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第16章

a phyllis of the sierras-第16章

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gathered by himself and none otherand now stolen; abstracted;

〃skyugled;〃 〃smouged;〃 〃hooked〃 by this 〃rotten; skunkified; long…

legged; splay…footed; hoss…laughin'; nigger…toothed; or'nary

despot〃  And; worse than all; actually made to do infamous duty as

a love token〃a 〃candy…gift!〃a 〃philanderin' box〃 to HIS;

Richelieu's; girlfor Louise belonged to that innocent and vague

outside seraglio of Richelieu's boyish dreamsand put atop of a

letter to her! and Providence permitted such an outrage!  〃Wot was

he; Richelieu; sent to school for; and organized wickedness in the

shape of gorilla Injins like this allowed to ride high horses

rampant over Californey!〃  He looked at the heavens in mute appeal。

And thenProvidence not immediately interferinghe thrust his own

small arm into the window; regained his priceless treasure; and

fled swiftly。



A fateful silence ensued。  The wind slightly moved the curtain

outward; as if in a playful attempt to follow him; and then

subsided。  A moment later; apparently re…enforced by other winds;

or sympathizing with Richelieu; it lightly lifted the unlucky

missive and cast it softly from the window。  But here another wind;

lying in wait; caught it cleverly; and tossed it; in a long curve;

into the abyss。  For an instant it seemed to float lazily; as on

the mirrored surface of a lake; until; turning upon its side; it

suddenly darted into utter oblivion。



When Mainwaring returned from the shrubbery; he went softly to the

window。  The disappearance of the letter and stone satisfied him of

the success of his stratagem; and for the space of three hours

relieved his anxiety。  But at the end of that time; finding no

response from Louise; his former uneasiness returned。  Was she

offended; orthe first doubt of her acceptance of him crossed his

mind!



A sudden and inexplicable sense of shame came upon him。  At the

same moment; he heard his name called from the steps; turnedand

beheld Minty。



Her dark eyes were shining with a pleasant light; and her lips

parted on her white teeth with a frank; happy smile。  She advanced

and held out her hand。  He took it with a mingling of disappointment

and embarrassment。



〃You're wondering why I kem on here; arter I sent word this morning

that I kelkilated not to come。  Well; 'twixt then and now suthin' 's

happened。  We've had fine doin's over at our house; you bet!

Pop don't know which end he's standin' on; and I reckon that for

about ten minutes I didn't know my own name。  But ez soon ez I got

fairly hold o' the hull thing; and had it put straight in my mind;

I sez to myself; Minty Sharpe; sez I; the first thing for you to do

now; is to put on yer bonnet and shawl; and trapse over to Jim

Bradley's and help them two womenfolks get dinner for themselves

and that sick stranger。  And;〃 continued Minty; throwing herself

into a chair and fanning her glowing face with her apron; 〃yer I

am!〃



〃But you have not told me WHAT has happened;〃 said Mainwaring; with

a constrained smile; and an uneasy glance towards the house。



〃That's so;〃 said Minty; with a brilliant laugh。  〃I clean forgot

the hull gist of the thing。  Well; we're rich folks nowover thar'

on Barren Ledge!  That onery brother of mine; Richelieu; hez taken

some of his specimens over to Jim Bradley to be tested。  And

Bradley; just to please that child; takes 'em; and not an hour ago

Bradley comes running; likety switch; over to Pop to tell him to

put up his notices; for the hull of that ledge where the forge

stands is a mine o' silver and copper。  Afore ye knew it; Lordy!

half the folks outer the Summit and the mill was scattered down

thar all over it。  Richardsonthat stranger ez knows youkem thar

too with Jim; and he allows; ef Bradley's essay is right; it's

worth more than a hundred thousand dollars ez it stands!〃



〃I suppose I must congratulate you; Miss Sharpe;〃 said Mainwaring

with an attempt at interest; but his attention still preoccupied

with the open doorway。



〃Oh; THEY know all about it!〃 said Minty; following the direction

of his abstracted eyes with a slight darkening of her own; 〃I jest

kem out o' the kitchen the other way; and Jim sent 'em a note; but

I allowed I'd tell YOU myself。  Specially ez you are going away

to…morrow。〃



〃Who said I was going away to…morrow?〃 asked Mainwaring; uneasily。



〃Loo Macy!〃



〃Ahshe did?  But I may change my mind; you know!〃 he continued;

with a faint smile。



Minty shook her curls decisively。  〃I reckon SHE knows;〃 she said

dryly; 〃she's got law and gospel for wot she says。  But yer she

comes。  Ask her!  Look yer; Loo;〃 she added; as the two women

appeared at the doorway; with a certain exaggeration of

congratulatory manner that struck Mainwaring as being as artificial

and disturbed as his own; 〃didn't Sir Francis yer say he was going

to…morrow?〃



〃That's what I understood!〃 returned Louise; with cold astonishment;

letting her clear indifferent eyes fall upon Mainwaring。  〃I do

not know that he has changed his mind。〃



〃Unless; as Miss Sharpe is a great capitalist now; she is willing

to use her powers of persuasion;〃 added Mrs。 Bradley; with a slight

acidulous pointing of her usual prim playfulness。



〃I reckon Minty Sharpe's the same ez she allus wos; unless more

so;〃 returned Minty; with an honest egotism that carried so much

conviction to the hearer as to condone its vanity。  〃But I kem yer

to do a day's work; gals; and I allow to pitch in and do it; and

not sit yer swoppin' compliments and keeping HIM from packin' his

duds。  Onless;〃 she stopped; and looked around at the uneasy;

unsympathetic circle with a faint tremulousness of lip that belied

the brave black eyes above it; 〃onless I'm in yer way。〃



The two women sprang forward with a feminine bewildering excess of

protestation; and Mainwaring; suddenly pierced through his outer

selfish embarrassment to his more honest depths; stammered quickly



〃Look here; Miss Sharpe; if you think of running away again; after

having come all the way here to make us share the knowledge of your

good fortune and your better heart; by Jove! I'll go back with you。〃



But here the two women effusively hurried her away from the dangerous

proximity of such sympathetic honesty; and a moment later Mainwaring

heard her laughing voice; as of old; ringing in the kitchen。  And

then; as if unconsciously responding to the significant common sense

that lay in her last allusion to him; he went to his room and grimly

began his packing。



He did not again see Louise alone。  At their informal luncheon the

conversation turned upon the more absorbing topic of the Sharpes'

discovery; its extent; and its probable effect upon the fortunes of

the locality。  He noticed; abstractedly; that both Mrs。 Bradley and

her cousin showed a real or assumed scepticism of its value。  This

did not disturb him greatly; except for its intended check upon

Minty's enthusiasm。  He was more conscious; perhaps;with a faint

touch of mortified vanity;that his own contemplated departure was

of lesser importance than this local excitement。  Yet in his

growing conviction that all was overif; indeed; it had ever

begunbetween himself and Louise; he was grateful to this natural

diversion of incident which spared them both an interval of

embarrassing commonplaces。  And; with the suspicion of some

indefinable insincerityeither of his own or Louise'shaunting

him; Minty's frank heartiness and outspoken loyalty gave him a

strange relief。  It seemed to him as if the clear cool breath of

the forest had entered with her homely garments; and the steadfast

truth of Nature were incarnate in her shining eyes。  How far this

poetic fancy would have been consistent or even coexistent with any

gleam of tenderness or self…forgetfulness in Louise's equally

pretty orbs; I leave the satirical feminine reader to determine。



It was late when Bradley at last returned; bringing further an

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