第25章

Thecolonelroseatthetouch。“Tellher，sir，“hesaidhuskily，butwithslowdeliberation，“thatI’amup’andleavingthisplacewithmyward，MissStannard。Good-morning。“HeliftedPansywithinfinitecourtesyfromherchair，tookherhand，strolledtothecounter，threwdownagoldpiece，andpassingthetableoftheastonishedfaironewithaninflatedbreast，sweptwithPansyoutoftheshop。Inthestreethepaused，biddingthechildgoon；andthen，findinghewasnotfollowedbythewoman’sescort，rejoinedhislittlecompanion。 Forafewmomentstheywalkedsilentlysidebyside。ThenPansy’scuriosity，gettingthebetterofherpout，demandedinformation。 Shehadappliedachild’sswiftlogictothescene。Thecolonelwasangry，andhadpunishedthewomanforsomething。Shedrewclosertohisside，andlookingupwithherbigeyes，saidconfidentially。 “Whathadshebeena-doing？“ Thecolonelwasamazed，embarrassed，andspeechless。Hewastotallyunpreparedforthequestion，andasunabletoanswerit。 Hisabruptdeparturefromtheshophadbeentoevadetheverytruthnowdemandedofhim。Onlyasupremeeffortofmendacitywaslefthim。Hewipedhisbrowwithhishandkerchief，coughed，andbegandeliberately:—— “The——er——ladyinquestionisinthehabitofusingascentcalled—— er——patchouli，a——er——perfumeexceedinglydistressingtome。I detecteditinstantlyonherentrance。Iwishedtoavoidit—— withoutfurthercontact。Itis——er——singularbutacceptedfactthatsomepeopleare——er——peculiarlyaffectedbyodors。Ihad——er—— oldcherishedfriendwhoalways——er——faintedattheodorofjasmine；andIwasintimatelyacquaintedwithGeneralBludyer，who—— er——droppedlikeashotonthepresentationofasimpleviolet。 The——er——habitofusingsuchperfumesexcessivelyinpublic，“ continuedthecolonel，lookingdownupontheinnocentPansy，andspeakingintonesofdeadlydeliberation，“cannotbetoogreatlycondemned，aswellasthehabitof——er——frequentingplacesofpublicresortinextravagantcostumes，with——er——individualswho—— er——intrudeupondomesticprivacy。Itrustyouwilleschewsuchperfumes，places，costumes，and——er——companionsFOREVERand——ONALL OCCASIONS！“Thecolonelhadraisedhisvoicetohisforensicemphasis，andPansy，somewhatalarmed，assented。Whethersheentirelyacceptedthecolonel’sexplanationwasanothermatter。 Theincident，althoughnotagainalludedto，seemedtoshadowtherestoftheirbriefafternoonholiday，andthecolonel’smannerwasunmistakablygraver。Butitseemedtothechildmoreaffectionateandthoughtful。HehadpreviouslyatpartingsubmittedtobekissedbyPansywithstatelytoleranceandanimmediateresumptionofhisloftiestmanner。Onthispresentleave-takinghelaidhisstraightcloselyshavenlipsonthecrownofherdarkhead，andashersmallarmsclippedhisneck，drewhercloselytohisside。Thechildutteredaslightcry；thecolonelhurriedlyputhishandtohisbreast。Herroundcheekhadcomeincontactwithhisderringer——asmallweaponofbeautyandprecision——whichinvariablynestledalsoathisside，inhiswaistcoatpocket。Thechildlaughed；sodidthecolonel，buthischeekflushedmightily。 Itwasfourmonthslater，andaturbulentnight。Theearlyrains，drivenbyastrongsouthwesteragainsttheupperwindowsoftheMagnoliaRestaurant，sometimesblurredtheradianceofthebrightlightswithin，andtheroaroftheencompassingpinesattimesdrownedthesoundsofsongandlaughterthatrosefromaprivatesupperroom。EventheclatteringarrivalanddepartureoftheSacramentostagecoach，whichdisturbedthedepthsbelow，didnotaffecttheseupperrevelers。ForColonelStarbottle，JackHamlin，JudgeBeeswinger，andJoWynyard，assistedbyMesdamesMontague，Montmorency，Bellefield，and“Tinky“Clifford，ofthe“WesternStarCombinationTroupe，“thenperforming“ontour，“wereholding“highjinks“inthesupperroom。Thecolonelhadbeenoflatemoody，irritable，andeasilyupset。Inthewordsofafriendandadmirer，“hewaskamonlyattwelvepaces。“ InalullinthegeneraltumultaChinesewaiterwasseenatthedoorvainlyendeavoringtoattracttheattentionofthecolonelbysignsandinterjections。Mr。Hamlin’squickeyefirstcaughtsightoftheintruder。“Comein，Confucius，“saidJackpleasantly； “you’reatriflelateforaregularturn，butanylittlethinginthewayofknifeswallowing“—— “Lillmisseetoseeconnle！Waiteewaitee，bottomsidehousee，“ interruptedtheChinaman，dividinghisspeechbetweenJackandthecolonel。 “What！ANOTHERlady？Thisisnoplaceforme！“saidJack，risingwithfinelysimulateddecorum。 “Askherup，“chirped“Tinky“Clifford。 ButatthismomentthedooropenedagainsttheChinaman，andasmallfigureinacloakandhat，drippingwithraindrops，glidedswiftlyin。Afteramoment’shalf-frightened，half-admiringglanceattheparty，shedartedforwardwithalittlecryandthrewherwetarmsroundthecolonel。Therestofthecompany，arrestedintheirfestivity，gaspedwithvagueandsmilingwonder；thecolonelbecamepurpleandgasped。Butonlyforamoment。Thenextinstanthewasonhislegs，holdingthechildwithonehand，whilewiththeotherhedescribedastatelysweepofthetable。 “Myward——MissPansyStannard，“hesaidwithhuskybrevity。Butdrawingthechildaside，hewhisperedquickly，“Whathashappened？ Whyareyouhere？“ ButPansy，child-like，alreadydivertedbythelights，thetablepiledwithdelicacies，thegaylydressedwomen，andtheairoffestivity，answeredhalfabstractedly，andasmuch，perhaps，tothecuriouseyesaboutherastothecolonel’svoice，—— “Irunnedaway！“ “Hush！“whisperedthecolonel，aghast。 ButPansy，respondingagaintothecompanyratherthanherguardian’scounsel，andasifappealingtothem，wentonhalfpoutingly:“Yes！Irunnedawaybecausetheyteasedme！Becausetheydidn’tlikeyouandsaidhorridthings。Becausetheytoldawful，dreadfullies！BecausetheysaidIwasn’tnoorphan！——thatmynamewasn’tStannard，andthatyou’dmadeitallup。BecausetheysaidIwasaliar——andYOUWASMYFATHER！“ Asuddenoutbreakoflaughterhereshooktheroom，andevendrownedthestormoutside；againandagainitrose，asthecolonelstaggeredgaspinglytohisfeet。Foraninstantitseemedasifhisstrugglestorestrainhimselfwouldendinanapoplecticfit。 PerhapsitwasforthisreasonthatJackHamlincheckedhisownlightlaughandbecamealertandgrave。YetthenextmomentColonelStarbottlewentassuddenlydeadwhite，asleaningoverthetablehesaidhuskily，butdeliberately，“Imustrequesttheladiespresenttowithdraw。“ “Don’tmindUS，Colonel，“saidJudgeBeeswinger，“it’sallinthefamilyhere，youknow！AndnowIlookatthegirl——hangitall！ sheDOESfavoryou，oldman。Ha！ha！“ “Andasfortheladies，“saidWynyardwithaweak，vinouslaugh，“unlessanyof’emisinclinedtotakethematterasPERSONAL——eh？“ “Stop！“roaredthecolonel。 Therewasnomistakinghisvoicenorhisintentnow。Thetwomen，insultedandinstantlysobered，weresilent。Mr。Hamlinrose，playfullybutdeterminedlytappedhisfaircompanionsontheshoulders，saying，“Runawayandplay，girls，“actuallybundledthem，gigglingandprotesting，fromtheroom，closedthedoor，andstoodwithhisbackagainstit。Thenitwasseenthatthecolonel，stillverywhite，washoldingthechildbythehand，assheshrankbackwonderinglyandalittlefrightenedagainsthim。 “IthankYOU，Mr。Hamlin，“saidthecolonelinalowervoice——yetwithaslighttouchofhishabitualstatelinessinit，“forbeingheretobearwitness，inthepresenceofthischild，tomyunqualifiedstatementthatamorefoul，vile，andiniquitousfalsehoodneverwasutteredthanthatwhichhasbeenpouredintoherinnocentears！“Hepaused，walkedtothedoor，stillholdingherhand，and，asMr。Hamlinsteppedaside，openedit，toldhertoawaithiminthepublicparlor，closedthedooragain，andoncemorefacedthetwomen。“And，“hecontinuedmoredeliberately，“fortheinfamousjeststhatyou，JudgeBeeswinger，andyou，Mr。 Wynyard，havedaredtopassinherpresenceandmine，Ishallexpectfromeachofyouthefullestsatisfaction——personalsatisfaction。Mysecondswillwaitonyouinthemorning！“ Thetwomenstoodupsobered——yetbelligerent。 “Asyoulike，sir，“saidBeeswinger，flashing。 “Thesoonerthebetterforme，“addedWynyardcurtly。 TheypassedtheunruffledJackHamlinwithasmileandavaguelysignificantair，asifcallinghimasawitnesstothecolonel’smadness，andstrodeoutoftheroom。 Asthedoorclosedbehindthem，Mr。Hamlinlightlysettledhiswhitewaistcoat，and，withhishandsonhiships，loungedtowardsthecolonel。“AndTHEN？“hesaidquietly。 “Eh？“saidthecolonel。 “Afteryou’veshotoneorbothofthesemen，oroneof’emhasknockedyouout，what’stobecomeofthatchild？“ “If——Iam——er——spared，sir，“saidthecolonelhuskily，“Ishallcontinuetodefendher——againstcalumnyandsneers“