the american claimant-第38节

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Sally's　eyes　burned　and　her　breath　came　quick　and　fast；　but　she　kept　a
fairly　good　grip　on　her　anger　and　did　not　let　it　get　the　advantage　of　her
tongue。　　The　statesman　sat　still　and　waited　for　developments。　　He　was
content　with　his　work。　　It　was　as　handsome　a　piece　of　diplomatic　art　as
he　had　ever　turned　out；　he　thought；　and　now；　let　the　girl　make　her　own
choice。　　He　judged　she　would　let　her　spectre　go；　he　hadn't　a　doubt　of　it
in　fact；　but　anyway；　let　the　choice　be　made；　and　he　was　ready　to　ratify
it　and　offer　no　further　hindrance。

Meantime　Sally　had　thought　her　case　out　and　made　up　her　mind。　　To　the
major's　disappointment　the　verdict　was　against　him。　　Sally　said：

〃He　has　no　friend　but　me；　and　I　will　not　desert　him　now。　　I　will　not
marry　him　if　his　moral　character　is　bad；　but　if　he　can　prove　that　it
isn't；　I　willand　he　shall　have　the　chance。　　To　me　he　seems　utterly　good
and　dear；　I've　never　seen　anything　about　him　that　looked　otherwise…
except；　of　course；　his　calling　himself　an　earl's　son。　　Maybe　that　is　only
vanity；　and　no　real　harm；　when　you　get　to　the　bottom　of　it。　　I　do　not
believe　he　is　any　such　person　as　you　have　painted　him。　　I　want　to　see
him。　　I　want　you　to　find　him　and　send　him　to　me。　　I　will　implore　him　to
be　honest　with　me；　and　tell　me　the　whole　truth；　and　not　be　afraid。〃

〃Very　well；　if　that　is　your　decision　I　will　do　it。　　But　Sally；　you　know；
he's　poor；　and〃

〃Oh；　I　don't　care　anything　about　that。　　That's　neither　here　nor　there。
Will　you　bring　him　to　me？〃

〃I'll　do　it。　　When？〃

〃Oh；　dear；　it's　getting　toward　dark；　now；　and　so　you'll　have　to　put　it
off　till　morning。　　But　you　will　find　him　in　the　morning；　won't　you？
Promise。〃

〃I'll　have　him　here　by　daylight。〃

〃Oh；　now　you're　your　own　old　self　againand　lovelier　than　ever！〃

〃I　couldn't　ask　fairer　than　that。　　Good…bye；　dear。〃

Sally　mused　a　moment　alone；　then　said　earnestly；　〃I　love　him　in　spite　of
his　name！〃　and　went　about　her　affairs　with　a　light　heart。




CHAPTER　XXV。

Hawkins　went　straight　to　the　telegraph　office　and　disburdened　his
conscience。　　He　said　to　himself；　〃She's　not　going　to　give　this　galvanized
cadaver　up；　that's　plain。　　Wild　horses　can't　pull　her　away　from　him。
I've　done　my　share；　it's　for　Sellers　to　take　an　innings；　now。〃　　So　he
sent　this　message　to　New　York：

〃Come　back。　　Hire　special　train。　　She's　going　to　marry　the　materializee。〃

Meantime　a　note　came　to　Rossmore　Towers　to　say　that　the　Earl　of　Rossmore
had　just　arrived　from　England；　and　would　do　himself　the　pleasure　of
calling　in　the　evening。　　Sally　said　to　herself；　〃It　is　a　pity　he　didn't
stop　in　New　York；　but　it's　no　matter；　he　can　go　up　to…morrow　and　see　my
father。　　He　has　come　over　here　to　tomahawk　papa；　very　likelyor　buy　out
his　claim。　　This　thing　would　have　excited　me；　a　while　back；　but　it　has
only　one　interest　for　me　now；　and　only　one　value。　　I　can　say　toto
Spine；　Spiny；　SpinalI　don't　like　any　form　of　that　name！I　can　say　to
him　to…morrow；　'Don't　try　to　keep　it　up　any　more；　or　I　shall　have　to　tell
you　whom　I　have　been　talking　with　last　night；　and　then　you　will　be
embarrassed。'〃

Tracy　couldn't　know　he　was　to　be　invited　for　the　morrow；　or　he　might　have
waited。　　As　it　was；　he　was　too　miserable　to　wait　any　longer；　for　his　last
hopea　letterhad　failed　him。　　It　was　fully　due　to…day；　it　had　not
come。　　Had　his　father　really　flung　him　away？　　It　looked　so。　　It　was　not
like　his　father；　but　it　surely　looked　so。　　His　father　was　a　rather　tough
nut；　in　truth；　but　had　never　been　so　with　his　sonstill；　this　implacable
silence　had　a　calamitous　look。　　Anyway；　Tracy　would　go　to　the　Towers　and
then　what？　　He　didn't　know；　his　head　was　tired　out　with　thinking
he　wouldn't　think　about　what　he　must　do　or　saylet　it　all　take　care　of
itself。　　So　that　he　saw　Sally　once　more；　he　would　be　satisfied；　happen
what　might；　he　wouldn't　care。

He　hardly　knew　how　he　got　to　the　Towers；　or　when。　　He　knew　and　cared　for
only　one　thinghe　was　alone　with　Sally。　　She　was　kind；　she　was　gentle；
there　was　moisture　in　her　eyes；　and　a　yearning　something　in　her　face　and
manner　which　she　could　not　wholly　hidebut　she　kept　her　distance。　　They
talked。　　Bye　and　bye　she　saidwatching　his　downcast　countenance　out　of
the　corner　of　her　eye

〃It's　so　lonesomewith　papa　and　mamma　gone。　　I　try　to　read；　but　I　can't
seem　to　get　interested　in　any　book。　　I　try　the　newspapers；　but　they　do
put　such　rubbish　in　them。　　You　take　up　a　paper　and　start　to　read
something　you　thinks　interesting；　and　it　goes　on　and　on　and　on　about　how
somebodywell；　Dr。　Snodgrass；　for　instance〃

Not　a　movement　from　Tracy；　not　the　quiver　of　a　muscle。　　Sally　was　amazed
what　command　of　himself　he　must　have！　　Being　disconcerted；　she　paused
so　long　that　Tracy　presently　looked　up　wearily　and　said：

〃Well？〃

〃Oh；　I　thought　you　were　not　listening。　　Yes；　it　goes　on　and　on　about　this
Doctor　Snodgrass；　till　you　are　so　tired；　and　then　about　his　younger　son
the　favorite　sonZylobalsamum　Snodgrass〃

Not　a　sign　from　Tracy；　whose　head　was　drooping　again。　　What　supernatural
self…possession！　　Sally　fixed　her　eye　on　him　and　began　again；　resolved　to
blast　him　out　of　his　serenity　this　time　if　she　knew　how　to　apply　the
dynamite　that　is　concealed　in　certain　forms　of　words　when　those　words　are
properly　loaded　with　unexpected　meanings。

〃And　next　it　goes　on　and　on　and　on　about　the　eldest　sonnot　the
favorite；　this　oneand　how　lie　is　neglected　in　his　poor　barren　boyhood；
and　allowed　to　grow　up　unschooled；　ignorant；　coarse；　vulgar；　the　comrade
of　the　community's　scum；　and　become　in　his　completed　manhood　a　rude；
profane；　dissipated　ruffian〃

That　head　still　drooped！　　Sally　rose；　moved　softly　and　solemnly　a　step　or
two；　and　stood　before　Tracyhis　head　came　slowly　up；　his　meek　eyes　met
her　intense　onesthen　she　finished　with　deep　impressiveness

〃named　Spinal　Meningitis　Snodgrass！〃

Tracy　merely　exhibited　signs　of　increased　fatigue。　　The　girl　was　outraged
by　this　iron　indifference　and　callousness；　and　cried　out

〃What　are　you　made　of？〃

〃I？　　Why？〃

〃Haven't　you　any　sensitiveness？　　Don't　these　things　touch　any　poor
remnant　of　delicate　feeling　in　you？〃

〃Nno；〃　he　said　wonderingly；　〃they　don't　seem　to。　　Why　should　they？〃

〃O；　dear　me；　how　can　you　look　so　innocent；　and　foolish；　and　good；　and
empty；　and　gentle；　and　all　that；　right　in　the　hearing　of　such　things　as
those！　　Look　me　in　the　eye…straight　in　the　eye。　　There；　now　then；　answer
me　without　a　flinch。　　Isn't　Doctor　Snodgrass　your　father；　and　isn't
Zylobalsamum　your　brother；〃　＇here　Hawkins　was　about　to　enter　the　room；
but　changed　his　mind　upon　hearing　these　words；　and　elected　for　a　walk
down　town；　and　so　glided　swiftly　away＇；　〃and　isn't　your　name　Spinal
Meningitis；　and　isn't　your　father　a　doctor　and　an　idiot；　like　all　the
family　for　generations；　and　doesn't　he　name　all　his　children　after
poisons　and　pestilences　and；　abnormal　anatomical　eccentricities　of　the
human　body？　　Answer　me；　some　way　or　somehowand　quick。　　Why　do　you　sit
there　looking　like　an　envelope　without　any　address　on　it　and　see　me　going
mad　before　your　face　with　suspense！〃

〃Oh；　I　wish　I　could　dodoI　wish　I　could　do　something；　anything　that
would　give　you　peace　again　and　make　you　happy；　but　I　know　of　nothing
I　know　of　no　way。　　I　have　never　heard　of　these　awful　people　before。〃

〃What？　　Say　it　again！〃

〃I　have　never…never　in　my　life　till　now。〃

〃Oh；　you　do　look　so　honest　when　you　say　that！　　It　must　be　truesurely
you　couldn't　look　that　way；　you　wouldn't　look　that　way　if　it　were　not
truewould　you？〃

〃I　couldn't　and　wouldn't。　　It　is　true。　　Oh；　let　us　end　this　suffering
take　me　back　into　your　heart　and　confidence〃

〃Waitone　more　thing。　　Tell　me　you　told　that　falsehood　out　of　mere
vanity　and　are　sorry　for　it；　that　you're　not　expecting　to　ever　wear　the
coronet　of　an　earl〃

〃Truly　I　am　curedcured　this　very　dayI　am　not　expecting　it！〃

〃O；　now　you　are　mine！　　I've　got　you　back　in　the　beauty　and　glory　of　your
unsmirched　poverty　and　your　honorable　obscurity；　and　nobody　shall　ever
take　you　from　me　again　but　the　grave！　　And　if〃

〃De　earl　of　Rossmore；　fum　Englan'！〃

〃My　father！〃　　The；　young　man　released　the　girl　and　hung　his　head。

The　old　gentleman　stood　surveying　the　couplethe　one　with　a　strongly
complimentary　right　eye；　the　other　with　a　mixed　expression　done　with　the
left。　　This　is　difficult；　and　not　often　resorted　to。　　Presently　his　face
relaxed　into　a　kind　of　constructive　gentleness；　and　he　said　to　his　son：

〃Don't　you　think　you　could　embrace　me；　too？〃

The　young　man　did　it　with　alacrity。　　〃Then　you　are　the　son　of　an　earl；
after　all；〃　said　Sally；　reproachfully。

〃Yes；　I〃

〃Then　I　won't　have　you！〃

〃O；　but　you　know〃

〃No；　I　will　not。　　You've　told　me　another　fib。〃

〃She's　right。　　Go　away　and　leave　us。　　I　want　to　talk　with　her。〃

Berkeley　was　obliged　to　go。　　But　he　did　not　go　far。　　He　remained　on　the
premises。　　At　midnight　the　conference　between　the　old　gentleman　and　the
young　girl　was　still　going　blithely　on；　but　it　presently　drew　to　a　close；
and　the　former　said：

〃I　came　all　the　way　over　here　to　inspect　you；　my　dear；　with　the　general
idea　of　breaking　off　this　match　if　there　were　two　fools　of　you；　but　as
there's　only　one；　you　can　have　hi