爱爱小说网 > 其他电子书 > a first family of tasajara >

第12章

a first family of tasajara-第12章

小说: a first family of tasajara 字数: 每页3500字

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!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!






〃His son?〃 interrupted the stranger。  〃Do you mean the boy they

called John Milton?  Why; he was a mere child!〃



〃He was old enough to run away with a young woman that helped in

his mother's house; and marry her afore a justice of the peace。

The old man just snorted with rage; and swore he'd have the

marriage put aside; for the boy was under age。  He said it was a

put…up job of the girl's; that she was older by two years; and only

wanted to get what money might be comin' some day; but that they'd

never see a red cent of it。  Then; they say; John Milton up and

sassed the old man to his face; and allowed that he wouldn't take

his dirty money if he starved first; and that if the old man broke

the marriage he'd marry her again next year; that true love and

honorable poverty were better nor riches; and a lot more o' that

stuff he picked out o' them ten…cent novels he was allus reading。

My women…folks say that he actually liked the girl; because she was

the only one in the house that was ever kind to him; they say the

girls were just ragin' mad at the idea o' havin' a hired gal who

had waited on 'em as a sister…in…law; and they even got old Mammy

Harcourt's back up by sayin' that John's wife would want to rule

the house; and run her out of her own kitchen。  Some say he shook

THEM; talked back to 'em mighty sharp; and held his head a heap

higher nor them。  Anyhow; he's livin' with his wife somewhere in

'Frisco; in a shanty on a sand lot; and workin' odd jobs for the

newspapers。  No! takin' it by and largeit don't look as if

Harcourt had run his family to the same advantage that he has his

land。〃



〃Perhaps he doesn't understand them as well;〃 said the stranger

smiling。



〃Mor'n likely the material ain't thar; or ain't as vallyble for a

new country;〃 said Peters grimly。  〃I reckon the trouble is that he

lets them two daughters run him; and the man who lets any woman or

women do that; lets himself in for all their meannesses; and all he

gets in return is a woman's result;show!〃



Here the stranger; who was slowly rising from his chair with the

polite suggestion of reluctantly tearing himself from the speaker's

spell; said: 〃And Harcourt spends most of his time in San

Francisco; I suppose?〃



〃Yes! but to…day he's here to attend a directors' meeting and the

opening of the Free Library and Tasajara Hall。  I saw the windows

open; and the blinds up in his house across the plaza as I passed

just now。〃



The stranger had by this time quite effected his courteous

withdrawal。  〃Good…afternoon; Mr。 Peters;〃 he said; smilingly

lifting his hat; and turned away。



Peters; who was obliged to take his legs off the chair; and half

rise to the stranger's politeness; here reflected that he did not

know his interlocutor's name and business; and that he had really

got nothing in return for his information。  This must be remedied。

As the stranger passed through the hall into the street; followed

by the unwonted civilities of the spruce hotel clerk and the

obsequious attentions of the negro porter; Peters stepped to the

window of the office。  〃Who was that man who just passed out?〃 he

asked。



The clerk stared in undisguised astonishment。  〃You don't mean to

say you didn't know WHO he wasall the while you were talking to

him?〃



〃No;〃 returned Peters; impatiently。



〃Why; that was Professor Lawrence Grant!THE Lawrence Grantdon't

you know?the biggest scientific man and recognized expert on the

Pacific slope。  Why; that's the man whose single word is enough to

make or break the biggest mine or claim going!  That man!why;

that's the man whose opinion's worth thousands; for it carries

millions with itand can't be bought。  That's him who knocked the

bottom outer El Dorado last year; and next day sent Eureka up

booming!  Ye remember that; sure?〃



〃Of coursebut〃stammered Peters。



〃And to think you didn't know him!〃 repeated the hotel clerk

wonderingly。  〃And here I was reckoning you were getting points

from him all the time!  Why; some men would have given a thousand

dollars for your chance of talking to himyes!of even being SEEN

talking to him。  Why; old Wingate once got a tip on his Prairie

Flower lead worth five thousand dollars while just changing seats

with him in the cars and passing the time of day; sociable like。

Why; what DID you talk about?〃



Peters; with a miserable conviction that he had thrown away a

valuable opportunity in mere idle gossip; nevertheless endeavored

to look mysterious as he replied; 〃Oh; business gin'rally。〃  Then

in the faint hope of yet retrieving his blunder he inquired; 〃How

long will he be here?〃



〃Don't know。  I reckon he and Harcourt's got something on hand。  He

just asked if he was likely to be at home or at his office。  I told

him I reckoned at the house; for some of the familyI didn't get

to see who they weredrove up in a carriage from the 3。40 train

while you were sitting there。〃



Meanwhile the subject of this discussion; quite unconscious of the

sensation he had created; or perhaps like most heroes philosophically

careless of it; was sauntering indifferently towards Harcourt's

house。  But he had no business with his former host; his only object

was to pass an idle hour before his train left。  He was; of course;

not unaware that he himself was largely responsible for Harcourt's

success; that it was HIS hint which had induced the petty trader of

Sidon to venture his all in Tasajara; HIS knowledge of the

topography and geology of the plain that had stimulated Harcourt's

agricultural speculations; HIS hydrographic survey of the creek that

had made Harcourt's plan of widening the channel to commerce

practicable and profitable。  This he could not help but know。  But

that it was chiefly owing to his own clear; cool; far…seeing; but

never visionary; scientific observation;his own accurate analysis;

unprejudiced by even a savant's enthusiasm; and uninfluenced by any

personal desire or greed of gain;that Tasajara City had risen from

the stagnant tules; was a speculation that had never occurred to

him。  There was a much more uneasy consciousness of what he had done

in Mr。 Harcourt's face a few moments later; when his visitor's name

was announced; and it is to be feared that if that name had been

less widely honored and respected than it was; no merely grateful

recollection of it would have procured Grant an audience。  As it

was; it was with a frown and a touch of his old impatient asperity

that he stepped to the threshold of an adjoining room and called;

〃Clemmy!〃



Clementina appeared at the door。



〃There's that man Grant in the parlor。  What brings HIM here; I

wonder?  Who does he come to see?〃



〃Who did he ask for?〃



〃Me;but that don't mean anything。〃



〃Perhaps he wants to see you on some business。〃



〃No。  That isn't his high…toned style。  He makes other people go to

him for that;〃 he said bitterly。  〃Anyhowdon't you think it's

mighty queer his coming here after his friendfor it was he who

introduced Rice to ushad behaved so to your sister; and caused

all this divorce and scandal?〃



〃Perhaps he may know nothing about it; he and Rice separated long

ago; even before Grant became so famous。  We never saw much of him;

you know; after we came here。  Suppose you leave him to ME。  I'll

see him。〃



Mr。 Harcourt reflected。  〃Didn't he used to be rather attentive to

Phemie?〃



Clementina shrugged her shoulders carelessly。  〃I dare saybut I

don't think that NOW〃



〃Who said anything about NOW?〃 retorted her father; with a return

of his old abruptness。  After a pause he said: 〃I'll go down and

see him first; and then send for you。  You can keep him for the

opening and dinner; if you like。〃



Meantime Lawrence Grant; serenely unsuspicious of these domestic

confidences; had been shown into the parlora large room furnished

in the same style as the drawing…room of the hotel he had just

quitted。  He had ample time to note that it was that wonderful

Second Empire furniture which he remembered that the early San

Francisco pioneers in the first flush of their wealth had imported

directly from France; and which for years after gave an unexpected

foreign flavor to the western domesticity and a tawdry gilt

equality to saloons and drawing…rooms; public and private。  But he

was observant of a corresponding change in Harcourt; when a moment

later he entered the room。  That individuality which had kept the

former shopkeeper of Sidon distinct from; although perhaps not

superior to; his customerswas strongly marked。  He was perhaps

now more nervously alert than then; he was certainly more impatient

than before;but that was pardonable in a man of large affairs and

action。  Grant could not deny that he seemed improved;rather

perhaps that the setting of fine clothes; cleanliness; and the

absence of petty worries; made his characteristics respectable。

That which is ill breeding in homespun; is apt to become mere

eccentricity in purple and fine linen; Grant felt that Harcourt

jarred on him less than he did before; and was grateful without

superciliousness。  Harcourt; relieved to find that Grant was

neither critical nor aggressively reminiscent; and above all not

inclined to claim the credit of creating him and Tasajara; became

more confident; more at his ease; and; I fear; in proportion more

unpleasant。  It is the repose and not the struggle of the parvenu

that confounds us。



〃And YOU; Grant;you have made yourself famous; and; I hear; have

got pretty much your own prices for your opinions ever since it was

known that youyouerwere connected with the growth of Tasajara。〃



Grant smiled; he was not quite prepared for this; but it was

amusing and would pass the time。  He murmured a sentence of half

ironical deprecation; and Mr。 Harcourt continued:



〃I haven't got my San Francisco house here to receive you in; but I

hope some day; sir; to see you there。  We are only here for the day

and night; but if you care to attend the opening ceremonies at the

new hall; we can manage to give you dinner afterwards。  You can

escort my daughter Clementina;she's here with me。〃



The smile of apologetic declination which had begun to form on

Grant's lips was suddenly arrested。  〃Then your daughter is here?〃

he asked; with unaffected interest。



〃Yes;she is in fact a patroness of the library and sewing…circle;

and takes the greatest interest in it。  The Reverend Doctor

Pilsbury relies upon her for everything。  She runs the society;

even to the training of the young ladies; sir。  You shall see their

exercises。〃



This was certainly a new phase of Clementina's character。  Yet why

should she not assume the role of Lady Bountiful with the other

functions of her new condition。  〃I should have thought Miss

Harcourt would have found this rather difficult with her other

social duties;〃 he said; 〃

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的