a sappho of green springs-第24章

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〃And　the　wheat　ranch　belowis　that　carried　on　in　the　same　way？〃



〃Yes。　　But　their　landlord　is　a　bank；　who　advances　not　only　the

land；　but　the　money　to　work　it；　and　doesn't　ride　around　in　a　buggy

with　a　couple　of　charmingly　distracting　young　ladies。〃



〃And　do　they　all　share　alike？〃　continued　Rose；　ignoring　the

pleasantry；　〃big　and　littlethat　young　inventor　with　the　rest？〃



She　stopped。　　She　felt　the　ingenue's　usually　complacent　eyes

suddenly　fixed　upon　her　with　an　unhallowed　precocity；　and　as

quickly　withdrawn。　　Without　knowing　why；　she　felt　embarrassed；　and

changed　the　subject。



The　next　day　they　drove　to　the　Convent　of　Santa　Clara　and　the

Mission　College　of　San　Jose。　　Their　welcome　at　both　places　seemed

to　Rose　to　be　a　mingling　of　caste　greeting　and　spiritual　zeal；　and

the　austere　seclusion　and　reserve　of　those　cloisters　repeated　that

suggestion　of　an　Old　World　civilization　that　had　already　fascinated

the　young　Western　girl。　　They　made　other　excursions　in　the

vicinity；　but　did　not　extend　it　to　a　visit　to　their　few　neighbors。

With　their　reserved　and　exclusive　ideas　this　fact　did　not　strike

Rose　as　peculiar；　but　on　a　later　shopping　expedition　to　the　town　of

San　Jose；　a　certain　reticence　and　aggressive　sensitiveness　on　the

part　of　the　shopkeepers　and　tradespeople　towards　the　Randolphs

produced　an　unpleasant　impression　on　her　mind。　　She　could　not　help

noticing；　too；　that　after　the　first　stare　of　astonishment　which

greeted　her　appearance　with　her　hostess；　she　herself　was　included　in

the　antagonism。　　With　her　youthful　prepossession　for　her　friends；

this　distinction　she　regarded　as　flattering　and　aristocratic；　and　I

fear　she　accented　it　still　more　by　discussing　with　Mrs。　Randolph　the

merits　of　the　shopkeepers'　wares　in　schoolgirl　French　before　them。

She　was　unfortunate　enough；　however；　to　do　this　in　the　shop　of　a

polyglot　German。



〃Oxcoos　me；　mees；〃　he　said　gravely；〃but　dot　lady　speeks　Engeleesh

so　goot　mit　yourselluf；　and　ven　you　dells　to　her　dot　silk　is　hallf

gotton　in　English；　she　onderstand　you　mooch　better；　and　it　don't

make　nodings　to　me。〃　　The　laugh　which　would　have　followed　from　her

own　countrywomen　did　not；　however；　break　upon　the　trained　faces　of

the　〃de　Fontanges　l'Hommadieus；〃　yet　while　Rose　would　have　joined

in　it；　albeit　a　little　ruefully；　she　felt　for　the　first　time

mortified　at　their　civil　insincerity。



At　the　end　of　two　weeks；　Major　Randolph　received　a　letter　from　Mr。

Mallory。　　When　he　had　read　it；　he　turned　to　his　wife：　〃He　thanks

you；〃　he　said；　〃for　your　kindness　to　his　daughter；　and　explains

that　his　sudden　departure　was　owing　to　the　necessity　of　his　taking

advantage　of　a　great　opportunity　for　speculation　that　had　offered。〃

As　Mrs。　Randolph　turned　away　with　a　slight　shrug　of　the　shoulders；

the　major　continued：　〃But　you　haven't　heard　all！　　That　opportunity

was　the　securing　of　a　half　interest　in　a　cinnabar　lode　in　Sonora；

which　has　already　gone　up　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　his　hands！

By　Jove！　a　man　can　afford　to　drop　a　little　social　ceremony　on　those

termseh；　Josephine？〃　he　concluded　with　a　triumphant　chuckle。



〃He's　as　likely　to　lose　his　hundred　thousand　to…morrow；　while　his

manners　will　remain；〃　said　Mrs。　Randolph。　　〃I've　no　faith　in　these

sudden　California　fortunes！〃



〃You're　wrong　as　regards　Mallory；　for　he's　as　careful　as　he　is

lucky。　　He　don't　throw　money　away　for　appearance　sake；　or　he'd　have

a　rich　home　for　that　daughter。　　He　could　afford　it。〃



Mrs。　Randolph　was　silent。　　〃She　is　his　only　daughter；　I　believe；〃

she　continued　presently。



〃Yeshe　has　no　other　kith　or　kin；〃　returned　the　major。



〃She　seems　to　be　very　much　impressed　by　Emile；〃　said　Mrs。　Randolph。



Major　Randolph　faced　his　wife　quickly。



〃In　the　name　of　all　that's　ridiculous；　my　dear；　you　are　not　already

thinking　of〃he　gasped。



〃I　should　be　very　loth　to　give　MY　sanction　to　anything　of　the　kind；

knowing　the　difference　of　her　birth；　education；　and　religion；

although　the　latter　I　believe　she　would　readily　change；〃　said　Mrs。

Randolph；　severely。　　〃But　when　you　speak　of　MY　already　thinking　of

'such　things；'　do　you　suppose　that　your　friend；　Mr。　Mallory；　didn't

consider　all　that　when　he　sent　that　girl　here？〃



〃Never；〃　said　the　major；　vehemently；　〃and　if　it　entered　his　head

now；　by　Jove；　he'd　take　her　away　to…morrowalways　supposing　I

didn't　anticipate　him　by　sending　her　off　myself。〃



Mrs。　Randolph　uttered　her　mirthless　laugh。　　〃And　you　suppose　the

girl　would　go？　　Really；　major；　you　don't　seem　to　understand　this

boasted　liberty　of　your　own　countrywoman。　　What　does　she　care　for

her　father's　control？　　Why；　she'd　make　him　do　just　what　SHE　wanted。

But；〃　she　added　with　an　expression　of　dignity；　〃perhaps　we　had

better　not　discuss　this　until　we　know　something　of　Emile's　feelings

in　the　matter。　　That　is　the　only　question　that　concerns　us。〃　　With

this　she　swept　out　of　the　room；　leaving　the　major　at　first

speechless　with　honest　indignation；　and　then　after　the　fashion　of

all　guileless　natures；　a　little　uneasy　and　suspicious　of　his　own

guilelessness。　　For　a　day　or　two　after；　he　found　himself；　not

without　a　sensation　of　meanness；　watching　Rose　when　in　Emile's

presence；　but　he　could　distinguish　nothing　more　than　the　frank

satisfaction　she　showed　equally　to　the　others。　　Yet　he　found

himself　regretting　even　that；　so　subtle　was　the　contagion　of　his

wife's　suspicions。





CHAPTER　III





It　had　been　a　warm　morning；　an　unusual　mist；　which　the　sun　had　not

dissipated；　had　crept　on　from　the　great　grain…fields　beyond；　and

hung　around　the　house　charged　with　a　dry；　dusty　closeness　that

seemed　to　be　quite　independent　of　the　sun's　rays；　and　more　like　a

heated　exhalation　or　emanation　of　the　soil　itself。　　In　its　acrid

irritation　Rose　thought　she　could　detect　the　breath　of　the　wheat　as

on　the　day　she　had　plunged　into　its　pale；　green　shadows。　　By　the

afternoon　this　mist　had　disappeared；　apparently　in　the　same

mysterious　manner；　but　not　scattered　by　the　usual　trade…wind；

whichanother　unusual　circumstancethat　day　was　not　forthcoming。

There　was　a　breathlessness　in　the　air　like　the　hush　of　listening

expectancy；　which　filled　the　young　girl　with　a　vague　restlessness；

and　seemed　to　even　affect　a　scattered　company　of　crows　in　the　field

beyond　the　house；　which　rose　suddenly　with　startled　but　aimless

wings；　and　then　dropped　vacantly　among　the　grain　again。



Major　Randolph　was　inspecting　a　distant　part　of　the　ranch；　Mrs。

Randolph　was　presumably　engaged　in　her　boudoir；　and　Rose　was

sitting　between　Adele　and　Emile　before　the　piano　in　the　drawing…

room；　listlessly　turning　over　the　leaves　of　some　music。　　There　had

been　an　odd　mingling　of　eagerness　and　abstraction　in　the　usual

attentions　of　the　young　man　that　morning；　and　a　certain　nervous

affectation　in　his　manner　of　twisting　the　ends　of　a　small　black

moustache；　which　resembled　his　mother's　eyebrows；　that　had　affected

Rose　with　a　half…amused；　half…uneasy　consciousness；　but　which　she

had；　however；　referred　to　the　restlessness　produced　by　the　weather。

It　occurred　to　her　also　that　the　vacuously　amiable　Adele　had　once

or　twice　regarded　her　with　the　same　precocious；　childlike　curiosity

and　infantine　cunning　she　had　once　before　exhibited。　　All　this　did

not；　however；　abate　her　admiration　for　bothperhaps　particularly

for　this　picturesquely　gentlemanly　young　fellow；　with　his　gentle

audacities　of　compliment；　his　caressing　attentions；　and　his

unfailing　and　equal　address。　　And　when；　discovering　that　she　had

mislaid　her　fan　for　the　fifth　time　that　morning；　he　started　up　with

equal　and　undiminished　fire　to　go　again　and　fetch　it；　the　look　of

grateful　pleasure　and　pleading　perplexity　in　her　pretty　eyes　might

have　turned　a　less　conceited　brain　than　his。



〃But　you　don't　know　where　it　is！〃



〃I　shall　find　it　by　instinct。〃



〃You　are　spoiling　meyou　two。〃　　The　parenthesis　was　a　hesitating

addition；　but　she　continued；　with　fresh　sincerity；　〃