susy, a story of the plains-第2章

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〃And　I　can　make　a　will　in　her　favor　if　I　want　to？〃　said　Mrs。　Peyton

quickly。



〃Always；〃　responded　her　husband　smilingly；　〃but　you　have　ample　time

to　think　of　that；　I　trust。　　Meanwhile　I　have　some　news　for　you　which

may　make　Susy's　visit　to　the　rancho　this　time　less　dull　to　her。　　You

remember　Clarence　Brant；　the　boy　who　was　with　her　when　we　picked　her

up；　and　who　really　saved　her　life？〃



〃No；　I　don't；〃　said　Mrs。　Peyton　pettishly；　〃nor　do　I　want　to！　　You

know；　John；　how　distasteful　and　unpleasant　it　is　for　me　to　have

those　dreary；　petty；　and　vulgar　details　of　the　poor　child's　past

life　recalled；　and；　thank　Heaven；　I　have　forgotten　them　except　when

you　choose　to　drag　them　before　me。　　You　agreed；　long　ago；　that　we

were　never　to　talk　of　the　Indian　massacre　of　her　parents；　so　that　we

could　also　ignore　it　before　her；　then　why　do　you　talk　of　her　vulgar

friends；　who　are　just　as　unpleasant？　　Please　let　us　drop　the　past。〃



〃Willingly；　my　dear；　but；　unfortunately；　we　cannot　make　others　do

it。　　And　this　is　a　case　in　point。　　It　appears　that　this　boy；　whom　we

brought　to　Sacramento　to　deliver　to　a　relative〃



〃And　who　was　a　wicked　little　impostor；you　remember　that　yourself；

John；　for　he　said　that　he　was　the　son　of　Colonel　Brant；　and　that　he

was　dead；　and　you　know；　and　my　brother　Harry　knew；　that　Colonel

Brant　was　alive　all　the　time；　and　that　he　was　lying；　and　Colonel

Brant　was　not　his　father；〃　broke　in　Mrs。　Peyton　impatiently。



〃As　it　seems　you　do　remember　that　much；〃　said　Peyton　dryly；　〃it　is

only　just　to　him　that　I　should　tell　you　that　it　appears　that　he　was

not　an　impostor。　　His　story　was　TRUE。　　I　have　just　learned　that

Colonel　Brant　WAS　actually　his　father；　but　had　concealed　his　lawless

life　here；　as　well　as　his　identity；　from　the　boy。　　He　was　really

that　vague　relative　to　whom　Clarence　was　confided；　and　under　that

disguise　he　afterwards　protected　the　boy；　had　him　carefully　educated

at　the　Jesuit　College　of　San　Jose；　and；　dying　two　years　ago　in　that

filibuster　raid　in　Mexico；　left　him　a　considerable　fortune。〃



〃And　what　has　he　to　do　with　Susy's　holidays？〃　said　Mrs。　Peyton；　with

uneasy　quickness。　　〃John；　you　surely　cannot　expect　her　ever　to　meet

this　common　creature　again；　with　his　vulgar　ways。　　His　wretched

associates　like　that　Jim　Hooker；　and；　as　you　yourself　admit；　the

blood　of　an　assassin；　duelist；　andHeaven　knows　what　kind　of　a

pirate　his　father　wasn't　at　the　lastin　his　veins！　　You　don't

believe　that　a　lad　of　this　type；　however　much　of　his　father's　ill…

gotten　money　he　may　have；　can　be　fit　company　for　your　daughter？　　You

never　could　have　thought　of　inviting　him　here？〃



〃I'm　afraid　that's　exactly　what　I　have　done；　Ally；〃　said　the　smiling

but　unmoved　Peyton；　〃but　I'm　still　more　afraid　that　your　conception

of　his　present　condition　is　an　unfair　one；　like　your　remembrance　of

his　past。　　Father　Sobriente；　whom　I　met　at　San　Jose　yesterday；　says

he　is　very　intelligent；　and　thoroughly　educated；　with　charming

manners　and　refined　tastes。　　His　father's　money；　which　they　say　was

an　investment　for　him　in　Carson's　Bank　five　years　ago；　is　as　good　as

any　one's；　and　his　father's　blood　won't　hurt　him　in　California　or

the　Southwest。　　At　least；　he　is　received　everywhere；　and　Don　Juan

Robinson　was　his　guardian。　　Indeed；　as　far　as　social　status　goes；　it

might　be　a　serious　question　if　the　actual　daughter　of　the　late　John

Silsbee；　of　Pike　County；　and　the　adopted　child　of　John　Peyton　was　in

the　least　his　superior。　　As　Father　Sobriente　evidently　knew

Clarence's　former　companionship　with　Susy　and　her　parents；　it　would

be　hardly　politic　for　us　to　ignore　it　or　seem　to　be　ashamed　of　it。

So　I　intrusted　Sobriente　with　an　invitation　to　young　Brant　on　the

spot。〃



Mrs。　Peyton's　impatience；　indignation；　and　opposition；　which　had

successively　given　way　before　her　husband's　quiet；　masterful　good

humor；　here　took　the　form　of　a　neurotic　fatalism。　　She　shook　her

head　with　superstitious　resignation。



〃Didn't　I　tell　you；　John；　that　I　always　had　a　dread　of　something

coming〃



〃But　if　it　comes　in　the　shape　of　a　shy　young　lad；　I　see　nothing

singularly　portentous　in　it。　　They　have　not　met　since　they　were

quite　small；　their　tastes　have　changed；　if　they　don't　quarrel　and

fight　they　may　be　equally　bored　with　each　other。　　Yet　until　then；　in

one　way　or　another；　Clarence　will　occupy　the　young　lady's　vacant

caprice；　and　her　school　friend；　Mary　Rogers；　will　be　here；　you　know；

to　divide　his　attentions；　and；〃　added　Peyton；　with　mock　solemnity；

preserve　the　interest　of　strict　propriety。　　Shall　I　break　it　to

her；or　will　you？〃



〃No；yes；〃　hesitated　Mrs。　Peyton；　〃perhaps　I　had　better。〃



〃Very　well；　I　leave　his　character　in　your　hands；　only　don't

prejudice　her　into　a　romantic　fancy　for　him。〃　　And　Judge　Peyton

lounged　smilingly　away。



Then　two　little　tears　forced　themselves　from　Mrs。　Peyton's　eyes。

Again　she　saw　that　prospect　of　uninterrupted　companionship　with

Susy；　upon　which　each　successive　year　she　had　built　so　many　maternal

hopes　and　confidences；　fade　away　before　her。　　She　dreaded　the　coming

of　Susy's　school　friend；　who　shared　her　daughter's　present　thoughts

and　intimacy；　although　she　had　herself　invited　her　in　a　more

desperate　dread　of　the　child's　abstracted；　discontented　eyes；　she

dreaded　the　advent　of　the　boy　who　had　shared　Susy's　early　life

before　she　knew　her；　she　dreaded　the　ordeal　of　breaking　the　news　and

perhaps　seeing　that　pretty　animation　spring　into　her　eyes；　which　she

had　begun　to　believe　no　solicitude　or　tenderness　of　her　own　ever

again　awakened；and　yet　she　dreaded　still　more　that　her　husband

should　see　it　too。　　For　the　love　of　this　recreated　woman；　although

not　entirely　materialized　with　her　changed　fibre；　had　nevertheless

become　a　coarser　selfishness　fostered　by　her　loneliness　and　limited

experience。　　The　maternal　yearning　left　unsatisfied　by　the　loss　of

her　first…born　had　never　been　filled　by　Susy's　thoughtless

acceptance　of　it；　she　had　been　led　astray　by　the　child's　easy

transference　of　dependence　and　the　forgetfulness　of　youth；　and　was

only　now　dimly　conscious　of　finding　herself　face　to　face　with　an

alien　nature。



She　started　to　her　feet　and　followed　the　direction　that　Susy　had

taken。　　For　a　moment　she　had　to　front　the　afternoon　trade　wind　which

chilled　her　as　it　swept　the　plain　beyond　the　gateway；　but　was

stopped　by　the　adobe　wall；　above　whose　shelter　the　stunted　treetops

through　years　of　exposureslanted　as　if　trimmed　by　gigantic

shears。　　At　first；　looking　down　the　venerable　alley　of　fantastic；

knotted　shapes；　she　saw　no　trace　of　Susy。　　But　half　way　down　the

gleam　of　a　white　skirt　against　a　thicket　of　dark　olives　showed　her

the　young　girl　sitting　on　a　bench　in　a　neglected　arbor。　　In　the

midst　of　this　formal　and　faded　pageantry　she　looked　charmingly

fresh；　youthful；　and　pretty；　and　yet　the　unfortunate　woman　thought

that　her　attitude　and　expression　at　that　moment　suggested　more　than

her　fifteen　years　of　girlhood。　　Her　golden　hair　still　hung

unfettered　over　her　straight；　boy…like　back　and　shoulders；　her　short

skirt　still　showed　her　childish　feet　and　ankles；　yet　there　seemed　to

be　some　undefined　maturity　or　a　vague　womanliness　about　her　that

stung　Mrs。　Peyton's　heart。　　The　child　was　growing　away　from　her；

too！



〃Susy！〃



The　young　girl　raised　her　head　quickly；　her　deep　violet　eyes　seemed

also　to　leap　with　a　sudden　suspicion；　and　with　a　half…mechanical；

secretive　movement；　that　might　have　been　only　a　schoolgirl's

instinct；　her　right　hand　had　slipped　a　paper　on　which　she　was

scribbling　between　the　leaves　of　her　book。　　Yet　the　next　moment；

even　while　looking　interrogatively　at　her　mother；　she　withdrew　the

paper　quietly；　tore　it　up　into　small　pieces；　and　threw　them　on　the

ground。



But　Mrs。　Peyton　was　too　preoccupied　with　her　news　to　notice　the

circumstance；　and　too　nervous　in　her　haste　to　be　tactful。　　〃Susy；

your　father　has　invited　that　boy；　Clarence　Brant；you　know　tha