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on the frontier-第7部分
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spaced stars had silently stolen to their places。 The Angelus
still rang; his trembling ceased; he remained motionless and rigid。
The American; who had uncovered in deference to the worshiper
rather than the rite; waited patiently。 The eyes of Father Pedro
returned to the earth; moist as if with dew caught from above。 He
looked half absently at Cranch。
〃Forgive me; my son;〃 he said; in a changed voice。 〃I am only a
worn old man。 I must talk with thee more of thisbut not to…
nightnot to…night;to…morrowto…morrowto…morrow。〃
He turned slowly and appeared to glide rather than move under the
trees; until the dark shadow of the Mission tower met and
encompassed him。 Cranch followed him with anxious eyes。 Then he
removed the quid of tobacco from his cheek。
〃Just as I reckoned;〃 remarked he; quite audibly。 〃He's clean gold
on the bed rock after all!〃
CHAPTER IV
That night Father Pedro dreamed a strange dream。 How much of it
was reality; how long it lasted; or when he awoke from it; he could
not tell。 The morbid excitement of the previous day culminated in
a febrile exaltation in which he lived and moved as in a separate
existence。
This is what he remembered。 He thought he had risen at night in a
sudden horror of remorse; and making his way to the darkened church
had fallen upon his knees before the high altar; when all at once
the acolyte's voice broke from the choir; but in accents so
dissonant and unnatural that it seemed a sacrilege; and he
trembled。 He thought he had confessed the secret of the child's
sex to Cranch; but whether the next morning or a week later he did
not know。 He fancied; too; that Cranch had also confessed some
trifling deception to him; but what; or why; he could not remember;
so much greater seemed the enormity of his own transgression。 He
thought Cranch had put in his hands the letter he had written to
the Father Superior; saying that his secret was still safe; and
that he had been spared the avowal and the scandal that might have
ensued。 But through all; and above all; he was conscious of one
fixed idea: to seek the seashore with Sanchicha; and upon the spot
where she had found Francisco; meet the young girl who had taken
his place; and so part from her forever。 He had a dim recollection
that this was necessary to some legal identification of her; as
arranged by Cranch; but how or why he did not understand; enough
that it was a part of his penance。
It was early morning when the faithful Antonio; accompanied by
Sanchicha and Jose; rode forth with him from the Mission of San
Carmel。 Except on the expressionless features of the old woman;
there was anxiety and gloom upon the faces of the little cavalcade。
He did not know how heavily his strange abstraction and
hallucinations weighed upon their honest hearts。 As they wound up
the ascent of the mountain he noticed that Antonio and Jose
conversed with bated breath and many pious crossings of themselves;
but with eyes always wistfully fixed upon him。 He wondered if; as
part of his penance; he ought not to proclaim his sin and abase
himself before them; but he knew that his devoted followers would
insist upon sharing his punishment; and he remembered his promise
to Cranch; that for HER sake he would say nothing。 Before they
reached the summit he turned once or twice to look back upon the
Mission。 How small it looked; lying there in the peaceful valley;
contrasted with the broad sweep of the landscape beyond; stopped at
the further east only by the dim; ghost…like outlines of the
Sierras。 But the strong breath of the sea was beginning to be
felt; in a few moments more they were facing it with lowered
sombreros and flying serapes; and the vast; glittering; illimitable
Pacific opened out beneath them。
Dazed and blinded; as it seemed to him; by the shining; restless
expanse; Father Pedro rode forward as if still in a dream。
Suddenly he halted; and called Antonio to his side。
〃Tell me; child; didst thou not say that this coast was wild and
desolate of man; beast; and habitation?〃
〃Truly I did; reverend father。〃
〃Then what is that?〃 pointing to the shore。
Almost at their feet nestled a cluster of houses; at the head of an
arroyo reaching up from the beach。 They looked down upon the smoke
of a manufactory chimney; upon strange heaps of material and
curious engines scattered along the sands; with here and there
moving specks of human figures。 In a little bay a schooner swung
at her cables。
The vaquero crossed himself in stupefied alarm。 〃I know not; your
reverence; it is only two years ago; before the rodeo; that I was
here for strayed colts; and I swear by the blessed bones of San
Antonio that it was as I said。〃
〃Ah! it is like these Americanos;〃 responded the muleteer。 〃I have
it from my brother Diego that he went from San Jose to Pescadero
two months ago; across the plains; with never a hut nor fonda to
halt at all the way。 He returned in seven days; and in the midst
of the plain there were three houses and a mill; and many people。
and why was it? Ah! Mother of God! one had picked up in the creek
where he drank that much of gold;〃 and the muleteer tapped one of
the silver coins that fringed his jacket sleeves in place of
buttons。
〃And they are washing the sands for gold there now;〃 said Antonio;
eagerly pointing to some men gathered round a machine like an
enormous cradle。 〃Let us hasten on。〃
Father Pedro's momentary interest had passed。 The words of his
companions fell dull and meaningless upon his dreaming ears。 He
was conscious only that the child was more a stranger to him as an
outcome of this hard; bustling life; than when he believed her
borne to him over the mysterious sea。 It perplexed his dazed;
disturbed mind to think that if such an antagonistic element could
exist within a dozen miles of the Mission; and he not know it;
could not such an atmosphere have been around him; even in his
monastic isolation; and he remain blind to it? Had he really lived
in the world without knowing it? Had it been in his blood? Had it
impelled him to He shuddered and rode on。
They were at the last slope of the zigzag descent to the shore;
when he saw the figures of a man and woman moving slowly through a
field of wild oats; not far from the trail。 It seemed to his
distorted fancy that the man was Cranch。 The woman! His heart
stopped beating。 Ah! could it be? He had never seen her in her
proper garb: would she look like that? Would she be as tall? He
thought he bade Jose and Antonio go on slowly before with
Sanchicha; and dismounted; walking slowly between the high stalks
of grain; lest he should disturb them。 They evidently did not hear
his approach; but were talking earnestly。 It seemed to Father
Pedro that they had taken each other's hands; and as he looked
Cranch slipped his arm round her waist。 With only a blind instinct
of some dreadful sacrilege in this act; Father Pedro would have
rushed forward; when the girl's voice struck his ear。 He stopped;
breathless。 It was not Francisco; but Juanita; the little mestiza。
〃But are you sure you are not pretending to love me now; as you
pretended to think I was the muchacha you had run away with and
lost? Are you sure it is not pity for the deceit you practiced
upon meupon Don Juanupon poor Father Pedro?〃
It seemed as if Cranch had tried to answer with a kiss; for the
girl drew suddenly away from him with a coquettish fling of the
black braids; and whipped her little brown hands behind her。
〃Well; look here;〃 said Cranch; with the same easy; good…natured;
practical directness which the priest remembered; and which would
have passed for philosophy in a more thoughtful man; 〃put it
squarely; then。 In the first place; it was Don Juan and the
alcalde who first suggested you might be the child。〃
〃But you have said you knew it was Francisco all the time;〃
interrupted Juanita。
〃I did; but when I found the priest would not assist me at first;
and admit that the acolyte was a girl; I preferred to let him think
I was deceived in giving a fortune to another; and leave it to his
own conscience to permit it or frustrate it。 I was right。 I
reckon it was pretty hard on the old man; at his time of life; and
wrapped up as he was in the girl; but at the moment he came up to
the scratch like a man。〃
〃And to save him you have deceived me? Thank you; Senor;〃 said the
girl with a mock curtsey。
〃I reckon I preferred to have you for a wife than a daughter;〃 said
Cranch; 〃if that's what you mean。 When you know me better;
Juanita;〃 he continued; gravely; 〃you'll know that I would never
have let you believe I sought in you the one if I had not hoped to
find in you the other。〃
〃Bueno! And when did you have that pretty hope?〃
〃When I first saw you。〃
〃And that wastwo weeks ago。〃
〃A year ago; Juanita。 When Francisco visited you at the rancho。 I
followed and saw you。〃
Juanita looked at him a moment; and then suddenly darted at him;
caught him by the lapels of his coat and shook him like a terrier。
〃Are you sure that you did not love that Francisco? Speak!〃 (She
shook him again。) 〃Swear that you did not follow her!〃
〃ButI did;〃 said Cranch; laughing and shaking between the
clenching of the little hands。
〃Judas Iscariot! Swear you do not love her all this while。〃
〃But; Juanita!〃
〃Swear!〃
Cranch swore。 Then to Father Pedro's intense astonishment she drew
the American's face towards her own by the ears and kissed him。
〃But you might have loved her; and married a fortune;〃 said
Juanita; after a pause。
〃Where would have been my reparationmy duty?〃 returned Cranch;
with a laugh。
〃Reparation enough for her to have had you;〃 said Juanita; with
that rapid disloyalty of one loving wo
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