a first family of tasajara-第7部分

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faculty　of　accompaniment　to　Mr。　Rice's　tenor；　in　which　both　the

girls　joined。



Then　a　game　of　cards　with　partners　followed；　into　which　the　rival

parties　introduced　such　delightful　and　shameless　obviousness　of

cheating；　and　displayed　such　fascinating　and　exaggerated

partisanship　that　the　game　resolved　itself　into　a　hilarious　melee；

to　which　peace　was　restored　only　by　an　exhibition　of　tricks　of

legerdemain　with　the　cards　by　the　young　surveyor。　　All　of　which

Mr。　Harkutt　supervised　patronizingly；　with　occasional　fits　of

abstraction；　from　his　rocking…chair；　and　later　Mrs。　Harkutt　from　her

kitchen　threshold；　wiping　her　arms　on　her　apron　and　commiseratingly

observing　that　she　〃declared；　the　young　folks　looked　better

already。〃



But　it　was　here　a　more　dangerous　element　of　mystery　and　suggestion

was　added　by　Mr。　Lawrence　Grant　in　the　telling　of　Miss　Euphemia's

fortune　from　the　cards　before　him；　and　that　young　lady；　pink　with

excitement；　fluttered　her　little　hands　not　unlike　timid　birds　over

the　cards　to　be　drawn；　taking　them　from　him　with　an　audible　twitter

of　anxiety　and　great　doubts　whether　a　certain　〃fair…haired

gentleman〃　was　in　hearts　or　diamonds。



〃Here　are　two　strangers；〃　said　Mr。　Grant；　with　extraordinary

gravity　laying　down　the　cards；　〃and　here　is　a　'journey；'　this　is

'unexpected　news；'　and　this　ten　of　diamonds　means　'great　wealth'　to

you；　which　you　see　follows　the　advent　of　the　two　strangers　and　is

some　way　connected　with　them。〃



〃Oh；　indeed；〃　said　the　young　lady　with　great　pertness　and　a　toss　of

her　head。　　〃I　suppose　they've　got　the　money　with　them。〃



〃No；　though　it　reaches　you　through　them；〃　he　answered　with

unflinching　solemnity。　　〃Wait　a　bit；　I　have　it！　　I　see；　I've　made　a

mistake　with　this　card。　　It　signifies　a　journey　or　a　road。　　Queer！

isn't　it；　Steve？　　It's　THE　ROAD。〃



〃It　is　queer；〃　said　Rice　with　equal　gravity；　〃but　it's　so。　　The

road；　sure！〃　　Nevertheless　he　looked　up　into　the　large　eyes　of

Clementina　with　a　certain　confidential　air　of　truthfulness。



〃You　see；　ladies；〃　continued　the　surveyor；　appealing　to　them　with

unabashed　rigidity　of　feature；　〃the　cards　don't　lie！　　Luckily　we

are　in　a　position　to　corroborate　them。　　The　road　in　question　is　a

secret　known　only　to　us　and　some　capitalists　in　San　Francisco。　　In

fact　even　THEY　don't　know　that　it　is　feasible　until　WE　report　to

them。　　But　I　don't　mind　telling　you　now；　as　a　slight　return　for

your　charming　hospitality；　that　the　road　is　a　RAILROAD　from　Oakland

to　Tasajara　Creek　of　which　we've　just　made　the　preliminary　survey。

So　you　see　what　the　cards　mean　is　this：　You're　not　far　from

Tasajara　Creek；　in　fact　with　a　very　little　expense　your　father

could　connect　this　stream　with　the　creek；　and　have　a　WATERWAY

STRAIGHT　TO　THE　RAILROAD　TERMINUS。　　That's　the　wealth　the　cards

promise；　and　if　your　father　knows　how　to　take　a　hint　he　can　make

his　fortune！〃



It　was　impossible　to　say　which　was　the　most　dominant　in　the　face　of

the　speaker；　the　expression　of　assumed　gravity　or　the　twinkling　of

humor　in　his　eyes。　　The　two　girls　with　superior　feminine　perception

divined　that　there　was　much　truth　in　what　he　said；　albeit　they

didn't　entirely　understand　it；　and　what　they　did　understandexcept

the　man's　good…humored　motivewas　not　particularly　interesting。

In　fact　they　were　slightly　disappointed。　　What　had　promised　to　be

an　audaciously　flirtatious　declaration；　and　even　a　mischievous

suggestion　of　marriage；　had　resolved　itself　into　something　absurdly

practical　and　business…like。



Not　so　Mr。　Harkutt。　　He　quickly　rose　from　his　chair；　and；　leaning

over　the　table；　with　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　card　as　if　it　really

signified　the　railroad；　repeated　quickly：　〃Railroad；　eh！　　What's

that？　　A　railroad　to　Tasajara　Creek？　　Ye　don't　mean　it！That　is

it　ain't　a　SURE　thing？〃



〃Perfectly　sure。　　The　money　is　ready　in　San　Francisco　now；　and　by

this　time　next　year〃



〃A　railroad　to　Tasajara　Creek！〃　continued　Harkutt　hurriedly。　　〃What

part　of　it？　　Where？〃



〃At　the　embarcadero　naturally；〃　responded　Grant。　　〃There　isn't　but

the　one　place　for　the　terminus。　　There's　an　old　shanty　there　now

belongs　to　somebody。〃



〃Why；　pop！〃　said　Phemie　with　sudden　recollection；　〃ain't　it　'Lige

Curtis's　house？　　The　land　he　offered〃



〃Hush！〃　said　her　father。



〃You　know；　the　one　written　in　that　bit　of　paper；〃　continued　the

innocent　Phemie。



〃Hush！　will　you？　　God　A'mighty！　are　you　goin'　to　mind　me？　　Are　you

goin'　to　keep　up　your　jabber　when　I'm　speakin'　to　the　gentlemen？

Is　that　your　manners？　　What　next；　I　wonder！〃



The　sudden　and　unexpected　passion　of　the　speaker；　the　incomprehensible

change　in　his　voice；　and　the　utterly　disproportionate　exaggeration

of　his　attitude　towards　his　daughters；　enforced　an　instantaneous

silence。　　The　rain　began　to　drip　audibly　at　the　window；　the　rush　of

the　river　sounded　distinctly　from　without；　even　the　shaking　of　the

front　part　of　the　dwelling　by　the　distant　gale　became　perceptible。

An　angry　flash　sprang　for　an　instant　to　the　young　assistant's　eye；

but　it　met　the　cautious　glance　of　his　friend；　and　together　both

discreetly　sought　the　table。　　The　two　girls　alone　remained　white　and

collected。　〃Will　you　go　on　with　my　fortune；　Mr。　Grant？〃　said　Phemie

quietly。



A　certain　respect；　perhaps　not　before　observable；　was　suggested　in

the　surveyor's　tone　as　he　smilingly　replied；　〃Certainly；　I　was　only

waiting　for　you　to　show　your　confidence　in　me；〃　and　took　up　the

cards。



Mr。　Harkutt　coughed。　　〃It　looks　as　if　that　blamed　wind　had　blown

suthin'　loose　in　the　store；〃　he　said　affectedly。　　〃I　reckon　I'll　go

and　see。〃　　He　hesitated　a　moment　and　then　disappeared　in　the

passage。　　Yet　even　here　he　stood　irresolute；　looking　at　the　closed

door　behind　him；　and　passing　his　hand　over　his　still　flushed　face。

Presently　he　slowly　and　abstractedly　ascended　the　flight　of　steps；

entered　the　smaller　passage　that　led　to　the　back　door　of　the　shop

and　opened　it。



He　was　at　first　a　little　startled　at　the　halo　of　light　from　the

still　glowing　stove；　which　the　greater　obscurity　of　the　long　room

had　heightened　rather　than　diminished。　　Then　he　passed　behind　the

counter；　but　here　the　box　of　biscuits　which　occupied　the　centre　and

cast　a　shadow　over　it　compelled　him　to　grope　vaguely　for　what　he

sought。　　Then　he　stopped　suddenly；　the　paper　he　had　just　found

dropping　from　his　fingers；　and　said　sharply；



〃Who's　there？〃



〃Me；　pop。〃



〃John　Milton？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃What　the　devil　are　you　doin'　there；　sir？〃



〃Readin'。〃



It　was　true。　　The　boy　was　half　reclining　in　a　most　distorted

posture　on　two　chairs；　his　figure　in　deep　shadow；　but　his　book　was

raised　above　his　head　so　as　to　catch　the　red　glow　of　the　stove　on

the　printed　page。　　Even　then　his　father's　angry　interruption

scarcely　diverted　his　preoccupation；　he　raised　himself　in　his　chair

mechanically；　with　his　eyes　still　fixed　on　his　book。　　Seeing　which

his　father　quickly　regained　the　pap