第5章
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  Butthestrangestpartofitwastheunexpectedsequel。Idon’tknowthroughwhaterroroftheDean’sfiguresithappened,throughwhatlackofmathematicaltrainingthethingturnedoutasitdid。Nodoubtthememoryofthemathematicalprofessorwasheavilytoblameforit,butthesolidfactisthattheChurchofEnglandChurchofMariposaturnedouttobeinsuredforahundredthousand,andtherewerethereceiptsandthevouchers,allsignedandregular,justastheyfoundtheminadraweroftherector’sstudy。Therewasnodoubtaboutit。Theinsurancepeoplemightprotestastheyliked。Thestraight,plainfactwasthatthechurchwasinsuredforabouttwicethewholeamountofthecostandthedebtandtherector’ssalaryandtheboarding—schoolfeesofthelittlestoftheDronesallputtogether。

  TherewasaWhirlwindCampaignforyou!Talkofraisingmoney,——thatwassomethinglike!IwonderiftheuniversitiesandthecityinstitutionsthatgoroundtryingtoraisemoneybytheslowandpainfulmethodcalledaWhirlwindCampaign,thattakesperhapsalldaytoraisefiftythousanddollars,everthoughtofanythingsobeautifullysimpleasthis。

  TheGreaterTestimonythathadlainsoheavilyonthecongregationwentflamingtoitsend,andburnedupitsdebtsanditsobligationsandenricheditsworshippersbyitsdestruction。Talkofabeacononahill!Youcanhardlybeatthatone。

  IwishyoucouldhaveseenhowthewardensandthesidesmenandMullins,thechairmanofthevestry,smiledandchuckledatthethoughtofit。Hadn’ttheysaidallalongthatallthatwasneededwasalittlefaithandeffort?Andhereitwas,justastheysaid,andthey’dbeenrightafterall。

  Protestfromtheinsurancepeople?Legalproceedingstopreventpayment?Mydearsir!IseeyouknownothingabouttheMariposacourt,inspiteofthefactthatIhavealreadysaidthatitwasoneofthemostpreciseinstrumentsofBritishfairplayeverestablished。Why,JudgePepperleighdisposedofthecaseanddismissedtheprotestofthecompanyinlessthanfifteenminutes!

  JustwhatthejurisdictionofJudgePepperleigh’scourtisIdon’tknow,butIdoknowthatinupholdingtherightsofaChristiancongregation——Iamquotingherethetextofthedecision——againsttheintriguesofasetofinfernalskunksthatmaketoomuchmoney,anyway,theMariposacourtiswithoutanequal。Pepperleigheventhreatenedtheplaintiffswiththepenitentiary,orworse。

  Howthefirestartednooneeverknew。TherewasaqueerstorythatwentabouttotheeffectthatMr。SmithandMr。Gingham’sassistanthadbeenseenverylatethatnightcarryinganautomobilecanofkeroseneupthestreet。Butthatwasamplydisprovedbytheproceedingsofthecourt,andbytheevidenceofMr。Smithhimself。

  Hetookhisdyingoath,——nothisordinaryoneasusedintheLicensecases,buthisdyingone,——thathehadnotcarriedacanofkeroseneupthestreet,andthatanywayitwastherottenestkindofkerosenehehadeverseenandnomoreusethansomuchmolasses。Sothatpointwassettled。

  DeanDrone?Didhegetwellagain?Why,whatmakesyouaskthat?Youmean,washisheadatallaffectedafterthestroke?No,itwasnot。

  Absolutelynot。Itwasnotaffectedintheleast,thoughhowanybodywhoknowshimnowinMariposacouldhavethefaintestideathathismindwasinanywayimpairedbythestrokeismorethanIcantell。

  TheengagingofMr。Uttermost,thecurate,whomperhapsyouhaveheardpreachinthenewchurch,hadnothingwhatevertodowithDeanDrone’shead。Itwasmerelyacaseofthepressureofoverwork。Itwasfeltverygenerallybythewardensthat,inthesedaysofspecialization,therectorwascoveringtoowideafield,andthatifheshouldabandonsomeofthelesserdutiesofhisoffice,hemightdevotehisenergiesmoreintentlytotheInfantClass。Thatwasall。

  Youmayhearhimthereanyafternoon,talkingtothem,ifyouwillstandunderthemapletreesandlistenthroughtheopenwindowsofthenewInfantSchool。

  And,asforaudiences,forintelligence,forattentionwell,ifI

  wanttofindlistenerswhocanhearandunderstandaboutthegreatspacesofLakeHuron,letmetellofit,everytimefacetofacewiththeblueeyesoftheInfantClass,freshfromtheinfinityofspacesgreaterstill。Talkofgrown—uppeopleallyoulike,butforlistenersletmehavetheInfantClasswiththeirpinaforesandtheirTeddyBearsandtheirfeetnoteventouchingthefloor,andMr。

  Uttermostmaypreachtohisheart’scontentofthenewerformsofdoubtrevealedbythehighercriticism。

  SoyouwillunderstandthattheDean’smindis,ifanything,evenkeener,andhisheadevenclearerthanbefore。Andifyouwantproofofit,noticehimtherebeneaththeplumblossomsreadingintheGreek:hehastoldmethathefindsthathecanread,Withthegreatestease,worksintheGreekthatseemeddifficultbefore。

  Becausehisheadissoclearnow。

  Andsometimes,——whenhisheadisveryclear,——ashesitstherereadingbeneaththeplumblossomshecanhearthemsingingbeyond,andhiswife’svoice。

  SEVEN

  TheExtraordinaryEntanglementofMr。PupkinJudgePepperleighlivedinabighousewithhardwoodfloorsandawidepiazzathatlookedoverthelakefromthetopofOneidaStreet。

  Everydayabouthalf—pastfiveheusedtocomehomefromhisofficeintheMariposaCourtHouse。Onsomedaysashegotnearthehousehewouldcallouttohiswife:

  \"AlmightyMoses,Martha!wholeftthesprinkleronthegrass?\"

  Onotherdayshewouldcalltoherfromquitealittledistanceoff:

  \"Hullo,mother!Gotanysupperforahungryman?\"

  AndMrs。Pepperleighneverknewwhichitwouldbe。Onthedayswhenhesworeatthesprinkleryoucouldseehisspectaclesflashlikedynamite。Butonthedayswhenhecalled:\"Hullo,mother,\"theyweresimplyirradiatedwithkindliness。

  Somedays,Isay,hewouldcryoutwithaperfectwhineofindignation:\"SufferingCaesar!hasthatinfernaldogtornupthosegeraniumsagain?\"Andotherdaysyouwouldhearhimsingingout:

  \"Hullo,Rover!Well,doggie,well,oldfellow!\"

  Inthesamewayatbreakfast,thejudge,ashelookedoverthemorningpaper,wouldsometimesleaptohisfeetwithaperfecthowlofsuffering,andcry:\"EverlastingMoses!theLiberalshavecarriedEastElgin。\"Orelsehewouldleanbackfromthebreakfasttablewiththemostgood—humouredlaughyoueverheardandsay:\"Ha!ha!theConservativeshavecarriedSouthNorfolk。\"

  Andyethewasperfectlylogical,whenyoucometothinkofit。Afterall,whatismoreannoyingtoasensitive,highly—strungmanthananinfernalsprinklerplayingallovertheplace,andwhatmoreagreeabletoagood—natured,even—temperedfellowthanawell—preparedsupper?Or,whatismorelikeablethanone’sgood,old,affectionatedogboundingdownthepathfromsheerdelightatseeingyou,——ormoreexecrablethananinfernalwhelpthathastornupthegeraniumsandistoooldtokeep,anyway?

  Asforpolitics,well,itallseemedreasonableenough。WhentheConservativesgotinanywhere,Pepperleighlaughedandenjoyedit,simplybecauseitdoesonegoodtoseeastraight,fine,honestfightwherethebestmanwins。WhenaLiberalgotin,itmadehimmad,andhesaidso,——not,mindyou;fromanypoliticalbias,forhisofficeforbidit,——butsimplybecauseonecan’tbeartoseethecountrygoabsolutelytothedevil。

  Isuppose,too,itwaspartlytheeffectofsittingincourtalldaylisteningtocases。Onegetswhatyoumightcallthejudicialtemperofmind。PepperleighhaditsostronglydevelopedthatI’veseenhimkickahydrangeapottopieceswithhisfootbecausetheaccursedthingwouldn’tflower。Heoncethrewthecanarycageclearintothelilacbushesbecausethe\"blastedbirdwouldn’tstopsinging。\"Itwasastraightcaseofjudicialtemper。Lotsofjudgeshaveit,developedinjustthesamebroad,all—roundwayaswithJudgePepperleigh。

  Ithinkitmustbepassingsentencesthatdoesit。Anyway,Pepperleighhadtheaptitudeforpassingsentencessohighlyperfectedthathespenthiswholetimeatitinsideofcourtandout。

  I’veheardhimhandoutsentencesfortheSultanofTurkeyandMrs。

  PankhurstandtheEmperorofGermanythatmadeone’sbloodruncold。

  Hewouldsitthereonthepiazzaofasummereveningreadingthepaper,withdynamitesparksflyingfromhisspectaclesashesentencedtheCzarofRussiatotenyearsinthesaltmines——andmadeitfifteenafewminutesafterwards。Pepperleighalwaysreadtheforeignnews——thenewsofthingsthathecouldn’talter——asaformofwildandstimulatingtorment。

  Soyoucanimaginethatinsomewaysthejudge’shousewasaprettydifficulthousetogoto。ImeanyoucanseehowawfullyharditmusthavebeenforMr。Pupkin。Itellyouittooksomenervetostepuponthatpiazzaandsay,inaperfectlynatural,off—handway:\"Oh,howdoyoudo,judge?IsMissZenain?No,Iwon’tstay,thanks;I

  thinkIoughttobegoing。Isimplycalled。\"Amanwhocandothathasgottohaveaprettyfairamountofsavoirwhatdoyoucallit,andhe’sgottobemightywellshavedandhavehiscameopinputinhistieataprettyundeniableanglebeforehecantackleit。Yes,andeventhenhemayneedtohangroundbehindthelilacbushesforhalfanhourfirst,andcooloff。Andhe’sapttomakeprettygoodtimedownOneidaStreetonthewayback。

  Still,that’swhatyoucalllove,andifyou’vegotit,andarewellshaved,andyourbootswellblacked,youcandothingsthatseemalmostimpossible。Yes,youcandoanything,evenifyoudotripoverthedogingettingoffthepiazza。

  Don’tsupposeforamomentthatJudgePepperleighwasanunapproachableoraharshmanalwaysandtoeverybody。EvenMr。

  Pupkinhadtoadmitthatthatcouldn’tbeso。Toknowthat,youhadonlytoseeZenaPepperleighputherarmroundhisneckandcallhimDaddy。Shewoulddothatevenwhenthereweretwoorthreeyoungmensittingontheedgeofthepiazza。Youknow,Ithink,thewaytheysitontheedgeinMariposa。Itismeanttoindicatewhatpartofthefamilytheyhavecometosee。ThuswhenGeorgeDuff,thebankmanager,cameuptothePepperleighhouse,healwayssatinachairontheverandahandtalkedtothejudge。ButwhenPupkinorMalloryTompkinsoranyfellowlikethatcame,hesatdowninasidelongfashionontheedgeoftheboardsandthentheyknewexactlywhathewastherefor。Ifheknewthehousewell,heleanedhisbackagainsttheverandahpostandsmokedacigarette。Butthattooknerve。

  ButIamafraidthatthisisadigression,and,ofcourse,youknowallaboutitjustaswellasIdo。AllthatIwastryingtosaywasthatIdon’tsupposethatthejudgehadeverspokenacrosswordtoZenainhislife。——Oh,hethrewhernoveloverthegrape—vine,I

  don’tdenythat,butthenwhyonearthshouldagirlreadtrashliketheErrantQuestofthePalladinPilgrim,andtheLifeofSirGalahad,whenthehousewasfullofgoodreadinglikeTheLifeofSirJohnA。Macdonald,andPioneerDaysinTecumsehTownship?

  Still,whatImeanisthatthejudgeneverspokeharshlytoZena,exceptperhapsunderextremeprovocation;andIamquitesurethathenever,neverhadtoNeil。ButthenwhatfathereverwouldwanttospeakangrilytosuchaboyasNeilPepperleigh?Thejudgetooknocredithimselfforthat;thefinestgrownboyinthewholecountyandsobroadandbigthattheytookhimintotheMissinabaHorsewhenhewasonlyseventeen。Andclever,——socleverthathedidn’tneedtostudy;socleverthatheusedtocomeoutatthefootoftheclassinmathematicsattheMariposahighschoolthroughsheersurplusofbrainpower。I’veheardthejudgeexplainitadozentimes。Why,NeilwassocleverthatheusedtobeabletoplaybilliardsattheMariposaHousealleveningwhentheotherboyshadtostayathomeandstudy。

  Suchapowerfullookingfellow,too!EverybodyinMariposaremembershowNeilPepperleighsmashedinthefaceofPeterMcGinnis,theLiberalorganizer,atthebigelection——yourecallit——whentheoldMacdonaldGovernmentwentout。JudgePepperleighhadtotryhimforitthenextmorning——hisownson。TheysaythereneverwassuchasceneevenintheMariposacourt。Therewas,Ibelieve,somethinglikeitonasmallerscaleinRomanhistory,butitwasn’thalfasdramatic。IrememberJudgePepperleighleaningforwardtopassthesentence,——forajudgeisbound,youknow,byhisoath,——andhowgravehelookedandyetsoproudandhappy,likeamandoinghisdutyandsustainedbyit,andhesaid:

  \"Myboy,youareinnocent。YousmashedinPeterMcGinnis’sface,butyoudiditwithoutcriminalintent。Youputafaceonhim,byJehoshaphat!thathewon’tloseforsixmonths,butyoudiditwithoutevilpurposeormaligndesign。Myboy,lookup!Givemeyourhand!Youleavethiscourtwithoutastainuponyourname。\"

  TheysaiditwasoneofthemostmovingsceneseverenactedintheMariposaCourt。

  ButthestrangestthingisthatifthejudgehadknownwhateveryoneelseinMariposaknew,itwouldhavebrokenhisheart。IfhecouldhaveseenNeilwiththedrunkenflushonhisfaceinthebilliardroomoftheMariposaHouse,——ifhehadknown,aseveryoneelsedid,thatNeilwascrazedwithdrinkthenighthestrucktheLiberalorganizerwhentheoldMacdonaldGovernmentwentout,——ifhecouldhaveknownthatevenonthatlastdayNeilwasdrunkwhenherodewiththeMissinabaHorsetothestationtojointheThirdContingentforthewar,andallthestreetofthelittletownwasonegreatroarofpeople——

  Butthejudgeneverknew,andnowheneverwill。Forifyoucouldfinditinthemeannessofyoursoultotellhim,itwouldservenopurposenowexcepttobreakhisheart,andtherewouldriseuptorebukeyouthepicturedvisionofanuntendedgravesomewhereinthegreatsilencesofSouthAfrica。

  DidIsayabove,orseemtoimply,thatthejudgesometimesspokeharshlytohiswife?Ordidyougatherforaminutethatherlotwasonetolamentoverorfeelsorryfor?Ifso,itjustshowsthatyouknownothingaboutsuchthings,andthatmarriage,atleastasitexistsinMariposa,isasealedbooktoyou。YouareasignorantasMissSpiffkins,thebiologyteacheratthehighschool,whoalwayssayshowsorrysheisforMrs。Pepperleigh。YougetthatimpressionsimplybecausethejudgehowledlikeanAlgonquinIndianwhenhesawthesprinklerrunningonthelawn。Butareyousureyouknowtheothersideofit?AreyouquitesurewhenyoutalklikeMissSpiffkinsdoesabouttherightsofit,thatyouaretakingallthingsintoaccount?YoumighthavethoughtdifferentlyperhapsofthePepperleighs,anyway,ifyouhadbeentherethateveningwhenthejudgecamehometohiswifewithonehandpressedtohistempleandintheotherthecablegramthatsaidthatNeilhadbeenkilledinactioninSouthAfrica。Thatnighttheysattogetherwithherhandinhis,justastheyhadsattogetherthirtyyearsagowhenhewasalawstudentinthecity。

  GoandtellMissSpiffkinsthat!Hydrangeas,——canaries,——

  temper,——blazes!WhatdoesMissSpiffkinsknowaboutitall?

  Butinanycase,ifyoutriedtotellJudgePepperleighaboutNeilnowhewouldn’tbelieveit。He’dlaughittoscorn。ThatisNeil’spicture,inuniform,hanginginthedining—roombesidetheFathersofConfederation。Thatmilitary—lookingmaninthepicturebesidehimisGeneralKitchener,whomyoumayperhapshaveheardof,forhewasveryhighlyspokenofinNeil’sletters。Allroundtheroom,infact,andstillmoreinthejudge’slibraryupstairs,youwillseepicturesofSouthAfricaandthedepartureoftheCanadians(therearenoneofthereturn),andofMountedInfantryandofUnmountedCavalryandalotofthingsthatonlysoldiersandthefathersofsoldiersknowabout。

  Soyoucanrealizethatforafellowwhoisn’tmilitary,andwhowearsnothingnearertoauniformthanadaffodiltennisblazer,thejudge’shouseisadevilofahousetocometo。

  IthinkyourememberyoungMr。Pupkin,doyounot?IhavereferredtohimseveraltimesalreadyasthejuniortellerintheExchangeBank。

  ButifyouknowMariposaatallyouhaveoftenseenhim。Youhavenoticedhim,Iamsure,goingforthebankmailinthemorninginanofficesuiteffectofclinginggreywithagoldnecktiepinshapedlikearidingwhip。Youhaveseenhimoftenenoughgoingdowntothelakefrontaftersupper,intennisthings,smokingacigaretteandwithapaddleandacrimsoncanoecushionunderhisarm。YouhaveseenhimenteringDeanDrone’schurchinatophatandalongfrockcoatnearlytohisfeet。Youhaveseenhim,perhaps,playingpokerinPeterGlover’sroomoverthehardwarestoreandtryingtolookasifhedidn’tholdthreeaces,——infact,givingabsolutelynosignofitbeyondthewildflushinhisfaceandthefactthathishairstandsonend。

  Thatkindofreticenceisathingyousimplyhavetolearninbanking。Imean,ifyou’vegottobeinapositionwhereyouknowforafactthattheMariposaPackingCompany’saccountisoverdrawnbysixty—fourdollars,andyetdaren’tsayanythingaboutit,noteventothegirlsthatyouplaytenniswith,——Idon’tsay,notacasualhintasareference,butnotreallytellthem,not,forinstance,bringdownthebankledgertothetenniscourtandshowthem,——youlearnasortofreticenceandself—controlthatpeopleoutsideofbankingcirclesnevercanattain。

  Why,I’veknownPupkinattheFireman’sBallleanagainstthewallinhisdresssuitandtalkawaytoJimEliot,thedruggist,withoutgivingthefaintesthintorindicationthatEliot’snotefortwenty—sevendollarshadbeenprotestedthatverymorning。Notahintofit。Idon’tsayhedidn’tmentionit,inasortofway,inthesupperroom,justtooneortwo,butImeantherewasnothinginthewayheleantupagainstthewalltosuggestit。

  But,however,Idon’tmentionthataseitherfororagainstMr。

  Pupkin。ThatsortofthingismerelytheABCofbanking,ashehimselftoldmewhenexplainingwhyitwasthathehesitatedtodivulgetheexactstandingoftheMariposaCarriageCompany。Ofcourse,onceyougetpasttheABCyoucanlearnalotthatismightyinteresting。

  SoIthinkthatifyouknowMariposaandunderstandeventherudimentsofbanking,youareperfectlyacquaintedwithMr。Pupkin。

  What?YourememberhimasbeinginlovewithMissLawson,thehighschoolteacher?InlovewithHER?Whataridiculousidea。YoumeanmerelybecauseonthenightwhentheMariposaBellesankwitheverysoulonboard,PupkinputofffromthetowninaskifftorescueMissLawson。Oh,butyou’requitewrong。Thatwasn’tLOVE。I’veheardPupkinexplainithimselfadozentimes。Thatsortofthing,——paddlingouttoasinkingsteameratnightinacrazyskiff,——mayindicateasortofattraction,butnotreallove,notwhatPupkincametofeelafterwards。Indeed,whenhebegantothinkofit,itwasn’tevenattraction,itwasmerelyrespect,——that’sallitwas。Andanyway,thatwaslongbefore,sixorsevenmonthsback,andPupkinadmittedthatatthetimehewasamereboy。

  Mr。Pupkin,Imustexplain,livedwithMalloryTompkinsinroomsovertheExchangeBank,ontheverytopfloor,thethird,withMullins’sownroomsbelowthem。Extremelycomfortablequarterstheywere,withtwobedroomsandasitting—roomthatwasallfixedupwithsnowshoesandtennisracketsonthewallsanddanceprogrammesandcanoeclubbadgesandallthatsortofthing。

  MalloryTompkinswasayoungmanwithlonglegsandchecktrouserswhoworkedontheMariposaTimes—Herald。Thatwaswhatgavehimhisliterarytaste。HeusedtoreadIbsenandthatotherDutchauthor——BumstoneBumstone,isn’tit?——andyoucanjudgethathewasamightyintellectualfellow。Hewassointellectualthathewas,ashehimselfadmitted,acompleteeggnostic。HeandPupkinusedtohavethemosttremendousargumentsaboutcreationandevolution,andhowifyoustudyataschoolofappliedscienceyoulearnthatthere’snohellbeyondthepresentlife。

  MalloryTompkinsusedtoproveabsolutelythatthemiracleswereonlyelectricity,andPupkinusedtoadmitthatitwasanawfullygoodargument,butclaimedthathehadhearditawfullywellansweredinasermon,thoughunfortunatelyhehadforgottenhow。

  Tompkinsusedtoshowthatthefloodwascontrarytogeology,andPupkinwouldacknowledgethatthepointwasanexcellentone,butthathehadreadabook,——thetitleofwhichheoughttohavewrittendown,——whichexplainedgeologyawayaltogether。

  MalloryTompkinsgenerallygotthebestofthemerelylogicalsideofthearguments,butPupkin——whowasatremendousChristian——wasmuchstrongerinthethingshehadforgotten。Sothediscussionsoftenlastedtillfarintothenight,andMr。Pupkinwouldfallasleepanddreamofasplendidargument,whichwouldhavesettledthewholecontroversy,onlyunfortunatelyhecouldn’trecallitinthemorning。

  Ofcourse,PupkinwouldneverhavethoughtofconsideringhimselfonanintellectualparwithMalloryTompkins。Thatwouldhavebeenridiculous。MalloryTompkinshadreadallsortsofthingsandhadhalfamindtowriteanovelhimself——eitherthatoraplay。Allheneeded,hesaid,wastohaveachancetogetawaysomewherebyhimselfandthink。EverytimehewentawaytothecityPupkinexpectedthathemightreturnwiththenovelallfinished;butthoughheoftencamebackwithhiseyesredfromthinking,thenovelasyetremainedincomplete。

  Meantime,MalloryTompkins,asIsay,wasamightyintellectualfellow。Youcouldseethatfromthebooksonthebamboobookshelvesinthesitting—room。Therewas,forinstance,the\"EncyclopaediaMetropolitana\"infortyvolumes,thatheboughtontheinstalmentplanfortwodollarsamonth。Thenwhentheytookthataway,therewasthe\"HistoryofCivilization,\"infiftyvolumesatfiftycentsaweekforfiftyyears。Tompkinshadreadinithalf—waythroughtheStoneAgebeforetheytookitfromhim。Afterthattherewasthe\"LivesofthePainters,\"onevolumeatatime——asplendidthinginwhichyoucouldreadallaboutAahrens,andAachenthal,andAaxandmenofthatclass。

  Afterall,there’snothinglikeeducatingoneself。MalloryTompkinsknewabouttheopeningperiodofallsortsofthings,andinregardtopeoplewhosenamesbeganwith\"A\"youcouldn’tstickhim。

  Idon’tmeanthatheandMr。Pupkinlivedamereroutineofstudiousevenings。Thatwouldbeuntrue。Quiteoftentheirtimewasspentinmuchlesscommendablewaysthanthat,andtherewerepokerpartiesintheirsitting—roomthatdidn’tbreakuptillnearlymidnight。

  Card—playing,afterall,isaslowbusiness,unlessyouputmoneyonit,and,besides,ifyouareinabankandarehandlingmoneyallday,gamblinghasafascination。

  I’veseenPupkinandMalloryTompkinsandJoeMilligan,thedentist,andMitchelltheticketagent,andtheother\"boys\"sittingroundthetablewithmatchesenoughpiledupinfrontofthemtostockafactory。Tenmatchescountedforonechipandtenchipsmadeacent——soyouseetheyweren’tmerelyplayingforthefunofthething。Ofcourseit’sahollowpleasure。Yourealizethatwhenyouwakeupatnightparchedwiththirst,tenthousandmatchestothebad。Butbankingisawildlifeandeverybodyknowsit。

  SometimesPupkinwouldswearoffandkeepawayfromthecursedthingforweeks,andthenperhapshe’dseebysheeraccidentapileofmatchesonthetable,oramatchlyingontheflooranditwouldstartthecrazeinhim。Iamusinghisownwords——a\"craze\"——that’swhathecalleditwhenhetoldMissLawsonallaboutit,andshepromisedtocurehimofit。Shewouldhave,too。Only,asIsay,Pupkinfoundthatwhathehadmistakenforattractionwasonlyrespect。Andthere’snouseworryingawomanthatyourespectaboutyourcrazes。

  ItwasfromMalloryTompkinsthatPupkinlearnedallabouttheMariposapeople,becausePupkincamefromawayoff——somewheredownintheMaritimeProvinces——anddidn’tknowasoul。MalloryTompkinsusedtotellhimaboutJudgePepperleigh,andwhatawonderfullyclevermanhewasandhowhewouldhavebeenintheSupremeCourtforcertainiftheConservativeGovernmenthadstayedinanotherfifteenortwentyyearsinsteadofcomingtoaprematureend。HeusedtotalksomuchaboutthePepperleighs,thatPupkinwassickoftheveryname。ButjustassoonashehadseenZenaPepperleighhecouldn’thearenoughofthem。HewouldhavetalkedwithTompkinsforhoursaboutthejudge’sdogRover。AndasforZena,ifhecouldhavebroughthernameoverhislips,hewouldhavetalkedofherforever。

  Hefirstsawher——byoneofthestrangestcoincidencesintheworld——ontheMainStreetofMariposa。Ifhehadn’thappenedtobegoingupthestreetandshetobecomingdownit,thethingwouldn’thavehappened。Afterwardstheybothadmittedthatitwasoneofthemostpeculiarcoincidencestheyeverheardof。Pupkinownedthathehadhadthestrangestfeelingthatmorningasifsomethingweregoingtohappen——afeelingnotatalltobeclassedwiththeoneofwhichhehadoncespokentoMissLawson,andwhichwas,atthemost,amereanticipationofrespect。

  But,asIsay,PupkinmetZenaPepperleighonthe26thofJune,attwenty—fiveminutestoeleven。Andatoncethewholeworldchanged。

  Thepastwasallblottedout。Eveninthenewfortyvolumeeditionofthe\"InstalmentRecordofHumanity\"thatMalloryTompkinshadjustreceivedPupkinwouldn’thavebotheredwithit。

  She——thatwordhenceforthmeantZena——hadjustcomebackfromherboarding—school,andofalltimesofyearcomingbackfromaboarding—schoolandforwearingawhiteshirtwaistandacrimsontieandforcarryingatennisracketonthestrickenstreetofatown——commendmetothemonthofJuneinMariposa。

  And,forPupkin,straightawaythewholetownwasirradiatedwithsunshine,andtherewassuchasingingofthebirds,andsuchadancingoftherippledwatersofthelake,andsuchakindlinessinthefacesofallthepeople,thatonlythosewhohavelivedinMariposa,andbeenyoungthere,canknowatallwhathefelt。

  ThesimplefactisthatjustthemomenthesawZenaPepperleigh,Mr。Pupkinwasclean,plumb,straight,flat,absolutelyinlovewithher。

  Whichfactissoimportantthatitwouldbefollynottoclosethechapterandthinkaboutit。

  EIGHT

  TheFore—ordainedAttachmentofZenaPepperleighandPeterPupkinZenaPepperleighusedtositreadingnovelsonthepiazzaofthejudge’shouse,halfhiddenbytheVirginiacreepers。Attimesthebookwouldfalluponherlapandtherewassuchalookofunstilledyearninginhervioleteyesthatitdidnotentirelydisappearevenwhenshepickeduptheapplethatlaybesideherandtookanotherbiteoutofit。

  Withhandsclaspedshewouldsittheredreamingallthebeautifulday—dreamsofgirlhood。Whenyousawthatfarawaylookinhereyes,itmeantthatshewasdreamingthataplumedandarmouredknightwasrescuingherfromtheembattledkeepofacastlebesidetheDanube。

  AtothertimesshewasbeingborneawaybyanAlgeriancorsairoverthebluewatersoftheMediterraneanandwasreachingoutherarmstowardsFrancetosayfarewelltoit。

  Sometimeswhenyounoticedasweetlookofresignationthatseemedtorestuponherfeatures,itmeantthatLordRonalddeChevereuxwaskneelingatherfeet,andthatshewastellinghimtorise,thatherhumblerbirthmusteverbeabartotheirhappiness,andLordRonaldwasgettingintoanawfulstateaboutit,asEnglishpeersdoattheleastsuggestionofanythingofthesort。

  Or,ifitwasn’tthat,thenherloverhadjustreturnedtoherside,tallandsoldierlyandsunburned,afterfightingfortenyearsintheSoudanforhersake,andhadcomebacktoaskherforheranswerandtotellherthatfortenyearsherfacehadbeenwithhimeveninthewatchesofthenight。Hewasaskingherforasign,anykindofsign,——tenyearsintheSoudanentitlesthemtoasign,——andZenawaspluckingawhiterose,justone,fromherhair,whenshewouldhearherfather’ssteponthepiazzaandmakeagrabforthePioneersofTecumsehTownship,andstartreadingitlikemad。

  Shewasalways,asIsay,beingrescuedandbeingborneaway,andbeingparted,andreachingoutherarmstoFranceandtoSpain,andsayinggood—byeforevertoValladolidortheoldgreytowersofHohenbranntwein。

  AndIdon’tmeanthatshewasintheleastexceptionalorromantic,becauseallthegirlsinMariposawerejustlikethat。AnAlgeriancorsaircouldhavecomeintothetownandhadadozenofthemfortheasking,andasforawoundedEnglishofficer,——well,perhapsit’sbetternottotalkaboutitoutsideorthelittletownwouldbecomearegularmilitaryhospital。

  Because,mindyou,theMariposagirlsareallright。You’veonlytolookatthemtorealizethat。Yousee,youcangetinMariposaaprintdressofpaleblueorpalepinkforadollartwentythatlooksinfinitelybetterthananythingyoueverseeinthecity,——especiallyifyoucanwearwithitabroadstrawhatandabackgroundofmapletreesandthegreengrassofatenniscourt。Andifyouremember,too,thatthesearecultivatedgirlswhohaveallbeentotheMariposahighschoolandcandodecimalfractions,youwillunderstandthatanAlgeriancorsairwouldsharpenhisscimitarattheverysightofthem。

  Don’tthinkeitherthattheyarealldyingtogetmarried;becausetheyarenot。Idon’tsaytheywouldn’ttakeanerrantknight,orabuccaneeroraHungarianrefugee,butfortheordinarymarriagesofordinarypeopletheyfeelnothingbutapityingdisdain。Soitisthateachoneoftheminduetimemarriesanenchantedprinceandgoestoliveinoneofthelittleenchantedhousesinthelowerpartofthetown。

  Idon’tknowwhetheryouknowit,butyoucanrentanenchantedhouseinMariposaforeightdollarsamonth,andsomeofthemostcompletelyenchantedarethecheapest。Asfortheenchantedprinces,theyfindtheminthestrangestplaces,whereyouneverexpectedtoseethem,working——underaspell,youunderstand,——indrug—storesandprintingoffices,andevensellingthingsinshops。ButtobeabletofindthemyouhavefirsttoreadeversomanynovelsaboutSirGalahadandtheErrantQuestandthatsortofthing。

  NaturallythenZenaPepperleigh,asshesatonthepiazza,dreamedofbanditsandofwoundedofficersandofLordRonaldsridingonfoam—fleckedchargers。Butthatsheeverdreamedofajuniorbanktellerinadaffodilblazerridingpastonabicycle,isprettyhardtoimagine。So,whenMr。PupkincametearingpastuptheslopeofOneidaStreetataspeedthatprovedthathewasn’tridingtheremerelytopassthehouse,Idon’tsupposethatZenaPepperleighwasawareofhisexistence。

  Thatmaybeaslightexaggeration。Sheknew,perhaps,thathewasthenewjuniortellerintheExchangeBankandthathecamefromtheMaritimeProvinces,andthatnobodyknewwhohispeoplewere,andthathehadneverbeeninacanoeinhislifetillhecametoMariposa,andthathesatfourpewsbackinDeanDrone’schurch,andthathissalarywaseighthundreddollars。Beyondthat,shedidn’tknowathingabouthim。Shepresumed,however,thatthereasonwhyhewentpastsofastwasbecausehedidn’tdaretogoslow。

  This,ofcourse,wasperfectlycorrect。EversincethedaywhenMr。

  PupkinmetZenaintheMainStreetheusedtocomepastthehouseonhisbicyclejustafterbankhours。Hewouldhavegonepasttwentytimesadaybuthewasafraidto。AshecameupOneidaStreet,heusedtopedalfasterandfaster,——henevermeantto,buthecouldn’thelpit,——tillhewentpastthepiazzawhereZenawassittingatanawfulspeedwithhislittleyellowblazerflyinginthewind。Inasecondhehaddisappearedinabuzzandacloudofdust,andthemomentumofitcarriedhimclearoutintothecountryformilesandmilesbeforeheeverdaredtopauseorlookback。

  ThenMr。Pupkinwouldrideinahugecircuitaboutthecountry,tryingtothinkhewaslookingatthecrops,andsoonerorlaterhisbicyclewouldbeturnedtowardsthetownagainandheadedforOneidaStreet,andwouldgetgoingquickerandquickerandquicker,tillthepedalswhirledroundwithabuzzandhecamepastthejudge’shouseagain,likeabulletoutofagun。Herodefifteenmilestopassthehousetwice,andeventhenittookallthenervethathehad。

  ThepeopleonOneidaStreetthoughtthatMr。Pupkinwascrazy,butZenaPepperleighknewthathewasnot。Already,yousee,therewasasortofdimparallelbetweenthepassingofthebicycleandthelastrideofTancredtheInconsolablealongthebanksoftheDanube。

  Ihavealreadymentioned,Ithink,howMr。PupkinandZenaPepperleighfirstcametoknowoneanother。Likeeverythingelseaboutthem,itwasasheermatterofcoincidence,quiteinexplicableunlessyouunderstandthatthesethingsarefore—ordained。

  That,ofcourse,isthewaywithfore—ordainedaffairsandthat’swheretheydifferfromordinarylove。

  Iwon’teventrytodescribehowMr。PupkinfeltwhenhefirstspokewithZenaandsatbesideherastheycopiedoutthe\"endlesschain\"

  letteraskingfortencents。Theywroteout,asIsaid,nolessthaneightofthelettersbetweenthem,andtheyfoundoutthattheirhandwritingsweresoalikethatyoucouldhardlytellthemapart,exceptthatPupkin’sletterswereroundandZena’sletterswerepointedandPupkinwrotestraightupanddownandZenawroteonaslant。Beyondthatthewritingwassoalikethatitwasthestrangestcoincidenceintheworld。OfcoursewhentheymadefiguresitwasdifferentandPupkinexplainedtoZenathatinthebankyouhavetobeabletomakeasevensothatitdoesn’tlooklikeanine。

  So,asIsay,theywrotethelettersallafternoonandwhenitwasovertheywalkedupOneidaStreettogether,eversoslowly。Whentheygotnearthehouse,ZenaaskedPupkintocomeintotea,withsuchaneasyoff—handwaythatyoucouldn’thavetoldthatshewashalfanhourlateandwastakingawfulchancesonthejudge。Pupkinhadn’thadtimetosayyesbeforethejudgeappearedatthedoor,justastheyweresteppingupontothepiazza,andhehadatablenapkininhishandandthedynamitesparkswereflyingfromhisspectaclesashecalledout:

  \"Greatheaven!Zena,whyineverlastingblazescan’tyougetintoteaataChristianhour?\"

  ZenagaveonelookofappealtoPupkin,andPupkinlookedoneglanceofcomprehension,andturnedandfleddownOneidaStreet。Andifthescenewasn’tquiteasdramaticastherenunciationofTancredtheTroubadour,itatleasthadsomethingofthesameelementsinit。

  PupkinwalkedhometohissupperattheMariposaHouseonair,andthateveningtherewasagentledistanceinhismannertowardsSadie,thedining—roomgirl,thatIsupposenobankclerkinMariposaevershowedbefore。ItwaslikeSirGalahadtalkingwiththetire—womenofQueenGuinevereandreceivinghuckleberrypieattheirhands。

  AfterthatMr。PupkinandZenaPepperleighconstantlymettogether。

  TheyplayedtennisaspartnersonthegrasscourtbehindDr。

  Gallagher’shouse,——theMariposaTennisClubrentit,youremember,forfiftycentsamonth,——andPupkinusedtoperformperfectprodigiesofvalour,leapingintheairtoservewithhislittlebodyhookedlikealetterS。Sometimes,too,theywentoutonLakeWissanottiintheeveninginPupkin’scanoe,withZenasittinginthebowandPupkinpaddlinginthesternandtheywentouteversofaranditwasafterdarkandthestarswereshiningbeforetheycamehome。Zenawouldlookatthestarsandsayhowinfinitelyfarawaytheyseemed,andPupkinwouldrealizethatagirlwithamindlikethatcouldn’thaveanyuseforafoolsuchashim。ZenausedtoaskhimtopointoutthePleiadesandJupiterandUrsaminor,andPupkinshowedherexactlywheretheywere。Thatimpressedthembothtremendously,becausePupkindidn’tknowthatZenarememberedthenamesoutoftheastronomybookatherboarding—school,andZenadidn’tknowthatPupkinsimplytookachanceonwherethestarswere。

  AndeversomanytimestheytalkedsointimatelythatPupkincamemightyneartellingherabouthishomeintheMaritimeProvincesandabouthisfatherandmother,andthenkickedhimselfthathehadn’tthemanlinesstospeakstraightoutaboutitandtaketheconsequences。

  Pleasedon’timaginefromanyofthisthatthecourseofMr。Pupkin’sloveransmooth。Onthecontrary,Pupkinhimselffeltthatitwasabsolutelyhopelessfromthestart。

  Therewere,itmightbeadmitted,certainthingsthatseemedtoindicateprogress。

  InthecourseofthemonthsofJuneandJulyandAugust,hehadtakenZenaoutinhiscanoethirty—onetimes。Allowinganaverageoftwomilesforeachevening,PupkinhadpaddledZenasixty—twomiles,ormorethanahundredthousandyards。Thatsurelywassomething。

  Hehadplayedtenniswithheronsixteenafternoons。Threetimeshehadlefthistennisracketupatthejudge’shouseinZena’scharge,andoncehehad,withherfullconsent,lefthisbicyclethereallnight。Thismustcountforsomething。Nogirlcouldtriflewithamantotheextentofhavinghisbicycleleaningagainsttheverandahpostallnightandmeannothingbyit。

  Morethanthat——hehadbeentoteaatthejudge’shousefourteentimes,andseventimeshehadbeenaskedbyLilianDronetotherectorywhenZenawascoming,andfivetimesbyNoraGallaghertoteaatthedoctor’shousebecauseZenawasthere。

  AltogetherhehadeatensomanymealswhereZenawasthathismealticketattheMariposalastednearlydoubleitspropertime,andthefaceofSadie,thedining—roomgirl,hadgrowntowearalookofmelancholyresignation;sadderthanromance。

  Stillmorethanthat,PupkinhadboughtforZena,reckoningitaltogether,abouttwobucketsoficecreamandperhapshalfabushelofchocolate。NotthatPupkingrudgedtheexpenseofit。Onthecontrary,overandabovetheicecreamandthechocolatehehadboughtherawhitewaistcoatandawalkingstickwithagoldtop,alotofnewnecktiesandapairofpatentleatherboots——thatis,theywereallboughtonaccountofher,whichisthesamething。

  AddtoallthisthatPupkinandZenahadbeentotheChurchofEnglandChurchnearlyeverySundayeveningfortwomonths,andoneeveningtheyhadevengonetothePresbyterianChurch\"forfun,\"

  which,ifyouknowMariposa,youwillrealizetobeawildsortofescapadethatoughttospeakvolumes。

  Yetinspiteofthis,Pupkinfeltthatthethingwashopeless:whichonlyillustratesthedreadfulupsanddowns,thewildalternationsofhopeanddespairthatcharacteriseanexceptionalaffairofthissort。

  Yes,itwashopeless。

  EverytimethatPupkinwatchedZenaprayinginchurch,heknewthatshewastoogoodforhim。EverytimethathecametocallforherandfoundherreadingBrowningandOmarKhayyamheknewthatshewastoocleverforhim。Andeverytimethathesawheratallherealizedthatshewastoobeautifulforhim。

  Yousee,Pupkinknewthathewasn’tahero。WhenZenawouldclaspherhandsandtalkrapturouslyaboutcrusadersandsoldiersandfiremenandheroesgenerally,Pupkinknewjustwherehecamein。Notinit,thatwasall。IfawarcouldhavebrokenoutinMariposa,orthejudge’shousebeeninvadedbytheGermans,hemighthavehadachance,butasitwas——hopeless。

  ThentherewasZena’sfather。HeavenknowsPupkintriedhardtopleasethejudge。HeagreedwitheverytheorythatJudgePepperleighadvanced,andthattookaprettypliableintellectinitself。Theydenouncedfemalesuffrageonedayandtheyfavoureditthenext。Onedaythejudgewouldclaimthatthelabourmovementwaseatingouttheheartofthecountry,andthenextdayhewouldholdthatthehopeoftheworldlayintheorganizationofthetoilingmasses。Pupkinshiftedhisopinionsliketheglassinakaleidoscope。Indeed,theonlythingsonwhichhewasallowedtomaintainasteadfastconvictionwerethepurityoftheConservativepartyofCanadaandtheawfulwickednessoftherecallofjudges。

  ButwithallthatthejudgewashardlyciviltoPupkin。Hehadn’taskedhimtothehousetillZenabroughthimthere,though,asarule,allthebankclerksinMariposatreatedJudgePepperleigh’spremisesastheirown。HeusedtositandsneeratPupkinafterhehadgonetillZenawouldthrowdownthePioneersofTecumsehTownshipinatemperandflounceoffthepiazzatoherroom。Afterwhichthejudge’smannerwouldchangeinstantlyandhewouldrelighthiscorncobpipeandsitandpositivelybeamwithcontentment。InallofwhichtherewassomethingsomysteriousastoprovethatMr。Pupkin’schanceswerehopeless。

  Norwasthatallofit。Pupkin’ssalarywaseighthundreddollarsayearandtheExchangeBanklimitformarriagewasathousand。

  IsupposeyouareawareofthegrindingcapitalistictyrannyofthebanksinMariposawherebymarriageisputbeyondthereachofeversomanymatureandexperiencedmenofnineteenandtwentyandtwenty—one,whoarecompelledtogooneatingonamealticketattheMariposaHouseandlivingoverthebanktosuitthewhimofagroupofcapitalists。

  WheneverPupkinthoughtofthistwohundreddollarsheunderstoodallthatitmeantbysocialunrest。Infact,heinterpretedallformsofsocialdiscontentintermsofit。RussianAnarchism,GermanSocialism,theLabourMovement,HenryGeorge,LloydGeorge,——heunderstoodthewholelotofthembythinkingofhistwohundreddollars。

  WhenItellyouthatatthisperiodMr。PupkinreadMemoirsoftheGreatRevolutionistsandeventhoughtofblowingupHenryMullinswithdynamite,youcanappreciatehisstateofmind。

  ButnotevenbyallthesehindrancesandobstaclestohisloveforZenaPepperleighwouldPeterPupkinhavebeendriventocommitsuicide(oh,yes;hecommitteditthreetimes,asI’mgoingtotellyou),haditnotbeenforanotherthingthatheknewstoodonceandforallandincoldrealitybetweenhimandZena。

  Hefeltitinasortofway,assoonasheknewher。Eachtimethathetriedtotalktoherabouthishomeandhisfatherandmotherandfoundthatsomethingheldhimback,herealizedmoreandmorethekindofthingthatstoodbetweenthem。Mostofalldidherealizeit,withasuddensicknessofheart,whenhegotwordthathisfatherandmotherwantedtocometoMariposatoseehimandhehadallhecoulddotoheadthemofffromit。

  Why?Whystopthem?Thereasonwas,simpleenough,thatPupkinwasashamedofthem,bitterlyashamed。ThepictureofhismotherandfatherturningupinMariposaandbeingseenbyhisfriendsthereandgoinguptothePepperleigh’shousemadehimfeelfaintwithshame。

  No,Idon’tsayitwasn’twrong。Itonlyshowswhatdifferenceoffortune,thedifferenceofbeingrichandbeingpoor,meansinthisworld。Youperhapshavebeensoluckythatyoucannotappreciatewhatitmeanstofeelshameatthestationofyourownfatherandmother。

  Youthinkitdoesn’tmatter,thathonestyandkindlinessofheartareallthatcounts。Thatonlyshowsthatyouhaveneverknownsomeofthebitterestfeelingsofpeoplelessfortunatethanyourself。

  SoitwaswithMr。Pupkin。WhenhethoughtofhisfatherandmotherturningupinMariposa,hisfacereddenedwithunworthyshame。

  Hecouldjustpicturethescene!HecouldseethemgettingoutoftheirLimousinetouringcar,withthechauffeurholdingopenthedoorforthem,andhisfatheraskingforasuiteofrooms,——justthinkofit,asuiteofrooms!——attheMariposaHouse。

  Theverythoughtofitturnedhimill。

  What!Youhavemistakenmymeaning?Ashamedofthembecausetheywerepoor?Goodheavens,no,butbecausetheywererich!AndnotrichinthesenseinwhichtheyusetheterminMariposa,wherearichpersonmerelymeansamanwhohasmoneyenoughtobuildahousewithapiazzaandtohaveeverythinghewants;butrichintheothersense,——motorcars,Ritzhotels,steamyachts,summerislandsandallthatsortofthing。

  Why,Pupkin’sfather,——what’stheuseoftryingtoconcealitanylonger?——wastheseniorpartnerinthelawfirmofPupkin,PupkinandPupkin。IfyouknowtheMaritimeProvincesatall,you’veheardofthePupkins。ThenameisahouseholdwordfromChedabuctotoChidabecto。And,forthematterofthat,thelawfirmandthefactthatPupkinseniorhadbeenanAttorneyGeneralwastheleastpartofit。AttorneyGeneral!Why,there’snomoneyinthat!It’snobetterthantheSenate。No,no,Pupkinsenior,likesomanylawyers,waspracticallyapromoter,andheblewcompanieslikebubbles,andwhenhewasn’tintheMaritimeProvinceshewasinBostonandNewYorkraisingmoneyandfloatingloans,andwhentheyhadnomoneyleftinNewYorkhefloateditinLondon:andwhenhehadit,hefloatedontopofitbigraftsoflumberontheMiramichiandcodfishontheGrandBanksandlesserfishintheFundyBay。You’veheardperhapsoftheTidalTransportationCompany,andFundyFisheriesCorporation,andthePaspebiacPulpandPaperUnlimited?Well;allofthosewerePupkinseniorunderothernames。SojustimaginehiminMariposa!

  Wouldn’thebeutterlyfoolishthere?JustimaginehimmeetingJimEliotandtreatinghimlikeadruggistmerelybecauseheranadrugstore!orspeakingtoJeffersonThorpeasifhewereabarbersimplybecauseheshavedformoney!Why,amanlikethatcouldruinyoungPupkininMariposainhalfaday,andPupkinknewit。

  Thatwouldn’tmattersomuch,butthinkofthePepperleighsandZena!Everything。wouldbeoverwiththematonce。Pupkinknewjustwhatthejudgethoughtofrichesandluxuries。HowoftenhadheheardthejudgepasssentencesoflifeimprisonmentonPierpontMorganandMr。Rockefeller。HowoftenhadPupkinheardhimsaythatanymanwhoreceivedmorethanthreethousanddollarsayear(thatwasthejudicialsalaryintheMissinabadistrict)wasamererobber,unfittoshakethehandofanhonestman。Bitter!Ishouldthinkhewas!

  Hewasnotsobitter,perhaps,asMr。Muddleson,theprincipaloftheMariposahighschool,whosaidthatanymanwhoreceivedmorethanfifteenhundreddollarswasapublicenemy。HewascertainlynotsobitterasTrelawney,thepost—master,whosaidthatanymanwhogotfromsocietymorethanthirteenhundreddollars(apartfromalegitimateincreaseinrecognitionofasuccessfulelection)wasadangertosociety。Still,hewasbitter。TheyallwereinMariposa。

  Pupkincouldjustimaginehowtheywoulddespisehisfather!

  AndZena!Thatwastheworstofall。Howoftenhad,Pupkinheardhersaythatshesimplyhateddiamondswouldn’twearthem,despisedthem,wouldn’tgiveathankyouforawholetiaraofthem!Asformotorcarsandsteamyachts,——well,itwasprettyplainthatthatsortofthinghadnochancewithZenaPepperleigh。Why,shehadtoldPupkinonenightinthecanoethatshewouldonlymarryamanwhowaspoorandhadhiswaytomakeandwouldhewdowndifficultiesforhersake。

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