CHAPTERI
ItwasaseasonofunequalledprosperityinDevil’sFord。ThehalfadozencabinsscatteredalongthebanksoftheNorthFork,asifbysomeoverflowofthatcapriciousriver,hadbecomeaugmentedduringaweekoffierceexcitementbytwentyorthirtyothers,thatwerehuddledtogetheronthenarrowgorgeofDevil’sSpur,orcastuponitssteepsides。Sosuddenandviolenthadbeenthechangeoffortune,thatthedwellersintheoldercabinshadnothadtimetochangewithit,butstillkepttheiroldhabits,customs,andeventheiroldclothes。Theflourpaninwhichtheirdailybreadwasmixedstoodontherudetablesidebysidewiththe\"prospectingpans,\"halffullofgoldwashedupfromtheirmorning’swork;thefrontwindowsofthenewertenementslookedupontheonesinglethoroughfare,butthebackdooropenedupontheunclearedwilderness,stillhauntedbythemisshapenbulkofbearorthenightlyglidingofcatamount。
Neitherhadsuccessasyetaffectedtheirboyishsimplicityandthefranknessofoldfrontierhabits;theyplayedwiththeirnew—foundricheswiththenaivedelightofchildren,andrehearsedtheirglowingfuturewiththeimportanceandtrivialityofschool—boys。
\"I’vebinkalklatin’,\"saidDickMattingly,leaningonhislong—
handledshovelwithlazygravity,\"thatwhenIgotoRomethiswinter,I’llgetoneo’themmarblesharpstochiselmeastatooo’
somekindtosetuponthespotwherewemadeourbigstrike。
Suthin’torememberitby,youknow。\"
\"Whatkindo’statoo——WashingtonorWebster?\"askedoneoftheKearneybrothers,withoutlookingupfromhiswork。
\"No——Ireckononeo’themfancygroups——oneo’themLatingoddessesthatFairfaxisalwaysgassin’about,sorterleadin’,directin’andbossin’uswheretodig。\"
\"You’dmakeahealthy—lookin’figgerinagroup,\"respondedKearney,criticallyregardinganenormouspatchinMattingly’strousers。\"Whydon’tyouhaveafountaininstead?\"
\"Where’llyougetthewater?\"demandedthefirstspeaker,inreturn。\"Youknowthereain’tenoughintheNorthForktodoaweek’swashingforthecamp——tosaynothin’ofitscolor。\"
\"Leavethattome,\"saidKearney,withself—possession。\"WhenI’vebuiltthattherereservoironDevil’sSpur,andbringthewaterovertheridgefromUnionDitch,there’llbeenoughtospareforthat。\"
\"Bettermixitup,Ireckon——havesuthin’halfstatoo,halffountain,\"interposedtheelderMattingly,betterknownas\"MarylandJoe,\"\"andsetitupaforetheTownHallandFreeLibraryI’mkalklatin’togive。DoTHAT,andyoucancountonme。\"
Aftersomefurtherdiscussion,itwasgravelysettledthatKearneyshouldfurnishwaterbroughtfromtheUnionDitch,twentymilesaway,atacostoftwohundredthousanddollars,tofeedamemorialfountainerectedbyMattingly,worthahundredthousanddollars,asacrowningfinishtopublicbuildingscontributedbyMarylandJoe,totheextentofhalfamillionmore。Thedispositionofthesevastsumsbygentlemenwearingpatchedbreechesawakenednosenseoftheludicrous,nordidanydoubt,reservation,orcontingencyenterintotheplansofthecharmingenthusiaststhemselves。Thefoundationoftheirairycastleslayalreadybeforetheminthestripofrichalluviumontheriverbank,wheretheNorthFork,sharplycurvingroundthebaseofDevil’sSpur,hadforcenturiessweptthedetritusofgulchandcanyon。Theyhadbarelycrossedthethresholdofthistreasure—house,tofindthemselvesrichmen;
whatpossibilitiesofaffluencemightbetheirswhentheyhadfullyexploitedtheirpossessions?Soconfidentweretheyofthatultimateprospect,thatthewealthalreadythusobtainedwasreligiouslyexpendedinenginesandmachineryfortheboringofwellsandtheconveyanceofthatpreciouswaterwhichtheexhaustedriverhadlongsinceceasedtoyield。Itseemedasifthegoldtheyhadtakenoutwasbysomeironicalcompensationgraduallymakingitswaybacktothesoilagainthroughditchandflumeandreservoir。
SuchwasthepositionofaffairsatDevil’sFordonthe13thofAugust,1860。Itwasnoonofahotday。Whatevermovementtherewasinthestiflingairwasseenratherthanfeltinatremulous,quivering,upward—movingdustalongtheflankofthemountain,throughwhichthespiresofthepineswerefaintlyvisible。Therewasnowaterinthebaredandburningbarsoftherivertoreflecttheverticalsun,butunderitsdirectraysoneortwotinnedroofsandcorrugatedzinccabinsstruckfire,afewcanvastentsbecamedazzlingtotheeye,andthewhitewoodedcorralofthestageofficeandhotelinsupportable。Fortwohoursnooneventuredintheglareoftheopen,oreventocrossthenarrow,unshadowedstreet,whosedullreddustseemedtoglowbetweenthelinesofstragglinghouses。Theheatedshellsofthesegreenunseasonedtenementsgaveoutapungentodorofscorchingwoodandresin。Theusualhurried,feverishtoilintheclaimwassuspended;thepickandshovelwereleftstickingintherichest\"paygravel;\"thetoilingmillionairesthemselves,ragged,dirty,andperspiring,laypantingunderthenearestshade,wherethepipeswentoutlistlessly,andconversationsanktomonosyllables。
\"There’sFairfax,\"saidDickMattingly,atlast,withalazyeffort。Hisfacewasturnedtothehillside,whereamanhadjustemergedfromthewoods,andwashaltingirresolutelybeforetheglaringexpanseofupheavedgravelandglisteningbouldersthatstretchedbetweenhimandtheshadedgroup。\"He’sgoingtomakeabreakforit,\"headded,asthestranger,throwinghislinencoatoverhishead,suddenlystartedintoanIndiantrotthroughthepeltingsunbeamstowardthem。Thisstrangeactwasperfectlyunderstoodbythegroup,whoknewthatinthatintenselydryheatthedangerofexposurewaslessenedbyactiveexerciseandtheprofuseperspirationthatfollowedit。Inanothermomentthestrangerhadreachedtheirside,drippingasifrainedupon,moppinghisdampcurlsandhandsomebeardedfacewithhislinencoat,ashethrewhimselfpantinglyontheground。
\"Istruckoutoverherefirst,boys,togiveyoualittlewarning,\"
hesaid,assoonashehadgainedbreath。\"Thatengineerwillbedownheretotakechargeassoonasthesixo’clockstagecomesin。
He’sanoldishchap,hasgotafamilyoftwodaughters,and——I——am——
d————difheisnotbringingthemdownherewithhim。\"
\"Oh,golong!\"exclaimedthefivemeninonevoice,raisingthemselvesontheirhandsandelbows,andglaringatthespeaker。
\"Fact,boys!SoonasIfounditoutIjustwaltzedintothatJewshopattheCrossingandboughtupalltheclothesthatwouldbelikelytosuityoufellows,beforeanybodyelsegotashow。I
reckonIclearedouttheshop。Thedudsarealittlemixedinstyle,butIreckonthey’recleanandwhole,andamanmightfacealadyin’em。IleftthemroundattheoldBuckeyeSpring,wherethey’rehandywithoutattractingattention。Youboyscangothereforageneralwash—up,rigyourselvesupwithoutsayinganything,andthenmeanderbackcarelessandeasyinyourstoreclothes,justasthestageiscomingin,sabe?\"
\"Whydidn’tyouletusknowearlier?\"askedMattinglyaggrievedly;
\"you’vebeenbackhereatleastanhour。\"
\"I’vebeengettingsomeplacereadyforTHEM,\"returnedthenew—
comer。\"Wemighthavemanagedtoputthemansomewhere,ifhe’dbeenalone,butthesewomenwantfamilyaccommodation。TherewasnothingleftformetodobuttobuyupThompson’ssaloon。\"
\"No?\"interruptedhisaudience,halfinincredulity,halfinprotestation。
\"Fact!Youboyswillhavetotakeyourdrinksundercanvasagain,Ireckon!ButImadeThompsonletthosegold—framedmirrorsthatusedtostandbehindthebargointothebargain,andtheysortoffurnishtheroom。Youknowthesaloonisoneofthempatenthousesyoucantaketopieces,andI’vebeenreckoningyouboyswillhavetopitchinandhelpmetotakethewholeshantyovertothelaurelbushes,andputitupaginKearney’scabin。\"
\"What’sallthat?\"saidtheyoungerKearney,withanoddminglingofastonishmentandbashfulgratification。
\"Yes,Ireckonyoursisthecleanesthouse,becauseit’sthenewest,soyou’lljuststepoutandletusknockinoneo’thegables,andclapitontothesaloon,andmakeONEhouseofit,don’tyousee?There’llbetworooms,oneforthegirlsandtheotherfortheoldman。\"
Theastonishmentandbewildermentofthepartyhadgraduallygivenwaytoaboyishandimpatientinterest。
\"Hadn’twebetterdothejobatonce?\"suggestedDickMattingly。
\"Orthrowourselvesintothosenewclothes,soastobeready,\"
addedtheyoungerKearney,lookingdownathisraggedtrousers。\"I
say,Fairfax,whatarethegirlslike,eh?\"
Alltheothershadbeendyingtoaskthequestion,yetoneandalllaughedattheconsciousmannerandblushingcheekofthequestioner。
\"You’llfindoutquickenough,\"returnedFairfax,whosecurtcarelessnessdidnot,however,preventaslightincreaseofcoloronhisowncheek。\"We’dbettergetthatjoboffourhandsbeforedoinganythingelse。So,ifyou’reready,boys,we’lljustwaltzdowntoThompson’sandpackuptheshanty。He’soutofitbythistime,Ireckon。Youmightaswellbeperspiringtosomepurposeoverthereasgaspin’underthistree。Wewon’tgobacktoworkthisafternoon,butknockoffnow,andcallithalfaday。Come!
Humpyourselves,gentlemen。Areyouready?One,two,three,andaway!\"
Inanotherinstantthetreewasdeserted;thefiguresofthefivemillionairesofDevil’sFord,crossingthefierceglareoftheopenspace,withboyishalacrity,glistenedinthesunlight,andthendisappearedinthenearestfringeofthickets。
CHAPTERII
Sixhourslater,whentheshadowofDevil’sSpurhadcrossedtheriver,andspreadaslightcoolnessovertheflatbeyond,thePioneercoach,leavingthesummit,beganalsotobatheitsheatedbulkinthelongshadowsofthedescent。Conspicuousamongthedustypassengers,thetwoprettyandyouthfulfacesofthedaughtersofPhilipCarr,miningsuperintendentandengineer,lookedfromthewindowswithnolittleanxietytowardstheirfuturehomeinthestragglingsettlementbelow,thatoccasionallycameinviewattheturnsofthelongzigzaggingroad。Aslightlookofcomicaldisappointmentpassedbetweenthemastheygazeduponthesterileflat,dottedwithunsightlyexcrescencesthatstoodequallyforcabinsormoundsofstoneandgravel。Itwassofeebleandinconsistentaculminationtothebeautifulscenerytheyhadpassedthrough,sohopelessandimbecileaconclusiontothepreparationofthatlongpicturesquejourney,withitsglimpsesofsylvanandpastoralgladesandcanyons,that,asthecoachsweptdownthelastincline,andtheremorselessmonotonyofthedeadlevelspreadoutbeforethem,furrowedbyditchesandindentedbypits,undercoverofshieldingtheircheeksfromtheimpalpabledustthatrosebeneaththeplungingwheels,theyburiedtheirfacesintheirhandkerchiefs,tohideafewhalf—hystericaltears。Happily,theirfather,completelyabsorbedinapractical,scientific,andapprovingcontemplationofthetopographyandmaterialresourcesofthesceneofhisfuturelabors,hadnotimetonoticetheirdefection。Itwasnotuntilthestagedrewupbeforearamblingtenementbearingtheinscription,\"HotelandStageOffice,\"thathebecamefullyawareofit。
\"Wecan’tstopHERE,papa,\"saidChristieCarrdecidedly,withashakeofherprettyhead。\"Youcan’texpectthat。\"
Mr。Carrlookedupatthebuilding;itwashalfgrocery,halfsaloon。Whateverotheraccommodationsitcontainedmusthavebeenhiddenintherear,astheflatroofabovewasalmostlevelwiththerafteredceilingoftheshop。
\"Certainly,\"herepliedhurriedly;\"we’llseetothatinamoment。
Idaresayit’sallright。ItoldFairfaxwewerecoming。
Somebodyoughttobehere。\"
\"Butthey’renot,\"saidJessieCarrindignantly;\"andthefewthatwereherescamperedofflikerabbitstotheirburrowsassoonastheysawusgetdown。\"
Itwastrue。Thelittlegroupofloungersbeforethebuildinghadsuddenlydisappeared。Therewastheflashofaredshirtvanishinginanadjacentdoorway;thefadingapparitionofapairofhighbootsandblueoverallsinanother;theabruptwithdrawalofacurlyblondheadfromasashlesswindowovertheway。Eventhesaloonwasdeserted,althoughabackdoorinthedimrecessseemedtocreakmysteriously。Thestage—coach,withtheotherpassengers,hadalreadyrattledaway。
\"IcertainlythinkFairfaxunderstoodthatI——\"beganMr。Carr。
HewasinterruptedbythepressureofChristie’sfingersonhisarmandasubduedexclamationfromJessie,whowasstaringdownthestreet。
\"Whatarethey?\"shewhisperedinhersister’sear。\"Niggerminstrels,acircus,orwhat?\"
ThefivemillionairesofDevil’sFordhadjustturnedthecornerofthestragglingstreet,andwereapproachinginsinglefile。OneglancewassufficienttoshowthattheyhadalreadyavailedthemselvesofthenewclothingboughtbyFairfax,hadwashed,andoneortwohadshaved。Buttheresultwasstartling。
Throughsomefortunatecoincidenceinsize,DickMattinglywastheonlyonewhohadachievedanentirenewsuit。Butitwasoffunerealblackcloth,andalthoughrelievedatoneextremitybyapairofhighridingboots,inwhichhistooshorttrousersweretucked,andattheotherbyatallwhitehat,andcravatofaggressiveyellow,theeffectwasdepressing。Inagreeablecontrast,hisbrother,MarylandJoe,wasattiredinathinfawn—
coloredsummerovercoat,lightlywornopen,soastoshowtheunstarchedbosomofawhiteembroideredshirt,andapairofnankeentrousersandpumps。
TheKearneybrothershaddividedasuitbetweenthem,theelderwearingatightly—fitting,single—breastedbluefrock—coatandapairofpinkstripedcottontrousers,whiletheyoungercandidlydisplayedthetrousersofhisbrother’ssuit,asaharmoniouschangetoashiningblackalpacacoatandcrimsonneckerchief。
Fairfax,whobroughtuptherear,had,withcharacteristicunselfishness,contentedhimselfwithaFrenchworkman’sblueblouseandapairofwhiteducktrousers。Hadtheyshowntheleastconsciousnessoftheirfinery,orofitsabsurdity,theywouldhaveseemeddespicable。Butonlyoneexpressionbeamedonthefivesunburntandshiningfaces——alookofunaffectedboyishgratificationandunrestrictedwelcome。
TheyhaltedbeforeMr。Carrandhisdaughters,simultaneouslyremovedtheirvariousandremarkableheadcoverings,andwaiteduntilFairfaxadvancedandseverallypresentedthem。JessieCarr’shalf—frightenedsmiletookrefugeinthetremblingshadowsofherdarklashes;ChristieCarrstiffenedslightly,andlookedstraightbeforeher。
\"Wereckoned——thatis——weintendedtomeetyouandtheyoungladiesatthegrade,\"saidFairfax,reddeningalittleasheendeavoredtoconcealhistooreadyslang,\"andsaveyoufromtrapesing——fromdraggingyourselvesupgradeagaintoyourhouse。\"
\"ThenthereISahouse?\"saidJessie,withanalarmingfranklaughofrelief,thatwas,however,asfranklyreflectedintheboyishlyappreciativeeyesoftheyoungmen。
\"Suchasitis,\"respondedFairfax,withashadeofanxiety,asheglancedatthefreshandprettycostumesoftheyoungwomen,anddubiouslyregardedthetwoSaratogatrunksrestinghopelesslyontheveranda。\"I’mafraiditisn’tmuch,forwhatyou’reaccustomedto。But,\"headdedmorecheerfully,\"itwilldoforadayortwo,andperhapsyou’llgiveusthepleasureofshowingyouthewaytherenow。\"
Theprocessionwasquicklyformed。Mr。Carr,aliveonlytotheactualbusinessthathadbroughthimthere,atoncetookpossessionofFairfax,andbegantodisclosehisplansfortheworkingofthemine,occasionallyhaltingtolookattheworkalreadydoneintheditches,andtoexaminethefieldofhisfutureoperations。
Fairfax,notdispleasedatbeingthusrelievedofalighterattendanceonMr。Carr’sdaughters,neverthelessfromtimetotimecastapaternalglancebackwardsupontheirescorts,whohadeachseizedahandleofthetwotrunks,andwerecarryingthemincouplesattheyoungladies’side。Theoccupationdidnotoffermuchfreedomforeasygallantry,butnosignofdiscomfitureoruneasinesswasvisibleinthegratefulfacesoftheyoungmen。Thenecessityofchanginghandsattimeswiththeirburdensbroughtacorrespondingchangeofcavalieratthelady’sside,althoughitwasobservedthattheyoungerKearney,forthesakeofcontinuingaconversationwithMissJessie,kepthisgraspofthehandlenearesttheyoungladyuntilhishandwasnearlycutthrough,andhisarmwornoutbyexhaustion。
\"Theonlythingonwheelsinthecampisamulewagon,andthemulesarepackin’gravelfromtheriverthisafternoon,\"explainedDickMattinglyapologeticallytoChristie,\"orwe’dhavetoted——I
meancarried——youandyourbaggageuptotheshant——the——yourhouse。Giveustwoweeksmore,MissCarr——onlytwoweekstowashupourworkandrealize——andwe’llgiveyouapairof2。40steppersandaskeletonbuggytomeetyouatthetopofthehillanddriveyouovertothecabin。Perhapsyou’dpreferaregularcarriage;
someladiesdo。Andaniggerdriver。Butwhat’stheuseofplanninganything?Aforethattimecomeswe’llhaverunyouupahouseonthehill,andyoushallpickoutthespot。Itwouldn’ttakelong——unlessyoupreferredbrick。IsupposewecouldgetbrickoverfromLaGrange,ifyoucaredforit,butitwouldtakelonger。Ifyoucouldputupforatimewithsomethingofstainedglassandamahoganyveranda——\"
Inspiteofhercoldindignation,andthefactthatshecouldunderstandonlyapartofMattingly’sspeech,Christiecomprehendedenoughtomakeherlifthercleareyestothespeaker,assherepliedfreezinglythatshefearedshewouldnottroublethemlongwithhercompany。
\"Oh,you’llgetoverthat,\"respondedMattingly,withanexasperatingconfidencethatdrovehernearlyfrantic,fromthemanifestkindlinessofintentthatmadeitimpossibleforhertoresentit。\"Ifeltthatwaymyselfatfirst。Thingswilllookstrangeandunsociableforawhile,untilyougetthehangofthem。
You’llnaturallystamproundandcussalittle——\"Hestoppedinconsciousconsternation。
Withreadytact,andbeforeChristiecouldreply,MarylandJoehadputdownthetrunkandchangedhandswithhisbrother。
\"Youmustn’tmindDick,orhe’llgooffandkillhimselfwithshame,\"hewhisperedlaughinglyinherear。\"Hemeansallright,buthe’spickedupsomuchslangherethathe’saboutforgottenhowtotalkEnglish,andit’snighontofouryearssincehe’smetayounglady。\"
Christiedidnotreply。YetthelaughterofhersisterinadvancewiththeKearneybrothersseemedtomakethereservewithwhichshetriedtocrushfurtherfamiliarityonlyridiculous。
\"Doyouknowmanyoperas,MissCarr?\"
Shelookedattheboyish,interested,sunburntfacesoneartoherown,andhesitated。Afterall,whyshouldsheaddtoherotherrealdisappointmentsbytakingthisabsurdcreatureseriously?
\"Inwhatway?\"shereturned,withahalfsmile。
\"Toplay。Onthepiano,ofcourse。Thereisn’tonenearerherethanSacramento;butIreckonwecouldgetasmallonebyThursday。
Youcouldn’tdoanythingonabanjo?\"headdeddoubtfully;
\"Kearney’sgotone。\"
\"Iimagineitwouldbeverydifficulttocarryapianooverthosemountains,\"saidChristielaughingly,toavoidthecollateralofthebanjo。
\"Wegotabilliard—tableoverfromStockton,\"halfbashfullyinterruptedDickMattingly,strugglingfromhisendofthetrunktorecoverhiscomposure,\"andithadtobebroughtoverinsectionsonthebackofamule,soIdon’tseewhy——\"Hestoppedshortagaininconfusion,atasignfromhisbrother,andthenadded,\"I
mean,ofcourse,thatapianoisaheapmoredelicate,andvaluable,andallthatsortofthing,butit’sworthtryingfor。\"
\"Fairfaxwasalwayssayinghe’dgetoneforhimself,soIreckonit’spossible,\"saidJoe。
\"Doesheplay?\"askedChristie。
\"Youbet,\"saidJoe,quiteforgettinghimselfinhisenthusiasm。
\"HecansnatchMozartandBeethovenbald—headed。\"
Intheembarrassingsilencethatfollowedthisspeechthefringeofpinewoodnearesttheflatwasreached。Heretherewasarude\"clearing,\"andbeneathanenormouspinestoodthetworecentlyjoinedtenements。TherewasnoattempttoconcealthepointofjunctionbetweenKearney’scabinandthenewly—transportedsaloonfromtheflat——noarchitecturalillusionofthepalpablecollusionofthetwobuildings,whichseemedtobetelescopedintoeachother。ThefrontroomorlivingroomoccupiedthewholeofKearney’scabin。Itcontained,inadditiontothenecessaryarticlesforhousekeeping,a\"bunk\"orberthforMr。Carr,soastoleavethesecondbuildingentirelytotheoccupationofhisdaughtersasbedroomandboudoir。
Therewasahalf—humorous,half—apologeticexhibitionoftherudeutensilsofthelivingroom,andthentheyoungmenturnedawayasthetwogirlsenteredtheopendoorofthesecondroom。NeitherChristienorJessiecouldforamomentunderstandthedelicacywhichkepttheseyoungmenfromaccompanyingthemintotheroomtheyhadbutafewmomentsbeforedecoratedandarrangedwiththeirownhands,anditwasnotuntiltheyturnedtothanktheirstrangeentertainersthattheyfoundthattheyweregone。
Thearrangementofthesecondroomwasrudeandbizarre,butnotwithoutasingularoriginalityandeventastefulnessofconception。
Whathadbeenthecounteror\"bar\"ofthesaloon,gorgeousinwhiteandgold,nowsawnintwoanddivided,wassetuponoppositesidesoftheroomasseparatedressing—tables,decoratedwithhugebunchesofazaleas,thathidtheroughearthenwarebowls,andgaveeachtabletheappearanceofavestalaltar。
Thehugegiltplate—glassmirrorwhichhadhungbehindthebarstilloccupiedonesideoftheroom,butitslengthwasartfullydividedbyanenormousrosetteofred,white,andbluemuslin——oneofthesurvivingFourthofJulydecorationsofThompson’ssaloon。
Oneithersideofthedoortwopathetic—looking,convent—likecots,coveredwithspotlesssheeting,andheapedupinthemiddle,likeasnow—coveredgrave,hadattractedtheirattention。TheywerestillstaringatthemwhenMr。Carranticipatedtheircuriosity。
\"IoughttotellyouthattheyoungmenconfidedtomethefactthattherewasneitherbednormattresstobehadontheFord。
Theyhavefilledsomefloursackswithcleandrymossfromthewoods,andputhalfadozenblanketsonthetop,andtheyhopeyoucangetalonguntilthemessengerwhostartsto—nightforLaGrangecanbringsomebeddingover。\"
Jessieflewwithmischievousdelighttosatisfyherselfofthetruthofthismarvel。\"It’sso,Christie,\"shesaidlaughingly——
\"threeflour—sacksapiece;butI’mjealous:yoursareallmarked’superfine,’andmine’middlings。’\"
Mr。CarrhadremaineduneasilywatchingChristie’sshadowedface。
\"Whatmatters?\"shesaiddrily。\"Theaccommodationisallinkeeping。\"
\"Itwillbebetterinadayortwo,\"hecontinued,castingalonginglooktowardsthedoor——thefirstrefugeofmasculineweaknessinanimpendingdomesticemergency。\"I’llgoandseewhatcanbedone,\"hesaidfeebly,withasidelongimpulsetowardstheopeningandfreedom。\"I’vegottoseeFairfaxagainto—nightanyway。\"
\"Onemoment,father,\"saidChristie,wearily。\"Didyouknowanythingofthisplaceandthese——thesepeople——beforeyoucame?\"
\"Certainly——ofcourseIdid,\"hereturned,withthesuddentestinessofdisturbedabstraction。\"Whatareyouthinkingof?I
knewthegeologicalstrataandthe——thereportofFairfaxandhispartnersbeforeIconsentedtotakechargeoftheworks。AndIcantellyouthatthereisafortunehere。Iintendtomakemyownterms,andshareinit。\"
\"Andnottakeasalaryorsomesumofmoneydown?\"saidChristie,slowlyremovingherbonnetinthesameresignedway。
\"Iamnotahiredman,oraworkman,Christie,\"saidherfathersharply。\"Yououghtnottoobligemetoremindyouofthat。\"
\"Butthehiredmen——thesuperintendentandhisworkmen——weretheonlyoneswhoevergotanythingoutofyourlastexperiencewithColonelWatersatLaGrange,and——andweatleastlivedamongcivilizedpeoplethere。\"
\"Theseyoungmenarenotcommonpeople,Christie;eveniftheyhaveforgottentherestraintsofspeechandmanners,they’regentlemen。\"
\"Whoarewillingtolivelike——likenegroes。\"
\"Youcanmakethemwhatyouplease。\"
Christieraisedhereyes。Therewasacertaincynicalringinherfather’svoicethatwasunlikehisusualhesitatingabstraction。
Itbothpuzzledandpainedher。
\"Imean,\"hesaidhastily,\"thatyouhavethesameopportunitytodirectthelivesoftheseyoungmenintomoreregular,disciplinedchannelsthatIhavetoregulateandcorrecttheirfoolishwasteofindustryandmaterialhere。Itwouldatleastbeguilethetimeforyou。\"
FortunatelyforMr。Carr’sescapeandChristie’suneasiness,Jessie,whohadbeenexaminingthedetailsoftheliving—room,brokeinuponthisconversation。
\"I’msureitwillbeasgoodasaperpetualpicnic。GeorgeKearneysayswecanhaveacooking—stoveunderthetreeoutsideattheback,andastherewillbenorainforthreemonthswecandothecookingthere,andthatwillgiveusmoreroomfor——forthepianowhenitcomes;andthere’sanoldsquawtodothecleaningandwashing—upanyday——and——and——itwillberealfun。\"
Shestoppedbreathlessly,withglowingcheeksandsparklingeyes——acharmingpictureofyouthandtrustfulness。Mr。Carrhadseizedtheopportunitytoescape。
\"Really,now,Christie,\"saidJessieconfidentially,whentheywerealone,andChristiehadbeguntounpackhertrunk,andtomechanicallyputherthingsaway,\"they’renotsobad。\"
\"Who?\"askedChristie。
\"Why,theKearneys,andMattinglys,andFairfax,andthelot,providedyoudon’tlookattheirclothes。Andthinkofit!theytoldme——fortheytelloneEVERYTHINGinthemostalarmingway——
thatthoseclotheswereboughttopleaseUS。AscrambleofthingsboughtatLaGrange,withoutreferencetosizeorstyle。Andtohearthesecreaturestalk,why,you’dthinktheywereAstorsorRothschilds。Thinkofthatlittleonewiththecurls——Idon’tbelieveheisoverseventeen,forallhisbabymoustache——sayshe’sgoingtobuildanassemblyhallforustogiveadanceinnextmonth;andapologizesthenextbreathtotellusthatthereisn’tanymilktobehadnearerthanLaGrange,andwemustdowithoutit,andusesyrupinourteato—morrow。\"
\"Andwhereisallthiswealth?\"saidChristie,forcingherselftosmileathersister’sanimation。
\"Underourveryfeet,mychild,andallalongtheriver。Why,whatwethoughtwaspureandsimplemudiswhattheycall’gold—bearingcement。’\"
\"Isupposethatiswhytheydon’tbrushtheirbootsandtrousers,it’ssoprecious,\"returnedChristiedrily。\"Andhavetheyevertranslatedthispreciousdirtintoactualcoin?\"
\"Blessyou,yes。Why,thatdirtylittlegutter,youknow,thatranalongthesideoftheroadandfollowedusdownthehillallthewayhere,thatcostthem——letmesee——yes,nearlysixtythousanddollars。Andfancy!papa’sjustcondemnedit——saysitwon’tdo;
andthey’vegottobuildanother。\"
AnimpatientsighfromChristiedrewJessie’sattentiontohertroubledeyebrows。
\"Don’tworryaboutourdisappointment,dear。Itisn’tsoverygreat。Idaresaywe’llbeabletogetalonghereinsomeway,untilpapaisrichagain。Youknowtheyintendtomakehimsharewiththem。\"
\"Itstrikesmethatheissharingwiththemalready,\"saidChristie,glancingbitterlyroundthecabin;\"sharingeverything——
ourselves,ourlives,ourtastes。\"
\"Ye—e—s!\"saidJessie,withvaguelyhesitatingassent。\"Yes,eventhese:\"sheshowedtwodiceinthepalmofherlittlehand。\"I
found’eminthedrawerofourdressing—table。\"
\"Throwthemaway,\"saidChristieimpatiently。
ButJessie’ssmallfingersclosedoverthedice。\"I’llgivethemtothelittleKearney。Idaresaytheywerethepoorboy’splaythings。\"
Theappearanceoftheserelicsofwilddissipation,however,hadliftedChristieoutofhersublimeresignation。\"ForHeaven’ssake,Jessie,\"shesaid,\"lookaroundandseeifthereisanythingmore!\"
Tomakesure,theyeachbegantoscrimmage;thebroken—spiritedChristieexhibitingbothalacrityandpenetrationinsearchingobscurecorners。Inthedining—room,behindthedresser,threeorfourbookswerediscovered:anoddvolumeofThackeray,anotherofDickens,amemorandum—bookordiary。\"ThisseemstobeLatin,\"
saidJessie,fishingoutasmallerbook。\"Ican’treadit。\"
\"It’sjustaswellyoushouldn’t,\"saidChristieshortly,whoseideasofageneralclassicalimproprietyhadbeengatheredfrompagesofLempriere’sdictionary。\"Putitbackdirectly。\"
JessiereturnedcertainodesofoneHoratiusFlaccustothecorner,andutteredanexclamation。\"Oh,Christie!herearesomeletterstiedupwitharibbon。\"
Theyweretwoorthreeprettilywrittenletters,exhalingafaintodorofrefinementandofthepressedflowersthatpeepedfrombetweenthelooseleaves。\"Isee,’MydarlingFairfax。’It’sfromsomewoman。\"
\"Idon’tthinkmuchofher,whosoeversheis,\"saidChristie,tossingtheintactpacketbackintothecorner。
\"NorI,\"echoedJessie。
Nevertheless,bysomefeminineinconsistency,evidentlythecircumstancedidmakethemthinkmoreofHIM,foraminutelater,whentheyhadreenteredtheirownroom,Christieremarked,\"Theideaofpettingamanbyhisfamilyname!Thinkofmammaeverhavingcalledpapa’darlingCarr’!\"
\"Oh,buthisfamilynameisn’tFairfax,\"saidJessiehastily;
\"that’shisFIRSTname,hisChristianname。Iforgetwhat’shisothername,butnobodyevercallshimbyit。\"
\"Doyoumean,\"saidChristie,withglisteningeyesandawfuldeliberation——\"doyoumeantosaythatwe’reexpectedtofallinwiththisinsufferablefamiliarity?Isupposethey’llbecallingUSbyourChristiannamesnext。\"
\"Oh,buttheydo!\"saidJessie,mischievously。
\"What!\"
\"TheycallmeMissJessie;andKearney,thelittleone,askedmeifChristieplayed。\"
\"Andwhatdidyousay?\"
\"Isaidthatyoudid,\"answeredJessie,withanaffectationofcherubicsimplicity。\"Youdo,dear;don’tyou?……There,don’tgetangry,darling;Icouldn’tflareupallofasuddeninthefaceofthatpoorlittlecreature;helookedsoabsurd——andso——sohonest。\"
Christieturnedaway,relapsingintoheroldresignedmanner,andassumingherhouseholddutiesinaquiet,temporizingwaythatwas,however,withouthopeorexpectation。
Mr。Carr,whohaddinedwithhisfriendsundertheexcuseofnotaddingtotheawkwardnessofthefirstday’shousekeepingreturnedlateatnightwithamassofpapersanddrawings,intowhichheafterwardswithdrew,butnotuntilhehaddeliveredhimselfofamysteriouspackageentrustedtohimbytheyoungmenforhisdaughters。Itcontainedacontributiontotheirboardintheshapeofasilverspoonandbatteredsilvermug,whichJessiechosetofacetiouslyconsiderasanaffectingreminiscenceoftheyouthfulKearney’schristeningdays——whichitprobablywas。
Theyounggirlsretiredearlytotheirwhitesnow—drifts:Jessienotwithoutsomehilariousstruggleswithhers,inwhichshewas,however,quicklysurprisedbythedeepandrefreshingsleepofyouth;Christietolieawakeandlistentothenightwind,thathadchangedfromthefirstcoolwhispersofsunsettothesturdybreathofthemountain。Attimesthefrailhouseshookandtrembled。
Wanderinggustsladenwiththedeepresinousodorsofthewoodfoundtheirwaythroughtheimperfectjointureofthetwocabins,swepthercheekandevenstirredherlong,wide—openlashes。A
brokensprayofpineneedlesrustledalongtheroof,orapineconedroppedwithaquickreverberatingtap—tapthatforaninstantstartledher。Lyingthus,wideawake,shefellintoadreamyreminiscenceofthepast,hearingsnatchesofoldmelodyinthemovingpines,fragmentsofsentences,oldwords,andfamiliarepithetsinthemurmuringwindatherear,andeventhefaintbreathoflong—forgottenkissesonhercheek。Sherememberedhermother——apallidcreature,whohadslowlyfadedoutofoneofherfather’svaguespeculationsinavaguerspeculationofherown,beyondhisken——whoseplaceshehadpromisedtotakeatherfather’sside。Thewords,\"Watchoverhim,Christie;heneedsawoman’scare,\"againechoedinherears,asifborneonthenightwindfromthelonelygraveintheloneliercemeterybythedistantsea。Shehaddevotedherselftohimwithsomelittlesacrificesofself,onlyrememberednowfortheiruselessnessinsavingherfatherthedisappointmentthatsprangfromhissanguineandone—
idea’dtemperament。Shethoughtofhimlyingasleepintheotherroom,readyonthemorrowtodevotethosefatefulqualitiestothenewenterprisethatwithequallyfatefuldispositionshebelievedwouldendinfailure。Itdidnotoccurtoherthatthedoubtsofherownpracticalnaturewerealmostasdangerousandillogicalashisenthusiasm,andthatforthatreasonshewasfastlosingwhatlittleinfluenceshepossessedoverhim。Withtheexampleofhermother’sweaknessbeforehereyes,shehadbecomeanunsparinganddistrustfulcritic,withthesoleeffectofawakeninghisdistrustandwithdrawinghisconfidencefromher。
Hewasbeginningtodeceiveherashehadneverdeceivedhermother。EvenJessieknewmoreofthislastenterprisethanshedidherself。
Allthatdidnottendtodecreaseherutterrestlessness。Itwasalreadypastmidnightwhenshenoticedthatthewindhadagainabated。Themountainbreezehadbythistimepossessedthestiflingvalleysandheatedbarsoftheriverinitsstrong,coldembraces;theequilibriumofNaturewasrestored,andashadowymistrosefromthehollow。Astillness,moreoppressiveandintolerablethanthepreviouscommotion,begantopervadethehouseandthesurroundingwoods。Shecouldheartheregularbreathingofthesleepers;sheevenfanciedshecoulddetectthefaintimpulsesofthemoredistantlifeinthesettlement。Thefar—offbarkingofadog,alostshout,theindistinctmurmurofsomenearerwatercourse——merephantomsofsound——madethesilencemoreirritating。Withasuddenresolutionshearose,dressedherselfquietlyandcompletely,threwaheavycloakoverherheadandshoulders,andopenedthedoorbetweentheliving—roomandherown。
Herfatherwassleepingsoundlyinhisbunkinthecorner。Shepassednoiselesslythroughtheroom,openedthelightlyfasteneddoor,andsteppedoutintothenight。
Intheirritationanddisgustofherwalkhither,shehadnevernoticedthesituationofthecabin,asitnestledontheslopeatthefringeofthewoods;inthepreoccupationofherdisappointmentandthemechanicalputtingawayofherthings,shehadneverlookedoncefromthewindowofherroom,orglancedbackwardoutofthedoorthatshehadentered。Theviewbeforeherwasarevelation——areproach,asurprisethattookawayherbreath。Overhershouldersthenewlyrisenmoonpouredafloodofsilverylight,stretchingfromherfeetacrosstheshiningbarsoftherivertotheoppositebank,andonuptotheverycrestoftheDevil’sSpur——nolongerahugebulkofcrushingshadow,butthesteadyexaltationofplateau,spur,andterraceclothedwithrepleteandunutterablebeauty。Inthismagicallightthatbeautyseemedtobesustainedandcarriedalongbytheriverwindingatitsbase,liftedagaintothebroadshoulderofthemountain,andlostonlyinthedistantvistaofdeath—like,overcrowningsnow。Behindandabovewhereshestoodthetoweringwoodsseemedtobewaitingwithopenedrankstoabsorbherwiththelittlecabinshehadquitted,dwarfedintoinsignificanceinthevastprospect;butnowherewasthereanothersignorindicationofhumanlifeandhabitation。Shelookedinvainforthesettlement,fortheruggedditches,thescatteredcabins,andtheunsightlyheapsofgravel。Intheglamourofthemoonlighttheyhadvanished;aveilofsilver—grayvaportouchedhereandtherewithebonyshadowsmaskeditssite。Ablackstripbeyondwastheriverbank。Allelsewaschanged。Withasuddensenseofaweandlonelinesssheturnedtothecabinanditssleepinginmates——allthatseemedlefttoherinthevastandstupendousdominationofrockandwoodandsky。
Butinanothermomentthelonelinesspassed。Anewanddelicioussenseofaninfinitehospitalityandfriendlinessintheirsilentpresencebegantopossessher。Thissameslighted,forgotten,uncomprehended,butstillfoolishandforgivingNatureseemedtobebendingoverherfrightenedandlisteningearwithvaguebutthrillingmurmuringsoffreedomandindependence。Shefeltherheartexpandwithitswholesomebreath,hersoulfillwithitssustainingtruth。
Shefelt——
Whatwasthat?
Anunmistakableoutburstofadrunkensongatthefootoftheslope:——
\"Oh,mynameitisJohnnyfromPike,I’mh—llonaspreeorastrike\"……
Shestoppedascrimsonwithshameandindignationasiftheviewlesssingerhadrisenbeforeher。
\"Iknewwhentobet,andgetupandget——\"
\"Hush!D——nitall。Don’tyouhear?\"
Therewasthesoundofhurriedwhispers,a\"No\"and\"Yes,\"andthenadeadsilence。
Christiecreptnearertotheedgeoftheslopeintheshadowofabuckeye。Intheclearerviewshecoulddistinguishastaggeringfigureinthetrailbelowwhohadevidentlybeenstoppedbytwootherexpostulatingshadowsthatwereapproachingfromtheshelterofatree。
\"Sho!——didn’tknow!\"
Thestaggeringfigureendeavoredtostraightenitself,andthenslouchedawayinthedirectionofthesettlement。Thetwomysteriousshadowsretreatedagaintothetree,andwerelostinitsdeepershadow。Christiedartedbacktothecabin,andsoftlyreenteredherroom。
\"IthoughtIheardanoisethatwokeme,andImissedyou,\"saidJessie,rubbinghereyes。\"Didyouseeanything?\"
\"No,\"saidChristie,beginningtoundress。
\"Youweren’tfrightened,dear?\"
\"Notintheleast,\"saidChristie,withastrangelittlelaugh。
\"Gotosleep。\"
CHAPTERIII
ThefiveimpulsivemillionairesofDevil’sFordfulfillednotafewoftheirmostextravagantpromises。InlessthansixweeksMr。
Carrandhisdaughterswereinstalledinanewhouse,builtnearthesiteofthedoublecabin,whichwasagaintransferredtothesettlement,inordertogivegreaterseclusiontothefairguests。
Itwasalong,roomy,one—storiedvilla,withanotunpicturesquecombinationofdeepverandaandtrelliswork,whichrelievedtheflatmonotonyoftheinteriorandthebarrennessofthefreshly—
clearedground。Anuprightpiano,broughtfromSacramento,occupiedthecorneroftheparlor。Asuiteofgorgeousfurniture,whosepronouncedandextravagantgloriestheyounggirlsinstinctivelyhidunderhome—madelinencovers,hadalsobeenspoilsfromafar。Elsewherethehousewasfilledwithornamentsanddecorationsthatintheirincongruityforciblyrecalledthegildedplate—glassmirrorsofthebedroomintheoldcabin。InthehastyfurnishingofthisAladdin’spalace,theslavesoftheringhadevidentlyseizeduponanythingthatwouldaddtoitsglory,withoutreferencealwaystofitness。
\"Iwishitdidn’tlooksocussedlylikearobber’scave,\"saidGeorgeKearney,whentheyweretakingaquietpreliminarysurveyoftheunclassifiedtreasures,beforetheCarrstookpossession。
\"Oragamblinghell,\"saidhisbrotherreflectively。
\"It’saboutthesamething,Ireckon,\"saidDickMattingly,whowassupposed,inhisfieryyouth,tohaveencounteredthesimilarity。
Nevertheless,thetwogirlsmanagedtobestowtheheterogeneouscollectionwithtastefuladaptationtotheirneeds。Acrystalchandelier,whichhadoncelentafascinatingillusiontothegameofMonte,hungunlightedinthebroadhall,whereafewotherbizarreandpublicarticleswererelegated。Alongredsofaorbench,whichhaddonedutybesideabilliard—tablefoundaplaceherealso。Indeed,itistobefearedthatsomeofthemorerusticandbashfulyouthsofDevil’sFord,whohadfeltitincumbentuponthemtopaytheirrespectstothenew—comers,weremoreateaseinthisvestibulethaninthearcanabeyond,whosegloriestheycouldseethroughtheopendoor。Toothers,itrepresentedarecognizedstateofprobationbeforetheirre—entreeintocivilizationagain。
\"Ireckon,ifyoudon’tmind,miss,\"saidthespokesmanofoneparty,\"ezthisisourfirstcall,we’llsorterhangoutinthehallyer,untilyou’rusedtous。\"Onanotheroccasion,oneWhiskeyDick,impelledbyasenseofduty,paidavisittothenewhouseanditsfairoccupants,inafashionfranklyrecountedbyhimafterwardsatthebaroftheTecumsehSaloon。
\"Yousee,boys,Idroppedintheretheothernight,whensomeofyoufellerswasdoin’thehigh—toned’thankee,marm’businessintheparlor。Ijustcametoanchorinthecornerofthesofyinthehall,withoutlettin’ontosaythatIwasthere,andtookupaWebster’sdictionarythatwasonthetableandlaiditopen——
keerlesslike,onmyknees,ezifIwassorterconsultin’it——andkinderdozedoffthere,listenin’toyoufellowsgassin’withtheyoungladies,andthatyerMissChristiejustsnakin’musicouterthatpianner,andIreckonIfellasleep。Anyhow,Iwastherenighontotwohours。It’smightysoothin’,themfashionablecalls;
sorterknockstheoldcampdustouterafellow,andsetshimupagain。\"
ItwouldhavebeenwellifthenewlifeoftheDevil’sFordhadshownnootherirregularitythantheharmlesseccentricitiesofitsoriginallocaters。Butthenewsofitssuddenfortune,magnifiedbyreport,beganpresentlytofloodthesettlementwithanotherclassofadventurers。Atideofwaifs,strays,andmalcontentsofoldcampsalongtheriverbegantosettowardsDevil’sFord,inverymuchthesamefashionasthedebris,drift,andalluviumhadbeencarrieddowninbygonedaysandcastuponitsbanks。Afewimmigrantwagons,divertedfromthehighwaysoftravelbythefameofthenewdiggings,haltedupontheslopesofDevil’sSpurandonthearidflatsoftheFord,anddisgorgedtheirsallowfreightofalkali—poisoned,prematurely—agedwomenandchildrenandmaimedandfever—strickenmen。Againstthisrudeformofdomesticitywereopposedthechromo—tinteddressesandextravagantcomplexionsofafewsingleunattendedwomen——happilyseenmoreoftenatnightbehindgildedbarsthaninthegarishlightofday——andanequalnumberofpale—faced,dark—moustached,well—dressed,andsuspiciouslyidlemen。AdozenrivalsofThompson’sSaloonhadsprungupalongthenarrowmainstreet。Thereweretwonewhotels——
onea\"TemperanceHouse,\"whoseasceticqualitywasconfinedonlytotheabnegationofwhiskey——arivalstageoffice,andasmallone—storiedbuilding,fromwhichthe\"SierranBanner\"flutteredweekly,for\"tendollarsayear,inadvance。\"InsufferableintheglareofaSabbathsun,bleak,windy,andflaringinthegloomofaSabbathnight,andhopelesslydepressingonalldaysoftheweek,theFirstPresbyterianChurchlifteditsbluntsteeplefromthebarrenestareaoftheflats,andwashideous!Thecivicimprovementssoenthusiasticallycontemplatedbythefivemillionairesintheearlierpagesofthisveraciouschronicle——thefountain,reservoir,town—hall,andfreelibrary——hadnotyetbeenerected。Theirsiteshadbeenanticipatedbymoreurgentbuildingsandminingworks,unfortunatelynotconsideredinthesanguinedreamsoftheenthusiasts,and,moresignificantstill,theircostandexpensehadbeenalsoanticipatedbytheenormousoutlayoftheirearningsintheworkuponDevil’sDitch。
Nevertheless,theliberalfulfilmentoftheirpromiseinthenewhouseinthesuburbsblindedtheyounggirls’eyestotheirshortcomingsinthetown。Theirownremotenessandelevationaboveitsfeverishlifekeptthemfromtheknowledgeofmuchthatwasstrange,andperhapsdisturbingtotheirequanimity。Astheydidnotmixwiththeimmigrantwomen——MissJessie’sgood—naturedintrusionintooneoftheirhalf—nomadiccampsonedayhavingbeenmetwithrudenessandsuspicion——theygraduallyfellintothewayoftrustingtheresponsibilityofnewacquaintancestothehandsoftheiroriginalhosts,andofconsultingtheminthematteroflocalrecreation。Itthusoccurredthatonedaythetwogirls,ontheirwaytothemainstreetforanhour’sshoppingattheVilladeParisandVarietyStore,werestoppedbyDickMattinglyafewyardsfromtheirhouse,withtheremarkthat,asthecountyelectionwastheninprogress,itwouldbeadvisableforthemtodefertheirintentionforafewhours。Ashedidnotdeemitnecessarytoaddthattwocitizens,intheexerciseofafreeman’sfranchise,hadbeensupplementingtheirballotswithbullets,infrontofanadmiringcrowd,theyknewnothingofthataccidentthatremovedfromDevil’sFordanentertainingstranger,whohadonlythenightbeforepartakenoftheirhospitality。
Aweekortwolater,returningonemorningfromastrollintheforest,ChristieandJessiewerewaylaidbyGeorgeKearneyandFairfax,and,underpretextofbeingshownanewandromantictrail,weredivertedfromtheregularpath。ThisenabledMattinglyandMarylandJoetocutdownthebodyofamanhangedbytheVigilanceCommitteeafewhoursbeforeontheregulartrail,andtoremonstratewiththecommitteeontheincompatibilityofsuchexhibitionswithamaidenlyworshipofnature。
\"Withthewholecountytohangamanin,\"expostulatedJoe,\"youmightkeepclearofCarr’swoods。\"
Itisneedlesstoaddthattheyounggirlsneverknewofthisactofviolence,orthedelicacythatkepttheminignoranceofit。
Mr。Carrwastooabsorbedinbusinesstogiveheedtowhathelookeduponasaconvulsionofsocietyasnaturalasageologicalupheaval,andtooprudenttoprovokethecriticismofhisdaughtersbycommentintheirpresence。
Anequallyunexpectedconfidence,however,tookitsplace。Mr。
Carrhavingfinishedhiscoffeeonemorning,lingeredamomentoverhisperfunctorypaternalembraces,withtheawkwardnessofapreoccupiedmanendeavoringbytheassumptionofalighterinteresttoveilanotherabstraction。
\"Andwhatarewedoingto—day,Christie?\"heasked,asJessieleftthedining—room。
\"Oh,prettymuchtheusualthing——nothinginparticular。IfGeorgeKearneygetsthehorsesfromthesummit,we’regoingtorideovertoIndianSpringtopicnic。Fairfax——Mr。Munroe——Ialwaysforgetthatman’srealnameinthisdreadfullyfamiliarcountry——well,he’scomingtoescortus,andtakeme,Isuppose——thatis,ifKearneytakesJessie。\"
\"Averynicearrangement,\"returnedherfather,withaslightnervouscontractionofthecornersofhismouthandeyelidstoindicatemischievousness。\"I’venodoubtthey’llbothbehere。
Youknowtheyusuallyare——ha!ha!AndwhataboutthetwoMattinglysandPhilipKearney,eh?\"hecontinued;\"won’ttheybejealous?\"
\"Itisn’ttheirturn,\"saidChristiecarelessly;\"besides,they’llprobablybethere。\"
\"AndIsupposethey’rebeginningtoberesigned,\"saidCarr,smiling。
\"Whatonearthareyoutalkingof,father?\"
Sheturnedherclearbrowneyesuponhim,andwasregardinghimwithsuchmanifestunconsciousnessofthedriftofhisspeech,and,withal,alittlevagueimpatienceofhisarchness,thatMr。Carrwasfeeblyalarmed。Ithadtheeffectofbanishinghisassumedplayfulness,whichmadehisseriousexplanationthemoreirritating。
\"Well,Iratherthoughtthat——thatyoungKearneywaspayingconsiderableattentionto——to——toJessie,\"repliedherfather,withhesitatinggravity。
\"What!thatboy?\"
\"YoungKearneyisoneoftheoriginallocators,andanequalpartnerinthemine。Averyenterprisingyoungfellow。Infact,muchmoreadvancedandbolderinhisconceptionsthantheothers。
Ifindnodifficultywithhim。\"
AtanothertimeChristiewouldhavequestionedtheconvincingqualityofthisproof,butshewastoomuchshockedatherfather’sfirstsuggestion,tothinkofanythingelse。
\"Youdon’tmeantosay,father,thatyouaretalkingseriouslyofthesemen——yourfriends——whomweseeeveryday——andouronlycompany?\"
\"No,no!\"saidMr。Carrhastily;\"youmisunderstand。Idon’tsupposethatJessieoryou——\"
\"OrME!AmIincluded?\"
\"Youdon’tletmespeak,Christie。Imean,Iamnottalkingseriously,\"continuedMr。Carr,withhismostseriousaspect,\"ofyouandJessieinthismatter;butitmaybeaseriousthingtotheseyoungmentobethrowncontinuallyinthecompanyoftwoattractivegirls。\"
\"Iunderstand——youmeanthatweshouldnotseesomuchofthem,\"