第30章

ButMrs。Pottingeronlysetherlipsimplacablytogether。“Verywell，tellthemthen，“shesaidrigidly；“tellthemhowyouluredmefrommyhumbledependenceinSanFranciscowiththeprospectofahomewithyou；tellthemhowyoucompelledmetodeceivetheirtrustingheartswithyourwickedfalsehoods；tellthemhowyou——afoundling——borrowedmeforyourmother，mypoordeadhusbandforyourfather，andmademeinventfalsehooduponfalsehoodtotellthemwhileyousatstillandlistened！“ Prospergasped。 “Tellthem，“shewentondeliberately，“thatwhenIwantedtobringmyhelplesschildtoheronlyhome——THEN，onlythen——youdeterminedtobreakyourwordtome，eitherbecauseyoumeanlybegrudgedherthatshareofyourhouse，ortokeepyourmisdeedsfromherknowledge！Tellthemthat，Prossy，dear，andseewhatthey’llsay！“ Prospersankbackinhischairaghast。Inhissuddeninstinctofrevolthehadforgottenthecamp！Heknew，alas，toowellwhattheywouldsay！Heknewthat，addedtotheirindignationathavingbeenduped，theirchivalryandabsurdsentimentwouldriseinarmsagainsttheabandonmentoftwohelplesswomen！ “P’r’apsye’reright，ma’am，“hestammered。“Iwasonlythinkin’，“ headdedfeebly，“howSHE’Dtakeit。“ “She’lltakeitasIwishhertotakeit，“saidMrs。Pottingerfirmly。 “Supposin’，ezthecampdon’tknowher，andIain’tbintalkin’o’ havin’anySISTER，youranherinhereasmyCOUSIN？See？Youbein’heraunt？“ Mrs。Pottingerregardedhimwithcompressedlipsforsometime。 Thenshesaid，slowlyandhalfmeditatively:“Yes，itmightbedone！Shewillprobablybewillingtosacrificehernearerrelationshiptosaveherselffrompassingasyoursister。Itwouldbelessgallingtoherpride，andshewouldn’thavetotreatyousofamiliarly。“ “Yes，ma’am，“saidProsper，toorelievedtonoticetheuncomplimentarynatureofthesuggestion。“AndyeseeIcouldcallher’MissPottinger，’whichwouldcomeeasiertome。“ InitshighresolvetobearwiththeweaknessesofProsper’smother，thecampreceivedthenewsoftheadventofProsper’scousinsolelywithreferencetoitspossibleeffectupontheaunt’shabits，andverylittleothercuriosity。Prosper’sownreticence，theyfelt，wasprobablyduetothetenderageatwhichhehadseparatedfromhisrelations。ButwhenitwasknownthatProsper’smotherhaddriventothehousewithaveryprettygirlofeighteen，therewasaflutterofexcitementinthatimpressionablecommunity。 Prosper，withhisusualshyness，hadevadedanearlymeetingwithher，andwasevenloiteringirresolutelyonhiswayhomefromwork，when，asheapproachedthehouse，tohisdiscomfiturethedoorsuddenlyopened，theyoungladyappearedandadvanceddirectlytowardshim。 Shewasslim，graceful，andprettilydressed，andatanyothermomentProspermighthavebeenimpressedbyhergoodlooks。Butherbrowswereknit，herdarkeyes——inwhichtherewasanunmistakablereminiscenceofMrs。Pottinger——wereglittering，andalthoughshewasapparentlyanticipatingtheirmeeting，itwasevidentlywithnocousinlyinterest。Whenwithinafewfeetofhimshestopped。Prosperwithafeeblesmileofferedhishand。Shesprangback。 “Don’ttouchme！Don’tcomeastepnearerorI’llscream！“ Prosper，stillwithsmilinginanity，stammeredthathewasonly“goin’toshakehands，“andmovedsidewaystowardsthehouse。 “Stop！“shesaid，withastampofherslimfoot。“Staywhereyouare！WemusthaveourtalkoutHERE。I’mnotgoingtowastewordswithyouinthere，beforeHER。“ Prosperstopped。 “Whatdidyoudothisfor？“shesaidangrily。“Howdaredyou？Howcouldyou？Areyouaman，orthefoolshetakesyoufor？“ “WotdidIdoWOTfor？“saidProspersullenly。 “This！Makingmymotherpretendyouwereherson！Bringingherhereamongthesementolivealie！“ “Shewaswillin’，“saidProspergloomily。“Itoldherwhatshehadtodo，andsheseemedtolikeit。“ “Butcouldn’tyouseeshewasoldandweak，andwasn’tresponsibleforheractions？Orwereyouonlythinkingofyourself？“ Thislasttauntstunghim。Helookedup。Hewasnotfacingahelpless，dependentoldwomanashehadbeenthedaybefore，butahandsome，clevergirl，ineverywayhissuperior——andintheright！ InhisvaguesenseofhonoritseemedmorecreditableforhimtofightitoutwithHER。Heburstout:“Ineverthoughtofmyself！ Ineverhadanoldmother；Ineverknewwhatitwastowantone—— butthemendid！AndasIcouldn’tgetoneforthem，Igotoneformyself——toshareandsharealike——Ithoughtthey’dbehappiereftherewasoneinthecamp！“ Therewastheunmistakableaccentoftruthinhisvoice。Therecameafainttwitchingoftheyounggirl’slipsandthedawningofasmile。ButitonlyactedasagoadtotheunfortunateProsper。 “Yekinlaugh，MissPottinger，butit’sGod’struth！ButonethingIdidn’tdo。No！Whenyourmotherwantedtobringyouinhereasmysister，Ikicked！Idid！Andyoukinthankme，forallyourlaughin’，thatyou’restandinginthiscampinyourownname——andain’tnothin’butmycousin。“ “Isupposeyouthoughtyourpreciousfriendsdidn’twantaSISTER too？“saidthegirlironically。 “Itdon’tmakenomatterwottheywantnow，“hesaidgloomily。 “For，“headded，withsuddendesperation，“it’scometoanend！ Yes！Youandyourmotherwillstayhereaspellsothattheboysdon’tsuspicionnothin’ofeitherofye。ThenI’llgiveitoutthatyou’retakin’yourauntawayonavisit。ThenI’llmakeovertoherathousanddollarsforallthetroubleI’vegivenher，andyou’lltakeheraway。I’vebinafool，MissPottinger，mebbeIamonenow，butwhatI’mdoin’isonthesquare，andit’sgottobedone！“ Helookedsosimpleandsogood——solikeanhonestschoolboyconfessingafaultandabidingbyhispunishment，forallhissixfeetofaltitudeandsilkymustache——thatMissPottingerloweredhereyes。Butsherecoveredherselfandsaidsharply:—— “It’sallverywelltotalkofhergoingaway！ButsheWON’T。Youhavemadeherlikeyou——yes！likeyoubetterthanme——thananyofus！Shesaysyou’retheonlyonewhoevertreatedherlikeamother——asamothershouldbetreated。Shesayssheneverknewwhatpeaceandcomfortwereuntilshecametoyou。There！Don’tstarelikethat！Don’tyouunderstand？Don’tyousee？MustI tellyouagainthatsheisstrange——that——thatshewasALWAYSqueerandstrange——andqueereronaccountofherunfortunatehabits—— surelyyouknewTHEM，Mr。Riggs！Shequarreledwithusall。I wenttolivewithmyaunt，andshetookherselfofftoSanFranciscowithasillyclaimagainstmyfather’sshipowners。 Heavenonlyknowshowshemanagedtolivethere；butshealwaysimpressedpeoplewithhermanners，andsomeonealwayshelpedher！ AtlastIbeggedmyaunttoletmeseekher，andItrackedherhere。There！Ifyou’veconfessedeverythingtome，youhavemademeconfesseverythingtoyou，andaboutmyownmother，too！Now，whatistobedone？“ “Whateverisagreeabletoyouisthesametome，MissPottinger，“ hesaidformally。 “Butyoumustn’tcallme’MissPottinger’soloud。Somebodymighthearyou，“shereturnedmischievously。 “Allright——’cousin，’then，“hesaid，withaprodigiousblush。 “Supposin’wegoin。“ Inspiteofthecamp’scuriosity，forthenextfewdaystheydelicatelywithheldtheirusualeveningvisitstoProssy’smother。 “They’llbewantin’totalko’oldtimes，andwedon’twanterbetooprevious，“suggestedWynbrook。Buttheirverdict，whentheyatlastmetthenewcousin，wasunanimous，andtheirpraisesextravagant。Totheirinexperiencedeyessheseemedtopossessallheraunt’sgentilityandprecisionoflanguage，withavivacityandplayfulnessallherown。Inafewdaysthewholecampwasinlovewithher。Yetshedispensedherfavorswithsuchtactfulimpartialityandwithsuchinnocentenjoyment——freefromanysuspicionofcoquetry——thattherewerenoheartburnings，andtheunluckymanwhonourishedafanciedslightwouldhavebeenlaughedatbyhisfellows。Shehadatown-bredgirl’scuriosityandinterestincamplife，whichshedeclaredwaslikea“perpetualpicnic，“andherslim，gracefulfigurehaltingbesideaditchwherethemenwereworkingseemedtothemasgratefulasthenewspringsunshine。Thewholecampbecametidier；acoatwasconsideredderigueurat“Prossy’smother“evenings；therewaslesshorseplayinthetrails，andlessshouting。“It’sallverywelltotalkabout’oldmothers，’“saidthecynicalbarkeeper，“butthatgal，singlehanded，hasdonemoreinaweektomakethecampdecentthanoldMa’amRiggshasinamontho’Sundays。“ SinceProsper’sbriefconversationwithMissPottingerbeforethehouse，thequestion“Whatistobedone？“hadsingularlylapsed，norhaditbeenreferredtoagainbyeither。Theyoungladyhadapparentlythrownherselfintothediversionsofthecampwiththethoughtlessgayetyofabriefholidaymaker，anditwasnotforhimtoremindher——evenhadhewishedto——thatherimportantquestionhadneverbeenanswered。Hehadenjoyedherhappinesswiththereliefofasecretsharedbyher。Threeweekshadpassed；thelastofthewinter’srainshadgone。Springwasstirringinunderbrushandwildwood，inthepulseofthewaters，inthesapofthegreatpines，intheupliftingofflowers。SmallwonderifProsper’sboyishhearthadstirredalittletoo。