the crusade of the excelsior-第46节

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prey　to　sacrilegious　trespass？　　Never；　while　I　live；　Diego！　　Call

him　back　and　tell　him　so！〃



〃Rather　listen　to　me；　Father　Esteban；〃　said　the　young　man

earnestly。　　〃I　have　a　plan　by　which　this　may　be　avoided。　　From　my

knowledge　of　these　Indians；　I　am　convinced　that　they　have　been

basely　tricked　and　cajoled　by　some　one。　　I　believe　that　they　are

still　amenable　to　reason　and　argument；　and　I　am　so　certain　that　I

am　ready　to　go　down　among　them　and　make　the　attempt。　　The　old　Chief

and　part　of　his　band　are　still　encamped　on　the　shore；　we　could　hear

them　as　we　passed　in　the　boats。　　I　will　go　and　meet　them。　　If　I

succeed　in　bringing　them　to　reason　I　will　return；　if　I　find　them

intractable；　I　will　at　least　divert　their　attention　from　the

Mission　long　enough　for　you　to　embark　these　ladies　with　their

escort；　which　you　will　do　at　the　end　of　two　hours　if　I　do　not

return。〃



〃In　two　hours？〃　broke　in　Mrs。　Brimmer；　in　sharp　protest。　　〃I

positively　object。　　I　certainly　understood　that　Senor　Perkins'

invitation；　which；　under　the　circumstances；　I　shall　consider　equal

to　a　command　from　Mr。　Brimmer；　was　to　be　accepted　at　once　and

without　delay；　and　I　certainly　shall　not　leave　Miss　Chubb　exposed

to　imminent　danger　for　two　hours　to　meet　the　caprice　of　an　entire

stranger　to　Mr。　Brimmer。〃



〃I　am　willing　to　stay　with　Father　Esteban；　if　he　will　let　me；〃　said

Eleanor　Keene　quietly；　〃for　I　have　faith　in　Mr。　Hurlstone's

influence　and　courage；　and　believe　he　will　be　successful。〃



The　young　man　thanked　her　with　another　demonstrative　look　that

brought　the　warm　blood　to　her　cheek。



〃Well；〃　said　Mrs。　Markham　promptly；　〃I　suppose　if　Nell　stays　I　must

see　the　thing　through　and　stay　with　hereven　if　I　haven't　orders

from　Jimmy。〃



〃There　is　no　necessity　that　either　Mr。　or　Mrs。　Brimmer　should　be

disobeyed　in　their　wishes；〃　said　Hurlstone　grimly。　　〃Luckily　there

are　two　boats；　Mrs。　Brimmer　and　Miss　Chubb　can　take　one　of　them

with　half　the　escort；　and　proceed　at　once　to　the　Excelsior。　　I　will

ride　with　them　as　far　as　the　boat。　　And　now；〃　he　continued；　turning

to　the　old　priest；　with　sparkling　eyes；　〃I　have　only　to　ask　your

blessing；　and　the　good　wishes　of　these　ladies；　to　go　forth　on　my

mission　of　peace。　　If　I　am　successful；〃　he　added；　with　a　light

laugh；　〃confess　that　a　layman　and　a　heretic　may　do　some　service　for

the　Church。〃　　As　the　old　man　laid　his　half　detaining；　half

benedictory　hands　upon　his　shoulders；　the　young　man　seized　the

opportunity　to　whisper　in　his　ear；　〃Remember　your　promise　to　tell

her　ALL　I　have　told　you；〃　and；　with　an　other　glance　at　Miss　Keene；

he　marshalled　Mrs。　Brimmer　and　Miss　Chubb　before　him；　and　hurried

them　to　the　boat。



Miss　Keene　looked　after　him　with　a　vague　felicity　in　the　change

that　seemed　to　have　come　on　him；　a　change　that　she　could　as　little

account　for　as　her　own　happiness。　　Was　it　the　excitement　of　danger

that　had　overcome　his　reserve；　and　set　free　his　compressed　will　and

energy？　　She　longed　for　her　brother　to　see　him　thusalert；　strong；

and　chivalrous。　　In　her　girlish　faith；　she　had　no　fear　for　his

safety；　he　would　conquer；　he　would　succeed；　he　would　come　back　to

them　victorious！　　Looking　up　from　her　happy　abstraction；　at　the

side　of　Mrs。　Markham；　who　had　calmly　gone　to　sleep　in　an　arm…chair；

she　saw　Father　Esteban's　eyes　fixed　upon　her。　　With　a　warning

gesture　of　the　hand　towards　Mrs。　Markham；　he　rose；　and；　going　to

the　door　of　the　sacristy；　beckoned　to　her。　　The　young　girl

noiselessly　crossed　the　room　and　followed　him　into　the　sanctuary。



Half　an　hour　later；　and　while　Mrs。　Markham　was　still　asleep；　Father

Esteban　appeared　at　the　door　of　the　sacristy　ostentatiously　taking

snuff；　and　using　a　large　red　handkerchief　to　wipe　his　more　than

usually　humid　eyes。　　Eleanor　Keene；　with　her　chin　resting　on　her

hand；　remained　sitting　as　he　had　left　her；　with　her　abstracted　eyes

fixed　vacantly　on　the　lamp　before　the　statue　of　the　Virgin　and　the

half…lit　gloom　of　the　nave。



Padre　Esteban　had　told　her　ALL！　　She　now　knew　Hurlstone's　history

even　as　he　had　hesitatingly　imparted　it　to　the　old　priest　in　this

very　churchperhaps　upon　the　very　seat　where　she　sat。　　She　knew

the　peace　that　he　had　sought　for　and　found　within　these　walls；

broken　only　by　his　passion　for　her！　　She　knew　his　struggles　against

the　hopelessness　of　this　new…born　love；　even　the　desperate　remedy

that　had　been　adopted　against　herself；　and　the　later　voluntary

exile　of　her　lover。　　She　knew　the　providential　culmination　of　his

trouble　in　the　news　brought　unconsciously　by　Perkins；　which；　but　a

few　hours　ago；　he　had　verified　by　the　letters；　records；　and　even

the　certificate　of　death　that　had　thus　strangely　been　placed　in　his

hands！　　She　knew　all　this　so　clearly　now；　that；　with　the　instinct

of　a　sympathetic　nature；　she　even　fancied　she　had　heard　it　before。

She　knew　that　all　the　obstacles　to　an　exchange　of　their　affection

had　been　removed；　that　her　lover　only　waited　his　opportunity　to

hear　from　her　own　lips　the　answer　that　was　even　now　struggling　at

her　heart。　　And　yet　she　hesitated　and　drew　back；　half　frightened　in

the　presence　of　her　great　happiness。　　How　she　longed；　and　yet

dreaded；　to　meet　him！　　What　if　anything　should　have　happened　to

him？what　if　he　should　be　the　victim　of　some　treachery？what　if

he　did　not　come？what　if？〃Good　heavens！　what　was　that？〃



She　was　near　the　door　of　the　sacristy；　gazing　into　the　dim　and

shadowy　church。　　Either　she　was　going　mad；　or　else　the　grotesque

Indian　hangings　of　the　walls　were　certainly　moving　towards　her。

She　rose　in　speechless　terror；　as　what　she　had　taken　for　an

uncouthly　swathed　and　draped　barbaric　pillar　suddenly　glided　to　the

window。　　Crouching　against　the　wall；　she　crept　breathlessly　towards

the　entrance　to　the　garden。　　Casting　a　hurried　glance　above　her；

she　saw　the　open　belfry　that　was　illuminated　by　the　misty　radiance

of　the　moon；　darkly　shadowed　by　hideously　gibbering　faces　that

peered　at　her　through　the　broken　tracery。　　With　a　cry　of　horror　she

threw　open　the　garden…door；　but　the　next　moment　was　swallowed　up　in

the　tumultuous　tide　of　wild　and　half　naked　Indians　who　surged

against　the　walls　of　the　church；　and　felt　herself　lifted　from　her

feet；　with　inarticulate　cries；　and　borne　along　the　garden。　　Even　in

her　mortal　terror；　she　could　recognize　that　the　cries　were　not

those　of　rage；　but　of　vacant　satisfaction；　that　although　she　was

lifted　on　lithe　shoulders；　the　grasp　of　her　limbs　was　gentle；　and

the　few　dark　faces　she　could　see　around　her　were　glistening　in

childlike　curiosity。　　Presently　she　felt　herself　placed　upon　the

back　of　a　mule；　that　seemed　to　be　swayed　hither　and　thither　in　the

shifting　mass；　and　the　next　moment　the　misty；　tossing　cortege　moved

forward　with　a　new　and　more　definite　purpose。　　She　called　aloud　for

Father　Esteban　and　Mrs。　Markham；　her　voice　appeared　to　flow　back

upon　her　from　the　luminous　wall　of　fog　that　closed　around　her。

Then　the　inarticulate；　irregular　outcries　took　upon　themselves　a

measured　rhythm；　the　movement　of　the　mass　formed　itself　upon　the

monotonous　chant；　the　intervals　grew　shorter；　the　mule　broke　into　a

trot；　and　then　the　whole　vast　multitude　fell　into　a　weird；

rhythmical；　jogging　quick　step　at　her　side。



Whatever　was　the　intent　of　this　invasion　of　the　Mission　and　her　own

strange　abduction；　she　was　relieved　by　noticing　that　they　were

going　in　the　same　direction　as　that　taken　by　Hurlstone　an　hour

before。　　Either　he　was　cognizant　of　their　movements；　and；　being

powerless　to　prevent　their　attack　on　the　church；　had　stipulated

they　were　to　bring　her　to　him　in　safety；　or　else　he　was　calculating

to　intercept　them　on　the　way。　　The　fog　prevented　her　from　forming

any　estimation　of　the　numbers　that　surrounded　her；　or　if　the　Padre

and　Mrs。　Markham　were　possibly　preceding　her　as　captives　in　the

vanguard。　　She　felt　the　breath　of　the　sea；　and　knew　they　were

traveling　along　the　shore；　the　monotonous　chant　and　jogging　motion

gradually　dulled　her　active　terror　to　an　apathetic　resignation；　in

which　occasionally　her　senses　seemed　to　swoon　and　swim　in　the

dreamy　radiance　through　which　they　passed；　at　times　it　seemed　a

dream　or　nightmare　with　which　she　was　hopelessly　struggling；　at

times　she　was　taking　part　in　an　unhallowed　pageant；　or　some　heathen

sacrificial　procession　of　which　she　was　the　destined　victim。



She　had　no　consciousness　of　how　long　the　hideous　journey　lasted。

Her　benumbed　senses　were　suddenly　awakened　by　a　shock；　the　chant

had　ceased；　the　moving　mass　in　which　she　was　imbedded　rolled

forward　once　more　as　if　by　its　own　elasticity；　and　then　receded

again　with　a　jar　that　almost　unseated　her。　　Then　the　inarticulate

murmur　was　overborne　by　a　voice。　　It　was　HIS！　　She　turned　blindly

towards　it；　but　before　she　could　utter　the　cry　that　rose　to　her

lips；　she　was　again　lifted　from　the　saddle；　carried　forward；　and

gently　placed　upon　what　seemed　to　be　a　moss…grown　bank。　　Opening

her　half　swim