padre ignacio-第6章

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Padre　Ignacio　was　quick　to　seize　at　once　upon　the　music　that　could　be

taken　into　his　church。　Some　of　it　was　ready　fitted。　By　that　afternoon

Felipe　and　his　choir　could　have　rendered　〃Ah！　se　l'　error　t'　ingombra〃

without　slip　or　falter。



Those　were　strange　rehearsals　of　Il　Trovatore　upon　this　California　shore。

For　the　Padre　looked　to　Gaston　to　say　when　they　went　too　fast　or　too

slow；　and　to　correct　their　emphasis。　And　since　it　was　hot；　the　little

Erard　piano　was　carried　each　day　out　into　the　mission　garden。　There；　in

the　cloisters　among　the　jessamine；　the　orange　blossoms；　the　oleanders；　in

the　presence　of　the　round　yellow　hills　and　the　blue　triangle　of　sea；　the

Miserere　was　slowly　learned。　The　Mexicans　and　Indians　gathered；　swarthy

and　black…haired；　around　the　tinkling　instrument　that　Felipe　played；　and

presiding　over　them　were　young　Gaston　and　the　pale　Padre；　walking　up　and

down　the　paths；　beating　time　or　singing　now　one　part　and　now　another。　And

so　it　was　that　the　wild　cattle　on　the　uplands　would　hear　Trovatore　hummed

by　a　passing　vaquero；　while　the　same　melody　was　filling　the　streets　of

the　far…off　world。



For　three　days　Gaston　Villere　remained　at　Santa　Ysabel　del　Mar；　and

though　not　a　word　of　restlessness　came　from　him；　his　host　could　read　San

Francisco　and　the　gold…mines　in　his　countenance。　No；　the　young　man　could

not　have　stayed　here　for　twenty　years！　And　the　Padre　forbore　urging　his

guest　to　extend　his　visit。



〃But　the　world　is　small；〃　the　guest　declared　at　parting。　〃Some　day　it

will　not　be　able　to　spare　you　any　longer。　And　then　we　are　sure　to　meet。

But　you　shall　hear　from　me　soon；　at　any　rate。〃



Again；　as　upon　the　first　evening；　the　two　exchanged　a　few　courtesies；

more　graceful　and　particular　than　we；　who　have　not　time；　and　fight　no

duels；　find　worth　a　man's　while　at　the　present　day。　For　duels　are　gone；

which　is　a　very　good　thing；　and　with　them　a　certain　careful　politeness；

which　is　a　pity；　but　that　is　the　way　in　the　eternal　profit　and　loss。　So

young　Gaston　rode　northward　out　of　the　mission；　back　to　the　world　and　his

fortune；　and　the　Padre　stood　watching　the　dust　after　the　rider　had　passed

from　sight。　Then　he　went　into　his　room　with　a　drawn　face。　But　appearances

at　least　had　been　kept　up　to　the　end；　the　youth　would　never　know　of　the

elder　man's　unrest。







V



Temptation　had　arrived　with　Gaston；　but　was　destined　to　make　a　longer

stay　at　Santa　Ysabel　del　Mar。　Yet　it　was　perhaps　a　week　before　the　priest

knew　this　guest　was　come　to　abide　with　him。　The　guest　could　be　discreet；

could　withdraw；　was　not　at　first　importunate。



Sail　away　on　the　barkentine？　A　wild　notion；　to　be　sure！　although　fit

enough　to　enter　the　brain　of　such　a　young　scape…grace。　The　Padre　shook

his　head　and　smiled　affectionately　when　he　thought　of　Gaston　Villere。　The

youth's　handsome；　reckless　countenance　would　shine　out；　smiling；　in　his

memory；　and　he　repeated　Auber's　old　remark；　〃Is　it　the　good　Lord；　or　is

it　merely　the　devil；　that　always　makes　me　have　a　weakness　for　rascals？〃



Sail　away　on　the　barkentine！　Imagine　taking　leave　of　the　people　hereof

Felipe！　In　what　words　should　he　tell　the　boy　to　go　on　industriously　with

his　music？　No；　this　was　not　imaginable！　The　mere　parting　alone　would　make

it　for　ever　impossible　to　think　of　such　a　thing。　〃And　then；〃　he　said　to

himself　each　new　morning；　when　he　looked　out　at　the　ocean；　〃I　have　given

to　them　my　life。　One　does　not　take　back　a　gift。〃



Pictures　of　his　departure　began　to　shine　and　melt　in　his　drifting　fancy。

He　saw　himself　explaining　to　Felipe　that　now　his　presence　was　wanted

elsewhere；　that　than　would　come　a　successor　to　take　care　of　Santa　Ysabel…

…a　younger　man；　more　useful；　and　able　to　visit　sick　people　at　a　distance。



〃For　I　am　old　now。　I　should　not　be　long　has　in　any　case。〃　He　stopped　and

pressed　his　hands　together；　he　had　caught　his　Temptation　in　the　very　act。

Now　he　sat　staring　at　his　Temptation's　face；　close　to　him；　while　then　in

the　triangle　two　ships　went　sailing　by。



One　morning　Felipe　told　him　that　the　barkentine　was　here　on　its　return

voyage　south。　〃Indeed。〃　said　the　Padre；　coldly。　〃The　things　are　ready

to　go；　I　think。〃　For　the　vessel　called　for　mail　and　certain　boxes　that

the　mission　sent　away。　Felipe　left　the　room　in　wonder　at　the　Padre's

manner。　But　the　priest　was　laughing　secretly　to　see　how　little　it　was　to

him　where　the　barkentine　was；　or　whether　it　should　be　coming　or　going。

But　in　the　afternoon；　at　his　piano；　he　found　himself　saying；　〃Other

ships　call　here；　at　any　rate。〃　And　then　for　the　first　time　he　prayed　to

be　delivered　from　his　thoughts。　Yet　presently　he　left　his　seat　and　looked

out　of　the　window　for　a　sight　of　the　barkentine；　but　it　was　gone。



The　season　of　the　wine…making　passed；　and　the　preserving　of　all　the

fruits　that　the　mission　fields　grew。　Lotions　and　medicines　was　distilled

from　garden　herbs。　Perfume　was　manufactured　from　the　petals　of　flowers

and　certain　spices；　and　presents　of　it　despatched　to　San　Fernando　and

Ventura；　and　to　friends　at　other　places；　for　the　Padre　had　a　special

recepit。　As　the　time　ran　on；　two　or　three　visitors　passed　a　night　with

him；　and　presently　there　was　a　word　at　various　missions　that　Padre

Ignacio　had　begun　to　show　his　years。　At　Santa　Ysabel　del　Mar　they

whispered；　〃The　Padre　is　not　well。〃　Yet　he　rode　a　great　deal　over　the

hills　by　himself；　and　down　the　canyon　very　often；　stopping　where　he　had

sat　with　Gaston；　to　sit　alone　and　look　up　and　down；　now　at　the　hills

above；　and　now　at　the　ocean　below。　Among　his　parishioners　he　had　certain

troubles　to　soothe；　certain　wounds　to　heal；　a　home　from　which　he　was　able

to　drive　jealousy；　a　girl　whom　he　bade　her　lover　set　right。　But　all　said；

〃The　Padre　is　unwell。〃　And　Felipe　told　them　that　the　music　seemed

nothing　to　him　any　more；　he　never　asked　for　his　Dixit　Dominus　nowadays。

Then　for　a　short　time　he　was　really　in　bed；　feverish　with　the　two　voices

that　spoke　to　him　without　ceasing。　〃You　have　given　your　life；〃　said　one

voice。　〃And；　therefore；〃　said　the　other；　〃have　earned　the　right　to　go

home　and　die。〃　〃You　are　winning　better　rewards　in　the　service　of　God；〃

said　the　first　voice。　〃God　can　be　better　served　in　other　places；〃

answered　the　second。　As　he　lay　listening　he　saw　Seville　again；　and　the

trees　of　Aranhal；　where　he　had　been　born。　The　wind　was　blowing　through

them；　and　in　their　branches　he　could　hear　the　nightingales。　〃Empty！

Empty！〃　he　said；　aloud。　And　he　lay　for　two　days　and　nights　hearing　the

wind　and　the　nightingales　in　the　far　trees　of　Aranhal。　But　Felipe；

watching；　only　heard　the　Padre　crying　through　the　hours；　〃Empty！　Empty！〃



Then　the　wind　in　the　trees　died　down；　and　the　Padre　could　get　out　of　bed；

and　soon　be　in　the　garden。　But　the　voices　within　him　still　talked　all　the

while　as　he　sat　watching　the　sails　when　they　passed　between　the

headlands。　Their　words；　falling　for　ever　the　same　way；　beat　his　spirit

sore；　like　blows　upon　flesh　already　bruised。　If　he　could　only　change　what

they　said；　he　would　rest。



〃Has　the　Padre　any　mall　for　Santa　Barbara？〃　asked　Felipe。　〃The　ship

bound　southward　should　be　here　to…morrow。〃



〃I　will　attend　to　it；〃　said　the　priest；　not　moving。　And　Felipe　stole

away。



At　Felipe's　words　the　voices　had　stopped；　as　a　clock　finishes　striking。

Silence；　strained　like　expectation；　filled　the　Padre's　soul。　But　in　place

of　the　voices　came　old　sights　of　home　again；　the　waving　trees　at　Aranhal；

then　it　would　be　Rachel　for　a　moment；　declaiming　tragedy　while　a　houseful

of　faces　that　he　knew　by　name　watched　her；　and　through　all　the　panorama

rang　the　pleasant　laugh　of　Gaston。　For　a　while　in　the　evening　the　Padre

sat　at　his　Erard　playing　Trovatore。　Later；　in　his　sleepless　bed　he　lay；

saying　now　and　then：　〃To　die　at　home！　Surely　I　may　be　granted　at　least

this。〃　And　he　listened　for　the　inner　voices。　But　they　were　not　speaking

any　more；　and　the　black　hole　of　silence　grew　more　dreadful　to　him　than

their　arguments。　Th