\"UntilItouchedyou。I’mafraidIgaveyouashock;myhandwasdrippingfromthespring。\"
Shecoloredsoquicklythatheknewshemusthavebeenconsciousatthetime,andhenoticednowthatthesleeveofhercloak,whichhadbeenhalftornoffherbarearm,waspinnedtogetheroverit。
Whenandhowhadshemanagedtodoitwithouthisdetectingtheact?
\"Atallevents,\"shesaidcoldly,\"I’mgladyouhavenotreceivedgreaterinjuryfrom——yourmulepack。\"
\"Ithinkwe’vebothbeenverylucky,\"hesaidsimply。
Shedidnotreply,butremainedlookingfurtivelyatthenarrowtrail。Thenshelistened。\"IthoughtIheardvoices,\"shesaid,halfrising。
\"ShallIshout?\"heasked。
\"No!Yousaythere’snouse——there’sonlythiswayoutofit!\"
\"Imightgoupfirst,andperhapsgetassistance——aropeorchair,\"
hesuggested。
\"Andleavemeherealone?\"shecried,withahorrifiedglanceattheabyss。\"No,thankyou!Ishouldbeoverthatledgebeforeyoucameback!There’sadreadfulfascinationinitevennow。No!I
thinkI’drathergo——atonce!InevershallbestrongeraslongasIstaynearit;Imaybeweaker。\"
Shegaveapetulantlittleshiver,andthen,thoughpalerandevidentlyagitated,composedhertatteredanddustyoutergarmentsinadeft,ladylikeway,andleanedbackagainstthemountainside,Hesawheralsoglanceathisloosenedshirtfrontandhangingneckerchief,andwithaheightenedcolorhequicklyre-knotteditaroundhisthroat。Theymovedfromtheledgetowardthetrail。
Suddenlyshestartedback。
\"Butit’sonlywideenoughforONE,andInever——NEVER——couldevenstandonitaminutealone!\"sheexclaimed。
Helookedathercritically。\"Wewillgotogether,sidebyside,\"
hesaidquietly,\"butyouwillhavetotaketheoutside。\"
\"Outside!\"sherepeated,recoiling。\"Impossible!Ishallfall。\"
\"Ishallkeepholdofyou,\"heexplained;\"youneednotfearthat。
Stop!I’llmakeitsafer。\"Heuntiedthelargebandannasilkhandkerchiefwhichheworearoundhisshoulders,knottedoneendofitfirmlytohisbelt,andhandedhertheother。
\"Doyouthinkyoucanholdontothat?\"
\"I——don’tknow,\"——shehesitated。\"IfIshouldfall?\"
\"Stayamoment!Isyourbeltstrong?\"Hepointedtoagirdleofyellowleatherwhichcaughthertunicaroundhersmallwaist。
\"Yes,\"shesaideagerly,\"it’srealleather。\"
Hegentlyslippedtheedgeofthehandkerchiefunderitandknottedit。Theywerethuslinkedtogetherbyafootofhandkerchief。
\"Ifeelmuchsafer,\"shesaid,withafaintsmile。
\"ButifIshouldfall,\"heremarked,lookingintohereyes,\"youwouldgotoo!Haveyouthoughtofthat?\"
\"Yes。\"Herpreviouscharmingsmilereturned。\"ItwouldbereallyJackandJillthistime。\"
Theypassedoutonthetrail。\"NowImusttakeYOURarm,\"hesaidlaughingly;\"notyouMINE。\"Hepassedhisarmunderhers,holdingitfirmly。Itwastheonehehadtouched。Forthefirstfewstepsheruncertainfeettooknoholdoftheslopingmountainside,whichseemedtoslipsidewaysbeneathher。Hewasliterallycarryingheronhisshoulder。Butinafewmomentsshesawhowcleverlyhebalancedhimself,alwaysleaningtowardthehillside,andpresentlyshewasabletohelphimbyafewsteps。Sheexpressedhersurpriseathisskill。
\"It’snothing;Icarryapailofwaterupherewithoutspillingadrop。\"
Shestiffenedslightlyunderthisremark,andindeedsofaroverdidherattempttowalkwithouthisaid,thatherfootslippedonastone,andshefelloutwardtowardtheabyss。Butinaninstanthisarmwastransferredfromherelbowtoherwaist,andinthemomentumofhisquickrecoverytheybothlandedpantingagainstthemountainside。
\"I’mafraidyou’dhavespiltthepailthattime,\"shesaid,withaslightlyheightenedcolor,asshedisengagedherselfgentlyfromhisarm。
\"No,\"heansweredboldly,\"forthepailneverwouldhavestiffeneditselfinatiff,andtriedtogoalone。\"
\"Ofcoursenot,ifitwereonlyapail,\"sheresponded。
Theymovedonagaininsilence。Thetrailwasgrowingalittlesteepertowardtheupperendandtheroadbank。Braywasoftenhimselfobligedtoseekthefriendlyaidofamanzanitaorthornbushtosupportthem。Suddenlyshestoppedandcaughthisarm。\"There!\"shesaid。\"Listen!They’recoming!\"
Braylistened;hecouldhearatintervalsafar-offshout;thenanearerone——aname——\"Eugenia。\"SothatwasHERS!
\"ShallIshoutback?\"heasked。
\"Notyet!\"sheanswered。\"Arewenearthetop?\"Asuddenglowofpleasurecameoverhim——heknewnotwhy,exceptthatshedidnotlookdelighted,excited,orevenrelieved。
\"Onlyafewyardsmore,\"hesaid,withanunaffectedhalfsigh。
\"ThenI’dbetteruntiethis,\"shesuggested,beginningtofumbleattheknotofthehandkerchiefwhichlinkedthem。
Theirheadswereclosetogether,theirfingersoftenmet;hewouldhavelikedtosaysomething,buthecouldonlyadd:\"Areyousureyouwillfeelquitesafe?Itisalittlesteeperaswenearthebank。\"
\"Youcanholdme,\"sherepliedsimply,withasuperblyunconsciousliftingofherarm,assheyieldedherwaisttohimagain,butwithoutraisinghereyes。
Hedid,——holdingherrathertightly,Ifear,astheyclambereduptheremainingslope,foritseemedtohimasalastembrace。Asheliftedhertotheroadbank,theshoutscamenearer;andglancingup,hesawtwomenandawomanrunningdownthehilltowardthem。
HeturnedtoEugenia。Inthatinstantshehadslippedthetattereddust-coatfromhershoulder,thrownitoverherarm,setherhatstraight,andwascalmlyawaitingthemwithaself-possessionandcoolnessthatseemedtoshametheirexcitement。Henoticed,too,withthequickperceptionofunimportantthingswhichcomestosomenaturesatsuchmoments,thatshehadpluckedasprigofwildmyrtlefromthemountainside,andwaswearingitonherbreast。
\"GoodnessHeavens!Genie!Whathashappened!Wherehaveyoubeen?\"
\"Eugenia!thisisperfectmadness!\"begantheeldermandidactically。\"Youhavealarmedusbeyondmeasure——keptthestagewaiting,andnowitisgone!\"
\"Genie!Lookhere,Isay!We’vebeenhuntingforyoueverywhere。
What’sup?\"saidtheyoungerman,withbrotherlybrusqueness。
Asthesequestionswereallutteredinthesamebreath,Eugeniarepliedtothemcollectively。\"ItwassohotthatIkeptalongthebankhere,whileyouwereontheotherside。Iheardthetrickleofwatersomewheredownthere,andsearchingforitmyfootslipped。
Thisgentleman\"——sheindicatedBray——\"wasonalittlesortofatrailthere,andassistedmebacktotheroadagain。\"
ThetwomenandthewomanturnedandstaredatBraywithalookofcuriositythatchangedquicklyintoahalfcontemptuousunconcern。
Theysawayoungishsortofman,withalongmustache,atwodays’
growthofbeard,anotovercleanface,thatwasfurtherstreakedwithredonthetemple,atornflannelshirt,thatshowedaverywhiteshoulderbesideasunburntthroatandneck,andsoiledwhitetrousersstuckintomuddyhighboots——infact,thepictureofabroken-downminer。Buttheirunconcernwasasspeedilychangedagainintoresentmentattheperfecteaseandequalitywithwhichheregardedthem,aregardthemoreexasperatingasitwasnotwithoutasuspicionofhisperceptionofsomesatireorhumorinthesituation。
\"Ahem!verymuchobliged,Iamsure。I——er\"——
\"Theladyhasthankedme,\"interruptedBray,withasmile。
\"Didyoufallfar?\"saidtheyoungermantoEugenia,ignoringBray。
\"Notfar,\"sheanswered,withahalfappealinglookatBray。
\"Onlyafewfeet,\"addedthelatter,withpromptmendacity,\"justalittleslipdown。\"
Thethreenew-comershereturnedaway,and,surroundingEugenia,conversedinanundertone。Quiteconsciousthathewasthesubjectofdiscussion,BraylingeredonlyinthehopeofcatchingapartingglancefromEugenia。Thewords\"YOUdoit,\"\"No,YOU!\"\"ItwouldcomebetterfromHER,\"weredistinctlyaudibletohim。Tohissurprise,however,shesuddenlybrokethroughthem,andadvancingtohim,withadangerousbrightnessinherbeautifuleyes,heldoutherslimhand。\"Myfather,Mr。Neworth,mybrother,HarryNeworth,andmyaunt,Mrs。Dobbs,\"shesaid,indicatingeachonewithagracefulinclinationofherhandsomehead,\"allthinkIoughttogiveyousomethingandsendyouaway。Ibelievethatisthewaytheyputit。Ithinkdifferently!Icometoaskyoutoletmeoncemorethankyouforyourgoodservicetometo-day——whichI
shallneverforget。\"Whenhehadreturnedherfirmhandclaspforaminute,shecoollyrejoinedthediscomfitedgroup。
\"She’snosardine,\"saidBraytohimselfemphatically,\"butI
suspectshe’llcatchitfromherfolksforthis。Ioughttohavegoneawayatonce,likeagentleman,hangit!\"
Hewasevenangrilydebatingwithhimselfwhetherheoughtnottofollowhertoprotectherfromhergesticulatingrelationsastheyalltrailedupthehillwithher,whenhereflectedthatitwouldonlymakemattersworse。Andwithitcamethedreadfulreflectionthatasyethehadnotcarriedthewatertohisexpectingandthirstycomrades。Hehadforgottenthemfortheselazy,snobbish,purse-proudSanFranciscans——forBrayhadtheminer’ssupremecontemptforthemoneyedtradingclasses。Whatwouldtheboysthinkofhim!Heflunghimselfoverthebank,andhastenedrecklesslydownthetrailtothespring。Buthereagainhelingered——theplacehadbecomesuddenlyhallowed。Howdeserteditlookedwithouther!Hegazedeagerlyaroundontheledgeforanytracethatshehadleft——abow,abitofribbon,orevenahairpinthathadfallenfromher。
Astheyoungmanslowlyfilledthepailhecaughtsightofhisownreflectioninthespring。ItcertainlywasnotthatofanAdonis!
Helaughedhonestly;hissenseofhumorhadsavedhimfrommanyanextravagance,andmitigatedmanyadisappointmentbeforethis。
Well!Shewasaplucky,handsomegirl——evenifshewasnotforhim,andhemightneverseteyesonheragain。Yetitwasahardpullupthattrailoncemore,carryinganinsensiblepailofwaterinthehandthathadoncesustainedalovelygirl!Herememberedherreplytohisbadinage,\"Ofcoursenot——ifitwereonlyapail,\"
andfoundadozenprettyinterpretationsofit。Yethewasnotinlove!No!Hewastoopoorandtoolevelheadedforthat!Andhewasunaffectedlyandmateriallytired,too,whenhereachedtheroadagain,andrested,leavingthespringanditslittleidylbehind。
BythistimethesunhadlefttheburningledgeoftheEurekaCompany,andthestageroadwasalsoinshadow,sothathisreturnthroughitsheavydustwaslessdifficult。Andwhenheatlastreachedthecamp,hefoundtohisreliefthathisprolongedabsencehadbeenoverlookedbyhisthirstycompanionsinalargerexcitementanddisappointment;foritappearedthatawell-knownSanFranciscocapitalist,whomtheforemanhadpersuadedtovisittheirclaimwithaviewtoadvanceandinvestment,hadactuallycomeoverfromRedDogforthatpurpose,andhadgotasfarasthesummitwhenhewasstoppedbyanaccident,anddelayedsolongthathewasobligedtogoontoSacramentowithoutmakinghisexamination。
\"Thatwasonlyhisexcuse——mereflap-doodle!\"interruptedthepessimisticJerrold。\"Hewasfoolin’you;he’dheardofsuthinbetter!Theideaofcallingthataffairan’accident,’oronethatwouldstopanymanwhomeantbusiness!\"
Brayhadbecomeuneasilyconscious。\"Whatwastheaccident?\"heasked。
\"Ad————dfoolwoman’saccident,\"brokeinthemisogynistParkhurst,\"andit’strue!That’swhatmakesitsocussedmean。
Forthere’sallusawomanatthebottomofsuchthings——betyourlife!Thinkof’emcomin’here。Tharoughttobealawaginit。\"
\"Butwhatwasit?\"persistedBray,becomingmoreapprehensive。
\"Why,whatdoesthatblastedfoolofacapitalistdobutbringwithhimhisdaughterandauntieto’seethewonderfulscenerywithpopadear!’asifitwasacheapSunday-schoolpanorama!Andwhatdothesechuckle-headedwomendobutgetoffthecoachandgotowanderin’about,andplayin’’herewegoroundthemulberrybush’
untiloneof’emtumblesdownaravine。Andthenthere’sagreattodo!and’dearpopa’wasupanddowntheroadyellin’’Mecheyld!
mecheyld!’Andthentherewascamphorandsalvolatileandeaudecolognetobegot,andthecoachgoesoff,and’popadear’getsleft,andthenhastohurryoffinabuggytocatchit。SoWEgetlefttoo,justbecausethatGod-forsakenfool,Neworth,bringshiswomenhere。\"
UnderthisrecitalpoorBraysatascompletelycrushedaswhenthefairdaughterofNeworthhaddescendeduponhisshouldersatthespring。Hesawitall!HISwasthefault。ItwasHISdelayanddalliancewithherthathadcheckedNeworth’svisit;worsethanthat,itwashissubsequentaudacityandherdefenseofhimthatwouldprobablypreventanyrenewalofthenegotiations。Hehadshipwreckedhispartners’prospectsinhisabsurdvanityandpride!
Hedidnotdaretoraisehiseyestotheirdejectedfaces。Hewouldhaveconfessedeverythingtothem,butthesamefeelingofdelicacyforherwhichhaddeterminedhimtokeepheradventurestohimselfnowforeversealedhislips。Howmighttheynotmisconstruehisconduct——andHERS!Perhapssomethingofthiswasvisibleinhisface。
\"Come,oldman,\"saidthecheerfulmisogynist,withperfectinnocence,\"don’ttakeitsohard。Sometimeinaman’slifeawoman’ssuretogetthedroponhim,asIsaidafore,andthisyerwoman’sgotthedroponfiveofus!But——hallo,Ned,oldman——
what’sthematterwithyourhead?\"Helaidhishandgentlyonthemattedtempleofhisyoungerpartner。
\"Ihad——aslip——onthetrail,\"hestammered。\"Hadtogobackagainforanotherpailful。That’swhatdelayedme,youknow,boys,\"headded。\"Butit’snothing!\"
\"Nothing!\"ejaculatedParkhurst,clappinghimonthebackandtwistinghimaroundbytheshoulderssothathefacedhiscompanions。\"Nothing!Lookathim,gentlemen;andhesaysit’s’nothing。’That’showaMANtakesit!HEdidn’tgoroundyellin’
andwringin’hishandsandsayin’’Mepay-l!mepay-l!’whenitspilt!Hejusthumpedhimselfandtrottedbackforanother。Andyeteverydropofwaterinthatoversetbucketmeanthardworkandhardsweat,andwasaspreciousasgold。\"
LuckilyforBray,whosemingledemotionsunderParkhurst’seloquencewerebeginningtobehysterical,theforemaninterrupted。
\"Well,boys!it’stimewegottoworkagain,andtookanotherheaveattheoldledge!ButnowthatthisjobofNeworth’sisover——I
don’tmindtellin’yesuthin。\"Astheirleaderusuallyspokebutlittle,andtothepoint,thefourmengatheredaroundhim。
\"AlthoughIengineeredthisaffair,andgotitup,somehow,IneverSAWthatNeworthstandingonthisledge!No,boys!IneversawhimHERE。\"ThelookofsuperstitionwhichBrayandtheothershadoftenseenonthisoldminer’sface,andwhichsooftenshoweditselfinhisacts,wasthere。\"AndthoughIwantedhimtocome,andallowedtohavehimcome,I’mkinderrelievedthathedidn’t,andsoletwhatsoeverluck’sintheaircometousfivealone,boys,justaswestand。\"
ThenextmorningBraywasupbeforehiscompanions,andalthoughitwasnothisturn,offeredtobringwaterfromthespring。HewasnotinlovewithEugenia——hehadnotforgottenhisremorseofthepreviousday——buthewouldliketogothereoncemorebeforeherelentlesslywipedoutherimagefromhismind。AndhehadheardthatalthoughNeworthhadgoneontoSacramento,hissonandthetwoladieshadstoppedonforadayortwoattheditchsuperintendent’shouseonthesummit,onlytwomilesaway。Shemightpassontheroad;hemightgetaglimpseofheragainandawaveofherhandbeforethisthingwasoverforever,andheshouldhavetotakeupthedailyroutineofhisworkagain。Itwasnotlove——ofTHAThewasassured——butitwasthewaytostopitbyconvincinghimselfofitsmadness。Besides,inviewofallthecircumstances,itwashisdutyasagentlemantoshowsomeconcernforherconditionaftertheaccidentandthedisagreeablecontretempswhichfollowedit。
ThusBray!Alas,noneofthesepossibilitiesoccurred。Hefoundthespringhadsimplylapsedintoitspreviousunsuggestiveobscurity,——amerenicheinthemountainsidethatheldonly——
water!Thestageroadwasdesertedsaveforanearly,curly-headedschoolboy,whomhefoundlurkingonthebank,butwhoevadedhiscompanyandconversation。Hereturnedtothecampquitecuredofhisfancy。Hislatezealasawater-carrierhadearnedhimadayortwo’sexemptionfromthatduty。Hisplacewastakenthenextafternoonbythewoman-hatingParkhurst,andhewasthelessconcernedbyitashehadheardthatthesameafternoontheladiesweretoleavethesummitforSacramento。
Butthenoccurredasingularcoincidence。Thenewwater-bringerwasasscandalouslylateinhisdeliveryofthepreciousfluidashispredecessor!Anhourpassedandhedidnotreturn。Hisunfortunatepartners,toilingawaywithpickandcrowbarontheburningledge,wereclamorousfromthirst,andBraywasbecomingabsurdlyuneasy。ItcouldnotbepossiblethatEugenia’saccidenthadbeenrepeated!Orhadshemethimwithinquiries?Butno!shewasalreadygone。Themysterywaspresentlycleared,however,bytheabruptappearanceofParkhurstrunningtowardsthem,butWITHOUTHISPAIL!Thecryofconsternationanddespairwhichgreetedthatdiscoverywas,however,quicklychangedbyasinglebreathless,halfintelligiblesentencehehadshotbeforehimfromhispantinglips。Andhewasholdingsomethinginhisoutstretchedpalmthatwasmoreeloquentthanwords。Gold!
Inaninstanttheyhadhimundertheshadeofthepine-tree,andweresquattingroundhimlikeschoolboys。Hewasprofoundlyagitated。Hisstory,farfrombeingbrief,wasincoherentandattimesseemedirrelevant,butthatwascharacteristic。Theywouldrememberthathehadalwaysheldthetheorythat,eveninquartzmining,thedepositswerealwaysfoundnearwater,pastorpresent,withsignsoffluvialerosion!Hedidn’tcallhimselfoneofyourblankedscientificminers,buthisheadwaslevel!Itwasallverywellforthemtosay\"Yes,yes!\"NOW,buttheydidn’tuseto!
Well!whenhegottothespring,henoticedthattherehadbeenakindoflandslideaboveit,ofcourse,fromwatercleavage,andtherewasadistinctmarkofitonthemountainside,whereithaduprootedandthrownoversomesmallbushes!
ExcitedasBraywas,herecognizedwithahystericalsensationthetrackmadebyEugeniainherfall,whichhehimselfhadnoticed。
ButhehadthoughtonlyofHER。
\"WhenIsawthat,\"continuedParkhurst,morerapidlyandcoherently,\"Isawthattherewasacrackabovetheholewherethewatercamethrough——asifithadbeentheoldchannelofthespring。Iwideneditalittlewithmyclaspknife,andthen——inalittlepouchorpocketofdecomposedquartz——Ifoundthat!Notonlythat,boys,\"hecontinued,rising,withashout,\"butthewholeslopeabovethespringisamassofseepageunderneath,asifyou’dplayedahydraulichoseonit,andit’sreadytotumbleandisjustrottenwithquartz!\"
Themenleapedtotheirfeet;inanothermomenttheyhadsnatchedpicks,pans,andshovels,and,theforemanleading,withacoilofropethrownoverhisshoulders,wereallflyingdownthetrailtothehighway。Theirhastewaswise。ThespringwasnotonTHEIR
claim;itwasknowntoothers;itwasdoubtfulifParkhurst’sdiscoverywithhisknifeamountedtoactualWORKonthesoil。Theymust\"takeitup\"withaformalnotice,andgettoworkatonce!
Inanhourtheywerescatteredoverthemountainside,likebeesclingingtothefragrantslopeoflaurelandmyrtleabovethespring。Anexcavationwasmadebesideit,andtheledgebroadenedbyadozenfeet。Eventhespringitselfwasutilizedtowashthehastilyfilledprospectingpans。AndwhenthePioneerCoachslowlytoileduptheroadthatafternoon,thepassengersstaredatthescarcelydry\"NoticeofLocation\"pinnedtothepinebytheroadbank,whenceEugeniahadfallentwodaysbefore!
EagerlyandanxiouslyasEdwardBrayworkedwithhiscompanions,itwaswithmoreconflictingfeelings。Therewasacertainsenseofdesecrationintheiract。Howherproudlipwouldhavecurledhadsheseenhim——hewhobutafewhoursbeforewouldhavesearchedthewholeslopeforthetreasureofaribbon,ahandkerchief,orabowfromherdress——nowdelvingandpickingthehillsideforthatfortuneheraccidenthadsomysteriouslydisclosed。Mysteriouslyhebelieved,forhehadnotfullyacceptedParkhurst’sstory。
Thatgentlemisogynisthadneverbeenanactiveprospector;aninclinationtotheorizewithoutpracticeandtocombathispartners’experiencewereallagainsthisallegedprocessofdiscovery,althoughthegoldwasactuallythere;andhisconductthatafternoonwascertainlypeculiar。Hedidbutlittleoftherealwork;butwanderedfrommantoman,withsuggestions,advice,andexhortations,andtheairofasuperiorpatron。Thismighthavebeencharacteristic,butmingledwithitwasacertainnervousanxietyandwatchfulness。Hewascontinuallyscanningthestageroadandthetrail,staringeagerlyatanywayfarerinthedistance,andattimesfallingintofitsofstrangeabstraction。
Atothertimeshewoulddrawneartooneofhisfellowpartners,asifforconfidentialdisclosure,andthencheckhimselfandwanderaimlesslyaway。Anditwasnotuntileveningcamethatthemysterywassolved。
Theprospectingpanshadbeendulywashedandexamined,theslopeaboveandbelowhadbeenfullyexploredandtested,witharesultandpromisethatoutrantheirmostsanguinehopes。Therewasnomistakingthefactthattheyhadmadea\"big\"strike。Thatsingulargravityandreticence,sooftenobservedinminersatthesecrises,hadcomeoverthemastheysatthatnightforthelasttimearoundtheiroldcamp-fireontheEurekaledge,whenParkhurstturnedimpulsivelytoBray。\"Rolloverhere,\"hesaidinawhisper。\"Iwanttotellyesuthin!\"
Bray\"rolled\"beyondthesquattingcircle,andthetwomengraduallyedgedthemselvesoutofhearingoftheothers。Inthesilentabstractionthatprevailednobodynoticedthem。
\"It’sgotsuthintodowiththisdiscovery,\"saidParkhurst,inalow,mysterioustone,\"butasfarasthegoldgoes,andourequalrightstoitaspartners,itdon’taffectthem。IfI,\"hecontinuedinaslightlypatronizing,paternaltone,\"choosetomakeyouandtheotherboyssharersinwhatseemstobeaspecialProvidencetoME,Ireckonwewon’tquarrelonit。It’samightycurious,singularthing。It’soneofthosethingsyereadaboutinbooksanddon’ttakeanystockin!Butwe’vegotthegold——andI’vegottheblackandwhitetoproveit——evenifitain’texactlyhuman。\"
Hisvoicesanksolow,hismannerwassoimpressive,thatdespitehisknownexaggeration,Brayfeltaslightthrillofsuperstition。
MeantimeParkhurstwipedhisbrow,tookafoldedslipofpaperandasprigoflaurelfromhispocket,anddrewalongbreath。
\"WhenIgottothespringthisafternoon,\"hewenton,inanervous,tremulous,andscarcelyaudiblevoice,\"Isawthisbito’
paper,foldednote-wise,lyin’ontheledgebeforeit。Ontopofitwasthissprigoflaurel,tocatchtheeye。Iain’tthemantopryintootherfolks’secrets,orreadwhatain’tmine。Butonthebacko’thisnotewaswritten’ToJack!’It’sacommonenoughname,butit’sasingularthing,efyou’llrecollect,tharain’tANOTHERJackinthiscompany,notonthewholeridgebetwixtthisandthesummit,exceptMYSELF!SoIopenedit,andthisiswhatitread!\"Heheldthepapersidewaystowardtheleapinglightofthestillnearcamp-fire,andreadslowly,withtheemphasisofhavingreaditmanytimesbefore。
\"’IwantyoutobelievethatI,atleast,respectandhonoryourhonest,manlycalling,andwhenyoustrikeitrich,asyousurelywill,IhopeyouwillsometimesthinkofJill。’\"
Inthethrillofjoy,hope,andfearthatcameoverBray,hecouldseethatParkhursthadnotonlyfailedtodetecthissecret,buthadnotevenconnectedthetwonameswiththeirobvioussuggestion。
\"ButdoyouknowanybodynamedJill?\"heaskedbreathlessly。
\"It’snoNAME,\"saidParkhurstinasombrevoice,\"it’saTHING!\"
\"Athing?\"repeatedBray,bewildered。
\"Yes,ameasure——youknow——twofingersofwhiskey。\"
\"Oh,a’gill,’\"saidBray。
\"That’swhatIsaid,youngman,\"returnedParkhurstgravely。
Braychokedbackahystericallaugh;spellingwasnotoriouslynotoneofParkhurst’sstrongpoints。\"Butwhathasa’gill’gottodowithit?\"heaskedquickly。
\"It’soneofthemSphinxthings,don’tyousee?Asortofriddleorrebus,youknow。You’vegottostudyitout,asthemoldchapsdid。ButIfetchedit。Whatcomesafter’gills,’eh?\"
\"Pints,Isuppose,\"saidBray。
\"Andafterpints?\"
\"Quarts。\"
\"QUARTZ,andthereyouare。SoIlookedaboutmeforquartz,andsureenoughstruckitthefirstpop。\"
BraycastaquicklookatParkhurst’sgraveface。Themanwasevidentlyimpressedandsincere。\"Haveyoutoldthistoanyone?\"
heaskedquickly。
\"No。\"
\"ThenDON’T!oryou’llspoilthecharm,andbringusillluck!
That’stherule,youknow。Ireallydon’tknowthatyououghttohavetoldme,\"addedtheartfulBray,dissemblinghisintensejoyatthisproofofEugenia’sremembrance。
\"But,\"saidParkhurstblankly,\"yousee,oldman,you’dbeenthelastmanatthespring,andIkinderthought\"——
\"Don’tthink,\"saidBraypromptly,\"andaboveall,don’ttalk;notawordtotheboysofthis。Stay!Givemethepaperandthesprig。I’vegottogotoSanFrancisconextweek,andI’lltakecareofitandthinkitout!\"HeknewthatParkhurstmightbetemptedtotalk,butwithoutthepaperhisstorywouldbetreatedlightly。Parkhursthandedhimthepaper,andthetwomenreturnedtothecamp-fire。
ThatnightBraysleptbutlittle。Thesuperstitionoftheloverisnolesskeenthanthatofthegambler,andBray,whilelaughingatParkhurst’sextravagantfancy,IamafraidwasequallyinclinedtobelievethattheirgoodfortunecamethroughEugenia’sinfluence。
Atleastheshouldtellherso,andherpreciousnotebecamenowaninvitationaswellasanexcuseforseekingher。Theonlyfearthatpossessedhimwasthatshemighthaveexpectedsomeacknowledgmentofhernotebeforesheleftthatafternoon;theonlythinghecouldnotunderstandwashowshehadmanagedtoconveythenotetothespring,forshecouldnothavetakenitherself。ButthiswoulddoubtlessbeexplainedbyherinSanFrancisco,whitherheintendedtoseekher。Hisaffairs,thepurchasingofmachineryfortheirnewclaim,wouldnodoubtgivehimeasyaccesstoherfather。
ButitwasonethingtoimaginethiswhileprocuringanewandfashionableoutfitinSanFrancisco,andquiteanothertostandbeforethe\"palatial\"residenceoftheNeworthsonRinconHill,withtheconsciousnessofnootherintroductionthanthememoryoftheNeworths’discourtesyonthemountain,and,eveninhisfinefeathers,Brayhesitated。Atthismomentacarriagerolleduptothedoor,andEugenia,anadorablevisionoflacesandsilks,alighted。
Forgettingeverythingelse,headvancedtowardherwithoutstretchedhand。Hesawherstart,afaintcolorcomeintoherface;heknewhewasrecognized;butshestiffenedquicklyagain,thecolorvanished,herbeautifulgrayeyesrestedcoldlyonhimforamoment,andthen,withthefaintestinclinationofherproudhead,shesweptbyhimandenteredthehouse。
ButBray,thoughshocked,wasnotdaunted,andperhapshisownpridewasawakened。Herantohishotel,summonedamessenger,inclosedhernoteinanenvelope,andaddedtheselines:——
DEARMISSNEWORTH,——Ionlywantedtothankyouanhourago,asI
shouldliketohavedonebefore,forthekindnotewhichIinclose,butwhichyouhavemademefeelIhavenorighttotreasureanylonger,andtotellyouthatyourmostgenerouswishandprophecyhasbeenmorethanfulfilled。
Yours,verygratefully,EDMUNDBRAY。
Withinthehourthemessengerreturnedwiththestillbrieferreply:——
\"MissNeworthhasbeenfullyawareofthatpreoccupationwithhisgoodfortunewhichpreventedMr。Brayfromanearlieracknowledgmentofherfoolishnote。\"
Coldasthisresponsewas,Bray’sheartleaped。SheHADlingeredonthesummit,andHADexpectedareply。Heseizedhishat,and,jumpingintothefirstcabatthehoteldoor,droverapidlybacktothehouse。Hehadbutoneidea,toseeheratanycost,butoneconcern,toavoidameetingwithherfatherfirst,oradenialatherverydoor。
Hedismissedthecabatthestreetcornerandbegantoreconnoitrethehouse。Ithadalargegardenintherear,reclaimedfromtheadjacent\"scruboak\"infestedsandhill,andprotectedbyahighwall。Ifhecouldscalethatwall,hecouldcommandthepremises。
Itwasabrightmorning;shemightbetemptedintothegarden。A
tallerscruboakgrewnearthewall;tothemountain-bredBrayitwasaneasymattertoswinghimselffromittothewall,andhedid。Buthismomentumwassogreatthathetouchedthewallonlytobeobligedtoleapdownintothegardentosavehimselffromfallingthere。Heheardalittlecry,felthisfeetstrikesometinutensil,androlledonthegroundbesideEugeniaandheroverturnedwatering-pot。
Theybothstruggledtotheirfeetwithanastonishmentthatturnedtolaughterintheireyesandthesamethoughtinthemindsofeach。
\"Butwearenotonthemountainsnow,Mr。Bray,\"saidEugenia,takingherhandkerchiefatlastfromhersoberingfaceandstraighteningeyebrows。
\"Butwearequits,\"saidBray。\"Andyounowknowmyrealname。I
onlycameheretotellyouwhyIcouldnotansweryourletterthesameday。Inevergotit——Imean,\"headdedhurriedly,\"anothermangotitfirst。\"
Shethrewupherhead,andherfacegrewpale。\"ANOTHERmangotit,\"sherepeated,\"andYOUletanotherman\"——
\"No,no,\"interruptedBrayimploringly。\"Youdon’tunderstand。
Oneofmypartnerswenttothespringthatafternoon,andfoundit;
butheneitherknowswhosentit,norforwhomitwasintended。\"
HehastilyrecountedParkhurst’sstory,hismysteriousbelief,andhisinterpretationofthenote。Thecolorcamebacktoherfaceandthesmiletoherlipsandeyes。\"IhadgonetwicetothespringafterIsawyou,butIcouldn’tbearitsdesertedlookwithoutyou,\"headdedboldly。Here,seeingherfacegrewgraveagain,headded,\"Buthowdidyougetthelettertothespring?andhowdidyouknowthatitwasfoundthatday?\"
Itwasherturntolookembarrassedandentreating,butthecombinationwascharminginherproudface。\"Igotthelittleschoolboyatthesummit,\"shesaid,withgirlishhesitation,\"totakethenote。Heknewthespring,buthedidn’tknowYOU。Itoldhim——itwasveryfoolish,Iknow——towaituntilyoucameforwater,tobecertainthatyougotthenote,towaituntilyoucameup,forIthoughtyoumightquestionhim,orgivehimsomeword。\"Herfacewasquiterosynow。\"But,\"sheadded,andherliptookadivinepout,\"hesaidhewaitedTWOHOURS;thatyounevertooktheLEAST
CONCERNoftheletterorhim,butwentaroundthemountainside,peeringandpickingineveryholeandcornerofit,andthenhegottiredandranaway。OfcourseIunderstanditnow,itwasn’tYOU;
butoh,please;Ibegyou,Mr。Bray,don’t!\"
Brayreleasedthelittlehandwhichhehadimpulsivelycaught,andwhichhadalloweditselftobedetainedforablissfulmoment。
\"Andnow,don’tyouthink,Mr。Bray,\"sheaddeddemurely,\"thatyouhadbetterletmefillmypailagainwhileyougoroundtothefrontdoorandcalluponmeproperly?\"
\"Butyourfather\"——
\"Myfather,asawell-knowninvestor,regretsexceedinglythathedidnotmakeyouracquaintancemorethoroughlyinhislatebriefinterview。Heis,asyourforemanknows,exceedinglyinterestedintheminesonEurekaledge。Hewillbegladifyouwillcall。\"Sheledhimtoalittledoorinthewall,whichsheunbolted。\"Andnow’Jill’mustsaygood-byto’Jack,’forshemustmakeherselfreadytoreceiveaMr。Braywhoisexpected。\"
AndwhenBrayalittlelatercalledatthefrontdoor,hewasrespectfullyannounced。Hecalledanotherday,andmanydaysafter。HecamefrequentlytoSanFrancisco,andonedaydidnotreturntohisoldpartners。Hehadenteredintoanewpartnershipwithonewhohedeclared\"hadmadethefirststrikeonEurekamountain。\"
MR。BILSON’SHOUSEKEEPER
I
WhenJoshuaBilson,oftheSummitHouse,BuckeyeHill,losthiswife,itbecamenecessaryforhimtotakeahousekeepertoassisthiminthemanagementofthehotel。AlreadyallBuckeyehadconsideredthisamerepreliminarytotakinganotherwife,afteradecentprobation,astherelationsofhousekeeperandlandlordwereconfidentialanddelicate,andBilsonwasaman,andnotabovefemaleinfluence。Therewas,however,somechangeofopiniononthatpointwhenMissEuphemiaTrotterwasengagedforthatposition。BuckeyeHill,whichhadconfidentlylookedforwardtoabuxomwidowor,withequalconfidence,tothepromotionofsomeprettybutinefficientchambermaid,wasstartledbytheselectionofamaidenladyofmiddleage,andabovethemediumheight,atonceserious,precise,andmasterful,andtoallappearancesoutrageouslycompetent。Morecarefully\"takingstock\"ofher,itwasacceptedshehadthreegoodpoints,——dark,seriouseyes,atrimbutsomewhatthinfigure,andwell-kepthandsandfeet。These,whichinsosusceptibleacommunitywouldhavebeenenough,inthewordsofonecritic,\"tohavemarriedhertothreemen,\"sheseemedtomakeoflittleaccountherself,andherattitudetowardthosewhowereinclinedtomakethemofaccountwasceremoniousandfrigid。Indeed,sheseemedtooccupyherselfentirelywithlookingaftertheservants,ChineseandEuropeans,examiningthebillsandstoresoftradersandshopkeepers,inafashionthatmadeherrespectedand——feared。Itwaswhispered,infact,thatBilsonstoodinaweofherasheneverhadofhiswife,andthathewas\"henpeckedinhisownfarmyardbyastrangepullet。\"
Nevertheless,healwaysspokeofherwitharespectandevenareverencethatseemedincompatiblewiththeirrelativepositions。
Itgaverisetosurmisesmoreorlessingeniousandconflicting:
MissTrotterhadasecretinterestinthehotel,andrepresentedaSanFranciscosyndicate;MissTrotterwasawomanofindependentproperty,andhadadvancedlargesumstoBilson;MissTrotterwasawomanofnoproperty,butshewastheonlydaughterof——variously——
alatedistinguishednobleman,aruinedmillionaire,andaforeignstatesman,bentonmakingherownliving。
Alas,forromance!MissEuphemiaTrotter,or\"MissE。Trotter,\"asshepreferredtosignherself,loathinghersentimentalprefix,wasreallyapoorgirlwhohadbeeneducatedinanEasternseminary,wheresheeventuallybecameateacher。Shehadsurvivedherparentsandaneglectedchildhood,andhadworkedhardforherlivingsinceshewasfourteen。Shehadbeenanurseinahospital,anassistantinareformatory,hadobservedmenandwomenunderconditionsofpainandweakness,andhadknownthebodyonlyasatabernacleofhelplessnessandsuffering;yethadbroughtoutofherexperienceahardphilosophywhichsheusedequallytoherselfastoothers。Thatshehadeverindulgedinanyromanceofhumanexistence,Igreatlydoubt;thelankygirlteacherattheVermontacademyhadenoughtodotopushherselfforwardwithoutentanglinggirlfriendshipsorconfidences,andsobecameaprematurelyhardduenna,paidtolookoutfor,restrain,andreport,ifnecessary,anyvagrantflirtationorsmallintrigueofhercompanions。A
pronounced\"oldmaid\"atfifteen,shehadnothingtoforgetorforgiveinothers,andstilllesstolearnfromthem。
Itwasspring,anddownthelongslopesofBuckeyeHilltheflowerswerealreadyeffacingthelastdentedfootprintsofthewinterrains,andthewindsnolongerbroughttheirmonotonouspatter。Inthepinewoodstherewerethesongandflashofbirds,andthequickeningstimulusofthestirringaromaticsap。Minersandtunnelmenwerealreadyforsakingthedirectroadforaramblethroughthewoodlandtrailanditssylvancharms,andoccasionallybreakingintoshoutsandhorseplaylikegreatboys。Theschoolchildrenweredisportingthere;thereweresomeoldercouplessentimentallygatheringflowerssidebyside。MissTrotterwasalsothere,butmakingashortcutfromthebankandexpressoffice,andbynomeansdisturbedbyanygentlereminiscenceofhergirlhoodoranyotherinstinctiveparticipationinthewantonseason。Springcame,sheknew,regularlyeveryyear,andbrought\"springcleaning\"andothernecessarychangesandrehabilitations。
Thisyearithadbroughtalsoaconsiderableincreaseinthesumshewasputtingby,andshewas,perhaps,satisfiedinapracticalway,ifnotwiththeblindinstinctivenessofothers。Shewaswalkingleisurely,holdinghergrayskirtwelloverherslimanklesandsmartlybootedfeet,andclearofthebrushingofdaisiesandbuttercups,whensuddenlyshestopped。Afewpacesbeforeher,partlyconcealedbyamyrtle,ayoungwoman,startledatherapproach,hadjustwithdrawnherselffromtheembraceofayoungmanandslippedintotheshadow。Nevertheless,inthatmoment,MissTrotter’skeeneyeshadrecognizedherasaveryprettySwedishgirl,oneofherchambermaidsatthehotel。MissTrotterpassedwithoutaword,butgravely。Shewasnotshockednorsurprised,butitstruckherpracticalmindatoncethatifthiswereanaffairwithimpendingmatrimony,itmeantthelossofavaluableandattractiveservant;ifotherwise,aseriousdisturbanceofthatservant’sduties。ShemustlookoutforanothergirltotaketheplaceofFridaPaulineJansen,thatwasall。Itispossible,therefore,thatMissJansen’scriticismofMissTrottertohercompanionasa\"spying,jealousoldcat\"wasunfair。ThiscompanionMissTrotterhadnoticed,onlytoobservethathisfaceandfigurewereunfamiliartoher。Hisredshirtandheavybootsgavenoindicationofhissocialconditioninthatlocality。Heseemedmorestartledanddisturbedatherintrusionthanthegirlhadbeen,butthatwasmoreaconditionofsexthanofdegree,shealsoknew。Insuchcircumstancesitisthewomanalwayswhoisthemostcomposedandself-possessed。
Afewdaysafterthis,MissTrotterwassummonedinsomehastetotheoffice。ChrisCalton,ayoungmanoftwenty-six,partnerintheRoanokeLedge,hadfracturedhisarmandcollar-bonebyafall,andhadbeenbroughttothehotelforthatrestandattention,undermedicaladvice,whichhecouldnotprocureintheRoanokecompany’scabin。Shehadaretired,quietroommadeready。Whenhewasinstalledtherebythedoctorshewenttoseehim,andfoundagood-looking,curlyheadedyoungfellow,evenboyishinappearanceandmanner,whoreceivedherwiththatairofdeferenceandtimiditywhichshewasaccustomedtoexciteinthemasculinebreast——whenitwasnotaccompaniedwithdistrust。Itstruckherthathewassomewhatemotional,andhadtheexpressionofonewhohadbeenspoiledandpettedbywomen,aratherunusualcircumstanceamongthemenofthelocality。Perhapsitwouldbeunfairtohertosaythatadispositiontoshowhimthathecouldexpectnosuch\"nonsense\"THEREsprangupinherheartatthatmoment,forsheneverhadunderstoodanytoleranceofsuchweakness,butacertainprecisionanddrynessofmannerwastheonlyresultofherobservation。Sheadjustedhispillow,askedhimiftherewasanythingthathewanted,buttookherdirectionsfromthedoctor,ratherthanfromhimself,withapracticalinsightandminutenessthatwasasappallingtothepatientasitwasanunexpecteddelighttoDr。Duchesne。\"Iseeyouquiteunderstandme,MissTrotter,\"hesaid,withgreatrelief。
\"Ioughtto,\"respondedtheladydryly。\"Ihadadozensuchcases,someofthemwithcomplications,whileIwasassistantattheSacramentoHospital。\"
\"Ah,then!\"returnedthedoctor,droppinggladlyintopurelyprofessionaldetail,\"you’llseethisisverysimple,notacomminutedfracture;constitutionandbloodhealthy;allyou’vetodoistoseethatheeatsproperly,keepsfreefromexcitementandworry,butdoesnotgetdespondent;alittlecompany;hispartnersandsomeoftheboysfromtheLedgewilldropinoccasionally;nottoomuchofTHEM,youknow;andofcourse,absoluteimmobilityoftheinjuredparts。\"Theladynodded;thepatientliftedhisblueeyesforaninstanttoherswithalookoftentativeappeal,butitslippedoffMissTrotter’sdarkpupils——whichwereasabstractedlycriticalasthedoctor’s——withoutbeingabsorbedbythem。Whenthedoorclosedbehindher,thedoctorexclaimed:\"ByJove!you’reinluck,Chris!That’sasplendidwoman!Justtheonetolookafteryou!\"Thepatientgroanedslightly。\"Dowhatshesays,andwe’llpullyouthroughinnotime。Why!she’sabletoadjustthosebandagesherself!\"
This,indeed,shedidaweeklater,whenthesurgeonhadfailedtocall,unveilinghisneckandarmwithprofessionalcoolness,andsupportinghiminherslimarmsagainstherstiff,erectbuckramedbreast,whileshereplacedthesplintswithmasculinefirmnessoftouchandsereneandsexlessindifference。Hisstammeredembarrassedthanksattherelief——forhehadbeeninconsiderablepain——sheacceptedwithacertainprideasatributetoherskill,atributewhichDr。Duchesnehimselfafterwardfullyindorsed。