a phyllis of the sierras-第14章

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watched　him　depart。　　As　he　turned　back；　he　saw　the　pretty　figure　of

Louise　Macy　leaning　against　the　doorway。　　How　graceful　and　refined

she　looked　in　that　simple　morning　dress！　　What　wonder　that　she　was

admired　by　Greyson；　by　Johnson；　and　by　that　Spaniard！no；　by　Jove；

it　was　SHE　that　wanted　to　marry　him！



〃What　have　you　sent　away　Mr。　Richardson　for？〃　asked　the　young　girl；

with　a　half…reproachful；　half…mischievous　look　in　her　bright　eyes。



〃I　packed　him　off　because　I　thought　it　was　a　little　too　hard　on　you

and　Mrs。　Bradley　to　entertain　him　without　help。〃



〃But　as　he　was　OUR　guest；　you　might　have　left　that　to　us；〃　said

Miss　Macy。



〃By　Jove！　　I　never　thought　of　that；〃　said　Mainwaring；　coloring　in

consternation。　　〃Pray　forgive　me；　Miss　Macybut　you　see　I　knew　the

man；　and　could　say　it；　and　you　couldn't。〃



〃Well；　I　forgive　you；　for　you　look　really　so　cut　up；〃　said　Louise；

laughing。　　〃But　I　don't　know　what　Jenny　will　say　of　your　disposing

of　her　conquest　so　summarily。〃　　She　stopped　and　regarded　him　more

attentively。　　〃Has　he　brought　you　any　bad　news？　if　so；　it's　a　pity

you　didn't　send　him　away　before。　　He's　quite　spoiling　our　cure。〃



Mainwaring　thought　bitterly　that　he　had。　　〃But　it's　a　cure　for　all

that；　Miss　Macy；〃　he　said；　with　an　attempt　at　cheerfulness；　〃and

being　a　cure；　you　see；　there's　no　longer　an　excuse　for　my　staying

here。　　I　have　been　making　arrangements　for　leaving　here　to…morrow。〃



〃So　soon？〃



〃Do　you　think　it　soon；　Miss　Macy？〃　asked　Mainwaring；　turning　pale

in　spite　of　himself。



〃I　quite　forgotthat　you　were　here　as　an　invalid　only；　and　that　we

owe　our　pleasure　to　the　accident　of　your　pain。〃



She　spoke　a　little　artificially；　he　thought；　yet　her　cheeks　had　not

lost　their　pink　bloom；　nor　her　eyes　their　tranquillity。　　Had　he

heard　Minty's　criticism　he　might　have　believed　that　the　organic

omission　noticed　by　her　was　a　fact。



〃And　now　that　your　good　work　as　Sister　of　Charity　is　completed；

you'll　be　able　to　enter　the　world　of　gayety　again　with　a　clear

conscience；〃　said　Mainwaring；　with　a　smile　that　he　inwardly　felt

was　a　miserable　failure。　　〃You'll　be　able　to　resume　your　morning

rides；　you　know；　which　the　wretched　invalid　interrupted。〃



Louise　raised　her　clear　eyes　to　his；　without　reproach；　indignation；

or　even　wonder。　　He　felt　as　if　he　had　attempted　an　insult　and

failed。



〃Does　my　cousin　know　you　are　going　so　soon？〃　she　asked　finally。



〃No；　I　did　not　know　myself　until　to…day。　　You　see；〃　he　added

hastily；　while　his　honest　blood　blazoned　the　lie　in　his　cheek；

〃I've　heard　of　some　miserable　business　affairs　that　will　bring　me

back　to　England　sooner　that　I　expected。〃



〃I　think　you　should　consider　your　health　more　important　than　any

mere　business；〃　said　Louise。　　〃I　don't　mean　that　you　should　remain

HERE；〃　she　added　with　a　hasty　laugh；　〃but　it　would　be　a　pity；　now

that　you　have　reaped　the　benefit　of　rest　and　taking　care　of

yourself；　that　you　should　not　make　it　your　only　business　to　seek　it

elsewhere。〃



Mainwaring　longed　to　say　that　within　the　last　half　hour；　living　or

dying　had　become　of　little　moment　to　him；　but　he　doubted　the　truth

or　efficacy　of　this　timeworn　heroic　of　passion。　　He　felt；　too；　that

anything　he　said　was　a　mere　subterfuge　for　the　real　reason　of　his

sudden　departure。　　And　how　was　he　to　question　her　as　to　that

reason？　　In　escaping　from　these　subterfugeshe　was　compelled　to

lie　again。　　With　an　assumption　of　changing　the　subject；　he　said

calmly；　〃Richardson　thought　he　had　met　you　beforein　Menlo　Park；　I

think。〃



Amazed　at　the　evident　irrelevance　of　the　remark；　Louise　said

coldly；　that　she　did　not　remember　having　seen　him　before。



〃I　think　it　was　at　a　Mr。　Johnson'sor　WITH　a　Mr。　Johnsonor

perhaps　at　one　of　those　Spanish　ranchesI　think　he　mentioned　some

name　like　Pico！〃



Louise　looked　at　him　wonderingly　for　an　instant；　and　then　gave　way

to　a　frank；　irrepressible　laugh；　which　lent　her　delicate　but　rather

set　little　face　all　the　color　he　had　missed。　　Partially　relieved　by

her　unconcern；　and　yet　mortified　that　he　had　only　provoked　her

sense　of　the　ludicrous；　he　tried　to　laugh　also。



〃Then；　to　be　quite　plain；〃　said　Louise；　wiping　her　now　humid　eyes；

〃you　want　me　to　understand　that　you　really　didn't　pay　sufficient

attention　to　hear　correctly！　　Thank　you；　that's　a　pretty　English

compliment；　I　suppose。〃



〃I　dare　say　you　wouldn't　call　it　'philandering'？〃



〃I　certainly　shouldn't；　for　I　don't　know　what　'philandering'

means。〃



Mainwaring　could　not　reply；　with　Richelieu；　〃You　ought　to　know〃；

nor　did　he　dare　explain　what　he　thought　it　meant；　and　how　he　knew

it。　　Louise；　however；　innocently　solved　the　difficulty。



〃There's　a　country　song　I've　heard　Minty　sing；〃　she　said。　　〃It

runs





　　　　　Come；　Philander；　let　us　be　a…marchin'；

　　　　　Every　one　for　his　true　love　a…sarchin'

　　　　　Choose　your　true　love　now　or　never。　。　。　。





Have　you　been　listening　to　her　also？〃



〃No；〃　said　Mainwaring；　with　a　sudden　incomprehensible；　but　utterly

irrepressible；　resolution；　〃but　I'M　'a…marchin'；'　you　know；　and

perhaps　I　must　'choose　my　true　love　now　or　never。'　　Will　you　help

me；　Miss　Macy？〃



He　drew　gently　near　her。　　He　had　become　quite　white；　but　also

very　manly；　and　it　struck　her；　more　deeply；　thoroughly；　and

conscientiously　sincere　than　any　man　who　had　before　addressed　her。

She　moved　slightly　away；　as　if　to　rest　herself　by　laying　both　hands

upon　the　back　of　the　chair。



〃Where　do　you　expect　to　begin　your　'sarchin''？〃　she　said；　leaning

on　the　chair　and　tilting　it　before　her；　〃or　are　you　as　vague　as

usual　as　to　locality？　　Is　it　at　some　'Mr。　Johnson'　or　'Mr。　Pico；'

or〃



〃Here；〃　he　interrupted　boldly。



〃I　really　think　you　ought　to　first　tell　my　cousin　that　you　are

going　away　to…morrow；〃　she　said；　with　a　faint　smile。　　〃It's　such

short　notice。　　She's　just　in　there。〃　　She　nodded　her　pretty　head；

without　raising　her　eyes；　towards　the　hall。



〃But　it　may　not　be　so　soon；〃　said　Mainwaring。



〃Oh；　then　the　'sarchin''　is　not　so　important？〃　said　Louise；　raising

her　head；　and　looking　towards　the　hall　with　some　uneasy　but

indefinable　feminine　instinct。



She　was　right；　the　sitting…room　door　opened；　and　Mrs。　Bradley　made

her　smiling　appearance。



〃Mr。　Mainwaring　was　just　looking　for　you；〃　said　Louise；　for　the

first　time　raising　her　eyes　to　him。　　〃He's　not　only　sent　off　Mr。

Richardson；　but　he's　going　away　himself　to…morrow。〃



Mrs。　Bradley　looked　from　the　one　to　the　other　in　mute　wonder。

Mainwaring　cast　an　imploring　glance　at　Louise；　which　had　the

desired　effect。　　Much　more　seriously；　and　in　a　quaint；　business…

like　way；　the　young　girl　took　it　upon　herself　to　explain　to　Mrs。

Bradley　that　Richardson　had　brought　the　invalid　some　important　news

that　would；　unfortunately；　not　only　shorten　his　stay　in　America；

but　even　compel　him　to　leave　The　Lookout　sooner　than　he　expected；

perhaps　to…morrow。　　Mainwaring　thanked　her　with　his　eyes；　and　then

turned　to　Mrs。　Bradley。



〃Whether　I　go　to…morrow　or　next　day；〃　he　said　with　simple　and

earnest　directness；　〃I　intend；　you　know；　to　see　you　soon　again；

either　here　or　in　my　own　home　in　England。　　I　do　not　know；〃　he　added

with　marked　gravity；　〃that　I　have　succeeded　in　convincing　you　that

I　have　made　your　family　already　well　known　to　my　people；　and　that〃

he　fixed　his　eyes　with　a　meaning　look　on　Louise〃no　matter　when；

or　in　what　way；　you　come　to　them；　your　place　is　made　ready　for　you。

You　may　not　like　them；　you　know：　the　governor　is　getting　to　be　an

old　manperhaps　too　old　for　young　Americansbut　THEY　will　like

YOU；　and　you　must　put　up　with　that。　　My　mother　and　sisters　know

Miss　Macy　as　well　as　I　do；　and　will　make　her　one　of　the　family。〃



The　conscientious　earnestness　with　which　these　apparent

conventionalities　were　uttered；　and　some　occult　quality　of　quiet

conviction　in　the　young　man's　manner；　brought　a　pleasant　sparkle　to

the　eyes　of　Mrs。　Bradley