\"Yes,butyouwon\'tbringthemupstairs,please,\"saidWinthrop,\"untilyouhearfromme。\"
Gaylorflushedwithangerandforamomentappeareduponthepointofmutiny。Then,asthoughrefusingtoconsiderhimselfresponsibleforthemannersoftheyoungerman,heshruggedhisshouldersandlefttheroom。
WithevenlessofconsiderationthanhehadshowntoJudgeGaylor,WinthropturneduponRainey。
\"How\'syourpatient?\"heaskedshortly。RaineywassufficientlyinfluencedbytheliquorhehadtakentodaretoresentWinthrop\'speremptorytone。Hisowninreplywasdesignedlyoffensive。
\"Mypatient?\"heinquired。
\"Mr。Hallowell,\"snappedWinthrop,\"he\'ssick,isn\'the?\"
\"Oh,Idon\'tknow,\"returnedtheDoctor。
\"Youdon\'tknow?\"demandedWinthrop。\"Well,Iknow。Iknowifhegoesthroughthisthingtonight,he\'llhaveanothercollapse。I
sawonethismorning。Whydon\'tyouforbidit?You\'rehismedicaladviser,aren\'tyou?\"
Raineyremainedsullenlysilent。
\"Answerme!\"insistedtheDistrictAttorney。\"Youare,aren\'tyou?\"
\"Iam,\"atlastdeclaredRainey。
\"Well,then,\"commandedWinthrop,\"tellhimtostopthis。TellhimIadviseit。\"
ThroughhisglassesRaineyblinkedviolentlyattheDistrictAttorney,andlaughed。\"Ididn\'tknow,\"hesaid,\"thatyouwereamedicalman。\"
WinthroplookedattheDoctorsosteadily,andforsolongatime,thattheeyesoftheyoungmansoughtthefloorandtheceiling;andhissneerchangedtoanexpressionofdiscomfort。
\"Iamnot,\"saidWinthrop。\"IamtheDistrictAttorneyofNewYork。\"Histoneswerecold,precise;theyfelluponthesuperheatedbrainofDr。Raineylikedropsfromanicicle。
\"WhenItookoverthatoffice,\"continuedWinthrop,\"Ifoundacomplaintagainsttwomedicalstudents,afailuretoreportthedeathofanoldmaninaprivatesanitarium。\"
Winthroploweredhiseyes,andbecamedeeplyabsorbedinthetoeofhisboot。\"Ihaven\'tlookedintothepapers,yet,\"hesaid。
Rainey,swayingslightly,jerkedopenthedoorofthebedroom。
\"I\'lltellhim,\"hepantedthickly。\"I\'lltellhimtodoasyousay。\"
\"Thankyou,Iwishyouwould,\"saidWinthrop。
Atthesamemoment,fromthehall,Garrettannounced,\"Mrs。
Vance,sir。\"AndMabelVance,tremulousandfrightened,enteredtheroom。
Winthropapproachedhereagerly。
\"Ah!Mrs。Vance,\"heexclaimed,\"canIseeMissVera?\"
Embarrassedandunhappy,Mrs。Vancemovedrestlesslyfromfoottofoot,andshookherhead。
\"Please,Mr。DistrictAttorney,\"shebegged。\"I\'mafraidnot。
Thisafternoonupsetherso。Andshe\'ssonervousandqueerthattheProfessorthinkssheshouldn\'tseenobody。\"
\"TheProfessor?\"hecommented。Hisvoicewasconsiderate,conciliatory。\"Now,Mrs。Vance,\"hesaid,\"I\'veknownMissVeraeversinceshewasalittlegirl,knownherlongerthanyouhave,and,I\'mherfriend,andyou\'reherfriend,and——\"
\"Iam,\"protestedMabelVancetearfully。\"IndeedIam!\"
\"Iknowyouare,\"Winthropinterruptedhastily。
\"You\'vebeenmorethanafriendtoher,you\'vebeenasister,mother,andyoudon\'twantanytroubletocometoher,doyou?\"
\"Idon\'t,\"criedthewoman。\"Oh!\"sheexclaimedmiserably,\"I
toldthemthere\'dbetrouble!\"
Winthroplaughedreassuringly。
\"Well,therewon\'tbeanytrouble,\"hedeclared,\"ifIcanhelpit。Andifyouwanttohelpher,helpme。Persuadehertoletmetalktoher。Don\'tmindwhattheProfessorsays。\"
\"Iwill,\"declaredMrs。Vancewithdetermination,\"Iwill。\"
Shestartedeagerlytowardthehall,andthenpausedandreturned。Herhandswereclasped;herround,babyeyes,wetwithtears,werefixeduponWinthropappealingly。
\"Oh,please,\"shepleaded,\"you\'renotgoingtohurthim,areyou?Paul,myhusband,\"sheexplained,\"he\'sbeensuchagoodhusbandtome。\"
Winthroplaugheduneasily。
\"Why,that\'llbeallright,\"heprotested。
\"Hedoesn\'tmeananyharm,insistedMrs。\"Vance,\"he\'sonthelevel;true,heis!\"
\"Why,ofcourse,ofcourse,\"Winthropassented。
Unsatisfied,Mrs。Vanceburstintotears。\"It\'sthisspiritbusinessthatmakesthetrouble!\"shecried。\"Itellthemtocutitout。Now,themindreadingatthetheatre,\"shesobbed,\"there\'snoharminthat,isthere?Andthere\'stwicethemoneyinit。Butthisghostraising\"——sheraisedhereyesappealingly,asthoughbeggingtobecontradicted——\"it\'ssuretogethimintotrouble,isn\'tit?\"
Winthropshookhishead,andsmiled。
\"Itmay,\"hesaid。Mrs。Vancebrokeintoafreshoutburstoftears。\"Iknewit,\"shecried,\"Iknewit。\"Winthropplacedhishanduponherarmandturnedherinthedirectionofthedoor。
\"Don\'tworry,:\"hesaidsoothingly。\"GosendMissVerahere。And,\"hecalledafterher,\"don\'tworry。\"
AsMabeldeparteduponhiserrand,Raineyreenteredfromthebedroom。Hecarefullyclosedthedoorandhaltedwithhishandupontheknob,andshookhishead。
\"It\'snouse,\"hesaid,\"hewillgoonwithit。It\'snotmyfault,\"hewhined,\"Itoldhimitwouldkillhim。Icouldn\'tmakeitanystrongerthanthat,couldI?\"
RaineywasnotlookingatWinthrop,but,asthoughfearfulofinterruption,towardthedoor。Hiseyeswereharassed,furtive,filledwithmiserableindecision。ManytimesbeforeWinthrophadseenmeninsuchastate。Heknewthatforthesuffereritforetoldaphysicalbreakdown,orthathewouldseekreliefinfullconfession。Togivethemanconfidence,heabandonedhisattitudeofsuspicion。
\"Thatcertainlywouldbestrongenoughforme,\"hesaidcheerfully。\"DidyoutellhimwhatIadvised?\"
\"Yes,yes,\"mutteredRaineyimpatiently。\"Hesaidyouwereinvitedheretogiveadvicetohisniece,nottohim。\"ForthefirsttimehiseyesmetthoseofWinthropboldly。TheDistrictAttorneyrecognizedthatthemanhadtakenhisfearsbythethroat,andhadarrivedathisdecision。\"
\"Seehere,\"exclaimedRainey,\"couldIgiveyousomeinformation?\"
\"I\'msureyoucould,\"returnedWinthropbriskly。\"Giveittomenow。\"
ButRainey,glancingtowardthedoor,shrankback。Winthrop,followingthedirectionofhiseyes,sawVera。ImpatientlyhewavedRaineyaway。
\"Attheoffice,tomorrowmorning,\"hecommanded。Withasighofreliefatthereprieve,Raineyslippedbackintothebedroom。
WinthrophadpersuadedhimselfthatinseekingtospeakwithVera,hewasmakingonlyanaturalchoicebetweenpreventingthegirlfromperpetratingafraud,or,later,forthatfraud,holdinghertoaccount。Butwhensheactuallystoodbeforehim,herecognizedhowabsurdlyhehaddeceivedhimself。Atthemerephysicalsightofher,therecametohimaswiftrelief,athrillofpeaceanddeepcontent;andwithdelightedcertaintyheknewthatwhatVeramightdoormightnotdoconcernedhimnotatall,thatforhimallthatcountedwasthegirlherself。
Withsomethingofthisshowinginhisface,hecameeagerlytowardher。
\"Vera!\"heexclaimed。Inthewordtherewasdelight,wonder,tenderness;butifthegirlrecognizedthissheconcealedherknowledge。Instead,hereyeslookedintohisfrankly;hermannerwasthatofopenfriendliness。
\"Mabeltellsmeyouwanttotalktome,\"shesaidevenly\"butI
don\'twantyouto。IhavesomethingIwanttosaytoyou。I
couldhavewrittenit,butthis\"——foraninstantthegirlpausedwithherlipspressedtogether;whenshespoke,hervoicecarriedthefirmnessandfinalityofonedeliveringaverdict——
\"butthis,\"sherepeated,\"isthelasttimeyoushallhearfromme,orseemeagain。\"
Winthropgaveanexclamationofimpatience,ofindignation。
\"No,\"returnedthegirl,\"itisquitefinal。Maybeyouwillnotwanttoseeme,but——\"
Winthropagainsharplyinterruptedher。Hisvoicewasfilledwithreproach。
\"Vera!\"heprotested。
\"Well,\"saidthegirlmoregently,\"I\'mgladtothinkyoudo,butthisisthelast,andbeforeIgo,I——\"。
\"Go!\"demandedWinthroproughly。\"Where?\"
\"BeforeIgo,\"continuedthegirl,\"Iwanttotellyouhowmuchyouhavehelpedme——Iwanttothankyou——\"。
\"Youhaven\'tletmethankyou,\"brokeinWinthrop,\"and,now,youpretendthisisourlastmeeting。It\'sabsurd!\"。
\"Itisourlastmeeting,\"repliedthegirl。Ofthetwo,forthemoment,shewastheolder,themorecontained。\"Onthecontrary,\"contradictedtheman。Hespokesharply,inatonehetriedtomakeasdeterminedasherown。\"Ournextmeetingwillbeintenminutes——atmysister\'s。Ihavetoldheraboutthisafternoon,andaboutyou;andshewantsverymuchtomeetyou。
Shehassenthercarforyou。It\'swaitinginfrontofthehouse。Now,\"hecommandedmasterfully,\"youcomewithme,andgetinit,andleaveallthis\"——hegaveanangry,contemptuouswaveofthehandtowardthecabinet——\"behindyou,as,\"headdedearnestly,\"youpromisedmeyouwould。\"
Asthoughclosingfromsightthepossibilityhesuggested,thegirlshuthereyesquickly,andthenopenedthemagaintomeethis。
\"Ican\'tleavethesethingsbehindme,\"shesaidquietly。
\"Itoldyousothisafternoon。Foramoment,youmademethinkI
could,andIdidpromise。Ididn\'tneedtopromise。It\'swhatI\'veprayedfor。Then,yousawwhathappened,yousawIwasright。Withinfiveminutesthatwomancame——\"
\"Thatwomanhadamotive,\"protestedWinthrop。
\"Thatwoman,\"continuedthegirlpatiently,\"orsomeotherwoman。Whatdoesitmatter?Infiveminutes,orfivedays,someonewouldhavetold。\"Sheleanedtowardhimanxiously。\"I\'mnotcomplaining,\"shesaid;\"it\'smyownfault。It\'sthelifeI\'vechosen。\"Shehesitatedandthenasthoughdeterminedtocarryoutaprogrammeshehadalreadylaiddownforherself,continuedrapidly:\"AndwhatIwanttotellyou,is,thatwhat\'sbestinthatlifeIowetoyou。\"
\"Vera!\"criedthemansharply。
\"Listen!\"saidthegirl。Hereyeswerealight,eager。Shespokefrankly,proudly,withoutembarrassment,withoutfearofbeingmisconstrued,asamanmightspeaktoaman。
\"I\'dbeungrateful,I\'dbeacoward,\"saidthegirl,\"ifIwentawayanddidn\'ttellyou。FortenyearsI\'vebeencountingonyou。Imadeyouasortofstandard。Isaid,aslongashekeepstohisideals,I\'mgoingtokeeptomine。Maybeyouthinkmyidealshavenotbeenveryhigh,butanywayyou\'vemadeiteasyforme。BecauseI\'minthisbusiness,becauseI\'mgood-lookingenough,certainmen\"——thevoiceofthegirlgrewhardandcool——\"havedonemethehonortoinsultme,anditwasknowingyou,andthatthereareotherslikeyou,thathelpedmenottocare。\"
Thegirlpaused。Sheraisedhereyestohisfrankly。Thelookinthemwasoneofprideinhim,ofloyalty,ofaffection。\"Andnow,sinceI\'vemetyou,\"shewenton,\"Ifindyou\'rejustasI
imaginedyou\'dbe,justasI\'dhopedyou\'dbe。\"Shereachedoutherhandwarningly,appealingly。\"AndIdon\'twantyoutochange,toletdown,togrowdiscouraged。Youcan\'ttellhowmanymorepeoplearecountingonyou。\"Shehesitatedand,asthoughatlastconsciousofherownboldness,flusheddeprecatingly,likeoneaskingpardon。\"Youmeninhighplaces,\"
shestammered,\"you\'relikelighthousesshowingtheway。Youdon\'tknowhowmanypeopleyouarehelping。Youcan\'tseethem。
Youcan\'ttellhowmanyboatsarefollowingyourlight,butifyourlightgoesout,theyarewrecked。\"Shegaveasighofrelief。\"That\'swhatIwantedtotellyou,\"shesaid,\"and,sothankyou。\"Sheheldoutherhand。\"And,goodby。\"
Winthrop\'sanswerwastoclaspherhandquicklyinbothofhis,anddrawhertowardhim。
\"Vera,\"hebegged,\"comewithmenow!\"
Thegirlwithdrewherhandandmovedawayfromhim,frowning。
\"No,\"shesaid,\"no,youdonotwanttounderstand。Ihavemyworktodotonight。\"
Winthropgaveanexclamationofanger。
\"Youdon\'tmeantotellme,\"hecried,\"thatyou\'regoingonwiththis?\"
\"Yes,\"shesaid,Andtheninsuddenalarmcried:\"Butnotifyou\'rehere!I\'llfailifyou\'rehere。Promiseme,youwillnotbehere。\"
\"Indeed,\"criedthemanindignantly,\"Iwillnot!ButI\'llbedownstairswhenyouneedme。And,\"headdedwarningly,\"you\'llneedme。\"\"No,\"saidthegirl。\"Nomatterwhathappens,Itellyou,betweenus,thisistheend。\"
\"Then,\"beggedtheman,\"ifthisistheend,forGod\'ssake,Vera,asmylastrequest,donotdoit!\"
Thegirlshookherhead。\"No,\"sherepeatedfirmly。\"I\'vetriedtogetawayfromit,andeachtimethey\'veforcedmeback。Now,I\'llgoonwithit。I\'vepromisedPaul,andtheothers。Andyouheardmepromisethatwoman。\"
\"Butyoudidn\'tmeanthat!\"protestedtheman。\"Sheinsultedyou;youwereangry。You\'reangrynow,piqued——\"
\"Mr。Winthrop,\"interruptedthegirl,\"todayyoutoldmeIwasnotplayingthegame。Youtoldthetruth。Whenyousaidthiswasameanbusiness,youwereright。But\"——forthefirsttimesinceshehadspokenhertoneswereshaken,uncertain——\"I\'vebeendrivenoutofeveryotherbusiness。\"Shewaiteduntilhervoicewasagainundercontrol,andthensaidslowly,definitely,\"and,tonight,IamgoingtoshowMr。Hallowellthespiritofhissister。\"
IntheeyesofWinthropthelookofpain,ofdisappointment,ofreproach,wassokeen,thatthegirlturnedherownaway。
\"No,\"saidthemangently,\"youwillnotdothat。\"
\"Youcanstopmydoingittonight,\"returnedthegirl,\"butatsomeothertime,atsomeotherplace,Iwilldoit。\"
\"Youyourselfwillstopit,\"saidWinthrop。\"Youaretoohonest,toofine,toactsuchalie。Whynotbeyourself?\"hebegged。
\"Whynotdisappointtheseotherpeoplewhodonotknowyou?Whydisappointthemanwhoknowsyoubest,whotrustsyou,whobelievesinyou——\"。
\"Youaretheveryone,\"interruptedthegirl,\"whodoesn\'tknowme。Iamnotfine;Iamnothonest。Iamacharlatanandacheat;Iamallthatwomancalledme。Andthatiswhyyoucan\'tknowme。That\'swhy。Itoldyou,ifyoudid,youwouldbesorry。\"
\"Iamnotsorry,\"saidWinthrop。
\"Youwillbe,\"returnedthegirl,\"beforethenightisover。\"
\"Onthecontrary,\"answeredthemanquietly,\"Ishallwaitheretocongratulateyou——onyourfailure。\"
\"Ishallnotfail,\"saidthegirl。Avoidinghiseyes,sheturnedfromhimand,foramoment,stoodgazingbeforehermiserably。
Herlipsweretrembling,hereyesmoistwithrisingtears。Thenshefacedhim,herheadraiseddefiantly。
\"Ihavebeenhoundedoutofeverydecentwayofliving,\"sheprotestedhysterically。\"Icanmakethousandsofdollarstonight,\"shecried,\"outofthisone。\"
Winthroplookedstraightintohereyes。Hisownwerepleading,fulloftendernessandpity;soeloquentwithmeaningthatthoseofthegirlfellbeforethem。
\"Thatisnoanswer,\"saidtheman。\"Youknowit\'snot。Itellyou——youwillfail。\"
FromthehallJudgeGaylorenterednoisily。Instinctivelythemanandgirlmovednearertogether,andupontheintruderWinthropturnedangrily。
\"Well?\"hedemandedsharply。\"Ithoughtyouhadfinishedyourtalk,\"protestedtheJudge。\"Mr。Hallowellisanxioustobegin。\"
WinthropturnedandlookedatVerasteadily。Foraninstanttheeyesofthegirlfaltered,andthenshereturnedhisglancewithoneasresoluteashisown。Asthoughacceptingherverdictasfinal,Winthropwalkedquicklytothedoor。\"Ishallbedownstairs,\"hesaid,\"whenthisisover,letmeknow。\"
Gaylorstruggledtoconcealhissurpriseandsatisfaction。\"Youwon\'tbeherefortheseance?\"heexclaimed。
\"Certainlynot,\"criedWinthrop。\"I——\"Hebrokeoffsuddenly。
WithoutagainlookingtowardVera,ortryingtohidehisdispleasure,helefttheroom。
Gaylorturnedtothegirl。Hewassmilingwithrelief。
\"Excellent!\"hemuttered。\"Excellent!Whatwashesayingtoyou,:\"heaskedeagerly,\"asIcamein——thatyouwouldfail?\"
Thegirlmovedpasthimtothedoor。\"Yes,\"sheanswereddully。
\"Butyouwillnot!\"criedtheman。\"We\'reallcountingonyou,youknow。Destroytheoldwill。Signthenewwill,\"hequoted。
Hecameclosetoherandwhispered。\"ThatmeansthousandsofdollarstoyouandVance,\"heurged。
Thegirlturnedandregardedhimwithunhappy,angryeyes。
\"Youneednotbefrightened,:\"sheanswered。Forthemanbeforeherandforherself,hervoicewasbitterwithcontemptandself-accusation。\"Mr。Winthropismistaken。Hedoesnotknowme,\"shesaidmiserably。\"Ishallnotfail。\"
Foramoment,aftershehadlefthim,Gaylorstoodmotionless,hiseyesfilledwithconcern,andthen,withashrug,asthoughacceptingeithergoodorevilfortune,hecalledfromthebedroomMr。Hallowell,and,fromthefloorbelow,theguestsofHallowellandofVance。
AsHallowell,supportedbyRainey,sankintotheinvalid\'schairinthecentreofthesemicircle,Gaylormadehisfinalappeal。
\"Stephen,\"hebegged,\"areyousureyou\'refeelingstrongenough?Won\'tsomeothernight——\"Theoldmaninterruptedhimquerulously。
\"No,now!\"Iwantitover,\"hecommanded。\"Whoknows,\"hecomplained,\"howsoonitmaybebefore——\"
ThesightofMannieenteringtheroomwithVancecausedhimtointerrupthimselfabruptly。Hegreetedtheshowmanwithacurtnod。
\"Andwhoisthis?\"hedemanded。Mannie,towhomalivingmillionairewasmuchmoreofadisturbingspectaclethantheghostofAlexandertheGreat,retreatedhastilybehindVance。
\"Heismyassistant,\"Vanceexplained。\"Hefurnishesthemusic。\"
HepushedMannietowardtheorgan。
\"Music!\"growledHallowell。\"Musttherebemusic?\"
\"Itisindispensable,\"protestedVance。\"Music,sir,isoneofthestrongestpsychicinfluences。It\"
\"Nonsense!\"criedHallowell。
\"Tricks,\"hemuttered,\"tricks!\"
Vanceshruggedhisshoulders,andsmiledindeprecation。\"Iamsorrytofindyouinaskepticalmood,Mr。Hallowell,\"hemurmuredreprovingly\"Itwillhardlyhelptoproducegoodresults。Allowme,\"hebegged,\"topresenttwotruebelievers。\"
Withawaveofthehandhebeckonedforwardastout,gray-hairedwomanwithbulging,near-sightedeyesthatrolledmeaninglesslybehindheavygoldspectacles。
\"Mrs。MarshofLynn,Massachusetts,\"proclaimedVance,\"ofwhomyouhaveheard。Mrs。Marsh,\"headded,\"isprobablythefirstmediuminAmerica。Theresultsshehasobtainedarequitewonderful。ShealoneforetoldtheSanFranciscoearthquake,andtherunontheLongAcreSquareBank。\"
\"Iamgladtoknowyou,\"saidMr。Hallowell。\"Pardonmynotrising。\"
Theoldladycurtsiedobsequiously。
\"Oh,certainly,Mr。Hallowell,\"sheprotested。\"Mr。Hallowell,\"
shewenton,rollingthenamedelightedlyonhertongue,\"Ineednottellyouhowgreatlywespiritualistsrejoiceoveryourjoiningtheranksofthebelievers。\"
Hallowellnodded。Hewasnotaltogetherunimpressed。\"Thanks,\"
hecommenteddryly。\"ButIamnotquitethereyet,madam。\"
\"Wehope,\"saidVancesententiously,\"toconvinceMr。Hallowelltonight。\"
\"AndIamsure,Mr。Hallowell,\"criedtheoldlady,\"ifanyonecandoit,littleMissVeracan。Hersisawonderfulgift,sir,awonderfulgift!\"
\"Iamgladtohearyousayso,\"returnedHallowell。
Henoddedtoherindismissal,andturnedtothenextvisitor。
\"Andthisgentleman?\"heasked。
\"ProfessorStrombergk,\"announcedVance,\"thedistinguishedwriteronpsychicandoccultsubjects,editorofTheWorldBeyond。\"
Atall,full-beardedGerman,inatoo-shortfrockcoat,bowedawkwardly。Uponhim,asuponMannie,hadfallenthespelloftheHallowellfortune。He,whochattedfamiliarlywithdepartedpopesandemperors,whodailywasincommunicationwithGoethe,Caesar,andEpictetus,thrilledwithembarrassmentbeforethemanwhohadmademillionsfromacouplingpin。
\"AndHelen!\"Mr。Hallowellcried,asMissCoatesfollowedtheProfessor。\"Thatisall,isitnot?\"heasked。
MissCoatesmovedasidetodisclosethepersonofthereporterfromtheRepublic,HomerLee。
\"Ihavetakenyouatyourword,uncle,\"shesaid。,\"andhavebroughtafriendwithme。\"Insometrepidationsheadded;\"HeisMr。Lee,areporterfromtheRepublic。\"
\"Areporter!\"exclaimedMr。Hallowell。Disturbedandyetamusedattheaudacityofhisniece,heshookhisheadreprovingly。\"I
don\'tthinkImeantreporters,\"heremonstrated。
\"Yousaidinyournote,\"returnedhisniece,\"thatasIhadsomuchatstake,IcouldbringanyoneIpleased,andthelesshebelievedinspiritualism,thebetter。Mr。Lee,\"sheaddeddryly,\"believesevenlessthanIdo。\"
\"Thenitwillbeallthemoreofatriumph,ifweconvincehim,\"
declaredHallowell。\"Understand,youngman,\"heproclaimedloudly,\"Iamnotaspiritualist。Iammerelyconductinganinvestigation。Iwantthetruth。Ifyou,ormyniece,detectanyfraudtonight,Iwanttoknowit。\"Includinginhisspeechtheothersintheroom,heglaredsuspiciouslyinturnateach。
\"Keepyoureyesopen,\"heordered,\"youwillbeservingmequiteasmuchasyouwillMissCoates。\"
MissCoatesandLeethankedhimand,recognizingthemselvesastheoppositionandintheminority,withdrewforconsultationintoacornerofthebaywindow。
VanceapproachedMr。Hallowell。
\"Ifyouareready,\"hesaid,\"wewillexaminethecabinet。ShallIwheelitoverhere,orwillyoulookatitwhereitis?\"
\"Ifitistobeinthatcornerduringtheseance,\"declaredMr。
Hallowell,\"I\'lllookatitwhereitis。\"
Ashestruggledfromhischair,heturnedtoMrs。Marsh,andnoddedhisheadknowingly。\"Yousee,Mrs。Marsh,\"hesaid,\"Iamtakingnochances。\"
\"Thatisquiteright,Mr。Hallowell,\"purredtheoldlady。\"Iftherebeanydoubtinyourmind,youmustgetridofit,orwewillhavenoresults。\"
Withadramaticgesture,Vancesweptasidefromtheopeninginthecabinettheblackvelvetcurtain。\"It\'sasimpleaffair,\"hesaidindifferently。\"Asyousee,it\'sopenatthetopandbottom。Themediumsitsinsideonthatchair,boundhandandfoot。\"
Inturn,Mr。Hallowell,Mrs。Marsh,Gaylor,Rainey,ProfessorStrombergkenteredthecabinet。Withtheirknucklestheybeatuponitssides。Theymovedittoandfro。Theydroppedtotheirknees,andwiththeirfingerstuggedatthecarpetuponwhichitstood。
Undercoveroftheirquestions,inthecornerofthebaywindow,MissCoateswhisperedtoLee;\"Don\'tlooknow,\"shewarned,\"butlater,youwillseeontheleftofthatdoortheswitchthatthrowsonthelights。WhenIamsuresheisoutsidethecabinet,whenshehastoldhimnottogivethemoneytome,I\'llcrynow!\'andwhicheveroneofusisseatednearertheswitchwillturnonallthelights。Ithink,\"MissCoatesaddedwith,inhervoice,athrilloftriumphnotaltogetherfreefromatouchofvindictiveness,\"whenmyuncleseeshercaughtinthemiddleoftheroom,disguisedashissister——wewillhavecuredhim。\"
\"Itmaybe,\"saidtheman。
ThepossibilityofsuccessasMissCoatespointeditoutdidnotappeartostirinhimanygreatdelight。Heglancedunwillinglyoverhisshoulder。\"Iseetheswitch,\"hesaid。
LeaningonthearmofGaylor,Mr。Hallowellreturnedfromthecabinettohischair。Whathehadseenapparentlystrengthenedhisfaithand,inlikedegree,inspiredhimtogreaterenthusiasm。
\"Well,\"heexclaimed,\"therearenotrapdoorsorfalsebottomsaboutthat!Iftheycanprojectaspiritfromthatsentrybox,itwillbeamiracle。Forwhomarewewaiting?\"heaskedimpatiently。\"WhereisWinthrop?\"
JudgeGaylorexplainedthatWinthroppreferredtowaitdownstairs,andthathehadsaidhewouldremainthereuntiltheseancewasfinished。
\"Afraidofcompromisinghisposition,\"commentedtheoldman。
\"I\'msorry。I\'dliketohavehimhere。\"HemotionedGaylortobendnearer。Inavoicethattrembledwitheagernessandexcitement,hewhispered:\"Henry,Ihaveafeelingthatwearegoingtowitnessaremarkablephenomenon。\"
Gaylor\'scountenancegrewpreternaturallygrave。Henoddedheavily。
\"Ihavethesamefeeling,Stephen,\"hereturned。
Vanceraisedhishandtocommandsilence。
\"Everyone,\"hecalled,\"exceptthecommittee,whoaretobindandtiethemedium,willtaketheplaceIgivehim,andremaininit。Mr。DaywillpleaseacquaintMissVeraandMrs。Vancewiththefactthatweareready。\"
UptothispointVancehadappearedonlyasastagemanager。Hehadbeenconcernedwithhisgroupings,hislights,inassigningtohisconfederatesthepartstheyweretoplay。Nowthatthecurtainwastorise,asanactorputsonawigandgreasepaint,Vanceassumedacertainvoiceandmanner。Onthestagethecriticswouldhavecalledhimaconvincingactor。Hemadehisaudiencebelievewhathebelieved。Heknewtheeloquenceofapause,thevalueofasurprised,unintelligibleexclamation。Onemomenthewasasprofessionallysolemnasa\"funeraldirector;\"
thenext,hisvoice,hiswholeframe,wouldshakewithexcitement,inanoutburstoffanaticfervor。AsitpleasedhimhecouldplayHamlet,tenderlyshockedatthesightofhisdeadfather,orMacbeth,retreatinginhorrorbeforetheghostofBanquo。Forthemomenthismannerwasthatoftheundertaker。
\"Now,Mr。Hallowell,\"hesaidhoarsely,\"pleasetonamethoseyouwishtoserveonthecommittee。\"
Mr。Hallowellwavedhisarmtoincludeeveryoneintheroom。
\"Everybodywillserveonthecommittee,\"hedeclared。
\"Everythingistobeopenandabove-board。Thewholecityiswelcomeonthecommittee。Iwantthistobeabovesuspicion。\"
\"Thatismywish,also,sir,\"saidVancestiffly。\"Butacommitteeofmorethanthreeisunwieldy。SupposeyounametwogentlemenandIone?Or,\"heshruggedhisshoulders,\"youcannameallthree。\"
AfteramomentofconsiderationMr。HallowellpointedatLee。\"I
chooseMr——thatyoungman,\"heannounced,\"andJudgeGaylor。\"
\"Iwouldmuchrathernot,Stephen,\"JudgeGaylorwhispered。
\"Iknow,Henry,\"answeredtheother。\"ButIaskitofyou。Itwillgivemeconfidence。\"HeturnedtoVance。\"Youselectsomeone,\"hecommanded。
Withabow,VancedesignatedthetallGerman。
\"WillProfessorStrombergkbeacceptable?\"heasked。Mr。
Hallowellnodded。
\"Then,thethreegentlemenchosenwillpleasecometothecabinet。\"
Vance,hismannernowthatofamasterofceremonies,assignedtoeachpersontheseatheorshewastooccupy。MissCoateswithsatisfactionnotedthatonlyMrs。VanceseparatedLeefromtheelectricswitch。
\"Imustaskyou,\"saidVance,\"tokeepthesearsIhaveassignedtoyou。Withustonightarebothfavorableandunfavorableinfluences。AndwhatIhavetriedtodoinplacingyou,istoobtainthebestpsychicresults。\"Hemovedtothedoorandlookedintothehall,thenturned,andwithupliftedarmsilentlydemandedattention。
\"MissVera,\"heannounced。Followedclosely,likerespectfulcourtiers,byMannieandMrs。Vance,Veraappearedinthedoorway,walkedafewfeetintotheroom,andstoodmotionless。
Asthoughalreadyinatrance,shemovedslowly,withoutvolition,likeasomnambulist。Herheadwasheldhigh,buthereyesweredullandunseeing。Herarmshunglimply。Sheworeaneveninggownofsoftblackstuff,thatclungtoherlikealaceshawl,andwhichleftherthroatandarmsbare。Inspiteoftheclashofinterests,ofantagonism,ofmutualdistrust,therewasnoonepresenttowhomthesightoftheyounggirldidnotbringanuneasythrill。Thenatureofthethingsheproposedtodo,contrastedwiththelovelinessofherface,whichseemedtomockatthepossibilityofdeceit;somethinginherrapt,distantgaze,inthedignityofherupliftedhead,inherairofcompletedetachmentfromhersurroundings,causedeventhemostskepticaltoquestionifshemightnotpossessthepowersheclaimed,tofeelforamomenttheapproachofthesupernatural。
Thevoicesofthecommittee,consultingtogether,droppedsuddenlytoawhisper;theotherswereinstantlysilent。
InhisarmsManniecarriedsilkenscarfs,cords,andropes。Ineachhandheheldateacup。Onecontainedflour,theothershot。
Vancetookthesefromhim,andManniehurriedlyslippedintohischairinfrontoftheorgan。
\"Gentlemen,\"explainedVance,\"youwillusetheseropesandscarfstotiethemedium。Also,asafurtherprecautionagainsttheleastsuspicionoffraud,wewillsubjecthertothemostseveretestknown。Inonehandshewillholdthisflour;theotherwillbefilledwithshot。Thiswillmakeitimpossibleforhertotamperwiththeropes。
HegavethetwocupstoGaylor,andturnedtoVera。
\"Areyouready?\"heasked。Afterapause,thegirlslightlyinclinedherhead。Lee,withoneofthescarfsinhishand,approachedherdiffidently。Helookedunhappilyattheslight,girlishfigure,atthefairwhitearms。InhisembarrassmentheappealedtoVance。
\"Howwouldyousuggest?\"heasked。
Vance,apparentlyshocked,hastilydrewaway。\"Thatwouldbemostirregular,\"heprotested。
ApologeticallyLeeturnedtothegirl。
\"Wouldyoumindputtingyourarmsbehindyou?\"heasked。Helacedthescarfaroundherarms,anddrewittightlytoherwrists。
\"TellmeifIhurtyou,\"hemurmured,butthegirlmadenoanswer。Towhatwasgoingforwardsheappearedasunmindfulasthoughshewereanartist\'smanikin。
\"Willyoutakethesenow?\"askedGaylor,andintoheropenpalmshepouredtheflourandshot。\"And,now,\"continuedLee,\"willyougointothecabinet?\"Assheseatedherself,hekneltinfrontofherandboundherankles。FrombehindherStrombergkdeftlywoundtheropesaboutherbodyandthroughtherungsandbackofthechair。
\"Wouldyoumindseeingifyoucanwithdrawyourarms?\"Leeasked。Thegirlraisedhershoulders,struggledtofreeherhands,andtriedtorise。Buttheeffortswerefutile。
\"Arethegentlemensatisfied?\"demandedVance。Thethreemen,whohadshownbutlittleheartinthework,andwhowerenowredandembarrassed,hastilyansweredintheaffirmative。
\"Ifyouaresatisfiedtheropesaresecurelyfastened,\"Vancecontinued,\"youwilltakeyourseats。\"ProfessorStrombergk,ashemovedtohischair,announcedindevout,solemntones;
\"Nothingbutspirithandscanmovethoseropesnow。\"
FromtheorganrosesoftlythepreludetoaMoodyandSankeyhymn,and,inkeepingwiththemusic,thevoiceofVancesanktoalowtone。
\"Wewillnow,\"hesaid,\"establishthemagneticchain。Eachpersonwilltakewithhisrighthandtheleftwristofthepersononhisorherright。\"Hepausedwhilethisorderwasbeingcarriedintoeffect。
\"BeforeIturnoutthelights,\"hecontinued,\"Iwishtosayalastwordtoanyskepticwhomaybepresent。Iwarnhimthatanyattempttolayviolenthandsupontheapparition,orspirit,maycostthemediumherlife。Fromthecabinetthemediumprojectsthespiritintothecircle。Anattackuponthespirit,isanattackuponthemedium。Therearethreeorfourwell-authenticatedcaseswherethedisembodiedspiritwascutofffromthecabinet,andthemediumdied。\"
Hedrewthevelvetcurtainsacrossthecabinet,andshutVerafromview。\"Areyouready,Mr。Hallowell?\"heasked。Mr。
Hallowell,hiseyesstaring,hislipsparted,noddedhishead。
Themusicgrewlouder。Vanceswitchedoffthelights。
Forsomeminutes,exceptforthecreakingofthepedalsoftheorganandthelowthrobofthemusic,therewasnosound。Then,fromhispositionattheopendoor,thevoiceofVancecommandedsternly:\"Nowhispering,please。Themediumissusceptibletotheleastsound。\"Therewasanotherlongerpause,untilinhushedexpectanttonesVancespokeagain。\"Theairisveryheavilychargedwithelectricitytonight,\"hesaid,\"you,Mrs。
Marsh,shouldfeelthat?\"
\"Ido,Professor,\"murmuredthemedium,\"Ido。Weshallhavesomewonderfulresults!\"
Vanceagreedwithhersolemnly。\"Ifeelinfluencesallaboutme,\"hemurmured。
Therecamesuddenlyfromthecabinetthreesharpraps。Thesewereinstantlyansweredbyotherquickrappingsuponthelibrarytable。\"Theyarebeginning!\"chantedthevoiceofVance。Themusicoftheorganceased。Itwasatoncefollowedbythenotesofaguitarthatseemedtofloatinspace,thestringsvibrating,notasthoughtouchedbyhumanhands,butinfitful,meaninglesschordslikethoseofanAeolianharp。
\"ThatisKiowa,yourcontrol,Mrs。Marsh,\"announcedVanceeagerly。\"Doyoudesiretospeaktohim?\"
\"Nottonight,\"Mrs。Marshanswered。Sheraisedhervoice。\"Nottonight,Kiowa,\"sherepeated。\"Thankyouforcoming。Goodnight。\"
Indeep,gutturalaccents,aman\'svoicecamefromtheceiling。
\"Goodnight,\"itcalled。Withafinal,ringingwail,themusicoftheguitarsuddenlyceased。
Againrosetheswellinglownotesoftheorgan。Aboveitcamethequickpatteringoffootsteps。
ThevoiceofRainey,filledwithalarm,cried,\"someonetouchedme!\"
\"Areyousureyourhandsareheld?\"demandedVancereprovingly。
\"Yes,\"pantedRainey,\"bothofthem。Butsomethingputitshandonmyforehead。Itwascold。\"
Inanexcitedwhisper,avoiceinthecirclecried,\"Look,look!\"andbeforetheeyesofall,astarroseinthedarkness。
ForamomentitwaveredoverthecabinetandthenflutteredswiftlyacrosstheroomandremainedstationaryabovetheheadoftheGermanProfessor。
\"Thereisyourstar,Professor,\"criedVance。\"WhentheProfessorisinthecircle,\"heannouncedproudly,\"thatstaralwaysappears。\"
HewasinterruptedbyastartledexclamationfromLee。
\"Somethingtouchedmyface,\"explainedtheyoungmanapologetically,\"andspoketome。\"
Themusicsanktoamurmur,andtheroombecamealivewithswift,rushingsoundsandsoftwhisperings。
ThevoiceofMrs。Marsh,lowandeager,couldbeheardappealingtoaninvisiblepresence。
\"Theresultsaremarvelous,\"chantedVance,\"marvelous!Themediumisshowingwonderfulpower。Ifanyonedesirestoaskaquestion,heshoulddosonow。Theconditionswillneverbebetter。\"Hepausedexpectantly。\"Mr。Hallowell,\"heprompted,\"isityourwishtocommunicatewithanyoneinthespiritworld?\"
Therewasalongpause,andthenthevoiceofMr。Hallowell,harshandshaken,answered,\"Yes。\"
\"Withwhom?\"demandedVance。
Therewasagainanotherlongerpause,andthen,abovetheconfusionofsoftwhisperings,thevoiceoftheoldmanroseinsharpstaccato;\"Mysister,CatherineCoates。\"Histonehardened,becameobdurate,final。\"But,Imustseeher,andhearherspeak!\"
NotforaninstantdidVancehesitate。Intense,sepulchraltones,hedemandedofthedarkness,\"IsthespiritofCatherineCoatespresent?\"
Thewhisperingsandmurmursceased。Thesilenceoftheroomwasbrokensharplybythreequickraps。\"Yes,\"intonedVance,\"sheispresent。\"
ThevoiceofHallowellprotestedfiercely。\"Iwon\'thavethat!I
wanttoseeher!\"
Inthetoneofanincantation,Vancespokeagain。\"Willthespiritshowherselftoherbrother?\"Therapscamequickly,firmly。
\"Sheanswersshewillappearbeforeyou。\"
Therewasamomentthatseemedtostretchinterminably,andthen,theeyesofall,straininginthedarkness,sawagainsttheblackvelvetcurtainasplashofwhite。
Abovethesobbingoftheorgan,thevoiceofMr。Hallowellrangoutinasharpexclamationofterror。\"Whoisthat!\"hedemanded。Hespokeasthoughhedreadedtheanswer。Hethrewhimselfforwardinhischair,peeringintothedarkness。
\"Isthatyou,Kate?,hewhispered。Hisvoicewasbothincredulousandpleading。
Theanswercameinfeeble,tremblingtones。\"Yes。\"
ThevoiceofHallowellshookwitheagerness。\"Doyouknowme,yourbrother,Stephen?\"
\"Yes。\"
Withacrytheoldmanfellback,gropingblindly。HefoundGaylor\'sarmandclutcheditwithbothhands。
\"MyGod!It\'sKate!\"hegasped。\"Itellyou,Henry,itisKate!\"
ThevoiceofVance,deepandhollowlikeabell,soundedanoteofwarning。\"Speakquickly,\"hecommanded。\"Hertimeonearthisbrief。\"Mr。Hallowell\'sholduponthearmofhisfriendrelaxed。
Fearfullyandslowly,hebentforward。
\"Kate!\"hepleaded;\"Imustaskyouaquestion。Nooneelsecantellme。\"Asthoughgatheringcourage,hepaused,and,withafrightenedsigh,againbegan。\"Iamanoldman,\"hemurmured,\"asickman。Iwillbejoiningyouverysoon。whatamItodowithmymoney?Ihavemadegreatplanstogiveittothepoor。Or,mustIgiveit,asIhavegivenitinmywill,toHelen?PerhapsIdidnotactfairlytoyouandHelen。YouknowwhatImean。Shewouldberich,butthenthepoorwouldbethatmuchthepoorer。\"
Theconfidenceofthespeakerwasincreasing;asthoughtoalivingbeing,hearguedandpleaded。\"AndIwanttodosomegoodbeforeIgo。WhatshallIdo?Tellme。\"
Therewasapausethatlastedsolongthatthosewhohadheldtheirbreathtolisten,againbreatheddeeply。Whentheanswercame,itwasstrangelydeprecatory,uncertain,unassured。
\"You,\"stammeredthevoice,\"youmusthavecouragetodowhatyouknowtobejust!\"
Forabriefmoment,asthoughsurprised,Mr。Hallowellapparentlyconsideredthis,andthengaveanexclamationofdisappointmentanddistress。
\"ButIdon\'tknow,\"heprotested,\"thatiswhyIcalledonyou。
Iwanttogointothenextworld,Kate,\"hepleaded,\"withcleanhands!\"
\"Youcannotbribeyourwayintothenextworld,\"intonedthevoice。\"Ifyoupitythepoor,youmusthelpthepoor,notthatyoumaycheatyourwayintoheaven,butthattheymaysufferless。Searchyourconscience。Havethecourageofyourconscience。\"
\"Idon\'twanttoconsultmyconscience,\"criedtheoldman。\"I
wantyoutotellme。\"Hepaused,hesitating。Eagertopresshisquestion,hisaweoftheapparitionstillrestrainedhim。
\"Whatdoyoumean,Kate?\"hebegged。AmItogivethemoneywhereitwilldothemostgood——totheHallowellInstitute,oramItogiveittoHelen?WhichamItodo?\"
Therewasanotherlongsilence,andthenthevoicestammered;
\"If——ifyouhavewrongedme,ormydaughter,orthepoor,youmustmakerestitution。\"
Thehandoftheoldmanwasheardtofallheavilyuponthearmofhischair。Hisvoiceroseunhappily。
\"Thatisnoanswer,Kate!\"hecried。\"Didyoucomefromthedeadtopreachtome?Tellme——whatamItodo——leavemymoneytoHelen,ortotheInstitute?\"
Thecryoftheoldmanvibratedintheair。Novoicerosetoanswer。\"Kate!\"heentreated。Stilltherewassilence。\"Speaktome!\"hecommanded。Thesilencebecameeloquentwithmomentouspossibilities。Solongdiditendure,thatthepainofthesuspensewasactual。ThevoiceofRainey,chokedandhoarsewithfear,brokeitwithanexclamationthatheldthesoundofanoath。Hemutteredthickly,\"Whatinthenameof——\"
Hewashushedbyaswiftchorusofhisses。ThevoiceofHallowellwasagainuplifted。
\"Whywon\'tsheanswerme?\"hebeggedhystericallyofVance。
\"Can\'tyou——can\'tthemediummakeherspeak?\"
Duringthelastfewmomentsthemusicfromtheorganhadcomebrokenly。Thehandsuponthekeysmovedunsteadily,drunkenly。
Nowtheyhaltedaltogetherandinthemiddleofachordthemusicsankanddied。UponthenowabsolutesilencethevoiceofVance,whenhespoke,soundedstrangelyunfamiliar。Ithadlostthepriest-likeintonation。Itsconfidencehaddeparted。Itshowedbewildermentandalarm。
\"I——Idon\'tunderstand,\"stammeredtheshowman。\"Askheragain。Putyourquestiondifferently。\"
Carefully,slowly,givingeachworditsvalue,Mr。Hallowellraisedhisvoiceinentreaty。
\"Kate,\"hecried,\"Ihavemadeanewwill,leavingthemoneytothepoor。TheoldwillgivesittoHelen。ShallIsignthenewwillornot?ShallIgivethemoneytoHelen,ortheInstitute?
Answerme!Yesorno。\"
Beforetheeyesofall,theapparition,asthoughretreatingtothecabinet,swayedbackward,thenstaggeredforward。Therewasasob,human,heart-broken,acry,thrillingwithdistress;atumultofweeping,fierceanduncontrollable。
Theysawthefiguretearawaythewhitekerchiefandcap,andtramplethemuponthefloor。Theysawthefigureholditselferect。Fromit,thevoiceofVeracriedaloud,indespair。
\"Ican\'t!Ican\'t!\"shesobbed。\"It\'salie!Iamnotyoursister!Turnonthelights,\"thegirlcried。\"Turnonthelights!\"
Therewasacrashofupturnedchairs,thesoundofmenstruggling,andtheroomwassweptwithlight。InthedoorwayWinthropwasholdingapartVanceandthereporter。
InthecentreoftheroomstoodVera,herheadbentinshame,herbodyshakenandtrembling,herhairstreamingtoherwaist。
Asthoughtopunishherself,byputtingaclimaxtoherhumiliation,sheheldoutherarmstoHelenCoates。\"Yousee,\"
shecried,\"Iamacheat。Iamafraud!\"ShesanksuddenlytoherkneesinfrontofMr。Hallowell。\"Forgiveme,\"shesobbed,\"forgiveme!\"
Withacryofangryprotest,Winthroprantoherandliftedhertoherfeet。Hiseyeswerefilledwithpity。ButintheeyesofMr。Hallowelltherewasnopromiseofpardon。Withsuddenstrengthhestruggledtohisfeetandstoodswaying,challengingthosebeforehim。Hisfacewaswhitewithanger,hisjawclosedagainstmercy。
\"You\'veliedtome!\"hecried。\"You\'vetriedtorobme!\"Heswepttheroomwithhiseyes。Withaflashofintuition,hesawthetraptheyhadlaidforhim。\"Allofyou!\"hescreamed。\"It\'saplot!\"Heshookhisfistattheweepinggirl。\"Andyou!\"heshoutedhysterically,\"thelawshallpunishyou!\"
Winthropdrewthegirltohimandputhisarmabouther。
\"I\'lldothepunishinghere,\"hesaid。
Withaglad,welcomingcry,theoldmanturnedtohimappealingly,wildly。
\"Yes,you!\"heshouted。\"youpunishthem!Sheplottedtogetmymoney。\"
ThegirlatWinthrop\'ssideshivered,andshrankfromhim。Hedrewherbackroughlyandheldherclose。Thesobsthatshookhertoreathisheart;thetouchofthesinking,tremblingbodyinhisarmsfilledhimwithfierce,jubilantthoughtsofkeepingthegirltherealways,ofgivingbattleforher,ofshelteringheragainsttheworld。Inwhatshehaddonehesawonlyasacrifice。Inherhebeheldonlyapenitent,whowasself-accusedandself-convicted。
Heheardthevoiceoftheoldmanscreamingvindictively,\"Sheplottedtogetmymoney!\"
Winthropturneduponhimsavagely。
\"Howdidsheplottogetit?\"heretortedfiercely。\"Youknow,andIknow。Iknowhowyourlawyer,yourdoctor,yourservantplottedtogetit!\"Hisvoiceroseandrangwithindignation。
\"Youallplotted,andyouallschemed——andtowhatend——whatwastheresult?\"——heheldbeforethemthefaintingfigureofthegirl——\"Thatonepoorchildcouldproveshewashonest!\"
Withhisarmsstillabouther,andherhandsclingingtohim,hemovedwithherquicklytothedoor。Whentheyhadreachedthesilenceofthehall,hetookherhandsinhis,andlookedintohereyes。\"Now,\"hecommanded,\"youshallcometomysisters!\"
Thewaitingcarcarriedthemswiftlyuptheavenue。Theirwaylaythroughthepark,andthewarm,mid-summerairwasheavywiththeodorofplantsandshrubs。Abovethemthetreesdroopeddeepwithleaves。Vera,crouchedinacorner,hadnotspoken。
Hereyeswerehiddeninherhands。ButwhentheyhadenteredthesilentreachesoftheparksheloweredthemandthefacesheliftedtoWinthropwaspaleandwetwithtears。Themanthoughtneverbeforehadheseenitmorelovelyormorelovable。Verashookherheaddumblyandlookedupathimwithatroubledsmile。
\"Itoldyou,\"shemurmuredremorsefully,\"you\'dbesorry。\"
Wedon\'tknowthatyet,\"saidWinthropgently,\"we\'llhavealltherestofourlivestofindthatout。\"
Startled,thegirldrewback。Inherfacewaswonder,amazement,adawninghappiness。
Withoutspeaking,Winthroplookedather,entreatingly,pitifully,beseechingherwithhiseyes。
Slowlythegirlbentforwardand,ashethrewouthisarms,withalittlesighofrestandcontentshecreptintothemandpressedherfacetohis。