a first family of tasajara-第38部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



property？〃



〃Because　he　did　not　care　for　it。〃



〃What　did　he　care　for；　then？〃



〃Me；　I　suppose。〃



〃But　this　calumny　is　not　like　a　man　who　loves　you。〃



〃It　is　like　a　JEALOUS　one。〃



With　an　effort　Harcourt　threw　off　his　bewildered　incredulity　and

grasped　the　situation。　　He　would　have　to　contend　with　his　enemy　in

the　flesh　and　blood；　but　that　flesh　and　blood　would　be　very　weak　in

the　hands　of　the　impassive　girl　beside　him。　　His　face　lightened。



The　same　idea　might　have　been　in　Clementina's　mind　when　she　spoke

again；　although　her　face　had　remained　unchanged。　　〃I　do　not　see　why

YOU　should　bother　yourself　further　about　it；〃　she　said。　　〃It　is

only　a　matter　between　myself　and　him；　you　can　leave　it　to　me。〃



〃But　if　you　are　mistaken　and　he　should　not　be　living？〃



〃I　am　not　mistaken。　　I　am　even　certain　now　that　I　have　seen　him。〃



〃Seen　him！〃



〃Yes；〃　said　the　girl　with　the　first　trace　of　animation　in　her　face。

〃It　was　four　or　five　months　ago　when　we　were　visiting　the　Briones

at　Monterey。　　We　had　ridden　out　to　the　old　Mission　by　moonlight。

There　were　some　Mexicans　lounging　around　the　posada；　and　one　of

them　attracted　my　attention　by　the　way　he　seemed　to　watch　me；

without　revealing　any　more　of　his　face　than　I　could　see　between　his

serape　and　the　black　silk　handkerchief　that　was　tied　around　his

head　under　his　sombrero。　　But　I　knew　he　was　an　Americanand　his

eyes　were　familiar。　　I　believe　it　was　he。〃



〃Why　did　you　not　speak　of　it　before？〃



The　look　of　animation　died　out　of　the　girl's　face。　　〃Why　should　I？〃

she　said　listlessly。　　〃I　did　not　know　of　these　reports　then。　　He

was　nothing　more　to　us。　　You　wouldn't　have　cared　to　see　him　again。〃

She　rose；　smoothed　out　her　skirt　and　stood　looking　at　her　father。

〃There　is　one　thing；　of　course；　that　you'll　do　at　once。〃



Her　voice　had　changed　so　oddly　that　he　said　quickly：　〃What's　that？〃



〃Call　Grant　off　the　scent。　　He'll　only　frighten　or　exasperate　your

game；　and　that's　what　you　don't　want。〃



Her　voice　was　as　imperious　as　it　had　been　previously　listless。　　And

it　was　the　first　time　he　had　ever　known　her　to　use　slang。



It　seemed　as　startling　as　if　it　had　fallen　from　the　marble　lips

above　him。



〃But　I've　promised　him　that　we　should　go　together　to　my　lawyer　to…

morrow；　and　begin　a　suit　against　the　proprietors　of　the　'Clarion。'〃



〃Do　nothing　of　the　kind。　　Get　rid　of　Grant's　assistance　in　this

matter；　and　see　the　'Clarion'　proprietor　yourself。　　What　sort　of　a

man　is　he？　　Can　you　invite　him　to　your　house？〃



〃I　have　never　seen　him；　I　believe　he　lives　at　San　Jose。　　He　is　a

wealthy　man　and　a　large　land　owner　there。　　You　understand　that

after　the　first　article　appeared　in　his　paper；　and　I　knew　that　he

had　employed　your　brotheralthough　Grant　says　that　he　had　nothing

to　do　with　it　and　left　Fletcher　on　account　of　itI　could　have　no

intercourse　with　him。　　Even　if　I　invited　him　he　would　not　come。〃



〃He　MUST　come。　　Leave　it　to　ME。〃　　She　stopped　and　resumed　her

former　impassive　manner。　　〃I　had　something　to　say　to　you　too；

father。　　Mr。　Shipley　proposed　to　me　the　day　we　went　to　San　Mateo。〃



Her　father's　eyes　lit　with　an　eager　sparkle。　　〃Well；〃　he　said

quickly。



〃I　reminded　him　that　I　had　known　him　only　a　few　weeks；　and　that　I

wanted　time　to　consider。〃



〃Consider！　　Why；　Clemmy；　he's　one　of　the　oldest　Boston　families；

rich　from　his　father　and　grandfatherrich　when　I　was　a　shopkeeper

and　your　mother〃



〃I　thought　you　liked　Grant？〃　she　said　quietly。



〃Yes；　but　if　YOU　have　no　choice　nor　feeling　in　the　matter；　why

Shipley　is　far　the　better　man。　　And　if　any　of　the　scandal　should

come　to　his　ears〃



〃So　much　the　better　that　the　hesitation　should　come　from　me。　　But

if　you　think　it　better；　I　can　sit　down　here　and　write　to　him　at

once　declining　the　offer。〃　　She　moved　towards　the　desk。



〃No！　No！　　I　did　not　mean　that；〃　said　Harcourt　quickly。　　〃I　only

thought　that　if　he　did　hear　anything　it　might　be　said　that　he　had

backed　out。〃



〃His　sister　knows　of　his　offer；　and　though　she　don't　like　it　nor

me；　she　will　not　deny　the　fact。　　By　the　way；　you　remember　when　she

was　lost　that　day　on　the　road　to　San　Mateo？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃Well；　she　was　with　your　son；　John　Milton；　all　the　time；　and　they

lunched　together　at　Crystal　Spring。　　It　came　out　quite　accidentally

through　the　hotel…keeper。〃



Harcourt's　brow　darkened。　　〃Did　she　know　him　before？〃



〃I　can't　say；　but　she　does　now。〃



Harcourt's　face　was　heavy　with　distrust。　　〃Taking　Shipley's　offer

and　these　scandals　into　consideration；　I　don't　like　the　look　of

this；　Clementina。〃



〃I　do；〃　said　the　girl　simply。



Harcourt　gazed　at　her　keenly　and　with　the　shadow　of　distrust　still

upon　him。　　It　seemed　to　be　quite　impossible；　even　with　what　he　knew

of　her　calmly　cold　nature；　that　she　should　be　equally　uninfluenced

by　Grant　or　Shipley。　　Had　she　some　steadfast；　lofty　ideal；　or

perhaps　some　already　absorbing　passion　of　which　he　knew　nothing？

She　was　not　a　girl　to　betray　itthey　would　only　know　it　when　it

was　too　late。　　Could　it　be　possible　that　there　was　still　something

between　her　and　'Lige　that　he　knew　nothing　of？　　The　thought　struck

a　chill　to　his　breast。　　She　was　walking　towards　the　door；　when　he

recalled　himself　with　an　effort。



〃If　you　think　it　advisable　to　see　Fletcher；　you　might　run　down　to

San　Jose　for　a　day　or　two　with　your　mother；　and　call　on　the　Ramirez。

They　may　know　him　or　somebody　who　does。　　Of　course　if　YOU　meet　him

and　casually　invite　him　it　would　be　different。〃



〃It's　a　good　idea；〃　she　said　quickly。　　〃I'll　do　it；　and　speak　to

mother　now。〃



He　was　struck　by　the　change　in　her　face　and　voice；　they　had　both

nervously　lightened；　as　oddly　and　distinctly　as　they　had　before

seemed　to　grow　suddenly　harsh　and　aggressive。　　She　passed　out　of

the　room　with　girlish　brusqueness；　leaving　him　alone　with　a　new　and

vague　fear　in　his　consciousness。





A　few　hours　later　Clementina　was　standing　before　the　window　of　the

drawing…room　that　overlooked　the　outskirts　of　the　town。　　The

moonlight　was　flooding　the　vast　bluish　Tasajara　levels　with　a　faint

lustre；　as　if　the　waters　of　the　creek　had　once　more　returned　to

them。　　In　the　shadow　of　the　curtain　beside　her　Grant　was　facing　her

with　anxious　eyes。



〃Then　I　must　take　this　as　your　final　answer；　Clementina？〃



〃You　must。　　And　had　I　known　of　these　calumnies　before；　had　you　been

frank　with　me　even　the　day　we　went　to　San　Mateo；　my　answer　would

have　been　as　final　then；　and　you　might　have　been　spared　any　further

suspense。　　I　am　not　blaming　you；　Mr。　Grant；　I　am　willing　to　believe

that　you　thought　it　best　to　conceal　this　from　me；even　at　that

time　when　you　had　just　pledged　yourself　to　find　out　its　truth　or

falsehood；yet　my　answer　would　have　been　the　same。　　So　long　as

this　stain　rests　on　my　father's　name　I　shall　never　allow　that　name

to　be　coupled　with　yours　in　marriage　or　engagement；　nor　will　my

pride　or　yours　allow　us　to