a sappho of green springs-第11章

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fellow　would　have　the　benefit　of　the　latest　science　and　the　highest

specialists。　　Physically；　he　was　doing　remarkably　well；　indeed；　he

must　have　been　a　fine　young　chap；　free　from　blood　taint　or　vicious

complication；　whose　flesh　had　healed　like　an　infant's。　　It　should　be

recorded　that　it　was　at　this　juncture　that　Mrs。　Forsyth　first　learnt

that　a　SILVER　PLATE　let　into　the　artful　stranger's　skull　was　an

adjunct　of　the　healing　process！　　Convinced　that　this　infamous

extravagance　was　part　and　parcel　of　the　conspiracy；　and　was　only

the　beginning　of　other　assimilations　of　the　Forsyths'　metallic

substance；　that　the　plate　was　probably　polished　and　burnished　with　a

fulsome　inscription　to　the　doctor's　skill；　and　would　pass　into　the

possession　and　adornment　of　a　perfect　stranger；　her　rage　knew　no

bounds。　　He　or　his　friends　ought　to　be　made　to　pay　for　it　or　work　it

out！　　In　vain　it　was　declared　that　a　few　dollars　were　all　that　was

found　in　the　man's　pocket；　and　that　no　memoranda　gave　any　indication

of　his　name；　friends；　or　history　beyond　the　suggestion　that　he　came

from　a　distance。　　This　was　clearly　a　part　of　the　conspiracy！　　Even

Josephine's　practical　good　sense　was　obliged　to　take　note　of　this

singular　absence　of　all　record　regarding　him；　and　the　apparent

obliteration　of　everything　that　might　be　responsible　for　his

ultimate　fate。



Homeless；　friendless；　helpless；　and　even　nameless；　the　unfortunate

man　of　twenty…five　was　thus　left　to　the　tender　mercies　of　the

mistress　of　Burnt　Ridge　Ranch；　as　if　he　had　been　a　new…born

foundling　laid　at　her　door。　　But　this　mere　claim　of　weakness　was

not　all；　it　was　supplemented　by　a　singular　personal　appeal　to

Josephine's　nature。　　From　the　time　that　he　turned　his　head　towards

her　voice　on　that　fateful　night；　his　eyes　had　always　followed　her

around　the　room　with　a　wondering；　yearning；　canine　half…

intelligence。　　Without　being　able　to　convince　herself　that　he

understood　her　better　than　his　regular　attendant　furnished　by　the

doctor；　she　could　not　fail　to　see　that　he　obeyed　her　implicitly；

and　that　whenever　any　difficulty　arose　between　him　and　his　nurse

she　was　always　appealed　to。　　Her　pride　in　this　proof　of　her

practical　sovereignty　WAS　flattered；　and　when　Doctor　Duchesne

finally　admitted　that　although　the　patient　was　now　physically　able

to　be　removed　to　the　hospital；　yet　he　would　lose　in　the　change　that

very　strong　factor　which　Josephine　had　become　in　his　mental

recovery；　the　young　girl　as　frankly　suggested　that　he　should　stay

as　long　as　there　was　any　hope　of　restoring　his　reason。　　Doctor

Duchesne　was　delighted。　　With　all　his　enthusiasm　for　science；　he

had　a　professional　distrust　of　some　of　its　disciples；　and　perhaps

was　not　sorry　to　keep　this　most　interesting　case　in　his　own　hands。

To　him　her　suggestion　was　only　a　womanly　kindness；　tempered　with

womanly　curiosity。　　But　the　astonishment　and　stupefaction　of　her

parents　at　this　evident　corroboration　of　suspicions　they　had　as　yet

only　half　believed　was　tinged　with　superstitious　dread。　　Had　she

fallen　in　love　with　this　helpless　stranger？　or；　more　awful　to

contemplate；　was　he　really　no　stranger；　but　a　surreptitious　lover

thus　strategically　brought　under　her　roof？　　For　once　they　refrained

from　open　criticism。　　The　very　magnitude　of　their　suspicions　left

them　dumb。



It　was　thus　that　the　virgin　Chatelaine　of　Burnt　Ridge　Ranch　was

left　to　gaze　untrammeled　upon　her　pale　and　handsome　guest；　whose

silken；　bearded　lips　and　sad；　childlike　eyes　might　have　suggested　a

more　Exalted　Sufferer　in　their　absence　of　any　suggestion　of　a

grosser　material　manhood。　　But　even　this　imaginative　appeal　did　not

enter　into　her　feelings。　　She　felt　for　her　good…looking；　helpless

patient　a　profound　and　honest　pity。　　I　do　not　know　whether　she　had

ever　heard　that　〃pity　was　akin　to　love。〃　　She　would　probably　have

resented　that　utterly　untenable　and　atrocious　commonplace。　　There

was　no　suggestion；　real　or　illusive；　of　any　previous　masterful

quality　in　the　man　which　might　have　made　his　present　dependent

condition　picturesque　by　contrast。　　He　had　come　to　her　handicapped

by　an　unromantic　accident　and　a　practical　want　of　energy　and

intellect。　　He　would　have　to　touch　her　interest　anew　if；　indeed；　he

would　ever　succeed　in　dispelling　the　old　impression。　　His　beauty；

in　a　community　of　picturesquely　handsome　men；　had　little　weight

with　her；　except　to　accent　the　contrast　with　their　fuller　manhood。



Her　life　had　given　her　no　illusions　in　regard　to　the　other　sex。

She　had　found　them；　however；　more　congenial　and　safer　companions

than　women；　and　more　accessible　to　her　own　sense　of　justice　and

honor。　　In　return；　they　had　respected　and　admired　rather　than

loved　her；　in　spite　of　her　womanly　graces。　　If　she　had　at　times

contemplated　eventual　marriage；　it　was　only　as　a　possible　practical

partnership　in　her　business；　but　as　she　lived　in　a　country　where

men　thought　it　dishonorable　and　a　proof　of　incompetency　to　rise　by

their　wives'　superior　fortune；　she　had　been　free　from　that　kind　of

mercenary　persecution；　even　from　men　who　might　have　worshiped　her

in　hopeless　and　silent　honor。



For　this　reason；　there　was　nothing　in　the　situation　that　suggested

a　single　compromising　speculation　in　the　minds　of　the　neighbors；　or

disturbed　her　own　tranquillity。　　There　seemed　to　be　nothing　in　the

future　except　a　possible　relief　to　her　curiosity。　　Some　day　the

unfortunate　man's　reason　would　be　restored；　and　he　would　tell　his

simple　history。　　Perhaps　he　might　explain　what　was　in　his　mind　when

he　turned　to　her　the　first　evening　with　that　singular　sentence

which　had　often　recurred　strangely　to　her；　she　knew　not　why。　　It

did　not　strike　her　until　later　that　it　was　because　it　had　been　the

solitary　indication　of　an　energy　and　capacity　that　seemed　unlike

him。　　Nevertheless；　after　that　explanation；　she　would　have　been

quite　willing　to　have　shaken　hands　with　him　and　parted。



And　yetfor　there　was　an　unexpressed　remainder　in　her　thought

she　was　never　entirely　free　or　uninfluenced　in　his　presence。　　The

flickering　vacancy　of　his　sad　eyes　sometimes　became　fixed　with　a

resolute　immobility　under　the　gentle　questioning　with　which　she　had

sought　to　draw　out　his　faculties；　that　both　piqued　and　exasperated

her。　　He　could　say　〃Yes〃　and　〃No；〃　as　she　thought　intelligently；

but　he　could　not　utter　a　coherent　sentence　nor　write　a　word；　except

like　a　child　in　imitation　of　his　copy。　　She　taught　him　to　repeat

after　her　the　names　of　the　inanimate　objects　in　the　room；　then　the

names　of　the　doctor；　his　attendant；　the　servant；　and；　finally；　her

own　under　her　Christian　prenomen；　with　frontier　familiarity；　but

when　she　pointed　to　himself　he　waited　for　HER　to　name　him！　　In　vain

she　tried　him　with　all　the　masculine　names　she　knew；　his　was　not

one　of　them；　or　he　would　not　or　could　not　speak　it。　　For　at　times

she　rejected　the　professional　dictum　of　the　doctor　that　the　faculty

of　memory　was　wholly　paralyzed　or　held　in　abeyance；　even　to　the

half…automatic　recollection　of　his　letters；　yet　she　inconsistently

began　to　teach　him　the　alphabet　with　the　same　method；　andin　her

sublime　unconsciousness　of　his　manhoodwith　the　same　discipline　as

if　he　were　a　very　child。　　When　he　had　recovered　sufficiently　to

leave　his　room；　she　would　lead　him　to　the　porch　before　her　window；

and　make　him　contented　and　happy　by　allowing　him　to　watch　her　at

work　at　her　desk；　occasionally　answering　his　wondering　eyes　with　a

word；　or　stirring　his　faculties　with　a　question。　　I　grieve　to　say

that　her　parents　had　taken　advantage　of　this　publicity　and　his

supposed　helpless　condition　to　show　their　disgust　of　his　assumption；

to　the　extreme　of　making　faces　at　himan　act　which　he　resented　with

such　a　furious　glare　that　they　retreated　hurriedly　to　their　own

veranda。　　A　fresh　though　somewhat　inconsistent　grievance　was　added

to　their　previous　indictment　of　him：　〃If　we　ain't　found　dead　in　our

bed　with　our　throats　cut　by　that　woman's　crazy　husband〃　（they　had

settled　by　this　time　that　there　had　been　a　clandestine　marriage）；

〃we'll　be　lucky；〃　groaned　Mrs。　Forsyth。



Meantime；　the　mountain　summer　waxed　to　its　fullness　of　fire　and

fruition。　　There　were　days　when　the　crowded　forest　seemed　choked

and　impeded　with　its　own　foliage；　and　pungent　and　stifling　with　its

own　rank　maturity；　when　the　long　hillside　ranks　of　wild　oats；

thickset　and　impassable；　filled　the　air　with　the　heated　dust　of

germination。　　In　this　quickening　irritation　of　life　it　would　be

strange　if　the　unfortunate　man's　torpid　intellect　was　not　helped　in

its　awakening；　and　he　was　allowed　to　ramble　at　will　over　the　ranch；

but　with　the　instinct　of　a　domestic　animal　he　always　returned　to

the　house；　and　sat　in　the　porch；　where　Josephine　usually　found　him

awaiting　her　when　she　herself　returned　from　a　visit　to　the　mill。

Coming　thence　one　day　she　espied　him　on　the　mountain…side　leaning

against　a　projecting　ledge　in　an　attitude　so　rapt　and　immovable

that　she　felt　compelled　to　approach　him。　　He　appeared　to　be　dumbly

absorbed　in　the　prospect；　which　might　have　intoxicated　a　saner

mind。



Half　veiled　by　the　heat　that　rose　quiveringly　from　the　fiery　canyon

below；　the　domain　of　Burnt　Ridge　stretched　away　before　him；　until；

lifted　in　successive　terraces　hearsed　and　plumed　with　pines；　it

was　at　last　lost　in　the　ghostly　snow…peaks。　　But　the　practical

Josephine　seized　the　opportunity　to　try　once　more　to　awaken　the

slumbering　memory　of　her　pupil。　　Following　his　gaze　with　signs　and

questions；　she　sought　to　draw　from　him　some　indication　of　familiar

recollection　of　certain　points　of　the　map　thus　unrolled　behind　him。

But　in　vain。　　She　even　pointed　out　the　fateful　shadow　of　the

overhanging　ledge　on　the　road　where　she　had　picked　him　upthere

was　no　response　in　his　abstracted　eyes。　　She　bit　her　lips；　she　was

becoming　irritated　again。　　Then　it　occurred　to　her　that；　instead　of

appealing　to　his　hopeless　memory；　she　had　better　trust　to　some

unreflective　automatic　instinct　independent　of　it；　and　she　put　the

question　a　little　forward：　〃When　you　leave　us；　where　will　you　go

from　here？〃　　He　stirred　slightly；　and　turned　towards　her。　　She

repeated　her　query　slowly　and　patiently；　with　signs　and　gestures

recognized　between　them。　　A　faint　glow　of　intelligence　struggled

into　his　eyes：　he　lifted　his　arm　slowly；　and　pointed。



〃Ah！　those　white　peaksthe　Sierras？〃　she　asked；　eagerly。　　No

reply。　　〃Beyond　them？〃



〃Yes。〃



〃The　States？〃　　No　reply。　　〃Further　still？〃



He　remained　so　patiently　quiet　and　still　pointing　that　she　leaned

forward；　and；　following　with　her　eyes　the　direction　of　his　hand；

saw　that　he　was　pointing　to　the　sky！



Then　a　great　quiet　fell　upon　them。　　The　whole　mountain…side　seemed

to　her　to　be　hushed；　as　if　to　allow　her　to　grasp　and　realize　for

the　first　time　the　pathos　of　the　ruined　life　at　her　side；　which　IT

had　known　so　long；　but　which　she　had　never　felt　till　now。　　The

tears　came　to　h