saidChristie,withafrankexpressionofreliefsogenuineastoutterlydiscomposeherfather。\"Perhapsyouareright,thoughI
failtodiscoveranythingseriousintheattentionsofyoungKearneytoJessie——or——whoeveritmaybe——tome。Butitwillbeveryeasytoremedyit,andseelessofthem。Indeed,wemightbeginto—daywithsomeexcuse。\"
\"Yes——certainly。Ofcourse!\"saidMr。Carr,fullyconvincedofhisutterfailure,but,likemostweakcreatures,consolinghimselfwiththereflectionthathehadnotshownhishandorcommittedhimself。\"Yes;butitwouldperhapsbejustaswellforthepresenttoletthingsgoonastheywere。We’lltalkofitagain——
I’minahurrynow,\"and,edginghimselfthroughthedoor,heslippedaway。
\"Whatdoyouthinkisfather’slastidea?\"saidChristie,with,I
fear,aslightlackofreverenceinhertone,ashersisterreenteredtheroom。\"HethinksGeorgeKearneyispayingyoutoomuchattention。\"
\"No!\"saidJessie,replyingtohersister’shalf—interrogative,half—amusedglancewithafrank,unconscioussmile。
\"Yes,andhesaysthatFairfax——Ithinkit’sFairfax——isequallyfascinatedwithME。\"
Jessie’sbrowslightlycontractedasshelookedcuriouslyathersister。
\"Ofallthings,\"shesaid,\"Iwonderifanyonehasputthatideaintohisdearoldhead。Hecouldn’thavethoughtithimself。\"
\"Idon’tknow,\"saidChristiemusingly;\"butperhapsit’sjustaswellifwekeptalittlemoretoourselvesforawhile。\"
\"Didfathersayso?\"saidJessiequickly。
\"No,butthatisevidentlywhathemeant。\"
\"Ye—es,\"saidJessieslowly,\"unless——\"
\"Unlesswhat?\"saidChristiesharply。\"Jessie,youdon’tforamomentmeantosaythatyoucouldpossiblyconceiveofanythingelse?\"
\"Imeantosay,\"saidJessie,stealingherarmaroundhersister’swaistdemurely,\"thatyouareperfectlyright。We’llkeepawayfromthesefascinatingDevil’sForders,andparticularlytheyoungestKearney。Ibelievetherehasbeensomeill—naturedgossip。Irememberthattheotherday,whenwepassedtheshantyofthatPikeCountyfamilyontheslope,therewerethreewomenatthedoor,andoneofthemsaidsomethingthatmadepoorlittleKearneyturnwhiteandpinkalternately,anddancewithsuppressedrage。Isupposetheoldlady——M’Corkle,that’shername——wouldliketohaveashareofourcavaliersforherEuphemyandMamie。I
daresayit’sonlyright;Iwouldlendthemthecheruboccasionally,andyoumightletthemhaveMr。Munroetwiceaweek。\"
Shelaughed,buthereyessoughthersister’swithacertainwatchfulnessofexpression。
Christieshruggedhershoulders,withasuggestionofdisgust。
\"Don’tjoke。Weoughttohavethoughtofallthisbefore。\"
\"Butwhenwefirstknewthem,inthedearoldcabin,therewasn’tanyotherwomanandnobodytogossip,andthat’swhatmadeitsonice。Idon’tthinksoverymuchofcivilization,doyou?\"saidtheyoungladypertly。
Christiedidnotreply。Perhapsshewasthinkingthesamething。
Itcertainlyhadbeenverypleasanttoenjoythespontaneousandchivalroushomageofthesemen,withnofurthersuggestionofrecompenseorresponsibilitythanthepermissiontobeworshipped;
butbeyondthatsherackedherbraininvaintorecallanylookoractthatproclaimedthelover。Thesemen,whomshehadfoundsorelapsedintobarbarismthattheyhadforgottenthemostordinaryformsofcivilization;thesemen,eveninwhoseextravagantadmirationtherewasacertainlossofself—respect,thatasawomanshewouldneverforgive;thesemen,whoseemedtobelongtoanotherrace——impossible!Yetitwasso。
\"Whatconstructionmusttheyhaveputuponherfather’sacceptanceoftheirpresents——oftheircompany——ofherfreedomintheirpresence?No!theymusthaveunderstoodfromthebeginningthatsheandhersisterhadneverlookeduponthemexceptastransienthostsandchanceacquaintances。Anyotherideawaspreposterous。
Andyet——\"
Itwastherecurrenceofthis\"yet\"thatalarmedher。Forsherememberednowthatbutfortheirslavishdevotiontheymightclaimtobeherequal。Accordingtoherfather’saccount,theyhadcomefromhomesasgoodastheirown;theywerecertainlymorethanherequalinfortune;andherfatherhadcometothemasanemployee,untiltheyhadtakenhimintopartnership。Iftherehadonlybeensentimentofanykindconnectedwithanyofthem!Buttheywereallalike,brave,unselfish,humorous——andoftenridiculous。Ifanything,DickMattinglywasfunniestbynature,andmadeherlaughmore。MarylandJoe,hisbrother,toldbetterstories(sometimesofDick),thoughnotsogoodamimicastheotherKearney,whohadafairlysympatheticvoiceinsinging。Theywereallgood—lookingenough;perhapstheysetstoreonthat——menaresovain。
Andasforherownrejectedsuitor,FairfaxMunroe,exceptforakindofgraveandpropermotherlinessabouthisprotectingmanner,heabsolutelywasthemostindistinctiveofthemall。HehadoncebroughthersomerareteafromtheChinesecamp,andhadtaughtherhowtomakeit;hehadcautionedheragainstsittingunderthetreesatnightfall;hehadoncetakenoffhiscoattowraparoundher。Really,ifthisweretheonlyevidenceofdevotionthatcouldbeshown,shewassafe!
\"Well,\"saidJessie,\"itamusesyou,Isee。\"
ChristiecheckedthesmilethathadbeendimplingthecheeknearestJessie,andturneduponherthefaceofaneldersister。
\"Tellme,haveYOUnoticedthisextraordinaryattentionofMr。
Munroetome?\"
\"Candidly?\"askedJessie,seatingherselfcomfortablyonthetablesideways,andendeavoring,topullherskirtoverherlittlefeet。
\"HonestInjun?\"
\"Don’tbeidiotic,and,aboveall,don’tbeslangy!Ofcourse,candidly。\"
\"Well,no。Ican’tsaythatIhave。\"
\"Then,\"saidChristie,\"whyinthenameofallthat’spreposterous,dotheypersistinpairingmeoffwiththeleastinterestingmanofthelot?\"
Jessieleapedfromthetable。
\"Comenow,\"shesaid,withalittlenervouslaugh,\"he’snotsobadasallthat。Youdon’tknowhim。Butwhatdoesitmatternow,aslongaswe’renotgoingtoseethemanymore?\"
\"They’recomingherefortherideto—day,\"saidChristieresignedly。\"Fatherthoughtitbetternottobreakitoffatonce。\"
\"Fatherthoughtso!\"echoedJessie,stoppingwithherhandonthedoor。
\"Yes;whydoyouask?\"
ButJessiehadalreadylefttheroom,andwassinginginthehall。
CHAPTERIV
Theafternoondidnot,however,bringtheirexpectedvisitors。Itbrought,instead,abriefnotebythehandsofWhiskeyDickfromFairfax,apologizingforsomebusinessthatkepthimandGeorgeKearneyfromaccompanyingtheladies。Itaddedthatthehorseswereatthedisposalofthemselvesandanyescorttheymightselect,iftheywouldkindlygivethemessagetoWhiskeyDick。
Thetwogirlslookedateachotherawkwardly;Jessiedidnotattempttoconcealaslightpout。
\"Itlooksasiftheywereanticipatingus,\"shesaid,withahalf—
forcedsmile。\"Iwonder,now,iftherereallyhasbeenanygossip?
Butno!Theywouldn’thavestoppedforthat,unless——\"Shelookedcuriouslyathersister。
\"Unlesswhat?\"repeatedChristie;\"youarehorriblymysteriousthismorning。\"
\"AmI?It’snothing。Butthey’rewantingananswer。Ofcourseyou’lldecline。\"
\"Andintimateweonlycarefortheircompany!No!We’llsaywe’resorrytheycan’tcome,and——accepttheirhorses。Wecandowithoutanescort,wetwo。\"
\"Capital!\"saidJessie,clappingherhands。\"We’llshowthem——\"
\"We’llshowthemnothing,\"interruptedChristiedecidedly。\"Inourplacethere’sonlytheonethingtodo。Whereisthis——WhiskeyDick?\"
\"Intheparlor。\"
\"Theparlor!\"echoedChristie。\"WhiskeyDick?What——ishe——\"
\"Yes;he’sallright,\"saidJessieconfidently。\"He’sbeenherebefore,buthestayedinthehall;hewassoshy。Idon’tthinkyousawhim。\"
\"Ishouldthinknot——WhiskeyDick!\"
\"Oh,youcancallhimMr。Hall,ifyoulike,\"saidJessie,laughing。\"HisrealnameisDickHall。Ifyouwanttobefunny,youcansayAlkyHall,astheothersdo。\"
Christie’sonlyreplytothislevitywasalookofsuperiorresignationasshecrossedthehallandenteredtheparlor。
Thenensuedoneofthosesurprising,mystifying,andutterlyinexplicablechangesthatleavethemasculinebeingsohelplessinthehandsofhisfemininemaster。BeforeChristieopenedthedoorherfaceunderwentarapidtransformation:thegentleglowofarefinedwoman’swelcomesuddenlybeamedinherinterestedeyes;theimpulsivecourtesyofanexpectanthostesseagerlyseizingalong—
looked—foropportunitybrokeinasmileuponherlipsasshesweptacrosstheroom,andstoppedwithhertwowhiteoutstretchedhandsbeforeWhiskeyDick。
Itneededonlytheextravagantcontrastpresentedbythatgentlemantocompletethetableau。Attiredinasuitofshiningblackalpaca,thevisitorhadevidentlypreparedhimselfwithsomecareforapossibleinterview。HewasseatedbytheFrenchwindowopeningupontheveranda,asiftosecurearetreatincaseofanemergency。Scrupulouslywashedandshaven,someofthesoapappearedtohavelingeredinhiseyesandinflamedthelids,evenwhileitlentasleekandshininglustre,notunlikehiscoat,tohissmoothblackhair。Nevertheless,leaningbackinhischair,hehadallowedalargewhitehandkerchieftodependgracefullyfromhisfingers——aposeatoncesuggestingeasyandelegantlangour。
\"Howkindofyoutogivemeanopportunitytomakeupformymisfortunewhenyoulastcalled!Iwassosorrytohavemissedyou。Butitwasentirelymyfault!Youwerehurried,Ithink——youconversedwithothersinthehall——you——\"
Shestoppedtoassisthimtopickupthehandkerchiefthathadfallen,andthePanamahatthathadrolledfromhislaptowardsthewindowwhenhehadstartedsuddenlytohisfeetattheapparitionofgraceandbeauty。Ashestillnervouslyretainedthetwohandshehadgrasped,thiswouldhavebeenadifficultfeat,evenhadhenotendeavoredatthesamemoment,byabackwardfurtivekick,topropelthehatoutofthewindow,atwhichshelaughinglybrokefromhisgraspandflewtotherescue。
\"Don’tmindit,miss,\"hesaidhurriedly。\"Itisnotworthyourdemeaningyourselftotouchit。Leaveitoutsidethar,miss。I
wouldn’thavetoteditin,anyhow,ifsomeofthosehigh—falutin’
fellowshadn’tallowed,theothernight,ezitwerethereg’larthingtodo;asif,miss,anygentlemankalkilatedtoeverputonhishatinthehouseaforealady!\"
ButChristiehadalreadypossessedherselfoftheunluckyobject,andhadplacedituponthetable。ThiscompelledWhiskeyDicktoriseagain,andasanactofcarelessgoodbreedingtodrophishandkerchiefinit。Hethenleanedoneelbowuponthepiano,and,crossingonefootovertheother,remainedstandinginanattitudeherememberedtohaveseeninthepagesofanillustratedpaperasportrayingtheheroinsomedrawing—roomscene。Itwaseasyandeffective,butseemedtobemorefavorabletoreverythanconversation。Indeed,herememberedthathehadforgottentoconsulttheletterpressastowhichitrepresented。
\"Iseeyouagreewithme,thatpolitenessisquiteamatterofintention,\"saidChristie,\"andnotofmerefashionandrules。
Now,forinstance,\"shecontinued,withadazzlingsmile,\"I
suppose,accordingtotherules,IoughttogiveyouanotetoMr。
Munroe,acceptinghisoffer。Thatisallthatisrequired;butitseemssomuchnicer,don’tyouthink,totellittoYOUforHIM,andhavethepleasureofyourcompanyandalittlechatatthesametime。\"
\"That’sit,that’sjustit,MissCarr;you’vehititinthecentrethistime,\"saidWhiskeyDick,nowquiteconvincedthathisattitudewasnotintendedforeloquence,andshiftingbacktohisownseat,hatandall;\"that’stantamounttowhatIsaidtotheboysjustnow。’Youwantanexcuse,’sezI,’fornotgoin’outwiththeyoungladies。So,accorden’torules,youwritesaletterallowin’buzzinessandthatsorterthingdetainsyou。Butwot’sthefacts?You’reagentleman,andasgentlemenyouandGeorgecomestotheopinionthatyou’reratherplayin’itforallit’sworthinthisyerhouse,youknow——comin’herenightandday,offandon,reg’larsociableandfam’lylike,andmakin’peopletalkaboutthingstheyain’tanycalltotalkabout,and,what’sadarnedsightmore,YOUFELLOWSain’tgotanyrightYETtoallow’emtotalkabout,d’yesee?\"hepaused,outofbreath。
ItwasMissChristie’sturntomoveabout。Inchangingherseattothepiano—stool,soastobenearerhervisitor,shebrusheddownsomeloosemusic,whichWhiskeyDickhastenedtopickup。
\"Praydon’tmindit,\"shesaid,\"praydon’t,really——letitbe——\"
ButWhiskeyDick,feelinghimselfonsafegroundinthisattention,persistedtothebitterendofadisintegratedandwell—worn\"Travatore。\"\"SothatiswhatMr。Munroesaid,\"sheremarkedquietly。
\"Notjustthen,incourse,butit’swhat’sbinonhismindandinhistalkfordaysoffandon,\"returnedDick,withaknowingsmileandanodofmysteriousconfidence。\"Blessyoursoul,MissCarr,folkslikeyouandmedon’tneedtohavethemthingsexplained。
That’swhatIsaidtohim,sezI。’Don’tsendnonote,butjustgoupthereandhevitoutfairandsquare,andsaywhatyoudomean。’
Buttheywouldhevthenote,andIkalkilatedtobringit。ButwhenIsetmyeyesonyou,andheardyouexpressyourselfasyoudidjustnow,Iseztomyself,sezI,’Dick,yer’sayounglady,andafash’nableladyatthat,ezdon’tgofoolin’roundonrulesandetiketts’——excusemyfreedom,MissCarr——’andyouandher,sezI,’kinjustdiscussthisyermatterinasociable,off—hand,fash’nableway。’They’reagoodloto’boys,MissCarr,asquarelot——whitemenallof’em;butthey’realittlesoftandgreen,maybe,fromlivin’intheseyerpinewoodsalongo’theothersap。
Theyjustworshipthegroundyouandyoursistertreadon——certain!
ofcourse!ofcourse!\"headdedhurriedly,recognizingChristie’shalf—conscious,deprecatinggesturewithmoreexaggerateddeprecation。\"Iunderstand。ButwhatIwantersayisthatthey’dbewillin’tobethatground,andliedownandletyouwalkoverthem——sotospeak,MissCarr,sotospeak——ifitwouldkeepthehemofyourgownfromgettin’soiledinthemudo’thecamp。Butitwouldn’tdoforthemtomakeareg’larcurderoyroado’themselvesforthehoulcamptotrapseover,onthemerechanceofyoursometimepassin’thatway,woulditnow?\"
\"Won’tyouletmeofferyousomerefreshment,Mr。Hall?\"saidChristie,rising,withaslightcolor。\"I’mreallyashamedofmyforgetfulnessagain,butI’mafraidit’spartlyYOURfaultforentertainingmetotheexclusionofyourself。No,thankyou,letmefetchitforyou。\"
Sheturnedtoahandsomesideboardnearthedoor,andpresentlyfacedhimagainwithadecanterofwhiskeyandaglassinherhand,andareturnofthebewitchingsmileshehadwornonentering。
\"Butperhapsyoudon’ttakewhiskey?\"suggestedthearchdeceiver,withasuddenaffectedbutprettyperplexityofeye,brow,andlips。
ForthefirsttimeinhislifeWhiskeyDickhesitatedbetweentwoformsofintoxication。Buthewasstillnervousanduneasy;habittriumphed,andhetookthewhiskey。He,however,wipedhislipswithaslightwaveofhishandkerchief,tosupportacertaineasyelegancewhichhefirmlybelievedrelievedtheactofanyvulgarquality。
\"Yes,ma’am,\"hecontinued,afteranexhilaratedpause。\"EzIsaidafore,thisyer’samatteryouandmecandiscussafterthefashiono’society。MyideaisthattheseyerboysshouldkinderletuponyouandMissJessieforawhile,anddoalittlemorepermiskusattentionroundtheFord。There’soneortwofamiliesyerwithgrown—upgalsezoughterbesquared;thatis——theboysmighterputinafewfancytouchesamongthem——kindertake’embuggyriding——ortochurch——onceinawhile——justtotakethepizenoutertheirtongues,andmakeakindo’blufftotheparents,d’yesee?Thatwouldsorterdiverttheirownminds;andevenifitdidn’t,itwouldkinderget’emaccustomedagintotheoldstyleandtheirownkind。Iwanttowarnyeaginanideathatmightoccurtoyouinaginiralway。Idon’tsayyouhevtheidea,butit’skindo’
nat’ralyoumightbethinkin’ofitsometime,andIthoughtI’dwarnyouaginit。\"
\"Ithinkweunderstandeachothertoowelltodiffermuch,Mr。
Hall,\"saidChristie,stillsmiling;\"butwhatistheidea?\"
ThedelicatecomplimenttotheirconfidentialrelationsandtheslightstimulusofliquorhadtremulouslyexaltedWhiskeyDick。
Affectingtolookcautiouslyoutofthewindowandaroundtheroom,heventuredtodrawnearertheyoungwomanwithahalf—paternal,half—timidfamiliarity。
\"Itmighthaveoccurredtoyou,\"hesaid,layinghishandkerchiefasiftoveilmerevulgarcontact,onChristie’sshoulder,\"thatitwouldbeagoodthingonYOURsidetoinvitedownsomeofyourhigh—tonedgentlemenfriendsfrom’Friscotovisityouandescortyouround。Itseemsquitenat’rallike,andIdon’tsayitain’t,but——theboyswouldn’tstandforit。\"
Inspiteofherself—possession,Christie’seyessuddenlydarkened,andsheinvoluntarilydrewherselfup。ButWhiskeyDick,guiltilyattributingthemovementtohisownindiscreetgesture,said,\"Excuseme,miss,\"recoveredhimselfbylightlydustinghershoulderwithhishandkerchief,asiftoremovetheimpression,andhersmilereturned。
\"Theywouldn’tstandforit,\"saidDick,\"andthere’dbesomeshooting!Notaforeyou,miss——notaforeyou,incourse!Butthey’dadjourntothewoodssomemorningwiththemcityfolks,andhevitoutwithriflesatahundredyards。Or,seein’ezthey’recityfolks,theboyswoulddothesquarethingwithpistolsattwelvepaces。They’regoodboys,asIsaidafore;butthey’requickandtetchy——George,beingtheyoungest,nat’rallyisthetetchiest。Youknowhowitis,MissCarr;hispretty,gal—likefaceandlittlemoustacheshazcosthimhalfadozenscrimmagesalready。He’zhadafightforeveryhairthat’sgrowedinhismoustachesincehekemhere。\"
\"Saynomore,Mr。Hall!\"saidChristie,risingandpressingherhandslightlyonDick’stremulousfingers。\"IfIeverhadanysuchidea,Ishouldabandonitnow;youarequiterightinthisasinyourotheropinions。IshallneverceasetobethankfultoMr。
MunroeandMr。Kearneythattheyintrustedthisdelicatemattertoyourhands。\"
\"Well,\"saidthegratifiedandreddeningvisitor,\"itain’tperhapsthesquarethingtothemormyselftosaythattheyreckonedtohavemediscusstheirdelicateaffairsforthem,but——\"
\"Iunderstand,\"interruptedChristie。\"Theysimplygaveyoutheletterasafriend。Itwasmygoodfortunetofindyouasympathizingandliberalmanoftheworld。\"ThedelightedDick,withconsciousvanitybeamingfromeveryfeatureofhisshiningface,lightlywavedthecomplimentasidewithhishandkerchief,asshecontinued,\"ButIamforgettingthemessage。Weacceptthehorses。OfcourseweCOULDdowithoutanescort;butforgivemyspeakingsofrankly,areYOUengagedthisafternoon?\"
\"Excuseme,miss,Idon’ttake——\"stammeredDick,scarcelybelievinghisears。
\"Couldyougiveusyourcompanyasanescort?\"repeatedChristiewithasmile。
Washeawakeordreaming,orwasthissometrickofliquorinhisoftendistortedfancy?He,WhiskeyDick!thebuttofhisfriends,thecharteredoracleofthebarrooms,eveninwhosewretchedvanitytherewasalwaysthehauntingsuspicionthathewasdespisedandscorned;he,whohaddaredsomuchinspeech,andachievedsolittleinfact!he,whosehabitualweaknesshadevenledhimintothewildestindiscretionhere;he——nowofferedarewardforthatindiscretion!He,WhiskeyDick,thesolicitedescortofthesetwobeautifulandpeerlessgirls!WhatwouldtheysayattheFord?
Whatwouldhisfriendsthink?ItwouldbeallovertheFordthenextday。Hispastwouldbevindicated,hisfuturesecured。Hegrewerectatthethought。Itwasalmostinothervoice,andwithnotraceofhispreviousexaggeration,thathesaid,\"Withpleasure。\"
\"Then,ifyouwillbringthehorsesatonce,weshallbereadywhenyoureturn。\"
Inanotherinstanthehadvanished,asifafraidtotrusttherealityofhisgoodfortunetothedangersofdelay。Attheendofhalfanhourhereappeared,leadingthetwohorses,himselfmountedonahalf—brokenmustang。Apairoflarge,jinglingsilverspursandastiffsombrero,borrowedwiththemustangfromsomemysterioussource,weredonnedtodohonortotheoccasion。
Theyounggirlswerenotyetready,buthewasshownbytheChineseservantintotheparlortowaitforthem。Thedecanterofwhiskeyandglasseswerestillinvitinglythere。Hewashot,trembling,andflushedwithtriumph。Hewalkedtothetableandlaidhishandonthedecanter,whenanoddthoughtflasheduponhim。Hewouldnotdrinkthistime。No,itshouldnotbesaidthathe,theselectedescortoftheeliteofDevil’sFord,hadtofillhimselfupwithwhiskeybeforetheystarted。Theboysmightturntoeachotherintheirastonishment,asheproudlypassedwithhisfaircompanions,andsay,\"It’sWhiskeyDick,\"buthe’dbed————diftheyshouldadd,\"andfullasever。\"No,sir!Norwhenhewasridingbesidetheserealladies,andleaningoverthematsomeconfidentialmoment,shouldtheyevenknowitfromhisbreath!
No……Yetathimbleful,takenstraight,onlyathimbleful,wouldn’tbemuch,andmighthelptopullhimtogether。Heagainreachedhistremblinghandforthedecanter,hesitated,andthen,turninghisbackuponit,resolutelywalkedtotheopenwindow。
AlmostatthesameinstanthefoundhimselffacetofacewithChristieontheveranda。
Shelookedintohisbloodshoteyes,andcastaswiftglanceatthedecanter。
\"Won’tyoutakesomethingbeforeyougo?\"shesaidsweetly。
\"I——reckon——not,jestnow,\"stammeredWhiskeyDick,withaheroiceffort。
\"You’reright,\"saidChristie。\"Iseeyouarelikeme。It’stoohotforanythingfiery。Comewithme。\"
Sheledhimintothedining—room,andpouringoutaglassoficedteahandedittohim。PoorDickwasnotpreparedforthisterribleculmination。WhiskeyDickandicedtea!Butunderpretenceofseeingifitwasproperlyflavored,Christieraisedittoherownlips。
\"Tryit,topleaseme。\"
Hedrainedthegoblet。
\"Now,then,\"saidChristiegayly,\"let’sfindJessie,andbeoff!\"
CHAPTERV
Whatevermighthavebeenhisotherdeficienciesasanescort,WhiskeyDickwasagoodhorseman,and,inspiteofhisfractiousbrute,exhibitedsuchskillandconfidenceastoatoncesatisfytheyounggirlsofhisvaluetotheminthemanagementoftheirownhorses,towhomside—saddleswerestillanalarmingnovelty。
Jessie,whohadprobablyalreadylearnedfromhersisterthepurportofDick’sconfidences,hadreceivedhimwithequalcordialityandperhapsamoreunqualifiedamusement;andnow,whenfairlyliftedintothesaddlebyhistremulousbutrespectfulhands,madeaverycharmingpictureofyouthfulandrosysatisfaction。AndwhenChristie,morefascinatingthaneverinherriding—habit,tookherplaceontheothersideofDick,astheysalliedfromthegate,thatgentlemanfelthiscupofhappinesscomplete。Histriumphalentreeintotheworldofcivilizationandfashionwassecure。Hedidnotregrettheuntastedliquor;herewasanexperienceinafteryearstoleanhisbackagainstcomfortablyinbar—rooms,toentranceordefymankind。Hehadevengotsofarastoformulateinfancythesentence:\"Iremember,gentlemen,thatoneafternoon,beingonapasearwithtwofash’nableyoungladies,\"etc。,etc。
Atpresent,however,hewasobligedtoconfinehimselftothefunctionsofanelegantguideandcicerone——whennotengagedin\"havingitout\"withhishorse。Theirwaylayalongtheslope,crossingthehigh—roadatrightangles,toreachthedeeperwoodsbeyond。Dickwouldhavelingeredonthehighway——ostensiblytopointouttohiscompanionsthenewflumethathadtakentheplaceofthecondemnedditch,butreallyinthehopeofexposinghimselfinhisglorytothecuriouseyesofthewayfaringworld。
Unhappilytheroadwasdesertedinthestillpowerfulsunlight,andhewasobligedtoseekthecoverofthewoods,withapassingcomplimenttotheparentofhischarges。Wavinghishandstowardstheflume,hesaid,\"Lookatthatworkofyourfather’s;thereain’tnoothermaninCalifornybutPhilipCarrezwouldhevthegrittoholdupsuchabluffaginnaturandaginluckezthatyerflumestandsfor。Idon’tsayit’causeyou’rehisdaughters,ladies!Thatain’tthestyle,ezYOUknow,insassiety,MissCarr,\"headded,turningtoChristieasthemoresociallyexperienced。\"No!butthereain’tanothermantobefoundezcoulddoit。Itcostalreadytwohundredthousand;it’llcostfivehundredthousandaforeit’sdone;andeverycentofitisgotoutoftheyearthbeneathit,orHEZgottobeoutofit。’Tain’tev’ryman,MissCarr,ezhevgottheplucktopledgenotonlywhathe’sgot,butwhathereckonstogit。\"
\"Butsupposehedon’tgetit?\"saidChristie,slightlycontractingherbrows。
\"Thenthere’stheflumetoshowforit,\"saidDick。
\"Butofwhatuseistheflume,ifthereisn’tanymoregold?\"
continuedChristie,almostangrily。
\"That’sgoodfromYOU,miss,\"saidDick,givingwaytoafitofhilarity。\"That’sgoodforafash’nableyounglady——owndaughterofPhilipCarr。Shesez,saysshe,\"continuedDick,appealingtothesedatepinesforappreciationofChristie’srarehumor,\"’Wot’stheuseofaflume,whengoldain’tthere?’Imusttellthattotheboys。\"
\"Andwhat’stheuseofthegoldinthegroundwhentheflumeisn’ttheretoworkitout?\"saidJessietohersister,withacautioningglancetowardsDick。
ButDickdidnotnoticethelookthatpassedbetweenthesisters。
ThericherhumorofJessie’sretorthadthrownhimintoconvulsionsoflaughter。
\"AndnowSHEsays,wot’stheuseo’thegoldwithouttheflume?
’Xcuseme,ladies,butthat’sjustputtin’thehullquestionthat’sagitatin’thisyercampintertwospeechesasclearascrystal。
There’sthehullcrowdoutside——andsomeon’eminside,likeFairfax,heztheirdoubts——ezsayswithMissChristie;andthere’sallofusinside,ezholdsMissJessie’sviews。\"
\"IneverheardMr。Munroesaythattheflumewaswrong,\"saidJessiequickly。
\"Nottoyou,nat’rally,\"saidDick,withaconfidentiallookatChristie;\"butIreckonhe’dlikesomeofthemoneyitcostlaidoutforsuthin’else。Butwhat’stheodds?Thegoldisthere,andWE’REboundtogetit。\"
Dickwastheforemanofagangofpaidworkmen,whohadreplacedthemillionairesinmeremanuallabor,andtheWEwasapolitefigureofspeech。
Theconversationseemedtohavetakenanunfortunateturn,andboththegirlsexperiencedafeelingofreliefwhentheyenteredthelonggulchordefilethatledtoIndianSpring。Thetracknowbecomingnarrow,theywereobligedtopassinsinglefilealongtheprecipitoushillside,ledbythisescort。Thiseffectuallyprecludedanyfurtherspeech,andChristieatoncesurrenderedherselftothecalm,obliteratinginfluencesoftheforest。Thesettlementanditsgossipwerefarbehindandforgotten。Intheabsorptionofnature,hercompanionspassedoutofhermind,evenastheysometimespassedoutofhersightinthewindingsoftheshadowytrail。Assherodealone,thefrondsofbreast—highfernsseemedtocaressherwithoutstretchedandgently—detaininghands;
strangewildflowerssprangupthroughthepartingunderbrush;eventhegraniterocksthatattimespressedcloselyuponthetrailappearedasifcushionedtohercontactwithstar—rayedmosses,orlightlyflungafterherlonglassoesofdelicatevines。Sherecalledtheabsolutefreedomoftheiral—frescolifeintheolddoublecabin,whenshespentthegreaterpartofherwakinghoursunderthemutetreesintheencompassingsolitude,and,halfregrettingthemorecivilizedrestraintsofthisnewerandmoreambitiousabode,forgotthatshehadeverrebelledagainstit。Thesocialcomplicationthatthreatenedhernowseemedtoherrathertheoutcomeofherhalf—civilizedparlorthanofthesylvanglade。
Howeasyitwouldhavebeentohavekeptthecabin,andthentohavegoneawayentirely,thanforherfathertohaveallowedthemtobecompromisedwiththegrowingfortunesofthesettlement!ThesuspicionsanddistrustthatshehadalwaysfeltoftheirfortunesseemedtogrowwiththeinvoluntaryadmissionofWhiskeyDickthattheyweresharedbyotherswhowerepracticalmen。Shewasfaintohaverecoursetotheprospectagaintobanishthesethoughts,andthisopenedhereyestothefactthathercompanionshadbeenmissingfromthetrailaheadofherforsometime。Shequickenedherpaceslightlytoreachaprojectingpointofrockthatgaveheramoreextendedprospect。Buttheyhadevidentlydisappeared。
Shewasneitheralarmednorannoyed。Shecouldeasilyovertakethemsoon,fortheywouldmissher,andreturnorwaitforheratthespring。Attheworstshewouldhavenodifficultyinretracingherstepshome。Inherpresentmood,shecouldreadilysparetheircompany;indeedshewasnotsorrythatnootherbeingshouldinterruptthatsympathywiththefreewoodswhichwasbeginningtopossessher。
Shewasdestined,however,tobedisappointed。Shehadnotproceededahundredyardsbeforeshenoticedthemovingfigureofamanbeyondherinthehillsidechaparralabovethetrail。Heseemedtobegoinginthesamedirectionasherself,and,asshefancied,endeavoringtoavoidher。Thisexcitedhercuriositytothepointofurgingherhorseforwarduntilthetrailbroadenedintothelevelforestagain,whichshenowrememberedwasapartoftheenvironsofIndianSpring。Thestrangerhesitated,pausingonceortwicewithhisbacktowardsher,asifengagedincarefullyexaminingthedwarfwillowstoselectaswitch。Christieslightlycheckedherspeedasshedrewnearer;when,asifobedienttoasuddenresolution,heturnedandadvancedtowardsher。ShewasrelievedandyetsurprisedtorecognizetheboyishfaceandfigureofGeorgeKearney。Hewasquitepaleandagitated,althoughattempting,byajauntyswingingoftheswitchhehadjustcut,toassumetheappearanceofeaseandconfidence。
Herewasanopportunity。Christieresolvedtoprofitbyit。Shedidnotdoubtthattheyoungfellowhadalreadypassedhersisteronthetrail,but,frombashfulness,hadnotdaredtoapproachher。
Byinvitinghisconfidence,shewoulddoubtlessdrawsomethingfromhimthatwoulddenyorcorroborateherfather’sopinionofhissentiments。IfhewasreallyinlovewithJessie,shewouldlearnwhatreasonshehadforexpectingaseriousculminationofhissuit,andperhapsshemightbeabledelicatelytoopenhiseyestothetruth。If,asshebelieved,itwasonlyaboyishfancy,shewouldlaughhimoutofitwiththatcamaraderiewhichhadalwaysexistedbetweenthem。Ahalfmotherlysympathy,albeitbornquiteasmuchfromacontemplationofhisbeautifulyearningeyesasfromhisinterestingposition,lightenedthesmilewithwhichshegreetedhim。
\"Soyoucontrivedtothrowoveryourstupidbusinessandjoinus,afterall,\"shesaid;\"orwasitthatyouchangedyourmindatthelastmoment?\"sheaddedmischievously。\"Ithoughtonlywewomenwerepermittedthat!\"Indeed,shecouldnothelpnoticingthattherewasreallyastrongfemininesuggestionintheshiftingcolorandslightlyconsciouseyelidsoftheyoungfellow。
\"Doyounggirlsalwayschangetheirminds?\"askedGeorge,withanembarrassedsmile。
\"Not,always;butsometimestheydon’tknowtheirownmind——
particularlyiftheyareveryyoung;andwhentheydoatlast,youclevercreaturesofmen,whohaveinterpretedtheirignorancetopleaseyourselves,abusethemforbeingfickle。\"ShestoppedtoobservetheeffectofwhatshebelievedaratherclearandsignificantexpositionofJessie’sandGeorge’spossiblesituation。
Butshewasnotpreparedforthelookofblankresignationthatseemedtodrivethecolorfromhisfaceandmoistenthefireofhisdarkeyes。
\"Ireckonyou’reright,\"hesaid,lookingdown。
\"Oh!we’renotaccusingyouoffickleness,\"saidChristiegayly;
\"althoughyoudidn’tcome,andwewereobligedtoaskMr。Halltojoinus。IsupposeyoufoundhimandJessiejustnow?\"
ButGeorgemadenoreply。Thecolorwasslowlycomingbacktohisface,which,assheglancedcovertlyathim,seemedtohavegrownsomucholderthathisreturningbloodmighthavebroughttwoorthreeyearswithit。
\"Really,Mr。Kearney,\"shesaiddryly,\"onewouldthinkthatsomesilly,conceitedgirl\"——shewasquiteearnestinherepithets,forasudden,angryconvictionofsomecoquetryanddisingenuousnessinJessiehadcometoherincontemplatingitseffectsupontheyoungfellowatherside——\"somecountryjilt,hadbeentryingherrustichanduponyou。\"
\"Sheisnotsilly,conceited,norcountrified,\"saidGeorge,slowlyraisinghisbeautifuleyestotheyounggirlhalfreproachfully。
\"ItisIwhoamallthat。No,sheisright,andyouknowit。\"
MuchasChristieadmiredandvaluedhersister’scharms,shethoughtthiswasreallygoingtoofar。WhathadJessieeverdone——
whatwasJessie——toprovokeandremaininsensibletosuchablinddevotionasthis?Andreally,lookingathimnow,hewasnotsoVERYYOUNGforJessie;whetherhisunfortunatepassionhadbroughtoutallhislatentmanliness,orwhetherhehadhithertokepthisseriousnatureinthebackground,certainlyhewasnotaboy。Andcertainlyhiswasnotapassionthathecouldbelaughedoutof。
Itwasgettingverytiresome。Shewishedshehadnotmethim——atleastuntilshehadhadsomeclearerunderstandingwithhersister。
Hewasstillwalkingbesideher,withhishandonherbridlerein,partlytoleadherhorseoversomebouldersinthetrail,andpartlytoconcealhisfirstembarrassment。Whentheyhadfairlyreachedthewoods,hestopped。
\"Iamgoingtosaygood—by,MissCarr。\"
\"Areyounotcomingfurther?WemustbenearIndianSpring,now;
Mr。Halland——andJessie——cannotbefaraway。Youwillkeepmecompanyuntilwemeetthem?\"
\"No,\"herepliedquietly。\"Ionlystoppedyoutosaygood—by。I
amgoingaway。\"
\"NotfromDevil’sFord?\"sheasked,inhalf—incredulousastonishment。
\"Atleast,notforlong?\"
\"Iamnotcomingback,\"hereplied。
\"Butthisisveryabrupt,\"shesaidhurriedly,feelingthatinsomeridiculouswayshehadprecipitatedanequallyridiculouscatastrophe。\"Surelyyouarenotgoingawayinthisfashion,withoutsayinggood—bytoJessieand——andfather?\"
\"Ishallseeyourfather,ofcourse——andyouwillgivemyregardstoMissJessie。\"
Heevidentlywasinearnest。Wasthereeveranythingsoperfectlypreposterous?Shebecameindignant。
\"Ofcourse,\"shesaidcoldly,\"Iwon’tdetainyou;yourbusinessmustbeurgent,andIforgot——atleastIhadforgottenuntilto—
day——thatyouhaveotherdutiesmoreimportantthanthatofsquireofdames。Iamafraidthisforgetfulnessmademethinkyouwouldnotpartfromusinquitesuchabusinessfashion。Ipresume,ifyouhadnotmetmejustnow,weshouldnoneofushaveseenyouagain?\"
Hedidnotreply。
\"Willyousaygood—by,MissCarr?\"
Heheldouthishand。
\"Onemoment,Mr。Kearney。IfIhavesaidanythingwhichyouthinkjustifiesthisveryabruptleave—taking,Ibegyouwillforgiveandforgetit——or,atleast,letithavenomoreweightwithyouthantheidlewordsofanywoman。Ionlyspokegenerally。Youknow——I——
Imightbemistaken。\"
Hiseyes,whichhaddilatedwhenshebegantospeak,darkened;hiscolor,whichhadquicklycome,asquicklysankwhenshehadended。
\"Don’tsaythat,MissCarr。Itisnotlikeyou,and——itisuseless。YouknowwhatImeantamomentago。Ireaditinyourreply。YoumeantthatI,likeothers,haddeceivedmyself。Didyounot?\"
Shecouldnotmeetthosehonesteyeswithlessthanequalhonesty。
SheknewthatJessiedidnotlovehim——wouldnotmarryhim——
whatevercoquetryshemighthaveshown。
\"Ididnotmeantooffendyou,\"shesaidhesitatingly;\"IonlyhalfsuspecteditwhenIspoke。\"
\"Andyouwishtosparemetheavowal?\"hesaidbitterly。
\"Tome,perhaps,yes,byanticipatingit。IcouldnottellwhatideasyoumighthavegatheredfromsomeindiscreetfranknessofJessie——ormyfather,\"sheadded,withalmostequalbitterness。
\"Ihaveneverspokentoeither,\"herepliedquickly。Hestopped,andadded,afteramoment’smortifyingreflection,\"I’vebeenbroughtupinthewoods,MissCarr,andIsupposeIhavefollowedmyfeelings,insteadoftheetiquetteofsociety。\"
ChristiewastoorelievedattherehabilitationofJessie’struthfulnesstonoticethefullsignificanceofhisspeech。
\"Good—by,\"hesaidagain,holdingouthishand。
\"Good—by!\"
Sheextendedherown,ungloved,withafranksmile。Hehelditforamoment,withhiseyesfixeduponhers。Thensuddenly,asifobeyinganuncontrollableimpulse,hecrusheditlikeafloweragainandagainagainsthisburninglips,anddartedaway。
Christiesankbackinhersaddlewithalittlecry,halfofpainandhalfoffrightenedsurprise。Hadthepoorboysuddenlygonemad,orwasthisvicariousfarewellapartofthecourtshipofDevil’sFord?Shelookedatherlittlehand,whichhadreddenedunderthepressure,andsuddenlyfelttheflushextendingtohercheeksandtherootsofherhair。Thiswasintolerable。
\"Christie!\"
Itwashersisteremergingfromthewoodtoseekher。Inanothermomentshewasatherside。
\"Wethoughtyouwerefollowing,\"saidJessie。\"Goodheavens!howyoulook!Whathashappened?\"
\"Nothing。ImetMr。Kearneyamomentagoonthetrail。Heisgoingaway,and——and——\"Shestopped,furiousandflushing。
\"And,\"saidJessie,withaburstofmerriment,\"hetoldyouatlasthelovedyou。Oh,Christie!\"
CHAPTERVI
TheabruptdepartureofGeorgeKearneyfromDevil’sFordexcitedbutlittleinterestinthecommunity,andwassoonforgotten。Itwasgenerallyattributedtodifferencesbetweenhimselfandhispartnersonthequestionoffurtheroutlayoftheirearningsonminingimprovements——heandPhilipCarralonerepresentingasanguineminoritywhosefaithinthefutureofthemineacceptedanyrisks。Itwasallegedbysomethathehadsoldouttohisbrother;itwasbelievedbyothersthathehadsimplygonetoSacramentotoborrowmoneyonhisshare,inordertocontinuetheimprovementsonhisownresponsibility。Thepartnersthemselveswereuncommunicative;evenWhiskeyDick,whosincehisremarkablesocialelevationhadbecomelessoracular,muchtohisownastonishment,contributednothingtothegossipexceptasuggestionthatasthefierytemperofGeorgeKearneybrookednoopposition,evenfromhisbrother,itwasbettertheyshouldseparatebeforetheestrangementbecameserious。
Mr。Carrdidnotdisguisehisannoyanceatthelossofhisyoungdiscipleandfirmally。ButanunluckyallusiontohispreviousremarksonKearney’sattentionstoJessie,andaquerulousregretthathehadpermittedadisruptionoftheirsocialintimacy,broughtsuchanominousandfrigidopposition,notonlyfromChristie,buteventhefrivolousJessieherself,thatCarrsankbackinacrushedandterrifiedsilence。\"Ionlymeanttosay,\"hestammeredafterapause,inwhichhe,however,resumedhisaggrievedmanner,\"thatFAIRFAXseemstocomeherestill,andHEisnotsuchaparticularfriendofmine。\"
\"Butsheis——andhasyourinterestentirelyatheart,\"saidJessie,stoutly,\"andheonlycomesheretotellushowthingsaregoingonattheworks。\"
\"Andcriticiseyourfather,Isuppose,\"saidMr。Carr,withanattemptatjocularitythatdidnot,however,disguiseanirritatedsuspiciousness。\"HereallyseemstohavesupplantedMEashehaspoorKearneyinyourestimation。\"
\"Now,father,\"saidJessie,suddenlyseizinghimbytheshouldersinaffectedindignation,butreallytoconcealacertainembarrassmentthatsprangquiteasmuchfromhersister’squietlyobservanteyeasherfather’sspeech,\"youpromisedtoletthisridiculousdiscussiondrop。YouwillmakemeandChristiesonervousthatwewillnotdaretoopenthedoortoavisitor,untilhedeclareshisinnocenceofanymatrimonialintentions。Youdon’twanttogivecolortothegossipthatagreementwithyourviewsabouttheimprovementsisnecessarytogettingonwithus。\"
\"Whodarestalksuchrubbish?\"saidCarr,reddening;\"isthatthekindofgossipthatFairfaxbringshere?\"
\"Hardly,whenit’sknownthathedon’tquiteagreewithyou,andDOEScomehere。That’sthebestdenialofthegossip。\"
Christie,whohadoflateloftilyignoredthesediscussions,waiteduntilherfatherhadtakenhisdeparture。
\"ThenthatisthereasonwhyyoustillseeMr。Munroe,afterwhatyousaid,\"sheremarkedquietlytoJessie。
Jessie,whowouldhavelikedtoescapewithherfather,wasobligedtopauseonthethresholdofthedoor,withaprettyassumptionofblankforgetfulnessinherblueeyesandliftedeyebrows。
\"Saidwhat?when?\"sheaskedvacantly。
\"When——whenMr。Kearneythatday——inthewoods——wentaway,\"saidChristie,faintlycoloring。
\"Oh!THATday,\"saidJessiebriskly;\"thedayhejustglovedyourhandwithkisses,andthenfledwildlyintotheforesttoconcealhisemotion。\"
\"Thedayhebehavedveryfoolishly,\"saidChristie,withreproachfulcalmness,thatdidnot,however,preventasuspicionofindignantmoistureinhereyes——\"whenyouexplained\"——
\"Thatitwasn’tmeantforME,\"interruptedJessie。
\"ThatitwastoyouthatMR。MUNROE’Sattentionsweredirected。
Andthenweagreedthatitwasbettertopreventanyfurtheradvancesofthiskindbyavoidinganyfamiliarrelationswitheitherofthem。\"
\"Yes,\"saidJessie,\"Iremember;butyou’renotconfoundingmyseeingFairfaxoccasionallynowwiththatsortofthing。HE
doesn’tkissmyhandlikeanything,\"sheadded,asifinabstractreflection。
\"Norrunaway,either,\"suggestedthetroddenworm,turning。
Therewasanominoussilence。
\"Doyouknowwearenearlyoutofcoffee?\"saidJessiechoking,butmovingtowardsthedoorwithSpartan—likecalmness。
\"Yes。Andsomethingmustbedonethisverydayaboutthewashing,\"
saidChristie,withsuppressedemotion,goingtowardstheoppositeentrance。
Tearsstoodineachother’seyeswiththisterribleexchangeofdomesticconfidences。Nevertheless,afteramoment’spause,theydeliberatelyturnedagain,and,facingeachotherwithfrightfulcalmness,lefttheroombypurposelessanddeliberateexitsotherthanthosetheyhadcontemplated——acrushingabnegationofself,that,tosomeextent,relievedtheirsurchargedfeelings。
MeantimethematerialprosperityofDevil’sFordincreased,ifaprosperitybaseduponnovisiblefoundationbuttheconfidencesandhopesofitsinhabitantscouldbecalledmaterial。Few,ifany,stoppedtoconsiderthattheimprovements,buildings,andbusinessweresimplytheoutlayofcapitalbroughtfromelsewhere,andasyetthesettlementortown,asitwasnowcalled,hadneitherproducednorexportedcapitalofitselfequaltohalftheamountexpended。Itwastruethatsomelandwascultivatedonthefurtherslope,somemillserectedandlumberfurnishedfromtheinexhaustibleforest;buttheconsumersweretheinhabitantsthemselves,whopaidfortheirproduceinborrowedcapitalorunlimitedcredit。ItwasneverdiscoveredthatwhileallroadsledtoDevil’sFord,Devil’sFordledtonowhere。Thedifficultiesovercomeingettingthingsintothesettlementwereneversurmountedforgettingthingsoutofit。Thelumberwaspracticallyvaluelessforexporttoothersettlementsacrossthemountainroads,whichwereequallyrichintimber。Thetheorysoenthusiasticallyheldbytheoriginallocators,thatDevil’sFordwasavastsinkthathad,throughages,exhaustedandabsorbedthetricklingwealthoftheadjacenthillsandvalleys,wassufferinganironicalcorroboration。
OnemorningitwasknownthatworkwasstoppedattheDevil’sFordDitch——temporarilyonly,itwasalleged,andmanyoftheoldworkmensimplyhadtheirlaborforthepresenttransferredtoexcavatingtheriverbanks,andthecollectionofvastheapsof\"paygravel。\"Specimensfromthesemounds,takenfromdifferentlocalities,andatdifferentlevels,weresenttoSanFranciscoformorerigidassayandanalysis。Itwasbelievedthatthiswouldestablishthefactofthepermanentrichnessofthedrifts,andnotonlyjustifypastexpenditure,butarenewedoutlayofcreditandcapital。ThesuspensionofengineeringworkgaveMr。CarranopportunitytovisitSanFranciscoongeneralbusinessofthemine,whichcouldnot,however,preventhimfromarrangingfurthercombinationswithcapital。Histwodaughtersaccompaniedhim。Itofferedanadmirableopportunityforashoppingexpedition,achangeofscene,andapeacefulsolutionoftheirperplexingandanomaloussocialrelationswithDevil’sFord。Inthefirstflushofgratitudetotheirfatherforthisopportuneholiday,somethingofharmonyhadbeenrestoredtothefamilycirclethathadoflatebeenshakenbydiscord。
Buttheirsanguinehopesofenjoymentwerenotentirelyfulfilled。
BothJessieandChristiewereobligedtoconfesstoacertaindisappointmentintheaspectofthecivilizationtheywerenowreentering。Theyatfirstattributedittothechangeintheirownhabitsduringthelastthreemonths,andtheirhavingbecomebarbarousandcountrifiedintheirseclusion。CertainlyinthematterofdresstheywerebehindthefashionsasrevealedinMontgomeryStreet。Butwhenthebriefsolaceaffordedthembythemodisteanddressmakerwaspast,thereseemedlittleelsetobegained。Theymissedatfirst,Ifear,thechivalrousandloyaldevotionthathadonlyamusedthematDevil’sFord,andwerethemoreinclined,Ithink,todistrusttheconsciousandmorecivilizedgallantryofthebetterdressedandmorecarefullypresentedmentheymet。Foritmustbeadmittedthat,forobviousreasons,theircriticismswereatfirstconfinedtothesextheyhadbeenmostincontactwith。Theycouldnothelpnoticingthatthemenweremoreeager,annoyinglyfeverish,andself—assertingintheirsuperioreleganceandexternalshowthantheiroldassociateswereintheirfrank,unrestrainedhabits。ItseemedtothemthatthefivemillionairesofDevil’sFord,intheirradicalsimplicityandthoroughness,wereperhapsnearerthetypeoftruegentlemanhoodthanthesecitizenswhoimitatedacivilizationtheywereunableyettoreach。
Thewomensimplyfrightenedthem,asbeing,evenmorethanthemen,demonstrativeandexcessiveintheirfinelooks,theirfinedresses,theirextravagantdemandforexcitement。Inlessthanaweektheyfoundthemselvesregretting——notthenewvillaontheslopeofDevil’sFord,whicheveninitsownbizarrefashionwasexceededbythebarbarousostentationofthevillasandprivatehousesaroundthem——butthedoublecabinunderthetrees,whichnowseemedtothemalmostaristocraticinitsgravesimplicityandabstention。Inthemysteriousforestsofmaststhatthrongedthecity’squaystheyrecalledthestraightshaftsofthepinesonDevil’sslopes,onlytomissthesedatereposeandinfinitecalmthatusedtoenvironthem。Inthefeverish,pulsatinglifeoftheyoungmetropolistheyoftenstoppedoppressed,giddy,andchoking;
theroarofthestreetsandthoroughfareswasmeaninglesstothem,excepttorevivestrangememoriesofthedeep,unvaryingmonotoneoftheeveningwindovertheirhumblerroofontheSierranhillside。Civicbredandnurturedastheywere,therecurrenceofthesesensationsperplexedandalarmedthem。
\"Itseemssoperfectlyridiculous,\"saidJessie,\"forustofeelasoutofplacehereasthatPikeCountyservantgirlinSacramentowhohadneverseenasteamboatbefore;doyouknow,IquitehadaturntheotherdayatseeingamanontheStocktonwharfinaredshirt,witharifleonhisshoulder。\"
\"Andyouwantedtogoandspeaktohim?\"saidChristie,withasadsmile。
\"No,that’sjustit;IfeltawfullyhurtandinjuredthathedidnotcomeupandspeaktoME!Iwonderifwegotanyfeverorthatsortofthingupthere;itmakesonequitesuperstitious。\"
Christiedidnotreply;morethanoncebeforeshehadfeltthatinexplicablemisgiving。Ithadsometimesseemedtoherthatshehadneverbeenquiteherselfsincethatmemorablenightwhenshehadslippedoutoftheirsleeping—cabin,andstoodaloneinthegraciousandcommandingpresenceofthewoodsandhills。Inthesolitudeofnight,withthehumofthegreatcityrisingbelowher——
attimesevenintheatresorcrowdedassembliesofmenandwomen——
sheforgotherself,andagainstoodintheweirdbrilliancyofthatmoonlightnightinmuteworshipatthefootofthatslowly—risingmysticaltarofpiledterraces,hangingforests,andliftedplateausthatclimbedforevertothelonelyskies。Againshefeltbeforehertheexpandingandopeningarmsoftheprotectingwoods。