a first family of tasajara-第32章

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knowingly。〃



Grant　was　silent；　it　had　flashed　across　him　that　Rice　might　have

harbored　revenge　for　his　father…in…law's　interference　in　his　brief

matrimonial　experience。　　He　had　also　suddenly　recalled　his

conversation　with　Billings　on　the　day　that　he　first　arrived　at

Tasajara。　　It　would　not　be　strange　if　this　man　had　some　intimation

of　the　secret。　　He　would　try　to　find　him　that　evening。　　He　rose。



〃You　will　stay　to　dinner？　　My　wife　and　Clementina　will　expect　you。〃



〃Not　to…night；　I　am　dining　at　the　hotel；〃　said　Grant；　smilingly；

〃but　I　will　come　in　later　in　the　evening　if　I　may。〃　　He　paused

hesitatingly　for　a　moment。　　〃Have　your　wife　and　daughter　ever

expressed　any　opinion　on　this　matter？〃



〃No；〃　said　Harcourt。　　〃Mrs。　Harcourt　knows　nothing　of　anything　that

does　not　happen　IN　the　house；　Euphemia　knows　only　the　things　that

happen　out　of　it　where　she　is　visitingand　I　suppose　that　young

men　prefer　to　talk　to　her　about　other　things　than　the　slanders　of

her　father。　　And　Clementinawell；　you　know　how　calm　and　superior

to　these　things　SHE　is。〃



〃For　that　very　reason　I　thought　that　perhaps　she　might　be　able　to

see　them　more　clearly；but　no　matter！　　I　dare　say　you　are　quite

right　in　not　discussing　them　at　home。〃　　This　was　the　fact；　although

Grant　had　not　forgotten　that　Harcourt　had　put　forward　his　daughters

as　a　reason　for　stopping　the　scandal　some　weeks　before；a　reason

which；　however；　seemed　never　to　have　been　borne　out　by　any　apparent

sensitiveness　of　the　girls　themselves。



When　Grant　had　left；　Harcourt　remained　for　some　moments　steadfastly

gazing　from　the　window　over　the　Tasajara　plain。　　He　had　not　lost

his　look　of　concentrated　power；　nor　his　determination　to　fight。　　A

struggle　between　himself　and　the　phantoms　of　the　past　had　become

now　a　necessary　stimulus　for　its　own　sake；for　the　sake　of　his

mental　and　physical　equipoise。　　He　saw　before　him　the　pale；

agitated；　irresolute　features　of　'Lige　Curtis；not　the　man　HE　had

injured；　but　the　man　who　had　injured　HIM；　whose　spirit　was

aimlessly　and　wantonlyfor　he　had　never　attempted　to　get　back　his

possessions　in　his　lifetime；　nor　ever　tried　to　communicate　with　the

possessorstriking　at　him　in　the　shadow。　　And　it　was　THAT　man；

that　pale；　writhing；　frightened　wretch　whom　he　had　once　mercifully

helped！　　Yes；　whose　LIFE　he　had　even　saved　that　night　from　exposure

and　delirium　tremens　when　he　had　given　him　the　whiskey。　　And　this

life　he　had　saved；　only　to　have　it　set　in　motion　a　conspiracy　to

ruin　him！　　Who　knows　that　'Lige　had　not　purposely　conceived　what

they　had　believed　to　be　an　attempt　at　suicide；　only　to　cast

suspicion　of　murder　on　HIM！　　From　which　it　will　be　perceived　that

Harcourt's　powers　of　moral　reasoning　had　not　improved　in　five

years；　and　that　even　the　impartiality　he　had　just　shown　in　his

description　of　'Lige　to　Grant　had　been　swallowed　up　in　this　new

sense　of　injury。　　The　founder　of　Tasajara；　whose　cool　business

logic；　unfailing　foresight；　and　practical　deductions　were　never　at

fault；　was　once　more　childishly　adrift　in　his　moral　ethics。



And　there　was　Clementina；　of　whose　judgment　Grant　had　spoken　so

persistently；could　she　assist　him？　　It　was　true；　as　he　had　said；

he　had　never　talked　to　her　of　his　affairs。　　In　his　sometimes　uneasy

consciousness　of　her　superiority　he　had　shrunk　from　even　revealing

his　anxieties；　much　less　his　actual　secret；　and　from　anything　that

might　prejudice　the　lofty　paternal　attitude　he　had　taken　towards

his　daughters　from　the　beginning　of　his　good　fortune。　　He　was　never

quite　sure　if　her　acceptance　of　it　was　real；　he　was　never　entirely

free　from　a　certain　jealousy　that　always　mingled　with　his　pride　in

her　superior　rectitude；　and　yet　his　feeling　was　distinct　from　the

good…natured　contempt　he　had　for　his　wife's　loyalty；　the　anger　and

suspicion　that　his　son's　opposition　had　provoked；　and　the　half…

affectionate　toleration　he　had　felt　for　Euphemia's　waywardness。

However　he　would　sound　Clementina　without　betraying　himself。



He　was　anticipated　by　a　slight　step　in　the　passage　and　the　pushing

open　of　his　study　door。　　The　tall；　graceful　figure　of　the　girl

herself　stood　in　the　opening。



〃They　tell　me　Mr。　Grant　has　been　here。　　Does　he　stay　to　dinner？〃



〃No；　he　has　an　engagement　at　the　hotel；　but　he　will　probably　drop

in　later。　　Come　in；　Clemmy；　I　want　to　talk　to　you。　　Shut　the　door

and　sit　down。〃



She　slipped　in　quietly；　shut　the　door；　took　a　seat　on　the　sofa；

softly　smoothed　down　her　gown；　and　turned　her　graceful　head　and

serenely　composed　face　towards　him。　　Sitting　thus　she　looked　like

some　finely　finished　painting　that　decorated　rather　than　belonged

to　the　room；not　only　distinctly　alien　to　the　flesh　and　blood

relative　before　her；　but　to　the　house；　and　even　the　local；

monotonous　landscape　beyond　the　window　with　the　shining　new

shingles　and　chimneys　that　cut　the　new　blue　sky。　　These　singular

perfections　seemed　to　increase　in　Harcourt's　mind　the　exasperating

sense　of　injury　inflicted　upon　him　by　'Lige's　exposures。　　With　a

daughter　so　incomparably　gifted；a　matchless　creation　that　was

enough　in　herself　to　ennoble　that　fortune　which　his　own　skill　and

genius　had　lifted　from　the　muddy　tules　of　Tasajara　where　this　'Lige

had　left　it；that　SHE　should　be　subjected　to　this　annoyance　seemed

an　infamy　that　Providence　could　not　allow！　　What　was　his　mere

venial　transgression　to　this　exaggerated　retribution？



〃Clemmy；　girl；　I'm　going　to　ask　you　a　question。　　Listen；　pet。〃　　He

had　begun　with　a　reminiscent　tenderness　of　the　epoch　of　her

childhood；　but　meeting　the　unresponding　maturity　of　her　clear　eyes

he　abandoned　it。　　〃You　know；　Clementina；　I　have　never　interfered　in

your　affairs；　nor　tried　to　influence　your　friendships　for　anybody。

Whatever　people　may　have　to　say　of　me　they　can't　say　that！　　I've

always　trusted　you；　as　I　would　myself；　to　choose　your　own

associates；　I　have　never　regretted　it；　and　I　don't　regret　it　now。

But　I'd　like　to　knowI　have　reasons　to…day　for　askinghow　matters

stand　between　you　and　Grant。〃



The　Parian　head　of　Minerva　on　the　bookcase　above　her　did　not　offer

the　spectator　a　face　less　free　from　maidenly　confusion　than

Clementina's　at　that　moment。　　Her　father　had　certainly　expected

none；　but　he　was　not　prepared　for　the　perfect　coolness　of　her

reply。



〃Do　you　mean；　have　I　ACCEPTED　him？〃



〃No；wellyes。〃



〃No；　then！　　Is　that　what　he　wished　to　see　you　about？　　It　was

understood　that　he　was　not　to　allude　again　to　the　subject　to　any

one。〃



〃He　has　not　to　ME。　　It　was　only　my　own　idea。　　He　had　something　very

different　to　tell　me。　　You　may　not　know；　Clementina；〃　he　begun

cautiously；　〃that　I　have　been　lately　the　subject　of　some　anonymous

slanders；　and　Grant　has　taken　the　trouble　to　track　them　down　for

me。　　It　is　a　calumny　that　goes　back　as　far　as　Sidon；　and　I　may　want

your　level　head　and　good　memory　to　help　me　to　refute　it。〃　　He　then

repeated　calmly　and　clearly；　with　no　trace　of　the　fury　that　had

raged　within　him　a　moment　before；　the　substance　of　Grant's

revelation。



The　young　girl　listened　without　apparent　emotion。　　When　he　had

finished　she　said　quickly：　〃And　what　do　you　want　me　to　recollect？〃



The　hardest　part　of　Harcourt's　task　was　coming。　　〃Well；　don't　you

remember　that　I　told　you　the　day　the　surveyors　went　awaythatI

had　bought　this　land　of　'Lige　Curtis　some　time　before？〃



〃Yes；　I　remember　your　saying　so；　but〃



〃But　what？〃



〃I　thought　you　only　meant　that　to　satisfy　mother。〃



Daniel　Harcourt　felt　the　blood　settling　round　his　heart；　but　he　was

constrained　by　an　irresistible　impulse　to　know　the　worst。　　〃Well；

what　did　YOU　think　it　really　was？〃



〃I　only　thought　that　'Lige　Curtis　had　simply　let　you　have　it；

that's　all。〃



Harcourt　breathed　again。　　〃But　what　for？　　Why　should　he？〃



〃WellON　MY　ACCOUNT。〃



〃On　YOUR　account！　　What　in　Heaven's　name　had　YOU　to　do　with　it？〃



〃He　loved　me。〃　　There　was　not　the　slightest　trace　of　vanity；　se