on the frontier-第4章

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〃Oh　aye；　little　priest！　thou　wast　tired　enough　a　moment　ago；　and

though　we　are　not　three　leagues　from　the　Blessed　Fisherman；　thou

couldst　scarce　sit　thy　saddle　longer。　　Mother　of　God！　and　all　to

see　that　little　mongrel；　Juanita。〃



〃But；　good　Antonio；　Juanita　was　my　play…fellow；　and　I　may　not　soon

again　chance　this　way。　　And　Juanita　is　not　a　mongrel；　no　more　than

I　am。〃



〃She　is　a　mestiza；　and　thou　art　a　child　of　the　Church；　though　this

following　of　gypsy　wenches　does　not　show　it。〃



〃But　Father　Pedro　does　not　object；〃　urged　the　boy。



〃The　reverend　father　has　forgotten　he　was　ever　young；〃　replied

Antonio；　sententiously；　〃or　he　wouldn't　set　fire　and　tow　together。〃



〃What　sayest　thou；　good　Antonio？〃　asked　Francisco　quickly；　opening

his　blue　eyes　in　frank　curiosity；　〃who　is　fire；　and　who　is　tow？〃



The　worthy　muleteer；　utterly　abashed　and　confounded　by　this　display

of　the　acolyte's　direct　simplicity；　contented　himself　by　shrugging

his　shoulders；　and　a　vague　〃Quien　sabe？〃



〃Come；〃　said　the　boy；　gayly；　〃confess　it　is　only　the　aguardiente　of

the　Blessed　Fisherman　thou　missest。　　Never　fear；　Juanita　will　find

thee　some。　　And　see！　here　she　comes。〃



There　was　a　flash　of　white　flounces　along　the　dark　brown　corridor；

the　twinkle　of　satin　slippers；　the　flying　out　of　long　black　braids；

and　with　a　cry　of　joy　a　young　girl　threw　herself　upon　Francisco　as

he　entered　the　patio；　and　nearly　dragged　him　from　his　mule。



〃Have　a　care；　little　sister；〃　laughed　the　acolyte；　looking　at

Antonio；　〃or　there　will　be　a　conflagration。　　Am　I　the　fire？〃　he

continued；　submitting　to　the　two　sounding　kisses　the　young　girl

placed　upon　either　cheek；　but　still　keeping　his　mischievous　glance

upon　the　muleteer。



〃Quien　sabe？〃　repeated　Antonio；　gruffly；　as　the　young　girl　blushed

under　his　significant　eyes。　　〃It　is　no　affair　of　mine；〃　he　added　to

himself；　as　he　led　Pinto　away。　　〃Perhaps　Father　Pedro　is　right；　and

this　young　twig　of　the　Church　is　as　dry　and　sapless　as　himself。

Let　the　mestiza　burn　if　she　likes。〃



〃Quick；　Pancho；〃　said　the　young　girl；　eagerly　leading　him　along　the

corridor。　　〃This　way。　　I　must　talk　with　thee　before　thou　seest　Don

Juan；　that　is　why　I　ran　to　intercept　thee；　and　not　as　that　fool

Antonio　would　signify；　to　shame　thee。　　Wast　thou　ashamed；　my

Pancho？〃



The　boy　threw　his　arm　familiarly　round　the　supple；　stayless　little

waist；　accented　only　by　the　belt　of　the　light　flounced　saya；　and

said；　〃But　why　this　haste　and　feverishness；　'Nita？　　And　now　I　look

at　thee；　thou　hast　been　crying。〃



They　had　emerged　from　a　door　in　the　corridor　into　the　bright

sunlight　of　a　walled　garden。　　The　girl　dropped　her　eyes；　cast　a

quick　glance　around　her；　and　said；



〃Not　here；　to　the　arroyo；〃　and　half　leading；　half　dragging　him；

made　her　way　through　a　copse　of　manzanita　and　alder　until　they

heard　the　faint　tinkling　of　water。　　〃Dost　thou　remember；〃　said　the

girl；　〃it　was　here；〃　pointing　to　an　embayed　pool　in　the　dark

current；　〃that　I　baptized　thee；　when　Father　Pedro　first　brought

thee　here；　when　we　both　played　at　being　monks？　　They　were　dear　old

days；　for　Father　Pedro　would　trust　no　one　with　thee　but　me；　and

always　kept　us　near　him。〃



〃Aye　and　he　said　I　would　be　profaned　by　the　touch　of　any　other；　and

so　himself　always　washed　and　dressed　me；　and　made　my　bed　near　his。〃



〃And　took　thee　away　again；　and　I　saw　thee　not　till　thou　camest　with

Antonio；　over　a　year　ago；　to　the　cattle　branding。　　And　now；　my

Pancho；　I　may　never　see　thee　again。〃　　She　buried　her　face　in　her

hands　and　sobbed　aloud。



The　little　acolyte　tried　to　comfort　her；　but　with　such　abstraction

of　manner　and　inadequacy　of　warmth　that　she　hastily　removed　his

caressing　hand。



〃But　why？　　What　has　happened？〃　he　asked　eagerly。



The　girl's　manner　had　changed。　　Her　eyes　flashed；　and　she　put　her

brown　fist　on　her　waist　and　began　to　rock　from　side　to　side。



〃But　I'll　not　go；〃　she　said　viciously。



〃Go　where？〃　asked　the　boy。



〃Oh；　where？〃　she　echoed；　impatiently。　　〃Hear　me；　Francisco；　thou

knowest　I　am；　like　thee；　an　orphan；　but　I　have　not；　like　thee；　a

parent　in　the　Holy　Church。　　For；　alas；〃　she　added；　bitterly；　〃I　am

not　a　boy；　and　have　not　a　lovely　voice　borrowed　from　the　angels。　　I

was；　like　thee；　a　foundling；　kept　by　the　charity　of　the　reverend

fathers；　until　Don　Juan；　a　childless　widower；　adopted　me。　　I　was

happy；　not　knowing　and　caring　who　were　the　parents　who　had

abandoned　me；　happy　only　in　the　love　of　him　who　became　my　adopted

father。　　And　now〃　　She　paused。



〃And　now？〃　echoed　Francisco；　eagerly。



〃And　now　they　say　it　is　discovered　who　are　my　parents。〃



〃And　they　live？〃



〃Mother　of　God！　no；〃　said　the　girl；　with　scarcely　filial　piety。

〃There　is　some　one；　a　thing；　a　mere　Don　Fulano；　who　knows　it　all；

it　seems；　who　is　to　be　my　guardian。〃



〃But　how？　tell　me　all；　dear　Juanita；〃　said　the　boy　with　a　feverish

interest；　that　contrasted　so　strongly　with　his　previous　abstraction

that　Juanita　bit　her　lips　with　vexation。



〃Ah！　　How？　　Santa　Barbara！　an　extravaganza　for　children。　　A

necklace　of　lies。　　I　am　lost　from　a　ship　of　which　my　fatherHeaven

rest　himis　General；　and　I　am　picked　up　among　the　weeds　on　the

sea…shore；　like　Moses　in　the　bulrushes。　　A　pretty　story；　indeed。〃



〃Oh；　how　beautiful！〃　exclaimed　Francisco；　enthusiastically。　　〃Ah；

Juanita；　would　it　had　been　me。〃



〃THEE！〃　said　the　girl　bitterly；〃thee！　　No！it　was　a　girl　wanted。

Enough；　it　was　me。〃



〃And　when　does　the　guardian　come？〃　persisted　the　boy；　with

sparkling　eyes。



〃He　is　here　even　now；　with　that　pompous　fool　the　American　alcalde

from　Monterey；　a　wretch　who　knows　nothing　of　the　country　or　the

people；　but　who　helped　the　other　American　to　claim　me。　　I　tell

thee；　Francisco；　like　as　not　it　is　all　a　folly；　some　senseless

blunder　of　those　Americanos　that　imposes　upon　Don　Juan's　simplicity

and　love　for　them。〃



〃How　looks　he；　this　Americano　who　seeks　thee？〃　asked　Francisco。



〃What　care　I　how　he　looks；〃　said　Juanita；　〃or　what　he　is？　　He　may

have　the　four　S's；　for　all　I　care。　　Yet；〃　she　added　with　a　slight

touch　of　coquetry；　〃he　is　not　bad　to　look　upon；　now　I　recall　him。〃



〃Had　he　a　long　moustache　and　a　sad；　sweet　smile；　and　a　voice　so

gentle　and　yet　so　strong　that　you　felt　he　ordered　you　to　do　things

with　out　saying　it？　　And　did　his　eye　read　your　thoughts？that　very

thought　that　you　must　obey　him？〃



〃Saints　preserve　thee；　Pancho！　　Of　whom　dost　thou　speak？〃



〃Listen；　Juanita。　　It　was　a　year　ago；　the　eve　of　Natividad；　he　was

in　the　church　when　I　sang。　　Look　where　I　would；　I　always　met　his

eye。　　When　the　canticle　was　sung　and　I　was　slipping　into　the

sacristy；　he　was　beside　me。　　He　spoke　kindly；　but　I　understood　him

not。　　He　put　into　my　hand　gold　for　an　aguinaldo。　　I　pretended　I

understood　not　that　also；　and　put　it　into　the　box　for　the　poor。　　He

smiled　and　went　away。　　Often　have　I　seen　him　since；　and　last　night；

when　I　left　the　Mission；　he　was　there　again　with　Father　Pedro。〃



〃And　Father　Pedro；　what　said　he　of　him？〃　asked　Juanita。



〃Nothing。〃　　The　boy　hesitated。　　〃Perhapsbecause　I　said　nothing　of

the　stranger。〃



Juanita　laughed。　　〃So　thou　canst　keep　a　secret　from　the　good　father

when　thou　carest。　　But　why　dost　thou　think　this　stranger　is　my　new

guardian？〃



〃Dost　thou　not　see；　little　sister？　he　was　even　then　seeking　thee；〃

said　the　boy　with　joyous　excitement。　　〃Doubtless　he　knew　we　were

friends　and　playmatesmay　be　the　good　father　has　told　him　thy

secret。　　For　it　is　no　idle　tale　of　the　alcalde；　believe　me。　　I　see

it　all！　　It　is　true！〃



〃Then　thou　wilt　let　him　take　me　away；〃　exclaimed　the　girl　bitterly；

withdrawing　the　little　hand　he　had　clasped　in　his　excitement。



〃Alas；　Juanita；　what　avails　it　now？　　I　am　sent　to　San　Jose；　charged

with　a　letter　to　the　Father　Superior；　who　will　give　me　further

orders。　　What　they　are；　or　how　long　I　must　stay；　I　know　not。　　But　I

know　this：