susy, a story of the plains-第18章

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youth　in　its　opposition　to　wisdom　and　experience；　let　the

opportunity　pass；　and　took　the　responsibility　of　it　out　of　the　hands

of　this　chronicler。



Howbeit；　to　cover　his　confusion；　he　seized　upon　the　second　idea　that

was　in　his　mind；　and　stammered；　〃Susy！　　Yes；　I　wanted　to　speak　to

you　about　her。〃　　Mrs。　Peyton　held　her　breath；　but　the　young　man　went

on；　although　hesitatingly；　with　evident　sincerity。　　〃Have　you　heard

from　any　of　her　relations　sincesinceyou　adopted　her？〃



It　seemed　a　natural　enough　question；　although　not　the　sequitur　she

had　expected。　　〃No；〃　she　said　carelessly。　　〃It　was　well　understood；

after　the　nearest　relationan　aunt　by　marriagehad　signed　her

consent　to　Susy's　adoption；　that　there　should　be　no　further

intercourse　with　the　family。　　There　seemed　to　us　no　necessity　for

reopening　the　past；　and　Susy　herself　expressed　no　desire。〃　　She

stopped；　and　again　fixing　her　handsome　eyes　on　Clarence；　said；　〃Do

you　know　any　of　them？〃



But　Clarence　by　this　time　had　recovered　himself；　and　was　able　to

answer　carelessly　and　truthfully　that　he　did　not。　　Mrs。　Peyton；

still　regarding　him　closely；　added　somewhat　deliberately；　〃It

matters　little　now　what　relations　she　has；　Mr。　Peyton　and　I　have

complete　legal　control　over　her　until　she　is　of　age；　and　we　can

easily　protect　her　from　any　folly　of　her　own　or　others；　or　from　any

of　the　foolish　fancies　that　sometimes　overtake　girls　of　her　age　and

inexperience。〃



To　her　utter　surprise；　however；　Clarence　uttered　a　faint　sigh　of

relief；　and　his　face　again　recovered　its　expression　of　boyish

happiness。　　〃I'm　glad　of　it；　Mrs。　Peyton；〃　he　said　heartily。　　〃No

one　could　understand　better　what　is　for　her　interest　in　all　things

than　yourself。　　Not；〃　he　said；　with　hasty　and　equally　hearty　loyalty

to　his　old　playmate；　〃that　I　think　she　would　ever　go　against　your

wishes；　or　do　anything　that　she　knows　to　be　wrong；　but　she　is　very

young　and　innocent；as　much　of　a　child　as　ever；　don't　you　think　so；

Mrs。　Peyton？〃



It　was　amusing；　yet　nevertheless　puzzling；　to　hear　this　boyish　young

man　comment　upon　Susy's　girlishness。　　And　Clarence　was　serious；　for

he　had　quite　forgotten　in　Mrs。　Peyton's　presence　the　impression　of

superiority　which　Susy　had　lately　made　upon　him。　　But　Mrs。　Peyton

returned　to　the　charge；　or；　rather；　to　an　attack　upon　what　she

conceived　to　be　Clarence's　old　position。



〃I　suppose　she　does　seem　girlish　compared　to　Mary　Rogers；　who　is　a

much　more　reserved　and　quiet　nature。　　But　Mary　is　very　charming；　Mr。

Brant；　and　I　am　really　delighted　to　have　her　here　with　Susy。　　She

has　such　lovely　dark　eyes　and　such　good　manners。　　She　has　been　well

brought　up；　and　it　is　easy　to　see　that　her　friends　are　superior

people。　　I　must　write　to　them　to　thank　them　for　her　visit；　and　beg

them　to　let　her　stay　longer。　　I　think　you　said　you　didn't　know

them？〃



But　Clarence；　whose　eyes　had　been　thoughtfully　and　admiringly

wandering　over　every　characteristic　detail　of　the　charming

apartment；　here　raised　them　to　its　handsome　mistress；　with　an

apologetic　air　and　a　〃No〃　of　such　unaffected　and　complete

abstraction；　that　she　was　again　dumbfounded。　　Certainly；　it　could

not　be　Mary　in　whom　he　was　interested。



Abandoning　any　further　inquisition　for　the　present；　she　let　the　talk

naturally　fall　upon　the　books　scattered　about　the　tables。　　The　young

man　knew　them　all　far　better　than　she　did；　with　a　cognate　knowledge

of　others　of　which　she　had　never　heard。　　She　found　herself　in　the

attitude　of　receiving　information　from　this　boy；　whose　boyishness；

however；　seemed　to　have　evaporated；　whose　tone　had　changed　with　the

subject；　and　who　now　spoke　with　the　conscious　reserve　of　knowledge。

Decidedly；　she　must　have　grown　rusty　in　her　seclusion。　　This　came；

she　thought　bitterly；　of　living　alone；　of　her　husband's

preoccupation　with　the　property；　of　Susy's　frivolous　caprices。　　At

the　end　of　eight　years　to　be　outstripped　by　a　former　cattle…boy　of

her　husband's；　and　to　have　her　French　corrected　in　a　matter　of　fact

way　by　this　recent　pupil　of　the　priests；　was　really　too　bad！

Perhaps　he　even　looked　down　upon　Susy！　　She　smiled　dangerously　but

suavely。



〃You　must　have　worked　so　hard　to　educate　yourself　from　nothing；　Mr。

Brant。　　You　couldn't　read；　I　think；　when　you　first　came　to　us。　　No？

Could　you　really？　　I　know　it　has　been　very　difficult　for　Susy　to　get

on　with　her　studies　in　proportion。　　We　had　so　much　to　first

eradicate　in　the　way　of　manners；　style；　and　habits　of　thought　which

the　poor　child　had　picked　up　from　her　companions；　and　for　which　SHE

was　not　responsible。　　Of　course；　with　a　boy　that　does　not　signify；〃

she　added；　with　feline　gentleness。



But　the　barbed　speech　glanced　from　the　young　man's　smoothly　smiling

abstraction。



〃Ah；　yes。　　But　those　were　happy　days；　Mrs。　Peyton；〃　he　answered；

with　an　exasperating　return　of　his　previous　boyish　enthusiasm；

〃perhaps　because　of　our　ignorance。　　I　don't　think　that　Susy　and　I

are　any　happier　for　knowing　that　the　plains　are　not　as　flat　as　we

believed　they　were；　and　that　the　sun　doesn't　have　to　burn　a　hole　in

them　every　night　when　it　sets。　　But　I　know　I　believed　that　YOU　knew

everything。　　When　I　once　saw　you　smiling　over　a　book　in　your　hand；　I

thought　it　must　be　a　different　one　from　any　that　I　had　ever　seen；

and　perhaps　made　expressly　for　you。　　I　can　see　you　there　still。　　Do

you　know；〃　quite　confidentially；　〃that　you　reminded　meof　course

YOU　were　much　youngerof　what　I　remembered　of　my　mother？〃



But　Mrs。　Peyton's　reply　of　〃Ah；　indeed；〃　albeit　polite；　indicated

some　coldness　and　lack　of　animation。　　Clarence　rose　quickly；　but

cast　a　long　and　lingering　look　around　him。



〃You　will　come　again；　Mr。　Brant；〃　said　the　lady　more　graciously。

〃If　you　are　going　to　ride　now；　perhaps　you　would　try　to　meet　Mr。

Peyton。　　He　is　late　already；　and　I　am　always　uneasy　when　he　is　out

alone；particularly　on　one　of　those　half…broken　horses；　which　they

consider　good　enough　for　riding　here。　　YOU　have　ridden　them　before

and　understand　them；　but　I　am　afraid　that's　another　thing　WE　have

got　to　learn。〃



When　the　young　man　found　himself　again　confronting　the　glittering

light　of　the　courtyard；　he　remembered　the　interview　and　the　soft

twilight　of　the　boudoir　only　as　part　of　a　pleasant　dream。　　There　was

a　rude　awakening　in　the　fierce　wind；　which　had　increased　with　the

lengthening　shadows。　　It　seemed　to　sweep　away　the　half…sensuous

comfort　that　had　pervaded　him；　and　made　him　coldly　realize　that　he

had　done　nothing　to　solve　the　difficulties　of　his　relations　to　Susy。

He　had　lost　the　one　chance　of　confiding　to　Mrs。　Peyton；if　he　had

ever　really　intended　to　do　so。　　It　was　impossible　for　him　to　do　it

hereafter　without　a　confession　of　prolonged　deceit。



He　reached　the　stables　impatiently；　where　his　attention　was

attracted　by　the　sound　of　excited　voices　in　the　corral。　　Looking

within；　he　was　concerned　to　see　that　one　of　the　vacqueros　was

holding　the　dragging　bridle　of　a　blown；　dusty；　and　foam…covered

horse；　around　whom　a　dozen　idlers　were　gathered。　　Even　beneath　its

coating　of　dust　and　foam　and　the　half…displaced　saddle　blanket；

Clarence　immediately　recognized　the　spirited　pinto　mustang　which

Peyton　had　ridden　that　morning。



〃What's　the　matter？〃　said　Clarence；　from　the　gateway。



The　men　fell　apart；　glancing　at　each　other。　　One　said　quickly　in

Spanish：



〃Say　nothing　to　HIM。　　It　is　an　affair　of　the　house。〃



But　this　brought　Clarence　down　like　a　bombshell　among　them；　not　to

be　overlooked　in　his　equal　command　of　their　tongue　and　of　them。

〃Ah！　come；　now。　　What　drunken　piggishness　is　this？　　Speak！〃



〃The　padron　has　beenperhapsthrown；〃　stammered　the　first　speaker。

〃His　horse　arrives；but　he　does　not。　　We　go　to　inform　the　senora。〃



〃No；　you　don't！　mules　and　imbeciles！　　Do　you　want　to　frighten　her　to

death？　　Mount；　every　one　of　you；　and　follow　me！〃



The　men　hesitated；　but　for　only　a　moment。　　Clarence　had　a　fine

assortment　of　Spanish