ChapterI
IThadjuststruckninefromthecuckooclockthathungoverthemantelpieceinthedining—room，whenVictorinebroughtinthehalvedwatermelonandsetitinfrontofMr.Bessemer’splate.
Thenshewentdowntothefrontdoorforthedamp，twistedrolloftheSundaymorning’spaper，andcamebackandrangthebreakfast—
bellforthesecondtime.
Asthefamilystillhesitatedtoappear，shewenttothebaywindowattheendoftheroom，andstoodthereforamomentlookingout.Theviewwaswonderful.TheBessemerslivedupontheWashingtonStreethill，almostatitsverysummit，inaflatinthethirdstoryofthebuilding.Thecontractorhadbeencleverenoughtoreversethepositionofkitchenanddining—room，sothatthelatterroomwasattherearofthehouse.FromitswindowonecouldcommandasweepofSanFranciscoBayandtheContraCostashore，fromMountDiablo，alongpastOakland，Berkeley，Sausalito，andMountTamalpais，outtotheGoldenGate，thePresidio，theocean，andeven——onverycleardays——totheFarralloneislands.
ForsometimeVictorinestoodlookingdownatthegreatexpanseoflandandsea，thenfacedaboutwithanimpatientexclamation.
OnSundaysalltheweek—dayregimeofthefamilywasderanged，andbreakfastwasamovablefeast，tobehadanytimeaftersevenorbeforehalf—pastnine.AsVictorinewaspouringtheice—water，Mr.Bessemerhimselfcamein，andaddressedhimselfatoncetohismeal，withoutsomuchasathoughtofwaitingfortheothers.
Hewasalittleroundman.Heworeaskull—captokeephisbaldspotwarm，andreadhispaperthroughareading—glass.Theexpressionofhisface，wrinkledandbearded，theeyesshadowedbyenormousgrayeyebrows，wasthatofanamiablegorilla.
Bessemerwasoneofthosemenwhoseementirelydisassociatedfromtheirfamilies.Onlyonrareandintenseoccasionsdidhispaternalspiritorinstinctsassertthemselves.Attablehetalkedbutlittle.Thoughdevotedlyfondofhiseldestdaughter，shewasapuzzleandastrangertohim.Hisinterestsandherswereabsolutelydissimilar.Thechildrenheseldomspoketobuttoreprove;whileHoward，theson，theten—year—oldandterribleinfantofthehousehold，healwaysreferredtoas\"thatboy.\"
Hewasanabstracted，self—centredoldman，withbuttwohobbies——
homoeopathyandthemechanismofclocks.Buthehadastrangewayoftalkingtohimselfinalowvoice，keepinguparunning，half—
whisperedcommentuponhisowndoingsandactions;as，forinstance，uponthisoccasion：\"Nineo’clock——theclock’salittlefast.IthinkI’llwindmywatch.No，I’veforgottenmywatch.
Watermelonthismorning，eh？Where’saknife？I’llhavealittlesalt.Victorine’sforgotthespoons——ha，here’saspoon！No，it’saknifeIwant.\"
Afterhehadfinishedhiswatermelon，andwhileVictorinewaspouringhiscoffee，thetwochildrencamein，scramblingtotheirplaces，anddrummingonthetablewiththeirknife—handles.
Thesonandheir，Howard，wasverymuchaboy.Heplayedbaseballtoowelltobeaverygoodboy，andforthesakeofhisownself—
respectmaintainedanattitudeofperpetualrevoltagainsthisoldersister，who，asmuchaspossible，tooktheplaceofthemother，longsincedead.Underhersupervision，Howardblackedhisownshoeseverymorningbeforebreakfast，changedhisunderclothestwiceaweek，andwasdissuadedfromplayingwiththedentist’ssonwholivedthreedoorsbelowandwhohadSt.Vitus’
dance.
Hislittlesisterwasmuchmoretractable.ShehadbeenchristenedAlberta，andwascalledSnooky.Shepromisedtobeprettywhenshegrewup，butwasatthistimeinthatdistressingtransitionalstagebetweentwelveandfifteen;waslong—legged，andendowedwithalltheawkwardnessofacolt.Hershoeswerestillinnocentofheels;butonthoseoccasionswhenshewasallowedtowearhertinyfirstpairofcorsetsshewasexaltedtoanalmostcelestialpitchofsilentecstasy.Theclaspoftheminiaturestaysaroundhersmallbodywasliketheembraceofalittlelover，andawokeinherideasthatwereasvague，asimmatureandunformedasthestraightlittlefigureitself.
WhenSnookyandHowardhadseatedthemselves，butonechair——attheendofthebreakfast—table，oppositeMr.Bessemer——remainedvacant.
\"Isyoursister——isMissTravisgoingtohaveherbreakfastnow？
Isshegotupyet？\"inquiredVictorineofHowardandSnooky，asshepushedthecreampitcheroutofHoward’sreach.ItwassignificantofMr.Bessemer’srelationswithhisfamilythatVictorinedidnotaddressherquestiontohim.
\"Yes，yes，she’scoming，\"saidboththechildren，speakingtogether;andHowardadded：\"Hereshecomesnow.\"
TravisBessemercamein.EveninSanFrancisco，whereallwomenaremoreorlessbeautiful，Travispassedforabeautifulgirl.
Shewasyoung，buttallasmostmen，andsolidly，almostheavilybuilt.Hershoulderswerebroad，herchestwasdeep，herneckroundandfirm.Sheradiatedhealth;therewereexuberanceandvitalityintheverytouchofherfootuponthecarpet，andtherewasthatcleanlinessabouther，thatfreshness，thatsuggestedarecentplungeinthesurfanda\"constitutional\"alongthebeach.
Onefeltthatherewasstamina，goodphysicalforce，andfineanimalvigor.Herarmswerelarge，herwristswerelarge，andherfingersdidnottaper.Herhairwasofabrownsolightastobealmostyellow.Infact，itwouldbesafertocallityellowfromthestart——notgoldennorflaxen，butplain，honestyellow.Theskinofherfacewascleanandwhite，exceptwhereitflushedtoamostcharmingpinkuponhersmooth，coolcheeks.Herlipswerefullandred，herchinveryroundandalittlesalient.Curiouslyenough，hereyesweresmall——small，butofthedeepest，deepestbrown，andalwaystwinklingandalight，asthoughshewerejustreadytosmileorhadjustdonesmiling，onecouldnotsaywhich.
Andnothingcouldhavebeenmoredelightfulthanthesesloe—brown，glintinglittleeyesofherssetoffbyherwhiteskinandyellowhair.
Sheimpressedoneasbeingaverynormalgirl：nothingmorbidabouther，nothingnervousorfalseoroverwrought.Youdidnotexpecttofindherintrospective.Youfeltsurethathermentallifewasnotatalltheresultofthoughtsandreflectionsgerminatingfromwithin，butratherofimpressionsandsensationsthatcametoherfromwithout.TherewasnothingextraordinaryaboutTravis.Sheneverhadhervagaries，wasnotmoody——
depressedonedayandexaltedthenext.Shewasjustagood，sweet，natural，healthy—minded，healthy—bodiedgirl，honest，strong，self—reliant，andgood—tempered.
Thoughshewasnotyetdressedforchurch，therewasstyleinhertothepointedtipsofherpatent—leatherslippers.Sheworeaheavyblackoverskirtthatrustledindeliciousfashionoverthecoloredsilkskirtbeneath，andawhiteshirt—waist，stripedblack，andstarchedtoarattlingstiffness.Herneckwasswathedtightandhighwithabroadribbonofwhitesatin，whilearoundherwaist，inplaceofabelt，sheworethehugedog—collarofaSt.Bernard——achiclittleideawhichwasallherown，andofwhichshewasveryproud.
Shewasastrigandtrimandcrispasacrackyacht：notapinwasloose，notaseamthatdidnotfallinitspreciserightline;andwitheverymovementthereemanatedfromherabarelyperceptibledeliciousfeminineodor——anodorthatwasinpartperfume，butmostlyasubtle，vaguesmell，charmingbeyondwords，thatcamefromherhair，herneck，herarms——herwholesweetpersonality.
Shewasnineteenyearsold.
Shesatdowntobreakfastandateheartily，thoughwithherattentiondividedbetweenHoward——whowasatrociouslybad，asusualofaSundaymorning——andherfather’splate.Mr.Bessemerwasaslikeasnottoleavethetablewithoutanybreakfastatallunlesshisfruit，chops，andcoffeewereactuallythrustunderhisnose.
\"Papum，\"shecalled，speakingclearanddistinct，asthoughtothedeaf，\"there’syourcoffeethereatyourelbow;becareful，you’lltipitover.Victorine，pushhiscupfurtheronthetable.Isitstrongenoughforyou，Papum’\"
\"Eh？Ah，yes——yes——yes，\"murmuredtheoldman，lookingvaguelyabouthim;\"coffee，tobesure\"——andheemptiedthecupatasingledraught，hardlyknowingwhetheritwascoffeeortea.\"NowI’lltakearoll，\"hecontinued，inamonotonousmurmur.\"Wherearetherolls？Heretheyare.Hotrollsarebadformydigestion——
Ioughttoeatbread.IthinkIeattoomuch.Where’smyplaceinthepaper？——alwayslosemyplaceinthepaper.ClevereditorialsthisfellowEastmanwrites，unbiassedbypartyprejudice——unbiassed——unbiassed.\"Hisvoicediedtoawhisper.
Thebreakfastproceeded，Travissupervisingeverythingthatwentforward，evengivingdirectionstoVictorineastothehourforservingdinner.ItwaswhileshewastalkingtoVictorineastothismatterthatSnookybegantowhine.
\"Stop！\"
\"AndtellMaggie，\"pursuedTravis，\"tofricasseeherchicken，andnottohaveittoowelldone——\"
\"Sto—o—op！\"whinedSnookyagain.
\"AndleavetheheartoutforPapum.Helikestheheart——\"
\"Sto—o—op！\"
\"Unbiassedbyprejudice，\"murmuredMr.Bessemer，\"vigorousandtothepoint.I’llhaveanotherroll.\"
\"Pa，makeHowardstop！\"
\"Howard！\"exclaimedTravis;\"whatisitnow？\"
\"Howard’ssquirtingwatermelon—seedsatme，\"whinedSnooky，\"andPawon’tmakehimstop.\"
\"Oh，Ididn’tso！\"vociferatedHoward.\"Ionlyheldonebetweenmyfingers，anditjustkindofshotout.\"
\"You’llcomeupstairswithmeinjustfiveminutes，\"announcedTravis，\"andgetreadyforSunday—school.\"
Howardknewthathisoldersister’sdecisionswereasthelawsofthePersians，andfoundmeanstofinishhisbreakfastwithinthespecifiedtime，thoughnotwithoutprotest.Onceupstairs，however，theusualSundaymorningdramaofdespatchinghimtoSunday—schoolinpresentableconditionwasenacted.Ateverymomenthisvoicecouldbeheardupliftedinshrillexpostulationanddebate.No，hishandswerecleanenough，andhedidn’tseewhyhehadtowearthatlittleoldpinktie;and，oh！hisnewshoesweretootightandhurthissoretoe;andhewouldn’t，hewouldn’t——no，notifhewerekilledforit，changehisshirt.NotforamomentdidTravislosehertemperwithhim.But\"verywell，\"shedeclaredatlength，\"thenexttimeshesawthatlittleMinergirlshewouldtellherthathehadsaidshewashisbeau—
heart.NOWwouldheholdstillwhileshebrushedhishair？\"
AtafewminutesbeforeelevenTravisandherfatherwenttochurch.TheywereEpiscopalians，andfortimeoutofmindhadrentedahalf—pewinthechurchoftheirdenominationonCaliforniaStreet，notfarfromChinatown.Bynoonthefamilyreassembled.atdinner—table，whereMr.Bessemeratehischicken—
heart——afterTravishadthriceremindedhimofit——andexpressedhimselfastothesermonandtheminister’stheology：sometimestohisdaughterandsometimestohimself.
AfterdinnerHowardandSnookyforegatheredinthenurserywiththeirbelovedleadsoldiers;Traviswenttoherroomtowriteletters;andMr.Bessemersatinthebaywindowofthedining—roomreadingthepaperfromendtoend.
AtfiveTravisbestirredherself.ItwasVictorine’safternoonout.Travissetthetable，spreadingacoverofbluedenimedgedwithwhitebraid，whichshowedoffthesilverandthesetofdelft——hergreatandnever—endingjoy——togreateffect.Thenshetiedherapronabouther，andwentintothekitchentomakethemayonnaisedressingforthepotatosalad，toslicetheham，andtohelpthecook（amostinefficientIrishperson，takenononlyforthatmonthduringtheabsenceofthefamily’sbelovedandveneratedSingWo）inthematterofpreparingtheSundayeveningtea.
Teawashadathalf—pastfive.Neverinthehistoryofthefamilyhaditsmenuvaried：coldham，potatosalad，porkandbeans，cannedfruit，chocolate，andtheinevitablepitcherofice—water.
IntheabsenceofVictorine，Maggiewaitedonthetable，veryuncomfortableinheronegooddressandstiffwhiteapron.Shestoodofffromthetable，makingawkwarddabsatitfromtimetotime.Inherexcessofdeferenceshedevelopedaclumsinessthatwasbeyondallexpression.Shepassedtheplatesuponthewrongside，andrememberedherselfwithabrokenapologyatinopportunemoments.Shedroppedaspoon，shespilledtheice—water.Shehandledthedelftcupsandplatterswithanexaggeratedsolicitude，asthoughtheywereglassbombs.Shebrushedthecrumbsintotheirlapsinsteadofintothecrumb—tray，andatlast，whenshehadsatevenTravis’placidnervesinajangle，wasdismissedtothekitchen，andretiredwithagaspofunspeakablerelief.
Suddenlytherecameaprolongedtrillingoftheelectricbell，andHowardflashedagrinatTravis.Snookyjumpedupandpushedback，cryingout：\"I’llgo！I’llgo！\"
Mr.BessemerglancednervouslyatTravis.\"That’sMr.Rivers，isn’tit，daughter？\"Travissmiled.\"Well，IthinkI’ll——IthinkI’dbetter——\"hebegan.
\"No，\"saidTravis，\"Idon’twantyouto，Papum;yousitrightwhereyouare.Howabsurd！\"
Theoldmandroppedobedientlybackintohisseat.
\"That’sallright，Maggie，\"saidTravisasthecookreappearedfromthepantry.\"Snookywent.\"
\"Huh！\"exclaimedHoward，hisgrinwidening.\"Huh！\"
Andrememberonething，Howard，\"remarkedTraviscalmly，\"don’tyoueveragainaskMr.Riversforanickeltoputinyourbank.\"
Mr.Bessemerrousedup.\"Didthatboydothat？\"heinquiredsharplyofTravis.
\"Well，well，hewon’tdoitagain，\"saidTravissoothingly.TheoldmanglaredforaninstantatHoward，whoshifteduneasilyinhisseat.ButmeanwhileSnookyhadclambereddowntotheoutsidedoor，andbeforeanythingfurthercouldbesaidyoungRiverscameintothedining—room.
ChapterII
FORsomereason，nevermadesufficientlyclear，Rivers’parentshadhandicappedhimfromthebaptismalfontwiththeprenomenofConde，which，however，uponAnglo—Saxontongues，hadbeenpromptlymodifiedtoCondy，oreven，amonghisfamiliarandintimatefriends，toConny.Askedastohisbirthplace——fornoCalifornianassumesthathisneighborisbornintheState——Condywaswonttoreplythathewas\"bawn’n’rais’\"inChicago;\"but，\"healwaysadded，\"Icouldn’thelpthat，youknow.\"HispeoplehadcomeWestintheearlyeighties，justintimetoburythefatherinaliensoil.Condywasanonlychild.HewaseducatedattheStateUniversity，hadafinishingyearatYale，andafewmonthsafterhisreturnhomewastakenonthestaffoftheSanFrancisco\"DailyTimes\"asanassociateeditorofitsSundaysupplement.ForCondyhaddevelopedatasteandtalentinthematterofwriting.Shortstorieswerehismania.HehadbegunbyaninoculationoftheKiplingvirus，hadsufferedanalmostfatalattackofHardingDavis，andhadevenbeenaffectedbyMaupassant.He\"wentin\"foraccuracyofdetail;heldthatifonewroteastoryinvolvingfiremenoneshouldhave，orseemtohave，everydetailofthedepartmentathisfingers’ends，andshould\"bringin\"tothetaleallmanneroftechnicalnamesandcantphrases.
MuchofhisworkontheSundaysupplementof\"TheTimes\"wasofthehackorder——specialarticles，write—ups，andinterviews.
Aboutonceamonth，however，hewroteashortstory，andoflate，nowthathewasconvalescingfromMaupassantandhadbeguntobesomewhathimself，thesestorieshadimprovedinquality，andoneortwohadevenbeencopiedintheEasternjournals.Heearned$100amonth.
WhenSnookyhadlethimin，RiversdashedupthestairsoftheBessemers’flat，twoatatime，tossedhisstickintoaporcelaincane—rackinthehall，wrenchedoffhisovercoatwithasinglemovement，andprecipitatedhimself，panting，intothedining—room，tuggingathisgloves.
Hewastwenty—eightyearsold——nearlytenyearsolderthanTravis;
tallandsomewhatlean;hisfacesmooth—shavenandpinkallover，asifhehadjustgivenitaviolentrubbingwithacrashtowel.
Unlikemostwritingfolk，hedressedhimselfaccordingtoprevailingcustom.ButCondyoverdidthematter.Hisscarfsandcravatsweretoobright，hiscoloredshirt—bosomsweretoobroadlybarred，hiswaistcoatstooextreme.EvenTravis，assherosetohisabruptentrance？toldherselfthatofaSundayeveningapinkshirtandscarlettiewereacombinationhardlytobeforgiven.
Condyshookherhandinbothofhis，thenrushedovertoMr.
Bessemer，exclaimingbetweenbreaths：\"Don’tgetup，sir——don’tTHINKofit！Heavens！I’mdisgustinglylate.You’reallthrough.
Mywatch——thisbeastlywatchofmine——Ican’timaginehowIcametobesolate.Youdidquiterightnottowait.\"
ThenashismorbidlykeenobservationcaughtacertainlookofblanknessonTravis’face，andhisrapidglancenotednovacantchairattable，hegaveaquickgaspofdismay.
\"Heavensandearth！didn’tyouEXPECTme？\"hecried.\"Ithoughtyousaid——Ithought——Imusthaveforgotten——Imusthavegotitmixedupsomehow.Whatahideousmistake，whatablunder！WhatafoolIam！\"
Hedroppedintoachairagainstthewallandmoppedhisforeheadwithablue—borderedhandkerchief.
\"Well，whatdifferencedoesitmake，Condy？\"saidTravisquietly.
\"I’llputanotherplaceforyou.\"
\"No，no！\"hevociferated，jumpingup.\"Iwon’thearofit，I
won’tpermitit！You’llthinkIdiditonpurpose！\"
Travisignoredhisinterference，andmadeaplaceforhimoppositethechildren，andhadMaggiemakesomemorechocolate.
Condymeanwhilecoveredhimselfwithopprobrium.
\"Andallthistrouble——IalwaysmaketroubleeverywhereIgo.
Alwaysaroundmaninasquarehole，orasquaremaninaroundhole.\"
Hegotupandsatdownagain，crossedandrecrossedhislegs，pickeduplittleornamentsfromthemantelpiece，andreplacedthemwithoutconsciousnessofwhattheywere，andfinallybrokethecrystalofhiswatchashewasresettingitbythecuckooclock.
\"Hello！\"heexclaimedsuddenly，\"wheredidyougetthatclock？
Wheredidyougetthatclock？That’snewtome.Wheredidthatcomefrom？\"
\"Thatcuckooclock？\"inquiredTravis，withastare.\"CondyRivers，you’vebeenhereandinthisroomatleasttwiceaweekforthelastyearandahalf，andthatclock，andnoother，hasalwayshungthere.\"
ButalreadyCondyhadforgottenorlostinterestintheclock.
\"Isthatso？isthatso？\"hemurmuredabsent—mindedly，seatinghimselfatthetable.
Mr.Bessemerwasmurmuring：\"Thatclock’salittlefast.Icannotmakethatclockkeeptime.Victorinehaslostthekey.I
havetowinditwithamonkey—wrench.NowI’lltrysomemorebeans.Maggiehasputintoomuchpepper.I’llhavetohaveanewkeymadeto—morrow.\"
\"Hey？Yes——yes.Isthatso？\"answeredCondyRivers，bewildered，wishingtobepolite，yetunabletofollowtheoldman’smutterings.
\"He’snottalkingtoyou，\"remarkedTravis，withoutloweringhervoice.\"YouknowhowPapumgoeson.Hewon’thearawordyousay.Well，Ireadyourstoryinthismorning’s’Times.’\"
Afewmomentslater，whileTraversandCondywerestilldiscussingthisstory，Mr.Bessemerrose.\"Well，Mr.Rivers，\"heannounced，\"IguessI’llsaygood—night.Come，Snooky.\"
\"Yes，takeherwithyou，Papum，\"saidTravis.\"She’llgotosleepontheloungehereifyoudon’t.Howard，haveyougotyourlessonsforto—morrow？\"
Itappearedthathehadnot.Snookywhinedtostayupalittlelonger，butatlastconsentedtogowithherfather.TheyallbadeCondygood—nightandtookthemselvesaway，Howardlingeringamomentinthedoorinthehopeofthenickelhedarednotaskfor.
Maggiereappearedtoclearawaythetable.
\"Let’sgointheparlor，\"suggestedTravis，rising.\"Don’tyouwantto？\"
Theparlorwasthefrontroomoverlookingthestreet，andwasreachedbythelonghallthatranthewholelengthoftheflat，passingbythedoorofeachoneofitseightroomsinturn.
TravisprecededCondy，andturneduponeoftheburnersincoloredglobeofthelittlebrasschandelier.
Theparlorwasasmallaffair，peopledbyafamilyofchairsandsofasrobedinwhitedrugget.Agold—and—whiteeffecthadbeenstrivenforthroughouttheroom.Thewallshadbeentintedinsteadofpapered，andbunchesofhand—paintedpinkflowerstiedupwithblueribbonsstraggledfromonecorneroftheceiling.
AcrossoneangleoftheroomstraddledabrasseaselupholdingacrayonportraitofTravisattheageofnine，\"enlargedfromaphotograph.\"Ayellowdrapeornamentedonecorneroftheframe，whileanotherdrapeofbluedependedfromoneendofthemantelpiece.
Thepiano，uponwhichnobodyeverplayed，balancedtheeaselinanoppositecorner.OverthemantelpiecehunginagildedframeasteelengravingofPriscillaandJohnAlden;andonthemantelitselftwobisquefiguresofanItalianfisherboyandgirlkeptcompanywiththeclock，ahugetimepiece，setinaredplushpalette，thatneverwasknowntogo.Butattherightofthefireplace，andbalancingthetuftofpampa—grasstotheleft，wasaninvertedsectionofasewer—pipepaintedblueanddecoratedwithdaisies.Intoitwasthrustasheafofcat—tails，gilded，andtiedwithapinkribbon.
Travisdroppedupontheshroudedsofa，andCondysethimselfcarefullydownononeofthefrailchairswithitsspindlinggoldenlegs，andtheybegantotalk.
CondyhadtakenhertothetheatretheMondaynightofthatweek，ashadbeenhiscustomeversincehehadknownherwell，andtherewassomethingleftforthemtosayonthatsubject.Butintenminutestheyhadexhaustedit.Anengagementofagirlknowntobothofthemhadjustbeenannounced.Condybroughtthatup，andkeptconversationgoingforanothertwentyminutes，andthenfilledinwhatthreatenedtobeagapbytellingherstoriesofthesocietyreporters，andhowtheygotinsidenewsbylisteningtotelephonepartywiresfordaysatatime.Travis’condemnationofthisoccupiedanotherfiveortenminutes;andsowhatwiththisandwiththattheyreachednineo’clock.Thendecidedlytheeveningbegantodrag.Itwastooearlytogo.Condycouldfindnogoodexcusefortaknghimselfaway，and，thoughTraviswasgood—naturedenough，andmethimmorethanhalf—way，theirtalklapsed，andlapsed，andlapsed.Thebreaksbecamemorenumerousandlastedlonger.Condybegantowonderifhewasboringher.
Nosoonerhadthesuspicionenteredhisheadthanithardenedintoacertainty，andatoncewhatlittlefluencyandfreshnessheyetretainedforsookhimonthespot.Whatmademattersworsewashisrecollectionofothereveningsthatoflatehehadfailedinpreciselythesamemanner.EvenwhilehestruggledtosavethesituationCondywaswonderingiftheytwoweretalkedout——iftheyhadlostcharmforeachother.DidhenotknowTravisthroughandthroughbynow——heropinions，herideas，herconvictions？Wasthereanymorefreshnessinherforhim？Wastheirlittleflirtationofthelasteighteenmonths，charmingasithadbeen，abouttoend？Hadtheyplayedouttheplay，hadtheycometotheendofeachother’sresources？Hehadneverconsideredthepossibilityofthisbefore，butallatonceashelookedatTravis——lookedfairlyintoherlittlebrown—blackeyes——itwasborneinuponhimthatshewasthinkingpreciselythesamething.
CondyRivershadmetTravisatadanceayearandahalfbeforethis，and，becauseshewassoverypretty，sounaffected，andsogood—natured，hadfoundmeanstoseeherthreeorfourtimesaweekeversince.Theytwo\"wentout\"notalittleinSanFranciscosociety，andhadbeeninameasureidentifiedwithwhatwasknownastheYoungerSet;thoughTraviswastooyoungtocomeout，andRiverstoooldtofeelverymuchathomewithgirlsoftwentyandboysofeighteen.
Theyhadknowneachotherintheconventionalway（asconventionalitygoesinSanFrancisco）;duringtheseasonRiverstookhertothetheatresMondaynights，andcalledregularlyWednesdaysandSundays.Thentheymetatdances，andmanagedtobeinvitedtothesamehousesforteasanddinners.Theyhadflirtedratherdesperately，andattimesCondyeventoldhimselfthathelovedthisgirlsomuchyoungerthanhe——thisgirlwiththesmilingeyesandrobustfigureandyellowhair，whowassofrank，sostraightforward，andsowonderfullypretty.
Butevidentlytheyhadcometothelastmoveinthegame，andasCondyreflectedthatafterallhehadneverknowntherealTravis，thatthegirlwhomhetoldhimselfheknewthroughandthroughwasonlytheTravisofdinnerpartiesandafternoonfunctions，hewassuddenlysurprisedtoexperienceasuddenqualmofdeepandgenuineregret.HehadneverbeenNEARtoher，afterall.Theywereasfarapartaswhentheyhadfirstmet.Andyetheknewenoughofhertoknowthatshewas\"worthwhile.\"Hehadhadexperience——alltheexperiencehewanted——withotherolderwomenandgirlsofsociety.Theyweresophisticated，theywereallalittletired，theyhadrunthegamutofamusements——inaword，theywerejaded.ButTravis，thisgirlofnineteen，whowasnotyetevenadebutante，hadbeenfreshandunspoiled，hadbeennewandstrongandyoung.
\"Ofcourse，youmaycallitwhatyoulike.Hewasnothingmorenorlessthanintoxicated——yes，drunk.\"
\"Hah！who——what——wh——whatareyoutalkingabout？\"gaspedCondysittingboltupright.
\"JackCarter，\"answeredTravis.\"No，\"sheadded.shakingherheadathimhelplessly，\"hehasn’tbeenlisteningtoaword.I’mtalkingaboutJackCarterandthe’SaturdayEvening’lastnight.\"
\"No，no，Ihaven’theard.Forgiveme;Iwasthinking——thinkingofsomethingelse.Whowasdrunk？\"
Travispausedamoment，settlingherside—combsinherhair;then：
\"Ifyouwilltrytolisten，I’lltellitalloveragain，becauseit’sseriouswithme，andI’mgoingtotakeaverydecidedstandaboutit.Youknow，\"shewenton——\"youknowwhatthe’SaturdayEvening’is.Plentyofthegirlswhoarenot’out’belong，andagoodmanyoflastyear’sdebutantescome，aswellastheoldergirlsofthreeorfourseasons’standing.Youcouldcallitrepresentativecouldn’tyou？Well，theyalwaysservepunch;andyouknowyourselfthatyouhaveseenmentherewhohavetakenmorethantheyshould.\"
\"Yes，yes，\"admittedCondy.\"IknowCarterandthetwoCatlinboysalwaysdo.\"
\"Itgetsprettybadsometimes，doesn’tit？\"shesaid.
\"Itdoes，itdoes——andit’sshameful.Butmostofthegirls——
MOSTofthemdon’tseemtomind.\"
MissBessemerstiffenedabit.\"Thereareoneortwogirlsthatdo，\"shesaidquietly.\"FrankCatlinhadthedecencytogohomelastnight，\"shecontinued;\"andhisbrotherwasn’tanyworsethanusual.ButJackCartermusthavebeendrinkingbeforehecame.
Hewasverybadindeed——asbad，\"shesaidbetweenherteeth，\"ashecouldbeandyetwalkstraight.Asyousay，mostofthegirlsdon’tmind.Theysay，’It’sonlyJohnnieCarter;whatdoyouexpect？’Butoneofthegirls——youknowher，LaurieFlagg——cutadancewithhimlastnightandtoldhimexactlywhy.Ofcourse，Carterwasfurious.Hewassoberenoughtothinkhehadbeeninsulted;andwhatdoyousupposehedid？\"
\"What？what？\"exclaimedCondy，breathless，leaningtowardher.
\"Wentaboutthehallsanddressing—roomscirculatingsomedirtylittlelieaboutLaurie.Actuallytryingto——to\"——Travishesitated——\"tomakeascandalabouther.\"
Condyboundedinhisseat.\"Beast，cad，swine！\"heexclaimed.
\"Ididn’tthink，\"saidTravis，\"thatCarterwouldsomuchasdaretoaskmetodancewithhim——\"
\"Didhe？did——did——\"
\"Wait，\"sheinterrupted.\"SoIwasn’tatallpreparedforwhathappened.Duringthegerman，beforeIknewit，therehewasinfrontofme.Itwasabreak，andhewantedit.Ihadn’ttimetothink.TheonlyideaIhadwasthatifIrefusedhimhemighttellsomedirtylittlelieaboutme.Iwasallconfused——mixedup.IfeltjustasthoughitwereasnakethatIhadtohumortogetridof.Igavehimthebreak.\"
Condysatspeechless.Suddenlyhearose.
\"Well，now，let’ssee，\"hebegan，speakingrapidly，hishandstwistinganduntwistingtilltheknucklescracked.\"Now，let’ssee.Youleaveittome.IknowCarter.He’sgoingtobeatastagdinnerwhereIaminvitedto—morrownight，andI——I——\"
\"No，youwon’t，Condy，\"saidTravisplacidly.\"You’llpaynoattentiontoit，andI’lltellyouwhy.SupposeyoushouldmakeascenewithMr.Carter——Idon’tknowhowmensettlethesethings.
Well，itwouldbetoldinalltheclubsandinallthenewspaperofficesthattwomenhadquarreledoveragirl;andmynameismentioned，discussed，andhandedaroundfromonecrowdofmentoanother，fromoneclubtoanother;andthen，ofcourse，thepaperstakeitup.BythattimeMr.Carterwillhavetoldhissideofthestoryandinventedanotherdirtylittlelie，andI’mtheonewhosuffersthemostintheend.Andremember，Condy，thatI
haven’tanymotherinsuchanaffair，notevenanoldersister.
No，we’lljustletthematterdrop.Itwouldbemoredignified，anyhow.OnlyIhavemadeupmymindwhatIamgoingtodo.\"
\"What’sthat？\"
\"I’mnotcomingout.Ifthat’sthesortofthingonehastoputupwithinsociety\"——Travisdrewalittlelineonthesofaathersidewithherfinger—tip——\"Iamgoingto——stop——right——there.
It’snot\"——MissBessemerstiffenedagain——\"thatI’mafraidofJackCarterandhisdirtystories;Isimplydon’twanttoknowthekindofpeoplewhohavemadeJackCarterpossible.Theothergirlsdon’tmindit，normanymenbesidesyou，Condy;andI’mnotgoingtobeassociatedwithpeoplewhotakeitasajokeforamantocometoafunctiondrunk.Andasforhavingagoodtime，I’llfindmyamusementssomewhereelse.I’llrideawheel，takelongwalks，studysomething.Butasforleadingthelifeofasocietygirl——no！AndwhetherIhaveagoodtimeornot，I’llkeepmyownself—respect.AtleastI’llneverhavetodancewithadrunkenman.Iwon’thavetohumiliatemyselflikethatasecondtime.\"
\"ButIpresumeyouwillstillcontinuetogooutsomewhere，\"
protestedCondyRivers.
Sheshookherhead.
\"Ihavethoughtitallover，andI’vetalkedaboutitwithPapum.
There’snohalfwayaboutit.Theonlywaytostopistostopshort.JustthisafternoonI’veregrettedthreefunctionsfornextweek，andIshallresignfromthe’SaturdayEvening.’Oh，it’snottheJackCarteraffairalone！\"sheexclaimed;\"thewholethingtiresme.Mind，Condy，\"sheexclaimed，\"I’mnotgoingtobreakwithitbecauseIhaveany’purposeinlife，’orthatsortofthing.Iwanttohaveagoodtime，andI’mgoingtoseeifI
can’thaveitinmyownway.IfthekindofthingthatmakesJackCarterpossibleisconventionality，thenI’mdonewithconventionalityforgood.Iamgoingtotry，fromthistimeon，tobejustastruetomyselfasIcanbe.Iamgoingtobesincere，andnotpretendtolikepeopleandthingsthatIdon’tlike;andI’mgoingtodothethingsthatIliketodo——justsolongastheyarethethingsagoodgirlcando.See，Condy？\"
\"You’refine，\"murmuredCondybreathless.\"You’refineasgold，Travis，andI——Iloveyouallthebetterforit.\"
\"Ah，NOW！\"exclaimedTravis，withabrusquemovement，\"there’smotherthingwemusttalkabout.Nomorefoolishnessbetweenus.
We’vehadajollylittleflirtation，Iknow，andit’sbeengoodfunwhileitlasted.Iknowyoulikeme，andyouknowthatIlikeyou;butasforlovingeachother，youknowwedon’t.Yes，yousaythatyoulovemeandthatI’mtheonlygirl.That’spartofthegame.Icanplayit\"——herlittleeyesbegantodance——\"quiteaswellasyou.Butit’splayingwithsomethingthat’squitetooserioustobeplayedwith——afterall，isn’tit，now？It’sinsincere，and，asItellyou，fromnowonI’mgoingtobeastrueandassincereandashonestasIcan.\"
\"ButItellyouthatIDOloveyou，\"protestedCondy，tryingtomakethewordsringtrue.
Travislookedabouttheroomaninstantasifindeliberation;
thenabruptly：\"Ah！whatamIgoingtoDOwithsuchaboyasyouare，afterall——agreatbig，overgrownboy？CondyRivers，lookatmestraightintheeye.Tellme，doyouhonestlyloveme？YouknowwhatImeanwhenIsay’love.’Doyouloveme？\"
\"No，Idon’t！\"heexclaimedblankly，asthoughhehadjustdiscoveredthefact.
\"There！\"declaredTravis——\"andIdon’tloveyou.\"Theybothbegantolaugh.
\"Now，\"addedTravis，\"wedon’tneedtohavetheburdenandtroubleofkeepingupthepretencesanymore.Weunderstandeachother，don’twe？\"
\"Thisisqueerenough，\"saidCondydrolly.
\"Butisn’titanimprovement？\"
Condyscouredhishead.
\"Tellmethetruth，\"sheinsisted;\"YOUbesincere.\"
\"Idobelieveitis.Why——why——TravisbyJingo！Travis，IthinkI’mgoingtolikeyoubetterthanevernow.\"
\"Nevermind.Isitanagreement？\"
\"Whatis？\"
\"Thatwedon’tpretendtoloveeachotheranymore？\"
\"Allright——yes——you’reright;becausethemomentIbegantoloveyouIshouldlikeyousomuchless.\"
Sheputoutherhand.\"That’sanagreement，then.\"
Condytookherhandinhis.\"Yes，it’sanagreement.\"Butwhen，ashadbeenhiscustom，hemadeasthoughtokissherhand，Travisdrewitquicklyaway.
\"No！no！\"shesaidfirmly，smilingforallthat——\"nomorefoolishness.\"
\"But——but，\"heprotested，\"it’snotsoradicalasthat，isit？
You’renotgoingtooverturnsuchtime—worn，time—honoredcustomsasthat？Why，thisisaregularrebellion.\"
\"No，sire，\"quotedTravis，tryingnottolaugh，\"itisarevolution.\"
ChapterIII
AlthoughMondaywaspracticallyaholidayfortheSunday—
supplementstaffof\"TheTimes，\"CondyRiversmadeapointtogetdowntotheofficebetimesthenextmorning.Therewerereasonswhyacertainarticledescriptiveofagreatwhalebacksteamertakingongrainforfamine—strickenIndiashouldbewrittenthatday，andRiverswantedhisafternoonfreeinordertogotoLaurieFlagg’scoming—outtea.
Butashecameintohisroomat\"TheTimes\"office，whichhesharedwiththeexchangeandsportingeditors，andsettledhimselfathisdesk，hesuddenlyrememberedthat，undertheneworderofthings，heneednotexpecttoseeTravisattheFlaggs’.
\"Well，\"hemuttered，\"maybeitdoesn’tmakesomuchdifference，afterall.Shewasacorkingfinegirl，but——mightaswelladmitit——theplayisplayedout.Ofcourse，Idon’tloveher——anymorewhanshelovesme.I’llseelessandlessofhernow.It’sinevitable，andafterawhilewe’llhardlyevenmeet.Inaway，it’sapity;but，ofcourse，onehastobesensibleaboutthesethingsWell，thiswhalebacknow.\"
HeranguptheChamberofCommerce，andfoundoutthatthe\"CityofEverett，\"whichwasthewhaleback’sname，wasattheMissionStreetwharf.Thismadeitpossibleforhimtowritethearticleintwoways.Heeithercouldfakehiscopyfromaclippingonthesubjectwhichtheexchangeeditorhadlaidonhisdesk，orhecouldgodowninpersontothewharf，interviewthecaptain，andinspectthecraftforhimself.Theformerwastheshortandeasymethod.Thelatterwasmoretroublesome，butwouldresultinafarmoreinterestingarticle.
Condydebatedthesubjectafewminutes，thendecidedtogodowntothewharf.SanFrancisco’swater—frontwasalwaysinteresting，andhemightgetholdofaphotographofthewhaleback.Allatoncethe\"idea\"ofthearticlestruckhim，thecertainunderlyingnotionthatwouldgiveimportanceandweighttothemeredetailsanddescriptions.Condy’senthusiasmflaredupinaninstant.
\"ByJove！\"heexclaimed;\"byJove！\"
Heclappedonhishatwrongsideforemost，crammedasheafofcopy—paperintohispocket，andwasonthestreetagaininanothermoment.Thenitoccurredtohimthathehadforgottentocallathisclubthatmorningforhismail，aswashiscustom，onthewaytotheoffice.Helookedathiswatch.Itwasearlyyet，andhisclubwasbuttwoblocks’distance.Hedecidedthathewouldgethislettersattheclub，andreadthemonthewaydowntothewharf.
ForCondyhadjoinedacertainSanFranciscoclubofartists，journalists，musicians，andprofessionalmenthatisoneoftheinstitutionsofthecity，and，infact，famousthroughouttheUnitedStates.Hewasoneoftheyoungermembers，butwaspopularandwellliked，andonmorethanoneoccasionhadmateriallycontributedtothefunoftheclub’s\"lowjinks.\"
Inhisboxthismorninghefoundoneletterthathetoldhimselfhemustreadupontheinstant.ItboreupontheenvelopethenameofaNewYorkpublishinghousetowhomCondyhadsentacollectionofhisshortstoriesaboutamonthbefore.Hetooktheletterintothe\"roundwindow\"oftheclub，overlookingthestreet，andtoreitopenexcitedly.Thefactthathehadreceivedaletterfromthefirmwithoutthereturnofhismanuscriptseemedagoodomen.Thiswaswhatheread：
CondeRivers，Esq.，BohemianClub，SanFrancisco，Cal.
DEARSIR：Wereturntoyoubythismailthemanuscriptofyourstories，whichwedonotconsiderasavailableforpublicationatthepresentmoment.Wewouldsay，however，thatwefindinseveralofthemindicationsofaquiteunusualorderofmerit.
Thebest—sellingbookjustnowistheshortnovel——saythirtythousandwords——ofactionandadventure.Judgingfromthestoriesofyourcollection，wesuspectthatyourtalentliesinthisdirection，andwewouldsuggestthatyouwritesuchanovelandsubmitthesametous.
Veryrespectfully，THECENTENNIALCO.，NewYork.
Condyshovedtheletterintohispocketandcollapsedlimplyintohischair.
\"What’sthegoodoftryingtodoanythinganyhow！\"hemuttered，lookinggloomilydownintothestreet.\"Mylevelisjustthehack—workofalocalSundaysupplement，andIamafooltothinkofanythingelse.\"
Hisenthusiasminthematterofthe\"CityofEverett\"wascoldanddeadinamoment.Hecouldseenopossibilitiesinthesubjectwhatever.His\"idea\"ofafewminutespreviousseemedridiculousandoverwrought.Hewouldgobacktotheofficeandgrindouthiscopyfromtheexchangeeditor’sclipping.
Justthenhiseyewascaughtbyafamiliarfigureintrim，well—
fittingblackhaltedontheoppositecornerwaitingforthepassageofacablecar.ItwasTravisBessemer.Noonebutshecouldcarryoffsuchrigoroussimplicityinthematterofdresssowell：blackskirt，blackRussianblouse，tinyblackbonnetandblackveil，whitekidswithblackstitching.Simplicityitself.
Yetthestyleofher，asCondyRiverstoldhimself，flewupandhityouintheface;andherfigure——wasthereanythingmoreperfect？andthesoftprettyeffectofheryellowhairseenthroughtheveil——couldanythingbemorefetching？andhersmartcarriageandtheflingofherfinebroadshoulders，and——no，itwasnouse;Condyhadtorundowntospeaktoher.
\"Come，come！\"shesaidashepretendedtojostleagainstheronthecurbstonewithoutnoticingher;\"youhadbestgotowork.
Loafingatteno’clockonthestreetcorners——theidea！\"
\"ItISnot——itcannotbe——andyetitis——itisSHE，\"heburlesqued;\"andafteralltheseyears！\"Theninhisnaturalvoice：\"HelloT.B.\"
\"Hello，C.R.\"
\"Whereareyougoing？’
\"Home.I’vejustrundownforhalfanhourtohavetheheadofmybanjotightened.\"
\"IfIputyouonthecar，willyouexpectmetopayyourcar—
fare？\"
CondyRivers，I’velongsincegotovertheideaofeverexpectingyoutohaveanychangeconcealedaboutyourperson.\"
\"Huh！no，itallgoesfortheatretickets，andflowers，andboxesofcandyforacertaingirlIknow.But\"——andheglaredathersignificantly——\"nomorefoolishness.\"
Shelaughed.\"Whatareyou’on’thismorning，Condy？\"
CondytoldherastheystartedtowalktowardKearneyStreet.
ButwhyDON’Tyougotothedockandseethevessel，ifyoucanmakeabetterarticlethatway？\"
\"Oh，what’sthegood！TheCentennialpeoplehaveturneddownmystories.\"
Shecommiseratedhimforthis;thensuddenlyexclaimed：
\"No，youmustgodowntothedock！Yououghtto，CondyOh，Itellyou，letmegodownwithyou！\"
InaninstantCondyleapedtothenotion.\"Splendid！splendid！noreasonwhyyoushouldn’t！\"heexclaimed.Andwithinfifteenminutesthetwoweretreadingthewharvesandquaysofthecity’swater—front.
Shipsinnumerablenuzzledattheendlesslineofdocks，mastoverspiringmast，andbowspritoverlappingbowsprit，tilltheeyewasbewildered，asifbytheconfusionofbranchesinaleaflessforest.Inthedistancethemassofriggingresolveditselfintoasolidgraybluragainstthesky.Thegreathulks，greenandblackandslategray，laidthemselvesalongthedocks，strainingleisurelyattheirmammothchains，theirflanksopened，theircargoes，asitweretheirentrails，spewedoutinawilddisarrayofcrateandbaleandbox.Sailorsandstevedoresswarmedthemlikevermin.Trucksrolledalongthewharveslikepealsofordnance，thehorse—hoofsbeatingtheboardslikeheavydrum—taps.
Chainsclanked，aship’sdogbarkedincessantlyfromacompanionway，ropescreakedincomplainingpulleys，blocksrattled，hoisting—enginescoughedandstrangled，whilealltheairwasredolentofoakum，ofpitch，ofpaint，ofspices，ofripefruit，ofcleancoollumber，ofcoffee，oftar，ofbilge，andthebrisk，nimbleodorofthesea.
Traviswasdelighted，herlittlebrowneyessnapping，hercheeksflushing，asshedrankinthescene.
\"Tothink，\"shecried，\"wherealltheseshipshavecomefrom！Lookattheirnames;aren’ttheyperfect？Justthenames，see：the’MaryBaker，’Hull;andthe’Anandale，’Liverpool;andthe’TwoSisters，’Calcutta，andseethatonethey’recalking，the’Montevideo，’Callao;andthere，look！look！theveryoneyou’relookingfor，the’CityofEverett，’SanFrancisco.\"
Thewhaleback，animmensetubeofsteelplates，layatherwharf，suckinginentireharvestsofwheatfromtheSanJoaquinvalley——
harveststhatweretofeedstrangelycladskeletonsonthesouthernslopesoftheHimalayafoot—hills.TravisandCondyedgedtheirwayamongpilesofwheat—bags，dodgingdraysandrumblingtrucks，andfinallybroughtupattheaftergangplank，whereasailorhaltedthem.Condyexhibitedhisreporter’sbadge.
\"Irepresent’TheTimes，’\"hesaid，withprofoundsolemnity，\"andIwanttoseetheofficerincharge.\"
Thesailorfellbackupontheinstant.
\"Powerofthepress，\"whisperedCondytoTravisasthetwogainedthedeck.
Asecondsailordirectedthemtothemate，whomtheyfoundinthechart—room，engaged，singularlyenough，intrimmingtheleavesofascragglygeranium.
Condyexplainedhismissionwithflatteringallusionstothewhalebackandthenoveltyoftheconstruction.Themate——anoldmanwithapatriarchalbeard——softenedatonce，askedthemintohisowncabinaft，andevenbroughtoutacamp—stoolforTravis，brushingitwithhissleevebeforesettingitdown.
WhileCondywasinterviewingtheoldfellow，Traviswasexamining，withtheinterestofachild，thedetailsofthecabin：therack—
likebunk，thewashstand，ingeniouslyconstructedsoastoshutintothebulkheadwhennotinuse，thealarm—clockscrewedtothewall，andthearrayofphotographsthrustintothemirrorbetweenframeandglass.One，anolddaguerreotype，particularlycaughtherfancy.Itwastheportraitofaverybeautifulgirl，wearingtheold—fashionedsidecurlsandhighcombofahalf—centuryprevious.Theoldmatenoticedtheattentionshepaidtoit，and，assoonashehaddonegivinginformationtoCondy，turnedandnoddedtoTravis，andsaidquietly：\"Shewaspretty，wasn’tshe？\"
\"Oh，very！answeredTravis，withoutlookingaway.
Therewasasilence.Thenthemate，hiseyeswideandthoughtful，saidwithalongbreath：
\"Andshewasjustaboutyourage，miss，whenIsawher;andyoufavorher，too.\"
CondyandTravisheldtheirbreathsinattention.Thereinthecabinofthatcuriousnondescriptwhalebacktheyhadcomesuddenlytotheedgeofaromance——aromancethathadbeenlivedthroughbeforetheywereborn.ThenTravissaidinalowvoice，andsweetly\"Shedied？\"
\"BeforeIeverseteyesonher，miss.Thatis，MAYBEshedied.I
sometimesthink——factis，Ireallybelieveshe’saliveyet，andwaitingforme.\"Hehesitatedawkwardly.\"Idunno，\"hesaidpullinghisbeard.\"Idon’tusuallytellthatstorytostrangefolk，butyouremindmesoofherthatIguessIwill.\"
Condysatdownontheedgeofthebunk，andthemateseatedhimselfontheplushsettleoppositethedoor，hiselbowsonhisknees，hiseyesfixedonapatchofbrightsunlightuponthedeckoutside.
\"Ibeganlife，\"hesaid，\"asadeep—seadiver——beganprettyyoung，too.IfirstputonthearmorwhenIwastwenty，nothingbutalad;butIcouldtakethepressureuptoseventypoundseventhen.
OneofmyveryfirstdiveswasoffTrincomalee，onthecoastofCeylon.Amailpackethadgonedowninasquallwithallonboard.Sixofthebodieshadcomeupandhadbeenrecovered，buttheseventhhadn’t.Itwasthebodyofthedaughterofthegovernoroftheisland，abeautifulyounggirlofnineteen，whomeverybodyloved.Iwassentfortogodownandbringthebodyup.
Well，Iwentdown.Thepacketlayinahundredfeetofwater，andthat’sawonderdeepdive.Ihadtogodowntwice.ThefirsttimeIcouldn’tfindanything，thoughIwentallthroughtheberth—deck.Icameuptothewrecking—floatandreportedthatI
hadseennothing.Therewerealotofmentherebelongingtothewreckinggang，andsomecorrespondentsofLondonpapers.Buttheywouldhaveitthatshewasbelow，andhadmegodownagain.I
did，andthistimeIfoundher.\"
Thematepausedamoment\"I’llhavetotellyou，\"hewenton，\"thatwhenabodydon’tcometothesurfaceitwillstandorsitinaperfectlynaturalpositionuntilacurrentormovementofthewateraroundtouchesit.Whenthathappens——well，you’dsaythebodywasalive;andolddivershaveasuperstition——no，itAIN’Tjustasuperstition，Ibelieveit’sso——thatdrownedpeoplereallydon’tdietilltheycometothesurface，andtheairtouchesthem.Wesaythatthedrownedwhodon’tcomeupstillhavesomesortoflifeoftheirownwaydownthereinallthatgreenwatersomekindoflifesurelysurely.WhenIwentdownthesecondtime，IcameacrossthedoorofwhatIthoughtatfirstwasthelinen—closet.
Butitturnedouttobealittlestateroom.Iopenedit.Therewasthegirl.Shewassittingonthesofaoppositethedoor，withalittlehatonherhead，andholdingasatchelinherlap，justasifshewasreadytogoashore.Hereyeswerewideopen，andshewaslookingrightatmeandsmiling.Itdidn’tseemterribleorghastlyintheleast.Sheseemedverysweet.WhenIopenedthedooritsetthewaterinmotion，andshegotupanddroppedthesatchel，andcametowardmesmilingandholdingoutherarms.
\"Isteppedbackquickandshutthedoor，andsatdowninoneofthesaloonchairstofetchmybreath，forithadgivenmeastart.
Thenextthingtodowastosendherup.ButIbegantothink.
Sheseemedsoprettyasshewas.Whatwastheuseofbringingherup——upthereonthewreckingfloatwiththatcrowdofmen——upwheretheairwouldgetather，andwheretheywouldputherinthegroundalongo’theworms？IfIleftherthereshe’dalwaysbesweetandpretty——alwaysbenineteen;andIrememberedwhatolddiverssaidaboutdrownedpeoplelivingjustsolongastheystayedbelow.Yousee，Iwasonlyaladthen，andthingslikethatimpressyouwhenyou’reyoung.Well，Isignaledtobehauledup.TheyaskedmeonthefloatifI’dseenanything，andIsaidno.Thatwasalltherewastotheaffair.Theyneverraisedtheship，andinalittlewhileitwasallforgotten.
\"ButIneverforgotit，andIalwaysrememberedher，waydownthereinallthatstillgreenwater，waitingthereinthatlittlestate—roomformetocomebackandopenthedoor.AndI’vegrowedtobeanoldmanrememberingher;butshe’salwaysstayedjustasshewasthefirstdayIsawher，whenshecametowardmesmilingandholdingoutherarms.She’salwaysstayedyoungandfreshandpretty.Ineversawherbutthatonce.OnlyafterwardIgotherpicturefromanativewomanofTrincomaleewhowashouse—keeperattheResidencywherethegovernoroftheislandlived.SomehowI
nevercouldcareforotherwomenafterthat，andIain’tnevermarriedforthatreason.\"
\"No，no，ofcoursenot！exclaimedTravis，inalowvoiceastheoldfellowpaused.
\"Fine，fine;oh，fineasgold！\"murmuredCondy，underhisbreath.
\"Well，\"saidthemate，gettingupandrubbinghisknee，\"that’sthestory.Nowyouknowallaboutthatpicture.WillyouhaveaglassofMadeira，miss？\"
HegotoutabottleofwinebearingthegenuineFunchallabelandfilledthreetinyglasses.Travispushedupherveil，andsheandCondyrose.
\"ThisistoHER，\"saidTravisgravely.
\"Thankyou，miss，\"answeredthemate，andthethreedrankinsilence.
AsTravisandCondyweregoingdownthegangplanktheymetthecaptainofthewhalebackcomingup.
\"IsawyouintheretalkingtooldMcPherson，\"heexplained.\"Didyougetwhatyouwantedfromhim？\"
\"More，more！\"exclaimedCondy.
\"Myhandinthefire，hetoldyouthatyarnaboutthegirlwhowasdrownedoffTrincomalee.Ofcourse，Iknewit.Theoldboy’switsareturnedonthatsubject.HeWILLhaveitthatthebodyhasn’tdecomposedinallthistime.Goodseamanenough，andafirst—classnavigator，buthe’ssoftinthatonespot.\"
ChapterIV
\"Oh，buttheSTORYofit！\"exclaimedCondyasheandTravisregainedthewharf——\"thestoryofit！Isn’titaripper.Isn’titacorker！Hisleavingherthatway，andnevercaringforanyothergirlafterward.\"
\"Andsooriginal，\"shecommented，quiteasenthusiasticashe.
\"Original？——why，it’snewaspaint！It’s——it’s——Travis，I’llmakeastoryoutofthisthatwillbecopiedineverypaperbetweenthetwooceans.\"
Theyweresointerestedinthemate’sstorythattheyforgottotakeacar，andwalkedupClayStreettalkingitover，suggesting，rearranging，andembellishing;andCondywasastonishedanddelightedtonotethatshe\"caughton\"totheideaasquicklyashe，andknewthetellingpointsandwhatdetailstoleaveout.
\"AndI’llmakeabang—uparticleoutofthewhalebackherself，\"
declaredCondy.The\"idea\"ofthearticlehadreturnedtohim，andallhisenthusiasmwithit.
\"Andlookhere，hesaid，showinghertheletterfromtheCentennialCompany.\"Theyturneddownmybook，butseewhattheysay.
\"Quiteanunusualorderofmerit！\"criedTravis.\"Why，that’sfine！Whydidn’tyoushowthistomebefore？——andaskingyoulikethistowritethemanovelofadventure！WhatMOREcanyouwant？
Oh！\"sheexclaimedimpatiently，\"that’ssolikeyou;youwouldtelleverybodyaboutyourreverses，andcarryonaboutthemyourself，butneversayawordwhenyougetalittleboom.Haveyouanideaforathirty—thousand—wordnovel？Wouldn’tthatdiver’sstorydo？\"
\"No，there’snotenoughinthatforthirtythousandwords.I
haven’tanyideaatall——neverwroteastoryofadventure——neverwroteanythinglongerthansixthousandwords.ButI’llkeepmyeyeopenforsomethingthatwilldo.Bytheway——byJove！Travis，wherearewe？\"
Theylookedbrisklyaroundthem，andthebustling，breezywater—
frontfadedfromtheirrecollections.Theywereinaworldofnarrowstreets，ofgalleriesandoverhangingbalconies.Crazieststructures，riddledandhoneycombedwithstairwaysandpassages，shutoutthesky，thoughhereandthereroseabuildingofextraordinaryrichnessandmostelaborateornamentation.Colorwaseverywhere.Athousandlittlenotesofgreenandyellow，ofvermilionandskyblue，assaultedtheeye.Hereitwasadoorway，hereavividglintofclothorhanging，hereahugescarletsignletteredwithgold，andhereakaleidoscopiceffectinthegarmentsofapasser—by.Directlyopposite，andtwostoriesabovetheirheads，asortofhuge\"loggia，\"oneblazeofgildingandcrudevermilions，openedinthegraycementofacrumblingfacade，likeasuddenburstofflame.Giganticpot—belliedlanternsofredandgoldswungfromitsceiling，whilealongitsrailingstoodarowofpots——brass，ruddybronze，andblueporcelain——fromwhichweregrowingredsaffron，purple，pink，andgoldentulipswithoutnumber.Theairwasvibrantwithunfamiliarnoises.Fromoneofthebalconiesnearathand，thoughunseen，agong，apipe，andsomekindofstringedinstrumentwailedandthunderedinunison.
Therewasavastshufflingofpaddedsolesandacontinuousinterchangeofsingsongmonosyllables，high—pitchedandstaccato，whilefromeveryhandrosethestrangearomasoftheEast——
sandalwood，punk，incense，oil，andthesmellofmysteriouscookery.
\"Chinatown！\"exclaimedTravis.\"Ihadn’tthefaintestideawehadcomeupsofar.CondyRivers，doyouknowwhattimeitis？\"Shepointedawhitekidfingerthroughthedoorwayofadrug—store，where，amidlacquerboxesandbronzeurnsofherbsanddriedseeds，aroundSethThomasmarkedhalf—pasttwo.
\"Andyourlunch？\"criedCondy.\"Greatheavens！Ineverthought.\"
\"It’stoolatetogetanyathome.Nevermind;I’llgosomewhereandhaveacupoftea.\"
\"WhynotgetapackageofChinesetea，nowthatyou’redownhere，andtakeithomewithyou？\"
\"Ordrinkithere.\"
\"Where？\"
\"Inoneoftherestaurants.Therewouldn’tbeasoulthereatthishour.Iknowtheyserveteaanytime.Condy，let’stryit.
Wouldn’titbefun？\"
Condysmotehisthigh.\"Fun！\"hevociferated;\"fun！Itis——byJove——itwouldbeHEAVENLY！Waitamoment.I’lltellyouwhatwewilldo.Teawon’tbeenough.We’llgodowntoKearneyStreet，ortothemarket，andgetsomecrackerstogowithit.\"
TheyhurriedbacktotheCaliforniamarket，afewblocksdistant，andboughtsomecrackersandawedgeofnewcheese.OnthewaybacktoChinatownTravisstoppedatamusicstoreonKearneyStreettogetherbanjo，whichshehadlefttohaveitsheadtightened;andthusburdenedtheyregainedthe\"town，\"Condygrievingaudiblyathavingtocarry\"brown—paperbundlesthroughthestreet.\"
\"Firstcatchyourrestaurant，\"saidTravisastheyturnedintoDupontStreetwithitsthrongingcooliesandswarming，gaylycladchildren.Buttheyhadnotfartoseek.
\"Hereyouare！\"suddenlyexclaimedCondy，haltinginfrontofawholesaletea—housebearingasigninChineseandEnglish.\"Comeon，Travis！\"
Theyascendedtwoflightsofabroad，brass—boundstaircaseleadingupfromthegroundfloor，andgainedtherestaurantonthetopstoryofthebuilding.AsTravishadforetold，itwasdeserted.Sheclaspedherglovedhandsgayly，crying：\"Isn’titdelightful！We’vethewholeplacetoourselves.\"
Therestaurantranthewholedepthofthebuilding，andwasfinishedoffateitherextremitywithagildedbalcony，oneoverlookingDupontStreetandtheothertheoldPlaza.Enormousscreensofgildedebony，intricatelycarvedandsetwithcoloredglasspanes，dividedtheroomintothree，andoneofthesedivisions，intherearpart，fromwhichtheycouldstepoutuponthebalconythatcommandedtheviewofthePlaza，theyelectedastheirown.
Itwascharming.Attheirbackstheyhadthehuge，fantasticscreen，braveandfinewithitscoatofgold.Infront，throughtheglass—panedvalvesofapairoffoldingdoors，theycouldseetheroofsofthehousesbeyondthePlaza，andbeyondthesetheblueofthebaywithitsanchoredships，andevenbeyondthisthefaintpurpleoftheOaklandshore.Oneithersideofthesedoors，indeepalcoves，weredivanswithmattingsandhead—restsforopiumsmokers.ThewallswerepaintedblueandhungwithverticalCantoneselegendsinredandsilver，whileallaroundthesidesoftheroomsmallebonytablesalternatedwithebonystools，eachinlaidwithaslabofmottledmarble.Achandelier，alla—glitterwithtinsel，swungfromthecentreoftheceilingoverahugeroundtableofmahogany.
Andnotasoulwastheretodisturbthem.Belowthem，outtherearoundtheoldPlaza，thecitydrummedthroughitsworkwithalazy，soothingrumble.Nearerathand，ChinatownsentupthevaguemurmurofthelifeoftheOrient.InthedirectionoftheMexicanquarter，thebellofthecathedralknolledatintervals.
Theskywaswithoutacloudandtheafternoonwaswarm.
Condywasinarticulatewiththejoyofwhathecalledtheir\"discovery.\"Hegotupandsatdown.Hewentoutintotheotherroomandcamebackagain.Hedraggedupacoupleofthemarble—
seatedstoolstothetable.Hetookoffhishat，lightedacigarette，letitgoout，lighteditagain，andburnedhisfingers.Heopenedandclosedthefolding—doors，pushedthetableintoabetterlight，andfinallybroughtTravisoutuponthebalconytoshowherthe\"pointsofhistoricalinterest\"inandaroundthePlaza.
\"There’stheStevensonmemorialshipinthecentre，see;andrightthere，wheretheflagstaffis，GeneralBakermadethefuneralorationoverthebodyofTerry.Broderickkilledhiminaduel——
orwasitTerrykilledBroderick？Iforgetwhich.Anyhow，rightopposite，wherethatpawnshopis，iswheretheOverlandstagesusedtostartin’49.AndeveryotherbuildingthatfrontsonthePlaza，eventhisonewe’reinnow，usedtobeagambling—houseinbonanzatimes;and，see，overyonderistheMorgueandtheCityPrison.\"
Theyturnedbackintotheroom，andagreat，fatChinamanbroughtthemteaonCondy’sorder.Butbesidestea，hebroughtdriedalmonds，pickledwatermelonrinds，candiedquince，and\"Chinanuts.\"
TraviscutthecheeseintocubeswithCondy’spenknife，andarrangedthecubesingeometricfiguresuponthecrackers.
\"But，Condy，\"shecomplained，\"whyintheworlddidyougetsomanycrackers？There’shundredsofthemhere——enoughtofeedaregiment.Whydidn’tyouaskme？\"
\"Huh！what？what？Idon’tknow.What’sthematterwiththecrackers？Youweredickeringwiththecheese，andthemansaid，’Howmanycrackers？’Ididn’tknow.Isaid，’Oh，givemeaquarter’sworth！’\"
\"Andwecouldn’tpossiblyhaveeatentencents’worth！Oh，Condy，youare——youare——Butnevermind，here’syourtea.Iwonderifthisgreen，pastystuffisgood.\"
Theyfoundthatitwas，butsosweetthatitmadetheirteatastebitter.ThewatermelonrindswereflattotheirWesternpalates，butthedriedalmondswereagreatsuccess.ThenCondypromptlygotthehiccoughsfromdrinkinghisteatoofast，andfrettedupanddowntheroomlikeachickenwiththepiptillTravisgrewfaintandweakwithlaughter.
\"Oh，well，\"heexclaimedaggrievedly——\"laugh，that’sright！I
don’tlaugh.Itisn’tsuchfunwhenyou’vegot’emyoursel’——
HULP.\"
\"Butsitdown，forgoodness’sake！Youmakemesonervous.Youcan’twalkthemoff.Sitdownandholdyourbreathwhileyoucountnine.Condy，I’mgoingtotakeoffmyglovesandveil.
Whatdoyouthink？\"
\"Sure，ofcourse;andI’llhaveacigarette.DoyoumindifI
smoke？\"
\"Well，what’sthatinyourhandnow？\"
\"ByJove，Ihavebeensmoking！I——Ibegyourpardon.I’maregularstableboy.I’llthrowitaway.\"
Traviscaughthiswrist.\"Whatnonsense！IwouldhavetoldyoubeforeifI’dminded.\"
\"Butit’sgoneout！\"heexclaimed.\"I’llhaveanother.\"
Ashereachedintohispocketforhiscase，hishandencounteredapaper—coveredvolume.andhedrewitoutinsomeperplexity.
\"Now，howinthewideworlddidthatbookcomeinmypocket？\"hemuttered，frowning.\"WhathaveIbeencarryingitaroundfor？
I’veforgotten.IdeclareIhave.\"
\"Whatbookisit？\"
\"Hey？book？h’m，\"hemurmured，staring.