CHAPTERXIII
HOWITBECAMEFAMOUS
YubaBillwasrightinbelievingthatWileswouldlosenotimeatRawlings。HeleftthereonafleethorsebeforeBillhadreturnedwiththebroken-downcoachtothelaststation,anddistancedthetelegramsenttodetainhimtwohours。Leavingthestageroadanditsdangeroustelegraphicstations,hepushedsouthwardtoDenveroverthearmytrail,incompanywithahalf-breedpacker,crossingtheMissouribeforeThatcherhadreachedJulesburg。WhenThatcherwasatOmaha,WileswasalreadyinSt。Louis;andasthePullmancarcontainingtheheroofthe\"BlueMass\"minerolledintoChicago,Wileswasalreadywalkingthestreetsofthenationalcapital。Nevertheless,hehadtimeenroutetosinkinthewatersoftheNorthPlatte,withmanyexpressionsofdisgust,thelittleblackportmanteaubelongingtoThatcher,containinghisdressingcase,afewunimportantletters,andanextrashirt,towonderwhysimplemendidnottravelwiththeirimportantdocumentsandvaluables,andtosetonfootsomeprudentandcautiousinquiriesregardinghisownlostcarpetbaganditsimportantcontents。
Butforthesetrifleshehadeveryreasontobesatisfiedwiththeprogressofhisplans。\"It’sallright,\"saidMrs。Hopkinsonmerrily;\"whileyouandGashwilerhavebeenworkingwithyour’stock,’andtreatingthewholeworldasifitcouldbebribed,I’vedonemorewiththatearnest,self-believing,self-deceiving,andperfectlypatheticRoscommonthanallyoufellowsputtogether。
Why,I’vetoldhispitifulstory,anddrawntearsfromtheeyesofSenatorsandCabinetMinisters。Morethanthat,I’veintroducedhimintosociety,puthiminadresscoat,——suchafigure!——andyouknowhowthebestfolkworshipeverythingthatisoutreasthesincerething。I’vemadehimacompletesuccess。Why,onlytheothernight,whenSenatorMisnancyandJudgeFitzdawdlewerehere,aftermakinghimtellhisstory,——whichyouknowIthinkhereallybelieves,——Isang’TherecametothebeachapoorExileofErin,’
andmyhusbandtoldmeafterwardsitwasworthatleastadozenvotes。\"
\"Butaboutthisrivalofyours,——thisnieceofGarcia’s?\"
\"Anotherofyourblunders;youmenknownothingofwomen。Firstly,she’saswarthylittlebrunette,withdotsforeyes;andstrideslikeaman,dresseslikeadowdy,don’twearstays,andhasnostyle。Then,she’sasinglewoman,andalone;and,althoughsheaffectstobeanartist,andhasBohemianways,don’tyouseeshecan’tgointosocietywithoutachaperonorsomebodytogowithher?Nonsense。\"
\"But,\"persistedWiles,\"shemusthavesomepower;there’sJudgeMasonandSenatorPeabody,whoareconstantlytalkingabouther;
andDinwiddieofVirginiaescortedherthroughtheCapitoltheotherday。\"
MistressHopkinsonlaughed。\"MasonandPeabodyaspiretobethoughtliteraryandartistic,andDinwiddiewantedtopiqueME!\"
\"ButThatcherisnofool——\"
\"IsThatcheralady’sman?\"queriedtheladysuddenly。
\"Hardly,Ishouldsay,\"respondedWiles。\"Hepretendstobeabsorbedinhisswindleanddevotedtohismine;andIdon’tthinkthatevenyou——\"hestoppedwithaslightsneer。
\"There,youaremisunderstandingmeagain,and,whatisworse,youaremisunderstandingyourcase。Thatcherispleasedwithherbecausehehasprobablyseennooneelse。WaittillhecomestoWashingtonandhasanopportunityforcomparison;\"andshecastafrankglanceathermirror,whereWiles,withasardonicbow,leftherstanding。
Mr。GashwilerwasquiteasconfidentofhisownsuccesswithCongress。\"Wearewithinafewdaysoftheendofthesession。
WewillmanagetohaveittakenupandrushedthroughbeforethatfellowThatcherknowswhatheisabout。\"
\"Ifitcouldbedonebeforehegetshere,\"saidWiles,\"it’sareasonablysurething。Heisdelayedtwodays:hemighthavebeendelayedlonger。\"HereMr。Wilessighed。Iftheaccidenthadhappenedonamountainroad,andthestagehadbeenprecipitatedovertheabyss,whatvaluabletimewouldhavebeensaved,andsuccessbecomeasurety。ButMr。Wiles’sfunctionsasanadvocatedidnotincludemurder;atleast,hewasdoubtfulifitcouldbetaxedascosts。
\"Weneedhavenofears,sir,\"resumedMr。Gashwiler;\"Thematterisnowinthehandsofthehighesttribunalofappealinthecountry。
Itwillmeet,sir,withinflexiblejustice。Ihavealreadypreparedsomeremarks——\"
\"Bytheway,\"interruptedWilesinfelicitously,\"where’syouryoungman,——yourprivatesecretary,——Dobbs?\"
TheCongressmanforamomentlookedconfused。\"Heisnothere。
AndImustcorrectyourerrorinapplyingthattermtohim。Ihaveneverputmyconfidenceinthehandsofanyone。\"
\"Butyouintroducedhimtomeasyoursecretary?\"
\"Amerehonorarytitle,sir。Abrevetrank。Imight,itistrue,havethoughttoreposesuchatrustinhim。ButIwasdeceived,sir,asIfearIamtooapttobewhenIpermitmyfeelingsasamantoovercomemydutyasanAmericanlegislator。Mr。Dobbsenjoyedmypatronageandtheopportunityitgavemetointroducehimintopubliclifeonlytoabuseit。Hebecame,Ifear,deeplyindebted。Hisextravagancewasunlimited,hisambitionunbounded,butwithout,sir,acashbasis。Iadvancedmoneytohimfromtimetotimeuponthelittlepropertyyousogenerouslyextendedtohimforhisservices。Butitwasquicklydissipated。Yet,sir,suchistheingratitudeofmanthathisfamilylatelyappealedtomeforassistance。Ifeltitwasnecessarytobestern,andIrefused。I
wouldnotforthesakeofhisfamilysayanything,butIhavemissed,sir,booksfrommylibrary。Onthedayafterheleft,twovolumesofPatentOfficereportsandaBlueBookofCongress,purchasedthatdaybymeatastoreonPennsylvaniaavenue,wereMISSING,——missing!Ihaddifficulty,sir,greatdifficultyinkeepingitfromthepapers!\"
AsMr。WileshadheardthestoryalreadyfromGashwiler’sacquaintances,withmoreorlessfreecommentonthegiftedlegislator’seconomy,hecouldnothelpthinkingthatthedifficultyhadbeengreatindeed。ButheonlyfixedhismalevolenteyeonGashwilerandsaid:
\"Soheisgone,eh?\"
\"Yes。\"
\"Andyou’vemadeanenemyofhim?That’sbad。\"
Mr。Gashwilertriedtolookdignifiedlyunconcerned;butsomethinginhisvisitor’smannermadehimuneasy。
\"Isayitisbad,ifyouhave。Listen。BeforeIlefthere,I
foundataboardinghousewherehehadboarded,andstillowedabill,atrunkwhichthelandlordretained。Openingit,Ifoundsomelettersandpaperstoyours,withcertainmemorandaofhis,whichIthoughtoughttobeinYOURpossession。Asanallegedfriendofhis,Iredeemedthetrunkbypayingtheamountofhisbill,andsecuredthemorevaluablepapers。\"
Gashwiler,whosefacehadgrownapoplecticallysuffusedasWileswenton,atlastgasped:\"Butyougotthetrunk,andhavethepapers?\"
\"Unfortunately,no;andthat’swhyit’sbad。\"
\"But,goodGod!whathaveyoudonewiththem?\"
\"I’velostthemsomewhereontheOverlandRoad。\"
Mr。Gashwilersatforafewmomentsspeechless,vacillatingbetweenapurplerageandapallidfear。Thenhesaidhoarsely:
\"Theyareallblankforgeries,——everyoneofthem。\"
\"Oh,no!\"saidWiles,smilingblandlyonhisdexterside,andenjoyingthewholescenemalevolentlywithhissinistereye。\"YOUR
papersareallgenuine,andIwon’tsayarenotallright,butunfortunatelyIhadinthesamebagsomememorandaofmyownfortheuseofmyclient,that,youunderstand,mightbeputtosomebaduseiffoundbyacleverman。\"
Thetworascalslookedateachother。Thereisonthewholereallyverylittle\"honoramongthieves,\"——atleastgreatones,——andtheinferiorrascalsuccumbedatthereflectionofwhatHEmightdoifhewereintheotherrascal’splace。\"Seehere,Wiles,\"hesaid,relaxinghisdignitywiththeperspirationthatoozedfromeverypore,andmadethecollarofhisshirtamerelimprag。\"Seehere,WE\"——thisfirstuseofthepluralwasequivalenttoaconfession——
\"wemustgetthempapers。\"
\"Ofcourse,\"saidWilescoolly,\"ifweCAN,andifThatcherdoesn’tgetwindofthem。\"
\"Hecannot。\"
\"HewasonthecoachwhenIlostthem,comingEast。\"
Mr。Gashwilerpaledagain。Intheemergencyhehadrecoursetothesideboardandabottle,forgettingWiles。TenminutesbeforeWileswouldhaveremainedseated;butitisrecordedthatherose,tookthebottlefromthegiftedGashwiler’sfingers,helpedhimselfFIRST,andthensatdown。
\"Yes,but,myboy,\"saidGashwiler,nowrapidlychangingsituationswiththecoolerWiles;\"yes,but,oldfellow,\"headded,pokingWileswithafatforefinger,\"don’tyouseethewholethingwillbeupbeforehegetshere?\"
\"Yes,\"saidWilesgloomily,\"butthoselazy,easy,honestmenhaveawayofpoppingupjustatthenickoftime。Theyneverneedhurry;allthingswaitforthem。Why,don’tyourememberthatontheverydayMrs。HopkinsonandIandyougotthePresidenttosignthatpatent,thatverydayoneofthemd——nfellowsturnsupfromSanFranciscoorAustralia,havingtakenhisowntimetogethere,——
getshereabouthalfanhourafterthePresidenthadsignedthepatentandsentitovertotheoffice,findstherightmantointroducehimtothePresident,hasatalkwithhim,makeshimsignanordercountermandingitsissuance,andundoesallthathasbeendoneinsixyearsinonehour。\"
\"Yes,butCongressisatribunalthatdoesnotrevokeitsdecrees,\"
saidGashwilerwithareturnofhisoldmanner;\"atleast,\"headded,observinganincredulousshrugintheshoulderofhiscompanion,\"atleastDURINGTHESESSION。\"
\"Weshallsee,\"saidWiles,quietlytakinghishat。
\"Weshallsee,sir,\"saidthememberfromRemuswithdignity。
CHAPTERXIV
WHATCULTUREDIDFORIT
TherewasatthistimeintheSenateoftheUnitedStatesaneminentandrespectedgentleman,scholarly,orderly,honorable,andradical,——thefitrepresentativeofascholarly,orderly,honorable,andradicalCommonwealth。Formanyyearshehadheldhistrustwithconsciousrectitude,andaslightdepreciationofotherformsofmerit;andforasmanyyearshadbeenasregularlyreturnedtohisseatbyhisconstituencywithequallyconsciousrectitudeinthemselvesandanequalskepticismregardingothers。
Removedbyhisnaturebeyondthereachofcertaintemptations,andbycircumstancesbeyondeventheknowledgeofothers,hissocialandpoliticalintegritywasspotless。Anoratorandpracticaldebater,hisrefinedtasteskepthimfrompersonality,andthepublicrecognitionofthecompleteunselfishnessofhismotivesandthemagnitudeofhisdogmasprotectedhimfromscurrility。Hisprincipleshadneverbeenappealedtobyabribe;hehadrarelybeenapproachedbyanemotion。
Amanofpolishedtasteinartandliterature,andpossessingthemeanstogratifyit,hisluxurioushomewasfilledwithtreasureshehadhimselfcollected,andfurtherenhancedbythestampofhisappreciation。Hislibraryhadnotonlytheeleganceofadornmentthathiswealthcouldbringandhistasteapprove,butacertainrefinednegligenceofhabitualuse,andtheeasydisorderoftheartist’sworkshop。AllthiswasquicklynotedbyayounggirlwhostoodonitsthresholdatthecloseofadullJanuaryday。
ThecardthathadbeenbroughttotheSenatorborethenameof\"CarmendeHaro\";andmodestlyintherighthandcorner,inalmostmicroscopicscript,thefurtherdescriptionofherselfas\"Artist。\"
Perhapsthepicturesquenessofthename,anditshistoricsuggestioncaughtthescholar’staste,forwhentohisrequest,throughhisservant,thatshewouldbekindenoughtostateherbusiness,sherepliedasfranklythatherbusinesswaspersonaltohimself,hedirectedthatsheshouldbeadmitted。Thenentrenchinghimselfbehindhislibrarytable,overlookingabastionofbooks,andaglacisofpamphletsandpapers,andthrowingintohisforeheadandeyesanexpressionofutterdisqualificationforanythingbutthebusinessbeforehim,becalmlyawaitedtheintruder。
Shecame,andforaninstantstood,hesitatingly,framingherselfasapictureinthedoor。Mrs。Hopkinsonwasright,——shehad\"nostyle,\"unlessanoriginalandhalf-foreignquaintnesscouldbecalledso。TherewasadesperateattemptvisibletocombineanAmericanshawlwiththehabitsofamantilla,anditwasalwaysslippingfromoneshoulder,thatwassosuppleandvivaciousastobetraythedeficienciesofaneducationinstays。Therewasaclusterofblackcurlsaroundherlowforehead,fittinghersocloselyastoseemtobeapartoftheseal-skincapshewore。
Once,fromtheforceofhabit,sheattemptedtoputhershawloverherheadandtalkthroughthefoldsgatheredunderherchin,butanastonishedlookfromtheSenatorcheckedher。Nevertheless,hefeltrelieved,andrising,motionedhertoachairwithaheartinesshewouldhavescarcelyshowntoaParisiantoilleta。
Andwhen,withtwoorthreequick,longsteps,shereachedhisside,andshowed,afrank,innocent,butstronganddeterminedlittleface,feminineonlyinitsflashofeyeandbeautyoflipandchincurves,heputdownthepamphlethehadtakenupsomewhatostentatiously,andgentlybeggedtoknowherbusiness。
IthinkIhaveoncebeforespokenofhervoice,——anorganmoreoftencultivatedbymyfaircountry-womenforsingingthanforspeaking,which,consideringthatmuchofourpracticalrelationswiththesexarecarriedonwithouttheaidofanoperascore,seemsamistakennotionoftheirs,——andofitssweetness,gentleinflexion,andmusicalemphasis。Shehadtheadvantageofhavingbeentrainedinamusicallanguage,andcameofaracewithwhomcatarrhsandsorethroatswererare。SothatinafewbriefphrasesshesangtheSenatorintoacquiescenceassheimpartedtheplainlibrettoofherbusiness,——namely,a\"desiretoseesomeofhisrareengravings。\"
NowtheengravingsinquestionwerecertainetchingsoftheearlyGreatApprenticesoftheart,andwere,Iamhappytobelieve,extremelyrare。Frommyunprofessionalviewtheywereexceedinglybad,——showingthemeregenesisofsomethingsinceperfected,butdear,ofcourse,tothetruecollector’ssoul。Idon’tbelievethatCarmenreallyadmiredthemeither。ButtheminxknewthattheSenatorpridedhimselfonhavingtheonly\"pot-hooks\"ofthegreat\"A,\"orthefirstartisticeffortsof\"B,\"——Ileavetherealnamestobefilledinbytheconnoisseur,——andtheSenatorbecameinterested。Forthelastyear,twoorthreeoftheseabominationshadbeenhanginginhisstudy,utterlyignoredbythecasualvisitor。Butherewasappreciation!\"Shewas,\"sheadded,\"onlyapooryoungartist,unabletopurchasesuchtreasures,butequallyunabletoresisttheopportunityaffordedher,evenattheriskofseemingbold,orofobtrudinguponagreatman’sprivacy,\"&c。&c。
Thisflattery,which,ifofferedintheusuallegaltenderofthecountry,wouldhavebeenlookeduponascounterfeit,deliveredhereinaforeignaccent,withaslightlytropicalwarmth,wasacceptedbytheSenatorasgenuine。ThesechildrenoftheSunaresoimpulsive!We,ofcourse,feelalittlepityforthepersonwhothustranscendsourstandardofgoodtasteandviolatesourconventionalcanon,——buttheyarealwayssincere。ThecoldNewEnglandersawnothingwronginoneortwodirectandextravagantcompliments,thatwouldhaveinsuredhisvisitor’searlydismissaliftenderedintheclippedmetallicphrasesoftheCommonwealthherepresented。
Sothatinafewmomentstheblack,curlyheadofthelittleartistandthewhite,flowinglocksoftheSenatorwereclosetogetherbendingovertherackthatcontainedtheengravings。ItwasthenthatCarmen,listeningtoagraphicdescriptionoftheearlyriseofArtintheNetherlands,forgotherselfandputhershawlaroundherhead,holdingitsfoldsinherlittlebrownhand。Inthissituationtheywere,atdifferenttimesduringthenexttwohours,interruptedbyfiveCongressmen,threeSenators,aCabinetofficer,andaJudgeoftheSupremeBench,——eachofwhomwasquicklybutcourteouslydismissed。Popularsentiment,however,brokeoutinthehall。
\"Well,I’mblanked,butthisgetsme。\"(ThespeakerwasaTerritorialdelegate。)
\"Athistimeo’life,too,lookin’overpictureswithagalyoungenoughtobehisgrandchild。\"(Thisfromavenerableofficial,sincesuspectedofvariouseroticirregularities。)
\"Shedon’thandsomeany。\"(ThehonorablememberfromDakota。)
\"Thisaccountsforhisprotractedsilenceduringthesessions。\"(A
seriouscolleaguefromtheSenator’sownState。)
\"Oh,blankitall!\"(Omnes。)
Fourwenthometotelltheirwives。Therearefewthingsmoretouchinginthematrimonialcompactthanthesuperbfranknesswithwhicheachconfidestoeachthevariousirregularitiesoftheirfriends。Itisuponthesesacredconfidencesthatthefirmfoundationsofmarriagerestunshaken。
Ofcoursetheobjectsofthiscomment,atleastONEofthem,werequiteoblivious。\"Itrust,\"saidCarmen,timidly,whentheyhadforthefourthtimeregardedinraptadmirationanabominablesomethingbysomeDutchwood-chopper,\"ItrustIamnotkeepingyoufromyourgreatfriends:\"——herprettyeyelidswerecastdownintremulousdistress:——\"Ishouldneverforgivemyself。PerhapsitisimportantbusinessoftheState?\"
\"Oh,dear,no!\"THEYwillcomeagain,——it’sTHEIRbusiness。\"
TheSenatormeantitkindly。ItwasasneartheperilousedgeofacomplimentasyouraveragecultivatedBostonmaneverventures,andCarmenpickeditup,femininely,byitssentimentalend。\"AndI
supposeIshallnottroubleyouagain?\"
\"Ishallalwaysbeproudtoplacetheportfolioatyourdisposal。
Commandmeatanytime,\"saidtheSenator,withdignity。
\"Youarekind。Youaregood,\"saidCarmen,\"andI——I’mbut,——lookyou,——onlyapoorgirlfromCalifornia,thatyouknownot。\"
\"Pardonme,Iknowyourcountrywell。\"AndindeedhecouldhavetoldhertheexactnumberofbushelsofwheattotheacreinherowncountyofMonterey,itsvotingpopulation,itspoliticalbias。
Yetofthemoreimportantproductbeforehim,afterthemannerofbook-readmen,heknewnothing。
Carmenwasastonished,butrespectful。Ittranspiredpresentlythatshewasnotawareoftherapidgrowthofthesilkworminherowndistrict,knewnothingoftheChinesequestion,andverylittleoftheAmericanmininglaws。UponthesequestionstheSenatorenlightenedherfully。\"Yournameishistoric,bytheway,\"hesaidpleasantly。\"TherewasaKnightofAlcantara,a\"DeHaro,\"
oneoftheemigrantswithLasCasas。\"
Carmennoddedherheadquickly,\"Yes;mygreat-great-great-g-r-e-a-tgrandfather!\"
TheSenatorstared。
\"Oh,yes。IamthenieceofVictorCastro,whomarriedmyfather’ssister。\"
\"TheVictorCastroofthe’BlueMass’mine?\"askedtheSenatorabruptly。
\"Yes,\"shesaidquietly。
HadtheSenatorbeenoftheGashwilertype,hewouldhaveexpressedhimself,aftertheaveragemasculinefashion,byalong-drawnwhistle。ButhisonlyperceptibleappreciationofasuddenastonishmentandsuspicioninhismindwasaloweringofthesocialthermometeroftheroomsodecidedthatpoorCarmenlookedupinnocently,chilled,anddrewhershawlcloseraroundhershoulders。
\"Ihavesomethingmoretoask,\"saidCarmen,hangingherhead,——\"itisagreat,oh,averygreatfavor。\"
TheSenatorhadretreatedbehindhisbastionofbooksagain,andwasvisiblypreparingforanassault。Hesawitallnow。Hehadbeen,insomevagueway,deluded。HehadgivenconfidentialaudiencetothenieceofoneoftheGreatClaimantsbeforeCongress。Theinevitableaxehadcometothegrindstone。Whatmightnotthiswomandareaskofhim?Hewasthemoreimplacablethathefelthehadalreadybeenprepossessed——andhonestlyprepossessed——inherfavor。Hewasangrywithherforhavingpleasedhim。UndertheicypolishofhismannertherewerecertainPuritancallositiescausedbyearlystraight-lacing。Hewasnotyetquitefreefromhisancestor’scheerfulethicsthatNature,asrepresentedbyanImpulse,wasasmuchtoberestrainedasOrderrepresentedbyaQuaker。
Withoutapparentlynoticinghismanner,Carmenwenton,withacertainpotentialfreedomofstyle,gesture,andmannerscarcelytobeindicatedinhermerewords。\"Youknow,then,IamofSpanishblood,andthat,whatwasmyadoptedcountry,ourmottowas,’GodandLiberty。’Itwasofyou,sir,——thegreatEmancipator,——theapostleofthatLiberty,——thefriendofthedown-troddenandoppressed,——thatI,asachild,firstknew。InthehistoriesofthisgreatcountryIhavereadofyou,Ihavelearnedyourorations。Ihavelongedtohearyouinyourownpulpitdeliverthecreedofmyancestors。Tohearyou,ofyourself,speak,ah!MadredeDios!whatshallIsay,——speaktheorationeloquent,——tomakethe——whatyoucall——thedebate,thatiswhatIhaveforsolonghoped。Eh!Pardon,——youarethinkingmefoolish,——wild,eh?——asmallchild,——eh?\"
Becomingmoreandmoredialecticalasshewenton,shesaidsuddenly,\"Ihaveyouofmyselfoffended。Youaremadofmeasabold,badchild?Itisso?\"
TheSenator,asvisiblybecominglimpandweakagainbehindhisentrenchments,managedtosay,\"Oh,no!\"then,\"really!\"andfinally,\"Tha-a-nks!\"
\"Iamherebutforaday。IreturntoCaliforniainaday,asitwereto-morrow。Ishallnever,neverhearyouspeakinyourplaceintheCapitolofthisgreatcountry?\"
TheSenatorsaidhastilythathefeared——heinfactwasconvinced——
thathisdutyduringthissessionwasrequiredmoreathisdesk,inthecommitteework,thaninspeaking,&c。,&c。
\"Ah,\"saidCarmensadly,\"itistrue,then,allthisthatIhaveheard。Itistruethatwhattheyhavetoldme,——thatyouhavegivenupthegreatparty,——thatyourvoiceisnotlongerheardintheold——whatyoucallthis——eh——theoldISSUES?\"
\"Ifanyonehastoldyouthat,MissDeHaro,\"respondedtheSenatorsharply,\"hehasspokenfoolishly。Youhavebeenmisinformed。MayIaskwho——\"
\"Ah!\"saidCarmen,\"Iknownot!Itisintheair!Iamastranger。
PerhapsIamde-ceived。Butitisofall。Isaytothem,WhenshallIhearhimspeak?IgodayafterdaytotheCapitol,Iwatchhim,——thegreatEmancipator,——butitisofbusiness,eh?——itistheclaimofthatone,itisthetax,eh?itistheimpost,itisthepost-office,butitisthegreatspeechofhumanrights——never,NEVER。Isay,’Howarrivesallthis?’Andsomesay,andshaketheirheads,’neveragainhespeaks。’Heiswhatyoucall’played——
yes,itisso,eh?——playedout。’Iknowitnot,——itisawordfromBos-ton,perhaps?Theysayhehas——eh,IspeaknottheEnglishwell——thepartyhehasshaken,’shook,’——yes,——hehastheparty’shaken,’eh?Itisright,——itisthelanguageofBos-ton,eh?\"
\"Permitmetosay,MissDeHaro,\"returnedtheSenator,risingwithsomeasperity,\"thatyouseemtohavebeenunfortunateinyourselectionofacquaintances,andstillmoresoinyourideasofthederivationsoftheEnglishtongue。The——er——the——er——expressionsyouhavequotedarenotcommontoBoston,butemanate,Ibelieve,fromtheWest。\"
CarmendeHarocontritelyburiedeverythingbutherblackeyesinhershawl。
\"Noone,\"hecontinued,moregently,sittingdownagain,\"hastherighttoforecastfrommypastwhatIintendtodointhefuture,ordesignatethemeansImaychoosetoservetheprinciplesIholdorthepartyIrepresent。ThoseareMYfunctions。Atthesametime,shouldoccasion——oropportunity——forwearewithinadayortwoofthecloseoftheSession——\"
\"Yes,\"interruptedCarmen,sadly,\"Isee,——itwillbesomebusiness,someclaim,somethingforsomebody,——ah!MadredeDios,——youwillnotspeak,andI——\"
\"Whendoyouthinkofreturning?\"askedtheSenator,withgravepoliteness;\"whenarewetoloseyou?\"
\"Ishallstaytothelast,——totheendoftheSession,\"saidCarmen。\"AndNOWIshallgo。\"Shegotupandpulledhershawlviciouslyoverhershoulders,withaprettypettishness,perhapsthemostfemininethingshehaddonethatevening。Possibly,themostgenuine。
TheSenatorsmiledaffably:\"Youdonotdeservetobedisappointedineithercase;butitislaterthanyouimagine;letmehelpyouontheshorterdistanceinmycarriage;itisatthedoor。\"
Heaccompaniedhergravelytothecarriage。Asitrolledaway,sheburiedherlittlefigureinitsamplecushionsandchuckledtoherself,albeitalittlehysterically。Whenshehadreachedherdestination,shefoundherselfcrying,andhastily,andsomewhatangrily,driedhereyesasshedrewupatthedoorofherlodgings。
\"Howhaveyouprospered?\"askedMr。Harlowe,ofcounselforRoyalThatcher,ashegallantlyassistedherfromthecarriage。\"Ihavebeenwaitingherefortwohours;yourinterviewmusthavebeenprolonged,——thatwasagoodsign。\"
\"Don’taskmenow,\"saidCarmen,alittlesavagely,\"I’mwornoutandtired。\"
Mr。Harlowebowed。\"Itrustyouwillbebetterto-morrow,forweexpectourfriend,Mr。Thatcher。\"
Carmen’sbrowncheekflushedslightly。\"Heshouldhavebeenherebefore。Whereishe?Whatwashedoing?\"
\"Hewassnowedupontheplains。Heiscomingasfastassteamcancarryhim;buthemaybetoolate。\"
Carmendidnotreply。
Thelawyerlingered。\"HowdidyoufindthegreatNew-EnglandSenator?\"heaskedwithaslightprofessionallevity。
Carmenwastired,Carmenwasworried,Carmenwasalittleself-
reproachful,andshekindledeasily。Consequentlyshesaidicily:
\"IfoundhimAGENTLEMAN!\"
CHAPTERXV
HOWITBECAMEUNFINISHEDBUSINESS
Theclosingofthe————CongresswasnotunliketheclosingoftheseveralprecedingCongresses。Therewasthesameunbusiness-like,impracticalhaste;thesamehurried,unjust,andutterlyinadequateadjustmentofunfinished,ill-digestedbusiness,thatwouldnothavebeentoleratedforamomentbythesovereignpeopleinanyprivateinteresttheycontrolled。Therewerefraudsrushedthrough;therewerelong-suffering,righteousdemandsshelved;therewerehonest,unpaiddebtsdishonoredbyscantappropriations;therewereclosingsceneswhichonlythesavingsenseofAmericanhumorkeptfrombeingutterlyvile。Theactors,thelegislatorsthemselves,knewit,andlaughedatit;thecommentators,thePress,knewitandlaughedatit;theaudience,thegreatAmericanpeople,knewitandlaughedatit。Andnobodyforaninstantconceivedthatitever,underanycircumstances,mightbeotherwise。
TheclaimofRoscommonwasamongtheUnfinishedBusiness。Theclaimanthimself,haggard,pathetic,importunate,andobstinate,wasamongtheUnfinishedBusiness。VariousCongressmen,moreorlessinterestedinthesuccessoftheclaim,wereamongtheUnfinishedBusiness。ThememberfromFresno,whohadchangedhisderringerforaspeechagainsttheclaimant,wasamongtheUnfinishedBusiness。ThegiftedGashwiler,uneasyinhissoulovercertainotherUnfinishedBusinessintheshapeofhismissingletters,butdroppingoilandhoneyashemingledwithhisbrothers,wasKingofMisruleandLordoftheUnfinishedBusiness。
PrettyMrs。Hopkinson,prudentlyescortedbyherhusband,butimprudentlyogledbyadmiringCongressmen,lentthecharmofherpresencetothefinishingofUnfinishedBusiness。Oneortwoeditors,whohaddreamsofafinishedfinancialbusiness,arisingoutofUnfinishedBusiness,weretherealso,likeancientbards,torecordwithpaeanorthrenodythecompletionofUnfinishedBusiness。Variousuncleanbirds,scentingcarrioninUnfinishedBusiness,hoveredinthehallsorroostedintheLobby。
Thelowerhouse,underthetutelageofthegiftedGashwiler,drankdeeplyofRoscommonandhisintoxicatingclaim,andpassedthehalf-emptybottletotheSenateasUnfinishedBusiness。But,alas!
intheveryrush,andstorm,andtempestoftheunfinishingbusiness,anunlooked-forinterruptionaroseinthepersonofagreatSenatorwhosepowernonecouldoppose,whoserighttofreeandextendedutteranceatalltimesnonecouldgainsay。Aclaimforpoultry,violentlyseizedbythearmyofShermanduringhismarchthroughGeorgia,fromthehen-coopofanallegedloyalIrishman,openedaconstitutionalquestion,andwithitthelipsofthegreatSenator。
Forsevenhourshespokeeloquently,earnestly,convincingly。Forsevenhourstheoldissuesofpartyandpolicywereseverallytakenupanddismissedintheoldforciblerhetoricthathadearlymadehimfamous。InterruptionsfromotherSenators,nowforgetfulofUnfinishedBusiness,andwildwithreanimatedpartyzeal;
interruptionsfromcertainSenatorsmindfulofUnfinishedBusiness,andunabletopasstheRoscommonbottle,onlyspurredhimtofreshexertion。ThetocsinsoundedintheSenatewasheardinthelowerhouse。Highly-excitedmemberscongregatedatthedoorsoftheSenate,andleftUnfinishedBusinesstotakecareofitself。
Lefttoitselfforsevenhours,UnfinishedBusinessgnasheditsfalseteethandtoreitswiginimpotentfuryincorridorandhall。
ForsevenhoursthegiftedGashwilerhadcontinuedthemanufactureofoilandhoney,whosesweetness,however,wasslowlypallinguponthecongressionallip;forsevenhoursRoscommonandfriendsbeatwithimpatientfeetthelobby,andshookfists,moreorlessdiscolored,atthedistinguishedSenator。Forsevenhourstheoneortwoeditorswereobligedtositandcalmlycomplimentthegreatspeechwhichthatnightflashedoverthewiresofacontinentwiththeoldelectricthrill。And,worsethanall,theywereobligedtorecordwithittheclosingofthe————Congress,withmorethantheusualamountofUnfinishedBusiness。
AlittlegroupoffriendssurroundedthegreatSenatorwithhymnsofpraiseandcongratulations。Oldadversariessalutedhimcourteouslyastheypassedbywiththerespectofstrongmen。A
littlewomanwithashawldrawnoverhershoulders,andheldwithonesmallbrownhand,approachedhimtimidly:
\"IspeaknottheEnglishwell,\"shesaidgently,\"butIhavereadmuch。IhavereadintheplaysofyourShakspeare。IwouldliketosaytoyouthewordsofRosalindtoOrlandowhenhedidfight:
’Siryouhavewrestledwell,andhaveoverthrownmorethanyourenemies。’\"Andwiththesewordsshewasgone。
YetnotsoquicklybutthatprettyMrs。Hopkinson,coming,——asVictrixalwayscomestoVictor,tothankthegreatSenator,albeitthefacesofherescortswereshroudedingloom,——sawtheshawledfiguredisappear。
\"There,\"shesaid,pinchingWilesmischievously,\"there!that’sthewomanyouwereafraidof。Lookather。Lookatthatdress。Ah,Heavens!lookatthatshawl。Didn’tItellyoushehadnostyle?\"
\"Whoisshe?\"saidWilessullenly。
\"CarmendeHaro,ofcourse,\"saidtheladyvivaciously。\"Whatareyouhurryingawaysofor?You’reabsolutelypullingmealong。\"
Mr。Wileshadjustcaughtsightofthetravel-wornfaceofRoyalThatcheramongthecrowdthatthrongedthestair-case。Thatcherappearedpaleanddistrait:Mr。Harlowe,hiscounsel,athisside,ralliedhim。
\"Noonewouldthinkyouhadjustgotanewleaseofyourproperty,andescapedagreatswindle。What’sthematterwithyou?MissDeHaropassedusjustnow。ItwasshewhospoketotheSenator。Whydidyounotrecognizeher?\"
\"Iwasthinking,\"saidThatchergloomily。
\"Well,youtakethingscoolly!Andcertainlyyouarenotverydemonstrativetowardsthewomanwhosavedyouto-day。For,assureasyoulive,itwasshewhodrewthatspeechoutoftheSenator。\"
Thatcherdidnotreply,butmovedaway。HeHADnoticedCarmendeHaro,andwasabouttogreetherwithmingledpleasureandembarrassment。ButhehadheardhercomplimenttotheSenator,andthisstrong,preoccupied,automaticman,whoonlytendaysbeforehadnothoughtbeyondhisproperty,wasnowthinkingmoreofthatcomplimenttoanotherthanofhissuccess;andwasbeginningtohatetheSenatorwhohadsavedhim,thelawyerwhostoodbesidehim,andeventhelittlefigurethathadtrippeddownthestepsunconsciousofhim。
CHAPTERXVI
ANDWHOFORGOTIT
ItwassomewhatinconsistentwithRoyalThatcher’sembarrassmentandsensitivenessthatheshould,onleavingtheCapitol,orderacarriageanddrivedirectlytothelodgingsofMissDeHaro。Thatonfindingshewasnotathome,heshouldbecomeagainsulkyandsuspicious,andevenbeashamedofthehonestimpulsethatledhimthere,was,Isuppose,manlikeandnatural。Hefeltthathehaddoneallthecourtesyrequired;hehadpromptlyansweredherdispatchwithhispresence。Ifshechosetobeabsentatsuchamoment,HEhadatleastdoneHISduty。Inshort,therewasscarcelyanyabsurdityoftheimaginationwhichthisoncepracticalmandidnotpermithimselftoindulgein,yetalwayswithacertainconsciousnessthathewasallowinghisfeelingstorunawaywithhim,——afactthatdidnottendtomakehimbetterhumored,andratherinclinedhimtoplacetheresponsibilityoftheelopementonsomebodyelse。IfMissDeHarohadbeenhome,&c。&c。,andnotgoingintoecstasiesoverspeeches,&c。&c。,andhadattendedtoherbusiness,i。e。,beingexactlywhathehadsupposedhertobe,——
allthiswouldnothavehappened。
Iamawarethatthiswillnotheightenthereader’srespectformyhero。ButIfancythattheimperceptibleprogressofasincerepassioninthematuredstrongmanisapttobemarkedwithevenmorethantheusualhasteandabsurdityofcallousyouth。
Thefeverthatrunsriotintheveinsoftherobustisapttopassyourailingweaklingby。Possiblytheremaybesomeimmunityininoculation。ItisLothariowhoisalwaysself-possessedanddoesandsaystherightthing,whilepoorhonestCoelebsbecomesridiculouswithgenuineemotion。
Herejoinedhislawyerinnoverygraciousmood。ThechambersoccupiedbyMr。HarlowewereinthebasementofaprivatedwellingonceoccupiedandmadehistoricbyanHonorableSomebody,who,however,wasrememberedonlybythelandlordandthelasttenant。
Therewerevariousshelvesinthewallsdividedintocompartments,sarcasticallyknownas\"pigeonholes,\"inwhichthedoveofpeacehadneverrested,butwhichstillperpetuated,intheirlegends,thefeudsandanimositiesofsuitorsnowbutcommondusttogether。
Therewasaportrait,apparentlyofacherub,whichonnearerinspectionturnedouttobeafamousEnglishLordChancellorinhisflowingwig。
Therewerebookswithdreary,unenliveningtitles,——egostisticalways,asrecordingSmith’sopinionsonthis,andJones’scommentariesonthat。Therewasahandbilltackedonthewall,whichatfirstofferedhilarioussuggestionsofacircusorasteamboatexcursion,butwhichturnedoutonlytobeasheriff’ssale。Therewereseveraloddly-shapedpackagesinnewspaperwrappings,mysteriousandawfulindarkcorners,thatmighthavecontainedforgottenlawpapersorthepreviousweek’swashingoftheeminentcounsel。Therewereoneortwonewspapers,whichatfirstofferedentertainingprospectstothewaitingclient,butalwaysprovedtobealawrecordoraSupremeCourtdecision。
Therewasthebustofalatedistinguishedjurist,whichapparentlyhadneverbeendustedsincehehimselfbecamedust,andhadalreadygrownaperceptiblydustymoustacheonhisseverely-judicialupperlip。Itwasacheerlessplaceinthesunshineofday;atnight,whenitought,byeverysuggestionofitsdustypast,tohavebeenlefttothevengefulghosts,thegreaterpartofwhosehopesandpassionswererecordedandgatheredthere;wheninthedarkthedeadhandsofforgottenmenwerestretchedfromtheirdustygravestofumbleoncemorefortheiroldtitledeeds;atnight,whenitwaslitupbyflaringgaslight,thehollowmockeryofthisdissipationwassoapparentthatpeopleinthestreets,lookingthroughtheilluminatedwindows,feltasiftheprivacyofafamilyvaulthadbeenintrudeduponbybody-snatchers。
RoyalThatcherglancedaroundtheroom,tookinallitsdrearysuggestionsinahalf-weary,half-indifferentsortofway,anddroppedintothelawyer’sownrevolvingchairasthatgentlemanenteredfromtheadjacentroom。
\"Well,yougotbacksoon,Isee,\"saidHarlowebriskly。
\"Yes,\"saidhisclient,withoutlookingup,andwiththisnotabledistinctionbetweenhimselfandallotherpreviousclients,thatheseemedabsolutelylessinterestedthanthelawyer。\"Yes,I’mhere;
and,uponmysoul,Idon’texactlyknowwhy。\"
\"Youtoldmeofcertainpapersyouhaddiscovered,\"saidthelawyersuggestively。
\"Oh,yes,\"returnedThatcherwithaslightyawn。\"I’vegotheresomepaperssomewhere;\"——hebegantofeelinhiscoatpocketlanguidly;——\"but,bytheway,thisisaratherdrearyandGod-
forsakensortofplace!Let’sgouptoWelker’s,andyoucanlookatthemoverabottleofchampagne。\"
\"AfterI’velookedatthem,I’vesomethingtoshowyou,myself,\"
saidHarlowe;\"andasforthechampagne,we’llhavethatintheotherroom,byandby。AtpresentIwanttohavemyheadclear,andyourstoo,——ifyou’llobligemebybecomingsufficientlyinterestedinyourownaffairstotalktomeaboutthem。\"
Thatcherwasgazingabstractedlyatthefire。Hestarted。\"Idaresay,\"hebegan,\"I’mnotveryinteresting;yetit’spossiblethatmyaffairshavetakenupalittletoomuchofmytime。However,——\"
hestopped,tookfromhispocketanenvelope,andthrewitonthedesk,——\"therearesomepapers。Idon’tknowwhatvaluetheymaybe;thatisforyoutodetermine。Idon’tknowthatI’veanylegalrighttotheirpossession,——thatisforyoutosay,too。Theycametomeinaqueerway。OntheoverlandjourneyhereIlostmybag,containingmyfewtrapsandsomelettersandpapers’ofnovalue,’
astheadvertisementssay,’toanybuttheowner。’Well,thebagwaslost,butthestagedriverdeclaresthatitwasstolenbyafellow-passenger,——amanbythenameofGiles,orStiles,orPiles——\"
\"Wiles,\"saidHarloweearnestly。
\"Yes,\"continuedThatcher,suppressingayawn;\"yes,Iguessyou’reright,——Wiles。Well,thestagedriver,finallybelievingthis,goestoworkandquietlyandunostentatiouslysteals——Isay,haveyougotacigar?\"
\"I’llgetyouone。\"
Harlowedisappearedintheadjoiningroom。ThatcherdraggedHarlowe’sheavy,revolvingdeskchair,whichneverbeforehadbeenremovedfromitssacredposition,tothefire,andbegantopokethecoalsabstractedly。
Harlowereappearedwithcigarsandmatches。Thatcherlitonemechanically,andsaid,betweenthepulls:
\"Doyou——ever——talk——toyourself?\"
\"No!——why?\"
\"IthoughtIheardyourvoicejustnowintheotherroom。Anyhow,thisisanawfulspookyplace。IfIstayedherealonehalfanhour,I’dfancythattheLordChancelloruptherewouldstepdowninhisrobes,outofhisframe,tokeepmecompany。\"
\"Nonsense!WhenI’mbusy,Ioftensithereandwriteuntilaftermidnight。It’ssoquiet!\"
\"D——mnablyso!\"
\"Well,togobacktothepapers。Somebodystoleyourbag,oryoulostit。YOUstole——\"
\"Thedriverstole,\"suggestedThatcher,solanguidlythatitcouldhardlybecalledaninterruption。
\"Well,we’llsaythedriverstole,andpassedovertoyouashisaccomplice,confederate,orreceiver,certainpapersbelonging——\"
\"Seehere,Harlowe,Idon’tfeellikejokinginaghostlylawofficeaftermidnight。Hereareyourfacts。YubaBill,thedriver,stoleabagfromthispassenger,Wiles,orSmiles,andhandedittometoinsurethereturnofmyown。Ifoundinitsomepapersconcerningmycase。Theretheyare。Dowiththemwhatyoulike。\"
Thatcherturnedhiseyesagainabstractedlytothefire。
Harlowetookoutthefirstpaper:
\"A-w,thisseemstobeatelegram。Yes,eh?’CometoWashingtonatonce。——CarmendeHaro。’\"
Thatcherstarted,blushedlikeagirl,andhurriedlyreachedforthepaper。
\"Nonsense。That’samistake。AdispatchImislaidintheenvelope。\"
\"Isee,\"saidthelawyerdryly。
\"IthoughtIhadtornitup,\"continuedThatcher,afteranawkwardpause。Iregrettosaythatherethatusuallytruthfulmanelaboratedafiction。Hehadconsulteditadozentimesadayonthejourney,anditwasquiteworninitsenfoldings。Harlowe’squickeyehadnoticedthis,buthespeedilybecameinterestedandabsorbedintheotherpapers。Thatcherlapsedintocontemplationofthefire。
\"Well,\"saidHarlowe,finallyturningtohisclient,\"here’senoughtounseatGashwiler,orclosehismouth。Astotherest,it’sgoodreading——butIneedn’ttellyou——noLEGALevidence。Butit’sproofenoughtostopthemfromevertryingitagain,——whentheexistenceofthisrecordismadeknown。Briberyisahardthingtofixonaman;theonlywitnessisnaturallyparticepscriminis;——butitwouldnotbeeasyforthemtoexplainawaythisrascal’srecord。
OneortwothingsIdon’tunderstand:What’sthisoppositetheHon。
X’sname,’Tookthemedicinenicely,andfeelsbetter?’andhere,justinthemargin,afterY’s,’Mustbelaboredwith?’\"
\"IsupposeourCaliforniaslangborrowslargelyfromthemedicalandspiritualprofession,\"returnedThatcher。\"Butisn’titoddthatamanshouldkeepaconscientiousrecordofhisownvillainy?\"
Harlowe,alittleabashedathiswantofknowledgeofAmericanmetaphor,nowfelthimselfathome。\"Well,no。It’snotunusual。
Inoneofthosebooksyonderthereistherecordofacasewhereaman,whohadcommittedaseriesofnamelessatrocities,extendingoveraperiodofyears,absolutelykeptamemorandumoftheminhispocketdiary。ItwasproducedinCourt。Why,mydearfellow,onehalfourbusinessarisesfromthefactthatmenandwomenareinthehabitofkeepinglettersanddocumentsthattheymight——Idon’tsay,youknow,thattheyOUGHT,that’saquestionofsentimentorethics——butthattheyMIGHTdestroy。\"
Thatcherhalf-mechanicallytookthetelegramofpoorCarmenandthrewitinthefire。Harlowenoticedtheactandsmiled。
\"I’llventuretosay,however,thatthere’snothinginthebagthatYOUlostthatneedgiveyouamoment’suneasiness。It’sonlyyourrascalorfoolwhocarrieswithhimthatwhichmakeshimhisowndetective。\"
\"Ihadafriend,\"continuedHarlowe,\"acleverfellowenough,butwhowassofoolishastoseriouslycomplicatehimselfwithawoman。
Hewashimselfthesoulofhonor,andatthebeginningoftheircorrespondenceheproposedthattheyshouldeachreturntheother’sletterswiththeiranswer。Theydidsoforyears,butitcosthimtenthousanddollarsandnoendoftroubleafterall。\"
\"Why?\"askedThatchersimply。
\"BecausehewassuchanegotisticalassasTOKEEPTHELETTER
PROPOSINGIT,whichshehaddulyreturned,amonghispapersasasentimentalrecord。Ofcoursesomebodyeventuallyfoundit。\"
\"Goodnight,\"saidThatcher,risingabruptly。\"IfIstayedheremuchlongerIshouldbegintodisbelievemyownmother。\"
\"Ihaveknownofsuchhereditarytraits,\"returnedHarlowewithalaugh。\"Butcome,youmustnotgowithoutthechampagne。\"Heledthewaytotheadjacentroom,whichprovedtobeonlytheante-
chamberofanother,onthethresholdofwhichThatcherstoppedwithgenuinesurprise。Itwasanelegantlyfurnishedlibrary。
\"Sybarite!WhywasIneverherebefore?\"
\"Becauseyoucameasaclient;to-nightyouaremyguest。Allwhoenterhereleavetheirbusiness,withtheirhats,inthehall。
Look;thereisn’talawbookonthoseshelves;thattableneverwasdefacedbyatitledeedorparchment。Youlookpuzzled?Well,itwasawhimofminetoputmyresidenceandmywork-shopunderthesameroof,yetsodistinctthattheywouldneverinterferewitheachother。Youknowthehouseaboveisletouttolodgers。I
occupythefirstfloorwithmymotherandsister,andthisismyparlor。Idomyworkinthatsevereroomthatfrontsthestreet:
hereiswhereIplay。Amanmusthavesomethingelseinlifethanmerebusiness。Ifinditlessharmfulandexpensivetohavemypleasurehere。\"
Thatcherhadsunkmoodilyintheembracingarmsofaneasychair。
Hewasthinkingdeeply;hewasfondofbookstoo,and,likeallmenwhohavefaredhardandledwanderinglives,heknewthevalueofcultivatedrepose。Likeallmenwhohavebeenobligedtosleepunderblanketsandintheopenair,heappreciatedtheluxuriesoflinensheetsandafrescoedroof。Itis,bytheway,onlyyoursickcityclerkoryourdyspepticclergymanwhofancythattheyhavefoundinthebadbread,friedsteaks,andfrowzyflannelsofmountainpicknickingthetrueartofliving。Anditisasomewhatnotablefactthatyourtruemountaineeroryourgentlemanwhohasbeenobligedtohonestly\"roughit,\"doesnot,asageneralthing,writebooksaboutitsadvantages,orimploretheirfellowmortalstocomeandsharetheirsolitudeandtheirdiscomforts。
ThoroughlyappreciatingthetasteandcomfortofHarlowe’slibrary,yethalf-enviousofitsowner,andhalf-suspiciousthathisownearnestlifeforthepastfewyearsmighthavebeendifferent,Thatchersuddenlystartedfromhisseatandwalkedtowardsaparloreasel,whereonstoodapicture。ItwasCarmendeHaro’sfirstsketchofthefurnaceandthemine。
\"Iseeyouaretakenwiththatpicture,\"saidHarlowe,pausingwiththechampagnebottleinhishand。\"Youshowyourgoodtaste。It’sbeenmuchadmired。Observehowsplendidlythatfirelightplaysoverthesleepingfaceofthatfigure,yetbringsoutbyverycontrastitsalmostdeath-likerepose。Thoserocksarepowerfullyhandled;whatasuggestionofmysteryinthoseshadows!Youknowthepainter?\"
Thatchermurmured,\"MissDeHaro,\"withanewandratheroddself-
consciousnessinspeakinghername。
\"Yes。Andyouknowthestoryofthepictureofcourse?\"
Thatcherthoughthedidn’t。Well,no;infact,hedidnotremember。
\"Why,thisrecumbentfigurewasanoldSpanishloverofhers,whomshebelievedtohavebeenmurderedthere。It’saghastlyfancy,isn’tit?\"
TwothingsannoyedThatcher:firsttheepithet\"lover,\"asappliedtoConchobyanotherman;second,thatthepicturebelongedtohim:
andwhatthed——-ldidshemeanby——
\"Yes,\"hebrokeoutfinally,\"buthowdidYOUgetit?\"
\"Oh,Iboughtitofher。I’vebeenasortofpatronofhereversinceIfoundouthowshestoodtowardsus。AsshewasquitealonehereinWashington,mymotherandsisterhavetakenherup,andhavebeendoingthesocialthing。\"
\"Howlongsince?\"askedThatcher。
\"Oh,notlong。Thedayshetelegraphedyou,shecameheretoknowwhatshecoulddoforus,andwhenIsaidnothingcouldbedoneexcepttokeepCongressoff,why,shewentandDIDIT。ForSHE,andshealone,gotthatspeechoutoftheSenator。But,\"headded,alittlemischievously,\"youseemtoknowverylittleabouther?\"
\"No!——I——thatis——I’vebeenverybusylately,\"returnedThatcher,staringatthepicture。\"Doesshecomehereoften?\"
\"Yes,lately,quiteoften;shewasherethiseveningwithmother;
washere,Ithink,whenyoucame。\"
ThatcherlookedintentlyatHarlowe。Butthatgentleman’sfacebetrayednoconfusion。Thatcherrefilledhisglassalittleawkwardly,tossedofftheliquoratadraught,androsetohisfeet。
\"Come,oldfellow,you’renotgoingnow。Ishan’tpermitit,\"saidHarlowe,layinghishandkindlyonhisclient’sshoulder。\"You’reoutofsorts!Stayherewithmeto-night。Ouraccommodationsarenotlarge,butareelastic。Icanbestowyoucomfortablyuntilmorning。WaithereamomentwhileIgivethenecessaryorders。\"
Thatcherwasnotsorrytobeleftalone。InthelasthalfhourhehadbecomeconvincedthathisloveforCarmendeHarohadbeeninsomewaymostdreadfullyabused。WhileHEwashardatworkinCalifornia,shewasbeingintroducedinWashingtonsocietybypartieswitheligiblebrotherswhoboughtherpaintings。Itisarelieftothetrulyjealousmindtoindulgeinplurals。Thatcherlikedtothinkthatshewasalreadybesetbyhundredsofbrothers。
Hestillkeptstaringatthepicture。Byandbyitfadedawayinpart,andaveryvividrecollectionofthemisty,midnight,moonlitwalkhehadoncetakenwithhercameback,andrefilledthecanvaswithitsmagic。Hesawtheruinedfurnace;thedark,overhangingmassesofrock,thetremblingintricaciesoffoliage,and,aboveall,theflashofdarkeyesunderamantillaathisshoulder。Whatafoolhehadbeen!HadhenotreallybeenassenselessandstupidasthisveryConcho,lyingherelikealog?Andshehadlovedthatman。Whatafoolshemusthavethoughthimthatevening!Whatasnobshemustthinkhimnow!
Hewasstartledbyaslightrustlinginthepassage,thatceasedalmostasheturned。Thatcherlookedtowardsthedooroftheouteroffice,asifhalfexpectingthattheLordChancellor,likethecommanderinDonJuan,mighthaveacceptedhisthoughtlessinvitation。Helistenedagain;everythingwasstill。Hewasconsciousoffeelingillateaseandatriflenervous。WhatalongtimeHarlowetooktomakehispreparations。Hewouldlookoutinthehall。Todothisitwasnecessarytoturnupthegas。Hedidso,andinhisconfusionturneditout!
Wherewerethematches?Herememberedthattherewasabronzesomethingonthetablethat,intheironyofmoderndecorativetaste,mightholdashesormatches,oranythingofanunpicturesquecharacter。Heknockedsomethingover,evidentlytheink,——
somethingelse,——thistimeachampagneglass。Becomingreckless,andnowgropingatrandomintheruins,heoverturnedthebronzeMercuryonthecentertable,andthensatdownhopelesslyinhischair。Andthenapairofvelvetfingersslidintohis,withthematches,andthisaudible,musicalstatement:
\"Itisamatchyouareseeking?Hereisofthem。\"
Thatcherflushed,embarrassed,nervous,——feelingtheridiculousnessofsaying,\"Thankyou\"toadarksomebody,——struckthematch,beheldbyitsbrief,uncertainglimmerCarmendeHarobesidehim,burnedhisfingers,coughed,droppedthematch,andwascastagainintoouterdarkness。
\"Letmetry!\"
Carmenstruckamatch,jumpedbrisklyonthechair,litthegas,jumpedlightlydownagain,andsaid:\"Youdoliketositinthedark,——eh?SoamI——sometimes——alone。\"
\"MissDeHaro,\"saidThatcher,withsudden,honestearnestness,advancingwithoutstretchedhands,\"believemeIamsincerelydelighted,overjoyed,againtomeet——\"
Shehad,however,quicklyretreatedasheapproached,ensconcingherselfbehindthehighbackofalargeantiquechair,onthecushionofwhichsheknelt。Iregrettoaddalsothatsheslappedhisoutstretchedfingersalittlesharplywithherinevitableblackfanashestilladvanced。
\"WearenotinCalifornia。ItisWashington。Itisaftermidnight。
Iamapoorgirl,andIhavetolose——whatyoucall——’acharacter。’
Youshallsitoverthere,\"——shepointedtothesofa,——\"andIshallsithere;\"sherestedherboyishheadonthetopofthechair;\"andweshalltalk,forIhavetospeaktoyou,DonRoyal。\"
Thatchertooktheseatindicated,contritely,humbly,submissively。
Carmen’slittleheartwastouched。Butshestillwentonoverthebackofthechair。
\"DonRoyal,\"shesaid,emphasizingeachwordathimwithherfan,\"beforeIsawyou,——everknewofyou,——Iwasachild。Yes,Iwasbutachild!Iwasabold,badchild;——andIwaswhatyoucalla——
a——’forgaire’!\"
\"Awhat?\"askedThatcher,hesitatingbetweenasmileandasigh。
\"Aforgaire!\"continuedCarmendemurely。\"Ididofmyselfwritethenamesofozzerpeoples;\"whenCarmenwasexcitedshelostthecontroloftheEnglishtongue;\"Ididwritejusttopleasemyself;——
itwasmyonklethatdidmakeofitmoney;——youunderstand,eh?
Shallyounotspeak?MustIagainhityou?\"
\"Goon,\"saidThatcherlaughing。
\"Ididfindout,whenIcametoyouatthemine,thatIhadforgedagainstyouthenameofMicheltorena。Itothelawyerwent,andfoundthatitwasso——ofaverity——so!so!allthetime。Lookatmenotnow,DonRoyal;——itisa’forgaire’youstareat。\"
\"Carmen!\"
\"Hoosh!ShallIhavetohityouagain?Ididoverlookallthepapers。Ifoundtheapplication:itwaswrittenbyme。There。\"
ShetossedoverthebackofherchairanenvelopetoThatcher。Heopenedit。
\"Isee,\"hesaidgently,\"yourepossessedyourselfofit!\"
\"Whatisthat——’r-r-r-e——possess’?\"
\"Why!\"——Thatcherhesitated——\"yougotpossessionofthispaper,——
thisinnocentforgery,——again。\"
\"Oh!Youthinkmeathiefaswellasa’forgaire。’Goaway!Getup。Getout。\"
\"Mydeargirl——\"
\"Lookatthepaper!Willyou?Oh,yousilly!\"
Thatcherlookedatthepaper。Inpaper,handwriting,age,andstampitwasidenticalwiththeformal,clericalapplicationofGarciaforthegrant。TheindorsementofMicheltorenawasunquestionablygenuine。BUTTHEAPPLICATIONWASMADEFORROYAL
THATCHER。Andhisownsignaturewasimitatedtothelife。
\"Ihadbutoneletterofyourswizyourname,\"saidCarmenapologetically;\"anditwasthebestpoormecoulddo。\"
\"Why,youblessedlittlegooseandangel,\"saidThatcher,withthebold,mixedmetaphorofamatorygenius,\"don’tyousee——\"
\"Ah,youdon’tlikeit,——itisnotgood?\"
\"Mydarling!\"
\"Hoosh!Thereisalsoan’oldcat’upstairs。AndnowIhavehereacharacter。WILLyousitdown?Isitofanecessitythatupanddownyoushouldwalkandawakenthewholehouse?There!\"——shehadgivenhimaviciousdabwithherfanashepassed。Hesatdown。
\"Andyouhavenotseenmenorwrittentomeforayear?\"
\"Carmen!\"
\"Sitdown,youbold,badboy。Don’tyouseeitisofbusinessthatyouandItalkdownhere;anditisofbusinessthatozzerpeopleupstairsarethinking。Eh?\"
\"D——nbusiness!Seehere,Carmen,mydarling,tellme\"——IregrettosayhehadbythistimegotholdofthebackofCarmen’schair——
\"tellme,myownlittlegirl,——about——aboutthatSenator。Yourememberwhatyousaidtohim?\"
\"Oh,theoldman?Oh,THATwasbusiness。Andyousayofbusiness,’d——n。’\"
\"Carmen!\"
\"DonRoyal!\"……
AlthoughMissCarmenhadrecoursetoherfanfrequentlyduringthisinterview,theairmusthavebeenchilly,foramomentlater,onhiswaydownstairs,poorHarlowe,asuffererfrombronchitis,wasattackedwithaviolentfitofcoughing,whichtroubledhimallthewaydown。
\"Well,\"hesaid,asheenteredtheroom,\"IseeyouhavefoundMr。
Thatcher,andshownthosepapers。Itrustyouhave,foryou’vecertainlyhadtimeenough。Iamsentbymothertodismissyoualltobed。\"
Carmenstillinthearmchair,coveredwithhermantilla,didnotspeak。
\"Isupposeyouarebythistimelawyerenoughtoknow,\"continuedHarlowe,\"thatMissDeHaro’spapers,thoughingenious,arenotlegallyavailable,unless——\"
\"Ichosetomakeherawitness。Harlowe!you’reagoodfellow!I
don’tmindsayingtoyouthatthesearepapersIpreferthatmyWIFEshouldnotuse。We’llleaveitforthepresent——UnfinishedBusiness。\"
Theydid。ButoneeveningourherobroughtMrs。RoyalThatcherapapercontainingatouchingandbeautifultributetothedeadSenator。
\"There,Carmen,love,readthat。Don’tyoufeelalittleashamedofyour——your——yourlobbying——\"
\"No,\"saidCarmenpromptly。\"Itwasbusiness,——andifalllobbyingbusinesswasashonest,——well?——\"