a phyllis of the sierras-第15章

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

the　eyes　of　Mrs。　Bradley　and　Louise。



〃But；〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley；　gayly；　〃our　going　to　England　is　quite

beyond　our　present　wildest　dreams；　nothing　but　a　windfall；　an

unexpected　rise　in　timber；　or　even　the　tabooed　hotel　speculation；

could　make　it　possible。〃



〃But　I　shall　take　the　liberty　of　trying　to　present　it　to　Mr。

Bradley　tonight　in　some　practical　way　that　may　convince　even　his

critical　judgment；〃　said　Mainwaring；　still　seriously。　　〃It　will

be；〃　he　added　more　lightly；　〃the　famous　testimonial　of　my　cure

which　I　promised　you。〃



〃And　you　will　find　Mr。　Bradley　so　sceptical　that　you　will　be

obliged　to　defer　your　going；〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley；　triumphantly。

〃Come；　Louise；　we　must　not　forget　that　we　have　still　Mr。

Mainwaring's　present　comfort　to　look　after；　that　Minty　has　basely

deserted　us；　and　that　we　ourselves　must　see　that　the　last　days　of

our　guest　beneath　our　roof　are　not　remembered　for　their　privation。〃



She　led　Louise　away　with　a　half…mischievous　suggestion　of　maternal

propriety；　and　left　Mainwaring　once　more　alone　on　the　veranda。



He　had　done　it！　　Certainly　she　must　have　understood　his　meaning；

and　there　was　nothing　left　for　him　to　do　but　to　acquaint　Bradley

with　his　intentions　to…night；　and　press　her　for　a　final　answer　in

the　morning。　　There　would　be　no　indelicacy　then　in　asking　her　for

an　interview　more　free　from　interruption　than　this　public　veranda。

Without　conceit；　he　did　not　doubt　what　the　answer　would　be。　　His

indecision；　his　sudden　resolution　to　leave　her；　had　been　all　based

upon　the　uncertainty　of　HIS　own　feelings；　the　propriety　of　HIS

declaration；　the　possibility　of　some　previous　experience　of　hers

that　might　compromise　HIM。　　Convinced　by　her　unembarrassed　manner

of　her　innocence；　or　rather　satisfied　of　her　indifference　to

Richardson's　gossip；　he　had　been　hurried　by　his　feelings　into　an

unexpected　avowal。　　Brought　up　in　the　perfect　security　of　his　own

social　position；　and　familiarly　consciouswithout　vanityof　its

importance　and　power　in　such　a　situation；　he　believed；　without

undervaluing　Louise's　charms　or　independence；　that　he　had　no　one

else　than　himself　to　consult。　　Even　the　slight　uneasiness　that

still　pursued　him　was　more　due　to　his　habitual　conscientiousness　of

his　own　intention　than　to　any　fear　that　she　would　not　fully　respond

to　it。　　Indeed；　with　his　conservative　ideas　of　proper　feminine

self…restraint；　Louise's　calm　passivity　and　undemonstrative

attitude　were　a　proof　of　her　superiority；　had　she　blushed　overmuch；

cried；　or　thrown　herself　into　his　arms；　he　would　have　doubted　the

wisdom　of　so　easy　a　selection。　　It　was　true　he　had　known　her

scarcely　three　weeks；　if　he　chose　to　be　content　with　that；　his　own

accessible　record　of　three　centuries　should　be　sufficient　for　her；

and　condone　any　irregularity。



Nevertheless；　as　an　hour　slipped　away　and　Louise　did　not　make　her

appearance；　either　on　the　veranda　or　in　the　little　sitting…room　off

the　hall；　Mainwaring　became　more　uneasy　as　to　the　incompleteness　of

their　interview。　　Perhaps　a　faint　suspicion　of　the　inadequacy　of

her　response　began　to　trouble　him；　but　he　still　fatuously　regarded

it　rather　as　owing　to　his　own　hurried　and　unfinished　declaration。

It　was　true　that　he　hadn't　said　half　what　he　intended　to　say；　it

was　true　that　she　might　have　misunderstood　it　as　the　conventional

gallantry　of　the　situation；　asterrible　thought！the　light　banter

of　the　habitual　love…making　American；　to　which　she　had　been

accustomed；　perhaps　even　now　she　relegated　him　to　the　level　of

Greyson；　and　this　accounted　for　her　singular　impassivenessan

impassiveness　that　certainly　was　singular　now　he　reflected　upon　it

that　might　have　been　even　contempt。　　The　last　thought　pricked　his

deep　conscientiousness；　he　walked　hurriedly　up　and　down　the

veranda；　and　then；　suddenly　re…entering　his　room；　took　up　a　sheet

of　note…paper；　and　began　to　write　to　her：





〃Can　you　grant　me　a　few　moments'　interview　alone？　　I　cannot　bear

you　should　think　that　what　I　was　trying　to　tell　you　when　we　were

interrupted　was　prompted　by　anything　but　the　deepest　sincerity　and

conviction；　or　that　I　am　willing　it　should　be　passed　over　lightly

by　you　or　be　forgotten。　　Pray　give　me　a　chance　of　proving　it；　by

saying　you　will　see　me。　　F。　M。〃





But　how　should　he　convey　this　to　her？　　His　delicacy　revolted

against　handing　it　to　her　behind　Mrs。　Bradley's　back；　or　the

prestidigitation　of　slipping　it　into　her　lap　or　under　her　plate

before　them　at　luncheon；　he　thought　for　an　instant　of　the　Chinaman；

but　gentlemenexcept　in　that　〃mirror　of　nature〃　the　stageusually

hesitate　to　suborn　other　people's　servants；　or　entrust　a　woman's

secret　to　her　inferiors。　　He　remembered　that　Louise's　room　was　at

the　farther　end　of　the　house；　and　its　low　window　gave　upon　the

veranda；　and　was　guarded　at　night　by　a　film　of　white　and　blue

curtains　that　were　parted　during　the　day；　to　allow　a　triangular

revelation　of　a　pale　blue　and　white　draped　interior。　　Mainwaring

reflected　that　the　low　inside　window　ledge　was　easily　accessible

from　the　veranda；　would　afford　a　capital　lodgment　for　the　note；　and

be　quickly　seen　by　the　fair　occupant　of　the　room　on　entering。　　He

sauntered　slowly　past　the　window；　the　room　was　empty；　the　moment

propitious。　　A　slight　breeze　was　stirring　the　blue　ribbons　of　the

curtain；　it　would　be　necessary　to　secure　the　note　with　something；

he　returned　along　the　veranda　to　the　steps；　where　he　had　noticed　a

small　irregular　stone　lying；　which　had　evidently　escaped　from

Richelieu's　bag　of　treasure　specimens；　and　had　been　overlooked　by

that　ingenuous　child。　　It　was　of　a　pretty　peacock…blue　color；　and；

besides　securing　a　paper；　would　be　sure　to　attract　her　attention。

He　placed　his　note　on　the　inside　ledge；　and　the　blue　stone　atop；

and　went　away　with　a　sense　of　relief。



Another　half　hour　passed　without　incident。　　He　could　hear　the

voices　of　the　two　women　in　the　kitchen　and　dining…room。　　After　a

while　they　appeared　to　cease；　and　he　heard　the　sound　of　an　opening

door。　　It　then　occurred　to　him　that　the　veranda　was　still　too

exposed　for　a　confidential　interview；　and　he　resolved　to　descend

the　steps；　pass　before　the　windows　of　the　kitchen　where　Louise

might　see　him；　and　penetrate　the　shrubbery；　where　she　might　be

induced　to　follow　him。　　They　would　not　be　interrupted　nor　overheard

there。



But　he　had　barely　left　the　veranda　before　the　figure　of　Richelieu；

who　had　been　patiently　waiting　for　Mainwaring's　disappearance；

emerged　stealthily　from　the　shrubbery。　　He　had　discovered　his　loss

on　handing　his　〃fire　assays〃　to　the　good…humored　Bradley　for　later

examination；　and　he　had　retraced　his　way；　step　by　step；　looking

everywhere　for　his　missing　stone　with　the　unbounded　hopefulness；

lazy　persistency；　and　lofty　disregard　for　time　and　occupation　known

only　to　the　genuine　boy。　　He　remembered　to　have　placed　his　knotted

bag　upon　the　veranda；　and；　slipping　off　his　stiff　boots　slowly　and

softly；　slid　along　against　the　wall　of　the　house；　looking　carefully

on　the　floor；　and　yet　preserving　a　studied　negligence　of　demeanor；

with　one　hand　in　his　pocket；　and　his　small　mouth　contracted　into　a

singularly　soothing　and　almost　voiceless　whistleRichelieu's　own

peculiar　accomplishment。　　But　no　stone　appeared。　　Like　most　of　his

genus　he　was　superstitious；　and　repeated　to　himself　the　cabalistic

formula：　〃Losin's　seekin's；　findin's　keepin's〃presumed　to　be　of

great　efficacy　in　such　caseswith　religious　fervor。　　He　had

laboriously　reached　the　end　of　the　veranda　when　he　noticed　the　open

window　of　Louise's　room；　and　stopped　as　a　perfunctory　duty　to　look

in。　　And　then　Richelieu　Sharpe　stood　for　an　instant　utterly

confounded　and　aghast　at　this　crowning　proof　of　the　absolute　infamy

and　sickening　enormity　of　Man。



There　was　HIS　stoneHIS；　RICHELIEU'S；　OWN　SPECIMEN；　carefully

gathered　by　himself　and　none　otherand　now　stolen；　abstracted；

〃skyug