hesaid.Hehurriedtotheofficeoftheclub，andsentadespatchtoBlix——thethirdsincemorning：
\"CanIcomeuprightaway？It’surgent.Sendanswerbythismessenger.\"
Hegothisanswerwithinthree—quartersofanhour，andlefttheclubasHendricksandGeorgeHandsarrivedbytheelevatorentrance.
Sittinginthebaywindowofthedining—room，hetoldBlixwhyhehadcome.
\"Oh，youwereright！\"shetoldhim.\"Always，ALWAYScome，when——
whenyoufeelyoumust.\"
\"Itgetssobadsometimes，Blix，\"heconfessedwithabjectself—
contempt，\"thatwhenIcan’tgetsomeonetoplayagainstI’llsitdownanddealdummyhands，andbetonthem.Justthetouchofthecards——justtheFEELofthechips.Faugh！it’sshameful.\"
Thedayfollowing，Sunday，Condycametoteaasusual;andafterthemeal，assoonasthefamilyandVictorinehadleftthepairaloneinthedining—room，theysetaboutpreparingfortheirmorrow’sexcursion.Blixputuptheirlunch——sandwichesofwhatCondycalled\"devilish\"ham，hard—boiledeggs，stuffedolives，andabottleofclaret.
Condytookoffhiscoatandmadeagreatshowofstringingthetackle：windingthelinesfromthespoolsontothereels，andattachingthesinkersandfliestotheleaders，smokingthewhile，andscowlingfiercely.Hegotthelinesfearfullyandwonderfullysnarled，hecaughtthehooksinthetable—cloth，helostthealmostinvisiblegutleadersonthefloorandloopedthesinkersonthelineswhentheyshouldhavegoneontheleaders.IntheendBlixhadtohelphimout，disentanglingthelinesfootbyfootwithapatiencethatseemedtoCondylittleshortofsuperhuman.
Atnineo’clockshesaiddecisively：
\"Doyouknowwhattimewemustgetupinthemorningifwearetohavebreakfastandgettheseven—fortytrain？Quarterofsixbythelatest，andYOUmustgetupearlierthanthat，becauseyou’reatthehotelandhavefurthertogo.Comehereforbreakfast，and——listen——beherebyhalf—pastsix——areyouLISTENING，Condy？——
andwe’llgodowntothedepotfromhere.Don’tforgettobringtherods.\"
\"I’llwearmybicyclesuit，\"hesaid，\"andoneofthosegolfscarfsthatwraparoundyourneck.\"
\"No，\"shedeclared，\"Iwon’thaveit.Weartheoldestclothesyou’vegot，butlookfairlyrespectable，becausewe’retogotoLuna’swhenwegetback，remember.Andnowgohome;youneedallthesleepyoucangetifyouaretogetupatsixo’clock.\"
Insteadofbeinglate，asBlixhadfeared，Condywasabsurdlyaheadoftimethenextmorning.Forawonder，hehadnotforgottentherods;buthewasonetremorofnervousness.Hewouldeatnobreakfast.
\"We’regoingtomissthattrain，\"hewouldannouncefromtimetotime;\"Ijustknowit.Blix，lookwhattimeitis.Weoughttobeonthewaytothedepotnow.Comeon;youdon’twantanymorecoffee.Haveyougoteverything？Didyouputthereelsinthelunch—basket？——andthefly—book？Lord，ifweshouldforgetthefly—book！\"
Hemanagedtogethertothedepotoverhalfanhouraheadoftime.Thetrainhadnotevenbackedin，northeticketofficeopened.
\"Itoldyou，Condy，Itoldyou，\"complainedBlix，sinkinghelplesslyuponabenchinthewaiting—room.
\"No——no——no，\"heansweredvaguely，lookingnervouslyabout，hisheadintheair.\"We’renonetoosoon——havemoretimetorestnow.Iwonderwhattrackthetrainleavesfrom.IwonderifitstopsatSanBruno.IwonderhowfaritisfromSanBrunotoLakeSanAndreas.I’mafraidit’sgoingtorain.Heavensandearth，Blix，weforgottheshrimps！\"
\"No，NO！Sitdown，I’vegottheshrimps.Condy，youmakemesonervousIshallscreaminaminute.\"
Somethree—quartersofanhourlaterthetrainhadsetthemdownatSanBruno——nothingmorethanaroad—house，theheadquartersforduck—shootersandfishermenfromthecity.However，BlixandCondyweretheonlyvisitors.Everybodyseemedtobeespeciallynicetothemonthatwonderfulmorning.Eventhesuperciliousticket—sellerattheSanFranciscodepothadunbent，andwishedthemgoodluck.Theconductorofthetrainhadshownhimselfaffable.Theverybrakemanhadgoneoutofhiswaytoapprisethem，quitefiveminutesaheadoftime，that\"thenextstopwastheirplace.\"AndatSanBrunotheproprietoroftheroad—househimselfhitcheduptodrivethemovertothelake，announcingthathewouldcallforthemat\"Richardson’s\"intimefortheeveningtrain.
\"Andheonlyaskedmefourbitsforbothtrips，\"whisperedCondytoBlixastheyjoggedalong.
Thecountrywasbeautiful.Itwashardlyeighto’clock，andthemorningstillretainedmuchofthebriskeffervescenceoftheearlydawn.Greatbare，rollinghillsofgray—green，thinlyscatteredwithlive—oak，borebackfromtheroadoneitherhand.
Theskywaspaleblue.Therewasasmellofcowsintheair，andtwicetheyheardanunseenlarksinging.Itwasverystill.Theoldbuggyandcomplacenthorsewereembalmedinapungentaromaofoldleatherandofstablesthatwasentrancing;andasweetsmellofgrassandsapcametotheminoccasionallongwhiffs.Therewasexhilarationintheverythoughtofbeingaliveonthatodorous，stillmorning.Theyoungbloodwentspankingintheveins.Blix’scheekswereruddy，herlittledark—browneyesfairlycoruscatingwithpleasure.
\"Condy，isn’titallsplendid？\"shesuddenlyburstout.
\"Ifeelregularlybigger，\"hedeclaredsolemnly.\"Icoulddoanythingamorninglikethis.\"
Thentheycametothelake，andtoRichardson’s，wherethefarmerlivedwhowasalsothecustodianofthelake.Thecomplacenthorsejoggedback，andCondyandBlixsetabouttheseriousbusinessoftheday.CondyhadnoneedtoshowRichardsonthedelightfulsportingclerk’scard.TheoldYankee——histwanganddryhumorsingularlyincongruousonthatroyalmorning——wassolicitudeitself.Hepickedoutthebestboatonthebeachforthem，loanedthemhisownanchorofrailroadiron，indicatedminutelythepointontheoppositeshoreoffwhichthelastbigtrouthadbeen\"killed，\"andwettedhimselftohisanklesashepushedofftheboat.
Condytooktheoars.Blixsatinthestern，jointingtherodsandrunningthelinesthroughtheguides.Sheevenbaitedthehookswiththesaltshrimpherself，andbynineo’clocktheywereatanchorsomefortyfeetoffshore，andfishing，accordingtoRichardson’sadvice，\"aleetlemiteofftheedgeo’theweeds.\"
\"Ifwedon’tgetabitethewholeblessedday，\"saidCondy，ashepaidouthislinetotheratchetmusicofthereel，\"we’llhavefunjustthesame.Lookaround——isn’tthisgreat？\"
Theywereabsolutelyalone.Thedaywasyoungyet.Thelake，smoothandstillasgraysilk，widenedtothewestandsouthwithoutsomuchasawrinkletoroughenthesurface.Onlytotheeast，wherethesunlookedoverashoulderofahigherhill，itflamedupintoablindingdiamondiridescence.Thesurroundinglandlaybetweenskyandwater，hushedtoaSundaystillness.FaroffacrossthelakebyRichardson’stheyheardadogbark，andthesoundcamefineandsmallanddelicate.Atlongintervalstheboatstirredwithagentleclap—clappingofthewateralongitssides.Fromthenearbyshoreinthegrowthofmanzanitabushesquailcalledandcluckedcomfortablytoeachother;abewilderedyellowbutterflydancedbyovertheirheads，andslimbluedragon—
fliescameandpoisedontheirlinesandfishing—rods，bowingtheirbacks.
Fromhisseatinthebow，CondycastaglanceatBlix.Shewasholdingherrodinbothhands，absorbed，watchful，veryintent.
Shewasastrimasever，evenintheoldclothesshehadwornfortheoccasion.Herround，strongneckwasasusualswathedhighandtightinwhite，andthehugedog—collargirdledherwaistaccordingtohercustom.Shehadtakenoffherhat.Heryellowhairrolledbackfromherroundforeheadandcoolpinkcheekslikeaveritablenimbus，andforthefiftiethtimeCondyremarkedthecharmingcontrastofhersmall，deep—browneyesinthemidstofthiswhitesatin，yellowhair，whiteskin，andexquisitepinkcheeks.
Anhourpassed.Thentwo.
\"Nofish，\"murmuredCondy，drawinginhislinetoexaminethebait.But，ashewasfumblingwiththeflieshewasstartledbyasharpexclamationfromBlix.
\"Oh—Condy—I’ve—got—a—bite！\"
Helookedupjustintimetoseethetipofherrodtwitch，twitch，twitch.Thenthewholerodarchedsuddenly，thereelsang，thelinetautenedandcutdiagonallythroughthewater.
\"Yougothim！yougothim！\"heshouted，palpitatingwithexcitement.\"Andhe’sagoodone！\"
Blixrose，reelinginasrapidlyaswaspossible，thebuttofthetwitching，livingrodbracedagainstherbelt.Allatoncetherodstraightenedoutagain，thestrainwasreleased，andthelinebegantoslantrapidlyawayfromtheboat.
\"He’soff！\"shecried.
\"Off，nothing！HE’SGOINGTOJUMP.Lookoutforhim，now！\"
Andthenthetwowatchingfromtheboat，tenseandquiveringwiththedramaofthemoment，sawthatmostinspiritingofsights——the\"break\"ofasalmon—trout.Uphewent，fromabrusqueexplosionofripplesandfoam——upintothegrayofthemorningfromoutthegrayofthewater：scalesallgleaming，hacklesalla—bristle;asuddenflashofsilver，asweepasofascimitaringraysmoke，withasplash，aturmoil，anabruptburstoftroubledsoundthatstabbedthroughthesilenceofthemorning，andinasingleinstantdissipatedalltheplacidcalmoftheprevioushours.
\"Keepthelinetaut，\"whisperedCondy，grittinghisteeth.\"Whenhecomestowardyou，reelhimin;an’ifhepullstoohard，givehimhishead.\"
Blixwasbreathingfast，hercheeksblazing，hereyesallalight.
\"Oh，\"shegasped，\"I’msoafraidI’lllosehim！Oh，lookatthat！\"
shecried，asthetroutdartedstraightforthebottom，bendingtherodtillthetipwassubmerged.\"Condy，I’lllosehim——IknowIshall;you，YOUtaketherod！\"
\"Notforathousanddollars！Steady，there，he’sawayagain！Oh，talkaboutSPORT！\"
YardbyyardBlixreeledinuntiltheybegantoseethesilverglintofthetrout’sflanksthroughthegreenwater.Shebroughthimnearer.Swimmingparallelwiththeboat，hewasplainlyvisiblefromhiswide—openedmouth——thehookandflyprotrudingfromhislowerjaw——tothered，quiveringflangesofthetail.
Hissideswerefaintlyspeckled，hisbellywhiteaschalk.HewasalmostaslongasCondy’sforearm.
\"Oh，he’sabeauty！Oh，isn’theabeauty！\"murmuredCondy.\"Now，careful，careful;bringhimuptotheboatwhereIcanreachhim;
e—easy，Blix.Ifheboltsagain，lethimrun.\"
Twicethetroutshiedfromtheboat’sshadow，andtwice，asBlixgavehimhishead，thereelsangandhummedlikeawatch—man’srattle.Butthethirdtimehecametothesurfaceandturnedslowlyonhisside，thewhitebellyandoneredfinoutofthewater，thegillsopeningandshutting.Hewastiredout.AthirdtimeBlixdrewhimgentlytotheboat’sside.Condyreachedoutanddownintothewatertillhisveryshoulderwaswet，hookedtwofingersunderthedistendedgills，andwithalong，easymovementofthearmswunghimintotheboat.
Theirexultationwasthatofveritablechildren.CondywhoopedlikeanApache，throwinghishatintotheair;Blixwashardlyarticulate，herhandsclasped，herhairindisarray，hereyesswimmingwithtearsofsheerexcitement.Theyshookeachother’shands;theytalkedwildlyatthesametime：theypoundedontheboat’sthwartswiththeirfists;theylaughedattheirownabsurdity;theylookedatthetroutagainandagain，guessedathisweight，andrecalledtoeachotherdetailsofthestruggle.
\"Whenhebrokethattime，wasn’titgrand？\"
\"AndwhenIfirstfelthimbite！Itwassosudden——why，itactuallyfrightenedme.Inever——no，neverinmylife！\"exclaimedBlix，\"wassohappyasIamatthismoment.Oh，Condy，tothink——
justtoTHINK！\"
\"Isn’titgloryhallelujah？\"
\"Isn’titbetterthanteas，anddancing，andfunctions？\"
\"Blix——howoldarewe？\"
\"Idon’tcarehowoldweare;Ithinkthattroutwillweightwopounds.\"
Whentheywerecalmagain，theyreturnedtotheirfishing.Themorningpassed，anditwasnoonbeforetheywereawareofit.Byhalf—pasttwelveBlixhadcaughtthreetrout，thoughthefirstwasbyfartheheaviest.Condyhadnothadsomuchasabite.Atoneo’clocktheyrowedashoreandhadlunchunderahugelive—oakinalittleamphitheatreofmanzanita.
Neverhadalunchtastedsodelicious.Whatifthewinewaswarmandthestuffedolivesoily？Whatifthepepperforthehard—
boiledeggshadsiftedalloverthe\"devilish\"hamsandwiches？
Whatiftheeggsthemselveshadnotbeensufficientlycooked，andthecorkscrewforgotten？TheyCOULDnotbeanythingelsebutinordinatelyhappy，sublimelygay.Nothingshortofactualtragedycouldhavemarredthejoyofthatday.
Butaftertheyweredoneeating，andBlixhadputawaytheforksandspoons，andwhileCondywasstretcheduponhisbacksmokingacigar，shesaidtohim：
\"Now，Condy，whatdoyousaytoalittlegameofcardswithme？\"
ThecigardroppedfromCondy’slips，andhesatsuddenlyupright，brushingthefallenleavesfromhishair.Blixhadtakenadeckofcardsfromthelunch—basket，andfourrollsofchipswrappedintissuepaper.Hestaredatherinspeechlessamazement.
\"Whatdoyousay？\"sherepeated，lookingathimandsmiling.
\"Why，Blix！\"heexclaimedinamazement，\"whatdoyoumean？\"
\"JustwhatIsay.Iwantyoutoplaycardswithme.\"
\"I’llnottodoit，\"hedeclared，almostcoldly.
\"Listentome，Condy，\"answeredBlix;andforquitefiveminutes，whileheinterruptedandprotestedandpshawedandargued，shetalkedtohimcalmlyandquietly.
\"Idon’taskyoutostopplaying，Condy，\"shesaid，asshefinished;\"Ijustaskyouthatwhenyoufeelyoumustplay——or——I
mean，whenyouwanttoverybad，youwillcomeandplaywithme，insteadofplayingatyourclub.\"
\"Butit’sabsurd，it’spreposterous.Ihatetoseeagirlgambling——andyouofallgirls！\"
\"It’snoworseformethanitisforyouand——well，doyousupposeIwouldplaywithanyoneelse？MaybeyouthinkIcan’tplaywellenoughtomakeitinterestingforyou，\"shesaidgayly.\"Isthatit？Icansoonshowyou，CondyRivers——nevermindwhenIlearnedhow.\"
\"But，Blix，youdon’tknowhowoftenweplay，thosemenandI.
Why，itisalmostevery——youdon’tknowhowoftenweplay.\"
\"Condy，wheneveryouwanttoplay，andwillplaywithME，nomatterwhatI’vegotinhand，I’llstopeverythingandplaywithyou.\"
\"Butwhy？\"
\"BecauseIthink，Condy，thatTHISwayperhapsyouwon’tplayquitesooftenatfirst;andthenlittlebylittleperhaps——
perhaps——well，nevermindthatnow.Iwanttoplay;putitthatway.ButIwantyoutopromisemenevertoplaywithanyoneelse——sayforsixmonths.\"
Andintheend，whippedbyasenseofshame，Condymadeherthepromise.Theybecameverygayupontheinstant.
\"Hoh！\"exclaimedCondy;\"whatdoYOUknowofpoker？Ithinkwehadbestplayoldsledgeorcassino.\"
Blixhaddealtahandandpartitionedthechips.
\"StraightsandflushesBEFOREthedraw，\"sheannouncedcalmly.
Condystartedandstared;then，lookingatheraskance，pickeduphishand.
\"It’suptoyou.\"
\"I’llmakeitfivetoplay.\"
\"Five？Verywell.Howmanycards？\"
\"Three.\"
\"I’lltaketwo.\"
\"Betyoufivemore.\"
Blixlookedatherhand.Then，withouttraceofexpressioninhervoiceorface，said：
\"There’syourfive，andIllraiseyoufive.\"
\"Fivebetter.\"
\"Andfivebetterthanthat.\"
\"Callyou.\"
\"Fullhouse.Acesontens，\"saidBlix，throwingdownhercards.
\"Heavens！they’regoodasgold，\"mutteredCondyasBlixgatheredinthechips.
Anhourlatershehadwonallthechipsbutfive.
\"Nowwe’llstopandgettofishingagain;don’tyouwantto？\"
Heagreed，andshecountedthechips.
\"Condy，youowemesevendollarsandahalf，\"sheannounced.
Condybegantosmile.\"Well，\"hesaidjocosely，\"I’llsendyouaroundacheckto—morrow.\"
ButatthisBlixwascrossupontheinstant.\"Youwouldn’tdothat——wouldn’ttalkthatwaywithoneofyourfriendsattheclub！\"sheexclaimed;\"andit’snotrighttodoitwithme.
Condy，givemesevendollarsandahalf.Whenyouplaycardswithmeit’sjustasthoughitwerewithanotherman.Iwouldhavepaidyouifyouhadwon.\"
\"ButIhaven’tgotmorethanninedollars.Who’llpayforthesupperto—nightatLuna’s，andourrailroadfaregoinghome？\"
\"I’llpay.\"
\"ButI——Ican’taffordtolosemoneythisway.\"
\"Shouldn’thaveplayed，then.Itookthesamechancesasyou.
Condy，Iwantmymoney.\"
\"You——you——whyyou’veregularlyflimflammedme.\"
\"Willyougivememymoney？\"
\"Oh，takeyourmoneythen！\"
Blixshutthemoneyinherpurse，androse，dustingherdress.
\"Now，\"shesaid——\"nowthatthepastimeofcard—playingisover，wewillreturntotheseriousbusinessoflife，whichisthecatching——no，’KILLING’oflaketrout.\"
Atfiveo’clockintheafternoon，CondypulleduptheanchorofrailroadironandrowedbacktoRichardson’s.Blixhadsixtrouttohercredit，butCondy’sill—luckhadbeenactuallyludicrous.
\"Icanholdastringinthewateraslongasanybody，\"hecomplained，\"butI’dliketohavethesatisfactionofmerelychangingthebaitOCCASIONALLY.I’venothadasinglebite——notanibble，y’know，allday.Nevermind，yougotthebigtrout，Blix;thatfirstone.Thatfiveminuteswasworththewholeday.
It’sbeenglorious，thewholething.We’llcomedownhereonceaweekrightalongnow.\"
ButtheoneincidentthatcompletedthehappinessofthatwonderfuldayoccurredjustastheyweregettingoutoftheboatontheshorebyRichardson’s.Inamud—holebetweentworockstheydiscoveredatinystripedsnake，hardlybiggerthanaleadpencil，intheactofswallowingalittlegreenfrog，andtheypassedarapttenminutesinwitnessingtheprogressofthisminiaturedrama，whichculminatedhappilyinthevictim’sescape，andtriumphofvirtue.
\"That，\"declaredBlixastheyclimbedintotheoldbuggywhichwastotakethemtothetrain，\"wastheonethingnecessary.Thatmadethedayperfect.\"
Theyreachedthecityatdusk，andsenttheirfish，lunch—basket，androdsuptotheBessemers’flatbyamessengerboywithanexplanatorynoteforBlix’sfather.
\"Now，\"saidCondy，\"forLuna’sandthematrimonialobjects.\"
ChapterVII
Luna’sMexicanrestauranthasnoaddress.Itisonnoparticularstreet，atnoparticularcorner;evenitshabitues，itsmostenthusiasticdevotees，areunabletolocateitupondemand.Itis\"overthereinthequarter，\"\"notfarfromthecathedralthere.\"
Onecouldfinditifonestartedoutwiththatintent;buttodirectanotherthere——no，thatisoutofthequestion.ItCANbereachedbyfollowingthealleysofChinatown.Youwillcomeoutofthelastalley——theonewheretheslavegirlsare——upontheedgeoftheMexicanquarter，andbygoingstraightforwardablockortwoandbykeepingasharplookouttorightandleftyouwillhituponit.Itisalwaystobesearchedfor.Alwaystobediscovered.
OnthatparticularMondayeveningBlixandCondyarrivedatLuna’ssomefifteenminutesbeforeseven.Condyhadlosthimselfandallsenseofdirectioninthestrangestreetsofthequarter，andtheywereontheverybrinkofdespairwhenBlixdiscoveredthesignuponanoppositecorner.
AsCondyhadforetold，theyhadtheplacetothemselves.Theywentintothebackroomwithitsonemirror，sixtables，andastonishingcurtainsofNottinghamlace;andthewaiter，whosenamewasRichardorRiccardo，accordingtotaste，begantoofficiateatthesolemnritesofthe\"supperMexican.\"CondyandBlixatewiththeireyescontinuallywanderingtothedoor;andastheFRIJOLESwerebeingserved，startedsimultaneouslyandexchangedglances.
Amanwearingtwomargueritesinthelapelofhiscoathadenteredabruptly，andsatdowntoatablecloseathand.
Condydrewabreathofsuppressedexcitement.
\"Thereheis，\"hewhispered——\"CaptainJack！\"
Theylookedatthenewcomerwithfurtiveanxiety，andtoldthemselvesthattheyweredisappointed.Foraretiredseacaptainhewasdesperatelycommonplace.Hishairwasred，hewasyoungerthantheyhadexpected，and，worstofall，hedidlooktough.
\"Oh，poorK.D.B.！\"sighedBlix，shakingherhead.\"He’llneverdo，I’mafraid.Perhapshehasagoodheart，though;red—headedpeopleareSOMETIMESaffectionate.\"
\"Theyareimpulsive，\"hazardedCondy.
Ashespokethewords，asecondmanenteredthelittleroom.He，too，satdownatanearbytable.He，too，orderedthe\"supperMexican.\"He，too，woremargueritesinhisbuttonhole.
\"Deathanddestruction！\"gaspedCondy，turningpale.
Blixcollapsedhelplesslyinherchair，herhandsdroppinginherlap.Theystaredateachotherinutterconfusion.
\"Here’sahow—do—you—do，\"murmuredCondy，pretendingtostripaTAMALEthatRichardhadjustsetbeforehim.ButBlixhadpushedhersaside.
\"Whatdoesitmean？\"whisperedCondyacrossthetable.\"InHeaven’sname，whatdoesitmean？\"
\"Itcanonlymeanonething，\"Blixdeclared;\"oneofthemisthecaptain，andoneisacoincidence.Anybodymightwearamarguerite;weoughttohavethoughtofthat.\"
\"Butwhichiswhich？\"
\"IfK.D.B.shouldcomenow！\"
\"Butthelastmanlooksmorelikethecaptain.\"
Thelastmanwasasturdy，broad—shoulderedfellow，whomighthavebeenforty.Hisheavymustachewasjusttouchedwithgray，andhedidhaveacertainvaguely\"soberandindustrious\"appearance.
Butthedifferencebetweenthetwomenwasslight，afterall;thered—headedmancouldeasilyhavebeenaseacaptain，andhecertainlywasoverthirty—five.
\"Which？which？which？——howcanwetell？Wemightthinkofsomewaytogetridofthecoincidence，ifwecouldonlytellwhichthecoincidencewas.WeoweittoK.D.B.Inaway，Condy，it’sourduty.Webroughtherhere，orwearegoingto，andweoughttohelpherallwecan;andshemaybehereatanymoment.Whattimeisitnow？\"
\"Fiveminutesafterseven.But，Blix，Ishouldthinktherightone——thecaptain——wouldbeallputouthimselfbyseeinganotherchapherewearingmarguerites.Doeseitheroneof’emseemputouttoyou？Look.Ishouldthinkthecaptain，whicheveroneheis，wouldkindofGLAREatthecoincidence.\"
Stealthilytheystudiedthetwomenforamoment.
\"No，no，\"murmuredBlix，\"youcan’ttell.Neitherofthemseemstoglaremuch.Oh，Condy\"——hervoicedroppedtoafaintwhisper.
\"Thered—headedonehasputhishatonachair，justbehindhim，notice？Doyousupposeifyoustoodupyoucouldseeinside？\"
\"Whatgoodwouldthatdo？\"
\"Hemighthavehisinitialsinsidethecrown，orhiswholenameeven;andyoucouldseeifhehada’captain’beforeit.\"
Condymadeapretenceofrisingtogetamatchinaribbed，truncatedconeofchinathatstooduponanadjacenttable，andBlixheldherbreathasheglanceddownintothedepthsofthehat.Heresumedhisseat.
\"Onlyinitials，\"hebreathed——\"W.J.A.ItmightbeJack，thatJ.，anditmightbeJoe，orJeremiah，orJoshua;andevenifhewasacaptainhemightnotusethetitle.We’renobetteroffthanwewerebefore.\"
\"AndK.D.B.maycomeatanymoment.Maybeshehascomealreadyandlookedthroughthewindows，andsawTWOmenwithmargueritesandwentaway.She’dbejustthattimid.Whatcanwedo？\"
\"Waitaminute，lookhere，\"murmuredCondy.\"I’veanidea.I’LL
findoutwhichthecaptainis.Youseethatpicture，thatchromo，onthewallopposite？\"
Blixlookedasheindicated.Thepicturewasagorgeouslycoloredlithographofapilot—boat，schooner—rigged，allsailsset，dashingbravelythroughseasofemeraldgreencolor.
\"Youmeanthatschooner？\"askedBlix.
\"Thatschooner，exactly.Now，listen.Youaskmeinaloudvoicewhatkindofaboatthatis;andwhenIanswer，youkeepyoureyeonthetwomen.\"
\"Why，whatareyougoingtodo？\"
\"You’llsee.Tryitnow;we’venotimetolose.\"
Blixshiftedinherseatandclearedherthroat.Then：
\"Whataprettyboatthatisupthere，thatpictureonthewall.
Seeoverthere，onthewallopposite？Doyounoticeit？Isn’tshepretty？Condy，tellmewhatkindofaboatisthat？\"
Condyturnedaboutinhisplacewithgreatdeliberation，fixedthepicturewithajudicialeye，andannounceddecisively：
\"That？——why，that’saBARKENTINE.\"
CondyhadnoneedtowaitforBlix’sreport.Thedemonstrationcamefartooquicklyforthat.Thered—headedmanathislouddeclarationmerelyglancedinthedirectionofthechromoandreturnedtohisenchellados.ButheoftheblackmustachefollowedCondy’sglance，notedthepictureofwhichhespoke，andsnortedcontemptuously.Theyevenheardhimmutterbeneathhismustache：
\"BARKENTINEyoureye！\"
\"Nodoubtastowhichisthecaptainnow，\"whisperedCondysosoonastheotherhadremovedfromhimaglanceofwitheringscorn.
Theycouldhardlyrestraintheirgayety;buttheirgravitypromptlyreturnedwhenBlixkickedCondy’sfootunderthetableandmurmured：\"He’slookingathiswatch，thecaptainis.K.D.
B.isn’thereyet，andthered—headedman，thecoincidence，is.
WeMUSTgetridofhim.Condy，can’tyouthinkofsomething？\"
\"Well，hewon’tgotillhe’sthroughhissupper，youcandependuponthat.Ifhe’sherewhenK.D.B.arrives，itwillspoileverything.Shewouldn’tstayamoment.Shewouldn’tevencomein.\"
\"Isn’titdisappointing？AndIhadsocounteduponbringingthesetwotogether！AndCaptainJackisaniceman！\"
\"Youcanseethatwithonehandtiedbehindyou，\"whisperedCondy.
\"Theotherchap’stough.\"
\"Looksjustlikethekindofmantogetintojailsoonerorlater.\"
\"Maybehe’sintosomemischiefnow;younevercantell.AndtheMexicanquarterofSanFranciscoisjusttheplacefor’affairs.’
I’llwarranthe’sgotPALS.\"
\"Well，hereheis——that’sthemainpoint——justkeepingthosepeopleapart，spoilingawholeromance.Mayberuiningtheirlives.It’sQUITEpossible;reallyitis.Juststopandthink.
Thisisapositivecrisiswe’relookingatnow.\"
\"Can’twegetridofhimSOMEHOW？\"
\"O—oh！\"whisperedBlix，allatonce，inaquiverofexcitement.
\"Thereisaway，ifwe’deverhavethecouragetodoit.Itmightwork;andifitdidn’t，he’dneverknowthedifference，neverwouldsuspectus.Oh！butwewouldn’tdare.\"
\"What？what？InHeaven’snamewhatisit，Blix？\"
\"Wewouldn’tdare——wecouldn’t.Oh！butitwouldbesuch——\"
\"K.D.B.maycomeinthatdooratanysecond.\"
\"I’mhalfafraid，butallthesame——Condy，letmehaveapencil.\"
Shedashedoffacoupleoflinesonthebackofthebilloffare，andherhandtrembledlikealeafasshehandedhimwhatshehadwritten.
\"Sendhim——thered—headedman——thattelegram.There’sanofficejusttwodoorsbelowhere，nextthedrug—store.Isawitaswecameby.Youknowhisinitials：remember，yousawtheminhishat.W.J.A.，Luna’srestaurant.That’sallyouwant.\"
\"Lord，\"mutteredCondy，ashegazeduponwhatBlixhadwritten.
\"Doyoudare？\"shewhispered，withalittlehystericalshudder.
\"Ifitfailedwe’venothingtolose.\"
\"AndK.D.B.iscomingnearereveryinstant！\"
\"Butwouldhego——thatis，atonce？\"
\"Wecanonlytry.Youwon’tbegoneahundredseconds.Youcanleavemeherethatlengthoftime.Quick，Condy;decideonewayortheother.It’sgettingdesperate.\"
Condyreachedforhishat.
\"Givemesomemoney，then，\"hesaid.\"Youwonallofmine\"
Afewmomentslaterhewasbackagainandthetwosat，pretendingtoeattheirchilipeppers，theirheartsintheirthroats，hardlydaringtoraisetheireyesfromtheirplates.Condywasactuallysickwithexcitement，andallbuttippedtheseltzerbottletothefloorwhenamessengerboyappearedintheouterroom.Theboyandtheproprietorheldaconferenceoverthecounter.ThenRichardappearedbetweentheportieresofNottinghamlace，thetelegraminhishandandtheboyathisheels.
EvidentlyRichardknewthered—headedman，forhecrossedovertohimatoncewiththewords：
\"Iguessthisisforyou，Mr.Atkins？\"
Hehandedhimthedespatchandretired.Thered—headedmansignedthereceipt;theboydeparted.BlixandCondyheardthesoundoftornpaperasthered—headedmanopenedthetelegram.
Tensecondspassed，thenfifteen，thentwenty.Therewasasilence.Condydaredtostealaglanceatthered—headedman’sreflectioninthemirror.Hewasstudyingthedespatch，frowninghorribly.Heputitawayinhispocket，tookitoutagainwithafiercemovementofimpatience，andconsulteditasecondtime.
His\"supperMexican\"remaineduntastedbeforehim;CondyandBlixheardhimbreathingloudthroughhisnose.Thathewasprofoundlyagitated，theycouldnotdoubtforasinglemoment.Allatoncealittlepanicterrorseemedtotakepossessionofhim.Herose，seizedhishat，jammeditoverhisears，slappedahalf—dollaruponthetable，andstrodefromtherestaurant.
Thisiswhattheread—headedmanhadreadinthedespatch;thisiswhatBlixhadwritten：
\"ALLISDISCOVERED.FLYATONCE.\"
AndneverinalltheirsubsequentramblesaboutthecitydidBlixorCondyseteyesuponthered—headedmanagain，nordidLuna’srestaurant，whereheseemedtohavebeenahabitue，everafterwardknowhispresence.Hedisappeared;hewasswallowedup.Hehadlefttherestaurant，true.Hadhealsoleftthatneighborhood？
Hadhefledthecity，theState，thecountryeven？Whatskeletoninthered—headedman’sclosethadthosesixwordscalledtolifeandthelightofday.Hadtheyfrightenedhimforthtospendtherestofhisdaysfleeingfromanunnamed，unknownavenger——averitablewanderingJew？Whatmysteryhadtheytoucheduponthereinthebald，barebackroomoftheQuarter’srestaurant？Whatdarkdoorhadtheyopened，whatred—headedphantomhadtheyevoked？Hadtheybrokenupaplot，thwartedaconspiracy，preventedacrime？
Theyneverknew.Onethingonlywascertain.Thered—headedmanhadhadapast.
Meanwhiletheminuteswerepassing，andK.D.B.stillfailedtoappear.CaptainJackwasvisiblygrowingimpatient，anxious.Bynowhehadcometothefieryliqueurcalledmescal.Hewasnearlythroughhissupper.Ateverymomentheconsultedhiswatchandfixedtheoutsidedoorwithascowl.Itwasalreadytwentyminutesafterseven.
\"Iknowthered—headedmanspoiledit，afterall，\"murmuredBlix.
\"K.D.B.sawthetwooftheminhereandwasfrightened.\"
\"WecouldsendCaptainJackatelegramfromher，\"suggestedCondy.
\"I’mreadyforanythingnow.\"
\"Whatcouldyousay？\"
\"Oh，thatshecouldn’tcome.Makeanotherappointment.\"
\"He’dbeoffendedwithher.He’dnevermakeanotherappointment.
Seacaptainsarealwayssopunctilious，y’know.\"
Richardbroughtthemtheircoffeeandkirsch，andCondyshowedBlixhowtoburnalumpofsugarandsweetenthecoffeewithsyrup.Buttheyweredisappointed.CaptainJackwasgettingreadytoleave.K.D.B.hadevidentlybrokentheappointment.
Thenallatoncesheappeared.
Theyknewitupontheinstantbyabriskopeningandshuttingofthestreetdoor，andbyasuddenalertnessonthepartofCaptainJack，whichheimmediatelyfollowedbyaquiteinexplicablemove.
Thestreetdoorintheoutsideroomhadhardlyclosedbeforehishandshottohiscoatlapelandtoreoutthetwomarguerites.
Theactionwasinstinctive;Blixknewitforsuchimmediately.
Theretiredcaptainhadnotpremeditatedit.Hehadnotseenthefaceofthenewcomer.Shehadnottimetocomeintothebackroom，oreventoclosethestreetdoor.Buttheinstantthatthecaptainhadrecognizedabunchofwhitemargueritesinherbelthehad，withoutknowingwhy，beenmovedtoconcealhisidentity.
\"He’safraid，\"whisperedBlix.\"Positively，Ibelievehe’safraid.Howabsolutelystupidmenare！\"
Butmeanwhile，K.D.B.，thelooked—for，theplanned—forandintrigued—for;theobjectofsomuchdiplomacy，suchdelicatemanoeuvring;thepivotuponwhichallplansweretoturn，thestorm—centreroundwhichsomanyconflictingcurrentsrevolved，andforwhosebenefitthepeaceofmindofthered—headedmanhadbeenforeverbrokenup——hadenteredtheroom.
\"Why，she’sPRETTY！\"wasBlix’sfirstsmotheredexclamation，asifshehadexpectedaharridan.
K.D.B.lookedlikeaservant—girlofthebettersort，andwasreallyveryneatlydressed.Shewassmall，littleeven.Shehadsnappyblackeyes，aresolutemouth，andageneralairofbeingveryquiet，verymatter—of—factandcomplacent.Shewouldbedisturbedatnothing，excitedatnothing;Blixwassureofthat.
Shewasplacid，butitwastheplaciditynotoftheabsenceofemotion，butofemotiondisdained.Nottheplacidityofthemollusk，butthatofamatureandcontemplativecat.
Quietlyshesatdownatacornertable，quietlysheremovedherveilandgloves，andquietlyshetookintheroomanditsthreeoccupants.
CondyandBlixgluedtheireyesupontheircoffeecupslikeguiltyconspirators;butacrashoffallingcrockerycalledtheirattentiontothecaptain’stable.
CaptainJackwasinatremor.Hithertohehadactedtheroleofasaneandsensiblegentlemanofmiddleage，masterofhimselfandofthesituation.TheentranceofK.D.B.hadevidentlyreducedhimtoasemi—idioticcondition.Heenlargedhimself;heeasedhisneckinhiscollarwitharotarymovementofheadandshoulders.Hefrownedterriblyattriflingobjectsincornersoftheroom.Heclearedhisthroattilltheglasswarejingled.Hepulledathismustache.Heperspired，fumed，fretted，andwassuddenlyseizedwithaninsanedesiretolaugh.OnceonlyhecaughttheeyeofK.D.B.，calmlysittinginhercorner，pickingdaintilyatherfish，whereuponheimmediatelyoverturnedthevinegarandpeppercastersuponthefloor.Justsomighthavebehavedanovergrownpuppyinthepresenceofasleepy，unperturbedchessy—cat，dozingbythefire.
\"Heoughttobeshaken，\"murmuredBlixattheendofherpatience.
\"DoeshethinkSHEisgoingtomakethefirstmove？\"
\"Ha，ah’m！\"thunderedthecaptain，clearinghisthroatforthetwentiethtime，twirlinghismustache，andburyinghisscarletfaceinanenormouspockethandkerchief.
Fiveminutespassedandhewasstillinhisplace.FromtimetotimeK.D.B.fixedhimwithaquiet，deliberatelook，andresumedherdelicatepicking.
\"Doyouthinksheknowsit’she，nowthathe’stakenoffhismarguerites？\"whisperedCondy.
\"Knowit？——ofcourseshedoes！DoyouthinkwomenareabsolutelyBLIND，orsoimbecileasmenare？And，then，ifshedidn’tthinkitwashe，she’dgoaway.Andshe’ssoreallypretty，too.Heoughttothankhisstarsalive.Thinkwhatafrightshemighthavebeen！Shedoesn’tLOOKthirty—one.\"
\"Huh！\"returnedCondy.\"AslongassheSAIDshewasthirty—one，youcanbeteverythingyouhavethatsheis;that’sastrueasrevealedreligion.\"
\"Well，it’ssomethingtohaveseenthekindofpeoplewhowritethepersonals，\"saidBlix.\"Ihadalwaysimaginedthattheywerekindoftough.\"
\"Youseetheyarenot，\"heanswered.\"Itoldyoutheywerenot.
Maybe，however，wehavebeenexceptionallyfortunate.Atanyrate，thesearerespectableenough.\"
\"Nottheleastdoubtaboutthat.Butwhydon’thedosomething，thatcaptain？\"mournedBlix.\"WhyWILLheactlikesuchaninny？\"
\"He’swaitingforustogo，\"saidCondy;\"I’msureofit.They’llnevermeetsolongaswe’rehere.Let’sgoandgive’emachance.
Ifyouleavethetwoalonehere，oneortheotherwillHAVEtospeak.Thesuspensewouldbecometooterrible.Itwouldbeasthoughtheywereonadesertisland.\"
\"ButIwantedtoSEEthemmeet，\"sheprotested.
\"Youwouldn’thearwhattheysaid.\"
\"Butwe’dneverknowiftheydidmeet，andoh——andWHOspokefirst？\"
\"She’llspeakfirst，\"declaredCondy.
\"Never！\"returnedBlix，inanindignantwhisper.
\"Itellyouwhat.Wecouldgoandthencomebackinfiveminutes.
I’llforgetmystickhere.Savvy？\"
\"Youwouldprobablydoitanyhow，\"shetoldhim.
Theydecidedthiswouldbethebettercourse.Theygottogethertheirthings，andCondyneglectedhisstick，hanginguponahookonthewall.
Atthecounterintheoutsideroom，Blix，tothestupefactionofRichard，thewaiter，paidthebill.Butasshewasmovingtowardthedoor，Condycalledherback.
\"Rememberthewaiter，\"hesaidseverely，whileRichardgrinnedandbobbed.\"Fiftycentsistheveryleastyoucouldtiphim.\"
Richardactuallyprotested，butCondywasfirm，andinsisteduponahalf—dollartip.
\"Noblesseoblige，\"hedeclaredwithvastsolemnity.
Theywalkedasfarasthecathedral，listenedforamomenttothebellstrikingthehourofeight;thenastheyrememberedthattherestaurantclosedatthattime，hurriedbackandenteredtheoutsideroominfeignedperturbation.
\"DidI，couldIhavepossiblyleftmystickhere？\"exclaimedCondytoRichard，whowasuntyinghisapronbehindthecounter.ButRichardhadnotnoticed.
\"IthinkImusthaveleftitbackherewhereweweresitting.\"
Condysteppedintothebackroom，Blixfollowing.Theygothisstickandreturnedtotheoutsideroom.
\"Yes，yes，Ididleaveit，\"hesaid，asheshowedittoRichard.
I’malwaysleavingthatstickwhereverIgo.\"
\"Comeagain，\"saidRichard，ashebowedthemoutofthedoor.
OnthecurboutsideCondyandBlixshookhandsandcongratulatedeachotheronthesuccessofalltheirlabors.Inthebackroom，seatedatthesametable，abunchofwiltingmargueritesbetweenthem，theyhadseentheir\"matrimonialobjects\"conferringearnestlytogether，absorbedinthebusinessofgettingacquainted.
Blixheavedagreatsighofreliefandsatisfaction，exclaiming：
\"AtlastK.D.B.andCaptainJackhavemet！\"
ChapterVIII
\"But，\"sheadded，astheystartedtowalk，\"wewillneverknowwhichonespokefirst.\"
ButCondywasalreadyworrying.
\"Idon’tknow，Idon’tknow！\"hemurmuredanxiously.\"Perhapswe’vedoneanawfulthing.Supposetheyaren’thappytogetherafterthey’remarried？Iwishwehadn’t;Iwishwehadn’tnow.
We’vebeenplayingagameofcheckerswithhumansouls.We’veanawfulresponsibility.Supposehekillshersometime？\"
\"Fiddlesticks，Condy！And，besides，ifwe’vedonewrongwithourmatrimonialobjects，we’veoffsetitbydoingwellwithourred—
headedcoincidence.Howdoyouknow，youmayhave’foiledavillain’withthattelegram——preventedacrime？\"
Condygrinnedattherecollectionoftheincident.
\"’Flyatonce，’\"herepeated.\"Iguesshe’sflyingyet.’Allisdiscovered.’I’dgiveadollarandahalf——\"
\"Ifyouhadit？\"
\"Oh，well，ifIhadit——toknowjustwhatitwaswehavediscovered.\"
SuddenlyBlixcaughthisarm.
\"Condy，heretheycome！\"
\"Who？Who？\"
\"Ourobjects，CaptainJackandK.D.B.\"
\"Ofcourse，ofcourse.Theycouldn’tstay.Therestaurantshutsupateight\"
BlixandCondyhadbeenwalkingslowlyinthedirectionofPacificStreet，andK.D.B.andherescortsoonovertookthemgoinginthesamedirection.Astheypassed，thecaptainwassaying：
\"——jumpedonmyhatches，andsayswe’llmakeitaninternationalaffair.Thatdidn’t——\"
Apassingwagondrownedthesoundofhisvoice.
\"Hewastellingherofhisadventures！\"criedBlix.\"Splendid！
OthelloandDesdemona.They’regettingon.\"
\"Let’sfollowthem！\"exclaimedCondy.
\"Shouldwe？Wouldn’titbeindiscreet？\"
\"No.Wearethearbitersoftheirfate;weMUSTtakeaninterest.\"
Theyallowedtheirobjectstogetaheadsomehalfablockandthenfellinbehind.Therewaslittledangeroftheirbeingdetected.
ThecaptainandK.D.B.wereabsorbedineachother.Shehadeventakenhisarm.
\"Theymakeafine—lookingcouple，really，\"saidBlix.\"Wheredoyousupposetheyaregoing？Toanotherrestaurant？\"
Butthiswasnotthecase.BlixandCondyfollowedthemasfarasWashingtonSquare，wheretheGeodeticSurveystonestands，andtheenormousflagstaff;andthereinfrontofacommonplacelittlehouse，twodoorsabovetheRussianchurchwithitsminaretslikeinvertedballoonsK.D.B.andthecaptainhalted.Forafewmomentstheyconversedinlowtonesatthegate，thensaidgood—
night，K.D.B.enteringthehouse，thecaptainbowingwithgreatdeference，hishatinhishand.Thenheturnedabout，glancedonceortwiceatthehouse，sethishatatanangle，anddisappearedacrossthesquare，whistlingatune，hischinintheair.
\"Verygood，excellent，highlyrespectable，\"approvedBlix;andCondyhimselffetchedasighofrelief.
\"Yes，yes，itmighthavebeenworse.\"
\"We’llneverseethemagain，our’MatrimonialObjects，’\"saidBlix，\"andthey’llneverknowaboutus;butwehavebroughtthemtogether.We’vestartedaromance.Yes，Ithinkwe’vedoneagoodday’swork.Andnow，Condy，Ithinkwehadbestbethinkingofhomeourselves.I’mjustbeginningtogetmostawfullysleepy.
Whatadaywe’vehad！\"
Aseafog，orratherTHEseafog——SanFrancisco’soldandinseparablecompanion——hadgatheredbythetimetheyreachedthetopoftheWashingtonStreethill.Everythingwaswetwithit.
Theasphaltwaslikevarnishedebony.Indistinctmassesandhugedimshadowsstoodforthehousesoneitherside.Fromtheeucalyptustreesandthepalmsthewaterdrippedlikerain.Faroffoceanward，thefog—hornwaslowinglikealostgiganticbull.
Thegraybulkofapoliceman——thelightfromthestreetlampreflectedinhisstar——loomeduponthecornerastheydescendedfromthecar.
**********
Condyhadintendedtocallhisdiver’sstory\"ASubmarineRomance，\"butBlixhaddisapproved.
\"It’stoo’TwentyThousandLeaguesUndertheSea，’\"shehadsaid.
\"Youwantsomethingmuchmoredignified.Thereisthataboutyou，Condy，youliketobetooshowy;youdon’tknowwhentostop.Butyouhaveleftoffred—and—whitescarfs，andIamverygladtoseeyouwearingwhiteshirt—frontsinsteadofpinkones.\"
\"Yes，yes，Ithoughtitwouldbequieter，\"hehadanswered，asthoughtheideahadcomefromhim.Blixallowedhimtothinkso.
But\"AVictoryOverDeath，\"asthestorywasfinallycalled，wasasuccess.Condywastoomuchofabornstory—tellernottoknowwhenhehaddonesomethingdistinctlygood.Whenthestorycamebackfromthetypewriter’s，withtheadditionalstrengththatprintlendstofiction，andhehadreaditover，hecouldnotrepressasenseofjubilation.Thestoryrangtrue.
\"Bully，bully！\"hemutteredbetweenhisteethashefinishedthelastparagraph.\"It’sacorker！Ifit’srejectedeverywhere，it’sanout—of—sightyarnjustthesame.\"
AndthereCondy’senthusiasminthematterbegantodwindle.Thefinefirewhichhadsustainedhimduringthestoryscompositionhaddiedout.Hewassatisfiedwithhiswork.Hehadwrittenagoodstory，andthatwastheendofit.NodoubthewouldsenditEast——totheCentennialCompany——to—morroworthedayafter——sometimethatweek.Tomailthemanuscriptmeantquitehalfanhour’seffort.Hewouldhavetobuystampsforreturnpostage;aletterwouldhavetobewritten，alargeenvelopeprocured，theaccurateaddressascertained.Forthemomenthissupplementworkdemandedhisattention.Heputoffsendingthestoryfromdaytoday.Hisinterestinithadabated.Andforthatmatterhesoondiscoveredhehadotherthingstothinkof.
IthadbeeneasytopromiseBlixthathewouldnolongergambleathisclubwiththeothermenofhisacquaintance;butitwas\"deathandthedevil，\"ashetoldhimself，toabidebythatpromise.
MorethanonceinthefortnightfollowinguponhisresolutionhehadcomeuptothelittleflatontheWashingtonStreethillastoaplaceofrefuge;andBlix，alwayspretendingthatitwasallahugejokeandpartoftheirgoodtimes，hadbroughtoutthecardsandplayedwithhim.Butsheknewverywellthefighthewasmakingagainsttheenemy，andhowharditwasforhimtokeepfromtheroundgreentablesandgroupofsilentshirt—sleevedmeninthecard—roomsofhisclub.ShelookedforwardtothetimewhenCondywouldceasetoplayevenwithher.Butshewastoosensibleandpracticalagirltoexpecthimtobreakahabitofyears’
standinginacoupleofweeks.Thethingwouldhavetobeaccomplishedlittlebylittle.Attimesshehadmisgivingsastothehonestyofthecourseshehadadopted.Butnowadays，playingashedidwithheronly，Condygambledbuttwoorthreeeveningsintheweek，andthennotformorethantwohoursatatime.
Heretoforehardlyaneveningthathadnotseenhimattheroundtableinhisclub’scard—room，whencehehadnotrisenuntillongaftermidnight.
CondyhadtoldyoungSargeantthathehad\"reformed\"inthematterofgambling，andintendedtoswearoffforafewmonths.
Sargeant，likethethoroughbredhewas，neverurgedhimtoplayafterthat，andneverspokeofthepreviousnight’sgamewhenCondywasabout.Theothermenofhis\"set\"werenolessthoughtful，and，thoughtheyralliedhimalittleatfirstuponhisdefection，soonletthematterdrop.Condytoldhimselfthattherewereplentyofgoodpeopleintheworld，afterall.Everyoneseemedconspiringtomakeiteasyforhim，andhesworeathimselfforaweak—kneedcad.
OnacertainTuesday，aboutaweekafterthefishingexcursionandtheaffairofthe\"MatrimonialObjects，\"towardhalf—pastsixintheevening，Condywasinhisroom，dressingforadinnerengagement.YoungSargeant’ssisterhadinvitedhimtobeoneofapartywhoweretodineattheUniversityClub，andlateronfillaboxatacharityplay，givenbyamateursatoneofthedowntowntheatres.Butashewaswashinghislinenshirt—studswithhistooth—brushhiseyefelluponanote，inLaurieFlagg’shand—
writing，thatlayonhiswriting—desk，andthathehadreceivedsometendaysprevious.Condyturnedcoldupontheinstant，hurledthetooth—brushacrosstheroom，anddroppedintoachairwithagroanofdespair.MissFlaggwasgivingatheatrepartyforthesameaffair，andherememberednowthathehadpromisedtojoinherpartyaswell，forgettingallabouttheengagementhehadmadewithMissSargeant.Itwasimpossibleatthislatehourtoaccepteitheroneoftheyoungwomen’sinvitationswithoutoffendingtheother.
\"Well，Iwon’tgotoEITHER，that’sall，\"hevociferatedaloudtotheoppositewall.\"I’llsend’emeachawire，andsaythatI’msickorhavegottogodowntotheoffice，and——and，byGeorge！
I’llgoupandseeBlix，andwe’llreadandmakethingstoeat.\"
Andnosoonerhadthisalternativeoccurredtohimthanitappearedtoofascinatingtoberesisted.Aweightseemedremovedfromhismind.Whenitcametothat，whatamusementwouldhehaveateitheraffair？
\"Situptherewithyourshirt—frontstarchedlikeaboard，\"heblustered，\"andyourcollarthrottlingyou，andsmiletillyourfaceissore，andreeloffsmalltalktoagirlwhoselastnameyoucan’tremember！DoIhaveanyfun，doesitdomeanygood，doIgetideasforyarns？WhatdoIdoitfor？Idon’tknow.\"
Whilespeakinghehadbeenkickingoffhistightshoesandsuchofhisfulldressashehadalreadyputon，andwithafeelingofenormousreliefturnedagaintohissacksuitoftweed.\"Lord，thesefeelbetter！\"heexclaimed，ashesubstitutedtheloosebusinesssuitfortheformalrigidityofhiseveningdress.Itwaswithasensationofpositiveluxurythatheputona\"soft\"
shirtofbluecheviotandhistanwalking—shoes.
\"Butnomoreredscarfs，\"hedeclared，asheknottedhisblacksatin\"club\"beforethemirror.\"SheWASrightthere.\"Heputhiscigarettesinhispocket，caughtuphisglovesandstick，clappedonhishat，andstartedfortheBessemers’flatwithafeelingofjoyousexpectancyhehadnotknownfordays.
EvidentlyBlixhadseenhimcoming，forsheopenedthedoorherself;anditsuitedherhumorforthemomenttotreathimasapeddlerorbook—agent.
\"No，no，\"shesaidairily，herheadintheairassheheldthedoor.\"No，wedon’twantanyto—day.WeHAVEthebiographyofAbrahamLincoln.Don’twanttosubscribetoanyHomeBookofArt.
We’renotartistic;weusedrapesinourparlors.Don’twant’TheWivesandMothersofGreatMen.’\"
ButCondyhadnoticedacoupleofyoungwomenonthelowerstepsoftheadjacentflat，quitewithinear—shot，andatoncehebeganinaloud，harshvoice：
\"Well，y’know，wecan’twaitforourrentforever;I’monlythecollector，andI’venothingtodowithrepairs.Payyourrentthat’sthreemonthsoverdue，andthen——
ButBlixpulledhimwithinthehouseandclappedtothedoor.
\"CondyRIVERS！\"sheexclaimed，hercheeksflaming，\"thoseareourneighbors.Theyheardeveryword.Whatdoyousupposetheythink？\"
\"Huh！I’dratherhave’emthinkIwasarent—collectorthanabook—agent.Youbeganit.’Evenin’，MissLady.\"
\"’Evenin’，MisterMan.\"
ButCondy’svisit，begunthusgayly，soondevelopedalongmuchmoreseriouslines.Aftersupper，whilethelightstilllasted，Blixreadstoriestohimwhilehesmokedcigarettesinthebaywindowofthedining—room.Butassoonasthelightbegantogosheputthebookaside，andthetwotooktheiraccustomedplacesinthewindow，andwatchedtheeveningburningitselfoutovertheGoldenGate.
Itwasjustwarmenoughtohaveoneofthewindowsopened，andforalongtimeafterthedusktheysatlisteningtothevagueclamorofthecity，lapsingbydegrees，tillitsettledintoameasured，soothingmurmur，likethebreathingofsomevastmonsterasleep.
Condy’scigarettewasamereredpointinthehalf—darkness.Thesmokedriftedoutoftheopenwindowinlong，bluestrata.AthiselbowBlixwasleaningforward，lookingdownuponthedarkening，drowsingcity，herround，strongchinproppeduponherhand.ShewasjustcloseenoughforCandytocatchthesweet，deliciousfeminineperfumethatcameindefinitelyfromherclothes，herhair，herneck.FromwhereCondysathecouldseethesilhouetteofherheadandshouldersagainstthedullgoldenbluroftheopenwindow;herround，highforehead，withthethickyellowhairrollingbackfromhertemplesandears，herpink，cleancheeks，herlittledark—brown，scintillatingeyes，andherfirmredmouth，madeallthefirmerbythepositionofherchinuponherhand.Asever，herround，strongneckwasswathedhighandtightinwhitesatin;butbetweenthetopmostfoldofthesatinandtheroseofonesmallear—lobewasalittletriangleofwhiteskin，thatwaspartlyherneckandpartlyhercheek，andthatCondyknewshouldbesofterthandown，smootherthansatin，warmandsweetandredolentasnewapples.Condyimaginedhimselfhavingtherighttoleantowardherthereandkissthatlittlespotuponherneckorhercheek;andashefanciedit，wassurprisedtofindhisbreathcomesuddenlyquick，andabarelyperceptiblequalm，asofacertainfaintness，thrillhimtohisfinger—tips;andthen，hethought，howwoulditbeifhecould，withoutfearofrebuff，reachouthisarmandputitabouthertrim，firmwaist，anddrawherveryclosetohim，tillheshouldfeelthesatinycoolnessofhersmoothcheekagainsthis;tillhecouldsinkhisfaceinthedelicious，fragrantconfusionofherhair，thenturnthatfacetohis——thatfacewithitsstrong，calmmouthandsweet，fulllips——
thefaceofthisdearyounggirlofnineteen，andthen——
\"Isay——I——shallwe——let’sreadagain.Let’s——let’sdosomething.\"
\"Condy，howyoufrightenedme！\"exclaimedBlix，withagreatstart.\"No，listen：Iwanttotalktoyou，totellyousomething.
PapumandIhavebeenhavingsomeverylongandserioustalkssinceyouwerelasthere.Whatdoyouthink，Imaygoaway.\"
\"Thedeuceyousay！\"exclaimedCondy，sittingsuddenlyupright.
\"Whereto，inHeaven’sname？\"headded——\"andwhen？andwhatfor？\"
\"ToNewYork，tostudymedicine.\"
Therewasasilence;thenCondyexclaimed，wavinghishandsather：
\"Oh，gorighton！Don’tmindme.LittlethinglikegoingtoNewYork——tostudymedicine.Ofcourse，thathappenseveryday，ameredetail.Ipresumeyou’llgobackandforthforyourmeals？\"
ThenBlixbegantoexplain.Itappearedthatshehadtwoaunts，bothsistersofherfather——oneawidow，theotherunmarried.Thewidow，acertainMrs.Kihm，livedinNewYork，andwaswealthy，andhadviewson\"women’ssphereofusefulness.\"Theother，MissBessemer，alittleoldmaidoffifty，Condyhadonrareoccasionsseenattheflat，whereeveryonecalledherAuntDodd.ShelivedinthatvagueregionofthecityknownastheMission，wheresheownedalittleproperty.
FromwhatBlixtoldhimthatevening，CondylearnedthatMrs.KihmhadvisitedthecoastafewwinterspreviousandhadtakenagreatfancytoBlix.EventhenshehadproposedtoMr.BessemertotakeBlixbacktoNewYorkwithher，andeducatehertosomewoman’sprofession;butatthattimetheoldmanwouldnotlistentoit.
Nowitseemedthattheopportunityhadagainpresenteditself.
\"She’sadearoldlady，\"Blixsaid;\"notabitstrong—minded，asyouwouldthink，andeversomuchclevererthanmostmen.Shemanagesallherpropertyherself.Forthelastmonthshe’sbeenwritingagaintoPapumformetocomeonandstaywithherthree，orfouryears.Shehasn’tachicknorachild，andshedon’tentertainorgooutany，somaybeshefeelslonesome.OfcourseifIstudiedthere，Papumwouldn’tthinkofAuntKihm——don’tyouknow——payingforitall.Iwouldn’tgoifitwasthatway.ButI
couldstaywithherandshecouldmakeahomeformewhileIwasthere——ifIshouldstudy——anything——studymedicine.\"
\"Butwhy！\"heexclaimed.\"Whatdoyouwanttostudytobeadoctorfor？Itisn’tasthoughyouhadtosupportyourself.\"
\"Iknow，IknowI’venotgottosupportmyself.Butwhyshouldn’tIhaveaprofessionjustlikeaman——justlikeyou，Condy？Youstopandthink.ItseemedstrangetomewhenIfirstthoughtofit;butIgotthinkingaboutitandtalkingitoverwithPapum，andIshouldLOVEit.I’ddoit，notbecauseIwouldhavetodoit，butbecauseitwouldinterestme.Condy，youknowthatI’mnotabitstrong—minded，andthatIhateamasculine，unfemininegirlasmuchasyoudo.\"
\"Butamedicalcollege，Blix！Youdon’tknowwhatyouaretalkingabout.\"