the crusade of the excelsior-第16章

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divorce　together；　as　they　had　arranged　their　marriage；　by　equal

concessions。



〃I　was　the　only　son　of　a　widowed　mother；　whose　instincts　were　from

the　first　opposed　to　my　friendship　with　this　woman；　and　what　she

prophetically　felt　would　be　its　result。　　Unfortunately；　both　she

and　my　friends　were　foolish　enough　to　avow　their　belief　that　the

divorce　was　obtained　solely　with　a　view　of　securing　me　as　a

successor；　and　it　was　this　argument　more　than　any　other　that

convinced　me　of　my　duty　to　protect　her。　　Enough；　I　married；　not

only　in　spite　of　all　oppositionbut　BECAUSE　of　it。



〃My　mother　would　have　reconciled　herself　to　the　marriage；　but　my

wife　never　forgave　the　opposition；　and；　by　some　hellish　instinct

divining　that　her　power　over　me　might　be　weakened　by　maternal

influence；　precipitated　a　quarrel　which　forever　separated　us。　　With

the　little　capital　left　by　my　father；　divided　between　my　mother　and

myself；　I　took　my　wife　to　a　western　city。　　Our　small　income

speedily　dwindled　under　the　debts　of　her　former　husband；　which　she

had　assumed　to　purchase　her　freedom。　　I　endeavored　to　utilize　a

good　education　and　some　accomplishments　in　music　and　the　languages

by　giving　lessons　and　by　contributing　to　the　press。　　In　this　my

wife　first　made　a　show　of　assisting　me；　but　I　was　not　long　in

discovering　that　her　intelligence　was　superficial　and　shallow；　and

that　the　audacity　of　expression；　which　I　had　believed　to　be

originality　of　conviction；　was　simply　shamelessness；　and　a　desire

for　notoriety。　　She　had　a　facility　in　writing　sentimental　poetry；

which　had　been　efficacious　in　her　matrimonial　confidences；　but

which　editors　of　magazines　and　newspapers　found　to　be　shallow　and

insincere。　　To　my　astonishment；　she　remained　unaffected　by　this；　as

she　was　equally　impervious　to　the　slights　and　sneers　that

continually　met　us　in　society。　　At　last　the　inability　to　pay　one　of

her　former　husband's　claims　brought　to　me　a　threat　and　an　anonymous

letter。　　I　laid　them　before　her；　when　a　scene　ensued　which　revealed

the　blindness　of　my　folly　in　all　its　hideous　hopelessness：　she

accused　me　of　complicity　in　her　divorce；　and　deception　in　regard　to

my　own　fortune。　　In　a　speech；　whose　language　was　a　horrible

revelation　of　her　early　habits；　she　offered　to　arrange　a　divorce

from　me　as　she　had　from　her　former　husband。　　She　gave　as　a　reason

her　preference　for　another；　and　her　belief　that　the　scandal　of　a

suit　would　lend　her　a　certain　advertisement　and　prestige。　　It　was　a

combination　of　Messalina　and　Mrs。　Jarley〃



〃Pardon！　　I　remember　not　a　Madame　Jarley；〃　said　the　priest。



〃Of　viciousness　and　commercial　calculation；〃　continued　Hurlstone

hurriedly。　　〃I　don't　remember　what　happened；　she　swore　that　I

struck　her！　　PerhapsGod　knows！　　But　she　failed；　even　before　a

western　jury；　to　convict　me　of　cruelty。　　The　judge　that　thought　me

half　insane　would　not　believe　me　brutal；　and　her　application　for

divorce　was　lost。



〃I　need　not　tell　you　that　the　same　friends　who　had　opposed　my

marriage　now　came　forward　to　implore　me　to　allow　her　to　break　our

chains。　　I　refused。　　I　swear　to　you　it　was　from　no　lingering　love

for　her；　for　her　presence　drove　me　mad；　it　was　from　no　instinct　of

revenge　or　jealousy；　for　I　should　have　welcomed　the　man　who　would

have　taken　her　out　of　my　life　and　memory。　　But　I　could　not　bear　the

idea　of　taking　her　first　husband's　place　in　her　hideous　comedy；　I

could　not　purchase　my　freedom　at　that　priceat　any　price。　　I　was

told　that　I　could　get　a　divorce　against　HER；　and　stand　forth　before

the　world　untrammeled　and　unstained。　　But　I　could　not　stand　before

MYSELF　in　such　an　attitude。　　I　knew　that　the　shackles　I　had

deliberately　forged　could　not　be　loosened　except　by　death。　　I　knew

that　the　stains　of　her　would　cling　to　me　and　become　a　part　of　my

own　sin；　even　as　the　sea　I　plunged　into　yesterday　to　escape　her；

though　it　has　dried　upon　me；　has　left　its　bitter　salt　behind。



〃When　she　knew　my　resolve；　she　took　her　revenge　by　dragging　my　name

through　the　successive　levels　to　which　she　descended。　　Under　the

plea　that　the　hardly…earned　sum　I　gave　to　her　maintenance　apart

from　me　was　not　sufficient；　she　utilized　her　undoubted　beauty　and

more　doubtful　talent　in　amateur　entertainmentsand；　finally；　on

the　stage。　　She　was　openly　accompanied　by　her　lover；　who　acted　as

her　agent；　in　the　hope　of　goading　me　to　a　divorce。　　Suddenly　she

disappeared。　　I　thought　she　had　forgotten　me。　　I　obtained　an

honorable　position　in　New　York。　　One　night　I　entered　a　theater

devoted　to　burlesque　opera　and　the　exhibition　of　a　popular　actress；

known　as　the　Western　Thalia；　whose　beautiful　and　audaciously　draped

figure　was　the　talk　of　the　town。　　I　recognized　my　wife　in　this　star

of　nudity；　more　than　that；　she　recognized　me。　　The　next　day；　in

addition　to　the　usual　notice；　the　real　name　of　the　actress　was

given　in　the　morning　papers；　with　a　sympathizing　account　of　her

romantic　and　unfortunate　marriage。　　I　renounced　my　position；　and；

taking　advantage　of　an　offer　from　an　old　friend　in　California；

resolved　to　join　him　secretly　there。　　My　mother　had　died　broken…

hearted；　I　was　alone　in　the　world。　　But　my　wife　discovered　my

intention；　and　when　I　reached　Callao；　I　heard　that　she　had　followed

me；　by　way　of　the　Isthmus　of　Panama；　and　that　probably　she　would

anticipate　me　in　Mazatlan；　where　we　were　to　stop。　　The　thought　of

suicide　haunted　me　during　the　rest　of　that　horrible　voyage；　only　my

belief　that　she　would　make　it　appear　as　a　tacit　confession　of　my

guilt　saved　me　from　that　last　act　of　weakness。〃



He　stopped　and　shuddered。　　Padre　Esteban　again　laid　his　hand　softly

upon　him。



〃It　was　God　who　spared　you　that　sacrifice　of　soul　and　body；〃　he

said　gently。



〃I　thought　it　was　God　that　suggested　to　me　to　take　the　SIMULATION

of　that　act　the　means　of　separating　myself　from　her　forever。　　When

we　neared　Mazatlan；　I　conceived　the　idea　of　hiding　myself　in　the

hold　of　the　Excelsior　until　she　had　left　that　port；　in　the　hope

that　it　would　be　believed　that　I　had　fallen　overboard。　　I　succeeded

in　secreting　myself；　but　was　discovered　at　the　same　time　that　the

unexpected　change　in　the　ship's　destination　rendered　concealment

unnecessary。　　As　we　did　not　put　in　at　Mazatlan；　nobody　suspected　my

discovery　in　the　hold　to　be　anything　but　the　accident　that　I　gave

it　out　to　be。　　I　felt　myself　saved　the　confrontation　of　the　woman

at　Mazatlan；　but　I　knew　she　would　pursue　me　to　San　Francisco。



〃The　strange　dispensation　of　Providence　that　brought　us　into　this

unknown　port　gave　me　another　hope　of　escape　and　oblivion。　　While

you　and　the　Commander　were　boarding　the　Excelsior；　I　slipped　from

the　cabin…window　into　the　water；　I　was　a　good　swimmer；　and　reached

the　shore　in　safety。　　I　concealed　myself　in　the　ditch　of　the

Presidio　until　I　saw　the　passengers'　boats　returning　with　them；

when　I　sought　the　safer　shelter　of　this　Mission。　　I　made　my　way

through　a　gap　in　the　hedge　and　lay　under　your　olive…trees；　hearing

the　voices　of　my　companions；　beyond　the　walls；　till　past　midnight。

I　then　groped　my　way　along　the　avenue　of　pear…trees　till　I　came　to

another　wall；　and　a　door　that　opened　to　my　accidental　touch。　　I

entered；　and　found　myself　here。　　You　know　the　rest。〃



He　had　spoken　with　the　rapid　and　unpent　fluency　of　a　man　who　cared

more　to　relieve　himself　of　an　oppressive　burden　than　to　impress　his

auditor；　yet　the　restriction　of　a　foreign　tongue　had　checked

repetition　or　verbosity。　　Without　imagination　he　had　been　eloquent；

without　hopefulness　he　had　been　convincing。　　Father　Esteban　rose；

holding　both　his　hands。



〃My　son；　in　the　sanctuary　which　you　have　claimed　there　is　no

divorce。　　The　woman　who　has　ruined　your　life　could　not　be　your

wife。　　As　long　as　her　first　husband　lives；　she　is　forever　his　wife；

bound　by　a　tie　which　no　human　law　can　sever！〃





CHAPTER　IX。



AN　OPEN…AIR　PRISON。





An　hour　after　mass　Father　Esteban　had　quietly　installed　Hurlstone

in　a　small　cell…like　apartment　off　the　refectory。　　The　household　of

the　priest　consisted　of　an　old　Indian　woman　of　fabulous　age　and

miraculous　propriety；　two　Indian　boys　who　served　at　mass；　a

gardener；　and　a　muleteer。　　The　first　three；　who　were　immediately　in

attendance　upon　the　priest；　were　cognizant　of　a　stranger's

presence；　but；　under　instructions　from　the　reverend　Padre；　were

loyally　and　superstitiously　silent；　the　vocations　of　the　gardener

and　muleteer　made　any　intrusion　from　them　impossible。　　A　breakfast

of　fruit；　tortillas；　chocolate；　and　red　wine；　of　which　Hurlstone

partook　sparingly　and　only　to　please　his　entertainer；　nevertheless

seemed　to　restore　his　strength；　as　it　did　the　Padre's　equanimity。

For　the　old　man　had　been　somewhat　agitated　during　mass；　and；　except

that　his　early　morning　congregation　was　mainly　composed　of　Indians；

muleteers；　and　small　venders；　his　abstraction　would　have　been

noticed。　　With　ready　tact　he　had　not　attempted；　by　further

questioning；　to　break　the　taciturnity　into　which　Hurlstone　had

relapsed　after　his　emotional　confession　and　the　priest's　abrupt

half…absolution。　　Was　it　possible　he　regretted　his　confidence；　or

was　it　possible　that　his　first　free　and　untrammeled　expression　of

his　wrongs　had　left　him　with　a　haunting　doubt　of　their　real

magnitude？



〃Lie　down　here；　my　son；〃　said　the　old　ecclesiastic；　pointing　to　a

small　pallet　in　the　corner；　〃and　try　to　restore　in　the　morning　what

you　have　taken　from　the　night。　　Manuela　will　bring　your　clothes

when　they　are　dried　and　mended；　meantime；　shift　for　yourself　in

Pepito's　serape　and　calzas。　　I　will　betake　me　to　the　Comandante　and

the　Alcalde；　to　learn　the　dispositions　of　your　party；　when　the　ship

will　sail；　and　if　your　absence　is　suspected。　　Peace　be　with　you；

son！　　Manuela；　attend　to　the　caballero；　and　see　you　chatter　not。〃



Without　doubting　the　substantial　truth　of　his　guest's　story；　the

good　Padre　Esteban　was　not　unwilling　to　have　it　corroborated　by

such　details　as　he　thought　he　could　collect　among　the　Excelsior's

passengers。　　His　own　experience　in　the　confessional　had　taught　him

the　unreliability　of　human　evidence；　and　the　vagaries　of　both

conscientious　and　unconscious　suppression。　　That　a　young；　good…

looking；　and　accomplished　caballero　should　have　been　the　victim　of

not　one；　but　even　many；　erotic　episodes；　did　not　strike　the　holy

father　as　being　peculiar；　but　that　he　should　have　been　brought　by　a

solitary　unfortunate　attachment　to　despair　and　renunciation　of　the

world　appeared　to　him　marvelous。　　He　was　not　unfamiliar　with　the

remorse　of　certain　gallants　for　peccadillos　with　other　men's　wives；

but　this　Americano's　self…abasement　for　the　sins　of　his　own　wife

as　he　foolishly　claimed　her　to　bewhom　he　hated　and　despised；

struck　Father　Esteban　as　a　miracle　open　to　suspicion。　　Was　there

anything　else　in　these　somewhat　commonplace　details　of　vulgar　and

low　intrigue　than　what　he　had　told　the　priest？　　Were　all　these