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profound student of human nature。 〃Nat'rally； nat'rally you're
kept in an uncomfortable state； not knowing jist how you stand。
There ain't but one thing to do。 Jist rise up； quiet like； and get
a divorce agin Spencer。 Hold on！ There ain't a judge or jury in
California that wouldn't give it to you right off the nail； without
asking questions。 Why； you 'ld get it by default if you wanted to；
you 'ld just have to walk over the course！ And then； Belle；〃 he
drew his chair still nearer her； 〃when you've settled down again
well！I don't mind renewing that offer I once made ye； before
Spencer ever came round yeI don't mind； Belle； I swear I don't！
Honest Injin！ I'm in earnest； there's my hand！〃
Mrs。 Tucker's reply has not been recorded。 Enough that half an
hour later Mr。 Weaver appeared in the courtyard with traces of
tears on his foolish face； a broken falsetto voice； and other
evidence of mental and moral disturbance。 His cordiality and
oracular predisposition remained sufficiently to enable him to
suggest the magical words 〃Blue Grass〃 mysteriously to Concha； with
an indication of his hand to the erect figure of her pale mistress
in the doorway； who waved to him a silent but half…compassionate
farewell。
At about this time a slight change in her manner was noticed by the
few who saw her more frequently。 Her apparently invincible
girlishness of spirit had given way to a certain matronly
seriousness。 She applied herself to her household cares and the
improvement of the hacienda with a new sense of duty and a settled
earnestness； until by degrees she wrought into it not only her
instinctive delicacy and taste； but part of her own individuality。
Even the rude rancheros and tradesmen who were permitted to enter
the walls in the exercise of their calling began to speak
mysteriously of the beauty of this garden of the almarjal。 She
went out but seldom； and then accompanied by the one or the other
of her female servants； in long drives on unfrequented roads。 On
Sundays she sometimes drove to the half…ruined mission church of
Santa Inez； and hid herself； during mass； in the dim monastic
shadows of the choir。 Gradually the poorer people whom she met in
these journeys began to show an almost devotional reverence for
her； stopping in the roads with uncovered heads for her to pass； or
making way for her in the tienda or plaza of the wretched town with
dumb courtesy。 She began to feel a strange sense of widowhood；
that； while it at times brought tears to her eyes； was； not without
a certain tender solace。 In the sympathy and simpleness of this
impulse she went as far as to revive the mourning she had worn for
her parents； but with such a fatal accenting of her beauty； and
dangerous misinterpreting of her condition to eligible bachelors
strange to the country； that she was obliged to put it off again。
Her reserve and dignified manner caused others to mistake her
nationality for that of the Santierras； and in 〃Dona Bella〃 the
simple Mrs。 Tucker was for a while forgotten。 At times she even
forgot it herself。 Accustomed now almost entirely to the accents
of another language and the features of another race； she would sit
for hours in the corridor； whose massive bronzed inclosure even her
tasteful care could only make an embowered mausoleum of the Past；
or gaze abstractedly from the dark embrasures of her windows across
the stretching almarjal to the shining lagoon beyond that
terminated the estuary。 She had a strange fondness for this
tranquil mirror； which under sun or stars always retained the
passive reflex of the sky above； and seemed to rest her weary eyes。
She had objected to one of the plans projected by Poindexter to
redeem the land and deepen the water at the embarcadero； as it
would have drained the lagoon； and the lawyer had postponed the
improvement to gratify her fancy。 So she kept it through the long
summer unchanged save by the shadows of passing wings or the lazy
files of sleeping sea…fowl。
On one of these afternoons she noticed a slowly moving carriage
leave the high road and cross the almarjal skirting the edge of the
lagoon。 If it contained visitors for Los Cuervos they had
evidently taken a shorter cut without waiting to go on to the
regular road which intersected the highway at right angles a mile
farther on。 It was with some sense of annoyance and irritation
that she watched the trespass； and finally saw the vehicle approach
the house。 A few moments later the servant informed her that Mr。
Patterson would like to see her alone。 When she entered the
corridor； which in the dry season served as a reception hall； she
was surprised to see that Patterson was not alone。 Near him stood
a well…dressed handsome woman； gazing about her with good…humored
admiration of Mrs。 Tucker's taste and ingenuity。
〃It don't look much like it did two years ago；〃 said the stranger
cheerfully。 〃You've improved it wonderfully。〃
Stiffening slightly； Mrs。 Tucker turned inquiringly to Mr。
Patterson。 But that gentleman's usual profound melancholy appeared
to be intensified by the hilarity of his companion。 He only sighed
deeply and rubbed his leg with the brim of his hat in gloomy
abstraction。
〃Well！ go on； then；〃 said the woman； laughing and nudging him。 〃Go
onintroduce mecan't you？ Don't stand there like a tombstone。
You won't？ Well； I'll introduce myself。〃 She laughed again； and
then； with an excellent imitation of Patterson's lugubrious
accents； said； 〃Mr。 Spencer Tucker's wife that IS； allow me to
introduce you to Mr。 Spencer Tucker's sweetheart that WAS！ Hold
on！ I said THAT WAS。 For true as I stand here； ma'amand I
reckon I wouldn't stand here if it wasn't trueI haven't set eyes
on him since the day he left you。〃
〃It's the Gospel truth； every word；〃 said Patterson； stirred into a
sudden activity by Mrs。 Tucker's white and rigid face。 〃It's the
frozen truth； and I kin prove it。 For I kin swear that when that
there young woman was sailin' outer the Golden Gate； Spencer Tucker
was in my bar room； I kin swear that I fed him； lickered him； give
him a hoss and set him in his road to Monterey that very night。〃
〃Then； where is he now？〃 said Mrs。 Tucker； suddenly facing them。
They looked at each other； and then looked at Mrs。 Tucker。 Then
both together replied slowly and in perfect unison； 〃That'swhat
wewanttoknow。〃 They seemed so satisfied with this effect
that they as deliberately repeated； 〃Yesthat'swhatwewant
toknow。〃
Between the shock of meeting the partner of her husband's guilt and
the unexpected revelation to her inexperience； that in suggestion
and appearance there was nothing beyond the recollection of that
guilt that was really shocking in the womanbetween the
extravagant extremes of hope and fear suggested by their words；
there was something so grotesquely absurd in the melodramatic
chorus that she with difficulty suppressed a hysterical laugh。
〃