登陆注册
5200200000014

第14章

"I see," he stammered."But she goes not alone.She will be strange at first.She takes some friend, perhaps--some companion?"he continued, tremulously.

"A very old and dear one, Father Pedro, who is waiting for us now."He led the way to a little white cottage, so little and white and recent, that it seemed a mere fleck of sea foam cast on the sands.

Disposing of Jose and Antonio in the neighboring workshop and outbuildings, he assisted the venerable Sanchicha to dismount, and, together with Father Pedro and Juanita, entered a white palisaded enclosure beside the cottage, and halted before what appeared to be a large, folding trap-door, covering a slight, sandy mound.It was locked with a padlock; beside it stood the American alcalde and Don Juan Briones.Father Pedro looked hastily around for another figure, but it was not there.

"Gentlemen," began Cranch, in his practical business way, "I reckon you all know we've come here to identify a young lady, who"--he hesitated--"was lately under the care of Father Pedro, with a foundling picked up on this shore fifteen years ago by an Indian woman.How this foundling came here, and how I was concerned in it, you all know.I've told everybody here how I scrambled ashore, leaving that baby in the dingy, supposing it would be picked up by the boat pursuing me.I've told some of you," he looked at Father Pedro, "how I first discovered, from one of the men, three years ago, that the child was not found by its father.But I have never told any one, before now, I KNEW it was picked up here.

"I never could tell the exact locality where I came ashore, for the fog was coming on as it is now.But two years ago I came up with a party of gold hunters to work these sands.One day, digging near this creek, I struck something embedded deep below the surface.

Well, gentlemen, it wasn't gold, but something worth more to me than gold or silver.Here it is."At a sign the alcalde unlocked the doors and threw them open.They disclosed an irregular trench, in which, filled with sand, lay the half-excavated stern of a boat.

"It was the dingy of the Trinidad, gentlemen; you can still read her name.I found hidden away, tucked under the stern sheets, mouldy and water-worn, some clothes that I recognized to be the baby's.I knew then that the child had been taken away alive for some purpose, and the clothes were left so that she should carry no trace with her.I recognized the hand of an Indian.I set to work quietly.I found Sanchicha here, she confessed to finding a baby, but what she had done with it she would not at first say.But since then she has declared before the alcalde that she gave it to Father Pedro, of San Carmel, and that here it stands--Francisco that was! Francisca that it is!"He stepped aside to make way for a tall girl, who had approached from the cottage.

Father Pedro had neither noticed the concluding words nor the movement of Cranch.His eyes were fixed upon the imbecile Sanchicha,--Sanchicha, on whom, to render his rebuke more complete, the Deity seemed to have worked a miracle, and restored intelligence to eye and lip.He passed his hand tremblingly across his forehead, and turned away, when his eye fell upon the last comer.

It was she.The moment he had longed for and dreaded had come.

She stood there, animated, handsome, filled with a hurtful consciousness in her new charms, her fresh finery, and the pitiable trinkets that had supplanted her scapulary, and which played under her foolish fingers.The past had no place in her preoccupied mind; her bright eyes were full of eager anticipation of a substantial future.The incarnation of a frivolous world, even as she extended one hand to him in half-coquettish embarrassment she arranged the folds of her dress with the other.At the touch of her fingers, he felt himself growing old and cold.Even the penance of parting, which he had looked forward to, was denied him;there was no longer sympathy enough for sorrow.He thought of the empty chorister's robe in the little cell, but not now with regret.

He only trembled to think of the flesh that he had once caused to inhabit it.

"That's all, gentlemen," broke in the practical voice of Cranch.

"Whether there are proofs enough to make Francisca the heiress of her father's wealth, the lawyers must say.I reckon it's enough for me that they give me the chance of repairing a wrong by taking her father's place.After all, it was a mere chance.""It was the will of God," said Father Pedro, solemnly.

They were the last words he addressed them.For when the fog had begun to creep inshore, hastening their departure, he only answered their farewells by a silent pressure of the hand, mute lips, and far-off eyes.

When the sound of their laboring oars grew fainter, he told Antonio to lead him and Sanchicha again to the buried boat.There he bade her kneel beside him."We will do penance here, thou and I, daughter," he said gravely.When the fog had drawn its curtain gently around the strange pair, and sea and shore were blotted out, he whispered, "Tell me, it was even so, was it not, daughter, on the night she came?" When the distant clatter of blocks and rattle of cordage came from the unseen vessel, now standing out to sea, he whispered again, "So, this is what thou didst hear, even then."And so during the night he marked, more or less audibly to the half-conscious woman at his side, the low whisper of the waves, the murmur of the far-off breakers, the lightening and thickening of the fog, the phantoms of moving shapes, and the slow coming of the dawn.And when the morning sun had rent the veil over land and sea, Antonio and Jose found him, haggard, but erect, beside the trembling old woman, with a blessing on his lips, pointing to the horizon where a single sail still glimmered:--"Va Usted con Dios."

同类推荐
  • 佛说六字神咒王经

    佛说六字神咒王经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 四分僧戒本

    四分僧戒本

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说善夜经

    佛说善夜经

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 六壬拃河棹

    六壬拃河棹

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 中书相公任兵部侍郎

    中书相公任兵部侍郎

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 亚玄迷途

    亚玄迷途

    为了寻找十年前失踪的母亲。宫羽芊穿越到了异度空间——亚玄界,在这个术法、古武和科技并存的神秘世界里,末世的阴影一步步逼近,而好似救世主一般的师傅,却有着不为人知的秘密,她能够揭开层层迷雾,得偿所愿,挽救亲人与挚爱的残酷命运吗?巾帼群像(不仅仅是女主,就是其他女性角色也都十分的独立。)女主无CP。
  • 继子总裁

    继子总裁

    人生最悲惨的一件事情是什么?那就是一夜风流之后被人捉奸在床,而且捉奸的那个人就是将要和她步入婚姻殿堂的新郎;人生最悲惨的且让她有死的冲动是什么?那就是和她滚了一夜的男人居然是要和她结婚的男人的儿子——她的继子…面对勾引继母的罪名,男人张狂地说:我帮老头试试好不好用。Mygod,杀人不犯法的话,她一定会让他死去活来成千上万次的。既然是他认为的拜金女,那她就好好拜金一次让他悔不当初…但这个该死的男人狂妄得很,居然一次又一次勾引她这个还是青春美少女的继母…一次又一次地给她羞辱和难堪…若不是为了那块宝石,说什么她都不干了…看到这个男人欠扁的脸孔她一次又一次发誓,有朝一日她苏沫雪咸鱼翻身,一定会让这个该死的男人死的既悲惨又难看,让阎王都不敢收留他…片段一:男人不动声色地看着坐在他对面脸色惨白的小女人,邪魅地勾起薄唇,淡淡地开口:“你能确定你肚子里的孽子不是尔瑞或是尔其的?”“安尔凡……”苏沫雪咬唇,将惨白的唇咬出血珠出来,眼中闪着委屈的泪花,“我只有和你在一起过的,你明明知道……”“我什么都不知道。”安尔凡打断苏沫雪的话,从高级的皮夹里拿出一张白金卡扔给苏沫雪,面无表情地说道:“这里有五十万块钱,足够你打掉孩子了。”“什么?”苏沫雪震惊地望着安尔凡。他居然叫她打掉孩子,这个孩子流的血可是他的啊……片段二:病床上躺着脸色惨白的苏沫雪,整个人如植物人一般,一动不动,而床旁边的男人却暴怒地低吼着:“苏沫雪,你这个该死的女人,我不准你死,你敢不听我的话?我叫你醒来,听到了没有?快点醒来,否则我一定会让你死无葬身之地的,你听到了没,苏沫雪。”男人虽然低吼着,可眼中却闪着三十年来第一次出现的泪花。这个小女人居然敢不听他的话,就这样离开他了。该死的,他就是死也不会放过她的…….【潼言潼语】小潼的书友群:60686560(已满)潼窝:86104110(未满)欢迎亲们加入,小潼定会为大家竭力奉献精彩内容~~【推荐区】推荐小潼自己的作品:——《晚情》——《一朝为妃》——《夫人未成年》——《苏小小之妃错》——《流水落花情也去》——《我的相公是龙太子》【半价书区】:——《做我皇妃》(2.48元)——《脑残王妃》(1.81元)【友情链接】:——任逍遥《溺情》——烂番茄《医狂》——瑜玥《皇帝弃了种》
  • 追婚锁爱:蜜宠小甜妻

    追婚锁爱:蜜宠小甜妻

    为了弟弟的医药费,慕晚栀被迫嫁人。新婚夜,慕晚栀傻眼,这才知道,她的新婚丈夫竟然是个帅到炸裂的超级大帅哥。
  • 微凉未见

    微凉未见

    (本文已完结)讲的是女主和她朋友之间的故事
  • 仙旅之精灵传说

    仙旅之精灵传说

    身负异能的李夏要是一直待在现代,也是可以横着走的,可借她十个胆也不敢,只能将异能藏起来。穿越到古代之后,是不是不用畏首畏尾缩头缩脑了?
  • 一错成婚之首席不好惹

    一错成婚之首席不好惹

    四年前,年氏少爷钻石王老王年景同在美国时,在参加过一个化装舞意外发生了一夜q,但是他始终不知道那个女人是谁,更加不知道她长的什么样子,最可气的是,那女人居然用钱来侮辱他,在临走的时候桌面上居然放了一沓钱,难道那女人是把他当做牛郎了吗?年景同想撕碎那个女人的心都有了,但是心里同时也多了一种异样的感觉,始终对那个女人念念不忘,更加念念不忘那个夜晚的感觉,四年后的化装舞会,年景同又看到了那个吸血鬼面具,她们,是同一个人吗?
  • 如实论

    如实论

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 名侦探柯南之羽田橙真

    名侦探柯南之羽田橙真

    嗯……诡异又俗套的穿越呢。难道是上天听到了我的心声,日夜期盼,终于跨过次元壁,来到你的身边。即使案件永不结束,黑衣组织的追杀从不停止,我也很愿意陪伴在你身边,活着,永远守护你,死了,只要你还活着,那便足矣。目前周更,不会弃书,安心收藏。(女主小哀,群号:773799818)
  • 假发

    假发

    远躲在花园凉亭下一根水泥柱子后边,看见五楼东头那扇窗口漏出一团昏蒙光亮,心里悬着的石头怦然落地——阿弥陀佛,房间的主人在家!皮志远不是唯心论者,但他办每件事情时都有一种习惯性的心理期待,那就是顺利,别出岔。他掏出手机,摁出一连串阿拉伯数字——这串阿拉伯数字的后面是他今晚求见的人。务必先打电话联系。这是政工室主任习让才叮嘱给他的注意事项之一。此前,局里已有传闻,说是前任掌勺的大师傅凌晨五点钟到三楼食堂开灶火,发现本局某美女从五楼东头那间房子里飘逸而出,下楼时正好碰上大师傅,神色颇有慌乱。
  • 春如旧桃花落

    春如旧桃花落

    白芷是一种药材,性温,微苦;陆芷是一个中二少年,性萌,嘴甜;栀子花的话语是坚强、永恒的爱;冷夏是一个外冷内热的少女。二人年少初相识,少女把少年当作至亲,不曾料想,转身他已不在。兜兜转转,他再次出现,少女能否放下心结?桃花落,闲池阁,山盟虽在,锦书难托。