a ward of the golden gate-第15部分

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astonishment　and　chagrin；　the　colonel　had　objected　vehemently　to
this　〃saddling　of　anybody's　offspring　on　a　gentleman　who　couldn't
defend　himself；〃　and　even　Paul's　explanation　that　the　putative
father　was　a　myth　scarcely　appeased　him。　　But　Paul's　timely
demonstration；　by　relating　the　scene　he　had　witnessed　of　Judge
Baker's　infelicitous　memory；　that　the　secret　was　likely　to　be
revealed　at　any　moment；　and　that　if　the　girl　continued　to　cling　to
her　theory；　as　he　feared　she　would；　even　to　the　parting　with　her
fortune；　they　would　be　forced　to　accept　it；　or　be　placed　in　the
hideous　position　of　publishing　her　disgrace；　at　last　convinced　him。
On　the　other　hand；　there　was　less　danger　of　her　POSITIVE　imposition
being　discovered　than　of　the　VAGUE　AND　IMPOSITIVE　truth。　　The　real
danger　lay　in　the　present　uncertainty　and　mystery；　which　courted
surmise　and　invited　discovery。　　Paul；　himself；　was　willing　to　take
all　the　responsibility；　and　at　last　extracted　from　the　colonel　a
promise　of　passive　assent。　　The　only　revelation　he　feared　was　from
the　interference　of　the　mother；　but　Pendleton　was　strong　in　the
belief　that　she　had　not　only　utterly　abandoned　the　girl　to　the　care
of　her　guardians；　but　that　she　would　never　rescind　her　resolution
to　disclaim　her　relationship；　that　she　had　gone　into　self…exile　for
that　purpose；　and　that　if　she　HAD　changed　her　mind；　he　would　be　the
first　to　know　of　it。　　On　this　day　they　had　parted。　　Meantime；　Paul
had　not　forgotten　another　resolution　he　had　formed　on　his　first
visit　to　the　colonel；　and　had　actually　succeeded　in　getting
legislative　relief　for　the　Golden　Gate　Bank；　and　restoring　to　the
colonel　some　of　his　private　property　that　had　been　in　the　hands　of
a　receiver。

This　had　been　the　background　of　Paul's　meditation；　which　only　threw
into　stronger　relief　the　face　and　figure　that　moved　before　him　as
persistently　as　it　had　once　before　in　the　twilight　of　his　room　at
Rosario。　　There　were　times　when　her　moonlit　face；　with　its　faint；
strange　smile；　stood　out　before　him　as　it　had　stood　out　of　the
shadows　of　the　half…darkened　drawing…room　that　night；　as　he　had
seen　ithe　believed　for　the　last　timeframed　for　an　instant　in
the　parted　curtains　of　the　doorway；　when　she　bade　him　〃Goodnight。〃
For　he　had　never　visited　her　since；　and；　on　the　attainment　of　her
majority；　had　delegated　his　passing　functions　to　Pendleton；　whom　he
had　induced　to　accompany　the　Mayor　to　Santa　Clara　for　the　final　and
formal　ceremony。　　For　the　present　she　need　not　know　how　much　she
had　been　indebted　to　him　for　the　accomplishment　of　her　wishes。

With　a　sigh　he　at　last　recalled　himself　to　his　duty；　and；　drawing
the　pile　of　reports　which　Shear　had　handed　him；　he　began　to　examine
them。　　These；　again；　bore　reference　to　his　silent；　unobtrusive
inquiries。　　In　his　function　as　Chairman　of　Committee　he　had　taken
advantage　of　a　kind　of　advanced　moral　legislation　then　in　vogue；
and　particularly　in　reference　to　a　certain　social　reform；　to
examine　statistics；　authorities；　and　witnesses；　and　in　this
indirect　but　exhaustive　manner　had　satisfied　himself　that　the　woman
〃Kate　Howard；〃　alias　〃Beverly；〃　alias　〃Durfree；〃　had　long　passed
beyond　the　ken　of　local　police　supervision；　and　that　in　the　record
there　was　no　trace　or　indication　of　her　child。　　He　was　going　over
those　infelix　records　of　early　transgressions　with　the　eye　of
trained　experience；　making　notes　from　time　to　time　for　his　official
use；　and　yet　always　watchful　of　his　secret　quest；　when　suddenly　he
stopped　with　a　quickened　pulse。　　In　the　record　of　an　affray　at　a
gambling…house；　one　of　the　parties　had　sought　refuge　in　the　rooms
of　〃Kate　Howard；〃　who　was　represented　before　the　magistrate　by　HER
PROTECTOR；　JUAN　DE　ARGUELLO。　　The　date　given　was　contemporary　with
the　beginning　of　the　Trust；　but　that　proved　nothing。　　But　the　name
had　it　any　significance；　or　was　it　a　grim　coincidence；　that　spoke
even　more　terribly　and　hopelessly　of　the　woman's　promiscuous
frailty？　　He　again　attacked　the　entire　report；　but　there　was　no
other　record　of　her　name。　　Even　that　would　have　passed　any　eye　less
eager　and　watchful　than　his　own。

He　laid　the　reports　aside；　and　took　up　the　proof…slip　again。　　Was
there　any　man　living　but　himself　and　Pendleton　who　would　connect
these　two　statements？　　That　her　relations　with　this　Arguello　were
brief　and　not　generally　known　was　evident　from　Pendleton's
ignorance　of　the　fact。　　But　he　must　see　him　again；　and　at　once。
Perhaps　he　might　have　acquired　some　information　from　Yerba；　the
young　girl　might　have　given　to　his　age　that　confidence　she　had
withheld　from　the　younger　man；　indeed；　he　remembered　with　a　flush
it　was　partly　in　that　hope　he　had　induced　the　colonel　to　go　to
Santa　Clara。　　He　put　the　proof…slip　in　his　pocket　and　stepped　to
the　door　of　the　next　room。

〃You　need　not　write　that　letter　to　Slate；　Tony。　　I　will　see　him
myself。　　I　am　going　to　San　Francisco　to…night。〃

〃And　do　you　want　anything　copied　from　the　reports；　sir？〃

Paul　quickly　swept　them　from　the　table　into　his　drawer；　and　locked
it。　　〃Not　now；　thank　you。　　I'll　finish　my　notes　later。〃

The　next　morning　Paul　was　in　San　Francisco；　and　had　again　crossed
the　portals　of　the　Golden　Gate　Hotel。　　He　had　been　already　told
that　the　doom　of　that　palatial　edifice　was　sealed　by　the　laying　of
the　cornerstone　of　a　new　erection　in　the　next　square　that　should
utterly　eclipse　it；　he　even　fancied　that　it　had　already　lost　its
freshness；　and　its　meretricious　glitter　had　been　tarnished。　　But
when　he　had　ordered　his　breakfast　he　made　his　way　to　the　public
parlor；　happily　deserted　at　that　early　hour。　　It　was　here　that　he
had　first　seen　her。　　She　was　standing　there；　by　that　mirror；　when
their　eyes　first　met　in　a　sudden　instinctive　sympathy。　　She　herself
had　remembered　and　confessed　it。　　He　recalled　the　pleased　yet
conscious；　girlish　superiority　with　which　she　had　received　the
adulation　of　her　friends；　his　memory　of　her　was　broad　enough　now
even　to　identify　Milly；　as　it　repeopled　the　vacant　and　silent　room。

An　hour　later　he　was　making　his　way　to　Colonel　Pendleton's
lodgings；　and　half　expecting　to　find　the　St。　Charles　Hotel　itself
transformed　by　the　eager　spirit　of　improvement。　　But　it　was　still
there　in　all　its　barbaric　and　provincial　incongruity。　　Public
opinion　had　evidently　recognized　that　nothing　save　the　absolute
razing　of　its　warped　and　flimsy　walls　could　effect　a　change；　and
waited　for　it　to　collapse　suddenly　like　the　house　of　cards　it
resembled。　　Paul　wondered　for　a　moment　if　it　were　not　ominous　of
its　lodgers'　hopeless　inability　to　accept　changed　conditions；　and
it　was　with　a　feeling　of　doubt　that　he　even　now　ascended　the
creaking　staircase。　　But　it　was　instantly　dissipated　on　the
threshold　of　the　colonel's　sitting…room　by　the　appearance　of　George
and　his　reception　of　his　master's　guest。

The　grizzled　negro　was　arrayed　in　a　surprisingly　new　suit　of　blue
cloth　with　a　portentous　white　waistcoat　and　an　enormous　crumpled
white　cravat；　that　gave　him　the　appearance　of　suffering　from　a
glandular　swelling。　　His　manner　had；　it　seemed　to　Paul；　advanced　in
exaggeration　with　his　clothes。　　Dusting　a　chair　and　offering　it　to
the　visitor；　he　remained　gracefully　posed　with　his　hand　on　the　back
of　another。

〃Yo'　finds　us　heah　yet；　Marse　Hathaway；〃　he　began；　elegantly　toying
with　an　enormous　silver　watch…chain；　〃fo'　de　Kernel　he　don'　bin
find　contagious　apartments　dat　at　all　approximate；　and　he　don'
build；　for　his　mind's　not　dat　settled　dat　he　ain't　goin'　to
trabbel。　　De　place　is　low　down；　sah；　and　de　fo'ks　is　low　down；　and
dah's　a　heap　o'　white　trash　dat　has　congested　under　de　roof　ob　de
hotel　since　we　came。　　But　we　uses　it　temper'ly；　sah；　fo'　de
present；　and　in　a　dissolutory　fashion。〃

It　struck　Paul　that　the　contiguity　of　a　certain　barber's　shop　and
its　dangerous　reminiscences　had　something　to　do　with　George's　lofty
depreciation　of　his　surroundings；　and　he　could　not　help　saying：

〃Then　you　don't　find　it　necessary　to　have　it　convenient　to　the
barber's　shop　any　more？　　I　am　glad　of　that；　George。〃

The　shot　told。　　The　unfortunate　George；　after　an　endeavor　to
collect　himself　by　altering　his　pose　two　or　three　times　in　rapid
succession；　finally　collapsed；　and；　with　an　air　of　mingled　pain　and
dignity；　but　without　losing　his　ceremonious　politeness　or　unique
vocabulary；　said：

〃Yo'　got　me　dah；　sah！　　Yo'　got　me　dah！　　De　infirmities　o'　human
natcheh；　sah；　is　de　common　p'operty　ob　man；　and　a　gemplum　like
yo'self；　sah；　a　legislato'　and　a　pow'ful　speakah；　is　de　lass　one　to
hol'　it　agin　de　individal　pusson。　　I　confess；　sah；　de　circumstances
was　propiskuous；　de　fees　fahly　good；　and　de　risks　inferior。　　De
gemplum　who　kept　de　shop　was　an　artess　hisself；　and　had　been　niggah
to　Kernel　Henderson　of　Tennessee；　and　do　gemplum　I　relieved　was　a
Mr。　Johnson。　　But　de　Kernel；　he　wouldn't　see　it　in　dat　light；　sah；
and　if　yo'　don'　mind；　sah〃

〃I　haven't　the　slightest　idea　of　telling　the　colonel　or　anybody；
George；〃　said　Paul；　smiling；　〃and　I　am　glad　to　find　on　your　own
account　that　you　are　able　to　put　aside　any　work　beyond　your　duty
here。〃

〃Thank　yo'；　sah。　　If　yo'　'll　let　me　introduce　yo'　to　de
refreshment；　yo'　'll　find　it　all　right　now。　　De　Glencoe　is　dah。　　De
Kernel　will　be　here　soon；　but　he　would　be　pow'ful　mo'tified；　sah；
if　yo'　didn't　hab　something　afo'　he　come。〃　　He　opened　a　well…filled
sideboard　as　he　spoke。　　It　was　the　first　evidence　Paul　had　seen　of
the　colonel's　restored　fortunes。　　He　would　willingly　have　contented
himself　with　this　mere　outward　manifestation；　but　in　his　desire　to
soothe　the　ruffled　dignity　of　the　old　man　he　consented　to　partake
of　a　small　glass　of　spirits。　　George　at　once　became　radiant　and
communicative。　　〃De　Kernel　bin　gone　to　Santa　Clara　to　see　de　young
lady　dat's　finished　her　edercation　dahde　Kernel's　only　ward；　sah。
She's　one　o'　dose　million…heiresses　and　highly　connected；　sah；　wid
de　old　Mexican　Gobbermen；　I　understand。　　And　I　reckon　dey's　bin　big
goin's　on　doun　dar；　foh　de　Mayer　kem　hisself　fo'　de　Kernel。　　Looks
like　des　might　bin　a　proceshon；　sah。　　Yo'　don'　know　of　a　young　lady
bin　hab　a　title；　sah？　　I　won't　be　shuah；　his　Honah　de　Mayer　or　de
Kernel　didn't　say　someting　about　a　'Donna'〃

〃Very　likely；〃　said