a ward of the golden gate-第32章
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the right to claim her if I chose。〃
〃And？〃interrupted the colonel with sparkling eyes。
〃I DON'T CHOOSE。
〃Hear me！〃 she continued firmly。 〃With his name and my own
mistress； and the girl； as I believed； properly provided for and
ignorant of my existence； I saw no necessity for reopening the
past。 I resolved to lead a new life as his widow。 I came north。
In the little New England town where I first stopped； the country
people contracted my name to Mrs。 Argalls。 I let it stand so。 I
came to New York and entered the service of the Lord and the bonds
of the Church； Henry Pendleton； as Mrs。 Argalls； and have remained
so ever since。〃
〃But you would not object to Yerba knowing that you lived； and
rightly bore her father's name？〃 said Pendleton eagerly。
The woman looked at him with compressed lips。 〃I should。 I have
buried all my past； and all its consequences。 Let me not seek to
reopen it or recall them。〃
〃But if you knew that she was as proud as yourself； and that this
very uncertainty as to her name and parentage； although she has
never known the whole truth； kept her from taking the name and
becoming the wife of a man whom she loves？〃
〃Whom she loves！〃
〃Yes； one of her guardians…Hathawayto whom you intrusted her
when she was a child。〃
〃Paul Hathawaybut HE knew it。〃
〃Yes。 But SHE does not know he does。 He has kept the secret
faithfully； even when she refused him。〃
She was silent for a moment； and then said；
〃So be it。 I consent。〃
〃And you'll write to her？〃 said the colonel eagerly。
〃No。 But YOU may； and if you want them I will furnish you with
such proofs as you may require。〃
〃Thank you。〃 He held out his hand with such a happy yet childish
gratitude upon his worn face that her own trembled slightly as she
took it。 〃Good…by！〃
〃I shall see you soon；〃 she said。
〃I shall be here；〃 he said grimly。
〃I think not；〃 she returned； with the first relaxation of her
smileless face； and moved away。
As she passed out she asked to see the house surgeon。 How soon did
he think the patient she had been conversing with could be removed
from the hospital with safety？ Did Mrs。 Argalls mean 〃far？〃 Mrs。
Argalls meant as far as THATtendering her card and eminently
respectable address。 Ah！perhaps in a week。 Not before？ Perhaps
before； unless complications ensued； the patient had been much run
down physically； though； as Mrs。 Argalls had probably noticed； he
was singularly strong in nervous will force。 Mrs。 Argalls HAD
noticed it； and considered it an extraordinary case of conviction
worthy of the closest watching and care。 When he was able to be
moved she would send her own carriage and her own physician to
superintend his transfer。 In the mean time he was to want for
nothing。 Certainly； he had given very little trouble； and； in
fact； wanted very little。 Just now he had only asked for paper；
pens； and ink。
CHAPTER VIII。
As Mrs。 Argalls's carriage rolled into Fifth Avenue； it for a
moment narrowly grazed another carriage； loaded with luggage；
driving up to a hotel。 The abstracted traveler within it was Paul
Hathaway； who had returned from Europe that morning。
Paul entered the hotel； and； going to the register mechanically；
turned its leaves for the previous arrivals； with the same hopeless
patience that had for the last six weeks accompanied this habitual
preliminary performance on his arrival at the principal European
hotels。 For he had lost all trace of Yerba； Pendleton； Milly； and
the Briones from the day of their departure。 The entire party
seemed to have separated at Basle； and； in that eight…hours' start
they had of him； to have disappeared to the four cardinal points。
He had lingered a few days in London to transact some business； he
would linger a few days longer in New York before returning to San
Francisco。
The daily papers already contained his name in the list of the
steamer passengers who arrived that morning。 It might meet HER
eye； although he had been haunted during the voyage by a terrible
fancy that she was still in Europe； and had either hidden herself
in some obscure provincial town with the half…crazy Pendleton； or
had entered a convent； or even； in reckless despair； had accepted
the name and title of some penniless nobleman。 It was this
miserable doubt that had made his homeward journey at times seem
like a cruel desertion of her； while at other moments the
conviction that Milly's Californian relatives might give him some
clew to her whereabouts made him feverishly fearful of delaying an
hour on his way to San Francisco。 He did not believe that she had
tolerated the company of Briones a single moment after the scene at
the Bad Hof； and yet he had no confidence in the colonel's attitude
towards the Mexican。 Hopeless of the future as her letter seemed；
still its naive and tacit confession of her feelings at the moment
was all that sustained him。
Two days passed； and he still lingered aimlessly in New York。 In
two days more the Panama steamer would sailyet in his hesitation
he had put off securing his passage。 He visited the offices of the
different European steamer lines； and examined the recent passenger
lists； but there was no record of any of the party。 What made his
quest seem the more hopeless was his belief that； after Briones'
revelation； she had cast off the name of Arguello and taken some
other。 She might even be in New York under that new name now。
On the morning of the third day； among his letters was one that
bore the postmark of a noted suburban settlement of wealthy villa…
owners on the Hudson River。 It was from Milly Woods； stating that
her father had read of his arrival in the papers； and begged he
would dine and stay the next night with them at 〃Under Cliff；〃 if
he 〃still had any interest in the fortunes of old friends。 Of
course；〃 added the perennially incoherent Milly； 〃if it bores you
we sha'n't expect you。〃 The quick color came to Paul's careworn
cheek。 He telegraphed assent； and at sunset that afternoon stepped
off the train at a little private woodland stationso abnormally
rustic and picturesque in its brown…bark walls covered with scarlet
Virginia creepers that it looked like a theatrical erection。
Mr。 Woods's station wagon was in waiting； but Paul； handing the
driver his valise； and ascertaining the general direction of the
house； and that it was not far distant； told him to go on and he
would follow afoot。 The tremor of vague anticipation had already
come upon him； something that he knew not whether he feared or
longed for； only that it was inevitable； had begun to possess him。
He would soon recover himself in the flaring glory of this
woodland； and the invigoration of this hale October air。
It was a beautiful and brilliant sunset； yet not so beautiful and
brilliant but that the whole opulent forest around him seemed to
challenge and repeat its richest as well as its most delicate dyes。
The reddening west； seen through an opening of scarlet maples； was
no longer red； the golden glory of the sun； sinking over a
promontory of gleaming yellow sumach that jutted out into the noble
river； was shorn of its intense radiance； at times in the thickest
woods he seemed surrounded by a yellow nimbus； at times so luminous
was the glow of these translucent leaves that the position of the
sun itself seemed changed； or the shadows cast in defiance of its
glory。 As he walked on； long reaches of the lordly placid stream
at his side were visible； as far as the terraces of the opposite
shore； lifted on basaltic columns； themselves streaked and veined
with gold and fire。 Paul had seen nothing like this since his
boyhood； for an instant the great heroics of the Sierran landscape
were forgotten in this magnificent harlequinade。
A dim footpath crossed the road in the direction of the house；
which for the last few moments had been slowly etching itself as a
soft vignette in a tinted aureole of walnut and maple upon the
steel blue of the river。 He was hesitating whether to take this
short cut or continue on by the road； when he heard the rustling of
quick footsteps among the fallen leaves of the variegated thicke
