on the frontier-第22章

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Mexican　girl　mysteriously　appeared　in　the　kitchen；　as　a　temporary

assistant　to　the　decrepit　Concha。　　These　were　both　clearly

attributable　to　Don　Jose；　whose　visit　was　not　so　remote　but　that

these　delicate　attentions　might　have　been　already　projected　before

Mrs。　Tucker　had　declined　them；　and　she　could　not；　without　marked

discourtesy；　return　them　now。　　She　did　not　wish　to　seem

discourteous；　she　would　like　to　have　been　more　civil　to　this　old

gentleman；　who　still　retained　the　evidences　of　a　picturesque　and

decorous　past；　and　a　repose　so　different　from　the　life　that　was

perplexing　her。　　Reflecting　that　if　he　bought　the　estate　these

things　would　be　ready　to　his　hand；　and　with　a　woman's　instinct

recognizing　their　value　in　setting　off　the　house　to　other

purchasers'　eyes；　she　took　a　pleasure　in　tastefully　arranging　them；

and　even　found　herself　speculating　how　she　might　have　enjoyed　them

herself　had　she　been　able　to　keep　possession　of　the　property。

After　all；　it　would　not　have　been　so　lonely　if　refined　and　gentle

neighbors；　like　this　old　man；　would　have　sympathized　with　her；　she

had　an　instinctive　feeling　that；　in　their　own　hopeless　decay　and

hereditary　unfitness　for　this　new　civilization；　they　would　have

been　more　tolerant　of　her　husband's　failure　than　his　own　kind。　　She

could　not　believe　that　Don　Jose　really　hated　her　husband　for　buying

of　the　successful　claimant；　as　there　was　no　other　legal　title。

Allowing　herself　to　become　interested　in　the　guileless　gossip　of

the　new　handmaiden；　proud　of　her　broken　English；　she　was　drawn　into

a　sympathy　with　the　grave　simplicity　of　Don　Jose's　character；　a

relic　of　that　true　nobility　which　placed　this　descendant　of　the

Castilians　and　the　daughter　of　a　free　people　on　the　same　level。



In　this　way　the　second　day　of　her　occupancy　of　Los　Cuervos　closed；

with　dumb　clouds　along　the　gray　horizon；　and　the　paroxysms　of

hysterical　wind　growing　fainter　and　fainter　outside　the　walls；　with

the　moon　rising　after　nightfall；　and　losing　itself　in　silent　and

mysterious　confidences　with　drifting　scud。　　She　went　to　bed　early；

but　woke　past　midnight；　hearing；　as　she　thought；　her　own　name

called。　　The　impression　was　so　strong　upon　her　that　she　rose；　and；

hastily　enwrapping　herself；　went　to　the　dark　embrasures　of　the

oven…shaped　windows；　and　looked　out。　　The　dwarfed　oak　beside　the

window　was　still　dropping　from　a　past　shower；　but　the　level　waste

of　marsh　and　meadow　beyond　seemed　to　advance　and　recede　with　the

coming　and　going　of　the　moon。　　Again　she　heard　her　name　called；　and

this　time　in　accents　so　strangely　familiar　that　with　a　slight　cry

she　ran　into　the　corridor；　crossed　the　patio；　and　reached　the　open

gate。　　The　darkness　that　had；　even　in　this　brief　interval；　again

fallen　upon　the　prospect　she　tried　in　vain　to　pierce　with　eye　and

voice。　　A　blank　silence　followed。　　Then　the　veil　was　suddenly

withdrawn；　the　vast　plain；　stretching　from　the　mountain　to　the　sea；

shone　as　clearly　as　in　the　light　of　day；　the　moving　current　of　the

channel　glittered　like　black　pearls；　the　stagnant　pools　like　molten

lead；　but　not　a　sign　of　life　nor　motion　broke　the　monotony　of　the

broad　expanse。　　She　must　have　surely　dreamed　it。　　A　chill　wind

drove　her　back　to　the　house　again；　she　entered　her　bedroom；　and　in

half　an　hour　she　was　in　a　peaceful　sleep。





CHAPTER　V





The　two　men　kept　their　secret。　　Mr。　Poindexter　convinced　Mrs。

Tucker　that　the　sale　of　Los　Cuervos　could　not　be　effected　until　the

notoriety　of　her　husband's　flight　had　been　fairly　forgotten；　and

she　was　forced　to　accept　her　fate。　　The　sale　of　her　diamonds；　which

seemed　to　her　to　have　realized　a　singularly　extravagant　sum；

enabled　her　to　quietly　reinstate　the　Pattersons　in　the　tienda　and

to　discharge　in　full　her　husband's　liabilities　to　the　rancheros　and

his　humbler　retainers。



Meanwhile　the　winter　rains　had　ceased。　　It　seemed　to　her　as　if　the

clouds　had　suddenly　one　night　struck　their　white　tents　and　stolen

away；　leaving　the　unvanquished　sun　to　mount　the　vacant　sky　the　next

morning　alone；　and　possess　it　thenceforward　unchallenged。　　One

afternoon　she　thought　the　long　sad　waste　before　her　window　had

caught　some　tint　of　gayer　color　from　the　sunset；　a　week　later　she

found　it　a　blazing　landscape　of　poppies；　broken　here　and　there　by

blue　lagoons　of　lupine；　by　pools　of　daisies；　by　banks　of　dog…roses；

by　broad　outlying　shores　of　dandelions　that　scattered　their　lavish

gold　to　the　foot　of　the　hills；　where　the　green　billows　of　wild　oats

carried　it　on　and　upwards　to　the　darker　crest　of　pines。　　For　two

months　she　was　dazzled　and　bewildered　with　color。　　She　had　never

before　been　face　to　face　with　this　spendthrift　Californian　Flora；

in　her　virgin　wastefulness；　her　more　than　goddess…like　prodigality。

The　teeming　earth　seemed　to　quicken　and　throb　beneath　her　feet；　the

few　circuits　of　a　plough　around　the　outlying　corral　were　enough　to

call　out　a　jungle　growth　of　giant　grain　that　almost　hid　the　low

walls　of　the　hacienda。　　In　this　glorious　fecundity　of　the　earth；　in

this　joyous　renewal　of　life　and　color；　in　this　opulent　youth　and

freshness　of　soil　and　sky；　it　alone　remained；　the　dead　and　sterile

Past；　left　in　the　midst　of　buoyant　rejuvenescence　and　resurrection；

like　an　empty　churchyard　skull　upturned　on　the　springing　turf。　　Its

bronzed　adobe　walls　mocked　the　green　vine　that　embraced　them；　the

crumbling　dust　of　its　courtyard　remained　ungerminating　and

unfruitful；　to　the　thousand　stirring　voices　without；　its　dry　lips

alone　remained　mute；　unresponsive　and　unchanged。



During　this　time　Don　Jose　had　become　a　frequent　visitor　at　Los

Cuervos；　bringing　with　him　at　first　his　niece　and　sister　in　a

stately　precision　of　politeness　that　was　not　lost　on　the　proud　Blue

Grass　stranger。　　She　returned　their　visit　at　Los　Gatos；　and　there

made　the　formal　acquaintance　of　Don　Jose's　grandmother；　a　lady　who

still　regarded　the　decrepit　Concha　as　a　giddy　muchacha；　and　who

herself　glittered　as　with　the　phosphorescence　of　refined　decay。

Through　this　circumstance　she　learned　that　Don　Jose　was　not　yet

fifty；　and　that　his　gravity　of　manner　and　sedateness　was　more　the

result　of　fastidious　isolation　and　temperament　than　years。　　She

could　not　tell　why　the　information　gave　her　a　feeling　of　annoyance；

but　it　caused　her　to　regret　the　absence　of　Poindexter；　and　to

wonder；　also　somewhat　nervously；　why　he　had　lately　avoided　her

presence。　　The　thought　that　he　might　be　doing　so　from　a　recollection

of　the　innuendoes　of　Mrs。　Patterson　caused　a　little　tremor　of

indignation　in　her　pulses。　　〃As　if〃　but　she　did　not　finish　the

sentence　even　to　herself；　and　her　eyes　filled　with　bitter　tears。



Yet　she　had　thought　of　the　husband　who　had　so　cruelly　wronged　her

less　feverishly；　less　impatiently　than　before。　　For　she　thought　she

loved　him　now　the　more　deeply；　because；　although　she　was　not

reconciled　to　his　absence；　it　seemed　to　keep　alive　the　memory　of

what　he　had　been　before　his　one　wild　act　separated　them。　　She　had

never　seen　the　reflection　of　another　woman's　eyes　in　his；　the　past

contained　no　haunting　recollection　of　waning　or　alienated

affection；　she　could　meet　him　again；　and；　clasping　her　arms　around

him；　awaken　as　if　from　a　troubled　dream　without　reproach　or

explanation。　　Her　strong　belief　in　this　made　her　patient；　she　no

longer　sought　to　know　the　particulars　of　his　flight；　and　never

dreamed　that　her　passive　submission　to　his　absence　was　partly　due

to　a　fear　that　something　in　his　actual　presence　at　that　moment

would　have　destroyed　that　belief　forever。



For　this　reason　the　delicate　reticence　of　the　people　at　Los　Gatos；

and　their　seclusion　from　the　world　which　knew　of　her　husband's

fault；　had　made　her　encourage　the　visits　of　Don　Jose；　until　from

the　instinct　already　alluded　to　she　one　day　summoned　Poindexter　to

Los　Cuervos；　on　the　day　that　Don　Jose　usually　called。　　But　to　her

surprise　the　two　men　met　more　or　less　awkwardly　and　coldly；　and　her

tact　as　hostess　was　tried　to