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第27章

susy, a story of the plains-第27章

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always lacked。



Suddenly his quick ear detected the sound of wheels in the ruts of

the carriage way。  Usually his visitors to the casa came on

horseback; and carts and wagons used only the lower road。  As the

sound approached nearer; an odd fancy filled his heart with

unaccountable pleasure。  Could it be Mrs。 Peyton making an

unexpected visit to the rancho?  He held his breath。  The vehicle

was now rolling on into the patio。  The clatter of hoofs and a halt

were followed by the accents of women's voices。  One seemed

familiar。  He rose quickly; as light footsteps ran along the

corridor; and then the door opened impetuously to the laughing face

of Susy!



He came towards her hastily; yet with only the simple impulse of

astonishment。  He had no thought of kissing her; but as he

approached; she threw her charming head archly to one side; with a

mischievous knitting of her brows and a significant gesture towards

the passage; that indicated the proximity of a stranger and the

possibility of interruption。



〃Hush!  Mrs。 McClosky's here;〃 she whispered。



〃Mrs。 McClosky?〃 repeated Clarence vaguely。



〃Yes; of course;〃 impatiently。  〃My Aunt Jane。  Silly!  We just cut

away down here to surprise you。  Aunty's never seen the place; and

here was a good chance。〃



〃And your motherMrs。 Peyton?  Has shedoes she?〃stammered

Clarence。



〃Has shedoes she?〃 mimicked Susy; with increasing impatience。

〃Why; of course she DOESN'T know anything about it。  She thinks I'm

visiting Mary Rogers at Oakland。  And I amAFTERWARDS;〃 she

laughed。  〃I just wrote to Aunt Jane to meet me at Alameda; and we

took the stage to Santa Inez and drove on here in a buggy。  Wasn't

it real fun?  Tell me; Clarence!  You don't say anything!  Tell me

wasn't it real fun?〃



This was all so like her old; childlike; charming; irresponsible

self; that Clarence; troubled and bewildered as he was; took her

hands and drew her like a child towards him。



〃Of course;〃 she went on; yet stopping to smell a rosebud in his

buttonhole; 〃I have a perfect right to come to my own home; goodness

knows! and if I bring my own aunt; a married woman; with me;

although;〃 loftily; 〃there may be a young unmarried gentleman alone

there;still I fail to see any impropriety in it!〃



He was still holding her; but in that instant her manner had

completely changed again; the old Susy seemed to have slipped away

and evaded him; and he was retaining only a conscious actress in his

arms。



〃Release me; Mr。 Brant; please;〃 she said; with a languid affected

glance behind her; 〃we are not alone。〃



Then; as the rustling of a skirt sounded nearer in the passage; she

seemed to change back to her old self once more; and with a

lightning flash of significance whispered;



〃She knows everything!〃



To add to Clarence's confusion; the woman who entered cast a quick

glance of playful meaning on the separating youthful pair。  She was

an ineffective blonde with a certain beauty that seemed to be

gradually succumbing to the ravages of paint and powder rather than

years; her dress appeared to have suffered from an equally unwise

excess of ornamentation and trimming; and she gave the general

impression of having been intended for exhibition in almost any

other light than the one in which she happened to be。  There were

two or three mud…stains on the laces of her sleeve and underskirt

that were obtrusively incongruous。  Her voice; which had; however; a

ring of honest intention in it; was somewhat over…strained; and

evidently had not yet adjusted itself to the low…ceilinged;

conventual…like building。



〃There; children; don't mind me!  I know I'm not on in this scene;

but I got nervous waiting there; in what you call the 'salon;' with

only those Greaser servants staring round me in a circle; like a

regular chorus。  My! but it's anteek hereregular anteekSpanish。〃

Then; with a glance at Clarence; 〃So this is Clarence Brant;your

Clarence?  Interduce me; Susy。〃



In his confusion of indignation; pain; and even a certain conception

of the grim ludicrousness of the situation; Clarence grasped

despairingly at the single sentence of Susy's。  〃In my own home。〃

Surely; at least; it was HER OWN HOME; and as he was only the

business agent of her adopted mother; he had no right to dictate to

her under what circumstances she should return to it; or whom she

should introduce there。  In her independence and caprice Susy might

easily have gone elsewhere with this astounding relative; and would

Mrs。 Peyton like it better?  Clinging to this idea; his instinct of

hospitality asserted itself。  He welcomed Mrs。 McClosky with nervous

effusion:



〃I am only Mrs。 Peyton's major domo here; but any guest of her

DAUGHTER'S is welcome。〃



〃Yes;〃 said Mrs。 McClosky; with ostentatious archness; 〃I reckon

Susy and I understand your position here; and you've got a good

berth of it。  But we won't trouble you much on Mrs。 Peyton's

account; will we; Susy?  And now she and me will just take a look

around the shanty;it is real old Spanish anteek; ain't it?and

sorter take stock of it; and you young folks will have to tear

yourselves apart for a while; and play propriety before me。  You've

got to be on your good behavior while I'm here; I can tell you!  I'm

a heavy old 'doo…anna。'  Ain't I; Susy?  School…ma'ms and mother

superiors ain't in the game with ME for discipline。〃



She threw her arms around the young girl's waist and drew her

towards her affectionately; an action that slightly precipitated

some powder upon the black dress of her niece。  Susy glanced

mischievously at Clarence; but withdrew her eyes presently to let

them rest with unmistakable appreciation and admiration on her

relative。  A pang shot through Clarence's breast。  He had never seen

her look in that way at Mrs。 Peyton。  Yet here was this stranger;

provincial; overdressed; and extravagant; whose vulgarity was only

made tolerable through her good humor; who had awakened that

interest which the refined Mrs。 Peyton had never yet been able to

touch。  As Mrs。 McClosky swept out of the room with Susy he turned

away with a sinking heart。



Yet it was necessary that the Spanish house servants should not

suspect this treason to their mistress; and Clarence stopped their

childish curiosity about the stranger with a careless and easy

acceptance of Susy's sudden visit in the light of an ordinary

occurrence; and with a familiarity towards Mrs。 McClosky which

became the more distasteful to him in proportion as he saw that it

was evidently agreeable to her。  But; easily responsive; she became

speedily confidential。  Without a single question from himself; or a

contributing remark from Susy; in half an hour she had told him her

whole history。  How; as Jane Silsbee; an elder sister of Susy's

mother; she had early eloped from the paternal home in Kansas with

McClosky; a strolling actor。  How she had married him and gone on

the stage under his stage name; effectively preventing any

recognition by her family。  How; coming to California; where her

husband had become manager of the theatre at Sacramento; she was

indignant to find that her only surviving relation; a sister…in…law;

living in the same place; had for a money consideration given up all

claim to the orphaned Susy; and how she had resolved to find out 〃if

the poor child was happy。〃  How she succeeded in finding out that

she was not happy。  How she wrote to her; and even met her secretly

at San Francisco and Oakland; and how she had undertaken this

journey partly for 〃a lark;〃 and partly to see Clarence and the

property。  There was no doubt of the speaker's sincerity; with this

outrageous candor there was an equal obliviousness of any indelicacy

in her conduct towards Mrs。 Peyton that seemed hopeless。  Yet he

must talk plainly to her; he must say to her what he could not say

to Susy; upon HER Mrs。 Peyton's happinesshe believed he was

thin

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