Theoldman’slipswereworkingunderhisstainedbeard。Heturnedtothelawyerwithtimiddeference:“Phelpsandtherestarecomin’backtosetupwithHarve，ain’tthey？“heasked。“Thank’ee，Jim，thank’ee。“Hebrushedthehairbackgentlyfromhisson’sforehead。“Hewasagoodboy，Jim；alwaysagoodboy。Hewasezgentleezachildandthekindestof’emall——onlywedidn’tnoneofuseveronderstandhim。“Thetearstrickledslowlydownhisbeardanddroppeduponthesculptor’scoat。
“Martin，Martin。Oh，Martin！comehere，“hiswifewailedfromthetopofthestairs。Theoldmanstartedtimorously:
“Yes，Annie，I’mcoming。“Heturnedaway，hesitatedstoodforamomentinmiserableindecision；thenhereachedbackandpattedthedeadman’shairsoftly，andstumbledfromtheroom。
“Pooroldman，Ididn’tthinkhehadanytearsleft。Seemsasifhiseyeswouldhavegonedrylongago。Athisagenothingcutsverydeep，“remarkedthelawyer。
SomethinginhistonemadeSteavensglanceup。Whilethemotherhadbeenintheroomtheyoungmanhadscarcelyseenanyoneelse；butnow，fromthemomenthefirstglancedintoJimLaird’sfloridfaceandbloodshoteyes，heknewthathehadfoundwhathehadbeenheartsickatnotfindingbefore——thefeeling，theunderstanding，thatmustexistinsomeone，evenhere。
Themanwasredashisbeard，withfeaturesswollenandblurredbydissipation，andahot，blazingblueeye。Hisfacewasstrained——thatofamanwhoiscontrollinghimselfwithdifficulty——andhekeptpluckingathisbeardwithasortoffierceresentment。Steavens，sittingbythewindow，watchedhimturndowntheglaringlamp，stillitsjanglingpendantswithanangrygesture，andthenstandwithhishandslockedbehindhim，staringdownintothemaster’sface。Hecouldnothelpwonderingwhatlinktherecouldhavebeenbetweentheporcelainvesselandsosootyalumpofpotter’sclay。
Fromthekitchenanuproarwassounding；whenthedining-
roomdooropenedtheimportofitwasclear。Themotherwasabusingthemaidforhavingforgottentomakethedressingforthechickensaladwhichhadbeenpreparedforthewatchers。
Steavenshadneverheardanythingintheleastlikeit；itwasinjured，emotional，dramaticabuse，uniqueandmasterlyinitsexcruciatingcruelty，asviolentandunrestrainedashadbeenhergriefoftwentyminutesbefore。Withashudderofdisgustthelawyerwentintothediningroomandclosedthedoorintothekitchen。
“PoorRoxy’sgettingitnow，“heremarkedwhenhecameback。
“TheMerrickstookheroutofthepoorhouseyearsago；andifherloyaltywouldlether，Iguessthepooroldthingcouldtelltalesthatwouldcurdleyourblood。She’sthemulattowomanwhowasstandinginhereawhileago，withheraprontohereyes。
Theoldwomanisafury；thereneverwasanybodylikeherfordemonstrativepietyandingeniouscruelty。ShemadeHarvey’slifeahellforhimwhenhelivedathome；hewassosickashamedofit。Inevercouldseehowhekepthimselfsosweet。“
“Hewaswonderful，“saidSteavensslowly，“wonderful；butuntiltonightIhaveneverknownhowwonderful。“
“Thatisthetrueandeternalwonderofit，anyway；thatitcancomeevenfromsuchadungheapasthis，“thelawyercried，withasweepinggesturewhichseemedtoindicatemuchmorethanthefourwallswithinwhichtheystood。
“IthinkI’llseewhetherIcangetalittleair。TheroomissocloseIambeginningtofeelratherfaint，“murmuredSteavens，strugglingwithoneofthewindows。Thesashwasstuck，however，andwouldnotyield，sohesatdowndejectedlyandbeganpullingathiscollar。Thelawyercameover，loosenedthesashwithoneblowofhisredfist，andsentthewindowupafewinches。Steavensthankedhim，butthenauseawhichhadbeengraduallyclimbingintohisthroatforthelasthalf-hourlefthimwithbutonedesire——adesperatefeelingthathemustgetawayfromthisplacewithwhatwasleftofHarveyMerrick。Oh，hecomprehendedwellenoughnowthequietbitternessofthesmilethathehadseensooftenonhismaster’slips！
Herememberedthatonce，whenMerrickreturnedfromavisithome，hebroughtwithhimasingularlyfeelingandsuggestivebas-reliefofathin，fadedoldwoman，sittingandsewingsomethingpinnedtoherknee；whileafull-lipped，full-bloodedlittleurchin，histrousersheldupbyasinglegallows，stoodbesideher，impatientlytwitchinghergowntocallherattentiontoabutterflyhehadcaught。Steavens，impressedbythetenderanddelicatemodelingofthethin，tiredface，hadaskedhimifitwerehismother。Herememberedthedullflushthathadburnedupinthesculptor’sface。
Thelawyerwassittinginarockingchairbesidethecoffin，hisheadthrownbackandhiseyesclosed。Steavenslookedathimearnestly，puzzledatthelineofthechin，andwonderingwhyamanshouldconcealafeatureofsuchdistinctionunderthatdisfiguringshockofbeard。Suddenly，asthoughhefelttheyoungsculptor’skeenglance，heopenedhiseyes。
“Washealwaysagooddealofanoyster？“heaskedabruptly。
“Hewasterriblyshyasaboy。“
“Yes，hewasanoyster，sinceyouputitso，“rejoinedSteavens。“Althoughhecouldbeveryfondofpeople，healwaysgaveonetheimpressionofbeingdetached。Hedislikedviolentemotion；hewasreflective，andratherdistrustfulofhimself——
except，ofcourse，asregardedhiswork。Hewassurefootedenoughthere。Hedistrustedmenprettythoroughlyandwomenevenmore，yetsomehowwithoutbelievingillofthem。Hewasdetermined，indeed，tobelievethebest，butheseemedafraidtoinvestigate。“
“Aburntdogdreadsthefire，“saidthelawyergrimly，andclosedhiseyes。
Steavenswentonandon，reconstructingthatwholemiserableboyhood。Allthisraw，bitinguglinesshadbeentheportionofthemanwhosetasteswererefinedbeyondthelimitsofthereasonable——whosemindwasanexhaustlessgalleryofbeautifulimpressions，andsosensitivethatthemereshadowofapoplarleafflickeringagainstasunnywallwouldbeetchedandheldthereforever。Surely，ifeveramanhadthemagicwordinhisfingertips，itwasMerrick。Whateverhetouched，herevealeditsholiestsecret；liberateditfromenchantmentandrestoredittoitspristineloveliness，liketheArabianprincewhofoughttheenchantressspellforspell。Uponwhateverhehadcomeincontactwith，hehadleftabeautifulrecordoftheexperience——asortofetherealsignature；ascent，asound，acolorthatwashisown。
Steavensunderstoodnowtherealtragedyofhismaster’slife；neitherlovenorwine，asmanyhadconjectured，butablowwhichhadfallenearlierandcutdeeperthanthesecouldhavedone——ashamenothis，andyetsounescapablyhis，tobideinhisheartfromhisveryboyhood。Andwithout——thefrontierwarfare；
theyearningofaboy，castashoreuponadesertofnewnessanduglinessandsordidness，forallthatischastenedandold，andnoblewithtraditions。
Ateleveno’clockthetall，flatwomaninblackcrepeentered，announcedthatthewatcherswerearriving，andaskedthem“tostepintothediningroom。“AsSteavensrosethelawyersaiddryly:“Yougoon——it’llbeagoodexperienceforyou，doubtless；asforme，I’mnotequaltothatcrowdtonight；I’vehadtwentyyearsofthem。“
AsSteavensclosedthedoorafterhimbeglancedbackatthelawyer，sittingbythecoffininthedimlight，withhischinrestingonhishand。
Thesamemistygroupthathadstoodbeforethedooroftheexpresscarshuffledintothediningroom。Inthelightofthekerosenelamptheyseparatedandbecameindividuals。Theminister，apale，feeble-lookingmanwithwhitehairandblondchin-whiskers，tookhisseatbesideasmallsidetableandplacedhisBibleuponit。TheGrandArmymansatdownbehindthestoveandtiltedhischairbackcomfortablyagainstthewall，fishinghisquilltoothpickfromhiswaistcoatpocket。Thetwobankers，PhelpsandElder，satoffinacornerbehindthedinnertable，wheretheycouldfinishtheirdiscussionofthenewusurylawanditseffectonchattelsecurityloans。Therealestateagent，anoldmanwithasmiling，hypocriticalface，soonjoinedthem。Thecoal-and-lumberdealerandthecattleshippersatonoppositesidesofthehardcoal-burner，theirfeetonthenickelwork。
Steavenstookabookfromhispocketandbegantoread。Thetalkaroundhimrangedthroughvarioustopicsoflocalinterestwhilethehousewasquietingdown。WhenitwasclearthatthemembersofthefamilywereinbedtheGrandArmymanhitchedhisshouldersand，untanglinghislonglegs，caughthisheelsontheroundsofhischair。
“S’posethere’llbeawill，Phelps？“hequeriedinhisweakfalsetto。
Thebankerlaugheddisagreeablyandbegantrimminghisnailswithapearl-handledpocketknife。
“There’llscarcelybeanyneedforone，willthere？“hequeriedinhisturn。
TherestlessGrandArmymanshiftedhispositionagain，gettinghiskneesstillnearerhischin。“Why，theolemansaysHarve’sdonerightwelllately，“hechirped。
Theotherbankerspokeup。“IreckonhemeansbythatHarveain’taskedhimtomortgageanymorefarmslately，soashecouldgoonwithhiseducation。“
“Seemslikemyminddon’treachbacktoatimewhenHarvewasn’tbein’edycated，“titteredtheGrandArmyman。
Therewasageneralchuckle。Theministertookouthishandkerchiefandblewhisnosesonorously。BankerPhelpsclosedhisknifewithasnap。“It’stoobadtheoldman’ssonsdidn’tturnoutbetter，“heremarkedwithreflectiveauthority。“Theyneverhungtogether。HespentmoneyenoughonHarvetostockadozencattlefarmsandhemightaswellhavepoureditintoSandCreek。IfHarvehadstayedathomeandhelpednursewhatlittletheyhad，andgoneintostockontheoldman’sbottomfarm，theymightallhavebeenwellfixed。Buttheoldmanhadtotrusteverythingtotenantsandwascheatedrightandleft。“
“Harvenevercouldhavehandledstocknone，“interposedthecattleman。“Hehadn’titinhimtobesharp。DoyourememberwhenheboughtSander’smulesforeight-year-olds，wheneverybodyintownknewthatSander’sfather-in-lawgive’emtohiswifeforaweddingpresenteighteenyearsbefore，an’theywasfull-grownmulesthen。“
Everyonechuckled，andtheGrandArmymanrubbedhiskneeswithaspasmofchildishdelight。
“Harveneverwasmuchaccountforanythingpractical，andheshorewasneverfondofwork，“beganthecoal-and-lumberdealer。