a phyllis of the sierras-第18章

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the　moonlight；　but　very　quiet；　and　he　did　not　take　his　hands　from

his　pockets。　　〃I've　listened　to　what　he　said　because　he　came　here

on　MY　business；　which　was　simply　to　offer　to　do　you　a　service。

That　was　all；　Bradley；　that　I　told　him　to　do。　　This　rot　about　what

he　expects　of　you　in　return　is　his　own　impertinence。　　If　you'd

punched　his　head　when　he　began　it；　it　would　have　been　all　right。

But　since　he　has　begun　it；　before　he　goes　I　think　he　ought　to　hear

me　tell　you　that　I　have　already　OFFERED　myself　to　Miss　Macy；　and

she　has　REFUSED　me！　　If　she　had　given　me　the　least　encouragement；　I

should　have　told　you　before。　　Further；　I　want　to　say　that；　in　spite

of　that　man's　insinuations；　I　firmly　believe　that　no　one　is　aware

of　the　circumstance　except　Miss　Macy　and　myself。〃



〃I　had　no　idea　of　intimating　that　anything　had　happened　that　was

not　highly　honorable　and　creditable　to　you　and　the　young　lady；〃

began　Richardson　hurriedly。



〃I　don't　know　that　it　was　necessary　for　you　to　have　any　ideas　on

the　subject　at　all；〃　said　Mainwaring；　sternly；　〃nor　that；　having

been　shown　how　you　have　insulted　this　gentleman　and　myself；　you

need　trouble　us　an　instant　longer　with　your　company。　　You　need　not

come　back。　　I　will　manage　my　other　affairs　myself。〃



〃Very　well；　Mr。　Mainwaringbutyou　may　be　sure　that　I　shall

certainly　take　the　first　opportunity　to　explain　myself　to　Sir

Robert；〃　returned　Richardson　as；　with　an　attempt　at　dignity；　he

strode　away。



There　was　an　interval　of　silence。



〃Don't　be　too　hard　upon　a　fellow；　Bradley；〃　said　Mainwaring　as

Bradley　remained　dark　and　motionless　in　the　shadow。　　〃It　is　a　poor

return　I'm　making　you　for　your　kindness；　but　I　swear　I　never

thought　of　anything　likelikethis。〃



〃Nor　did　I；〃　said　Bradley；　bitterly。



〃I　know　it；　and　that's　what　makes　it　so　infernally　bad　for　me。

Forgive　me；　won't　you？　　Think　of　me；　old　fellow；　as　the　wretchedest

ass　you　ever　met；　but　not　such　a　cad　as　this　would　make　me！〃　　As

Mainwaring　stepped　out　from　the　moonlight　towards　him　with　extended

hand；　Bradley　grasped　it　warmly。



〃Thankstherethanks；　old　fellow！　　And；　BradleyI　saydon't　say

anything　to　your　wife；　for　I　don't　think　she　knows　it。　　And；

Bradleylook　hereI　didn't　like　to　be　anything　but　plain　before

that　fellow；　but　I　don't　mind　telling　YOU；　now　that　it's　all　over；

that　I　really　think　LouiseMiss　Macydidn't　altogether　understand

me　either。〃



With　another　shake　of　the　hand　they　separated　for　the　night。　　For　a

long　time　after　Mainwaring　had　gone；　Bradley　remained　gazing

thoughtfully　into　the　Great　Canyon。　　He　thought　of　the　time　when　he

had　first　come　there；　full　of　life　and　enthusiasm；　making　an　ideal

world　of　his　pure　and　wholesome　eyrie　on　the　ledge。　　What　else　he

thought　will；　probably；　never　be　known　until　the　misunderstanding

of　honorable　and　chivalrous　men　by　a　charming　and　illogical　sex

shall　incite　the　audacious　pen　of　some　more　daring　romancer。



When　he　returned　to　the　house；　he　said　kindly　to　his　wife；　〃I　have

been　thinking　to…day　about　your　hotel　scheme；　and　I　shall　write　to

Sacramento　to…night　to　accept　that　capitalist's　offer。〃





CHAPTER　V。





The　sun　was　just　rising。　　In　two　years　of　mutation　and　change　it

had　seen　the　little　cottage　clinging　like　a　swallow's　nest　to　the

rocky　caves　of　a　great　Sierran　canyon　give　way　to　a　straggling；

many…galleried　hotel；　and　a　dozen　blackened　chimneys　rise　above　the

barren　tableland　where　once　had　stood　the　lonely　forge。　　To　that

conservative　orb　of　light　and　heat　there　must　have　been　a　peculiar

satisfaction　in　looking　down　a　few　hours　earlier　upon　the

battlements　and　gables　of　Oldenhurst；　whose　base　was　deeply

embedded　in　the　matured　foundations　and　settled　traditions　of　an

English　county。　　For　the　rising　sun　had　for　ten　centuries　found

Oldenhurst　in　its　place；　from　the　heavy　stone　terrace　that　covered

the　dead…and…forgotten　wall；　where　a　Roman　sentinel　had　once　paced；

to　the　little　grating　in　the　cloistered　quadrangle；　where　it　had

seen　a　Cistercian　brother　place　the　morning　dole。　　It　had　daily

welcomed　the　growth　of　this　vast　and　picturesque　excrescence　of　the

times；　it　had　smiled　every　morning　upon　this　formidable　yet　quaint

incrustation　of　power　and　custom；　ignoring；　as　Oldenhurst　itself

had　ignored；　the　generations　who　possessed　it；　the　men　who　built

it；　the　men　who　carried　it　with　fire　and　sword；　the　men　who　had

lied　and　cringed　for　it；　the　King　who　had　given　it　to　a　favorite；

the　few　brave　hearts　who　had　died　for　it　in　exile；　and　the　one　or

two　who　had　bought　and　paid　for　it。　　For　Oldenhurst　had　absorbed

all　these　and　more　until　it　had　become　a　story　of　the　past；

incarnate　in　stone；　greenwood；　and　flower；　it　had　even　drained　the

life…blood　from　adjacent　hamlets；　repaying　them　with　tumuli　growths

like　its　own；　in　the　shape　of　purposeless　lodges；　quaintly

incompetent　hospitals　and　schools；　and　churches　where　the

inestimable　blessing　and　knowledge　of　its　gospel　were　taught　and

fostered。　　Nor　had　it　dealt　more　kindly　with　the　gentry　within　its

walls；　sending　some　to　the　scaffold；　pillorying　others　in　infamous

office；　reducing　a　few　to　poverty；　and　halting　its　later　guests

with　gout　and　paralysis。　　It　had　given　them　in　exchange　the　dubious

immortality　of　a　portrait　gallery；　from　which　they　stared　with

stony　and　equal　resignation；　it　had　preserved　their　useless　armor

and　accoutrements；　it　had　set　up　their　marble　effigies　in　churches

or　laid　them　in　cross…legged　attitudes　to　trip　up　the　unwary；　until

in　death；　as　in　life；　they　got　between　the　congregation　and　the

Truth　that　was　taught　there。　　It　had　allowed　an　Oldenhurst

crusader；　with　a　broken　nose　like　a　pugilist；　on　the　strength　of

his　having　been　twice　to　the　Holy　Land；　to　hide　the　beautifully

illuminated　Word　from　the　lowlier　worshipper　on　the　humbler

benches；　it　had　sent　an　iconoclastic　Bishop　of　the　Reformation

to　a　nearer　minster　to　ostentatiously　occupy　the　place　of　the

consecrated　image　he　had　overthrown。　　Small　wonder　that　crowding

the　Oldenhurst　retainers　gradually　into　smaller　space；　with

occasional　Sabbath　glimpses　of　the　living　rulers　of　Oldenhurst

already　in　railed…off　exaltation；　it　had　forced　them　to　accept

Oldenhurst　as　a　synonym　of　eternity；　and　left　the　knowledge　of　a

higher　Power　to　what　time　they　should　be　turned　out　to　their　longer

sleep　under　the　tender　grass　of　the　beautiful　outer　churchyard。



And　even　so；　while　every　stone　of　the　pile　of　Oldenhurst　and　every

tree　in　its　leafy　park　might　have　been　eloquent　with　the　story　of

vanity；　selfishness；　and　unequal　justice；　it　had　been　left　to　the

infinite　mercy　of　Nature　to　seal　their　lips　with　a　spell　of　beauty

that　left　mankind　equally　dumb；　earth；　air；　and　moisture　had

entered　into　a　gentle　conspiracy　to　soften；　mellow；　and　clothe　its

external　blemishes　of　breach　and　accident；　its　irregular　design；

its　additions；　accretions；　ruins；　and　lapses　with　a　harmonious

charm　of　outline　and　color；　poets；　romancers；　and　historians　had

equally　conspired　to　illuminate　the　dark　passages　and　uglier

inconsistencies　of　its　interior　life　with　the　glamour　of　their　own

fancy。　　The　fragment　of　menacing　keep；　with　its　choked　oubliettes；

became　a　bower　of　tender　ivy；　the　grim　story　of　its　crimes；

properly　edited　by　a　contemporary　bard　of　the　family；　passed　into　a

charming　ballad。　　Even　the　superstitious　darkness　of　its　religious

house　had　escaped　through　fallen　roof　and　shattered　wall；　leaving

only　the　foliated　and　sun…pierced　screen　of　front；　with　its　rose…

window　and　pinnacle　of　cross　behind。　　Pilgrims　from　all　lands　had

come　to　see　it；　fierce　Republicans　had　crossed　the　seas　to　gaze　at

its　mediaeval　outlines；　and　copy　them　in　wood　and　stucco　on　their

younger　soil。　　Politicians　had　equally　pointed　to　it　as　a

convincing　evidence　of　their　own　principles　and　in　refutation　of

each　other；　and　it　had　survived　both。　　For　it　was　this　belief　in

its　own　perpetuity　that　was　its　strength　and　weak