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！
again。
She drew back still farther。 〃Yes；〃 she said； 〃or I shouldn't be
here now。 There！ that must suffice you。 And if you wish me still
to believe you； you will not speak of this again while we are out
together。 Come； let us go back to the horses。〃
He looked at her with all his soul。 She was pale； but composed；
andhe could seedetermined。 He followed her without a word。
She accepted his hand to support her again down the slope without
embarrassment or reminiscent emotion。 The whole scene through
which she had just passed might have been buried in the abyss and
ruins behind her。 As she placed her foot in his hand to remount；
and for a moment rested her weight on his shoulder； her brown eyes
met his frankly and without a tremor。
Nor was she content with this。 As Paul at first rode on silently；
his heart filled with unsatisfied yearning； she rallied him
mischievously。 Was it kind in him on this； their first day
together； to sulk in this fashion？ Was it a promise for their
future excursions？ Did he intend to carry this lugubrious visage
through the Allee and up to the courtyard of the hotel to proclaim
his sentimental condition to the world？ At least； she trusted he
would not show it to Milly； who might remember that this was only
the SECOND TIME they had met each other。 There was something so
sweetly reasonable in this； and withal not without a certain
hopefulness for the future； to say nothing of the half…mischievous；
half…reproachful smile that accompanied it； that Paul exerted
himself； and eventually recovered his lost gayety。 When they at
last drew up in the courtyard； with the flush of youth and exercise
in their faces； Paul felt he was the object of envy to the
loungers； and of fresh gossip to Strudle Bad。 It struck him less
pleasantly that two dark faces； which had been previously regarding
him in the gloom of the corridor and vanished as he approached；
reappeared some moments later in Yerba's salon as Don Caesar and
Dona Anna； with a benignly different expression。 Dona Anna
especially greeted him with so much of the ostentatious archness of
a confident and forgiving woman to a momentarily recreant lover；
that he felt absurdly embarrassed in Yerba's presence。 He was
thinking how he could excuse himself； when he noticed a beautiful
basket of flowers on the table and a tiny note bearing a baron's
crest。 Yerba had put it aside withas it seemed to him at the
momentan almost too pronounced indifferenceand an indifference
that was strongly contrasted to Dona Anna's eagerly expressed
enthusiasm over the offering； and her ultimate supplications to
Paul and her brother to admire its beauties and the wonderful taste
of the donor。
All this seemed so incongruous with Paul's feelings； and above all
with the recollection of his scene with Yerba； that he excused
himself from dining with the party； alleging an engagement with his
old fellow…traveler the German officer； whose acquaintance he had
renewed。 Yerba did not press him； he even fancied she looked
relieved。 Colonel Pendleton was coming； Paul was not loath； in his
present frame of mind； to dispense with his company。 A conviction
that the colonel's counsel was not the best guide for Yerba； and
that in some vague way their interests were antagonistic； had begun
to force itself upon him。 He had no intention of being disloyal to
her old guardian； but he felt that Pendleton had not been frank
with him since his return from Rosario。 Had he ever been so with
HER？ He sometimes doubted his disclaimer。
He was lucky in finding the General disengaged； and together they
dined at a restaurant and spent the evening at the Kursaal。 Later；
at the Residenz Club； the General leaned over his beer…glass and
smilingly addressed his companion。
〃So I hear you； too； are a conquest of the beautiful South
American。〃
For an instant Paul； recognizing only Dona Anna under that epithet；
looked puzzled。
〃Come； my friend；〃 said the General regarding him with some
amusement； 〃I am an older man than you； yet I hardly think I could
have ridden out with such a goddess without becoming her slave。〃
Paul felt his face flush in spite of himself。 〃Ah！ you mean Miss
Arguello；〃 he said hurriedly； his color increasing at his own
mention of that name as if he were imposing it upon his honest
companion。 〃She is an old acquaintance of minefrom my own State
California。〃
〃Ah； so；〃 said the General； lifting his eyebrows in profound
apology。 〃A thousand pardons。〃
〃Surely；〃 said Paul； with a desperate attempt to recover his
equanimity； 〃YOU ought to know our geography better。〃
〃So； I am wrong。 But still the nameArguellosurely that is not
American？ Still； they say she has no accent； and does not look
like a Mexican。〃
For an instant Paul was superstitiously struck with the fatal
infelicity of Yerba's selection of a foreign name； that now seemed
only to invite that comment and criticism which she should have
avoided。 Nor could he explain it at length to the General without
assisting and accenting the deception； which he was always hoping
in some vague way to bring to an end。 He was sorry he had
corrected the General； he was furious that he had allowed himself
to be confused。
Happily his companion had misinterpreted his annoyance； and with
impulsive German friendship threw himself into what he believed to
be Paul's feelings。 〃Donnerwetter！ Your beautiful countrywoman is
made the subject of curiosity just because that stupid baron is
persistent in his serious attentions。 That is quite enough； my
good friend； to make Klatschen here among those animals who do not
understand the freedom of an American girl； or that an heiress may
have something else to do with her money than to expend it on the
Baron's mortgages。 But〃he stopped； and his simple； honest face
assumed an air of profound and sagacious cunning〃I am glad to
talk about it with you； who of course are perfectly familiar with
the affair。 I shall now be able to know what to say。 My word； my
friend； has some weight here； and I shall use it。 And now you
shall tell me WHO is our lovely friend； and WHO were her parents
and her kindred in her own home。 Her associates here； you possibly
know； are an impossible colonel and his never…before…approached
valet； with some South American Indian planters； and； I believe； a
pork…butcher's daughter。 But of THEMit makes nothing。 Tell me
of HER people。〃
With his kindly serious face within a few inches of Paul's； and
sympathizing curiosity beaming from his pince…nez； he obliged the
wretched and conscience…stricken Hathaway to respond with a
detailed account of Yerba's parentage as projected by herself and
indorsed by Colonel Pendleton。 He dwelt somewhat particularly on
the romantic character of the Trust； hoping to draw the General's
attention away from the question of relationship； but he was
chagrined to find that the honest warrior evidently confounded the
Trust with some eleemosynary institution and sympathetically
glossed it over。 〃Of course；〃 he said； 〃the Mexican Minister at
Berlin would know all about the Arguello family： so there would be
no question there。〃
Paul was not sorry when the time came to take leave of his friend；
but once again in the clear moonlight and fresh； balmy air of the
Allee； he forgot the unpleasantness of the interview。 He found
himself thinking only of his ride with Yerba。 Well！ he had told
her that he loved her。 She knew it now； and although she had
forbidden him to speak further； she had not wholly rejected it。 It
must be her morbid consciousness of the mystery of her birth that
withheld a return of her affections；some half…knowledge； perhaps；
that she would not divulge； yet that kept her unduly sensitive of
accepting his love。 He was satisfied there was no entanglement；
her heart was virgin。 He even dared to hope that she had ALWAYS
cared for him。 It was for HIM to remove all obstaclesto prevail
upon her to leave this place and return to America with him as her
husband； the guardian of her good name； and the custodian of her
secret。 At times the strains of a dreamy German waltz； played in
the distance； brought back