the night-born-第4部分

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dewlap；　the　general　tiredness　and　staleness　and　fatness；　all

the　collapse　and　ruin　of　a　man　who　had　once　been　strong　but　who

had　lived　too　easily　and　too　well。



〃It's　not　too　late；　old　man；〃　Bardwell　said；　almost　in　a

whisper。



〃By　God！　I　wish　I　weren't　a　coward！〃　was　Trefethan's　answering

cry。　〃I　could　go　back　to　her。　She's　there；　now。　I　could　shape

up　and　live　many　a　long　year。　。　。　with　her。　。　。　up　there。　To

remain　here　is　to　commit　suicide。　But　I　am　an　old

manforty…sevenlook　at　me。　The　trouble　is；〃　he　lifted　his

glass　and　glanced　at　it；　〃the　trouble　is　that　suicide　of　this

sort　is　so　easy。　I　am　soft　and　tender。　The　thought　of　the　long

day's　travel　with　the　dogs　appalls　me；　the　thought　of　the　keen

frost　in　the　morning　and　of　the　frozen　sled…lashings　frightens

me〃



Automatically　the　glass　was　creeping　toward　his　lips。　With　a

swift　surge　of　anger　he　made　as　if　to　crash　it　down　upon　the

floor。　Next　came　hesitancy　and　second　thought。　The　glass　moved

upward　to　his　lips　and　paused。　He　laughed　harshly　and　bitterly；

but　his　words　were　solemn：



〃Well；　here's　to　the　Night…Born。　She　WAS　a　wonder。〃







THE　MADNESS　OF　JOHN　HARNED



I　TELL　this　for　a　fact。　It　happened　in　the　bull…ring　at　Quito。

I　sat　in　the　box　with　John　Harned；　and　with　Maria　Valenzuela；

and　with　Luis　Cervallos。　I　saw　it　happen。　I　saw　it　all　from

first　to　last。　I　was　on　the　steamer　Ecuadore　from　Panama　to

Guayaquil。　Maria　Valenzuela　is　my　cousin。　I　have　known　her

always。　She　is　very　beautiful。　I　am　a　Spaniardan　Ecuadoriano；

true；　but　I　am　descended　from　Pedro　Patino；　who　was　one　of

Pizarro's　captains。　They　were　brave　men。　They　were　heroes。　Did

not　Pizarro　lead　three　hundred　and　fifty　Spanish　cavaliers　and

four　thousand　Indians　into　the　far　Cordilleras　in　search　of

treasure？　And　did　not　all　the　four　thousand　Indians　and　three

hundred　of　the　brave　cavaliers　die　on　that　vain　quest？　But

Pedro　Patino　did　not　die。　He　it　was　that　lived　to　found　the

family　of　the　Patino。　I　am　Ecuadoriano；　true；　but　I　am　Spanish。

I　am　Manuel　de　Jesus　Patino。　I　own　many　haciendas；　and　ten

thousand　Indians　are　my　slaves；　though　the　law　says　they　are

free　men　who　work　by　freedom　of　contract。　The　law　is　a　funny

thing。　We　Ecuadorianos　laugh　at　it。　It　is　our　law。　We　make　it

for　ourselves。　I　am　Manuel　de　Jesus　Patino。　Remember　that　name。

It　will　be　written　some　day　in　history。　There　are　revolutions

in　Ecuador。　We　call　them　elections。　It　is　a　good　joke　is　it

not？what　you　call　a　pun？



John　Harned　was　an　American。　I　met　him　first　at　the　Tivoli

hotel　in　Panama。　He　had　much　moneythis　I　have　heard。　He　was

going　to　Lima；　but　he　met　Maria　Valenzuela　in　the　Tivoli　hotel。

Maria　Valenzuela　is　my　cousin；　and　she　is　beautiful。　It　is

true；　she　is　the　most　beautiful　woman　in　Ecuador。　But　also　is

she　most　beautiful　in　every　countryin　Paris；　in　Madrid；　in

New　York；　in　Vienna。　Always　do　all　men　look　at　her；　and　John

Harned　looked　long　at　her　at　Panama。　He　loved　her；　that　I　know

for　a　fact。　She　was　Ecuadoriano；　truebut　she　was　of　all

countries；　she　was　of　all　the　world。　She　spoke　many　languages。

She　sangah！　like　an　artiste。　Her　smilewonderful；　divine。

Her　eyesah！　have　I　not　seen　men　look　in　her　eyes？　They　were

what　you　English　call　amazing。　They　were　promises　of　paradise。

Men　drowned　themselves　in　her　eyes。



Maria　Valenzuela　was　richricher　than　I；　who　am　accounted　very

rich　in　Ecuador。　But　John　Harned　did　not　care　for　her　money。　He

had　a　hearta　funny　heart。　He　was　a　fool。　He　did　not　go　to

Lima。　He　left　the　steamer　at　Guayaquil　and　followed　her　to

Quito。　She　was　coming　home　from　Europe　and　other　places。　I　do

not　see　what　she　found　in　him；　but　she　liked　him。　This　I　know

for　a　fact；　else　he　would　not　have　followed　her　to　Quito。　She

asked　him　to　come。　Well　do　I　remember　the　occasion。　She　said：



〃Come　to　Quito　and　I　will　show　you　the　bullfightbrave；

clever；　magnificent！〃



But　he　said：　〃I　go　to　Lima；　not　Quito。　Such　is　my　passage

engaged　on　the　steamer。〃



〃You　travel　for　pleasureno？〃　said　Maria　Valenzuela；　and　she

looked　at　him　as　only　Maria　Valenzuela　could　look；　her　eyes

warm　with　the　promise。



And　he　came。　No；　he　did　not　come　for　the　bull…fight。　He　came

because　of　what　he　had　seen　in　her　eyes。　Women　like　Maria

Valenzuela　are　born　once　in　a　hundred　years。　They　are　of　no

country　and　no　time。　They　are　what　you　call　goddesses。　Men　fall

down　at　their　feet。　They　play　with　men　and　run　them　through

their　pretty　fingers　like　sand。　Cleopatra　was　such　a　woman　they

say；　and　so　was　Circe。　She　turned　men　into　swine。　Ha！　ha！　It　is

trueno？



It　all　came　about　because　Maria　Valenzuela　said：



〃You　English　people　arewhat　shall　I　say？savageno？　You

prize…fight。　Two　men　each　hit　the　other　with　their　fists　till

their　eyes　are　blinded　and　their　noses　are　broken。　Hideous！　And

the　other　men　who　look　on　cry　out　loudly　and　are　made　glad。　It

is　barbarousno？〃



〃But　they　are　men；〃　said　John　Harned；　〃and　they　prize…fight　out

of　desire。　No　one　makes　them　prize…fight。　They　do　it　because

they　desire　it　more　than　anything　else　in　the　world。〃



Maria　Valenzuelathere　was　scorn　in　her　smile　as　she　said：

〃They　kill　each　other　oftenis　it　not　so？　I　have　read　it　in

the　papers。〃



〃But　the　bull；〃　said　John　Harned。



〃The　bull　is　killed　many　times　in　the　bull…fight；　and　the　bull

does　not　come　into　the　the　ring　out　of　desire。　It　is　not　fair

to　the　bull。　He　is　compelled　to　fight。　But　the　man　in　the

prize…fightno；　he　is　not　compelled。〃



〃He　is　the　more　brute　therefore；〃　said　Maria　Valenzuela。



〃He　is　savage。　He　is　primitive。　He　is　animal。　He　strikes　with

his　paws　like　a　bear　from　a　cave；　and　he　is　ferocious。　But　the

bull…fightah！　You　have　not　seen　the　bullfightno？　The

toreador　is　clever。　He　must　have　skill。　He　is　modern。　He　is

romantic。　He　is　only　a　man；　soft　and　tender；　and　he　faces　the

wild　bull　in　conflict。　And　he　kills　with　a　sword；　a　slender

sword；　with　one　thrust；　so；　to　the　heart　of　the　great　beast。　It

is　delicious。　It　makes　the　heart　beat　to　beholdthe　small　man；

the　great　beast；　the　wide　level　sand；　the　thousands　that　look

on　without　breath；　the　great　beast　rushes　to　the　attack；　the

small　man　stands　like　a　statue；　he　does　not　move；　he　is

unafraid；　and　in　his　hand　is　the　slender　sword　flashing　like

silver　in　the　sun；　nearer　and　nearer　rushes　the　great　beast

with　its　sharp　horns；　the　man　does　not　move；　and　thensothe

sword　flashes；　the　thrust　is　made；　to　the　heart；　to　the　hilt；

the　bull　falls　to　the　sand　and　is　dead；　and　the　man　is　unhurt。

It　is　brave。　It　is　magnificent！　Ah！I　could　love　the　toreador。

But　the　man　of　the　prize…fighthe　is　the　brute；　the　human

beast；　the　savage　primitive；　the　maniac　that　receives　many

blows　in　his　stupid　face　and　rejoices。　Come　to　Quito　and　I　will

show　you　the　brave　sport　of　men；　the　toreador　and　the　bull。〃



But　John　Harned　did　not　go　to　Quito　for　the　bull…fight。　He　went

because　of　Maria　Valenzuela。　He　was　a　large　man；　more　broad　of

shoulder　than　we　Ecuadorianos；　more　tall；　more　heavy　of　limb

and　bone。　True；　he　was　larger　of　his　own　race。　His　eyes　were

blue；　though　I　have　seen　them　gray；　and；　sometimes；　like　cold

steel。　His　features　were　large；　toonot　delicate　like　ours；

and　his　jaw　was　very　strong　to　look　at。　Also；　his　face　was

smooth…shaven　like　a　priest's。　Why　should　a　man　feel　shame　for

the　hair　on　his　face？　Did　not　God　put　it　there？　Yes；　I　believe

in　GodI　am　not　a　pagan　like　many　of　you　English。　God　is　good。

He　made　me　an　Ecuadoriano　with　ten　thousand　slaves。　And　when　I

die　I　shall　go　to　God。　Yes；　the　priests　are　right。



But　John　Harned。　He　was　a　quiet　man。　He　talked　always　in　a　low

voice；　and　he　never　moved　his　hands　when　he　talked。　One　would

have　thought　his　heart　was　a　piece　of　ice；　yet　did　he　have　a

streak　of　warm　in　his　blood；　for　he　followed　Maria　Valenzuela

to　Quito。　Also；　and　for　all　that　he　talked　low　without　moving

his　hands；　he　was　an　animal；　as　you　shall　seethe　beast

primitive；　the　stupid；　ferocious　savage　of　the　long　ago　that

dressed　in　wild　skins　and　lived　in　the　caves　along　with　the

bears　and　wolves。



Luis　Cervallos　is　my　friend；　the　best　of　Ecuadorianos。　He　owns

three　cacao　plantations　at　Naranjito　and　Chobo。　At　Milagro　is

his　big　sugar　plantation。　He　has　large　haciendas　at　Ambato　and

Latacunga；　and　down　the　coast　is　he　interested　in　oil…wells。

Also　has　he　spent　much　money　in　planting　rubber　along　the

Guayas。　He　is　modern；　like　the　Yankee；　and；　like　the　Yankee；

full　of　business。　He　has　much　money；　but　it　is　in　many

ventures；　and　ever　he　needs　more　money　for　new　ventures　and　for

the　old　ones。　He　has　been　everywhere　and　seen　everything。　When

he　was　a　very　young　man　he　was　in　the　Yankee　military　academy

what　you　call　West　Point。　There　was　trouble。　He　was　made　to

resign。　He　does　not　like　Americans。　But　he　did　like　Maria

Valenzuela；　who　was　of　his　own　country。　Also；　he　needed　her

money　for　his　ventures　and　for　his　gold　mine　in　Eastern　Ecuador

where　the　painted　Indians　live。　I　was　his　friend。　It　was　my

desire　that　he　should　marry　Maria　Valenzuela。　Further；　much　of

my　money　had　I　invested　in　his　ventures；　more　so　in　his　gold

mine　which　was　very　rich　but　which　first　required　the　expense

of　much　money　before　it　would　yield　forth　its　riches。　If　Luis

Cervallos　married　Maria　Valenzuela　I　should　have　more　money

very　immediately。



But　John　Harned　followed　Maria　Valenzuela　to　Quito；　and　it　was

quickly　clear　to　usto　Luis　Cervallos　and　me　that　she　looked

upon　John　Harned　with　great　kindness。　It　is　said　that　a　woman

will　have　her　will；　but　this　is　a　case　not　in　point；　for　Maria

Valenzuela　did　not　have　her　willat　least　not　with　John

Harned。　Perhaps　it　would　all　have　happened　as　it　did；　even　if

Luis　Cervallos　and　I　had　not　sat　in　the　box　that　day　at　the

bull…ring　in　Quito。　But　this　I　know：　we　DID　sit　in　the　box　that

day。　And　I　shall　tell　you　what　happened。



The　four　of　us　w