmer　being　spoken　of　in　the　past

tense　by　anybody。　　It　is　painfully　premature　and　ominous！〃



She　drew　her　mantilla　across　her　shoulders　with　an　expression　of

shocked　sensitiveness　which　completed　the　humiliation　of　Brace　and

the　subjugation　of　Don　Ramon。　　But；　unlike　most　of　her　sex；　she　was

wise　in　the　moment　of　victory。　　She　cast　a　glance　over　her　fan　at

Brace；　and　turned　languidly　to　Dona　Isabel。



〃Mr。　Brace　must　surely　want　some　refreshment　after　his　long　ride。

Why　don't　you　seize　this　opportunity　to　show　him　the　garden　and　let

him　select　for　himself　the　herbs　he　requires　for　that　dreadful

American　drink；　Miss　Chubb　and　your　sister　will　remain　with　me　to

receive　the　Comandante's　secretary　and　the　Doctor　when　they　come。〃



〃She's　more　than　my　match；〃　whispered　Brace　to　Dona　Isabel；　as　they

left　the　corridor　together。　　〃I　give　in。　　I　don't　understand　her：

she　frightens　me。〃



〃That　is　of　your　conscience！　　It　is　that　you　would　understand　the

Dona　Leonoryour　dear　Miss　Keenebetter！　　Ah！　silence；　imbecile！

this　Dona　Barbara　is　even　as　thou　arta　talking　parrot。　　She　will

have　that　the　Comandante's　secretary；　Manuel；　shall　marry　Mees

Chubb；　and　that　the　Doctor　shall　marry　my　sister。　　But　she　knows

not　that　Manuellisten　so　that　you　shall　get　sick　at　your　heart

and　swallow　your　moustachio！that　Manuel　loves　the　beautiful

Leonor；　and　that　Leonor　loves　not　him；　but　Don　Diego；　and　that　my

sister　loathes　the　little　Doctor。　　And　this　Dona　Barbara；　that

makes　your　liver　white；　would　be　a　feeder　of　chickens　with　such

barley　as　this！　　Ah！　come　along！〃



The　arrival　of　the　Doctor　and　the　Comandante's　secretary　created

another　diversion；　and　the　pairing　off　of　the　two　couples　indicated

by　Dona　Isabel　for　a　stroll　in　the　garden；　which　was　now　beginning

to　recover　from　the　still　heat　of　mid…day。　　This　left　Don　Ramon　and

Mrs。　Brimmer　alone　in　the　corridor；　Mrs。　Brimmer's　indefinite

languor；　generally　accepted　as　some　vague　aristocratic　condition　of

mind　and　body；　not　permitting　her　to　join　them。



There　was　a　moment　of　dangerous　silence；　the　voices　of　the　young

people　were　growing　fainter　in　the　distance。　　Mrs。　Brimmer's　eyes；

in　the　shadow　of　her　fan；　were　becoming　faintly　phosphorescent。

Don　Ramon's　melancholy　face；　which　had　grown　graver　in　the　last　few

moments；　approached　nearer　to　her　own。



〃You　are　unhappy；　Dona　Barbara。　　The　coming　of　this　young　cavalier；

your　countryman；　revives　your　anxiety　for　your　home。　　You　are

thinking　of　this　husband　who　comes　not。　　Is　it　not　so？〃



〃I　am　thinking；〃　said　Mrs。　Brimmer；　with　a　sudden　revulsion　of

solid　Boston　middle…class　propriety；　shown　as　much　in　the　dry　New

England　asperity　of　voice　that　stung　even　through　her　drawling　of

the　Castilian　speech；　as　in　anything　she　said；〃I　am　thinking

that；　unless　Mr。　Brimmer　comes　soon；　I　and　Miss　Chubb　shall　have　to

abandon　the　hospitality　of　your　house；　Don　Ramon。　　Without　looking

upon　myself　as　a　widow；　or　as　indefinitely　separated　from　Mr。

Brimmer；　the　few　words　let　fall　by　Mr。　Brace　show　me　what　might　be

the　feelings　of　my　countrymen　on　the　subject。　　However　charming　and

considerate　your　hospitality　has　beenand　I　do　not　deny　that　it

has　been　MOST　grateful　to　MEI　feel　I　cannot　continue　to　accept　it

in　those　equivocal　circumstances。　　I　am　speaking　to　a　gentleman

who；　with　the　instincts　and　chival