TheinterviewwasfillingManniewithexcitementanddelight。Hechuckledwithpleasure。Hisfearofthegreatmanwasrapidlydeparting。Couldthis,heaskedhimself,bethe\"terrortoevil-
doers,\"themanwhosecruelquestionsdrovewitnessestotears,whose\"thirddegree\"sentveteransoftheunderworldstaggeringfromhisconfessionalbox,limpandgasping?
\"Oh,prettywell,\"saidtheboy,\"seemsasifIcouldn\'tkeepawayfromthem。Igotagoodthingfortoday——Pompadour——inthefifth。IputallthemoneyonherIcouldgettogether,\"heannouncedimportantly,andthenaddedfrankly,withalaugh,\"twodollars!\"Thelaughwascontagious,andtheDistrictAttorneylaughedwithhim。
\"Pompadour,\"Winthropobjected,\"she\'soneofthosewintertrackfavorites。\"
\"Iknow,buttoday,\"declaredMannie,\"shewin,sure!\"Carriedawaybyhisenthusiasm,andbythesympathyofhisaudience,herushed,unheeding,tohisfate。\"Ifyou\'dliketoputalittleon,\"hesaid,\"Icantellyouwhereyoucandoit。\"
TheDistrictAttorneystaredandlaughed。\"Youmustn\'ttellmewhereyoucandoit,\"hesaid。
Manniegaveaterrifiedgaspand,foraninstant,clappedhishandsoverhislips。\"That\'sright,\"hecried。\"Gee,that\'sright!I\'msuchacrankonallkindsofsportthatIcleanforgot!\"
Hegazedatthemuch-dreadedDistrictAttorneywiththeaweofthenew-bornhero-worshipper。\"Iguessyouare,too,hey?\"heprotestedadmiringly。\"Verawastellingmeyouusedtobeagreatballtosser。\"
InthefaceoftheDistrictAttorneytherecameasuddeninterest。Hiseyeslightened。
\"Howdidshe——\"
\"SheusedtowatchyouinGeneva,\"saidMannie,\"playingwiththecollegelads。I——I,\"headdedconsciously,\"wasaballplayermyselfonce。UsedtopitchfortheInterstateLeague。\"Hestoppedabruptly。
\"Interstate?\"saidWinthropencouragingly。\"Youmusthavebeengood。\"
Theenthusiasmhaddepartedfromthefaceoftheboy。\"Yes,hesaid,\"but——\"hesmiledshamefacedly,\"butIgottakingcoke,andthey——\"Hefinishedwithadramaticgestureofthehandasofamantossingawayacigarette。
\"Cocaine?\"saidtheDistrictAttorney。
Theboynoddedand,foraninstant,thetwomeneyedeachother,theboysmilingruefully。TheDistrictAttorneyshookhishead。
\"Myyoungfriend,\"hesaid,\"youcanneverbeatthatgame!\"
Manniestaredathim,hiseyesfilledwithsurprise。
\"Don\'tyousuppose,\"hesaidsimply,\"thatIknowthatbetterthanyoudo?\"Withaboy\'sprideinhisownincorrigibilityhewentonboastingly:\"Oh,yes,\"hesaid,\"Iusedtobeawfulbad!
Cocaineandallkindsofdope,andcigarettes,andwhiskey。I
wasnearlyallin——withmorphine,itwasthen——tillshetookholdofme,andstoppedme。\"
\"She?\"saidWinthrop。
\"Vera,\"saidMannie。\"Shemademestop。Ihadtostop。Shestartedtakingitherself。\"
\"What!\"criedWinthrop。
\"Oh!\"exclaimedManniehastily,\"Idon\'tmeanwhatyoumean——I
meanshestartedtakingittomakemestop。Shesaystome,Mannie,you\'rekillingyourself,andyougottoquitit;andifyoudon\'t,everytimeyoutakeagrain,I\'lltaketwo。Andshedid!I\'dcomehome,andshe\'dseewhatI\'dbeendoing,andshe\'dupwithhersleeves,and——\"Inhorriblepantomime,theboyliftedthecuffofhisshirt,andpressedhisrightthumbagainstthewristofhisotherarm。Atthememoryofit,hegaveashiverand,withablow,roughlystruckthecuffintoplace。
\"God!\"hemuttered,\"Icouldn\'tstandit。Ibegged,andbeggedhernot。Icried。Iusedtogetdown,inthisroom,onmyknees。
Andeachtimeshe\'dgetwhiter,andblackundertheeyes。And——
andIhadtostop。Didn\'tI?\"
Winthropmovedhishead。
\"Andnow,\"criedtheboywithahappylaugh,\"I\'mallright!\"Heappealedtotheoldermaneagerly,wistfully。\"Don\'tyouthinkI\'mlookingbetterthanIdidthelasttimeyousawme?\"
Again,withoutventuringtospeak,Winthropnodded。
Manniesmiledwithpride。\"Everybodytellsmeso,\"hesaid。
\"Well,shedidit。That\'swhatshedidforme。And,Icantellyou,\"hesaidsimply,sincerely,\"thereain\'tanythingI
wouldn\'tdoforher。Iguessthat\'sright,hey?\"headded。
Theeyesofthecruelcross-examiner,veiledunderhalf-closedlids,wereregardingtheboywithsocuriousanexpressionthatundertheirscrutinyMannie,inembarrassment,moveduneasily。
\"Iguessthat\'sright,\"herepeated。
Tohissurprise,theDistrictAttorneyrosefromhiscomfortablepositionand,leaningacrossthetable,heldouthishand。
Mannietookitawkwardly。
\"That\'sallright,\"hesaid。
\"Sure,it\'sallright,\"saidtheDistrictAttorney。
Fromthehalltherewasthesoundoflight,quicksteps,andMannie,happytoescapefromasituationhedidnotunderstand,rantothedoor。
\"She\'scoming,\"hesaid。Heopenedthedoorand,asVeraentered,heslippedpastherandcloseditbehindhim。
Verawalkeddirectlytothechairatthetopofthecentretable。Shewasnervous,andshewasconsciousthatthatfactwasevident。Toavoidshakinghandswithhervisitor,shecarriedherownclaspedinfrontofher,withthefingersinterlaced。
Shetriedtospeakinherusualsuave,professionaltone。\"Howdoyoudo?\"shesaid。
ButWinthropwouldnotbedenied。Withasmilethatshowedhispleasureatagainseeingher,headvancedeagerly,withhishandoutstretched。\"Howareyou?\"heexclaimed。\"Aren\'tyougoingtoshakehandswithme?\"hedemanded。\"Withanoldfriend?\"
Veragavehimherhandquickly,andthen,seatingherselfatthetable,pickeduptheivorypointer。
\"Ididn\'tknowyouwerecomingasanoldfriend,\"shemurmuredembarrassedly。\"YousaidyouwerecomingtoconsultVera,themedium。\"
\"ButyousaidthatwastheonlywayIcouldcome,\"protestedWinthrop。\"Don\'tyouremember,yousaid——\"
Verainterruptedhim。Shespokedistantly,formally。\"Whatkindofareadingdoyouwant?\"sheasked。\"Ahandreading,oracrystalreading?\"
Winthropleanedforwardinhischair,franklysmilingather。Hemadenoattempttoconcealthepleasurethesightofhergavehim。Hismannerwasthatofaveryoldanddearfriend,who,forthefirsttime,hadmetherafteraseparationofyears。
\"Don\'twantanykindofareading,\"hedeclared。\"Iwantatalking。Youdon\'tseemtounderstand,\"heobjected,\"thatIammakinganafternooncall。\"Hisgoodhumorwasunassailable。
Lookingupwithaperplexedfrown,Veramethiseyesandsawthathewaslaughingather。Shethrewtheivorypointerdownand,leaningbackinherchair,smiledathim。
\"Idon\'tbelieve,\"shesaiddoubtfully,\"thatIknowmuchaboutafternooncalls。WhatwouldIdo,ifwewereonFifthAvenue?
WouldIgiveyoutea?\"sheasked,\"because,\"sheaddedhastily,\"thereisn\'tanytea。\"
\"Inthatcase,itisnotetiquettetoofferany,\"saidWinthropgravely。
\"Then,\"saidVera,\"I\'mdoingitright,sofar?\"
Theybothlaughed;Verabecauseshestillwasinaweofhim,andWinthropbecausehewashappy。
\"You\'redoingitcharmingly,\"Winthropassuredher。
\"Good!\"exclaimedVera。\"Well,now,\"sheinquired,\"nowwetalk,don\'twe?\"
\"Yes,\"assentedWinthroppromptly,\"wetalkaboutyou。\"
\"No,I——Idon\'tthinkwedo,\"declaredVera,inhaste。\"I
thinkwetalkabout——Geneva。\"Sheturnedtohimwithrealinterest。\"Isthetownmuchchanged?\"sheasked。
Asthoughpreparingforalongtalk,Winthropdroppedhishattothefloorandsettledhimselfcomfortably。\"Well,itis,anditisn\'t,\"heanswered。\"Haven\'tyoubeenbacklately?\"heasked。
Veralookedquicklyawayfromhim。
\"Ihaveneverbeenback!\"sheanswered。Therewasapauseandwhensheagainturnedhereyestohis,shewassmiling。\"ButI
alwaystaketheGenevaTimes,\"shesaid,\"andIoftenreadthatyou\'vebeenthere。You\'reagreatmaninGeneva。\"
Winthropnoddedgravely。
\"WheneverIwanttobeagreatman,\"hesaid,\"IgotoGeneva。\"
\"Why,yes,\"exclaimedVera。\"LastJuneyoudeliveredtheorationtothegraduatingclass,\"shelaughed,\"onTheCollegeManinPolitics。Suchanoriginalsubject!Anddidyoupointtoyourself?\"sheaskedmockingly,\"asthe——thebrightexample?\"
\"No,\"protestedWinthrop,\"Iknewthey\'dseethat。\"
Muchtoherrelief,VerafoundthatofWinthropshewasnolongerafraid。
\"Oh!\"sheprotested,\"didn\'tyousay,twelveyearsago,ahumbleboyplayedballforHobartCollege。Thatboynowstandsbeforeyou?Didn\'tyousaythat?\"
\"Somethinglikethat,\"assentedtheDistrictAttorney。\"Oh!\"heexclaimed,\"thatyoungmanwhoshowedmeinhere——yourconfederateorfellow-conspiratororlookoutmanorwhateverheis——toldmeyouusedtobearegularattendantatthosegames。\"
\"Inevermissedone!\"Veracried。Sheleanedforward,hereyesshining,herbrowsknitwiththeeffortofrecollection。
\"IusedtotellAunt,\"shesaid,\"Ihadtodriveinforthemail。Butthatwasonlyanexcuse。Aunthadanoldbuggy,andanoldwhitehorsecalledRoscoeConkling。IcalledhimRocks。Hewasblindinoneeye,andhewouldwalkonthewrongsideoftheroad;youhadtodrivehimononerein。\"Thegirlwasspeakingrapidly,eagerly。Shehadlostallfearofhervisitor。WithsatisfactionWinthroprecognizedthis;andunconsciouslyhewasnowfranklyregardingthefaceofthegirlwithasmileofpleasureandadmiration。
\"AndIusedtotiehimtothefencejustoppositefirstbase,\"
Verawentonexcitedly,\"andshout——foryou!\"
\"Don\'ttellme,\"interruptedWinthrop,inburlesqueexcitement,\"thatyouwerethatveryprettylittlegirl,withshortdressesandlonglegs,whousedtositonthetoprailandkickandcheer。\"
Verashookherheadsternly。
\"Iwas,\"shesaid,\"butyouneversawme。\"
\"Oh,yes,wedid,\"protestedWinthrop。\"Weusedtocallyouourmascot。\"
\"No,thatwassomeotherlittlegirl,\"saidVerafirmly。\"Youneverlookedatme,andI\"——shelaughed,andthenfrownedathimreproachfully——\"Ithoughtyouweremagnificent!Iusedtohaveyourpicturesinbaseballclothespinnedallaroundmylookingglass,andwheneveryoumadeabasehit,I\'dshoutandshout——andyou\'dneverlookatme!Andoneday——\"shestopped,andasthoughappalledbythememory,claspedherhands。\"Oh,itwasawful!\"sheexclaimed;\"onedayafoulballhitthefence,andIjumpeddownandthrewittoyou,andyousaid,Thankyou,sis!AndI,\"shecried,\"thoughtIwasayounglady!\"
\"Oh!Icouldn\'thavesaidthat,\"protestedWinthrop,\"maybeI
saidsister。\"
\"No,\"declaredVeraenergeticallyshakingherhead,\"notsister,sis。Andyouneverdidlookatme;andIusedtodrivepastyourhouseeveryday。Welivedonlyamilebelowyou。\"
\"Where?\"askedWinthrop。
\"OnthelakeroadfromSyracuse,\"saidVera。\"Don\'tyourememberthefarmamilebelowyours——theonewiththeredbarnrightontheroad?Yes,youdo,\"sheinsisted,\"thecowswerealwayslookingoverthefencerightintotheroad。\"
\"Ofcourse!\"exclaimedWinthropdelightedly。\"Wasthatyourhouse?\"
\"Oh,no,\"protestedVera,\"ourswasthelittlecottageontheotherside——\"
\"Withpoplarsroundit?\"demandedWinthrop。
\"That\'sit!\"criedVeratriumphantly,\"withpoplarsroundit。\"
\"Why,Iknowthathousewell。Weboysusedtocallitthehauntedhouse。\"
\"That\'stheone,\"assentedVera。Shesmiledwithsatisfaction。
\"Well,that\'swhereIliveduntilAuntdied,\"shesaid。
\"Andthen,what?\"askedWinthrop。
Foramomentthegirldidnotanswer。Herfacehadgrowngraveandshesatmotionless,staringbeyondher。Suddenly,asthoughcastingherthoughtsfromher,shegaveasharptossofherhead。
\"Then,\"shesaid,speakingquickly,\"Iwentintothemills,andwasillthere,andIwrotePaulandMabeltoaskifIcouldjointhem,andtheysaidIcould。ButIwastooill,andIhadnomoney——nothing。Andthen,\"sheraisedhereyestohisandregardedhimsteadily,\"thenIstolethatcloaktogetthemoneytojointhem,andyou——youhelpedmetogetaway,and——and\"
Winthropbrokeinhastily。Hedisregardedbothhermannerandthenatureofwhatshehadsaid。
\"AndhowdidyoucometoknowtheVances?\"heasked。
Afterapauseofaninstant,thegirlacceptedthecuehismannergaveher,andansweredasbefore。
\"Throughmyaunt,\"shesaid。\"shewasamediumtoo。\"
\"Ofcourse!\"criedWinthrop。\"Iremembernow。that\'swhywecalleditthehauntedhouse。\"
\"Myaunt,\"saidthegirl,regardinghimsteadilyandwith,inhermanner,acertaindefiance,\"wasagreatmedium。AllthespiritualistsinthatpartoftheStateusedtomeetatourhouse。I\'vewitnessedsomewonderfulmanifestationsinthatfrontparlor。\"SheturnedtoWinthropandsmiled。\"So,yousee,\"
sheexclaimed,\"Iwasbornandbroughtupinthisbusiness。Iamtheseventhdaughterofaseventhdaughter。Mygrandmotherwasamedium,mymotherwasamedium——sheworkedwiththeFoxsistersbeforetheywereexposed。But,myaunt,\"sheaddedthoughtfully,judicially,\"wasthegreatestmediumIhaveeverseen。ShedidcertainthingsIcouldn\'tunderstand,andIknoweverytrickinthetrade——unless,\"sheexplained,\"youbelievethespiritshelpedher。\"
Winthropwasobservingthegirlintently,withanewinterest。
\"Andyoudon\'tbelievethat?\"heasked,quietly。
\"HowcanI?\"Verasaid。\"Iwasbroughtupwiththem。\"Sheshookherheadandsmiled。\"IusedtoplayaroundthekitchenstovewithPocahontasandAlexandertheGreat,andMartinLutherlivedinourchinacloset。Yousee,theneighborswouldn\'tlettheirchildrencometoourhouse;so,theonlyplaymatesIhadwere——ghosts。\"Shelaughedwistfully。\"My!\"sheexclaimed,\"Iwasaqueer,lonelylittlerat。Iusedtohearvoicesandseevisions。
Idostill,\"sheadded。Withherelbowsonthearmsofherchair,sheclaspedherhandsunderherchinandleanedforward。
SheturnedhereyestoWinthropandnoddedconfidentially。
\"Doyouknow,\"shesaid,\"sometimesIthinkpeoplefromtheotherworlddospeaktome。\"
\"Butyousaid,\"Winthropobjected,\"youdidn\'tbelieve。\"
\"Iknow,\"returnedVera。\"Ican\'t!\"Hervoicewasperplexed,impatient。\"Why,Icansitinthischair,\"shedeclaredearnestly,\"andfillthisroomwithspiritvoicesandrappings,andyousittingrighttherecan\'tseehowIdoit。Andyet,inspiteofallthetricks,sometimesIbelievethere\'ssomethinginit。\"
ShelookedatWinthrop,hereyesopenwithinquiry。Heshookhishead。
\"Yes,\"insistedthegirl。\"Whenthesewomencometomeforadvice,Idon\'tinventwhatIsaytothem。It\'sasthoughsomethingtoldmewhattosay。Ihavenevermetthembefore,butassoonasIpassintothetrancestateIseemtoknowalltheirtroubles。AndIseemtobehalfinthisworldandhalfinanotherworld——carryingmessagesbetweenthem。Maybe,\"hervoicehadsunktoalmostawhisper;shecontinuedasthoughspeakingtoherself,\"Ionlythinkthat。Idon\'tknow。I
wonder。\"
Therewasalongpause。
\"Iwish,\"beganWinthropearnestly,\"Iwishyouwereyounger,orIwereolder。\"
\"Why?\"askedVera。
\"Because,\"saidtheyoungman,\"I\'dliketotalktoyou——likeafather。\"
Veraturnedandsmiledonhimsecurely,withfrankfriendliness。
\"Goahead,\"sheassented,\"talktomelikeafather。\"
Winthropsmiledbackather,andthenfrowned。
\"Youshouldn\'tbeinthisbusiness,\"hesaid。
Thegirlregardedhimsteadily。
\"What\'sthematterwiththebusiness?\"sheasked。
Winthropfeltshehadputhimuponthedefensive,buthedidnothesitate。
\"Well,\"hesaid,\"theremaybesometruthinit。Butwedon\'tknowthat。Wedoknowthatthere\'salotoffraudanddeceitinit。Now,\"hedeclaredwarmly,\"there\'snothingdeceitfulaboutyou。You\'refine,\"hecriedenthusiastically,\"you\'rebig!Thatboywhowasinheretoldmeonestoryaboutyouthatshowed——\"
Verastoppedhimsharply。
\"Whatdoyouknowofme?\"sheaskedbitterly。\"ThefirsttimeyoueversawmeIwasinapolicecourt;andthismorning——youheardthatmanthreatentoputmeinjail——\"
Inturn,byabruptlyrisingfromhischair,Winthropinterruptedher。Hepushedthechairoutofhisway,and,shovinghishandsintohistrousers\'pockets,beganpacingwithlong,quickstridesupanddowntheroom。\"WhatdoIcareforthat?\"hecriedcontemptuously。Hetossedthewordsatheroverhisshoulder。\"IputlotsofpeopleinjailmyselfthatarebetterthanIam。Only,theywon\'tplaythegame。\"Hehalted,andturnedonher。\"Now,you\'renotplayingthegame。Thisisameanbusiness,takingmoneyfromsillygirlsandoldmen。You\'retoogoodforthat。\"Hehaltedatthetableandstoodfacingher。
\"I\'vegottwosistersuptown,\"hesaid。Hespokecommandingly,peremptorily。\"AndtomorrowIamgoingtotakeyoutoseethem。
Andwefellowtownsmen,\"hesmiledatherappealingly,\"willtalkthisover,andwe\'llmakeyoucomebacktoyourownpeople。\"
Foramomentthetworegardedeachother。Thenthegirlansweredfirmly,butwithaslighthoarsenessinhervoice,andinatonehardlylouderthanawhisper:
\"YouknowIcan\'tdothat!\"
\"Idon\'t!\"blusteredWinthrop。\"Whynot?\"
\"Because,\"saidthegirlsteadily,\"ofwhatIdidinGeneva。\"Asthoughtheanswerwastheonehehadfeared,themanexclaimedsharply,rebelliously。
\"Nonsense!\"hecried。\"Youdidn\'tknowwhatyouweredoing。Nodecentpersonwouldconsiderthat。\"
\"Theydo,\"saidthegirl,\"theyaretheveryoneswhodo。And——
it\'sbeeninthepapers。EverybodyinGenevaknowsit。Andheretoo。AndwheneverItrytogetawayfromthis\"——shestretchedoutherhandstoincludetheroomabouther——\"Someonetells!
Fivetimes,now。Sheleanedforwardappealingly,notasthoughaskingpityforherself,butaswishinghimtoseeherpointofview。\"Ididn\'tchoosethisbusiness,\"sheprotested,\"Iwassortofborninit,and,\"shebrokeoutloyally,\"Ihatetohaveyoucallitameanbusiness;butIcan\'tgetintoanyother。
WheneverIhave,somemansays,Thatgirlinyourfrontofficeisathief。\"Therestraintsheputuponherself,theairofdisdainwhichatalltimesshehadfoundthemostconvenientdefense,fellfromher。
\"It\'snotfair!\"shecried,\"it\'snotfair。\"Tohermortification,thetearsofself-pitysprangtohereyes,andasshefiercelytriedtobrushthemaway,tohergreateranger,continuedtocreepdownhercheeks。\"Itwasnineyearsago,\"sheprotested,\"Iwasachild。I\'vebeenpunishedenough。\"Sheraisedherfacefranklytohis,speakingswiftly,bitterly。
\"Ofcourse,Iwanttogetaway!\"shecried。\"Ofcourse,Iwantfriends。I\'veneverhadafriend。I\'vealwaysbeenalone。I\'mtired,tired!Ihatethisbusiness。IneverknowhowmuchIhateituntilthechancecomestogetaway——andIcan\'t。\"
Shestopped,butwithoutloweringherheadormovinghereyesfromhis。
\"Thistime,\"saidthemanquietly,\"you\'regoingtogetawayfromit。\"
\"Ican\'t,\"repeatedthegirl。\"youcan\'thelpme!\"
Winthropsmiledatherconfidently。
\"I\'mgoingtotry,\"hesaid。
\"No,please!\"beggedthegirl。Hervoicewasstillshakenwithtears。Shemotionedwithherheadtowardtheroombehindher。
\"Thesearemypeople,\"shedeclareddefiantly,asthoughdaringhimtocontradicther。\"Andtheyaregoodpeople!They\'vetriedtobegoodfriendstome,andthey\'vebeentruetome。\"
Winthropcametowardherandstoodbesideher,soclosethathecouldhaveplacedhishanduponhershoulder。Hewondered,whimsically,ifsheknewhowcruelsheseemedinappealingwithhertears,herhelplessnessandlovelinesstowhatwasgenerousandchivalricinhim;and,atthesametime,byherwords,treatinghimasaninterloperandanenemy。
\"That\'sallright,\"hesaidgently。\"Butthatdoesn\'tpreventmybeingagoodfriendtoyou,too,doesit?Or,\"headded,hisvoicegrowingtenseandconscious——\"mybeingtruetoyou?Mysisterswillbeheretomorrow,\"heannouncedbriskly。
Verahadwearilydroppedherarmsuponthetableandloweredherheaduponthem。Fromaplacedowninthedepthsshemurmuredaprotest。
\"No,\"contradictedWinthropcheerfully,\"thistimeyouaregoingtowin。You\'llhavebackofyou,IfIdosayit,twoofthebestwomenGodevermade。Only,now,youmustdoasIsay。\"Therewasapause。\"Willyou?\"hebegged。
Veraraisedherheadslowly,holdingherhandacrosshereyes。
Therewasalongersilence,andthenshelookedupathimandsmiledpathetically,gratefully,andnodded。\"Good!\"criedWinthrop。\"Nomorespooks,\"helaughed,\"nomorespiritrappings。\"
ThroughhertearsVerasmiledupathimawan,brokensmile。Shegaveashudderofdistaste。\"Never!\"shewhispered。\"Ipromise。\"
Theireyesmet;thegirl\'slookingintohisshyly,gratefully;
theman\'ssearchingherseagerly。Andsuddenlytheysaweachotherwithanewandwonderfulsympathyandunderstanding。
Winthropfelthimselfbendingtowardher。Hewasconsciousthattheroomhadgrowndark,andthathecouldseeonlyhereyes。
\"Youmustbejustyourself,\"hecommanded,butsogently,sotenderly,that,thoughhedidnotknowit,eachwordcarriedwithitthetouchofacaress,\"justyoursweet,fine,nobleself!\"
Somethinghereadinthegirl\'supliftedeyesmadehimdrawbackwithashockofwonder,ofdelight,withanupbraidingconscience。Topullhimselftogether,heglancedquicklyabouthim。Thedayhadreallygrowndark。Hefeltasuddendesiretogetaway;togowherehecouldaskhimselfwhathadhappened,whatitwasthathadfilledthisunknown,tawdryroomwithbeautyandgivenitthehappinessofahome。
\"ByJove!\"heexclaimednervously,\"IhadnoideaI\'dstayedsolong。You\'llnotletmecomeagain。Goodbye——untiltomorrow。\"
Heturned,holdingouthishand,andfoundthatagainthegirlhaddroppedherfaceuponherarm,andwassobbingquietly,gently。
\"Oh,whatisit?\"criedWinthrop。\"WhathaveIsaid?\"Thecatchinthegirl\'svoiceasshetriedtocheckthesobswrenchedhisheart。\"Oh,please,\"hebegged,\"I\'vesaidsomethingwrong?I\'vehurtyou?\"Withherfacestillhiddeninherarms,thegirlshookherhead。
\"No,no!\"shesobbed。Hervoice,softwithtears,wasamelodyofsweetandtendertones。\"It\'sonly——thatI\'vebeensolonely——andyou\'vemademehappy,happy!\"
Thesobsbrokeoutafresh,butWinthrop,nowknowingthattheybroughttothegirlpeace,wasnolongerfilledwithdismay。
Herheadwasbentuponherleftarm,herrighthandlightlyclaspedtheedgeofthetable。Withtheintentionofsayingfarewell,Winthroptookherhandinhis。Thegirldidnotmove。
Tohispresencesheseemedutterlyoblivious。Inthegatheringduskhecouldseethebentfigure,couldhearthesoft,irregularbreathingasthegirlweptgently,happily,likeachildsobbingitselftosleep。Thehandheheldinhisneitherrepellednorinvited,andforaninstanthestoodmotionless,holdingituncertainly。Itwassodelicate,sohelpless,soappealing,soaltogetherlovable。Itseemedtoreachup,and,withwarm,clingingfingers,clutchthetendrilsofhisheart。
Winthropbenthisheadsuddenly,andliftingthehand,kissedit;andthen,withoutagainspeaking,walkedquicklyintothehallandshutthedoor。Intheroomtheduskdeepened。ThroughtheopenwindowscametheroaroftheSixthAvenueElevated,theinsistentclamorofanelectrichansom,themurmurofBroadwayatnight。Thetearshadsuddenlyceased,butthegirlhadnotmoved。Atlast,slowly,stiffly,sheraisedherhead。Hereyes,filledwithwonder,withamazement,werefixeduponherhand。
Sheglancedcautiouslyabouther。Assuredshewasalone,withherotherhandsheliftedtheoneWinthrophadkissedandhelditpressedagainstherlips。
Thefoldingdoorswerethrownopen,lettinginafloodoflight,andMabelVance,enteringswiftly,kneltatthetableandbentherheadclosetoVera。
\"Thatwoman\'sinthehall,\"shewhispered,\"thatnieceofHallowell\'s。PaulandManniecan\'tgetridofher。Nowshe\'sgotholdofWinthrop。Shesaysshewillseeyou。Becareful!\"
Verarose。ThatMabelmightnotseeshehadbeenweeping,shewalkedtothepiano,covertlydryinghereyes。
\"What,\"sheaskeddully,\"doesshewantwithme?\"
\"Abouttonight,\"answeredMabel。Sheexclaimedfiercely,\"Itoldthemthere\'dbetrouble!\"
WithVanceuponherheels,HelenCoatescameinquicklyfromthehall。Herfacewasflushed,hereyeslitwithindignationandexcitement。Inherhandsheheldanopenletter。
AsthoughtoprotectVera,bothVanceandhiswifemovedbetweenherandtheirvisitor,but,disregardingthem,MissCoatesatoncesingledoutthegirlasheropponent。
\"YouaretheyoungwomantheycallVera,Ibelieve,\"shesaid。
\"IhaveanoteherefromMr。Hallowelltellingmeyouaregivingaseancetonightathishouse。Thatyouproposetoexhibitthespiritofmymother。Thatisaninsulttothememoryofmymotherandtome。AndIwarnyou,ifyouattemptsuchathing,I
willpreventit。\"
Therewasapause。WhenVeraspokeitwasinthetoneofevery-
daypoliteness。Hervoicewasevenandsteady。
\"Youhavebeenmisinformed,\"shesaid,\"therewillbenoseancetonight。\"
VanceturnedtoVera,and,inavoicelowerthanherown,butsufficientlyloudtoincludeMissCoates,said:\"Idon\'tthinkwetoldyouthatMr。Hallowellhimselfinsiststhatthisladyandherfriendsbepresent。\"
\"Herpresencemakesnodifference,\"saidVeraquietly。\"Therewillbenoseancetonight。Iwilltellyouaboutitlater,Paul,\"sheadded。Shestartedtowardthedoor,butMissCoatesmovedasthoughtointercepther。
\"Ifyouthink,\"shecriedeagerly,\"youcangiveaseancetoMr。
Hallowellwithoutmyknowingit,youaremistaken。\"
Verapaused,andmadeaslightinclinationofherhead。
\"Thatwasnotmyidea,\"shesaid。ShelookedappealinglytoVance。\"Isthatnotenough,Paul?\"sheasked。
\"Quiteenough!\"exclaimedtheman。Heturnedtothevisitorandmadeacurtmovementofthehandtowardtheopendoor。
\"Therewillbeaseancetonight,\"hedeclared。\"AtMr。
Hallowell\'s。Ifyouwishtoprotestagainstit,youcandosothere。Thisismyhouse。Ifyouhavefinished——\"Herepeatedthegesturetowardtheopendoor。
\"Ihavenotfinished,\"saidMissCoatessharply;\"andifyoutakemyadvice,youwillfollowherexample。\"WithanodoftheheadshesignifiedVera。\"Whensheseesshe\'sindanger,sheknowsenoughtostop。Thisisnotaquestionofafewmedium\'stricks,\"shecried,contemptuously。\"Iknowallthatyouplannedtodo,andIintendthattomorroweveryoneinNewYorkshallknowittoo。\"
LikeacloakVera\'sself-possessionfellfromher。Inalarmshemovedforward。
\"Whatdoyoumean?\"shedemanded。
\"Ihavehadyoupeoplefollowedprettyclosely,\"saidMissCoates。Hertonewasassured。Shewasconfidentthatofthosebeforehershewasthemaster,andthatofthatfacttheywereaware。
\"Iknow,\"shewenton,\"justhowyoutriedtoimposeuponmyuncle——howyoutriedtorobme,andtonightIhaveinvitedthereporterstomyhousetogivethemthefacts。\"
WithacryVerarantoher。
\"No!\"shebegged,\"youwon\'tdothat。Youmustnotdothat!\"
\"Lethertalk!\"growledVance。\"Lethertalk!She\'sfunny。\"
\"No!\"commandedVera。Hervoicerangwiththedistress。\"Shecannotdothat!\"SheturnedtoMissCoates。\"Wehaven\'thurtyou,\"shepleaded;\"wehaven\'ttakenyourmoney。Ipromiseyou,\"
shecried,\"wewillneverseeMr。Hallowellagain。Ibegofyou——\"
Vanceindignantlycaughtherbythearmanddrewherback。\"Youdon\'tbegnothingofher!\"hecried。
\"Ido,\"Veraansweredwildly。ShecaughtVance\'shandinbothofhers。\"Ihaveachance,Paul,\"sheentreated,\"don\'tforcemethroughitagain。Ican\'tstandtheshameofitagain。\"Oncemoresheappealedtothevisitor。\"Don\'t!\"shebegged。\"Don\'tshameme。\"
Buttheeyesoftheoldergirl,blindtoeverythingsavewhat,asshesawit,washerduty,showednoconsideration。
Vera\'shands,tremblingonhisarm,droveVancetodeeperanger。
HeturnedsavagelyuponMissCoates。
\"Youhaven\'tlostanythingyet,haveyou?\"hedemanded。\"Shehasn\'thurtyou,hasshe?Ifit\'srevengeyouwant,\"hecriedinsolently,\"whydon\'tyouthrowvitriolonthegirl?\"
\"Revenge!\"exclaimedMissCoatesindignantly。\"Itismyduty。Mypublicduty。I\'mnotaloneinthis;IamactingwiththeDistrictAttorney。Itisourduty。\"Sheturnedsuddenlyandcalled,\"Mr。Winthrop,Mr。Winthrop!\"
ForthefirsttimeVerasaw,underthegasjet,atthefartherendofthehall,thefiguresofMannieandWinthrop。
\"No,no!\"sheprotested,\"Ibegofyou,\"shecriedhysterically。
\"I\'vegotachance。Ifyouprintthisthingtomorrow,I\'llneverhaveachanceagain。Don\'ttakeitawayfromme。\"Impulsivelyherarmsreachedoutinaneagerfinalappeal。\"I\'mdown,\"shesaidsimply,\"givemeachancetogetup。\"
WhenMissCoatescametogivebattletotheVances,sheforesawtheinterviewmightbeunpleasant。Itwasprovingevenmoreunpleasantthanshehadexpected,butherdutyseemednonethelessobvious。
\"Youshouldhavethoughtofthat,\"shesaid,\"beforeyouwerefoundout。\"
ForaninstantVerastoodmotionless,staring,unconsciouslyholdingtheattitudeofappeal。Butwhen,bytheselastwords,sherecognizedthatherhumiliationcouldgonofurther,withaninarticulateexclamationsheturnedaway。
\"Thepublichastherighttoknow,\"declaredMissCoates,\"thesortofpeopleyouare。Ihavetherecordofeachofyou——\"
FromthehallWinthrophadenteredquickly,but,disregardinghim,Vancebrokeinuponthespeaker,savagely,defiantly。
\"Printem,then!\"heshouted,\"printem!\"
\"Imeanto,\"declaredMissCoates,\"yours,andhers,she——\"
Winthropplacedhimselfinfrontofher,shuttingherofffromtheothers。Hespokeinanearnestwhisper。
\"Don\'t!\"hebegged。\"Shehasaskedforachance。Giveherachance。\"
MissCoatesscornedtospeakinwhispers。
\"Shehashadachance,\"sheprotestedloudly。\"She\'shadachancefornineyears;andshe\'schosentobeacharlatanandacheat,and——\"Theangrywomanhesitated,andthenflungtheword——\"andathief!\"
InthesilencethatfollowednooneturnedtowardVera;butasitcontinuedunbrokeneachraisedhiseyesandlookedather。
Theysawherdrawntoherfullheight;thecolorflownfromherface,herdeep,broodingeyesflashing。Shewaslikeonebysomereligiousfervorliftedoutofherself,exalted。Whenshespokehervoicewaslow,tense。Itvibratedwithtremendous,wonderingindignation。
\"DoyouknowwhoIam?\"sheasked。Shespokelikeoneinatrance。\"Doyouknowwhoyouarethreateningwithyourpoliceandyourlaws?Iamapriestess!Iamamediumbetweenthesoulsofthisworldandthenext。IamVera——theTruth!AndImean,\"
thegirlcriedsuddenly,harshly,flingingoutherarm,\"thatyoushallhearthetruth!TonightIwillbringyourmotherfromthegravetospeakittoyou!\"
Withaswift,sweepinggestureshepointedtothedoor。\"Takethosepeopleaway!\"shecried。
TheeyesofWinthropwerefilledwithpity。\"Vera!\"hesaid,\"Vera!\"
Foraninstant,againstthetendernessandreproachinhisvoicethegirlheldherselfmotionless;andthen,fallingupontheshoulderofMrs。Vance,burstintogirlish,heart-brokentears。
\"Takethemaway,\"shesobbed,\"takethemaway!\"
MannieDayandVanceclosedinuponthevisitors,andmotioningthembeforethem,drovethemfromtheroom。
PartIII
ThedepartureoftheDistrictAttorneyandMissCoatesleftVerafreetoconsiderhowserious,ifshecarriedoutherthreat,theconsequencesmightbe。Butofthischanceshedidnotavailherself。Instead,withnervouszealshebegantoprepareforhermasquerade。ItwasasthoughherpromisetoWinthroptoabandonheroldfriendshadfilledherwithremorse,andthatshenow,byanextravaganceofloyalty,wasendeavoringtomakeamends。
Atnineo\'clock,withtheVances,shearrivedatthehouseofMr。Hallowell。Already,tothesameplace,awagonhadcarriedthecabinet,aparlororgan,andadozenofthosecampchairsthatareassociatedwithhouseweddingsandfunerals;andwhile,inthelibrary,VanceandManniearrangedthesetotheirliking,onthethirdfloorVera,withMrs。Vance,waitedforthatmomenttoarrivewhenVanceconsideredherentrancewouldbethemosteffective。
Thisentrancewastobemadethroughthedoorwaythatopenedfromthehallonthesecondstoryintothelibrary。Totherightofthisdoor,inanangleoftwowalls,wasthecabinet,andontheleft,thefirstofthecampchairs。Thesehadbeenplacedinasemicirclethatstretchedacrosstheroom,andendedattheparlororgan。ThedoorfromMr。Hallowell\'sbedroomopeneddirectlyuponthesemicircleatthepointmostdistantfromthecabinet。InthecentreofthesemicircleVancehadplacedtheinvalid\'sarmchair。
Vance,inhismannerasprofessionalandundisturbedasaphotographerfocussinghiscameraandarranginghisscreens,wasexplainingtoJudgeGaylorthesettingofhisstage。Thejudgewasanunwillingaudience。Unliketheshowman,forhimtheoccasionheldonlyterrors。Hewasdrivenbymisgivings,sweptbysuddenpanics。Hescowledatthecabinet,intrudingupontheprivacyoftheroomwhereforyears,withouttheaidofaccessories,byhisbrainsalone,hehadbroughtMr。Hallowellalmosttothepointofabjectsubmissiontohiswishes。HeturneduponVancewithbitterself-disgust。
\"So,I\'vegotdownaslowasthis,haveI?\"hedemanded。
Vanceheardhim,undisturbed。
\"Imustaskyou,\"hesaid,briskly,\"tohelpmekeepthepeoplejustasIseatthem。Theywillbeinthishalf-circlefacingthecabinetandholdinghands。Thoseweknowareagainstus,\"heexplained,\"willhaveoneofmyfriends,ProfessorStrombergk,orMrs。Marsh,ormywife,oneachsideofhim。Ifthereshouldbeanyattempttorushthecabinet,wemustgettherefirst。I
willbeoutsidethecabinetworkingtherappings,thefloatingmusic,andtheastralbodies。\"AtthesightoftheexpressionthesewordsbroughttothefaceofGaylor,Vancepermittedhimselftheshadowofasmile。\"Icantakecareofmyself,\"hewenton,\"butremember——Veramustnotbecaughtoutsidethecabinet!Whenthelightsgoup,shemustbefoundwiththeropesstilltied。\"
Gaylorturnedfromhimwithanexclamationofdisgust。
\"Pah!\"hemuttered。\"It\'sahellofabusiness!\"
Vancecontinuedunmoved。\"And,anotherthing,\"hesaid,\"abouttheselights;thisswitchthrowsthemalloff,doesn\'tit?\"Hepressedabuttonontheleftofthedoor,andtheelectriclightsinthewallsandunderagreenshadeonthelibrarytablefadedanddisappeared,leavingtheroom,saveforthelightfromthehall,indarkness。
\"That\'sthewaywewantit,\"saidtheshowman。
FromthehallMannieappearedbetweenthecurtainsthathungacrossthedoorway。\"Whatareyoudoingwiththelights?\"hedemanded。\"Youwanttobreakmyneck?Allourpeoplearedownstairs,\"heannounced。
Vanceturnedonthelights。AtthesamemomentRaineycamefromthebedroomintothelibrary。Itwasevidentthattosustainhiscouragehehadbeendrinking。Hemadenoefforttogreetthoseintheroom,butstood,glaringresentfullyatthecabinetandtherowofchairs。
\"Well,\"exclaimedVancecheerfully,\"ifourfolksareallhere,we\'reallright。\"
Glancingbehindhim,MannietookVancebythesleeve,andledhimtothecentreoftheroom。
\"No,we\'renotallright,\"saidtheboy,\"thatMissCoateshasbroughtafriendwithher。ShesaysHallowelltoldhershecouldbringafriend。Shesaysthisyoungfellowisherfriend。I
thinkhe\'saPink!\"
\"Whatnonsense,\"exclaimedGaylorinalarm。\"Nodetectivewouldforcehiswayintothishouse。\"
\"Shesays,\"continuedMannie,disregardingGaylor,andstilladdressingVance,\"he\'saseekeraftertheTruth。I\'llbet,\"
declaredtheboyviolently,\"he\'saseekerafterthetruth!\"
Garrettcamehastilyandnoiselesslyintotheroom。HenoddedtowardMannie。
\"Hashetoldyou?\"heasked。
\"Yes,\"Gayloranswered,\"whoishe?\"
\"Thereporterwhowasherethismorning,\"Garrettreturned。\"Theonewhothreatened——\"
\"That\'lldo,\"commandedGaylor。Inthefaceofthisnewcomplicationheagainbecamehimself。SuavelyandpolitelyheturnedtoVance。\"WillyouandyourfriendjoinMissVera,\"heasked,\"andtellherthatwebegininafewminutes?\"
Forthefirsttime,aggressivelyandoffensivelyRaineybrokehissilence。
\"No,wewon\'tbegininafewminutes,\"heannounced,\"notbyadamnedsight!\"
Theexplosionwassounexpectedthat,foraninstant,whiletheeyesofallwerefixedinastonishmentuponthespeaker,therewascompletesilence。Gaylor,stillsuave,stillpolite,lookedtowardVance,andmotionedhimtothedoor。
\"WillyoukindlydoasIask?\"hesaid。WithMannieathisside,Vancewalkedquicklyfromtheroom。Onceinthehall,theboylaidadetaininghanduponthearmoftheolderman。
\"Ifyou\'lltakemyadvice,whichyouwon\'t,\"hesaid,\"we\'llallcutandrunnow,whilewegotthechance!\"
Inthelibrary,Gaylorturnedsavagelyuponhisfellowconspirator。
\"Well!\"hedemanded。
Raineyfrownedathimsulkily。\"Iwashmyhandsofthewholething!\"hecried。
Gaylordroppedhisvoicetoawhisper。
\"Whatareyouafraidofnow?:hedemanded。\"Ifyou\'renotafraidofadistrictattorney,whyareyouafraidofareporter?\"
\"I\'mnotafraidofanybody,\"returnedRainey,thickly。\"But,I
don\'tmeantobeapartytonomurder!\"Hepaused,shakinghisheadportentously。\"Thatmaninthere,\"hewhispered,noddingtowardthebedroom,\"isinnoconditiontogothroughthis。
Afterthatshockthismorning,andlastnight——it\'llkillhim。
Hisheart\'srotten,Itellyou,rotten!\"
Garrettsnarledcontemptuously。
\"Howdoyouknow?\"hedemanded。
\"HowdoIknow?\"returnedRainey,fiercely。\"Iwasfouryearsinamedicalcollege,whenyouwereinjail,you——\"\"Stopthat!\"
criedGaylor。Glancingfearfullytowardtheopendoor,heinterposedbetweenthem。
\"Don\'ttakemyadvice,then,\"criedRainey。\"Goon!Killhim!
Andhewon\'tsignyourwill。Only,don\'tsayIdidn\'ttellyou。\"
\"Haveyoutoldhim?\"demandedGaylor。
\"Yes,\"Raineyansweredstoutly。\"Toldhimifhedidn\'tstopthis,hewouldn\'tlivetillmorning。\"
\"Areweforcinghimtodothis?\"demandedGaylor。\"No!He\'sforcingitonus。MyGod!\"heexclaimed,\"doyouthinkIwantthisfarce?Yousay,yourself,youtoldhimitwouldkillhim,andhewillgoonwithit。Thenwhydoyoublameus?Canwehelpourselves?\"
Thebutlerhaddistinguishedthesoundsoffootstepsinthehall。Hefellhastilytorearrangingthecampchairs。
\"Hush!\"hewarned。\"Lookout!\"GaylorandRaineyhadbuttimetomoveapart,whenWinthropentered。Heregardedthethreemenwithasmileofunderstanding。
\"Ibegpardon,\"heexclaimed,\"Iaminterrupting?\"
Gaylorgreetedhimwithexaggeratedheartiness。
\"Ah,itisMr。Winthrop!\"hecried。\"Haveyoucometohelpusfindoutthetruththisevening?\"
\"Icertainlyhopenot!\"saidWinthropbrusquely。\"Iknowthetruthabouttoomanypeoplealready。\"HeturnedtoGarrett,who,unobtrusively,wasendeavoringtomakehisescape。
\"IwanttoseeMissVera,\"hesaid。
\"MissVera,\"interposedGaylor。\"I\'mafraidthat\'snotpossible。
Sheespeciallyaskednottobedisturbedbeforetheseance。I\'msorry。\"
Winthrop\'smannerbecamesuspiciouslypolite。
\"Yes?\"heinquired。\"Well,neverthelessIthinkI\'llaskher。
TellMissVera,please,\"hesaidtoGarrett,\"thatMr。Winthropwouldlikeawordwithherhere,\"withsignificanceheadded,\"inprivate。\"
Inoffendeddignity,JudgeGaylormovedtowardthedoor。\"Dr。
Rainey,\"hesaidstiffly,\"willyoupleaseinformMr。Hallowellthathisguestsarenowhere,andthatIhavegonetobringthemupstairs。\"