the story of a mine-第11部分

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of　his　self…control。



〃Nothing；　I　hope；　that　she　should　not；〃　said　Mrs。　P。；　and　chastely

retired。



She　was　right。　　Miss　Carmen　posted　to　Monterey；　running　her　horse

nearly　off　its　legs　to　do　it；　and　then　sent　back　her　beast　and

escort；　saying　she　would　rejoin　Mrs。　Plodgitt　by　steamer　at　San

Francisco。　　Then　she　went　boldly　to　the　law　office　of　Saponaceous

Wood；　District　Attorney　and　whilom　solicitor　of　her　uncle。



With　the　majority　of　masculine　Monterey　Miss　Carmen　was　known　and

respectfully　admired；　despite　the　infelix　reputation　of　her

kinsman。　　Mr。　Wood　was　glad　to　see　her；　and　awkwardly　gallant。

Miss　Carmen　was　cool　and　business…like；　she　had　come　from　her　uncle

to　〃regard〃　the　papers　in　the　〃Red…Rock　Rancho〃　case。　　They　were

instantly　produced。　　Carmen　turned　to　the　application　for　the

grant。　　Her　cheek　paled　slightly。　　With　her　clear　memory　and

wonderful　fidelity　of　perception　she　could　not　be　mistaken。　　THE

SIGNATURE　OF　MICHELTORENA　WAS　IN　HER　OWN　HANDWRITING！〃



Yet　she　looked　up　to　the　lawyer　with　a　smile：　〃May　I　take　these

papers　for　an　hour　to　my　uncle？〃



Even　an　older　and　better　man　than　the　District　Attorney　could　not

have　resisted　those　drooping　lids　and　that　gentle　voice。



〃Certainly。〃



〃I　will　return　them　in　an　hour。〃



She　was　as　good　as　her　word；　and　within　the　hour　dropped　the　papers

and　a　little　courtesy　to　her　uncle's　legal　advocate；　and　that　night

took　the　steamer　to　San　Francisco。



The　next　morning　Victor　Garcia；　a　little　the　worse　for　the　previous

night's　dissipation；　reeled　into　Wood's　office。　　〃I　have　fears　for

my　niece　Carmen。　　She　is　with　the　enemy；〃　he　said　thickly。　　〃Look

you　at　this。〃



It　was　an　anonymous　letter　（in　Mrs。　Plodgitt's　own　awkward　fist）

advising　him　of　the　fact　that　his　niece　was　bought　by　the　enemy；

and　cautioning　him　against　her。



〃Impossible；〃　said　the　lawyer；　〃it　was　only　last　week　she　sent　thee

50。〃



Victor　blushed；　even　through　his　ensanguined　cheeks；　and　made　an

impatient　gesture　with　his　hand。



〃Besides；〃　added　the　lawyer　coolly；　〃she　has　been　here　to　examine

the　papers　at　thy　request；　and　returned　them　of　yesterday。〃



Victor　gasped：　〃And…you…you…gave　them　to　her？〃



〃Of　course！〃



〃All？　　Even　the　application　and　the　signature？〃



〃Certainly；you　sent　her。〃



〃Sent　her？　　The　devil's　own　daughter？〃　shrieked　Garcia。　　〃No！　　A

hundred　million　times；　no！　　Quick；　before　it　is　too　late。　　Give　to

me　the　papers。〃



Mr。　Wood　reproduced　the　file。　　Garcia　ran　over　it　with　trembling

fingers　until　at　last　he　clutched　the　fateful　document。　　Not

content　with　opening　it　and　glancing　at　its　text　and　signature；　he

took　it　to　the　window。



〃It　is　the　same；〃　he　muttered　with　a　sigh　of　relief。



〃Of　course　it　is；〃　said　Mr。　Wood　sharply。　　〃The　papers　are　all

there。　　You're　a　fool；　Victor　Garcia！〃



And　so　he　was。　　And；　for　the　matter　of　that；　so　was　Mr。　Saponaceous

Wood；　of　counsel。



Meanwhile　Miss　De　Haro　returned　to　San　Francisco　and　resumed　her

work。　　A　day　or　two　later　she　was　joined　by　her　landlady。　　Mrs。　P。

had　too　large　a　nature　to　permit　an　anonymous　letter；　written　by

her　own　hand；　to　stand　between　her　and　her　demeanor　to　her　little

lodger。　　So　she　coddled　her　and　flattered　her　and　depicted　in

slightly　exaggerated　colors　the　grief　of　Don　Royal　at　her　sudden

departure。　　All　of　which　Miss　Carmen　received　in　a　demure；　kitten…

like　way；　but　still　kept　quietly　at　her　work。　　In　due　time　Don

Royal's　order　was　completed；　still　she　had　leisure　and　inclination

enough　to　add　certain　touches　to　her　ghastly　sketch　of　the

crumbling　furnace。



Nevertheless；　as　Don　Royal　did　not　return；　through　excess　of

business；　Mrs。　Plodgitt　turned　an　honest　penny　by　letting　his　room；

temporarily；　to　two　quiet　Mexicans；　who；　but　for　a　beastly　habit　of

cigarrito　smoking　which　tainted　the　whole　house；　were　fair　enough

lodgers。　　If　they　failed　in　making　the　acquaintance　of　their　fair

countrywoman；　Miss　De　Haro；　it　was　through　the　lady's　pre…

occupation　in　her　own　work；　and　not　through　their　ostentatious

endeavors。



〃Miss　De　Haro　is　peculiar；〃　explained　the　politic　Mrs。　Plodgitt　to

her　guests；　〃she　makes　no　acquaintances；　which　I　consider　bad　for

her　business。　　If　it　had　not　been　for　me；　she　would　not　have　known

Royal　Thatcher；　the　great　quicksilver　miner；and　had　his　order　for

a　picture　of　his　mine！〃



The　two　foreign　gentlemen　exchanged　glances。　　One　said；　〃Ah；　God！

this　is　bad；〃　and　the　other；　〃It　is　not　possible；〃　and　then；　when

the　landlady's　back　was　turned；　introduced　themselves　with　a

skeleton　key　into　the　then　vacant　bedroom　and　studio　of　their　fair

countrywoman；　who　was　absent　sketching。　　〃Thou　observest；〃　said　Mr。

Pedro；　refugee；　to　Miguel；　ex…ecclesiastic；　〃that　this　Americano　is

all…powerful；　and　that　this　Victor；　drunkard　as　he　is；　is　right　in

his　suspicions。〃



〃Of　a　verity；　yes；〃　replied　Miguel；　〃thou　dost　remember　it　was

Jovita　Castro　who；　for　her　Americano　lover；　betrayed　the　Sobriente

claim。　　It　is　only　with　us；　my　Pedro；　that　the　Mexican　spirit；　the

real　God　and　Liberty；　yet　lives！〃



They　shook　hands　nobly　and　with　sentimental　fervor；　and　then　went

to　work；　i。　e。；　the　rummaging　over　the　trunks；　drawers；　and

portmanteaus　of　the　poor　little　painter；　Carmen　de　Haro；　and　even

ripped　up　the　mattress　of　her　virginal　cot。　　But　they　found　not

what　they　sought。



〃What　is　that　yonder　on　the　easel；　covered　with　a　cloth？〃　said

Miguel：　〃it　is　a　trick　of　these　artists　to　put　their　valuables

together。〃



Pedro　strode　to　the　easel　and　tore　away　the　muslin　curtain　that

veiled　it；　then　uttered　a　shriek　that　appalled　his　comrade　and

brought　him　to　his　side。



〃In　the　name　of　God；〃　said　Miguel　hastily；　〃are　you　trying　to　alarm

the　house？〃



The　ex…vaquero　was　trembling　like　a　child。　　〃Look；〃　he　said

hoarsely；　〃look；　do　you　see？　　It　is　the　hand　of　God；〃　and　fainted

on　the　floor！



Miguel　looked。　　It　was　Carmen's　partly…finished　sketch　of　the

deserted　furnace。　　The　figure　of　Concho；　thrown　out　strongly　by　the

camp　fire；　occupied　the　left　foreground。　　But　to　balance　her

picture　she　had　evidently　been　obliged　to　introduce　another；the

face　and　figure　of　Pedro；　on　all　fours；　creeping　towards　the

sleeping　man。







PART　III。IN　CONGRESS





CHAPTER　X



WHO　LOBBIED　FOR　IT





It　was　a　midsummer's　day　in　Washington。　　Even　at　early　morning；

while　the　sun　was　yet　level　with　the　faces　of　pedestrians　in　its

broad；　shadeless　avenues；　it　was　insufferably　hot。　　Later　the

avenues　themselves　shone　like　the　diverging　rays　of　another　sun；

the　Capitol；a　thing　to　be　feared　by　the　naked　eye。　　Later　yet　it

grew　hotter；　and　then　a　mist　arose　from　the　Potomac；　and　blotted

out　the　blazing　arch　above；　and　presently　piled　up　along　the

horizon　delusive　thunder　clouds；　that　spent　their　strength　and

substance　elsewhere；　and　left　it　hotter　than　before。　　Towards

evening　the　sun　came　out　invigorated；　having　cleared　the　heavenly

brow　of　perspiration；　but　leaving　its　fever　unabated。



The　city　was　deserted。　　The　few　who　remained　apparently　buried

themselves　from　the　garish　light　of　day　in　some　dim；　cloistered

recess　of　shop；　hotel；　or　restaurant；　and　the　perspiring　stranger；

dazed　by　the　outer　glare；　who　broke　in　upon　their　quiet；

sequestered　repose；　confronted　collarless　and　coatless　specters　of

the　past；　with　fans　in　their　hands；　who；　after　dreamily　going

through　some　perfunctory　business；　immediately　retired　to　sleep

after　the　stranger　had　gone。　　Congressmen　and　Senators　had　long

since　returned　to　their　several　constituencies　with　the　various

information　that　the　country　was　going　to　ruin；　or　that　the　outlook

never　was　more　hopeful　and　cheering；　as　the　tastes　of　their

constituency　indicated。　　A　few　Cabinet　officers　still　lingered；

having　by　this　time　become　convinced　that　they　could　do　nothing

their　own　way；　or　indeed　in　any　way　but　the　old　way；　and　getting

gloomily　resigned　to　their　situation。　　A　body　of　learned；

cultivated　men；　representing　the　highest　legal　tribunal　in　the

land；　still　lingered　in　a　vague　idea　of　earning　the　scant　salary

bestowed　upon　them　by　the　economical　founders　of　the　Government；

and　listened　patiently　to　the　arguments　of　counsel；　whose　fees　for

advocacy　of　claims　before　them　would　have　paid　the　life　income　of

half　the　bench。　　There　was　Mr。　Attorney…General　and　his　assistants

still　protecting　the　Government's　millions　from　rapacious　hands；

and　drawing　the　yearly　public　pittance　that　their　wealthier　private

antagonists　would　have　scarce　given　as　a　retainer　to　their　junior

counsel。　　The　little　standing　army　of　departmental　employes；

the　helpless　victims　of　the　most　senseless　and　idiotic　form　of

discipline　the　world　has　known；a　discipline　so　made　up　of　caprice；

expediency；　cowardice；　and　tyranny　that　its　reform　meant　revolution；

not　to　be　tolerated　by　legislators　and　lawgivers；　or　a　despotism　in

which　half　a　dozen　accidentally…chosen　men　interpreted　their

prejudices　or　preferences　as　being　that　Reform。　　Administration

after　administration　and　Party　after　Party　had　persisted　in　their

desperate　attempts　to　fit　the　youthful　colonial　garments；　made　by

our　Fathers　after　a　by…gone　fashion；　over　the　expanded　limits　and

generous　outline　of　a　matured　nation。　　There　were　patches　here　and

there；　there　were　grievous　rents　and　holes　here　and　there；　there

were　ludicrous　and　painful　exposures　of　growing　limbs　everywhere；

and　the　Party　in　Power　and　the　Party　out　of　Power　could　do　nothing

but　mend　and　patch；　and　revamp　and　cleanse　and　scour；　and

occasionally；　in　the　wildness　of　despair；　suggest　even　the　cutting

off　the　rebellious　limbs　that　persisted　in　growing　beyond　the

swaddling　clothes　of　its　infancy。



It　was　a　capital　of　Contradictions　and　Inconsistencies。　　At　one　end

of　the　Avenue　sat　the　responsible　High　Keeper　of　the　military

honor；　valor；　and　war…like　pr