the crusade of the excelsior-第36节

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suggestions；　childlike　surprises　and　awakenings；　a　day　delicious

for　the　very　incompleteness　of　its　vague　happiness。　　And　this

remarkable　day　was　simply　marked　in　Mrs。　Markham's　diary　as

follows：〃Went　with　E。　to　Indian　village；　met　Padre　and　J。　H。

J。　H。　actually　left　shell　and　crawled　on　beach　with　E。　　E。　chatty。〃



The　day　itself　had　been　singularly　quiet　and　gracious；　even　for

that　rare　climate　of　balmy　days　and　recuperating　nights。　　At　times

the　slight　breath　of　the　sea　which　usually　stirred　the　morning　air

of　Todos　Santos　was　suspended；　and　a　hush　of　expectation　seemed　to

arrest　land　and　water。　　When　Miss　Keene　and　Mrs。　Markham　left　the

Presidio；　the　tide　was　low；　and　their　way　lay　along　the　beach　past

the　Mission　walls。　　A　walk　of　two　or　three　miles　brought　them　to

the　Indian　villageproperly　a　suburban　quarter　of　Todos　Santosa

collection　of　adobe　huts　and　rudely　cultivated　fields。　　Padre

Esteban　and　Mr。　Hurlstone　were　awaiting　them　in　the　palm…thatched

veranda　of　a　more　pretentious　cabin；　that　served　as　a　school…room。

〃This　is　Don　Diego's　design；〃　said　the　Padre；　beaming　with　a

certain　paternal　pride　on　Hurlstone；　〃built　by　himself　and　helped

by　the　heathen；　but　look　you：　my　gentleman　is　not　satisfied　with

it；　and　wishes　now　to　bring　his　flock　to　the　Mission　school；　and

have　them　mingle　with　the　pure…blooded　races　on　an　equality。　　That

is　the　revolutionary　idea　of　this　sans　culotte　reformer；〃　continued

the　good　Father；　shaking　his　yellow　finger　with　gentle　archness　at

the　young　man。　　〃Ah；　we　shall　yet　have　a　revolution　in　Todos　Santos

unless　you　ladies　take　him　in　hand。　　He　has　already　brought　the

half…breeds　over　to　his　side；　and　those　heathens　follow　him　like

dumb　cattle　anywhere。　　There；　take　him　away　and　scold　him；　Dona

Leonor；　while　I　speak　to　the　Senora　Markham　of　the　work　that　her

good　heart　and　skillful　fingers　may　do　for　my　poor　muchachos。〃



Eleanor　Keene　lifted　her　beautiful　eyes　to　Hurlstone　with　an

artless　tribute　in　their　depths　that　brought　the　blood　faintly　into

his　cheek。　　She　was　not　thinking　of　the　priest's　admonishing　words；

she　was　thinking　of　the　quiet；　unselfish　work　that　this　gloomy

misanthrope　had　been　doing　while　his　companions　had　been　engaged　in

lower　aims　and　listless　pleasures；　and　while　she　herself　had　been

aimlessly　fretting　and　diverting　herself。　　What　were　her　few　hours

of　applauded　instruction　with　the　pretty　Murillo…like　children　of

the　Fort　compared　to　his　silent　and　unrecognized　labor！　　Yet　even

at　this　moment　an　uneasy　doubt　crossed　her　mind。



〃I　suppose　Mrs。　Brimmer　and　Miss　Chubb　interest　themselves　greatly

in　yourin　the　Padre's　charities？〃



The　first　playful　smile　she　had　seen　on　Hurlstone's　face　lightened

in　his　eyes　and　lips；　and　was　becoming。



〃I　am　afraid　my　barbarians　are　too　low　and　too　near　home　for　Mrs。

Brimmer's　missionary　zeal。　　She　and　Miss　Chubb　patronize　the

Mexican　school　with　cast…off　dresses；　old　bonnets　retrimmed；

flannel　petticoats；　some　old　novels　and　books　of　poetryof　which

the　Padre　makes　an　auto…da…feand　their　own　patronizing　presence

on　fete　days。　　Providence　has　given　them　the　vague　impression　that

leprosy　and　contagious　skin…disease　are　a　peculiarity　of　the

southern　aborigine；　and　they　have　left　me　severely　alone。〃



〃I　wish　you　would　prevail　upon　the　Padre　to　let　ME　help　you；〃　said

Miss　Keene；　looking　down。



〃But　you　already　have　the　Commander's　chickenswhich　you　are

bringing　up　as　swans；　by　the　way；〃　said　Hurlstone　mischievously。

〃You　wouldn't　surely　abandon　the　nest　again？〃



〃You　are　laughing　at　me；〃　said　Miss　Keene；　putting　on　a　slight　pout

to　hide　the　vague　pleasure　that　Hurlstone's　gayer　manner　was　giving

her。　　〃But；　really；　I've　been　thinking　that　the　Presidio　children

are　altogether　too　pretty　and　picturesque　for　me；　and　that　I　enjoy

them　too　much　to　do　them　any　good。　　It's　like　playing　with　them；

you　know！〃



Hurlstone　laughed；　but　suddenly　looking　down　upon　her　face　he　was

struck　with　its　youthfulness。　　She　had　always　impressed　him　before

through　her　reserve　and　independenceas　older；　and　more　matured

in　character。　　He　did　not　know　how　lately　she　was　finding　her　lost

youth　as　he　asked　her；　quite　abruptly；　if　she　ever　had　any　little

brothers　and　sisters。



The　answer　to　this　question　involved　the　simple　story　of　Miss

Keene's　life；　which　she　gave　with　naive　detail。　　She　told　him　of

her　early　childhood；　and　the　brother　who　was　only　an　indistinct

memory；　of　her　school　days；　and　her　friendships　up　to　the　moment　of

her　first　step　into　the　great　world　that　was　so　strangely　arrested

at　Todos　Santos。　　He　was　touched　with　the　almost　pathetic　blankness

of　this　virgin　page。　　Encouraged　by　his　attention；　and　perhaps

feeling　a　sympathy　she　had　lately　been　longing　for；　she　confessed

to　him　the　thousand　little　things　which　she　had　reserved　from　even

Mrs。　Markham　during　her　first　apathetic　weeks　at　Todos　Santos。



〃I'm　sure　I　should　have　been　much　happier　if　I　had　had　any　one　to

talk　to；〃　she　added；　looking　up　into　his　face　with　a　naivete　of

faint　reproach；　〃it's　very　different　for　men；　you　know。　　They　can

always　distract　themselves　with　something。　　Although；〃　she

continued　hesitatingly；　〃I've　sometimes　thought　YOU　would　have　been

happier　if　you　had　had　somebody　to　tell　your　troubles　toI　don't

mean　the　Padre；　for；　good　as　he　is；　he　is　a　foreigner；　you　know；

and　wouldn't　look　upon　things　as　WE　dobut　some　one　in　sympathy

with　you。〃



She　stopped；　alarmed　at　the　change　of　expression　in　his　face。　　A

quick　flush　had　crossed　his　cheek；　for　an　instant　he　had　looked

suspiciously　into　her　questioning　eyes。　　But　the　next　moment　the

idea　of　his　quietly　selecting　this　simple；　unsophisticated　girl　as

the　confidant　of　his　miserable　marriage；　and　the　desperation　that

had　brought　him　there；　struck　him　as　being　irresistibly　ludicrous

and　he　smiled。　　It　was　the　first　time　that　the　habitual　morbid

intensity　of　his　thoughts　on　that　one　subject　had　ever　been

disturbed　by　reaction；　it　was　the　first　time　that　a　clear　ray　of

reason　had　pierced　the　gloom　in　which　he　had　enwrapped　it。　　Seeing

him　smile；　the　young　girl　smiled　too。　　Then　they　smiled　together

vaguely　and　sympathetically；　as　over　some　unspoken　confidence。

But；　unknown　and　unsuspected　by　himself；　that　smile　had　completed

his　emancipation　and　triumph。　　The　next　moment；　when　he　sought　with

a　conscientious　sigh　to　reenter　his　old　mood；　he　was　half　shocked

to　find　it　gone。　　Whatever　gradual　influencethe　outcome　of　these

few　months　of　rest　and　reposemay　have　already　been　at　work　to

dissipate　his　clouded　fancy；　he　was　only　vaguely　conscious　that　the

laughing　breath　of　the　young　girl　had　blown　it　away　forever。



The　perilous　point　passed；　unconsciously　to　both　of　them；　they　fell

into　freer　conversation；　tacitly　avoiding　the　subject　of　Mr。

Hurlstone's　past　reserve　only　as　being　less　interesting。　　Hurlstone

did　not　return　Miss　Keene's　confidencesnot　because　he　wished　to

deceive　her；　but　that　he　preferred　to　entertain　her；　while　she　did

not　care　to　know　his　secret　now　that　it　no　longer　affected　their

sympathy　in　other　things。　　It　was　a　pleasant；　innocent　selfishness；

that；　however；　led　them　along；　step　by　step；　to　more　uncertain　and

difficult　ground。




In　their　idle；　happy　walk　they　had　strayed　towards　the　beach；　and

had　come　upon　a　large　stone　cross　with　its　base　half　hidden　in

sand；　and　covered　with　small　tenacious；　sweet…scented　creepers；

bearing　a　pale　lilac　blossom　that　exhaled　a　mingled　odor　of　sea　and

shore。　　Hurlstone　pointed　out　the　cross　as　one　of　the　earliest

outposts　of　the　Church　on　the　edge　of　the　unclaimed　heathen

wilderness。　　It　was　hung　with　strings　of　gaudy　shells　and　feathers；

which　Hurlstone　explained　were　votive　offerings　in　which　their

pagan　superstitions　still　mingled　with　their　new　faith。



〃I　don't　like　to　worry　that　good　old　Padre；〃　he　continued；　with　a

light　smile；　〃but　I'm　afraid　that　they　prefer　this　cross　to　the

chapel　for　certain　heathenish　reasons　of　their　own。　　I　am　quite

sure　that　they　still　hold　some　obscure　rites　here　under　the　good

Father's　very　nose；　and　that；　in　the　guise　of　this　emblem　of　our

universal　faith；　they　worship　some　deity　we　have　no　knowledge　of。〃



〃It's　a　shame；〃　said　Miss　Keene　quickly。



To　her　surprise；　Hurlstone　did　not　appear　so　shocked　as　she；　in　her

belief　of　his　religious　sympathy　with　the　Padre；　had　imagined。



〃They're　a　harmless　race；〃　he　said　carelessly。　　〃The　place　is　much

frequented　by　the　childrenespecially　the　young　girls；　a　good　many

of　these　offerings　came　from　them。〃



The　better　to　examine　these　quaint　tributes；　Miss　Keene　had　thrown

herself；　with　an　impulsive；　girlish　abandonment；　on　the　mound　by

the　cross；　and　Hurlstone　sat　down　beside　her。　　Their　eyes　met　in　an

innocent　pleasure　of　each　other's　company。　　She　thought　him　very

handsome　in　the　dark；　half　official　Mexican　dress　that　necessity

alone　had　obliged　him　to