a ward of the golden gate-第30章

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law…maker　and　a　public　man；　and　I　must　deprecate；　sirdeprecate；
your　demand　on　that　gentleman　for　what；　in　the　folly　of　youth；　you
are　pleased　to　call　personal　satisfaction。〃

As　he　moved　with　dignity　out　of　the　room；　Paul　remained　blankly
staring　after　him。　　Was　it　all　a　dream？or　was　this　Colonel
Pendleton　the　duelist？　　Had　the　old　man　gone　crazy；　or　was　he
merely　acting　to　veil　some　wild　purpose？　　His　sudden　arrival　showed
that　Yerba　must　have　sent　for　him　and　told　him　of　Don　Caesar's
threats；　would　he　be　wild　enough　to　attempt　to　strangle　the　man　in
some　remote　room　or　in　the　darkness　of　the　passage？　　He　stepped
softly　into　the　hall：　he　could　still　hear　the　double　tread　of　the
two　men：　they　had　reached　the　staircasethey　were　DESCENDING！　　He
heard　the　drowsy　accents　of　the　night　porter　and　the　swinging　of
the　doorthey　were　in　the　street！

Wherever　they　were　going；　or　for　what　purpose；　HE　must　be　at　the
station；　as　he　had　warned　them　he　would　be。　　He　hastily　threw　a　few
things　into　his　valise；　and　prepared　to　follow　them。　　When　he　went
downstairs　he　informed　the　porter　that　owing　to　an　urgent　call　of
business　he　should　try　to　catch　the　through　express　at　three
o'clock；　but　they　must　retain　his　room　and　luggage　until　they　heard
from　him。　　He　remembered　Don　Caesar's　letter。　　Had　either　of　the
gentlemen；　his　friends　who　had　just　gone　out；　left　a　letter　or
message？　　No；　Excellency；　the　gentlemen　were　talking　earnestlyhe
believed；　in　the　South　American　languageand　had　not　spoken　to
him。

Perhaps　it　was　this　that　reminded　Paul；　as　he　crossed　the　square
again；　that　he　had　made　no　preparation　for　any　possible　fatal　issue
to　himself　in　this　adventure。　　SHE　would　know　it；　however；　and　why
he　had　undertaken　it。　　He　tried　to　think　that　perhaps　some　interest
in　himself　had　prompted　her　to　send　the　colonel　to　him。　　Yet；
mingled　with　this　was　an　odd　sense　of　a　certain　ridiculousness　in
his　position：　there　was　the　absurdity　of　his　prospective　antagonist
being　even　now　in　confidential　consultation　with　his　own　friend　and
ally；　whose　functions　he　had　usurped；　and　in　whose　interests　he　was
about　to　risk　his　life。　　And　as　he　walked　away　through　the　silent
streets；　the　conviction　more　than　once　was　forced　upon　him　that　he
was　going　to　an　appointment　that　would　not　be　kept。

He　reached　the　station　some　ten　minutes　before　the　train　was　due。
Two　or　three　half…drowsy；　wrapped…up　passengers　were　already　on　the
platform；　but　neither　Don　Caesar　nor　Colonel　Pendleton　was　among
them。　　He　explored　the　waiting…rooms　and　even　the　half…lit　buffet；
but　with　no　better　success。　　Telling　the　Bahnhof　Inspector　that　his
passage　was　only　contingent　upon　the　arrival　of　one　or　two
companions；　and　describing　them　minutely　to　prevent　mistakes；　he
began　gloomily　to　pace　before　the　ticket…office。　　Five　minutes
passedthe　number　of　passengers　did　not　increase；　ten　minutes；　a
distant　shriekthe　hoarse　inquiry　of　the　inspectorhad　the　Herr's
companions　yet　gekommt？　the　sudden　glare　of　a　Cyclopean　eye　in　the
darkness；　the　ongliding　of　the　long…jointed　and　gleaming　spotted
serpent；　the　traina　hurried　glance　around　the　platform；　one　or
two　guttural　orders；　the　slamming　of　doors；　the　remounting　of　black
uniformed　figures　like　caryatides　along　the　marchepieds；　a　puff　of
vapor；　and　the　train　had　come　and　gone　without　them。

Yet　he　would　give　his　adversary　fifteen　minutes　more　to　allow　for
accident　or　delay；　or　the　possible　arrival　of　the　colonel　with　an
explanation；　and　recommenced　his　gloomy　pacing；　as　the　Bahnhof　sank
back　into　half…lit　repose。　　At　the　end　of　five　minutes　there　was
another　shriek。　　Paul　turned　quickly　to　the　inspector。　　Ah；　then；
there　was　another　train？　　No；　it　was　only　the　up　express　for　Basle；
going　the　other　way　and　stopping　at　the　Nord　Station；　half　a　mile
away。　　It　would　not　stop　here；　but　the　Herr　would　see　it　pass　in　a
few　moments　at　full　speed。

It　came　presently；　with　a　prolonged　despairing　shriek；　out　of　the
darkness；　a　flash；　a　rush　and　roar　at　his　side；　a　plunge　into　the
darkness　again　with　the　same　despairing　cry；　a　flutter　of　something
white　from　one　of　the　windows；　like　a　loosened　curtain；　that　at
last　seemed　to　detach　itself；　and；　after　a　wild　attempt　to　follow；
suddenly　soared　aloft；　whirled　over　and　over；　dropped；　and　drifted
slowly；　slantwise；　to　the　ground。

The　inspector　had　seen　it；　ran　down　the　line；　and　picked　it　up。
Then　he　returned　with　it　to　Paul　with　a　look　of　sympathizing
concern。　　It　was　a　lady's　handkerchief；　evidently　some　signal　waved
to　the　well…born　Herr；　who　was　the　only　passenger　on　the　platform。
So；　possibly；　it　might　be　from　his　friends；　who　by　some　stupid
mischance　had　gone　to　the　wrong　station；　andGott　im　Himmel！it
was　hideously　stupid；　yet　possible；　got　on　the　wrong　train！

The　Herr；　a　little　pale；　but　composed；　thought　it　WAS　possible。
No；　he　would　not　telegraph　to　the　next　stationnot　yethe　would
inquire。

He　walked　quickly　away；　reaching　the　hotel　breathlessly；　yet　in　a
space　that　seemed　all　too　brief　for　his　disconnected　thought。
There　were　signs　of　animation　in　the　hall；　and　an　empty　carriage
was　just　reentering　the　courtyard。　　The　hall…porter　met　him　with
demonstrative　concern　and　apology。　　Ah！　if　he　had　only　understood
his　Excellency　better；　he　could　have　saved　him　all　this　trouble。
Evidently　his　Excellency　was　going　with　the　Arguello　party；　who　had
ordered　a　carriage；　doubtless；　for　the　same　important　journey；　an
hour　before；　yet　had　left　only　a　few　moments　after　his　Excellency；
and　his　Excellency；　it　would　appear；　had　gone　to　the　wrong　station。

Paul　pushed　hurriedly　past　the　man　and　ascended　to　his　room。　　Both
windows　were　open；　and　in　the　faint　moonlight　he　could　see　that
something　white　was　pinned　to　his　pillow。　　With　nervous　fingers　he
relit　his　candles；　and　found　it　was　a　note　in　Yerba's　handwriting。
As　he　opened　it；　a　tiny　spray　of　the　vine　that　had　grown　on　the
crumbling　wall　fell　at　his　feet。　　He　picked　it　up；　pressed　it　to
his　lips；　and　read；　with　dim　eyes；　as　follows：


〃You　know　now　why　I　spoke　to　you　as　I　did　to…day；　and　why　the　other
half　of　this　precious　spray　is　the　only　memory　I　care　to　carry　with
me　out　of　this　crumbling　ruin　of　all　my　hopes。　　You　were　right；
Paul：　my　taking　you　there　WAS　AN　OMENnot　to　you；　who　can　never　be
anything　but　proud；　beloved；　and　truebut　to　ME　of　all　the　shame
and　misery。　　Thank　you　for　all　you　have　donefor　all　you　would　do；
my　friend；　and　don't　think　me　ungrateful；　only　because　I　am
unworthy　of　it。　　Try　to　forgive　me；　but　don't　forget　me；　even　if
you　must　hate　me。　　Perhaps；　if　you　knew　allyou　might　still　love　a
little　the　poor　girl　to　whom　you　have　already　given　the　only　name
she　can　ever　take　from　youYERBA　BUENA！



CHAPTER　VII。


It　was　already　autumn；　and　in　the　city　of　New　York　an　early　Sunday
morning　breeze　was　sweeping　up　the　leaves　that　had　fallen　from　the
regularly　planted　ailantus　trees　before　the　brown…stone　frontage　of
a　row　of　monotonously　alike　five…storied　houses　on　one　of　the
principal　avenues。　　The　Pastor　of　the　Third　Presbyterian　Church；
that　uplifted　its　double　towers　on　the　corner；　stopped　before　one
of　these　dwellings；　ran　up　the　dozen　broad　steps；　and　rang　the
bell。　　He　was　presently　admittted　to　the　sombre　richness　of　a　hall
and　drawing…room　with　high…backed　furniture　of　dark　carved　woods；
like　cathedral　stalls；　and；　hat　in　hand；　somewhat　impatiently
awaited　the　arrival　of　his　hostess　and　parishioner。　　The　door
opened　to　a　tall；　white…haired　woman　in　lustreless　black　silk。　　She
was　regular　and　resolute　in　features；　of　fine　but　unbending
presence；　and；　though　somewhat　past　middle　age；　showed　no　signs　of
either　the　weakness　or　mellowness　of　years。

〃I　am　sorry　to　disturb　your　Sabbath　morning　meditations；　Sister
Argalls；　nor　would　I　if　it　were　not　in　the　line　of　Christian　duty；
but　Sister　Robbins　is　unable　today　to　make　her　usual　Sabbath
hospital　visit；　and　I　thought　if　you　were　excused　from　the　Foreign
Missionary　class　and　Bible　instruction　at　three　you　might　undertake
her　functions。　　I　know；　my　dear　old　friend；〃　he　continued；　with
bland　deprecation　of　her　hard…set　eyes；　〃how　distasteful　this
promiscuous　mingling