padre ignacio-第4章

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

young　Gaston　sang　Trovatore　at　him；　and　beat　upon　the　table　with　a　fork。



〃Come　and　convert　me；　then；〃　said　Padre　Ignacio；　and　he　led　the　way。

〃Donizetti　I　have　always　admitted。　There；　at　least；　is　refinement。　If　the

world　has　taken　to　this　Verdi；　with　his　street…band　musicBut　there；

now！　Sit　down　and　convert　me。　Only　don't　crush　my　poor　little　Erard　with

Verdi's　hoofs。　I　brought　it　when　I　came。　It　is　behind　the　times；　too。

And；　oh；　my　dear　boy；　our　organ　is　still　worse。　So　old；　so　old！　To　get　a

proper　one　I　would　sacrifice　even　this　piano　of　mine　in　a　momentonly

the　tinkling　thing　is　not　worth　a　sou　to　anybody　except　its　master。　But

there！　Are　you　quite　comfortable？〃　And　having　seen　to　his　guest's　needs；

and　placed　spirits　and　cigars　and　an　ash…tray　within　his　reach；　the　Padre

sat　himself　comfortably　in　his　chair　to　hear　and　expose　the　false

doctrine　of　Il　Trovatore。



By　midnight　all　of　the　opera　that　Gaston　could　recall　had　been　played　and

sung　twice。　The　convert　sat　in　his　chair　no　longer；　but　stood　singing　by

the　piano。　The　potent　swing　and　flow　of　rhythms；　the　torrid；　copious

inspiration　of　the　South；　mastered　him。　〃Verdi　has　grown；〃　he　cried。

〃Verdi　is　become　a　giant。〃　And　he　swayed　to　the　beat　of　the　melodies；　and

waved　an　enthusiastic　arm。　He　demanded　every　note。　Why　did　not　Gaston

remember　it　all？　But　if　the　barkentine　would　arrive　and　bring　the　whole

music；　then　they　would　have　it　right！　And　he　made　Gaston　teach　him　what

words　he　knew。　〃'Non　ti　scorder；'〃　he　sang〃'non　ti　scordar　di　me。'　That

is　genius。　But　one　sees　how　the　world　moves　when　one　is　out　of　it。　'A

nostri　monti　ritorneremo'；　home　to　our　mountains。　Ah；　yes；　there　is

genius　again。〃　And　the　exile　sighed　and　his　spirit　voyaged　to　distant

places；　while　Gaston　continued　brilliantly　with　the　music　of　the　final

scene。



Then　the　host　remembered　his　guest。　〃I　am　ashamed　of　my　selfishness；〃　he

said。　〃It　is　already　to…morrow。〃



〃I　have　sat　later　in　less　good　company；〃　answered　the　pleasant　Gaston。

〃And　I　shall　sleep　all　the　sounder　for　making　a　convert。〃



〃You　have　dispensed　roadside　alms；〃　said　the　Padre；　smiling；　〃and　that

should　win　excellent　dreams。〃



Thus；　with　courtesies　more　elaborate　than　the　world　has　time　for　at　the

present　day；　they　bade　each　other　good…night　and　parted；　bearing　their

late　candles　along　the　quiet　halls　of　the　mission。　To　young　Gaston　in　his

bed　easy　sleep　came　without　waiting；　and　no　dreams　at　ail。　Outside　his

open　window　was　the　quiet；　serene　darkness；　where　the　stars　shone　clear；

and　tranquil　perfumes　hung　in　the　cloisters。　But　while　the　guest　lay

sleeping　all　night　in　unchanged　position　like　a　child；　up　and　down

between　the　oleanders　went　Padre　Ignacio；　walking　until　dawn。　Temptation

indeed　had　come　over　the　hill　and　entered　the　cloisters。







III



Day　showed　the　ocean's　surface　no　longer　glassy；　but　lying　like　a　mirror

breathed　upon；　and　there　between　the　short　headlands　came　a　sail；　gray

and　plain　against　the　flat　water。　The　priest　watched　through　his　glasses；

and　saw　the　gradual　sun　grow　strong　upon　the　canvas　of　the　barkentine。

The　message　from　his　world　was　at　hand；　yet　to…day　he　scarcely　cared　so

much。　Sitting　in　his　garden　yesterday；　he　could　never　have　imagined　such

a　change。　But　his　heart　did　not　hail　the　barkentine　as　usual。　Books；

music；　pale　paper；　and　printthis　was　all　that　was　coming　to　him；　

some　of　its　savor　had　gone；　for　the　siren　voice　of　Life　had　been　speaking

with　him　face　to　face；　and　in　his　spirit；　deep　down；　the　love　of　the

world　was　restlessly　answering　it。　Young　Gaston　showed　more　eagerness

than　the　Padre　over　this　arrival　of　the　vessel　that　might　be　bringing

Trovatore　in　the　nick　of　time。　Now　he　would　have　the　chance；　before　he

took　his　leave；　to　help　rehearse　the　new　music　with　the　choir。　He　would

be　a　missionary；　too：　a　perfectly　new　experience。



〃And　you　still　forgive　Verdi　the　sins　of　his　youth？〃　he　said　to　his　host。

〃I　wonder　if　you　could　forgive　mine？〃



〃Verdi　has　left　his　behind　him；〃　retorted　the　Padre。



〃But　I　am　only　twenty…five！〃　exclaimed　Gaston；　pathetically。



〃Ah；　don't　go　away　soon！〃　pleaded　the　exile。　It　was　the　first　unconcealed

complaint　that　had　escaped　him；　and　he　felt　instant　shame。



But　Gaston　was　too　much　elated　with　the　enjoyment　of　each　new　day　to

comprehend　the　Padre's　soul。　The　shafts　of　another's　pain　might　hardly

pierce　the　bright　armor　of　his　gaiety。　He　mistook　the　priest's　entreaty；

for　anxiety　about　his　own　happy　spirit。



〃Stay　here　under　your　care？〃　he　asked。　〃It　would　do　me　no　good；　Padre。

Temptation　sticks　closer　to　me　than　a　brother！〃　and　he　gave　that　laugh　of

his　which　had　disarmed　severer　judges　than　his　host。　〃By　next　week　I

should　have　introduced　some　sin　or　other　into　your　beautiful　Garden　of

Ignorance　here。　It　will　be　much　safer　for　your　flock　if　I　go　and　join　the

other　serpents　at　San　Francisco。〃



Soon　after　breakfast　the　Padre　had　his　two　mules　saddled；　and　he　and　his

guest　set　forth　down　the　hills　together　to　the　shore。　And；　beneath　the

spell　and　confidence　of　pleasant；　slow　riding　and　the　loveliness　of

everything；　the　young　man　talked　freely　of　himself。



〃And；　seriously；〃　said　he；　〃if　I　missed　nothing　else　at　Santa　Ysabel；　I

should　long　forhow　shall　I　say　it？for　insecurity；　for　danger；　and　of

all　kindsnot　merely　danger　to　the　body。　Within　these　walls；　beneath

these　sacred　bells；　you　live　too　safe　for　a　man　like　me。〃



〃Too　safe！〃　These　echoed　words　upon　the　lips　of　the　pale　Padre　were　a

whisper　too　light；　too　deep；　for　Gaston's　heedless　ear。



〃Why；〃　the　young　man　pursued　in　a　spirit　that　was　but　half　levity；

〃though　I　yield　often　to　temptation；　at　times　I　have　resisted　it；　and

here　I　should　miss　the　very　chance　to　resist。　Your　garden　could　never　be

Eden　for　me；　because　temptation　is　absent　from　it。〃



〃Absent！〃　Still　lighter；　still　deeper；　was　this　whisper　that　the　Padre

breathed。



〃I　must　find　life；〃　exclaimed　Gaston；　〃and　my　fortune　at　the　mines；　I

hope。　I　am　not　a　bad　fellow；　Father。　You　can　easily　guess　all　the　things

I　do。　I　have　never；　to　my　knowledge；　harmed　any　one。　I　didn't　even　try　to

kill　my　adversary　in　an　affair　of　honor。　I　gave　him　a　mere　flesh…wound；

and　by　this　time　he　must　be　quite　recovered。　He　was　my　friend。　But　as　he

came　between　me〃



Gaston　stopped；　and　the　Padre；　looking　keenly　at　him；　saw　the　violence

that　he　had　noticed　in　church　pass　like　a　flame　over　the　young　man's

handsome　face。



〃That's　nothing　dishonorable；〃　said　Gaston；　answering　the　priest's　look。

And　then；　because　this　look　made　him　not　quite　at　his　ease：　〃Perhaps　a

priest　might　feel　obliged　to　say　it　was　dishonorable。　She　and　her　father

werea　man　owes　no　fidelity　before　he　isbut　you　might　say　that　had

been　dishonorable。〃



〃I　have　not　said　so；　my　son。〃



〃I　did　what　every　gentleman　would　do。〃　insisted　Gaston。



〃And　that　is　often　wrong！〃　said　the　Padre；　gently　and　gravely。　〃But　I'm

not　your　confessor。〃



〃No；〃　said　Gaston；　looking　down。　〃And　it　is　all　over。　It　will　not　begin

again。　Since　leaving　New　Orleans　I　have　traveled　an　innocent　journey

straight　to　you。　And　when　I　make　my　fortune　I　shall　be　in　a　position　to

return　and〃



〃Claim　the　pressed　flowrer？〃　suggested　the　Padre。　He　did　not　smile。



〃Ah；　you　remember　how　those　things　are！〃　said　Gaston：　and　he　laughed　and

blushed。



〃Yes；〃　said　the　Padre；　looking　at　the　anchored　barkentine；　〃I　remember

how　those　things　are。〃



For　a　while　the　vessel　and　its　cargo　and　the　landed　men　and　various

business　and　conversations　occupied　them。　But　the　freight　for　the　mission

once　seen　to；　there　was　not　much　else　to　detain　them。



The　barkentine　was　only　a　coaster　like　many　others　which　had　begun　to

fill　the　sea　a　little　more　of　late　years；　and　presently　host　and　guest

were　riding　homeward。　Side　by　side　they　rode；　companions　to　the　eye；