the crusade of the excelsior-第39章

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alone。　　Cautiously　slipping　beside　the　wall　of　the　house；　under　the

shadow　of　a　creeper；　he　gained　the　long　avenue　without　attracting

attention。　　She　was　not　there。　　Had　she　effectively　evaded　contact

with　the　others　by　leaving　the　garden　through　the　little　gate　in

the　wall　that　entered　the　Mission　enclosure？　　It　was　partly　open；

as　if　some　one　had　just　passed　through。　　He　followed；　took　a　few

steps；　and　stopped　abruptly。　　In　the　shadow　of　one　of　the　old　pear…

trees　a　man　and　woman　were　standing。　　An　impulse　of　wild　jealousy

seized　him；　he　was　about　to　leap　forward；　but　the　next　moment　the

measured　voice　of　the　Comandante；　addressing　Mrs。　Markham；　fell

upon　his　ear。　　He　drew　back　with　a　sudden　flush　upon　his　face。　　The

Comandante　of　Todos　Santos；　in　grave；　earnest　accents；　was　actually

offering　to　Mrs。　Markham　the　same　proposal　that　he；　Don　Ramon；　had

made　to　Mrs。　Brimmer　but　a　moment　ago！



〃No　one；〃　said　the　Comandante　sententiously；　〃will　know　it　but

myself。　　You　will　leave　the　ship　at　Acapulco；　you　will　rejoin　your

husband　in　good　time；　you　will　be　happy；　my　child；　you　will　forget

the　old　man　who　drags　out　the　few　years　of　loneliness　still　left　to

him　in　Todos　Santos。〃



Forgetting　himself；　Don　Ramon　leaned　breathlessly　forward　to　hear

Mrs。　Markham's　reply。　　Would　she　answer　the　Comandante　as　Dona

Barbara　had　answered　HIM？　　Her　words　rose　distinctly　in　the　evening

air。



〃You're　a　gentleman；　Don　Miguel　Briones；　and　the　least　respect　I

can　show　a　man　of　your　kind　is　not　to　pretend　that　I　don't

understand　the　sacrifice　you're　making。　　I　shall　always　remember　it

as　about　the　biggest　compliment　I　ever　received；　and　the　biggest

risk　that　any　manexcept　oneever　ran　for　me。　　But　as　the　man　who

ran　that　bigger　risk　isn't　here　to　speak　for　himself；　and　generally

trusts　his　wife；　Susan　Markham；　to　speak　for　himit's　all　the　same

as　if　HE　thanked　you。　　There's　my　hand；　Don　Miguel：　shake　it。

Wellif　you　prefer　itkiss　it　then。　　Theredon't　be　a　foolbut

let's　go　back　to　Miss　Keene。〃





CHAPTER　IV。



A　GLEAM　OF　SUNSHINE。





While　these　various　passions　had　been　kindled　by　her　compatriots　in

the　peaceful　ashes　of　Todos　Santos；　Eleanor　Keene　had　moved　among

them　indifferently　and；　at　times；　unconsciously。　　The　stranding　of

her　young　life　on　that　unknown　shore　had　not　drawn　her　towards　her

fellow…exiles；　and　the　circumstances　which　afterwards　separated　her

from　daily　contact　with　them　completed　the　social　estrangement。

She　found　herself　more　in　sympathy　with　the　natives；　to　whom　she

had　shown　no　familiarity；　than　with　her　own　people；　who　had　mixed

with　them　more　or　less　contemptuously。　　She　found　the　naivete　of

Dona　Isabel　more　amusing　than　the　doubtful　simplicity　of　that

married　ingenue　Mrs。　Brimmer；　although　she　still　met　the　young

girl's　advances　with　a　certain　reserve。　　She　found　herself　often

pained　by　the　practical　brusqueness　with　which　Mrs。　Markham　put

aside　the　Comandante's　delicate　attentions；　and　she　was　moved　with

a　strange　pity　for　his　childlike　trustfulness；　which　she　knew　was

hopeless。　　As　the　months　passed；　on　the　few　occasions　that　she

still　met　the　Excelsior's　passengers　she　was　surprised　to　find　how

they　had　faded　from　her　memory；　and　to　discover　in　them　the

existence　of　qualities　that　made　her　wonder　how　she　could　have　ever

been　familiar　with　them。　　She　reproached　herself　with　this

fickleness；　she　wondered　if　she　would　have　felt　thus　if　they　had

completed　their　voyage　to　San　Francisco　together；　and　she　recalled；

with　a　sad　smile；　the　enthusiastic　plans　they　had　formed　during　the

passage　to　perpetuate　their　fellowship　by　anniversaries　and

festivals。　　But　she；　at　last；　succumbed；　and　finally　accepted　their

open　alienation　as　preferable　to　the　growing　awkwardness　of　their

chance　encounters。



For　a　few　weeks　following　the　flight　of　Captain　Bunker　and　her

acceptance　of　the　hospitality　and　protection　of　the　Council；　she

became　despondent。　　The　courage　that　had　sustained　her；　and　the

energy　she　had　shown　in　the　first　days　of　their　abandonment；

suddenly　gave　way；　for　no　apparent　reason。　　She　bitterly　regretted

the　brother　whom　she　scarcely　remembered；　she　imagined　his　suspense

and　anguish　on　her　account；　and　suffered　for　both；　she　felt　the

dumb　pain　of　homesickness　for　a　home　she　had　never　known。　　Her

loneliness　became　intolerable。　　Her　condition　at　last　affected　Mrs。

Markham；　whose　own　idleness　had　been　beguiled　by　writing　to　her

husband　an　exhaustive　account　of　her　captivity；　which　had　finally

swelled　to　a　volume　on　Todos　Santos；　its　resources；　inhabitants；

and　customs。　　〃Good　heavens！〃　she　said；　〃you　must　do　something；

child；　to　occupy　your　mindif　it　is　only　a　flirtation　with　that

conceited　Secretary。〃　　But　this　terrible　alternative　was　happily

not　required。　　The　Comandante　had　still　retained　as　part　of　the　old

patriarchal　government　of　the　Mission　the　Presidio　school；　for　the

primary　instruction　of　the　children　of　the　soldiers；dependants　of

the　garrison。　　Miss　Keene；　fascinated　by　several　little　pairs　of

beady　black　eyes　that　had　looked　up　trustingly　to　hers　from　the

playground　on　the　glacis；　offered　to　teach　English　to　the

Comandante's　flock。　　The　offer　was　submitted　to　the　spiritual　head

of　Todos　Santos；　and　full　permission　given　by　Padre　Esteban　to　the

fair　heretic。　　Singing　was　added　to　the　Instruction；　and　in　a　few

months　the　fame　of　the　gracious　Dona　Leonor's　pupils　stirred　to

emulation　even　the　boy　choristers　of　the　Mission。



Her　relations　with　James　Hurlstone　during　this　interval　were　at

first　marked　by　a　strange　and　unreasoning　reserve。　　Whether　she

resented　the　singular　coalition　forced　upon　them　by　the　Council　and

felt　the　awkwardness　of　their　unintentional　imposture　when　they

met；　she　did　not　know；　but　she　generally　avoided　his　society。　　This

was　not　difficult；　as　he　himself　had　shown　no　desire　to　intrude　his

confidences　upon　her；　and　even　in　her　shyness　she　could　not　help

thinking　that　if　he　had　treated　the　situation　lightly　or

humorouslyas　she　felt　sure　Mr。　Brace　or　Mr。　Crosby　would　have

doneit　would　have　been　less　awkward　and　unpleasant。　　But　his

gloomy　reserve　seemed　to　the　high…spirited　girl　to　color　their

innocent　partnership　with　the　darkness　of　conspiracy。



〃If　your　conscience　troubles　you；　Mr。　Hurlstone；　in　regard　to　the

wretched　infatuation　of　those　people；〃　she　had　once　said；

〃undeceive　them；　if　you　can；　and　I　will　assist　you。　　And　don't　let

that　affair　of　Captain　Bunker　worry　you　either。　　I　have　already

confessed　to　the　Comandante　that　he　escaped　through　my

carelessness。〃



〃You　could　not　have　done　otherwise　without　sacrificing　the　poor

Secretary；　who　must　have　helped　you；〃　Hurlstone　returned　quietly。



Miss　Keene　bit　her　lip　and　dropped　the　subject。　　At　their　next

meeting　Hurlstone　himself　resumed　it。



〃I　hope　you　don't　allow　that　absurd　decree　of　the　Council　to

disturb　you；　I　imagine　they're　quite　convinced　of　their　folly。　　I

know　that　the　Padre　is；　and　I　know　that　he　thinks　you've　earned　a

right　to　the　gratitude　of　the　Council　in　your　gracious　task　at　the

Presidio　school　that　is　far　beyond　any　fancied　political　service。〃



〃I　really　haven't　thought　about　it　at　all；〃　said　Miss　Keene　coolly。

〃I　thought　it　was　YOU　who　were　annoyed。〃



〃I？　not　at　all；〃　returned　Hurlstone　quickly。　　〃I　have　been　able　to

assist　the　Padre　in　arranging　the　ecclesiastical　archives　of　the

church；　and　in　suggesting　some　improvement　in　codifying　the

ordinances　of　the　last　forty　years。　　No；　I　believe　I'm　earning　my

living　here；　and　I　fancy　they　think　so。〃



〃Then　it　isn't　THAT　that　troubles　you？〃　said　Miss　Keene　carelessly；

but　glancing　at　him　under　the　shade　of　her　lashes。



〃No；〃　he　said　coldly；　turning　away。



Yet　unsatisfactory　as　these　brief　interviews　were；　they　revived　in

Miss　Keene　the　sympathizing　curiosity　and　interest　she　had　always

felt　for　this　singular　man；　and　which　had　been　only　held　in

abeyance　at　the