a ward of the golden gate-第12章

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petulantly。

〃Eh？〃　stammered　Paul。

〃A　name　that　could　be　so　easily　translated；〃　she　went　on；　half
scornfully；　〃and　when　translated；　was　no　possible　title　for
anybody？　　Think　of　itMiss　Good　Herb！　　It　is　too　ridiculous　for
anything。〃

Paul　was　not　usually　wanting　in　self…possession　in　an　emergency；　or
in　skill　to　meet　attack。　　But　he　was　so　convinced　of　the　truth　of
the　girl's　accusation；　and　now　recalled　so　vividly　his　own
consternation　on　hearing　the　result　of　his　youthful　and　romantic
sponsorship　for　the　first　time　from　Pendleton；　that　he　was　struck
with　confusion。

〃But　what　do　you　suppose　it　was　intended　for？〃　he　said　at　last；
vaguely。　　〃It　was　certainly　'Yerba　Buena'　in　the　Trust。　　At　least；
I　suppose　so；〃　he　corrected　himself　hurriedly。

〃It　is　only　a　supposition；〃　she　said　quietly；　〃for　you　know　it
cannot　be　proved。　　The　Trust　was　never　recorded；　and　the　only　copy
could　not　be　found　among　Mr。　Hammersley's　papers。　　It　is　only　part
of　the　name；　of　which　the　first　is　lost。〃

〃Part　of　the　name？〃　repeated　Paul；　uneasily。

〃Part　of　it。　　It　is　a　corruption　of　de　la　Yerba　Buena；of　the
Yerba　Buena；and　refers　to　the　island　of　Yerba　Buena　in　the　bay；
and　not　to　the　plant。　　That　island　was　part　of　the　property　of　my
familythe　Arguellosyou　will　find　it　so　recorded　in　the　Spanish
grants。　　My　name　is　Arguello　de　la　Yerba　Buena。〃

It　is　impossible　to　describe　the　timid　yet　triumphant；　the　half…
appealing　yet　complacent；　conviction　of　the　girl's　utterance。　　A
moment　before；　Paul　would　have　believed　it　impossible　for　him　to
have　kept　his　gravity　and　his　respect　for　his　companion　under　this
egregious　illusion。　　But　he　kept　both。　　For　a　sudden　conviction
that　she　suspected　the　truth；　and　had　taken　this　audacious　and
original　plan　of　crushing　it；　overpowered　all　other　sense。　　The
Arguellos；　it　flashed　upon　him；　were　an　old　Spanish　family；　former
owners　of　Yerba　Buena　Island；　who　had　in　the　last　years　become
extinct。　　There　had　been　a　story　that　one　of　them　had　eloped　with
an　American　ship　captain's　wife　at　Monterey。　　The　legendary　history
of　early　Spanish　California　was　filled　with　more　remarkable
incidents；　corroborated　with　little　difficulty　from　Spanish
authorities；　who；　it　was　alleged；　lent　themselves　readily　to　any
fabrication　or　forgery。　　There　was　no　racial　pride：　on　the
contrary；　they　had　shown　an　eager　alacrity　to　ally　themselves　with
their　conquerors。　　The　friends　of　the　Arguellos　would　be　proud　to
recognize　and　remember　in　the　American　heiress　the　descendant　of
their　countrymen。　　All　this　passed　rapidly　through　his　mind　after
the　first　moment　of　surprise；　all　this　must　have　been　the
deliberate　reasoning　of　this　girl　of　seventeen；　whose　dark　eyes
were　bent　upon　him。　　Whether　she　was　seeking　corroboration　or
complicity　he　could　not　tell。

〃Have　you　found　this　out　yourself？〃　he　asked；　after　a　pause。

〃Yes。　　One　of　my　friends　at　the　convent　was　Josita　Castro；　she　knew
all　the　history　of　the　Arguellos。　　She　is　perfectly　satisfied。〃

For　an　instant　Paul　wondered　if　it　was　a　joint　conception　of　the
two　schoolgirls。　　But；　on　reflection；　he　was　persuaded　that　Yerba
would　commit　herself　to　no　accompliceof　her　own　sex。　　She　might
have　dominated　the　girl；　and　would　make　her　a　firm　partisan；　while
the　girl　would　be　convinced　of　it　herself；　and　believe　herself　a
free　agent。　　He　had　had　such　experience　with　men　himself。

〃But　why　have　you　not　spoken　of　it　beforeand　to　Colonel
Pendleton？〃

〃He　did　not　choose　to　tell　ME；〃　said　Yerba；　with　feminine
dexterity。　　〃I　have　preferred　to　keep　it　myself　a　secret　till　I　am
of　age。〃

〃When　Colonel　Pendleton　and　some　of　the　other　trustees　have　no
right　to　say　anything；〃　thought　Paul　quickly。　　She　had　evidently
trusted　him。　　Yet；　fascinated　as　he　had　been　by　her　audacity；　he
did　not　know　whether　to　be　pleased；　or　the　reverse。　　He　would　have
preferred　to　be　placed　on　an　equal　footing　with　Josita　Castro。　　She
anticipated　his　thoughts　by　saying；　with　half…raised　eyelids：

〃What　do　YOU　think　of　it？〃

〃It　seems　to　be　so　natural　and　obvious　an　explanation　of　the
mystery　that　I　only　wonder　it　was　not　thought　of　before；〃　said
Paul；　with　that　perfect　sincerity　that　made　his　sympathy　so
effective。

〃You　see；〃still　under　her　pretty　eyelids；　and　the　tender　promise
of　a　smile　parting　her　little　mouth；〃I'm　believing　that　you　tell
the　truth　when　you　say　you　don't　know　anything　about　it。〃

It　was　a　desperate　moment　with　Paul；　but　his　sympathetic　instincts；
and　possibly　his　luck；　triumphed。　　His　momentary　hesitation　easily
simulated　the　caution　of　a　conscientious　man；　his　knit　eyebrows　and
bright　eyes；　lowered　in　an　effort　of　memory；　did　the　rest。　　〃I
remember　it　all　so　indistinctly；〃　he　said；　with　literal
truthfulness；　〃there　was　a　veiled　lady　present；　tall　and　dark；　to
whom　Mayor　Hammersley　and　the　colonel　showed　a　singular；　and；　it
struck　me；　as　an　almost　superstitious；　respect。　　I　remember　now；
distinctly；　I　was　impressed　with　the　reverential　way　they　both
accompanied　her　to　the　door　at　the　end　of　the　interview。〃　　He
raised　his　eyes　slightly；　the　young　girl's　red　lips　were　parted；
that　illumination　of　the　skin；　which　was　her　nearest　approach　to
color；　had　quite　transfigured　her　face。　　He　felt；　suddenly；　that
she　believed　it；　yet　he　had　no　sense　of　remorse。　　He　half　believed
it　himself；　at　least；　he　remembered　the　nobility　of　the　mother's
self…renunciation　and　its　effect　upon　the　two　men。　　Why　should　not
the　daughter　preserve　this　truthful　picture　of　her　mother's
momentary　exaltation？　　Which　was　the　most　truthfulthat；　or　the
degrading　facts？　　〃You　speak　of　a　secret；〃　he　added。　　〃I　can
remember　little　more　than　that　the　Mayor　asked　me　to　forget　from
that　moment　the　whole　occurrence。　　I　did　not　know　at　the　time　how
completely　I　should　fulfill　his　request。　　You　must　remember；　Miss
Yerba；　as　your　Lady　Superior　has；　that　I　was　absurdly　young　at　the
time。　　I　don't　know　but　that　I　may　have　thought；　in　my　youthful
inexperience；　that　this　sort　of　thing　was　of　common　occurrence。
And　then；　I　had　my　own　future　to　makeand　youth　is　brutally
selfish。　　I　was　quite　friendless　and　unknown　when　I　left　San
Francisco　for　the　mines；　at　the　time　you　entered　the　convent　as
Yerba　Buena。〃

She　smiled；　and　made　a　slight　impulsive　gesture；　as　if　she　would
have　drawn　nearer　to　him；　but　checked　herself；　still　smiling；　and
without　embarrassment。　　It　may　have　been　a　movement　of　youthful
camaraderie；　and　that　occasional　maternal　rather　than　sisterly
instinct　which　sometimes　influences　a　young　girl's　masculine
friendship；　and　elevates　the　favored　friend　to　the　plane　of　the
doll　she　has　outgrown。　　As　he　turned　towards　her；　however；　she
rose；　shook　out　her　yellow　dress；　and　said　with　pretty　petulance：

〃Then　you　must　go　so　soonand　this　your　first　and　last　visit　as　my
guardian？〃

〃No　one　could　regret　that　more　than　I；〃　looking　at　her　with
undefined　meaning。

〃Yes；〃　she　said；　with　a　tantalizing　coquetry　that　might　have
suggested　an　underlying　seriousness。　　〃I　think　you　HAVE　lost　a　good
deal。　　Perhaps；　so　have　I。　　We　might　have　been　good　friends　in　all
these　years。　　But　that　is　past。〃

〃Why？　　Surely；　I　hope；　my　shortcomings　with　Miss　Yerba　Buena　will
not　be　remembered　by　Miss　Arguello？〃　sail　Paul；　earnestly。

〃Ah！　　SHE　may　be　a　very　different　person。〃

〃I　hope　not；〃　said　the　young　man；　warmly。　　〃But　HOW　different？〃

〃Well；　she　may　not　put　herself　in　the　way　of　receiving　such　point…
blank　compliments　as　that；〃　said　the　young　girl；　demurely。

〃Not　from　her　guardian？〃

〃She　will　have　no　guardian　then。〃　　She　said　this　gravely；　but
almost　at　the　same　moment　turned　and　sat　down　again；　throwing　her
linked　hands　over　her　knee；　and　looked　at　him　mischievously。　　〃You
see　what　you　have　lost；　sir。〃

〃I　see；〃　said　Paul；　but　with　all　the　gravity　that　she　had　dropped。

〃No；　but　you　don't　see　all。　　I　had　no　brotherno　friend。　　You
might　have　been　both。　　You　might　have　made　me　what　you　liked。　　You
might　have　educated　me　far　better　than　these　teachers；　or；　at　least
given　me　some　pride　in　my　studies。　　There　were　so　many　things　I
wanted　to　know　that　they　couldn't　teach　me；　so　many　times　I　wanted
advice　from　some　one　that　I　c