Perhapsitwashisveryinabilitytograspinthatexhaustedstatethefullcomprehensionofthedoctor’smeaning,perhapsbecausethephysicalbenumbingofhisbrainwasstrongerthananymentalexcitement,buthesleptagainuntilthedoctorreappeared。
\"You’redoingwellenoughnow,colonel,\"saidthephysician,afterabriefexaminationofhispatient,\"andIthinkwecanaffordtowakeyouupabit,andevenletyoumoveyourarm。You’reluckierthanpoorTomHigbee,whowon’tbeabletosethislegtothefloorforthreeweekstocome。Ihaven’tgotallthebuckshotoutofityetthatJackDumontputtheretheothernight。\"
Courtlandstartedslightly。JackDumont!ThatwasthenameofSallyDowscousinofwhomChampneyhadspoken!Hehadresolutelyputasidefromhisreturningmemorythehazyrecollectionoftheyounggirl’svoice——thelastthinghehadheardthatnight——andthemysterythatseemedtosurroundit。Buttherewasnodelusioninthiscousin——hisrival,andthatoftheequallydeceivedChampney。
Hecontrolledhimselfandrepeatedcoldly:——
\"JackDumont!\"
\"Yes。Butofcourseyouknewnothingofallthat,whileyouwereoffintheswampthere。Yet,byJingo!itwasDumont’sshootingHigbeethathelpedYOUtogetoffyourniggeradarnedsightmorethanYOURkillingthedogs。\"
\"Idon’tunderstand,\"returnedCourtlandcoldly。
\"Well,yousee,Dumont,whohadtakenupNo’th’nprinciples,I
reckon,moretogoadtheHigbeesandpleaseSallyDowsthanfromanyconviction,cameoverherethatnight。Whetherhesuspectedanythingwasup,orwantedtodareHigbeeforbedevilment,orwasonlydancingattendanceonMissSally,nooneknows。ButherodeslapintoHighee’sparty,calledout,’Ifyou’reouthunting,Tom,here’sachanceforyourscore!’meaningtheiroldvendettafeud,andbringshisshot—gunuptohisshoulder。Higbeewasn’tquickenough,Dumontletsfly,dropsHigbee,andthengallopsoffchasedbytheReedstoavengeHigbee,andfollowedbythewholecrowdtoseethefun,whichwasalittlebetterthannigger—driving。AndthatletyouandCatoout,colonel。\"
\"AndDumont?\"
\"GotcleanawaytoFoxboro’Station,leavinganotherscoreonhissidefortheReedsandHigbeestowipeoutasbesttheycan。YouNo’th’nmendon’tbelieveinthesesortofthings,colonel,buttakenasastraightdashandhito’raiding,thatstrokeofSallyDows’cousinwasmightyfine!\"
Courtlandcontrolledhimselfwithdifficulty。Thedoctorhadspokentruly。TheheroofthismiserableaffairwasHERcousin——
HISRIVAL!Andtohim——perhapsinfluencedbysomepityingappealofMissSallyforthemanshehaddeceived——Courtlandowedhislife!Heinstinctivelydrewaquick,sharpbreath。
\"Areyouinpain?\"
\"Notatall。WhencanIgetup?\"
\"Perhapsto—morrow。\"
\"Andthisarm?\"
\"Betternotuseitforaweekortwo。\"Hestopped,and,glancingpaternallyattheyoungerman,addedgravelybutkindly:\"Ifyou’lltakemyunprofessionaladvice,ColonelCourtland,you’llletthismattersimmerdown。Itwon’thurtyouandyouraffairsherethatfolkshavehadatasteofyourquality,andtheniggeralessonthathisfellowswon’tforget。\"
\"Ithankyou,\"returnedCourtlandcoldly;\"butIthinkIalreadyunderstandmydutytothecompanyIrepresentandtheGovernmentI
haveserved。\"
\"Possibly,colonel,\"saidthedoctorquietly;\"butyou’llletanoldermanremindyouandtheGovernmentthatyoucan’tchangethehabitsorrelationsoftwodistinctracesinafewyears。Yourfriend,MissSallyDows——althoughnotquiteinmywayofthinking——
hasneverattemptedTHAT。\"
\"IamfullyawarethatMissDowspossessesdiplomaticaccomplishmentsandgracesthatIcannotlayclaimto,\"returnedCourtlandbitterly。
Thedoctorliftedhiseyebrowsslightlyandchangedthesubject。
Whenhehadgone,Courtlandcalledforwritingmaterials。Hehadalreadymadeuphismind,andonecoursealoneseemedpropertohim。Hewrotetothepresidentofthecompany,detailingthecircumstancesthathadjustoccurred,admittingtheallegedprovocationgivenbyhisoverseer,butpointingouttheterrorismofamob—lawwhichrenderedhisowndisciplineimpossible。HeaskedthatthematterbereportedtoWashington,andsomemeasurestakenfortheprotectionofthefreedmen,inthemeantimehebeggedtotenderhisownresignation,buthewouldstayuntilhissuccessorwasappointed,orthesafetyofhisemployeessecured。
Untilthen,heshouldactuponhisownresponsibilityandaccordingtohisjudgment。Hemadenopersonalcharges,mentionednonames,askedfornoexemplaryprosecutionortrialoftheoffenders,butonlydemandedasafeguardagainstarepetitionoftheoffense。Hisnextletter,althoughlessformalandofficial,wasmoredifficult。
ItwasaddressedtothecommandantofthenearestFederalbarracks,whowasanoldfriendandformercompanion—in—arms。HealludedtosomeconversationtheyhadpreviouslyexchangedinregardtothepresenceofasmalldetachmentoftroopsatRedlandsduringtheelections,whichCourtlandatthetime,however,haddiplomaticallyopposed。Hesuggesteditnowasamatterofpublicexpediencyandprevention。Whenhehadsealedtheletters,notcaringtoexposethemtotheespionageofthelocalpostmasterorhisordinaryservants,heintrustedthemtooneofMissSally’sownhenchmen,tobepostedatthenextoffice,atBitterCreekStation,tenmilesdistant。
Unfortunately,thisdutyaccomplished,thereactionconsequentonhisstillweakphysicalconditionthrewhimbackuponhimselfandhismemory。HehadresolutelyrefusedtothinkofMissSally;hehadbeenabletowithstandthesuggestionsofherinthepresenceofherhandmaid——supposedtobepotentinnursingandherb—lore——
whomshehaddetachedtowaituponhim,andhehadreturnedpolitelyformalacknowledgmentstoherinquiries。Hehaddeterminedtocontinuethispersonalavoidanceasfaraspossibleuntilhewasrelieved,onthegroundofthatBUSINESSexpediencywhichtheseeventshadmadenecessary。Shewouldseethathewasonlyacceptingtheargumentswithwhichshehadmethispreviousadvances。Briefly,hehadrecoursetothathopelesslogicbywhichamanprovestohimselfthathehasnoreasonforlovingacertainwoman,andisasincontestablyconvincedbythesameprocessthathehas。Andinthemidstofitheweaklyfellasleep,anddreamedthatheandMissSallywerewalkinginthecemetery;thatahideoussnakeconcealedamongsomelilies,overwhichtheyounggirlwasbending,haduplifteditstriangularheadtostrike。Thatheseizeditbytheneck,struggledwithituntilhewasnearlyexhausted,whenitsuddenlycollapsedandshrunk,leavinginhispalmthelimp,crushed,anddelicatelyperfumedlittlethreadglovewhichherememberedtohaveonceslippedfromherhand。
Whenheawoke,thatperfumeseemedtobestillintheair,distinctfromthefreshbuthomelierscentsofthegardenwhichstolethroughthewindow。Asenseofdeliciouscoolnesscamewiththeafternoonbreeze,thatfaintlytrilledtheslantingslatsoftheblindwithaslumberoushummingasofbees。Thegoldengloryofasinkingsouthernsunwaspencilingthecheappaperonthewallwithleafytraceryandglowingarabesques。Butmorethanthat,thecalmofsomepotentinfluence——orsomeunseenpresence——wasuponhim,whichhefearedamovementmightdispel。Thechairatthefootofhisbedwasempty。Sophyhadgoneout。Hedidnotturnhisheadtolookfurther;hislanguideyesfallingaimlesslyuponthecarpetathisbedsidesuddenlydilated。Fortheyfellalsoonthe\"smallestfootintheState。\"
Hestartedtohiselbow,butasofthandwaslaidgentlyyetfirmlyuponhisshoulder,andwithafaintrustleofmuslinskirtsMissSallyrosefromanunseenchairattheheadofhisbed,andstoodbesidehim。
\"Don’tstir,co’nnle,Ididn’tsitwhereIcouldlookinyo’rfaceforfearofwakingyo’。ButI’llchangeseatsnow。\"ShemovedtothechairwhichSophyhadvacated,drewitslightlynearerthebed,andsatdown。
\"Itwasverykindofyou——tocome,\"saidCourtlandhesitatingly,aswithastrongefforthedrewhiseyesawayfromthefascinatingvision,andregainedacertaincoldcomposure,\"butIamafraidmyillnesshasbeengreatlymagnified。Ireallyamquitewellenoughtobeupandaboutmybusiness,ifthedoctorwouldpermitit。ButIshallcertainlymanagetoattendtomydutyto—morrow,andIhopetobeatyourservice。
\"Meaningthatyo’don’tcaretoseemeNOW,co’nnle,\"shesaidlightly,withafainttwinkleinherwise,sweeteyes。\"Ithoughtofthat,butasmybusinesswouldn’twait,Ibroughtittoyo’。\"
Shetookfromthefoldsofhergownaletter。Tohisutteramazementitwastheonehehadgivenhisoverseertoposttothecommandantthatmorning。Tohisgreaterindignationthesealwasbroken。
\"Whohasdared?\"hedemanded,halfrising。
Herlittlehandwasthrustouthalfdeprecatingly。\"Nooneyo’canfight,co’nnle;onlyME。Idon’tgenerallyopenotherfolks’
letters,andIwouldn’thavedoneitforMYSELF;Ididforyo’。\"
\"Forme?\"
\"Foryo’。Ireckonedwhatyo’MIGHTdo,andItoldSamtobringME
thelettersfirst。Ididn’tmindwhatyo’wrotetothecompany——
forthey’lltakecareofyo’,andtheirowneggsareallinthesamebasket。Ididn’topenTHATone,butIdidTHISwhenIsawtheaddress。ItwasasIexpected,andyo’’dgivenyo’selfaway!Forifyo’hadthosesoldiersdownhere,yo’’dhavearow,sure!
Don’tmove,co’nnle,YO’maynotcareforthat,it’sinYO’Rline。
Butfolkswillsaythatthesoldiersweren’tsenttopreventRIOTING,butthatCo’nnleCourtlandwasusinghisoldcomradestokeeporderonhispropertyatGov’mentexpense。Hol’on!Hol’on!
co’nnle,\"saidthelittlefigure,risingandwavingitsprettyarmswithamischievoussimulationofterrifieddeprecation。\"Don’tshoot!Ofcourseyo’didn’tmeanTHAT,butthat’saboutthewaythatSo’th’nmenwillputittoyo’rGov’ment。For,\"shecontinued,moregently,yetwiththeshrewdesttwinkleinhergrayeyes,\"ifyo’reallythoughttheniggersmightneedFederalprotection,yo’’dhaveletMEwritetothecommandanttosendanescort——nottoYO,buttoCATO——thatHEmightbeabletocomebackinsafety。Yo’’dhavehadyo’rsoldiers;I’dhavehadbackmynigger,which\"——demurely——\"yo’don’tseemtoworryyo’selfmuchabout,co’nnle;andthereisn’taSo’th’nmanwouldhaveobjected。
But,\"stillmoredemurely,andaffectedlysmoothingouthercrispskirtwithherlittlehands,\"yo’haven’tbeentroublingmemuchwithyo’rcounsellately。\"
AswiftandutterlynewcomprehensionsweptoverCourtland。Forthefirsttimeinhisknowledgeofherhesuddenlygraspedwhatwas,perhaps,thetrueconceptionofhercharacter。Lookingatherclearlynow,heunderstoodthemeaningofthosepliantgraces,sounaffectedandyetalwayscontrolledbythereasoningofanunbiasedintellect;herfrankspeechandplausibleintonations!
Beforehimstoodthetrue—borndaughterofalongraceofpoliticians!Allthathehadheardoftheirdexterity,tact,andexpediencyrosehereincarnate,withtheaddedgraceofwomanhood。
Astrangesenseofrelief——perhapsadawningofhope——stoleoverhim。
\"ButhowwillthisinsureCato’ssafetyhereafter,orgiveprotectiontotheothers?\"hesaid,fixinghiseyesuponher。
\"Thefuturewon’tconcernYO’much,co’nnle,ifasyo’sayhereyo’rresignationissentin,andyo’rsuccessorappointed,\"shereplied,withmoregravitythanshehadpreviouslyshown。
\"ButyoudonotthinkIwillleaveYOUinthisuncertainty,\"hesaidpassionately。Hestoppedsuddenly,hisbrowdarkened。\"I
forgot,\"headdedcoldly,\"youwillbewellprotected。Your——
COUSIN——willgiveyouthecounselofrace——and——closerties。\"
Tohisinfiniteastonishment,MissSallyleanedforwardinherchairandburiedherlaughingfaceinbothofherhands。Whenherdimpleshadbecomeagainvisible,shesaidwithaneffort,\"Don’tyo’think,co’nnle,thatasapeacemakermycousinwasevenabiggerfailurethanyo’self?\"
\"Idon’tunderstand,\"stammeredCourtland。
\"Don’tyo’think,\"shecontinued,wipinghereyesdemurely,\"thatifayoungwomanaboutmysize,whohadgotperfectlytiredandsickofallthisfussmadeaboutyo’,becauseyo’wereaNo’th’nman,managingniggers——ifthatyoungwomanwantedtoshowherpeoplewhatsortofaradicalandabolitionistaSO’TH’Nmanoftheirownsortmightbecome,she’dhavesentforJackDumontasasample?Eh?Only,Ideclaretogoodness,IneverreckonedthatheandHigbeewouldrevivethetomfoolingofthevendetta,andtaketoshootin’eachotheratonce。\"
\"Andyoursendingforyourcousinwasonlyafeinttoprotectme?\"
saidCourtlandfaintly。
\"Perhapshedidn’thavetobeSENTfor,co’nnle,\"shesaid,withaslighttouchofcoquetry。\"Supposewesay,ILETHIMCOME。He’dbehanginground,forhehaspropertyhere,andwantedtogetmetotakeitupwithmineinthecompany。Iknewwhathisnewviewsandideaswere,andIthoughtI’dbetterconsultChampney——who,beingaforeigner,andanolderresidentthanyo’,wasquiteneutral。Hedidn’thappentotellYO’anythingaboutit——didhe,co’nnle?\"sheaddedwithagravemouth,butanindescribabletwinkleinhereyes。
Courtland’sfacedarkened。\"Hedid——andhefurthertoldme,MissDows,thathehimselfwasyoursuitor,andthatyouhadrefusedhimbecauseoftheobjectionsofyourpeople。\"
Sheraisedhereyestohisswiftlyanddroppedthem。
\"Andyo’thinkIoughttohaveacceptedhim?\"shesaidslowly。
\"No!but——youknow——youtoldme\"——hebeganhurriedly。Butshehadalreadyrisen,andwasshakingoutthefoldsofherdress。
\"We’renottalkingBUSINESSco’nnle——andbusinesswasmyonlyexcuseforcominghere,andtakingSophy’splace。I’llsendherintoyo’,now。\"
\"But,MissDows!——MissSally!\"
Shestopped——hesitated——asingularweaknessforsoself—containedanature——andthenslowlyproducedfromherpocketasecondletter——
theonethatCourtlandhaddirectedtothecompany。\"Ididn’treadTHISletter,asIjusttoldyo’co’nnle,forIreckonIknowwhat’sinit,butIthoughtI’dbringitwithmetoo,incaseYO’CHANGED
YO’RMIND。\"
Heraisedhimselfonhispillowassheturnedquicklyaway;butinthatsinglevanishingglimpseofherbrightfacehesawwhatneitherhenoranyoneelsehadeverseenuponthefaceofSallyDows——aburningblush!
\"MissSally!\"Healmostleapedfromthebed,butshewasgone。
Therewasanotherrustleatthedoor——theentranceofSophy。
\"Callherback,Sophy,quick!\"hesaid。
Thenegressshookherturbanedhead。\"Notmuch,honey!WhenMissSallysayshegoes——shedonegone,shuah!\"
\"But,Sophy!\"Perhapssomethinginthesignificantfaceofthegirltemptedhim;perhapsitwasonlyanimpulseofhisforgottenyouth。\"Sophy!\"appealingly——\"tellme!——isMissSallyengagedtohercousin?\"
\"Watdat?\"saidSophyinindignantscorn。\"MissSallyengagedtodatDumont!Whatfo’?Yo’’recrazy!No!\"
\"NorChampney?Tellme,Sophy,hassheaLOVER?\"
ForamomentthewhitesofSophy’seyeswereupliftedinspeechlessscorn。\"Yo’askdat!Yo’lyin’darwiddatsnake—bitarm!Yo’
lyin’dar,andMissSally——whohasonlytowhistletocalldefustqualityindeStateraounher——comingandgoingherewidyou,andtrottingonyo’rarrants——andyo’askdat!Yes!shehasalover,andwhat’sme’,sheCAN’THELPIT;andyo’’reherlover;andwhat’sme’,YO’can’thelpiteither!Andyo’can’tbackoutofitnow——bo’feofyo’——nebber!Fo’yo’’rehers,andshe’syo’rs——fo’
ebber。Forshesuckedyo’blood。\"
\"What!\"gaspedCourtland,aghastatwhathebelievedtobethesuddeninsanityofthenegress。
\"Yes!Whar’syo’reyes?whar’syo’ryears?who’syo’datyo’
didn’tseenorheahnuffin?Whendeydraggedyo’outerdeswampdatnight——widdesnake—bitefreshenyo’rarm——didn’tSHE,datpohchile!——datsameMissSally——frowherselfdownonyo’,andputdatbabymoufofherstodewoundandsuckoutdepizenandsabedelifeobyo’atderiskobherown?Say?Andifdey’sanytroofinHoodoo,don’tdatmakeyo’onebloodandonesoul!Goway,whiteman!I’msickofyo’。Stopdar!Liedowndar!Hol’on,co’nnle,formassy’ssake。Well,dar——I’llcallherback!\"
Andshedid!
\"Lookhere——don’tyouknow——itrathertookmebysurprise,\"saidChampney,afewdayslater,withaheartygripofthecolonel’suninjuredhand;\"butIdon’tbearmalice,oldfellow,and,byJove!
itwasSUCHasensible,all—round,business—likechoiceforthegirltomakethatnowonderweneverthoughtofitbefore。Hangitall,youseeafellowwasalwayssocertainitwouldbesomethingoutofthewayanddetrimental,don’tyouknow,thatwouldtakethefancyofagirllikethat——somebodylikethatcousinofhersorHigbee,orevenME,byJovethatweneverthoughtoflookingbeyondournoses——neverthoughtoftheBUSINESS!AndYOUallthetimesocoldandsilentandmatter—of—factaboutit!ButIcongratulateyou!You’vegotthebusinessdownonasafebasisnow,andwhat’smore,you’vegottheonewomanwhocanrunit。\"
Theysayhewasatrueprophet。AtleasttheSyndicateaffairsprospered,andincourseoftimeeventheReedsandtheHigbeesparticipatedinthebenefits。Therewerenomoreracialdisturbances;onlythedistrictspolledapeacefulandSMALLER
Democraticmajorityatthenextelection。TherewerenotwantingthosewhoallegedthatColonelCourtlandhadsimplybecomeMRS。
COURTLAND’SSUPERINTENDENT;thatshehadabsorbedhimasshehadeveryonewhohadcomeunderherinfluence,andthatshewouldnotrestuntilshehadmadehimaSenator(torepresentMrs。Courtland)
inthecouncilsofthenation。ButwhenIlastdinedwiththeminWashington,tenyearsago,Ifoundthembothveryhappyandcomfortable,andIrememberthatMrs。Courtland’sremarksuponFederalandStateinterests,thepropereducationofyounggirls,andthemanagementofthefamily,wereeminentlywiseandpractical。
THECONSPIRACYOFMRS。BUNKER。
PARTI。
OnthenortherlyshoreofSanFranciscoBayalineofbluffsterminatesinapromontory,atwhosebase,formedbythecrumblingdebrisofthecliffabove,thereisanarrowstretchofbeach,saltmeadow,andscruboak。Theabruptwallofrockbehinditseemstoisolateitascompletelyfromthemainlandastheseabeforeitseparatesitfromtheoppositeshore。InspiteofitscontiguitytoSanFrancisco,——oppositealso,buthiddenbythesharpre—
enteringcurveofcoast,——thelocalitywaswild,uncultivated,andunfrequented。Asolitaryfisherman’scabinhalfhiddenintherockswastheonlytraceofhabitation。Whitedriftsofsea—gullsandpelicanacrossthefaceofthecliff,graycloudsofsandpipersrisingfromthebeach,thedrippingflightofducksoverthesaltmeadows,andtheoccasionalsplashofasealfromtherocks,weretheonlysignsoflifethatcouldbeseenfromthedecksofpassingships。Andyetthefisherman’scabinwasoccupiedbyZephasBunkerandhisyoungwife,andhehadsucceededinwrestingfromthehardsoilpasturageforacowandgoats,whilehislateen—sailedfishing—boatoccasionallyrodequietlyintheshelteredcovebelow。
ThreeyearsagoZephasBunker,anex—whaler,hadfoundhimselfstrandedonaSanFranciscowharfandhad\"hiredout\"toasmallPetalumafarmer。Attheendofayearhehadacquiredlittletasteforthefarmer’sbusiness,butconsiderableforthefarmer’syouthfuldaughter,who,equallywearyofsmallagriculture,hadconsentedtoelopewithhiminordertoescapeit。TheyweremarriedatOakland;heputhisscantearningsintoafishing—boat,discoveredthesiteforhiscabin,andbroughthisbridethither。
Thenoveltyofthechangepleasedher,althoughperhapsitwasbutlittleadvanceonherprevioushumbleposition。Yetshepreferredherpresentfreedomtothebarerestrictedhomelifeofherpast;
theperpetualpresenceoftherestlessseawasarelieftotheoldmonotonyofthewheatfieldanditsisolateddrudgery。ForMary’syouthfulfancy,thinlysustainedinchildhoodbythelightestliteraryfood,hadneitherbeenstimulatednordisillusionedbyhermarriage。Thatpracticalexperiencewhichisusuallytheendofgirlishromancehadleftherstillachildinsentiment。Thelongabsencesofherhusbandinhisfishing—boatkeptherfromwearyingoforevenknowinghisolderandunequalcompanionship;itgaveherafreedomhergirlhoodhadneverknown,yetaddedaprotectionthatsuitedherstillchildishdependency,whileittickledherpridewithitsequality。Whennotengagedinhereasyhouseholddutiesinherthree—roomedcottage,orthecareofherrockygardenpatch,shefoundtimeenoughtoindulgeherfancyoverthemysterioushazethatwrappedtheinvisiblecitysonearandyetunknowntoher;inthesailsthatslippedinandoutoftheGoldenGate,butofwhosedestinationsheknewnothing;andinthelongsmoketrailofthemailsteamerwhichhadyetbroughthernomessage。Likealldwellersbythesea,herfaceandherthoughtsweremorefrequentlyturnedtowardsit;andaswiththem,italsoseemedtoherthatwhateverchangewascomingintoherlifewouldcomeacrossthatvastunknownexpanse。ButitwasherethatMrs。Bunkerwasmistaken。
Ithadbeenasparklingsummermorning。Thewaveswererunningbeforethedrynorthwesttradewindswithcrystallinebutcolorlessbrilliancy。Shelteredbythehigh,northerlybluff,thehouseanditsgardenwereexposedtotheuntemperedheatofthecloudlesssunrefractedfromtherockywallbehindit。Sometarpaulinandropeslyingamongtherockswerestickyandodorous;thescruboaksandmanzanitabushesgaveoutthearomaofbakingwood;occasionallyafaintpot—pourrifragrancefromthehotwildrosesandbeachgrasswasblownalongtheshore;eventhelingeringodorsofBunker’svocation,andofMrs。Bunker’scooking,wereidealizedandrefinedbythesalinebreathoftheseaatthedoorsandwindows。Mrs。
Bunker,inthedazzlingsun,bendingoverherpeasandlettuceswithasmallhoe,feltthecomfortofherbrownhollandsunbonnet。
Secureinherisolation,sheunbuttonedtheneckofhergownforair,anddidnotputupthestrandofblackhairthathadescapedoverhershoulder。Itwasveryhotintheleeofthebluff,andveryquietinthatstillair。Soquietthatsheheardtwodistinctreports,followingeachotherquickly,butveryfaintandfar。
Sheglancedmechanicallytowardsthesea。Twomerchant—meninmidstreamwereshakingouttheirwingsforalongflight,apilotboatandcoastingschoonerwereroundingthepoint,buttherewasnosmokefromtheirdecks。Shebentoverherworkagain,andinanothermomenthadforgottenit。Buttheheat,withthedazzlingreflectionfromthecliff,forcedhertosuspendhergardening,andstrollalongthebeachtotheextremelimitofherdomain。Hereshelookedafterthecowthathadalsostrayedawaythroughthetangledbushforcoolness。Thegoats,impervioustotemperature,werebaskingininaccessiblefastnessesonthecliffitselfthatmadehereyesachetoclimb。Overanhourpassed,shewasreturning,andhadnearedherhouse,whenshewassuddenlystartledtoseethefigureofamanbetweenherandthecliff。Hewasengagedinbrushinghisdustyclotheswithahandkerchief,andalthoughhesawhercoming,andevenmovedslowlytowardsher,continuedhisoccupationwithahalf—impatient,half—abstractedair。Herfeminineperceptionwasstruckwiththecircumstancethathewasindeepblack,withscarcelyagleamofwhiteshowingevenathisthroat,andthatheworeatallblackhat。Withoutknowinganythingofsocialcustoms,itseemedtoherthathisdresswasinconsistentwithhisappearancethere。
\"Good—morning,\"hesaid,liftinghishatwithapreoccupiedair。
\"Doyoulivehere?\"
\"Yes,\"shesaidwonderingly。
\"Anybodyelse?\"
\"Myhusband。\"
\"Imeananyotherpeople?Arethereanyotherhouses?\"hesaidwithaslightimpatience。
\"No。\"
Helookedatherandthentowardsthesea。\"Iexpectsomefriendswhoarecomingformeinaboat。Isupposetheycanlandeasilyhere?\"
\"Didn’tyouyourselflandherejustnow?\"shesaidquickly。
Hehalfhesitated,andthen,asifscorninganequivocation,madeahastygestureoverhershoulderandsaidbluntly,\"No,Icameoverthecliff。\"
\"Downthecliff?\"sherepeatedincredulously。
\"Yes,\"hesaid,glancingathisclothes;\"itwasaroughscramble,butthegoatsshowedmetheway。\"
\"Andyouwereuponthebluffallthetime?\"shewentoncuriously。
\"Yes。Yousee——I\"——hestoppedsuddenlyatwhatseemedtobethebeginningofaprearrangedandplausibleexplanation,asifimpatientofitsweaknessorhypocrisy,andsaidbriefly,\"Yes,I
wasthere。\"
Likemostwomen,moreobservantofhisfaceandfigure,shedidnotmissthislackofexplanation。Hewasaverygood—lookingmanofmiddleage,withathin,proud,high—bredface,whichinacountryofbeardedmenhadthefurtherdistinctionofbeingsmoothlyshaven。Shehadneverseenanyonelikehimbefore。Shethoughthelookedlikeanillustrationofsomenovelshehadread,butalsosomewhatmelancholy,worn,andtired。
\"Won’tyoucomeinandrestyourself?\"shesaid,motioningtothecabin。
\"Thankyou,\"hesaid,stillhalfabsently。\"PerhapsI’dbetter。
Itmaybesometimeyetbeforetheycome。\"
Sheledthewaytothecabin,enteredthelivingroom——aplainlyfurnishedlittleapartmentbetweenthebedroomandthekitchen——
pointedtoalargebambooarmchair,andplacedabottleofwhiskeyandsomewateronthetablebeforehim。Hethankedheragainverygently,pouredoutsomespiritsinhisglass,andmixeditwithwater。Butwhensheglancedtowardshimagainhehadapparentlyrisenwithouttastingit,andgoingtothedoorwasstandingtherewithhishandinthebreastofhisbuttonedfrockcoat,gazingsilentlytowardsthesea。Therewassomethingvaguelyhistoricalinhisattitude——orwhatshethoughtmightbehistorical——asofsomebodyofgreatimportancewhohadhaltedontheeveofsomegreateventatthedoorofherhumblecabin。
Hisapparentunconsciousnessofherandofhissurroundings,hispreoccupationwithsomethingfarbeyondherken,farfrompiquingher,onlyexcitedherinterestthemore。Andthentherewassuchanoddsadnessinhiseyes。
\"Areyouanxiousforyourfolks’coming?\"shesaidatlast,followinghisoutlook。
\"I——ohno!\"hereturned,quicklyrecallinghimself,\"they’llbesuretocome——soonerorlater。Nofearofthat,\"headded,halfsmilingly,halfwearily。
Mrs。Bunkerpassedintothekitchen,where,whileapparentlyattendingtoherhouseholdduties,shecouldstillobservehersingularguest。Leftalone,heseatedhimselfmechanicallyinthechair,andgazedfixedlyatthefireplace。Heremainedalongtimesoquietandunmoved,inspiteofthemarkedostentatiousclatterMrs。Bunkerfounditnecessarytomakewithherdishes,thatanoddfancythathewasscarcelyahumanvisitantbegantotakepossessionofher。Yetshewasnotfrightened。Sheremembereddistinctlyafterwardsthat,farfromhavinganyconcernforherself,shewasonlymovedbyastrangeandvagueadmirationofhim。
Butherprolongedscrutinywasnotwithouteffect。Suddenlyheraisedhisdarkeyes,andshefeltthempiercetheobscurityofherkitchenwithaquick,suspicious,impatientpenetration,whichastheymethersgaveway,however,toalookthatshethoughtwasgentlyreproachful。Thenherose,stretchedhimselftohisfullheight,andapproachingthekitchendoorleanedlistlesslyagainstthedoor—post。
\"Idon’tsupposeyouareeverlonelyhere?\"
\"No,sir。\"
\"Ofcoursenot。Youhaveyourselfandhusband。Nobodyinterfereswithyou。Youarecontentedandhappytogether。\"
Mrs。Bunkerdidnotsay,whatwasthefact,thatshehadneverbeforeconnectedthesolecompanionshipofherhusbandwithherhappiness。Perhapsithadneveroccurredtoheruntilthatmomenthowlittleithadtodowithit。Sheonlysmiledgratefullyatthechangeinherguest’sabstraction。
\"DoyouoftengotoSanFrancisco?\"hecontinued。
\"Ihaveneverbeenthereatall。SomedayIexpectwewillgotheretolive。\"
\"Iwouldn’tadviseyouto,\"hesaid,lookingathergravely。\"I
don’tthinkitwillpayyou。You’llneverbehappythereashere。
You’llneverhavetheindependenceandfreedomyouhavehere。
You’llneverbeyourownmistressagain。ButhowdoesithappenyouneverwereinSanFrancisco?\"hesaidsuddenly。
Ifhewouldnottalkofhimself,hereatleastwasachanceforMrs。Bunkertosaysomething。SherelatedhowherfamilyhademigratedfromKansasacrosstheplainsandhadtakenupa\"location\"atContraCosta。Howshedidn’tcareforit,andhowshecametomarrytheseafaringmanwhobroughtherhere——allwithgreatsimplicityandfranknessandasunreservedlyastoasuperiorbeing——albeithisattentionwanderedattimes,andararebutmelancholysmilethathehadapparentlyevokedtomeetherconversationaladvancesbecamefixedoccasionally。Evenhisdarkeyes,whichhadobligedMrs。Bunkertoputupherhairandbuttonhercollar,resteduponherwithoutseeingher。
\"Thenyourhusband’snameisBunker?\"hesaidwhenshepausedatlast。\"That’soneofthoseNantucketQuakernames——sailorsandwhalersforgenerations——andyours,yousay,wasMacEwan。Well,Mrs。Bunker,YOURfamilycamefromKentuckytoKansasonlylately,thoughIsupposeyourfathercallshimselfaFree—Statesman。Yououghttoknowsomethingoffarmingandcattle,foryourancestorswereoldScotchCovenanterswhoemigratedahundredyearsago,andweregreatstockraisers。\"
Allthisseemedonlythenaturalomniscienceofasuperiorbeing。
AndMrs。Bunkerperhapswasnotpainedtolearnthatherhusband’sfamilywasofalowerdegreethanherown。Butthestranger’sknowledgedidnotendthere。Hetalkedofherhusband’sbusiness——
heexplainedthevastfishingresourcesofthebayandcoast。HeshowedherhowthelargecolonyofItalianfishermenwereinimicaltotheinterestsofCaliforniaandtoherhusband——particularlyasanativeAmericantrader。Hetoldherofthevolcanicchangesofthebayandcoastline,oftheformationoftherockyledgeonwhichshelived。HepointedouttoheritsvaluetotheGovernmentfordefensivepurposes,andhowitnaturallycommandedtheentranceoftheGoldenGatefarbetterthanFortPoint,andthatitoughttobeinitshands。IftheFederalGovernmentdidnotbuyitofherhusband,certainlytheStateofCaliforniashould。Andherehefellintoanabstractionasdeepandasgloomyasbefore。Hewalkedtothewindow,pacedthefloorwithhishandinhisbreast,wenttothedoor,andfinallysteppedoutofthecabin,movingalongtheledgeofrockstotheshore,wherehestoodmotionless。
Mrs。Bunkerhadlistenedtohimwithpartedlipsandeyesofeloquentadmiration。ShehadneverbeforeheardanyonetalklikeTHAT——shehadnotbelieveditpossiblethatanyonecouldhavesuchknowledge。Perhapsshecouldnotunderstandallhesaid,butshewouldtrytorememberitafterhehadgone。Shecouldonlythinknowhowkinditwasofhimthatinallthismysteryofhiscoming,andinthesingularsadnessthatwasoppressinghim,heshouldtrytointeresther。Andthuslookingathim,andwondering,anideacametoher。
Shewentintoherbedroomandtookdownherhusband’sheavypilotovercoatandsou’wester,andhandedthemtoherguest。
\"You’dbetterputthemonifyou’regoingtostandthere,\"shesaid。
\"ButIamnotcold,\"hesaidwonderingly。
\"ButyoumightbeSEEN,\"shesaidsimply。Itwasthefirstsuggestionthathadpassedbetweenthemthathispresencetherewasasecret。Helookedatherintently,thenhesmiledandsaid,\"I
thinkyou’reright,formanyreasons,\"putthepilotcoatoverhisfrockcoat,removedhishatwiththegestureofabow,handedittoher,andplacedthesou’westerinitsstead。Thenforaninstanthehesitatedasifabouttospeak,butMrs。Bunker,withadelicacythatshecouldnotherselfcomprehendatthemoment,hurriedbacktothecabinwithoutgivinghimanopportunity。
Nordidsheagainintrudeuponhismeditations。Hiddeninhisdisguise,whichtohereyesdidnot,however,seemtoconcealhischaracteristicfigure,hewanderedfornearlyanhourunderthebluffandalongtheshore,returningatlastalmostmechanicallytothecabin,where,obliviousofhissurroundings,hereseatedhimselfinsilencebythetablewithhischeekrestingonhishand。
Presently,herquick,experiencedeardetectedthesoundofoarsintheirrow—locks;shecouldplainlyseefromherkitchenwindowasmallboatwithtwostrangersseatedatthesternbeingpulledtotheshore。Withthesamestrangeinstinctofdelicacy,shedeterminednottogooutlestherpresencemightembarrassherguest’sreceptionofhisfriends。Butassheturnedtowardsthelivingroomshefoundhehadalreadyrisenandwasremovinghishatandpilotcoat。Shewasstruck,however,bythecircumstancethatnotonlydidheexhibitnofeelingofreliefathisdeliverance,butthatahalf—cynical,half—savageexpressionhadtakentheplaceofhisformermelancholy。Ashewenttothedoor,thetwogentlemenhastilyclambereduptherockstogreethim。
\"Jimreckoneditwasyouhangin’roundtherocks,butIcouldn’ttellatthatdistance。Seemedyouborrowedahatandcoat。Well——
it’sallfixed,andwe’venotimetolose。There’sacoastingsteamerjustdroppingdownbelowtheHeads,anditwilltakeyouaboard。ButIcantellyouyou’vekickedupah—llofarowoverthere。\"Hestopped,evidentlyatsomesignfromherguest。Therestoftheman’sspeechfollowedinahurriedwhisper,whichwasstoppedagainbythevoicesheknew。\"No。Certainlynot。\"Thenextmomenthistallfigurewasdarkeningthedoorofthekitchen;
hishandwasoutstretched。\"Good—by,Mrs。Bunker,andmanythanksforyourhospitality。Myfriendshere,\"heturnedgrimlytothemenbehindhim,\"thinkIoughttoaskyoutokeepthisasecretevenfromyourhusband。IDON’T!TheyalsothinkthatIoughttoofferyoumoneyforyourkindness。IDON’T!Butifyouwillhonormebykeepingthisringinremembranceofit\"——hetookaheavysealringfromhisfinger——\"it’stheonlybitofjewelryIhaveaboutme——I’llbeveryglad。Good—by!\"Shefeltforamomentthefirm,softpressureofhislong,thinfingersaroundherown,andthen——
hewasgone。Thesoundofretreatingoarsgrewfainterandfainterandwaslost。Thesamereserveofdelicacywhichnowappearedtoherasadutykeptherfromgoingtothewindowtowatchthedestinationoftheboat。No,heshouldgoashecame,withouthersupervisionorknowledge。
Nordidshefeellonelyafterwards。Onthecontrary,thesilenceandsolitudeoftheisolateddomainhadanewcharm。Theykeptthememoryofherexperienceintact,andenabledhertorefillitwithhispresence。Shecouldseehistallfigureagainpausingbeforehercabin,withouttheincongruousassociationofanotherpersonality;shecouldhearhisvoiceagain,unmingledwithonemorefamiliar。Forthefirsttime,theregularabsenceofherhusbandseemedanessentialgoodfortuneinsteadofanaccidentoftheirlife。FortheexperiencebelongedtoHER,andnottohimandhertogether。Hecouldnotunderstandit;hewouldhaveacteddifferentlyandspoiledit。Sheshouldnottellhimanythingofit,inspiteofthestranger’ssuggestion,which,ofcourse,hehadonlymadebecausehedidn’tknowZephasaswellasshedid。ForMrs。Bunkerwasgettingonrapidly;itwasherfirstadmissionoftheconjugalknowledgethatone’shusbandisinferiortotheoutsideestimateofhim。Thenextstep——thebeliefthathewasdeceivingHERashewasTHEM——wouldbecomparativelyeasy。
Norshouldsheshowhimthering。Thestrangerhadcertainlyneversaidanythingaboutthat!Itwasaheavyring,withahelmetedheadcarvedonitsredcarnelianstone,andwhatlookedlikestrangelettersaroundit。Itfittedherthirdfingerperfectly;
butHISfingersweresmall,andhehadtakenitfromhislittlefinger。Sheshouldkeepitherself。Ofcourse,ifithadbeenmoney,shewouldhavegivenittoZephas;butthestrangerknewthatshewouldn’ttakemoney。Howfirmlyhehadsaidthat\"I
don’t!\"Shefeltthewarmbloodflytoherfreshyoungfaceatthethoughtofit。Hehadunderstoodher。Shemightbelivinginapoorcabin,doingallthehouseworkherself,andherhusbandonlyafisherman,buthehadtreatedherlikealady。
Andsotheafternoonpassed。TheoutlyingfogbegantorollinattheGoldenGate,obliteratingtheheadlandandstretchingafleecybaracrossthechannelasifshuttingoutfromvulgareyesthewaythathehadgone。Nightfell,butZephashadnotyetcome。Thiswasunusual,forhewasgenerallyasregularastheafternoon\"trades\"whichblewhimthere。Therewasnothingtodetainhiminthisweatherandatthisseason。Shebegantobevaguelyuneasy;
thenalittleangryatthisnewdevelopmentofhisincompatibility。
Thenitoccurredtoher,forthefirsttimeinherwifehood,tothinkwhatshewoulddoifhewerelost。Yet,inspiteofsomepain,terror,andperplexityatthepossibility,herdominantthoughtwasthatshewouldbeafreewomantoorderherlifeassheliked。
Itwasaftertenbeforehislateensailflappedinthelittlecove。
Shewaswaitingtoreceivehimontheshore。Hisgood—humoredhirsutefacewasslightlyapologeticinexpression,butflushedanddisturbedwithsomenewexcitementtowhichanextraglassortwoofspiritshadapparentlyaddedintensity。Thecontrastbetweenhisevidentindulgenceandthepreviousabstemiousnessofherlategueststruckherunpleasantly。\"Well——Ideclare,\"shesaidindignantly,\"soTHAT’Swhatkeptyou!\"
\"No,\"hesaidquickly;\"there’sbeenawfultimesoverin’Frisco!
Everybodyjustwild,andtheVigilanceCommitteeinsession。JoHenderson’skilled!ShotbyWynyardMarioninaduel!He’llbelynched,sureasagun,iftheyketchhim。\"
\"ButIthoughtmenwhofoughtduelsalwayswentfree。\"
\"Yes,butthisain’tnocommonduel;theysaythewholethingwasplannedbeforehandbythemSouthernfire—eaterstogetrido’
Hendersonbecausehe’saNorthernmanandanti—slavery,andthattheypickedoutColonelMariontodoitbecausehewasadeadshot。
TheygothimtoinsultHenderson,sohewasboundtochallengeMarion,andthatgiv’Marionthechyceofweppings。Itwasareg’larputupjobtokillhim。\"
\"Andwhat’sallthistodowithyou?\"sheasked,withirritation。
\"Holdon,won’tyou!andI’lltellyou。Iwaspickin’upnetsoffSaucelitoaboutnoon,whenIwashailedbyoneofthemVigilancetugs,andtheysetmetostandoffandontheshoreandwatchthatMariondidn’tgetaway,whiletheywerescoutin’inland。YeseeTHEDUELTOOKPLACEJUSTOVERTHEBLUFFTHERE——BEHINDYE——andtheyallowedthatMarionhadstruckawaynorthforMendocinototakeshipthere。Forafteroverhaulin’hissecond’sboat,theyfoundoutthattheyhadcomeawayfromSaucelitoALONE。ButtheysentatugaroundbyseatoMendocinotoheadhimoffthere,whilethey’reclosin’inaroundhiminland。They’reboundtocatchhimsoonerorlater。Butyouain’tlistenin’,Mollie?\"
Shewas——ineveryfibre——butwithherheadturnedtowardsthewindow,andtheinvisibleGoldenGatethroughwhichthefugitivehadescaped。Forshesawitallnow——thatgloriousvision——herhigh—bred,handsomeguestandWynyardMarionwereoneandthesameperson。Andthisrough,commonplacemanbeforeher——herownhusband——hadbeenbaselysettocapturehim!
PARTII。
DuringthateveningandthenextMrs。Bunker,withoutbetrayinghersecret,orexcitingtheleastsuspiciononthepartofherhusband,managedtoextractfromhimnotonlyaroughdescriptionofMarionwhichtalliedwithherownimpressions,butashorthistoryofhiscareer。HewasafamouspoliticianwhohadheldhighofficeintheSouth;hewasanaccomplishedlawyer;hehadservedinthearmy;hewasafieryspeaker;hehadasingularcommandofmen。Hewasunmarried,buttherewerequeerstoriesofhisrelationswithsomeofthewivesofprominentofficials,andtherewasnodoubtthatheusedtheminsomeofhispoliticalintrigues。He,Zephas,wouldbetsomethingthatitwasawomanwhohadhelpedhimoff!Didshespeak?
Yes,shehadspoken。Itmadehersicktositthereandhearsuchstories!Becauseamandidnotagreewithsomepeopleinpoliticsitwasperfectlyawfultothinkhowtheywouldabusehimandtakeawayhischaracter!Menweresoawfullyjealous,too;ifanothermanhappenedtobesuperiorandfine—lookingtherewasn’tanythingbadenoughforthemtosayabouthim!No!shewasn’taslaverysympathizereither,andhadn’tanythingtodowithmanpolitics,althoughshewasaSouthernwoman,andtheMacEwanshadcomefromKentuckyandownedslaves。Ofcourse,he,Zephas,whoseancestorswereCapeCodQuakersandhadalwaysbeensailors,couldn’tunderstand。Shedidnotknowwhathemeantbysaying\"whatalongtailourcat’sgot,\"butifhemeanttocallheracat,andwasgoingtousesuchlanguagetoher,hehadbetterhavestayedinSanFranciscowithhisVigilancefriends。AndperhapsitwouldhavebeenbetterifhehadstayedtherebeforehetookherawayfromherparentsatMartinez。Thenshewouldn’thavebeenleftonadesertrockwithoutanychanceofseeingtheworld,orevermakinganyfriendsoracquaintances!
Itwastheirfirstquarrel。DiscreetlymadeupbyMrs。Bunkerinsomealarmatbetrayingherself;honestlyforgivenbyZephasinarude,remorsefulconsciousnessofherlimitedlife。Oneortwonightslater,whenhereturned,itwaswithamingledairofmysteryandsatisfaction。\"Well,Mollie,\"hesaidcheerfully,\"itlooksasifyourpetswerenotasbadasIthoughtthem。\"
\"Mypets!\"repeatedMrs。Bunker,withafaintrisingofcolor。
\"Well,IcalltheseSouthernChivsyourpets,Mollie,becauseyoustuckupforthemsotheothernight。Butnevermindthatnow。
Whatdoyousupposehashappened?JimRider,youknow,theSouthernbankerandspeculator,who’saregularbigInjinamongthe’Chivs,’hesentCapSimmonsdowntothewharfwhileIwasunloadin’tocomeupandseehim。Well,Iwent,andwhatdoy’uthink?Hetoldmehewasgettin’upanAmericanFishin’Company,andwantedmetotakechargeofafirst—classschooneronshares。
Saidheheardofmeafore,andknewIwasanAmericanandawhiteman,andjustthechapezcouldknockthemEytaliansouterthemarket。\"
\"Yes,\"interruptedMrs。Bunkerquickly,butemphatically,\"thefishinginterestoughttobeAmericanandprotectedbytheState,withregularchartersandtreaties。\"
\"Isay,Mollie,\"saidherastonishedbutadmiringhusband,\"you’vebeenreadin’thepapersorlistenin’tostumpspeakin’sure。\"
\"Goon,\"returnedMrs。Bunkerimpatiently,\"andsaywhathappenednext。\"
\"Well,\"returnedZephas,\"Ifirstthought,yousee,thatithadsuthin’todowiththatMarionbusiness,particklerlyezfolksallowedhewashidin’somewhereyet,andtheywantedmetorunhimoff。SoIthoughtRidermightaswellknowthatIwasn’ttobebribed,soIupsandtellshimhowI’dbeenlyin’offSaucelitotheotherdayworkin’fortheothersideaginhim。Withthathelaughs,sayshedidn’twantanybetterfriendsthanme,butthatI
mustbelivin’inthebackwoodsnottoknowthatWynyardMarionhadescaped,andwasthenatseaonhiswaytoMexicoorCentralAmerica。Thenweagreedtoterms,andthelongandshortofitis,Mollie,thatI’mtohavetheschoonerwithahundredandfiftydollarsamonth,andtenpercent。sharesafterayear!Lookslikebiz,eh,Mollie,oldgirl?butyoudon’tseempleased。\"
Shehadputasidethearmwithwhichhewasdrawinghertohim,andhadturnedherwhitefaceawaytothewindow。SoHEhadgone——thisstranger——thisonefriendofherlife——shewouldneverseehimagain,andallthatwouldevercomeofitwasthispecuniarybenefittoherhusband,whohaddonenothing。Hewouldnotevenofferhermoney,buthehadmanagedtopayhisdebttoherinthiswaythattheirvulgarpovertywouldappreciate。Andthiswastheendofherdream!
\"Youdon’tseemtotakeitin,Mollie,\"continuedthesurprisedZephas。\"Itmeansahousein’Friscoandalittlecabinforyouontheschoonerwhenyoulike。\"
\"Idon’twantit!Iwon’thaveit!Ishallstayhere,\"sheburstoutwithahalf—passionate,half—childishcry,andranintoherbedroom,leavingtheastonishedZephashelplessinhisawkwardconsternation。
\"ByGum!Imusttakeherto’Friscorightoff,orshe’llbehavin’
thehighstrikesherealone。Ioughterknoweditwouldcometothis!\"Butalthoughheconsulted\"Cap\"Simmonsthenextday,whoinformedhimitwasallwoman’swayswhen\"struck,\"andadvisedhimtopayoutallthelinehecouldatsuchdelicatemoments,shehadnorecurrenceoftheoutbreak。Onthecontrary,fordaysandweeksfollowingsheseemedcalmer,older,andmore\"growedup;\"althoughsheresistedchangingherseashoredwellingforSanFrancisco,sheaccompaniedhimononeortwoofhis\"deepsea\"tripsdownthecoast,andseemedhappierontheirsouthernlimits。Shehadtakentoreadingthepoliticalpapersandspeeches,andsomecheapAmericanhistories。CaptainBunker’screw,profoundlyconvincedthattheirskipper’swifewasa\"woman’srights\"fanatic,withthebalefulqualitiesof\"sealawyer\"superadded,marveledathisbringingher。
ItwasonreturninghomefromoneofthesetripsthattheytouchedbrieflyatSanFrancisco,wheretheSecretaryoftheFishingCompanycameonboard。Mrs。BunkerwasstartledtorecognizeinhimoneofthetwogentlemenwhohadtakenMr。Marionoffintheboat,butashedidnotappeartorecognizeherevenafteranawkwardintroductionbyherhusband,shewouldhaverecoveredherequanimitybutforasingularincident。Asherhusbandturnedmomentarilyaway,theSecretary,withasignificantgesture,slippedaletterintoherhand。Shefeltthebloodrushtoherfaceas,withasmile,hemovedawaytofollowherhusband。Shecamedowntothelittlecabinandimpatientlytoreopentheenvelope,whichborenoaddress。Asmallfoldednotecontainedthefollowinglines:——
\"Ineverintendedtoburdenyouwithmyconfidence,butthediscretion,tact,andcourageyoudisplayedonourfirstmeeting,andwhatIknowofyourloyaltysince,havepromptedmetotrustmyselfagaintoyourkindness,eventhoughyouarenowawarewhomyouhavehelped,andtherisksyouran。Myfriendswishtocommunicatewithmeandtoforwardtome,fromtimetotime,certainpapersofimportance,which,owingtothetyrannicalespionageoftheGovernment,wouldbediscoveredandstoppedinpassingthroughtheexpressorpost—office。Thesepaperswillbeleftatyourhouse,buthereImusttrustentirelytoyourwitandjudgmentastothewayinwhichtheyshouldbedeliveredtomyagentatthenearestMexicanport。Tofacilitateyouraction,yourhusbandwillreceivedirectionstopursuehiscourseasfarsouthasTodosSantos,whereaboatwillbereadytotakechargeofthemwhenheissighted。IknowIamaskingagreatfavor,butIhavesuchconfidenceinyouthatIdonotevenaskyoutocommityourselftoareplytothis。IfitcanbedoneIknowthatyouwilldoit;ifitcannot,Iwillunderstandandappreciatethereasonwhy。Iwillonlyaskyouthatwhenyouarereadytoreceivethepapersyouwillflyasmallredpennantfromthelittleflagstaffamongtherocks。Believeme,yourfriendandgratefuldebtor,\"W。M。\"