a first family of tasajara-第29部分

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〃I　am　afraid　you　do　not　like　California；　Mrs。　Ashwood？〃　he　said

pleasantly。　　〃You　perhaps　find　the　life　here　too　unrestrained　and

unconventional？〃



She　looked　at　him　in　quick　astonishment。　　〃Are　you　quite　sincere？

Why；　it　strikes　me　that　this　is　just　what　it　is　NOT。　　And　I　have　so

longed　for　something　quite　different。　　From　what　I　have　been　told

about　the　originality　and　adventure　of　everything　here；　and　your

independence　of　old　social　forms　and　customs；　I　am　afraid　I

expected　the　opposite　of　what　I've　seen。　　Why；　this　very　party

except　that　the　ladies　are　prettier　and　more　expensively　gotten　up

is　like　any　party　that　might　have　ridden　out　at　Saratoga　or　New

York。〃



〃And　as　stupid；　you　would　say。〃



〃As　CONVENTIONAL；　Mr。　Grant；　always　excepting　this　lovely　creature

beneath　me；　whom　I　can't　make　out　and　who　doesn't　seem　to　care　that

I　should。　　There！　look！　I　told　you　so！〃



Her　mustang　had　suddenly　bounded　forward；　but　as　Grant　followed　he

could　see　that　the　cause　was　the　example　of　Phemie；　who　had；　in

some　mad　freak；　dashed　out　in　a　frantic　gallop。　　A　half…dozen　of

the　younger　people　hilariously　accepted　the　challenge；　the

excitement　was　communicated　to　the　others；　until　the　whole

cavalcade　was　sweeping　down　the　slope。　　Grant　was　still　at　Mrs。

Ashwood's　side；　restraining　her　mustang　and　his　own　impatient　horse

when　Clementina　joined　them。　　〃Phemie's　mare　has　really　bolted；　I

fear；〃　she　said　in　a　quick　whisper；　〃ride　on；　and　never　mind　us。〃

Grant　looked　quickly　ahead；　Phemie's　roan；　excited　by　the　shouts

behind　her　and　to　all　appearance　ungovernable；　was　fast　disappearing

with　her　rider。　　Without　a　word；　trusting　to　his　own　good

horsemanship　and　better　knowledge　of　the　ground；　he　darted　out　of

the　cavalcade　to　overtake　her。



But　the　unfortunate　result　of　this　was　to　give　further　impulse　to

the　now　racing　horses　as　they　approached　a　point　where　the　slope

terminated　in　two　diverging　canyons。　　Mrs。　Ashwood　gave　a　sharp

pull　upon　her　bit。　　To　her　consternation　the　mustang　stopped　short

almost　instantly；planting　his　two　fore　feet　rigidly　in　the　dust

and　even　sliding　forward　with　the　impetus。　　Had　her　seat　been　less

firm　she　might　have　been　thrown；　but　she　recovered　herself；

although　in　doing　so　she　still　bore　upon　the　bit；　when　to　her

astonishment　the　mustang　deliberately　stiffened　himself　as　if　for　a

shock；　and　then　began　to　back　slowly；　quivering　with　excitement。

She　did　not　know　that　her　native…bred　animal　fondly　believed　that

he　was　participating　in　a　rodeo；　and　that　to　his　equine　intelligence

his　fair　mistress　had　just　lassoed　something！　　In　vain　she　urged　him

forward；　he　still　waited　for　the　shock！　　When　the　cloud　of　dust　in

which　she　had　been　enwrapped　drifted　away；　she　saw　to　her　amazement

that　she　was　alone。　　The　entire　party　had　disappeared　into　one　of

the　canyons；but　which　one　she　could　not　tell！



When　she　succeeded　at　last　in　urging　her　mustang　forward　again　she

determined　to　take　the　right…hand　canyon　and　trust　to　being　either

met　or　overtaken。　　A　more　practical　and　less　adventurous　nature

would　have　waited　at　the　point　of　divergence　for　the　return　of　some

of　the　party；　but　Mrs。　Ashwood　was；　in　truth；　not　sorry　to　be　left

to　herself　and　the　novel　scenery　for　a　while；　and　she　had　no　doubt

but　she　would　eventually　find　her　way　to　the　hotel　at　San　Mateo；

which　could　not　be　far　away；　in　time　for　luncheon。



The　road　was　still　well　defined；　although　it　presently　began　to

wind　between　ascending　ranks　of　pines　and　larches　that　marked　the

terraces　of　hills；　so　high　that　she　wondered　she　had　not　noticed

them　from　the　plains。　　An　unmistakable　suggestion　of　some　haunting

primeval　solitude；　a　sense　of　the　hushed　and　mysterious　proximity

of　a　nature　she　had　never　known　before；　the　strange　half…

intoxicating　breath　of　unsunned　foliage　and　untrodden　grasses　and

herbs；　all　combined　to　exalt　her　as　she　cantered　forward。　　Even　her

horse　seemed　to　have　acquired　an　intelligent　liberty；　or　rather　to

have　established　a　sympathy　with　her　in　his　needs　and　her　own

longings；　instinctively　she　no　longer　pulled　him　with　the　curb；　the

reins　hung　loosely　on　his　self…arched　and　unfettered　neck；　secure

in　this　loneliness　she　found　herself　even　talking　to　him　with

barbaric　freedom。　　As　she　went　on；　the　vague　hush　of　all　things

animate　and　inanimate　around　her　seemed　to　thicken；　until　she

unconsciously　halted　before　a　dim　and　pillared　wood；　and　a　vast　and

heathless　opening　on　whose　mute　brown　lips　Nature　seemed　to　have

laid　the　finger　of　silence。　　She　forgot　the　party　she　had　left；　she

forgot　the　luncheon　she　was　going　to；　more　important　still　she

forgot　that　she　had　already　left　the　traveled　track　far　behind　her；

and；　tremulous　with　anticipation；　rode　timidly　into　that　arch　of

shadow。



As　her　horse's　hoofs　fell　noiselessly　on　the　elastic　moss…carpeted

aisle　she　forgot　even　more　than　that。　　She　forgot　the　artificial

stimulus　and　excitement　of　the　life　she　had　been　leading　so　long；

she　forgot　the　small　meannesses　and　smaller　worries　of　her　well…to…

do　experiences；　she　forgot　herself；rather　she　regained　a　self　she

had　long　forgotten。　　For　in　the　sweet　seclusion　of　this　half

darkened　sanctuary　the　clinging　fripperies　of　her　past　slipped　from

her　as　a　tawdry　garment。　　The　petted；　spoiled；　and　vapidly

precocious　girlhood　which　had　merged　into　a　womanhood　of　aimless

triumphs　and　meaner　ambitions；　the　worldly　but　miserable　triumph　of

a　marriage　that　had　left　her　delicacy　abused　and　her　heart　sick　and

unsatisfied；　the　wifehood　without　home；　seclusion；　or　maternity；

the　widowhood　that　at　last　brought　relief；　but　with　it　the

consciousness　of　hopelessly　wasted　youth；all　this　seemed　to　drop

from　her　here　as　lightly　as　the　winged　needles　or　noiseless

withered　spray　from　the　dim　gray　vault　above　her　head。　　In　the

sovereign　balm　of　that　woodland　breath　her　better　spirit　was

restored；　somewhere　in　these　wholesome　shades　seemed　to　still　lurk

what　should　have　been　her　innocent　and　nymph…like　youth；　and　to

come　out　once　more　and　greet　her。　　Old　songs　she　had　forgotten；　or

whose　music　had　failed　in　the　discords　of　her　frivolous　life；　sang

themselves　to　her　again　in　that　sweet；　grave　silence；　girlish

dreams　that　she　had　foolishly　been　ashamed　of；　or　had　put　away　with

her　childish　toys；　stole　back　to　her　once　more　and　became　real　in

this　tender　twilight；　old　fancies；　old　fragments　of　verse　and

childish　lore；　grew　palpable　and　moved　faintly　before　her。　　The

boyish　prince　who　should　have　come　was　there；　the　babe　that　should

have　been　hers　was　there！she　stopped　suddenly　with　flaming　eyes

and　indignant　color。　　For　it　appeared　that　a　MAN　was　there　too；　and

had　just　risen　from　the　fallen　tree　where　he　had　been　sitting。





CHAPTER　VIII。





She　had　so　far　forgotten　herself　in　yielding　to　the　spell　of　the

place；　and　in　the　revelation　of　her　naked　soul　and　inner　nature；

that　it　was　with　something　of　the　instinct　of　outraged　mode