登陆注册
5200200000005

第5章

The hacienda of Don Juan Briones, nestling in a wooded cleft of the foot-hills, was hidden, as Father Pedro had wisely reflected, from the straying feet of travelers along the dusty highway to San Jose.

As Francisco, emerging from the canada, put spurs to his mule at the sight of the whitewashed walls, Antonio grunted.

"Oh aye, little priest! thou wast tired enough a moment ago, and though we are not three leagues from the Blessed Fisherman, thou couldst scarce sit thy saddle longer.Mother of God! and all to see that little mongrel, Juanita.""But, good Antonio, Juanita was my play-fellow, and I may not soon again chance this way.And Juanita is not a mongrel, no more than I am.""She is a mestiza, and thou art a child of the Church, though this following of gypsy wenches does not show it.""But Father Pedro does not object," urged the boy.

"The reverend father has forgotten he was ever young," replied Antonio, sententiously, "or he wouldn't set fire and tow together.""What sayest thou, good Antonio?" asked Francisco quickly, opening his blue eyes in frank curiosity; "who is fire, and who is tow?"The worthy muleteer, utterly abashed and confounded by this display of the acolyte's direct simplicity, contented himself by shrugging his shoulders, and a vague "Quien sabe?""Come," said the boy, gayly, "confess it is only the aguardiente of the Blessed Fisherman thou missest.Never fear, Juanita will find thee some.And see! here she comes."There was a flash of white flounces along the dark brown corridor, the twinkle of satin slippers, the flying out of long black braids, and with a cry of joy a young girl threw herself upon Francisco as he entered the patio, and nearly dragged him from his mule.

"Have a care, little sister," laughed the acolyte, looking at Antonio, "or there will be a conflagration.Am I the fire?" he continued, submitting to the two sounding kisses the young girl placed upon either cheek, but still keeping his mischievous glance upon the muleteer.

"Quien sabe?" repeated Antonio, gruffly, as the young girl blushed under his significant eyes."It is no affair of mine," he added to himself, as he led Pinto away."Perhaps Father Pedro is right, and this young twig of the Church is as dry and sapless as himself.

Let the mestiza burn if she likes."

"Quick, Pancho," said the young girl, eagerly leading him along the corridor."This way.I must talk with thee before thou seest Don Juan; that is why I ran to intercept thee, and not as that fool Antonio would signify, to shame thee.Wast thou ashamed, my Pancho?"The boy threw his arm familiarly round the supple, stayless little waist, accented only by the belt of the light flounced saya, and said, "But why this haste and feverishness, 'Nita? And now I look at thee, thou hast been crying."They had emerged from a door in the corridor into the bright sunlight of a walled garden.The girl dropped her eyes, cast a quick glance around her, and said,--"Not here, to the arroyo," and half leading, half dragging him, made her way through a copse of manzanita and alder until they heard the faint tinkling of water."Dost thou remember," said the girl, "it was here," pointing to an embayed pool in the dark current, "that I baptized thee, when Father Pedro first brought thee here, when we both played at being monks? They were dear old days, for Father Pedro would trust no one with thee but me, and always kept us near him.""Aye and he said I would be profaned by the touch of any other, and so himself always washed and dressed me, and made my bed near his.""And took thee away again, and I saw thee not till thou camest with Antonio, over a year ago, to the cattle branding.And now, my Pancho, I may never see thee again." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed aloud.

The little acolyte tried to comfort her, but with such abstraction of manner and inadequacy of warmth that she hastily removed his caressing hand.

"But why? What has happened?" he asked eagerly.

The girl's manner had changed.Her eyes flashed, and she put her brown fist on her waist and began to rock from side to side.

"But I'll not go," she said viciously.

"Go where?" asked the boy.

"Oh, where?" she echoed, impatiently."Hear me, Francisco; thou knowest I am, like thee, an orphan; but I have not, like thee, a parent in the Holy Church.For, alas," she added, bitterly, "I am not a boy, and have not a lovely voice borrowed from the angels.Iwas, like thee, a foundling, kept by the charity of the reverend fathers, until Don Juan, a childless widower, adopted me.I was happy, not knowing and caring who were the parents who had abandoned me, happy only in the love of him who became my adopted father.And now--" She paused.

"And now?" echoed Francisco, eagerly.

"And now they say it is discovered who are my parents.""And they live?"

"Mother of God! no," said the girl, with scarcely filial piety.

"There is some one, a thing, a mere Don Fulano, who knows it all, it seems, who is to be my guardian.""But how? tell me all, dear Juanita," said the boy with a feverish interest, that contrasted so strongly with his previous abstraction that Juanita bit her lips with vexation.

"Ah! How? Santa Barbara! an extravaganza for children.Anecklace of lies.I am lost from a ship of which my father--Heaven rest him--is General, and I am picked up among the weeds on the sea-shore, like Moses in the bulrushes.A pretty story, indeed.""Oh, how beautiful!" exclaimed Francisco, enthusiastically."Ah, Juanita, would it had been me.""THEE!" said the girl bitterly,--"thee! No!--it was a girl wanted.

Enough, it was me."

"And when does the guardian come?" persisted the boy, with sparkling eyes.

同类推荐
  • The Acts of the Apostles

    The Acts of the Apostles

    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。
  • 伤寒溯源集

    伤寒溯源集

    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。
  • 至元嘉禾志

    至元嘉禾志

    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。
  • 栖云真人王志谨盘山语录

    栖云真人王志谨盘山语录

    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。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 扁鹊难经

    扁鹊难经

    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。
热门推荐
  • 谁让我心动(好看系列)

    谁让我心动(好看系列)

    叙事艺术的时尚化表达,是王钢作品最受儿童读者欢迎的一个重要的因素。王钢小说呈现了今天儿童生活的时尚性的一面,而且用很新鲜的、具有当下气息的语言准确地表现了校园生活和儿童内心。王钢的时尚化表达,是从两个方面进行的:一是用幽默的场景和夸张而富有情感冲击力的语言来展现形象的特征。二是小说里每一个小角色的性格和语言都是很独立性的,作家给每一个孩子都画下了一幅喜剧化的脸谱。值得注意的是,王钢意识到了儿童生活时尚化的一面,将这种时尚化加以艺术的呈现,给予审美的观照,赋予爱的色彩。
  • 异世狂后之嫡女归来

    异世狂后之嫡女归来

    [高甜文1V1]明明是嫡女的身份受到的待遇却比下人还不如,明明是小姐,却要做着下人该做的事…这,是在欺负她不懂这边的规矩吗?呵呵~不急,姐来教教你们什么叫做规矩,在这里,老娘就是规矩!
  • 王者荣耀之国服无双

    王者荣耀之国服无双

    游戏巨坑莫颜,在一场游戏过后,获得了可以提升游戏实力的系统。国服实力的猴子,solo无敌。提升过后的露娜,carry全场。从此打打直播,参与参与比赛,依靠着王者荣耀走上了人生巅峰。
  • Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera

    Tom Swift and His Wizard Camera

    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。
  • 江湖怪异传

    江湖怪异传

    湖南素多迷信,尤尚巫术,书中所举光绪年间诸案例:贡院中之悬尸、三件巫蛊杀人案等,多与排教、师教、诸天教徒勾结恶人诈骗钱财有关。三件巫蛊杀人案经官方审理结案。贡院中之悬尸一案,官方审理为死者自缢结案。时福尔摩斯侦探小说盛行,长沙城里一班公子哥儿组织的顽意团,便研究起侦探术来,对悬尸一案颇多怀疑,经多方分析、调查,渐露端倪。
  • 何建明报告文学论

    何建明报告文学论

    何建明是中国当代报告文学领军人物。作为一位“国家故事”讲述者,他“四十年只做了一件事,讲述国家故事”。《何建明报告文学论》汇集了何建明40年来的报告文学创作实践与理论思考,共70余万字,是全方面、多角度了解何建明报告文学的必读作品。这部创作专论集分为四个部分:创作谈、访谈、评说论道、作品评论。第一部分“创作谈”是何建明现身说法,谈报告文学的创作,第二部分“访谈”是各大媒体记者对何建明的访谈,第三部分“评说论道”是何建明为其他报告文学作品所作的序和评论,第四部分“作品评论”是关于何建明报告文学的解读和评论.本书既是研究中国当代报告文学的重要史料,也是为中国改革开放40周年献上的一份厚礼。
  • 中华上下五千年(卷一、卷二)

    中华上下五千年(卷一、卷二)

    中华文明源远流长,一脉相承,从茹毛饮血的远古时代,到封建文明极度繁荣的明清时代,在上下五千年的历史进程中,中华民族创造了无数的辉煌与成就,也经历了无数的苦难与挫折,数不清的英雄豪杰、仁人志士在历史的征途上留下了自己的足迹。本书力求在尊重历史的前提下,将严肃的史实改编为数百个生动的小故事,通过波澜壮阔的历史场景、性格鲜明的历史人物来展现中华五千年的文明历程。
  • 狼宠

    狼宠

    初见,他是她在雪地里捡的奴隶,惊才绝艳。离散后重遇,他已是摄政王,而她是在逃女犯。心已深陷,忽而发现他的惊天秘密。一场情殇,江山几易其主。她只想无争过此一世,却偏偏,逢此,大争之世!
  • 绝密文件

    绝密文件

    张铮乘一路公共汽车从前门大街站下车后,看了看手腕子上带着的十九钻上海牌手表,便大步流星地向不远处的全聚德烤鸭店奔去。张铮是北京市公安局刑侦处处长,一米七五左右的个头,理着小平头,留着络腮胡,走起路来虎虎生风,一看就是个习过武练过功的人。因为今天高中同班同学聚会,而且到场的十几个人还都是班里的骨干,有几个同学已经有两三年没见面了,所以张铮一忙完手头的活就匆匆赶来。主动召集这次同学聚会的文艺委员周丽萍在电话里通知张铮时还专门跟他挑明:“你是我邀请的第一个人,你要是有时间咱就定在今天,你要是没时间咱就另择佳日。”张铮回答说:“有时间,你邀请我还能没时间?开国际玩笑。”
  • 鹃音白社

    鹃音白社

    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。