\"Hisownidea——entirely。And,byJove!heprovestoberight。Youcan\'tdoanythingherewithoutauniform。Andtheytellmehe\'sgoteverythingcorrect,downtothecrestonthebuttons。\"
Theywalkedoninsilenceforafewmoments,PendletonretainingacertainrigidityofstepandbearingwhichPaulhadcometorecognizeasindicatingsomeuneasinessormentaldisturbanceonhispart。Hathawayhadnointentionofprecipitatingtheconfidenceofhiscompanion。Perhapsexperiencehadtoldhimitwouldcomesoonenough。Sohespokecarelesslyofhimself。Howtheneedofayear\'srelaxationandchangehadbroughthimabroad,hisjourneyings,and,finally,howhehadbeenadvisedbyhisGermanphysiciantospendafewweeksatStrudleBadpreparatorytothevoyagehome。Yethewasperfectlyawarethatthecolonelfromtimetotimecastafurtiveglanceathisface。\"AndYOU,\"hesaidinconclusion——\"whendoyouintendtoreturntoCalifornia?\"
Thecolonelhesitatedslightly。\"IshallremaininEuropeuntilMissArguelloissettled——Imean,\"headdedhurriedly,\"untilshehas——ahem!——completedhereducationinforeignwaysandcustoms。
Yousee,Hathaway,Ihaveconstitutedmyself,afteracertainfashion,Imaysay——still,herguardian。Iamanoldman,withneitherkithnorkinmyself,sir——I\'malittletooold-fashionedfortheboysoverthere\"——withavaguegesturetowardsthewest,which,however,toldPaulhownearitstillwastohim。\"Butthen,amongtheoldfogyshere——blankitall!——itisn\'tnoticed。SoI
lookafterher,yousee,orrathermakemyselfresponsibleforhergenerally——although,ofcourse,shehasotherfriendsandassociates,youunderstand,moreofherownageandtastes。\"
\"AndI\'venodoubtshe\'sperfectlysatisfied,\"saidPaulinatoneofconviction。
\"Well,yes,sir,Ipresumeso,\"saidthecolonelslowly;\"butI\'vesometimesthought,Mr。Hathaway,thatitwouldhavebeenbetterifshe\'dhavehadawoman\'scare——theprotectionyouunderstand,ofanelderlywomanofsociety。Thatseemstobethestylehere,youknow——achaperon,theycallit。Now,MillyWoods,yousee,isaboutthesameage,andtheDonaAnna,ofcourse,isolder,but——
blankit!——she\'sasbigaflirtastherest——Imean,\"headded,correctinghimselfsharply,\"shelacksbalance,sir,and——whatshallIcallit?——self-abnegation。\"
\"ThenDonaAnnaisstillofyourparty?\"askedPaul。
\"Sheis,sir,andherbrother,DonCaesar。Ihavethoughtitadvisable,onYerba\'saccount,tokeepupasmuchaspossiblethesuggestionofherSpanishrelationship——althoughbyreasonoftheirabsurdignoranceofgeographyandpoliticaldivisionsouthere,thereisaprevailingimpressionthatsheisaSouthAmerican。A
fact,sir。IhavemyselfbeenmistakenfortheDictatorofoneoftheseinfernalRepublics,andIhavebeenpointedoutasrulingoveramillionortwoofniggerslikeGeorge!\"
Therewasnotraceofanyconceptionofhumorinthecolonel\'sface,althoughheutteredashortlaugh,asifinpoliteacceptanceofthepossibilitythatPaulmighthaveone。Farfromthat,hiscompanion,lookingatthestrikingprofileanderectfigureathisside——atthelongwhitemoustachewhichdroopedfromhisdarkcheeks,andrememberinghisownsensationsatfirstseeingGeorge——
thoughtthepopularbeliefnotsowonderful。Hewasevenforcedtoadmitthattheperfectunconsciousnessonthepartofmasterandmanofanyincongruityorpeculiarityinthemselvesassistedthepublicmisconception。Anditwas,Ifear,withafeelingofwickeddelightthat,onenteringthehotel,hehailedtheevidentconsternationofthosecorrectfellow-countrymenfromwhomhehadlatelyfled,atwhattheyapparentlyregardedasanationalscandal。HeoverheardtheirhurriedassurancetotheirEnglishfriendsthathiscompanionswereNOTfromBoston,andenjoyedtheirmortificationthatthisexplanationdidnotseemtodetractfromtheinterestandreliefwithwhichtheBritonssurveyedthem,ortheopenadmirationoftheGermans。
AlthoughPendletonsomewhatunbentduringsupper,hedidnotalludetothesecretofYerba\'sparentage,norofanytardyconfidenceofhers。Toallappearancethesituationremainedasitwasthreeyearsago。Hespokeofhergreatpopularityasanheiressandabeautifulwoman,andthemarkedattentionsshereceived。Hedoubtednotthatshehadrejectedverydistinguishedoffers,butshekeptthattoherself。Shewasperfectlycompetenttodoso。
Shewasnogiddygirl,tobeflatteredordeceived;onthecontrary,hehadneverknownacoolerormoresensiblewoman。Sheknewherownworth。Whenshemetthemanwhosatisfiedherambitionandunderstanding,shewouldmarry,andnotbefore。Hedidnotknowwhatthatambitionwas;itwassomethingexalted,ofcourse。Hecouldonlysay,ofhisownknowledge,thatlastyear,whentheywereontheItalianlakes,therewasacertainprince——
Mr。Hathawaywouldunderstandwhyhedidnotmentionnames——whowasnotonlyattentivetoher,butattentivetoHIM,sir,byJove!andmostsignificantinhisinquiries。Itwastheonlyoccasionwhenhe,thecolonel,hadeverspokentoheronsuchsubjects;and,knowingthatshewasnotindifferenttothefellow,whowasnotbadofhiskind,hehadaskedherwhyshehadnotencouragedhissuit。
Shehadsaid,withalaugh,thathecouldn\'tmarryherunlesshegaveuphisclaimofsuccessiontoacertainreigninghouse;andshewouldn\'taccepthimWITHOUTIT。Thosewereherwords,sir,andhecouldonlysaythattheprinceleftafewdaysafterwards,andtheyhadneverseenhimsince。Astotheprincelingsandcountsandbarons,sheknewtoadaythedateoftheirpatentsofnobility,andwhatprivilegestheywereentitledto;shecouldtelltoadotthevalueoftheirestates,theamountoftheirdebts,and,byJove!sir,theamountofmortgagesshewasexpectedtopayoffbeforeshemarriedthem。SheknewtheamountofincomeshehadtobringtothePrussianArmy,fromthegeneraltothelieutenant。
Sheunderstoodherownvalueandherrights。TherewasayoungEnglishlordlingshemetontheRhine,whoseboyishwaysandsimplicityseemedtopleaseher。Theyweregreatfriends;buthewantedhim——thecolonel——toinducehertoacceptaninvitationforbothtovisithismother\'shomeinEngland,thathispeoplemightseeher。Butshedeclined,sir!Shedeclinedtopassinreviewbeforehismother。ShesaiditwasforHIMtopassinreviewbeforeHERmother。
\"Didshesaythat?\"interruptedPaul,fixinghisbrighteyesuponthecolonel。
\"Ifshehadone,ifshehadone,\"correctedthecolonel,hastily。
\"Ofcourseitwasonlyanillustration。Thatsheisanorphanisgenerallyknown,sir。\"
Therewasadeadsilenceforafewmoments。Thecolonelleanedbackinhischairandpulledhismoustache。Paulturnedawayhiseyes,andseemedabsorbedinreflection。Afteramomentthecolonelcoughed,pushedasidehisglass,and,leaningacrossthetable,said,\"Ihaveafavortoaskofyou,Mr。Hathaway。\"
Therewassuchasingularchangeinthetoneofhisvoice,anunexpectedrelaxationofsomeartificialtension,——arelaxationwhichstruckPaulsopatheticallyasbeingasmuchphysicalasmental,asifhehadsuddenlybeenovertakeninsomeexertionbytheweaknessofage,——thathelookedupquickly。Certainly,althoughstillerectandlightlygraspinghismoustache,thecolonellookedolder。
\"Byallmeans,mydearcolonel,\"saidPaulwarmly。
\"DuringthetimeyouremainhereyoucanhardlyhelpmeetingMissArguello,perhapsfrequently。Itwouldbestrangeifyoudidnot;
itwouldappeartoeverybodystillstranger。Givemeyourwordasagentlemanthatyouwillnotmaketheleastallusiontoherofthepast——norreopenthesubject。\"
Paullookedfixedlyatthecolonel。\"Icertainlyhadnointentionofdoingso,\"hesaidafterapause,\"forIthoughtitwasalreadysettledbyyoubeyonddisturbanceordiscussion。ButdoI
understandyou,thatSHEhasshownanyuneasinessregardingit?
Fromwhatyouhavejusttoldmeofherplansandambition,Icanscarcelyimaginethatshehasanysuspicionoftherealfacts。\"
\"Certainlynot,\"saidthecolonelhurriedly。\"ButIhaveyourpromise。\"
\"Ipromiseyou,\"saidPaul,afterapause,\"thatIshallneitherintroducenorrefertothesubjectmyself,andthatifSHEshouldquestionmeagainregardingit,whichishardlypossible,Iwillrevealnothingwithoutyourconsent。\"
\"Thankyou,\"saidPendleton,without,however,exhibitingmuchreliefinhisface。\"Shewillreturnhereto-morrow。\"
\"Ithoughtyousaidshewasabsentforsomedays,\"saidPaul。
\"Yes;butsheiscomingbacktosaygood-bytoDonaAnna,whoarrivesherewithherbrotherthesameday,ontheirwaytoParis。\"
ItflashedthroughPaul\'smindthatthelasttimehehadseenherwasinthecompanyoftheBriones。Itwasnotapleasantcoincidence。Yethewasnotawarethatithadaffectedhim,untilhesawthecolonelwatchinghim。
\"Ibelieveyoudon\'tfancythebrother,\"saidPendleton。
ForaninstantPaulwasstronglytemptedtoavowhisoldvaguesuspicionsofDonCaesar,buttheutterhopelessnessofreopeningthewholesubjectagain,andhisrecollectionofthepassageinPendleton\'sletterthatpurportedtobeYerba\'sowntheoryofhisdislike,checkedhimintime。Heonlysaid,\"Idon\'trememberwhetherIhadanycausefordislikingDonCaesar;IcantellbetterwhenIseehimagain,\"andchangedthesubject。AfewmomentslaterthecolonelsummonedGeorgefromsomelowerregionofthehotel,androsetotakehisleave。\"MissArguello,withhermaidandcourier,willoccupyheroldsuiteofroomshere,\"heremarked,withareturnofhisoldimperiousness。\"Georgehasgiventheordersforher。Ishallnotchangemypresentlodgings,butofcoursewillcalleveryday。Goodnight!\"
CHAPTERVI。
ThenextmorningPaulcouldnothelpnoticinganincreasedandevenexaggeratedrespectpaidhimbythehotelattendants。HewasaskedifhisEXCELLENCYwouldheservedwithbreakfastinaprivateroom,andhiscondescensioninselectingthepubliccoffee-roomstrucktheobsequiouschamberlain,butdidnotpreventhimfromprecedingPaulbackwardstothetable,andsummoningawaitertoattendspeciallyupon\"milor。\"SurmisingthatGeorgeandthecolonelmightbeinsomewayconnectedwiththisextravagance,hepostponedaninvestigationtillheshouldhaveseenthemagain。And,althoughhehardlydaredtoconfessittohimself,theunexpectedprospectofmeetingYerbaagainfullypreoccupiedhisthoughts。HehadbelievedthathewouldeventuallyseeherinEurope,insomevagueandindefinitewayandhour:ithadbeeninhismindwhenhestartedfromCalifornia。Thatitwouldbesosoon,andinsuchasimpleandnaturalmanner,hehadneverconceived。
\"HehadreturnedfromhismorningwalktotheBrunnen,andwassittingidlyinhisroom,whentherewasaknockatthedoor。Itopenedtoaservantbearingasalverwithacard。Paullifteditwithaslighttremor,notattheengravednameof\"MariaConcepciondeArguellosdelaYerbaBuena,\"butattherememberedschool-girlhandthathadpenciledunderneaththewords,\"wishesthefavorofanaudiencewithhisExcellencytheLordLieutenant-GovernoroftheCalifornias。\"
Paullookedinquiringlyattheservant。\"ThegnadigeFrauleinwasinherownsalon。WouldEXCELLENCYwalkthatway?Itwasbutastep;ineffect,thenextapartment。\"
Paulfollowedhimintothehallwithwonderingsteps。Thedoorofthenextroomwasopen,anddisclosedahandsomelyfurnishedsalon。
Atallgracefulfigurerosequicklyfrombehindawriting-table,andadvancedwithoutstretchedhandsandafrankyetmischievoussmile。ItwasYerba。
Standingthereinagrayishhat,mantle,andtravelingdress,allofonesubduedyetalluringtone,shelookedasbeautifulaswhenhehadlastseenher——andyet——unlike。Forabriefbittermomenthisinstinctsrevoltedatthisfamiliaryieldingupinhisfaircountrywomenofallthatwasdistinctivelyoriginalinthemtoalientastesandhabits,andheresentedtheplasticyetcharacterlessmobilitywhichmadeYerba\'sParisiandressandEuropeanmannerfithersocharminglyandyetexpresssolittle。
Forabriefcriticalmomentherememberedtheplacid,unchangingsimplicityofGerman,andtheinflexibleandingrainedreserveofEnglish,girlhood,inoppositiontothisindistinctivecosmopolitangrace。Butonlyforamoment。Assoonasshespoke,acertainflavorofindividualityseemedtoreturntoherspeech。
\"Confess,\"shesaid,\"itwasacourageousthingformetodo。Youmighthavebeensomebodyelse——arealExcellency——orheavenknowswhat!Or,whatisworseinyournewmagnificence,youmighthaveforgottenoneofyouroldest,mosthumble,butfaithfulsubjects。\"
Shedrewbackandmadehimamockceremoniouscurtsy,thateveninitscharmingexaggerationsuggestedtoPaul,however,thatshehadalreadymadeitsomewhereseriously。
\"Butwhatdoesitallmean?\"heasked,smiling,feelingnotonlyhisdoubtsanduneasinessvanish,buteventheyearsofseparationmeltawayinherpresence。\"IknowIwenttobedlastnightaveryhumbleindividual,andyetIseemtoawakenthismorningaveryexaltedpersonage。AmIreallyCommanderoftheFaithful,oramI
dreaming?MightItroubleyou,asmypredecessorAbouHassandidSweetlips,tobitemylittlefinger?\"
\"Doyoumeantosayyouhavenotseenthe\'Auzeiger?\'\"shereturned,takingasmallGermanprintedsheetfromthetableandpointingtoaparagraph。Paultookthepaper。Certainlytherewastheplainannouncementamongthearrivalsof\"HisExcellencyPaulHathaway,LordLieutenant-GovernoroftheCalifornias。\"Alightflasheduponhim。
\"ThisisGeorge\'swork。HeandColonelPendletonwereherewithmelastnight。\"
\"Thenyouhaveseenthecolonelalready?\"shesaid,withascarcelyperceptiblealterationofexpression,which,however,struckPaul。
\"Yes。Imethimatthetheatrelastevening。\"Hewasabouttoplungeintoananimateddescriptionofthecolonel\'sindignation,butcheckedhimself,heknewnotwhy。Buthewasthankfulthenextmomentthathehad。
\"Thataccountsforeverything,\"shesaid,liftingherprettyshoulderswithaslightshrugofweariness。\"IhadtoputasteptoGeorge\'stalkingaboutMEthreemonthsago,——hisextravaganceissomethingTOOawful。Andthecolonel,whoiscompletelyinhishands,——trustinghimforeverything,eventhelanguage,——doesn\'tseeit。\"
\"Butheisextravagantinthepraiseofhisfriendsonly,andyoucertainlyjustifyallhecansay。\"
Shewastakingoffherhat,andstoppedforamomenttolookathimthoughtfully,withthesofttendrilsofherhairclingingtoherforehead。\"Didthecoloneltalkmuchaboutme?\"
\"Agreatdeal。Infact,Ithinkwetalkedofnothingelse。Hehastoldmeofyourtriumphsandyourvictims;ofyourvariouscampaignsandyourconquests。AndyetIdaresayhehasnottoldmeall——andIamdyingtohearmore。\"
Shehadlaiddownherhatandunloosedalargebowofhermantle,butstoppedsuddenlyinthemidstofitandsatdownagain。
\"Iwishyou\'ddosomethingforme。\"
\"Youhaveonlytonameit。\"
\"Well,dropallthiskindoftalk!TrytothinkofmeasifIhadjustcomefromCalifornia——or,better,asifyouhadneverknownanythingofmeatall——andwemetforthefirsttime。Youcould,I
daresay,makeyourselfveryagreeabletosuchayoungladywhowaswillingtobepleased——whynottome?Iventuretosayyouhavenotevertroubledyourselfaboutmesincewelastmet。No——hearmethrough——why,then,shouldyouwishtotalkoverwhatdidn\'tconcernyouatthetime?Promisemeyouwillstopthisreminiscentgossip,andIpromiseyouIwillnotonlynotboreyouwithit,buttakecarethatitisnotintrudeduponyoubyothers。Makeyourselfpleasanttomebytalkingaboutyourselfandyourprospects——anythingbutME——andIwillthrowoverthoseprincesandbaronsthatthecolonelhasravedaboutanddevotemyselftoyouwhileyouarehere。DoesthatsuityourExcellency?\"Shehadcrossedherknees,and,withherhandsclaspedoverthem,andthetoeofhersmallbootadvancedbeyondherskirt,leanedforwardintheattitudeherememberedtohaveseenhertakeinthesummer-
houseatRosario。
\"Perfectly,\"hesaid。
\"Howlongwillyoubehere?\"
\"Aboutthreeweeks:that,Ibelieve,isthetimeallottedformycure。\"
\"Areyoureallyill,\"shesaidquietly,\"orimagineyourselfso?\"
\"Itamountstoaboutthesamething。Butmycuremaynottakesolong,\"headded,fixinghisbrighteyesuponher。
Shereturnedhisgazethoughtfully,andtheyremainedlookingateachothersilently。
\"Thenyouarestrongerthanyougiveyourselfcreditfor。Thatisveryoftenthecase,\"shesaidquietly。\"There,\"sheaddedinanothertone,\"itissettled。Youwillcomeandgoasyoulike,usingthissalonasyourown。Stay,wecandosomethingtoday。
Whatdoyousaytoarideintheforestthisafternoon?Millyisn\'thereyet,butitwillbequiteproperforyoutoaccompanymeonhorseback,though,ofcourse,wecouldn\'twalkahundredyardsdowntheAlleetogetherunlesswewereverlobt。\"
\"But,\"saidPaul,\"youareexpectingcompanythisafternoon。DonCaesar——ImeanMissBrionesandherbrotherarecomingheretosaygood-by。\"
Sheregardedhimcuriously,butwithoutemotion。
\"ColonelPendletonshouldhaveaddedthattheyweretoremainhereovernightasmyguests,\"shesaidcomposedly。Andofcourseweshallbebackintimefordinner。Butthatisnothingtoyou。Youhaveonlytobereadyatthreeo\'clock。Iwillseethatthehorsesareordered。Ioftenridehere,andthepeopleknowmytastesandhabits。Wewillhaveapleasantrideandagoodlongtalktogether,andI\'llshowyouaruinandadistantviewofthevillawhereIhavebeenstaying。\"Sheheldoutherhandwithafrankgirlishsmile,andevenagirlishanticipationofpleasureinherbrowneyes。Hebentoverherslimfingersforamoment,andwithdrew。
Whenhewasinhisownroomagain,hewasconsciousonlyofastrongdesiretoavoidthecoloneluntilafterhisridewithYerba。
Hewouldkeephiswordsofarastoabstainfromallusiontoherfamilyorherpast:indeed,hehadhisownopinionofitsfutility。
Butitwouldbestrangeif,withhispastexperience,hecouldnotfindsomeotherwaytodetermineherconvictionsorwinherconfidenceduringthosetwohoursofcompanionship。Hewouldaccepthertermsfairly;ifshehadanyulteriordesigninheradvances,hewoulddetectit;ifshehadtheleastconcernforhim,shecouldnotcontinuelonganartificialfriendship。Buthemustnotthinkofthat!
ByabsentinghimselffromthehotelhemanagedtokeepclearofPendletonuntilthehourarrived。HewasgratifiedtofindYerbainthesimplestandmostsensibleofhabits,asifshehadalreadydivinedhistastesandhadwishedtoavoidattractingundueattention。Nevertheless,itveryprettilyaccentedhertallgracefulfigure,andPaul,albeit,likemostartisticadmirersofthesex,notrecognizingawomanonahorseasaparticularlyharmoniousspectacle,wasforcedtoadmireher。Bothrodewell,andnaturally——havingbeenbroughtupinthesameWesternschool——
thehorsesrecognizedit,andinstinctivelyobeyedthem,andtheirconversationhadtheeasydeliberationandinflectionofatete-a-
tete。Paul,inviewofherprevioushint,talkedtoherofhimselfandhisfortunes,ofwhichsheappeared,however,tohavesomeknowledge。Hishealthhadobligedhimlatelytoabandonpoliticsandoffice;hehadbeensuccessfulinsomeventures,andhadbecomeajuniorpartnerinabankwithforeigncorrespondence。Shelistenedtohimforsometimewithinterestandattention,butatlastherfacebecameabstractedandthoughtful。\"IwishIwereaman!\"shesaidsuddenly。
Paullookedatherquickly。Forthefirsttimehedetectedintheringofhervoicesomethingofthepassionatequalityhefanciedhehadalwaysseeninherface。
\"Exceptthatitmightgiveyoubettercontrolofyourhorse,I
don\'tseewhy,\"saidPaul。\"AndIdon\'tentirelybelieveyou。\"
\"Why?\"
\"Becausenowomanreallywishestobeamanunlesssheisconsciousofherfailureasawoman。\"
\"AndhowdoyouknowI\'mnot?\"shesaid,checkingherhorseandlookinginhisface。Aquickconvictionthatshewasonthepointofsomeconfessionsprangintohismind,butunfortunatelyshowedinhisface。Shebeatbackhiseagerlookwithashortlaugh。
\"There,don\'tspeak,anddon\'tlooklikethat。Thatremarkwasworthytheusualartlessmaiden\'sinvitationtoacompliment,wasn\'tit?Letuskeeptothesubjectofyourself。Why,withyourpoliticalinfluence,don\'tyougetyourselfappointedtosomediplomaticpositionoverhere?\"
\"Therearenoneinourservice。Youwouldn\'twantmetosinkmyselfinsomeabsurdsocialfunctions,whicharecalledbythatname,merelytobecometheenvyandhatredofafewrichrepublicans,likeyourfriendswhohauntforeigncourts?\"
\"That\'snotaprettyspeech——butIsupposeIinvitedTHATtoo。
Don\'tapologize。I\'dratherseeyouflareoutlikethatthanpaycompliments。YetIfancyyou\'readiplomatist,forallthat。\"
\"YoudidmethehonortobelieveIwasoneonce,whenIwassimplythemostpalpableassandbunglerliving,\"saidPaulbitterly。
Shewasstillsweetlysilent,apparentlypreoccupiedinsmoothingoutthemaneofherwalkinghorse。\"DidI?\"shesaidsoftly。Hedrewclosebesideher。
\"Howdifferentthevegetationisherefromwhatitiswithus!\"shesaidwithnervousquickness,directinghisattentiontothegrassroadbeneaththem,withoutliftinghereyes。\"Idon\'tmeanwhatiscultivated,——forIsupposeittakescenturiestomakethelawnstheyhaveinEngland,——butevenherethebladesofgrassseemtopressclosertogether,asiftheywerecrowdedoroverpopulated,likethecountry;andthisforest,whichhasbeenalwayswildandwasahuntingpark,hasablaselook,asifitwasalreadytiredoftheunchangingtraditionsandmonotonyaroundit。IthinkoverthereNatureaffectsandinfluencesus:here,Ifancy,itisitselfaffectedbythepeople。\"
\"IthinkagooddealofNaturecomesoverfromAmericaforthatpurpose,\"hesaiddryly。
\"AndIthinkyouarebreakingyourpromise——besidesbeingagoose!\"
sheretortedsmartly。Nevertheless,forsomeoccultreasontheybothseemedrelievedbythisexquisitewitticism,andtrottedonamicablytogether。WhenPaulliftedhiseyestohershecouldseethattheyweresuffusedwithatendermischief,asofareprovingyetsecretlyadmiringsister,andherstrangelydelicatecomplexionhadtakenonitselfthatfaintAlpineglowthatwasmoreofanilluminationthanacolor。\"There,\"shesaidgayly,pointingwithherwhipasthewoodopeneduponagladethroughwhichthepartedtreesshowedalongbluecurvatureofdistanthills,\"youseethatwhitethinglyinglikeasnowdriftonthehills?\"
\"Orthefamilywashingonahedge。\"
\"Asyouplease。Well,thatisthevilla。\"
\"Andyouwereveryhappythere?\"saidPaul,watchinghergirlishlyanimatedface。
\"Yes;andasyoudon\'taskquestions,I\'lltellyouwhy。ThereisoneofthesweetestoldladiestherethatIevermet——theperfectionofold-timecourtlinesswithallthemotherishnessofaGermanwoman。Shewasverykindtome,and,asshehadnodaughterofherown,IthinkshetreatedmeasifIwasone。Atleast,I
canimaginehowonewouldfeeltoher,andwhatawomanlikethatcouldmakeofanygirl。Youlaugh,Mr。Hathaway,youdon\'tunderstand——butyoudon\'tknowwhatanadvantageitwouldbetoagirltohaveamotherlikethat,andknowthatshecouldfallbackonherandholdherownagainstanybody。She\'sequippedfromthestart,insteadofbeinghandicapped。It\'sallverywelltotalkaboutthevalueofmoney。Itcangiveyoueverythingbutonething——thepowertodowithoutit。\"
\"IthinkitspurchasingvaluewouldincludeeventhegnadigeFrau,\"
saidPaul,whohadlaughedonlytohidetheuneasinessthatYerba\'sapproachtothetabooedsubjecthadrevivedinhim。Sheshookherhead;then,recoveringhertoneofgentlebanter,said,\"There——
I\'vemadeaconfession。Ifthecoloneltalkstoyouagainaboutmyconquests,youwillknowthatatpresentmyaffectionsarecentredontheBaron\'smother。Iadmitit\'sastrongpointinhis——inANYBODY\'S——favor,whocanshowanunblemishedmaternalpedigree。
Whatapityitisyouareanorphan,likemyself,Mr。Hathaway!
ForIfancyyourmothermusthavebeenaveryperfectwoman。A
greatdealofhertactandproprietyhasdescendedtoyou。Onlyitwouldhavebeennicerifshehadgivenittoyou,likepocketmoney,asoccasionrequired——whichyoumighthavesharedwithme——
thanleavingittoyouinonethumpinglegacy。\"
Itwasimpossibletotellhowfartheplayfulnessofherbrowneyessuggestedanyulteriormeaning,forasPaulagaineagerlydrewtowardsher,shesentherhorseintoarapidcanterbeforehim。
Whenhewasathersideagain,shesaid,\"Thereisstilltheruintoseeonourwayhome。Itisjustoffheretotheright。Butifyouwishtogooveritwewillhavetodismountatthefootoftheslopeandwalkup。Ithasn\'tanystoryorlegendthatIknowof;I
lookedovertheguide-booktocramforitbeforeyoucame,buttherewasnothing。Soyoucaninventwhatyoulike。\"
Theydismountedatthebeginningofagentleacclivity,whereanancientwagon-road,nowgrass-grown,rosesmoothasaglacis。
Tyingtheirhorsestotwomoplikebushes,theyclimbedtheslopehandinhandlikechildren。Therewereafewwindingbrokensteps,partofafallenarchway,afewfeetofvaultedcorridor,asuddenbreach——theskybeyond——andthatwasall!Notall;forbeforethem,overlookedatfirst,layachasmcoveringhalfanacre,inwhichthewholeoftheoriginaledifice——towerturrets,walls,andbattlements——hadbeenapparentlycast,inextricablymixedandmingledatdifferentdepthsandangles,withhereandthere,likemushroomsfromadust-heap,ascoreoftreesupspringing。
\"ThisisnotTime——butgunpowder,\"saidPaul,leaningoveraparapetofthewallandgazingattheabyss,withaslightgrimace。
\"Itdon\'tlookveryromantic,certainly,\"saidYerba。\"Ionlysawitfromtheroadbefore。I\'mdreadfullysorry,\"sheadded,withmockpenitence。\"Isuppose,however,SOMETHINGmusthavehappenedhere。\"
\"Theremayhavebeennobodyinthehouseatthetime,\"saidPaulgravely。\"Thefamilymayhavebeenatthebaths。\"
Theystoodclosetogether,theirelbowsrestinguponthebrokenwall,andalmosttouching。Beyondtheabyssanddarkerforesttheycouldseethemorevividgreenandregularlinesoftheplane-treesofStrudleBad,theglitterofaspire,ortheflashofadome。
Fromtheabyssitselfaroseacoolodorofmoistgreenleaves,thescentofsomeunseenblossoms,andaroundthebakingvinesonthehotwallthehumofapparentlytasklessanddisappointedbees。
Therewasnobodyinsightintheforestroad,nooneworkingintheborderingfields,andnosuggestionofthepresent。TheremighthavebeenthreeorfourcenturiesbetweenthemandStrudleBad。
\"Thelegendofthisplace,\"saidPaul,glancingatthelongbrownlashesandovaloutlineofthecheeksonearhisown,\"issimple,yetaffecting。Acruel,remorseless,butfascinatingHexiewasoncelovedbyasimpleshepherd。Hehadneverdaredtosyllablehishopelessaffection,orclaimfromherasyllabled——perhapsI
shouldsayaone-syllabled——reply。Hehadfollowedherfromremotelands,dumblyworshipingher,buildinginhisfoolishbrainanair-
castleofhappiness,whichbyreasonofhermagicpowershecouldalwaysseeplainlyinhiseyes。Andoneday,beguilinghiminthedepthsoftheforest,sheledhimtoafair-seemingcastle,and,biddinghimenteritsportals,offeredtoshowhimarealizationofhisdream。But,lo!evenasheenteredthestatelycorridoritseemedtocrumbleawaybeforehim,anddisclosedahideousabyssbeyond,inwhichthewholeofthatgoodlypalacelayinheapedandtangledruins——thefittingsymbolofhiswreckedandshatteredhopes。\"
Shedrewbackalittlewayfromhim,butstillholdingontothetopofthebrokenwallwithoneslimgauntletedhand,andswungherselftooneside,whileshesurveyedhimwithsmiling,partedlipsandconsciouseyelids。Hepromptlycoveredherhandwithhisown,butshedidnotseemtonoticeit。
\"Thatisnotthestory,\"shesaid,inafaintvoicethatevenherstrugglingsaucinesscouldnotmakesteadier。\"Thetruestoryiscalled\'TheLegendoftheGoose-GirlofStrudleBad,andtheenterprisingGosling。\'Therewasonceagoose-girloftheplainwhotriedhonestlytodrivehergeesetomarket,butoneeccentricandwillfulgosling——Mr。Hathaway!Stop——please——Ibegyouletmego!\"
Hehadcaughtherinhisarms——theoneencirclingherwaist,theotherhandstillgraspinghers。Shestruggled,halflaughing;
yieldedforabreathlessmomentashislipsbrushedhercheek,and——
threwhimoff。\"There!\"shesaid,\"thatwilldo:thestorywasnotillustrated。\"
\"But,Yerba,\"hesaid,withpassionateeagerness,\"hearme——itisallGod\'struth——Iloveyou!\"
Shedrewbackfarther,shakingthedustofthewallfromthefoldsofherhabit。Then,withalowervoiceandapalercheek,asifhislipshadsentherbloodandutterancebacktoherheart,shesaid,\"Come,letusgo。\"
\"Butnotuntilyou\'veheardme,Yerba。\"
\"Well,then——Ibelieveyou——there!\"shesaid,lookingathim。
\"Youbelieveme?\"herepeatedeagerly,attemptingtotakeherhandagain。
Shedrewbackstillfarther。\"Yes,\"shesaid,\"orIshouldn\'tbeherenow。There!thatmustsufficeyou。Andifyouwishmestilltobelieveyou,youwillnotspeakofthisagainwhileweareouttogether。Come,letusgobacktothehorses。\"
Helookedatherwithallhissoul。Shewaspale,butcomposed,and——hecouldsee——determined。Hefollowedherwithoutaword。
Sheacceptedhishandtosupportheragaindowntheslopewithoutembarrassmentorreminiscentemotion。Thewholescenethroughwhichshehadjustpassedmighthavebeenburiedintheabyssandruinsbehindher。Assheplacedherfootinhishandtoremount,andforamomentrestedherweightonhisshoulder,herbrowneyesmethisfranklyandwithoutatremor。
Norwasshecontentwiththis。AsPaulatfirstrodeonsilently,hisheartfilledwithunsatisfiedyearning,sheralliedhimmischievously。Wasitkindinhimonthis,theirfirstdaytogether,tosulkinthisfashion?Wasitapromisefortheirfutureexcursions?DidheintendtocarrythislugubriousvisagethroughtheAlleeanduptothecourtyardofthehoteltoproclaimhissentimentalconditiontotheworld?Atleast,shetrustedhewouldnotshowittoMilly,whomightrememberthatthiswasonlytheSECONDTIMEtheyhadmeteachother。Therewassomethingsosweetlyreasonableinthis,andwithalnotwithoutacertainhopefulnessforthefuture,tosaynothingofthehalf-mischievous,half-reproachfulsmilethataccompaniedit,thatPaulexertedhimself,andeventuallyrecoveredhislostgayety。Whentheyatlastdrewupinthecourtyard,withtheflushofyouthandexerciseintheirfaces,Paulfelthewastheobjectofenvytotheloungers,andoffreshgossiptoStrudleBad。Itstruckhimlesspleasantlythattwodarkfaces,whichhadbeenpreviouslyregardinghiminthegloomofthecorridorandvanishedasheapproached,reappearedsomemomentslaterinYerba\'ssalonasDonCaesarandDonaAnna,withabenignlydifferentexpression。DonaAnnaespeciallygreetedhimwithsomuchoftheostentatiousarchnessofaconfidentandforgivingwomantoamomentarilyrecreantlover,thathefeltabsurdlyembarrassedinYerba\'spresence。Hewasthinkinghowhecouldexcusehimself,whenhenoticedabeautifulbasketofflowersonthetableandatinynotebearingabaron\'screst。Yerbahadputitasidewith——asitseemedtohimatthemoment——analmosttoopronouncedindifference——andanindifferencethatwasstronglycontrastedtoDonaAnna\'seagerlyexpressedenthusiasmovertheoffering,andherultimatesupplicationstoPaulandherbrothertoadmireitsbeautiesandthewonderfultasteofthedonor。
AllthisseemedsoincongruouswithPaul\'sfeelings,andaboveallwiththerecollectionofhisscenewithYerba,thatheexcusedhimselffromdiningwiththeparty,alleginganengagementwithhisoldfellow-travelertheGermanofficer,whoseacquaintancehehadrenewed。Yerbadidnotpresshim;heevenfanciedshelookedrelieved。ColonelPendletonwascoming;Paulwasnotloath,inhispresentframeofmind,todispensewithhiscompany。Aconvictionthatthecolonel\'scounselwasnotthebestguideforYerba,andthatinsomevaguewaytheirinterestswereantagonistic,hadbeguntoforceitselfuponhim。Hehadnointentionofbeingdisloyaltoheroldguardian,buthefeltthatPendletonhadnotbeenfrankwithhimsincehisreturnfromRosario。HadheeverbeensowithHER?Hesometimesdoubtedhisdisclaimer。
HewasluckyinfindingtheGeneraldisengaged,andtogethertheydinedatarestaurantandspenttheeveningattheKursaal。Later,attheResidenzClub,theGeneralleanedoverhisbeer-glassandsmilinglyaddressedhiscompanion。
\"SoIhearyou,too,areaconquestofthebeautifulSouthAmerican。\"
ForaninstantPaul,recognizingonlyDonaAnnaunderthatepithet,lookedpuzzled。
\"Come,myfriend,\"saidtheGeneralregardinghimwithsomeamusement,\"Iamanoldermanthanyou,yetIhardlythinkIcouldhaveriddenoutwithsuchagoddesswithoutbecomingherslave。\"
Paulfelthisfaceflushinspiteofhimself。\"Ah!youmeanMissArguello,\"hesaidhurriedly,hiscolorincreasingathisownmentionofthatnameasifhewereimposingituponhishonestcompanion。\"Sheisanoldacquaintanceofmine——frommyownState——
California。\"
\"Ah,so,\"saidtheGeneral,liftinghiseyebrowsinprofoundapology。\"Athousandpardons。\"
\"Surely,\"saidPaul,withadesperateattempttorecoverhisequanimity,\"YOUoughttoknowourgeographybetter。\"
\"So,Iamwrong。Butstillthename——Arguello——surelythatisnotAmerican?Still,theysayshehasnoaccent,anddoesnotlooklikeaMexican。\"
ForaninstantPaulwassuperstitiouslystruckwiththefatalinfelicityofYerba\'sselectionofaforeignname,thatnowseemedonlytoinvitethatcommentandcriticismwhichsheshouldhaveavoided。NorcouldheexplainitatlengthtotheGeneralwithoutassistingandaccentingthedeception,whichhewasalwayshopinginsomevaguewaytobringtoanend。HewassorryhehadcorrectedtheGeneral;hewasfuriousthathehadallowedhimselftobeconfused。
Happilyhiscompanionhadmisinterpretedhisannoyance,andwithimpulsiveGermanfriendshipthrewhimselfintowhathebelievedtobePaul\'sfeelings。\"Donnerwetter!Yourbeautifulcountrywomanismadethesubjectofcuriosityjustbecausethatstupidbaronispersistentinhisseriousattentions。Thatisquiteenough,mygoodfriend,tomakeKlatschenhereamongthoseanimalswhodonotunderstandthefreedomofanAmericangirl,orthatanheiressmayhavesomethingelsetodowithhermoneythantoexpenditontheBaron\'smortgages。But\"——hestopped,andhissimple,honestfaceassumedanairofprofoundandsagaciouscunning——\"Iamgladtotalkaboutitwithyou,whoofcourseareperfectlyfamiliarwiththeaffair。Ishallnowbeabletoknowwhattosay。Myword,myfriend,hassomeweighthere,andIshalluseit。AndnowyoushalltellmeWHOisourlovelyfriend,andWHOwereherparentsandherkindredinherownhome。Herassociateshere,youpossiblyknow,areanimpossiblecolonelandhisnever-before-approachedvalet,withsomeSouthAmericanIndianplanters,and,Ibelieve,apork-butcher\'sdaughter。ButofTHEM——itmakesnothing。TellmeofHERpeople。\"
WithhiskindlyseriousfacewithinafewinchesofPaul\'s,andsympathizingcuriositybeamingfromhispince-nez,heobligedthewretchedandconscience-strickenHathawaytorespondwithadetailedaccountofYerba\'sparentageasprojectedbyherselfandindorsedbyColonelPendleton。HedweltsomewhatparticularlyontheromanticcharacteroftheTrust,hopingtodrawtheGeneral\'sattentionawayfromthequestionofrelationship,buthewaschagrinedtofindthatthehonestwarriorevidentlyconfoundedtheTrustwithsomeeleemosynaryinstitutionandsympatheticallyglosseditover。\"Ofcourse,\"hesaid,\"theMexicanMinisteratBerlinwouldknowallabouttheArguellofamily:sotherewouldbenoquestionthere。\"