a convert of the mission-第4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！



his　first　expression　of　faith；　he　must　〃be　wise　as　the　serpent　and

harmless　as　the　dove。〃　　He　must　work　upon　her　soul　alone；　and

secretly。　　He；　who　would　have　shrunk　from　any　clandestine

association　with　a　girl　from　mere　human　affection；　saw　no　wrong　in

a　covert　intimacy　for　the　purpose　of　religious　salvation。　　Ignorant

as　he　was　of　the　ways　of　the　world；　and　inexperienced　in　the　usages

of　society；　he　began　to　plan　methods　of　secretly　meeting　her　with

all　the　intrigue　of　a　gallant。　　The　perspicacity　as　well　as　the

intuition　of　a　true　lover　had　descended　upon　him　in　this　effort　of

mere　spiritual　conquest。



Armed　with　his　information　and　a　few　Spanish　words；　he　took　the

yellow　Concepcion　aside　and　gravely　suborned　her　to　carry　a　note　to

be　delivered　secretly　to　Miss　Ramirez。　　To　his　great　relief　and

some　surprise　the　old　woman　grinned　with　intelligence；　and　her

withered　hand　closed　with　a　certain　familiar　dexterity　over　the

epistle　and　the　accompanying　gratuity。　　To　a　man　less　naively　one…

ideaed　it　might　have　awakened　some　suspicion；　but　to　the　more

sanguine　hopefulness　of　Masterton　it　only　suggested　the　fancy　that

Concepcion　herself　might　prove　to　be　open　to　conversion；　and　that

he　should　in　due　season　attempt　HER　salvation　also。　　But　that　would

be　later。　　For　Concepcion　was　always　with　him　and　accessible；　the

girl　was　not。



The　note；　which　had　cost　him　some　labor　of　composition；　simple　and

almost　businesslike　as　was　the　result；　ran　as　follows：



〃I　wish　to　see　you　upon　some　matter　of　grave　concern　to　yourself。

Will　you　oblige　me　by　coming　again　to　the　wall　of　the　Mission

tonight　at　early　candlelight？　　It　would　avert　worldly　suspicion　if

you　brought　also　your　guitar。〃



The　afternoon　dragged　slowly　on；　Concepcion　returned；　she　had；　with

great　difficulty；　managed　to　see　the　senorita；　but　not　alone；　she

had；　however；　slipped　the　note　into　her　hand；　not　daring　to　wait

for　an　answer。



In　his　first　hopefulness　Masterton　did　not　doubt　what　the　answer

would　be；　but　as　evening　approached　he　grew　concerned　as　to　the

girl's　opportunities　of　coming；　and　regretted　that　he　had　not　given

her　a　choice　of　time。



Before　his　evening　meal　was　finished　he　began　to　fear　for　her

willingness；　and　doubt　the　potency　of　his　note。　　He　was　accustomed

to　exhort　ORALLYperhaps　he　ought　to　have　waited　for　the　chance　of

SPEAKING　to　her　directly　without　writing。



When　the　moon　rose　he　was　already　in　the　garden。　　Lingering　at

first　in　the　shadow　of　an　olive　tree；　he　waited　until　the　moonbeams

fell　on　the　wall　and　its　crests　of　foliage。　　But　nothing　moved

among　that　ebony　tracery；　his　ear　was　strained　for　the　familiar

tinkle　of　the　guitarall　was　silent。　　As　the　moon　rose　higher　he

at　last　boldly　walked　to　the　wall；　and　listened　for　any　movement　on

the　other　side　of　it。　　But　nothing　stirred。　　She　was　evidently　NOT

cominghis　note　had　failed。



He　was　turning　away　sadly；　but　as　he　faced　his　home　again　he　heard

a　light　laugh　beside　him。　　He　stopped。　　A　black　shadow　stepped　out

from　beneath　his　own　almond　tree。　　He　started　when；　with　a　gesture

that　seemed　familiar　to　him；　the　upper　part　of　the　shadow　seemed　to

fall　away　with　a　long　black　mantilla　and　the　face　of　the　young　girl

was　revealed。



He　could　see　now　that　she　was　clad　in　black　lace　from　head　to　foot。

She　looked　taller；　older；　and　he　fancied　even　prettier　than　before。

A　sudden　doubt　of　his　ability　to　impress　her；　a　swift　realization

of　all　the　difficulties　of　the　attempt；　and；　for　the　first　time

perhaps；　a　dim　perception　of　the　incongruity　of　the　situation　came

over　him。



〃I　was　looking　for　you　on　the　wall；〃　he　stammered。



〃MADRE　DE　DIOS！〃　she　retorted；　with　a　laugh　and　her　old　audacity；

〃you　would　that　I　shall　ALWAYS　hang　there；　and　drop　upon　you　like　a

pear　when　you　shake　the　tree？　　No！〃



〃You　haven't　brought　your　guitar；〃　he　continued；　still　more

awkwardly；　as　he　noticed　that　she　held　only　a　long　black　fan　in　her

hand。



〃For　why？　　You　would　that　I　PLAY　it；　and　when　my　uncle　say　'Where

go　Pepita？　　She　is　loss；'　someone　shall　say；　'Oh！　I　have　hear　her

tink…a…tink　in　the　garden　of　the　Americano；　who　lif　alone。'　　And

thenit　ess　finish！〃



Masterton　began　to　feel　exceedingly　uncomfortable。　　There　was

something　in　this　situation　that　he　had　not　dreamed　of。　　But　with

the　persistency　of　an　awkward　man　he　went　on。



〃But　you　played　on　the　wall　the　other　night；　and　tried　to　accompany

me。〃



〃But　that　was　lass　night　and　on　the　wall。　　I　had　not　speak　to　you；

you　had　not　speak　to　me。　　You　had　not　sent　me　the　leetle　note　by

your　peon。〃　　She　stopped；　and　suddenly　opening　her　fan　before　her

face；　so　that　only　her　mischievous　eyes　were　visible；　added：　〃You

had　not　asked　me　then　to　come　to　hear　you　make　lof　to　me；　Don

Esteban。　　That　is　the　difference。〃



The　circuit　preacher　felt　the　blood　rush　to　his　face。　　Anger；

shame；　mortification；　remorse；　and　fear　alternately　strove　with

him；　but　above　all　and　through　all　he　was　conscious　of　a　sharp；

exquisite　pleasurethat　frightened　him　still　more。　　Yet　he　managed

to　exclaim：



〃No！　no！　You　cannot　think　me　capable　of　such　a　cowardly　trick？〃



The　girl　started；　more　at　the　unmistakable　sincerity　of　his

utterance　than　at　the　words；　whose　full　meaning　she　may　have　only

imperfectly　caught。



〃A　treek？　　A　treek？〃　she　slowly　and　wonderingly　repeated。　　Then

suddenly；　as　if　comprehending　him；　she　turned　her　round　black　eyes

full　upon　him　and　dropped　her　fan　from　her　face。



〃And　WHAT　for　you　ask　me　to　come　here　then？〃



〃I　wanted　to　talk　with　you；〃　he　began；　〃on　far　more　serious

matters。　　I　wished　to〃　but　he　stopped。　　He　could　not　address　this

quaint　child…woman　staring　at　him　in　black…eyed　wonder；　in　either

the　measured　or　the　impetuous　terms　with　which　he　would　have

exhorted　a　maturer　responsible　being。　　He　made　a　step　toward　her；

she　drew　back；　striking　at　his　extended　hand　half　impatiently；　half

mischievously　with　her　fan。



He　flushedand　then　burst　out　bluntly；　〃I　want　to　talk　with　you

about　your　soul。〃



〃My　what？〃



〃Your　immortal　soul；　unhappy　girl。〃



〃What　have　you　to　make　with　that？　　Are　you　a　devil？〃　　Her　eyes　grew

rounder；　though　she　faced　him　boldly。



〃I　am　a　Minister　of　the　Gospel；〃　he　said；　in　hurried　entreaty。

〃You　must　hear　me　for　a　moment。　　I　would　save　your　soul。〃



〃My　immortal　soul　lif　with　the　Padre　at　the　Missionyou　moost　seek

her　there！　　My　mortal　BODY；〃　she　added；　with　a　mischievous　smile；

〃say　to　you；　'good　a'　night；　Don　Esteban。'〃　　She　dropped　him　a

little　curtsy　andran　away。



〃One　moment；　Miss　Ramirez；〃　said　Masterton；　eagerly；　but　she　had

already　slipped　beyond　his　reach。　　He　saw　her　little　black　figure

passing　swiftly　beside　the　moonlit　wall；　saw　it　suddenly　slide　into

a　shadowy　fissure；　and　vanish。



In　his　blank　disappointment　he　could　not　bear　to　re…enter　the　house

he　had　left　so　sanguinely　a　few　moments　before；　but　walked　moodily

in　the　garden。　　His　discomfiture　was　the　more　complete　since　he

felt　that　his　defeat　was　owing　to　some　mistake　in　his　methods；　and

not　the　incorrigibility　of　his　subject。



Was　it　not　a　spiritual　weakness　in　him　to　have　resented　so　sharply

the　girl's　imputation　that　he　wished　to　make　love　to　her？　　He

should　have　borne　it　as　Christians　had　even　before　now　borne

slander　and　false　testimony　for　their　faith！　　He　might　even　have

ACCEPTED　it；　and　let　the　triumph　of　her　conversion　in　the　end　prove

his　innocence。　　Or　was　his　purpose　incompatible　with　that　sisterly

affection　he　had　so　often　preached　to　the　women　of　his　flock？　　He

might　have　taken　her　hand；　and　called　her　〃Sister　Pepita；〃　even　as

he　had　called　Deborah　〃Sister。〃　　He　recalled　the　fact　that　he　had

for　an　instant　held　her　struggling　in　his　arms：　he　remembered　the

thrill　that　the　recollection　had　caused　him；　and　somehow　it　now

sent　a　burning　blush　across　his　face。　　He　hurried　back　into　the

house。



The　next　day　a　thousand　wild　ideas　took　the　place　of　his　former

settled　resolution。　　He　would　seek　the　Padre；　this　custodian　of　the

young　girl's　soul；　he　would　convince　HIM　of　his　error；　or　beseech

him　to　give　him　an　equal　access　to　her　spirit！　　He　would　seek　the

uncle　of　the　girl；　and　work　upon　his　feelings。



Then　for　three　or　four　days　he　resolved　to　put　the　young　girl　from

his　mind；　trusting　after　the　fashion　of　his　kind　for　some　special

revelation　from　a　supreme　source　as　an　indication　for　his　conduct。

This　revelation　presently　occurred；　as　it　is　apt　to　occur　when

wanted。



One　evening　his　heart　leaped　at　the　familiar　sound　of　Pepita's

guitar　in　the　distance。　　Whatever　his　ultimate　intention　now；　he

hurriedly　ran　into　the　garden。　　The　sound　came　from　the　former

direction；　but　as　he　unhesitatingly　approached　the　Mission　wall；　he

could　see　that　she　was　not　upon　it；　and　as　the　notes　of　her　guitar

were　struck　again；　he　knew　that　they　came　from　the　other　side。　　But

the　chords　were　a　prelude　to　one　of　his　own　hymns；　and　he　stood

entranced　as　her　sweet；　childlike　voice　rose　with　the　very　words

that　he　had　sung。　　The　few　defects　were　those　of　purely　oral

imitation；　the　accents；　even　the　slight　reiteration　of　the　〃s；〃

were　Pepita's　own：





　　　　　Cheeldren　oof　the　Heavenly　King；

　　　　　As　ye　journey　essweetly　ssing；

　　　　　Essing　your　great　Redeemer's　praise；

　　　　　Glorioos　in　Hees　works　and　ways。





He　was　astounded。　　Her　recollection　of　the　air　and　words　was　the

more　wonderful；　for　he　remembered　now　that　he　had　only　sung　that

particular　hymn　once。　　But　to　his　still　greater　delight　and

surprise；　her　voice　rose　again　in　the　second　verse；　with　a　touch　of

plaintiveness　that　swelled　his　throat：





　　　　　We　are　traveling　home　to　God；

　　　　　In　the　way　our　farzers　trod；

　　　　　They　are　happy　now；　and　we

　　　　　Soon　their　happiness　shall　see。





The　simple；　almost　childish　wordsso　childish　that　they　might　have

been　the　fi