the crusade of the excelsior-第34节

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in　those　equivocal　circumstances。　　I　am　speaking　to　a　gentleman

who；　with　the　instincts　and　chivalrous　obligations　of　his　order；

must　sympathize　with　my　own　delicacy　in　coming　to　this　conclusion；

and　who　will　not　take　advantage　of　my　confession　that　I　do　it　with

pain。〃



She　spoke　with　a　dry　alacrity　and　precision　so　unlike　her　usual

languor　and　the　suggestions　of　the　costume；　and　even　the　fan　she

still　kept　shading　her　faintly　glowing　eyes；　that　the　man　before

her　was　more　troubled　by　her　manner　than　her　words；　which　he　had

but　imperfectly　understood。



〃You　will　leave　herethis　house？〃　he　stammered。



〃It　is　necessary；〃　she　returned。



〃But　you　shall　listen　to　me　first！〃　he　said　hurriedly。　　〃Hear　me；

Dona　BarbaraI　have　a　secretI　will　to　you　confess〃



〃You　must　confess　nothing；〃　said　Mrs。　Brimmer；　dropping　her　feet

from　the　hammock；　and　sitting　up　primly；　〃I　meannothing　I　may　not

hear。〃



The　Alcalde　cast　a　look　upon　her　at　once　blank　and　imploring。



〃Ah；　but　you　will　hear；〃　he　said；　after　a　pause。　　〃There　is　a　ship

coming　here。　　In　two　weeks　she　will　arrive。　　None　know　it　but

myself；　the　Comandante；　and　the　Padre。　　It　is　a　secret　of　the

Government。　　She　will　come　at　night；　she　will　depart　in　the

morning；　and　no　one　else　shall　know。　　It　has　ever　been　that　she

brings　no　one　to　Todos　Santos；　that　she　takes　no　one　from　Todos

Santos。　　That　is　the　law。　　But　I　swear　to　you　that　she　shall　take

you；　your　children；　and　your　friend　to　Acapulco　in　secret；　where

you　will　be　free。　　You　will　join　your　husband；　you　will　be　happy。

I　will　remain；　and　I　will　die。〃



It　would　have　been　impossible　for　any　woman　but　Mrs。　Brimmer　to

have　regarded　the　childlike　earnestness　and　melancholy　simplicity

of　this　grown…up　man　without　a　pang。　　Even　this　superior　woman

experienced　a　sensible　awkwardness　as　she　slipped　from　the　hammock

and　regained　an　upright　position。



〃Of　course；〃　she；　began；　〃your　offer　is　exceedingly　generous；　and

although　I　should　not；　perhaps；　take　a　step　of　this　kind　without

the　sanction　of　Mr。　Brimmer；　and　am　not　sure　that　he　would　not

regard　it　as　rash　and　premature；　I　will　talk　it　over　with　Miss

Chubb；　for　whom　I　am　partially　responsible。　　Nothing；〃　she

continued；　with　a　sudden　access　of　feeling；　〃would　induce　me；　for

any　selfish　consideration；　to　take　any　step　that　would　imperil　the

future　of　that　child；　towards　whom　I　feel　as　a　sister。〃　　A　slight

suffusion　glistened　under　her　pretty　brown　lashes。　　〃If　anything

should　happen　to　her；　I　would　never　forgive　myself；　if　I　should　be

the　unfortunate　means　of　severing　any　ties　that　SHE　may　have

formed；　I　could　never　look　her　in　the　face　again。　　Of　course；　I　can

well　understand　that　our　presence　here　must　be　onerous　to　you；　and

that　you　naturally　look　forward　to　any　sacrificeeven　that　of　the

interests　of　your　country；　and　the　defiance　of　its　lawsto　relieve

you　from　a　position　so　embarrassing　as　yours　has　become。　　I　only

trust；　however；　that　the　ill　effects　you　allude　to　as　likely　to

occur　to　yourself　after　our　departure　may　be　exaggerated　by　your

sensitive　nature。　　It　would　be　an　obligation　added　to　the　many　that

we　owe　you；　which　Mr。　Brimmer　would　naturally　find　he　could　not

returnand　that；　I　can　safely　say；　he　would　not　hear　of　for　a

single　moment。〃



While　speaking；　she　had　unconsciously　laid　aside　her　fan；　lifted

her　mantilla　from　her　head　with　both　hands；　and；　drawing　it　around

her　shoulders　and　under　her　lifted　chin；　had　crossed　it　over　her

bosom　with　a　certain　prim；　automatic　gesture；　as　if　it　had　been　the

starched　kerchief　of　some　remote　Puritan　ancestress。　　With　her　arms

still　unconsciously　crossed；　she　stooped　rigidly；　picked　up　her　fan

with　three　fingers；　as　if　it　had　been　a　prayer…book；　and；　with　a

slight　inclination　of　her　bared　head；　with　its　accurately　parted

brown　hair；　passed　slowly　out　of　the　corridor。



Astounded；　bewildered；　yet　conscious　of　some　vague　wound；　Don　Ramon

remained　motionless；　staring　after　her　straight；　retreating　figure。

Unable　to　follow　closely　either　the　meaning　of　her　words　or　the

logic　of　her　reasoning；　he　nevertheless　comprehended　the　sudden

change　in　her　manner；　her　voice；　and　the　frigid　resurrection　of　a

nature　he　had　neither　known　nor　suspected。　　He　looked　blankly　at

the　collapsed　hammock；　as　if　he　expected　to　find　in　its　depths

those　sinuous　graces；　languid　fascinations；　and　the　soft；　half

sensuous　contour　cast　off　by　this　vanishing　figure　of　propriety。



In　the　eight　months　of　their　enforced　intimacy　and　platonic

seclusion　he　had　learned　to　love　this　naive；　insinuating　woman；

whose　frank　simplicity　seemed　equal　to　his　own；　without　thought　of

reserve；　secrecy；　or　deceit。　　He　had　gradually　been　led　to　think　of

the　absent　husband　with　what　he　believed　to　be　her　own　feelingsas

of　some　impalpable；　fleshless　ancestor　from　whose　remote　presence

she　derived　power；　wealth；　and　importance；　but　to　whom　she　owed

only　respect　and　certain　obligations　of　honor　equal　to　his　own。　　He

had　never　heard　her　speak　of　her　husband　with　love；　with　sympathy；

with　fellowship；　with　regret。　　She　had　barely　spoken　of　him　at　all；

and　then　rather　as　an　attractive　factor　in　her　own　fascinations

than　a　bar　to　a　free　indulgence　in　them。　　He　was　as　little　in　her

way　ashis　children。　　With　what　grace　she　had　adapted　herself　to

hisDon　Ramon'slifeshe　who　frankly　confessed　she　had　no

sympathy　with　her　husband's！　　With　what　languid　enthusiasm　she　had

taken　up　the　customs　of　HIS　country；　while　deploring　the　habits　of

her　own！　　With　what　goddess…like　indifference　she　had　borne　this

interval　of　waiting！　　And　yet　this　womanwho　had　seemed　the

embodiment　of　romancehad　received　the　announcement　of　his

sacrificethe　only　revelation　he　allowed　himself　to　make　of　his

hopeless　passionwith　the　frigidity　of　a　duenna！　　Had　he　wounded

her　in　some　other　unknown　way？　　Was　she　mortified　that　he　had　not

first　declared　his　passionhe　who　had　never　dared　to　speak　to　her

of　love　before？　　Perhaps　she　even　doubted　it！　　In　his　ignorance　of

the　world　he　had；　perhaps；　committed　some　grave　offense！　　He　should

not　have　let　her　go！　　He　should　have　questioned；　implored　her

thrown　himself　at　her　feet！　　Was　it　too　late　yet？



He　passed　hurriedly　into　the　formal　little　drawing…room；　whose

bizarre　coloring　was　still　darkened　by　the　closed　blinds　and

dropped　awnings　that　had　shut　out　the　heat　of　day。　　She　was　not

there。　　He　passed　the　open　door　of　her　room；　it　was　empty。　　At　the

end　of　the　passage　a　faint　light　stole　from　a　door　opening　into　the

garden　that　was　still　ajar。　　She　must　have　passed　out　that　way。　　He

opened　it；　and　stepped　out　into　the　garden。



The　sound　of　voices　beside　a　ruined　fountain　a　hundred　yards　away

indicated　the　vicinity　of　the　party；　but　a　single　glance　showed　him

that　she　was　not　among　them。　　So　much　the　betterhe　would　find　her

alone。　　Cautiously　slipping　beside　the　wall　of　the　house；　under　the

shadow　of　a　creeper；　he　gained　the　long　avenue　without　attracting

attention。　　She　was　not　there。　　Had　she　effectively　evaded　contact

with　the　others　by　leaving　the　garden　through　the　little　gate　in

the　wall　that　entered　the　Mission　enclosure？　　It　was　partly　open；

as　if　some　one　had　just　passed　through。　　He　followed；　took　a　few

steps；　and　stopped　abruptly。　　In　the　shadow　of　one　of　the　old　pear…

trees　a　man　and　woman　were　standing。　　An　impulse　of　wild　jealousy

seized　him；　he　was　about　to　leap　forward；　but　the　next　moment　the

measured　voice　of　the　Comandante；　addressing　Mrs。　Markham；　fell

upon　his　ear。　　He　drew　back　with　a　sudden　flush　upon　his　face。　　The

Comandante　of　Todos　Santos；　in　grave；　earnest　accents；　was　actually

offering　to　Mrs。　Markham　the　same　proposal　that　he；　Don　Ramon；　had

made　to　Mrs。　Brimmer　but　a　moment　ago！



〃No　one；〃　said　the　Comandante　sententiously；　〃will　know　it　but

myself。　　You　will　leave　the　ship　at　Acapulco；　you　will　rejoin　your

husband　in　good　time；　you　will　be　happy；　my　child；　you　will　forget

the　old　man　who　drags　out　the　few　years　of　loneliness　still　left　to

him　in　Todos　Santos。〃



Forgetting　himself；　Don　Ramon　leaned　breathlessly　forward　to　hear

Mrs。　Markham's　reply。　　Would　she　answer　the　Comandante　as　Dona

Barbara　had　answered　HIM？　　Her　words　rose　distinctly　in　the　evening

air。



〃You're　a　gentleman；　Don　Miguel　Briones；　and　the　least　respect　I

can　show　a　man　of　your　kind　is　not　to　pretend　that　I　don't

understand　the　sacrifice　you're　making。　　I　shall　always　remember　it

as　about　the　biggest　compliment　I　ever　received；　and　the　biggest

risk　that　any　manexcept　oneever　ran　for　me。　　But　as　the　man　who

ran　that　bigger　risk　isn't　here　to　speak　for　himself；　and　generally

trusts　his　wife；　Susan　Markham；　to　speak　for　himit's　all　the　same

as　if　HE　thanked　you。　　There's　my　hand；　Don　Miguel：　shake　it。

Wellif　you　prefer　itkiss　it　then。　　Theredon't　be　a　foolbut

let's　go　back　to　Miss　Keene。〃





CHAPTER　IV。



A　GLEAM　OF　SUNSHINE。





W