a ward of the golden gate(金门一区)-第40章
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an envelope。
The spell was broken。 Paul caught eagerly at the hand that held the
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letter； and would have drawn her to him； but she put him aside gravely but
sweetly。
〃Read that letter！〃
〃Tell me of YOURSELF first！〃 he broke out passionately。 〃Why you
fled from me； and why I now find you here； by the merest chance； without
a word of summons from yourself； Yerba？ Tell me who is with you？ Are
you free and your own mistressfree to act for yourself and me？ Speak；
darlingdon't be cruel！ Since that night I have longed for you； sought for
you； and suffered for you every day and hour。 Tell me if I find you the
same Yerba who wrote〃
〃Read that letter！〃
〃I care for none but the one you left me。 I have read and reread it；
Yerbacarried it always with me。 See！ I have it here！〃 He was in the act of
withdrawing it from his breast…pocket； when she put up her hand piteously。
〃Please； Paul； pleaseread this letter first！〃
There was something in her new supplicating grace； still retaining the
faintest suggestion of her old girlish archness； that struck him。 He took the
letter and opened it。 It was from Colonel Pendleton。
Plainly； concisely； and formally； without giving the name of his
authority or suggesting his interview with Mrs。 Argalls； he had informed
Yerba that he had documentary testimony that she was the daughter of the
late Jose de Arguello； and legally entitled to bear his name。 A copy of the
instructions given to his wife； recognizing Yerba Buena； the ward of the
San Francisco Trust； as his child and hers； and leaving to the mother the
choice of making it known to her and others； was inclosed。
Paul turned an unchanged face upon Yerba； who was watching him
eagerly； uneasily； almost breathlessly。
〃And you think this concerns ME！〃 he said bitterly。 〃You think only of
this； when I speak of the precious letter that bade me hope； and brought
me to you？〃
〃Paul；〃 said the girl； with wondering eyes and hesitating lips； 〃do you
mean to say thatthatthis isnothing to you？〃
〃Yesbut forgive me； darling！〃 he broke out again； with a sudden
vague remorsefulness； as he once more sought her elusive hand。 〃I am a
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brutean egotist！ I forgot that it might be something to YOU。〃
〃Paul；〃 continued the girl； her voice quivering with a strange joy； 〃do
you say that youYOU yourself； care nothing for this？〃
〃Nothing；〃 he answered； gazing at her transfigured face with admiring
wonder。
〃And〃more timidly； as a faint aurora kindled in her checks〃that you
don't carethatthatI am coming to you WITH A NAME； to give you in…
…exchange？〃
He started。
〃Yerba； you are not mocking me？ You will be my wife？〃
She smiled； yet moving softly backwards with the grave stateliness of
a vanishing yet beckoning goddess； until she reached the sumach… bush
from which she had emerged。 He followed。 Another backward step； and it
yielded to let her through； but even as it did so she caught him in her arms；
and for a single moment it closed upon them both； and hid them in its
glory。 A still lingering song…bird； possibly convinced that he had mistaken
the season； and that spring had really come； flew out with a little cry to
carry the message south； but even then Paul and Yerba emerged with such
innocent； childlike gravity； and； side by side； walked so composedly
towards the house； that he thought better of it。
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CHAPTER IX。
It was only the THIRD time they had ever metdid Paul consider that
when he thought her cold？ Did he know now why she had not understood
him at Rosario？ Did he understand now how calculating and selfish he had
seemed to her that night？ Could he look her in the face nowno； he must
be quietthey were so near the house； and everybody could see them！
and say that he had ever believed her capable of making up that story of
the Arguellos？ Could he not have guessed that she had some memory of
that name in her childish recollections； how or where she knew not？ Was it
strange that a daughter should have an instinct of her father？ Was it kind to
her to know all this himself and yet reveal nothing？ Because her mother
and father had quarreled； and her mother had run away with somebody
and left her a ward to strangerswas that to be concealed from her； and
she left without a name？ This； and much more； tenderly reproachful；
bewildering and sweetly illogical； yet inexpressibly dear to Paul； as they
walked on in the gloaming。
More to the purpose； however； the fact that Briones； as far as she knew；
did not know her mother； and never before the night at Strudle Bad had
ever spoken of her。 Still more to the purpose； that he had disappeared after
an interview with the colonel that night； and that she believed always that
the colonel had bought him off。 It was not with HER money。 She had
sometimes thought that the colonel and he were in confidence； and that
was why she had lately distrusted Pendleton。 But she had refused to take
the name of Arguello again after that scene； and had called herself only by
the name he had given herwould he forgive her for ever speaking of it as
she had？Yerba Buena。 But on shipboard； at Milly's suggestion； and to
keep away from Briones； her name had appeared on the passenger list as
Miss Good； and they had come； not to New York； but Boston。
It was possible that the colonel had extracted the information he sent
her FROM Briones。 They had parted from Pendleton in London； as he was
grumpy and queer； and； as Milly thought； becoming very miserly and
avaricious as he grew older； for he was always quarreling over the hotel
bills。 But he had Mrs。 Woods's New York address at Under Cliff； and； of
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course； guessed where she was。 There was no address on his letter： he had
said he would write again。
Thus much until they reached the steps of the veranda； and Milly；
flying down； was ostentatiously overwhelmed with the unexpected
appearance of Mr。 Paul Hathaway and Yerba； whom she had been
watching from the window for the last ten minutes。 Then the appearance
of Mr。 Woods； Californian and reminiscent； and Mrs。 Woods； metropolitan；
languid； and forgetful； and the sudden and formal retirement of the girls。
An arch and indefinable mystery in the air whenever Paul and Yerba
appeared togetherof which even the servants were discreetly conscious。
At dinner Mr。 Woods again became retrospective and Californian； and
dwelt upon the changes he had noticed。 It appeared the old pioneers had in
few cases attained a comfortable fortune for their old age。 〃I know；〃 he
added； 〃that your friend Colonel Pendleton has dropped a good deal of
money over in Europe。 Somebody told me that he actually was reduced to
take a steerage passage home。 It looks as if he might gambleit's an old
Californian complaint。〃 As Paul； who had become suddenly grav
