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the crusade of the excelsior-第17章

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said Mrs。 Markham。  〃They've forgotten nothing。〃



〃But you are a captive!〃 said Eleanor。  〃What does it mean?〃



〃Nothing; my dear。  I gave them a piece of my mind;〃 said Mrs。

Markham; looking; however; as if that mental offering had by no

means exhausted her capital; 〃and I have written six pages to the

Governor at Mazatlan; and a full account to Mr。 Markham。〃



〃And they won't get them in thirty years!〃 said Miss Keene

impetuously。  〃But where is this letter from Senor Perkins。  And;

for Heaven's sake; tell me if you had the least suspicion before of

anything that has happened。〃



〃Not in the least。  The man is mad; my dear; and I really believe

driven so by that absurd Illinois woman's poetry。  Did you ever see

anything so ridiculousand shameful; tooas the 'Ulricardo'

business?  I don't wonder he colored so。〃



Miss Keene winced with annoyance。  Was everybody going crazy; or

was there anything more in this catastrophe that had only enfeebled

the minds of her countrywomen!  For here was the severe; strong…

minded Mrs。 Markham actually preoccupied; like Mrs。 Brimmer; with

utterly irrelevant particulars; and apparently powerless to grasp

the fact that they were abandoned on a half hostile strand; and cut

off by half a century from the rest of the world。



〃As to the letter;〃 said Mrs。 Markham; quietly; 〃there it is。

There's nothing in it that might not have been written by a

friend。〃



Miss Keene took the letter。  It was written in a delicate; almost

feminine hand。  She could not help noticing that in one or two

instances corrections had been made and blots carefully removed

with an eraser。





〃Midnight; on the Excelsior。



〃MY FRIEND: When you receive this I shall probably be once more on

the bosom of that mysterious and mighty element whose majesty has

impressed us; whose poetry we have loved; and whose moral lessons;

I trust; have not been entirely thrown away upon us。  I go to the

deliverance of one of those oppressed nations whose history I have

often recited to you; and in whose destiny you have from time to

time expressed a womanly sympathy。  While it is probable;

therefore; that my MOTIVES may not be misunderstood by you; or even

other dear friends of the Excelsior; it is by no means impossible

that the celerity and unexpectedness of my ACTION may not be

perfectly appreciated by the careless mind; and may seem to require

some explanation。  Let me then briefly say that the idea of

debarking your goods and chattels; and parting from your delightful

company at Todos Santos; only occurred to me on our unexpected

shall I say PROVIDENTIAL?arrival at that spot; and the necessity

of expedition forbade me either inviting your cooperation or

soliciting your confidence。  Human intelligence is variously

constitutedor; to use a more homely phrase; 'many men have many

minds'and it is not impossible that a premature disclosure of my

plans might have jeopardized that harmony which you know it has

been my desire to promote。  It was my original intention to have

landed you at Mazatlan; a place really inferior in climate and

natural attractions to Todo Santos; although; perhaps; more easy of

access and egress; but the presence of an American steamer in the

offing would have invested my enterprise with a certain publicity

foreign; I think; to all our tastes。  Taking advantage; therefore;

of my knowledge of the peninsular coast; and the pardonable

ignorance of Captain Bunker; I endeavored; through my faithful

subordinates; to reach a less known port; and a coast rarely

frequented by reason of its prevailing fog。  Here occurred one of

those dispensations of an overruling power which; dear friend; we

have so often discussed。  We fell in with an unknown current; and

were guided by a mysterious hand into the bay of Todos Santos!



〃You know of my belief in the infinite wisdom and benignity of

events; you have; dear friend; with certain feminine limitations;

shared it with me。  Could there have been a more perfect

illustration of it than the power that led us here?  On a shore;

historic in interest; beautiful in climate; hospitable in its

people; utterly freed from external influences; and absolutely

without a compromising future; you are landed; my dear friend; with

your youthful companions。  From the crumbling ruins of a decaying

Past you are called to construct an Arcadia of your own; the

rudiments of a new civilization are within your grasp; the cost of

existence is comparatively trifling; the various sums you have with

you; which even in the chaos of revolution I have succeeded in

keeping intact; will more than suffice to your natural wants for

years to come。  Were I not already devoted to the task of freeing

Quinquinambo; I should willingly share this Elysium with you all。

But; to use the glowing words of Mrs。 M'Corkle; slightly altering

the refrain





     'Ah; stay me not!  With flying feet

      O'er desert sands; I rush to greet

      My fate; my love; my life; my sweet

        Quinquinambo!'





〃I venture to intrust to your care two unpublished manuscripts of

that gifted woman。  The dangers that may environ my present

mission; the vicissitudes of battle by sea or land; forbid my

imperiling their natural descent to posterity。  You; my dear

friend; will preserve them for the ages to come; occasionally

refreshing yourself; from time to time; from that Parnassian

spring。



〃Adieu! my friend。  I look around the familiar cabin; and miss your

gentle faces。  I feel as Jason might have felt; alone on the deck

of the Argo when his companions were ashore; except that I know of

no Circean influences to mar their destiny。  In examining the

state…rooms to see if my orders for the complete restoration of

passengers' property had been carried out; I allowed myself to look

into yours。  Lying alone; forgotten and overlooked; I saw a

peculiar jet hair…pin which I think I have observed in the coils of

your tresses。  May I venture to keep this gentle instrument as a

reminder of the superior intellect it has so often crowned?  Adieu;

my friend。



〃Ever yours; LEONIDAS BOLIVAR PERKINS。〃





〃Well?〃 said Mrs。 Markham impatiently; as Miss Keene remained

motionless with the letter in her hand。



〃It seems like a ridiculous nightmare!  I can't understand it at

all。  The man that wrote this letter may be madbut he is neither

a pirate nor a thiefand yet〃



〃He a pirate?〃 echoed Mrs。 Markham indignantly; 〃He's nothing of

the kind!  It's not even his FAULT!〃



〃Not his fault?〃 repeated Miss Keene; 〃are you mad; too?〃



〃Nonor a fool; my dear!  Don't you see?  It's all the fault of

Banks and Brimmer for compromising the vessel: of that stupid;

drunken captain for permitting it。  Senor Perkins is a liberator; a

patriot; who has periled himself and his country to treat us

magnanimously。  Don't you see it?  It's like that Banks and that

Mrs。 Brimmer to call HIM a pirate!  I've a good mind to give the

Commander my opinion of THEM。〃



〃Hush!〃 said Miss Keene; with a sudden recollection of the

Commander's suspicions; 〃for Heaven's sake; you do not know what

you are saying。  Look! they were talking with that strange man; and

now they are coming this way。〃



The Commander and his secretary approached them。  They were both

more than usually grave; but the look of inquiry and suspicion with

which they regarded the two women was gone from their eyes。



〃The Senor Comandante says you are free; Senoras; and begs you will

only decide whether you will remain his guests or the guests of the

Alcalde。  But for the present he cannot allow you any communication

with the prisoners of San Antonio。〃



〃There is further news?〃 said Miss Keene faintly; with a presentiment

of worse complications。



〃There is!  A body from the Excelsior has been washed on shore。〃



The two women turned pale。



〃In the pocket of the murdered man is an accusation against one

Senor Hurlstone; who was concealed on the ship; who came not ashore

openly with the other passengers; but who escaped in secret; and is

now hiding somewhere in Todos Santos。〃



〃And you suspect him of this infamous act?〃 said Eleanor;

forgetting all prudence in her indignation。  〃You are deceiving

yourself。  He is as innocent as I am!〃



The Commander and the secretary smiled sapiently; but gently。



〃The Senor Comandante believes you; Dona Leonora: the Senor

Hurlstone is innocent of the piracy。  He is; of a surety; the

leader of the Opposition。〃





CHAPTER VIII。



IN SANCTUARY。





When James Hurlstone reached the shelter of the shrubbery he leaned

exhaustedly against the adobe wall; and looked back upon the garden

he had just traversed。  At its lower extremity a tall hedge of

cactus reinforced the crumbling wall with a cheval de frise of

bristling thorns; it was through a gap in this green barrier that

he had found his way a f
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