CHAPTER X
ETHICS AND ETIQUETTE
It was midnight, and the bells rang out for 1854. The streets werefull of people. Banjos were being strummed, accordions lent theirmusic. Singers really made bedlam, but above all you heard everylittle while the refrain from a chorus of voices:
"The days of old, the days of gold, The days of forty-nine."
Was San Francisco getting old in its scarcely more than childhood? Forin August of that year, John W. Geary, who had been the last alcaldeof the town, was elected its first mayor, and the city had her charterin due American form. It had stretched up and down the bay, thewharves were crowded with shipping. Had ever any other city such amarvellous story!
Yet in 1854, the world was still a little old-fashioned and friendly.Never was there a more peerless day. Over the hilltops came streams ofbrilliance with the rising sun that drove the fog before it into theocean. The lowlands were alive with the slant rays that wavered andwandered about like seas of gold. Flowers seemed to have sprung up inthe night. Flags were flying. The streets were full of men and boys;one would have thought it a grand procession. For New Year's callswere then the great fashion. The day was given over to the renewals offriendships. Men put on their Sunday best, and went from house tohouse with joyous greetings. And within doors were groups of women towelcome them, and rooms presented a gala aspect. Lovers found anopportunity to say sweet things, friends clasped hands, business waslaid aside.
No doubt there were orgies here and there, quarrels over cups, andfights, but even among the lower ranks there was a great deal ofjollity.
Then everybody went back to business. The great Express Building wasopened, having been more than a year under way, and a big banquetgiven in the evening.
The weather underwent a sudden change. Ice froze in the pools aboutthe streets. Icicles hung from the roofs of the houses and childrenthrashed them down, and went about eating them like sticks of candy.There was veritable snow on some of the hills, and those at ContraCosta were white and glittering in the sun. The old Californians, whowere fond of lazing about in the sun, and smoking a pipe, laid it tothose Yankee devils who had turned everything upside down. There wouldbe no more good times in "Californy." Even the miners came in andgrumbled. The rains in the fall and winter had been slight, then asort of freshet had swollen the rivers, which were too full for "wetdiggings," as the hill sides had been too dry for "dry diggings."
It seemed as if a series of misfortunes happened. The fine newclipper ship _San Francisco_ missed her bearings and struck on therocks on the north side of the channel. Some lives were lost, and astorm coming up, scattered much of the cargo. Added to this was a verygeneral depression in business, but in all new cities there are leanyears as well as fat ones.
The little girl had said nothing more about dancing school, althoughthere was a very nice class that met twice a week not far from theschool. She and Olive had a little "tiff," and now hardly spoke. Shewould have liked to consult some one, but Miss Holmes and Mrs.Personette were now very cordial friends, and she was not sure thatshe had been exactly right herself. She could not quite make up hermind to be blamed. She had said to Uncle Jason that she had changedher mind, she did not want to go to dancing school just yet.
"There's plenty of time for that," he responded cheerfully. "And Iguess dancing comes kind of natural to little girls. You can put onthe fancy touches by and by."
Then he gave her such a hug that she knew he was pleased with herdecision, though down in the depths of her heart she really would haveliked it. Sometimes she danced around out of doors, going throughwhatever figures she could recall.
This was what had happened: She had spoken cordially to Olive thefirst morning school had begun again, and Olive had given her head atoss, and mumbled something. Then at recess she had joined some of thelarger girls. The Personette girls went home to luncheon; Lavernebrought hers. There were several smaller children that she liked verymuch, and they had a nice play together. Olive generally claimed her,but for several days she took very little notice of her. She had afeeling that Laverne would feel hurt and want to know the reason. Butthe latter was too much afraid of a rebuff to advert to it.
"I suppose you think it's queer that I'm acting this way," Olivebegan, when her indifference seemed to pass unnoticed. "But, really,you were so forward at my party----"
"Forward!" Laverne gasped. "Why, I--I was almost frightened at first.I had never been to a real party before."
"Well, you made yourself very conspicuous. Esta Collins thought youbold enough."
Laverne's face was scarlet. "What did I do?" she asked in a tremuloustone, trying to keep down a great throb that wanted to rise in herthroat.
"What did you do, Miss Innocence? Well, I declare! You didn't dancethree times with my cousin, and then march in to supper with him, andtalk and laugh just as if you didn't mean to let him look at anothergirl. And you had never met him before! It was shameful!"
"But--he asked me!"
The tears did come now. She tried very hard to wink them away.
"Oh, yes! But he never supposed you were going to hang on him thatway. And there were girls who had known him long before, just waitingto be asked. You see, as he was _my_ cousin, he was--well, almost likethe host, and should have gone around. You're a regular flirt,Laverne Chadsey, and you will never get asked to any party of mineagain."
"You didn't ask me this time," said Laverne, with spirit. "It was yourmother. And it wasn't altogether your party."
"Well, it was _my_ cousin."
"She is Isabel's cousin also."
"Well, she did not like it, either."
Laverne wanted to say she was sorry. No one had ever quarrelled withher before. But was she really at fault? There came a sudden flash ofspirit.
"It was mean in your cousin to ask me to dance so many times when heknew it wasn't quite proper. He was used to parties, I wasn't. I shallnever want to go to parties again; I just hate them."
With that Laverne turned away, holding her head very high. She missedin one lesson that afternoon, and asked Miss Bain if she might notstay in and go over it; she knew it then, but she was confused bysomething else. Her uncle was always so proud of her marks that shedid not want to disappoint him.
"Why, yes," returned Miss Bain smilingly. "I wish all little girlswere as careful."
She was rather grave at home that afternoon. She told Bruno about itand he gave her a world of sympathy out of large, loving eyes.
Then there were several smaller girls that she found verycompanionable. One of them discovered a way to walk together for somedistance by making the circuit just a little longer. Her mother wasFrench and had been born in New Orleans. There were five children;she, Lucie, was the oldest. Her father was one of the old Californiaresidents, and had fought in the war. Last summer they had gone downto Santa Cruz and had a lovely time. She had only one little sister,the baby. So they made quite a friendship.
After the cold snap it seemed as if spring had come in earnest.Everything took to growing. Miss Holmes and Laverne had delightfulrides about on Saturdays. And one morning the child watched a ladcoming up the somewhat crooked road. He waved his hand--yes, hesmiled, too. Why, it couldn't be Victor Savedra!
But it was, though. Laverne hardly knew whether to be glad or sorry.But she was glad down in the bottom of her heart, and ran a few stepsto meet him, then paused in pure bashfulness.
"Are you glad to see me? Don't you remember that I told you I wouldcome? I was at uncle's a fortnight ago and meant to beg Olive to comeup with me, but behold!" and he laughed.
It was such a gay, infectious sort of laugh, and he slid down from hispony and threw the rein over his neck, then took both of her hands,while she colored scarlet, and her eyes had merry lights in them.
"I dragged it all out of Olive. Did you have much of a fuss with her?Girls are so queer! It was because I danced two or three times withyou. Why, I thought you were such a dainty little thing. I liked you.Some of the girls
are so--well, so sentimental--silly. Olive has atemper, though. And now--_are_ you glad. Father knows your uncle alittle. And he said I might come over; father, I mean. I always tellhim where I go on Saturdays."
"Yes, I am glad," Laverne replied. "Oh, we were going out to ride."
"We? Who?" and the bright young face fell a little.
"Why, Miss Holmes--who takes care of us."
"Oh, yes, that's all right. Girls always do have some one, you know.And I remember her. She is Aunt Grace's friend."
"Yes, Pablo is bringing the horses." She led the way with a springingstep and smiled without knowing just what made her happy.
"And the gull! Father thinks it really odd, that you should tame himand he should want to stay."
"And he can fly quite well. Just a bit of the wing droops down. Oh,here he is! We had such a time to find a name for him. And once UncleJason was up the coast of Norway and learned about the gods, and Iliked the story of Balder so much, Balder the beautiful, and then Icalled him that. But Uncle Jason calls him Jim."
"Did your uncle come for the Golden Fleece?"
"I think they find it here, if anywhere," she returned, smiling."Here, Balder," and she held out her hand.
He was not exactly graceful in his walk. But he came and put his headin his little mistress's hand.
She stroked his neck, "Pretty Balder," she said. "Did Pablo get yousome fish?"
Balder glanced rather suspiciously at the newcomer. And just then MissHolmes came down. After the first glance she remembered the youngfellow, who explained a certain amount of curiosity had drawn himhither, and since they were ready for a ride he begged to accompanythem.
"Oh," she said, "why didn't you bring the girls and we should have hadquite a party."
"I am afraid if I had gone there first I should have missed you, theywould have had so many plans. And this excursion has been in my mindsome time. I wanted to see these remarkable pets."
"Snippy seems quite busy in these days providing for his family; Ithink, too, he is rather jealous of Jim."
"There are some such cunning little squirrels, but Snippy keeps themclosely at home, down in the hollow of the tree."
"If you would like to walk about a little--the rains have given usquite a picturesque aspect, and the weather has brought us intospring."
"Will Miss Laverne be my guide?"
"That sounds just like school. When you get in the highest class,where your cousin Isabel is, you are called Miss--whatever your lastname happens to be. I don't like it so well."
"But you will when you get to be a young lady."
"I like girls the best," she said simply.
He thought they would be quite charming if they all resembled her.
They took the winding path up to the spring, if it were that; Pablo,under Uncle Jason's direction, had made quite a basin of it. Then ittrickled down to the next level, and this was Balder's pool. It wasarranged so that it irrigated quite a little garden. There were someorange trees, but they had been nipped by the frosts.
"They are rather bitter and sour and full of seeds," said Laverne,"only they are beautiful with their glossy leaves, and the blossomsare sweet. Everything is wonderful here."
"It truly is." He was glancing about. "Father ought to see this. Butyou know we think Oaklands the garden spot of all as you go on downthe Bay. It's much wilder going up, and here it doesn't seem a bitpromising, but you have made it so. I wonder what about it charmedyour uncle?"
She remembered the old home in Maine was rather rocky and wild. Sherarely thought of it now.
"Here is where Snippy lives. Though there are plenty of squirrelsabout and rabbits and everything, it seems to me. Snippy," she called,"Snippy."
A sharp nose and two bright eyes appeared above the hollow and droppeddown at once. "Snippy! Oh! you needn't be afraid." She threw some bitsof hardtack down. Then there was a sudden gray flash, and he was outon the ground, caught on her frock and ran up to her shoulder. Helooked saucily over to Victor Savedra as if he questioned whatbusiness he had there.
The boy laughed. "We have some fine birds, and beautiful tame deer. Isuppose I could tame a squirrel. But the funny thing is that he shouldhave decided to move up here."
"We brought him first, you know. I didn't think about his having anyfolks then. And there is getting to be quite a colony of them. UncleJason will not have them shot. Though Pablo shot a wildcat not longago. And the birds do not seem afraid any more. I know where there areseveral quails' nests."
"I expect you understand bird language."
They turned to go down. Pablo had given Victor's pony a drink. MissHolmes stood patting her horse's neck.
"I've done up a little lunch," she announced. "Are you quite sure youhave time to devote to our picnic?"
"Oh, yes! I have a whole day to spend. And I am delighted that youpermit me to accompany you. I hope you will come to Oaklands and allowme to be the host."
They went down on the westerly path. Part of the way it was a ratherrough road, and they had the ocean at their side. Here was a kind ofdepression in the rocky barricade, and down by the shore a herd ofdeer were sniffing the ocean breezes. How pretty and graceful theylooked, startled, too, as the wind wafted the sound of voices to them.Then they suddenly vanished as if the ocean had swallowed them up, andthe three looked at each other with surprised and laughing eyes.
Miss Holmes found young Savedra a very entertaining companion. Heexpected presently to go to England for his education. There was arather delicate girl next in age to him, who had not been strongenough to come over to the Christmas party. Then a rollicking hoyden,and last of all a second son. It was evident he cared a great deal forhis mother. His sister had one of the nervous musical temperaments,and was fond of solitude. The Personette girls were very different,more like their father.
He was really entertaining for so young a person. He knew many of theolder stories of the country, the Missions, the Indians, and thelower-class Mexicans. They turned into quite a new road for them, thatseemed hidden away by an edge of woods, and presently came to acharming spot where he tethered the horses, and they ate their lunch.Little did they dream that one day even this solitude would be invadedby the resistless hand of improvement. Shy, wild things were runningabout, birds sang in every sort of key. Gulls swooped down for fish, agreat cormorant went sailing slowly along, and seals frolicked almostlike children.
"I suppose we could go across here and come up to the eastward," MissHolmes said. "This has been delightful. We keep to the beaten pathswhen we are alone, but on Sunday, with Mr. Chadsey, we make fartherventures. We must bring him here, Laverne, if we can remember theway."
"I'll make a diagram for you," he laughed. "I might have 'blazed atrail,'--isn't that what you Yankees call it? But there are so manybeautiful roads. And farther down everything is lovelier still. Isuppose the eastern world is quite different, with its long, coldwinters."
"But to the southward we have pleasant lands, where there is not muchwinter, and where vegetation is almost as wonderful as here, whereroses bloom and tropical fruit ripens. Oh, the Atlantic has many finepoints and great cities."
"I should like to see them. I hope some day to travel round the wholeworld. Miss Laverne, don't you want to go to India?"
"I don't know," and she made a little gesture of aversion. "UncleJason has been to many of the seaport towns. And he did not like thenatives over well. He thinks them indolent and cruel and all that. Andthere are tigers and poisonous snakes--no, I do not think I want togo."
"I should like to talk with your uncle. You know we larger boys arestudying up curious vestiges of the old civilizations and races. Therewere people here before the Indians, and it is supposed they cameacross Behring Strait from Asia."
She opened her eyes wide.
"Why, I thought the Indians were the first race."
"They must have driven out some other people, or driven them down toMexico, perhaps. But I suppose girls don't need to know all this;" andhe laughed. "Oh
, look at this picture before we go."
The curve of the path down toward the rocky shore made a strikingperspective. There was no wind, but the far-off waves had a goldencrest that came nearer and nearer, as if bearing the treasures of theOrient; the air was full of spice and sweetness; wild grape, fern,cedar, and pine, fluttering butterflies, almost like small birds, madeswift dazzles, or seemed to hang poised in the still air as ifconsidering which way to take. The sea was marvellously blue, so wasthe sky overhead, but round the edges where it touched the sea therewas a soft gray mistiness, here whitening, there taking on an azuretint.
He was mysteriously touched by beauty, though he was a whole-heartedboy, and occasionally dipped into fun of the unorthodox sort. Whocould help it in such a wild country?
Miss Holmes nodded, she, too, was deeply moved. They turned about, theroad was narrow and carpeted, one might say, with countless wildroses, flaming lilies, others as yellow as the palest sulphur color;little juniper trees, with their pale green shoots that had never yetseen sunshine; blackberry vines, that were in bloom at least sixmonths of the year, with their starry crowns, and berries of allripening colors. The horses kicked them aside, they were meet food forthe birds.
They came farther inland through tall woods, great stretches of wildoats and barley, meadows that would presently be brown with burntroots of vanished things. Here and there an adobe house, smallchildren playing about in cotton shirts, and shouting with the sameriotous glee that informed the bird's song.
Pelajo gave a whinny as they came in sight of the house that looked asif set among the rocks. Bruno rushed out. Balder gave a cry ofwelcome. They had all missed the little girl, who talked to them in alanguage they understood and loved.
"I hardly know how to thank you for such a delightful day," VictorSavedra said, in his refined manner that was hearty as well. "I hadnot thought of so much pleasure when I came. And I do hope to returnit. You see, I haven't felt quite like a stranger, Aunt Grace hastalked of you so often. We all like her so much. And at first we feltquite startled at the thought of uncle marrying a Yankee woman," andhe smiled, with a sort of gay retrospection. "Yet, she had been sogood to the aunt that died. But it is largely in the cultivation,don't you think? Many of those first Eastern people were of goodbirth, and they were fine pioneers, we can't deny that. And we shallplan for you to come over on some Saturday with her and the girls, forI want you to see mother."
Miss Holmes thanked him cordially, and the little girl said the samething with her eyes and her smile.
Yet, after she had made the round of her pets, had a splendid drink ofwater, and seen Pelajo munching his wisps of alfalfa--Pablo would notgive him too much at a time--she came in and sat down in her favoritelow chair, while Miss Holmes was making some supper preparations,beating-up an old-fashioned cake of which Uncle Jason was very fond,and that suggested to him the weekly bakings in the old ovens back inMaine.
The little girl was quiet so long that Miss Holmes said presently:"Are you very tired?"
"Oh, no; I was thinking," and for an instant the rosy lips werecompressed. "Is it--do you think it wrong to have secrets?"
Miss Holmes was alarmed and studied her anxiously.
"It depends on what they are, and with whom," she answered gravely.
"Long ago, when we first knew her, Olive Personette said girls alwayshad secrets. They were mostly about other girls. And I only knew theEstenegas, and there wasn't anything about them except the queer oldhouse and Carmen going to a convent. She didn't care about that. Thenthere was the party."
"Yes," encouragingly.
"Olive was very angry because--because her cousin was so nice to me."
Then the whole story came out, how Olive had scarcely taken any noticeof her, and had her seat changed and played with the larger girls.But, after awhile, it had blown over, and now they were good friendsagain.
Miss Holmes had remarked an estrangement, but she was not in love withOlive herself, and had made no comment.
"I didn't want to tell Uncle Jason----"
"Oh, no, no," interrupted Miss Holmes quickly.
"And--I should have liked to know whether it was quite right to danceso much with Victor, but you see it was all done, and--and----"
"On the whole, you were a very discreet little girl. You did not know,of course. Olive should have been more attentive to her guests. Thatwasn't a very harmful secret, but I think your uncle would have beenquite vexed with Olive."
"I was afraid he would," she returned gravely.
"It is better to keep a secret than to stir up strife," Miss Holmesremarked.
"But now there's another secret," and a look of distress clouded thefair face. "It's been such a lovely day. I didn't ever suppose hewould come without the girls, but he has, and they do not know. Olivewill be angry, I am afraid."
Miss Holmes smiled inwardly, so as not to pain Laverne. Even theselittle girls began to have troubles and jealousies about the boys. Shehad been in it herself during childhood, she had seen a great deal ofit later on. And childhood should be such a sweet and simple thing--aseason of pure enjoyment.
"I think you had better say nothing about to-day. I'll explain thematter sometime to Mrs. Personette."
"Oh, that will be splendid! It was just a glorious time, wasn't it?And I should be sorry to have it spoiled."
Her face was joyous again with relief.
"But I can tell Uncle Jason?"
"Oh, yes."
She would have felt much relieved if she had known that the youngfellow went straight to the Personettes and found his aunt home alone.The girls were out driving with some friends.
"Aunt Grace," he said frankly, after the first courtesies had passed,"I've been up there on the hill where the Chadseys live, gettingacquainted with the pets; and what an odd, pretty place it is. I likeMiss Holmes very much. I wish Isola had just such a friend instead ofthat half-French governess. And Miss Laverne is a very charming littlechild, isn't she? Can't you bring them over some Saturday and I'll domy best to entertain you. I've told mother a good deal aboutthem--well, so have you;" and he laughed with boyish gayety.
"Yes, I've been thinking of it. And now everything is at its best.I'll be over in a day or two and we will settle upon the time. Ishould like your mother to know Miss Holmes. And, oh, what a treat itwill be for that little Laverne. She might almost as well be in aconvent, but she is happy and bright as a lark. She's a reallycharming child, but it would be a pity to make an early 1800 girl outof her when we are passed the middle of the century."
They both laughed at the idea.