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！
〃And the wheat ranch belowis that carried on in the same way？〃
〃Yes。 But their landlord is a bank； who advances not only the
land； but the money to work it； and doesn't ride around in a buggy
with a couple of charmingly distracting young ladies。〃
〃And do they all share alike？〃 continued Rose； ignoring the
pleasantry； 〃big and littlethat young inventor with the rest？〃
She stopped。 She felt the ingenue's usually complacent eyes
suddenly fixed upon her with an unhallowed precocity； and as
quickly withdrawn。 Without knowing why； she felt embarrassed； and
changed the subject。
The next day they drove to the Convent of Santa Clara and the
Mission College of San Jose。 Their welcome at both places seemed
to Rose to be a mingling of caste greeting and spiritual zeal； and
the austere seclusion and reserve of those cloisters repeated that
suggestion of an Old World civilization that had already fascinated
the young Western girl。 They made other excursions in the
vicinity； but did not extend it to a visit to their few neighbors。
With their reserved and exclusive ideas this fact did not strike
Rose as peculiar； but on a later shopping expedition to the town of
San Jose； a certain reticence and aggressive sensitiveness on the
part of the shopkeepers and tradespeople towards the Randolphs
produced an unpleasant impression on her mind。 She could not help
noticing； too； that after the first stare of astonishment which
greeted her appearance with her hostess； she herself was included in
the antagonism。 With her youthful prepossession for her friends；
this distinction she regarded as flattering and aristocratic； and I
fear she accented it still more by discussing with Mrs。 Randolph the
merits of the shopkeepers' wares in schoolgirl French before them。
She was unfortunate enough； however； to do this in the shop of a
polyglot German。
〃Oxcoos me； mees；〃 he said gravely；〃but dot lady speeks Engeleesh
so goot mit yourselluf； and ven you dells to her dot silk is hallf
gotton in English； she onderstand you mooch better； and it don't
make nodings to me。〃 The laugh which would have followed from her
own countrywomen did not； however； break upon the trained faces of
the 〃de Fontanges l'Hommadieus；〃 yet while Rose would have joined
in it； albeit a little ruefully； she felt for the first time
mortified at their civil insincerity。
At the end of two weeks； Major Randolph received a letter from Mr。
Mallory。 When he had read it； he turned to his wife： 〃He thanks
you；〃 he said； 〃for your kindness to his daughter； and explains
that his sudden departure was owing to the necessity of his taking
advantage of a great opportunity for speculation that had offered。〃
As Mrs。 Randolph turned away with a slight shrug of the shoulders；
the major continued： 〃But you haven't heard all！ That opportunity
was the securing of a half interest in a cinnabar lode in Sonora；
which has already gone up a hundred thousand dollars in his hands！
By Jove！ a man can afford to drop a little social ceremony on those
termseh； Josephine？〃 he concluded with a triumphant chuckle。
〃He's as likely to lose his hundred thousand to…morrow； while his
manners will remain；〃 said Mrs。 Randolph。 〃I've no faith in these
sudden California fortunes！〃
〃You're wrong as regards Mallory； for he's as careful as he is
lucky。 He don't throw money away for appearance sake； or he'd have
a rich home for that daughter。 He could afford it。〃
Mrs。 Randolph was silent。 〃She is his only daughter； I believe；〃
she continued presently。
〃Yeshe has no other kith or kin；〃 returned the major。
〃She seems to be very much impressed by Emile；〃 said Mrs。 Randolph。
Major Randolph faced his wife quickly。
〃In the name of all that's ridiculous； my dear； you are not already
thinking of〃he gasped。
〃I should be very loth to give MY sanction to anything of the kind；
knowing the difference of her birth； education； and religion；
although the latter I believe she would readily change；〃 said Mrs。
Randolph； severely。 〃But when you speak of MY already thinking of
'such things；' do you suppose that your friend； Mr。 Mallory； didn't
consider all that when he sent that girl here？〃
〃Never；〃 said the major； vehemently； 〃and if it entered his head
now； by Jove； he'd take her away to…morrowalways supposing I
didn't anticipate him by sending her off myself。〃
Mrs。 Randolph uttered her mirthless laugh。 〃And you suppose the
girl would go？ Really； major； you don't seem to understand this
boasted liberty of your own countrywoman。 What does she care for
her father's control？ Why； she'd make him do just what SHE wanted。
But；〃 she added with an expression of dignity； 〃perhaps we had
better not discuss this until we know something of Emile's feelings
in the matter。 That is the only question that concerns us。〃 With
this she swept out of the room； leaving the major at first
speechless with honest indignation； and then after the fashion of
all guileless natures； a little uneasy and suspicious of his own
guilelessness。 For a day or two after； he found himself； not
without a sensation of meanness； watching Rose when in Emile's
presence； but he could distinguish nothing more than the frank
satisfaction she showed equally to the others。 Yet he found
himself regretting even that； so subtle was the contagion of his
wife's suspicions。
CHAPTER III
It had been a warm morning； an unusual mist； which the sun had not
dissipated； had crept on from the great grain…fields beyond； and
hung around the house charged with a dry； dusty closeness that
seemed to be quite independent of the sun's rays； and more like a
heated exhalation or emanation of the soil itself。 In its acrid
irritation Rose thought she could detect the breath of the wheat as
on the day she had plunged into its pale； green shadows。 By the
afternoon this mist had disappeared； apparently in the same
mysterious manner； but not scattered by the usual trade…wind；
whichanother unusual circumstancethat day was not forthcoming。
There was a breathlessness in the air like the hush of listening
expectancy； which filled the young girl with a vague restlessness；
and seemed to even affect a scattered company of crows in the field
beyond the house； which rose suddenly with startled but aimless
wings； and then dropped vacantly among the grain again。
Major Randolph was inspecting a distant part of the ranch； Mrs。
Randolph was presumably engaged in her boudoir； and Rose was
sitting between Adele and Emile before the piano in the drawing…
room； listlessly turning over the leaves of some music。 There had
been an odd mingling of eagerness and abstraction in the usual
attentions of the young man that morning； and a certain nervous
affectation in his manner of twisting the ends of a small black
moustache； which resembled his mother's eyebrows； that had affected
Rose with a half…amused； half…uneasy consciousness； but which she
had； however； referred to the restlessness produced by the weather。
It occurred to her also that the vacuously amiable Adele had once
or twice regarded her with the same precocious； childlike curiosity
and infantine cunning she had once before exhibited。 All this did
not； however； abate her admiration for bothperhaps particularly
for this picturesquely gentlemanly young fellow； with his gentle
audacities of compliment； his caressing attentions； and his
unfailing and equal address。 And when； discovering that she had
mislaid her fan for the fifth time that morning； he started up with
equal and undiminished fire to go again and fetch it； the look of
grateful pleasure and pleading perplexity in her pretty eyes might
have turned a less conceited brain than his。
〃But you don't know where it is！〃
〃I shall find it by instinct。〃
〃You are spoiling meyou two。〃 The parenthesis was a hesitating
addition； but she continued； with fresh sincerity； 〃