the portygee- 第5部分

The　twinkle　reappeared　in　Captain　Lote's　eyes。

〃I　think　HE　thinks　he's　a　nice　boy；　Mother；〃　he　said。　　〃There；
there；　let's　go　to　bed。〃



CHAPTER　II


The　story　of　the　events　which　led　up　to　the　coming；　on　this
December　night；　of　a　〃half…breed〃　grandson　to　the　Snow　homestead；
was　an　old　story　in　South　Harniss。　　The　date　of　its　beginning　was
as　far　back　as　the　year　1892。

In　the　fall　of　that　year　Captain　Zelotes　Snow　was　in　Savannah。
He　was　in　command　of　the　coasting　schooner　Olive　S。　and　the　said
schooner　was　then　discharging　a　general　cargo；　preparatory　to
loading　with　rice　and　cotton　for　Philadelphia。　　With　the　captain　in
Savannah　was　his　only　daughter；　Jane　Olivia；　age　a　scant　eighteen；
pretty；　charming；　romantic　and　head　over　heels　in　love　with　a
handsome　baritone　then　singing　in　a　popular…priced　grand　opera
company。　　It　was　because　of　this　handsome　baritone；　who；　by　the
way；　was　a　Spaniard　named　Miguel　Carlos　Speranza；　that　Jane　Snow
was　then　aboard　her　father's　vessel。　　Captain　Lote　was　not　in　the
habit　of　taking　his　women…folks　on　his　voyages　with　him。　　〃Skirts
clutter　up　the　deck　too　much；〃　was　his　opinion。

He　had　taken　Jane；　however；　not　only　on　this　voyage；　but　on　that
preceding　it；　which　had　been　to　Rio。　　It　was　Captain　Lote's　belief；
and　his　wife's　hope；　that　a　succession　of　sea　winds　might　blow　away
recollections　of　Senor　Speranza〃fan　the　garlic　out　of　her　head；〃
as　the　captain　inelegantly　expressed　it。　　Jane　had　spent　her
sixteenth　and　seventeenth　years　at　a　school　for　girls　near　Boston。
The　opera　company　of　which　Speranza　was　a　member　was　performing　at
one　of　the　minor　theaters。　　A　party　of　the　school　girls；　duly
chaperoned　and　faculty…guarded；　of　course；　attended　a　series　of
matinees。　　At　these　matinees　Jane　first　saw　her　hero；　brave　in
doublet　and　hose；　and　braver　still　in　melody　and　romance。　　She　and
her　mates　looked　and　listened　and　worshiped　from　afar；　as　is　the
habit　of　maidenly　youth　under　such　circumstances。　　There　is　no
particular　danger　in　such　worship　provided　the　worshiper　remains
always　at　a　safely　remote　distance　from　the　idol。　　But　in　Jane's
case　this　safety…bar　was　removed　by　Fate。　　The　wife　of　a　friend　of
her　father's；　the　friend　being　a　Boston　merchant　named　Cole　with
whom　Captain　Zelotes　had　had　business　dealings　for　many　years；　was
a　music　lover。　　She　was　in　the　habit　of　giving　what　she　was　pleased
to　call　〃musical　teas〃　at　her　home。　　Jane；　to　whom　Mr。　and　Mrs。
Cole　had　taken　a　marked　fancy；　was　often　invited　to　those　teas　and；
because　the　Coles　were　〃among　our　nicest　people；〃　she　was　permitted
by　the　school　authorities　to　attend。

At　one　of　those　teas　Senor　Miguel　Carlos　Speranza　was　the　brightest
star。　　The　Senor；　then　in　his　twenty…ninth　year；　handsome；　talented
and　picturesque；　shone　refulgent。　　Other　and　far　more　experienced
feminine　hearts　than　Jane　Snow's　were　flutteringly　disturbed　by　the
glory　of　his　rays。　　Jane　and　he　met；　they　shook　hands；　they
conversed。　　And　at　subsequent　teas　they　met　again；　for　Speranza；　on
his　part；　was　strongly　attracted　to　the　simple；　unaffected　Cape　Cod
schoolgirl。　　It　was　not　her　beauty　alonethough　beauty　she　had　and
of　an　unusual　typeit　was　something　else；　a　personality　which
attracted　all　who　met　her。　　The　handsome　Spaniard　had　had　many　love
affairs　of　a　more　or　less　perfunctory　kind；　but　here　was　something
different；　something　he　had　not　known。　　He　began　by　exerting　his
powers　of　fascination　in　a　lazy；　careless　way。　　To　his　astonishment
the　said　powers　were　not　overwhelming。　　If　Jane　was　fascinated　she
was　not　conquered。　　She　remained　sweet；　simple；　direct；　charmingly
aloof。

And　Speranza　was　at　first　puzzled；　then　piqued；　then　himself　madly
fascinated。　　He　wrote　fervid　letters；　he　begged　for　interviews；　he
haunted　each　one　of　Mrs。　Cole's　〃teas。〃　　And；　at　last；　he　wrung
from　Jane　a　confession　of　her　love；　her　promise　to　marry　him。　　And
that　very　week　Miss　Donaldson；　the　head　of　the　school；　discovered
and　read　a　package　of　the　Senor's　letters　to　her　pupil。

Captain　Zelotes　happened　to　be　at　home　from　a　voyage。　　Being
summoned　from　South　Harniss；　he　came　to　Boston　and　heard　the　tale
from　Miss　Donaldson's　agitated　lips。　　Jane　was　his　joy；　his　pride；
her　future　was　the　great　hope　and　dream　of　his　life。　　WHEN　she
marriedwhich　was　not　to　be　thought　of　for　an　indefinite　number　of
years　to　comeshe　would　of　course　marry　awell；　not　a　President
of　the　United　States；　perhapsbut　an　admiral　possibly；　or　a
millionaire；　or　the　owner　of　a　fleet　of　steamships；　or　something
like　that。　　The　idea　that　she　should　even　think　of　marrying　a
play…actor　was　unbelievable。　　The　captain　had　never　attended　the
performance　of　an　opera；　what　was　more；　he　never　expected　to　attend
one。　　He　had　been　given　to　understand　that　a　〃parcel　of　play…actin'
men　and　women　hollered　and　screamed　to　music　for　a　couple　of
hours。〃　　Olive；　his　wife；　had　attended　an　opera　once　and；　according
to　her；　it　was　more　like　a　cat　fight　than　anything　else。　　Nobody
but　foreigners　ever　had　anything　to　do　with　operas。　　And　for
foreigners　of　all　kindsbut　the　Latin　variety　of　foreigner　in
particularCaptain　Zelotes　Snow　cherished　a　detest　which　was
almost　fanatic。

And　now　his　daughter；　his　own　Janie；　was　receiving　ardent　love
letters　from　a　play…acting　foreigner；　a　Spaniard；　a　〃Portygee；〃　a
〃macaroni…eater〃！　　When　finally　convinced　that　it　was　true；　that
the　letters　had　really　been　written　to　Jane；　which　took　some　time；
he　demanded　first　of　all　to　be　shown　the　〃Portygee。〃　　Miss
Donaldson　could　not；　of　course；　produce　the　latter　forthwith；　but
she　directed　her　irate　visitor　to　the　theater　where　the　opera
company　was　then　performing。　　To　the　theater　Captain　Zelotes　went。
He　did　not　find　Speranza　there；　but　from　a　frightened　attendant　he
browbeat　the　information　that　the　singer　was　staying　at　a　certain
hotel。　　So　the　captain　went　to　the　hotel。　　It　was　eleven　o'clock　in
the　morning；　Senor　Speranza　was　in　bed　and　could　not　be　disturbed。
Couldn't；　eh？　　By　the　great　and　everlasting　et　cetera　and　continued
he　was　going　to　be　disturbed　then　and　there。　　And　unless　some　of
the　hotel's　〃hired　help〃　set　about　the　disturbing　it　would　be　done
for　them。　　So；　rather　than　summon　the　police；　the　hotel　management
summoned　its　guest；　and　the　first；　and　only；　interview　between　the
father　and　lover　of　Jane　Snow　took　place。

It　was　not　a　long　interview；　but　it　was　spirited。　　Captain　Zelotes
began　by　being　what　he　considered　diplomatic。　　Having　assured　his
wife　before　leaving　home；　and　the　alarmed　Miss　Donaldson
subsequently；　that　there　was　to　be　no　trouble　whatevereverything
would　be　settled　as　smooth　and　easy　as　slidin'　downhill；　〃that
feller　won't　make　any　fuss；　you'll　see〃having　thus　prophesied；
the　captain　felt　it　incumbent　upon　himself　to　see　to　the
fulfillment。　　So　he　began　by　condescendingly　explaining　that　of
course　he　was　kind　of　sorry　for　the　young　man　before　him；　young
folks　were　young　folks　and　of　course　he　presumed　likely　'twas
natural　enough；　and　the　like　of　that；　you　understand。　　But　of
course　also　Mr。　Speranza　must　realize　that　the　thing　could　not　go
on　any　further。　　Jane　was　his　daughter　and　her　people　were　nice
people；　and　naturally；　that　being　the　case；　her　mother　and　he　would
be　pretty　particular　as　to　who　she　kept　company　with；　to　say
nothing　of　marrying；　which　event　was　not　to　be　thought　of　for　ten
years；　anyway。　　Now　he　didn't　want　to　beerpersonal　or　anything
like　that；　and　of　course　he　wouldn't　think　of　saying　that　Mr。
Speranza　wasn't　a　nice　enough　man　forwell；　forfor　。　。　。　　You
see；　everybody　wasn't　as　particular　as　he　and　Mrs。　Snow　were。　　But

Here　Senor　Speranza　interrupted。　　He　politely　desired　to　know　if
the　person　speaking　was　endeavoring　to　convey　the　idea　that　he；
Miguel　Carlos　Speranza；　was　not　of　sufficient　poseetion；　goodness；
standing；　what　it　is？　to　be　considered　as　suitor　for　that　person's
daughter's　hand。　　Did　Meester　Snow　comprehend　to　whom　he　addressed
himself？

The　interview　terminated　not　long　after。　　The　captain's　parting
remark　was　in　the　nature　of　an　ultimatum。　　It　was　to　the　effect
that　if　Speranza；　or　any　other　condemned　undesirable　like　him；
dared　to　so　much　as　look　in　the　direction　of　Jane　Olivia　Snow；　his
daughter；　he　personally　would　see　that　the　return　for　that　look
was　a　charge　of　buckshot。　　Speranza；　white…faced　and　furiously
gesticulative；　commanded　the　astonished　bellboy　to　put　that　〃Bah！
pig…idiot！〃　out　into　the　hall　and　air　the　room　immediately
afterward。

Having；　as　he　considered；　satisfactorily　attended　to　the　presumptuous
lover；　Captain　Zelotes　returned　to　the　school　and　to　what　he
believed　would　be　the　comparatively　easy　task；　the　bringing　of　his
daughter　to　reason。　　Jane　had　always　been　an　obedient　girl；　she　was
devoted　to　her　parents。　　Of　course；　although　she　might　feel　rather
disappointed　at　first；　she　would　soon　get　over　it。　　The　idea　that
she　might　flatly　refuse　to　get　over　it；　that　she　might　have　a　will
of　her　own；　and　a　determination　equal　to　that　of　the　father　from
whom　she　inherited　it；　did　not　occur　to　the　captain　at　all。

But　his　enlightenment　was　prompt　and　complete。　　Jane　did　not　rage
or　become　hysterical；　she　did　not　even　weep　in　his　presence。　　But；
quietly；　with　a　set　of　her　square　little　chin；　she　informed　Captain
Zelotes　that　she　loved　Speranza；　that　she　meant　to　marry　him　and
that　she　should　marry　him；　some　day　or　other。　　The　captain　raged；
commanded；　pleaded；　begged。　　What　was　the　matter　with　her？　　What
had　come　over　her？　　Didn't　she　love　her　father　and　mother　any　more
that　she　should　set　out　to　act　this　way？　　Yes；　she　declared　that
she　loved　them　as　much　as　ever；　but　that　she　loved　her　lover　more
than　all　the　world；　and　no　onenot　even　her　parentsshould
separate　them。

Captain　Zelotes　gave　it　up　at　last。　　That　is；　he　gave　up　the　appeal
to　reason　and　the　pleadings。　　But　he　did　not　give　up　the　idea　of
having　his　own　way　in　the　matter；　being　Zelotes　Snow；　he　certainly
did　not　give　that　up。　　Instead　he　took　his　daughter　home　with　him
to　South　Harniss；　where　a　tearful　and　heart…broken　Olive　added　her
persuasions　to　his。　　But；　when　she　found　Jane　obdurate；　Mrs。　Snow
might　have　surrendered。　　Not　her　hus