a first family of tasajara-第23章

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

it　would　be　a　trifling　matter　of　envy　or　jealousy　on　the　part　of

your　old　associates　or　neighbors　which　could　be　put　straight　with　a

little　good　feeling；　but　I　must　be　frank　with　you；　Harcourt；　and

say　at　the　beginning　that　it　turns　out　to　be　an　infernally　ugly

business。　　Call　it　conspiracy　if　you　like；　or　organized　hostility；

I'm　afraid　it　will　require　a　lawyer　rather　than　an　arbitrator　to

manage　it；　and　the　sooner　the　better。　　For　the　most　unpleasant

thing　about　it　is；　that　I　can't　find　out　exactly　HOW　BAD　it　is！〃



Unfortunately　the　weaker　instinct　of　Harcourt's　nature　was　first

roused；　the　vulgar　rage　which　confounds　the　bearer　of　ill　news　with

the　news　itself　filled　his　breast。　　〃And　this　is　all　that　your

confounded　intermeddling　came　to？〃　he　said　brutally。



〃No；〃　said　Grant　quietly；　with　a　preoccupied　ignoring　of　the　insult

that　was　more　hopeless　for　Harcourt。　　〃I　found　out　that　it　is

claimed　that　this　'Lige　Curtis　was　not　drowned　nor　lost　that　night；

but　that　he　escaped；　and　for　three　years　has　convinced　another　man

that　you　are　wrongfully　in　possession　of　this　land；　that　these　two

naturally　hold　you　in　their　power；　and　that　they　are　only　waiting

for　you　to　be　forced　into　legal　proceedings　for　slander　to　prove

all　their　charges。　　Until　then；　for　some　reason　best　known　to

themselves；　Curtis　remains　in　the　background。〃



〃Does　he　deny　the　deed　under　which　I　hold　the　property？〃　said

Harcourt　savagely。



〃He　says　it　was　only　a　security　for　a　trifling　loan；　and　not　an

actual　transfer。〃



〃And　don't　those　fools　know　that　his　security　could　be　forfeited？〃



〃Yes；　but　not　in　the　way　it　is　recorded　in　the　county　clerk's

office。　　They　say　that　the　record　shows　that　there　was　an

interpolation　in　the　paper　he　left　with　youwhich　was　a　forgery。

Briefly；　Harcourt；　you　are　accused　of　that。　　More；it　is　intimated

that　when　he　fell　into　the　creek　that　night；　and　escaped　on　a　raft

that　was　floating　past；　that　he　had　been　first　stunned　by　a　blow

from　some　one　interested　in　getting　rid　of　him。〃



He　paused　and　glanced　out　of　the　window。



〃Is　that　all？〃　asked　Harcourt　in　a　perfectly　quiet；　steady；　voice。



〃All！〃　replied　Grant；　struck　with　the　change　in　his　companion's

manner；　and　turning　his　eyes　upon　him　quickly。



The　change　indeed　was　marked　and　significant。　　Whether　from　relief

at　knowing　the　worst；　or　whether　he　was　experiencing　the　same

reaction　from　the　utter　falsity　of　this　last　accusation　that　he　had

felt　when　Grant　had　unintentionally　wronged　him　in　his　previous

recollection；　certain　it　is　that　some　unknown　reserve　of　strength

in　his　own　nature；　of　which　he　knew　nothing　before；　suddenly　came

to　his　aid　in　this　extremity。　　It　invested　him　with　an　uncouth

dignity　that　for　the　first　time　excited　Grant's　respect。



〃I　beg　your　pardon；　Grant；　for　the　hasty　way　I　spoke　to　you　a

moment　ago；　for　I　thank　you；　and　appreciate　thoroughly　and

sincerely　what　you　have　done。　　You　are　right；　it　is　a　matter　for

fighting　and　not　fussing　over。　　But　I　must　have　a　head　to　hit。

Whose　is　it？〃



〃The　man　who　holds　himself　legally　responsible　is　Fletcher；the

proprietor　of　the　'Clarion；'　and　a　man　of　property。〃



〃The　'Clarion'？　　That　is　the　paper　which　began　the　attack？〃　said

Harcourt。



〃Yes；　and　it　is　only　fair　to　tell　you　here　that　your　son　threw　up

his　place　on　it　in　consequence　of　its　attack　upon　you。〃



There　was　perhaps　the　slightest　possible　shrinking　in　Harcourt's

eyelidsthe　one　congenital　likeness　to　his　discarded　sonbut　his

otherwise　calm　demeanor　did　not　change。　　Grant　went　on　more

cheerfully：　〃I've　told　you　all　I　know。　　When　I　spoke　of　an　unknown　

WORST；　I　did　not　refer　to　any　further　accusation；　but　to　whatever

evidence　they　might　have　fabricated　or　suborned　to　prove　any　one　of

them。　　It　is　only　the　strength　and　fairness　of　the　hands　they　hold

that　is　uncertain。　　Against　that　you　have　your　certain　uncontested

possession；　the　peculiar　character　and　antecedents　of　this　'Lige

Curtis；　which　would　make　his　evidence　untrustworthy　and　even　make

it　difficult　for　them　to　establish　his　identity。　　I　am　told　that

his　failure　to　contest　your　appropriation　of　his　property　is

explained　by　the　fact　of　his　being　absent　from　the　country　most　of

the　time；　but　again；　this　would　not　account　for　their　silence　until

within　the　last　six　months；　unless　they　have　been　waiting　for

further　evidence　to　establish　it。　　But　even　then　they　must　have

known　that　the　time　of　recovery　had　passed。　　You　are　a　practical

man；　Harcourt；　I　needn't　tell　you　therefore　what　your　lawyer　will

probably　tell　you；　that　practically；　so　far　as　your　rights　are

concerned；　you　remain　as　before　these　calumnies；　that　a　cause　of

action　unprosecuted　or　in　abeyance　is　practically　no　cause；　and

that　it　is　not　for　you　to　anticipate　one。　　BUT〃



He　paused　and　looked　steadily　at　Harcourt。　　Harcourt　met　his　look

with　a　dull；　ox…like　stolidity。　　〃I　shall　begin　the　suit　at　once；〃

he　said。



〃And　I；〃　said　Grant；　holding　out　his　hand；　〃will　stand　by　you。　　But

tell　me　now　what　you　knew　of　this　man　Curtis；his　character　and

disposition；　it　may　be　some　clue　as　to　what　are　his　methods　and　his

intentions。〃



Harcourt　briefly　sketched　'Lige　Curtis　as　he　knew　him　and

understood　him。　　It　was　another　indication　of　his　reserved　power

that　the　description　was　so　singularly　clear；　practical；

unprejudiced；　and　impartial　that　it　impressed　Grant　with　its

truthfulness。



〃I　can't　make　him　out；〃　he　said；　〃you　have　drawn　a　weak；　but

neither　a　dishonest　nor　malignant　man。　　There　must　have　been

somebody　behind　him。　　Can　you　think　of　any　personal　enemy？〃



〃I　have　been　subjected　to　the　usual　jealousy　and　envy　of　my　old

neighbors；　I　suppose；　but　nothing　more。　　I　have　harmed　no　one

knowingly。〃



Grant　was　silent；　it　had　flashed　across　him　that　Rice　might　have

harbored　revenge　for　his　father…in…law's　interference　in　his　brief

matrimonial　experience。　　He　had　also　suddenly　recalled　his

conversation　with　Billings　on　the　day　that　he　first　arrived　at

Tasajara。　　It　would　not　be　strange　if　this　man　had　some　intimation

of　the　secret。　　He　would　try　to　find　him　that　evening。　　He　rose。



〃You　will　stay　to　dinner？　　My　wife　and　Clementina　will　expect　you。〃



〃Not　to…night；　I　am　dining　at　the　hotel；〃　said　Grant；　smilingly；

〃but　I　will　come　in　later　in　the　evening　if　I　may。〃　　He　paused

hesitatingly　for　a　moment。　　〃Have　your　wife　and　daughter　ever

expressed　any　opinion　on　this　matter？〃



〃No；〃　said　Harcourt。　　〃Mrs。　Harcourt　knows　nothing　of　anything　that

does　not　happen　IN　the　house；　Euphemia　knows　only　the　things　that

happen　out　of　it　where　she　is　visitingand　I　suppose　that　young

men　prefer　to　talk　to　her　about　other　things　than　the　slanders　of

her　father。　　And　Clementinawell；　you　know　how　calm　and　superior

to　these　things　SHE　is。〃



〃For　that　very　reason　I　thought　that　perhaps　she　might　be　able　to

see　them　more　clearly；but　no　matter！　　I　dare　say　you　are　quite

right　in　not　discussing　them　at　home。〃　　This　was　the　fact；　although

Grant　had　not　forgotten　that　Harcourt　had　put　forward　his　daughters

as　a　reason　for　stopping　the　scandal　some　weeks　before；a　reason

which；　however；　seemed　never　to　have　been　borne　out　by　any　apparent

sensitiveness　of　the　girls　themselves。



When　Grant　had　left；　Harcourt　remained　for　some　moments　steadfastly

gazing　from　the　window　over　the　Tasajara　plain。　　He　had　not　lost

his　look　of　concentrated　power；　nor　his　determination　to　fight。　　A

struggle　between　himself　and　the　phantoms　of　the　past　had　become

now　a　necessary　stimulus　for　its　own　sake；for　the　sake　of　his

mental　and　physical　equipoise。　　He　saw　before　him　the　pale；

agitated；　irresolute　features　of　'Lige　Curtis；not　the　man　HE　had

injured；　but　the　man　who　had　injured　HIM；　whose　spirit　was

aimlessly　and　wantonlyfor　he　had　never　attempted　to　get　back　his

possessions　in　his　lifetime；　nor　ever　tried　to　communicate　with　the

possessorstriking　at　him　in　the　shadow。　　And　it　was　THAT　man；

that　pale；　writhing；　frightened　wretch　whom　he　had　once　mercifully

helped！　　Yes；　whose　LIFE　he　had　even　saved　that　night　from　exposure

and　delirium　tremens　when　he　had　given　him　the　whiskey。　　And　this

life　he　had　saved；　only　to　have　it　set　in　motion　a　conspiracy　to

ruin　him！　　Who　knows　that　'Lige　had　not　purposely　conceived　what

they　had　believed　to　be　an　attempt　at　suicide；　only　to　cast

suspicion　of　murder　on　HIM！　　From　which　it　will　be　perceived　that

Harcourt's　powers　of　moral　reasoning　had　not　improved　in　five

years；　and　that　even　the　impartiality　he　had　just　shown　in　his

description　of　'Lige　to　Grant　had　been　swallowed　up　in　this　new

sense　of　injury。　　The　founder　of　Tasajara；　whose　cool　business

logic；　unfailing　foresight；　and　practical　deductions　were　never　at

fault；　was　once　more　childishly　adrift　in　his　moral　ethics。



And　there　was　Clementina；　of　whose　judgment　Grant　had　spoken　so

persistently；could　she　assist　him？　　It　was　true；　as　he　had　said；

he　had　never　talked　to　her　of　his　affairs。　　In　his　sometimes　uneasy

consciousness　of　her　superiority　he　had　shrunk　from　even　revealing

his　anxieties；　much　less　his　actual　secret；　and　from　anything　that

might　prejudice　the　lofty　paternal　attitude　he　had　taken　towards

his　daughters　from　the　beginning　of　his　good　fortune。　　He　was　never

quite　sure　if　her　acceptance　of　it　was　real；　he　was　never　entirely

free　from　a　certain　jealousy　that　always　mingled　with　his　pride　in

her　superior　rectitude；　and　yet　his　feeling　was　distinct　from　the

good…natured　contempt　he　had　for　his　wife's　loyalty；　the　anger　and

suspicion　that　his　son's　opposition　had　provoked；　and　the　half…

affectionate　toleration　he　had　felt　for　Euphemia's　waywardness。

However　he　would　sound　Clementina　without　betraying　himself。



He　was　anticipated　by　a　slight　step　in　the　passage　and　the　pushing

open　of　his　study　door。　　The　tall；　graceful　figure　of　the　girl

herself　stood　in　the　opening。



〃They　tell　me　Mr。　Grant　has　been　here。　　Does　he　stay　to　dinner？〃



〃No；　he　has　an　engagement　at　the　hotel；　but　he　will　probably　drop

in　later。　　Come　in；　Clemmy；　I　want　to　talk　to　you。　　Shut　the　door

and　sit　down。〃



She　slipped　in　quietly；　shut　the　door；　took　a　seat　on　the　sofa；

softly　smoothed　down　her　gown；　and　turned　her　graceful　head　and

serenely　composed　face　towards　him。　　Sitting　thus　she　looked　like

some　finely　finished　painting　that　decorated　rather　than　belonged

to　the　room；not　only　distinctly　alien　to　the　flesh　and　blood

relative　before　her；　but　to　the　house；　and　even　the　local；

monotonous　landscape　beyond　the　window　with　the　shining　new

shingles　and　chimneys　that　cut　the　new　blue　sky。　　These　singular

perfections　seemed　to　increase　in　Harcourt's　mind　the　exasperating

sense　of　injury　inflicted　upon　him　by　'Lige's　exposures。　　With　a

daughter　so　incomparably　gifted；a　matchless　cre