padre ignacio-第3章

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One　morning；　behind　the　Quai　Voltaire；　an　old；　yellow　house　with　rusty

balconies　made　me　almost　homesick　for　New　Orleans。〃



〃The　Quai　Voltaire！〃　said　the　Padre。



〃I　heard　Rachel　in　Valerie　that　night；〃　the　young　man　went　on。　〃Did　you

know　that　she　could　sing；　too。　She　sang　several　verses　by　an　astonishing

little　Jew　violon…cellist　that　is　come　up　over　there。〃



The　Padre　gazed　down　at　his　blithe　guest。　〃To　see　somebody；　somebody；

once　again；　is　very　pleasant　to　a　hermit！〃



〃It　cannot　be　more　pleasant　than　arriving　at　an　oasis；〃　returned　Gaston。



They　had　delayed　on　the　threshold　to　look　at　the　beauty　of　the　evening；

and　now　the　priest　watched　his　parishioners　come　and　go。　〃How　can　one

make　companions〃　he　began；　then；　checking　himself；　he　said：　〃Their

souls　are　as　sacred　and　immortal　as　mine；　and　God　helps　me　to　help　them。

But　in　this　world　it　is　not　immortal　souls　that　we　choose　for　companions；

it　is　kindred　tastes；　intelligences；　andand　so　I　and　my　books　are

growing　old　together；　you　see；〃　he　added；　more　lightly。　〃You　will　find　my

volumes　as　behind　the　times　as　myself。〃



He　had　fallen　into　talk　more　intimate　than　he　wished；　and　while　the　guest

was　uttering　something　polite　about　the　nobility　of　missionary　work；　he

placed　him　in　an　easy…chair　and　sought　aguardiente　for　his　immediate

refreshment。　Since　the　year's　beginning　there　had　been　no　guest　for　him

to　bring　into　his　rooms；　or　to　sit　beside　him　in　the　high　seats　at　table；

set　apart　for　the　gente　fina。



Such　another　library　was　not　then　in　California；　and　though　Gaston

Villere；　in　leaving　Harvard　College；　had　shut　Horace　and　Sophocles　for

ever　at　the　earliest　instant　possible　under　academic　requirements；　he

knew　the　Greek　and　Latin　names　that　he　now　saw　as　well　as　he　knew　those

of　Shakspere；　Dante；　Moliere；　and　Cervantes。　These　were　here　also；　but　it

could　not　be　precisely　said　of　them；　either；　that　they　made　a　part　of　the

young　man's　daily　reading。　As　he　surveyed　the　Padre's　august　shelves；　it

was　with　a　touch　of　the　histrionic　Southern　gravity　which　his　Northern

education　had　not　wholly　schooled　out　of　him　that　he　said：



〃I　fear　I　am　no　scholar；　sir。　But　I　know　what　writers　every　gentleman

ought　to　respect。〃



The　polished　Padre　bowed　gravely　to　this　compliment。



It　was　when　his　eyes　caught　sight　of　the　music　that　the　young　man　felt

again　at　ease；　and　his　vivacity　returned　to　him。　Leaving　his　chair；　he

began　enthusiastically　to　examine　the　tall　piles　that　filled　one　side　of

the　room。　The　volumes　lay　piled　and　scattered　everywhere；　making　a

pleasant　disorder；　and；　as　perfume　comes　from　a　flower；　memories　of

singers　and　chandeliers　rose　bright　from　the　printed　names。　Norma；

Tancredi；　Don　Pasquale；　La　Vestale；　dim　lights　in　the　fashions　of　to…day；

sparkled　upon　the　exploring　Gaston；　conjuring　the　radiant　halls　of　Europe

before　him。　〃The　Barber　of　Seville！〃　he　presently　exclaimed。　〃And　I

happened　to　hear　it　in　Seville。〃



But　Seville's　name　brought　over　the　Padre　a　new　rush　of　home　thoughts。

〃Is　not　Andalusia　beautiful？〃　he　said。　〃Did　you　see　it　in　April；　when　the

flowers　come？〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Gaston；　among　the　music。　〃I　was　at　Cordova　then。〃



〃Ah；　Cordova！〃　murmured　the　Padre。



〃Semiramide！〃　cried　Gaston；　lighting　upon　that　opera。　〃That　was　a　week！〃

I　should　like　to　live　it　over；　every　day　and　night　of　it！〃



〃Did　you　reach　Malaga　from　Marseilles　or　Gibraltar？〃　asked　the　Padre；

wistfully。



〃From　Marseilles。　Down　from　Paris　through　the　Rhone　Valley；　you　know。〃



〃Then　you　saw　Provence！　And　did　you　go；　perhaps；　from　Avignon　to　Nismes

by　the　Pont　du　Gard？　There　is　a　place　I　have　made　herea　little；　little

placewith　olive…trees。　And　now　they　have　grown；　and　it　looks　something

like　that　country；　if　you　stand　in　a　particular　position。　I　will　take　you

there　to…morrow。　I　think　you　will　understand　what　I　mean。〃



〃Another　resemblance！〃　said　the　volatile　and　happy　Gaston。　〃We　both　seem

to　have　an　eye　for　them。　But；　believe　me；　Padre；　I　could　never　stay　here

planting　olives。　I　should　go　back　and　see　the　original　onesand　then　I'd

hasten　on　to　Paris。〃



And；　with　a　volume　of　Meyerbeer　open　in　his　hand；　Gaston　hummed：

〃'Robert；　Robert；　toi　que　j'aime。'　Why；　Padre；　I　think　that　your　library

contains　none　of　the　masses　and　all　of　the　operas　in　the　world！〃



〃I　will　make　you　a　little　confession；〃　said　Padre　Ignacio；　〃and　then　you

shall　give　me　a　little　absolution。〃



〃For　a　penance；〃　said　Gaston；　〃you　must　play　over　some　of　these　things　to

me。〃



〃I　suppose　I　could　not　permit　myself　this　luxury；〃　began　the　Padre；

pointing　to　his　operas；　〃and　teach　these　to　my　choir；　if　the　people　had

any　worldly　associations　with　the　music。　But　I　have　reasoned　that　the

music　cannot　do　them　harm〃



The　ringing　of　a　bell　here　interrupted　him。　〃In　fifteen　minutes；〃　he

said；　〃our　poor　meal　will　be　ready　for　you。〃　The　good　Padre　was　not　quite

sincere　when　he　spoke　of　a　〃poor　meal。〃　While　getting　the　aguardiente　for

his　guest　he　had　given　orders；　and　he　knew　how　well　such　orders　would　be


carried　out。　He　lived　alone；　and　generally　supped　simply　enough；　but　not

even　the　ample　table　at　San　Fernando　could　surpass　his　own　on　occasions。

And　this　was　for　him　indeed　an　occasion！



〃Your　half…breeds　will　think　I　am　one　of　themselves；〃　said　Gaston；

showing　his　dusty　clothes。　〃I　am　not　fit　to　be　seated　with　you。〃　But　he

did　not　mean　this　any　more　than　his　host　had　meant　his　remark　about　the

food。　In　his　pack；　which　an　Indian　had　brought　from　his　horse；　he　carried

some　garments　of　civilization。　And　presently；　after　fresh　water　and　not　a

little　painstaking　with　brush　and　scarf；　there　came　back　to　the　Padre　a

young　guest　whose　elegance　and　bearing　and　ease　of　the　great　world　were

to　the　exiled　priest　as　sweet　as　was　his　traveled　conversation。



They　repaired　to　the　hall　and　took　their　seats　at　the　head　of　the　long

table。　For　the　Spanish　centuries　of　stately　custom　lived　at　Santa　YsabeI

del　Mar；　inviolate；　feudal；　remote。



They　were　the　only　persons　of　quality　present；　and　between　themselves　and

the　gente　de　razon　a　space　intervened。　Behind　the　Padre's　chair　stood　an

Indian　to　waft　upon　him；　and　another　stood　behind　the　chair　of　Gaston

Villere。　Each　of　these　servants　wore　one　single　white　garment；　and

offered　the　many　dishes　to　the　gente　fina　and　refilled　their　glasses。　At

the　lower　end　of　the　table　a　general　attendant　wafted　upon　mescladosthe

half…breeds。　There　was　meat　with　spices；　and　roasted　quail；　with　various

cakes　and　other　preparations　of　grain；　also　the　brown　fresh　olives　and

grapes；　with　several　sorts　of　figs　and　plums；　and　preserved　fruits；　and

white　and　red　winethe　white　fifty　years　old。　Beneath　the　quiet　shining

of　candles；　fresh…cut　flowers　leaned　from　vessels　of　old　Mexican　and

Spanish　make。



There　at　one　end　of　this　feast　sat　the　wild；　pastoral；　gaudy　company；

speaking　little　over　their　food；　and　there　at　the　other　the　pale　Padre；

questioning　his　visitor　about　Rachel。　The　mere　name　of　a　street　would

bring　memories　crowding　to　his　lips；　and　when　his　guest　told　him　of　a　new

play　he　was　ready　with　old　quotations　from　the　same　author。　Alfred　de

Vigny　they　spoke　of；　and　Victor　Hugo；　whom　the　Padre　disliked。　Long　after

the　dulce；　or　sweet　dish；　when　it　was　the　custom　for　the　vaqueros　and　the

rest　of　the　retainers　to　rise　and　leave　the　gente　fina　to　themselves；　the

host　sat　on　in　the　empty　hail；　fondly　talking　to　his　guest　of　his　bygone

Paris　and　fondly　learning　of　the　later　Paris　that　the　guest　had　seen。　And

thus　the　two　lingered；　exchanging　their　enthusiasms；　while　the　candles

waned；　and　the　long…haired　Indians　stood　silent　behind　the　chairs。



〃But　we　must　go　to　my　piano；〃　the　host　exclaimed。　For　at　length　they　had

come　to　a　lusty　difference　of　opinion。　The　Padre；　with　ears　critically

deaf；　and　with　smiling；　unconvinced　eyes；　was　shaking　his　head；　while

young　Gaston　sang　Trovatore　at　him；　and　beat　upon