the night-born-第4节
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saidsolid and stolid； the Oxshuffling around and waiting on
the tables。
〃'You need a wife to help you；' I said。
〃'I had one once；' was his answer。
〃'Widower？'
〃'Yep。 She went loco。 She always said the heat of the cooking
would get her； and it did。 Pulled a gun on me one day and ran
away with some Siwashes in a canoe。 Caught a blow up the coast
and all hands drowned。'〃
Trefethan devoted himself to his glass and remained silent。
〃But the girl？〃 Milner reminded him。
〃You left your story just as it was getting interesting；
tender。 Did it？〃
〃It did；〃 Trefethan replied。 〃As she said herself； she was
savage in everything except mating； and then she wanted her own
kind。 She was very nice about it； but she was straight to the
point。 She wanted to marry me。
〃'Stranger；' she said； 'I want you bad。 You like this sort of
life or you wouldn't be here trying to cross the Rockies in
fall weather。 It's a likely spot。 You'll find few likelier。 Why
not settle down！ I'll make you a good wife。'
〃And then it was up to me。 And she waited。 I don't mind
confessing that I was sorely tempted。 I was half in love with
her as it was。 You know I have never married。 And I don't mind
adding； looking back over my life； that she is the only woman
that ever affected me that way。 But it was too preposterous；
the whole thing； and I lied like a gentleman。 I told her I was
already married。
〃'Is your wife waiting for you？' she asked。
〃I said yes。
〃'And she loves you？'
〃I said yes。
〃And that was all。 She never pressed her point。 。 。 except
once； and then she showed a bit of fire。
〃'All I've got to do；' she said； 'is to give the word； and you
don't get away from here。 If I give the word； you stay on。 。 。
But I ain't going to give it。 I wouldn't want you if you didn't
want to be wanted。 。 。 and if you didn't want me。'
〃She went ahead and outfitted me and started me on my way。
〃'It's a darned shame； stranger；〃 she said； at parting。 'I like
your looks； and I like you。 If you ever change your mind； come
back。'
〃Now there was one thing I wanted to do； and that was to kiss
her good…bye； but I didn't know how to go about it nor how she
would take it。I tell you I was half in love with her。 But she
settled it herself。
〃'Kiss me；' she said。 'Just something to go on and remember。'
〃And we kissed； there in the snow； in that valley by the
Rockies； and I left her standing by the trail and went on after
my dogs。 I was six weeks in crossing over the pass and coming
down to the first post on Great Slave Lake。〃
The brawl of the streets came up to us like a distant surf。 A
steward； moving noiselessly； brought fresh siphons。 And in the
silence Trefethan's voice fell like a funeral bell：
〃It would have been better had I stayed。 Look at me。〃
We saw his grizzled mustache； the bald spot on his head； the
puff…sacks under his eyes； the sagging cheeks； the heavy
dewlap； the general tiredness and staleness and fatness； all
the collapse and ruin of a man who had once been strong but who
had lived too easily and too well。
〃It's not too late； old man；〃 Bardwell said； almost in a
whisper。
〃By God！ I wish I weren't a coward！〃 was Trefethan's answering
cry。 〃I could go back to her。 She's there； now。 I could shape
up and live many a long year。 。 。 with her。 。 。 up there。 To
remain here is to commit suicide。 But I am an old
manforty…sevenlook at me。 The trouble is；〃 he lifted his
glass and glanced at it； 〃the trouble is that suicide of this
sort is so easy。 I am soft and tender。 The thought of the long
day's travel with the dogs appalls me； the thought of the keen
frost in the morning and of the frozen sled…lashings frightens
me〃
Automatically the glass was creeping toward his lips。 With a
swift surge of anger he made as if to crash it down upon the
floor。 Next came hesitancy and second thought。 The glass moved
upward to his lips and paused。 He laughed harshly and bitterly；
but his words were solemn：
〃Well； here's to the Night…Born。 She WAS a wonder。〃
THE MADNESS OF JOHN HARNED
I TELL this for a fact。 It happened in the bull…ring at Quito。
I sat in the box with John Harned； and with Maria Valenzuela；
and with Luis Cervallos。 I saw it happen。 I saw it all from
first to last。 I was on the steamer Ecuadore from Panama to
Guayaquil。 Maria Valenzuela is my cousin。 I have known her
always。 She is very beautiful。 I am a Spaniardan Ecuadoriano；
true； but I am descended from Pedro Patino； who was one of
Pizarro's captains。 They were brave men。 They were heroes。 Did
not Pizarro lead three hundred and fifty Spanish cavaliers and
four thousand Indians into the far Cordilleras in search of
treasure？ And did not all the four thousand Indians and three
hundred of the brave cavaliers die on that vain quest？ But
Pedro Patino did not die。 He it was that lived to found the
family of the Patino。 I am Ecuadoriano； true； but I am Spanish。
I am Manuel de Jesus Patino。 I own many haciendas； and ten
thousand Indians are my slaves； though the law says they are
free men who work by freedom of contract。 The law is a funny
thing。 We Ecuadorianos laugh at it。 It is our law。 We make it
for ourselves。 I am Manuel de Jesus Patino。 Remember that name。
It will be written some day in history。 There are revolutions
in Ecuador。 We call them elections。 It is a good joke is it
not？what you call a pun？
John Harned was an American。 I met him first at the Tivoli
hotel in Panama。 He had much moneythis I have heard。 He was
going to Lima； but he met Maria Valenzuela in the Tivoli hotel。
Maria Valenzuela is my cousin； and she is beautiful。 It is
true； she is the most beautiful woman in Ecuador。 But also is
she most beautiful in every countryin Paris； in Madrid； in
New York； in Vienna。 Always do all men look at her； and John
Harned looked long at her at Panama。 He loved her； that I know
for a fact。 She was Ecuadoriano； truebut she was of all
countries； she was of all the world。 She spoke many languages。
She sangah！ like an artiste。 Her smilewonderful； divine。
Her eyesah！ have I not seen men look in her eyes？ They were
what you English call amazing。 They were promises of paradise。
Men drowned themselves in her eyes。
Maria Valenzuela was richricher than I； who am accounted very
rich in Ecuador。 But John Harned did not care for her money。 He
had a hearta funny heart。 He was a fool。 He did not go to
Lima。 He left the steamer at Guayaquil and followed her to
Quito。 She was coming home from Europe and other places。 I do
not see what she found in him； but she liked him。 This I know
for a fact； else he would not have followed her to Quito。 She
asked him to come。 Well do I remember the occasion。 She said：
〃Come to Quito and I will show you the bullfightbrave；
clever； magnificent！〃
But he said： 〃I go to Lima； not Quito。 Such is my passage
engaged on the steamer。〃
〃You travel for pleasureno？〃 said Maria Valenzuela； and she
looked at him as only Maria Valenzuela could look； her eyes
warm with the promise。
And he came。 No； he did not come for the bull…fight。 He came
because of what he had seen in her eyes。 Women like Maria
Valenzuela are born once in a hundred years。 They are of no
country and no time。 They are what you call goddesses。 Men fall
down at their feet。 They play with men and run them through
their pretty fingers like sand。 Cleopatra was such a woman they
say； and so was Circe。 She turned men into swine。 Ha！ ha！ It is
trueno？
It all came about because Maria Valenzuela said：
〃You English people arewhat shall I say？savageno？ You
prize…fight。 Two men each hit the other with their fists till
their eyes are blinded and their noses are broken。 Hideous！ And
the other men who look on cry out loudly and are made glad。 It
is barbarousno？〃
〃But they are men；〃 said John Harned； 〃and they prize…fight out
of desire。 No one makes them prize…fight。 They do it because
they desire it more than anything else in the world。〃
Maria Valenzuelathere was scorn in her smile as she said：
〃They kill each other oftenis it not so？ I have read it in
the papers。〃
〃But the bull；〃 said John Harned。
〃The bull is killed many times in the bull…fight； and the bull
does not come into the the ring out of desire。 It is not fair
to the bull。 He is compelled to fight。 But the man in the
prize…fightno； he is not compelled。〃
〃He is the more brute therefore；〃 said Maria Valenzuela。
〃He is savage。 He is primitive。 He is animal。 He strikes with
his paws like a bear from a cave； and he is ferocious。 But the
bull…fightah！ You have not seen the bullfightno？ The
toreador is clever。 He must have skill。 He is modern。 He is
romantic。 He is only a man； soft and tender； and he faces the
wild bull in conflict。 And he kills with a sword； a slender
sword； with one
