susy, a story of the plains-第26章

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drawing　it　away；　she　said：



〃Of　course；　you　must　please　yourself。　　I　am　afraid　I　have　no　right

except　that　of　habit　and　custom　to　keep　you　here；　and　you　know；〃　she

added；　with　an　only　half…withheld　bitterness；　〃that　they　are　not

always　very　effective　with　young　people　who　prefer　to　have　the

ordering　of　their　own　lives。　　But　I　have　something　still　to　tell　you

before　you　finally　decide。　　I　have；　as　you　know；　been　looking　over

myover　Mr。　Peyton's　papers　very　carefully。　　Well；　as　a　result；　I

find；　Mr。　Brant；　that　there　is　no　record　whatever　of　his　wonderfully

providential　purchase　of　the　Sisters'　title　from　you；　that　he　never

entered　into　any　written　agreement　with　you；　and　never　paid　you　a

cent；　and　that；　furthermore；　his　papers　show　me　that　he　never　even

contemplated　it；　nor；　indeed；　even　knew　of　YOUR　owning　the　title

when　he　died。　　Yes；　Mr。　Brant；　it　was　all　to　YOUR　foresight　and

prudence；　and　YOUR　generosity　alone；　that　we　owe　our　present

possession　of　the　rancho。　　When　you　helped　us　into　that　awful

window；　it　was　YOUR　house　we　were　entering；　and　if　it　had　been　YOU；

and　not　those　wretches；　who　had　chosen　to　shut　the　doors　on　us　after

the　funeral；　we　could　never　have　entered　here　again。　　Don't　deny　it；

Mr。　Brant。　　I　have　suspected　it　a　long　time；　and　when　you　spoke　of

changing　YOUR　position；　I　determined　to　find　out　if　it　wasn't　I　who

had　to　leave　the　house　rather　than　you。　　One　moment；　please。　　And　I

did　find　out；　and　it　WAS　I。　　Don't　speak；　please；　yet。　　And　now；〃

she　said；　with　a　quick　return　to　her　previous　nervous　hilarity；

〃knowing　this；　as　you　did；　and　knowing；　too；　that　I　would　know　it

when　I　examined　the　papers；don't　speak；　I'm　not　through　yet；

don't　you　think　that　it　was　just　a　LITTLE　cruel　for　you　to　try　to

hurry　me；　and　make　me　come　here　instead　of　your　coming　to　ME　in　San

Francisco；　when　I　gave　you　leave　for　that　purpose？〃



〃But；　Mrs。　Peyton；〃　gasped　Clarence。



〃Please　don't　interrupt　me；〃　said　the　lady；　with　a　touch　of　her　old

imperiousness；　〃for　in　a　moment　I　must　join　my　guests。　　When　I　found

you　wouldn't　tell　me；　and　left　it　to　me　to　find　out；　I　could　only　go

away　as　I　did；　and　really　leave　you　to　control　what　I　believed　was

your　own　property。　　And　I　thought；　too；　that　I　understood　your

motives；　and；　to　be　frank　with　you；　that　worried　me；　for　I　believed

I　knew　the　disposition　and　feelings　of　a　certain　person　better　than

yourself。〃



〃One　moment；〃　broke　out　Clarence；　〃you　MUST　hear　me；　now。　　Foolish

and　misguided　as　that　purchase　may　have　been；　I　swear　to　you　I　had

only　one　motive　in　making　it；to　save　the　homestead　for　you　and

your　husband；　who　had　been　my　first　and　earliest　benefactors。　　What

the　result　of　it　was；　you；　as　a　business　woman；　know；　your　friends

know；　your　lawyer　will　tell　you　the　same。　　You　owe　me　nothing。　　I

have　given　you　nothing　but　the　repossession　of　this　property；　which

any　other　man　could　have　done；　and　perhaps　less　stupidly　than　I　did。

I　would　not　have　forced　you　to　come　here　to　hear　this　if　I　had

dreamed　of　your　suspicions；　or　even　if　I　had　simply　understood　that

you　would　see　me　in　San　Francisco　as　I　passed　through。〃



〃Passed　through？　　Where　were　you　going？〃　she　said　quickly。



〃To　Sacramento。〃



The　abrupt　change　in　her　manner　startled　him　to　a　recollection　of

Susy；　and　he　blushed。　　She　bit　her　lips；　and　moved　towards　the

window。



〃Then　you　saw　her？〃　she　said；　turning　suddenly　towards　him。　　The

inquiry　of　her　beautiful　eyes　was　more　imperative　than　her　speech。



Clarence　recognized　quickly　what　he　thought　was　his　cruel　blunder　in

touching　the　half…healed　wound　of　separation。　　But　he　had　gone　too

far　to　be　other　than　perfectly　truthful　now。



〃Yes；　I　saw　her　on　the　stage；〃　he　said；　with　a　return　of　his　boyish

earnestness；　〃and　I　learned　something　which　I　wanted　you　to　first

hear　from　me。　　She　is　MARRIED；and　to　Mr。　Hooker；　who　is　in　the

same　theatrical　company　with　her。　　But　I　want　you　to　think；　as　I

honestly　do；　that　it　is　the　best　for　her。　　She　has　married　in　her

profession；　which　is　a　great　protection　and　a　help　to　her　success；

and　she　has　married　a　man　who　can　look　lightly　upon　certain

qualities　in　her　that　others　might　not　be　so　lenient　to。　　His　worst

faults　are　on　the　surface；　and　will　wear　away　in　contact　with　the

world；　and　he　looks　up　to　her　as　his　superior。　　I　gathered　this　from

her　friend；　for　I　did　not　speak　with　her　myself；　I　did　not　go　there

to　see　her。　　But　as　I　expected　to　be　leaving　you　soon；　I　thought　it

only　right　that　as　I　was　the　humble　means　of　first　bringing　her　into

your　life；　I　should　bring　you　this　last　news；　which　I　suppose　takes

her　out　of　it　forever。　　Only　I　want　you　to　believe　that　YOU　have

nothing　to　regret；　and　that　SHE　is　neither　lost　nor　unhappy。〃



The　expression　of　suspicious　inquiry　on　her　face　when　he　began

changed　gradually　to　perplexity　as　he　continued；　and　then　relaxed

into　a　faint；　peculiar　smile。　　But　there　was　not　the　slightest　trace

of　that　pain；　wounded　pride；　indignation；　or　anger；　that　he　had

expected　to　see　upon　it。



〃That　means；　I　suppose；　Mr。　Brant；　that　YOU　no　longer　care　for　her？〃



The　smile　had　passed；　yet　she　spoke　now　with　a　half…real；　half…

affected　archness　that　was　also　unlike　her。



〃It　means；〃　said　Clarence　with　a　white　face；　but　a　steady　voice；

〃that　I　care　for　her　now　as　much　as　I　ever　cared　for　her；　no　matter

to　what　folly　it　once　might　have　led　me。　　But　it　means；　also；　that

there　was　no　time　when　I　was　not　able　to　tell　it　to　YOU　as　frankly

as　I　do　now〃



〃One　moment；　please；〃　she　interrupted；　and　turned　quickly　towards

the　door。　　She　opened　it　and　looked　out。　　〃I　thought　they　were

calling　me；andIIMUST　go　now；　Mr。　Brant。　　And　without

finishing　my　business　either；　or　saying　half　I　had　intended　to　say。

But　wait〃she　put　her　hand　to　her　head　in　a　pretty　perplexity；

〃it's　a　moonlight　night；　and　I'll　propose　after　dinner　a　stroll　in

the　gardens；　and　you　can　manage　to　walk　a　little　with　me。〃　　She

stopped　again；　returned；　said；　〃It　was　very　kind　of　you　to　think　of

me　at　Sacramento；〃　held　out　her　hand；　allowed　it　to　remain　for　an

instant；　cool　but　acquiescent；　in　his　warmer　grasp；　and　with　the

same　odd　youthfulness　of　movement　and　gesture　slipped　out　of　the

door。



An　hour　later　she　was　at　the　head　of　her　dinner　table；　serene；

beautiful；　and　calm；　in　her　elegant　mourning；　provokingly

inaccessible　in　the　sweet　deliberation　of　her　widowed　years；　Padre

Esteban　was　at　her　side　with　a　local　magnate；　who　had　known　Peyton

and　his　wife；　while　Donna　Rosita　and　a　pair　of　liquid…tongued；

childlike　senoritas　were　near　Clarence　and　Sanderson。　　To　the　priest

Mrs。　Peyton　spoke　admiringly　of　the　changes　in　the　rancho　and　the

restoration　of　the　Mission　Chapel；　and　together　they　had　commended

Clarence　from　the　level　of　their　superior　passionless　reserve　and

years。　　Clarence　felt　hopelessly　young　and　hopelessly　lonely；　the

naive　prattle　of　the　young　girls　beside　him　appeared　infantine。　　In

his　abstraction；　he　heard　Mrs。　Peyton　allude　to　the　beauty　of　the

night；　and　propose　that　after　coffee　and　chocolate　the　ladies　should

put　on　their　wraps　and　go　with　her　to　the　old　garden。　　Clarence

raised　his　eyes；　she　was　not　looking　at　him；　but　there　was　a　slight

consciousness　in　her　face　that　was　not　there　before；　and　the

faintest　color　in　her　cheek；　still　lingering；　no　doubt；　from　the

excitement　of　conversation。



It　was　a　cool；　tranquil；　dewless　night　when　they　at　last　straggled

out；　mere　black　and　white　patches　in　the　colorless　moonlight。　　The

brilliancy　of　the　flower…hued　landscape　was　subdued　under　its

passive；　pale　austerity；　even　the　gray　and　gold　of　the　second

terrace　seemed　dulled　and　confused。　　At　any　other　time　Clarence

might　have　lingered　over　this　strange　effect；　but　his　eyes　followed

only　a　tall　figure；　in　a　long　striped　burnous；　that　moved　gracefully

beside　the　soutaned　priest。　　As　he　approached；　it　turned　towards

him。



〃Ah！　here　you　are。　　I　just　told　Father　Esteban　that　you　talked　of

leaving　to…morrow；　and　that　he　would　have　to　excuse　me　a　few　moments

while　you　showed　me　what　you　had　done　to　the　old　garden。〃



She　moved　beside　him；　and；　with　a　hesitation　that　was　not　unlike　a

more　youthful　timidity；　slipped　her　hand　through　his　arm。　　It　was

for　the　first　time；　and；　without　thinking；　he　pressed　it　impulsively

to　his　side。　　I　have　already　intimated　that　Clarence's　reserve　was

at　times　qualified　by　singular　directness。



A　few　steps　carried　them　out　of　hearing；　a　few　more；　and　they　seemed

alone　in　the　world。　　The　long　adobe　wall　glanced　away　emptily　beside

them；　and　was　lost；　the　black　shadows　of　the　knotted　pear…trees　were

beneath　their　feet。　　They　began　to　walk　with　the　slight　affectation

of　treading　the　shadows　as　if　they　were　patterns　on　a　carpet。

Clarence　was　voiceless；　and　yet　he　seemed　to　be　moving　beside　a

spirit　that　must　be　first　addressed。



But　it　was　flesh　and　blood　nevertheless。



〃I　interrupted　you　in　something　you　were　saying　when　I　left　the

office；〃　she　said　quietly。



〃I　was　speaking　of　Susy；〃　returned　Clarence　eagerly；　〃and〃



〃Then　you　needn't　go　on；〃　interrupted　Mrs。　Peyton　quickly。　　〃I

understand　you；　and　believe　you。　　I　would　rather　talk　of　something

else。　　We　have　not　yet　arranged　how　I　can　make　restitution　to　you

for　the　capital　you　sank　in　saving　this　place。　　You　will　be

reasonable；　Mr。　Brant；　and　not　leave　me　with　the　shame　and　pain　of

knowing　that　you　ruined　yourself　for　the　sake　of　your　old　friends。

For　it　is　no　more　a　sentimental　idea　of　mine　to　feel　in　this　way

than　it　is　a　fair　and　sensible　one　for　you　to　imply　that　a　mere

quibble　of　construction　absolves　me　from　responsibility。　　Mr。

Sanderson　himself　admits　that　the　repossession　you　gave　us　is　a　fair

and　legal　basis　for　any　arrangement　of　sharing　or　division　of　the

property　with　you；　that　might　enable　you　to　remain　here　and　continue

the　work　you　have　so　well　begun。　　Have　you　no　suggestion；　or　must　it

come　from　ME；　Mr。　Brant？〃



〃Neither。　　Let　us　not　talk　of　that　now。〃



She　did　not　seem　to　notice　the　boyish　doggedness　of　his　speech；

except　so　far　as　it　might　have　increased　her　inconsequent　and

nervously　pitched　levity。



〃Then　suppose　we　speak　of　the　Misses　Hernandez；　with　whom　you

scarcely　exchanged　a　word　at　dinner；　and　whom　I　invited　for　you　and

your　fluent　Spanish。　　They　are　charming　girls；　even　if　they　are　a

little　stupid。　　But　what　can　I　do？　　If　I　am　to　live　here；　I　must

have　a　few　young　people　around　me；　if　only　to　make　the　place

cheerful　for　others。　　Do　you　know　I　have　taken　a　great　fancy　to　Miss

Rogers；　and　have　asked　her　to　visit　me。　　I　think　she　is　a　good

friend　of　yours；　although　perhaps　she　is　a　little　shy。　　What's　the

matter？　　You　have　nothing　against　her；　have　you？〃



Clarence　had　stopped　short。　　They　had　reached　the　end　of　the　pear…

tree　shadows。　　A　few　steps　more　would　bring　them　to　the　fallen　s