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a ward of the golden gate(金门一区)-第24章

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     Nor   was   she   content   with   this。 As   Paul   at   first   rode   on   silently;   his 

heart filled with unsatisfied yearning; she rallied him mischievously。 Was 

it kind in him on this; their first day together; to sulk in this fashion? Was 

it   a  promise    for   their  future   excursions?      Did   he   intend   to  carry   this 

lugubrious visage through the Allee and up to the courtyard of the hotel to 

proclaim his sentimental condition to the world? At least; she trusted   he 

would not show it to Milly; who   might remember that this was only the 

SECOND TIME they had met each other。 There was something so sweetly 

reasonable   in   this;   and   withal   not   without   a   certain   hopefulness   for   the 

future; to say nothing of the half…mischievous; half…reproachful smile that 

accompanied   it;   that   Paul   exerted   himself;   and   eventually   recovered   his 

lost gayety。 When they at last drew up in the courtyard; with the flush of 

youth and exercise in their faces; Paul felt he was the object of envy to the 

loungers; and of fresh gossip to Strudle Bad。 It struck him less pleasantly 

that   two   dark   faces;   which   had   been   previously   regarding   him   in        the 

gloom   of   the   corridor   and   vanished   as   he   approached;   reappeared   some 

moments   later   in   Yerba's   salon   as   Don   Caesar   and   Dona   Anna;   with   a 

benignly different expression。 Dona Anna especially greeted him with so 

much of the ostentatious archness of a confident and forgiving woman to a 

momentarily  recreant   lover;   that   he   felt   absurdly   embarrassed   in Yerba's 

presence。 He was thinking how he could excuse himself; when he noticed 

a beautiful basket of flowers on the table and a tiny note bearing a baron's 



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crest。 Yerba had put it aside withas it seemed to him at the momentan 

almost too pronounced indifferenceand an indifference that was strongly 

contrasted to Dona Anna's eagerly expressed enthusiasm over the offering; 

and    her   ultimate    supplications     to  Paul   and   her   brother    to  admire    its 

beauties and the wonderful taste of the donor。 

     All this seemed so incongruous with Paul's feelings; and above all with 

the   recollection   of   his   scene   with   Yerba;   that   he   excused   himself   from 

dining with the party; alleging an engagement with his old fellow…traveler 

the   German   officer;   whose   acquaintance   he   had   renewed。 Yerba   did   not 

press   him;   he   even   fancied   she   looked   relieved。   Colonel   Pendleton   was 

coming; Paul was not loath; in his present frame of mind; to dispense with 

his   company。   A   conviction   that   the   colonel's   counsel   was   not   the   best 

guide     for   Yerba;    and   that   in  some    vague     way    their   interests   were 

antagonistic; had begun to force itself upon him。 He had no intention of 

being disloyal to her old guardian; but he felt that Pendleton had not been 

frank with him since his return from Rosario。 Had he ever been so with 

HER? He sometimes doubted his disclaimer。 

     He   was   lucky   in   finding   the   General   disengaged;   and   together   they 

dined   at   a   restaurant   and   spent   the   evening   at   the   Kursaal。   Later;   at   the 

Residenz      Club;    the  General     leaned   over    his  beer…glass    and   smilingly 

addressed his companion。 

     〃So I hear you; too; are a conquest of the beautiful South American。〃 

     For   an   instant   Paul;   recognizing   only  Dona Anna   under   that   epithet; 

looked puzzled。 

     〃Come;      my    friend;〃    said   the  General     regarding     him    with   some 

amusement; 〃I am an older man than you; yet I hardly think I could have 

ridden out with such a goddess without becoming her slave。〃 

     Paul    felt  his  face   flush  in  spite   of  himself。    〃Ah!   you    mean    Miss 

Arguello;〃   he   said   hurriedly;   his   color   increasing   at   his   own   mention   of 

that name as if he were imposing it upon his honest companion。 〃She is an 

old acquaintance of minefrom my own State California。〃 

     〃Ah; so;〃 said the General; lifting his eyebrows in profound apology。 

〃A thousand pardons。〃 

     〃Surely;〃 said Paul; with a desperate attempt to recover his equanimity; 



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〃YOU ought to know our geography better。〃 

     〃So;    I  am   wrong。    But   still  the  nameArguellosurely         that  is  not 

American?   Still;   they   say   she   has   no   accent;   and   does   not   look   like   a 

Mexican。〃 

     For an instant Paul was superstitiously struck with the fatal infelicity 

of Yerba's selection of a foreign name; that now seemed only to invite that 

comment   and   criticism   which   she   should   have   avoided。   Nor   could   he 

explain   it   at   length   to   the   General   without   assisting   and   accenting   the 

deception; which he was always hoping in some vague way to bring to an 

end。 He was sorry he had corrected the General; he was furious that he had 

allowed himself to be confused。 

     Happily   his   companion   had   misinterpreted   his   annoyance;   and   with 

impulsive   German   friendship   threw   himself   into   what   he   believed   to   be 

Paul's feelings。 〃Donnerwetter! Your beautiful countrywoman is made the 

subject   of   curiosity   just   because   that    stupid   baron   is  persistent   in  his 

serious     attentions。    That   is  quite    enough;     my   good     friend;   to  make 

Klatschen here among those animals who do not understand the freedom 

of an American girl; or that an heiress may have something else to do with 

her money than to expend it on the Baron's mortgages。 But〃he stopped; 

and   his   simple;   honest   face   assumed   an   air   of   profound   and   sagacious 

cunning〃I am glad to talk about it with you; who of course are perfectly 

familiar with the affair。 I shall now be able to know what to say。 My word; 

my friend; has some weight here; and I shall use it。 And now you shall tell 

me WHO is our lovely friend; and WHO were her parents and her kindred 

in   her   own     home。    Her    associates    here;   you    possibly    know;    are   an 

impossible      colonel    and   his   never…before…approached          valet;  with   some 

South American Indian planters; and; I believe; a pork…butcher's daughter。 

But of THEMit makes nothing。 Tell me of HER people。〃 

     With     his  kindly    serious   face   within    a  few   inches    of   Paul's;  and 

sympathizing        curiosity    beaming     from    his   pince…nez;     he   obliged    the 

wretched   and   conscience…stricken   Hathaway   to   respond   with   a   detailed 

account     of  Yerba's    parentage     as  projected    by   herself   and   indorsed    by 

Colonel      Pendleton。     He   dwelt    somewhat      particularly    on   the   romantic 

character of the Trust; hoping to draw the General's attention away from 



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the question of relationship; but he was chagrined to find that the honest 

warrior      evidently     confounded        the   Trust    with    some      eleemosynary 

institution and sympathetically glossed it over。 〃Of course;〃 he said; 〃the 

Mexican Minister at Berlin would know all about the Arguello family: so 

there would be no question there。〃 

     Paul was not sorry when the time came to take leave of his friend; but 

once   again   in   the   clear   moonlight   and   fresh;   balmy   air   of   the Allee;   he 

forgot the unpleasantness of the interview。 He found himself thinking only 

of his ride with Yerba。 Well! he had told her that he loved her。 She knew it 

now;   and   although   she   had   forbidden   him   to   speak   further;   she   had   not 

wholly rejected it。 It must be her morbid consciousness of the mystery of 

her birth that   withheld  a  return   of  her  affections;some half…knowledge; 

perhaps; that she would not divulge; yet that kept her unduly sensitive of 

accepting his love。 He was satisfied there was no entanglement; her heart 

was virgin。 He even dared to hope that she had ALWAYS cared for him。 It 

was   for   HIM   to   remove   all   obstaclesto   prevail   upon   her   to   leave   this 

place and return to America with him as her husband; the guardian of her 

good   name;   and   the   custodian   of   her   secret。   At   times   the   strains   of   a 

dreamy   German   waltz;   played   in   the   distance;   brought   back   to   him   the 

brief moment that his arm had encircled her waist by the crumbling wall; 

and   his   pulses   grew   languid;   only   to   leap   firmer   the   next   moment   with 

more   desperate   resolve。   He   would   win   her;   come   what   may!   He   could 

never   have   been   in   earnest   before:   he   loathed   and   hated   himself   for   his 

previous passive acquiescence to her fate。 He had been a weak tool of the 

colonel's from the first: he was even now handicapped by a preposterous 

promise he had given him! Yes; she was right to hesitateto question his 

ability to make her happy! He had found her here; surrounded by stupidity 

and cupidityto give it no other nameso patent that she was the common 

gossip; and had offered nothing but a boyish declaration! As he strode into 

the hotel that night it was well that he did not meet the unfortunate colonel 

on the staircase! 

     It was very late; although there was still visible a light in Yerba's salon; 

shining   on   her   balcony;   which       extended    before   and   included     his   own 

window。 From time to time he could hear the murmur of voices。 It was too 



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late   to   avail   himself   of   the   invitation   to   join   them;   even   if   his   frame   of 

mind had permitted it。 He was too nervous and excited to go to bed; and; 

without lighting his candle; he opened the French window that gave upon 

the balcony; drew a chair in the recess behind the curtain; and gazed upon 

the night。 It was very quiet; the moon was high; the square was sleeping in 

a   trance   of   checkered   shadows;   like   a   gigantic   chessboard;   with   black 

foreshortened trees for pawns。 The click of a cavalry sabre; the sound of a 

footfall    on   the  pavement      of  the   distant   Konigsstrasse;     were    distinctly 

audible;   a   far…off   railway   whistle   was   startling   in   its   a

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