a first family of tasajara-第22章

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south　to　look　for　a　place　where　my　brother　can　winter。　　DO　come　and

see　me；　although　I　cannot　introduce　you　to　anything　as　real　and

beautiful　as　what　YOU　have　shown　me　to…day。　　Good…by；　Mr。　Harcourt；

I　won't　trouble　you　to　come　down　and　bore　yourself　with　my　escort's

questions　and　congratulations。〃



She　bent　her　head　and　allowed　her　soft　eyes　to　rest　upon　his　with　a

graciousness　that　was　beyond　her　speech；　pulled　her　veil　over　her

eyes　again；　with　a　pretty　suggestion　that　she　had　no　further　use

for　them；　and　taking　her　riding…skirt　lightly　in　her　hand　seemed　to

glide　from　the　room。



On　her　way　to　San　Mateo；　where　it　appeared　the　disorganized　party

had　prolonged　their　visit　to　accept　an　invitation　to　dine　with　a

local　magnate；　she　was　pleasantly　conversational　with　the　slightly

abstracted　Grant。　　She　was　so　sorry　to　have　given　them　all　this

trouble　and　anxiety！　　Of　course　she　ought　to　have　waited　at　the

fork　of　the　road；　but　she　had　never　doubted　but　she　could　rejoin

them　presently　on　the　main　road。　　She　was　glad　that　Miss　Euphemia's

runaway　horse　had　been　stopped　without　accident；　it　would　have　been

dreadful　if　anything　had　happened　to　HER；　Mr。　Harcourt　seemed　so

wrapped　up　in　his　girls。　　It　was　a　pity　they　never　had　a　sonAh？

Indeed！　　Then　there　was　a　son？　　Soand　father　and　son　had

quarreled？　　That　was　so　sad。　　And　for　some　trifling　cause；　no

doubt？



〃I　believe　he　married　the　housemaid；〃　said　Grant　grimly。　　〃Be

careful！Allow　me。〃



〃It's　no　use！〃　said　Mrs。　Ashwood；　flushing　with　pink　impatience；　as

she　recovered　her　seat；　which　a　sudden　bolt　of　her　mustang　had

imperiled；　〃I　really　can't　make　out　the　tricks　of　this　beast！

Thank　you；〃　she　added；　with　a　sweet　smile；　〃but　I　think　I　can

manage　him　now。　　I　can't　see　why　he　stopped。　　I'll　be　more　careful。

You　were　saying　the　son　was　marriedsurely　not　that　boy！〃



〃Boy！〃　echoed　Grant。　　〃Then　you　know？〃



〃I　mean　of　course　he　must　be　a　boythey　all　grew　up　hereand　it

was　only　five　or　six　years　ago　that　their　parents　emigrated；〃　she

retorted　a　little　impatiently。　　〃And　what　about　this　creature？〃



〃Your　horse？〃



〃You　know　I　mean　the　woman　he　married。　　Of　course　she　was　older

than　heand　caught　him？〃



〃I　think　there　was　a　year　or　two　difference；〃　said　Grant　quietly。



〃Yes；　but　your　gallantry　keeps　you　from　telling　the　truth；　which　is

that　the　women；　in　cases　of　this　kind；　are　much　older　and　more

experienced。〃



〃Are　they？　　Well；　perhaps　she　is；　NOW。　　She　is　dead。〃



Mrs。　Ashwood　walked　her　horse。　　〃Poor　thing；〃　she　said。　　Then　a

sudden　idea　took　possession　of　her　and　brought　a　film　to　her　eyes。

〃How　long　ago？〃　she　asked　in　a　low　voice。



〃About　six　or　seven　months；　I　think。　　I　believe　there　was　a　baby

who　died　too。〃



She　continued　to　walk　her　horse　slowly；　stroking　its　curved　neck。

〃I　think　it's　perfectly　shameful！〃　she　said　suddenly。



〃Not　so　bad　as　that；　Mrs。　Ashwood；　surely。　　The　girl　may　have　loved

himand　he〃



〃You　know　perfectly　what　I　mean；　Mr。　Grant。　　I　speak　of　the　conduct

of　the　mother　and　father　and　those　two　sisters！〃



Grant　slightly　elevated　his　eyebrows。　　〃But　you　forget；　Mrs。

Ashwood。　　It　was　young　Harcourt　and　his　wife's　own　act。　　They

preferred　to　take　their　own　path　and　keep　it。〃



〃I　think；〃　said　Mrs。　Ashwood　authoritatively；　〃that　the　idea　of

leaving　those　two　unfortunate　children　to　suffer　and　struggle　on

aloneout　thereon　the　sand　hills　of　San　Franciscowas　simply

disgraceful！〃



Later　that　evening　she　was　unreasonably　annoyed　to　find　that　her

brother；　Mr。　John　Shipley；　had　taken　advantage　of　the　absence　of

Grant　to　pay　marked　attention　to　Clementina；　and　had　even　prevailed

upon　that　imperious　goddess　to　accompany　him　after　dinner　on　a

moonlight　stroll　upon　the　veranda　and　terraces　of　Los　Pajaros。

Nevertheless　she　seemed　to　recover　her　spirits　enough　to　talk

volubly　of　the　beautiful　scenery　she　had　discovered　in　her　late

perilous　abandonment　in　the　wilds　of　the　Coast　Range；　to　aver　her

intention　to　visit　it　again；　to　speak　of　it　in　a　severely　practical

way　as　offering　a　far　better　site　for　the　cottages　of　the　young

married　couples　just　beginning　life　than　the　outskirts　of　towns　or

the　bleak　sand　hills　of　San　Francisco；　and　thence　by　graceful

degrees　into　a　dissertation　upon　popular　fallacies　in　regard　to

hasty　marriages；　and　the　mistaken　idea　of　some　parents　in　not

accepting　the　inevitable　and　making　the　best　of　it。　　She　still

found　time　to　enter　into　an　appreciative　and　exhaustive　criticism

upon　the　literature　and　journalistic　enterprise　of　the　Pacific

Coast　with　the　proprietor　of　the　〃Pioneer；〃　and　to　cause　that

gentleman　to　declare　that　whatever　people　might　say　about　rich　and

fashionable　Eastern　women；　that　Mrs。　Ashwood's　head　was　about　as

level　as　it　was　pretty。



The　next　morning　found　her　more　thoughtful　and　subdued；　and　when

her　brother　came　upon　her　sitting　on　the　veranda；　while　the　party

were　preparing　to　return；　she　was　reading　a　newspaper　slip　that　she

had　taken　from　her　porte…monnaie；　with　a　face　that　was　partly

shadowed。



〃What　have　you　struck　there；　Conny？〃　said　her　brother　gayly。　　〃It

looks　too　serious　for　a　recipe。〃



〃Something　I　should　like　you　to　read　some　time；　Jack；〃　she　said；

lifting　her　lashes　with　a　slight　timidity；　〃if　you　would　take　the

trouble。　　I　really　wonder　how　it　would　impress　you。〃



〃Pass　it　over；〃　said　Jack　Shipley　good…humoredly；　with　his　cigar

between　his　lips。　　〃I'll　take　it　now。〃



She　handed　him　the　slip　and　turned　partly　away；　he　took　it；　glanced

at　it　sideways；　turned　it　over；　and　suddenly　his　look　grew

concentrated；　and　he　took　the　cigar　from　his　lips。



〃Well；〃　she　said　playfully；　turning　to　him　again。　　〃What　do　you

think　of　it？〃



〃Think　of　it？〃　he　said　with　a　rising　color。　　〃I　think　it's

infamous！　　Who　did　it？〃



She　stared　at　him；　then　glanced　quickly　at　the　slip。　　〃What　are　you

reading？〃　she　said。



〃This；　of　course；〃　he　said　impatiently。　　〃What　you　gave　me。〃　　But

he　was　pointing　to　THE　OTHER　SIDE　of　the　newspaper　slip。



She　took　it　from　him　impatiently　and　read　for　the　first　time　the

printing　on　the　reverse　side　of　the　article　she　had　treasured　so

long。　　It　was　the　concluding　paragraph　of　an　apparently　larger

editorial。　　〃One　thing　is　certain；　that　a　man　in　Daniel　Harcourt's

position　cannot　afford　to　pass　over　in　silence　accusations　like　the

above；　that　affect　not　only　his　private　character；　but　the

integrity　of　his　title　to　the　land　that　was　the　foundation　of　his

fortune。　　When　trickery；　sharp　practice；　and　even　criminality　in

the　past　are　more　than　hinted　at；　they　cannot　be　met　by　mere

pompous　silence　or　allusions　to　private　position；　social　prestige；

or　distinguished　friends　in　the　present。〃



Mrs。　Ashwood　turned　the　slip　over　with　scornful　impatience；　a

pretty　uplifting　of　her　eyebrows　and　a　slight　curl　of　her　lip。　　〃I

suppose　none　of　those　people's　beginnings　can　bear　looking　into

and　they　certainly　should　be　the　last　ones　to　find　fault　with

anybody。　　But；　good　gracious；　Jack！　what　has　this　to　do　with　you？〃



〃With　me？〃　said　Shipley　angrily。　　〃Why；　I　proposed　to　Clementina

last　night！〃





CHAPTER　IX。





The　wayfarers　on　the　Tasajara　turnpike；　whom　Mr。　Daniel　Harcourt

passed　with　his　fast　trotting　mare　and　sulky；　saw　that　their　great

fellow…townsman　was　more　than　usually　preoccupied　and　curt　in　his

acknowledgment　of　their　salutations。　　Nevertheless　as　he　drew　near

the　creek；　he　partly　checked　his　horse；　and　when　he　reached　a

slight　acclivity　of　the　interminable　plainwhich　had　really　been

the　bank　of　the　creek　in　bygone　dayshe　pulled　up；　alighted；　tied

his　horse　to　a　rail　fence；　and　clambering　over　the　inclosure　made

his　way　along　the　ridge。　　It　was　covered　with　nettles；　thistles；

and　a　few　wiry　dwarf　larches　of　native　growth；　dust　from　the

adjacent　highway　had　invaded　it；　with　a　few　scattered　and　torn

handbills；　waste　paper；　rags；　empty　provision　cans；　and　other

suburban　debris。　　Yet　it　was　the　site　of　'Lige　Curtis's　cabin；　long

since　erased　and　forgotten。　　The　bed　of　the　old　creek　had　receded；

the　last　tules　had　been　cleared　away；　the　channel　and　embarcadero

were　half　a　mile　from　the　bank　and　log　whereon　the　pioneer　of

Tasajara　had　idly　sunned　himself。



Mr。　Harcourt　walked　on；　occasionally　turning　over　the　scattered

objects　with　his　foot；　and　stopping　at　times　to　examine　the　ground

more　closely。　　It　had　not　apparently　been　disturbed　since　he

himself；　six　years　ago；　had　razed　the　wretched　shanty　and　carried

off　its　timbers　to　aid　in　the　erection　of　a　larger　cabin　further

inland。　　He　raised　his　eyes　to　the　prospect　before　him；to　the

town　with　its　steamboats　lying　at　the　wharves；　to　the　grain

elevator；　the　warehouses；　the　railroad　station　with　its　puffing

engines；　the　flagstaff　of　Harcourt　House　and　the　clustering　roofs

of　the　town；　and　beyond；　the　painted　dome　of　his　last　creation；　the

Free　Library。　　This　was　all　HIS　work；　HIS　planning；　HIS　foresight；

whatever　they　might　say　of　the　wandering　drunkard　from　whose

tremulous　fingers　he　had　snatched　the　opportunity。　　They　could　not

take　THAT　from　him；　however　they　might　follow　him　with　envy　and

reviling；　any　more　than　they　could　wrest　from　him　the　five　years　of

peaceful　possession。　　It　was　with　something　of　the　prosperous

consciousness　with　which　he　had　mounted　the　platform　on　the　opening

of　the　Free　Library；　that　he　now　climbed　into　his　buggy　and　drove

away。



Nevertheless　he　stopped　at　his　Land　Office　as　he　drove　into　town；

and　gave　a　few　orders。　　〃I　want　a　strong　picket　fence　put　around

the　fifty…vara　lot　in　block　fifty…seven；　and　the　ground　cleared　up

at　once。　　Let　me　know　when　the　men　get　to　work；　and　I'll　overlook

them。〃



Re…entering　his　own　house　in　the　square；　where　Mrs。　Harcourt　and

Clementinawho　often　accompanied　him　in　those　business　visits

were　waiting　for　him　with　luncheon；　he　smiled　somewhat　superciliously

as　the　servant　informed　him　that　〃Professor　Grant　had　just　arrived。〃

Really　that　man　was　trying　to　make　the　most　of　his　time　with

Clementina！　　Perhaps　the　rival　attractions　of　that　Boston　swell

Shipley　had　something　to　do　with　it！　　He　must　positively　talk　to

Clementina　about　this。　　In　point　of　fact　he　himself　was　a　little

disappointed　in　Grant；　who；　since　his　offer　to　take　the　task　of

hunting　down　his　calumniators；　had　really　done　nothing。　　He　turned

into　his　study；　but　was　slightly　astonished　to　find　that　Grant；

instead　of　paying　court　to　Clementina　in　the　adjoining　drawing…room；

was　sitting　rather　thoughtfully　in　his　own　armchair。



He　rose　as　Harcourt　entered。　　〃I　didn't　let　them　announce　me　to

the　ladies；〃　he　said；　〃as　I　have　some　important　business　with　you

first；　and　we　may　find　it　necessary　that　I　should　take　the　next

train　back　to　town。　　You　remember　that　a　few　weeks　ago　I　offered　to

look　into　the　matter　of　those　slanders　against　you。　　I　ap