Travispoundedonthetable.\"Wakeup，Condy，I’mtalkingtoyou，\"shecalled.
\"It’s’Life’sHandicap，’\"heanswered，withastart;\"butwhyandbutwhyhaveI——\"
\"What’sitabout？Ineverheardofit，\"shedeclared.
\"Youneverheardof’Life’sHandicap’？\"heshouted;\"youneverheard——younever——youmeantosayyouneverheard——buthere，thiswon’tdo.Sitrightstill，andI’llreadyouoneoftheseyarnsbeforeyou’reanotherminuteolder.Anyoneofthem——openthebookatrandom.Hereweare——’TheStrangeRideofMorrowbieJukes’;andit’sastem—winder，too.\"
Andthenforthefirsttimeinherlife，thereinthatairy，goldenChineserestaurant，inthecityfromwhichhehastedtoflee，TravisBessemerfellunderthecharmofthelittlespectacledcolonial，towhosesongweallmustlistenandtowhosepipeweallmustdance.
Therewasone\"point\"inthestoryofJukes’strangeridethatCondypridedhimselfuponhavingdiscovered.Sofarasheknew，allcriticshadoverlookedit.ItiswhereJukesisdescribingtheman—trapoftheCityoftheDeadwhoarealive，andmentionsthattheslopeoftheinclosingsandhillswas\"aboutforty—fivedegrees.\"Jukeswasacivilengineer，andCondyheldthatitwasacapitalbitofrealismonthepartoftheauthortohavehimspeakofthepitchofthehillsinjustsuchtechnicalterms.AtfirsthethoughthewouldcallTravis’attentiontothisbitofcleverness;butashereadheabruptlychangedhismind.Hewouldseeifshewouldfinditoutforherself.Itwouldbeatestofherquickness，hetoldhimself;almostanunfairtest，becausethepointwasextremelysubtleandcouldeasilybeignoredbythemostexperiencedoffictionreaders.Hereadsteadilyon，workinghimselfintoapositiveexcitementasheapproachedthepassage.
Hecametoitandreaditthroughwithoutanyemphasis，almostslurringoveritinhiseagernesstobeperfectlyfair.Butashebegantoreadthenextparagraph，Travis，herlittleeyessparklingwithinterestandattention，exclaimed：
\"Justasanengineerwoulddescribeit.Isn’tthatgood！\"
\"Gloryhallelujah！\"criedCondy，slammingdownthebookjoyfully.
\"Travis，youareoneinathousand！\"
\"What——whatisit？’sheinquiredblankly.
\"Nevermind，nevermind;you’reawonder，that’sall\"——andhefinishedthetalewithoutfurtherexplanation.Then，whilehesmokedanothercigaretteandshedrankanothercupoftea，hereadtoher\"TheReturnofImri\"andthe\"IncarnationofKrishnaMulvaney.\"HefoundheraneasyandenraptconverttothelittleEnglishman’screed，andforhimselftastedtheintensedelightofrevealingtoanotheranappreciationofaliteraturehithertoignored.
\"Isn’thestrong！\"criedTravis.\"JustaLITTLEbetterthanMarieCorelliandtheDuchess！\"
\"Andtothinkofhavingallthosestoriestoread！Youhaven’treadanyofthemyet？\"
\"Notaone.I’vebeenreadingonlythenovelswetakeupintheWednesdayclass.\"
\"Lord！\"mutteredCondy.
Condy’sspiritshadbeensteadilyrisingsincetheincidentaboardthewhaleback.Theexhilarationofthewater—front，hisdelightoverthestoryhewastomakeoutoftheoldmate’syarn，Chinatown，thecharmingunconventionalityoftheirlunchintheChineserestaurant，thesparklingserenityoftheafternoon，andthejoyofdiscoveringTravis’appreciationofhisadoredandveneratedauthor，hadputhimintoamoodborderingcloseuponhilarity.
\"Thenexteventuponourinterestingprogramme，\"heannounced，\"willbeabanjosephineobligatoinA—siaminor，bythatjustlyrenownedimpresario，SignorCondeTin—paniRivers，speciallyengagedforthisperformance;withapleasingandpan—hellenicsong—and—danceturnbyMissTravisBessemer，theinfantphenomenon，otherwiseknownas’BabbyBessie.’\"
\"You’renotgoingtoplaythatbanjohere？\"saidTravis，ashestrippedawaythecanvascovering.
\"Orderinthegallery！\"criedCondy，beginningtotuneup.Theninarapid，professionalmonotone：\"Ladies—and—gentlemen—with—
your—kind—permission—I—will—endeavor—to—give—you—
an—imitation—of—a—Carolina—coon—song\"——andwithoutmoreado，singingthewordstoarattling，catchyaccompaniment，swungoffinto——
\"F——orMYgal’sahigh—bornleddy，SHE’Sbrack，butnottooshady.\"
Hedidnotsingloud，andtheclackandsnarlofthebanjocarriedhardlyfurtherthantheadjoiningroom;buttherewasnoonetohear，and，ashewentalong，evenTravisbegantohumthewords，butatthat，Condystoppedabruptly，laidtheinstrumentacrosshiskneeswithexaggeratedsolicitude，andsaiddeliberately：
\"Travis，youareagood，sweetgirl，andwhatyoulackinbeautyyoumakeupinamiability，andI’venodoubtyouarekindtoyouragedfather;butyou——can——not——sing.\"
Traviswascrossinamoment，allthemoresobecauseCondyhadspokentheexacttruth.Itwasquiteimpossibleforhertocarryatunehalfadozenbarswithoutentanglingherselfinasmanydifferentkeys.Whatvoiceshehadwasnotabsolutelybad;butasshepersistedinsinginginspiteofCondy’sguying，heputbackhisheadandbeganamournfulandlugubrioushowling.
\"Ho！\"sheexclaimed，grabbingthebanjofromhisknees，\"ifI
can’tsing，Icanplaybetterthansomesmartpeople.\"
\"Yes，bynote，\"ralliedCondy，asTravisexecutedabanjo\"piece\"
ofnolittleintricacy.\"That’sjustlikeamachine——likeahand—
piano.
\"Orderinthegallery！\"sheretorted，withoutpausinginherplaying.Shefinishedwithagreatflourishandgazedathimintriumph，onlytofindhimpretendingaprofoundslumber.\"O——o——
o！\"sheremarkedbetweenherteeth，\"Ijusthateyou，CondyRivers.\"
\"Thereareothers，\"hereturnedairily.
\"Talkaboutslang.\"
\"NOWwhatwillwedo？\"hecried.\"Let’sDOsomething.Supposewebreaksomething——justforfun.\"
Thensuddenlythegayetywentoutofhisface，andhestartedupandclappedhishandtohisheadwithagaspofdismay.\"GreatHeavens！\"heexclaimed.
\"Condy，\"criedTravisinalarm，\"whatisit\"’
\"TheTea！\"hevociferated.\"LaurieFlagg’sTea.Ioughttobethere——rightthisminute.\"
Travisfetchedasighofrelief.\"Isthatall？\"
\"All！\"heretorted.\"All！Why，it’spastfournow——andI’dforgotteneverylastthing.\"Thensuddenllyfallingcalmagain，andquietlyresuminghisseat：\"Idon’tseeasitmakesanydifference.Iwon’tgo，that’sall.Pushthosealmondshere，willyou，MissLady？——Butwearen’tDOINGanything，\"heexclaimed，withabrusquereturnofexuberance.\"Let’sdothings.What’llwedo？Thinkofsomething.Isthereanythingwecanbreak？\"Then，withoutanytransition，hevaulteduponthetableandbegantodeclaim，withtremendousgestures：
\"ThereoncewasabeastcalledanOunce，Whowentwithaspringandabounce.
HisheadwasasflatAstheheadofacat，ThisquadrupetanticalOunce，———ticalOunce，ThisquadrupetanticalOunce.
\"You’dthinkfromhisnamehewassmall，Butthatwasnotlikehimatall.
Heweighed，I’llbebound，Threeorfourhundredpound，Andhelookedmostuncommonlytall，——monlytall，Andhelookedmostuncommonlytall.\"
\"Bravo！bravo！\"criedTravis，poundingonthetable.\"Hear，hear——
none，Brutus，none.\"
CondysatdownonthetableandswunghislegsButduringthenextfewmoments，whiletheywereeatingthelastoftheircheese，hisgoodspiritsfellrapidlyawayfromhim.Heheavedasigh，andthrustbothhandsgloomilyintohispockets.
\"Cheese，Condy？\"askedTravis.
Heshookhisheadwithadarkfrown，muttering：\"Nocheese，nocheese.\"
\"What’swrong，Condy——what’sthematter？\"askedTravis，withconcern.
Forsometimehewouldnottellher，answeringallherinquiriesbyclosinghiseyesandputtinghischinintheair，noddinghisheadinknowingfashion.
\"Butwhatisit？\"
\"Youdon’trespectme，\"hemuttered;andforalongtimethiswasallthatcouldbegotfromhim.No，no，shedidnotrespecthim;
no，shedidnottakehimseriously.
\"ButofcourseIdo.Whydon’tI？CondyRivers，what’sgotintoyouNOW？\"
\"No，no;Iknowit.Icantell.Youdon’ttakemeseriously.
Youdon’trespectme.\"
\"Butwhy？\"
\"Makeabloomingbuffoonofmyself，\"hemumbledtragically.
IngreatdistressTravislaboredtocontradicthim.Why，theyhadjustbeenhavingagoodtime，thatwasall.Why，shehadbeenjustassillyashe.Condycaughtattheword.
\"Silly！There.Iknewit.Itoldyou.I’msilly.I’mabuffoon.——Buthaven’twehadagreatafternoon？\"headded，withasuddengrin.
\"Ineverremember，\"announcedTravisemphatically，\"whenI’vehadabettertimethanI’vehadto—day;andIknowjustwhyit’sbeensuchasuccess.\"
\"Why，then？\"
\"Becausewe’vehadnofoolishness.We’vejustbeenourselves，andhaven’tpretendedwewereinlovewitheachotherwhenwearenot.
Condy，let’sdothislots.\"
\"Dowhat？\"
\"Goroundtoqueerlittle，interestinglittleplaces.We’vehadaglorioustimeto—day，haven’twe？——andwehaven’tbeentalkedoutonce.
\"Aswewerelastnight，forinstance，\"hehazarded.
\"ITHOUGHTyoufeltit，thesameasIdid.ItWASabitawfulwasn’tit？\"
\"Itwas.\"
\"Fromnowon，let’smakearesolution.Iknowyou’vehadagoodtimeto—day.Haven’tyouhadabettertimethanifyouhadgonetotheTea？’\"
\"Well，RATHER.Idon’tknowwhenI’vehadabetter，jollierafternoon.\"
\"Well，now，we’regoingtotrytohavelotsmoregoodtimes，butjustaschums.We’vetriedtheother，anditfailed.Nowbesincere;didn’titfail？\"
\"Itworkedout.ItDIDworkout.\"
\"Nowfromthistimeon，nomorefoolishness.We’lljustbechums.\"
\"Chumsitis.Nomorefoolishness.\"
\"Themomentyoubegintopretendyou’reinlovewithme，itwillspoileverything.It’sfunny，\"saidTravis，drawingonhergloves.\"We’redoingafunnything，Condy.Withninety—ninepeopleoutofonehundred，thislittleaffairwouldhavebeenallendedafterour’explanation’oflastnight——confessing，aswedid，thatwedidn’tloveeachother.Mostcoupleswouldhave’driftedapart’;buthereweare，planningtobechums，andhavegoodtimesinourownoriginal，unconventionalway——andwecandoit，too.There，there，he’sathousandmilesaway.He’snotheardasinglewordI’vesaid.Condy，areyoulisteningtome？\"
\"Blix，\"hemurmured，staringathervaguely.\"Blix——youlookthatway;Idon’tknow，lookkindofblix.Don’tyoufeelsortofblix？\"heinquiredanxiously.
\"Blix？\"
Hesmotethetablewithhispalm.\"Capital！\"hecried;\"soundsbully，andsnappy，andcrisp，andbright，andsortofsudden.
Sounds——don’tyouknow，THISway？\"——andhesnappedhisfingers.
\"Don’tyouseewhatImean？Blix，that’swhoyouare.You’vealwaysbeenBlix，andI’vejustfounditout.Blix，\"headded，listeningtothesoundofthename.\"Blix，Blix.Yes，yes;
that’syourname.\"
\"Blix？\"sherepeated;\"butwhyBlix？\"
\"Whynot？\"
\"Idon’tknowwhynot.\"
\"Well，then，\"hedeclared，asthoughthatsettledthequestion.
Theymadereadytogo，asitwasgrowinglate.
\"Willyoutiethatforme，Condy，\"sheasked，risingandturningthebackofherheadtowardhim，theendsoftheveilheldunderherfingers.\"Nottootight.Condy，don’tpullitsotight.
There，there，thatwilldo.Haveyoueverythingthatbelongstoyou？Iknowyou’llgoawayandleavesomethinghere.There’syourcigarettecase，andyourbook，andofcoursethebanjo.\"
Asifwarnedbyamysteriousinstinct，thefatChinamanmadehisappearanceintheouterroom.Condyputhisfingersintohisvestpocket，thendroppedbackuponhisstoolwithasuppressedexclamationofhorror.
\"Condy！\"exclaimedBlixinalarm，\"areyousick？\"——forhehadturnedapositivewhite.
\"Ihaven’tacentofmoney，\"hemurmuredfaintly.\"Ispentmylastquarterforthosebeastlycrackers.What’stobedone？Whatistobedone？I’ll——I’llleavehimmywatch.Yes，that’stheonlything.\"
Blixcalmlytookoutherpurse.\"Iexpectedit，\"shesaidresignedly.\"Iknewthiswouldhappensoonerorlater，andI
alwayshavebeenprepared.Howmuchisit，John？\"sheaskedoftheChinaman.
\"Hefahdollah.\"
\"I’llneverbeabletolookyouinthefaceagain，\"protestedCondy.\"I’llpayyoubackto—night.Iwill！I’llsenditupbyamessengerboy.\"
\"ThenyouWOULDbeabuffoon.\"
\"Don’t！\"heexclaimed.\"Don’t，ithumiliatesmetothedust.\"
\"Oh，comealonganddon’tbesoabsurd.Itmustbeafterfive.\"
Half—waydownthebrass—boundstairs，heclappedhishandtohisheadwithastart.
\"AndNOWwhatisit？\"sheinquiredmeekly.
\"Forgotten，forgotten！\"heexclaimed.\"IknewIwouldforgetsomething.\"
\"Iknewit，youmean.\"
Heranback，andreturnedwiththegreatbagofcrackers，andthrustitintoherhands.\"Here，here，takethese.Wemustn’tleavethese，\"hedeclaredearnestly.\"Itwouldbeashamefulwasteofmoney;\"andinspiteofallherprotests，heinsistedupontakingthecrackersalong.
\"Iwonder，\"saidBlix，asthetwoskirtedthePlaza，goingdowntoKearneyStreet;\"IwonderifIoughttoaskhimtosupper？\"
\"Askwho——me？——howfunnyto——\"
\"Iwonderifwearetalkedout——ifitwouldspoiltheday？\"
\"Anyhow，I’mgoingtohavesupperattheClub;andI’vegottowritemyarticlesometimeto—night.\"
Blixfixedhimwithaswiftglanceofgenuineconcern.\"Don’tplayto—night，Condy，\"shesaid，withasuddengravity.
\"FatlotIcanplay！WhatmoneyhaveIgottoplaywith？\"
\"Youmightgetsomesomewheres.But，anyhow，promisemeyouwon’tplay.\"
\"Well，ofcourseI’llpromise.HowcanI，ifIhaven’tanymoney？
Andbesides，I’vegotmywhalebackstufftowrite.I’llhavesupperattheClub，andgoupinthelibraryandgrindoutcopyforawhile.\"
\"Condy，\"saidBlix，\"Ithinkthatdiver’sstoryisalmosttoogoodfor’TheTimes.’Whydon’tyouwriteitandsenditEast？SendittotheCentennialCompany，whydon’tyou？They’vepaidsomeattentiontoyounow，anditwouldkeepyournameintheirmindsifyousentthestorytothem，eveniftheydidn’tpublishit.
Whydon’tyouthinkofthat？\"
\"Fine——greatidea！I’lldothat.OnlyI’llhavetowriteitoutofbusinesshours.Itwillbeextrawork.\"
\"Nevermind，youdoit;and，\"sheadded，asheputheronthecablecar，\"keepyourmindonthatthirty—thousand—wordstoryofadventure.Good—by，Condy;haven’twehadthejolliestdaythateverwas？\"
\"Couldn’thavebeenbetter.Good—by，Blix.\"
Condyreturnedtohisclub.，Itwasaboutsixo’clock.Inresponsetohisquestion，thehall—boytoldhimthatTracySargeanthadarrivedafewmomentsprevious，andhadbeenaskingforhim.
TheSaturdayoftheweekbefore，CondyhadmadeanengagementwithyoungSargeanttohavesuppertogetherthatnight，andperhapsgotothetheatreafterward.AndnowatthesightofSargeantinthe\"roundwindow\"ofthemainroom，buriedinthefileofthe\"GilBlas，\"Condywaspleasedtonotethatneitherofthemhadforgottenthematter.
Sargeantgreetedhimwithextremecordialityashecameup，andatonceproposedadrink.Sargeantwasasleek，well—groomed，well—
lookingfellowofthirty，justbeginningtoshowtheeffectsofacertainamountofdissipationinthelittlepuffsundertheeyesandthefaintbluenessofthetemples.ThesuddendeathofhisfatherforwhicheventSargeantwasstillmourning，hadlefthiminsuchpositionthathismonthlyincomewasaboutfivetimesaslargeasCondy’ssalary.Thetwohadsuppertogether，andSargeantproposedthetheatre.
\"No，no;I’vegottoworkto—night，\"assertedCondy.
Afterdinner，whiletheyweresmokingtheircigarsinawindowofthemainroom，oneofthehall—boyscameupandtouchedCondyonthearm.
\"Mr.Eckert，andMr.Hendricks，andMr.GeorgeHands，andseveralotherofthosegentlemenareupinthecard—room，andareaskingforyouandMr.Sargeant.\"
\"Why，Ididn’tknowtheboyswerehere！They’vegotagamegoing，Condy.Let’sgoupandgetin.Shallwe？\"
Condyrememberedthathehadnomoney.\"I’mflatbroke，Tracy，\"
heannounced，forheknewSargeantwellenoughtomaketheconfessionwithoutwincing.\"No，I’llnotgetin;butI’llgoupandwatchyouafewminutes.\"
Theyascendedtothecard—room，wheretheairwasheavyandacridwithcigarsmoke，andwherethesilencewasbrokenonlybytheclickofpoker—chips.AttheendoftwentyminutesCondywasplaying，havingborrowedenoughmoneyofSargeanttostarthiminthegame.
Unusuallytalkativeandrestless，hehadsuddenlyhardenedandstiffenedtoarepressed，tensecalm;speechless，almostrigidinhischair.Excitableunderevenordinarycircumstances，hiseveryfacultywasnowkeyedtoitshighestpitch.Thenervousstrainuponhimwaslikethestretchingandtighteningofharp—strings，tootauttoquiver.Thecolorlefthisface，andthemoisturefledhislips.Hisprojectedarticle，hispromisetoBlix，allthejollityoftheafternoon，allthoughtoftimeorplace，fadedawayastheoneindomitable，evilpassionofthemanleapedintolifewithinhim，andlashedandroweledhimwithexcitement.Hisworldresolveditselftoaroundgreentable，columnsoftri—
coloredchips，andfiveever—changingcardsthatcameandwentandcameagainbeforehistiredeyeslikethechanging，weavingcolorsofthekaleidoscope.Midnightstruck，thenoneo’clock，thentwo，three，andfour.Stillhispassionrodehimlikeahag，spurringthejadedbody，rousinguptheweariedbrain.
Finally，athalf—pastfour，atatimewhenCondywaspreciselywherehehadstarted，neitherwinnernorloserbysomuchasadime，aroundofJack—potswasdeclared，andthegamebrokeup.
Condywalkedhometotheuptownhotelwherehelivedwithhismother，andwenttobedasthefirstmilk—wagonsbegantomaketheirappearanceandthenewsboystocrythemorningpapers.
Then，ashistiredeyesclosedatlast，occurredthatstrangetrickofpicture—makingthattheovertaxedbrainplaysupontheretina.Aswiftseriesofpicturesoftheday’sdoingsbegantowhirlTHROUGHratherthanBEFOREthepupilsofhisshuteyes.
Condysawagainabriefvisionofthestreet，andBlixuponthecornerwaitingtocross;thenitwasthegay，briskconfusionofthewater—front，theoldmate’scabinaboardthewhaleback，Chinatown，andaloopofvermilionclothoveragalleryrail，thegoldenbalcony，theglintoftheStevensonshipuponthegreenPlaza，Blixplayingthebanjo，thedelightfulandpicturesqueconfusionofthedesertedChineserestaurant;Blixagain，turningherheadforhimtofastenherveil，holdingtheendswithherwhite—kidfingers;Blixoncemore，walkingathissidewithhertrimblackskirt，herroundlittleturbanhat，heryellowhair，andhersmalldark，dancingeyes.
Then，suddenly，herememberedthepromisehehadmadeherinthematterofplayingthatnight.Hewincedsharplyatthis，andtheremembranceofhisfaultharriedandharassedhim.Inspiteofhimself，hefeltcontemptible.Yethehadbrokenhispromisestoherinthisverymatterofplayingbefore——beforethatdayoftheirvisittotheChineserestaurant——andhadfeltnogreatqualmofself—reproach.Hadtheirrelationschanged？Ratherthereversefortheyhaddonewith\"foolishness.\"
\"Neverworriedmebefore，\"mutteredCondy，ashepuncheduphispillow——\"neverworriedmebefore.Whyshoulditworrymenow——
worrymelikethedevil;——andshecaughtontothat’point’abouttheslopeofforty—fivedegrees.\"
ChapterV
Condybeganhisweek’sworkforthesupplementbehindhand.
NaturallyheoverslepthimselfTuesdaymorning，and，nothavinganychangeinhispockets，wasobligedtowalkdowntotheoffice.
Hearrivedlate，tofindthecompositorsalreadyfrettingforcopy.Hiseditorpromptlyaskedforthewhalebackstuff，andCondywasforcedintopromisingitwithinahalf—hour.Itwasoutofthequestiontowritethearticleaccordingtohisownideainsoshortatime;soCondyfakedthestufffromtheexchangeclipping，afterall.Hisdescriptionoftheboatandhiscommentsuponhermission——takenlargelyatsecondhand——servedonlytofillspaceinthepaper.Theywerelackingbothininterestandinpoint.Therewerenoillustrations.Thearticlewasafailure.
ButCondyredeemedhimselfbyawittyinterviewlaterintheweekwithanemotionalactress，andbyasolemnarticlecompiledafteranhour’sreadinginLafcadioHearnandtheEncyclopedia——onthe\"IndustrialRenaissanceinJapan.\"
Buttheideaofthediver’sstorycamebacktohimagainandagain，andThursdaynightaftersupperhewentdowntohisclub，andhidhimselfatacornerdeskinthelibrary，and，inaburstofenthusiasm，wroteoutsometwothousandwordsofit.Inordertogetthe\"technicaldetails，\"uponwhichhesetsuchstore，heconsultedtheEncyclopediasagain，and\"workedin\"anumberofunfamiliarphrasesandodd—soundingnames.Hewassoproudoftheresultthathefelthecouldnotwaituntilthetalewasfinishedandinprinttotryitseffect.Hewantedappreciationandencouragementupontheinstant.HethoughtofBlix.
\"ShesawthepointinMorrowbieJukes’descriptionoftheslopeofthesandhill，\"hetoldhimself;andthenextmomenthadresolvedtogoupandseeherthenextevening，andreadtoherwhathehadwritten.
ThiswasonThursday.AllthroughthatweekBlixhadkeptmuchtoherself，andforthefirsttimeintwoyearshadbeguntospendeveryeveningathome.InthemorningofeachdayshehelpedVictorinewiththeupstairswork，makingthebeds，puttingtheroomstorights;orconsultedwiththebutcher’sandgrocer’sboysattheheadofthebackstairs，orchafferedwithurbaneandsmilingChinamenwiththeirbalancedvegetablebaskets.Sheknewthehouseanditsmanagementatherfingers’ends，andsupervisedeverythingthatwentforward.LaurieFlaggcomingtocalluponher，onWednesdayafternoon，toremonstrateuponhersuddendefection，foundherintheactoftackingupacurtainacrossthepantrywindow.
ButBlixhadtheafternoonsandeveningsalmostentirelytoherself.Thesehours，heretoforetakenupwithfunctionsandthedischargeofobligations，draggednotalittleduringtheweekthatfolloweduponherdeclarationofindependence.Wednesdayafternoon，however，waswarmandfine，andshewenttotheParkwithSnooky.Withoutlookingforitorevenexpectingit，BlixcameacrossalittleJapanesetea—house，orratheratinyJapanesegarden，setwithalmosttoyJapanesehousesandpavilions，whereteawasservedandthinsweetishwafersforfivecents.BlixandSnookywentin.TherewasnobodyaboutbuttheJapaneseservingwoman.Snookywasinraptures，andBlixspentadelightfulhalf—
hourthere，drinkingJapanesetea，andfeedingthewaferstothecarpandgold—fishinthetinypondimmediatelybelowwhereshesat.AChinaman，evidentlyofthemerchantclass，camein，withaChinesewomanfollowing.AshetookhisplaceandtheJapanesegirlcameuptogethisorder，BlixoverheardhimsayinEnglish：
\"Bringteafor—umleddy.\"
\"HehadtospeakinEnglishtoher，\"shewhispered;\"isn’tthatsplendid！Didyounoticethat，Snooky？\"
OnthewayhomeBlixwaswonderinghowsheshouldpassherevening.ShewastohavemadeoneofatheatrepartywhereJackCarterwastobepresent.Thenshesuddenlyremembered\"MorrowbieJukes，\"\"TheReturnofImri，\"and\"KrishnaMulvaney.\"Shecontinuedonpastherhome，downtown，andreturnedlateforsupperwith\"PlainTales\"and\"ManyInventions.\"
Towardhalf—pasteighttherecameatitteroftheelectricbell.
AtthemomentBlixwasintheupperchamberofthehouseofSuddhoo，quakingwithexquisitehorrorattheSeal—cutter’smagic.
Shelookedupquicklyasthebellrang.ItwasnotCondyRivers’
touch.SheswiftlyreflectedthatitwasWednesdaynight，andthatshemightprobablyexpectFrankCatlin.HewasafairspecimenoftheYoungerSet，asortofmodifiedJackCarter，andcalleduponheraboutonceafortnight.Nodoubthewouldhintdarklyastohisriotouslivingduringthepastfewdaysandrefertohisdietofbromo—seltzers.Hewouldbeslangy，familiar，callherbyherfirstnameasmanytimesashedared，discussthelastdanceoftheSaturdaycotillion，andtrytomakeherlaughoverCarter’sdrunkenness.Blixknewthetype.Catlinwashardlyoutofcollege;buttheoldergirls，eventheyoungwomenoftwenty—
fiveorsix，encouragedandpettedtheseyoungsters，driventothealternativebytheabsolutedearthofoldermen.
\"I’mnotathome，Victorine，\"announcedBlix，interceptingthemaidinthehall.ItchancedthatitwasnotFrankCatlin，butanotherboyofpreciselythesamebreed;andBlixreturnedtoSuddhoo，Mrs.Hawksbee，andMulvaneywithalittlecuddlingmovementofsatisfaction.
\"ThereisonlyonethingIregretaboutthis，\"shesaidtoCondyRiversontheFridaynightofthatweek;\"thatis，thatIneverthoughtofdoingitbefore.\"Thensuddenlysheputupherhandtoshieldhereyes，asthoughfromanintenselight，turningawayherheadabruptly.
\"Isay，whatisit？What——what’sthematter？\"heexclaimed.
Blixpeepedathimfearfullyfrombetweenherfingers.\"He’sgotiton，\"shewhispered——\"thatawfulcrimsonscarf.\"
\"Hoh！\"saidCondy，touchinghisscarfnervously，\"it’s——it’sveryswell.Isittooloud？\"heaskeduneasily.
Blixputherfingersinherears;then：
\"Condy，you’reanice，amiableyoungman，and，ifyou’renotbrilliant，you’regoodandkindtoyouragedmother;butyourscarfsandnecktiesaresimplyimpossible.\"
\"Well，lookatthisroom！\"heshouted——theywereintheparlor.
\"Youneedn’ttalkaboutbadtaste.Thosedrapes——oh—h！thosedrapes！！Yellow，s’helpme！Andthosebisquefiguresthatyougetwitheverypoundofteayoubuy;andthis，this，THIS，\"hewhimpered，wavinghishandsatthedecoratedsewer—pipewithitsgildedcat—tails.\"Oh，speaktomeofthis;speaktomeofart;
speaktomeofaesthetics.Cat—tails，GILDED.Ofcourse，whynotGILDED！\"Hewrunghishands.\"’Somewherepeoplearehappy.
Somewherelittlechildrenareatplay——’\"
\"Oh，hush！\"sheinterrupted.\"Iknowit’sbad;butwe’vealwayshaditso，andIwon’thaveitabused.Let’sgointothedining—
room，anyway.We’llsitinthereafterthis.We’vealwaysbeenstiffandconstrainedinhere.\"
Theywentoutintothedining—room，anddrewupacoupleofarm—
chairsintothebaywindow，andsattherelookingout.Blixhadnotyetlightedthegas——itwashardlydarkenoughforthat;andforupwardoftenminutestheysatandwatchedtheeveningdroppingintonight.
Belowthemthehillfellawaysoabruptlythattheroofsofthenearesthouseswerealmostattheirfeet;andbeyondthesethecitytumbledraggedlydowntomeetthebayinaconfused，vaguemassofroofs，cornices，cupolas，andchimneys，blurredandindistinctinthetwilight，buthereandtherepiercedbyanew—
lightedstreetlamp.Thencamethebay.TotheeasttheycouldseeGoatIsland，andthefleetofsailing—shipsanchoredoffthewater—front;whiledirectlyintheirlineofvisiontheislandofAlcatraz，withitstriplecrownofforts，startedfromthesurfaceofthewater.BeyondwastheContraCostashore，avaststreakofpurpleagainstthesky.Theeyefolloweditssky—linewestwardtillitclimbed，climbed，climbedupalongslopethatsuddenlyleapedheavenwardwiththecrestofTamalpais，purpleandstill，lookingalwaystothesunsetlikeagreatwatchingsphinx.Then，furtheron，theslopeseemedtobreaklikethebreakingofanadvancingbillow，andgotumbling，crumblingdownwardtomeettheGoldenGate——thenarrowinletofgreentide—waterwithitsflankingPresidio.But，furtherthanthis，theeyewasstayed.
Furtherthanthistherewasnothing，nothingbutavast，illimitableplainofgreen——theopenPacific.Butatthishourthecolorofthescenewasitsgreatestcharm.Itglowedwithallthesombreradianceofacathedral.Everythingwasseenthroughahazeofpurple——fromthelowgreenhillsinthePresidioReservationtothefaintredmassofMountDiabloshruggingitsruggedshoulderovertheContraCostafoot—hills.Astheeveningfaded，thewestburneddowntoadullredglowthatoverlaidtheblueofthebaywithasheenofruddygold.Thefoot—hillsoftheoppositeshore，Diablo，andatlastevenTamalpais，resolvedthemselvesinthevelvetgrayofthesky.Outlineswerelost.
Onlythemassesremained，andthesesoonbegantoblendintooneanother.Thesky，andland，andthecity’shuddledroofswereone.Onlythesheenofdullgoldremained，piercingthesinglevastmassofpurplelikethebladeofagoldensword.
\"There’saship！\"saidBlixinalowtone.
Afour—masterwasdroppingquietlythroughtheGoldenGate，swimmingonthatsheenofgold，amereshadow，speckedwithlightsredandgreen.InafewmomentsherbowswereshutfromsightbytheoldfortattheGate.Thenherredlightvanished，thenthemainmast.Shewasgone.Bymidnightshewouldbeoutofsightofland，rollingontheswellofthelonelyoceanunderthemoon’swhiteeye.
CondyandBlixsatquietandwithoutspeech，notcaringtobreakthecharmoftheevening.Forquitefiveminutestheysatthus，watchingthestarslightonebyone，andtheimmensegraynightsettleandbroadenandwidenfrommountain—toptohorizon.Theydidnotfeelthenecessityofmakingconversation.Therewasnoconstraintintheirsilencenow.
Gently，andalittleatatime，CondyturnedhisheadandlookedatBlix.Therewasjustlightenoughtosee.Shewasleaningbackinherchair，herhandsfallenintoherlap，herheadbackandalittletooneside.Asusual，shewasinblack;butnowitwassomesortofdinner—gownthatleftherarmsandneckbare.
Thelineofthechinandthethroatandthesweetroundcurveoftheshoulderhadinitsomethingindescribable——somethingthatwasrelatedtomusic，andthateludedspeech.Herhairwasnothingmorethanawarmcoloredmistwithoutformoroutline.Thesloe—
brownofherlittleeyesandtheflushofhercheekweremereinferences——likethefainteststarsthatarenevervisiblewhenlookedatdirectly;anditseemedtohimthattherewasdisengagedfromhersomethingforwhichtherewasnoname;somethingthatappealedtoamysterioussixthsense——asensethatonlystirredatsuchquietmomentsasthis;somethingthatwasnowadim，sweetradiance，nowafaintaroma，andnowagainamereessence，aninfluence，animpression——nothingmore.Itseemedtohimasifhersweet，cleanpurityandwomanlinesstookaformofitsownwhichhisaccustomedsensesweretoogrosstoperceive.Onlyacertainvaguetendernessinhimwentouttomeetandreceivethisimpalpablepresence;atendernessnotforheronly，butforallthegoodthingsoftheworld.Oftenhehadexperiencedthesamefeelingwhenlisteningtomusic.Hersweetness，hergoodness，appealedtowhatheguessedmustbethenoblestinhim.Andshewasonlynineteen.Suddenlyhisheartswelled，theachecametohisthroatandthesmarttohiseyes.
\"Blixy，\"hesaid，justaboveawhisper;\"Blixy，wishIwasabettersortofchap.\"
\"That’sthebeginningofbeingbetter，isn’tit，Condy？\"sheanswered，turningtowardhim，herchinonherhand.
\"Itdoesseemapity，\"hewenton，\"thatwhenyouWANTtodotheright，straightthing，andbecleanandfine，thatyoucan’tjustBEit，andhaveitoverwith.It’sthekeepingitupthat’sthegrind.\"
\"Butit’sthekeepingitup，Condy，thatmakesyouWORTHBEING
GOODwhenyoufinallygettobegood;don’tyouthink？It’sthekeepingitupthatmakesyoustrong;andthenwhenyougettobegoodyoucanmakeyourgoodnesscount.What’sagoodmanifhe’sweak？——ifhisgoodnessisbetterthanheishimself？It’sthegoodmanwhoisstrong——asstrongashisgoodness，andwhocanmakehisgoodnesscount——whoistherightkindofman.That’swhatI
think.\"
There’ssomethinginthat，there’ssomethinginthat.\"Then，afterapause：\"IplayedMondaynight，afterall，Blix，afterpromisingIwouldn’t.\"
Foratimeshedidnotanswer，andwhenshespoke，shespokequietly：\"Well——I’mgladyoutoldme\";andafteralittlesheadded，\"Can’tyoustop，Condy？\"
\"Why，yes——yes，ofcourse——I——oh，Blix，sometimesIdon’tknow！
Youcan’tunderstand！Howcouldagirlunderstandthepowerofit？
Otherthings，Idon’tsay;butwhenitcomestogambling，thereseemstobeanothermethatdoespreciselyashechooses，whetherIwillornot.ButI’mgoingtodomybest.Ihaven’tplayedsince，althoughtherewasplentyofchance.Yousee，thiscardbusinessisonlyapartofthisclublife，thiscitylife——likedrinkingand——othervicesofmen.IfIdidn’thavetoleadthelife，orifIdidn’tgowiththatcrowd——Sargeantandtherestofthosemen——itwouldbedifferent;easier，maybe.\"
\"Butamanoughttobestrongenoughtobehimselfandmasterofhimselfanywhere.Condy，ISthereanythingintheworldbetterorfinerthanastrongman？\"
\"Notunlessitisagoodwoman，Blix.\"
\"IsupposeIlookatitfromawoman’spointofview;butformeaSTRONGman——strongineverything——isthegrandestthingintheworld.Womenlovestrongmen，Condy.Theycanforgiveastrongmanalmostanything.\"
Condydidnotimmediatelyanswer，andintheintervalanideaoccurredtoBlixthatatoncehardenedintoadetermination.Butshesaidnothingatthemoment.Thespellofthesunsetwasgoneandtheyhadevidentlyreachedtheendofthatsubjectoftheirtalk.Blixrosetolightthegas.Willyoupromisemeonething，Condy？\"shesaid.\"Don’tifyoudon’twantto.Butwillyoupromisemethatyouwilltellmewheneveryoudoplay？\"
\"ThatI’llpromiseyou！\"exclaimedCondy;\"andI’llkeepthat，too.\"
\"Andnow，let’shearthestory——orwhatyou’vedoneofit.\"
Theydrewuptothedining—roomtablewithitscoverofbluedenimedgedwithwhitecord，andCondyunrolledhismanuscriptandreadthroughwhathehadwritten.Sheapproved，and，ashehadforeseen，\"caughton\"toeveryoneofhispoints.Hewasalmostreadytoburstintocheerswhenshesaid：
\"Anyonereadingthatwouldalmostbelieveyouhadbeenadiveryourself，oratleasthadlivedwithdivers.Thoselittledetailscount，don’tthey？Condy，I’veanidea.Seewhatyouthinkofit.
Insteadofhavingthestoryendwithhisleavingherdownthereandgoingaway，doitthisway.Lethimleaveherthere，andthengobackafteralongtimewhenhegetstobeanoldman.Fixitupsomewaytomakeitnatural.Havehimgodowntoseeherandnevercomeupagain，see？Andleavethereaderindoubtastowhetheritwasanaccidentorwhetherhediditonpurpose.\"
Condychokedbackawhoopandsmotehisknee.\"Blix，you’retheeighthwonder！Magnificent——glorious！Say！\"——hefixedherwithaglanceofcuriosity——\"yououghttotaketostory—writingyourself.\"
\"No，no，\"sheretortedsignificantly.\"I’lljuststaywithmysingingandbecontentwiththat.Butrememberthatstorydon’tgoto’TheTimes’supplement.AtleastnotuntilyouhavetrieditEast——withtheCentennialCompany，atanyrate.\"
\"Well，IguessNOT！\"snortedCondy.\"Why，thisisgoingtobeoneofthebestyarnsIeverwrote.\"
Alittlelateronheinquiredwithsuddenconcern：\"Haveyougotanythingtoeatinthehouse？\"
\"Ineversawsuchaman！\"declaredBlix;\"youarealwayshungry.\"
\"Ilovetoeat，\"heprotested.
\"Well，we’llmakesomecreamedoysters;howwouldthatdo？\"
suggestedBlix.
Condyrolledhiseyes.\"Oh，speaktomeofcreamedoysters！\"
Then，withabruptsolemnity：\"Blix，IneverinmylifehadasmanyoystersasIcouldeat.\"
Shemadethecreamedoystersinthekitchenoverthegas—stove，andtheyatethemthere——Condysittingonthewashboardofthesink，hisplateinhislap.
Condyhadawayofcatchingupinhishandswhateverhappenedtobenearesthim，and，whilestillcontinuingtotalk，examiningitwithapparentdeepinterest.Justnowithappenedtobethemorning’spaperthatVictorinehadleftonthetable.ForfiveminutesCondyhadbeenpickingitupandlayingitdown，frowningabstractedlyatitduringthepausesintheconversation.
Suddenlyhebecameawareofwhatitwas，andinstantlyreadaloudthefirstitemthatcaughthisglance：
\"’Personal.——Youngwoman，thirty—one，goodhousekeeper，desiresacquaintancerespectablemiddle—agedgentleman.Object，matrimony.AddressK.D.B.，thisoffice.’——Hum！\"hecommented，\"nothingequivocalaboutK.D.B.;hastheheroismtocallherselfyoungatthirty—one.I’llbetsheISagoodhousekeeper.Righttothepoint.IfK.D.B.don’tseewhatshewants，sheasksforit.\"
\"Iwonder，\"musedBlix，\"whatkindofpeopletheyarewhoputpersonalsinthepapers.K.D.B.，forinstance;whoisshe，andwhatisshelike？\"
\"They’renottough，\"Condyassuredher.\"Isee’emoftendownat’TheTimes’office.Theyareusuallyaplain，matter—of—factsort，quiteconscientious，youknow;generallymiddle—aged——orthirty—one;outgrowntheiryouthfulfolliesandillusions，andwanttosettledown.\"
\"Readsomemore，\"urgedBlix.Condywenton.
\"’Bachelor，goodhabits，twenty—five，affectionatedisposition，accomplishments，money，desiresacquaintancepretty，refinedgirl.
Object，matrimony.McB.，thisoffice.’\"
\"No，Idon’tlikeMcB.，\"saidBlix.\"He’stoo——ornamental，somehow.\"
\"Hewouldn’tdoforK.D.B.，wouldhe？\"
\"Oh，my，no！He’dmakeherveryunhappy.\"
\"’Widower，twochildren，home—lovingdisposition，desiresintroductiontogood，honestwomantomakehomeforhischildren.
Matrimony，ifsuitable.B.P.T.，BoxA，thisoffice.’\"
\"He’snotforK.D.B.，that’sflat，\"declaredBlix;\"theidea，’matrimonyifsuitable’——patronizingenough！IknowjustwhatkindofanoldmanB.P.T.is.IknowhewouldwantK.D.B.towarmhisslippers，andwouldbefretfulandgrumpy.B.P.T.，justanabbreviationofbumptious.No，hecan’thaveher.\"
Condyreadthenexttwoorthreetohimself，despiteherprotests.
\"Condy，don’tbemean！Readthemto——\"
\"Ah！\"heexclaimed，\"here’soneforK.D.B.Behold，thebridegroomcometh！Listen.\"
\"’Bachelor，thirty—nine，soberandindustrious，retiredseacaptain，desiresacquaintancerespectableyoungwoman，goodhouse—
keeperandmanager.Object，matrimony.AddressCaptainJack，officethispaper.\"
\"Iknowhe’sgotawoodenleg！\"criedBlix.\"Can’tyoujustseeitstickingoutbetweenthelines？Andhelivesallalonesomewheredownnearthebaywithaparrot——\"
\"Andmakesaglassofgrogeverynight.\"
\"Andsmokesalongclaypipe.\"
\"Buthechewstobacco.\"
\"Yes，isn’titapityhewillchewthatnasty，smellytobacco？ButK.D.B.willbreakhimofthat.\"
\"Oh，isheforK.D.B.？\"
\"SentbyProvidence！\"declaredBlix.\"Theywerebornforeachother.Justsee，K.D.B.isagoodhousekeeper，andwantsarespectablemiddle—agedgentleman.CaptainJackisarespectablemiddle—agedgentleman，andwantsagoodhousekeeper.Oh，andbesides，Icanreadbetweenthelines！Ijustfeeltheywouldbecongenial.Iftheyknowwhat’sbestforthemselves，theywouldwritetoeachotherrightaway.\"
\"Butwouldn’tyoulovetobethereandseethemmeet！\"exclaimedCondy.
\"Can’twefixitupsomeway，\"saidBlix，\"tobringthesetwotogether——tohelpthemoutinsomeway？\"
Condysmotethetableandjumpedtohisfeet.
\"Writeto’em！\"heshouted.\"WritetoK.D.B.andsignitCaptainJack，andwritetoCaptainJack——\"
\"AndsignitK.D.B.，\"sheinterrupted，catchinghisidea.
\"Andhavehimtellher，andhertellhim，\"headded，\"tomeetatsomeplace;andthenwecangotothatplaceandhide，andwatch.\"
\"Buthowwillweknowthem？Howwouldtheyknoweachother？
They’venevermet.\"
\"We’lltellthembothtowearakindofflower.Thenwecanknowthem，andtheycanknoweachother.Ofcourseassoonastheybegantotalktheywouldfindouttheyhadn’twritten.\"
\"Buttheywouldn’tcare.\"
\"No——theywanttomeeteachother.Theywouldbethankfultousforbringingthemtogether.\"
\"Won’titbethegreatestfun？\"
\"Fun！Why，itwillbearegulardrama.Onlywearerunningtheshow，andeverythingisreal.Let’sgetatit！\"
Blixranintoherroomandreturnedwithwritingmaterial.Condylookedatthenote—papercritically.\"Thiskind’stooswell.K.
D.B.wouldn’tuseIrishlinen——never！Here，thisisbetter，glazedwithbluelinesandaflyingbirdstampedinthecorner.
NowI’llwritefortheCaptain，andyouwriteforK.D.B.\"
\"Butwherewillwehavethemmeet？\"
Thiswasapoint.TheyconsideredtheChineserestaurant，thePlaza，Lotta’sfountain，theMechanics’Library，andeventhecathedraloverintheMexicanquarter，butarrivedatnodecision.
\"DidyoueverhearofLuna’srestaurant？\"saidCondy.\"ByJove，it’sjusttheplace！It’stherestaurantwhereyougetMexicandinners;rightintheheartoftheLatinquarter;quietlittleold—fashionedplace，belowthelevelofthestreet，respectableasatomb.Iwastherejustonce.We’llhave’emmeetthereatsevenintheevening.Nooneisthereatthathour.Theplaceisn’tpatronizedmuch，anditshutsupateight.YouandIcangothereandhavedinneratsix，say，andwatchforthemtocome.\"
Thentheysettoworkattheirletters.
\"Now，\"saidCondy，\"wemusthavethesesoundperfectlynatural，becauseifeitherofthesepeoplesmellthesmallestkindofarat，youwon’tcatch’em.YoumustwritenotasYOUwouldwrite，butasyouthinkTHEYwould.Thisisanart，akindoffiction，don’tyousee？Wemustimagineacertaincharacter，andwritealetterconsistentwiththatcharacter.Thenit’llsoundnatural.
Now，K.D.B.Well，K.D.B.，she’sprim.Let’shaveherprim，andproudofusingcorrect，precise，’elegant’language.Iguessshewearsmits，andbelievesincremation.Let’shaveherbelieveincremation.AndCaptainJack;oh！he’sgotaterriblevoice，likethis，ROW—ROW—ROWsee？andwhiskers，veryfierce;andhesays，’Belaythere！’and’Avast！’andisverygrandiloquentandorotundandgallantwhenitcomestowomen.Oh，he’sthedevilofamanwhenitcomestowomen，isCaptainJack！\"
Aftercountlesstrialsandfailures，theyevolvedthetwofollowingmissives，whichCondypostedthatnight：
\"CaptainJack.
\"SIR：——Ihaveperusedwithentiresatisfactionyourpersonalin’TheTimes.’Ishouldliketoknowmoreofyou.Ireadbetweenthelines，andmyperceptionineradicablyconvincesmethatyouarehonestandrespectable.IdonotbelieveIshouldcompromisemyself—esteematallingrantingyouaninterview.IshallbeatLuna’srestaurantatsevenprecisely，nextMondayeve，andwillbearabunchofwhitemarguerites.Willyoulikewise，andwearamargueriteinyourlapel？
\"Trustingthiswillfindyouinhealth，Iam\"Respectfullyyours，\"K.D.B.\"
\"MissK.D.B.
\"DEARMISS：——Fromthemodestandretiringdescriptionofyourqualitiesandcharacter，IamledtobelievethatIwillfindinyouanagreeablelifecompanion.Willyounotaccordmethegreatfavorofapersonalinterview？Ishallesteemitahighhonor.I
willbeatLuna’sMexicanrestaurantatsevenoftheclockP.M.onMondayeveningnext.MayIexpresstheferventhopethatyoualsowillbethere？Inamethelocalitybecauseitisquietandrespectable.Ishallwearawhitemargueriteinmybuttonhole.
Willyoualsocarryabunchofthesameflower？
\"Yourstocommand，\"CAPTAINJACK.\"
SogreatwasherinterestintheaffairthatBlixevenwentoutwithCondywhilehemailedthelettersinthenearestbox，forhewasquitecapableofforgettingthewholematterassoonashewasoutofthehouse.
\"Nowletitwork！\"sheexclaimedastheironflapclankeddownuponthedisappearingenvelopes.ButCondywassuddenlysmittenwithnamelessmisgiving.\"Nowwe’vedoneit！nowwe’vedoneit！\"
hecriedaghast.\"Iwishwehadn’t.We’reinafinefixnow.\"
Stilluneasy，hesawBlixbacktotheflat，andbadehergood—byatthedoor.
Butbeforeshewenttobedthatnight，Blixsoughtoutherfather，whowasstillsittinguptinkeringwiththecuckooclock，whichhehadtakenalltopiecesunderthepretextthatitwasoutoforderandwenttoofast.
\"Papum，\"saidBlix，sittingdownontherugbeforehim，\"didyouever——whenyouwereapioneer，whenyoufirstcameouthereinthefifties——didyoueverplaypoker？\"
\"I——oh，well！itwastheonlyamusementtheminershadforalongtime.\"
\"Iwantyoutoteachme.\"
Theoldmanlettheclockfallintohislapandstared.ButBlixexplainedherreasons.
ChapterVI
ThenextdaywasSaturday，andBlixhadplannedawalkouttothePresidio.Butatbreakfast，whileshewasdebatingwhethersheshouldtakewithherHowardandSnooky，or\"ManyInventions，\"shereceivedanotefromCondy，sentbyspecialmessenger：
\"’Allourfunisspoiled，’hewrote.’I’vegotptomainepoisoningfromeatingthecreamedoysterslastnight，andaminforasolidfortnightspentinbed.Havepassedahorriblenight.Can’tyoulookinatthehotelthisafternoon？Mymotherwillbehereatthetime.’\"
\"Ptomainepoisoning！\"Thenamehadanuglysound，andCondy’suseoftheterminferredthedoctor’svisit.Blixdecidedthatshewouldputoffherwalkuntiltheafternoon，andcallonMrs.
Riversatonce，andaskhowCondydid.
Shegotawayfromtheflataboutteno’clock，butonthestepsoutsidemetCondydressedasifforbicycling，andsmokingacigarette.
\"I’vegotelevendollars！\"heannouncedcheerily.
\"ButIthoughtitwasptomainepoisoning！\"shecriedwithsuddenvexation.
\"Pshaw！that’swhatthedoctorsays.He’saflapdoodle;nothingbutakindofasortofapain.It’sallgonenow.I’masfitasafiddle——andI’vegotelevendollars.Let’sgosomewhereanddosomething.\"
\"Butyourwork？\"
\"Theydon’texpectme.WhenIthoughtIwasgoingtobesick，I
telephonedtheoffice，andtheysaidallright，thattheydidn’tneedme.NowI’vegotelevendollars，andtherearethreeholidaysofperfectweatherbeforeus：to—day，to—morrow，andMonday.Whatwillwedo？Whatmustwedotobesaved？Ourmatrimonialobjectsdon’tmaterializetillMondaynight.Inthemeanwhile，what？ShallwegodowntoChinatown——totherestaurant，ortothewater—frontagain？Maybethemateonthewhalebackwouldinviteustolunch.Or，\"addedCondy，hiseyecaughtbyafresh—
fishpeddlerwhohadjustturnedintothestreet，\"wecangofishing.\"
\"Foroysters，perhaps.\"
ButtheideahadcaughtCondy’sfancy.
\"Blix！\"heexclaimed，\"let’sgofishing.\"
\"Where？\"
\"Idon’tknow.WhereDOpeoplefisharoundhere？Wherethere’swater，Ipresume.\"
\"No，isitpossible？\"sheaskedwithdeepconcern.\"Ithoughttheyfishedintheirbackyards，orintheirfrontparlorsperhaps.\"
\"Oh，youbequiet！you’reallthetimeguyingme，\"heanswered.
\"Letmethink——letmethink，\"hewenton，frowningheavily，scouringathishair.Suddenlyheslappedathigh.
\"Comeon，\"hecried，\"I’veanidea！\"Hewasalreadyhalf—waydownthesteps，whenBlixcalledhimback.
\"Leaveitalltome，\"heassuredher;\"trustmeIMPLICITLY.Don’tyouwanttogo？\"hedemandedwithabruptdisappointment.
\"Wantto！\"sheexclaimed.\"Why，itwouldbetheverybestkindoffun，but——\"
\"Well，then，comealong.\"
Theytookadowntowncar.
\"I’vegotacoupleofsplitbamboorods，\"heexplainedasthecarsliddowntheterrificgradeoftheWashington—Streethill.\"I
haven’tused’eminyears——notsincewelivedEast;butthey’rehand—made，andaretip—top.Ihaven’tanyotherkindoftackle;
butit’sjustaswell，becausethetacklewillalldependuponwherewearegoingtofish.\"
\"Where’sthat？\"
\"Don’tknowyet;amgoingdownnowtofindout.\"
HetookherdowntotheprincipaldealerinsportinggoodsonMarketStreet.Itwasadeliciousworld，whoseatmosphereandcharmwerenottoberesisted.Therewereshot—gunsinrows，theirgraybarrelslookinglikesomanyorgan—pipes;sheavesoffishing—rods，fromthefour—ouncewhispofthebrook—troutuptotherigideighteen—ouncelanceoftheking—salmonandsea—bass;
showcasesofwickedrevolvers，swellingbycalibresintothethirty—eightandforty—fourman—killersoftheplainsmenandArizonacavalry;huntingknivesanddirks，andtheslendersteelwhipsofthefencers;filesofWinchesters，sleepingquietlyintheirracks，waitingpatientlyforthesignaltospeaktheonegrimwordtheyknew;swarmsofartificialfliesofeveryconceivableshade，brown，gray，black，gray—brown，gray—black，withhereandthereabriskvermilionnote;coilsofline，fromthethicknessofapencil，spuntoholdthesullenplungesofajew—fishofftheCatalinaIslands，downtothesea—greengossamersthatavigorousfingerlingmightsnap;hooks，snells，guts，leaders，gaffs，cartridges，shells，andalltheentrancingmunitionsofthesportsman，thatsavoredoflonelycanons，deer—
licks，mountainstreams，quailuplands，andthestillreachesofinletandmarshgrounds，grayandcoolintheearlyautumndawn.
CondyandBlixgottheattentionofaclerk，andCondyexplained.
\"Iwanttogofishing——wewanttogofishing.Wewantsomeplacewherewecangoandcomeinthesameday，andwewanttocatchfair—sizedfish——nominnows.\"
Thefollowinghalf—hourwascharming.Neverwasthereaclerkmoredelightful.ItwouldappearthathisoneobjectinlifewasthatCondyandBlixshouldcatchfish.Theaffairsofthenationstoodstillwhilehepondered，suggested，advised，anddeliberated.Hetoldthemwheretogo，howtogetthere，whattraintotakecomingback，andwhotoaskforwhentheyarrived.
TheywouldhavetowaittillMondaybeforegoing，butcouldreturnlongbeforethefatedhourof7P.M.
\"AskforRichardson，\"saidtheclerk;\"andhere，givehimmycard.
He’llputyouontothegoodspots;someplacesareA—1to—day，andto—morrowinthesameplaceyoucan’tkillasinglefish.\"
CondynudgedBlixastheMentorturnedawaytogethiscard.
\"Noticethat，\"hewhispered：\"KILLafish.Youdon’tsay’catch，’
yousay’kill’——technicaldetail.\"
Thentheyboughttheirtackle：acoupleofcheapreels，lines，leaders，sinkers，abookofassortedfliesthatthedelightfulclerksuggested，andabeautifullittletinboxpaintedgreen，andstenciledwithagorgeousgoldtroutuponthelid，inwhichtheyweretokeepthepintofsaltedshrimpstobeusedasbaitinadditiontotheflies.Blixwouldgettheseshrimpsatalittlemarketnearherhome.
\"But，\"saidtheclerk，\"yougottogetapermittofishinthatlake.HaveyougotapullwiththeWaterCompany？Areyouastockholder？\"
Condy’sfacefell，andBlixgavealittlegaspofdismay.Theylookedateachother.Herewasacheck，indeed.
\"Well，\"saidthesublimebeinginshirtsleevesfrombehindthecounter，\"seewhatyoucando;andifyoucan’tmakeit，comebackherean’lemmeno，andwe’llfixyouupinsomeotherplace.ButLakeSanAndreashasbeenbang—upthislastweek——beensomegreatkillsthere;hopetothedeuceyoucanmakeit.\"
Everythingnowhingeduponthispermit.ItwasnotuntiltheirexpeditionhadbeenindoubtthatCondyandBlixrealizedhowalluringhadbeenitsprospects.
\"Oh，Iguessyoucangetapermit，\"saidtheclerksoothingly.
\"An’ifyoumakeanygoodkills，lemmenoandI’llputitinthepaper.I’mtheeditorofthe’Sport—with—Gun—and—Rod’columnin’ThePress，’\"headdedwithaflushofpride.
TowardthemiddleoftheafternoonBlix，whowaswaitingathome，ingreatsuspense，forthatverypurpose，receivedanothertelegramfromCondy：
\"Tensionofsituationrelieved.Unconditionalpermissionobtained.Don’tforgettheshrimps.\"
IthadbeenunderstoodthatCondywastocometotheflatonSundayafternoontotalkoverfinalarrangementswithBlix.Butasitwas，SaturdayeveningsawhimagainattheBessemers.
Hehadbeendownathisclubinthelibrary，writingthelastparagraphsofhisdiver’sstory，when，justashefinished，Sargeantdiscoveredhim.
\"Why，Conny，oldman，allalonehere？Let’sgodownstairsandhaveacigar.HendricksandGeorgeHandsarecomingaroundinhalfanhour.Theytoldmenottoletyougetaway.\"
Condystirrednervouslyinhischair.Heknewwhatthatmeant.
Hehadenoughmoneyinhispocketstoplaythatnight，andinaninstanttheenemywasallawake.Therowelwasinhisflankagain，andthescourgeathisback.Sargeantstoodthere，thewell—groomedclubmanofthirty;alittlecynicalperhaps，butareallygoodfellowforallthat，andundeniablyfondofCondy.
ButsomewherewiththeeyesofsomesecondselfCondysawthegirlofnineteen，partchildandpartwoman;sawhergoodness，herfine，sweetfemininestrengthasitwereadimradiance;\"What’sagoodmanworth，Condy，\"shehadsaid，\"ifhe’snotastrongman？\"
\"Isupposewe’llhaveagamegoingbeforemidnight，\"admittedSargeantresignedly，smilinggood—humoredlynevertheless.
Condysethisteeth.\"I’lljoinyoulater.Waitafewmoments，\"