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the three partners-第23章

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however; declined with such reddening promptness that Demorest as

promptly reddened and apologized。  The habits of European travel

had been still strong on him; and he felt a slight patriotic thrill

as he said; with a grave smile; 〃Thank you; then; and thank you

still more for reminding me that I am among my own 'people;'〃 and

stepped lightly out into the road。



The air was still deliciously cool; but warmer currents from the

heated pines began to alternate with the wind from the summit。  He

found himself sometimes walking through a stratum of hot air which

seemed to exhale from the wood itself; while his head and breast

were swept by the mountain breeze。  He felt the old intoxication of

the balmy…scented air again; and the five years of care and

hopelessness laid upon his shoulders since he had last breathed its

fragrance slipped from them like a burden。  There had been but

little change here; perhaps the road was wider and the dust lay

thicker; but the great pines still mounted in serried ranks on the

slopes as before; with no gaps in their unending files。  Here was

the spot where the stagecoach had passed them that eventful morning

when they were coming out of their camp…life into the world of

civilization; a little further back; the spot where Jack Hamlin had

forced upon him that grim memento of the attempted robbery of their

cabin; which he had kept ever since。  He half smiled again at the

superstitious interest that had made him keep it; with the

intention of some day returning to bury it; with all recollections

of the deed; under the site of the old cabin。  As he went on in the

vivifying influence of the air and scene; new life seemed to course

through his veins; his step seemed to grow as elastic as in the old

days of their bitter but hopeful struggle for fortune; when he had

gayly returned from his weekly tramp to Boomville laden with the

scant provision procured by their scant earnings and dying credit。

Those were the days when HER living image still inspired his heart

with faith and hope; when everything was yet possible to youth and

love; and before the irony of fate had given him fortune with one

hand only to withdraw HER with the other。  It was strange and cruel

that coming back from his quest of rest and forgetfulness he should

find only these youthful and sanguine dreams revive with his

reviving vigor。  He walked on more hurriedly as if to escape them;

and was glad to be diverted by one or two carryalls and char…a…

bancs filled with gayly dressed pleasure partiesevidently

visitors to Hymettuswhich passed him on the road。  Here were the

first signs of change。  He recalled the train of pack…mules of the

old days; the file of pole…and…basket carrying Chinese; the squaw

with the papoose strapped to her shoulder; or the wandering and

foot…sore prospector; who were the only wayfarers he used to meet。

He contrasted their halts and friendly greetings with the insolent

curiosity or undisguised contempt of the carriage folk; and smiled

as he thought of the warning of the blacksmith。  But this did not

long divert him; he found himself again returning to his previous

thought。  Indeed; the face of a young girl in one of the carriages

had quite startled him with its resemblance to an old memory of his

lost love as he saw her;her frail; pale elegance encompassed in

laces as she leaned back in her drive through Fifth Avenue; with

eyes that lit up and became transfigured only as he passed。  He

tried to think of his useless quest in search of her last resting…

place abroad; how he had been baffled by the opposition of her

surviving relations; already incensed by the thought that her

decline had been the effect of her hopeless passion。  He tried to

recall the few frigid lines that reconveyed to him the last letter

he had sent her; with the announcement of her death and the hope

that 〃his persecutions〃 would now cease。  A wild idea had sometimes

come to him out of the very insufficiency of his knowledge of this

climax; but he had always put it aside as a precursor of that

madness which might end his ceaseless thought。  And now it was

returning to him; here; thousands of miles away from where she was

peacefully sleeping; and even filling him with the vigor of

youthful hope。



The brief mountain twilight was giving way now to the radiance of

the rising moon。  He endeavored to fix his thoughts upon his

partners who were to meet him at Hymettus after these long years of

separation。



Hymettus!  He recalled now the odd coincidence that he had

mischievously used as a gag to his questioning fellow traveler; but

now he had really come from a villa near Athens to find his old

house thus classically rechristened after it; and thought of it

with a gravity he had not felt before。  He wondered who had named

it。  There was no suggestion of the soft; sensuous elegance of the

land he had left in those great heroics of nature before him。

Those enormous trees were no woods for fauns or dryads; they had

their own godlike majesty of bulk and height; and as he at last

climbed the summit and saw the dark…helmeted head of Black Spur

before him; and beyond it the pallid; spiritual cloud of the

Sierras; he did not think of Olympus。  Yet for a moment he was

startled; as he turned to the right; by the Doric…columned facade

of a temple painted by the moonbeams and framed in an opening of

the dark woods before him。  It was not until he had reached it that

he saw that it was the new wooden post…office of Heavy Tree Hill。



And now the buildings of the new settlement began to faintly

appear。  But the obscurity of the shadow and the equally disturbing

unreality of the moonlight confused him in his attempts to

recognize the old landmarks。  A broad and well…kept winding road

had taken the place of the old steep; but direct trail to his

cabin。  He had walked for some moments in uncertainty; when a

sudden sweep of the road brought the full crest of the hill above

and before him; crowned with a tiara of lights; overtopping a long

base of flashing windows。  That was all that was left of Heavy Tree

Hill。  The old foreground of buckeye and odorous ceanothus was

gone。  Even the great grove of pines behind it had vanished。



There was already a stir of life in the road; and he could see

figures moving slowly along a kind of sterile; formal terrace

spread with a few dreary marble vases and plaster statues which had

replaced the natural slope and the great quartz buttresses of

outcrop that supported it。  Presently he entered a gate; and soon

found himself in the carriage drive leading to the hotel veranda。

A number of fair promenaders were facing the keen mountain night

wind in wraps and furs。  Demorest had replaced his coat; but his

boots were red with dust; and as he ascended the steps he could see

that he was eyed with some superciliousness by the guests and with

considerable suspicion by the servants。  One of the latter was

approaching him with an insolent smile when a figure darted from

the vestibule; and; brushing the waiter aside; seized Demorest's

two hands in his and held him at arm's length。



〃Demorest; old man!〃



〃Stacy; old chap!〃



〃But where's your team?  I've had all the spare hostlers and hall…

boys listening for you at the gate。  And where's Barker?  When he

found you'd given the dead…cut to the railroadHIS railroad; you

knowhe loped over to Boomville after you。〃



Demorest briefly explained that he had walked by the old road and

probably missed him。  But by this time the waiters; crushed by the

spectacle of this travel…worn stranger's affectionate reception by

the great financial magnate; were wildly applying their brushes and

handkerchiefs to his trousers and boots until Stacy again swept

them away。



〃Get off; all of you!  Now; Phil; you come with me。  The house is

full; but I've made the manager give you a lady's drawing…room

suite。  When you telegraphed you'd meet us HERE there was no chance

to get anything else。  It's really Mrs。 Van Loo's family suite; but

they were sent for to go to Marysville yesterday; and so we'll run

you in for the night。〃



〃But〃protested Demorest。



〃Nonsense!〃 said Stacy; dragging him away。  〃We'll pay for it; and

I reckon the old lady won't object to taking her share of the

damage either; or she isn't Van Loo's mother。  Come。〃



Demorest felt himself hurried forward by the energetic Stacy;

preceded by the obsequious manager; through a corridor to a

handsomely furnished suite; into whose bathroom Stacy incontinently

thrust him。



〃There!  Wash up; and by the time you're ready Barker ought to be

back; and we'll have supper。  It's waiting for us in the other

room。〃



〃But how about Barker; the dear boy?〃 persisted Demorest; holding

open the door。  〃Tell me; is he well and happy?〃



〃About as well as we all are;〃 said Stacy quickly; yet with a

certain dry significance。  〃Never mind n
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