第16章 CHAPTER III(4)

"Oh,pa is a great deal better in his health,and has picked up even in the last few days,so that he is able to walk round with crutches,"said the elder sister."The air here seems to invigorate him wonderfully.""And you know,Esther,"said the younger,"I think he begins to take more notice of things,especially when he is out-of-doors.He looks around on the scenery,and his eye brightens,as if he knew all about it;and sometimes he knits his brows,and looks down so,as if he was trying to remember.""You know,I suppose,"exclaimed Esther,"that since his seizure his memory has been a blank--that is,three or four years of his life seem to have been dropped out of his recollection.""It might be a mercy sometimes,Senora,"said Don Caesar,with a grave sigh,as he looked at the delicate features before him,which recalled the face of the absent Mamie.

"That's not very complimentary,"said the younger girl,laughingly;"for pa didn't recognize us,and only remembered us as little girls.""Vashti!"interrupted Esther,rebukingly;then,turning to Don Caesar,she added,"My sister,Vashti,means that father remembers more what happened before he came to California,when we were quite young,than he does of the interval that elapsed.Dr.Duchesne says it's a singular case.He thinks that,with his present progress,he will recover the perfect use of his limbs;though his memory may never come back again.""Unless--You forget what the doctor told us this morning,"interrupted Vashti again,briskly.

"I was going to say it,"said Esther,a little curtly."UNLESS he has another stroke.Then he will either die or recover his mind entirely."Don Caesar glanced at the bright faces,a trifle heightened in color by their eager recital and the slight rivalry of narration,and looked grave.He was a little shocked at a certain lack of sympathy and tenderness towards their unhappy parent.They seemed to him not only to have caught that dry,curious toleration of helplessness which characterizes even relationship in its attendance upon chronic suffering and weakness,but to have acquired an unconscious habit of turning it to account.In his present sensitive condition,he even fancied that they flirted mildly over their parent's infirmity.

"My brother Harry has gone to Red Dog,"continued Esther;"he'll be right sorry to have missed you.Mrs.Mulrady spoke to him about you;you seem to have been great friends.I s'pose you knew her daughter,Mamie;I hear she is very pretty."Although Don Caesar was now satisfied that the Slinns knew nothing of Mamie's singular behavior to him,he felt embarrassed by this conversation."Miss Mulrady is very pretty,"he said,with grave courtesy;"it is a custom of her race.She left suddenly,"he added with affected calmness.

"I reckon she did calculate to stay here longer--so her mother said;but the whole thing was settled a week ago.I know my brother was quite surprised to hear from Mr.Mulrady that if we were going to decide about this house we must do it at once;he had an idea himself about moving out of the big one into this when they left.""Mamie Mulrady hadn't much to keep her here,considerin'the money and the good looks she has,I reckon,"said Vashti."She isn't the sort of girl to throw herself away in the wilderness,when she can pick and choose elsewhere.I only wonder she ever come back from Sacramento.They talk about papa Mulrady having BUSINESS at San Francisco,and THAT hurrying them off!Depend upon it,that 'business'was Mamie herself.Her wish is gospel to them.If she'd wanted to stay and have a farewell party,old Mulrady's business would have been nowhere.""Ain't you a little rough on Mamie,"said Esther,who had been quietly watching the young man's face with her large languid eyes,"considering that we don't know her,and haven't even the right of friends to criticise?""I don't call it rough,"returned Vashti,frankly,"for I'd do the same if I were in her shoes--and they're four-and-a-halves,for Harry told me so.Give me her money and her looks,and you wouldn't catch me hanging round these diggings--goin'to choir meetings Saturdays,church Sundays,and buggy-riding once a month--for society!No--Mamie's head was level--you bet!"Don Caesar rose hurriedly.They would present his compliments to their father,and he would endeavor to find their brother at Red Dog.He,alas!had neither father,mother,nor sister,but if they would receive his aunt,the Dona Inez Sepulvida,the next Sunday,when she came from mass,she should be honored and he would be delighted.It required all his self-possession to deliver himself of this formal courtesy before he could take his leave,and on the back of his mustang give way to the rage,disgust and hatred of everything connected with Mamie that filled his heart.Conscious of his disturbance,but not entirely appreciating their own share in it,the two girls somewhat wickedly prolonged the interview by following him into the garden.

"Well,if you MUST leave now,"said Esther,at last,languidly,"it ain't much out of your way to go down through the garden and take a look at pa as you go.He's somewhere down there,near the woods,and we don't like to leave him alone too long.You might pass the time of day with him;see if he's right side up.Vashti and I have got a heap of things to fix here yet;but if anything's wrong with him,you can call us.So-long."Don Caesar was about to excuse himself hurriedly;but that sudden and acute perception of all kindred sorrow which belongs to refined suffering,checked his speech.The loneliness of the helpless old man in this atmosphere of active and youthful selfishness touched him.He bowed assent,and turned aside into one of the long perspectives of bean-poles.The girls watched him until out of sight.