the golden fleece-第1章

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The　Golden　Fleece

by　Julian　Hawthorne


A　Romance





CHAPTER　I。

The　professor　crossed　one　long；　lean　leg　over　the　other；　and　punched　down　the　ashes　in　his　pipe…bowl　with　the　square　tip　of　his　middle　finger。　　The　thermometer　on　the　shady　veranda　marked　eighty…seven　degrees　of　heat；　and　nature　wooed　the　soul　to　languor　and　revery；　but　nothing　could　abate　the　energy　of　this　bony　sage。

〃They　talk　about　their　Atlantises；their　submerged　continents！〃　he　exclaimed；　with　a　sniff　through　his　wide；　hairy　nostrils。　　〃Why；　Trednoke；　do　you　realize　that　we　are　living　literally　at　the　bottom　of　a　Mesozoicat　any　rate；　Cenozoicsea？〃

The　gentleman　thus　indignantly　addressed　contemplated　his　questioner　with　the　serenity　of　one　conscious　of　freedom　from　geologic　responsibility。　　He　was　a　man　of　about　the　professor's　age；say；　sixty　years；but　not　like　him　in　appearance。　　His　figure　was　stately　and　massive；that　of　one　who　in　his　youth　must　have　possessed　vast　physical　strength；　rigidly　developed　and　disciplined。　　Well　set　upon　his　broad　shoulders　was　a　noble　head；　crowned　with　gray；　wavy　hair；　the　eyes　and　eyebrows　were　black　and　powerful；　but　the　expression　was　kindly　and　humorous。　　His　moustache　and　the　Roman　convexity　of　his　chin　would　have　confirmed　your　conviction　that　he　was　a　retired　warrior；　in　which　you　would　have　been　correct；　for　General　Trednoke　always　appeared　what　he　was；　both　outwardly　and　inwardly。　　His　great　frame；　clad　in　white　linen；　was　comfortably　disposed　in　a　Japanese　straw　arm…　chair；　yet　there　was　a　soldierly　poise　in　his　attitude。　　He　was　smoking　a　large　and　excellent　cigar；　and　a　cup　of　coffee；　with　a　tiny　glass　of　cognac　beside　it；　stood　on　a　mahogany　stand　at　his　elbow。

〃Do　you　remember；　Meschines；　the　time　I　licked　you　at　school？〃　he　inquired；　in　a　tone　of　pleasant　reminiscence。

〃I　can't　say　I　do。　　What's　more；　I　venture　to　challenge　your　statement。　　And　though　you　are　a　hundred　pounds　the　better　of　me　in　weight；　and　a　West　Point　graduate；　I　will　wager　my　pipe　（which　is　worth　its　weight　in　diamonds）　against　that　old　woollen　shirt　of　Montezuma's　that　you　showed　me　yesterday；　that　I　can　lick　you　to…day；　and　forget　all　about　it　before　bedtime！〃

〃Well；　I　guess　you　could；〃　returned　the　general；　with　a　little　chuckle；　〃even　if　I　hadn't　that　Mexican　bullet　in　my　leg。　　But　you　couldn't；　forty…five　years　ago；　though　you　tried；　and　though　I　was　a　year　younger　than　you；　and　weighed　five　pounds　less。　　Come；　now：　you　don't　mean　to　say　you've　forgotten　Susan　Brown！〃

〃Ohahhah！　　Susan　Brown！　　Well；　I　declare！　　And　what　brought　her　into　your　head；　I　should　like　to　know？〃

〃Why；　after　breaking　your　heart　first；　and　then　mine；　I　lost　sight　of　her；　and　I　don't　think　I　have　seen　her　since。　　But　it　appears　she　was　married　to　a　fellow　named　Parsloe。〃

〃Don't　fancy　that　name！〃　observed　the　professor；　wagging　his　head　and　frowning。　　〃Has　a　mean　sound　to　it。　　But　what　of　it？〃

〃Well；　she　died；rest　her　soul！and　Parsloe　too。　　But　they　had　a　daughter；　and　she　survives　them。〃

〃And　resembles　her　mother；　eh？No；　Trednoke；　the　time　for　that　sort　of　thing　has　gone　by　with　me。　　Susan　might　have　had　me；　five…and…forty　years　ago；　but　I　can't　undertake　to　revive　my　passion　for　the　benefit　of　Mrs。　Parsloe's　daughter。　　Besides；　I'm　too　busy　to　think　of　marriage；　and　notnot　old　enough！〃

At　this　tour　de　force；　the　general　laughed　softly；　and　finished　his　coffee。　　An　old　Indian；　somewhat　remarkable　in　appearance；　with　shaggy　white　hair　hanging　down　on　his　shoulders；　stepped　forward　from　the　room　where　he　had　been　waiting；　and　removed　the　cup。

〃No　letters　yet；　Kamaiakan？〃　asked　the　general；　in　Spanish。

〃In　a　few　minutes；　general；〃　the　other　replied。　　　〃Pablo　has　just　come　in　sight　over　the　hill。　　There　were　several　errands。〃

〃Muy　buen！I　was　going　to　say；　Meschines；　her　father　and　mother　left　the　girl　poor；　and　she；　being；　apparently；　clever　and　energetic；　took　to〃

〃I　know！〃　the　professor　interrupted。　　〃They　all　do　it；　when　they　are　clever　and　energetic；　and　that's　the　end　of　them！　School…teaching！〃

〃Not　at　all；〃　returned　General　Trednoke。　　〃She　entered　a　dry…goods　store。〃

〃Entered　a　dry…goods　store！　　Well；　there's　nothing　so　extraordinary　in　that。　　I've　seen　quantities　of　women　do　it；　of　all　ages；　colors；　and　degrees。　　What　did　she　buy　there？〃

〃Oh；　a　fiddlestick！〃　exclaimed　the　general。　　〃Why　don't　you　keep　quiet　and　listen　to　my　story？　　I　say；　she　went　into　a　great　dry…goods　store　in　New　York；　as　sales…　woman。〃

〃Bless　my　soul！　　You　don't　mean　a　shop…girl？〃

〃That's　what　I　said；　isn't　it？　　And　why　not？〃

〃Oh；　well！but；　shade　of　Susan　Brown！　　Ichabod！what　is　the　feminine　of　Ichabod；　by　the　way；　Trednoke？　　But；　seriously；　it's　too　bad。　　Susan　may　have　been　fickle；　but　she　was　always　aristocratic。　　And　now　her　daughter　is　a　shop…girl。　　You　and　I　are　avenged！〃

〃You　are　just　as　ridiculous；　Meschines；　as　you　were　thirty　or　fifty　years　ago；〃　said　the　general；　tranquilly。　　　〃You　declaim　for　the　sake　of　hearing　your　own　voice。　　Besides；　what　you　say　is　un…American。　　Grace　Parsloe；　as　I　was　saying；　got　a　place　as　shop…　girl　in　one　of　the　great　New　York　stores。　　I　don't　say　she　mightn't　have　done　worse：　what　I　say　is；　I　doubt　whether　she　could　have　done　better。　　That　houseI　know　one　of　its　founders；　and　I　know　what　I'm　talking　aboutis　like　an　enormous　family；　where　children　are　born；　year　after　year；　grow　up；　and　take　their　places　in　life　according　to　their　quality　and　merit。　　What　I　mean　is；　that　the　boy　who　drives　a　wagon　for　them　to…day；　at　three　dollars　a　week；　may　control　one　of　their　chief　departments；　or　even　become　a　partner；　before　they're　done　with　him；　and；　mutatis　mutandis；　the　same　with　the　girls。　　When　these　girls　marry；　it's　apt　to　be　into　a　higher　rank　of　life　than　they　were　born　in；　and　that　fact；　I　take　it；　is　a　good　indication　that　their　shop…girl　experience　has　been　an　education　and　an　improvement。　　They　are　given　work　to　do；　suited　to　their　capacity；　be　it　small　or　great；　they　are　in　the　way　of　learning　something　of　the　great　economic　laws；　they　learn　self…　restraint；　courtesy；　and〃

〃And　human　nature！　　Yes；　poor　things：　they　see　the　American　buying…woman；　and　that　is　a　discipline　more　trying　than　any　you　West　Pointers　know　about！　　Oh；　yes；　I　see　your　point。　　If　the　fathers　of　the　big　family　ARE　fathers；　and　the　children　ARE　children　to　them　。　。　。　　All　the　same；　I　fancy　the　young　ladies；　when　they　marry　into　the　higher　social　circles；　as　you　say　they　do；　don't；　as　a　rule；　make　their　shop　girl　days　a　topic　of　conversation　at　five…o'clock　teas；　or　put　'Ex…shop…girl　to　So…and…so'　at　the　bottom　of　their　visiting…cards。〃

〃I　believe；　after　all；　you're　a　snob；　Meschines；〃　said　the　general；　pensively。　〃But；　as　I　was　about　to　say；　when　you　interrupted　me　ten　minutes　ago；　Grace　Parsloe　is　coming　on　here　to　make　us　a　visit。　　She　fell　ill；　and　her　employers；　after　doing　what　could　be　done　for　her　in　the　way　of　medical　attendance；　made　up　their　minds　to　give　her　a　change　of　climate。　　Now；　you　know；　as　she　had　originally　gone　to　them　with　a　letter　from　me；　and　as　I　live　out　here；　on　the　borders　of　the　Southern　desert；　in　a　climate　that　has　no　equal；　they　naturally　thought　of　writing　to　me　about　it。　　And　of　course　I　said　I'd　be　delighted　to　have　her　here；　for　a　month；　or　a　year；　or　whatever　time　it　may　be。　　She　will　be　a　pleasure　to　me；　and　a　friend　for　Miriam；　and　she　may　find　a　husband　somewhere　up　or　down　the　coast；　who　will　give　her　a　fortune；　and　think　all　the　better　of　her　because　she；　like　him；　had　the　ability　and　the　pluck　to　make　her　own　way　in　the　world。〃

〃Humph！　　When　do　you　expect　her？〃

〃She　may　turn　up　any　day。　　She　is　coming　round　by　way　of　the　Isthmus。　　From　what　I　hear；　she　is　really　a　very　fine；　clever　girl。　　She　held　a　responsible　position　in　the　shop；　and〃

〃Well；　let　us　sink　the　shop；　and　get　back　to　the　rational　and　instructive　conversation　that　weor；　to　be　more　accurate；　that　I　was　engaged　in　when　this　digression　began。　　I　presume　you　are　aware　that　all　the　indications　are　lacustrine？〃

Hereupon；　a　hammock；　suspended　near　the　talkers；　and　filled　with　what　appeared　to　be　a　bundle　of　lace　and　silken　shawls；　became　agitated；　and　developed　at　one　end　a　slender　a