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第20章

a ward of the golden gate-第20章

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Baker?  I forget which。  Well; sir; they wished to be remembered。〃

It struck Paul; perhaps unreasonably; that the colonel's
indifference and digression were both a little assumed; and he
asked abruptly;

〃And you fulfilled your mission?〃

〃I made the formal transfer; with the Mayor; of the property to
Miss Arguello。〃

〃To Miss Arguello?〃

〃To the Dona Maria Concepcion de Arguello de la Yerba Buenato
speak precisely;〃 said the colonel; slowly。  〃George; you can take
that hat to that blank hatterwhat's his blanked name?  I read it
only yesterday in a list of the prominent citizens hereand tell
him; with my compliments; that I want a GENTLEMAN'S mourning band
around my hat; and not a child's shoelace。  It may be HIS idea of
the value of his own parentsif he ever had anybut I don't care
for him to appraise mine。  Go!〃

As the door closed upon George; Paul turned to the colonel

〃Then am I to understand that you have agreed to her story?〃

The colonel rose; picked up the decanter; poured out a glass of
whiskey; and holding it in his hand; said:

〃My dear Hathaway; let us understand each other。  As a gentleman; I
have made a point through life never to question the age; name; or
family of any lady of my acquaintance。  Miss Yerba Buena came of
age yesterday; and; as she is no longer my ward; she is certainly
entitled to the consideration I have just mentioned。  If she;
therefore; chooses to tack to her name the whole Spanish directory;
I don't see why I shouldn't accept it。〃

Characteristic as this speech appeared to be of the colonel's
ordinary manner; it struck Paul as being only an imitation of his
usual frank independence; and made him uneasily conscious of some
vague desertion on Pendleton's part。  He fixed his bright eyes on
his host; who was ostentatiously sipping his liquor; and said:

〃Am I to understand that you have heard nothing more from Miss
Yerba; either for or against her story?  That you still do not know
whether she has deceived herself; has been deceived by others; or
is deceiving us?〃

〃After what I have just told you; Mr。 Hathaway;〃 said the colonel;
with an increased exaggeration of manner which Paul thought must be
apparent even to himself; 〃I should have but one way of dealing
with questions of that kind from anybody but yourself。〃

This culminating extravagancetaken in connection with Pendleton's
passing doubtsactually forced a laugh from Paul in spite of his
bitterness。

Colonel Pendleton's face flushed quickly。  Like most positive one…
idea'd men; he was restricted from any possible humorous
combination; and only felt a mysterious sense of being detected in
some weakness。  He put down his glass。

〃Mr。 Hathaway;〃 he began; with a slight vibration in his usual
dominant accents; 〃you have lately put me under a sense of personal
obligation for a favor which I felt I could accept without
derogation from a younger man; because it seemed to be one not only
of youthful generosity but of justice; and was not unworthy the
exalted ambition of a young man like yourself or the simple deserts
of an old man such as I am。  I accepted it; sir; the more readily;
because it was entirely unsolicited by me; and seemed to be the
spontaneous offering of your own heart。  If I have presumed upon it
to express myself freely on other matters in a way that only
excites your ridicule; I can but offer you an apology; sir。  If I
have accepted a favor I can neither renounce nor return; I must
take the consequences to myself; and even beg YOU; sir; to put up
with them。〃

Remorseful as Paul felt; there was a singular resemblance between
the previous reproachful pose of George and this present attitude
of his master; as if the mere propinquity of personal sacrifice had
made them alike; that struck him with a mingled pathos and
ludicrousness。  But he said warmly; 〃It is I who must apologize; my
dear colonel。  I am not laughing at your conclusions; but at this
singular coincidence with a discovery I have made。〃

〃As how; sir?〃

〃I find in the report of the Chief of the Police for the year 1850
that Kate Howard was under the protection of a man named Arguello。〃

The colonel's exaggeration instantly left him。  He stared blankly
at Paul。  〃And you call this a laughing matter; sir?〃 he said
sternly; but in his more natural manner。

〃Perhaps not; but I don't think; if you will allow me to say so; my
dear colonel; that YOU have been treating the whole affair very
seriously。  I left you two months ago utterly opposed to views
which you are now treating as of no importance。  And yet you wish
me to believe that nothing has happened; and that you have no
further information than you had then。  That this is so; and that
you are really no nearer the FACTS; I am willing to believe from
your ignorance of what I have just told you; and your concern at
it。  But that you have not been influenced in your JUDGMENT of what
you do know; I cannot believe?〃  He drew nearer Pendleton; and laid
his hand upon his arm。  〃I beg you to be frank with me; for the
sake of the person whose interests I see you have at heart。  In
what way will the discovery I have just made affect them?  You are
not so far prejudiced as to be blind to the fact that it may be
dangerous because it seems corroborative。〃

Pendleton coughed; rose; took his stick; and limped up and down the
room; finally dropping into an armchair by the window; with his
cane between his knees; and the drooping gray silken threads of his
long moustache curled nervously between his fingers。

〃Mr。 Hathaway; I WILL be frank with you。  I know nothing of this
blank affairblank it all!but what I've told you。  Your
discovery may be a coincidence; nothing more。  But I HAVE been
influenced; sir;influenced by one of the most perfect goddess…
likeyes; sir; one of the most simple girlish creatures that God
ever sent upon earth。  A woman that I should be proud to claim as
my daughter; a woman that would always be the superior of any man
who dare aspire to be her husband!  A young lady as peerless in her
beauty as she is in her accomplishments; and whose equal don't walk
this planet!  I know; sir; YOU don't follow me; I know; Mr。
Hathaway; your Puritan prejudices; your Church proclivities; your
worldly sense of propriety; and; above all; sir; the blanked
hypocritical Pharisaic doctrines of your partyI mean no offense
to YOU; sir; personallyblind you to that girl's perfections。
She; poor child; herself has seen it and felt it; but never; in her
blameless innocence and purity; suspecting the cause; 'There is;'
she said to me last night; confidentially; 'something strangely
antagonistic and repellent in our natures; some undefined and
nameless barrier between our ever understanding each other。'  You
comprehend; Mr。 Hathaway; she does full justice to your intentions
and your unquestioned abilities。  'I am not blind;' she said; 'to
Mr。 Hathaway's gifts; and it is very possible the fault lies with
me。'  Her very words; sir。〃

〃Then you believe she is perfectly ignorant of her real mother?〃
asked Paul; with a steady voice; but a whitening face。

〃As an unborn child;〃 said the colonel; emphatically。  〃The snow on
the Sierras is not more spotlessly pure of any trace or
contamination of the mud of the mining ditches; than she of her
mother and her past。  The knowledge of it; the mere breath of
suspicion of it; in her presence would be a profanation; sir!  Look
at her eyeopen as the sky and as clear; look at her face and
figureas clean; sir; as a Blue…Grass thoroughbred!  Look at the
way she carries herself; whether in those white frillings of her
simple school…gown; or that black evening dress that makes her look
like a princess!  And; blank me; if she isn't one!  There's no poor
stock thereno white trashno mixed blood; sir。  Blank it all;
sir; if it comes to THATthe Arguellosif there's a hound of them
livingmight go down on their knees to have their name borne by
such a creature!  By the Eternal; sir; if one of them dared to
cross her path with a word that wasn't abjectyes; sir; ABJECT;
I'd wipe his dust off the earth and send it back to his ancestors
before he knew where he was; or my name i

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