the devotion of enriquez-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



focus　of　a　hundred　eager　and　curious　eyes。　　She　smiled　slightly　as

she　saw　me。　　〃I　was　just　telling　Mr。　Briggs　what　an　extraordinary

creature　it　was；　and　how　you　knew　him。　　He　must　have　had　great

experience　to　do　that　sort　of　thing　so　cleverly　and　safely。　　Does

he　do　it　often？　　Of　course；　not　just　that。　　But　does　he　pick　up

cigars　and　things　that　I　see　they　throw　to　the　matador？　　Does　he

belong　to　the　management？　　Mr。　Briggs　thinks　the　whole　thing　was　a

feint　to　distract　the　bull；〃　she　added；　with　a　wicked　glance　at　the

geologist；　who；　I　fancied；　looked　disturbed。



〃I　am　afraid；〃　I　said　dryly；　〃that　his　act　was　as　unpremeditated

and　genuine　as　it　was　unusual。〃



〃Why　afraid？〃



It　was　a　matter…of…fact　question；　but　I　instantly　saw　my　mistake。

What　right　had　I　to　assume　that　Enriquez'　attentions　were　any　more

genuine　than　her　own　easy　indifference；　and　if　I　suspected　that

they　were；　was　it　fair　in　me　to　give　my　friend　away　to　this

heartless　coquette？　　〃You　are　not　very　gallant；〃　she　said；　with　a

slight　laugh；　as　I　was　hesitating；　and　turned　away　with　her　escort

before　I　could　frame　a　reply。　　But　at　least　Enriquez　was　now

accessible；　and　I　should　gain　some　information　from　him。　　I　knew

where　to　find　him；　unless　he　were　still　lounging　about　the

building；　intent　upon　more　extravagance；　but　I　waited　until　I　saw

Miss　Mannersley　and　Briggs　depart　without　further　interruption。



The　hacienda　of　Ramon　Saltillo；　Enriquez'　cousin；　was　on　the

outskirts　of　the　village。　　When　I　arrived　there　I　found　Enriquez'

pinto　mustang　steaming　in　the　corral；　and　although　I　was

momentarily　delayed　by　the　servants　at　the　gateway；　I　was　surprised

to　find　Enriquez　himself　lying　languidly　on　his　back　in　a　hammock

in　the　patio。　　His　arms　were　hanging　down　listlessly　on　each　side

as　if　in　the　greatest　prostration；　yet　I　could　not　resist　the

impression　that　the　rascal　had　only　just　got　into　the　hammock　when

he　heard　of　my　arrival。



〃You　have　arrived；　friend　Pancho；　in　time；〃　he　said；　in　accents　of

exaggerated　weakness。　　〃I　am　absolutely　exhaust。　　I　am　bursted；

caved　in；　kerflummoxed。　　I　have　behold　you；　my　friend；　at　the

barrier。　　I　speak　not；　I　make　no　sign　at　the　first；　because　I　was

on　fire；　I　speak　not　at　the　feenishfor　I　am　exhaust。〃



〃I　see；　the　bull　made　it　lively　for　you。〃



He　instantly　bounded　up　in　the　hammock。　　〃The　bull！　　Caramba！　　Not

a　thousand　bulls！　　And　thees　one；　look　you；　was　a　craven。　　I　snap

my　fingers　over　his　horn；　I　roll　my　cigarette　under　his　nose。〃



〃Well；　thenwhat　was　it？〃



He　instantly　lay　down　again；　pulling　up　the　sides　of　the　hammock。

Presently　his　voice　came　from　its　depths；　appealing　in　hollow　tones

to　the　sky。　　〃He　asks　methees　friend　of　my　soul；　thees　brother　of

my　life；　thees　Pancho　that　I　lofewhat　it　was？　　He　would　that　I

should　tell　him　why　I　am　game　in　the　legs；　why　I　shake　in　the　hand；

crack　in　the　voice；　and　am　generally　wipe　out！　　And　yet　he；　my

pardnerthees　Franciscoknow　that　I　have　seen　the　mees　from

Boston！　　That　I　have　gaze　into　the　eye；　touch　the　hand；　and　for　the

instant　possess　the　picture　that　hand　have　drawn！　　It　was　a　sublime

picture；　Pancho；〃　he　said；　sitting　up　again　suddenly；　〃and　have

kill　the　bull　before　our　friend　Pepe's　sword　have　touch　even　the

bone　of　hees　back　and　make　feenish　of　him。〃



〃Look　here；　Enriquez；〃　I　said　bluntly；　〃have　you　been　serenading

that　girl？〃



He　shrugged　his　shoulders　without　the　least　embarrassment；　and

said：　〃Ah；　yes。　　What　would　you？　　It　is　of　a　necessity。〃



〃Well；〃　I　retored；　〃then　you　ought　to　know　that　her　uncle　took　it

all　to　himselfthought　you　some　grateful　Catholic　pleased　with　his

religious　tolerance。〃



He　did　not　even　smile。　　〃BUENO；〃　he　said　gravely。　　〃That　make

something；　too。　　In　thees　affair　it　is　well　to　begin　with　the

duenna。　　He　is　the　duenna。〃



〃And；〃　I　went　on　relentlessly；　〃her　escort　told　her　just　now　that

your　exploit　in　the　bull　ring　was　only　a　trick　to　divert　the　bull；

suggested　by　the　management。〃



〃Bah！　her　escort　is　a　geologian。　　Naturally；　she　is　to　him　as　a

stone。〃



I　would　have　continued；　but　a　peon　interrupted　us　at　this　moment

with　a　sign　to　Enriquez；　who　leaped　briskly　from　the　hammock；

bidding　me　wait　his　return　from　a　messenger　in　the　gateway。



Still　unsatisfied　of　mind；　I　waited；　and　sat　down　in　the　hammock

that　Enriquez　had　quitted。　　A　scrap　of　paper　was　lying　in　its

meshes；　which　at　first　appeared　to　be　of　the　kind　from　which

Enriquez　rolled　his　cigarettes；　but　as　I　picked　it　up　to　throw　it

away；　I　found　it　was　of　much　firmer　and　stouter　material。　　Looking

at　it　more　closely；　I　was　surprised　to　recognize　it　as　a　piece　of

the　tinted　drawing…paper　torn　off　the　〃block〃　that　Miss　Mannersley

had　used。　　It　had　been　deeply　creased　at　right　angles　as　if　it　had

been　folded；　it　looked　as　if　it　might　have　been　the　outer　half　of　a

sheet　used　for　a　note。



It　might　have　been　a　trifling　circumstance；　but　it　greatly　excited

my　curiosity。　　I　knew　that　he　had　returned　the　sketch　to　Miss

Mannersley；　for　I　had　seen　it　in　her　hand。　　Had　she　given　him

another？　　And　if　so；　why　had　it　been　folded　to　the　destruction　of

the　drawing？　　Or　was　it　part　of　a　note　which　he　had　destroyed？　　In

the　first　impulse　of　discovery　I　walked　quickly　with　it　toward　the

gateway　where　Enriquez　had　disappeared；　intending　to　restore　it　to

him。　　He　was　just　outside　talking　with　a　young　girl。　　I　started；

for　it　was　JocastaMiss　Mannersley's　maid。



With　this　added　discovery　came　that　sense　of　uneasiness　and

indignation　with　which　we　illogically　are　apt　to　resent　the

withholding　of　a　friend's　confidence；　even　in　matters　concerning

only　himself。　　It　was　no　use　for　me　to　reason　that　it　was　no

business　of　mine；　that　he　was　right　in　keeping　a　secret　that

concerned　anotherand　a　lady；　but　I　was　afraid　I　was　even　more

meanly　resentful　because　the　discovery　quite　upset　my　theory　of　his

conduct　and　of　Miss　Mannersley's　attitude　toward　him。　　I　continued

to　walk　on　to　the　gateway；　where　I　bade　Enriquez　a　hurried　good…by；

alleging　the　sudden　remembrance　of　another　engagement；　but　without

appearing　to　recognize　the　girl；　who　was　moving　away　when；　to　my

further　discomfiture；　the　rascal　stopped　me　with　an　appealing　wink；

threw　his　arms　around　my　neck；　whispered　hoarsely　in　my　ear；　〃Ah！

you　seeyou　comprehendbut　you　are　the　mirror　of　discretion！〃　and

returned　to　Jocasta。　　But　whether　this　meant　that　he　had　received　a

message　from　Miss　Mannersley；　or　that　he　was　trying　to　suborn　her

maid　to　carry　one；　was　still　uncertain。　　He　was　capable　of　either。

During　the　next　two　or　three　weeks　I　saw　him　frequently；　but　as　I

had　resolved　to　try　the　effect　of　ignoring　Miss　Mannersley　in　our

conversation；　I　gathered　little　further　of　their　relations；　and；　to

my　surprise；　after　one　or　two　characteristic　extravagances　of

allusion；　Enriquez　dropped　the　subject；　too。　　Only　one　afternoon；

as　we　were　parting；　he　said　carelessly：　〃My　friend；　you　are　going

to　the　casa　of　Mannersley　tonight。　　I　too　have　the　honor　of　the

invitation。　　But　you　will　be　my　Mercurymy　Leporelloyou　will

take　of　me　a　message　to　thees　Mees　Boston；　that　I　am　crushed；

desolated；　prostrate；　and　flabbergastedthat　I　cannot　arrive；　for

I　have　of　that　night　to　sit　up　with　the　grand…aunt　of　my　brother…

in…law；　who　has　a　quinsy　to　the　death。　　It　is　sad。〃



This　was　the　first　indication　I　had　received　of　Miss　Mannersley's

advances。　　I　was　equally　surprised　at　Enriquez'　refusal。



〃Nonsense！〃　I　said　bluntly。　〃Nothing　keeps　you　from　going。〃



〃My　friend；〃　returned　Enriquez；　with　a　sudden　lapse　into　languish…

ment　that　seemed　to　make　him　absolutely　infirm；　〃it　is　everything

that　shall　restrain　me。　　I　am　not　strong。　　I　shall　become　weak　of

the　knee　and　tremble　under　the　eye　of　Mees　Boston。　　I　shall

precipitate　myself　to　the　geologian　by　the　throat。　　Ask　me　another

conundrum　that　shall　be　easy。〃



He　seemed　idiotically　inflexible；　and　did