rs.undertheandes-第7部分

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　In　what　country？〃
　The　poor　fellow；　too　surprised　to　be　offended；　stammered　the　name　of　his　native　land　between　gasps；　while　Harry　and　I　had　all　we　could　do　to　keep　from　bursting　into　laughter。
　〃Ah；〃　said　Desiree　in　the　tone　of　one　who　has　made　an　important　discovery；　〃I　thought　so。　Ecuador。　Monsieur；　Quito　is　in　Ecuador。〃
　The　general…or　admiral；　I　forget　which…acknowledged　the　correctness　of　her　geography　with　a　profound　bow。
　〃But　yes。　I　have　often　heard　of　Quito；　monsieur。　It　is　a　very　interesting　place。　I　shall　go　to　Quito。〃
　There　ensued　immediately　a　babel。　Each　of　our　guests　insisted　on　the　honor　of　acpanying　us　inland；　and　the　thing　would　most　assuredly　have　ended　in　a　bloody　quarrel　on　the　captain's　polished　deck；　if　I　had　not　interposed　in　a　firm　tone：
　〃But；　gentlemen；　we　are　not　going　to　Quito。〃
　Le　Mire　looked　at　me…and　such　a　look！　Then　she　said　in　a　tone　of　the　utmost　finality：
　〃I　am　going　to　Quito。〃
　I　shook　my　head；　smiling　at　her；　whereupon　she　became　furious。
　〃M。　Lamar；〃　she　burst　forth；　〃I　tell　you　I　am　going　to　Quito！
　In　spite　of　your　smile！　Yes！　Do　you　hear？　I　shall　go！〃
　Without　a　word　I　took　a　coin　from　my　pocket　and　held　it　up。　I　had　e　to　know　Le　Mire。　She　frowned　for　a　moment　in　an　evident　attempt　to　maintain　her　anger；　then　an　irresistible　smile　parted　her　lips　and　she　clapped　her　hands　gaily。
　〃Very　well；〃　she　cried；　〃toss；　monsieur！　Heads！〃
　The　coin　fell　tails；　and　we　did　not　go　to　Quito；　much　to　the　disappointment　of　our　guests。　Le　Mire　forgot　all　about　it　in　ten　minutes。
　Five　days　later　we　dropped　anchor　at　Callao。
　This　historic　old　port　delighted　Le　Mire　at　once。　I　had　told　her　something　of　its　story：　its　successive　bombardments　by　the　liberators　from　Chile；　the　Spanish　squadron；　buccaneering　expeditions　from　Europe　and　the　Chilean　invaders；　not　to　mention　earthquakes　and　tidal　waves。　We　moored　alongside　the　stone　pier　by　the　lighthouse；　the　old　clock　at　its　top　pointed　to　the　hour　of　eight　in　the　morning。
　But　as　soon　as　Le　Mire　found　out　that　Lima　was　but　a　few　miles　away；　Callao　no　longer　held　any　interest　for　her。　We　took　an　afternoon　train　and　arrived　at　the　capital　in　time　for　dinner。
　There　it　was；　in　picturesque　old　Lima；　that　Le　Mire　topped　her　career。　On　our　first　afternoon　we　betook　ourselves　to　the　fashionable　paseo；　for　it　was　a　band　day；　and　all　Lima　was　out。
　In　five　minutes　every　eye　in　the　gay　and　fashionable　crowd　was　turned　on　Le　Mire。　Then；　as　luck　would　have　it；　I　met；　quite　by　chance；　a　friend　of　mine　who　had　e　to　the　University　of　San　Marcos　some　years　before　as　a　professor　of　climatology。　He　introduced　us；　with　an　air　of　importance；　to　several　of　the　groups　of　fashion；　and　finally　to　the　president　himself。　That　night　we　slept　as　guests　under　the　roof　of　a　luxurious　and　charming　country　house　at　Miraflores。
　Le　Mire　took　the　capital　by　storm。　Her　style　of　beauty　was　peculiarly　fitted　for　their　appreciation；　for　pallor　is　considered　a　mark　of　beauty　among　Lima　ladies。　But　that　could　scarcely　account　for　her　unparalleled　triumph。　I　have　often　wondered…was　it　the　effect　of　a　premonition？
　The　president　himself　sat　by　her　at　the　opera。　There　were　two　duels　attributed　to　her　within　a　week；　though　how　the　deuce　that　was　possible　is　beyond　me。
　On　society　day　at　the　bull…ring　the　cues　were　given　by　Le　Mire；　her　hand　flung　the　rose　to　the　matador；　while　the　eight　thousand　excited　spectators　seemed　uncertain　whether　they　were　applauding　her　or　him。　Lima　was　hers；　and　never　have　I　seen　a　fortnight　so　crowded　with　incidents。
　But　Le　Mire　soon　tired　of　it；　as　was　to　be　expected。　She　greeted　me　one　morning　at　the　breakfast　table：
　〃My　friend　Paul；　let　us　go　to　Cerro　de　Pasco。　They　have　silver…thousands　and　thousands　of　tons…and　what　you　call　them？
　Ornaments。〃
　〃And　then　the　Andes？〃　I　suggested。
　〃Why　not？〃
　〃But；　my　dear　Desiree；　what　shall　we　do　with　the　yacht？〃
　〃Pooh！　There　is　the　captain。　e…shall　I　say　please？〃
　So　we　went　to　Cerro　de　Pasco。　I　wrote　to　Captain　Harris；　telling　him　not　to　expect　us　for　another　month　or　so；　and　sending　him　sufficient　funds　to　last　till　our　return。
　I　verily　believe　that　every　one　of　note　in　Lima　came　to　the　railroad　station　to　see　us　off。
　Our　partment　was　a　mass　of　flowers；　which　caused　me　to　smile；　for　Le　Mire；　curiously　enough；　did　not　like　them。　When　we　had　passed　out　of　the　city　she　threw　them　out　of　the　window；　laughing　and　making　jokes　at　the　expense　of　the　donors。　She　was　in　the　best　of　humor。
　We　arrived　at　Oroya　late　in　the　afternoon；　and　departed　for　Cerro　de　Pasco　by　rail　on　the　following　morning。
　This　ride　of　sixty…eight　miles　is　unsurpassed　in　all　the　world。　Snow…capped　peaks；　bottomless　precipices；　huge　masses　of　boulders　that　seem　ready　to　crush　the　train　surround　you　on　every　side；　and　now　and　then　are　directly　above　or　beneath　you。
　Le　Mire　was　profoundly　impressed；　indeed；　I　had　not　supposed　her　to　possess　the　sensibility　she　displayed；　and　as　for　me；　I　was　most　grateful　to　her　for　having　suggested　the　trip。　You　who　find　yourselves　too　well…acquainted　with　the　Rockies　and　the　Alps　and　the　Himalayas　should　try　the　Andes。　There　is　a　surprise　waiting　for　you。
　But　for　the　story。
　We　found　Cerro　de　Pasco；　interesting　as　its　situation　is；　far　short　of　our　expectations。　It　is　a　mining　town；　filled　with　laborers　and　speculators；　noisy；　dirty；　and　coarse。　We　had　been　there　less　than　forty…eight　hours　when　I　declared　to　Harry　and　Le　Mire　my　intention　of　returning　at　once。
　〃But　the　Andes！〃　said　Le　Mire。　〃Shall　we　not　see　them？〃
　〃Well…there　they　are。〃
　I　pointed　through　the　window　of　the　hotel。
　〃Bah！　And　you　call　yourself　a　traveler？　Look！　The　snow！
　My　friend　Paul；　must　I　ask　twice　for　a　favor？〃
　Once　again　we　tossed　a　coin。
　Ah；　if　Le　Mire　had　only　seen　the　future！　And　yet…I　often　wonder…would　she　have　turned　her　back？　For　the　woman　craved　novelty　and　adventure；　and　the　gameness　of　centuries　was　in　her　blood…well；　she　had　her　experience；　which　was　shared　only　in　part　by　Harry　and　myself。
　Those　snow…capped　peaks！　Little　did　we　guess　what　they　held　for　us。　We　were　laughing；　I　remember；　as　we　left　behind　us　the　edge　of　civilization　represented　by　Cerro　de　Pasco。
　We　found　it　impossible　to　procure　a　plete　outfit　in　the　mining　town；　and　were　forced　to　despatch　a　messenger　to　Lima。　He　returned　in　two　days　with　mules；　saddles；　saddle…bags；　boots；　leather　leggings；　knickerbockers；　woolen　ponchos；　and　scores　of　other　articles　which　he　assured　us　were　absolutely　necessary　for　any　degree　of　fort。　By　the　time　we　were　ready　to　start　we　had　a　good…sized　pack…train　on　our　hands。
　The　proprietor　of　the　hotel　found　us　an　arriero；　whom　he　declared　to　be　the　most　petent　and　trustworthy　guide　in　all　the　Andes…a　long；　loose…jointed　fellow　with　an　air　of　plete　indifference　habitually　resting　on　his　yellow；　rather　sinister…looking　face。　Le　Mire　did　not　like　him；　but　I　certainly　preferred　the　hotel　proprietor's　experience　and　knowledge　to　her　volatile　fancy；　and　engaged　the　arriero　on　the　spot。
　Our　outfit　was　plete；　and　everything　in　readiness；　when　Harry　suddenly　announced　that　he　had　decided　not　to　go；　nor　to　allow　Le　Mire　to　do　so。
　〃I　don't　like　it；〃　he　said　in　troubled　tones。　〃I　tell　you；　Paul；　I　don't　like　it。　I've　been　talking　to　some　of　the　miners　and　arrieros；　and　the　thing　is　foolhardy　and　dangerous。〃
　Then；　seeing　the　expression　on　my　face；　he　continued　hastily：　〃Oh；　not　for　myself。　You　know　me；　I'll　do　anything　that　any　one　else　will　do；　and　more；　if　I　can。　But　Desiree！　I　tell　you；　if　anything　happened　to　her　I…well…〃
　I　cut　him　short：
　〃My　dear　boy；　the　idea　is　Desiree's　own。　And　to　talk　of　danger　where　she　is　concerned！　She　would　laugh　at　you。〃
　〃She　has；〃　Harry　confessed　with　a　doubtful　smile。
　I　clapped　him　roughly　on　the　shoulder。
　〃e；　brace　up！　Our　caravan　awaits　us…and　see；　the　fairy；　too。　Are　you　ready；　Desiree？〃
　She　came　toward　us　from　the　inner　rooms　of　the　hotel；　smiling；　radiant。　I　shall　never　forget　the　picture　she　presented。　She　wore　white　knickerbockers；　a　white　jacket；　tan…leather　boots　and　leggings　and　a　khaki　hat。
　Her　golden　hair；　massed　closely　about　her　ears　and　upon　her　forehead；　shimmered　in　the　bright　sun　dazzlingly；　her　eyes　sparkled；　her　little　white　teeth　gleamed　in　a　happy；　joyous　smile。
　We　lifted　her　to　the　back　of　her　mule；　then　mounted　our　own。
　Suddenly　a　recollection　shot　through　my　brain　with　remarkable　clearness；　and　I　turned　to　Le　Mire：
　〃Desiree；　do　you　know　the　first　time　I　ever　saw　you？　It　was　in　an　electric　brougham　at　the　Gare　du　Nord。　This　is　somewhat　different；　my　lady。〃
　〃And　infinitely　more　interesting；〃　she　answered。　〃Are　you　ready？　See　that　stupid　arriero！　Ah！　After　all；　he　knew　what　he　was　about。　Then；　messieurs…allons！〃
　The　arriero；　receiving　my　nod　uttered　a　peculiar　whistle　through　his　teeth。　The　mules　pricked　up　their　ears；　then　with　one　mon　movement　started　forward。
　〃Adios！　Adios；　senora！　Adios；　senores！〃
　With　the　cry　of　our　late　host　sounding　in　our　ears　we　passed　down　the　narrow　little　street　of　Cerro　de　Pasco　on　our　way　to　the　snow…capped　peaks　of　the　Andes。
　
　Chapter　V。
　THE　CAVE　OF　THE　DEVIL。
　
　You　may　remember　that　I　made　some　remark　concerning　the　difficulty　of　the　ascent　of　Pike's　Peak。　Well；　that　is　mere　child's　play…a　morning　constitutional　pared　to　the　paths　we　found　ourselves　pelled　to　follow　in　the　great　Cordillera。
　Nor　was　it　permitted　us　to　bee　gradually　accustomed　to　the　danger；　we　had　not　been　two　hours　out　of　Cerro　de　Pasco　before　we　found　ourselves　creeping　along　a　ledge　so　narrow　there　was　scarcely　room　for　the　mules　to　place　their　hoofs　together；　over　a　precipice　three　thousand　feet　in　the　air…straight。　And；　added　to　this　was　the　disfort；　amounting　at　times　to　positive　pain；　caused　by　the　soroche。
　Hardly　ever　did　we　find　ground　sufficiently　broad　for　a　breathing　space；　save　when　our　arriero　led　us；　almost　by　magic　it　seemed；　to　a　camping　place　for　the　night。　We　would　ascend　the　side　of　a　narrow　valley；　on　one　hand　roared　a　torrent　some　hundreds　of　feet　below；　on　the　other　rose　an　unpromising　wall　of　rock。　So　narrow　would　be　the　track　that　as　I　sat　astride　my　mule　my　outside　leg　would　be　hanging　over　the　abyss。
　But　the　grandeur；