susy, a story of the plains-第29章

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And　if　it　hadn't　been　too　ridiculous；　considering　her　age　and　yours；

she'd　say　you　were　dead　in　love　with　her。〃



For　an　instant　Clarence　felt　the　blood　rush　to　his　face　and　then

sink　away；　leaving　him　pale　and　cold。　　The　room；　which　had　seemed　to

whirl　around　him；　and　then　fade　away；　returned　with　appalling

distinctness；the　distinctness　of　memory；and　a　vision　of　the

first　day　that　he　had　seen　Mrs。　Peyton　sitting　there；　as　he　seemed

to　see　her　now。　　For　the　first　time　there　flashed　upon　him　the

conviction　that　the　young　girl　had　spoken　the　truth；　and　had

brusquely　brushed　the　veil　from　his　foolish　eyes。　　He　WAS　in　love

with　Mrs。　Peyton！　　That　was　what　his　doubts　and　hesitation　regarding

Susy　meant。　　That　alone　was　the　source；　secret；　and　limit　of　his

vague　ambition。



But　with　the　conviction　came　a　singular　calm。　　In　the　last　few

moments　he　seemed　to　have　grown　older；　to　have　loosed　the　bonds　of

old　companionship　with　Susy；　and　the　later　impression　she　had　given

him　of　her　mature　knowledge；　and　moved　on　far　beyond　her　years　and

experience。　　And　it　was　with　an　authority　that　was　half　paternal；

and　in　a　voice　he　himself　scarcely　recognized；　that　he　said：



〃If　I　did　not　know　you　were　prejudiced　by　a　foolish　and　indiscreet

woman；　I　should　believe　that　you　were　trying　to　insult　me　as　you

have　your　adopted　mother；　and　would　save　you　the　pain　of　doing　both

in　HER　house　by　leaving　it　now　and　forever。　　But　because　I　believe

you　are　controlled　against　your　best　instinct　by　that　woman；　I　shall

remain　here　with　you　to　frustrate　her　as　best　I　can；　or　until　I　am

able　to　lay　everything　before　Mrs。　Peyton　except　the　foolish　speech

you　have　just　made。〃



The　young　girl　laughed。　　〃Why　not　THAT　one　too；　while　you're　about

it？　　See　what　she'll　say。〃



〃I　shall　tell　her；〃　continued　Clarence　calmly；　〃only　what　YOU

yourself　have　made　it　necessary　for　me　to　tell　her　to　save　you　from

folly　and　disgrace；　and　only　enough　to　spare　her　the　mortification

of　hearing　it　first　from　her　own　servants。〃



〃Hearing　WHAT　from　her　own　servants？　　What　do　you　mean？　　How　dare

you？〃　demanded　the　young　girl　sharply。



She　was　quite　real　in　her　anxiety　now；　although　her　attitude　of

virtuous　indignation　struck　him　as　being　like　all　her　emotional

expression；　namely；　acting。



〃I　mean　that　the　servants　know　of　your　correspondence　with　Mrs。

McClosky；　and　that　she　claims　to　be　your　aunt；〃　returned　Clarence。

〃They　know　that　you　confided　to　Pepita。　　They　believe　that　either

Mrs。　McClosky　or　you　have　seen〃



He　had　stopped　suddenly。　　He　was　about　to　say　that　the　servants

（particularly　Incarnacion）　knew　that　Pedro　had　boasted　of　having　met

Susy；　when；　for　the　first　time；　the　tremendous　significance　of　what

he　had　hitherto　considered　as　merely　an　idle　falsehood　flashed　upon

him。



〃Seen　whom？〃　repeated　Susy　in　a　higher　voice；　impatiently　stamping

her　foot。



Clarence　looked　at　her；　and　in　her　excited；　questioning　face　saw　a

confirmation　of　his　still　half…formed　suspicions。　　In　his　own　abrupt

pause　and　knitted　eyebrows　she　must　have　read　his　thoughts　also。

Their　eyes　met。　　Her　violet　pupils　dilated；　trembled；　and　then

quickly　shifted　as　she　suddenly　stiffened　into　an　attitude　of

scornful　indifference；　almost　grotesque　in　its　unreality。　　His　eyes

slowly　turned　to　the　window；　the　door；　the　candles　on　the　table　and

the　chair　before　it；　and　then　came　back　to　her　face　again。　　Then　he

drew　a　deep　breath。



〃I　give　no　heed　to　the　idle　gossip　of　servants；　Susy；〃　he　said

slowly。　　〃I　have　no　belief　that　you　have　ever　contemplated　anything

worse　than　an　act　of　girlish　folly；　or　the　gratification　of　a

passing　caprice。　　Neither　do　I　want　to　appeal　to　you　or　frighten

you；　but　I　must　tell　you　now；　that　I　know　certain　facts　that　might

make　such　a　simple　act　of　folly　monstrous；　inconceivable　in　YOU；　and

almost　accessory　to　a　crime！　　I　can　tell　you　no　more。　　But　so

satisfied　am　I　of　such　a　possibility；　that　I　shall　not　scruple　to

take　any　meansthe　strongestto　prevent　even　the　remotest　chance

of　it。　　Your　aunt　has　been　looking　for　you；　you　had　better　go　to　her

now。　　I　will　close　the　room　and　lock　the　door。　　Meantime；　I　should

advise　you　not　to　sit　so　near　an　open　window　with　a　candle　at　night

in　this　locality。　　Even　if　it　might　not　be　dangerous　for　you；　it

might　be　fatal　to　the　foolish　creatures　it　might　attract。〃



He　took　the　key　from　the　door　as　he　held　it　open　for　her　to　pass

out。　　She　uttered　a　shrill　little　laugh；　like　a　nervous；　mischievous

child；　and；　slipping　out　of　her　previous　artificial　attitude　as　if

it　had　been　a　mantle；　ran　out　of　the　room。





CHAPTER　X。





As　Susy's　footsteps　died　away；　Clarence　closed　the　door；　walked　to

the　window；　and　examined　it　closely。　　The　bars　had　been　restored

since　he　had　wrenched　them　off　to　give　ingress　to　the　family　on　the

day　of　recapture。　　He　glanced　around　the　room；　nothing　seemed　to

have　been　disturbed。　　Nevertheless　he　was　uneasy。　　The　suspicions　of

a　frank；　trustful　nature　when　once　aroused　are　apt　to　be　more

general　and　far…reaching　than　the　specific　distrusts　of　the

disingenuous；　for　they　imply　the　overthrow　of　a　whole　principle　and

not　a　mere　detail。　　Clarence's　conviction　that　Susy　had　seen　Pedro

recently　since　his　dismissal　led　him　into　the　wildest　surmises　of

her　motives。　　It　was　possible　that　without　her　having　reason　to

suspect　Pedro's　greater　crime；　he　might　have　confided　to　her　his

intention　of　reclaiming　the　property　and　installing　her　as　the

mistress　and　chatelaine　of　the　rancho。　　The　idea　was　one　that　might

have　appealed　to　Susy's　theatrical　imagination。　　He　recalled　Mrs。

McClosky's　sneer　at　his　own　pretensions　and　her　vague　threats　of　a

rival　of　more　lineal　descent。　　The　possible　infidelity　of　Susy　to

himself　touched　him　lightly　when　the　first　surprise　was　over；

indeed；　it　scarcely　could　be　called　infidelity；　if　she　knew　and

believed　Mary　Rogers's　discovery；　and　the　conviction　that　he　and　she

had　really　never　loved　each　other　now　enabled　him；　as　he　believed；

to　look　at　her　conduct　dispassionately。　　Yet　it　was　her　treachery　to

Mrs。　Peyton　and　not　to　himself　that　impressed　him　most；　and　perhaps

made　him　equally　unjust；　through　his　affections。



He　extinguished　the　candles；　partly　from　some　vague　precautions　he

could　not　explain；　and　partly　to　think　over　his　fears　in　the

abstraction　and　obscurity　of　the　semi…darkness。　　The　higher　windows

suffused　a　faint　light　on　the　ceiling；　and；　assisted　by　the　dark

lantern…like　glow　cast　on　the　opposite　wall　by　the　tunnel　of　the

embrasured　window；　the　familiar　outlines　of　the　room　and　its

furniture　came　back　to　him。　　Somewhat　in　this　fashion　also；　in　the

obscurity　and　quiet；　came　back　to　him　the　events　he　had　overlooked

and　forgotten。　　He　recalled　now　some　gossip　of　the　servants；　and

hints　dropped　by　Susy　of　a　violent　quarrel　between　Peyton　and　Pedro；

which　resulted　in　Pedro's　dismissal；　but　which　now　seemed　clearly

attributable　to　some　graver　cause　than　inattention　and　insolence。

He　recalled　Mary　Rogers's　playful　pleasantries　with　Susy　about

Pedro；　and　Susy's　mysterious　air；　which　he　had　hitherto　regarded

only　as　part　of　her　exaggeration。　　He　remembered　Mrs。　Peyton's

unwarrantable　uneasiness　about　Susy；　which　he　had　either　overlooked

or　referred　entirely　to　himself；　she　must　have　suspected　something。

To　his　quickened　imagination；　in　this　ruin　of　his　faith　and　trust；

he　believed　that　Hooker's　defection　was　either　part　of　the

conspiracy；　or　that　he　had　run　away　to　avoid　being　implicated　with

Susy　in　its　discovery。　　This；　too；　was　the　significance　of　Gilroy's

parting　warning。　　He　and　Mrs。　Peyton　alone　had　been　blind　and

confiding　in　the　midst　of　this　treachery；　and　even　HE　had　been　blind

to　his　own　real　affections。



The　wind　had　risen　again；　and　the　faint　light　on　the　opposite　wall

grew　tremulous　and　shifting　with　the　movement　of　the　foliage

without。　　But　presently　the　glow　became　quite　oblitera