第25章
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  Thecolonelroseatthetouch。“Tellher,sir,“hesaidhuskily,butwithslowdeliberation,“thatI’amup’andleavingthisplacewithmyward,MissStannard。Good-morning。“HeliftedPansywithinfinitecourtesyfromherchair,tookherhand,strolledtothecounter,threwdownagoldpiece,andpassingthetableoftheastonishedfaironewithaninflatedbreast,sweptwithPansyoutoftheshop。Inthestreethepaused,biddingthechildgoon;andthen,findinghewasnotfollowedbythewoman’sescort,rejoinedhislittlecompanion。

  Forafewmomentstheywalkedsilentlysidebyside。ThenPansy’scuriosity,gettingthebetterofherpout,demandedinformation。

  Shehadappliedachild’sswiftlogictothescene。Thecolonelwasangry,andhadpunishedthewomanforsomething。Shedrewclosertohisside,andlookingupwithherbigeyes,saidconfidentially。

  “Whathadshebeena-doing?“

  Thecolonelwasamazed,embarrassed,andspeechless。Hewastotallyunpreparedforthequestion,andasunabletoanswerit。

  Hisabruptdeparturefromtheshophadbeentoevadetheverytruthnowdemandedofhim。Onlyasupremeeffortofmendacitywaslefthim。Hewipedhisbrowwithhishandkerchief,coughed,andbegandeliberately:——

  “The——er——ladyinquestionisinthehabitofusingascentcalled——

  er——patchouli,a——er——perfumeexceedinglydistressingtome。I

  detecteditinstantlyonherentrance。Iwishedtoavoidit——

  withoutfurthercontact。Itis——er——singularbutacceptedfactthatsomepeopleare——er——peculiarlyaffectedbyodors。Ihad——er——

  oldcherishedfriendwhoalways——er——faintedattheodorofjasmine;andIwasintimatelyacquaintedwithGeneralBludyer,who——

  er——droppedlikeashotonthepresentationofasimpleviolet。

  The——er——habitofusingsuchperfumesexcessivelyinpublic,“

  continuedthecolonel,lookingdownupontheinnocentPansy,andspeakingintonesofdeadlydeliberation,“cannotbetoogreatlycondemned,aswellasthehabitof——er——frequentingplacesofpublicresortinextravagantcostumes,with——er——individualswho——

  er——intrudeupondomesticprivacy。Itrustyouwilleschewsuchperfumes,places,costumes,and——er——companionsFOREVERand——ONALL

  OCCASIONS!“Thecolonelhadraisedhisvoicetohisforensicemphasis,andPansy,somewhatalarmed,assented。Whethersheentirelyacceptedthecolonel’sexplanationwasanothermatter。

  Theincident,althoughnotagainalludedto,seemedtoshadowtherestoftheirbriefafternoonholiday,andthecolonel’smannerwasunmistakablygraver。Butitseemedtothechildmoreaffectionateandthoughtful。HehadpreviouslyatpartingsubmittedtobekissedbyPansywithstatelytoleranceandanimmediateresumptionofhisloftiestmanner。Onthispresentleave-takinghelaidhisstraightcloselyshavenlipsonthecrownofherdarkhead,andashersmallarmsclippedhisneck,drewhercloselytohisside。Thechildutteredaslightcry;thecolonelhurriedlyputhishandtohisbreast。Herroundcheekhadcomeincontactwithhisderringer——asmallweaponofbeautyandprecision——whichinvariablynestledalsoathisside,inhiswaistcoatpocket。Thechildlaughed;sodidthecolonel,buthischeekflushedmightily。

  Itwasfourmonthslater,andaturbulentnight。Theearlyrains,drivenbyastrongsouthwesteragainsttheupperwindowsoftheMagnoliaRestaurant,sometimesblurredtheradianceofthebrightlightswithin,andtheroaroftheencompassingpinesattimesdrownedthesoundsofsongandlaughterthatrosefromaprivatesupperroom。EventheclatteringarrivalanddepartureoftheSacramentostagecoach,whichdisturbedthedepthsbelow,didnotaffecttheseupperrevelers。ForColonelStarbottle,JackHamlin,JudgeBeeswinger,andJoWynyard,assistedbyMesdamesMontague,Montmorency,Bellefield,and“Tinky“Clifford,ofthe“WesternStarCombinationTroupe,“thenperforming“ontour,“wereholding“highjinks“inthesupperroom。Thecolonelhadbeenoflatemoody,irritable,andeasilyupset。Inthewordsofafriendandadmirer,“hewaskamonlyattwelvepaces。“

  InalullinthegeneraltumultaChinesewaiterwasseenatthedoorvainlyendeavoringtoattracttheattentionofthecolonelbysignsandinterjections。Mr。Hamlin’squickeyefirstcaughtsightoftheintruder。“Comein,Confucius,“saidJackpleasantly;

  “you’reatriflelateforaregularturn,butanylittlethinginthewayofknifeswallowing“——

  “Lillmisseetoseeconnle!Waiteewaitee,bottomsidehousee,“

  interruptedtheChinaman,dividinghisspeechbetweenJackandthecolonel。

  “What!ANOTHERlady?Thisisnoplaceforme!“saidJack,risingwithfinelysimulateddecorum。

  “Askherup,“chirped“Tinky“Clifford。

  ButatthismomentthedooropenedagainsttheChinaman,andasmallfigureinacloakandhat,drippingwithraindrops,glidedswiftlyin。Afteramoment’shalf-frightened,half-admiringglanceattheparty,shedartedforwardwithalittlecryandthrewherwetarmsroundthecolonel。Therestofthecompany,arrestedintheirfestivity,gaspedwithvagueandsmilingwonder;thecolonelbecamepurpleandgasped。Butonlyforamoment。Thenextinstanthewasonhislegs,holdingthechildwithonehand,whilewiththeotherhedescribedastatelysweepofthetable。

  “Myward——MissPansyStannard,“hesaidwithhuskybrevity。Butdrawingthechildaside,hewhisperedquickly,“Whathashappened?

  Whyareyouhere?“

  ButPansy,child-like,alreadydivertedbythelights,thetablepiledwithdelicacies,thegaylydressedwomen,andtheairoffestivity,answeredhalfabstractedly,andasmuch,perhaps,tothecuriouseyesaboutherastothecolonel’svoice,——

  “Irunnedaway!“

  “Hush!“whisperedthecolonel,aghast。

  ButPansy,respondingagaintothecompanyratherthanherguardian’scounsel,andasifappealingtothem,wentonhalfpoutingly:“Yes!Irunnedawaybecausetheyteasedme!Becausetheydidn’tlikeyouandsaidhorridthings。Becausetheytoldawful,dreadfullies!BecausetheysaidIwasn’tnoorphan!——thatmynamewasn’tStannard,andthatyou’dmadeitallup。BecausetheysaidIwasaliar——andYOUWASMYFATHER!“

  Asuddenoutbreakoflaughterhereshooktheroom,andevendrownedthestormoutside;againandagainitrose,asthecolonelstaggeredgaspinglytohisfeet。Foraninstantitseemedasifhisstrugglestorestrainhimselfwouldendinanapoplecticfit。

  PerhapsitwasforthisreasonthatJackHamlincheckedhisownlightlaughandbecamealertandgrave。YetthenextmomentColonelStarbottlewentassuddenlydeadwhite,asleaningoverthetablehesaidhuskily,butdeliberately,“Imustrequesttheladiespresenttowithdraw。“

  “Don’tmindUS,Colonel,“saidJudgeBeeswinger,“it’sallinthefamilyhere,youknow!AndnowIlookatthegirl——hangitall!

  sheDOESfavoryou,oldman。Ha!ha!“

  “Andasfortheladies,“saidWynyardwithaweak,vinouslaugh,“unlessanyof’emisinclinedtotakethematterasPERSONAL——eh?“

  “Stop!“roaredthecolonel。

  Therewasnomistakinghisvoicenorhisintentnow。Thetwomen,insultedandinstantlysobered,weresilent。Mr。Hamlinrose,playfullybutdeterminedlytappedhisfaircompanionsontheshoulders,saying,“Runawayandplay,girls,“actuallybundledthem,gigglingandprotesting,fromtheroom,closedthedoor,andstoodwithhisbackagainstit。Thenitwasseenthatthecolonel,stillverywhite,washoldingthechildbythehand,assheshrankbackwonderinglyandalittlefrightenedagainsthim。

  “IthankYOU,Mr。Hamlin,“saidthecolonelinalowervoice——yetwithaslighttouchofhishabitualstatelinessinit,“forbeingheretobearwitness,inthepresenceofthischild,tomyunqualifiedstatementthatamorefoul,vile,andiniquitousfalsehoodneverwasutteredthanthatwhichhasbeenpouredintoherinnocentears!“Hepaused,walkedtothedoor,stillholdingherhand,and,asMr。Hamlinsteppedaside,openedit,toldhertoawaithiminthepublicparlor,closedthedooragain,andoncemorefacedthetwomen。“And,“hecontinuedmoredeliberately,“fortheinfamousjeststhatyou,JudgeBeeswinger,andyou,Mr。

  Wynyard,havedaredtopassinherpresenceandmine,Ishallexpectfromeachofyouthefullestsatisfaction——personalsatisfaction。Mysecondswillwaitonyouinthemorning!“

  Thetwomenstoodupsobered——yetbelligerent。

  “Asyoulike,sir,“saidBeeswinger,flashing。

  “Thesoonerthebetterforme,“addedWynyardcurtly。

  TheypassedtheunruffledJackHamlinwithasmileandavaguelysignificantair,asifcallinghimasawitnesstothecolonel’smadness,andstrodeoutoftheroom。

  Asthedoorclosedbehindthem,Mr。Hamlinlightlysettledhiswhitewaistcoat,and,withhishandsonhiships,loungedtowardsthecolonel。“AndTHEN?“hesaidquietly。

  “Eh?“saidthecolonel。

  “Afteryou’veshotoneorbothofthesemen,oroneof’emhasknockedyouout,what’stobecomeofthatchild?“

  “If——Iam——er——spared,sir,“saidthecolonelhuskily,“Ishallcontinuetodefendher——againstcalumnyandsneers“

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