on the frontier-第24章

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Sundays　she　sometimes　drove　to　the　half…ruined　mission　church　of

Santa　Inez；　and　hid　herself；　during　mass；　in　the　dim　monastic

shadows　of　the　choir。　　Gradually　the　poorer　people　whom　she　met　in

these　journeys　began　to　show　an　almost　devotional　reverence　for

her；　stopping　in　the　roads　with　uncovered　heads　for　her　to　pass；　or

making　way　for　her　in　the　tienda　or　plaza　of　the　wretched　town　with

dumb　courtesy。　　She　began　to　feel　a　strange　sense　of　widowhood；

that；　while　it　at　times　brought　tears　to　her　eyes；　was；　not　without

a　certain　tender　solace。　　In　the　sympathy　and　simpleness　of　this

impulse　she　went　as　far　as　to　revive　the　mourning　she　had　worn　for

her　parents；　but　with　such　a　fatal　accenting　of　her　beauty；　and

dangerous　misinterpreting　of　her　condition　to　eligible　bachelors

strange　to　the　country；　that　she　was　obliged　to　put　it　off　again。

Her　reserve　and　dignified　manner　caused　others　to　mistake　her

nationality　for　that　of　the　Santierras；　and　in　〃Dona　Bella〃　the

simple　Mrs。　Tucker　was　for　a　while　forgotten。　　At　times　she　even

forgot　it　herself。　　Accustomed　now　almost　entirely　to　the　accents

of　another　language　and　the　features　of　another　race；　she　would　sit

for　hours　in　the　corridor；　whose　massive　bronzed　inclosure　even　her

tasteful　care　could　only　make　an　embowered　mausoleum　of　the　Past；

or　gaze　abstractedly　from　the　dark　embrasures　of　her　windows　across

the　stretching　almarjal　to　the　shining　lagoon　beyond　that

terminated　the　estuary。　　She　had　a　strange　fondness　for　this

tranquil　mirror；　which　under　sun　or　stars　always　retained　the

passive　reflex　of　the　sky　above；　and　seemed　to　rest　her　weary　eyes。

She　had　objected　to　one　of　the　plans　projected　by　Poindexter　to

redeem　the　land　and　deepen　the　water　at　the　embarcadero；　as　it

would　have　drained　the　lagoon；　and　the　lawyer　had　postponed　the

improvement　to　gratify　her　fancy。　　So　she　kept　it　through　the　long

summer　unchanged　save　by　the　shadows　of　passing　wings　or　the　lazy

files　of　sleeping　sea…fowl。



On　one　of　these　afternoons　she　noticed　a　slowly　moving　carriage

leave　the　high　road　and　cross　the　almarjal　skirting　the　edge　of　the

lagoon。　　If　it　contained　visitors　for　Los　Cuervos　they　had

evidently　taken　a　shorter　cut　without　waiting　to　go　on　to　the

regular　road　which　intersected　the　highway　at　right　angles　a　mile

farther　on。　　It　was　with　some　sense　of　annoyance　and　irritation

that　she　watched　the　trespass；　and　finally　saw　the　vehicle　approach

the　house。　　A　few　moments　later　the　servant　informed　her　that　Mr。

Patterson　would　like　to　see　her　alone。　　When　she　entered　the

corridor；　which　in　the　dry　season　served　as　a　reception　hall；　she

was　surprised　to　see　that　Patterson　was　not　alone。　　Near　him　stood

a　well…dressed　handsome　woman；　gazing　about　her　with　good…humored

admiration　of　Mrs。　Tucker's　taste　and　ingenuity。



〃It　don't　look　much　like　it　did　two　years　ago；〃　said　the　stranger

cheerfully。　　〃You've　improved　it　wonderfully。〃



Stiffening　slightly；　Mrs。　Tucker　turned　inquiringly　to　Mr。

Patterson。　　But　that　gentleman's　usual　profound　melancholy　appeared

to　be　intensified　by　the　hilarity　of　his　companion。　　He　only　sighed

deeply　and　rubbed　his　leg　with　the　brim　of　his　hat　in　gloomy

abstraction。



〃Well！　go　on；　then；〃　said　the　woman；　laughing　and　nudging　him。　　〃Go

onintroduce　mecan't　you？　　Don't　stand　there　like　a　tombstone。

You　won't？　　Well；　I'll　introduce　myself。〃　　She　laughed　again；　and

then；　with　an　excellent　imitation　of　Patterson's　lugubrious

accents；　said；　〃Mr。　Spencer　Tucker's　wife　that　IS；　allow　me　to

introduce　you　to　Mr。　Spencer　Tucker's　sweetheart　that　WAS！　　Hold

on！　　I　said　THAT　WAS。　　For　true　as　I　stand　here；　ma'amand　I

reckon　I　wouldn't　stand　here　if　it　wasn't　trueI　haven't　set　eyes

on　him　since　the　day　he　left　you。〃



〃It's　the　Gospel　truth；　every　word；〃　said　Patterson；　stirred　into　a

sudden　activity　by　Mrs。　Tucker's　white　and　rigid　face。　　〃It's　the

frozen　truth；　and　I　kin　prove　it。　　For　I　kin　swear　that　when　that

there　young　woman　was　sailin'　outer　the　Golden　Gate；　Spencer　Tucker

was　in　my　bar　room；　I　kin　swear　that　I　fed　him；　lickered　him；　give

him　a　hoss　and　set　him　in　his　road　to　Monterey　that　very　night。〃



〃Then；　where　is　he　now？〃　said　Mrs。　Tucker；　suddenly　facing　them。



They　looked　at　each　other；　and　then　looked　at　Mrs。　Tucker。　　Then

both　together　replied　slowly　and　in　perfect　unison；　〃That'swhat

wewanttoknow。〃　　They　seemed　so　satisfied　with　this　effect

that　they　as　deliberately　repeated；　〃Yesthat'swhatwewant

toknow。〃



Between　the　shock　of　meeting　the　partner　of　her　husband's　guilt　and

the　unexpected　revelation　to　her　inexperience；　that　in　suggestion

and　appearance　there　was　nothing　beyond　the　recollection　of　that

guilt　that　was　really　shocking　in　the　womanbetween　the

extravagant　extremes　of　hope　and　fear　suggested　by　their　words；

there　was　something　so　grotesquely　absurd　in　the　melodramatic

chorus　that　she　with　difficulty　suppressed　a　hysterical　laugh。



〃That's　the　way　to　take　it；〃　said　the　woman；　putting　her　own　good…

humored　interpretation　upon　Mrs。　Tucker's　expression。　　〃Now；　look

here！　　I'll　tell　you　all　about　it。〃　　She　carefully　selected　the

most　comfortable　chair；　and　sitting　down；　lightly　crossed　her　hands

in　her　lap。　　〃Well；　I　left　here　on　the　13th　of　last　January　on　the

ship　Argo；　calculating　that　your　husband　would　join　the　ship　just

inside　the　Heads。　　That　was　our　arrangement；　but　if　anything

happened　to　prevent　him；　he　was　to　join　me　in　Acapulco。　　Well！　　He

didn't　come　aboard；　and　we　sailed　without　him。　　But　it　appears　now

he　did　attempt　to　join　the　ship；　but　his　boat　was　capsized。　　There；

now；　don't　be　alarmed！　he　wasn't　drowned；　as　Patterson　can　swear

tono；　catch　HIM！　not　a　hair　of　him　was　hurt；　but　II　was　bundled

off　to　the　end　of　the　earth　in　Mexico；　alone；　without　a　cent　to

bless　me。　　For　true　as　you　live；　that　hound　of　a　captain；　when　he

found；　as　he　thought；　that　Spencer　was　nabbed；　he　just　confiscated

all　his　trunks　and　valuables　and　left　me　in　the　lurch。　　If　I　hadn't

met　a　man　down　there　that　offered　to　marry　me　and　brought　me　here；

I　might　have　died　there；　I　reckon。　　But　I　did；　and　here　I　am。　　I

went　down　there　as　your　husband's　sweetheart；　I've　come　back　as　the

wife　of　an　honest　man；　and　I　reckon　it's　about　square！〃



There　was　something　so　startlingly　frank；　so　hopelessly　self…

satisfied；　so　contagiously　good…humored　in　the　woman's　perfect

moral　unconsciousness；　that　even　if　Mrs。　Tucker　had　been　less

preoccupied　her　resentment　would　have　abated。　　But　her　eyes　were

fixed　on　the　gloomy　face　of　Patterson；　who　was　beginning　to　unlock

the　sepulchres　of　his　memory　and　disinter　his　deeply　buried

thoughts。



〃You　kin　bet　your　whole　pile　on　what　this　Mrs。　Capting　Baxterez

used　to　be　French　Inez　of　New　Orleanshez　told　ye。　　Ye　kin　take

everything　she's　unloaded。　　And　it's　only　doin'　the　square　thing　to

her　to　say；　she　hain't　done　it　out　o'　no　cussedness；　but　just　to

satisfy　herself；　now　she's　a　married　woman　and　past　such

foolishness。　　But　that　ain't　neither　here　nor　there。　　The　gist　of

the　whole　matter　is　that　Spencer　Tucker　was　at　the　tienda　the　day

after　she　sailed　and　after　his　boat　capsized。〃　　He　then　gave　a

detailed　account　of　the　interview；　with　the　unnecessary　but

truthful　minutiae　of　his　class；　adding　to　the　particulars　already

known　that　the　following　week　he　visited　the　Summit　House　and　was

surprised　to　find　that　Spencer　had　never　been　there；　nor　had　he

ever　sailed　from　Monterey。



〃But　why　was　this　not　told　to　me　before？〃　said　Mrs。　Tucker；

suddenly。　　〃Why　not　at　the　time？　　Why；〃　she　demanded　almost

fiercely；　turning　from　the　one　to　the　other；　〃has　this　been　kept

from　me？〃



〃I'll　tell　ye　why；〃　said　Patterson；　sinking　with　crushed　submission

into　a　chair。　　〃When　I　found　he　wasn't　where　he　ought　to　be；　I　got

to　lookin'　elsewhere。　　I　knew　the　track　of　the　hoss　I　lent　him　by　a

loose　shoe。　　I　examined；　and　found　he　had　turned　off　the　high　road

som