登陆注册
15427900000034

第34章

"While I would not give you false hopes,Mr.Collinson,"he said,with a bland smile,"my interest in you compels me to say that you may be over confident and wrong.There are a thousand things that may have prevented your wife from coming to you,--illness,possibly the result of her exposure,poverty,misapprehension of your place of meeting,and,above all,perhaps some false report of your own death.Has it ever occurred to you that it is as possible for her to have been deceived in that way as for you?""Wot yer say?"said Collinson,with a vague suspicion.

"What I mean.You think yourself justified in believing your wife dead,because she did not seek you here;may she not feel herself equally justified in believing the same of you,because you had not sought her elsewhere?""But it was writ that she was comin'yere,and--I boarded every train that come in that fall,"said Collinson,with a new irritation,unlike his usual calm.

"Except one,my dear Collinson,--except one,"returned Chivers,holding up a fat forefinger smilingly."And that may be the clue.

Now,listen!There is still a chance of following it,if you will.

The name of my friends were Mr.and Mrs.Barker.I regret,"he added,with a perfunctory cough,"that poor Barker is dead.He was not such an exemplary husband as you are,my dear Collinson,and Ifear was not all that Mrs.Barker could have wished;enough that he succumbed from various excesses,and did not leave me Mrs.Barker's present address.But she has a young friend,a ward,living at the convent of Santa Luisa,whose name is Miss Rivers,who can put you in communication with her.Now,one thing more:I can understand your feelings,and that you would wish at once to satisfy your mind.It is not,perhaps,to my interest nor the interest of my party to advise you,but,"he continued,glancing around him,"you have an admirably secluded position here,on the edge of the trail,and if you are missing from your post to-morrow morning,I shall respect your feelings,trust to your honor to keep this secret,and--consider it useless to pursue you!"There was neither shame nor pity in his heart,as the deceived man turned towards him with tremulous eagerness,and grasped his hand in silent gratitude.But the old rage and fear returned,as Collinson said gravely:--"You kinder put a new life inter me,Mr.Chivers,and I wish I had yer gift o'speech to tell ye so.But I've passed my word to the Capting thar and to the rest o'you folks that I'd stand guard out yere,and I don't go back o'my word.I mout,and I moutn't find my Sadie;but she wouldn't think the less o'me,arter these years o'waitin',ef I stayed here another night,to guard the house Ikeep in trust for her,and the strangers I've took in on her account.""As you like,then,"said Chivers,contracting his lips,"but keep your own counsel to-night.There may be those who would like to deter you from your search.And now I will leave you alone in this delightful moonlight.I quite envy you your unrestricted communion with Nature.Adios,amigo,adios!"He leaped lightly on a large rock that overhung the edge of the grade,and waved his hand.

"I wouldn't do that,Mr.Chivers,"said Collinson,with a concerned face;"them rocks are mighty ticklish,and that one in partiklar.

A tech sometimes sends 'em scooting."

Mr.Chivers leaped quickly to the ground,turned,waved his hand again,and disappeared down the grade.

But Collinson was no longer alone.Hitherto his characteristic reveries had been of the past,--reminiscences in which there was only recollection,no imagination,and very little hope.Under the spell of Chivers's words his fancy seemed to expand;he began to think of his wife as she might be now,--perhaps ill,despairing,wandering hopelessly,even ragged and footsore,or--believing HIMdead--relapsing into the resigned patience that had been his own;but always a new Sadie,whom he had never seen or known before.Afaint dread,the lightest of misgivings (perhaps coming from his very ignorance),for the first time touched his steadfast heart,and sent a chill through it.He shouldered his weapon,and walked briskly towards the edge of the thick-set woods.There were the fragrant essences of the laurel and spruce--baked in the long-day sunshine that had encompassed their recesses--still coming warm to his face;there were the strange shiftings of temperature throughout the openings,that alternately warmed and chilled him as he walked.It seemed so odd that he should now have to seek her instead of her coming to him;it would never be the same meeting to him,away from the house that he had built for her!He strolled back,and looked down upon it,nestling on the ledge.The white moonlight that lay upon it dulled the glitter of lights in its windows,but the sounds of laughter and singing came to even his unfastidious ears with a sense of vague discord.He walked back again,and began to pace before the thick-set wood.Suddenly he stopped and listened.

To any other ears but those accustomed to mountain solitude it would have seemed nothing.But,familiar as he was with all the infinite disturbances of the woodland,and even the simulation of intrusion caused by a falling branch or lapsing pine-cone,he was arrested now by a recurring sound,unlike any other.It was an occasional muffled beat--interrupted at uncertain intervals,but always returning in regular rhythm,whenever it was audible.He knew it was made by a cantering horse;that the intervals were due to the patches of dead leaves in its course,and that the varying movement was the effect of its progress through obstacles and underbrush.It was therefore coming through some "blind"cutoff in the thick-set wood.The shifting of the sound also showed that the rider was unfamiliar with the locality,and sometimes wandered from the direct course;but the unfailing and accelerating persistency of the sound,in spite of these difficulties,indicated haste and determination.

同类推荐
  • 謇斋琐缀录

    謇斋琐缀录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 寿生经

    寿生经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Snare

    The Snare

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 菊谱

    菊谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 春闷偶成十二韵

    春闷偶成十二韵

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • The Amateur

    The Amateur

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 天之巅峰

    天之巅峰

    他不畏强权,他在家人以及朋友的帮助下,在敌人的压力下当然也有偶然的机遇下统一了天元大陆,到最后的掌控者。没有种马,慢热型。新人写书,请多多支持
  • 背着将军上战场

    背着将军上战场

    常素素娇蛮体小,能徒手捉匪,剑斩野兽,武力值爆表。虞柏舟生性文弱,琴棋书画,样样精通。两人青梅竹马,一场变故,让虞柏舟弃文从武。常素素女扮男装,扛起屠龙枪与他一起奔赴战场。战场上,刀光剑影,她御百犬,大破敌军铁骑。她将柏舟推到身后,“柏舟柏舟,快到我身后躲着,刀剑无眼啊。”柏舟抓着常素素肩膀,“素素,就他,刚拿刀戳我!”素素抡起屠龙枪,按住敌人揍了一顿!敢动我的人,揍死你!
  • 我的美女天师房客

    我的美女天师房客

    大学刚毕业的何愁,继承了素昧谋面的小叔二十年前留下的遗产,一幢价值不菲的老宅。本以为从此走上人生巅峰,迎娶白富美,但没想到在入住的第一晚,就发生了不可思议的怪事。但这依旧无法撼动他当包租公的宏伟梦想。第一位上门的房客竟然是一位超级大美女。但是随着这位美女的入住,各种诡异的怪事更是接踵而来。渐渐,何愁发现了美女令人诧异的职业,还有她的惊人秘密!……直到认识陆心很久之后,何愁才壮着胆子问她:“陆天师,你说你身中诅咒,遇水就会变成男人,可是……有没有可能你本来就是一个男人……”“啪!”何愁,卒。
  • 墨石大陆

    墨石大陆

    魔法师张炎竟然败给了一个小女孩,这个小女孩只是一个中级魔法士,而张炎却是天山宗的天才,他的精神识海,竟然在这一战之中破碎了。
  • 冒险家攻略

    冒险家攻略

    这是一个广阔无边的世界。这是一个人类与凶兽并存的世界。这是一个科技和武技同样发展到巅峰的世界。陈冲被一个老人带到了一千五百年以后的这个世界,他发现自己所在的文明已经消失了在历史长河中,只有少数一些秘籍有一丁点记载。他必须弄清楚老人这么做的目的,也要找到老人口中的亚特兰蒂斯。
  • 血零魅侠岚

    血零魅侠岚

    她(他)是邪恶与正义的化身,她(他)既是善也是恶,她(他)从另一个世界来的,她(他)也是这两个世界的强者,她(他)的一念之差可以毁掉一个世界。她(他)的来到会给玖宫岭带来什么,在这个世界里她(他)会喜欢上谁,还有她(他)为什么要来这个世界,她(他)来着的目的是什么?这些问题的答案全在书里。想知道就来关注这本书吧!
  • 首席总裁独宠檬甜心

    首席总裁独宠檬甜心

    装在我童话里的你飞在我天空pretty.girl,我的心还在悸动跳动这里不能没有你.你是我第一次的爱,我故事里完美女主角........
  • 故城谣

    故城谣

    我深信,在那边挥之不去的湛蓝下面,定埋藏着逝去的记忆。只是,当我触到的时候,它就消散了。在一个又一个春天,在一年一年炬苓花绽放的季节,在一阵一阵炽青色的涟漪翻涌在内心深处时,我爬上满落灰尘的阁楼,在天窗旁边坐下,接着把所有记忆深处的宝石碎片捞起,仔细打磨,透过太阳光看它们闪耀出瑰丽的蓝,然后咯咯笑得像个孩子。可是时常在黑夜里惊醒,梦回处失落婆娑在午夜陌生的影子里。于是惶恐凄寂无所适从,在最后一声夜莺的哀歌里,我提笔记下了这些。我曾经心心念念着的身影。我们手牵手坐在云做的小船上,你咯咯笑着用脚荡起水花,我看着阳光斑斓在你年少的发梢上。在那里,一切都还有重来的机会,在那里,我找到了你。
  • 宠妃使用手册

    宠妃使用手册

    重生以前,阿箩是天真烂漫的小姑娘。重生以后,阿箩是外表可爱,内心阴暗的病娇萝莉。知道她本性的人都对她退避三舍。唯有当今摄政王把她当成宝贝,怎么宠都不够。她要什么他给什么,连她不要的王妃之位,他都强塞给她。