a first family of tasajara-第26部分

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party；　if　it　were　not　known　to　his　friends　as　well　as　himself　that

it　may　be　traced　almost　directly　to　a　cast…off　member　of　his　own

family；　who；　it　seems；　is　reduced　to　haunting　the　back　doors　of

certain　blatant　journals　to　dispose　of　his　cheap　wares。　　The

slanderer　is　secure　from　public　exposure　in　the　superior　decency　of

his　relations；　who　refrain　from　airing　their　family　linen　upon

editorial　lines。〃



This　was　the　journal　to　which　John　Milton　had　hopefully　turned　for

work。　　When　he　read　it　there　seemed　but　one　thing　for　him　to　do

and　he　did　it。　　Gentle　and　optimistic　as　was　his　nature；　he　had

been　brought　up　in　a　community　where　sincere　directness　of　personal

offense　was　followed　by　equally　sincere　directness　of　personal

redress；　andhe　challenged　the　editor。　　The　bearer　of　his　cartel

was　one　Jack　Hamlin；　I　grieve　to　say　a　gambler　by　profession；　but

between　whom　and　John　Milton　had　sprung　up　an　odd　friendship　of

which　the　best　that　can　be　said　is　that　it　was　to　each　equally　and

unselfishly　unprofitable。　　The　challenge　was　accepted；　the

preliminaries　arranged。　　〃I　suppose；〃　said　Jack　carelessly；　〃as　the

old　man　ought　to　do　something　for　your　wife　in　case　of　accident；

you've　made　some　sort　of　a　will？〃



〃I've　thought　of　that；〃　said　John　Milton；　dubiously；　〃but　I'm

afraid　it's　no　use。　　You　see〃he　hesitated〃I'm　not　of　age。〃



〃May　I　ask　how　old　you　are；　sonny？〃　said　Jack　with　great　gravity。



〃I'm　almost　twenty；〃　said　John　Milton；　coloring。



〃It　isn't　exactly　vingt…et…un；　but　I'd　stand　on　it；　if　I　were　you　I

wouldn't　draw　to　such　a　hand；〃　said　Jack；　coolly。



The　young　husband　had　arranged　to　be　absent　from　his　home　that

night；　and　early　morning　found　him；　with　Jack；　grave；　but

courageous；　in　a　little　hollow　behind　the　Mission　Hills。　　To　them

presently　approached　his　antagonist；　jauntily　accompanied　by

Colonel　Starbottle；　his　second。　　They　halted；　but　after　the　formal

salutation　were　instantly　joined　by　Jack　Hamlin。　　For　a　few　moments

John　Milton　remained　awkwardly　alonepending　a　conversation　which

even　at　that　supreme　moment　he　felt　as　being　like　the　general

attitude　of　his　friends　towards　him；　in　its　complete　ignoring　of

himself。　　The　next　moment　the　three　men　stepped　towards　him。　　〃We

have　come；　sir；〃　said　Colonel　Starbottle　in　his　precisest　speech

but　his　jauntiest　manner；　〃to　offer　you　a　full　and　ample　apologya

personal　apologywhich　only　supplements　that　full　public　apology

that　my　principal；　sir；　this　gentleman；〃　indicating　the　editor　of

the　〃Pioneer；〃　〃has　this　morning　made　in　the　columns　of　his　paper；

as　you　will　observe；〃　producing　a　newspaper。　　〃We　have；　sir；〃

continued　the　colonel　loftily；　〃only　within　the　last　twelve　hours

become　aware　of　theerREAL　circumstances　of　the　case。　　We　would

regret　that　the　affair　had　gone　so　far　already；　if　it　had　not　given

us；　sir；　the　opportunity　of　testifying　to　your　gallantry。　　We　do　so

gladly；　and　iferera　FEW　YEARS　LATER；　Mr。　Harcourt；　you　should

ever　needa　friend　in　any　matter　of　this　kind；　I　am；　sir；　at　your

service。〃　　John　Milton　gazed　half　inquiringly；　half　uneasily　at

Jack。



〃It's　all　right；　Milt；〃　he　said　sotto　voce。　　〃Shake　hands　all　round

and　let's　go　to　breakfast。　　And　I　rather　think　that　editor　wants　to

employ　you　HIMSELF。〃



It　was　true；　for　when　that　night　he　climbed　eagerly　the　steep

homeward　hill　he　carried　with　him　the　written　offer　of　an

engagement　on　the　〃Pioneer。〃　　As　he　entered　the　door　his　wife's

nurse　and　companion　met　him　with　a　serious　face。　　There　had　been　a

strange　and　unexpected　change　in　the　patient's　condition；　and　the

doctor　had　already　been　there　twice。　　As　he　put　aside　his　coat　and

hat　and　entered　her　room；　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　forever　put

aside　all　else　of　essay　and　ambition　beyond　those　four　walls。　　And

with　the　thought　a　great　peace　came　upon　him。　　It　seemed　good　to

him　to　live　for　her　alone。



It　was　not　for　long。　　As　each　monotonous　day　brought　the　morning

mist　and　evening　fog　regularly　to　the　little　hilltop　where　his

whole　being　was　now　centred；　she　seemed　to　grow　daily　weaker；　and

the　little　circle　of　her　life　narrowed　day　by　day。　　One　morning

when　the　usual　mist　appeared　to　have　been　withheld　and　the　sun　had

risen　with　a　strange　and　cruel　brightness；　when　the　waves　danced

and　sparkled　on　the　bay　below　and　light　glanced　from　dazzling

sails；　and　even　the　white　tombs　on　Lone　Mountain　glittered　keenly；

when　cheery　voices　hailing　each　other　on　the　hillside　came　to　him

clearly　but　without　sense　or　meaning；　when　earth；　sky；　and　sea

seemed　quivering　with　life　and　motion；he　opened　the　door　of　that

one　little　house　on　which　the　only　shadow　seemed　to　have　fallen；

and　went　forth　again　into　the　world　alone。





CHAPTER　VII。





Mr。　Daniel　Harcourt's　town　mansion　was　also　on　an　eminence；　but　it

was　that　gentler　acclivity　of　fashion　known　as　Rincon　Hill；　and

sunned　itself　on　a　southern　slope　of　luxury。　　It　had　been　described

as　〃princely〃　and　〃fairy…like；〃　by　a　grateful　reporter；　tourists

and　travelers　had　sung　its　praises　in　letters　to　their　friends　and

in　private　reminiscences；　for　it　had　dispensed　hospitality　to　most

of　the　celebrities　who　had　visited　the　coast。　　Nevertheless　its

charm　was　mainly　due　to　the　ruling　taste　of　Miss　Clementina

Harcourt；　who　had　astonished　her　father　by　her　marvelous　intuition

of　the　nice　requirements　and　elegant　responsibilities　of　their

position；　and　had　thrown　her　mother　into　the　pained　perplexity　of　a

matronly　hen；　who；　among　the　ducks'　eggs　intrusted　to　her　fostering

care；　had　unwittingly　hatched　a　graceful　but　discomposing　cygnet。



Indeed；　after　holding　out　feebly　against　the　siege　of　wealth　at

Tasajara　and　San　Francisco；　Mrs。　Harcourt　had　abandoned　herself

hopelessly　to　the　horrors　of　its　invasion；　had　allowed　herself　to

be　dragged　from　her　kitchen　by　her　exultant　daughters　and　set　up　in

black　silk　in　a　certain　conventional　respectability　in　the　drawing…

room。　　Strange　to　say；　her　commiserating　hospitality；　or　hospital…

like　ministration；　not　only　gave　her　popularity；　but　a　certain　kind

of　distinction。　　An　exaltation　so　sorrowfully　deprecated　by　its

possessor　was　felt　to　be　a　sign　of　superiority。　　She　was　spoken　of

as　〃motherly；〃　even　by　those　who　vaguely　knew　that　there　was

somewhere　a　discarded　son　struggling　in　poverty　with　a　helpless

wife；　and　that　she　had　sided　with　her　husband　in　disinheriting　a

daughter　who　had　married　unwisely。　　She　was　sentimentally　spoken　of

as　a　〃true　wife；〃　while　never　opposing　a　single　meanness　of　her

husband；　suggesting　a　single　active　virtue；　nor　questioning　her

right　to　sacrifice　herself　and　her　family　for　his　sake。　　With

nothing　she　cared　to　affect；　she　was　quite　free　from　affectation；

and　even　the　critical　Lawrence　Grant　was　struck　with　the　dignity

which　her　narrow　simplicity；　that　had　seemed　small　even　in　Sidon；

attained　in　her　palatial　hall　in　San　Francisco。　　It　appeared　to　be

a　perfectly　logical　conclusion　that　when　such　unaff