the story of a mine-第23部分

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Shall　you　not　speak？　　Must　I　again　hit　you？〃



〃Go　on；〃　said　Thatcher　laughing。



〃I　did　find　out；　when　I　came　to　you　at　the　mine；　that　I　had　forged

against　you　the　name　of　Micheltorena。　　I　to　the　lawyer　went；　and

found　that　it　was　soof　a　verityso！　so！　all　the　time。　　Look　at

me　not　now；　Don　Royal；it　is　a　'forgaire'　you　stare　at。〃



〃Carmen！〃



〃Hoosh！　　Shall　I　have　to　hit　you　again？　　I　did　overlook　all　the

papers。　　I　found　the　application：　it　was　written　by　me。　　There。〃



She　tossed　over　the　back　of　her　chair　an　envelope　to　Thatcher。　　He

opened　it。



〃I　see；〃　he　said　gently；　〃you　repossessed　yourself　of　it！〃



〃What　is　that'r…r…r…epossess'？〃



〃Why！〃Thatcher　hesitated〃you　got　possession　of　this　paper；

this　innocent　forgery；again。〃



〃Oh！　　You　think　me　a　thief　as　well　as　a　'forgaire。'　　Go　away！　　Get

up。　　Get　out。〃



〃My　dear　girl〃



〃Look　at　the　paper！　　Will　you？　　Oh；　you　silly！〃



Thatcher　looked　at　the　paper。　　In　paper；　handwriting；　age；　and

stamp　it　was　identical　with　the　formal；　clerical　application　of

Garcia　for　the　grant。　　The　indorsement　of　Micheltorena　was

unquestionably　genuine。　　BUT　THE　APPLICATION　WAS　MADE　FOR　ROYAL

THATCHER。　　And　his　own　signature　was　imitated　to　the　life。



〃I　had　but　one　letter　of　yours　wiz　your　name；〃　said　Carmen

apologetically；　〃and　it　was　the　best　poor　me　could　do。〃



〃Why；　you　blessed　little　goose　and　angel；〃　said　Thatcher；　with　the

bold；　mixed　metaphor　of　amatory　genius；　〃don't　you　see〃



〃Ah；　you　don't　like　it；it　is　not　good？〃



〃My　darling！〃



〃Hoosh！　　There　is　also　an　'old　cat'　up　stairs。　　And　now　I　have　here

a　character。　　WILL　you　sit　down？　　Is　it　of　a　necessity　that　up　and

down　you　should　walk　and　awaken　the　whole　house？　　There！〃she　had

given　him　a　vicious　dab　with　her　fan　as　he　passed。　　He　sat　down。



〃And　you　have　not　seen　me　nor　written　to　me　for　a　year？〃



〃Carmen！〃



〃Sit　down；　you　bold；　bad　boy。　　Don't　you　see　it　is　of　business　that

you　and　I　talk　down　here；　and　it　is　of　business　that　ozzer　people

up　stairs　are　thinking。　　Eh？〃



〃Dn　business！　　See　here；　Carmen；　my　darling；　tell　me〃I　regret

to　say　he　had　by　this　time　got　hold　of　the　back　of　Carmen's　chair

〃tell　me；　my　own　little　girl；aboutabout　that　Senator。　　You

remember　what　you　said　to　him？〃



〃Oh；　the　old　man？　　Oh；　THAT　was　business。　　And　you　say　of　business；

'dn。'〃



〃Carmen！〃



〃Don　Royal！〃



　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。　　　　　　　　。



Although　Miss　Carmen　had　recourse　to　her　fan　frequently　during　this

interview；　the　air　must　have　been　chilly；　for　a　moment　later；　on

his　way　down　stairs；　poor　Harlowe；　a　sufferer　from　bronchitis；　was

attacked　with　a　violent　fit　of　coughing；　which　troubled　him　all　the

way　down。



〃Well；〃　he　said；　as　he　entered　the　room；　〃I　see　you　have　found　Mr。

Thatcher；　and　shown　those　papers。　　I　trust　you　have；　for　you've

certainly　had　time　enough。　　I　am　sent　by　mother　to　dismiss　you　all

to　bed。〃



Carmen　still　in　the　arm　chair；　covered　with　her　mantilla；　did　not

speak。



〃I　suppose　you　are　by　this　time　lawyer　enough　to　know；〃　continued

Harlowe；　〃that　Miss　De　Haro's　papers；　though　ingenious；　are　not

legally　available；　unless〃



〃I　chose　to　make　her　a　witness。　　Harlowe！　you're　a　good　fellow！　　I

don't　mind　saying　to　you　that　these　are　papers　I　prefer　that　my

WIFE　should　not　use。　　We'll　leave　it　for　the　presentUnfinished

Business。〃





They　did。　　But　one　evening　our　hero　brought　Mrs。　Royal　Thatcher　a

paper　containing　a　touching　and　beautiful　tribute　to　the　dead

Senator。



〃There；　Carmen；　love；　read　that。　　Don't　you　feel　a　little　ashamed

of　youryouryour　lobbying〃



〃No；〃　said　Carmen　promptly。　　〃It　was　business；and　if　all　lobbying

business　was　as　honest；well？〃











End