a first family of tasajara-第37节

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！



waiting　is　concluded；　and　its　performance　will　take　me　East　at

once。　　I　have　made　arrangements　that　you　will　be　left　in　the

literary　charge　of　the　'Clarion。'　　It　is　only　a　fitting　recompense

that　the　paper　owes　to　you　and　your　father；to　whom　I　hope　to　see

you　presently　reconciled。　　But　we　won't　discuss　that　now！　　As　my

affairs　take　me　back　to　Los　Gatos　within　half　an　hour；　I　am　sorry　I

cannot　dispense　my　hospitality　in　person；but　you　will　dine　and

sleep　here　to…night。　　Good…by。　　As　you　go　out　will　you　please　send

up　Mr。　Jackson　to　me。〃　　He　nodded　briefly；　seemed　to　plunge

instantly　into　his　papers　again；　and　John　Milton　was　glad　to

withdraw。



The　shock　he　had　felt　at　Mrs。　Ashwood's　frigid　disposition　of　his

wishes　and　his　manuscript　had　benumbed　him　to　any　enjoyment　or

appreciation　of　the　change　in　his　fortune。　　He　wandered　out　of　the

house　and　descended　to　the　beach　in　a　dazed；　bewildered　way；　seeing

only　the　words　of　her　letter　to　Fletcher　before　him；　and　striving

to　grasp　some　other　meaning　from　them　than　their　coldly　practical

purport。　　Perhaps　this　was　her　cruel　revenge　for　his　telling　her

not　to　write　to　him。　　Could　she　not　have　divined　it　was　only　his

fear　of　what　she　might　say！　　And　now　it　was　all　over！　　She　had

washed　her　hands　of　him　with　the　sending　of　that　manuscript　and

letter；　and　he　would　pass　out　of　her　memory　as　a　foolish；　conceited

ingrate；perhaps　a　figure　as　wearily　irritating　and　stupid　to　her

as　the　cousin　she　had　known。　　He　mechanically　lifted　his　eyes　to

the　distant　hotel；　the　glow　was　still　in　the　western　sky；　but　the

blue　lamp　was　already　shining　in　the　window。　　His　cheek　flushed

quickly；　and　he　turned　away　as　if　she　could　have　seen　his　face。

Yesshe　despised　him；　and　THAT　was　his　answer！



When　he　returned；　Mr。　Fletcher　had　gone。　　He　dragged　through　a

dinner　with　Mr。　Jackson；　Fletcher's　secretary；　and　tried　to　realize

his　good　fortune　in　listening　to　the　subordinate's　congratulations。

〃But　I　thought；〃　said　Jackson；　〃you　had　slipped　up　on　your　luck　to…

day；　when　the　old　man　sent　for　you。　　He　was　quite　white；　and　ready

to　rip　out　about　something　that　had　just　come　in。　　I　suppose　it　was

one　of　those　anonymous　things　against　your　father；the　old　man's

dead　set　against　'em　now。〃　　But　John　Milton　heard　him　vaguely；　and

presently　excused　himself　for　a　row　on　the　moonlit　bay。



The　active　exertion；　with　intervals　of　placid　drifting　along　the

land…locked　shore；　somewhat　soothed　him。　　The　heaving　Pacific

beyond　was　partly　hidden　in　a　low　creeping　fog；　but　the　curving　bay

was　softly　radiant。　　The　rocks　whereon　she　sat　that　morning；　the

hotel　where　she　was　now　quietly　reading；　were　outlined　in　black　and

silver。　　In　this　dangerous　contiguity　it　seemed　to　him　that　her

presence　returned；not　the　woman　who　had　met　him　so　coldly；　who

had　penned　those　lines；　the　woman　from　whom　he　was　now　parting

forever；　but　the　blameless　ideal　he　had　worshiped　from　the　first；

and　which　he　now　felt　could　never　pass　out　of　his　life　again！　　He

recalled　their　long　talks；　their　rarer　rides　and　walks　in　the　city；

her　quick　appreciation　and　ready　sympathy；　her　pretty　curiosity　and

half…maternal　consideration　of　his　foolish　youthful　past；　even　the

playful　way　that　she　sometimes　seemed　to　make　herself　younger　as　if

to　better　understand　him。　　Lingering　at　times　in　the　shadow　of　the

headland；　he　fancied　he　saw　the　delicate　nervous　outlines　of　her

face　near　his　own　again；　the　faint　shading　of　her　brown　lashes；　the

soft　intelligence　of　her　gray　eyes。　　Drifting　idly　in　the　placid

moonlight；　pulling　feverishly　across　the　swell　of　the　channel；　or

lying　on　his　oars　in　the　shallows　of　the　rocks；　but　always　following

the　curves　of　the　bay；　like　a　bird　circling　around　a　lighthouse；　it

was　far　in　the　night　before　he　at　last　dragged　his　boat　upon　the

sand。　　Then　he　turned　to　look　once　more　at　her　distant　window。　　He

would　be　away　in　the　morning　and　he　should　never　see　it　again！　　It

was　very　late；　but　the　blue　light　seemed　to　be　still　burning

unalterably　and　inflexibly。



But　even　as　he　gazed；　a　change　came　over　it。　　A　shadow　seemed　to

pass　before　the　blind；　the　blue　shade　was　lifted；　for　an　instant　he

could　see　the　colorless　star…like　point　of　the　light　itself　show

clearly。　　It　was　over　now；　she　was　putting　out　the　lamp。　　Suddenly

he　held　his　breath！　　A　roseate　glow　gradually　suffused　the　window

like　a　burning　blush；　the　curtain　was　drawn　aside；　and　the　red

lamp…shade　gleamed　out　surely　and　steadily　into　the　darkness。



Transfigured　and　breathless　in　the　moonlight；　John　Milton　gazed　on

it。　　It　seemed　to　him　the　dawn　of　Love！





CHAPTER　XIII。





The　winter　rains　had　come。　　But　so　plenteously　and　persistently；

and　with　such　fateful　preparation　of　circumstance；　that　the　long

looked　for　blessing　presently　became　a　wonder；　an　anxiety；　and　at

last　a　slowly　widening　terror。　　Before　a　month　had　passed　every

mountain；　stream；　and　watercourse；　surcharged　with　the　melted　snows

of　the　Sierras；　had　become　a　great　tributary；　every　tributary　a

great　river；　until；　pouring　their　great　volume　into　the　engorged

channels　of　the　American　and　Sacramento　rivers；　they　overleaped

their　banks　and　became　as　one　vast　inland　sea。　　Even　to　a　country

already　familiar　with　broad　and　striking　catastrophe；　the　flood　was

a　phenomenal　one。　　For　days　the　sullen　overflow　lay　in　the　valley

of　the　Sacramento；　enormous；　silent；　currentlessexcept　where　the

surplus　waters　rolled　through　Carquinez　Straits；　San　Francisco　Bay；

and　the　Golden　Gate；　and　reappeared　as　the　vanished　Sacramento

River；　in　an　outflowing　stream　of　fresh　and　turbid　water　fifty

miles　at　sea。



Across　the　vast　inland　expanse；　brooded　over　by　a　leaden　sky；　leaden

rain　fell；　dimpling　like　shot　the　sluggish　pools　of　the　flood；　a

cloudy　chaos　of　fallen　trees；　drifting　barns　and　outhouses；　wagons

and　agricultural　implements　moved　over　the　surface　of　the　waters；　or

circled　slowly　around　the　outskirts　of　forests　that　stood　ankle　deep

in　ooze　and　the　current；　which　in　serried　phalanx　they　resisted

still。　　As　night　fell　these　forms　became　still　more　vague　and

chaotic；　and　were　interspersed　with　the　scattered　lanterns　and

flaming　torches　of　relief…boats；　or　occasionally　the　high　terraced

gleaming　windows　of　the　great　steamboats；　feeling　their　way　along

the　lost　channel。　　At　times　the　opening　of　a　furnace…door　shot　broad

bars　of　light　across　the　sluggish　stream　and　into　the　branches　of

dripping　and　drift…encumbered　trees；　at　times　the　looming

smoke…stacks　sent　out　a　pent…up　breath　of　sparks　that　illuminated

the　inky　chaos　for　a　moment；　and　then　fell　as　black　and　dripping

rain。　　Or　perhaps　a　hoarse　shout　from　some　faintly　outlined　hulk　on

either　side　brought　a　quick　response　from　the　relief…boats；　and　the

detaching　of　a　canoe　with　a　blazing　pine…knot　in　its　bow　into　the

outer　darkness。



It　was　late　in　the　afternoon　when　Lawrence　Grant；　from　the　deck　of

one　of　the　larger　tugs；　sighted　what　had　been　once　the　estuary　of

Sidon　Creek。　　The　leader　of　a　party　of　scientific　observation　and

relief；　he　had　kept　a　tireless　watch　of　eighteen　hours；　keenly

noticing　the　work　of　devastation；　the　changes　in　the　channel；　the

prospects　of　abatement；　and　the　danger　that　still　threatened。　　He

had　passed　down　the　length　of　the　submerged　Sacramento　valley；

through　the　Straits　of　Carquinez；　and　was　now　steaming　along　the

shores　of　the　upper　reaches　of　San　Francisco　Bay。　　Everywhere　the

same　scene　of　desolation；vast　stretches　of　tule　land；　once　broken

up　by　cultivation　and　dotted　with　dwellings；　now　clearly　erased　on

that　watery　chart；　long　lines　of　symmetrical　perspective；　breaking

the　monotonous　level；　showing　orchards　buried　in　the　flood；　Indian

mounds　and　natural　eminences　covered　with　cattle　or　hastily　erected

camps；　half　submerged　houses；　whose　solitary　chimneys；　however；

still　gave　signs　of　an　undaunted　life　within；　isolated　groups　of

trees；　with　their　lower　branches　heavy　with　the　unwholesome　fruit

of　the　flood；　in　wisps　of　hay　and　straw；　rakes　and　pitchforks；　or

pathetically　sheltering　some　shivering　and　forgotten　household　pet。

But　everywhere　the　same　dull；　expressionless；　placid　tranquillity

of　destruction；a　horrible　leveling　of　all　things　in　one　bland

smiling　equality　of　surface；　beneath　which　agony；　despair；　and　ruin

were　deeply　buried　and　forgotten；　a　catastrophe　without　convulsion；

a　devastation　voiceless；　passionless；　and　supine。



The　boat　had　slowed　up　before　what　seemed　to　be　a　collection　of

disarranged　houses　with　the　current　flowing　between　lines　that

indicated　the　existence　of　thoroughfares　and　streets。　　Many　of　the

lighter　wooden　buildings　were　huddled　together　on　the　street

corners　with　their　gables　to　the　flow；　some　appeared　as　if　they　had

fallen　on　their　knees；　and　others　lay　complacently　on　their　sides；

like　the　houses　of　a　child's　toy　village。　　An　elevator　still　lifted

itself　above　the　other　warehouses；　from　the