a phyllis of the sierras-第5章

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provincial　institution　unlike　Oxford　and　Cambridge　may　have

unconsciously　affected　his　general　estimate。　　I　say　unconsciously；

for　his　strict　conscientiousness　would　have　rejected　any　such

formal　proposition。



Another　trifle　annoyed　him。　　He　could　not　help　noticing　also　that

although　Bradley's　manner　and　sympathy　were　confidential　and　almost

brotherly；　he　never　made　any　allusion　to　Mainwaring's　own　family　or

connections；　and；　in　fact；　gave　no　indication　of　what　he　believed

was　the　national　curiosity　in　regard　to　strangers。　　Somewhat

embarrassed　by　this　indifference；　Mainwaring　made　the　occasion　of

writing　some　letters　home　an　opportunity　for　laughingly　alluding　to

the　fact　that　he　had　made　his　mother　and　his　sisters　fully　aware　of

the　great　debt　they　owed　the　household　of　The　Lookout。



〃They'll　probably　all　send　you　a　round　robin　of　thanks；　except；

perhaps；　my　next　brother；　Bob。〃



Bradley　contented　himself　with　a　gesture　of　general　deprecation；

and　did　not　ask　WHY　Mainwaring's　young　brother　should　contemplate

his　death　with　satisfaction。　　Nevertheless；　some　time　afterwards

Miss　Macy　remarked　that　it　seemed　hard　that　the　happiness　of　one

member　of　a　family　should　depend　upon　a　calamity　to　another。　　〃As

for　instance？〃　asked　Mainwaring；　who　had　already　forgotten　the

circumstance。　　〃Why；　if　you　had　died　and　your　younger　brother

succeeded　to　the　baronetcy；　and　become　Sir　Robert　Mainwaring；〃

responded　Miss　Macy；　with　precision。　　This　was　the　first　and　only

allusion　to　his　family　and　prospective　rank。　　On　the　other　hand；　he

hadthrough　naive　and　boyish　inquiries；　which　seemed　to　amuse　his

entertainersacquired；　as　he　believed；　a　full　knowledge　of　the

history　and　antecedents　of　the　Bradley　household。　　He　knew　how

Bradley　had　brought　his　young　wife　and　her　cousin　to　California

and　abandoned　a　lucrative　law　practice　in　San　Francisco　to　take

possession　of　this　mountain　mill　and　woodland；　which　he　had

acquired　through　some　professional　service。



〃Then　you　are　a　barrister　really？〃　said　Mainwaring；　gravely。



Bradley　laughed。　　〃I'm　afraid　I've　had　more　practicethough　not　as

lucrative　a　oneas　surgeon　or　doctor。〃



〃But　you're　regularly　on　the　rolls；　you　know；　you're　entered　as

Counsel；　and　all　that　sort　of　thing？〃　continued　Mainwaring；　with

great　seriousness。



〃Well；　yes；〃　replied　Bradley；　much　amused。　　〃I'm　afraid　I　must

plead　guilty　to　that。〃



〃It's　not　a　bad　sort　of　thing；〃　said　Mainwaring；　naively；　ignoring

Bradley's　amusement。　　〃I've　got　a　cousin　who's　gone　in　for　the　law。

Got　out　of　the　army　to　do　ittoo。　　He's　a　sharp　fellow。〃



〃Then　you　DO　allow　a　man　to　try　many　tradesover　there；〃　said　Miss

Macy；　demurely。



〃Yes；　sometimes；〃　said　Mainwaring；　graciously；　but　by　no　means

certain　that　the　case　was　at　all　analogous。



Nevertheless；　as　if　relieved　of　certain　doubts　of　the　conventional

quality　of　his　host's　attainments；　he　now　gave　himself　up　to　a　very

hearty　and　honest　admiration　of　Bradley。　　〃You　know　it's　awfully

kind　of　him　to　talk　to　a　fellow　like　me　who　just　pulled　through；

and　never　got　any　prizes　at　Oxford；　and　don't　understand　the　half

of　these　things；〃　he　remarked　confidentially　to　Mrs。　Bradley。　　〃He

knows　more　about　the　things　we　used　to　go　in　for　at　Oxford　than

lots　of　our　men；　and　he's　never　been　there。　　He's　uncommonly

clever。〃



〃Jim　was　always　very　brilliant；〃　returned　Mrs。　Bradley；

indifferently；　and　with　more　than　even　conventionally　polite　wifely

deprecation；　〃I　wish　he　were　more　practical。〃



〃Practical！　　Oh；　I　say；　Mrs。　Bradley！　　Why；　a　fellow　that　can　go　in

among　a　lot　of　workmen　and　tell　them　just　what　to　doan　all…round

chap　that　can　be　independent　of　his　valet；　his　doctor；　and　his

banker！　　By　JoveTHAT'S　practical！〃



〃I　mean；〃　said　Mrs。　Bradley；　coldly；　〃that　there　are　some　things

that　a　gentleman　ought　not　to　be　practical　about　nor　independent

of。　　Mr。　Bradley　would　have　done　better　to　have　used　his　talents　in

some　more　legitimate　and　established　way。〃



Mainwaring　looked　at　her　in　genuine　surprise。　　To　his　inexperienced

observation　Bradley's　intelligent　energy　and；　above　all；　his

originality；　ought　to　have　been　priceless　in　the　eyes　of　his　wife

the　American　female　of　his　species。　　He　felt　that　slight　shock

which　most　loyal　or　logical　men　feel　when　first　brought　face　to

face　with　the　easy　disloyalty　and　incomprehensible　logic　of　the

feminine　affections。　　Here　was　a　fellow；　by　Jove；　that　any　woman

ought　to　be　proud　of；　andandhe　stopped　blankly。　　He　wondered　if

Miss　Macy　sympathized　with　her　cousin。



Howbeit；　this　did　not　affect　the　charm　of　their　idyllic　life　at　The

Lookout。　　The　precipice　over　which　they　hung　was　as　charming　as

ever　in　its　poetic　illusions　of　space　and　depth　and　color；　the

isolation　of　their　comfortable　existence　in　the　tasteful　yet

audacious　habitation；　the　pleasant　routine　of　daily　tasks　and

amusements；　all　tended　to　make　the　enforced　quiet　and　inaction　of

his　convalescence　a　lazy　recreation。　　He　was　really　improving；　more

than　that；　he　was　conscious　of　a　certain　satisfaction　in　this

passive　observation　of　novelty　that　was　healthier　and　perhaps　TRUER

than　his　previous　passion　for　adventure　and　that　febrile　desire　for

change　and　excitement　which　he　now　felt　was　a　part　of　his　disease。

Nor　were　incident　and　variety　entirely　absent　from　this　tranquil

experience。　　He　was　one　day　astonished　at　being　presented　by

Bradley　with　copies　of　the　latest　English　newspapers；　procured　from

Sacramento；　and　he　equally　astonished　his　host；　after　profusely

thanking　him；　by　only　listlessly　glancing　at　their　columns。　　He

estopped　a　proposed　visit　from　one　of　his　influential　countrymen；

in　the　absence　of　his　fair　entertainers　at　their　domestic　duties；

he　extracted　infinite　satisfaction　from　Foo…Yup；　the　Chinese

servant；　who　was　particularly　detached　for　his　service。　　From　his

invalid　coign　of　vantage　at　the　window　he　was　observant　of　all　that

passed　upon　the　veranda；　that　al…fresco　audience…room　of　The

Lookout；　and　he　was　good…humoredly　conscious　that　a　great　many

eccentric　and　peculiar　visitors　were　invariably　dragged　thither　by

Miss　Macy；　and　goaded　into　characteristic　exhibition　within　sight

and　hearing　of　her　guest；　with　a　too　evident　view；　under　the

ostentatious　excuse　of　extending　his　knowledge　of　national

character　or　mischievously　shocking　him。



〃When　you　are　strong　enough　to　stand　Captain　Gashweiler's　opinions

of　the　Established　Church　and　Chinamen；〃　said　Miss　Macy；　after　one

of　these　revelations；　〃I'll　get　Jim　to　bring　him　here；　for　really　he

swears　so　outrageously　that　even　in　the　broadest　interests　of

international　understanding　and　good…will　neither　Mrs。　Bradley　nor

myself　could　be　present。〃



On　another　occasion　she　provokingly　lingered　before　his　window　for

a　moment　with　a　rifle　slung　jauntily　over　her　shoulder。　　〃If　you

hear　a　shot　or　two　don't　excite　yourself；　and　believe　we're　having

a　lynching　case　in　the　woods。　　It　will　be　only　me。　　There's　some

creatureconfess；　you　expected　me　to　say　'critter'hanging　round

the　barn。　　It　may　be　a　bear。　　Good…by。〃　　She　missed　the　creature；

which　happened　to　be　really　a　bear；much　to　Mainwaring's　illogical

satisfaction。　　〃I　wonder　why；〃　he　reflected；　with　vague　uneasiness；

〃she　doesn't　leave　all　that　sort　of　thing　to　girls　like　that　tow…

headed　girl　at　the　blacksmith's。〃



It　chanced；　however；　that　this　blacksmith's　tow…headed　daughter；

who；　it　may　be　incidentally　remarked；　had　the　additional

eccentricities　of　large　black　eyes　and　large　white　teeth；　came　to

the　fore　in　quite　another　fashion。　　Shortly　after　this；　Mainwaring

being　able　to　leave　his　room　and　join　the　family　board；　Mrs。

Bradley　found　it　necessary　to　enlarge　her　domestic　service；　and

arranged　with　her　nearest　neighbor；　the　blacksmith；　to　allow　his

daughter　to　come　to　The　Lookout　for　a　few　days　to　〃do　the　chores〃

and　assist　in　the　housekeeping；　as　she　had　on　previous　occasions。

The　day　of　h