a ward of the golden gate-第27章

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again。

She　drew　back　still　farther。　　〃Yes；〃　she　said；　〃or　I　shouldn't　be
here　now。　　There！　that　must　suffice　you。　　And　if　you　wish　me　still
to　believe　you；　you　will　not　speak　of　this　again　while　we　are　out
together。　　Come；　let　us　go　back　to　the　horses。〃

He　looked　at　her　with　all　his　soul。　　She　was　pale；　but　composed；
andhe　could　seedetermined。　　He　followed　her　without　a　word。
She　accepted　his　hand　to　support　her　again　down　the　slope　without
embarrassment　or　reminiscent　emotion。　　The　whole　scene　through
which　she　had　just　passed　might　have　been　buried　in　the　abyss　and
ruins　behind　her。　　As　she　placed　her　foot　in　his　hand　to　remount；
and　for　a　moment　rested　her　weight　on　his　shoulder；　her　brown　eyes
met　his　frankly　and　without　a　tremor。

Nor　was　she　content　with　this。　　As　Paul　at　first　rode　on　silently；
his　heart　filled　with　unsatisfied　yearning；　she　rallied　him
mischievously。　　Was　it　kind　in　him　on　this；　their　first　day
together；　to　sulk　in　this　fashion？　　Was　it　a　promise　for　their
future　excursions？　　Did　he　intend　to　carry　this　lugubrious　visage
through　the　Allee　and　up　to　the　courtyard　of　the　hotel　to　proclaim
his　sentimental　condition　to　the　world？　　At　least；　she　trusted　he
would　not　show　it　to　Milly；　who　might　remember　that　this　was　only
the　SECOND　TIME　they　had　met　each　other。　　There　was　something　so
sweetly　reasonable　in　this；　and　withal　not　without　a　certain
hopefulness　for　the　future；　to　say　nothing　of　the　half…mischievous；
half…reproachful　smile　that　accompanied　it；　that　Paul　exerted
himself；　and　eventually　recovered　his　lost　gayety。　　When　they　at
last　drew　up　in　the　courtyard；　with　the　flush　of　youth　and　exercise
in　their　faces；　Paul　felt　he　was　the　object　of　envy　to　the
loungers；　and　of　fresh　gossip　to　Strudle　Bad。　　It　struck　him　less
pleasantly　that　two　dark　faces；　which　had　been　previously　regarding
him　in　the　gloom　of　the　corridor　and　vanished　as　he　approached；
reappeared　some　moments　later　in　Yerba's　salon　as　Don　Caesar　and
Dona　Anna；　with　a　benignly　different　expression。　　Dona　Anna
especially　greeted　him　with　so　much　of　the　ostentatious　archness　of
a　confident　and　forgiving　woman　to　a　momentarily　recreant　lover；
that　he　felt　absurdly　embarrassed　in　Yerba's　presence。　　He　was
thinking　how　he　could　excuse　himself；　when　he　noticed　a　beautiful
basket　of　flowers　on　the　table　and　a　tiny　note　bearing　a　baron's
crest。　　Yerba　had　put　it　aside　withas　it　seemed　to　him　at　the
momentan　almost　too　pronounced　indifferenceand　an　indifference
that　was　strongly　contrasted　to　Dona　Anna's　eagerly　expressed
enthusiasm　over　the　offering；　and　her　ultimate　supplications　to
Paul　and　her　brother　to　admire　its　beauties　and　the　wonderful　taste
of　the　donor。

All　this　seemed　so　incongruous　with　Paul's　feelings；　and　above　all
with　the　recollection　of　his　scene　with　Yerba；　that　he　excused
himself　from　dining　with　the　party；　alleging　an　engagement　with　his
old　fellow…traveler　the　German　officer；　whose　acquaintance　he　had
renewed。　　Yerba　did　not　press　him；　he　even　fancied　she　looked
relieved。　　Colonel　Pendleton　was　coming；　Paul　was　not　loath；　in　his
present　frame　of　mind；　to　dispense　with　his　company。　　A　conviction
that　the　colonel's　counsel　was　not　the　best　guide　for　Yerba；　and
that　in　some　vague　way　their　interests　were　antagonistic；　had　begun
to　force　itself　upon　him。　　He　had　no　intention　of　being　disloyal　to
her　old　guardian；　but　he　felt　that　Pendleton　had　not　been　frank
with　him　since　his　return　from　Rosario。　　Had　he　ever　been　so　with
HER？　　He　sometimes　doubted　his　disclaimer。

He　was　lucky　in　finding　the　General　disengaged；　and　together　they
dined　at　a　restaurant　and　spent　the　evening　at　the　Kursaal。　　Later；
at　the　Residenz　Club；　the　General　leaned　over　his　beer…glass　and
smilingly　addressed　his　companion。

〃So　I　hear　you；　too；　are　a　conquest　of　the　beautiful　South
American。〃

For　an　instant　Paul；　recognizing　only　Dona　Anna　under　that　epithet；
looked　puzzled。

〃Come；　my　friend；〃　said　the　General　regarding　him　with　some
amusement；　〃I　am　an　older　man　than　you；　yet　I　hardly　think　I　could
have　ridden　out　with　such　a　goddess　without　becoming　her　slave。〃

Paul　felt　his　face　flush　in　spite　of　himself。　　〃Ah！　you　mean　Miss
Arguello；〃　he　said　hurriedly；　his　color　increasing　at　his　own
mention　of　that　name　as　if　he　were　imposing　it　upon　his　honest
companion。　　〃She　is　an　old　acquaintance　of　minefrom　my　own　State
California。〃

〃Ah；　so；〃　said　the　General；　lifting　his　eyebrows　in　profound
apology。　　〃A　thousand　pardons。〃

〃Surely；〃　said　Paul；　with　a　desperate　attempt　to　recover　his
equanimity；　〃YOU　ought　to　know　our　geography　better。〃

〃So；　I　am　wrong。　　But　still　the　nameArguellosurely　that　is　not
American？　　Still；　they　say　she　has　no　accent；　and　does　not　look
like　a　Mexican。〃

For　an　instant　Paul　was　superstitiously　struck　with　the　fatal
infelicity　of　Yerba's　selection　of　a　foreign　name；　that　now　seemed
only　to　invite　that　comment　and　criticism　which　she　should　have
avoided。　　Nor　could　he　explain　it　at　length　to　the　General　without
assisting　and　accenting　the　deception；　which　he　was　always　hoping
in　some　vague　way　to　bring　to　an　end。　　He　was　sorry　he　had
corrected　the　General；　he　was　furious　that　he　had　allowed　himself
to　be　confused。

Happily　his　companion　had　misinterpreted　his　annoyance；　and　with
impulsive　German　friendship　threw　himself　into　what　he　believed　to
be　Paul's　feelings。　　〃Donnerwetter！　　Your　beautiful　countrywoman　is
made　the　subject　of　curiosity　just　because　that　stupid　baron　is
persistent　in　his　serious　attentions。　　That　is　quite　enough；　my
good　friend；　to　make　Klatschen　here　among　those　animals　who　do　not
understand　the　freedom　of　an　American　girl；　or　that　an　heiress　may
have　something　else　to　do　with　her　money　than　to　expend　it　on　the
Baron's　mortgages。　　But〃he　stopped；　and　his　simple；　honest　face
assumed　an　air　of　profound　and　sagacious　cunning〃I　am　glad　to
talk　about　it　with　you；　who　of　course　are　perfectly　familiar　with
the　affair。　　I　shall　now　be　able　to　know　what　to　say。　　My　word；　my
friend；　has　some　weight　here；　and　I　shall　use　it。　　And　now　you
shall　tell　me　WHO　is　our　lovely　friend；　and　WHO　were　her　parents
and　her　kindred　in　her　own　home。　　Her　associates　here；　you　possibly
know；　are　an　impossible　colonel　and　his　never…before…approached
valet；　with　some　South　American　Indian　planters；　and；　I　believe；　a
pork…butcher's　daughter。　　But　of　THEMit　makes　nothing。　　Tell　me
of　HER　people。〃

With　his　kindly　serious　face　within　a　few　inches　of　Paul's；　and
sympathizing　curiosity　beaming　from　his　pince…nez；　he　obliged　the
wretched　and　conscience…stricken　Hathaway　to　respond　with　a
detailed　account　of　Yerba's　parentage　as　projected　by　herself　and
indorsed　by　Colonel　Pendleton。　　He　dwelt　somewhat　particularly　on
the　romantic　character　of　the　Trust；　hoping　to　draw　the　General's
attention　away　from　the　question　of　relationship；　but　he　was
chagrined　to　find　that　the　honest　warrior　evidently　confounded　the
Trust　with　some　eleemosynary　institution　and　sympathetically
glossed　it　over。　　〃Of　course；〃　he　said；　〃the　Mexican　Minister　at
Berlin　would　know　all　about　the　Arguello　family：　so　there　would　be
no　question　there。〃

Paul　was　not　sorry　when　the　time　came　to　take　leave　of　his　friend；
but　once　again　in　the　clear　moonlight　and　fresh；　balmy　air　of　the
Allee；　he　forgot　the　unpleasantness　of　the　interview。　　He　found
himself　thinking　only　of　his　ride　with　Yerba。　　Well！　he　had　told
her　that　he　loved　her。　　She　knew　it　now；　and　although　she　had
forbidden　him　to　speak　further；　she　had　not　wholly　rejected　it。　　It
must　be　her　morbid　consciousness　of　the　mystery　of　her　birth　that
withheld　a　return　of　her　affections；some　half…knowledge；　perhaps；
that　she　would　not　divulge；　yet　that　kept　her　unduly　sensitive　of
accepting　his　love。　　He　was　satisfied　there　was　no　entanglement；
her　heart　was　virgin。　　He　even　dared　to　hope　that　she　had　ALWAYS
cared　for　him。　　It　was　for　HIM　to　remove　all　obstaclesto　prevail
upon　her　to　leave　this　place　and　return　to　America　with　him　as　her
husband；　the　guardian　of　her　good　name；　and　the　custodian　of　her
secret。　　At　times　the　strains　of　a　dreamy　German　waltz；　played　in
the　distance；　brought　back