第 1 节
Padre Ignacio
Or The Song of Temptation
by Owen Wister
I
At Santa Ysabel del Mar the season was at one of those moments when the
air rests quiet over land and sea。 The old breezes were gone; the new
ones were not yet risen。 The flowers in the mission garden opened wide;
no wind came by day or night to shake the loose petals from their stems。
Along the basking; silent; many…colored shore gathered and lingered the
crisp odors of the mountains。 The dust hung golden and motionless long
after the rider was behind the hill; and the Pacific lay like a floor of
sapphire; whereon to walk beyond the setting sun into the East。 One white
sail shone there。 Instead of an hour; it had been from dawn till
afternoon in sight between the short headlands; and the Padre had hoped
that it might be the ship his homesick heart awaited。 But it had slowly
passed。 From an arch in his garden cloisters he was now watching the last
of it。 Presently it was gone; and the great ocean lay empty。 The Padre
put his glasses in his lap。 For a short while he read in his breviary;
but soon forgot it again。 He looked at the flowers and sunny ridges; then
at the huge blue triangle of sea which the opening of the hills let into
sight。 〃Paradise;〃 he murmured; 〃need not hold more beauty and peace。 But
I think I would exchange all my remaining years of this for one sight
again of Paris or Seville。 May God forgive me such a thought!〃
Across the unstirred fragrance of oleanders the bell for vespers began to
ring。 Its tones passed over the Padre as he watched the sea in his
garden。 They reached his parishioners in their adobe dwellings near by。
The gentle circles of sound floated outward upon the smooth; immense
silenceover the vines and pear…trees; down the avenues of the olives;
into the planted fields; whence women and children began to return; then
out of the lap of the valley along the yellow uplands; where the men that
rode among the cattle paused; looking down like birds at the map of their
home。 Then the sound widened; faint; unbroken; until it met Temptation in
the guise of a youth; riding toward the Padre from the South; and cheered
the steps of Temptation's jaded horse。
〃For a day; one single day of Paris!〃 repeated the Padre; gazing through
his cloisters at the empty sea。
Once in the year the mother…world remembered him。 Once in the year; from
Spain; tokens and home…tidings came to him; sent by certain beloved
friends of his youth。 A barkentine brought him these messages。 Whenever
thus the mother…world remembered him; it was like the touch of a warm
hand; a dear and tender caress; a distant life; by him long left behind;
seemed to be drawing the exile homeward from these alien shores。 As the
time for his letters and packets drew near; the eyes of Padre Ignacio
would be often fixed wistfully upon the harbor; watching for the
barkentine。 Sometimes; as to…day; he mistook other sails for hers; but
hers he mistook never。 That Pacific Ocean; which; for all its hues and
jeweled mists; he could not learn to love; had; since long before his
day; been furrowed by the keels of Spain。 Traders; and adventurers; and
men of God had passed along this coast; planting their colonies and
cloisters; but it was not his ocean。 In the year that we; a thin strip of
patriots away over on the Atlantic edge of the continent; declared
ourselves an independent nation; a Spanish ship; in the name of Saint
Francis; was unloading the centuries of her own civilization at the
Golden Gate。 San Diego had come earlier。 Then; slowly; as mission after
mission was built along the soft coast wilderness; new ports were
establishedat Santa Barbara; and by Point San Luis for San Luis Obispo;
which lay inland a little way up the gorge where it opened among the
hills。 Thus the world reached these missions by water; while on land;
through the mountains; a road led to them; and also to many more that
were too distant behind the hills for ships to servea rough road; long
and lonely; punctuated with church towers and gardens。 For the Fathers
gradually so stationed their settlements that the traveler might each
morning ride out from one mission and by evening of a day's fair journey
ride into the next。 A lonely; rough; dangerous road; but lovely; too;
with a name like musicEl Camino Real。 Like music also were the names of
the missionsSan Juan Capistrano; San Luis Rey de Francia; San Miguel;
Santa Ynestheir very list is a song。
So there; by…and…by; was our continent; with the locomotive whistling
from Savannah to Boston along its eastern edge; and on the western the
scattered chimes of Spain ringing among the unpeopIed mountains。 Thus
grew the two sorts of civilizationnot equally。 We know what has
happened since。 To…day the locomotive is whistling also from The Golden
Gate to San Diego; but still the old mission…road goes through the
mountains; and along it the footsteps of vanished Spain are marked with
roses; and broken cloisters; and the crucifix。
But this was 1855。 Only the barkentine brought to Padre Ignacio the signs
from the world that he once had known and loved so dearly。 As for the new
world making a rude noise to the northward; he trusted that it might keep
away from Santa Ysabel; and he waited for the vessel that was overdue
with its package containing his single worldly luxury。
As the little; ancient bronze bell continued swinging in the tower; its
plaintive call reached something in the Padre's memory。 Softly; absently;
he began to sing。 He took up the slow strain not quite correctly; and
dropped it; and took it up again; always in cadence with the bell。
'musical score appears here'
At length he heard himself; and; glancing at the belfry; smiled a little。
〃It is a pretty tune;〃 he said; 〃and it always made me sorry for poor Fra
Diavolo。 Auber himself confessed to me that he had made it sad and put
the hermitage bell to go with it; because he too was grieved at having to
kill his villain; and wanted him; if possible; to die in a religious
frame of mind。 And Auber touched glasses with me and saidhow well I
remember it!'Is it the good Lord; or is it merely the devil; that makes
me always have a weakness for rascals?' I told him it was the devil。 I
was not a priest then。 I could not be so sure with my answer now。〃 And
then Padre Ignacio repeated Auber's remark in French: 〃'Est…ce le bon
Dieu; oui est…ce bien le diable; qui veut tonjours que j'aime les
coquins?〃 I don't know! I don't know! I wonder if Auber has composed
anything lately? I wonder who is singing 'Zerlina' now?〃
He cast a farewell look at the ocean; and took his steps between the
monastic herbs; the jasmines and the oleanders to the sacristy。 〃At
least;〃 he said; 〃if we cannot carry with us into exile the friends and
the places we have loved; music will go whither we go; even to an end of
the world such as this。Felipe!〃 he called to his organist。 〃Can they
sing the music I taught them for the Dixit Dominus to…night?〃
〃Yes; father; surely。〃
〃Then we will have that。 And; Felipe〃 The Padre crossed the chancel to
the small; shabby organ。 〃Rise; my child; and listen。 Here is something
you can learn。 Why; see now if you cannot learn it from a single
hearing。〃
The swarthy boy of sixteen stood watching his master's fingers; delicate
and white; as they played。 Thus; of his own accord; he had begun to watch
them when a child of six; and the Padre had taken the wild; half…scared;
spellbound creature and made a musician of him。
〃There; Felipe!〃 he said now。 〃Can you do it? Slower; and more softly;
muchacho mio。 It is about the death of a man; and it should go with our
bell。〃
The boy listened。 〃Then the father has played it a tone too low;〃 said
he; 〃for our bell rings the note of sol; or something very near it; as
the father must surely know。〃 He placed the melody in the right keyan
easy thing for him; and the Padre was delighted。
〃Ah; my Felipe;〃 he exclaimed; 〃what could you and I not do if we had a
better organ! Only a little better! See! above this row of keys would be
a second row; and many more stops。 Then we would make such music as has
never yet been heard in California。 But my people are so poor and so few!
And some day I shall have passed from them; and it will be too late。〃
〃Perhaps;〃 ventured Felipe; 〃the Americanos〃
〃They care nothing for us; Felipe。 They are not of our religionor of
any religion; from what I can hear。 Don't forget my Dixit Dominus。〃
The Padre retired once more to the sacristy; while the horse that brought
Temptation came over the hill。
The hour of service drew near; and as the Padre waited he once again
stepped out for a look at the ocean; but the blue triangle of water lay
like a picture in its frame of land; bare as the sky。 〃I think; from the
color; though;〃 said he; 〃that a little more wind must have begun out
there。〃
The bell