a sappho of green springs-第14节

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of　memory　was　wholly　paralyzed　or　held　in　abeyance；　even　to　the

half…automatic　recollection　of　his　letters；　yet　she　inconsistently

began　to　teach　him　the　alphabet　with　the　same　method；　andin　her

sublime　unconsciousness　of　his　manhoodwith　the　same　discipline　as

if　he　were　a　very　child。　　When　he　had　recovered　sufficiently　to

leave　his　room；　she　would　lead　him　to　the　porch　before　her　window；

and　make　him　contented　and　happy　by　allowing　him　to　watch　her　at

work　at　her　desk；　occasionally　answering　his　wondering　eyes　with　a

word；　or　stirring　his　faculties　with　a　question。　　I　grieve　to　say

that　her　parents　had　taken　advantage　of　this　publicity　and　his

supposed　helpless　condition　to　show　their　disgust　of　his　assumption；

to　the　extreme　of　making　faces　at　himan　act　which　he　resented　with

such　a　furious　glare　that　they　retreated　hurriedly　to　their　own

veranda。　　A　fresh　though　somewhat　inconsistent　grievance　was　added

to　their　previous　indictment　of　him：　〃If　we　ain't　found　dead　in　our

bed　with　our　throats　cut　by　that　woman's　crazy　husband〃　（they　had

settled　by　this　time　that　there　had　been　a　clandestine　marriage）；

〃we'll　be　lucky；〃　groaned　Mrs。　Forsyth。



Meantime；　the　mountain　summer　waxed　to　its　fullness　of　fire　and

fruition。　　There　were　days　when　the　crowded　forest　seemed　choked

and　impeded　with　its　own　foliage；　and　pungent　and　stifling　with　its

own　rank　maturity；　when　the　long　hillside　ranks　of　wild　oats；

thickset　and　impassable；　filled　the　air　with　the　heated　dust　of

germination。　　In　this　quickening　irritation　of　life　it　would　be

strange　if　the　unfortunate　man's　torpid　intellect　was　not　helped　in

its　awakening；　and　he　was　allowed　to　ramble　at　will　over　the　ranch；

but　with　the　instinct　of　a　domestic　animal　he　always　returned　to

the　house；　and　sat　in　the　porch；　where　Josephine　usually　found　him

awaiting　her　when　she　herself　returned　from　a　visit　to　the　mill。

Coming　thence　one　day　she　espied　him　on　the　mountain…side　leaning

against　a　projecting　ledge　in　an　attitude　so　rapt　and　immovable

that　she　felt　compelled　to　approach　him。　　He　appeared　to　be　dumbly

absorbed　in　the　prospect；　which　might　have　intoxicated　a　saner

mind。



Half　veiled　by　the　heat　that　rose　quiveringly　from　the　fiery　canyon

below；　the　domain　of　Burnt　Ridge　stretched　away　before　him；　until；

lifted　in　successive　terraces　hearsed　and　plumed　with　pines；　it

was　at　last　lost　in　the　ghostly　snow…peaks。　　But　the　practical

Josephine　seized　the　opportunity　to　try　once　more　to　awaken　the

slumbering　memory　of　her　pupil。　　Following　his　gaze　with　signs　and

questions；　she　sought　to　draw　from　him　some　indication　of　familiar

recollection　of　certain　points　of　the　map　thus　unrolled　behind　him。

But　in　vain。　　She　even　pointed　out　the　fateful　shadow　of　the

overhanging　ledge　on　the　road　where　she　had　picked　him　upthere

was　no　response　in　his　abstracted　eyes。　　She　bit　her　lips；　she　was

becoming　irritated　again。　　Then　it　occurred　to　her　that；　instead　of

appealing　to　his　hopeless　memory；　she　had　better　trust　to　some

unreflective　automatic　instinct　independent　of　it；　and　she　put　the

question　a　little　forward：　〃When　you　leave　us；　where　will　you　go

from　here？〃　　He　stirred　slightly；　and　turned　towards　her。　　She

repeated　her　query　slowly　and　patiently；　with　signs　and　gestures

recognized　between　them。　　A　faint　glow　of　intelligence　struggled

into　his　eyes：　he　lifted　his　arm　slowly；　and　pointed。



〃Ah！　those　white　peaksthe　Sierras？〃　she　asked；　eagerly。　　No

reply。　　〃Beyond　them？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃The　States？〃　　No　reply。　　〃Further　still？〃



He　remained　so　patiently　quiet　and　still　pointing　that　she　leaned

forward；　and；　following　with　her　eyes　the　direction　of　his　hand；

saw　that　he　was　pointing　to　the　sky！



Then　a　great　quiet　fell　upon　them。　　The　whole　mountain…side　seemed

to　her　to　be　hushed；　as　if　to　allow　her　to　grasp　and　realize　for

the　first　time　the　pathos　of　the　ruined　life　at　her　side；　which　IT

had　known　so　long；　but　which　she　had　never　felt　till　now。　　The

tears　came　to　her　eyes；　in　her　swift　revulsion　of　feeling　she

caught　the　thin　uplifted　hand　between　her　own。　　It　seemed　to　her

that　he　was　about　to　raise　them　to　his　lips；　but　she　withdrew　them

hastily；　and　moved　away。　　She　had　a　strange　fear　that　if　he　had

kissed　them；　it　might　seem　as　if　some　dumb　animal　had　touched　them

orIT　MIGHT　NOT。　　The　next　day　she　felt　a　consciousness　of　this

in　his　presence；　and　a　wish　that　he　was　well…cured　and　away。　　She

determined　to　consult　Dr。　Duchesne　on　the　subject　when　he　next

called。



But　the　doctor；　secure　in　the　welfare　of　his　patient；　had　not

visited　him　lately；　and　she　found　herself　presently　absorbed　in　the

business　of　the　ranch；　which　at　this　season　was　particularly

trying。　　There　had　also　been　a　quarrel　between　Dick　Shipley；　her

mill　foreman；　and　Miguel；　her　ablest　and　most　trusted　vaquero；　and

in　her　strict　sense　of　impartial　justice　she　was　obliged　to　side　on

the　merits　of　the　case　with　Shipley　against　her　oldest　retainer。

This　troubled　her；　as　she　knew　that　with　the　Mexican　nature；

fidelity　and　loyalty　were　not　unmixed　with　quick　and　unreasoning

jealousy。　　For　this　reason　she　was　somewhat　watchful　of　the　two　men

when　work　was　over；　and　there　was　a　chance　of　their　being　thrown

together。　　Once　or　twice　she　had　remained　up　late　to　meet　Miguel

returning　from　the　posada　at　San　Ramon；　filled　with　aguardiente　and

a　recollection　of　his　wrongs；　and　to　see　him　safely　bestowed　before

she　herself　retired。　　It　was　on　one　of　those　occasions；　however；

that　she　learned　that　Dick　Shipley；　hearing　that　Miguel　had

disparaged　him　freely　at　the　posada；　had　broken　the　discipline　of

the　ranch；　and　absented　himself　the　same　night　that　Miguel　〃had

leave；〃　with　a　view　of　facing　his　antagonist　on　his　own　ground。　　To

prevent　this；　the　fearless　girl　at　once　secretly　set　out　alone　to

overtake　and　bring　back　the　delinquent。



For　two　or　three　hours　the　house　was　thus　left　to　the　sole

occupancy　of　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Forsyth　and　the　invalida　fact　only

dimly　suspected　by　the　latter；　who　had　become　vaguely　conscious　of

Josephine's　anxiety；　and　had　noticed　the　absence　of　light　and

movement　in　her　room。　　For　this　reason；　therefore；　having　risen

again　and　mechanically　taken　his　seat　in　the　porch　to　await　her

return；　he　was　startled　by　hearing　HER　voice　in　the　shadow　of　the

lower　porch；　accompanied　by　a　hurried　tapping　against　the　door　of

the　old　couple。　　The　half…reasoning　man　arose；　and　would　have　moved

towards　it；　but　suddenly　he　stopped　rigidly；　with　white　and　parted

lips　and　vacantly　distended　eyeballs。



Meantime　the　voice　and　muffled　tapping　had　brought　the　tremulous

fingers　of　old　Forsyth　to　the　door…latch。　　He　opened　the　door

partly；　a　slight　figure　that　had　been　lurking　in　the　shadow　of　the

porch　pushed　rapidly　through　the　opening。　　There　was　a　faint　outcry

quickly　hushed；　and　the　door　closed　again。　　The　rays　of　a　single

candle　showed　the　two　old　people　hysterically　clasping　in　their

arms　the　figure　that　had　entereda　slight　but　vicious…looking

young　fellow　of　five…and…twenty。



〃There；　dn　it！〃　he　said　impatiently；　in　a　voice　whose　rich　depth

was　like　Josephine's；　but　whose　querulous　action　was　that　of　the

two　old　people　before　him；　〃let　me　go；　and　quit　that；　I　didn't　come

here　to　be　strangled！　　I　want　some　moneymoney；　you　hear！

Devilish　quick；　too；　for　I've　got　to　be　off　again　before　daylight。

So　look　sharp；　will　you？〃



〃But；　Stevy　dear；　when　you　didn't　come　that　time　three　months　ago；

but　wrote　from　Los　Angeles；　you　said　you'd　made　a　strike　at　last；

and〃



〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　he　interrupted　violently。　　〃That　was

just　my　lyin'　to　keep　you　from　worryin'　me。　　Three　months　ago

three　months　ago！　　Why；　you　must　have　been　crazy　to　have　swallowed

it；　I　hadn't　a　cent。〃



〃Nor　have　we；〃　said　the　old　woman；　shrilly。　　〃That　hellish　sister

of　yours　still　keeps　us　like　beggars。　　Our　only　hope　was　you；　our

own　boy。　　And　now　you　only　come　toto　go　again。〃



〃But　SHE　has　money；　SHE'S　doing　well；　and　SHE　shall　give　it　to　me；〃

he　went　on；　angrily。　　〃She　can't　bully　me　with　her　business　airs

and　morality。　　Who　else　has　got　a　right　to　share；　if　it　is　not　her

own　brother？〃



Alas　for　the　fatuousness　of　human　malevolence！　　Had　the　unhappy

couple　related　only　the　simple　facts　they　knew　about　the　new　guest

of　Burnt　Ridge　Ranch；　and　the　manner　of　his　introduction；　they

might　have　spared　what　followed。



But　the　old　woman　broke　into　a　vindictive　cry：　〃Who　else；　Steve

who　else？　　Why；　the　slut　has　brought　a　MAN　herea　sneaking；

deceitful；　underhanded；　crazy　lover！〃



〃Oh；　has　she？〃　said　the　young　man；　fiercely；　yet　secretly　pleased

at　this　promising　evidence　of　his　sister's　human　weakness。　　〃Where

is　she？　　I'll　go　to　her。　　She's　in　her　room；　I　suppose；〃　and　before

they　could　restrain　him；　he　had　thrown　off　their　impeding　embraces

and　darted　across　the　hall。



The　two　old　people　stared　doubtfully　at　each　o