susy, a story of the plains-第31章
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storm cloak and hat; and riding his own horse;erect; terrible; and
menacing; with an awful hand upholding a ropeso! He saw him with
these eyes; as I see you。 What HE said to him; God knows! The
priest; perhaps; for he has made confession!〃
In a flash of intelligence Clarence comprehended all。 He rose
grimly and began to dress himself。
〃Not a word of this to the women;to any one; Nascio; dost thou
understand?〃 he said curtly。 〃It may be that Jose has been
partaking too freely of aguardiente;it is possible。 I will see
the priest myself。 But what possesses thee? Collect thyself; good
Nascio。〃
But the man was still trembling。
〃It is not all;Mother of God! it is not all; master!〃 he
stammered; dropping to his knees and still crossing himself。 〃This
morning; beside the corral; they find the horse of Pedro Valdez
splashed and spattered on saddle and bridle; and in the stirrup;
dost thou hear? the STIRRUP;hanging; the torn…off boot of Valdez!
Ah; God! The same as HIS! Now do you understand? It is HIS
vengeance。 No! Jesu forgive me! it is the vengeance of God!〃
Clarence was staggered。
〃And you have not found Valdez? You have looked for him?〃 he said;
hurriedly throwing on his clothes。
〃Everywhere;all over the plain。 The whole rancho has been out
since sunrise;here and there and everywhere。 And there is
nothing! Of course not。 What would you?〃 He pointed solemnly to
the ground。
〃Nonsense!〃 said Clarence; buttoning his coat and seizing his hat。
〃Follow me。〃
He ran down the passage; followed by Incarnacion; through the
excited; gesticulating crowd of servants in the patio; and out of
the back gate。 He turned first along the wall of the casa towards
the barred window of the boudoir。 Then a cry came from Incarnacion。
They ran quickly forward。 Hanging from the grating of the window;
like a mass of limp and saturated clothes; was the body of Pedro
Valdez; with one unbooted foot dangling within an inch of the
ground。 His head was passed inside the grating and fixed as at that
moment when the first spring of the frightened horse had broken his
neck between the bars as in a garrote; and the second plunge of the
terrified animal had carried off his boot in the caught stirrup when
it escaped。
CHAPTER XI。
The winter rains were over and gone; and the whole long line of
Californian coast was dashed with color。 There were miles of yellow
and red poppies; leagues of lupines that painted the gently rounded
hills with soft primary hues; and long continuous slopes; like low
mountain systems; of daisies and dandelions。 At Sacramento it was
already summer; the yellow river was flashing and intolerable; the
tule and marsh grasses were lush and long; the bloom of cottonwood
and sycamore whitened the outskirts of the city; and as Cyrus
Hopkins and his daughter Phoebe looked from the veranda of the
Placer Hotel; accustomed as they were to the cool trade winds of the
coast valleys; they felt homesick from the memory of eastern heats。
Later; when they were surveying the long dinner tables at the table
d'hote with something of the uncomfortable and shamefaced loneliness
of the provincial; Phoebe uttered a slight cry and clutched her
father's arm。 Mr。 Hopkins stayed the play of his squared elbows and
glanced inquiringly at his daughter's face。 There was a pretty
animation in it; as she pointed to a figure that had just entered。
It was that of a young man attired in the extravagance rather than
the taste of the prevailing fashion; which did not; however; in the
least conceal a decided rusticity of limb and movement。 A long
mustache; which looked unkempt; even in its pomatumed stiffness; and
lank; dark hair that had bent but never curled under the barber's
iron; made him notable even in that heterogeneous assembly。
〃That's he;〃 whispered Phoebe。
〃Who?〃 said her father。
Alas for the inconsistencies of love! The blush came with the name
and not the vision。
〃Mr。 Hooker;〃 she stammered。
It was; indeed; Jim Hooker。 But the role of his exaggeration was
no longer the same; the remorseful gloom in which he had been
habitually steeped had changed into a fatigued; yet haughty;
fastidiousness more in keeping with his fashionable garments。 He
was more peaceful; yet not entirely placable; and; as he sat down at
a side table and pulled down his striped cuffs with his clasped
fingers; he cast a glance of critical disapproval on the general
company。 Nevertheless; he seemed to be furtively watchful of his
effect upon them; and as one or two whispered and looked towards
him; his consciousness became darkly manifest。
All of which might have intimidated the gentle Phoebe; but did not
discompose her father。 He rose; and crossing over to Hooker's
table; clapped him heartily on the back。
〃How do; Hooker? I didn't recognize you in them fine clothes; but
Phoebe guessed as how it was you。〃
Flushed; disconcerted; irritated; but always in wholesome awe of Mr。
Hopkins; Jim returned his greeting awkwardly and half hysterically。
How he would have received the more timid Phoebe is another
question。 But Mr。 Hopkins; without apparently noticing these
symptoms; went on:
〃We're only just down; Phoebe and me; and as I guess we'll want to
talk over old times; we'll come alongside o' you。 Hold on; and I'll
fetch her。〃
The interval gave the unhappy Jim a chance to recover himself; to
regain his vanished cuffs; display his heavy watch…chain; curl his
mustache; and otherwise reassume his air of blase fastidiousness。
But the transfer made; Phoebe; after shaking hands; became
speechless under these perfections。 Not so her father。
〃If there's anything in looks; you seem to be prospering;〃 he said
grimly; 〃unless you're in the tailorin' line; and you're only
showin' off stock。 What mout ye be doing?〃
〃Ye ain't bin long in Sacramento; I reckon?〃 suggested Jim; with
patronizing pity。
〃No; we only came this morning;〃 returned Hopkins。
〃And you ain't bin to the theatre?〃 continued Jim。
〃No。〃
〃Nor moved much iningin'ral fash'nable sassiety?〃
〃Not yet;〃 interposed Phoebe; with an air of faint apology。
〃Nor seen any of them large posters on the fences; of 'The Prairie
Flower; or; Red…handed Dick;'three…act play with five tableaux;
just the biggest sensation out;runnin' for forty nights;money
turned away every night;standin' room only?〃 continued Jim; with
prolonged toleration。
〃No。〃
〃Well; I play Red…handed Dick。 I thought you might have seen it and
recognized me。 All those people over there;〃 darkly indicating the
long table; 〃know me。 A fellow can't stand it; you know; being
stared at by such a vulgar; low…bred lot。 It's gettin' too fresh
here。 I'll have to give the landlord notice and cut the whole
hotel。 They don't seem to have ever seen a gentleman and a
professional before。〃
〃Then you're a play…actor now?〃 said the farmer; in a tone which did
not; however; exhibit the exact degree of admiration which shone in
Phoebe's eyes。
〃For the present;〃 said Jim; with lofty indifference。 〃You see I
was inin partnership with McClosky; the manager; and I didn't like
the style of the chump that was doin' Red…handed Dick; so I offered
to take his place one night to show him how。 And by Jinks! the
audience; after that night; wouldn't let anybody else play it;
wouldn't stand even the biggest; highest…priced stars in it! I
reckon;〃 he added gloomily; 〃I'll have to run the darned thing in
all the big towns in Californy;if I don't have to go East with it
after all; just for the business。 But it's an awful grind on a
man;leaves him no time; along of the invitations he gets; and what
with being run after in the streets and stared at in the hotels he
don't get no privacy。 There's men; and women; too; over at that
table; that just lie in wait for me h