a sappho of green springs-第32章

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INDISCRETION　that　she　may　commit　in　the　presence　of　these　strangers

whose　company　she　would　seem　to　prefer　to　ours。〃



〃But　I　don't　understand　you；　madam；〃　said　Mallory；　sternly；　〃you

are　speaking　of　my　daughter；　and〃



〃Excuse　me；　Mr。　Mallory；〃　said　Mrs。　Randolph；　lifting　her　hand　with

her　driest　deprecation　and　her　most　desiccating　smile；　〃I'm　not

passing　judgment　or　criticism。　　I　am　of　a　foreign　race；　and

consequently　do　not　understand　the　freedom　of　American　young

ladies；　and　their　familiarity　with　the　opposite　sex。　　I　make　no

charges；　I　only　wish　to　assure　you　that　she　will　no　doubt　be　found

in　the　company　and　under　the　protection　of　her　own　countrymen。

There　is；〃　she　added　with　ironical　distinctness；　〃a　young　mechanic；

or　field　hand；　or　'quack　well…doctor；'　whom　she　seems　to　admire；

and　with　whom　she　appears　to　be　on　equal　terms。〃



Mallory　regarded　her　for　a　moment　fixedly；　and　then　his　sternness

relaxed　to　a　mischievously　complacent　smile。　　〃That　must　be　young

Bent；　of　whom　I've　heard；〃　he　said　with　unabated　cheerfulness。

〃And　I　don't　know　but　what　she　may　be　with　him；　after　all。　　For　now

I　think　of　it；　a　chuckle…headed　fellow；　of　whom　a　moment　ago　I

inquired　the　way　to　your　house；　told　me　I'd　better　ask　the　young

man　and　young　woman　who　were　'philandering　through　the　wheat'

yonder。　　Suppose　we　look　for　them。　　From　what　I've　heard　of　Bent

he's　too　much　wrapped　up　in　his　inventions　for　flirtation；　but　it

would　be　a　good　joke　to　stumble　upon　them。〃



Mrs。　Randolph's　eyes　sparkled　with　a　mingling　of　gratified　malice

and　undisguised　contempt　for　the　fatuous　father　beside　her。　　But

before　she　could　accept　or　decline　the　challenge；　it　had　become

useless。　　A　murmur　of　youthful　voices　struck　her　ear；　and　she

suddenly　stood　upright　and　transfixed　in　the　carriage。　　For

lounging　down　slowly　towards　them　out　of　the　dim　green　aisles　of

the　arbored　wheat；　lost　in　themselves　and　the　shimmering　veil　of

their　seclusion；　came　the　engineer；　Thomas　Bent；　and　on　his　arm；

gazing　ingenuously　into　his　face；　the　figure　of　Adele；her　own

perfect　daughter。





〃I　don't　think；　my　dear；〃　said　Mr。　Mallory；　as　the　anxious　Rose

flew　into　his　arms　on　his　return　to　San　Jose；　a　few　hours　later；

〃that　it　will　be　necessary　for　you　to　go　back　again　to　Major

Randolph's　before　we　leave。　　I　have　said　'Good…by'　for　you　and

thanked　them；　and　your　trunks　are　packed　and　will　be　sent　here。

The　fact　is；　my　dear；　you　see　this　affair　of　the　earthquake　and　the

disaster　to　the　artesian　well　have　upset　all　their　arrangements；

and　I　am　afraid　that　my　little　girl　would　be　only　in　their　way　just

now。〃



〃And　you　have　seen　Mr。　Dawsonand　you　know　why　he　sent　for　you？〃

asked　the　young　girl；　with　nervous　eagerness。



〃Ah；　yes；〃　said　Mr。　Mallory　thoughtfully；　〃THAT　was　really

important。　　You　see；　my　child；〃　he　continued；　taking　her　hand　in

one　of　his　own　and　patting　the　back　of　it　gently　with　the　other；

〃we　think；　Dawson　and　I；　of　taking　over　the　major's　ranch　and

incorporating　it　with　the　Excelsior　in　one；　to　be　worked　on　shares

like　the　Excelsior；　and　as　Mrs。　Randolph　is　very　anxious　to　return

to　the　Atlantic　States　with　her　children；　it　is　quite　possible。

Mrs。　Randolph；　as　you　have　possibly　noticed；〃　Mr。　Mallory　went　on；

still　patting　his　daughter's　hand；　〃does　not　feel　entirely　at　home

here；　and　will　consequently　leave　the　major　free　to　rearrange；　by

himself；　the　ranch　on　the　new　basis。　　In　fact；　as　the　change　must

be　made　before　the　crops　come　in；　she　talks　of　going　next　week。

But　if　you　like　the　place；　Rose；　I've　no　doubt　the　major　and　Dawson

will　always　find　room　for　you　and　me　when　we　run　down　there　for　a

little　fresh　air。〃



〃And　did　you　have　all　that　in　your　mind；　papa；　when　you　came　down

here；　and　was　that　what　you　and　Mr。　Dawson　wanted　to　talk　about？〃

said　the　astonished　Rose。



〃Mainly；　my　dear；　mainly。　　You　see　I'm　a　capitalist　now；　and　the

real　value　of　capital　is　to　know　how　and　when　to　apply　it　to

certain　conditions。〃



〃And　this　Mr。Mr。　Bentdo　you　thinkhe　will　go　on　and　find　the

water；　papa？〃　said　Rose；　hesitatingly。



〃Ah！　BentTom　Bentoh；　yes；〃　said　Mallory；　with　great　heartiness。

〃Capital　fellow；　Bent！　and　mighty　ingenious！　　Glad　you　met　him！

Well；〃　thoughtfully　but　still　heartily；　〃he　may　not　find　it　exactly

where　he　expected；　but　he'll　find　it　or　something　better。　　We　can't

part　with　him；　and　he　has　promised　Dawson　to　stay。　　We'll　utilize

HIM；　you　may　be　sure。〃



It　would　seem　that　they　did；　and　from　certain　interviews　and

conversations　that　took　place　between　Mr。　Bent　and　Miss　Mallory　on

a　later　visit；　it　would　also　appear　that　her　father　had　exercised　a

discreet　reticence　in　regard　to　a　certain　experiment　of　the　young

inventor；　of　which　he　had　been　an　accidental　witness。







A　MAECENAS　OF　THE　PACIFIC　SLOPE





CHAPTER　I





As　Mr。　Robert　Rushbrook；　known　to　an　imaginative　press　as　the

〃Maecenas　of　the　Pacific　Slope；〃　drove　up　to　his　country　seat；

equally　referred　to　as　a　〃palatial　villa；〃　he　cast　a　quick　but

practical　look　at　the　pillared　pretensions　of　that　enormous　shell

of　wood　and　paint　and　plaster。　　The　statement；　also　a　reportorial

one；　that　its　site；　the　Canyon　of　Los　Osos；　〃some　three　years　ago

was　disturbed　only　by　the　passing　tread　of　bear　and　wild…cat；〃　had

lost　some　of　its　freshness　as　a　picturesque　apology；　and　already

successive　improvements　on　the　original　building　seemingly　cast　the

older　part　of　the　structure　back　to　a　hoary　antiquity。　　To　many　it

stood　as　a　symbol　of　everything　Robert　Rushbrook　did　or　had　done

an　improvement　of　all　previous　performances；　it　was　like　his　own

lifean　exciting　though　irritating　state　of　transition　to

something　better。　　Yet　the　visible　architectural　result；　as　here

shown；　was　scarcely　harmonious；　indeed；　some　of　his　friendsand

Maecenas　had　manyprofessed　to　classify　the　various　improvements

by　the　successive　fortunate　ventures　in　their　owner's　financial

career；　which　had　led　to　new　additions；　under　the　names；　of　〃The

Comstock　Lode　Period；〃　〃The　Union　Pacific　Renaissance；〃　〃The　Great

Wheat　Corner；〃　and　〃Water　Front　Gable　Style；〃　a　humorous　trifling

that　did　not；　however；　prevent　a　few　who　were　artists　from

accepting　Maecenas's　liberal　compensation　for　their　services　in

giving　shape　to　those　ideas。



Relinquishing　to　a　groom　his　fast…trotting　team；　the　second　relay

in　his　two　hours'　drive　from　San　Francisco；　he　leaped　to　the　ground

to　meet　the　architect；　already　awaiting　his　orders　in　the

courtyard。　　With　his　eyes　still　fixed　upon　the　irregular　building

before　him；　he　mingled　his　greeting　and　his　directions。



〃Look　here；　Barker；　we'll　have　a　wing　thrown　out　here；　and　a

hundred…foot　ballroom。　　Something　to　hold　a　crowd；　something　that

can　be　used　for　musicsabe？a　concert；　or　a　show。〃



〃Have　you　thought　of　any　style；　Mr。　Rushbrook？〃　suggested　the

architect。



〃No；〃　said　Rushbrook；　〃I've　been　thinking　of　the　timethirty　days；

and　everything　to　be　in。　　You'll　stop　to　dinner。　　I'll　have　you　sit

near　Jack　Somers。　　You　can　talk　style　to　him。　　Say　I　told　you。〃



〃You　wish　it　completed　in　thirty　days？〃　repeated　the　architect；

dubiously。



〃Well；　I　shouldn't　mind　if　it　were　less。　　You　can　begin　at　once。

There's　a　telegraph　in　the　house。　　Patrick　will　take　any　message；

and　you　can　send　up　to　San　Francisco　and　fix　things　before　dinner。〃



Before　the　man　could　reply；　Rushbrook　was　already　giving　a　hurried

interview　to　the　gardener　and　others　on　his　way　to　the　front　porch。

In　another　moment　he　had　entered　his　own　hall；a　wonderful　temple

of　white　and　silver　plaster；　formal；　yet　friable　like　the　sugared

erection　of　a　wedding　cake；where　his　major…domo　awaited　him。



〃Well；　who's　here？〃　asked　Rushbrook；　still　advancing　towards　his

apartments。



〃Dinner　is　set　for　thirty；　sir；〃　said　the　functionary；　keeping　step

demurely　with　his　master；　〃but　Mr。　Appleby　takes　ten　over　to　San

Mateo；　and　some　m