susy, a story of the plains-第22章

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bless　me；〃　in　a　lower　voice；　〃if　that　isn't　that　lying　old　Jim

Hooker　standing　there　by　the　gate！〃





CHAPTER　VIII。





Judge　Peyton　had　bequeathed　his　entire　property　unconditionally　to

his　wife。　　But　his　affairs　were　found　to　be　greatly　in　disorder；　and

his　papers　in　confusion；　and　although　Mrs。　Peyton　could　discover　no

actual　record　of　the　late　transaction　with　Mr。　Brant；　which　had

saved　her　the　possession　of　the　homestead；　it　was　evident　that　he

had　spent　large　sums　in　speculative　attempts　to　maintain　the

integrity　of　his　estate。　　That　enormous　domain；　although　perfectly

unencumbered；　had　been　nevertheless　unremunerative；　partly　through

the　costs　of　litigation　and　partly　through　the　systematic

depredations　to　which　its　great　size　and　long　line　of　unprotected

boundary　had　subjected　it。　　It　had　been　invaded　by　squatters　and

〃jumpers；〃　who　had　sown　and　reaped　crops　without　discovery；　its

cattle　and　wild　horses　had　strayed　or　been　driven　beyond　its　ill…

defined　and　hopeless　limits。　　Against　these　difficulties　the　widow

felt　herself　unable　and　unwilling　to　contend；　and　with　the　advice　of

her　friends　and　her　lawyer；　she　concluded　to　sell　the　estate；　except

that　portion　covered　by　the　Sisters'　title；　which；　with　the

homestead；　had　been　reconveyed　to　her　by　Clarence。　　She　retired　with

Susy　to　the　house　in　San　Francisco；　leaving　Clarence　to　occupy　and

hold　the　casa；　with　her　servants；　for　her　until　order　was　restored。

The　Robles　Rancho　thus　became　the　headquarters　of　the　new　owner　of

the　Sisters'　title；　from　which　he　administered　its　affairs；　visited

its　incumbencies；　overlooked　and　surveyed　its　lands；　and

occasionallycollected　its　rents。　　There　were　not　wanting　critics

who　averred　that　these　were　scarcely　remunerative；　and　that　the

young　San　Francisco　fine　gentleman；　who　was　only　Hamilton　Brant's

son；　after　all；　yet　who　wished　to　ape　the　dignity　and　degree　of　a

large　landholder；　had　made　a　very　foolish　bargain。　　I　grieve　to　say

that　one　of　his　own　tenants；　namely；　Jim　Hooker；　in　his　secret　heart

inclined　to　that　belief；　and　looked　upon　Clarence's　speculation　as

an　act　of　far…seeing　and　inordinate　vanity。



Indeed；　the　belligerent　Jim　had　partlyand　of　course　darkly

intimated　something　of　this　to　Susy　in　their　brief　reunion　at　the

casa　during　the　few　days　that　followed　its　successful　reoccupation。

And　Clarence；　remembering　her　older　caprices；　and　her　remark　on　her

first　recognition　of　him；　was　quite　surprised　at　the　easy

familiarity　of　her　reception　of　this　forgotten　companion　of　their

childhood。　　But　he　was　still　more　concerned　in　noticing；　for　the

first　time；　a　singular　sympathetic　understanding　of　each　other；　and

an　odd　similarity　of　occasional　action　and　expression　between　them。

It　was　a　part　of　this　monstrous　peculiarity　that　neither　the

sympathy　nor　the　likeness　suggested　any　particular　friendship　or

amity　in　the　pair；　but　rather　a　mutual　antagonism　and　suspicion。

Mrs。　Peyton；　coldly　polite　to　Clarence's　former　COMPANION；　but

condescendingly　gracious　to　his　present　TENANT　and　retainer；　did　not

notice　it；　preoccupied　with　the　annoyance　and　pain　of　Susy's

frequent　references　to　the　old　days　of　their　democratic　equality。



〃You　don't　remember；　Jim；　the　time　that　you　painted　my　face　in　the

wagon；　and　got　me　up　as　an　Indian　papoose？〃　she　said　mischievously。



But　Jim；　who　had　no　desire　to　recall　his　previous　humble　position

before　Mrs。　Peyton　or　Clarence；　was　only　vaguely　responsive。

Clarence；　although　joyfully　touched　at　this　seeming　evidence　of

Susy's　loyalty　to　the　past；　nevertheless　found　himself　even　more

acutely　pained　at　the　distress　it　caused　Mrs。　Peyton；　and　was　as

relieved　as　she　was　by　Hooker's　reticence。　　For　he　had　seen　little

of　Susy　since　Peyton's　death；　and　there　had　been　no　repetition　of

their　secret　interviews。　　Neither　had　he；　nor　she　as　far　as　he　could

judge；　noticed　the　omission。　　He　had　been　more　than　usually　kind；

gentle；　and　protecting　in　his　manner　towards　her；　with　little

reference；　however；　to　any　response　from　her；　yet　he　was　vaguely

conscious　of　some　change　in　his　feelings。　　He　attributed　it；　when　he

thought　of　it　at　all；　to　the　exciting　experiences　through　which　he

had　passed；　to　some　sentiment　of　responsibility　to　his　dead　friend；

and　to　another　secret　preoccupation　that　was　always　in　his　mind。　　He

believed　it　would　pass　in　time。　　Yet　he　felt　a　certain　satisfaction

that　she　was　no　longer　able　to　trouble　him；　except；　of　course；　when

she　pained　Mrs。　Peyton；　and　then　he　was　half　conscious　of　taking　the

old　attitude　of　the　dead　husband　in　mediating　between　them。　　Yet　so

great　was　his　inexperience　that　he　believed；　with　pathetic

simplicity　of　perception；　that　all　this　was　due　to　the　slow　maturing

of　his　love　for　her；　and　that　he　was　still　able　to　make　her　happy。

But　this　was　something　to　be　thought　of　later。　　Just　now　Providence

seemed　to　have　offered　him　a　vocation　and　a　purpose　that　his　idle

adolescence　had　never　known。　　He　did　not　dream　that　his　capacity　for

patience　was　only　the　slow　wasting　of　his　love。



Meantime　that　more　wonderful　change　and　recreation　of　the　Californian

landscape；　so　familiar；　yet　always　so　young；　had　come　to　the　rancho。

The　league…long　terrace　that　had　yellowed；　whitened；　and　wasted　for

half　a　year　beneath　a　staring；　monotonous　sky；　now　under　sailing

clouds；　flying　and　broken　shafts　of　light；　and　sharply　defined　lines

of　rain；　had　taken　a　faint　hue　of　resurrection。　　The　dust　that　had

muffled　the　roads　and　byways；　and　choked　the　low　oaks　that　fringed

the　sunken　canada；　had　long　since　been　laid。　　The　warm；　moist　breath

of　the　southwest　trades　had　softened　the　hard；　dry　lines　of　the

landscape；　and　restored　its　color　as　of　a　picture　over　which　a　damp

sponge　had　been　passed。　　The　broad　expanse　of　plateau　before　the

casa　glistened　and　grew　dark。　　The　hidden　woods　of　the　canada；

cleared　and　strengthened　in　their　solitude；　dripped　along　the　trails

and　hollows　that　were　now　transformed　into　running　streams。　　The

distinguishing　madrono　near　the　entrance　to　the　rancho　had　changed

its　crimson　summer　suit　and　masqueraded　in　buff　and　green。



Yet　there　were　leaden　days；　when　half　the　prospect　seemed　to　be　seen

through　palisades　of　rain；　when　the　slight　incline　between　the

terraces　became　a　tumultuous　cascade；　and　the　surest　hoofs　slipped

on　trails　of　unctuous　mud；　when　cattle　were　bogged　a　few　yards　from

the　highway；　and　the　crossing　of　the　turnpike　road　was　a　dangerous

ford。　　There　were　days　of　gale　and　tempest；　when　the　shriveled

stalks　of　giant　oats　were　stricken　like　trees；　and　lay　across　each

other　in　rigid　angles；　and　a　roar　as　of　the　sea　came　up　from　the

writhing　treetops　in　the　sunken　valley。　　There　were　long　weary

nights　of　steady　downpour；　hammering　on　the　red　tiles　of　the　casa；

and　drumming　on　the　shingles　of　the　new　veranda；　which　was　more

terrible　to　be　borne。　　Alone；　but　for　the　servants；　and　an

occasional　storm…stayed　tenant　from　Fair　Plains；　Clarence　might

have；　at　such　times；　questioned　the　effect　of　this　seclusion　upon

his　impassioned　nature。　　But　he　had　already　been　accustomed　to

monastic　seclusion　in　his　boyish　life　at　El　Refugio；　and　he　did　not

reflect　that；　for　that　very　reason；　its　indulgences　might　have　been

dangerous。　　From　time　to　time　letters　reached　him　from　the　outer

world　of　San　Francisco；a　few　pleasant　lines　from　Mrs。　Peyton；　in

answer　to　his　own　chronicle　of　his　half　stewardship；　giving　the　news

of　the　family；　and　briefly　recounting　their　movements。　　She　was

afraid　that　Susy's　sensitive　nature　chafed　under　the　restriction　of

mourning　in　the　gay　city；　but　she　trusted　to　bring　her　back　for　a

change　to　Robles　when　the　rains　were　over。　　This　was　a　poor

substitute　for　those　brief；　happy　glimpses　of　the　home　circle　which

had　so　charmed　him；　but　he　accepted　it　stoically。　　He　wandered　over

the　old　house；　from　which　the　perfume　of　domesticity　seemed　to　have

evaporated；　yet；　notwithstanding　Mrs。　Peyton'