a sappho of green springs-第6部分

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Chance　and　treated　her　with　Civility；　her　name　is　Cynthia；　and　she

lives　on　a　Cross…road。〃



〃But　you　surely　don't　expect　you　will　ever　see　Bob；　again！〃　said

the　editor；　impatiently。　　〃You　have　trusted　him　with　enough　to

start　him　for　the　Sandwich　Islands；　to　say　nothing　of　the　ruinous

precedent　you　have　established　in　his　mind　of　the　value　of　poetry。

I　am　surprised　that　a　man　of　your　knowledge　of　the　world　would　have

faith　in　that　imp　the　second　time。〃



〃My　knowledge　of　the　world；〃　returned　Mr。　Hamlin；　sententiously；

〃tells　me　that's　the　only　way　you　can　trust　anybody。　　ONCE　doesn't

make　a　habit；　nor　show　a　character。　　I　could　see　by　his　bungling

that　he　had　never　tried　this　on　before。　　Just　now　the　temptation　to

wipe　out　his　punishment　by　doing　the　square　thing；　and　coming　back

a　sort　of　hero；　is　stronger　than　any　other。　　'Tisn't　everybody　that

gets　that　chance；〃　he　added；　with　an　odd　laugh。



Nevertheless；　three　hours　passed　without　bringing　Bob。　　The　two　men

had　gone　to　the　billiard…room；　when　a　waiter　brought　a　note；　which

he　handed　to　Mr。　Hamlin　with　some　apologetic　hesitation。　　It　bore

no　superscription；　but　had　been　brought　by　a　boy　who　described　Mr。

Hamlin　perfectly；　and　requested　that　the　note　should　be　handed　to

him　with　the　remark　that　〃Bob　had　come　back。〃



〃And　is　he　there　now？〃　asked　Mr。　Hamlin；　holding　the　letter

unopened　in　his　hand。



〃No；　sir；　he　run　right　off。〃



The　editor　laughed；　but　Mr。　Hamlin；　having　perused　the　note；　put

away　his　cue。　　〃Come　into　my　room；〃　he　said。



The　editor　followed；　and　Mr。　Hamlin　laid　the　note　before　him　on　the

table。　　〃Bob's　all　right；〃　he　said；　〃for　I'll　bet　a　thousand

dollars　that　note　is　genuine。〃



It　was　delicately　written；　in　a　cultivated　feminine　hand；　utterly

unlike　the　scrawl　that　had　first　excited　the　editor's　curiosity；

and　ran　as　follows：





He　who　brought　me　the　bounty　of　your　friendfor　I　cannot　call　a

recompense　so　far　above　my　deserts　by　any　other　namegives　me　also

to　understand　that　you　wished　for　an　interview。　　I　cannot　believe

that　this　is　mere　idle　curiosity；　or　that　you　have　any　motive　that

is　not　kindly　and　honorable；　but　I　feel　that　I　must　beg　and　pray

you　not　to　seek　to　remove　the　veil　behind　which　I　have　chosen　to

hide　myself　and　my　poor　efforts　from　identification。　　I　THINK　I

know　youI　KNOW　I　know　myselfwell　enough　to　believe　it　would

give　neither　of　us　any　happiness。　　You　will　say　to　your　generous

friend　that　he　has　already　given　the　Unknown　more　comfort　and　hope

than　could　come　from　any　personal　compliment　or　publicity；　and　you

will　yourself　believe　that　you　have　all　unconsciously　brightened　a

sad　woman's　fancy　with　a　Dream　and　a　Vision　that　before　today　had

been　unknown　to



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WHITE　VIOLET。





〃Have　you　read　it？〃　asked　Mr。　Hamlin。



〃Yes。〃



〃Then　you　don't　want　to　see　it　any　more；　or　even　remember　you　ever

saw　it；〃　said　Mr。　Hamlin；　carefully　tearing　the　note　into　small

pieces　and　letting　them　drift　from　the　windows　like　blown　blossoms。



〃But；　I　say；　Jack！　look　here；　I　don't　understand！　　You　say　you　have

already　seen　this　woman；　and　yet〃



〃I　HAVEN'T　seen　her；〃　said　Jack；　composedly；　turning　from　the

window。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃



〃I　mean　that　you　and　I；　Fred；　are　going　to　drop　this　fooling　right

here　and　leave　this　place　for　Frisco　by　first　stage　to…morrow；　and

that　I　owe　you　that　dinner。〃





CHAPTER　IV





When　the　stage　for　San　Francisco　rolled　away　the　next　morning　with

Mr。　Hamlin　and　the　editor；　the　latter　might　have　recognized　in　the

occupant　of　a　dust…covered　buggy　that　was　coming　leisurely　towards

them　the　tall　figure；　long　beard；　and　straight　duster　of　his　late

visitor；　Mr。　James　Bowers。　　For　Mr。　Bowers　was　on　the　same　quest

that　the　others　had　just　abandoned。　　Like　Mr。　Hamlin；　he　had　been

left　to　his　own　resources；　but　Mr。　Bowers's　resources　were　a　life…

long　experience　and　technical　skill；　he　too　had　noted　the

topographical　indications　of　the　poem；　and　his　knowledge　of　the

sylva　of　Upper　California　pointed　as　unerringly　as　Mr。　Hamlin's

luck　to　the　cryptogamous　haunts　of　the　Summit。　　Such　abnormal

growths　were　indicative　of　certain　localities　only；　but；　as　they

were　not　remunerative　from　a　pecuniary　point　of　view；　were　to　be

avoided　by　the　sagacious　woodman。　　It　was　clear；　therefore；　that

Mr。　Bowers's　visit　to　Green　Springs　was　not　professional；　and　that

he　did　not　even　figuratively　accept　the　omen。



He　baited　and　rested　his　horse　at　the　hotel；　where　his　bucolic

exterior；　however；　did　not　elicit　that　attention　which　had　been

accorded　to　Mr。　Hamlin's　charming　insolence　or　the　editor's

cultivated　manner。　　But　he　glanced　over　a　township　map　on　the　walls

of　the　reading…room；　and　took　note　of　the　names　of　the　owners　of

different　lots；　farms；　and　ranches；　passing　that　of　Delatour　with

the　others。　　Then　he　drove　leisurely　in　the　direction　of　the　woods；

and；　reaching　them；　tied　his　horse　to　a　young　sapling　in　the　shade；

and　entered　their　domain　with　a　shambling　but　familiar　woodman's

step。



It　is　not　the　purpose　of　this　brief　chronicle　to　follow　Mr。　Bowers

in　his　professional　diagnosis　of　the　locality。　　He　recognized

Nature　in　one　of　her　moods　of　wasteful　extravagance；a　waste　that

his　experienced　eye　could　tell　was　also　sapping　the　vitality　of

those　outwardly　robust　shafts　that　rose　around　him。　　He　knew；

without　testing　them；　that　half　of　these　fair…seeming　columns　were

hollow　and　rotten　at　the　core；　he　could　detect　the　chill　odor　of

decay　through　the　hot　balsamic　spices　stirred　by　the　wind　that

streamed　through　their　long　aisles；like　incense　mingling　with　the

exhalations　of　a　crypt。　　He　stopped　now　and　then　to　part　the　heavy

fronds　down　to　their　roots　in　the　dank　moss；　seeing　again；　as　he

had　told　the　editor；　the　weird　SECOND　twilight　through　their

miniature　stems；　and　the　microcosm　of　life　that　filled　it。　　But；

even　while　paying　this　tribute　to　the　accuracy　of　the　unknown

poetess；　he　was；　like　his　predecessor；　haunted　more　strongly　by　the

atmosphere　and　melody　of　her　verse。　　Its　spell　was　upon　him；　too。

Unlike　Mr。　Hamlin；　he　did　not　sing。　　He　only　halted　once　or　twice；

silently　combing　his　straight　narrow　beard　with　his　three　fingers；

until　the　action　seemed　to　draw　down　the　lines　of　his　face　into

limitless　dejection；　and　an　inscrutable　melancholy　filled　his　small

gray　eyes。　　The　few　birds　which　had　hailed　Mr。　Hamlin　as　their

successful　rival　fled　away　before　the　grotesque　and　angular　half…

length　of　Mr。　Bowers；　as　if　the　wind　had　blown　in　a　scarecrow　from

the　distant　farms。



Suddenly　he　observed　the　figure　of　a　woman；　with　her　back　towards

him；　leaning　motionless　against　a　tree；　and　apparently　gazing

intently　in　the　direction　of　Green　Springs。　　He　had　approached　so

near　to　her　that　it　was　singular　she　had　not　heard　him。　　Mr。　Bowers

was　a　bashful　man　in　the　presence　of　the　other　sex。　　He　felt

exceedingly　embarrassed；　if　he　could　have　gone　away　without

attracting　her　attention　he　would　have　done　so。　　Neither　could　he

remain　silent；　a　tacit　spy　of　her　meditation。　　He　had　recourse　to　a

polite　but　singularly　artificial　cough。



To　his　surprise；　she　gave　a　faint　cry；　turned　quickly　towards　him；

and　then　shrank　back　and　lapsed　quite　helpless　against　the　tree。

Her　evident　distress　overcame　his　bashfulness。　　He　ran　towards　her。



〃I'm　sorry　I　frighted　ye；　ma'am；　but　I　was　afraid　I　might　skeer　ye

more　if　I　lay　low；　and　said　nothin'。〃



Even　then；　if　she　had　been　some　fair　young　country　girl；　he　would

have　relapsed　after　this　speech　into　his　former　bashfulness。　　But

the　face　and　figure　she　turned　towards　him　were　neither　young　nor

fair：　a　woman　past　forty；　with　gray　threads　and　splashes　in　her

brushed…back　hair；　which　was　turned　over　her　ears　in　two　curls　like

frayed　strands　of　rope。　　Her　forehead　was　rather　high　than　broad；

her　nose　large　but　well…shaped；　and　her　eyes　full　but　so　singularly

light　in　color　as　to　seem　almost　sightless。　　The　short　upper　lip　of

her　large　mouth　displayed　her　teeth　in　an　habitual　smile；　which　was

in　turn　so　flatly　contradicted　by　every　other　line　of　her　careworn

face　that　it　seemed　gratuitously　artificial。　　Her　figure　was　hidden

by　a　shapeless　garment　that　partook　equally　of　the　shawl；　cloak；

and　wrapper。



〃I　am　very　foolish；〃　she　began；　in　a　voice　and　accent　that　at　once

asserted　a　cultivated　woman；　〃but　I　so　seldom　meet　anybody　here

that　a　voice　quite　startled　me。　　That；　and　the　heat；〃　she　went　on；

wiping　her　face；　into　which　the　color　was　returning　violently〃for

I　seldom　go　out　as　early　as　thisI　suppose　affected　me。〃



Mr。　Bowers　had　that　innate　Far…Western　reverence　for　womanhood

which　I　fancy　challenges　the　most　polished　politeness。　　He　remained

patient；　undemonstrative；　self…effacing；　and　respectful　before　her；

his　angular　arm　slightly　but　not　obtrusively　advanced；　the　offer　of

protection　being　in　the　act　rather　than　in　any　spoken　word；　and

requiring　no　response。



〃Like　as　not；　ma'am；〃　he　said；　cheerfully　looking　everywhere　but　in

her　burning　face。　　〃The　sun　IS　pow'ful　hot　at　this　time　o'　day；　I

felt　it　myself　comin'　yer；　and；　though　the　damp　of　this　timber

kinder　sets　it　back；　it's　likely　to　come　out　ag'in。　　Ye　can't　check

it　no　more　than　the　sap　in　that　choked　limb　thar〃he　pointed

ostentatiously　where　a　fallen　pine　had　been　caught　in　the　bent　and

twisted　arm　of　another；　but　which　still　put　out　a　few　green　tassels

beyond　the　point　of　impact。　　〃Do　you　live　far　from　here；　ma'am？〃　he

added。



〃Only　as　far　as　the　first　turning　below　the　hill。〃



〃I've　got　my　buggy　here；　and　I'm　goin'　that　way；　and　I　can　jist　set

ye　down　thar　cool　and　comfortable。　　Ef；〃　he　continued；　in　the　same

assuring　tone；　without　waiting　for　a　reply；　〃ye'll　jist　take　a　good

grip　of　my　arm　thar；〃　curving　his　wrist　and　hand　behind　him　like　a

shepherd's　crook；　〃I'll　go　first