the story of a mine-第9部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！







The　house　that　Royal　Thatcher　so　informally　quitted　in　his　exodus

to　the　promised　land　of　Biggs　was　one　of　those　oversized；　under…

calculated　dwellings　conceived　and　erected　in　the　extravagance　of

the　San　Francisco　builder's　hopes；　and　occupied　finally　in　his

despair。　　Intended　originally　as　the　palace　of　some　inchoate

California　Aladdin；　it　usually　ended　as　a　lodging　house　in　which

some　helpless　widow　or　hopeless　spinster　managed　to　combine

respectability　with　the　hard　task　of　bread　getting。



Thatcher's　landlady　was　one　of　the　former　class。　　She　had

unfortunately　survived　not　only　her　husband　but　his　property；　and；

living　in　some　deserted　chamber；　had；　after　the　fashion　of　the

Italian　nobility；　let　out　the　rest　of　the　ruin。　　A　tendency　to　dwell

upon　these　facts　gave　her　conversation　a　peculiar　significance　on

the　first　of　each　month。　　Thatcher　had　noticed　this　with　the

sensitiveness　of　an　impoverished　gentleman。　　But　when；　a　few　days

after　her　lodger's　sudden　disappearance；　a　note　came　from　him

containing　a　draft　in　noble　excess　of　all　arrears　and　charges；　the

widow's　heart　was　lifted；　and　the　rock　smitten　with　the　golden　wand

gushed　beneficence　that　shone　in　a　new　gown　for　the　widow　and　a　new

suit　for　〃Johnny；〃　her　son；　a　new　oil　cloth　in　the　hall；　better

service　to　the　lodgers；　and；　let　us　be　thankful；　a　kindlier

consideration　for　the　poor　little　black…eyed　painter　from　Monterey；

then　dreadfully　behind　in　her　room　rent。　　For；　to　tell　the　truth；

the　calls　upon　Miss　De　Haro's　scant　purse　by　her　uncle　had　lately

been　frequent；　perjury　having　declined　in　the　Monterey　market；

through　excessive　and　injudicious　supply；　until　the　line　of

demarcation　between　it　and　absolute　verity　was　so　finely　drawn　that

Victor　Garcia　had　remarked　that　〃he　might　as　well　tell　the　truth　at

once　and　save　his　soul；　since　the　devil　was　in　the　market。〃



Mistress　Plodgitt；　the　landlady；　could　not　resist　the　desire　to

acquaint　Carmen　De　Haro　with　her　good　fortune。　　〃He　was　always　a

friend　of　yours；　my　dear；and　I　know　him　to　be　a　gentleman　that

would　never　let　a　poor　widow　suffer；　and　see　what　he　says　about

you！〃　　Here　she　produced　Thatcher's　note　and　read：　〃Tell　my　little

neighbor　that　I　shall　come　back　soon　to　carry　her　and　her　sketching

tools　off　by　force；　and　I　shall　not　let　her　return　until　she　has

caught　the　black　mountains　and　the　red　rocks　she　used　to　talk

about；　and　put　the　'Blue　Mass'　mill　in　the　foreground　of　the

picture　I　shall　order。〃



What　is　this；　little　one？　　Surely；　Carmen；　thou　needst　not　blush　at

this；　thy　first　grand　offer。　　Holy　Virgin！　is　it　of　a　necessity

that　thou　shouldst　stick　the　wrong　end　of　thy　brush　in　thy　mouth；

and　then　drop　it　in　thy　lap？　　Or　was　it　taught　thee　by　the　good

Sisters　at　the　convent　to　stride　in　that　boyish　fashion　to　the　side

of　thy　elders　and　snatch　from　their　hands　the　missive　thou　wouldst

read？　　More　of　this　we　would　know；　O　Carmen；smallest　of

brunettes；speak；　little　one；　even　in　thine　own　melodious　speech；

that　I　may　commend　thee　and　thy　rare　discretion　to　my　own　fair

countrywomen。



Alas；　neither　the　present　chronicler　nor　Mistress　Plodgitt　got　any

further　information　from　the　prudent　Carmen；　and　must　fain

speculate　upon　certain　facts　that　were　already　known。



Mistress　Carmen's　little　room　was　opposite　to　Thatcher's；　and　once

or　twice；　the　doors　being　open；　Thatcher　had　a　glimpse　across　the

passage　of　a　black…haired　and　a　sturdy；　boyish　little　figure　in　a

great　blue　apron；　perched　on　a　stool　before　an　easel；　and　on　the

other　hand；　Carmen　had　often　been　conscious　of　the　fumes　of　a

tobacco　pipe　penetrating　her　cloistered　seclusion；　and　had　seen

across　the　passage；　vaguely　enveloped　in　the　same　nicotine　cloud；

an　American　Olympian；　in　a　rocking　chair；　with　his　feet　on　the

mantel　shelf。　　They　had　once　or　twice　met　on　the　staircase；　on

which　occasion　Thatcher　had　greeted　her　with　a　word　or　two　of

respectful　yet　half…humorous　courtesy；a　courtesy　which　never

really　offends　a　true　woman；　although　it　often　piques　her　self…

aplomb　by　the　slight　assumption　of　superiority　in　the　humorist。

A　woman　is　quick　to　recognize　the　fact　that　the　great　and　more

dangerous　passions　are　always　SERIOUS；　and　may　be　excused　if　in

self…respect　she　is　often　induced　to　try　if　there　be　not　somewhere

under　the　skin　of　this　laughing　Mercutio　the　flesh　and　blood　of　a

Romeo。　　Thatcher　was　by　nature　a　defender　and　protector；　weakness；

and　weakness　alone；　stirred　the　depths　of　his　tenderness；often；　I

fear；　only　through　its　half…humorous　aspects；and　on　this　plane　he

was　pleased　to　place　women　and　children。　　I　mention　this　fact　for

the　benefit　of　the　more　youthful　members　of　my　species；　and　am

satisfied　that　an　unconditional　surrender　and　the　complete　laying

down　at　the　feet　of　Beauty　of　all　strong　masculinity　is　a　cheap

Gallicism　that　is　untranslatable　to　most　women　worthy　the　winning。


For　a　woman　MUST　always　look　up　to　the　man　she　truly　loves；even

if　she　has　to　go　down　on　her　knees　to　do　it。



Only　the　masculine　reader　will　infer　from　this　that　Carmen　was　in

love　with　Thatcher；　the　more　critical　and　analytical　feminine　eye

will　see　nothing　herein　that　might　not　have　happened　consistently

with　friendship。　　For　Thatcher　was　no　sentimentalist；　he　had　hardly

paid　a　compliment　to　the　girl；even　in　the　unspoken　but　most

delicate　form　of　attention。　　There　were　days　when　his　room　door　was

closed；　there　were　days　succeeding　these　blanks　when　he　met　her　as

frankly　and　naturally　as　if　he　had　seen　her　yesterday。　　Indeed；　on

those　days　following　his　flight　the　simple…minded　Carmen；　being

awareheaven　knows　howthat　he　had　not　opened　his　door　during

that　period；　and　fearing　sickness；　sudden　death；　or　perhaps

suicide；　by　her　appeals　to　the　landlady；　assisted　unwittingly　in

discovering　his　flight　and　defection。　　As　she　was　for　a　few　moments

as　indignant　as　Mrs。　Plodgitt；　it　is　evident　that　she　had　but

little　sympathy　with　the　delinquent。　　And　besides；　hitherto　she　had

known　only　Concho；　her　earliest　friend；　and　was　true　to　his　memory；

as　against　all　Americanos；　whom　she　firmly　believed　to　be　his

murderers。



So　she　dismissed　the　offer　and　the　man　from　her　mind；　and　went　back

to　her　painting；a　fancy　portrait　of　the　good　Padre　Junipero

Serra；　a　great　missionary；　who；　haply　for　the　integrity　of　his

bones　and　character；　died　some　hundred　years　before　the　Americans

took　possession　of　California。　　The　picture　was　fair　but

unsaleable；　and　she　began　to　think　seriously　of　sign　painting；

which　was　then　much　more　popular　and　marketable。　　An　unfinished

head　of　San　Juan　de　Bautista；　artificially　framed　in　clouds；　she

disposed　of　to　a　prominent　druggist　for　50；　where　it　did　good

service　as　exhibiting　the　effect　of　four　bottles　of　〃Jones's

Freckle　Eradicator；〃　and　in　a　pleasant　and　unobtrusive　way　revived

the　memory　of　the　saint。　　Still；　she　felt　weary　and　was　growing

despondent；　and　had　a　longing　for　the　good　Sisters　and　the

blameless　lethargy　of　conventual　life；　and　then



He　came！



But　not　as　the　Prince　should　come；　on　a　white　charger；　to　carry

away　this　cruelly…abused　and　enchanted　damsel。　　He　was　sunburned；

he　was　bearded　like　〃the　pard〃；　he　was　a　little　careless　as　to　his

dress；　and　pre…occupied　in　his　ways。　　But　his　mouth　and　eyes　were

the　same；　and　when　he　repeated　in　his　old　frank；　half…mischievous

way　the　invitation　of　his　letter；　poor　little　Carmen　could　only

hesitate　and　blush。



A　thought　struck　him　and　sent　the　color　to　his　face。　　Your

gentleman　born　is　always　as　modest　as　a　woman。　　He　ran　down　stairs；

and　seizing　the　widowed　Plodgitt；　said　hastily：



〃You're　just　killing　yourself　here。　　Take　a　change。　　Come　down　to

Monterey　for　a　day　or　two　with　me；　and　bring　miss　De　Haro　with　you

for　company。〃



The　old　lady　recognized　the　situation。　　Thatcher　was　now　a　man　of

vast　possibilities。　　In　all　maternal　daughters　of　Eve　there　is　the

slightest　bit　of　the　chaperone　and　match…maker。　　It　is　the　last　way

of　reviving　the　past。



She　consented；　and　Carmen　De　Haro　could　not　well　refuse。



The　ladies　found　the　〃Blue　Mass〃　mills　very　much　as　Thatcher　had

previously　delivered　it　to　them；　〃a　trifle　rough　and　mannish。〃　　But

he　made　over　to　them　the　one　tenement　reserved　for　himself；　and

slept　with　his　men；　or　more　likely　under　the　trees。　　At　first　Mrs。

Plodgitt　missed　gas　and　running　water；　and　these　several

conveniences　of　civilization；　among　which　I　fear　may　be　mentioned

sheets　and　pillow　cases；　but　the　balsam　of　the　mountain　air　soothed

her　neuralgia　and　her　temper。　　As　for　Carmen；　she　rioted　in　the

unlimited　license　of　her　absolute　freedom　from　conventional

restraint　and　the　indulgence　of　her　child…like　impulses。　　She

scoured　the　ledges　far　and　wide　alone；　she　dipped　into　dark　copses；

and　scrambled　over　sterile　patches　of　chemisal；　and　came　back　laden

with　the　spoil　of　buckeye　blossoms；　manzanita　berries　and　laurel。

But　she　would　not　make　a　sketch　of　the　〃Blue　Mass　Company's〃　mills

on　a　Mercator's　projectionsomething　that　could　be　afterwards

lithographed　or　chromoed；　with　the　mills　turning　out　tons　of

quicksilver　through　the　energies　of　a　happy　and　picturesque

assemblage　of　minerseven　to　please　her　padrone；　Don　Royal

Thatcher。　　On　the　contrary；　she　made　a　study　of　the　ruins　of　the

crumbled　and　decayed　red…rock　furnace；　with　the　black　mountain

above　it；　and　the　light　of　a　dying　camp　fire　shining　upon　it；　and

the　dull…red　excavations　in　the　ledge。　　But　even　this　did　not

satisfy　her　until　she　had　made　some　alterations；　and　when　she

finally　brought　her　finished　study　to　Don　Royal；　she　looked　at　him

a　little　defiantly。　　Thatcher　admired　honestly；　and　then　criticised

a　little　humorously　and　dishonestly。　　〃But　couldn't　you；　for　a

consideration；　put　up　a　sign…board　on　that　rock　with　the

inscription；　'Road　to　the　Blue　Mass　Company's　new　mills　to　the

right；'　and　combine　business　with　art？　　Tha