WherethegreathighwayoftheSierrasnearsthesummit,andthepinesbegintoshowsterilereachesofrockandwasteintheirdrawn-upfiles,therearesignsofoccasionaldeparturesfromthemainroad,asifthewearytravellerhadattimessuccumbedtothelongascent,andturnedasideforrestandbreathagain。Thetiredeyesofmanyadustypassengerontheoldoverlandcoachhavegazedwistfullyonthosesylvanopenings,andimaginedrecessesofprimevalshadeandvirginwildernessintheirdimperspectives。
Hadhedescended,however,andfollowedoneofthesedivergingpaths,hewouldhavecomeuponsomerudewagontrack,or\"logslide,\"
leadingfromaclearingontheslope,ortheominoussaw-mill,halfhiddenintheforestitwasslowlydecimating。Thewoodlandhushmighthavebeenbrokenbythesoundofwaterpassingoversomeunseendaminthehollow,orthehissofescapingsteamandthrobofaninvisibleengineinthecovert。
Such,atleast,wastheexperienceofayoungfellowoffive-and-
twenty,who,knapsackonbackandstickinhand,hadturnedasidefromthehighwayandenteredthewoodsonepleasantafternooninJuly。Buthewasevidentlyadeliberatepedestrian,andnotarecentdepositoftheproceedingstage-coach;andalthoughhisstoutwalking-shoeswerecoveredwithdust,hehadneitherthehabitualslouchandslovenlinessofthetramp,northehurriedfatigueandgrowingnegligenceofaninvoluntarywayfarer。Hisclothes,whichwerestrongandserviceable,werebetterfittedfortheirpresentusagethantheordinarygarmentsoftheCaliforniantravellers,whichweretooapttobeeitheraboveorbelowtheirrequirements。Butperhapsthestranger\'sgreatestclaimtooriginalitywas
theabsenceofanyweaponinhisequipment。Hecarriedneitherriflenorguninhishand,andhisnarrowleathernbeltwasemptyofeitherknifeorrevolver。
Ahalf-milefromthemainroad,whichseemedtohimtohavedroppedoutofsightthemomenthehadleftit,hecameuponahalf-clearedarea,wherethehastily-cutstumpsofpines,ofirregularheight,boreanoddresemblancetothebrokencolumnsofsomevastandruinedtemple。Afewfallenshafts,denudedoftheirbarkandtessellatedbranches,sawnintosymmetricalcylinders,laybesidethestumps,andlentthemselvestotheillusion。Butthefreshly-
cutchips,sodampthattheystillclunginlayerstoeachotherastheyhadfallenfromtheaxe,andthestumpsthemselves,stillwetandviscousfromtheirdrainedlife-blood,wereredolentofanodorofyouthandfreshness。
Theyoungmanseatedhimselfononeofthelogsanddeeplyinhaledthesharpbalsamicfragrance——albeitwithaslightcoughandalaterhurriedrespiration。This,andacertaindrawnlookabouthisupperlip,seemedtoindicate,inspiteofhisstrengthandcolor,somepulmonaryweakness。He,however,roseafteramoment\'srestwithundiminishedenergyandcheerfulness,readjustedhisknapsack,andbegantolightlypickhiswayacrossthefallentimber。Afewpaceson,themuffledwhirofmachinerybecamemoreaudible,withthelazy,monotonouscommandof\"Geethar,\"fromsomeunseenox-driver。Presently,theslow,deliberately-swayingheadsofateamofoxenemergedfromthebushes,followedbytheclankingchainofthe\"skids\"ofsawnplanks,whichtheywereponderouslydraggingwiththatostentatioussubmissivenesspeculiartotheirspecies。Theyhadnearlypassedhimwhentherewasasuddenhitchintheprocession。Fromwherehestoodhecouldseethataprojectingplankhadstruckapileofchipsandbecomepartlyimbeddedinit。Toruntotheobstructionand,withafewdexterousstrokesandtheleverageofhisstoutstick,dislodgetheplankwastheworknotonlyofthemomentbutofanevidentlyenergetichand。Theteamsterlookedbackandmerelynoddedhisappreciation,andwitha\"Geeup!Outofthat,now!\"theskidsmovedon。
\"Muchobliged,there!\"saidaheartyvoice,asifsupplementingtheteamster\'simperfectacknowledgment。
Thestrangerlookedup。Thevoicecamefromtheopen,sashless,shutterlesswindowofarudebuilding——amereshellofboardsandbeamshalfhiddeninthestillleafycovertbeforehim。Hehadcompletelyoverlookeditinhisapproach,evenashehadignoredthenearerthrobbingofthemachinery,whichwassoviolentastoimpartadecidedtremortotheslightedifice,andtoshakethespeakersostronglythathewasobligedwhilespeakingtosteadyhimselfbythesashlessframeofthewindowatwhichhestood。Hehadafaceofgood-naturedandalertintelligence,amaster\'sindependenceandauthorityofmanner,inspiteofhisbluejeanoverallsandflannelshirt。
\"Don\'tmentionit,\"saidthestranger,smilingwithequalbutmoredeliberategood-humor。Then,seeingthathisinterlocutorstilllingeredahospitablemomentinspiteofhisquickeyesandthejarringimpatienceofthemachinery,headdedhesitatingly,\"I
fancyI\'vewanderedoffthetrackabit。DoyouknowaMr。
Bradley——somewherehere?\"
Thestranger\'shesitationseemedtobemorefromsomehabitualconscientiousnessofstatementthanawkwardness。Themaninthewindowreplied,\"I\'mBradley。”
\"Ah!Thankyou:I\'vealetterforyou——somewhere。Hereitis。”Heproducedanotefromhisbreast-pocket。Bradleystoopedtoasittingpostureinthewindow。\"Pitchitup。”Itwasthrownandcaughtcleverly。Bradleyopenedit,readithastily,smiledandnodded,glancedbehindhimasiftoimplorefurtherdelayfromtheimpatientmachinery,leanedperilouslyfromthewindow,andsaid,——
\"Lookhere!Doyouseethatsilver-firstraightahead?\"
\"Yes。”
\"Alittletotheleftthere\'satrail。Followitandskirtalongtheedgeofthecanyonuntilyouseemyhouse。Askformywife——
that\'sMrs。Bradley——andgiveheryourletter。Stop!\"Hedrewacarpenter\'spencilfromhispocket,scrawledtwoorthreewordsacrosstheopensheetandtosseditbacktothestranger。\"Seeyouattea!Excuseme——Mr。Mainwaring——we\'reshort-handed——and——theengine——\"Butherehedisappearedsuddenly。
Withoutglancingatthenoteagain,thestrangerquietlyreplaceditinhispocket,andstruckoutacrossthefallentrunkstowardsthesilver-fir。HequicklyfoundthetrailindicatedbyBradley,althoughitwasfaintandapparentlywornbyasinglepairoffeetasashorterandprivatecutfromsomemoretravelledpath。Itwaswellforthestrangerthathehadakeeneyeorhewouldhavelostit;itwasequallyfortunatethathehadamountaineeringinstinct,forasuddenprofounddeepeningofthebluemistseendimlythroughtheleavesbeforehimcausedhimtoslackenhissteps。Thetrailbentabruptlytotheright;agulffullytwothousandfeetdeepwasathisfeet!ItwastheGreatCanyon。
Atthefirstglanceitseemedsonarrowthatarifle-shotcouldhavecrosseditstranquildepths;butasecondlookatthecomparativesizeofthetreesontheoppositemountainconvincedhimofhiserror。Anearersurveyoftheabyssalsoshowedhimthatinsteadofitswallsbeingperpendiculartheyweremadeofsuccessiveledgesorterracestothevalleybelow。Yettheairwassostill,andtheoutlinessoclearlycut,thattheymighthavebeenonlythereflectionsofthemountainsaroundhimcastupontheplacidmirrorofalake。Thespectaclearrestedhim,asitarrestedallmen,bysomeoccultpowerbeyondthemereattractionofbeautyormagnitude;eventheteamsterneverpasseditwithoutthetributeofastoneorbrokentwigtossedintoitsimmeasurableprofundity。
Reluctantlyleavingthespot,thestrangerturnedwiththetrailthatnowbegantoskirtitsedge。Thiswasnoeasymatter,astheundergrowthwasverythick,andthefoliagedensetotheperilousbrinkoftheprecipice。Hewalkedon,however,wonderingwhyBradleyhadchosensocircuitousanddangerousaroutetohishouse,whichnaturallywouldbesomedistancebackfromthecanyon。
Attheendoftenminutes\'strugglingthroughthe\"brush,\"thetrailbecamevague,and,toallappearances,ended。Hadhearrived?Thethicketwasasdenseasbefore;throughtheintersticesofleafandsprayhecouldseethebluevoidofthecanyonathisside,andheevenfanciedthatthefoliageaheadofhimwasmoresymmetricalandlessirregular,andwastouchedhereandtherewithfaintbitsofcolor。Tocompletehisuttermystification,awoman\'svoice,veryfresh,veryyouthful,andbynomeansunmusical,roseapparentlyfromthecircumambientair。Helookedhurriedlytotherightandleft,andevenhopelesslyintothetreesabovehim。
\"Yes,\"saidthevoice,asifrenewingasuspendedconversation,\"itwastoofunnyforanything。TherewerethetwoMissourigirlsfromSkinner\'s,withtheirauburnhairringleted,mydear,liketheold\'BooksofBeauty\'——inwhitefrocksandsashesofanunripegreenishyellow,thatpuckeredupyourmouthlikepersimmons。Oneofthemwasspeechlessfromgoodbehavior,andtheother——well!theotherwassoenergeticshecalledoutthefiguresbeforethefiddlerdid,andshriekedtomyvis-a-vistodanceuptotheentirestranger——
meaningME,ifyouplease。”
Thevoiceappearedtocomefromthefoliagethatoverhungthecanyon,andthestrangerevenfanciedhecoulddetectthroughtheshimmeringleafyveilsomethingthatmovedmonotonouslytoandfro。
Mystifiedandimpatient,hemadeahurriedstrideforward,hisfootstruckawoodenstep,andthenextmomentthemysterywasmadeclear。Hehadalmoststumbledupontheendofalongverandathatprojectedovertheabyssbeforealow,moderndwelling,tilltheninvisible,nestlingonitsverybrink。Thesymmetrically-trimmedfoliagehehadnoticedweretheluxuriantMadeiravinesthathidtherudepillarsoftheveranda;themovingobjectwasarocking-
chair,withitsbacktowardstheintruder,thatdisclosedonlythebrownhairabove,andthewhiteskirtsandsmallslipperedfeetbelow,ofaseatedfemalefigure。Inthemeantime,asecondvoicefromtheinteriorofthehousehadrepliedtothefigureinthechair,whowasevidentlythefirstspeaker:——
\"Itmusthavebeenveryfunny;butaslongasJimisalwaysbringingsomebodyoverfromthemill,Idon\'tseehowIcangotothoseplaces。Youwerelucky,mydear,toescapefromthenewDivisionSuperintendentlastnight;hewasinsufferabletoJimwithhistalkofhisfriendtheSanFranciscomillionaire,andtomewithhischeapsocietyairs。Idohateaprovincialfinegentleman。”
Thesituationwasbecomingembarrassingtotheintruder。Attheapparitionofthewoman,theunaffectedandsimpledirectnesshehadpreviouslyshowninhisequallyabruptcontactwithBradleyhadfledutterly;confusedbytheawkwardnessofhisarrival,andshockedattheideaofoverhearingaprivateconversation,hesteppedhurriedlyontheveranda。
\"Well?goon!\"saidthesecondvoiceimpatiently。\"Well,whoelsewasthere?WHATdidyousay?Idon\'thearyou。What\'sthematter?\"
Theseatedfigurehadrisenfromherchair,andturnedayoungandprettyfacesomewhatsuperciliouslytowardsthestranger,asshesaidinalowtonetoherunseenauditor,\"Hush!thereissomebodyhere。”
Theyoungmancameforwardwithanawkwardnessthatwasmoreboyishthanrustic。Hisembarrassmentwasnotlessenedbythesimultaneousentrancefromtheopendoorofasecondwoman,apparentlyasyoungasandprettierthanthefirst。
\"Itrustyou\'llexcusemefor——for——beingsowretchedlystupid,\"hestammered,\"butIreallythought,youknow,that——that——Iwasfollowingthetrailto——to——thefrontofthehouse,whenIstumbledin——inhere。”
Longbeforehehadfinished,bothwomen,bysomesimplefeminineintuition,wererelievedandevenprepossessedbyhisvoiceandmanner。Theysmiledgraciously。Thelater-comerpointedtotheemptychair。Butwithhishabitofpertinaciousconscientiousnessthestrangercontinued,\"Itwasregularlystupid,wasn\'tit?——andI
oughttohaveknownbetter。IshouldhaveturnedbackandgoneawaywhenIfoundoutwhatanassIwaslikelytobe,butIwas——
afraid——youknow,ofalarmingyoubythenoise。”
\"Won\'tyousitdown?\"saidthesecondlady,pleasantly。
\"Oh,thanks!I\'vealetterhere——I\"——hetransferredhisstickandhattohislefthandashefeltinhisbreast-pocketwithhisright。
Buttheactionwassoawkwardthatthestickdroppedontheveranda。
Bothwomenmadeamovementtorestoreittoitsembarrassedowner,who,however,quicklyanticipatedthem。\"Praydon\'tmindit,\"hecontinued,withacceleratedbreathandheightenedcolor。\"Ah,here\'stheletter!\"HeproducedthenoteBradleyhadreturnedtohim。\"It\'smine,infact——thatis,IbroughtittoMr。Bradley。HesaidIwastogiveitto——to——to——Mrs。Bradley。”Hepaused,glancingembarrassedlyfromtheonetotheother。
\"I\'mMrs。Bradley,\"saidtheprettiestone,withalaugh。Hehandedhertheletter。Itranasfollows:——
\"DEARBRADLEY——PutMr。Mainwaringthroughasfarashewantstogo,orhanghimupatTheLookout,justashelikes。TheBank\'sbehindhim,andhishat\'schalkedallovertheRoad;buthedon\'tcaremuchaboutbeingonvelvet。Thatain\'thisstyle——andyou\'lllikehim。He\'ssomebody\'ssoninEngland。B。”
Mrs。Bradleyglancedsimplyatthefirstsentence。\"Praysitdown,Mr。Mainwaring,\"shesaidgently;\"or,rather,letmefirstintroducemycousin——MissMacy。”
\"Thanks,\"saidMainwaring,withabowtoMissMacy,\"butI——I——I——
think,\"headdedconscientiously,\"youdidnotnoticethatyourhusbandhadwrittensomethingacrossthepaper。”
Mrs。Bradleysmiled,andglancedatherhusband\'sindorsement——\"Allright。Wadein。”\"It\'snothingbutJim\'sslang,\"shesaid,withalaughandaslightlyheightenedcolor。\"Heoughtnottohavesentyoubythatshortcut;it\'sabother,andevendangerousforastranger。IfyouhadcomedirectlytoUSbytheroad,withoutmakingyourfirstcallatthemill,\"sheadded,withatouchofcoquetry,\"youwouldhavehadapleasanterwalk,andseenUS
sooner。Isuppose,however,yougotoffthestageatthemill?\"
\"Iwasnotonthecoach,\"saidMainwaring,unfasteningthestrapofhisknapsack。\"IwalkedoverfromLonePineFlat。”
\"Walked!\"echoedbothwomeninsimultaneousastonishment。
\"Yes,\"returnedMainwaringsimply,layingasidehisburdenandtakingtheprofferedseat。\"It\'saveryfinebitofcountry。”
\"Why,it\'sfifteenmiles,\"saidMrs。Bradley,glancinghorror-
strickenathercousin。\"Howdreadful!AndtothinkJimcouldhavesentyouahorsetoLonePine。Why,youmustbedead!\"
\"Thanks,I\'mallright!Iratherenjoyedit,youknow。”
\"But,\"saidMissMacy,glancingwonderinglyathisknapsack,\"youmustwantsomething,achange——orsomerefreshment——afterfifteenmiles。”
\"Praydon\'tdisturbyourself,\"saidMainwaring,risinghastily,butnotquicklyenoughtopreventtheyounggirlfromslippingpasthimintothehouse,whencesherapidlyreturnedwithadecanterandglasses。
\"PerhapsMr。MainwaringwouldprefertogointoJim\'sroomandwashhishandsandputonapairofslippers?\"saidMrs。Bradley,withgentleconcern。
\"Thanks,no。Ireallyamnottired。IsentsomeluggageyesterdaybythecoachtotheSummitHotel,\"hesaid,observingthewomen\'seyesstillfixeduponhisknapsack。\"IdaresayIcangetthemifIwantthem。I\'vegotachangehere,\"hecontinued,liftingtheknapsackasifwithasuddensenseofitsincongruitywithitssurroundings,anddepositingitontheendoftheveranda。
\"Doletitremainwhereitis,\"saidMrs。Bradley,greatlyamused,\"andpraysitstillandtakesomerefreshment。You\'llmakeyourselfillafteryourexertions,\"sheadded,withacharmingassumptionofmatronlysolicitude。
\"ButI\'mnotatalldeservingofyoursympathy,\"saidMainwaring,withalaugh。\"I\'mawfullyfondofwalking,andmyusualconstitutionalisn\'tmuchunderthis。”
\"Perhapsyouwerestrongerthanyouarenow,\"saidMrs。Bradley,gazingathimwithafrankcuriositythat,however,broughtafaintdeepeningofcolortohischeek。
\"Idaresayyou\'reright,\"hesaidsuddenly,withanapologeticsmile。\"IquiteforgotthatI\'masortofaninvalid,youknow,travellingformyhealth。I\'mnotverystronghere,\"headded,lightlytappinghischest,thatnow,relievedofthebandsofhisknapsack,appearedsomewhatthinandhollowinspiteofhisbroadshoulders。Hisvoice,too,hadbecomelessclearanddistinct。
Mrs。Bradley,whowasstillwatchinghim,hererosepotentially。
\"Yououghttotakemorecareofyourself,\"shesaid。\"Youshouldbeginbyeatingthisbiscuit,drinkingthatglassofwhiskey,andmakingyourselfmorecomfortableinJim\'sroomuntilwecangetthespareroomfixedalittle。”
\"ButIamnottobesenttobed——amI?\"askedMainwaring,inhalf-
real,half-amusedconsternation。
\"I\'mnotsosureofthat,\"saidMrs。Bradley,withplayfulprecision。
\"Butforthepresentwe\'llletyouoffwithagoodwashandanapafterwardsinthatrocking-chair,whilemycousinandImakesomelittledomesticpreparations。Yousee,\"sheaddedwithacertainproudhumility,\"we\'vegotonlyoneservant——aChinaman,andtherearemanythingswecan\'tleavetohim。”
ThecoloragainroseinMainwaring\'scheek,buthehadtactenoughtoreflectthatanyprotestorhesitationonhispartatthatmomentwouldonlyincreasethedifficultiesofhisgentleentertainers。HeallowedhimselftobeusheredintothehousebyMrs。Bradley,andshowntoherhusband\'sroom,withoutperceivingthatMissMacyhadavailedherselfofhisabsencetoruntotheendoftheveranda,mischievouslytrytoliftthediscardedknapsacktoherownprettyshoulder,but,failing,heroicallystaggerwithitintothepassageandsoftlydeposititathisdoor。Thisdone,shepantinglyrejoinedhercousininthekitchen。
\"Well,\"saidMrs。Bradley,emphatically。\"DIDyouever?Walkingfifteenmilesforpleasure——andwithsuchlungs!\"
\"Andthatknapsack!\"addedLouiseMacy,pointingtothemarkinherlittlepalmwherethestraphadimbeddeditselfinthesoftflesh。
\"He\'snice,though;isn\'the?\"saidMrs。Bradley,tentatively。
\"Yes,\"saidMissMacy,\"heisn\'t,certainly,oneofthoseprovincialfinegentlemenyouobjectto。ButDIDyouseehisshoes?Isupposetheymakethemilesgoquickly,orseemtomeasurelessbycomparison。”
\"They\'reprobablymoreserviceablethanthosehigh-heeledthingsthatCaptainGreysonhopsaboutin。”
\"ButtheCaptainalwaysrides——andridesverywell——youknow,\"saidLouise,reflectively。Therewasamoment\'spause。
\"IsupposeJimwilltellusallabouthim,\"saidMrs。Bradley,dismissingthesubject,assheturnedhersleevesbackoverherwhitearms,preparatorytograpplingcertainculinarydifficulties。
\"Jim,\"observedMissMacy,shortly,\"inmyopinion,knowsnothingmorethanhisnotesays。That\'slikeJim。”
\"There\'snothingmoretoknow,really,\"saidMrs。Bradley,withasuperiorair。\"He\'sundoubtedlythesonofsomeEnglishmanoffortune,sentouthereforhishealth。”
\"Hush!\"
MissMacyhadheardastepinthepassage。Ithaltedatlast,halfirresolutely,beforetheopendoorofthekitchen,andthestrangerappearedwithanembarrassedair。
Butinhisbriefabsenceheseemedtohavecompletelygroomedhimself,andstoodthere,theimpersonationofclose-cropped,clean,andwholesomeEnglishyoungmanhood。Thetwowomenappreciateditwithcat-likefastidiousness。
\"Ibegyourpardon;butreallyyou\'regoingtoletafellowdosomethingforyou,\"hesaid,\"justtokeephimfromlookinglikeafool。Ireallycandonoendofthings,youknow,ifyou\'lltryme。I\'vedonesomecamping-out,andcancookaswellasthenextman。
Thetwowomenmadeamovementofsmilingremonstrance,halfcoquettish,andhalfsuperior,untilMrs。Bradley,becomingconsciousofherbarearmsandthestranger\'swanderingeyes,coloredfaintly,andsaidwithmoredecision:——
\"Certainlynot。You\'donlybeintheway。Besides,youneedrestmorethanwedo。Putyourselfintherocking-chairintheveranda,andgotosleepuntilMr。Bradleycomes。”
Mainwaringsawthatshewasserious,andwithdrew,alittleashamedathisfamiliarityintowhichhisboyishnesshadbetrayedhim。Buthehadscarcelyseatedhimselfintherocking-chairbeforeMissMacyappeared,carryingwithbothhandsalargetinbasinofunshelledpeas。
\"There,\"shesaidpantingly,placingherburdeninhislap,\"ifyoureallywanttohelp,there\'ssomethingtodothatisn\'tveryfatiguing。Youmayshellthesepeas。”
\"SHELLthem——Ibegpardon,buthow?\"heasked,withsmilingearnestness。
\"How?Why,I\'llshowyou——look。”
Shefranklysteppedbesidehim,soclosethatherfull-skirteddresshalfencompassedhimandthebasininadeliciousconfusion,and,leaningoverhislap,withherlefthandpickedupapea-cod,which,withasinglemovementofhercharminglittlerightthumb,shebrokeattheend,andstrippedthegreenshallowofitstinytreasures。
Hewatchedherwithsmilingeyes;herown,lookingdownonhim,wereverybrightandluminous。\"There;that\'seasyenough,\"shesaid,andturnedaway。
\"But——onemoment,Miss——Miss——?\"
\"Macy,\"saidlouise。
\"WhereamItoputtheshells?\"
\"Oh!throwthemdownthere——there\'sroomenough。”
Shewaspointingtothecanyonbelow。Theverandaactuallyprojectedoveritsbrink,andseemedtohanginmidairaboveit。
Mainwaringalmostmechanicallythrewhisarmouttocatchtheincautiousgirl,whohadsteppedheedlesslytoitsextremeedge。
\"Howodd!Don\'tyoufinditratherdangeroushere?\"hecouldnothelpsaying。\"Imean——youmighthavehadarailingthatwouldn\'tintercepttheviewandyetbesafe?\"
\"It\'safancyofMr。Bradley\'s,\"returnedtheyounggirlcarelessly。\"It\'salllikethis。Thehousewasbuiltonaledgeagainstthesideoftheprecipice,andtheroadsuddenlydropsdowntoit。”
\"It\'stremendouslypretty,allthesame,youknow,\"saidtheyoungmanthoughtfully,gazing,however,atthegirl\'sroundedchinabovehim。
\"Yes,\"sherepliedcurtly。\"Butthisisn\'tworking。ImustgobacktoJenny。YoucanshellthepeasuntilMr。Bradleycomeshome。Hewon\'tbelong。”
Sheturnedaway,andre-enteredthehouse。Withoutknowingwhy,hethoughtherwithdrawalabrupt,andhewasagainfeelinghisreadycolorrisewiththesuspicionofeitherhavingbeenbetrayedbytheyounggirl\'sinnocentfearlessnessintosomeunpardonablefamiliarity,whichshehadquietlyresented,oroffeelinganeaseandfreedominthecompanyofthesetwowomenthatwereinconsistentwithrespect,andshouldberestrained。
He,however,begantoapplyhimselftothetaskgiventohimwithhisusualconscientiousnessofduty,andpresentlyacquiredacertainmanualdexterityintheoperation。Itwas\"goodfun\"tothrowthecast-offhusksintothemightyunfathomablevoidbeforehim,andwatchthemlingerwithsuspendedgravityinmidairforamoment——apparentlymotionless——untiltheyeitherlostthemselves,amerevanishingblackspotinthethinether,orslidsuddenlyatasharpangleintounknownshadow。Howdeucedoddforhimtobesittinghereinthisfashion!Itwouldbesomethingtotalkofhereafter,andyet,——hestopped——itwasnotatallinthelineofthatcharacteristicadventure,uncivilizednovelty,andbarbarousfreedomwhichforthelastmonthhehadsoughtandexperienced。Itwasnotatalllikehismeetingwiththegrizzlylastweekwhilewanderinginalonelycanyon;notabitinthelineofhischanceacquaintancewiththatnotoriousruffian,SpanishJack,orhiswitnessingwithhisowneyesthatactuallynchingaffairatAngels。
No!Norwasitatallcharacteristic,accordingtohispreviousideasoffrontierruralseclusion——asforinstancethePikeCountycabinofthefamilywherehestayedonenight,andwherethehandsomedaughteraskedhimwhathisChristiannamewas。No!
Thesetwoyoungwomenwereveryunlikeher;theyseemedreallyquitetheequalsofhisfamilyandfriendsinEngland,——perhapsmoreattractive,——andyet,yes,itwasthisveryattractivenessthatalarmedhisinbredsocialconservatismregardingwomen。Withamanitwasverydifferent;thatalert,active,intelligenthusband,instinctwiththethrobbinglifeofhissaw-mill,creatorandworkerinone,challengedhisunqualifiedtrustandadmiration。
Hehadbecomeconsciousforthelastminuteortwoofthinkingrapidlyandbecomingfeverishlyexcited;ofbreathingwithgreaterdifficulty,andarenewedtendencytocough。Thetendencyincreaseduntilheinstinctivelyputasidethepanfromhislapandhalfrose。Buteventhatslightexertionbroughtonanaccessionofcoughing。Heputhishandkerchieftohislips,partlytokeepthesoundfromdisturbingthewomeninthekitchen,partlybecauseofacertainsignificanttasteinhismouthwhichheunpleasantlyremembered。Whenheremovedthehandkerchiefitwas,asheexpected,spottedwithblood。Heturnedquicklyandre-enteredthehousesoftly,regainingthebedroomwithoutattractingattention。
Anincreasingfaintnesshereobligedhimtoliedownonthebeduntilitshouldpass。
Everythingwasquiet。Hehopedtheywouldnotdiscoverhisabsencefromtheverandauntilhewasbetter;itwasdeucedlyawkwardthatheshouldhavehadthisattackjustnow——andafterhehadmadesolightofhispreviousexertions。Theywouldthinkhimaneffeminatefraud,thesetwobright,activewomenandthatalert,energeticman。Afaintcolorcameintohischeekattheidea,andanuneasysensethathehadbeeninsomewayfoolishlyimprudentabouthishealth。Again,theymightbealarmedatmissinghimfromtheveranda;perhapshehadbetterhaveremainedthere;perhapsheoughttotellthemthathehadconcludedtotaketheiradviceandliedown。Hetriedtorise,butthedeepbluechasmbeforethewindowseemedtobeswellinguptomeethim,thebedslowlysinkingintoitsobliviousprofundity。Heknewnomore。
Hecametowiththesmellandtasteofsomepowerfulvolatilespirit,andthevaguevisionofMr。Bradleystillstandingatthewindowofthemillandvibratingwiththemachinery;thischangedpresentlytoapleasantlassitudeandlazycuriosityasheperceivedMr。Bradleysmileandapparentlyslipfromthewindowofthemilltohisbedside。\"You\'reallrightnow,\"saidBradley,cheerfully。
HewasfeelingMainwaring\'spulse。HadhereallybeenillandwasBradleyadoctor?
Bradleyevidentlysawwhatwaspassinginhismind。\"Don\'tbealarmed,\"hesaidgayly。\"I\'mnotadoctor,butIpractisealittlemedicineandsurgeryonaccountofthemenatthemill,andaccidents,youknow。You\'reallrightnow;you\'velostalittleblood:butinacoupleofweeksinthisairwe\'llhavethattuberclehealed,andyou\'llbeasrightasatrivet。”
\"Inacoupleofweeks!\"echoedMainwaring,infaintastonishment。
\"Why,Ileavehereto-morrow。”
\"You\'lldonothingofthekind\"saidMrs。Bradley,withsmilingperemptoriness,suddenlyslippingoutfrombehindherhusband。
\"Everythingisallperfectlyarranged。Jimhassentoffmessengerstoyourfriends,sothatifyoucan\'tcometothem,theycancometoyou。Youseeyoucan\'thelpyourself!IfyouWILLwalkfifteenmileswithsuchlungs,andthenfrightenpeopletodeath,youmustabidebytheconsequences。”
\"Youseetheoldladyhasfixedyou,\"saidBradley,smiling;\"andshe\'sthemasterhere。Come,Mainwaring,youcansendanyothermessageyoulike,andhavewhoandwhatyouwanthere;butHEREyoumuststopforawhile。”
\"ButdidIfrightenyoureally?\"stammeredMainwaring,faintly,toMrs。Bradley。
\"Frightenus!\"saidMrs。Bradley。\"Well,lookthere!\"
Shepointedtothewindow,whichcommandedaviewoftheveranda。
MissMacyhaddroppedintothevacantchair,withherlittlefeetstretchedoutbeforeher,hercheeksburningwithheatandfire,hereyespartlyclosed,herstrawhathangingbyaribbonroundherneck,herbrownhairclingingtoherearsandforeheadindamptendrils,andanenormouspalm-leaffanineachhandviolentlyplayinguponthischarmingpictureofexhaustionandabandonment。
\"Shecametearingdowntothemill,bare-backedonourhalf-brokenmustang,abouthalfanhourago,tocallme\'tohelpyou,\'\"
explainedBradley。\"Heavenknowshowshemanagedtodoit!\"
CHAPTERII。
ThemedicationofthewoodswasnotoverestimatedbyBradley。
TherewassurelysomeocculthealingpropertyinthatvastreservoirofbalmyandresinousodorsoverwhichTheLookoutbeetledandclung,andfromwhichattimesthepureexhalationsoftheterracedvalleyseemedtorise。Underitsremedialinfluenceandaconscientiousadherencetotherulesofabsoluterestandreposelaiddownforhim,Mainwaringhadnoreturnofthehemorrhage。Thenearestprofessionalmedicalauthority,hastilysummoned,sawnoreasonforchangingorforsupplementingBradley\'sintelligentandsimpletreatment,althoughastoundedthatthepatienthadbeenundernomoreradicalorsystematiccurethantravelandexercise。ThewomenespeciallywereamazedthatMainwaringhadtaken\"nothingforit,\"intheirhabitualexperienceofanunfetteredpill-and-elixir-consumingdemocracy。Intheirknowledgeofthethousand\"panaceas\"thatfilledtheshelvesofthegeneralstore,thissingularabstentionoftheirguestseemedtoindicateanationalpeculiarity。
Hisbedwasmovedbesidethelowwindow,fromwhichhecouldnotonlyviewtheverandabutconverseattimeswithitsoccupants,andevenlistentothebookwhichMissMacy,seatedwithout,readaloudtohim。IntheeveningBradleywouldlingerbyhiscouchuntillate,beguilingthetediumofhisconvalescencewithcharacteristicstoriesandinformationwhichhethoughtmightpleasetheinvalid。
ForMainwaring,whohadbeenearlystruckwithBradley\'sreadyandcultivatedintelligence,endedbyshylyavoidingthediscussionofmoreserioustopics,partlybecauseBradleyimpressedhimwithasuspicionofhisowninferiority,andpartlybecauseMainwaringquestionedthetasteofBradley\'sapparentexhibitionofhismanifestsuperiority。Helearnedaccidentallythatthismill-ownerandbackwoodsmanwasacollege-bredman;butthepracticalapplicationofthateducationtotheordinaryaffairsoflifewasnewtotheyoungEnglishman\'straditions,andgratedalittleharshlyonhisfeelings。HewouldhavebeenquitecontentifBradleyhad,likehimselfandfellowsheknew,undervaluedhistraining,andkepthisgiftsconservativelyimpractical。Theknowledgealsothathishost\'seducationnaturallycamefromsomeprovincialinstitutionunlikeOxfordandCambridgemayhaveunconsciouslyaffectedhisgeneralestimate。Isayunconsciously,forhisstrictconscientiousnesswouldhaverejectedanysuchformalproposition。
Anothertrifleannoyedhim。HecouldnothelpnoticingalsothatalthoughBradley\'smannerandsympathywereconfidentialandalmostbrotherly,henevermadeanyallusiontoMainwaring\'sownfamilyorconnections,and,infact,gavenoindicationofwhathebelievedwasthenationalcuriosityinregardtostrangers。Somewhatembarrassedbythisindifference,MainwaringmadetheoccasionofwritingsomelettershomeanopportunityforlaughinglyalludingtothefactthathehadmadehismotherandhissistersfullyawareofthegreatdebttheyowedthehouseholdofTheLookout。
\"They\'llprobablyallsendyouaroundrobinofthanks,except,perhaps,mynextbrother,Bob。”
Bradleycontentedhimselfwithagestureofgeneraldeprecation,anddidnotaskWHYMainwaring\'syoungbrothershouldcontemplatehisdeathwithsatisfaction。Nevertheless,sometimeafterwardsMissMacyremarkedthatitseemedhardthatthehappinessofonememberofafamilyshoulddependuponacalamitytoanother。\"Asforinstance?\"askedMainwaring,whohadalreadyforgottenthecircumstance。\"Why,ifyouhaddiedandyouryoungerbrothersucceededtothebaronetcy,andbecomeSirRobertMainwaring,\"
respondedMissMacy,withprecision。Thiswasthefirstandonlyallusiontohisfamilyandprospectiverank。Ontheotherhand,hehad——throughnaiveandboyishinquiries,whichseemedtoamusehisentertainers——acquired,ashebelieved,afullknowledgeofthehistoryandantecedentsoftheBradleyhousehold。HeknewhowBradleyhadbroughthisyoungwifeandhercousintoCaliforniaandabandonedalucrativelawpracticeinSanFranciscototakepossessionofthismountainmillandwoodland,whichhehadacquiredthroughsomeprofessionalservice。
\"Thenyouareabarristerreally?\"saidMainwaring,gravely。
Bradleylaughed。\"I\'mafraidI\'vehadmorepractice——thoughnotaslucrativeaone——assurgeonordoctor。”
\"Butyou\'reregularlyontherolls,youknow;you\'reenteredasCounsel,andallthatsortofthing?\"continuedMainwaring,withgreatseriousness。
\"Well,yes,\"repliedBradley,muchamused。\"I\'mafraidImustpleadguiltytothat。”
\"It\'snotabadsortofthing,\"saidMainwaring,naively,ignoringBradley\'samusement。\"I\'vegotacousinwho\'sgoneinforthelaw。
Gotoutofthearmytodoit——too。He\'sasharpfellow。”
\"ThenyouDOallowamantotrymanytrades——overthere,\"saidMissMacy,demurely。
\"Yes,sometimes,\"saidMainwaring,graciously,butbynomeanscertainthatthecasewasatallanalogous。
Nevertheless,asifrelievedofcertaindoubtsoftheconventionalqualityofhishost\'sattainments,henowgavehimselfuptoaveryheartyandhonestadmirationofBradley。\"Youknowit\'sawfullykindofhimtotalktoafellowlikemewhojustpulledthrough,andnevergotanyprizesatOxford,anddon\'tunderstandthehalfofthesethings,\"heremarkedconfidentiallytoMrs。Bradley。\"HeknowsmoreaboutthethingsweusedtogoinforatOxfordthanlotsofourmen,andhe\'sneverbeenthere。He\'suncommonlyclever。”
\"Jimwasalwaysverybrilliant,\"returnedMrs。Bradley,indifferently,andwithmorethanevenconventionallypolitewifelydeprecation;\"Iwishheweremorepractical。”
\"Practical!Oh,Isay,Mrs。Bradley!Why,afellowthatcangoinamongalotofworkmenandtellthemjustwhattodo——anall-roundchapthatcanbeindependentofhisvalet,hisdoctor,andhis——
banker!ByJove——THAT\'Spractical!\"
\"Imean,\"saidMrs。Bradley,coldly,\"thattherearesomethingsthatagentlemanoughtnottobepracticalaboutnorindependentof。Mr。Bradleywouldhavedonebettertohaveusedhistalentsinsomemorelegitimateandestablishedway。”
Mainwaringlookedatheringenuinesurprise。TohisinexperiencedobservationBradley\'sintelligentenergyand,aboveall,hisoriginality,oughttohavebeenpricelessintheeyesofhiswife——
theAmericanfemaleofhisspecies。Hefeltthatslightshockwhichmostloyalorlogicalmenfeelwhenfirstbroughtfacetofacewiththeeasydisloyaltyandincomprehensiblelogicofthefeminineaffections。Herewasafellow,byJove,thatanywomanoughttobeproudof,and——and——hestoppedblankly。HewonderedifMissMacysympathizedwithhercousin。
Howbeit,thisdidnotaffectthecharmoftheiridylliclifeatTheLookout。Theprecipiceoverwhichtheyhungwasascharmingaseverinitspoeticillusionsofspaceanddepthandcolor;theisolationoftheircomfortableexistenceinthetastefulyetaudacioushabitation,thepleasantroutineofdailytasksandamusements,alltendedtomaketheenforcedquietandinactionofhisconvalescencealazyrecreation。Hewasreallyimproving;morethanthat,hewasconsciousofacertainsatisfactioninthispassiveobservationofnoveltythatwashealthierandperhapsTRUER
thanhispreviouspassionforadventureandthatfebriledesireforchangeandexcitementwhichhenowfeltwasapartofhisdisease。
Norwereincidentandvarietyentirelyabsentfromthistranquilexperience。HewasonedayastonishedatbeingpresentedbyBradleywithcopiesofthelatestEnglishnewspapers,procuredfromSacramento,andheequallyastonishedhishost,afterprofuselythankinghim,byonlylistlesslyglancingattheircolumns。Heestoppedaproposedvisitfromoneofhisinfluentialcountrymen;
intheabsenceofhisfairentertainersattheirdomesticduties,heextractedinfinitesatisfactionfromFoo-Yup,theChineseservant,whowasparticularlydetachedforhisservice。Fromhisinvalidcoignofvantageatthewindowhewasobservantofallthatpassedupontheveranda,thatal-frescoaudience-roomofTheLookout,andhewasgood-humoredlyconsciousthatagreatmanyeccentricandpeculiarvisitorswereinvariablydraggedthitherbyMissMacy,andgoadedintocharacteristicexhibitionwithinsightandhearingofherguest,withatooevidentview,undertheostentatiousexcuseofextendinghisknowledgeofnationalcharacterormischievouslyshockinghim。
\"WhenyouarestrongenoughtostandCaptainGashweiler\'sopinionsoftheEstablishedChurchandChinamen,\"saidMissMacy,afteroneoftheserevelations,\"I\'llgetJimtobringhimhere,forreallyheswearssooutrageouslythateveninthebroadestinterestsofinternationalunderstandingandgood-willneitherMrs。Bradleynormyselfcouldbepresent。”
Onanotheroccasionsheprovokinglylingeredbeforehiswindowforamomentwitharifleslungjauntilyoverhershoulder。\"Ifyouhearashotortwodon\'texciteyourself,andbelievewe\'rehavingalynchingcaseinthewoods。Itwillbeonlyme。There\'ssomecreature——confess,youexpectedmetosay\'critter\'——hangingroundthebarn。Itmaybeabear。Good-by。”Shemissedthecreature,——
whichhappenedtobereallyabear,——muchtoMainwaring\'sillogicalsatisfaction。\"Iwonderwhy,\"hereflected,withvagueuneasiness,\"shedoesn\'tleaveallthatsortofthingtogirlslikethattow-
headedgirlattheblacksmith\'s。”
Itchanced,however,thatthisblacksmith\'stow-headeddaughter,who,itmaybeincidentallyremarked,hadtheadditionaleccentricitiesoflargeblackeyesandlargewhiteteeth,cametotheforeinquiteanotherfashion。Shortlyafterthis,Mainwaringbeingabletoleavehisroomandjointhefamilyboard,Mrs。
Bradleyfounditnecessarytoenlargeherdomesticservice,andarrangedwithhernearestneighbor,theblacksmith,toallowhisdaughtertocometoTheLookoutforafewdaysto\"dothechores\"
andassistinthehousekeeping,asshehadonpreviousoccasions。
ThedayofheradventBradleyenteredMainwaring\'sroom,and,closingthedoormysteriously,fixedhisblueeyes,kindlingwithmischief,ontheyoungEnglishman。
\"Youareaware,mydearboy,\"hebeganwithaffectedgravity,\"thatyouarenowlivinginalandofliberty,wheremereartificialdistinctionsarenotknown,andwhereFreedomfromhermountainheightsgenerallylevelsallsocialpositions。Ithinkyouhavegraciouslyadmittedthatfact。”
\"IknowI\'vebeentakingatremendouslotoffreedomwithyouandyours,oldman,andit\'sadeucedshame,\"interruptedMainwaring,withafaintsmile。
\"Andthatnowhere,\"continuedBradley,withimmovablefeatures,\"doesequalityexistasperfectlyasaboveyonderunfathomableabyss,whereyouhavealso,doubtless,observedtheAmericaneagleproudlysoarsandscreamsdefiance。”
\"Thenthatwasthefellowthatkeptmeawakethismorning,andmademewonderifIwasstrongenoughtoholdagunagain。”
\"Thatwouldn\'thavesettledthematter,\"continuedBradley,imperturbably。\"Thecaseissimplythis:MissMintySharpe,thatblacksmith\'sdaughter,hasonceortwiceconsented,foraslightemolument,toassistinourdomesticserviceforadayortwo,andshecomesbackagainto-day。Now,undertheaegisofthatnoblebirdwhomyournationalinstinctstemptyoutodestroy,shehasonallpreviousoccasionstakenhermealswithus,atthesametable,ontermsofperfectequality。Shewillnaturallyexpecttodothesamenow。Mrs。Bradleythoughtitproper,therefore,towarnyou,that,incaseyourhealthwasnotquiteequaltothisdemocraticsimplicity,youcouldstilldineinyourroom。”
\"Itwouldbegreatfun——ifMissSharpewon\'tobjecttomypresence。”
\"Butitmustnotbe\'greatfun,\'\"returnedBradley,moreseriously;
\"forMissMinty\'sperceptionofhumorisprobablyaskeenasyours,andshewouldbequicktonoticeit。And,sofarfromhavinganyobjectiontoyou,Iaminclinedtothinkthatweoweherconsenttocometoherdesireofmakingyouracquaintance。”
\"Shewillfindmyconductmostexemplary,\"saidMainwaring,earnestly。
\"Letushopeso,\"concludedBradley,withunabatedgravity。\"And,nowthatyouhaveconsented,letmeaddfrommyownexperiencethatMissMinty\'slemon-piesaloneareworthyofanyconcession。
Thedinner-hourcame。Mainwaring,alittlepaleandinteresting,leaningonthearmofBradley,crossedthehall,andforthefirsttimeenteredthedining-roomofthehousewherehehadlodgedforthreeweeks。Itwasabright,cheerfulapartment,givinguponthelaurelsoftherockyhillside,andpermeated,liketherestofthehouse,withthewholesomespiceofthevalley——anodorthat,initspuredesiccatingproperty,seemedtoobliterateallflavorofalienhumanhabitation,andeventodominateandetherealizetheappetizingsmelloftheviandsbeforethem。Thebare,shining,planed,boardedwallsappearedtoresentanydecorationthatmighthavesavoredofdust,decay,ormoisture。Thefourlargewindowsandlong,opendoor,setinscantystripsoftheplainestspotlessmuslin,framedinthemselvespicturesofwoodsandrockandskyoflimitlessdepth,color,anddistance,thatmadeallotheradornmentimpertinent。Nature,invadingtheroomateveryopening,hadbanishedArtfromthoseneutralwalls。
\"It\'slikeapicnic,withcomfort,\"saidMainwaring,glancingroundhimwithboyishappreciation。MissMintywasnotyetthere;theChinamanwasaloneinattendance。Mainwaringcouldnothelpwhispering,halfmischievously,toLouise,\"YoudrawthelineatChinamen,Isuppose?\"