登陆注册
5455500000046

第46章

This disclosed her five long brown cable-like curls that hung down her shoulders, reaching below her waist in some forgotten fashion of girlhood. They were Cissy's peculiar adornment, remarkable for their length, thickness, and the extraordinary youthfulness imparted to a figure otherwise precociously matured. In some wavering doubt of her actual years and privileges, Brother Seabright offered to carry her cloak for her, but she declined it with a rustic and youthful pertinacity that seemed to settle the question. In fact, Cissy was as much embarrassed as she was flattered by the company of this distinguished stranger. However, it would be known to all West Woodland that he had walked home with her, while nobody but herself would know that they had scarcely exchanged a word. She noticed how he lounged on with a heavy, rolling gait, sometimes a little before or behind her as the path narrowed. At such times when they accidentally came in contact in passing, she felt a half uneasy, physical consciousness of him, which she referred to his size, the scars on his face, or some latent hardness of expression, but was relieved to see that he had not observed it. Yet this was the man that made grown women cry;she thought of old Mrs. Jackson fervently grasping the plodding ankles before her, and a hysteric desire to laugh, with the fear that he might see it on her face, overcame her. Then she wondered if he was going to walk all the way home without speaking, yet she knew she would be more embarrassed if he began to talk to her.

Suddenly he stopped, and she bumped up against him.

"Oh, excuse me!" she stammered hurriedly.

"Eh?" He evidently had not noticed the collision. "Did you speak?""No!--that is--it wasn't anything," returned the girl, coloring.

But he had quite forgotten her, and was looking intently before him. They had come to a break in the fringe of woodland, and upon a sudden view of the ocean. At this point the low line of coast-range which sheltered the valley of West Woodlands was abruptly cloven by a gorge that crumbled and fell away seaward to the shore of Horse Shoe Bay. On its northern trend stretched the settlement of Horse Shoe to the promontory of Whale Mouth Point, with its outlying reef of rocks curved inwards like the vast submerged jaw of some marine monster, through whose blunt, tooth-like projections the ship-long swell of the Pacific streamed and fell. On the southern shore the light yellow sands of Punta de las Concepcion glittered like sunshine all the way to the olive-gardens and white domes of the Mission. The two shores seemed to typify the two different climates and civilizations separated by the bay.

The heavy, woodland atmosphere was quickened by the salt breath of the sea. The stranger inhaled it meditatively.

"That's the reef where the Tamalpais struck," he said, "and more'n fifty miles out of her course--yes, more'n fifty miles from where she should have bin! It don't look nat'ral. No--it--don't--look--nat'ral!"

As he seemed to be speaking to himself, the young girl, who had been gazing with far greater interest at the foreign-looking southern shore, felt confused and did not reply. Then, as if recalling her presence, Brother Seabright turned to her and said:--"Yes, young lady; and when you hear the old bell of the Tamalpais, and think of how it came here, you may rejoice in the goodness of the Lord that made even those who strayed from the straight course and the true reckoning the means of testifying onto Him."But the young are quicker to detect attitudes and affectation than we are apt to imagine; and Cissy could distinguish a certain other straying in this afterthought or moral of the preacher called up by her presence, and knew that it was not the real interest which the view had evoked. She had heard that he had been a sailor, and, with the tact of her sex, answered with what she thought would entertain him:--"I was a little girl when it happened, and I heard that some sailors got ashore down there, and climbed up this gully from the rocks below. And they camped that night--for there were no houses at West Woodlands then--just in the woods where our chapel now stands. It was funny, wasn't it?--I mean," she corrected herself bashfully, "it was strange they chanced to come just there?"But she had evidently hit the point of interest.

"What became of them?" he said quickly. "They never came to Horse Shoe Settlement, where the others landed from the wreck. I never heard of that boat's crew or of ANY landing HERE.""No. They kept on over the range south to the Mission. I reckon they didn't know there was a way down on this side to Horse Shoe,"returned Cissy.

Brother Seabright moved on and continued his slow, plodding march.

But he kept a little nearer Cissy, and she was conscious that he occasionally looked at her. Presently he said:--"You have a heavenly gift, Miss Appleby."Cissy flushed, and her hand involuntarily went to one of her long, distinguishing curls. It might be THAT. The preacher continued:--"Yes; a voice like yours is a heavenly gift. And you have properly devoted it to His service. Have you been singing long?""About two years. But I've got to study a heap yet.""The little birds don't think it necessary to study to praise Him,"said the preacher sententiously.

It occurred to Cissy that this was very unfair argument. She said quickly:--"But the little birds don't have to follow words in the hymn-books.

You don't give out lines to larks and bobolinks," and blushed.

The preacher smiled. It was a very engaging smile, Cissy thought, that lightened his hard mouth. It enabled her to take heart of grace, and presently to chatter like the very birds she had disparaged. Oh yes; she knew she had to learn a great deal more.

同类推荐
  • 大虚空藏菩萨念诵法

    大虚空藏菩萨念诵法

    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。
  • 明伦汇编皇极典僭号部

    明伦汇编皇极典僭号部

    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。
  • OXFORD

    OXFORD

    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。
  • 天皇至道太清玉册

    天皇至道太清玉册

    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。
  • 葛仙翁肘后方备急方

    葛仙翁肘后方备急方

    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
  • 世宦

    世宦

    徐元做梦都想当一回反派,可偏偏遇上了前妻。独一无二的金手指,莫名成了阮妙菱的。 反派大旗摇摇欲坠,阮妙菱搅和的。 还好,这一次放飞理想的自己不是她的!(笑) ps:这是一对有志夫妇重聚首,让你只知过程,猜不到结尾的故事。
  • 佛说文陀竭王经

    佛说文陀竭王经

    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。
  • 中小学生安全知识与防护技能:游戏篇

    中小学生安全知识与防护技能:游戏篇

    本书从游乐场安全知识与防护技能、校内活动安全知识与防护技能、户外运动安全知识与防护技能、出游安全与节庆游戏、游戏禁忌及游戏事故等方面进行了详细的介绍,以使学生从游戏中防止意外事故的发生和自身安全的注意。
  • 诸师真诰

    诸师真诰

    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。
  • A Rebellious Heroine

    A Rebellious Heroine

    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。
  • 不过是向死而生

    不过是向死而生

    古往今来,人类无数次追问自己,我们为什么活着?这个问题既简单又复杂。有的人碌碌一生,尚未思考就已经成为人间的匆匆过客;有的人皓首穷经,苦思冥想,终其一生也未能参透其中的玄机。关于生死,不同的人有着不同的理解:叔本华说“为了解人生有多么短暂,一个人必须走过漫长的生活道路”;臧克家说“有的人活着,他已经死了;有的人死了,他还活着”;村上春树说“死并非生的对立面,而是作为生的一部分永存”……只有真正了解了隐藏在现实表象下的真实,你才能准确地、深刻地对人生进行一次思考。生活,不仅仅是生下来、活下去,更重要的是对生命价值与人生意义的追寻和探索。
  • 最强升级

    最强升级

    一名少年没有武魂没有天赋,不料打架竟然能升级,从此一飞冲天战神系统,战斗升级,杀敌升级,不修炼,不吃丹,不吸收灵气,最强升级非我莫属天元大陆,强者为尊弱者受欺,少年誓要超越一切强者!睥睨亿万世界。..............
  • 终极武器

    终极武器

    在英国乃至全世界人民的心中,邦德已经英勇牺牲,他在日本执行任务时光荣献身。尽管无数人不愿意相信,但是邦德确实已经消失一年多。然而,在邦德失联一年后,死而复生了。可是他却成为英国情报局的敌人,被派来杀害M局长。暗杀未遂后,邦德被送去医院疗伤,且再次被委以重任,除掉苏联的头号杀手,被称为金枪手的史科拉,以此弥补之前的过失。邦德面对如此强大的对手,必定经历不少波折。两位强将交锋必有一死,究竟谁能生存……
  • 神器阁之九大神灵

    神器阁之九大神灵

    九大神器,既将全部来袭一段都市历史穿越小说来袭。
  • 修真世界的动漫旗舰店

    修真世界的动漫旗舰店

    《无敌是从超神学院开始》新书已发......来到修真世界开局只有一个华为,装备全靠抢红包!开一家修真界最强黑店,没有一个仙门掌门敢bb!群号码:276730869