the golden fleece-第5部分

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　in　the　Mexican　war；　and　married　a　Mexican　woman；　and　the　Meschines　boy　became　a　professor　in　Yale　College。　　And　now　I　am　going　to　see　one　of　them；　and　you　to　see　the　other。　　Isn't　that　a　coincidence？〃

〃The　first　of　a　long　series；　I　trust。　　Is　this　West…Pointer　a　permanent　settler　here？〃

〃Yes；　for　ever　so　long；twenty　years。　　He's　a　widower；　but　he　has　a　daughter　　Oh；　I　know　you'll　fall　in　love　with　her！〃

〃Is　she　like　you？〃

〃I　don't　know。　　I've　never　seen　her；　or　General　Trednoke　either。〃

〃Come　to　think　of　it；　though；　nobody　is　like　you；　Grace。　　Now；　will　you　be　so　good　as　to　apologize　again？〃

〃Don't　you　think　you're　rather　exacting；　Harvey？〃

However；　the　apology　was　finally　repeated；　and　continued；　more　or　less；　during　the　rest　of　the　voyage；　and　Grace　quite　forgot　that　she　had　never　made　Harvey　tell　what　was　really　the　cause　of　his　coming　to　California。　　But　she；　on　her　side；　had　a　secret。　　She　never　allowed　him　to　suspect　that　the　past　eighteen　months　of　her　life　had　been　passed　as　employee　in　a　New　York　dry…　goods　store。



CHAPTER　III。

General　Trednoke's　house　was　built　by　Spanish　missionaries　in　the　sixteenth　century；　and　in　its　main　features　it　was　little　altered　in　three　hundred　years。　　In　a　climate　where　there　is　no　frost；　walls　of　adobe　last　as　long　as　granite。　　The　house　consisted；　practically；　of　but　one　story；　for　although　there　were　rooms　under　the　roof；　they　were　used　only　for　storage；　no　one　slept　in　them。　　The　plan　of　the　building　was　not　unlike　that　of　a　train　of　railway…cars；　or；　it　might　be　more　appropriate　to　say；　of　emigrant…wagons。　　There　was　a　series　of　rooms；　ranged　in　a　line；　access　to　them　being　had　from　a　narrow　corridor；　which　opened　on　the　rear　veranda。　　Several　of　the　rooms　also　communicated　directly　with　each　other；　and；　through　low　windows；　gave　on　the　veranda　in　front；　for　the　house　was　merely　a　comparatively　narrow　array　of　apartments　between　two　broad　verandas；　where　most　of　the　living；　including　much　of　the　sleeping；　was　done。

Logically；　there　can　be　nothing　uglier　than　a　Spanish…American　dwelling　of　this　type。　　But；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　they　appear　seductively　beautiful。　　The　thick　white　walls　acquire　a　certain　softness　of　tone；　the　surface　scales　off　here　and　there；　and　cracks　and　crevices　appear。　　In　a　damp　country；　like　England；　they　would　soon　become　covered　with　moss；　but　moss　is　not　to　be　had　in　this　region；　though　one　were　to　offer　for　it　the　price　of　the　silk　velvet；　triple　ply；　which　so　much　resembles　it。　　Nevertheless；　there　are　compensations。　　The　soil　is　inexhaustibly　fertile；　and　its　fertility　expresses　itself　in　the　most　inveterate　beauty。　　Such　colors　and　varieties　of　flowers　exist　nowhere　else；　and　they　continue　all　the　year　round。　　Climbing　vines　storm　the　walls；　and　toss　their　green　ladders　all　over　it；　for　beauty　to　walk　up　and　down。　　Huge　jars；　standing　on　the　verandas；　emit　volcanoes　of　lovely　blossoms；　and　vases　swung　from　the　roof　drip　and　overflow　with　others；　as　if　water　had　turned　to　flowers。　　In　the　garden；　which　extends　over　several　acres　at　the　front　of　the　house；　and；　as　it　were；　makes　it　an　island　in　a　gorgeous　sea　of　petals；　there　are　roses；　almonds；　oranges；　vines；　pomegranates；　and　a　hundred　rivals　whose　names　are　unknown　to　the　present　historian；　marching　joyfully　and　triumphantly　through　the　seasons；　as　the　symphony　moves　through　changes　along　its　central　theme。

Everything　that　is　not　an　animal　or　a　mineral　seems　to　be　a　flower。　　There　are　too　many　flowers；or；　rather；　there　is　not　enough　of　anything　else。　　The　faculty　of　appreciation　wearies；　and　at　last　ceases　to　take　note。　　It　is　like　conversing　with　a　person　whose　every　word　is　an　epigram。　　The　senses　have　their　limitations；　and　imagination　and　expectation　are　half　of　beauty　and　delight；　and　the　better　half；　otherwise　we　should　have　no　souls。　　A　single　violet；　discovered　by　chance　in　the　by…ways　of　an　April　forest　in　New　England；　gives　a　pleasure　as　poignant　as；　and　more　spiritual　than；　the　miles　upon　miles　of　Californian　splendors。

Monotony　is　the　ruling　characteristic；　monotony　of　beauty；　monotony　of　desolation；　monotony　even　of　variety。　　The　glorious　blue　overhead　is　monotonous：　as　for　the　thermometer；　it　paces　up　and　down　within　the　narrowest　limits；　like　a　prisoner　in　his　cell；　or　a　meadow…lark　hopping　to　and　fro　in　a　seven…inch　cage。　　The　plan　and　aspect　of　the　buildings　are　monotonous；　and　so　is　the　way　of　life　of　those　who　inhabit　them。　　Fortunately；　the　sun　does　rise　and　set　in　Southern　California：　otherwise　life　there　would　be　at　an　absolute　stand…still；　with　no　past　and　no　future。　　But；　as　it　is；　one　can　look　forward　to　morning；　and　remember　the　evening。

Then；　there　are　the　not　infrequent　but　seldom　very　destructive　earthquakes；　the　occasional　cloud…bursts　and　tornadoes；　sudden　and　violent　as　a　gunpowder…explosion；　and；　finally；　the　astounding　contrast　between　the　fertile　regions　and　the　desert。　　There　are　places　where　you　can　stand　with　one　foot　planted　in　everlasting　sterility　and　the　other　in　immortal　verdure。　　In　the　midst　of　an　arid　and　hopeless　waste；　you　come　suddenly　upon　the　brink　of　a　narrow　ravine；　sharply　defined　as　if　cut　out　with　an　axe；　and　packed　to　the　brim　with　enchanting　and　voluptuous　fertility。　　Or　you　will　come　upon　mountains　which　sweep　upward　out　of　burning　death　into　sumptuous　life。　　When　the　monotony　of　life　meets　the　monotony　of　death；　Southern　California　becomes　a　land　of　contrasts；　and　the　contrasts　themselves　become　monotonous。

General　Trednoke's　ranch　was　very　near　the　borders　of　these　two　mighty　forces。　　An　hour's　easy　ride　would　carry　him　to　a　region　as　barren　and　apparently　as　irreclaimable　as　that　through　which　Childe　Roland　journeyed　in　quest　of　the　Dark　Tower；　lying；　too；　in　a　temperature　so　fiery　that　it　coagulated　the　blood　in　the　veins；　and　stopped　the　beating　of　the　heart。　　Underfoot　were　fine　dust；　and　whitened　bones；　the　air　was　prismatic　and　magical；　ever　conjuring　up　phantom　pictures；　whose　characteristic　was　that　they　were　at　the　farthest　remove　from　any　possible　reality。　　The　azure　sky　descended　and　became　a　lake；　the　pulsations　of　the　atmosphere　translated　themselves　into　the　rhythmic　lapse　of　waves；　spikes　of　sage…　brush　and　blades　of　cactus　became　sylvan　glades；　and　hamlets　cheerful　with　inhabitants。　　Only；　all　was　silent；　and　as　you　drew　near；　the　scene　trembled；　altered；　and　was　gone！

Hideous　black　lizards　and　horned　toads　crawl　and　hop　amid　this　desolation；　and　the　deadly　little　sidewinder　rattlesnake　lies　basking　in　the　blaze　of　sunshine；　which　it　distils　into　venom。　　Sometimes　the　level　plain　is　broken　up　into　savage　ridges　and　awful　canons；　along　whose　arid　bottoms　no　water　streams。　　As　you　stagger　through　their　chaotic　bottoms；　you　see　vast　boulders　poised　overhead；　tottering　to　a　fall；　a　shiver　of　earthquake；　a　breath　of　hurricane；　and　they　come　crashing　and　splintering　in　destruction　down。　　Along　the　sides　of　these　acclivities　extend　long；　level　lines　and　furrows；　marks　of　where　the　ocean　flowed　ages　ago。　　But　sometimes　the　hills　are　but　accumulations　of　desert　dust；　which　shift　slowly　from　place　to　place　under　the　action　of　the　wind；　melting　away　here　to　be　re…erected　yonder；　mounding　themselves；　perhaps；　above　a　living　and　struggling　human　being；　to　move　forward；　anon；　leaving　where　he　was　a　little　heap　of　withered　bones。　　A　fearful　place　is　this　broad　abyss；　where　once　murmured　the　waters　of　a　prehistoric　sea。　　Let　us　return　to　the　cool　and　fragrant　security　of　the　general's　ranch。

At　right　angles　to　the　main　body　of　the　house　extend　two　wings；　thus　forming　three　sides　of　a　square；　the　interior　of　which　is　the　court…yard。　　Here　the　business　of　the　establishment　is　conducted。　　It　is　the　liveliest　spot　on　the　premises；　though　it　is　liveliness　of　a　very　indolent　sort。　　The　veranda　built　around　these　sides　is　twenty　feet　in　breadth；　paved　with　tiles　that　have　been　worn　into　hollows　by　innumerable　lazy　footsteps；　mostly　shoeless；　for　this　side　of　the　house　is　frequented　chiefly　by　the　servants　of　the　place；　who　are　Mexican　Indians。　　Ancient　wooden　settles　are　bolted　to　the　walls；　from　hooks　hang　Indian　baskets　of　bright　colors；　in　one　corner　are　stretched　raw　hides；　which　serve　as　beds。　　Small　brown　children；　half　naked；　trot；　clamber；　and　crawl　about。　　Black…haired；　swarthy　women　squat　on　the　tiled　floor；　pursuing　their　vocations；　or；　often；　doing　nothing　at　all　beyond　continuing　a　placid　organic　existence。　　Boys　and　men　saunter　in　and　out　of　the　court…yard；　chatting　or　calling　in　their　musical　patois；　once　in　a　while　there　is　a　thud　and　clatter　of　hoofs；　a　rider　arriving　or　departing。　　It　is　an　entertaining　scene；　charming　in　its　monotony　of　small　changes　and　evolutions；　you　can　sit　watching　it　in　a　half…doze　for　twenty　years　at　a　stretch；　and　it　may　seem　only　as　many　minutes；　or　vice　versa。

Most　of　the　rooms　in　the　wings　are　used　for　the　kitchens　and　other　servants'　quarters；　but　one　large　chamber　is　devoted　to　a　special　purpose　of　the　general's　own：　it　is　a　museum；　the　Curiosity…Room；　he　calls　it。　　It　is　lighted　by　two　windows　opening　on　opposite　sides；　one　on　the　court…yard；　the　other　on　an　orange　grove　at　the　south　end　of　the　house。　　Besides　being；　in　itself；　a　cool　and　pleasant　spot；　it　is　full　of　interest　to　any　one　who　cares　about　the　relics　and　antiquities　of　an　ancient　and　vanishing　race；　concerning　whom　little　is　or　ever　will　be　known。　　There　are　two　students　in　it　at　this　moment；　though　whether　they　are　studying　antiquities　is　another　matter。　　Let　us　give　ear　to　their　discourse　and　be　instructed。

〃But　this　was　made　for　you　to　wear；　Miss　Trednoke。　　Try　it。　　It　fits　you　perfectly；　you　see。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　about　your　being　a　princess；　now！〃

〃I　sometimes　feel　it；here！〃　she　said；　putting　her　hand　on　her　bosom。　　She　was　looking　at　him　as　she　said　it；　but　her　eyes；　instead　of　any　longer　meeting　his；　seemed　to　turn　their　regard　inward；　and　to　traverse　strange　regions；　not　of　this　world。　　〃I　see　some　one　who　is　myself；　though　I　can　never　have　been　she：　she　is　surrounded　with　brightness；　and　people　not　like　ours；　she　thinks　of　things　that　I　have　never　known。　　It　is　the　memory　of　a　dream；　I　suppose；〃　she　added；　in　another　tone。

〃Heredity　is　a　queer　thing。　　You　may　be　Aztecan　over　ag