in the carquinez woods-第3节

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〃I　say　pardner！〃

He　turned　a　little　impatiently。　　She　had　knelt　down　at　the
entrance；　so　as　to　be　nearer　his　level；　and　was　holding　out　her
hand。　　But　he　did　not　notice　it；　and　she　quietly　withdrew　it。

〃If　anybody　dropped　in　and　asked　for　you；　what　name　will　they　say？〃

He　smiled。　　〃Don't　wait　to　hear。〃

〃But　suppose　I　wanted　to　sing　out　for　you；　what　will　I　call　you？〃

He　hesitated。　　〃Call　meLo。〃

〃Lo；　the　poor　Indian？〃*

〃Exactly。〃


*　The　first　word　of　Pope's　familiar　apostrophe　is　humorously　used
in　the　Far　West　as　a　distinguishing　title　for　the　Indian。


It　suddenly　occurred　to　the　woman；　Teresa；　that　in　the　young
man's　height；　supple；　yet　erect　carriage；　color；　and　singular
gravity　of　demeanor　there　was　a　refined；　aboriginal　suggestion。
He　did　not　look　like　any　Indian　she　had　ever　seen；　but　rather　as
a　youthful　chief　might　have　looked。　　There　was　a　further
suggestion　in　his　fringed　buckskin　shirt　and　moccasins；　but
before　she　could　utter　the　half…sarcastic　comment　that　rose　to
her　lips　he　had　glided　noiselessly　away；　even　as　an　Indian　might
have　done。

She　readjusted　the　slips　of　hanging　bark　with　feminine　ingenuity；
dispersing　them　so　as　to　completely　hide　the　entrance。　　Yet　this
did　not　darken　the　chamber；　which　seemed　to　draw　a　purer　and　more
vigorous　light　through　the　soaring　shaft　that　pierced　the　roof
than　that　which　came　from　the　dim　woodland　aisles　below。
Nevertheless；　she　shivered；　and　drawing　her　shawl　closely　around
her　began　to　collect　some　half…burnt　fragments　of　wood　in　the
chimney　to　make　a　fire。　　But　the　preoccupation　of　her　thoughts
rendered　this　a　tedious　process；　as　she　would　from　time　to　time
stop　in　the　middle　of　an　action　and　fall　into　an　attitude　of　rapt
abstraction；　with　far…off　eyes　and　rigid　mouth。　　When　she　had　at
last　succeeded　in　kindling　a　fire　and　raising　a　film　of　pale　blue
smoke；　that　seemed　to　fade　and　dissipate　entirely　before　it
reached　the　top　of　the　chimney　shaft；　she　crouched　beside　it；
fixed　her　eyes　on　the　darkest　corner　of　the　cavern；　and　became
motionless。

What　did　she　see　through　that　shadow？

Nothing　at　first　but　a　confused　medley　of　figures　and　incidents
of　the　preceding　night；　things　to　be　put　away　and　forgotten；
things　that　would　not　have　happened　but　for　another　thingthe
thing　before　which　everything　faded！　　A　ball…room；　the　sounds　of
music；　the　one　man　she　had　cared　for　insulting　her　with　the
flaunting　ostentation　of　his　unfaithfulness；　herself　despised；
put　aside；　laughed　at；　or　worse；　jilted。　　And　then　the　moment　of
delirium；　when　the　light　danced；　the　one　wild　act　that　lifted
her；　the　despised　one；　above　them　allmade　her　the　supreme
figure；　to　be　glanced　at　by　frightened　women；　stared　at　by　half…
startled；　half…admiring　men！　　〃Yes；〃　she　laughed；　but　struck　by
the　sound　of　her　own　voice；　moved　twice　round　the　cavern
nervously；　and　then　dropped　again　into　her　old　position。

As　they　carried　him　away　he　had　laughed　at　herlike　a　hound　that
he　was；　he　who　had　praised　her　for　her　spirit；　and　incited　her
revenge　against　others；　he　who　had　taught　her　to　strike　when　she
was　insulted；　and　it　was　only　fit　he　should　reap　what　he　had
sown。　　She　was　what　he；　what　other　men；　had　made　her。　　And　what
was　she　now？　　What　had　she　been　once？

She　tried　to　recall　her　childhood：　the　man　and　woman　who　might
have　been　her　father　and　mother；　who　fought　and　wrangled　over　her
precocious　little　life；　abused　or　caressed　her　as　she　sided　with
either；　and　then　left　her　with　a　circus　troupe；　where　she　first
tasted　the　power　of　her　courage；　her　beauty；　and　her
recklessness。　　She　remembered　those　flashes　of　triumph　that　left
a　fever　in　her　veinsa　fever　that　when　it　failed　must　be
stimulated　by　dissipation；　by　anything；　by　everything　that　would
keep　her　name　a　wonder　in　men's　mouths；　an　envious　fear　to　women。
She　recalled　her　transfer　to　the　strolling　players；　her　cheap
pleasures；　and　cheaper　rivalries　and　hatredbut　always　Teresa！
the　daring　Teresa！　the　reckless　Teresa！　audacious　as　a　woman；
invincible　as　a　boy；　dancing；　flirting；　fencing；　shooting；
swearing；　drinking；　smoking；　fighting　Teresa！　　〃Oh；　yes；　she　had
been　loved；　perhapswho　knows？but　always　feared。　　Why　should
she　change　now？　　Ha；　he　should　see。〃

She　had　lashed　herself　in　a　frenzy；　as　was　her　wont；　with
gestures；　ejaculations；　oaths；　adjurations；　and　passionate
apostrophes；　but　with　this　strange　and　unexpected　result。
Heretofore　she　had　always　been　sustained　and　kept　up　by　an
audience　of　some　kind　or　quality；　if　only　perhaps　a　humble
companion；　there　had　always　been　some　one　she　could　fascinate　or
horrify；　and　she　could　read　her　power　mirrored　in　their　eyes。
Even　the　half…abstracted　indifference　of　her　strange　host　had
been　something。　　But　she　was　alone　now。　　Her　words　fell　on
apathetic　solitude；　she　was　acting　to　viewless　space。　　She　rushed
to　the　opening；　dashed　the　hanging　bark　aside；　and　leaped　to　the
ground。

She　ran　forward　wildly　a　few　steps；　and　stopped。

〃Hallo！〃　she　cried。　　〃Look；　'tis　I；　Teresa！〃

The　profound　silence　remained　unbroken。　　Her　shrillest　tones　were
lost　in　an　echoless　space；　even　as　the　smoke　of　her　fire　had
faded　into　pure　ether。　　She　stretched　out　her　clenched　fists　as
if　to　defy　the　pillared　austerities　of　the　vaults　around　her。

〃Come　and　take　me　if　you　dare！〃

The　challenge　was　unheeded。　　If　she　had　thrown　herself　violently
against　the　nearest　tree…trunk；　she　could　not　have　been　stricken
more　breathless　than　she　was　by　the　compact；　embattled　solitude
that　encompassed　her。　　The　hopelessness　of　impressing　these　cold
and　passive　vaults　with　her　selfish　passion　filled　her　with　a
vague　fear。　　In　her　rage　of　the　previous　night　she　had　not　seen
the　wood　in　its　profound　immobility。　　Left　alone　with　the　majesty
of　those　enormous　columns；　she　trembled　and　turned　faint。　　The
silence　of　the　hollow　tree　she　had　just　quitted　seemed　to　her
less　awful　than　the　crushing　presence　of　these　mute　and　monstrous
witnesses　of　her　weakness。　　Like　a　wounded　quail　with　lowered
crest　and　trailing　wing；　she　crept　back　to　her　hiding　place。

Even　then　the　influence　of　the　wood　was　still　upon　her。　　She
picked　up　the　novel　she　had　contemptuously　thrown　aside；　only　to
let　it　fall　again　in　utter　weariness。　　For　a　moment　her　feminine
curiosity　was　excited　by　the　discovery　of　an　old　book；　in　whose
blank　leaves　were　pressed　a　variety　of　flowers　and　woodland
grasses。　　As　she　could　not　conceive　that　these　had　been　kept　for
any　but　a　sentimental　purpose；　she　was　disappointed　to　find　that
underneath　each　was　a　sentence　in　an　unknown　tongue；　that　even　to
her　untutored　eye　did　not　appear　to　be　the　language　of　passion。
Finally　she　rearranged　the　couch　of　skins　and　blankets；　and；
imparting　to　it　in　three　clever　shakes　an　entirely　different
character；　lay　down　to　pursue　her　reveries。　　But　nature　asserted
herself；　and　ere　she　knew　it　she　was　asleep。

So　intense　and　prolonged　had　been　her　previous　excitement　that；
the　tension　once　relieved；　she　passed　into　a　slumber　of
exhaustion　so　deep　that　she　seemed　scarce　to　breathe。　　High　noon
succeeded　morning；　the　central　shaft　received　a　single　ray　of
upper　sunlight；　the　afternoon　came　and　went；　the　shadows　gathered
below；　the　sunset　fires　began　to　eat　their　way　through　the
groined　roof；　and　she　still　slept。　　She　slept　even　when　the　bark
hangings　of　the　chamber　were　put　aside；　and　the　young　man
reentered。

He　laid　down　a　bundle　he　was　carrying　and　softly　approached　the
sleeper。　　For　a　moment　he　was　startled　from　his　indifference；　she
lay　so　still　and　motionless。　　But　this　was　not　all　that　struck
him；　the　face　before　him　was　no　longer　the　passionate；　haggard
visage　that　confronted　him　that　morning；　the　feverish　air；　the
burning　color；　the　strained　muscles　of　mouth　and　brow；　and　the
staring　eyes　were　gone；　wiped　away；　perhaps；　by　the　tears　that
still　left　their　traces　on　cheek　and　dark　eyelash。　　It　was　the
face　of　a　handsome　woman　of　thirty；　with　even　a　suggestion　of
softness　in　the　contour　of　the　cheek　and　arching　of　her　upper
lip；　no　longer　rigidly　drawn　down　in　anger；　but　relaxed　by　sleep
on　her　white　teeth。

With　the　lithe；　soft　tread　that　was　habitual　to　him；　the　young
man　moved　about；　examining　the　condition　of　the　little　chamber
and　its　stock　of　provisions　and　necessaries；　and　withdrew
presently；　to　reappear　as　noiselessly　with　a　tin　bucket　of　water。
This　done；　he　replenished　the　little　pile　of　fuel　with　an　armful
of　bark　and　pine　cones；　cast　an　approving　glance　about　him；　which
included　the　sleeper；　and　silently　departed。

It　was　night　when　she　awoke。　　She　was　surrounded　by　a　profound
darkness；　except　where　the　shaft…like　opening　made　a　nebulous
mist　in　the　corner　of　her　wooden　cavern。　　Providentially　she
struggled　back　to　consciousness　slowly；　so　that　the　solitude　and
silence　came　upon　her　gradually；　with　a　growing　realization　of
the　events　of　the　past　twenty…four　hours；　but　without　a　shock。
She　was　alone　here；　but　safe　still；　and　every　hour　added　to　her
chances　of　ultimate　escape。　　She　remembered　to　have　seen　a　candle
among　the　articles　on　the　shelf；　and　she　began　to　grope　her　way
towards　the　matches。　　Suddenly　she　stopped。　　What　was　that　p