tales of trail and town-第14章

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not　resist。　　In　a　few　moments　they　were　walking　together　in　serious

and　apparently　confidential　conversation。　　For　to　Peter's　wonder　it

was　the　〃Lady　Elfrida〃　side　of　the　English　girl's　nature　that

seemed　to　have　attracted　Jenny；　and　not　the　playfulness　of

〃Friddy；〃　and　he　was　delighted　to　see　that　the　young　girl　had

assumed　a　grave　chaperonship　of　the　tall　Mrs。　Lascelles　that　would

have　done　credit　to　Mrs。　Carter　or　Lady　Runnybroke。　　Had　he　been

less　serious　he　might　have　been　amused；　too；　at　the　importance　of

his　own　position　in　the　military　outpost；　through　the　arrival　of

the　strangers。　　That　this　grave　political　enthusiast　and　civilian

should　be　on　familiar　terms　with　a　young　Englishwoman　of　rank　was

at　first　inconceivable　to　the　officers。　　And　that　he　had　never

alluded　to　it　before　seemed　to　them　still　more　remarkable。



Nevertheless；　there　was　much　liveliness　and　good　fellowship　at　the

fort。　　Captains　and　lieutenants　down　to　the　youngest　〃cub；〃

Forsyth；　vied　with　each　other　to　please　the　Englishmen；　supplied

them　with　that　characteristic　American　humor　and　anecdote　which　it

is　an　Englishman's　privilege　to　bring　away　with　him；　and　were

picturesquely　and　chivalrously　devoted　in　their　attentions　to　the

ladies；　who　were　pleased　and　amused　by　it；　though　it　is　to　be

doubted　if　it　increased　their　respect　for　the　giver；　although　they

were　more　grateful　for　it　than　the　average　American　woman。　　Lady

Elfrida　found　the　officers　very　entertaining　and　gallant。

Accustomed　to　the　English　officer；　and　his　somewhat　bored　way　of

treating　his　profession　and　his　duties；　she　may　have　been　amused　at

the　zeal；　earnestness；　and　enthusiasm　of　these　youthful　warriors；

who　aspired　to　appear　as　nothing　but　soldiers；　when　she　contrasted

them　with　her　Guardsmen　relatives　who　aspired　to　be　everything　else

but　that；　but　she　kept　it　to　herself。　　It　was　a　recognized；

respectable；　and　even　superior　occupation　for　gentlemen　in　England；

what　it　might　be　in　America；who　knows？　　She　certainly　found

Peter；　the　civilian；　more　attractive；　for　there　really　was　nothing

English　to　compare　him　with；　and　she　had　something　of　the　same

feeling　in　her　friendship　for　Jenny；　except　the　patronage　which

Jenny　seemed　to　solicit；　and　perhaps　require；　as　a　foreigner。



One　afternoon　the　English　guests；　accompanied　by　a　few　of　their

hosts　and　a　small　escort；　were　making　a　shooting　expedition　to　the

vicinity　of　Green　Spring；　when　Peter；　plunged　in　his　report；　looked

up　to　find　his　sister　entering　his　office。　　Her　face　was　pale；　and

there　was　something　in　her　expression　which　reawakened　his　old

anxiety。　　Nevertheless　he　smiled；　and　said　gently：



〃Why　are　you　not　enjoying　yourself　with　the　others？〃



〃I　have　a　headache；〃　she　said；　languidly；　〃but；〃　lifting　her　eyes

suddenly　to　his；　〃why　are　YOU　not？　　You　are　their　good　friend；　you

know；even　their　relation。〃



〃No　more　than　you　are；〃　he　returned；　with　affected　gayety。　　〃But

look　at　the　reportit　is　only　half　finished！　　I　have　already　been

shirking　it　for　them。〃



〃You　mustn't　let　your　devotion　to　the　Indians　keep　you　from　your

older　friends；〃　said　Mrs。　Lascelles；　with　an　odd　laugh。　　〃But　you

never　told　me　about　these　people　before；　Peter；　tell　me　now。　　They

were　very　kind　to　you；　weren't　they；　on　account　of　your

relationship？〃



〃Entirely　on　account　of　that；〃　said　Peter；　with　a　sudden　bitterness

he　could　not　repress。　　〃But　they　are　very　pleasant；〃　he　added

quickly；　〃and　very　simple　and　unaffected；　in　spite　of　their　rank；

perhaps　I　ought　to　say；　BECAUSE　of　it。〃



〃You　mean　they　are　kind　to　us　because　they　feel　themselves

superior；just　as　you　are　kind　to　the　Indians；　Peter。〃



〃I　am　afraid　they　have　no　such　sense　of　political　equality　towards

us；　Jenny；　as　impels　me　to　be　just　to　the　Indian；〃　he　said　with

affected　lightness。　　〃But　Lady　Elfrida　sympathizes　with　the

Indiansvery　much。〃



〃She！〃　　The　emphasis　which　his　sister　put　upon　the　personal　pronoun

was　unmistakable；　but　Peter　ignored　it；　and　so　apparently　did　she；

as　she　said　the　next　moment　in　a　different　voice；　〃She's　very

pretty；　don't　you　think？〃



〃Very；〃　said　Peter　coldly。



There　was　a　long　pause。　　Peter　slightly　fingered　one　of　the　sheets

of　his　delayed　report　on　his　desk。　　His　sister　looked　up。　　〃I'm

afraid　I'm　as　bad　as　Lady　Elfrida　in　keeping　you　from　your　Indians；

but　I　had　something　to　say　to　you。　　No　matter；　another　time　will　do

when　you're　not　so　busy。〃



〃Please　go　on　now；〃　said　Peter；　with　affected　unconcern；　yet　with　a

feeling　of　uneasiness　creeping　over　him。



〃It　was　only　this；〃　said　Jenny；　seating　herself　with　her　elbow　on

the　desk　and　her　chin　in　a　cup…like　hollow　of　her　hand；　〃did　you

ever　think　that　in　the　interests　of　these　poor　Indians；　you　know；

purely　for　the　sake　of　your　belief　in　them；　and　just　to　show　that

you　were　above　vulgar　prejudices；did　you　ever　think　you　could

marry　one　of　them？〃



Two　thoughts　flashed　quickly　on　Peter's　mind；first；　that　Lady

Elfrida　had　repeated　something　of　their　conversation　to　his　sister；

secondly；　that　some　one　had　told　her　of　Little　Daybreak。　　Each　was

equally　disturbing。　　But　he　recovered　himself　quickly　and　said；　〃I

might　if　I　thought　it　was　required。　　But　even　a　sacrifice　is　not

always　an　example。〃



〃Then　you　think　it　would　be　a　sacrifice？〃　she　said；　slowly　raising

her　dark　eyes　to　his。



〃If　I　did　something　against　received　opinion；　against　precedent；

and　for　aught　I　know　against　even　the　prejudices　of　those　I　wish　to

serve；　however　lofty　my　intention　was　and　however　great　the　benefit

to　them　in　the　end；　it　would　still　be　a　sacrifice　in　the　present。〃

He　saw　his　own　miserable　logic　and　affected　didactics；　but　he　went

on　lightly；　〃But　why　do　you　ask　such　a　question？　　You　haven't　any

one　in　your　mind　for　me；　have　you？〃



She　had　risen　thoughtfully　and　was　moving　towards　the　door。

Suddenly　she　turned　with　a　quick；　odd　vivacity：　〃Perhaps　I　had。

Oh；　Peter；　there　was　such　a　lovely　little　squaw　I　saw　the　last　time

I　was　at　Oak　Bottom！　　She　was　no　darker　than　I　am；　but　so

beautiful。　　Even　in　her　little　cotton　gown　and　blanket；　with　only　a

string　of　beads　around　her　throat；　she　was　as　pretty　as　any　one

here。　　And　I　dare　say　she　could　be　educated　and　appear　as　well　as

any　white　woman。　　I　should　so　like　to　have　you　see　her。　　I　would

have　tried　to　bring　her　to　the　fort；　but　the　braves　are　very

jealous　of　their　wives　or　daughters　seeing　white　men；　you　know；　and

I　was　afraid　of　the　colonel。〃



She　had　spoken　volubly　and　with　a　strange　excitement；　but　even　at

the　moment　her　face　changed　again；　and　as　she　left　the　office；　with

a　quick　laugh　and　parting　gesture；　there　were　tears　in　her　eyes。



Accustomed　to　her　moods　and　caprices；　Peter　thought　little　of　the

intrusion；　relieved　as　he　was　of　his　first　fears。　　She　had　come　to

him　from　loneliness　and　curiosity；　and；　perhaps；　he　thought　with　a

sad　smile；　from　a　little　sisterly　jealousy　of　the　young　girl　who

had　evinced　such　an　interest　in　him；　and　had　known　him　before。　　He

took　up　his　pen　and　continued　the　interrupted　paragraph　of　his

report。



〃I　am　satisfied　that　much　of　the　mischievous　and　extravagant

prejudice　against　the　half　breed　and　all　alliances　of　the　white　and

red　races　springs　from　the　ignorance　of　the　frontiersman　and　his

hasty　generalization　of　facts。　　There　is　no　doubt　that　an

intermixture　of　blood　brings　out　purely　superficial　contrasts　the

more　strongly；　and　that　against　the　civilizing　habits　and　even

costumes　of　the　half　breed；　certain　Indian　defects　appear　the　more

strongly　as　in　the　case　of　the　color　line　of　the　quadroon　and

octoroon；　but　it　must　not　be　forgotten　that　these　are　only　the

contrasts　of　specific　improvement；　and　the　inference　that　the

borrowed　defects　of　a　half　breed　exceed　the　original　defects　of　the

full…blooded　aborigine　is　utterly　illogical。〃　　He　stopped　suddenly

and　laid　down　his　pen　with　a　heightened　color；　the　bugle　had　blown；

the　g