a sappho of green springs-第23部分
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have some one of her own kin to talk to; yet she knew not what to
say to him if he had come。 She wanted somebody to sympathize with
her feelings;or rather; perhaps; some one to combat and even
ridicule the uneasiness that had lately come over her。 She knew
what her father would say;〃Do you want to go; or do you want to
stay here? Do you like these people; or do you not?〃 She
remembered the one or two glowing and enthusiastic accounts she had
written him of her visit here; and felt herself blushing again。
What would he think of Mrs。 Randolph's opening and answering the
telegram? Wouldn't he find out from the major if she had garbled
the sense of his dispatch?
Away to the right; in the midst of the distant and invisible wheat…
field; there was the same intermittent star; which like a living;
breathing thing seemed to dilate in glowing respiration; as she had
seen it the first night of her visit。 Mr。 Bent's forge! It must
be nearly daylight now; the poor fellow had been up all night; or
else was stealing this early march on the day。 She recalled
Adele's sudden eulogium of him。 The first natural smile that had
come to her lips since the earthquake broke up her nervous
restraint; and sent her back more like her old self to her couch。
But she had not proceeded far towards the tent; when she heard the
sound of low voices approaching her。 It was the major and his
wife; who; like herself; had evidently been unable to sleep; and
were up betimes。 A new instinct of secretiveness; which she felt
was partly the effect of her artificial surrounding; checked her
first natural instinct to call to them; and she drew back deeper in
the shadow to let them pass。 But to her great discomfiture the
major in a conversational emphasis stopped directly in front of
her。
〃You are wrong; I tell you; a thousand times wrong。 The girl is
simply upset by this earthquake。 It's a great pity her father
didn't come instead of telegraphing。 And by Jove; rather than hear
any more of this; I'll send for him myself;〃 said the major; in an
energetic but suppressed voice。
〃And the girl won't thank you; and you'll be a fool for your
pains;〃 returned Mrs。 Randolph; with dry persistency。
〃But according to your own ideas of propriety; Mallory ought to be
the first one to be consultedand by me; too。〃
〃Not in this case。 Of course; before any actual engagement is on;
you can speak of Emile's attentions。〃
〃But suppose Mallory has other views。 Suppose he declines the
honor。 The man is no fool。〃
〃Thank you。 But for that very reason he must。 Listen to me;
major; if he doesn't care to please his daughter for her own sake;
he will have to do so for the sake of decency。 Yes; I tell you;
she has thoroughly compromised herselfquite enough; if it is ever
known; to spoil any other engagement her father may make。 Why; ask
Adele! The day of the earthquake she ABSOLUTELY had the audacity
to send him out of the room upstairs into your study for her fan;
and then follow him up there alone。 The servants knew it。 I knew
it; for I was in her room at the time with Father Antonio。 The
earthquake made it plain to everybody。 Decline it! No。 Mr。
Mallory will think twice about it before he does that。 What's
that? Who's there?〃
There was a sudden rustle in the bushes like the passage of some
frightened animaland then all was still again。
CHAPTER V
The sun; an hour high; but only just topping the greenish crests of
the wheat; was streaming like the morning breeze through the open
length of Tom Bent's workshed。 An exaggerated and prolonged shadow
of the young inventor himself at work beside his bench was
stretching itself far into the broken…down ranks of stalks towards
the invisible road; and falling at the very feet of Rose Mallory as
she emerged from them。
She was very pale; very quiet; and very determined。 The traveling
mantle thrown over her shoulders was dusty; the ribbons that tied
her hat under her round chin had become unloosed。 She advanced;
walking down the line of shadow directly towards him。
〃I am afraid I will have to trouble you once more;〃 she said with
a faint smile; which did not; however; reach her perplexed eyes。
〃Could you give me any kind of a conveyance that would take me to
San Jose at once?〃
The young man had started at the rustling of her dress in the
shavings; and turned eagerly。 The faintest indication of a loss of
interest was visible for an instant in his face; but it quickly
passed into a smile of recognition。 Yet she felt that he had
neither noticed any change in her appearance; nor experienced any
wonder at seeing her there at that hour。
〃I did not take a buggy from the house;〃 she went on quickly; 〃for
I left early; and did not want to disturb them。 In fact; they
don't know that I am gone。 I was worried at not hearing news from
my father in San Francisco since the earthquake; and I thought I
would run down to San Jose to inquire without putting them to any
trouble。 Anything will do that you have ready; if I can take it at
once。〃
Still without exhibiting the least surprise; Bent nodded
affirmatively; put down his tools; begged her to wait a moment; and
ran off in the direction of the cabin。 As he disappeared behind
the wheat; she lapsed quite suddenly against the work bench; but
recovered herself a moment later; leaning with her back against it;
her hands grasping it on either side; and her knit brows and
determined little face turned towards the road。 Then she stood
erect again; shook the dust out of her skirts; lifted her veil;
wiped her cheeks and brow with the corner of a small handkerchief;
and began walking up and down the length of the shed as Bent
reappeared。
He was accompanied by the man who had first led her through the
wheat。 He gazed upon her with apparently all the curiosity and
concern that the other had lacked。
〃You want to get to San Jose as quick as you can?〃 he said
interrogatively。
〃Yes;〃 she said quickly; 〃if you can help me。〃
〃You walked all the way from the major's here?〃 he continued;
without taking his eyes from her face。
〃Yes;〃 she answered with an affectation of carelessness she had not
shown to Bent。 〃But I started very early; it was cool and
pleasant; and didn't seem far。〃
〃I'll put you down in San Jose inside the hour。 You shall have my
horse and trotting sulky; and I'll drive you myself。 Will that
do?〃
She looked at him wonderingly。 She had not forgotten his previous
restraint and gravity; but now his face seemed to have relaxed with
some humorous satisfaction。 She felt herself coloring slightly;
but whether with shame or relief she could not tell。
〃I shall be so much obliged to you;〃 she replied hesitatingly; 〃and
so will my father; I know。〃
〃I reckon;〃 said the man with the same look of amused conjecture;
then; with a quick; assuring nod; he turned away; and dived into
the wheat again。
〃You're all right now; Miss Mallory;〃 said Bent; complacently。
〃Dawson will fix it。 He's got a good horse; and he's a good
driver; too。〃 He paused; and then added pleasantly; 〃I suppose
they're all well up at the house?〃
It was so evident that his remark carried no personal meaning to
herself that she was obliged to answer carelessly; 〃Oh; yes。〃
〃I suppose you see a good deal of Miss RandolphMiss Adele; I
think you call her?〃 he remarked tentatively; and with a certain
boyish enthusiasm; which she had never conceived possible to his
nature。
〃Yes;〃 she replied a little dryly; 〃she is the only young lady
there。〃 She stopped; remembering Adele's naive description of the
man before her; and said abruptly; 〃You know her; then?〃
〃A little;〃 replied the young man; modestly。 〃I see her pretty
often when I am passing the upper end of the ranch。 She's very
well brought up; and her manners are very refineddon't you think
so?and yet she's just as simple and natural as a country girl。
There's a great deal in education after all; isn't there?〃 he went
on confidentially; 〃and although〃he lowered his voice and looked
cautiously around him〃I believe that some of us here don't fancy
her mother much; there's no doubt that Mrs。 Randolph knows how to
bring up her children。 Some people think that kind of education is
all artificial; and don't believe in it; but I do!〃
With the consciousness that she was running away from these people
and the shameful disclosure she had heard last nightwith the
recollection of Adele's scandalous interpretation of her most
innocent actions and her sudden and complete revulsion against all
that she had previously admired in that household; to hear this man
who had seemed to her a living protest against their ideas and
principles; now expressing them and holding them up for emulation;
almost took her breath away。
〃I suppose that means you intend to fix Major Randolph's well for
him?〃 she said dryly。
〃Yes;〃 he returned without noticing her manner; 〃and I think I can
find that water again。 I've been studying it up all night; and do
you know what I'm going to do? I am going to make the earthquake
that lost it help me to find it again。〃 He paused; and looked at
her with a smile and a return of his former enthusiasm。 〃Do you
remember the crack in the adobe field that stopped you yesterday?〃
〃Yes;〃 said the girl; with a slight shiver。
〃I told you then that the same crack was a split in the rock
outcrop further up the plain; and was deeper。 I am satisfied now;
from what I have seen; that it is really a rupture of the whole
strata all the way down。 That's the one weak point that the
imprisoned water is sure to find; and that's where the borer will
tap itin the new well that the earthquake itself has sunk。〃
It seemed to her now that she understood his explanation perfectly;
and